Your New Favorite Band: Death Vessel

Full, long brown hair. A high, steady soprano voice. Soft, gentle folk music that can only be described as "lovely". From the description, you'd think the mastermind behind Death Vessel would be a beautiful, sensitive woman. But regardless of his feminine voice and appearance, Joel Thibodeau is definitely a man. And due to the hype surrounding his recent release via Seattle's own Sub-Pop, he's a very happy one at that.
"Nothing Is Precious Enough For Us" is the soundtrack for the perfect sunny afternoon. The acoustic guitar is lightly finger picked and floats around banjos, an upright bass, bells, toy pianos, flukuleles, tambourines, and even a wine glass. Immediately, you feel transported to a grassy field, where you run barefoot through tall grass and wear nothing but worn overalls. Perfect for driving with the windows down during the last days of summer, laying in bed snuggled next to the significant other of your choice, or drifting off to sleep to - Death Vessel seems to have something for everyone.
Standout tracks are "Block My Eye" and "Bruno's Torso", though every song has plenty of listenability. And that's why Death Vessel is your new favorite band.
Listen below. You can hear Death Vessel at WSOE 89.3 FM (wsoe893.com)

Alternative Find: Skylight Exchange / Nightlight

Making your way to the Skylight Exchange, you start to feel like the things you've come to exchange are drugs. The entrace is located in a dingy alley next to the restaraunt Fuse on Rosemary Street in Chapel Hill. The alley is dirty and the exposed brick walls are covered with grafiti and a colorful array of old posters. But open the loosely hinged screen door and inside you'll find one of the most unique spots in all of North Carolina.

The Skylight Exchange (the venue's name during the daylight hours) is one, medium sized room - but it packs in a lot. Stuffed along the walls are used books ready for your purchase, and stacked in shelves not too far off are modestly priced used vinyls. You can also browse through their selection of gently used DVD's and our old favorite, the VHS tape. The center of the room is crammed with mismatching tables, chairs, and booths where you can read, write, work, or eat a sandwich. Yes, the Skylight is also a diner, stocked with an amazing selection of deli sandwiches, cakes, and beverages both hot and cold. In fact, books are half off with the purchase of a sandwich - and when you factor in that your book was only a few dollars to begin with, that's a deal by anyone's standards.

You never know what or who you'll run into during the daylight hours at the Skylight. One afternoon I came by and found a circle of a dozen fiddle players having a jam session. But if it's unique events you're looking for, then be sure to stop by the Exchange after hours, when it transforms into the NIghtlight.

Tables are scattered to the back of the store, the diner becomes a bar, and the platform near the back of the store is now a fully operational stage for both local and touring bands to cover. Every Tuesday- Friday are nights open for bands and other kinds of experimental noise making and the cover is always cheap. For other alternative kinds of nightly entertainment, Sunday nights are open mic and Monday nights are trivia.

But the nightlight can be used as a creative venue that works outside these perameters. By contacting the management you can finagle any kind of event you'd like. One night I was eating dinner, and suddenly a hoard of scenester Indie Rockers appeared, toting an old school projector. I thought we'd be in for a mega art house flick that I would never be able to wrap my head around. But when the projector started to whirl, I was surprised to find this group of Chapel Hill's finest were in to watch episodes of rainbow bright!

Needless to say, the Skylight Exchange / Nightlight is not your average venue, and due to it's alleyway entrace, a pretty hidden alternative gem in the triad.

The basic info on the Skylight follow.
Address: 405 1/2 W Rosemary St.
Number: 919 933 5550
Website: www.nightlightclub.com

Your New Favorite Band: Natalie Portman's Shaved Head

It's safe to assume that any collective group of people who dedicate their name to an actress is probably some kind of adoring fan club. But a group who name themselves after said actresses head? Definitely an indie rock band. And that's why Natalie Portman's Shaved Head is your new favorite band.

This very young and very eclectic foursome hail from Seattle, Washington and are currently causing quite a bit of buzz in the indie rock world - and not only for their odd name. One listen to their recently released debut LP, Glistening Pleasure, and you'll be dancing along shamelessly. Thanks to a dazzling array of synths, NPSH's retro-electro will rocket you back into the 80's (or what we 80's babies romantically imagine our birth era to have been like). But don't expect to find the lyrical depth and maturity of Conor Oberst here. With songs about beard maintenance and side-ways ponytails, you're likely hear about shamu and the tilt a whirl. But the in-your-face-tackiness of NPSH's music and appearance is so absurd that you can't help but laugh along with the recent high school graduates. And thanks to the extreme catchiness of their sound, you can't help but sing and dance along either.

Natalie Portman's Shaved Head is currently in rotation at WSOE. Check our their myspace at myspace.com/natalieportmansshavedhead . Or, sample below.