Photos: TRKfest 2010

Relive the memories:


Heather McEntire of Mount Moriah
Photo by Mike Gray.


Phil Cook (Megafaun), Heather McEntire (Mount Moriah), Catherine Edgerton and Kym Register (Midtown Dickens)
Photo by Karen Mann.


Butterflies
Photo by Linnie Greene.


Brad Cook of Megafaun
Photo by Linnie Greene.


Phil Cook of Meagafaun
Photo by Linnie Greene.


Embarrassing Fruits
Photo by Linnie Greene.


Embarrassing Fruits
Photo by Linnie Greene.


John Neville of Embarrassing Fruits
Photo by Linnie Greene.


Lost in the Trees
Photo by Linnie Greene.


Duncan Webster of Hammer No More The Fingers
Photo by Linnie Greene.


Midtown Dickens
Photo by Linnie Greene.


Will Hackney of Midtown Dickens
Photo by Linnie Greene.


Lost in the Trees
Photo by Agatha Donkar.


Midtown Dickens
Photo by Agatha Donkar.


Ginger Wagg of Veelee
Photo by Agatha Donkar.

Audio: TRKfest on The State of Things

Earlier today we were interviewed by Frank Stasio on his radio program, The State of Things, on WUNC 91.5FM. The magic of technology now makes it possible for you to listen to it already! Click here to here us talk about TRKfest, and to hear Veelee play some songs live.

TRKfest 2010 tomorrow!

Join us tomorrow for our long awaited blissfest. You probably know the story, but you can find lots of info here and here. We are in awe of the energy wave that has been building up to the date of the festival. It feels like anything could happen. And it probably will. See you tomorrow!

The Independent on TRKfest

Our wonderful local newspaper, The Independent, published a lengthy and detailed article on TRKfest yesterday. Check out the print edition, or read it online here. Thanks to writer Brian Howe for conducting so many interviews and composing a very eloquent profile of our little music festival.

There were a few more articles posted today as well: A great Daily Tar Heel feature, 5 Questions with Diversions, and 5 Questions with local blog Mann's World. Get out yr reading glasses!

Video: Interview with Lost in the Trees

Ira Haberman of ExploreMusic recently talked to Lost in the Trees' Ari Picker about touring, his album, basketball and music that inspires him. Watch above. Lost in the Trees just returned home from a five week tour, and they'll play their homecoming show at this year's TRKfest.

TRKfest Profiles: Hammer No More The Fingers

Photo by Agatha Donkar, from TRKfest 2009.

As we near the fateful date of this year's bliss-tacular TRKfest, we'll be periodically profiling each band that will be gracing the stage. We'll tell you who they are, why they're special and why we invited them to play.

Artist: Hammer No More The Fingers
Hails from: Durham
Played TRKfest?: Twice before

Hammer No More The Fingers are the most unassuming rock stars you'll ever meet. They're the kind of band that can have an audience in the palm of their hands, willing to do anything, slaves to the infectious energy of their live show. But when they step off the stage, there's no delusions of grandeur. They'll shrug and and say "That was fun." and then its on to the next one. This is a incredibly admirable attribute, because Hammer's technical proficiency, dynamic, and instincts are second to none. They could be total jerks, for how consistently excellent they are, but instead they are just themselves: friendly, humble and interested. We first met Duncan, Jeff and Joe about 7 or 8 years ago, in the days of The Droogies. We were also there for Hammer's first show at the now closed 305 South in Durham. Last night we saw them headline the This Machine Kills Cancer benefit like they were headlining Bonnaroo. We've seen these guys grow into supernaturally talented musicians and songwriters, and we can't wait to see how much everyone in the world loves Hammer, as soon as they get a chance to hear them. The guys have been generous enough to play TRKfest every year, and we can't thank them enough, because they are always a highlight. We've scheduled them to play right after the Pants-off Dance Off, so make sure to get fueled up, hydrated and ready to party for that killer one-two punch.



MP3 | Hammer No More The Fingers - Shutterbug [from the Looking For Bruce LP]

TRKfest Profiles: Embarrassing Fruits

Photo by Agatha Donkar, from TRKfest 2009.

As we near the fateful date of this year's bliss-tacular TRKfest, we'll be periodically profiling each band that will be gracing the stage. We'll tell you who they are, why they're special and why we invited them to play.

Artist: Embarrassing Fruits
Hails from: Chapel Hill
Played TRKfest?: Every year

Joe Norkus and John Neville of Embarrassing Fruits have been a part of the Trekky Records story from the very beginning. Their high school band Straight No Chaser helped usher us into the world of indie rock in our formative years, and determined the style and attitude of our early output. A few years after moving to Greensboro, NC, for college, the boys debuted their new band at a dark, hot basement show and it instantly filled an absence we didn't even know was there. They were loud, aggressive, immediate, and fun. The songs felt like something we could share right away, anthems we'd known for years. Joe and John soon relocated back to their hometown of Chapel Hill and met bassist Lee Shaw, who added a depth and technical ability that really brought the songs to life. They've been pretty unstoppable ever since. We've released a full length and an EP with the Fruits, and the fellas are heading into the studio in two days to record their new LP. Its been an amazing journey watching this band grow and we can't wait to see what they do next. For now, we are just excited to watch them slay as the sun sets at TRKfest on June 26th.



MP3 | Embarrassing Fruits - Corner [from the Community / Exploitation LP]

Video: Lost in the Trees - "Stand By Me" (Ben E. King cover) @ Layabout

Before Lost in the Trees left for a five week tour that they are just finishing up now, we organized a very special surprise house show in Durham, NC. Lost in the Trees, Stu McLamb of The Love Language, Midtown Dickens and Butterflies all played at the Layabout house, with only about 12 hours notice. Spontaneous shows lead to spontaneous moments, and we had plenty of those. In this video, Lost in the Trees closes out the night by stumbling through one of the best songs ever written, "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King. It was a magical moment for anyone who was there, and hopefully some of that feeling transfers through the video. Thanks to Eric Chen for filming. As a bonus, here is a video of Drew Anagnost and Dan Westerlund of Lost in the Trees working up "Long Black Veil" with Midtown Dickens.

TRKfest Profiles: Midtown Dickens

Photo by Prachi Guariar, from TRKfest 2009.

As we near the fateful date of this year's bliss-tacular TRKfest, we'll be periodically profiling each band that will be gracing the stage. We'll tell you who they are, why they're special and why we invited them to play.

Artist: Midtown Dickens
Hails from: Durham
Played TRKfest?: One and a half times. Part of Megafaun & Friends in 2008.

We asked Midtown Dickens to play our other annual show, Christmas at the Cradle, in 2007 and we could tell right away that we would be fast friends. Kym Register and Catherine Edgerton, the founding members of Midtown Dickens, have the sort of infectious enthusiasm about life and that you want to be around all the time. We found ourselves trying to book them on every bill we put together, sure that as soon as they were singing "It's Alright" or "Old Dogs" at the top of their lungs, everyone at the show would be having the night of their lives. Since then, Kym and Catherine have become our best musical friends outside of the Trekky Collective. We've played house shows with them, toured with them, marched in birthday parades and chilled at hippie festivals. There was no question about asking them to play TRKfest again this year, in fact it would've felt wrong if they weren't playing.



MP3 | Midtown Dickens - Old Dogs [from the Lanterns LP]

Video: Daniel Hart covers INXS with Beck, members of Os Mutantes, Liars

In March, we posted a video of Daniel Hart (the man behind The Physics of Meaning) taking part in Beck's Record Club project, in which a batch of unlikely collaborators are assembled to cover a classic album in one day. In this case, Beck got Liars, Sergio Dias of Os Mutantes, and St. Vincent (which Daniel is a member of) to cover INXS' Kick in its entirety. Beck has periodically released videos of each song, and you can catch them all here. Posted above is the most recent video, featuring Daniel's magical violin playing. Enjoy!

Video: TRKfest 2010 | Building a Stage

At Piedmont Biofuels, the wonderful biodiesel plant and organic farm that is the location of every TRKfest, there is a sturdy stage, built right in front of a giant facade, solitary and majestic. We figured it was getting lonely, so we decided to build it a sibling. Also, this means the bands at TRKfest can have longer sets and the fine folks that attend won't have to endure as much "transition time" in between bands. Here's a little video of us building our brand new stage, the Mahalo Stage!

TRKfest 2010 Schedule and Vendors

Our annual blissfest is rapidly approaching, and the pieces of the puzzle are really coming together. Today, we are happy to share with you the order of events at TRKfest, as well as some of the wonderful vendors we will have down at Piedmont Biofuels to provide you with food, drink and keepsakes.

We have built a second stage this year, to maximize set times and minimize transition times, and there will be enough food for everyone to party with us ALL day and catch ALL of the amazing music. We really encourage everyone to get down there early, as the sets from Vibrant Green, Ezekiel Graves and Yardwork promise to be beautiful, revelatory experiences. Seriously. Also, make sure to drink your organic energy drink a good 15 minutes before the Pants-Off Dance Off, because you'll want to give it some time to take effect! Times below:

2:00 - VIBRANT GREEN
2:50 - EZEKIEL GRAVES
3:25 - YARDWORK
4:05 - Tour of Piedmont Biofuels
4:15 - RYAN GUSTAFSON
5:00 - BUTTERFLIES
5:40 - Musical Chairs Cake Walk
5:50 - VEELEE
6:35 - MOUNT MORIAH
7:15 - Tour of Piedmont Biofuels
7:25 - MIDTOWN DICKENS
8:10 - EMBARRASSING FRUITS
8:50 - Pants Off Dance Off
9:10 - HAMMER NO MORE THE FINGERS
10:00 - LOST IN THE TREES
10:50 - MEGAFAUN

In order to make your festival day as pleasant as possible, we've asked some of our favorite food-makers, drink-mixers and thing-creators from the Triangle to come down and do what they do best: PROVIDE. We'll have delicious burgers and fries from OnlyBurger, handcrafted beers from Carolina Brewery, fresh, local Greek fare from Angelina's Kitchen, beautiful repurposed clothing from Riverbasin Outfitters, boutique screen-printed apparel from Flytrap Studios, and more! Make sure to bring some extra cash so you can patronize these fine local entities. We'll also have official TRKfest tie-dyed shirts and pint glasses!

More details will be trickling out every day! Make sure to check the TRKfest website for the most up to date information. Namaste.

TRKfest Profiles: Mount Moriah

Photo by Prachi Gauriar, from TRKfest 2009.

As we near the fateful date of this year's bliss-tacular TRKfest, we'll be periodically profiling each band that will be gracing the stage. We'll tell you who they are, why they're special and why we invited them to play.

Artist: Mount Moriah
Hails from: Chapel Hill
Played TRKfest?: Indeed, last year.

Mount Moriah is one of the many collaborations between Heather McEntire and Jenks Miller. The pair became friends while working together at Chapel Hill's legendary (now closed) record store, Schoolkids, and formed Holidays For Quince Records and the vintage pop group Un Deux Trois. Since then, HFQ has become one of the most consistent and exciting labels in the Triangle, Un Deux Trois has gone on temporary hiatus, and Heather has written a handful of gorgeous, patient, ghostly country songs. Jenks offered his old band name, Mount Moriah, for the new project, and it fit well. The first incarnation of the band, featuring Jenks on guitar and vocals, traveled similar swampy territory as the current iteration, and was one of our favorite undiscovered treasures in the local scene, so we're glad that the name has been given new life. With the addition of James Wallace and Jeff Crawford from the Drughorse Collective as a rhythm section, and the spotlight now on Heather's distinctive vocals, the band takes a new, mightier form. Heather and Jenks embody everything that we love about our incredible musical community. They are prolific, dedicated, supportive and have good taste. It is not rare to find these qualities in musicians around here, but to subsume all four so comprehensively is indeed special. Last year, in the bright glaring sun, Mount Moriah played a beautiful set at TRKfest, and we can't wait to have them do it again so we can re-live something new, like an annual family reunion.



MP3 | Mount Moriah - Lament [from the HFQ Compilation Vol. 1 LP]

TRKfest Profiles: Veelee

Photo by Jarrod Jones.

As we near the fateful date of this year's bliss-tacular TRKfest, we'll be periodically profiling each band that will be gracing the stage. We'll tell you who they are, why they're special and why we invited them to play.

Artist: Veelee
Hails from: Carrboro
Played TRKfest?: Never before.

A lot of people talk about Veelee as if they materialized out of thin air, delivering one of North Carolina's catchiest debut EPs with a freak-accident explosion of creativity in early 2009. While Three Sides was indeed a welcome shot in the arm, the truth is that Matthew Park had been making brilliant, dense, lo-fi pop music for years as one half of the Richmond/Carrboro duo Opening Flower Happy Bird. Echoes of OFHB can certainly be heard in the songs of Veelee, but some of the brooding jams and jittery electronics have been swapped for a more concise and focused approach to texture and songwriting. In Veelee, Matt shares vocal, drum, guitar and keyboard duties with Ginger Wagg, whose voice lends a levity to the songs that is only kept in check by her persistent, thudding drum beats. Live, Veelee cover an amazing amount of ground for just two people, incorporating loops and drone notes that create a sort of formless third member. Matt and Ginger are two of the sweetest people we know, and they are very supportive of the local music community, and keeping the dream alive. We are thrilled to bring Veelee to TRKfest for the first time ever, and can't wait to hear their broken pop songs out in the summer sun.



MP3 | Veelee - Three Sides EP [from the Three Sides EP]

TRKfest Profiles: Butterflies

Photo by Clare Connolly, from TRKfest 2009.

As we near the fateful date of this year's bliss-tacular TRKfest, we'll be periodically profiling each band that will be gracing the stage. We'll tell you who they are, why they're special and why we invited them to play.

Artist: Butterflies
Hails from: Chapel Hill
Played TRKfest?: Twice

Butterflies is the ever evolving project of Chapel Hill's Josh Kimbrough. Josh has been an important force in the world of Trekky Records since the early days, as his bands Westfalia and Straight No Chaser were some of the first we could coax into being a part of our developing label and collective. Josh was our older classmate at Chapel Hill High School, and we began obsessively following his music, drawn to his heart-on-sleeve sincerity, preternatural guitar ability and DIY cassette tape output. Over the years, Josh has augmented his unique songwriting style by incorporating elements of old-time finger picking, math rock, and the jazz scales he tirelessly drilled as a teenager. The result is hard to describe, but its a stirring synthesis of technical ability and earnest emotion. Josh has led Butterflies through half a dozen line-up changes, and having seen all of them, we have no doubt that the current form is the most powerful vessel for the compositions. With bassist Ross Connolly and drummer TJ Maiani, the trio seem to anticipate each other psychically, playing the ups and downs of the songs like jazz veterans. Patrick Jones, who is producing Butterflies' upcoming album, fills out the spaces, adding warm synth and guitar textures exactly where they're needed. You'll be hearing a lot from Butterflies when their new record drops in the Fall, so make sure to catch them at TRKfest for a taste of what's to come!



MP3 | Butterflies - Mind Games [from the Nothing's Personal LP]