MUSIC: Homebrew

If Dexter Romweber's music was ever about exorcism, this is proof it still is. Ten Bad Studs--the latest offering from our hero, justifiably recognized as an architect of backwoods garage rhythm 'n' blues--serves five live recordings from Romweber recorded between Chapel Hill and Chattanooga, offering a glimpse into the soul of a man who dances, sings and strums like a banshee in spite of, or, more exactly, because of it. For "Dreams Don't Cost a Thing," the former Flat Duo Jets frontman moans in a weary baritone: "When you smile, my heart goes wild, and I want you all the while/ You're not free, We'll never be/ But a dream, that don't cost a thing."

Chris Titchner sports a mighty goatee, a busted leather jacket and what may or may not be a Wolfpack hoodie as he counts change for a cup of coffee on the back cover of his fourth full-length album, Moving Day. These otherwise inconsequential minutiae are a fitting primer for Titchner's music and as lucid an explanation as any for what makes his four-minute, folk-spun rock songs so attractive.

Echoing a '70s singer/songwriter rock style, Eric Roehrig's bright acoustic strum, gentle tenor croon and spare, airy arrangements meld the confessional style with a touch of '80s new wave and jangle. The former Sorry About Dresden frontman fashioned some pretty bittersweet numbers, but this isn't as much the tortured croak of a Saddle Creek singer as it is a mellifluous exercise in gentle pop.

The rap duo of Urban Myth and Chip transplanted from the Triangle to NYC in search of careers in film production and photography, but ended up making music. When they returned home, these one-time punkers were packing a goofy lyrical vibe reminiscent of the Beastie Boys.

Add Evan Rowe to the list of beat-counting double-timers in the Triangle: Rowe--the back-and-center third of Maple Stave--is phenomenal, playing with a reserve and clarity on Stave's debut EP generally not associated with rock modified by math and so young. For that matter, add Maple Stave to the short list of new math rockers not pulling from a one-trick bag.

Taj Mahal's support of original blues and roots culture started around the time of his own career in the '60s. Since meeting Tim Duffy, founder of the Music Maker Relief Foundation based in Hillsborough, he's been an artistic consultant for the group and serves on their board of directors.

For a second, imagine that Fake Swedish's debut Get Correct is a certifiable psychedelic session lost in an attic since the '70s, recorded in a garage to reel-to-reel by four fellows now sporting beer bellies, gray 'staches and nametags at 9-5s that remind them of the good ol' days of loud amps, hard hallucinogenics and cheap beer. Then picture the band itself--vocalist Joe Romeo and guitarist Eric Haugen with the rhythm section of Ashley Hayes and Dave Perry setting a charge in the background--as those young guys, working service jobs and trying to make it.

Chatham County Line stacks harmonies like the triple-decker sandwich of your dreams, but the Raleigh-based bluegrass quartet also makes its mark with versatility and exceptional songwriting. On Route 23, as on their self-titled debut, lead vocalist/guitarist/chief songwriter Dave Wilson and the rest of the gang carve out as much breathing room as possible within the rather strict confines of bluegrass.

Within the first two minutes of his debut EP, Median makes plenty clear: He's a plain guy that doesn't rock rocks, game hoes, wear ice in the grill or trifle in customary hip-hop bullshit. He claims he's cool, calm and collected, an emcee that is just "24, but the flow more ancient than Rome, the Tigris-Euphrates is breaking the mold."

It's been three years since The Sames released their self-titled EP; three long years to those who adore their barbed melodies sheathed in gauzy dissonance. The band tightens their interpretation of the pop song on You Are the Sames, as the hummable verse-to-chorus modes run on the fuel of dense instrumentation; piano, theremin and Wurlitzer pack each number here, alongside the usual bass, drums and synthesizers.