Kickstarter campaigns seem like a dime a dozen these days, but the Bowerbirds are pushing one that's several cuts above what you usually see. The local folk-rock group is looking to raise $28,000 to finish out a solar-powered recording studio in the rural cabin they built; and to fund recordings by the Bowerbirds (whose latest album "The Clearing" is spectacular) as well as Phil Moore's side project Island Dweller.

That's very cool, but what's even cooler are some of the handmade works of art they're offering as pledges (many of which look like they'd make dynamite Christmas gifts). Check those as well as their rather whimsical pitch video here. It's an ambitious undertaking and they've got a bit less than $10,000 to go to reach the goal -- and just over a month to get there.

Fiction Kitchen used Kickstarter, a crowd-funding website, to raise $37,423 to equip what the owners say will be Raleigh’s only all-vegetarian restaurant.

Kickstarter, which raises money to finance creative projects, has helped fund more than 30,000 ventures, including more than 65 in Raleigh, and has attracted more than $360 million since its April 2009 launch, according to its website. Raleigh’s largest successful campaign listed on the site, a book titled “CreatureBox: The Monster Volume,” topped out at $175,620.

Learn more a Fiction Kitchen, crowd-funding platforms, and the Jumpstart Our Business Startup Act here.

Times are tight and money tighter for just about everyone, especially people trying to do something in the music business. So more and more people trying to get things done are turning to Kickstarter for fundraising. Among the local Kickstarter campaigns currently in progress are:

Little Raleigh Radio. This will be a proposed low-power FM community radio station for downtown Raleigh, starting up in 2013 and intended "To give a voice to the value of people and what they create." Organizers are seeking $10,000 in pledges, and they're already up to more than 80 percent of that goal. There's also a volunteer meeting, Aug. 27 at Kings Barcade.

"Bring It On Home." This is a long-in-the-works documentary film about North Carolina rock from the late '70s to early '90s, an era that includues the peak years of Arrogance, dB's, Let's Active and other iconic Old North State acts. The film's producers have been filming interviews and performances since 2004, and they're trying to raise $16,460 to do editing and production for DVD release. Pledge premiums range from "a heartfelt Thank You" for $1 up to Executive Producer credit for $7,500.

"Road Hogs From Hell." Back in the early '80s, one of Chapel Hill's young punk bands was A Number of Things, a goofy teenage ensemble that recorded a bit before its four members scattered for college. "Road Hogs From Hell" was their second release, and it came out on cassette (remember cassette-only releases?). It was thought to be lost, but a few copies recently turned up in drummer Jody Maxwell's basement. So they're trying to raise $3,000 to do a limited 300-copy vinyl run, featuring studio tinkering from John Plymale and artwork by Kevin Dixon and Ron Liberti. Pledge premiums include buttons, T-shirts, copies of the record and (for $500) "dinner in Chapel Hill with lead singer Stephe (to) hear stories, myths and legends of the ANOT world."

Bull Durham Blues Festival. The venerable festival's 25th edition finds it returning to the Durham Athletic Park Sept. 7-8, with a lineup including Marcia Ball, Bobby Blue Bland and other soul and blues luminaries. Organizers have set an ambitious $50,000 goal to help cover production expenses, and they've got a ways to go to get there; so take that under advisement.

The Parlour, Durham's beloved ice cream truck, is trying to raise almost $20,000 for kitchen equipment for their future brick-and-mortar location.

Since they started last year, owners Yoni and Vanessa Mazuz have been working out of The Cookery in Durham. But they will need their own equipment for their future storefront. Vanessa Mazuz says they have narrowed their choice to two or three locations in downtown Durham. (We'll keep you posted on that front as we learn more.)

They have raised more than $16,000 so far toward their goal and there are 10 days left to contribute. Vanessa Mazuz says they were surprised by the community support saying they've barely had time to promote the campaign since they are on the truck every day.

Go HERE to read about their Kickstarter campaign.

Go HERE to read a Durham News story to learn more about their story. 

It used to be that bands would go about their business playing shows and building a following to try and attract the attention of record companies. The upward path ran through the labels, and even though it didn't work out for most bands they still tried to follow it. That was a different world, however, and nowadays most bands are financing themselves -- and growing numbers of them are turning directly to their fans to underwrite recording projects and tours, often via online pledge systems like Kickstarter or Pledge Music.

"I like the micro-funding approach, crowd-funding projects like this," says Craig Kinley, a South Carolina man who recently contributed $600 to a Jennyanykind/Moaners recording project (and will have both bands play a house concert this summer as his reward). "I've got a couple of friends doing some Kickstarter deals for things like sending people to Africa for relief work. It seems like it's really gotten to be a big thing over the last year."

For more, see the story in Sunday's paper.

There is less than a month left to help Rachael Oehring, 23, of Carrboro, get one step closer to writing a book about her efforts to overcome her picky eating. 

Oehring, who was recently interviewed on an episode of WUNC's "The State of Things" about picky eating, is trying to raise $10,000 via Kickstarter to complete a book project. (You may remember a recent story about Erik Myers' success raising money to start a new brewery in the Triangle.)

Oehring has always wanted to be a food writer but one thing stands in her way: her picky eating. She doesn't like tomatoes, lamb, bell peppers, bananas, custards or jello. Texture is a stumbling block.

"My body won't let me ingest these things with these weird textures," she says.
But this 2009 UNC graduate who hails from Charlotte had an experience at one of Jose Andres' restaurants in Washington, D.C. last year that gave her hope. She previously couldn't eat beets (see aforementioned texture issue) but Andres' beets were life changing. Now she can't get enough of beets.  

It got her thinking: if she tasted the things she disliked the most prepared the best that they can be, maybe she could get past her pickiness. So she wants to travel to France to taste Roquefort cheese and the Pacific Northwest to dine on fresh-caught salmon.
That's the conceit for the book, plus she wants to explore the science behind picky eating: whether it is a medical disorder, mental block or something else.

If you'd like to help Oehring, go to her Kickstarter page. So far, she has raised $1,225 towards her $10,000 goal.

(If you are wondering, the proposed title of Oehring's book, "Gagging toward Bethlehem," is a reference to Joan Didion's "Slouching toward Bethlehem." Didion's writing is what made Oehring want to become a writer.)