Matthew Byars is trying something different. The band member of local rockers and former Three Stars act, The Caribbean, has launched his own micro-record label. Pitched as “B-sides only,” the Baltimore-based West Main Development plans to release a series of albums by local artists that highlight all of the tracks unworthy of a typical release. It is intended to be a raw sampling and a more intimate perspective of the music making process. In retrospect…

The Red and the Black, Northeast’s cozy jambalaya joint, added some more Southern flavor to their menu last night: Cackalackee (that’s “Carolina” to you Yankees) natives Mikal Evans and Sweater Weather, served up with a side of The Foreign Press. The Foreign Press aren’t exactly Southern, unless your definition of the South includes D.C. (and yes, we’re below the Mason-Dixon line), but lead singer Andy Fox’s Stephen Malkmus-style delivery has earned FP comparisons to Pavement’s…

Welcome to the November edition of Three Stars. Tomorrow, we’ll have an interview with DJ Will Eastman, on Thursday we’ll take a look at the Routineers, and today we discuss The Caribbean and their recently released album, Plastic Explosives. Plastic Explosives, The Caribbean We want to get the details out of the way first. The Caribbean is a local band, composed of members of a handful of local acts past and present, including Townies, Smart…