Schoolkids releases list of Record Store Day exclusives

Our fantastic local record store Schoolkids Records has released the list of exclusive releases they'll be selling on Record Store Day on April 18. These releases will only be available at independent music retailers across the country including Schoolkids in Raleigh. There are some exclusives from some local/former local acts including Tift Merritt and Whiskeytown. Yeah, there's going to be an exclusive Whiskeytown 7". Check out the list below.

Akron/Family - "Everyone is Guilty" 7"
Bad Religion - Original EP 7" reissue
Andrew Bird/Loney Dear - split 7"
The Black Kids - "Wizard of Ahhhs" 10"
Blitzen Trapper - "War is Placebo"/"Booksmart" 7"
Bob Dylan - "Dreaming of You"/"Down Along the Cove" 7"
Booker T - "Warped Sister"/"Reunion Time" 7"
Camera Obscura - "French Navy" 7"
Brandi Carlile - "Downpour"/"A Promise To Keep" 7"
Leonard Cohen 7" - "The Future/"Suzanne"
Cold War Kids - "Live at Fingerprints"
The Color Fred - "The Intervention" CD EP
Elvis Costello - "Complicated Shadows"/"Dirty Rotten Shame" picture disc
Rivers Cuomo - Live @ Fingerprints CD and CD/DVD Combo
Cursive/Ladyfinger - Split 10" picture disc
Dandy Warhols - Remix CD #2
The Decemberists - "The Rake's Song"/"East India Lanes" 7"
Def Jam 25: Volume 1 and 2 (4 LP gatefold history of Def Jam)
Depeche Mode - "Wrong"/"Oh Well" 7"
Dr. Dog/Floating Action - Split 7"
Flaming Lips/Black Keys - split 7" ("Borderline"/"Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles")
Flight of the Conchords - "Pencils In The Wind"/"Albi"
Gaslight Anthem - Live from Park Ave 10"
Grizzly Bear - Live on KCRW 7"
Guided By Voices - "Hold On Hope" LP
Ben Harper - "Shimmer and Shine"/"Spanish Red Wine" 10"
Heaven & Hell - 7" "Bible Black"/"Neon Knights (Live)"
Iron and Wine - Norfolk 6-20-05
Jane's Addiction - "Mountain Song" / "Standing in the Shower...Thinking" 7"
Jesus Lizard - box set of 9 different 7"s
Jenny Lewis/Elvis Costello split 7" - "Carpet Baggers"/"Go Away"
Lykkie Li/Perro Del Mar - "After Laughter (Comes Tears)" / "At
Your Best (You are Love)" 7"
Magnolia Electric Co. - "It's Made Me Cry" 7"
MC 5 - "Kick Out The Jams"/"Motor City Is Burning" 7"
Tift Merritt - Buckingham Solo CD
Metric - "Help I'm Alive" 7" Picture disc
Modest Mouse - "Satelite Skin"/"Guilty Cocker Spaniels" 7"
My Morning Jacket - Celebración De La Ciudad Natal (CD & limited 2 X 10" LP)
New Order - "Temptation"/"Hurt" 7"
Oasis - Falling Down Remix LP
Obits - "I Can't Lose/Military Madness" 7"
Pavement - "Live in Germany 1988" LP
Elvis Perkins - "Lorraine Lookout" 7"
Poison The Well - 6 track CD
Pretenders - "Break Up The Pavement"/Love's..." 7"
Queen - Queen's First EP
Radiohead - 10" vinyl series (Drill, Creep, My Iron Lung, High & Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, Just, Street Spirit, Paranoid Android, Karma
Police, No Surprises, Pyramid Song, 2+2=5)
Arthur Russell - "Love Is Taking Me" 2 X LP
Silversun Pickups - Pikul 12" (exclusive release ahead of their new album)
Slayer - "Psychopathy Red" 7"
The Smiths - "The Headmaster Ritual" /"Oscillate Widly" 7"
Sonic Youth/Beck - split 7"
Sonic Youth/Jay Reatard - split 7"
Bruce Springsteen - "What Love Can Do"/"A Night With The Jersey Devil" 7"
The Stooges - "1969"/"Real Cool Time" 7"
Sublime - "Superstar Punani/April 29, 1992" 7"
Taking Back Sunday - "Carpathia/Catholic" (live) 7"
The Thermals/Thao - split 7"
Derek Trucks - "Already Live" EP
Vetiver - "Wishing Well"/"Pay No Mind" 7"
Tom Waits - "Live from the Glitterdome" 7"
Whiskeytown - "San Atone"/"Great Divide" 7"
Wilco - "Ashes of American Flags" DVD
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "It's Blitz" LP

Ticket Giveaway: Langhorne Slim at Cat's Cradle

One of you out there is about to win the world's easiest ticket giveaway.

The first person to email us at triangle_music@hotmail.com with "Langhorne Slim tickets" in the subject line will get two free tickets to his show at Cat's Cradle this Wednesday, April 1.

That's it! And may the quickest typer win.

Check out our review of Langhorne Slim's self-titled album here.

UPDATE: We have our winner. Enjoy the show, Lindsey!

Bombadil release mini-documentary about new album

Bombadil have released a mini-documentary capturing the recording of their new album Tarpits and Canyonlands. The five minute video features the band talking about the songs and process of recording their new album and features clips of some of the new music. Check it out below.

Tarpits and Canyonlands will be released on July 7 via Ramseur Records. The band will play the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh on April 10 with Lost in the Trees and Benji Hughes. Tickets are available via etix.com.



[photo by by Melissa Madison Fuller]

New Kids on the Block announce 'Full Service' tour, play Raleigh

Here's a new local show that'll make someone here at Triangle Music happy. New Kids on the Block have just been added to the list of performers coming to the Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion (aka Walnut Creek Amphitheatre) this season. The aging boy band will play on June 3 and tickets are set to go on sale on Friday, April 3 at 10 am.

The date is one of a ton of new dates the band have announced for their "Full Service Tour." Check out the dates running from late May to mid-July below.

New Kids on the Block "Full Service" dates:
06.04.09 - Atlanta, GA Lakewood Amphitheatre [Tickets]
06.05.09 - Virginia Beach, VA - Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater
06.06.09 - Camden, NJ - Susquehanna Bank Center
06.07.09 - Bristow, VA - Nissan Pavilion At Stone Ridge
06.10.09 - Scranton, PA - Toyota Pavilion At Montage Mountain
06.11.09 - Burgettstown, PA - Post-Gazette Pavilion
06.12.09 - Wantagh, NY - Nikon At Jones Beach Theater
06.13.09 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
06.14.09 - Darien Center, NY - Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
06.16.09 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center
06.18.09 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun [Tickets]
06.19.09 - Mansfield, MA - Comcast Center
06.21.09 - Toronto, ON - The Molson Amphitheatre [Tickets]
06.23.09 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center [Tickets]
06.25.09 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre [Tickets]
06.26.09 - Tinley Park, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
06.27.09 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center [Tickets]
06.28.09 - Noblesville, IN - Verizon Wireless Music Center
07.01.09 - Maryland Heights, MO - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre St. Louis
07.02.09 - Memphis, TN - Mud Island Amphitheatre
07.03.09 - Wichita, KS - Hartman Arena
07.07.09 - Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheatre
07.09.09 - Concord, CA - Sleep Train Pavilion At Concord
07.10.09 - Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
07.11.09 - Las Vegas, NV - Pearl Concert Theater [Tickets]
07.12.09 - Phoenix, AZ - Cricket Wireless Pavilion
07.15.09 - Englewood, CO - Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre [Tickets]
07.17.09 - Dallas, TX - Superpages.com Center [Tickets]
07.18.09 - The Woodlands, TX - The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

New music from Bob Dylan - "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'"

The unstoppable Bob Dylan has a new album coming out on April 28 titled Together Through Life. Today and tomorrow only, you can download a song from the album “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’” for free. Just go to BobDylan.com before midnight, Tuesday, March 31 to get the free track.

The song is a groovy little track with Dylan's gravely, aging voice right upfront with a smooth rhythm section and some nice accordion. He may be growing old, but Dylan keeps proving that he can still make relevant new music.

Bob Dylan - "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'" (mp3)

Album review: The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love

The Hazards of Love, the latest album from The Decemberists has been dubbed a concept album by some, but really functions as one continuous piece of music as opposed to it's 17 tracks. The album flows from one song to the next with many transitions being indistinguishable unless you're specifically looking for them.

The album features four pieces of music dubbed the "The Hazards of Love" parts one through four which share similar musical themes. All of the songs share a common theme of love and the hazards of it (imagine that). Parts of piece "The Wanting Comes In Waves" is reminiscent of the grandeur of Arcade Fire.

Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond and Shara Warden of My Brightest Diamond gives the album a feminine point of view on a number of tracks on the album. Their vocals give are a stark contrast to Colin Meloy's nasally sound. The male and female back and forth is similar to the back and forth between Win Butler and Régine Chassagne of Arcade Fire.

The Hazards of Love is a solid album and is much stronger overall than their last album The Crane Wife. This is a band upping their game from record to record. The album should play well live too.

Speaking of live, the band will be playing the album live from beginning to end on their upcoming tour which stops in Raleigh on June 4 at Memorial Auditorium. Tickets are still available here. Check out the rest of the band's tour dates here.

New music from Conor Oberst song - "Slowly (Oh So Slowly)"

Conor Oberst's second solo album titled Outer South is due out on May 5 via Merge Records. You can stream one of the new songs titled "Slowly (Oh So Slowly)" now on Oberst's website. It's a groovy little tune.

Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band have a few tour US dates scheduled for April as well as sets at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the Milwaukee Summerfest in June. We're still hoping the band will be playing the XX Merge Fest this summer. Check out the upcoming dates below.

[UPDATE: More dates added.]

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band dates:
04.09.09 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown [Tickets]
04.10.09 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
04.11.09 - Aspen, CO - Belly Up
04.12.90 - El Paso, TX - Barnett Harley Davidson (Hands of Love & Hope Benefit)
04.13.09 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theatre [Tickets]
04.14.09 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
04.15.09 - Pomona, CA - Glass House [Tickets]
04.17.09 - Indio, CA - Coachella Music & Arts Festival
06.17.09 - Colorado Springs, CO - The Black Sheep [Tickets]
06.18.09 - Telluride, CO - Telluride Bluegrass Festival
06.19.09 - Moab, UT - Star Hill [Tickets]
06.20.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Library Square
06.21.09 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory [Tickets]
06.23.09 - Missoula, MT - Wilma Theatre
06.24.09 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue [Tickets]
06.25.09 - Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest
06.26.09 - Omaha, NE - Anchor Inn
06.28.09 - Kansas City, MO - Beaumont Club [Tickets]
06.29.09 - Columbia, MO - The Blue Note [Tickets]
06.30.09 - Louisville, KY - Headliners Music Hall [Tickets]
07.01.09 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop [Tickets]
07.02.09 - Woodstock, NY - Bearsville Theater
07.03.09 - New Haven, CT - Toad's Place

Sound Opinons interview Merge Records founders

Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot who host the Chicago Public Radio show "Sound Opinions" recently interviewed Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance, founders of Merge Records and Superchunk members. They discussed the twenty year history of Merge Records. It is a really great listen and gives a great insight into the ethos of the label.

Stream the podcast here or download it here.

Don't forget, Superchunk will release their new EP Leaves in the Gutter on April 7 and will play the Cat's Cradle on April 15.

Camera Obscura announce tour, play Carrboro

Scottish pop band Camera Obscura have announced a North American tour in support of their forthcoming new album My Maudlin Career due out on April 21. The tour will kick off in Nashville, TN on May 27 and will make a stop in Carrboro at the Cat's Cradle on June 20. Tickets for the Cradle show go on sale Friday, March 27 for $15 via etix.com.

Download the title track from the new album below and check out all of the upcoming North American dates.

Camera Obscura - "My Maudlin Career" (mp3)

Camera Obscura North American dates:
05.27.09 - Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge [Tickets]
05.28.09 - Newport, KY - Southgate House
05.29.09 - Chicago, IL - Metro
05.30.09 - Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center [Tickets]
06.01.09 - Denver, CO - Bluebird [Tickets]
06.02.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
06.04.09 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
06.05.09 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore [Tickets]
06.06.09 - Seattle, WA - Showbox [Tickets]
06.08.09 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
06.09.09 - Pomona, CA - Glasshouse [Tickets]
06.11.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre [Tickets]
06.13.09 - Mexico City, MX - Lunario
06.15.09 - Austin, TX - Antone's
06.16.09 - Dallas, TX - The Loft
06.18.09 - Birmingham, AL - Bottletree
06.19.09 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse [Tickets]
06.20.09 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle
06.21.09 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
06.22.09 - Philadelphia, PA - TLA
06.24.09 - New York, NY - Webster Hall [Tickets]
06.25.09 - Boston, MA - Somerville Theatre [Tickets]
06.26.09 - Montreal, QC - La Tulipe
06.27.09 - Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace [Tickets]
06.29.09 - Columbus, OH - Wexner Center
06.30.09 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Small’s [Tickets]

Jenny Lewis adds new dates, plays Carrboro

The queen of indie rock, Jenny Lewis, will make a stop in Carrboro before playing the Bonnaroo Festival in June. She'll play the Cat's Cradle on June 12 with Deer Tick opening the show. Tickets will be $18 and are set to go on sale Friday, April 3 via etix.com.

Lewis played a sold out show at the Cradle with The Watson Twins in March 2006, but this will be her first show here in support of her latest album Acid Tongue.

Jenny Lewis US dates:
04.10.09 - Honolulu, HI - Pipeline Cafe
04.13.09 - Pomona, CA - Glass House [Tickets]
04.14.09 - San Diego, CA - Belly Up
04.15.09 - Sacramento, CA - Empire
04.18.09 - Indio, CA - Coachella Music & Arts Festival
05.27.09 - Santa Cruz, CA - Rio Theatre [Tickets]
05.28.09 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
05.29.09 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
05.30.09 - Portland, OR - Roseland
05.31.09 - Seattle, WA - Showbox @ Market [Tickets]
06.03.09 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue [Tickets]
06.04.09 - Madison, WI - Barrymore Theatre
06.05.09 - Chicago, IL - Park West [Tickets]
06.06.09 - Columbus, OH - Wexner Center for the Arts [Tickets]
06.08.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero [Tickets]
06.09.09 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg [Tickets]
06.10.09 - Boston, MA - House of Blues [Tickets]
06.11.09 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
06.12.09 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
06.13.09 - Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
06.14.09 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant [Tickets]
06.15.09 - Lawrence, KS - Granada [Tickets]
06.17.09 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown
06.19.09 - Telluride, CO - Telluride Bluegrass Festival
06.20.09 - Santa Fe, NM - Sante Fe Brewing Co.
06.22.09 - Austin, TX - Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheatre
06.23.09 - Dallas, TX - Granada
06.24.09 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live [Tickets]
06.26.09 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues [Tickets]
06.29.09 - Orlando, FL - Plaza Theatre [Tickets]
07.01.09 - Athens, GA - TBA
07.03.09 - Richmond, VA - The National [Tickets]
07.05.09 - Millvale, PA - Mr. Smalls Theatre [Tickets]
07.06.09 - Louisville, KY - Headliners Music Hall [Tickets]
07.07.09 - Fayetteville, AR - George's Majestic
07.09.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Twilight Concert Series

Metallica announce fall dates, play Charlotte

The masters of metal Metallica have announced a string of new North American dates from September to December. The tour doesn't stop in the Triangle, but does include a date in Charlotte at the Bobcats Arena (Time Warner Cable Arena) on October 18. Tickets for the show will go on sale on April 4. Check out all of the upcoming dates below.

The brand new Guitar Hero Metallica video game will be released on Sunday, March 29 Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and Playstation 3. The Playstation 2 version of the game will be out on April 14.

Metallica's latest album Death Magnetic is out now.

Metallica North American dates:
09.14.09 - Nashville, TN - Sommet Center [Tickets]
09.15.09 - Cincinnati, OH - US Bank Arena [Tickets]
09.17.09 - Indianapolis, IN Conseco Fieldhouse
09.19.09 - Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
09.28.09 - San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center [Tickets]
09.29.09 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center [Tickets]
10.01.09 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Bank Atlantic Center [Tickets]
10.03.09 - Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum [Tickets]
10.04.09 - Atlanta, GA - Phillips Arena [Tickets]
10.12.09 - Winnipeg, MB - MTS Centre [Tickets]
10.13.09 - Minneapolis, MN - Target Center [Tickets]
10.15.09 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena [Tickets]
10.17.09 - Charlottesville, VA - JPJ Arena
10.18.09 - Charlotte, NC - Charlotte Bobcats Arena [Tickets]
10.26.09 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre [Tickets]
10.29.09 - Ottawa, ON - Scotiabank Place
10.31.09 - Quebec City, QC - Colisee Pepsi
11.09.09 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena [Tickets]
11.10.09 - Buffalo, NY - HSBC Arena
11.12.09 - Albany, NY - Times Union Center
11.14.09 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
12.05.09 - Las Vegas, NV - Mandalay Bay [Tickets]
12.07.09 - Boise, ID - Idaho Center
12.08.09 - Sacramento, CA - ARCO Arena [Tickets]
12.10.09 - Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
12.12.09 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavillion [Tickets]

Connells, Violet Vector, Huguenots play Planet Earth Celebration

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh are gearing up for a big party to precede Earth Day dubbed Planet Earth Celebration. The event will take place on April 18 and will feature some great local bands. The Connells, Violet Vector and the Lovely Lovelies, The Huguenots and Razpa are all scheduled to play. The event is free and will take place Bicentennial Plaza in downtown Raleigh.

There will be events throughout the day for all ages. Check out more information on the event at planetearthcelebration.com.

Butch Walker and the Gang triumph at Lincoln Theatre

Butch Walker and His Merry Gang of Merry Music Melodymakers started things off slow last night at Lincoln Theatre. Butch came out alone and played three songs from his latest album Sycamore Meadows. It was a slow start to the show, but during the fourth song, the Springsteen-esque track "Closer To The Truth And Further From The Sky," the band came roaring in.

They didn't let up all night, ripping through tracks from the new album as well as a few older tunes including "Far Away From Close" from Walker's debut solo album Left of Self-Centered. This is the first band tour in years where no Marvelous 3 songs made it into the set. The packed crowd didn't seem to mind though and sang along to all of the solo songs.

When Walker returned to the stage for the encore, he and the band launched into a rousing version of Elton John's "Tiny Dancer." Walker leaped into the crowd for a dance party during the song "Hot Girls In Good Moods." The crowd gathered around and bounced with Walker during the song (see the second photo below). When he returned to the stage, he took a seat at the piano for one more song, "When Canyons Ruled the City." At the end of the song, Walker took a page from Ben Folds' live performance and led everyone in an enthusiastic singalong (see the third photo below). It was a great way to end the night.

Walker has yet to slow down and is still putting wild and energetic shows as always. He's a bonafide rock star and will most likely be packing the Lincoln Theatre for many years to come.

Atlanta band Ponderosa, featuring Darren Dodd of Walker's band on drums, opened the show with some soulful southern rock. Their sound is similar to Kentucky band My Morning Jacket. They got the crowd warmed up and ready for Walker's pop rock extravaganza.

Butch Walker set list:
Atlanta
Passed Your Place, Saw Your Car, Thought Of You
Going Back/Going Home
Closer To The Truth And Further From The Sky
Uncomfortably Numb
Weight of Her
Vessels
Laid/The Taste of Red
Far Away From Close
Don't Move
Her Comes The...
Ponce De Leon Ave.
Race Cars and Goth Rock
Maybe It's Just Me
#1 Summer Jam (w/ a little of McCartney's "Silly Love Songs")
Best Thing You Never Had
----------
Tiny Dancer
Hot Girls in Good Moods
When Canyons Ruled the City

[all photos by Kevin Norris]

Butch Walker




Ponderosa

New acoustic track from The Never - "Vampire"

Geek rockers The Never are giving away an acoustic version of a new song titled "Vampire." The track was recorded at The Owl Room, the Trekky Records studio in Chapel Hill. The song is available to download via The Never's ReverbNation page. You can also download some other Never songs on the page.

The Never have been touring on their storybook album Antarctica for about three years and have been working on a new album that should be out later this year.

The group have a few dates scheduled over the next month or so which include a show in Durham at The von der Heyden Pavilion on Duke's campus on April 2. The show is FREE and Lost in the Trees and Paleface will also play. Check out the rest of The Never's schedule below.

03.28.09 - New Bern, NC - Broad Street Music
04.02.09 - Durham, NC - The von der Heyden Pavilion (Duke campus)
04.11.09 - Greensboro, NC - Studio B
04.15.09 - Cleveland, OH - The Spot (Case Western Reserve University)
04.25.09 -Charlotte, NC - Evening Muse

[photo by Mary Catherine Penn]

New music from Hammer No More the Fingers - "Nobody Knows"

We have another new song from Hammer No More the Fingers for you. It is the fourth track, "Nobody Knows," from the Durham trio's upcoming album Looking For Bruce which will be out on April 7 via Churchkey Records. The song is pretty groovy and has a big, catchy chorus. Download the song below.

The band will play their big two day album release party in Durham on April 3 and 4 dubbed "Viking Storm." The April 3 show will be at The Pinhook and the April 4 show will be at Duke Coffeehouse. They will also play at Tir Na Nog in Raleigh on April 30 as a part of WKNC's Local Bands, Local Beers series. Check out Hammer No More the Fingers current tour schedule below.

Hammer No More the Fingers - "Nobody Knows" (mp3)

Hammer No More the Fingers dates:
04.03.09 - Durham, NC - The Pinhook (Viking Storm I)
04.04.09 - Durham, NC - Duke Coffeehouse (Viking Storm II)
04.10.09 - Wilmington, NC - Soapbox
04.11.09 - New Bern, NC - Union Point Park (Spazz Benefit)
04.24.09 - Asheville, NC - New French
04.25.09 - Pulaksi, VA - Annual Daniel
04.30.09 - Raleigh, NC - Tir Na Nog
05.01.09 - Lynchburg, VA - Speakertree
05.08.09 - Winston-Salem, NC - Elliot’s Revue
05.16.09 - Harrisonburg, VA - Clementine
05.29.09 - Greenville, NC - Spazz
05.30.09 - Wilmington, NC - East Coast Opera House

Nine Inch Nails & Jane's Addiction give away tour sampler

To precede their upcoming tour, Nine Inch Nails and Jane's Addiction have released a free sampler EP featuring two songs from each band as well as two tracks from the tour opener Street Sweeper (featuring Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Boots Riley). The Jane's Addiction tracks were produced by Trent Reznor. The EP can be downloaded by forking over your email address at ninja2009.com.

Check out the track list and the tour dates below which include a stop, which is actually the last stop on the tour, at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Charlotte on June 12.

The Ting Tings play for excited, sold out Cradle crowd

The Ting Tings rolled into Carrboro Saturday night and played a high energy 50-minute set for a packed house at the Cat's Cradle. The duo played their entire debut album We Started Nothing, stretching out some of the tracks to make the show longer than the album's 38 minute run time.

The band put on really tight, fun show that became a great show due to the energy of the crowd. The people on the floor were bouncing during many of the night's upbeat songs including the hits "Great DJ" and "Shut Up and Let Me Go."

The duo played the set on their own using samples and loops to fill out the sound. The group didn't talk to the crowd much between songs, but they did say they were glad they came to North Carolina. It's worth noting that the group had a show scheduled for Raleigh last year that got canceled.

The band has achieved popularity so quickly that they might need to take some time to write or learn some new songs. Some of the crowd was stunned when the show was over after 50 minutes. It's safe to say they left the crowd wanting more.

Oakland hip-hop/dance trio HOTTUB opened the show and were, well, interesting to say the least. Two of the three members bounced around stage in spandex and at times they seemed more like exotic dancers than musicians. Either way, their 25 minute set was interesting to watch, but I wouldn't recommend relinquishing your hard-earned money buying their EP On Blast!.

The Ting Tings set list:
We Walk
Great DJ
Fruit Machine
Keep Your Head
Traffic Light
Be the One
We Started Nothing
Shut Up and Let Me Go
----------
Impacilla Carpisung
That's Not My Name

[all photos by Kevin Norris]

The Ting Tings


HOTTUB

Rosebuds get SXSW crowd to literally "Bow to the Middle"

Check out this great video I came across on YouTube of The Rosebuds performing at South By Southwest. The band are in the midst of a large, daytime crowd playing "Bow To the Middle" from their latest album Life Like. The crowd do a synchronized dance to the chorus lyrics which is pretty awesome. You'll also notice that Kelly is rocking the accordion. Very cool.

The video is unfortunately not the whole song, but it's still killer. Enjoy.

Jimmy Chamberlin quits Smashing Pumpkins

Well, this was inevitable I guess. Jimmy Chamerlin has quit The Smashing Pumpkins. No reason was given but here's the statement posted on Smashing Pumpkins' website.

The Smashing Pumpkins' guitarist, singer, songwriter and founding member Billy Corgan has announced that drummer Jimmy Chamberlin has left the group. Chamberlin joined the band Corgan founded in Chicago in 1988 and played on all their albums except Adore (1998). Corgan will continue to write and record as Smashing Pumpkins with plans to head into the studio this spring.

At least Chamerlain quit this time as opposed to when he was kicked out for his heroine overdose in 1996 that left touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin dead.

So who will replace Chamberlain? His unique jazz-infused drumming style has been an integral part of the Pumpkins' sound since 1988, minus those years after Mellon Collie when he was kicked out.

Zeigeist was already pretty bad, so this would seem to be the nail in the Pumpkins' coffin. I guess we'll have to wait and see how long Corgan continues to capitalize on the name. The statement does say that he plans to start recording new music using the band name sometime during the spring.

Oh, and Corgan supports the LiveNation and Ticketmaster merger. He recently sent a letter to Congress expressing his support (which you can read here). I guess he's more concerned with his and his manager Irving Azoff (who also happens to be Ticketmaster's CEO) bottom line than he is about his fans being ravaged with unreasonably high ticket fees.

Corgan is slowly turnin into Lars Ulrich, circa 2000. Ulrich may have been a douche about the Napster thing, but at least he was technically right about stealing music being wrong. Corgan doesn't have that on his side.

The Tourist lets you decide new album track list

Cary based singer songwriter Hunter MacDermut, better known as The Tourist, recently challenged himself to write thirty songs in thirty days. He completed this challenge and has made the demos of these songs available to download on his blog. You can download all thirty songs in a zip file or each song individually. He is asking fans and listeners to tell him which twelve of the thirty songs they like best and the ones that receive the most support will be the focus of his next album. Cool, no?

You can check out The Tourist live at The Living Room in Apex at 219 North Salem Street on March 28 and April 25.

Elvis Costello and The Sugarcanes to play Cary

It looks like the amazing Elvis Costello will return to Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre in June. The venue sent out an email last night saying that he'll play on June 14 and the show is billed as Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes. The Sugarcanes are Costello's new acoustic band comprised of Jim Lauderdale, Jerry Douglas, Mike Compton, Stuart Duncan, Dennis Crouch, and Jeff Taylor. That's quite a line-up. It'll be interesting to see what the set lists look like for their shows.

So far, a complete tour has not been confirmed, but the few dates I've found are listed below. According to Mike Compton's website, there will be a run of dates in June and August, though the cities and venues are not listed.

Tickets for the Koka Booth show will go on sale to the public next Friday, March 27 here with a pre-sale starting the previous day.

Costello last played the amphitheatre in September 2007 with the North Carolina Symphony. Check out our review of that show here.

[UPDATE: More dates added.]

Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes dates:
06.09.09 - Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theatre
06.10.09 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre [Tickets]
06.11.09 - Vienna, VA - Wolf Trap
06.14.09 - Cary, NC - Koka Booth Amphitheatre [Tickets]
06.16.09 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium [Tickets]
06.19.09 - Telluride, CO - Telluride Bluegrass Festival
08.15.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Dear Valley Music Festival *
08.17.09 - Saratoga, CA - The Mountain Winery [Tickets]
08.18.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
08.19.09 - Livermore, CA - Wente Vineyards [Tickets]
08.21.09 - Santa Rosa, CA - Wells Fargo Center
08.22.09 - Jacksonville, OR - Britt Pavilion
08.23.09 - Woodinville, WA - Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery [Tickets]
08.24.09 - Vancouver, BC - Malkin Bowl [Tickets]
08.26.09 - Highland Park, IL - Ravinia Festival
08.27.09 - Kettering, OH - Fraze Pavilion [Tickets]
08.28.09 - Toronto, ON - Massey Hall [Tickets]
08.29.09 - Chautauqua, NY - Chautauqua Institute
09.01.09 - Austin, TX - Long Center
09.02.09 - Grand Prairie, TX - Nokia Theatre [Tickets]
09.03.09 - Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom

*w/ Steve Nieve and the Utah Symphony; not The Sugarcanes

Against Me! announce spring dates, play Raleigh

Florida rockers Against Me! are gearing up for a new tour that will kick off on April 11 in their hometown of Gainesville, FL. The tour will focus just on the south and will bring the group to The Brewery in Raleigh on April 15. The show is destined to be packed considering the band could easily play one of the bigger clubs in the area. Tickets are just $10 and are on sale now via etix.com. Off With Their Heads will open the show and the entire tour. Check out the entire tour schedule below.

Against Me! are still supporting their 2007 breakthrough album New Wave though they did release a collection of b-sides from the album last year exclusively via Amazon's MP3 service. Also, lead singer Tom Gabel did release a solo EP last year titled Heart Burns.

Against Me! dates:
04.11.09 - Gainesville, FL - Common Grounds [Tickets]
04.14.09 - Greenville, SC - The Handlebar
04.15.09 - Raleigh, NC - The Brewery [Tickets]
04.16.09 - Asheville, NC - Stella Blue [Tickets]
04.18.09 - Virginia Beach, VA - The Jewish Mother
04.19.09 - Knoxville, TN - The Cider House
04.21.09 - Nashville, TN - The End [Tickets]
04.22.09 - Memphis, TN - Hi-Tone Café
04.23.09 - Little Rock, AR - Juanita’s Cantina Ballroom
04.24.09 - Huntsville, AL - Crossroads Café [Tickets]
04.25.09 - Mobile, AL - Alabama Music Box [Tickets]
04.26.09 - Pensacola, FL - Sluggo’s [Tickets]
04.28.09 - Charleston, SC - The Pourhouse [Tickets]
04.29.09 - Athens, GA - Tasty World
04.30.09 - Wilmington, NC - The Soapbox
05.01.09 - Columbia, SC - New Brookland Tavern [Tickets]

Vienna Teng Trio announce tour, play Raleigh

Vienna Teng will embark on a US tour on April 7, the same day that her new album Inland Territory is released via Zoë/Rounder Records. The tour is set to stop in Raleigh at the Lincoln Theatre on May 11. The show will benefit the Junior League of Raleigh. Seated seats will be $25 and standing tickets will be $15 via etix.com. Tickets are not on sale yet.

Teng's trio will include singer songwriter Alex Wong & former Jump, Little Children cellist/guitarist and solo singer songwriter Ward Williams. This will be Williams' first Triangle performance since his solo show at Downtown Event Center (which was then Raleigh Music Hall) back in September of 2006.

Check out the trio's US dates below

Vienna Tengo Trio US dates:
04.07.09 - Somerville, MA - Somerville Theater [Tickets]
04.08.09 - Vienna, VA - Wolf Trap
04.10.09 - New York, NY - (Le) Poisson Rouge
04.11.09 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre [Tickets]
04.13.09 - Pittsburgh, PA - Club Cafe Live [Tickets]
04.14.09 - Ann Arbor, MI - The Ark [Tickets]
04.15.09 - Ann Arbor, MI - The Ark [Tickets]
04.17.09 - Chicago - Schubas Tavern (early show)
04.17.09 - Chicago, IL - Schubas Tavern (late show)
04.18.09 - Cedar Rapids, IA - Legion Arts Center
04.21.09 - Seattle, WA - The Triple Door (early show)
04.21.09 - Seattle, WA - The Triple Door (late show)
04.22.09 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater [Tickets]
04.24.09 - Oakland, CA - Yoshi’s (early show) [Tickets]
04.24.09 - Oakland, CA - Yoshi’s (late show) [Tickets]
04.25.09 - Santa Cruz, CA - Rio Theatre [Tickets]
04.28.09 - Santa Barbara, CA -SOhO
04.29.09 - West Hollywood, CA - Roxy Theatre [Tickets]
05.01.09 - San Diego, CA - Anthology
05.02.09 - Tuscon, AZ - Club Congress [Tickets]
05.04.09 - Mesa, AZ - Mesa Arts Center (Piper Repertory Theater)
05.05.09 - Albuquerque, NM - Outpost Performance Space
05.06.09 - Oklahoma City, OK - Blue Door
05.09.09 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse [Tickets]
05.10.09 - Charlotte, NC - The Evening Muse
05.11.09 - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre
05.12.09 - Charlottesville, NC - Gravity Lounge
05.13.09 - Annapolis, MD - Ram’s Head Tavern
05.14.09 - South Orange, NJ - South Orange Peforming Arts Center
05.15.09 - Akron, OH - Akrona Galleries
05.16.09 - Lansing, MI - East Lansing Art Festival

Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers to play Duke Coffeehouse, Schookids

Oklahoma quintet Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers are setting out on a lengthy US tour that will bring their youtful alt-country sound to the Triangle. First, the band will stop in Silk Hope and play two days of the Shakori Hills Festival, April 16 and 17. They will then stop by Schoolkids Records in Raleigh on April 18 at 1 PM and then move on to Durham to play Duke Coffeehouse later that night.

The group released their debut EP titled The Confiscation via Ramseur Records last year and are preparing to release their debut LP Songs in the Night on April 28. Download tracks from both releases below along with the band's upcoming tour schedule (it's hefty).

from Songs in the Night
Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers - "Songs in the Night" (mp3)
Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers - "Get the Fever Out" (mp3)

from The Confiscation EP
Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers - "The River" (mp3)
Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers - "Devils in Boston" (mp3)

Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers dates:
03.28.09 - State College, PA - State Theatre *
03.29.09 - Brooklyn, NY - Southpaw (Native American Film and Video Festival)
04.15.09 - Alexandra, VA - Birchmere Bandstand # [Tickets]
04.16.09 - Silk Hope, NC - Shakori Hills Festival
04.17.09 - Silk Hope, NC - Shakori Hills Festival
04.18.09 - Raleigh, NC - Schoolkids Records
04.18.09 - Durham, NC - Duke Coffeehouse ^
04.19.09 - Mount Pleasant, SC - Village Tavern ^
04.20.09 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl ^
04.21.09 - Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder ^
04.23.09 - Austin, TX - The Parish ^
04.24.09 - Fort Worth, TX - Lola’s ^
04.25.09 - Lubbock, TX - The Foundation ^
04.26.09 - Santa Fe, NM - The Sub (College of Santa Fe) ^
04.28.09 - San Diego, CA -The Loft (UCSD) ^
04.29.09 - Los Angeles, CA - The Hotel Cafe ^
04.30.09 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent ^ [Tickets]
05.02.09 - Seattle, WA - Chop Suey ^ [Tickets]
05.04.09 - Boise, ID - Neurolox ^ [Tickets]
05.05.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court ^
05.06.09 - Denver, CO - Hi-Dive ^
05.07.09 - Lawrence, KS - Jackpot Saloon ^
05.08.09 - St. Louis, MO - Off Broadway
05.09.09 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle ^ [Tickets]
05.10.09 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom ^ [Tickets]
05.12.09 - Northampton, MA - Iron Horse ^
05.14.09 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom ^ [Tickets]
05.15.09 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church ^
05.16.09 - Norfolk, VA - The Boot ^
05.22.09 - Charlotte, NC - Visulite Theatre (Ramseur Records Night)
05.23.09 - Winston-Salem, NC - The Garage %
05.28.09 - Eugene, OR - Sam Bond’s Garage ‡
05.29.09 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent ‡
05.30.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland ‡ [Tickets]
06.01.09 - Tucson, AZ - Plush ‡ [Tickets]
06.03.09 - Austin, TX - The Parish ‡
06.04.09 - Denton, TX - Dan’s Silverleaf ‡
06.05.09 - Ozark, AR - Wakarusa
06.06.09 - Lawrence, KS - Jackpot Saloon ‡ [Tickets]
06.07.09 - Denver, CO - Hi-Dive ‡
06.08.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge ‡
06.10.09 - Washington, DC - Kennedy Center
07.11.09 - Washington, DC - National Museum of the American Indian (Indian Summer Showcase)
07.17.09 - Bristol, TN - Border Bash
07.25.09 - Floyd, VA - FloydFest
07.26.09 - Floyd, VA - FloydFest
08.01.09 - Portland, OR - Pickathon Roots Music Festival
08.02.09 - Portland, OR - Pickathon Roots Music Festival
09.19.09 - Bristol, VA - Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion
09.20.09 - Bristol, VA - Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion

* w/ Josh Ritter
# w/ The Felice Brothers
^ w/ Thao & the Get Down Stay Down
% w/ Frontier Ruckus
‡ w/ Langhorne Slim & the War Eagles

Brandi Carlile to play benefit show in Carrboro

Singer songwriter Brandi Carlile is set to play a benefit show in Carrboro for the Looking Out Foundation. The show will go down at the ArtsCenter on May 15. Tickets for the show will be $15 and are set to go on sale soon according to catscradle.com.It turns out tickets for the show are $25, not $15 and are now on sale via etix.com.

Carlile is still touring on her 2007 album The Story though she has released a few live EPs in the past few years. She has been hard at work on a new record though which will feature some noteable drummers including Chad Smith (of Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Pete Thomas (of Elvis Costello & the Attractions/Imposters). Carlile has been playing a number of the new songs live.