Double edition! Five Questions with Kim Gray and Matt Tyson

Pick n' Bitch

May, 13, 2009 , by Karen

This week is one of those times where it’s especially great to be a music lover in the Triangle. There’s so much going on: Artsplosure with Lonnie Walker on Saturday, Rebus Fest on Sunday, Des Ark at BCHQ on Thursday and even a Ukulele event at Pinhook on Friday.

But in the midst of everything going on, there are two shows you might have overlooked. The first is Pick n’ bitch, an all-star, Durham-centric music festival celebrating women musicians and helping women organizations that are in need, organized by blogger, label-owner, general music maven Kim Gray. Pick n’ Bitch takes place Saturday at Pinhook and features Princess and the Criminals, The Virgo 9, Pink Flag and more.

The second show you should know about is Goes Cube, a Brooklyn metal-ish band featuring Raleigh native Matt Tyson on bass. Matt is also the founder of the very influential Ear Farm blog. Goes Cube will be at Slim’s on Tuesday and Jack Sprat in Chapel Hill on Monday.

So, in a special double-article, this week’s edition features Five Questions with both Kim Gray of Pick n’ Bitch and Matt Tyson of Goes Cube.

Five Questions with Kim Gray

1. Which women’s organizations will benefit from the Pick n’ Bitch, and why is it important for you to benefit a women’s organization?
We will be giving the proceeds to Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina. When the Pick n’ Bitch crew first met, we decided as a group that we wanted to help out women’s organizations in need. As a women’s centered music festival, it only seemed natural that we tried to help out women’s issues that we felt strongly needed assistance. With our ailing economy, many organizations will be losing out on the funds that they need to assist women who greatly need help.

2. Why are so many people afraid of the word bitch? Is it a word that can truly be reclaimed?
Well, at first, there was a bit of controversy about the word bitch in the title of the event. Some people thought it could be perceived as degrading to women. As a group, we were a little surprised. So many of us, just sling the word around so casually in our daily conversation that for many of us, it really has lost it’s power as a nasty word. The word bitch in the title has nothing to do with someone being called a derogatory name. The title was born from music sessions that I was having with friends of mine. We would play music, and then take a break and talk about life and those things that irked us. Basically, we would bitch. So, the title means to pick a guitar and to complain. When women get together and talk, it can often lead to processing of feelings.

I do believe that the word can be and is being reclaimed by women. I find it similar to the GLBT community reclaiming the use of the word “queer.” Often it is not so much the word that is “bad”, but the context and the user. We have created a rock festival to showcase some of the fantastic female talent in the Triangle, and help women. We are definitely not using the word here to degrade women in any way. We will be having a pre-show discussion on the word bitch at 6:30 PM. People are more than welcome to come out and tell us if they feel differently on the subject.

3. What is Elaine all about?
Elaine is a part of the DSI Comedy Theater in Carrboro, NC. They are an all female improv group. In between band sets they will be doing a few improvisational comedy numbers to entertain the audience. I am looking forward to seeing them as they use suggestions from the audience as a part of their performance. It’s another great way for us as a group to support other female artists!

4. Will there be more picking or bitching at the Pick n’ Bitch?
Picking, of course! This event is is going to be a fun night, so if there is any bitching I am sure that it will be kept a minimum. Besides, I am sure that the amps and feedback will be so loud that any bitching will be drowned out! If anyone wants to bitch, they should come and do it at 6:30 PM.

5. Last year you held a free festival at the Durham Farmer’s Market. Why did you decide to hold this festival in a club?
Logistics. Logistics. Logistics…and beer. Last year, the free festival was fun in the park. However, that day we had quite the lightening storm, and I thought we might have to pull the plug for everyone’s safety. Inside, this year seemed like an easier choice. I feel really fortunate to have the show at the Pinhook! The owners are awesome and have been great to work with on organizing all this. They have been very supportive. Either choice of venue has it’s positives, but sometimes it’s good to try new things. Maybe next year’s show will be outside.

Pick n’ Bitch will take place Saturday, May 16, at Pinhook in Durham. Here’s the line-up:

7:00 - Scientific Superstar
7:45 - Roxcetera
8:30 - Pistil
9:15 - The Wigg Report
10:00 - Jews and Catholics
10:45 - Pink Flag
11:30 - Free Electric State
12:15 - The Virgo 9
1:00 - Princess and the Criminals

Five Questions with Matt Tyson of Goes Cube

1. What is a “Goes Cube”? Is that anything like a Rubik’s Cube?
A Goes Cube is an amazing band from Brooklyn, and it’s actually a whole lot easier to figure out than a Rubik’s Cube is. In fact, I’d imagine that most people will “get” Goes Cube within seconds of listening to the band; meanwhile, I’m still trying to solve the Rubik’s Cube some 25 plus years after first trying. Dear Rubik’s Cube: go die. No, wait, I don’t mean that. I love Rubik’s products. In fact, I think I’ll be bringing one with me on the road. I think I can, I think I can…

2. If you were given the choice to be able to play bass just like Cliff Burton or write like Lester Bangs, which would you choose and why?
Let’s see… amazingly influential dead guy #1, or dead guy #2? Can I pick Geezer Butler and have both his bass skills and longevity? No, okay, I’ll play by the rules. But this is an impossible choice. The short answer is: Cliff Burton. Even though I played guitar rather than bass growing up, I used to idolize him as a kid, had a picture of him up on my wall, and I’ve never really looked to other music writers for inspiration or influence. Which is stupid, now that I consider it. I mean, Lester Bangs made such smart choices with words, was consistently ahead of the curve with his taste, and was known for championing music he flat out loved. In a way, Lester Bangs was the first music blogger, and really the only rock writer who ever mattered, or ever will. That being said, it’s still Cliff Burton. Dude was a god amongst men. Sadly you have to mess around with the EQ on your stereo a bit to really bring him to the front of the mix, but listen to “The Call of Ktulu” or “Orion” and tell me there’s been a better metal bassist since Cliff. There hasn’t.

3. How will you promote your band on Ear Farm without a conflict of interest?
I’ve decided not to promote the band at all on Ear Farm. I’m not trying to run the most reputable publication on Earth, but I do want people to trust that what they read on the site is coming from a pure place. From this point forward, Goes Cube’s press will come from anywhere but Ear Farm.

4. How has your taste in music evolved since starting Ear Farm?
This is an interesting one, I’ve never really considered this question before. At first I thought I’d have a really great answer for you, but I really don’t think my tastes have changed that much since I first started the site in 2005. I’ve always been very open to all, literally all, styles of music and now that I’ve been writing about it for a few years, those boundary-less boundaries have expanded even more. The thing that has probably changed the most for me is my confidence in my taste in music, especially for my guilty pleasures. A few years back, I’m not sure I would’ve been willing to tell even close friends about my love for Tiffany’s self-titled debut, now I write about the record in public on my own web site with pride. “Could’ve been so beautiful, could’ve been so right…”

5. If you could tour with any band from North Carolina, who would it be?
Polvo! Or, maybe Polvo, Polvo, or Polvo… or another of North Carolina’s great bands? There are so many I’ve loved, and love currently, that it could be just about any of them and I’d be happy and proud to hit the road with them. Nah, who am I kidding? From the perspective of my own personal favorite North Carolina band, and a band that Goes Cube would honestly go with very well sonically, definitely Polvo.

Find out what else is happening in the Triangle this week on Karen’s blog, Mann’s World.