october-2010

068
TRAVEL REPORT: NORTH CAROLINA
ON THE
RECORD
BY BRIAN HOWE
IT’S HARD TO OVERSTATE
Mac McCaughan’s importance
to North Carolina’s renowned
independent music scene—and
beyond. His band Superchunk
was a lynchpin of the early ’90s
indie-rock boom, and his record
label, Merge, has become an international
force, releasing music from bands like
chart-toppers Arcade Fire. Who better
to bring us up to speed on more
than two decades of North Carolina’s
mercurial indie-rock culture?
“When I was in junior high and
high school in the early ’80s, we would
listen to college radio stations to hear what
was new. But at the same time, there could
be a DJ playing (local bands) Corrosion
of Conformity, Let’s Active and The dB’s.
Having those bands was great; they made
an impact nationally. It gave people around
here some kind of pride. Small cities have
the ability to produce a lot of great music.”
“I think it resulted in a lot of people
starting bands. It was just a normal thing
to do. You could be a hardcore band and
play to a really packed room at an all-ages
matinee, like at The Brewery in Raleigh.”
“There was a point when Chapel Hill
rock almost seemed like a genre unto itself.
THE BREWERY 3009 Hillsborough
St, Raleigh; 919-838-
6788; brewerync.com
CAT’S CRADLE 300 E Main
St, Carrboro; 919-967-9053;
catscradle.com
LOCAL 506 506 W Franklin St,
Chapel Hill; 919-942-5506;
local506.com
THE PINHOOK 117 W Main
St, Durham; 919-667-1100;
thepinhook.com
KINGS BARCADE 14 W Martin
St, Raleigh; 919-833-1075;
kingsbarcade.com
SCHOOLKIDS RECORDS 2114
Hillsborough St, Raleigh;
919-821-7766; myspace.com/
schoolkidsrecords
Years later, Cursive would sing, ‘Chapel Hill around the
early ’90s’ in a song about their influences.”
“When you walk into Cat’s Cradle, it really feels like
a rock club. Bands look forward to playing there and just
being in Chapel Hill. Local 506 has been there for a long
time; it’s a more intimate space. And in Durham, there’s
Pinhook. And Kings Barcade in Raleigh reopened in a
new space, which is really exciting because it was a great
spot before. Steve from Polvo is one of the owners.”
“I think Chapel Hill is a hotbed for indie music as
a result of great radio stations, great venues, multiple
universities and record stores like Schoolkids Records.
All those things existing in one place naturally creates
an environment where people can be inspired by
music, make music and find an audience.”
MAC’S PICKS: LOCAL BANDS TO WATCH
Love Language • The Rosebuds • Mount Moriah • Hammer No More the Fingers • Lost in the Trees
GO MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2010