iTunes Single of the Week: The Ting Tings, "Great DJ"

This week's free single, "Great DJ," comes from UK duo, The Ting Tings.

The song is a catchy, dance pop number which iTunes seems to be giving away a lot of lately. It has a great beat, a catchy melody and hooky guitars.

This is a good little pop song that'd be fun to drive around to on a summer day (if you can afford the gas). Check it out.

On the road with Steven Fiore

Steven Fiore had church music on his mind earlier this week.

On tour with Jay Clifford, the Charleston-bred musician played Coffee Underground in Greenville, S.C., Monday night which has church pews for seating.

"It does make me want to play Jesus songs, but other than that it's cool," Fiore joked.

The duo is playing smaller, intimate venues on a tour that will bring them to Chapel Hill's Mansion 462 this Friday and Saturday.

Fiore recently recorded a full-length album, Etiquette, in a Raleigh studio.

"We went to this three story house in Raleigh with all this equipment. The nicest things you could imagine recording with," Fiore said.

He said he wasn't going for one sound or another on the album.

"I don’t really like going for anything when I write. When I try to go for a certain style … your manager will say 'Oh write songs like this,' then you try to gear yourself towards that style and it ends up coming out forced or contrived," he said. "The other stuff just came to me because it’s supposed to. The way I wrote this record was I took whatever came to me."

For a sample of music from the new album, check out "Why Do You Waste Your Time" on Fiore's MySpace page. Fiore said he expects to release Etiquette at a show at The Music Farm in Charleston on June 6 where he and his band, Steven Fiore and the Good People, will open for Slow Runner.

Tickets for the shows in Chapel Hill May 2 and 3 are $10 each and available through etix.

Avett Brothers to release new EP

Just four days before their big show at Cary's Booth Amphitheatre, The Avett Brothers will release a brand new EP.

The EP will be dubbed The Second Gleam and will feature 6 brand new Avett Brothers tunes. This will be the second in the series of Gleam EPs. The first one was released in 2006.

The Second Gleam is out on July 22 and the brothers will celebrate it's release with their first headlining North Carolina show this year at Booth Amphitheatre in Cary. The show is on July 26 and tickets go on sale to the general public on May 9 at 10AM. During a special pre-sale that's already closed, 500 tickets were sold. The Avetts are a hot commodity in the Triangle, so get your tickets early.

Jakob Dylan to bring solo project to Raleigh

Jakob Dylan (of The Wallflowers) will release a solo record, Seeing Things, on June 10 and will bring the tour in support of the record to Raleigh.

Jakob Dylan & the Gold Mountain Rebels will play at Lincoln Theatre on June 6, four days before the album's release. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, May 2 via etix.com. Tickets will be $22.50 in advance and $25 on the day of the show.

Three songs from the album are available now on the Seeing Things EP, which you can download on .

Music News + Ticket Giveaway = Happy Monday!

We told you about it first nearly 3 months ago, but now it's official — Zach Braff is looking for fan video submissions to create a new music video for Jay Clifford's song "Know When To Walk Away."

Go to jaycliffordmusicvideo.com for all the details on how to submit.

Jay and Steven Fiore (more on him later this week) will play two shows at Chapel Hill's Mansion 462 this weekend, May 2 and 3, and as a special gift to you, our lovely readers, we have two pairs of tickets to give away, one for each night.

Just email us at triangle_music@hotmail.com BY NOON ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, with "Jay Clifford tickets" and which night you want to attend in the subject line and we'll hold a drawing for the winners. Good luck!

If you don't like free stuff, or don't end up winning our drawing, you can purchase tickets here for $10.

Hello Tokyo to play...Burlington?

To be completely honest, I wasn't aware that Burlington even had a rock venue. In fact, I thought the only nightlife the town had was the (now defunct) strip club off I-40/85.

You can imagine my surprise, then, when I got an email that indie pop rock band Hello Tokyo would be playing there tomorrow night. The band will play at The Raven, where the usual fare is southern-tinged modern rock. Hopefully Hello Tokyo can help breathe a little fresh air into the venue.

Check out a couple free songs from the band.

"Steady the Gun" [MP3]

"Kiss Me Goodbye (remix)" [M4A]

Lou Reed to go it alone at Carolina Theatre

As you may have heard, Melt Banana is no longer scheduled to open Lou Reed's show Monday evening at Carolina Theatre in Durham. No second act has been added, so you can enjoy Lou without any other distractions.

If you're really disappointed, however, you can go to Europe, where Melt Banana will be touring through May and June.

No solid reason for the cancellation, but a publicist for the venue tells us the tour's opening act was "prematurely announced."

The Rosebuds wrapping up new album

According to a new blog on posted by Ivan Howard on The Rosebuds' myspace page, the band have wrapped up tracking on a new album, tentatively titled Life-Like.

The final mixing will be finished this weekend and the album will be sent to Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering in Charlotte on Monday for mastering.

The album will feature a guest appearance by Ivan Howard's grandfather, Bobby D. Howard.

The album will have 12 songs and is due out on August 19. Their last album, Night of the Furies, came out on August 10 of last year. Wouldn't it be nice if more bands could release new music as quickly as The Rosebuds?

Also, check out our last Rosebuds post about their FREE remix album.

Ben Folds to play Booth Amphitheatre May 30

Cary's Booth Amphitheatre just announced that local hero Ben Folds will play the venue Friday, May 30.

Tickets are $25 for lawn and $37.50 for reserved seating and go on sale Thursday, May 1, at noon via Ticketmaster and the Booth Amphitheatre box office.

Album Review: Bombadil - A Buzz, a Buzzl

Tom Bombadil, a J.R.R. Tolkien character, is described as "a spry fellow, with a quick, playful wit who has a jolly, carefree attitude, and very little seems to concern him." It seems fitting that the Durham band that bears his name conveys his personality on their debut album, A Buzz, a Buzz.

The album is a collection of well crafted pop songs. They're intricate but at the same time loosely arranged. The band doesn't take themselves too seriously, yet their lyrics are smart and scattered with historical and literary references. Their choices of instruments and sounds tend to sound very much like they're from another time. There is definitely some European influence on the band, seemingly Irish or Celtic (I'm no expert though).

Downtown Live schedule taking shape

Well, the Raleigh Downtown Live schedule is coming together and the headliners seem to be falling into a familiar pattern, bands whose hayday has come and gone.

Here's the schedule so far.

May 31 - The Wailers, Jive Mother Mary
June 14 - Cravin' Melon
June 28 - Carbon Leaf
July 12 - ???
July 26 - Old 97s
August 9 - Brian Howe (of Bad Company), Jim Bianco
August 23 - Eve 6

While Eve 6, Cravin' Melon, Carbon Leaf and others may be the usual Downtown Live dreg, they gets props for booking Old 97's.

There are still many acts left to be announced to fill out each show's schedule as well as a missing headliner for July 12.

Thanks to the N&O's music guru, David Menconi for some of this new info including Old 97s.

iTunes Single of the Week: Melody Gardot, "Worrisome Heart"

This week's free iTunes download is a rare one. In the song details, it reads "Genre: Jazz." That's right, jazz.

The song "Worrisome Heart" comes from the new talented singer/songwriter Melody Gardot. The Philadelphia native started writing and recording songs after being struck by car while on a bike at the age of 19. Music was suggested as rehabilitation to sharpen cognitive skills. It would seem that she was destined to find music.

Melody has a soulful voice and is a skillful songwriter in the vein of Diana Krall. The song is sultry and smooth. The muted trumpet weaving in and out of the vocals add to the song's classic charm.

This song isn't for everyone, but if you want to be transported to a time of black and white movies and smoky jazz clubs, check out this song.

Shovels and Rope to open American Aquarium CD release

This isn't listed on the venue's website, but it's worth mentioning that the lovely and talented Cary Ann Hearst will be opening for American Aquarium at the band's CD release party this Saturday at The Pour House.

Cary Ann and Michael Trent Robinson (front man of The Films) will perform as Shovels and Rope.

Pour House says doors are at 10:30, show at 11. Tickets are $7. Take note that the World Beer Fest will be going on in Moore Square AND the Pour House is the official post-Widespread Panic hangout, so if you want to go, go early. And God help us all.

Merge to release Conor Oberst solo album

As if there isn't enough going on at Merge Records these days, the Chapel Hill-based label has scored a strange little coup.

Merge will release a self-titled solo album from Conor Oberst on August 5. I call this strange because Oberst, for whatever reason, has chosen not to release the album on Saddle Creek Records, which helped make Bright Eyes a big name (and vice versa), or even Team Love, his very own label.

Whatever, new music is good music.

For the album, Oberst retreated to Tepoztlán, Morelos, México, where he recorded with a whole new band. Oberst will tour this summer with The Mystic Valley Band in support of the album.

Here's the album's track list:
1. Cape Cañaveral
2. Sausalito
3. Get-Well-Cards
4. Lenders In The Temple
5. Danny Callahan
6. I Don’t Want To Die (In The Hospital)
7. Eagle On A Pole
8. Moab
9. NYC – Gone, Gone
10. Valle Místico (Ruben's Song)
11. Souled Out!!!
12. Milk Thistle

In other Merge news, She & Him, a project of M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel, will perform on Late Night with Conan O'Brien tonight. Trust me, they're worth staying up late for.

Avett Brothers on Booth Amphitheatre schedule

It's not on the band's website or MySpace page, but The Avett Brothers are apparently scheduled to play Booth Amphitheatre in Cary on Saturday, July 26.

The show is listed in the town's summer program guide. No ticket prices or other information is listed.

Confirmed! Superchunk and Arcade Fire to rally for Obama in Carrboro

Merge Records has confirmed that Arcade Fire and Superchunk will indeed play at a rally for Barack Obama on May 2 in Carrboro's town commons.

They will also play in Greensboro on May 1 in the Greensboro Coliseum parking lot.

Gates for both events open at 1 p.m. and the event will start at 2 p.m.

Tickets are required, as for all Obama events, but they're free.

Tickets will be available at various locations around the Triangle and the Triad. More information is available here.

See you at the show!

Bowerbirds play for La Blogotheque

Raleigh's own Bowerbirds are making waves across the nation right now and they recently filmed a "Take Away Show" with director Vincent Moon in New York.

Take Away Shows feature bands performing songs in various places usually on streets or in other public places. They are beautifully shot and sound great.

Bowerbirds performance includes four songs, "Bur Oak," "Dark Horse," "The Ticonderoga" and "In Our Talons."

"Bur Oak" was performed in the aisles of candy shop while "In Our Talons" was played while walking through Manhattan. The performances are great. Check out "In Our Talons" below and check out all the videos here.

While you're on the site, check out their other great performances including R.E.M., Arcade Fire, The Shins and many others.

#90.4 - BOWERBIRDS - In our talons
Uploaded by lablogotheque

Superchunk, Arcade Fire to rock for Obama in Carrboro?

UPDATE: This event has been confirmed!

OK, before you get all excited this is completely unconfirmed. But the Carrboro Citizen is reporting that a major rally may take place for Obama Friday, May 2, just in time for the North Carolina primary.

The bands have not been announced for the rally and concert, but the Citizen says that "several" of their local sources say that Superchunk and Arcade Fire would make up the bill. The event would take place in Carrboro's Town Commons.

Town manager Steve Stewart told the Citizen that it's possible Obama would speak at the event, which would be rare. Arcade Fire has played at many Obama rallies, but the senator himself was not present for any of them.

(To be fair, the paper is also reporting that Obama is set to debate Hillary Clinton at the RBC Center on April 27, and Obama said today in Raleigh that he has not yet agreed to that and may not ever.)

Stewart said he expects 3,000 to 4,000 would attend the event, but we'd ballpark it much higher than that — especially if Obama showed up.

So what do you guys think? Would you play hooky on a Friday afternoon to check out this event?

In related news, early voting for the North Carolina primary started today, so if you don't want to wait until May 6, get down to your local board of elections and cast your ballot now. [Wake Co. |Durham Co. | Orange Co.] If you're not registered or need to change your registration, you can do that there too.

Tift Merritt to play NCMA

According to pollstar.com, Tift Merritt is the latest addition to the North Carolina Museum of Art's summer concert schedule. Merritt will play on August 23.

Here's the NCMA schedule so far.

June 21 - Cindy Cashdollar, Elana James
June 25 - Emmylou Harris
July 12 - BeauSoleil Avec Michael Doucet
August 1 - Carolina Chocolate Drops
August 23 - Tift Merritt

Wilco coming to Cary

It looks like Wilco will be making a stop in Cary this summer. A day after making up their postponed Charleston, SC date on August 7 (the original date in February was canceled so the band could play SNL), Wilco will play at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary.

The show is Friday, August 8. No other details are available at this time.

The Black Crowes to play Lincoln Theatre

The Black Crowes have plotted a tour this fall that includes stops at a lot of small venues including Raleigh's Lincoln Theatre.

Last time The Crowes came through Raleigh, they were opening for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers at Walnut Creek Amphitheatre in 2006. They headlined the venue themselves earlier in the 2006 season.

The Lincoln Theatre is a few steps down for The Crowes, but it'll be a great chance for their fans to see them up-close and personal on this tour.

The show at Lincoln Theatre will be Saturday, November 8 and tickets will go on sale June 20 at 10am. No word yet on ticket prices, but expect them to be a little steep.

American Princes release album today, play Chapel Hill tonight

One of the coolest parts about having awesome local record labels is, invariably, the bands will play around here pretty close to their album release dates.

Well, it looks like all the stars have aligned this week because Yep Roc darlings American Princes have a brand new album, Other People, out today and will be playing a free (yes, FREE!) show at Chapel Hill's Local 506 tonight with American Aquarium and SNMNMNM.

You can check out a stream of American Princes' entire album here. For those of you hanging your heads after paying taxes today, you have no excuse not to check out this band. Show starts at 9 p.m. and, I'll say it again, is free.

iTunes Single of the Week: Tristan Prettyman, "Madly"

This week's single is a catchy pop song called "Madly" by Tristan Prettyman.

This song isn't going to change the world, but it's a well crafted pop song in the same vein as Sara Bareilles or Michelle Branch. Prettyman has a much more organic feel than her previously mentioned pop contemporaries. "Madly" has a great chorus and Prettyman's voice is soulful and true.

This is a good song. I recommend checking out. I'm sure she'll be making the rounds on the Triple-A Radio and the VH1 Top 20 soon (yes, VH1 does still occasionally show videos, though not often).

Regeneration Tour gets new date

The Regeneration Tour featuring ABC, Flock of Seagulls, The Human League and other 80's groups has moved up the date of the Koka Booth Amphitheatre show in Cary. It is now a day earlier, Wednesday, August 27.

For more info about the show's lineup, check out the original post about the tour.

Spoon, The Walkmen, White Rabbits at Carolina Theatre

The Carolina Theatre was alive with the sweet sounds of Spoon, The Walkmen and White Rabbits Sunday night.

White Rabbits took the stage first. The six-piece band tore through a set of songs from their debut LP, Fort Nightly, including "Kid On My Shoulders," "The Plot" and "While We Go Dancing." They also played a new song called "Fox Hunting." The band recently signed to ATO Records and plan to release a new album next year.

Three of the band's members were wearing blazers with no shirts, which The Walkmen later revealed was because they lost in ping-pong repeatedly the night before. The band were not allowed to say anything about "losing their shirts" the night before while on stage.

The Walkmen took the stage next, playing a slew of new songs from their upcoming release, tentatively due out in August. The new songs included "If Only It Were True," "On the Water," "I Lost You" and "Canadian Girl." The band did play a few songs from their three previous LPs including "Wake Up," "Little House of Savages" and "All Hands and the Cook."

Singer Hamilton Leithauser confidently dominated the stage, both with his performance and his incredible height. He wore a three piece suit and between belting out intense vocals, would occasionally just stare up toward the ceiling like he was in a daze.

Spoon took the stage with a fury and immediately launched into "Japanese Cigarette Case." Through the night, the band played all but one song from their latest release, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. "The Ghost of You Lingers" was beefed up with toms towards the end that sounded like guns shots, adding some intensity that was lacking on the album version.

One standout song in the set was the Paul Simon tune "Peace Like a River." The band added the Spoon stamp on the song, giving it new life. Another rare tune was "Chips and Dip" from Spoon's first release on Merge Records, the EP Love Ways. The song was preceded by Britt Daniel saying that Merge is the "Number one record label...and it's just up the road."

The only weak song of the night was "The Underdog." The song is just week live without the horns. Keyboardist Eric Harvey played the horn part, but it was lost in the mix. I can't complain about one dud in a 22-song set.

The band played great all night, but Daniel was the focus of attention. His swagger and confidence kept all eyes on him.

Spoon is a great example of a band who has achieved success the hard way, through years of touring and releasing records. They've managed to beat the odds and find success. The sold-out show at Carolina Theatre is proof that good music can still appeal to a large audience.

Here's the Spoon setlist:

Japanese Cigarette Case
Rhythm & Soul
Stay Don't Go
You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb
The Delicate Place
Nefarious
The Ghost of You Lingers
Peace Like a River (Paul Simon)
Don't You Evah
Don't Make Me a Target
Chips and Dip
Someone Something
Back To the Life
I Summon You
I Turn My Camera On
Finer Feelings
The Underdog
Black Like Me
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Car Radio
The Beast And Dragon, Adored
?
Quincy Punk Episode

If anyone can fill in the gaps, please send us an email or leave a comment.

[Thanks to our readers for the setlist help. We're only missing one song now.]

The Rosebuds release free remix album

The Rosebuds have released an album of remixes of the songs from their latest album, Night of the Furies. The 10 tracks, dubbed Sweet Beats, Troubled Sleep, can be downloaded for free at mergerecords.com and include remixes by Portastatic, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Roger O'Donnell (former keyboard player for The Cure/producer).

The Rosebuds will play in downtown Raleigh as part of the Earth Day festivities on April 19. They will also play the Cat's Cradle on May 6 with British Sea Power and Jeffrey Lewis.

Free download: The Forms "Red Gun"

After a quick recovery from SXSW, Brooklyn-based band The Forms are back on the road for a tour with Cloud Cult that will bring them to Chapel Hill's Local 506 on April 21. Opening the show is local band Sweater Weather. The show is $8 and is schedule to start at 9 p.m.

Just for you, here's a track from The Forms' self-titled album.

"Red Gun" [MP3]

iTunes Single of the Week: Algebra Blessett, "Run and Hide"

This week's free song comes to us from soulful R&B singer Algebra Blessett.

"Run and Hide" is a slow jam that highlights Algebra's voice, which is layered over synth strings and a steady beat.

Algebra's music is in the same vein as Erykah Badu, which is fitting since the two share a mentor — record producer and former Motown Records exec Kedar Massenburg.

Stone Temple Pilots reunite

Days after Velvet Revolver announced they were kicking Scott Weiland out of the band for not being committed to the band and fans, Stone Temple Pilots announced they were reuniting for a tour.

Last night, after a short set of hits, they announced their tour plans from Harry Houdini's estate in Los Angeles. The North American tour is said to include 65 cities. Over 30 of the cities and dates were announced today and they include a stop in Charlotte at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre on August 17.

There are still 30 cities to be announced, so Raleigh still has a good chance at booking the tour.

Check out this little EPK with interview and professionally shot footage from the reunion announcement set.

NKOTB announces fall tour

So I know that we usually don't cover boy bands here at Triangle Music, but my second-grade nostalgia is kicking in on this one.

New Kids on the Block is back! The "kids," who are now pushing 40, are back in the studio working on a new album and preparing for a fall tour.

All five members of the group were on the Today show this morning, and their interview with Natalie Morales was barely audible over all the shrieks of the 20- and 30-somethings in the crowd.

So what would a NKOTB show be like in 2008, TWENTY YEARS (God I feel old) after Hangin' Tough was released?

“Our old songs aren’t necessarily standards — they were pretty sweet — but it’s going to be fun in a live show. People come to hear that music, so we’re going to sing it with basically the same sound. We’re not doing a reggae version of our three biggest hits because when I see that, it pisses me off. Even I’m like `Spare me.’ We have something like ten top ten hits, which is amazing. So if we do those and five new songs, we’ll have a hell of a show. We will give the people what they want to hear." — Donnie Wahlberg

So who else is gonna be excited with me on this one?? Personally, I'm crossing my fingers that this tour hits the RBC center, but I'll shamelessly admit I'm willing to travel for this one.

Annuals & Sunfold channel Buckley on new EP

The spirit of Jeff Buckley is alive and well, and it's currently residing in the new music of Annuals and Sunfold.

Annuals released an EP Tuesday called Wet Zoo that includes three new songs as well as two songs by Annuals side project, Sunfold. Sunfold is essentially all of Annuals with Kenny Florence taking lead vocal/songwriting duties.

First, the Annuals songs.

The EP kicks off with "Sore" (click to download). It starts out as a beautiful, slow acoustic song and explodes like only Annuals can pull off. The violins on the track elevate the song to a new dimension. They add a symphonic element to the song that compliments Annuals sound.

The second track is the catchy, country tinged song "Around Your Neck." This song is, sonically, Annuals at their happiest. The acoustic guitar driven tune includes big group vocals singing in unison and hand claps. The bright electric lead compliments the acoustic which adds to the song's southern charm.

The Jeff Buckley influence is most obvious on the third track, "Just Stay In." From the opening moments, the melody and vocal sound similar to "Lover, You Should've Come Over" from Buckley's album Grace. The strings on this track are phenomenal. They compliment Adam Baker's voice and elevate the song. "Just Stay In" is an amazingly emotional track.

Now, for the Sunfold tracks.

While the band members may be the same, the songwriting and vocal style of Kenny Florence is very different from Annuals songwriter/singer Adam Baker. The Sunfold sound is much more straightforward than Annuals.

"Between the Worlds" is an upbeat electric rocker, with a great melody and a big chorus. The song is complete with a Queen-esque harmonized guitar solo at the end.

"Watering Pail" is a choppy rocker with a drum fill bridging almost every measure. There are moments in the song that are reminiscent of the Foo Fighters who balance smooth melody lines with rocking elements supporting vocals. The Buckley influence once again comes into play at the end of the song. The song dynamically drops while Florence wails over laid back drums and reverb soaked guitars.

Kenny Florence has an amazing voice which just can't be ignored. Unlike many "side-projects," Sunfold stands on it's own two feet. While the songs may not be adventurous as Annuals songs, the amazing melodies make the songs shine.

Expect more from Annuals later this year. They plan to release a new full-length album in the Fall. This EP should tide you over until then.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame comes to Cary

Some very exciting news came out of Cary today — and I don't say that often.

Booth Amphitheatre will host a fundraising event presented by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum on Sept. 20. The concert will benefit the John Entwistle Foundation, which bears the name of the legendary bassist for The Who.

The foundation declares its mission as “to develop and manage a musical education, donation and training program at libraries whose patrons are most likely to be underprivileged children and adults.”

The show will feature "very well-known musicians from big-name bands behind the front men from some of rock ‘n’ roll’s most legendary groups" playing in an "all-star band."

Because I know you're wondering how in the hell this event ended up in Cary, a national trustee for the hall of fame, Rick French, lives in the town. For more details, check out this story in The Cary News.

The most interesting part of all this, of course, will be finding out who's actually on the bill. The only name mentioned so far is drummer Steve Luongo, executive director of the Entwistle Foundation.

Who would you like to see play this show? And how astronomical do you think tickets to the event will be??

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss coming to Raleigh [UPDATED]

On the success of their duet album, Raising Sand, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss have extended their tour through July. Among these new dates is a stop at Raleigh's RBC Center on July 11.

The duo already have a North Carolina date on the books in Asheville on June 14. They will also hit a few big festivals including Bonnaroo and the New Orleans Jazz Festival.

We'll add ticket information for the RBC Center show as soon as we have it. Tickets for the RBC Center show will go on sale on Friday, April 18 at 10 a.m. Prices will range from $45 to $65.

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In other concert news, Kenny Rogers, yes The Gambler himself, will play the Durham Performing Arts Center on December 11.

iTunes Single of the Week: Cut Copy, "Lights & Music"

This week's free song comes from Australian band, Cut Copy. The song "Lights & Music" is catchy little dance-pop number full of synths, sampled hand claps and compressed guitars.

The song has a catchy little melody which suits the very "I don't care" attitude of the vocals. The song is simple. It's not musically complex or lyrically complex but it's a good pop song that would be great for a dancing at a club.

Check this song out if you have the time.

80's extravaganza tour coming to Cary

The 80's are back! Well, at least in Cary this summer. A tour dubbed "The Regeneration Tour" will stop at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary on August 28 August 27 (the date was moved up a day). The tour will feature Flock of Seagulls, ABC, Belinda Carlisle (of The Go-Go's), Naked Eyes and The Human League.

Now that's a crazy tour. I have to admit that ABC's "Poison Arrow" and "The Look of Love" are a guilty pleasure of mine and lead singer Martin Fry can rock a gold lamé suit like no one else.

Most or possibly none of these bands will have their full original line-up, but it's bound to be a fun(ny) night. If nothing else, this is one tour that is truly suited for Cary more than any other town in the Triangle.

R.E.M. turn the guitars up to 11 on Accelerate

Almost every album released by a veteran band gets hailed as "a return to form." Well on Accelerate, R.E.M. lives up to the hype.

The album kicks off with a fuzzy, Peter Buck guitar riff before Michael Stipe launches into assault style vocals. The intensity continues through the next two tracks. "Supernatural Superserious" is one of R.E.M.'s catchiest songs in years. It has a great verse riff, an infectious chorus melody and nice background vocals by Mike Mills.

"Houston" and "Until the Day Is Done" harken back to the acoustic sounds of R.E.M. on Automatic For the People.

"Accelerate" and "Sing For the Submarines" is a darker sound for the band. The guitar riffs are droney and more dissonant. "Accelerate" has an apocalyptic vibe. It could easily be used in a movie trailer for an "end of the world" type movie.

The album ends with two barn burners that are downright punkish. "Horse To Water" and "I'm Gonna DJ" rock from beginning to end and both clock-in at just over 2 minutes.

Accelerate is R.E.M. at their best. They've returned to their roots as a guitar driven band and regained the youthful energy that their early records had. After a few meandering records, R.E.M. is back.

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We finally have R.E.M. ticket info. The show at Walnut Creek with Modest Mouse and The National will go on sale this Friday (April 4) at 10AM. Tickets will range from $69 to $29.