Former local Tift Merritt will be back in her old hometown this week to play a Friday night show that will probably be very much like her new solo live album, "Buckingham Solo" (Vella Recordings). But Merritt's most interesting project right now is actually a photography exhibit, based on photographs she took in France while writing the songs that became last year's "Another Country" album. Opening Friday evening at The Mahler in Raleigh, "Other Countries" will be on display throughout May.

For details, see the story in Sunday's paper; and for more on "Another Country," see this feature from last year.

ADDENDUM (7/9/09): A new song, about Kurt Cobain.

Behold the track list for expatriate homegal Tift Merritt's upcoming live album, "Buckingham Solo," which she recorded Nov. 29 in England:

"Another Country"
"Something To Me"
"Broken"
"Tender Branch"
"Keep You Happy"
"Stray Paper"
"Still Pretending"
"Trouble Over Me"
"Good Hearted Man"
"Morning is My Destination"
"I Live For You"
"Do Something Good"

"Buckingham Solo" should be out in time for Merritt's next Triangle show, May 1 at Raleigh's Fletcher Opera Theatre. Earlier that day, she'll open a photography show just down Fayetteville Street at Mahler Building Gallery. Yes, Merritt doesn't just write and sing and host a radio show, she also takes pictures -- here's a self-portrait from her MySpace page.

Yes, she does like to keep busy.

ADDENDUM: Amusingly enough, we have this to tie together a couple of recent threads.

(Thanks, Mitch.)