Starmount & The Small Ponds at Marsh Woodwinds Friday, April 9th
On Friday, April 9, 2010, at 8 p.m., cinemaphonic sound miners Starmount, and beauty-obsessed songsmiths The Small Ponds will join for a rare and copasetic evening of musical performance at Marsh Woodwinds, 707 North Person Street, Raleigh, NC. This event should not be missed by anyone who prefers fine sounds and the freedom of thought that accompanies joyful listening.
Starmount: Named after a forgotten neighborhood in Raleigh NC, Starmount was formed in May of 2007 by veteran musician, producer, and engineer, Greg Elkins, who had long been enamored of the rich mournful voice of the pedal steel guitar but had just begun to learn to play it himself. Elkins enlisted Dave Pitts on upright bass, Brian J. Donohoe on drums and electronic percussion, and Rob Davis on synthesizers, and Starmount was born. Tyranny of the Sphere is the title of Starmount’s debut, and it is an excellent documentation of four veteran musicians learning to express themselves in new and vital ways—evocative, cinematic instrumental music, as provocative as it is pleasing.
The Small Ponds: Caitlin Cary (Whiskeytown, Tres Chicas) and Matt Douglas (The Proclivities) first teamed up to play as a duo in Raleigh’s longstanding post-Valentine’s Day Love Hangover, for which they learned to sing and play each other’s favorite love songs. Finding themselves kindred, both in spirit and in voice, they decided to join forces permanently, picked a cute name, and began writing songs together. One local critic has called their music “graceful chamber pop,” and they feel pretty pleased with that description for the time being, though their sound is evolving as they continue to write and perform. They recently recorded a four-song EP, and plan to release a full-length record later in the year.
Doors open at 7 p.m., music begins at 8:00. Light hors d’oeuvres provided, B.Y.O.B., $10 admission.