Millennium Music to close
Last week, the execs at downtown-based independent record store Millennium Music announced that they’ll close their doors at the corner of King and Calhoun streets for good on Thurs. May 1 and move their operation to another facility in order to concentrate on expanding their online venture, FeedYourPlayer.com. The downtown store has been in business on that busy corner since 2001. “We look forward to a deserving and satisfying ending to Millennium and have great anticipation for the FeedYourPlayer.com journey we are just beginning,” Kent Wagner, managing partner, told The Post and Courier. “It’s been a long thought process. What we’re doing is trying to react to changes and stay ahead of the changes.” For years, Millennium Music has been a City Paper reader favorite for new and used CDs. As the result of massive changes in technology (the rise of iTunes, internet-based file sharing, and digital downloading of music) and the music retailing industry, Millennium crafted a new business model. Eleven years ago, Millennium had three retail locations in Charleston, plus franchises in Wilmington, Raleigh, and Durham. By 2007, they boiled their operations down to one single downtown facility. Two years ago, Millennium started offering a used CD as trade-ins for new iPods — and a service that converts entire CD collections to mp3 files. That deal has since become one of their most popular services. Customers can trade, buy, and manage their discs and audio files at www.FeedYourPlayer.com.
Sol Driven Train Disc Ready
Local groove-rock band Sol Driven Train — Russell Clarke, Ward Buckheister, Joel Timmons, Rusty Cole, and Phill Eason — have completed their third studio album and announced an official release date. The 10-song collection Lighthouse was recorded at Fusion Five Studio in Mt. Pleasant last fall. They perform a funky CD Release gig on Sat. April 5 at the Pour House with support from The Trainwrecks. Visit www.soldriventrain.com for more.
Milhouse Album On The Way
Eclectic local groove-rock band Milhouse recently recorded in the studio with producer Danny Kadar, whose resume includes Avett Brothers, My Morning Jacket, and Tyler Ramsey. They finished the basic tracks for a six-song track EP and sent the album to engineer Greg Calbi (John Mayer, Band of Horses) to master the record. They’ll post the final version online in late March and release it officially in early April. Visit www.myspace.com/milhouseband for more.
Live Music On The IOP
It’s that time of year again —when the bar scene on the IOP gets mighty lively. Morgan Creek Grill, located on the waterway side of the Isle of Palms at 80 41st Ave. (near the Wild Dunes entrance) has announced a schedule of live entertainment. They’ve opened the Upper Deck Bar & Grill for lunch and dinner and scheduled live acoustic music from house act Rene Russell and other crowd favorites. Call (843) 886-8980 or check www.morgancreekgrill.com. Coconut Joe’s (1120 Ocean Blvd.), celebrated their seasonal kick-off last week. Look for a rotation of live acoustic rock from Skip Sullins, Edward Orr, Greg Smith, and reggae acts True Concept and Mystic Vibrations on their upstairs deck six evenings a week. Call (843) 886-0046 for info. The notorious Windjammer (1008 Ocean Blvd.) has tons of rock, alt-country, and alternative acts — including residencies from Zac Brown, Outformation, Cowboy Mouth, and Will Hoge — on their schedule through the summer. Check out the full schedule online at
McCaffrey’s Shuts It
A bit of Dublin on Daniel Island has dissapeared. McCaffrey’s Irish Pub (245 Seven Farms Road) opened last year as a stylish watering hole with a Victorian-style decor. They carried on with a live acoustic music schedule (usually a Thursday/Friday/Saturday evening deal) through the holidays, but it was announced that they’ve shut their doors. Eist moran agus can beagan!
The Fire Apes Solidify
It’s been a little over two years since local singer/guitarist John Seymour reassembled his guitar-pop band The Fire Apes. Six years had passed since the band’s official split-up. The lineup included drummer Tom Hamer and bassist Julian Volpe. Keyboardist Hugh Knight came on board last year. In recent months, Seymour tinkered with the lineup a bit more. This week, official word came in that the current Apes features Hamer, Volpe, Knight … and longtime scenester Frank Royster on additional guitar. Royster is known best among local rock fans for his busy work with heavy-duty bar band The Hed Shop Boys and his more melodic and Beatles-esque solo work. The reinforced lineup make their debut at the Map Room on Sat. March 29 with The Guilt Trips opening. Visit www.thefireapes.com and www.themaproom.net for more. —TBL
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