GIG OF THE WEEK

YR15 @ CAT’S CRADLE, CARRBORO

Growing old gracefully in rock & roll isn’t the rarity it once was, and Haw River’s Yep Roc label has a roster full of examples. The label celebrates its 15th birthday this weekend with a three-day Yep Roc-apalooza including many of the veterans who’ve continued to put out new, often excellent, music on Yep Roc long after stamping their imprint on rock’s historical record. We’ve cherry picked a few of our favorite performers each night and a dark horse or two whose vitality might surprise — and we’re talking about both their stage performances and songwriting.

Thursday, Oct. 11

Nick Lowe could be the poster full-grown-man for this event, and headlines the first night. Though The Silver Fox is 61, he remains at the height of his songwriting powers, and the strong country music strain in his sneaky smart songs doesn’t hurt that, of course. But Lowe’s real antecedents may be the pop craftsmen dating from Lieber & Stoller back to Cole Porter, for every word in a Nick Lowe song is right where it has to be, and he apparently has stockpiled hooks to last him forever. And whether he’s with a band or holding a room in the palm of his hand with just his voice and guitar — as he did this week in Charlotte — Lowe’s charisma alone guarantees an engaging set. On the other end of the sonic spectrum, you’ll find the mysterious wrestler-masked men of Los Straitjackets, whose mind-bending surf-and-spaghetti string-bending instrumentals now drop the jaws of another generation of young guitar geeks. No amount of Morricone/Dale pre-listening can really prepare you for how tight this band is, so be forewarned. Finally, our Thursday dark horse, and a newcomer to the label, is Eleni Mandell of Los Angeles. Mandell released a series of fairly obscure early Tom Waits-flavored records in the 90s, and then took a turn toward old Nashville in the early 00s that’s proved quite fertile. Few women dissect the flirt vs. ingénue dichotomy in music better, and Mandell’s marvelously crafted LPs usually feature some of the best studio musicians in L.A.

Friday, Oct. 12

Power pop’s undergone several rebirths, and you could argue the Canadian group Sloan has been involved in two them, even kick-starting one in the late-90s (along with Matthew Sweet). Celebrating their 20th year, the band released an LP last year, The Double Cross, that shows they’ve still got plenty of Beatles-esque harmonies and Teenage Fanclub hooks in the tank, but that they’re also not done growing creatively. Speaking of power pop, this will be an opportunity for out-of-towners to see one of the Triangle’s most-beloved and “shouldabeenhuge” bands, Mayflies USA, perform for the first time since reuniting in 2009 for a few gigs. Through four LPs in the late 90s/early 00s, the band amassed a heap of critical praise for their blend of pop influences (Big Star to the dBs to Superchunk), which sadly didn’t provide traction enough for a career.  Our dark horse this night is Josh Rouse. After his alt-country debut, Rouse began expanding into pop and soul, resulting in the critically acclaimed 1972. But he’s since moved to Spain (he splits time in Nashville) where his records have pulled in Flamenco, Brazilian and Spanish pop elements, to varying degrees of success.

Saturday, Oct. 13

John Doe headlines the final night’s bash, another elder statesman of the label. Doe’s solo career has never matched the ferocity of his band X, but then you are talking about one the greatest and most versatile punk bands ever. Instead, Doe’s solo LPs have emphasized his lyrical side, often in a country genre he first explored with his X bandmates in the Knitters. In 2009, Doe released Country Club, backed by The Sadies, who this reporter is picking as his Must-See among the all these other Must-Sees. Brothers Dallas and Travis Good excel at two distinct styles of guitar, the former a chicken-picker worthy of Clarence White’s mantle and the latter a psychedelic phase-shifter in much demand with everyone from Neko Case and Jon Spencer to Calexico and labelmate soul legend Andre Williams. Mike Belitsky (drums) and Sean Dean (bass) power the band’s explosive sound, which veers from garage freakouts and old school country to dark psychedelia and spaghetti western surf with a songwriting ease that’s grown more impressive over the years. Our dark horse this night is Jim White, whose eccentric Southern Gothic narratives usually come along with some of the most entertaining between-song tales that basically transition right into White’s touching, and sometimes funny, songs.  —John Schacht

CALENDAR

Oct. 11

• Bonnie Raitt w/ Sarah Siskind @ Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte
• The English Beat @ The Orange Peel, Asheville
• Smoking Popes w/ Roll The Tanks, Almost People @ Local 506, Chapel Hill

Oct. 12

• The Sadies w/ Wayne Robbins & The Hellsayers @ Grey Eagle, Asheville
• How To Dress Well @ Soapbox, Wilmington
• Melvins Lite @ The Handlebar, Greenville, S.C.
• Bonnie Raitt w/ Sarah Siskind @ Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham
• Holy Ghost Tent Revival @ Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh
• Lucero w/ Caleb Caudle @ Ziggy’s, Winston-Salem
• The Jim White Combo @ Evening Muse, Charlotte
• Elonzo w/ Saints Apollo, Birds With Fleas @ The Cave, Chapel Hill
• Dead Confederate w/ Pullman Strike @ Visulite Theatre, Charlotte
• Deep Set Quartet w/ Ayr Mountaineers @ Local 506, Chapel Hill

Oct. 13

• Jam Room Music Festival w/ The Hold Steady, Justin Townes Earle, more @ Main Street, Columbia
• Suburban Nightmare Festival w/ No Tomorrow, Mutilation Rights @ Masonic Hall, Apex
• Perfume Genius w/ Dusted @ The ArtsCenter, Carrboro
• Pearl & The Beard @ The Blind Tiger, Greensboro
• Caleb Caudle @ The Cave, Chapel Hill
• The Demon Beat w/ Joe Hall @ Slim’s, Raleigh
• Sanctum Sully w/ Jon Stickley Trio @ Grey Eagle, Asheville

Oct. 14

• Swans w/ A Hawk & Hacksaw @ Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh
• GZA (performing Liquid Swords) w/ Killer Mike @ Brooklyn Arts Center, Wilmington
• Levek @ Motorco, Durham
• Elonzo @ Tin Roof, Charleston
• The Hold Steady w/ Spider Bags @ Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro
• Smoke DZA w/ Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire @ Local 506, Chapel Hill

Oct. 15

• The Anomalys w/ Black Zinfandel @ The Cave, Chapel Hill
• Jens Lekman w/ Taken by Trees @ Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro
• Turbo Fruits @ Kings Barcade, Raleigh
• Langhorne Slim and The Law @ Pour House, Charleston

Oct. 16

• Emily Wells w/ Dark Dark Dark @ The Pinhook, Durham
• Tilly & The Wall @ Kings, Raleigh
• Temper Trap @ Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro
• Langhorne Slim & The Law @ Visulite Theatre, Charlotte
• Alejandro Escovedo @ Grey Eagle, Asheville
• Jphono1 @ The Cave, Chapel Hill

Oct. 17

• Phil Cook & His Feat w/ Kalispell, Brice Randall Bickford @ The Pinhook, Durham
• James McMurtry w/ Joe Pug @ Visulite Theatre, Charlotte
• Langhorne Slim & The Law @ Soapbox, Wilmington
• Punch Brothers @ The Orange Peel, Asheville
• 919 Noise Showcase w/ Feltbattery, Peter Aldrich, more @ Nightlight, Chapel Hill