We have sung the praises of Will Birch’s fantastic new biography, Cruel to Be Kind: The Life and Music of Nick Lowe with a mini pod (tinyurl.com/zubprewill) and a maxi interview podcast (tinyurl.com/zubcruel) and even posted …Read more

 

 

We love to blog about the shows, films, music, tv, books and even the occasional art exhibit we see. In the days of social distancing precautions, artists are moving their works to streaming platforms and Zub is going there with…

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I just saw Pylon Reenactment Society (aka PRS) a week before this at The Earl with The Bongos. They were wonderful and had a great show. What changes in a week? Well, honestly, not much. The Foundry is a very …Read more

 

Much like Greenville’s Hyperchina, I have to tell you Secret Monkey Weekend are one of my favorite bands. I have been involved in a great recording project with them that we will talk more about in the future. This Durham, …Read more

 

Florence Dore is a singer and songwriter who is also a professor of Literature at The University Of North Carolina. She has written a fine book called Novel Sounds that connects Southern Literature with rock and roll. She also released …Read more

 

It’s no secret I’m a big fan of Hyperchina. I have recently recorded and produced their first CD, so I am pretty familiar with the band and their music. I like them because they are a local band in my…

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            This was a night of discovery. Once again, due to my pal Russell, I was inserted into a musical scene that is not my own. Usually when I write about a band, I know them pretty much back to front. …Read more

 

       

 

                      Pylon Reenactment Society just keeps getting better. The Athens, GA band is led by original Pylon singer Vanessa Briscoe-Hay and was formed as a tribute to her former band (see our Pylon Podcast at tinyurl.com/zubcrazy), but as they have …Read more

 

I’m a guy that knows a thing or five about guitars. You may know I’ve been a musician, guitarist, and bassist for over three decades. I also ran and owned a musical instrument shop, so I have quite a bit …Read more

 

  The Vista Room is a cool place, in a strip shopping center. It appears to be an event space attached to a restaurant. There is a great stage, solid sound, and lots of lighting. Soon after we arrived, Mitch Easter …Read more

Adrienne: When I was a kid and showed signs of being a bit of a wise cracker, my dad, always one to blow things out of proportion, hepped me to the wonderful world of The Second City. I tell a …Read more

 

It’s easy to forget about Linda Ronstadt, the ubiquitous singer of the 70’s and early 80’s, but The Sound Of My Voice is a breezy and enjoyable look back at her career. I had forgotten just how popular she was. …Read more

 

 

I have written quite a few times about Peter Holsapple and his fine combo, live review at (tinyurl.com/zubphc) and their recent Christmas residency at (tinyurl.com/zubphcguests). This is a tough, melodic band featuring Peter Holsapple, from the …Read more

It’s always a treat to go to a show at your hometown club. The Radio Room is where my current band (https://www.facebook.com/babylonrocksyou/) plays and we’ve done some Zub multi-band shows there. It’s a comfortable, sort-of-dive place with good …Read more

I don’t think I’ve written about visual art before, but I must say this exhibition at Raleigh’s Museum of Art really, profoundly moved me.  I, like many, learned much about Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera via the excellent Julie Taymor …Read more

Wartime photo of Scottish soldiers, mascot in the trenches during WWI 

 

You may know that I was born in Scotland. I proudly display a shadow box with a number of medals and ribbons from a distant relative who served in …Read more

 

 

The word to describe Sirsy is genuine. They know what they are and they know what they are about, an amazing ‘little’ band. I say ‘little’ because this band is just two people: singer, drummer, flautist and keyboard pad-playing …Read more

    This was the second time I’ve seen Arrow Beach, first being at The Station in Carrboro opening for the Peter Holsapple Combo. Arrow Beach was then a five piece, Drums, bass, guitar, guitar/keys, and singer. They blew me away that …Read more

Two great bands from the Athens 80’s heyday recently played a special reunion show at the fabled 40 Watt Club. This was a magical evening in Athens. I got to the club early and watched it fill up from the …Read more

 

 

Welcome to 2020! Here’s a few things we’ve been hearing and seeing: 

 

The Successful Failures: Saratoga  It’s great to hear a band that really knows what they are doing. The Successful Failures are from New Jersey, led by frontman/songwriter Mick …Read more

  New Order is another band that is a constant in my life. Their music is always inventive, different, and unique. New Order: Decades is a bit documentary, a bit concert film. During the Manchester International Festival 2017, the band collaborated …Read more

Tim Robinson is a sui generis comedy force. His characters are angry, awkward, loud, stubborn, ignorant, and prickly. And irresistable, somehow. Tim Robinson is a Saturday Night Live alumnus (where his unique skill set was under utilized), who together with …Read more

 

This is an improbable and unexpected story. I can’t overstate to you how much the Neighborhoods, a fine rock band from Boston, MA, meant to me (and to Adrienne). Playing with them was the spark that lit the fuse for …Read more

    There’s nothing like nostalgia for the kids TV we grew up with. John Mulaney, the stand-up comic and former Saturday Night Live writer, understands this very well. With his co-writer, Marika Sayer (also from SNL) and songwriter Eli Bolen, he …Read more