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CAPOTE: A Playlist
We did a little party and photo shoot for Charlotte Magazine this month, inspired by Truman Capote’s legendary 1966 Black and White Ball. I was the DJ and knew a stylish crew would be in attendance - so Dolphy, Mingus, and Nico were musts. Gal Costa and Astrud Gilberto gave it character. Peter Duchin played at the original party, so I had to have him on there as well. The rest is a vibey set of songs from the 1960s. Enjoy!
An Interview with Jerry David DeCicca
The internet is a hell of a thing. One minute, you’ve never heard of an artist; the next minute, that artist is popping up everywhere on your Instagram feed. You check out their tunes, and before you know it, you’ve got a new songwriter in your regular rotation. Jerry David DeCicca is one of those artists, and hopefully the mysterious cycle of internet coverage - the modern day version of a record store at the mall - leads you to his catalogue if you’re not there already.
Emerging in the early aughts as primary songwriter and frontman of The Black Swans, DeCicca’s music career has taken him from Columbus, Ohio, to bigger cities and then ultimately to Bulverde, Texas, a small hamlet outside San Antonio where today he plies his craft as a songwriter. He’s three records into his solo career now, having released two albums this year alone: the jazz and gospel-tinged Time the Teacher in February and the Texas-classic-rocker Burning Daylight in September.
We had the chance to catch up over the phone for a long chat about music and history. We discussed the recording process and timing of his solo records, the importance of music blogs fifteen years ago, and why the record store at his local mall made such an impact on his music eduction. And of course, we talked about The Grateful Dead.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE CREAM PUFF RECORDS INTERVIEW WITH JERRY DAVID DECICCA.
Read MoreTalking Records with Parker Gispert
If you like punk rock and Southern rock equally, if your time to experience that post-college-slash-pre-career gray area was the early 2000s, and if you frequented East Coast dives such as The Black Cat, The 40 Watt, or The Visulite - Parker Gispert’s band The Whigs probably mean something to you.
At the same time The Strokes and The White Stripes were making garage rock popular again, Gispert and The Whigs were working the Southern circuit, bringing their three-piece, three-chord punk music to anyone who would listen. And damn were they loud.
Seventeen years later, The Whigs are still at it. They’re just moving a bit more slowly. Like many of us, they’re approaching the first chapters of middle age, and each band member has begun pursuing different things. For Parker Gispert, that means chasing the solo career he’s always thought about.
In November, he’ll release his debt solo album Sunlight Tonight. Produced by Emery Dobyns (Patti Smith, Antony and the Johnsons) and featuring members of The Black Keys and Sparklehouse, it’s a major detour from The Whigs. It’s lush and full of instrumentation not found on your typical punk or garage album. A harp. Strings. Some synths. If the first single “Through The Canvas” is any indication, the album marks an exciting step in a new direction for The Whigs’ frontman.
Parker Gispert will spend most of the remainder of 2018 and a decent chunk of early 2019 on the road supporting Sunlight Tonight. He’ll be stopping through Charlotte for a set at Recover Brands on October 26th. In advance of the show, we caught up with him to talk about the thing that made the most sense to talk about: records.
Cream Puff Records and Recover Brands are hosting Parker Gispert on Friday, October 26th. CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS.
And in the meantime, click here to read the Cream Puff Records interview with Parker Gispert.
Read MoreTalking Records with Alela Diane
Alela Diane’s career arc has been anything but boring. Born to bluegrass-playing parents, she started making her own music when she was nearly twenty years old and was considered an emerging talent in the freak-folk scene of the mid-2000s. Rave reviews from hip publications and a duet with folk’s patron saint Michael Hurley were early signifiers that Alela was a on a quick path to stardom. But she slowed down and started a family, surviving a near-death experience in the meantime. Following a five-year break, she released her sixth solo album Cusp earlier this year. One could say that she’s back on track - but she never really lost the path. Life simply got in the way, as they say. Her return to center stage with an excellent new album is testament to the muse of motherhood and proof that true songwriters don’t stay quiet for long.
We caught up with Alela ahead of her Charlotte show this Saturday. We talked about a lot of things, but mostly, we just talked about our favorite thing: records.
Cream Puff Records and Tabor are thrilled to host Alela Diane for a performance on the front porch on October 20th. It’s our annual Bungalow Social - one of the best parties in the city and an October tradition that gets better each year. We hope you’ll join us for the show. In the meantime, please CLICK HERE TO READ THE CREAM PUFF RECORDS INTERVIEW WITH ALELA DIANE.
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Trouble Anyway: An Interview with Rosali
Rosali says that Philadelphia - the place she’s called home for ten years - is rough and raw. It is a place that has toughened her up. She also talks about liking to shred.
Based on those comments alone, you’d think she was a punk rocker of the Iggy Pop ilk: gritty, grimy, maybe even dangerous. And you’d be partially right. As one third of the power trio Long Hots, Rosali is certainly capable of playing fast and loud.
But as a solo artist, her vibe is something different. She’s still a rocker, but her stuff is earthier. It’s mellower. And it’s gorgeous.
With two albums to her name (2016’s Out of Love and this year’s Trouble Anyway), Rosali has delivered song after powerful song about love and heartache. She’s not yet a household name, but she’s moving in that direction.
Cream Puff Records is thrilled to host Rosali for a solo set in the Tabor courtyard this Saturday (7/28). In advance of the show, we caught up with her over email to discuss her new record and the life-saving thrill of jamming with her friends.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE CREAM PUFF RECORDS’ INTERVIEW WITH ROSALI.
AND THEN GO BUY SOME TICKETS TO HER CHARLOTTE SHOW ON SATURDAY. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE.
Read MoreUnsung Passage: An Interview with Ryan Gustafson
An Interview with Steve Gunn
There are certain artists - not many, but a few - that, when you hear their music for the first time, you don't simply seek out the rest of their discography. It sounds so good that you feel compelled to find the records that influenced the artist as well. You have to understand the building blocks of that sound, those cobblestones that paved the path by which that music made its way to you.
Steve Gunn is one of those artists. Whether playing solo, or with the Gunn-Truscinski Duo, the Black Twig Pickers, or a host of other collaborators, his prodigious guitar work and timeless songs are certain to make an impact. Then you learn a little about his influences, and the rabbit hole opens like a vortex.
Although not from North Carolina, Gunn has released a decent chunk of his recorded output on NC-based labels Three Lobed Recordings and Paradise of Bachelors. He's since moved on to Matador, but his ties to the Old North State are strong.
Steve Gunn will be making the trip to Charlotte for a show at Recover Brands on Monday, March 26th. In advance of the show, Cream Puff Records called Steve at his Brooklyn home to discuss a laundry list of topics. A native of the Philadelphia area, he’s a longtime, long-suffering Eagles fan. Their victory in Super Bowl LII came as a complete shock in the best possible way. So we spent a lot time talking football. When the conversation turned to music, Steve shared his love of Sun Ra, Bardo Pond and Michael Chapman, discussed why Asian and African music is so essential to him, and made the double confession that he’s both a jazz nerd and a Spotify-user.
Cream Puff Records is thrilled to host Steve Gunn at Recover Brands on Monday, March 26th. Nathan Bowles - the clawhammer banjoist and familiar face around these parts - will share the bill. There are only a few tickets left – CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS BEFORE THEY SELL OUT.
In the meantime, CLICK HERE to read the Cream Puff Records interview with Steve Gunn.
Read MoreHiss Golden Messenger: An Interview with MC Taylor
Deeper Woods: An Interview with Sarah Louise
There’s something special going on in Asheville. In a state that is home to some of the best artists making music today, most of the attention has been directed to Durham, Chapel Hill, and Raleigh. But if you head four hours west on Interstate 40 to Asheville, you’ll find a community of North Carolina artists that is equally rousing (albeit slightly less famous). Yes, mega-star Angel Olsen is pretty well known, but a host of other Asheville musicians maintain a lower profile. Whether it’s improv specialists Tashi Dorji, Tyler Damon, and Thom Nguyen; cellist Emmalee Hunnicutt; or roots rockers The Dead Tongues and Floating Action, the sounds coming from the Land of the Sky is just as vibrant as the music from the Triangle.
One of the most gripping players from the Asheville scene is Sarah Louise. A master of the twelve-string acoustic guitar, she first gained renown with her solo, instrumental albums Field Guide (2015; self-released; Scissor Tail reissue) and VDSQ Acoustic Series Volume 12 (2016; VDSQ). She also teamed up with Sally Anne Morgan of the Black Twig Pickers to form House and Land, a folk-drone duo whose self-titled release on Thrill Jockey was one of last year’s highlights.
This year is shaping up to be another good one for Sarah. She recently announced the release of her next solo record Deeper Woods (Thrill Jockey) in May. Although she invited a small group of friends to participate in the making of it, the record is very much a product of her own vision. She taught herself to play other instruments for it. She wrote all of the songs, produced the record herself, engineered it, and perhaps most alluring, broke free from her signature twelve-string guitar to emphasize vocals, keys, and synthesizers.
Sarah Louise will be making her Charlotte debut on February 24th at a house show. We caught up with her in advance via email to discuss the new record and her musical roots. She also provided a long list of other great female guitarists we should be checking out and told us why a crockpot of soup can lead to a killer DIY event.
Sarah Louise plays a Charlotte house show with Tashi Dorji on February 24th. Send a direct message to Cream Puff Records via Facebook or Instagram for ticket information and location. In the meantime, click here to read our interview with Sarah Louise.
Read MoreWhat a Time to Be Alive: An Interview with Laura Ballance
by: ANITA OVERCASH
Superchunk is fed up. The Durham-based band is disgusted by the political climate that we’re living in and has taken to venting on their upcoming album, What a Time to Be Alive. The album is slated for release on February 16th. A follow-up to the band’s 2013 release I Hate Music, What a Time to Be Alive delivers upbeat anthemic indie punk rock.
Comprised of Merge Record founders Laura Ballance (bassist) and Mac McCaughan (singer/guitarist), as well as Jim Wilbur (guitarist) and Jon Wurster (drummer), Superchunk expands on feelings of vulnerability and the need to actively protest. Songs like “Break the Glass” reflect this spirit: “Everyone’s acting normal but no one’s sleeping through the night … Break the glass, don’t use the door. This is what a hammer’s for ...”
Cream Puff Records caught up with Laura Balance to discuss the record. She explains that it is the first Superchunk album that’s been entirely influenced by politics. It’s also the first album that she recorded in a separate room from her band. Ballance, who was diagnosed with tinnitus and hyperacusis several years ago, can no longer play in the same room as the rest of the band due to her hypersensitivity to noise. The diagnosis caused her to stop touring with Superchunk in 2010.
In addition to What a Time to Be Alive and the political climate, Ballance discusses the recording process, her feelings of isolation, and the incorporation of a more diverse roster of artists at Merge Records. CLICK HERE to read the Cream Puff Records interview with Laura Ballance.
Superchunk's new record What a Time to Be Alive is out via Merge Records on February 16th. Click here to order your copy on the Merge Records website.
Read MoreHere we are. As another year approaches its terminus, another blog memorializes the music it liked. For music fanatics with some tie to reality, the year-end list making ritual is something that means nothing while also meaning everything. It sure does take up a lot of time.
What follows is a list of albums that made an impact on us this year. A lot of the albums on our list were made by folks we hosted in Charlotte. We met these musicians, promoted gigs for them, interviewed them and introduced them to our friends. They are the reason Cream Puff Records exists.
As we wrap up our second full year, we are grateful to all of you who bought a record, read an interview, came to a show, or showed us some love in another way. We’re already working on some good stuff for 2018, and we hope you’ll stick around to see it.
For now, we hope you enjoy our year end review. CLICK HERE TO READ CREAM PUFF RECORDS: BEST OF 2017.
Read MoreWhat in the Natural World: An Interview with Jake Xerxes Fussell
Jake Xerxes Fussell is a time traveler.
Xerxes was the fourth king of the Achaemenid dynasty and the namesake of a Southern potter. Jake was named after the potter. His journey has taken him from his hometown of Columbus, Georgia to Berkeley to Oxford, Mississippi to Durham - with furloughs in countless hamlets, way stations and outposts along the way. His folklorist father was a museum curator who traversed the the Deep South researching, recording and photographing old-time musicians of all shapes and sizes. Rug rat Jake tagged along, meeting the blues and folk pickers along the way. He learned to play guitar.
Later in life, he met William Tyler. The kindred spirits played music together and recorded Jake's first album in 2015, a self-titled affair with Tyler in the producer's booth. It's a folk record for modern times. Earlier this year, Fussell released What in the Natural World, his second full length. It's a collection of vernacular songs from the 1920s and 1930s, reinterpreted for today's Heads. Both records were released by Chapel Hill's fortress label Paradise of Bachelors.
Jake Xerxes Fussell's name takes us back to the earliest of times, and the songs he's chosen to record reflect his passion for digging up musical gems that were forgotten long ago. But the way he plays them is utterly of - and for - today.
Jake Xerxes Fussell will be in Charlotte on Thursday (12/14) for an intimate living room set at Recover Brands. CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS.
Prior to the show, we had a nice, long phone chat with Jake to discuss his recent European tour with the gospel group The Como Mamas. We also talked about the democratic power of YouTube and the need to break away from our traditional arbiters of hip and cool in order to broaden our musical palates. It's a fascinating interview - CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT.
JAKE XERXES FUSSELL PLAYS RECOVER BRANDS ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14TH. CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS. FREE BEER WILL BE PROVIDED (OR BYOB). SEE YOU THERE!
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CREAM PUFF RECORDS PRESENTS...
JAKE XERXES FUSSELL
LIVE at RECOVER BRANDS
December 14th - 7pm - $20
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS
The Model
Quazarz, one of two new LPs from Shabazz Palaces, is in steady rotation at Cream Puff headquarters.
The song "Moon Whip Quaz" got us thinking about Big Black's "The Model," a cover of the standout track from Kraftwerk's 1978 record The Man-Machine. All three songs made for the outline of a new playlist.
This collection of songs starts with the original, moves to Big Black, concludes with Shabazz, and jams in a bunch of other songs we're psyched about these days. Click HERE for the direct playlist link or access Spotify using the embed. Enjoy!
Tennessee & Other Stories: An Interview with Hans Chew
According to Hans Chew, his boogie-woogie music channels the vitality of rock maniacs Iggy Pop, Nick Cave and David Yow. Although calmer now - he’s a father, settled in New York – his music maintains the energy and the edge of his forebears.
Cream Puff Records is thrilled to host Hans Chew and his Band at The Visulite on Sunday, November 12th. In advance of the show, we asked Hans some questions over email. His responses are fantastic. Whether you know his story already or you are new to him and his music – you’ll love this conversation. We sure did.
Hans Chew Band plays The Visulite on Sunday, November 12th. Tashi Dorji and RHTS also join the bill. Click here for tickets.
In the meantime, click here to read the Cream Puff Records interview with Hans Chew.
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Hans Chew Band | Tashi Dorji | R.H.T.S.
Cream Puff Records
presents
Hans Chew Band
Tashi Dorji
R.H.T.S.
The Visulite Theatre
11.12.2017 | 7pm | $10
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS
Cream Puff Records is proud to host this night of mind-expanding music. Talent like this usually skips Charlotte on its way to The Triangle or Asheville, so we're feeling lucky to have them visit the Queen City. Let's give them a warm welcome. Hope to see you there!
Helado Negro: An Interview with Roberto Carlos Lange
The first thing you notice at an Helado Negro show is the two human-size blobs dancing on stage. Known as the Tinsel Mammals and clad head to toe in tinsel, they are professional dancers wearing costumes designed to make them look like pom poms. Roberto Carlos Lange - the songwriter and brains behind Helado Negro - says the purpose of the Tinsel Mammals is to disarm the audience and create a sense of mystery and anticipation. They are crucial to his performance, but he acknowledges that they can be a little goofy too.
Born in the Fort Lauderdale area to Ecuadorian parents, Lange is a one-man-show (not counting the Tinsel Mammals) who sings and makes electronic music using a Music Production Controller. He manipulates programmed beats, samples, and synth riffs to create spacey lounge music. It's a thoroughly modern sound that somehow stays rooted in the Latino music of Lange's youth. Imagine Panda Bear singing in Spanish or a cumbia Ariel Pink song and you might get a sense of what this offbeat music sounds like.
Helado Negro will be stopping through Charlotte on October 21st for a set at McColl Center for Art + Innovation. It's the next event in the indomitable New Frequencies series, and like the sets earlier this year, it promises to be a singular night of mind-expanding music. Bo White and Brett Green's High Cube project will open the show...and yes, the Tinsel Mammals will be there too.
Cream Puff Records caught up with Roberto by phone while he was on tour with Sylvan Esso last month. We talked about his Ecuadorian roots and why the visual element of his show is just as important as the music.
Helado Negro performs at McColl Center for Art + Innovation on Saturday, October 21st. High Cube is the opener. CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS.
CLICK HERE to read the Cream Puff Records interview with Helado Negro.
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