Tift Merritt, Tres Chicas offer alt-country, Carolina-style.Byline: Carolyn Lamberson The Register-Guard Call it Invasion of the Gals from North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. . Tift Merritt Tift Merritt (born January 8, 1975) is an American singer-songwriter. Born in Houston, Texas, Merritt moved to North Carolina at a young age. Merritt began her career playing small clubs in Chapel Hill and Raleigh. , a rising alt-country and roots-rock star, and opening band Tres Chicas will bring a taste of Raleigh to the WOW Hall on Tuesday. Merritt's second album, "Tambourine tambourine (tăm'bərēn`), musical instrument of the percussion family, having a narrow circular frame and a single parchment drumhead, with metal plates or jingles set in the frame. ," has garnered praise from critics and earned her many comparisons to Dusty Springfield Dusty Springfield OBE (16 April, 1939–2 March, 1999) was a popular English singer whose career spanned four decades. She achieved her most notable success during the 1960s, with a successful comeback in the late 1980s. , Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (b. April 2, 1947, Birmingham, Alabama) is a country, folk and alternative rock musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and . With the help of some high-powered friends - including Mike Campbell For other persons named Mike Campbell, see Mike Campbell (disambiguation). Michael (Mike) Wayne Campbell (born February 1 1950 in Panama City, Florida in the U.S.) is a guitarist and record producer, best known for his work with Tom Petty. and Benmont Tench Benjamin Montmorency Tench III (born September 7, 1953) an American keyboardist, best known as a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, along with Tom Petty, Mike Campbell and Ron Blair of the current lineup. of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Maria McKee and the Jayhawks' Gary Louris - she created a CD that Stereophile magazine called "bright, energetic, soulful" that "packs plenty of instrumental punch." The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences - aka the Grammys - seems to agree. "Tambourine" has been nominated for best country album, alongside works by such better-established stars as Tim McGraw and Loretta Lynn. It seems the world can thank Ryan Adams for bringing Merritt to our attention. As Merritt relates in Carolina Living Magazine, she was living in a small town outside Raleigh as she struggled to get her band off the ground. The group started performing at the local general store, drawing crowds from the area. Adams, who also calls Raleigh home, showed up one day and was sufficiently impressed to talk up Merritt to the executives at Lost Highway, his record label. Eventually, Lost Highway got on board and signed Merritt. She released her debut CD, "Bramble bramble, name for plants of the genus Rubus [Lat.,=red, for the color of the juice]. This complex genus of the family Rosaceae (rose family), with representatives in many parts of the world, includes the blackberries, raspberries, loganberries, boysenberries, Rose" in 2002 to much fanfare. Tres Chicas also hail from Raleigh. Featuring Caitlin Cary of Whiskeytown, Lyn Blakey of Glory Fountain and Tonya Lamm of Hazeldine, the group performs original songs as well as some classic covers: "Take the Devil Out of Me" by George Jones, "Deep as Your Pockets' by Loretta Lynn and "Am I Too Blue" by Lucinda Williams, to name a few. All three women are frontwomen in their own right. When they're together, they seem to have no trouble switching leads and harmonies. The band has been knocking around since 1999. Its debut album, "Sweetwater" was released on the Yep Roc label this past summer. Sitting in for Lamm on this tour will be Sara Bell of the band Shark Quest. CONCERT PREVIEW Tift Merritt, Tres Chicas When: 8:30 p.m. Tuesday Where: WOW Hall, 291 W. Eighth Ave. Tickets: $12, available at the door or at the WOW Hall, CD World, CD & Game Exchange, House of Records, Taco Loco and the Erb Memorial Union |
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