Win tickets to "Stroke It, Noel" Big Star tribute at Cat's Cradle

There's no doubt that next week's two-night tribute to Big Star at Cat's Cradle featuring members of R.E.M., Big Star, The Love Language, Lost in the Trees and the NC Symphony at Cat's Cradle will be epic, and we're excited to have two pairs of tickets Thursday night's show to give away.

To win, email trianglemusicblog at gmail dot com with "Big Star tickets" in the subject line no later than noon on Friday, Dec. 3. We will randomly draw two winners and notify them that afternoon. One entry per person. Please no duplicate entries with different email accounts.

The show, dubbed Stroke It, Noel, is a fully-orchestrated performance of Big Star's third album, Sister Lovers. For more information, visit bigstarthird.com.

The show will take place on Thursday, Dec. 9, and Friday, Dec. 10. Tickets to the show are $17 in advance via etix and $20 day of show.
[Buy Thursday tickets]
[Buy Friday tickets]

Steve Martin coming to Durham with Steep Canyon Rangers

One of the funniest guys around, who happens to be a hell of a banjo player, yes, Steve Martin, will be bringing his multitude of skills to the Triangle in March.

He'll perform at the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) on Saturday, May 21 with North Carolina bluegrass quintet Steep Canyon Rangers. Tickets for the show will go on sale on Friday, December 10 at 10 a.m. and will start at $42.

Martin and Steep Canyon Rangers have performed together quite a few times before, including television appearances on Letterman and The View. Check out their performance of "Jubilation Day" from The View below. Steve Martin's

The dB's added to Trekky's Christmas at the Cradle

Local jangle pop icons The dB's, featuring Chris Stamey and Peter Holsapple for those who don't know, have just been added to Trekky Records annual Christmas at the Cradle show. Stamey was already on the bill, but that has now evolved to include the band. So if you needed more incentive to go, this is it.

The event is on Thursday, December 16 at the Cat's Cradle and tickets are available now via etix for $8. Other performers include The Old Ceremony, Phil Cook and His Feat, Filthybird and more. Check out more previously announced details of the show here.

Check out photos of The dB's performing at the UNC early vote rally in 2008 here.

Rush extend Time Machine Tour into spring, coming to Greensboro

The frantic, sometimes otherworldly trio Rush are continuing their successful Time Machine tour into 2011 and will be making a stop in the Triad (which has been grabbing quite a few big shows lately).

The second stop on the new leg of the tour will be at the Greensboro Coliseum on Friday, April 1 (see UPDATE below). Tickets for the show will go on sale on Saturday, December 11 at 10 a.m. via the box office and Ticketmaster.

[UPDATE: The Greensboro show has been pushed back to Saturday, April 2 due to "unforeseen circumstances." All tickets will be honored for the new date, but refunds are available at the point of purchase for those who want one.]

Lissie announces winter tour, coming to Carrboro

Photo by Andrew Calder

Soulful songstress Lissie has is gearing up for a winter tour in support of her excellent debut album Catching a Tiger (check out a review here).

The tour will bring Lissie to the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Tuesday, February 1. Tickets will be $12 in advance and go on sale on Friday, December 3 via etix.

Check out a video of a phenomenal performance of the song "In Sleep" from Catching a Tiger below as well as Lissie's cover of "Bad Romance" that put's Lady Gaga's to bed.

Loretta Lynn announces 2011 tour, coming to Greensboro

Country legend Loretta Lynn will be playing occasional dates in 2011 and will be heading to the Triad in February.

She'll play the War Memorial Auditorium in Greensboro on Sunday, February 27. Tickets info is not available yet, but we'll keep you posted.

[UPDATE: Greensboro tickets will go on sale Friday, December 10 at 10 a.m. for $53.90 or $64.70 via the box office or Ticketmaster.]

She will also play Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte on Saturday, February 26. Tickets for that show will go on sale on Friday, December 10 at 10 a.m. for $53.45 to $64.75 via the box office or Ticketmaster.

Holiday mp3: The Mynabirds - "All I Want is Truth (For Christmas)"

Here's another new holiday song for you, this one from the excellent Omaha group The Mynabirds. This is a bit of dreary take on the holidays called "All I Want is Truth (for Christmas)," which talks about climate change and politicians among other things. Download the song via the widget below.

The track is available on 7" vinyl via Saddle Creek Records with the b-side "This Will Be Our Year," a cover of the classic tune by The Zombies.

The Mynabirds debut album What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood is out now via Saddle Creek Records.

Video: The Love Language perform stripped down for KEXP

During their recent nationwide tour with Local Natives, The Love Language made a stop at the famed radio station KEXP in Seattle to perform a few stripped down tunes from their sophomore album Libraries, which I'm sure you guys all already have, and if not, what are you waiting for?

Check out performances of the songs "Heart To Tell," "Brittany's Back" and "Blue Angel" below as well as the band's cover of the Gross Ghost tune "Lurker" below. The stripped down set up is the same as the band's in-store performances back in August. Check out photos of the Schoolkids in-store here.

The band will return to the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Saturday, January 15. Tickets are available via etix for $10.

Video: Telekinesis covers Justin Bieber's "Baby"

We don't generally support anything Justin Bieber related, well, for obvious reasons, but Telekinesis covering the pint-size singer's hit song "Baby," is too entertaining to pass up. Michael Benjamin Lerner, aka Telekinesis, covered the song by himself for stereoMag.net. Check out the video below as well as a performance of the song "Non-Toxic" from the EP Parallel Seismic Conspiracies.

Telekinesis will be playing at Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Sunday, March 13. Tickets are available now via etix for $8. His new album 12 Desperate Straight Lines will be out on February 15 via Merge Records. Go here to download a track from the new album.

Stream Butterflies' new album 'Residual Child'

Chapel Hill band Butterflies are celebrating the release of their new album Residual Child today. The album is now out via Trekky Records. The album can be streamed it it's entirety right now here.

Butterflies' next show is at Motorco Music Hall in Durham on December 3 with Lost in the Trees and Veelee. Advance tickets are available here for $13.65 (which includes fees).

If you haven't already, download the song "Goodbye (Like a Stranger)" from the new album below where you'll also find the band's complete tour schedule.

Taylor Swift announces massive world tour, coming to Greensboro

Country-pop megastar Taylor Swift has announced a massive world tour in 2011 in support of her new album Speak Now. The tour currently runs from February to October and will span 19 countries on four continents.

The North American leg of the tour begins in May and will eventually lead Miss Swift to Greensboro on Thursday, June 30. NeedToBreathe will open the show. The venue has not been announced yet, but it will almost certainly be the Greensboro Coliseum. We'll add ticket info once it's available.

[UPDATE: The Greensboro Coliseum has finally been confirmed as the venue and tickets will go on sale Friday, February 18 at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster and the Greensboro Coliseum box office for $28 to $72.50.]

New music from East River Pipe - "Cold Ground"

Songwriter F.M. Conrog, better known as East River Pipe, is preparing to free another collection of songs recorded at his makeshift home studio in New Jersey. His seventh album, the first since 2006's What Are You On?, is titled We Live In Rented Rooms. It will be released via Merge Records on February 15, 2011.

Download the second track, "Cold Ground," from the new album below where you can also find the full track list.

Cornog's life has certainly had it's pitfalls, drug addiction being one of the worst. He spends his days working full-time at Home Depot, but thankfully, still finds time to make beautiful music.

Holiday mp3: Paul Simon - "Getting Ready For Christmas Day"

With the Holidays upon us, we're going to start bringing you some free holiday songs, starting with a new one from Paul Simon.

The groovy little tune is called "Getting Ready For Christmas Day," and though it isn't a full-on holiday song, it does have Christmas in the title. The song will actually be on Simon's upcoming album titled So Beautiful or So What, due out in 2011.

Download the track below and stay peeled for more holiday tunes to come.

Album Review: Bustello - Bustello

Ben Clarke (Metal Flake Mother), John Plymale (The Pressure Boys, The Sex Police) and Jody Maxwell (The Sex Police, Gumption) are experienced Chapel Hill rockers and their self-titled, self-released debut record as Bustello sounds like it.

There’s a good amount of reverb throughout the album, but it’s never overwhelming. The album still sounds crisp and tight overall. Bustello is firmly rooted in early 90’s style rock, but there are sprinkles of surf, southern and latin rock influences.

The album starts off strong with catchy melodies on both “No Right of Mine” and “Ocean”, but it weakens after that. It feels like the focus shifts slightly from the melodies to the verses. It does help to give the album some sonic diversity, but it takes away from Bustello’s strength.

New music video from Arcade Fire - "The Suburbs"

Merge Records superstars Arcade Fire have been making a lot of noise since the release of The Suburbs in August. Now they have released a video for the title track from the album directed by none other than the legendary Spike Jonze. It's a dark plot based in a fairly typical suburban setting which was actually shot in Austin, TX. The video is hard to describe, so just watch it below.

Also, in case you missed it, the band made their second appearance on Saturday Night Live on November 13 and performed "We Used To Wait" and "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)." They also appeared in a digital short set in the United Nations. Check out videos of all of it below.

The Love Language returning to the Cradle in January

Photo by Cheater Slicks

After two big hometown shows in Raleigh and Durham (check out a review here) in October, The Love Language are returning to where they launched their fantastic sophomore album Libraries back in July.

The band will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Saturday, January 15. Tickets for the show are on sale now via etix for $10. An opening act(s) has not been announced yet.

Members of The Love Language will also be taking part in the Big Star tribute show at the Cat's Cradle on December 9 and 10. Tickets are available now for $17 via etix. Check out more details on the event here.

New music from Birds of Avalon - "Invasion"

The new year will bring a brand new album from Raleigh's Birds of Avalon. The group will release their third album on January 11, 2011 via Bladen County Records, which will be self-titled.

The album was recorded by Mitch Easter at Fidelitorium Studio in Kernersville. Get a taste of the album by downloading the song "Invasion" below.

The band do not currently have any shows scheduled, but that will certainly change as the release date approaches.

Dum Dum Girls announce 2011 dates, coming to Chapel Hill

Lo-fi, indie pop, all female Los Angeles band Dum Dum Girls are hitting the road in February 2011 in support of their latest album I Will Be, released in April 2010 as well as their forthcoming EP, He Gets Me High, which should be out in early 2011 via Sub Pop Records.

The band will play Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Tuesday, March 8. Tickets for the show are $10 in advance and are available now via etix. An opening act has not been announced yet. Reading Rainbow and Dirty Beaches will open the show.

Download the song "Bhang Bhang, I'm a Burnout" from I Will Be below and you'll also find the band's tour schedule down there.

Wavves & Best Coast announce winter tour, coming to Carrboro

Indie pop rising stars Wavves and Best Coast are teaming up for a summer tour, but the catch is, it's in the winter. The bands are planning to bring a little summer sunshine to the colder months when they travel North America in January and February.

The tour will come to the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Saturday, January 29. Ticket info is not available yet, but we'll keep you posted.

[UPDATE: Tickets for the Cat's Cradle show are supposed to go on sale on Friday, November 19 via etix for $16, but as of 9:30 p.m. on November 17, they appear to already be available. No Joy will open the show.]

Album Review: Greg Humphreys - Realign Your Mind

While some musicians struggle to keep one band together, others seem to flourish as their number of projects increases. Local musician Greg Humphreys is one of the latter. On his second solo record, Realign Your Mind, Humphreys proves that he can't be pinned to the funkiness of Hobex or the pop-rock of Dillon Fence.

Just as it sounds like you can predict the album's general direction—soft acoustic rock—Humphreys turns you on your head with "Way Over Yonder." The track has much more of a bluegrass feel, with a banjo and fiddle forming the tune's backbone. Emily Frantz and Andrew Marlin, of local folksy favorites Mandolin Orange, provide backing vocals.

Robert Plant announces winter tour, coming to Raleigh

Legendary Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant is hitting the road in early 2011 in support of his latest solo album Band of Joy.

The tour will make not just one, but three stops in North Carolina. He'll play Memorial Auditorium in Raleigh on Wednesday, February 2. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, November 19 at 10 a.m. here for $67 or $47.

He'll also play Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in Asheville on Tuesday, January 18 and Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte on Monday, February 7.

Check out the music video for the song "Angel Dance" from Band of Joy below along with the complete tour schedule.

Video: Butterflies perform "Goodbye (Like a Stranger)" at Trekky House

You may remember that Trekky used to film live performances at their headquarters in Chapel Hill including The Never, Lost in the Trees and more. Now that they're in a new house, they've started the series again, starting with Butterflies.

The band performed the song "Goodbye (Like a Stranger)" from their new album, Residual Child, acoustically which you can watch below.

The band is celebrating the release of the album with a FREE show at the Cat's Cradle on Saturday, November 20 with The Strugglers, Erie Choir and Cassis Orange.

Album Review: Darren Hanlon - I Will Love You at All

Authentic and charming, I Will Love You at All by Darren Hanlon is the Australian’s first big push in the United States and it will make quite the first impression.

At first listen one might think, “Yep, this could be the soundtrack to the next Michael Cera rom-com,” but this album is more than just another collection of quirky singer-songwriter songs.

All 10 tracks on I Will Love You at All distinguish themselves. From the sax solo on “Buy Me Presents” to the country shuffle of “If Only My Heart Were Made of Stone,” every track has something that makes it unique and memorable.

Jesse Malin announces January tour, coming to Raleigh

Photo by Tyson Carpenter

New York troubadour Jesse Malin will hit the road in January with his band The St. Marks Social in support of his latest album Love It To Life, which he recorded with the band.

The tour will come to Kings in Raleigh on Sunday, January 16. Additional info is not available yet, but we'll keep you posted. Richard Bacchus and The Luckiest Girls will open the show. Tickets are available now via etix for $8.

Check out the music video for the blistering pop tune "All the Way From Moscow" from Love It To Life below along with the current our schedule. The album is available now via Side One Dummy Records.

The 2010 Trekky Christmas at the Cradle line-up announced

The Trekky Records Christmas at the Cradle event has become a staple around the holidays in the Triangle and 2010 will mark the fifth annual event.

It will happen at Cat's Cradle (hence the name) on Thursday, December 16, and as always, the proceeds will go to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Tickets will be available soon via etix for just $8.

This year's line-up features The Trekky Yuletide Orchestra, Chris Stamey, The Old Ceremony, Filthybird, Phil Cook and His Feat, The Tender Fruit, Yardwork, Cassis Orange and In the Year of the Pig. The evening's host will be Mr. Billy Sugarfix.

It'll be a fun evening for a great cause, so check it out if you can.

The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger featuring Sean Lennon announces tour, coming to Chapel Hill

The Ghost of Saber Tooth Tiger is the latest project of incredible singer-songwriter and Beatle offspring John Lennon. The group is a duo with his model and girlfriend Charlotte Kemp Muhl.

The duo are hitting the road in the winter in support of their newest release, Acoustic Sessions, which landed in October. The tour will bring them to Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Wednesday, January 12. Tickets are available now via etix for $15.

For our friends in western part of the state, they'll be stopping at the Evening Muse in Charlotte the following night, Thursday, January 13. Tickets for that show will be available here on November 12.

Lost in the Trees getting signature beer from Fullsteam

It's true. Fullsteam Brewery in Durham has created a beer that bears the name Lost in the Trees. It is being made with figs that have been harvested from New Grass Gardens in Raleigh which adds a little extra local pizazz.

The brew will first me made available at Lost in the Tree's big show in Durham at Motorco Music Hall on Friday, December 3. From that date on, the beer will also e available at Fullsteam Brewery.

Tickets for the Motorco show are available here for $13.65 (which includes fees). Veelee is slated to open.

New music from Telekinesis - "Car Crash" + new album in February

Telekinesis is almost ready to unleash their sophomore album on the world. The follow-up to the excellent 2009 self-titled debut has been dubbed 12 Desperate Straight Lines and will be released on February 15, 2011 via Merge Records.

Download the groovy, super catchy song "Car Crash" from the album below where you'll also find the album's complete track list.

The band will hit the road immediately following the release which will them to Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Sunday, March 13. Tickets are available now via etix for $8. An opening act(s) has not been announced. Check out the rest of the tour dates below.

Carolina Chocolate Drops to release EP with Luminescent Orchestrii

Triangle string band Carolina Chocolate Drops have had an incredibly busy 2010, which saw the release of their Nonesuch Records debut, Genuine Negro Jig in February. Rigorous touring has ensued since keeping the trio busy.

With that said, they group to find time to record a new four-song EP with New York-based Romanian gypsy punk band Luminescent Orchestrii. The EP is self-titled and will be released on CD, 10" vinyl and as a digital download on January 25 via Nonesuch.

The EP will feature the songs "Short Dressed Gal," "Escoutas (Diga Diga Diga)," "Hit 'Em Up Style" and "Knockin'." Pre-order the release and stream 30-second clips of each song here.

Joshua Radin announces winter tour, coming to Raleigh

Singer-songwriter Joshua Radin is hitting the road in early 2011 in support of his new album The Rock and the Tide, released in October. Many of the dates will feature excellent up-and-coming singer-songwriter Anya Marina as the opening act, including the Triangle stop.

The pair along with other opener Andrew Allen will be playing Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh on Wednesday, February 2. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, November 19 via etix for $16.

Stream the song "Think I'll Go Inside" from The Rock and the Tide below. Anya Marina's new EP Spirit School will be released on November 15. Check out a the song "Whatsit" from the EP here.

Win tickets to Junip at Cat's Cradle

Junip is on tour in support of the group's first full-length album, Fields, and we've giving away a pair of tickets to their stop at Cat's Cradle on Monday, November 22.

In order to win, email us at trianglemusicblog at gmail dot com with "Junip tickets" in the subject line no later than this Friday, November 12, at noon. We will randomly select a winner and notify them Friday afternoon.

Tickets to the show are $15 and available via etix. Sharon Van Etten will open.

Thank you to the folks at Cat's Cradle for sponsoring this giveaway!

New music video from Embarrassing Fruits - "Vanishing Frontier"

Chapel Hill band Embarrassing Fruits released their new album Frontier Justice in September and have now released a music video from the record.

The video is for the song "Vanishing Frontier" and features footage of three ghouls skating their way through suburbs and causing trouble. There is live footage of the band edited in as well.

While the band is a trio, the three ghouls featured are not the band. They are Ross Connolly and TJ Maiani of Butterflies and Thomas Costello of Mount Weather. Trekky co-founder Will Hackney filmed and edited the video. Watch it below where you will also find a download of the song.

Win tickets to Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti at Cat's Cradle

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti is on tour in support of their latest album, Before Today, and we're giving away a pair of tickets to their show at Cat's Cradle this Wednesday, November 10.

In order to win, email us at trianglemusicblog at gmail dot com with "Ariel Pink tickets" no later than noon tomorrow,  Tuesday, November 9.

Tickets to the show are $12 in advance via etix and $14 at the door. Diva and Toddlers will open.

The Walkmen announce winter dates, coming to Carrboro

New York rockers The Walkmen are gearing up for a new run of southern tour dates in 2011 in support of their latest album Lisbon, released in September.

The band's the first date of the new year will be at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Wednesday, January 12. Lower Dens will open the show. Tickets are on sale now via etix for $15.

It's been a while since The Walkmen played the Triangle. They were last in the area opening for Kings of Leon at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in April 2009.

Stream the song "Stranded" from the new album Lisbon below or you can download it below for the price of your email address. You'll find the band's tour schedule below too.

Album Review: Heads On Sticks - Mocking Bird

The first full-length record from David Mueller’s solo side project Head On Sticks, Mocking Bird, is playful, contemplative and creative, but it also lacks focus and consistency.

In an interview with New Raleigh, Mueller says he was inspired to write this album after hearing a variety of mocking bird calls in Cameron Park. This is reflected through the sheer number of musical ideas in the songs and most obviously in the mocking bird samples he uses.

This mish mash of sound feels refreshing at first, but quickly becomes overwhelming. "Lady’s in the Lake" builds off of a solid groove and then will make heads spin. "Tompe La Mort" doesn’t seem to go anywhere musically and "Sex Wedge" jumps all over the place before settling on a drum and some lame sounding vinyl scratches.

Punch Brothers dazzle Carrboro crowd at the Cradle

All photos by Kevin Norris

The quintet of musical savants known as the Punch Brothers took the stage at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Sunday night to a roar of cheers and applause that brought a smile to Chris Thile's face which would be a permanent fixture the whole night.

The band dazzled the crowd with their virtuosity and pop sensibility, playing a large number of songs from their latest album Antifogmatic. A cover of Fiona Apple's song "On the Bound" was an excellent inclusion in the set. Banjo player Noam Pikelny noted that the band recently recorded a song with Apple which will likely be on her new album that expected to be released in 2011.

Wild Flag announces new dates, coming to Chapel Hill

Photo by John Clark

In September, Merge Records announced that they had signed female supergroup Wild Flag, featuring members Carrie Brownstein, Mary Timony, Rebecca Cole and Janet Weiss whose combined past band memberships include Helium, The Minders, Croissant Cocktail, Feeble Knees, Quasi, Dogz, Sleater-Kinney, @@@, Asia, The Consortium and Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks.

The band plans to release their debut album via Merge in 2011, but the band have been road testing material first. Until now, all dates were on the west coast, but the band will head east in March leading up to South By Southwest.

The new dates will bring the band to Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Friday, March 11. Tickets will be $10 and an opener(s) has yet to be announced.

Girl Talk announce gigantic winter tour, coming to Raleigh

Dance party guru Greg Gillis, better known by his stage name Girl Talk, is hitting the road in January for a massive tour that will keep him busy through March.

He is planning to release a new album by the end of 2010, even though there is no title or release date scheduled yet. This would be the follow-up to 2008's Feed the Animals.

The tour will bring Girl Talk to the Disco Rodeo in Raleigh on Thursday, January 27. Tickets for the show are on sale now via etix for $25.

[UPDATE: Girl Talk's new album All Day is available now as a free download right HERE. Check it out.]

The Love Language to play Ackland Art Museum benefit

If you've got $50 lying around, appreciate art and dig The Love Language, you may want to buy at ticket to the afterparty of the Silver Factory Gala.

The event is being held at Top of the Hill on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill on Saturday, November 6 to raise money fund exhibits and education programs at the Ackland Art Museum. A ticket to the gala itself will set you back $125, but admission to the afterparty, featuring a set by The Love Language at 11 p.m., is $50 (or $25 for Student Friends of the Ackland, in which membership is free for students).

If you've got the cash and want to check out the show, credit card orders are available by calling Allison Portnow at (919)843-3687. You can pay by check by printing an order form at ackland.org and mailing it in, but it may be a little late for that.

More details on the entire event are available here.

Deerhoof announces winter dates, coming to Raleigh

San Francisco band Deerhoof are gearing up for the release of their new album Deerhoof vs. Evil on January 25, 2011 via Polyvinyl Records. As is the custom, the band will be hitting the road for a month long tour following the release.

The band will make a stop at Kings in Raleigh on Sunday, February 6. Nervous Cop, Ben Butler and Mousepad will open the show. Ticket info is not availble yet, but we'll keep you posted.

[UPDATE: Tickets for the Kings show are now available via etix for $15.]

The band are streaming a song a week from the album until the release date via various online outlets. Stream the song "Super Duper Rescue Heads" from the album below and keep checking the band's site for new streams.

Lost in the Trees return home for Durham show

With the re-release of All Alone in an Empty House earlier this year, Lost in the Trees have become one of the busiest Triangle bands, criss-crossing the country in support of it. With the end of the year approaching, the band have a few more shows scheduled, including a big hometown gig.

Ari and the gang will become the latest big local band to take the stage at the new Motorco Music Hall on Friday, December 3. Tickets for the show are available here for $13.65 (that includes fees).

So go check out the band on what might be their last local show of the year. There's always a chance they'll play the annual Trekky Christmas show, but that hasn't been announced yet. You'll be the first to know when they do.

Yo La Tengo announces random concept tour, two nights in Carrboro

Veteran indie rockers Yo La Tengo are heading out on a rather unique tour in early 2011. The band will be playing two sets each night, the first 45 minutes will be based on a concept that is pulled from spinning a big wheel that will be on stage. The band will choose the song for the second 45-minute set.

The themes on the wheel will be: 1) Condo Fucks 2) Dump 3) The Freewheeling Yo La Tengo 4) The Name Game 5) Sitcom Theater 6) Songs Starting With S 7) The Sounds of Science part 1 8) The Sounds of Science part 2. More details on these themes are available here.

The band will play two nights at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on January 22 and 23. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, November 5 for $20 via etix. William Tyler will open the show.

CANCELED - Drughorse to ring in the New Year in Chapel Hill

The local music collective dubbed Drughorse featuring members of some of the best bands in the Triangle are gearing up to host a big New Year's Eve blowout at Local 506 in Chapel Hill. The band held a holiday show there last year, on December 11, but this year they'll ring in the new year.

While the line-up for the show has not been revealed yet, it's safe to expect members of The Love Language, The Light Pines, Max Indian, Twelve Thousand Armies and more. Stay tuned (follow us on Twitter or Facebook if you don't already) to find out the official lineup as well as ticket info once it is announced.

[UPDATE: It's a huge bummer, but Local 506 has announced that this show has been canceled. There's no word yet on what will take it's place at the venue on New Year's Eve.]

New music from Superchunk - "Horror Business" (Misfits cover)

Superchunk are known for their interesting choice in covers, just look back at their cover of The Magnetic Fields "100,000 Fireflies."

The band have now released a raucous studio version of the Misfits "Horror Business," a song they covered a few times on their recent North American tour. Download the song below.

The band recently covered the song a show in Los Angeles on October 19 which featured London May (formerly of Glen Danzig's band Samhain) on drums and Jon Wurster on lead vocals. Check out a video of that performance below.

2011 Merlefest line-up includes Doobie Brothers, Lyle Lovett & more

The annual bluegrass and Americana festival Merlefest has just announced the 2011 line-up that will play Wilkesboro on April 28-30 and May 1.

This year, the festival seems to have veer more towards folk rock with the inclusion of The Doobie Brothers of all people. Other big performers include Lyle Lovett, Del McCoury Band, Cadillac Sky, Jim Lauderdale and Nashville Bluegrass Band. Check out the full line-up below and details on who will be playing each day here.

Tickets for Merlefest will go on sale to the public on Tuesday, November 9 at 2 p.m. here. A four-day pass will cost between $140 and $225 if purchased before March 13, 2011.

November line-up of Local Beer Local Band at Tir Na Nog

November is now upon us, which means there's another new bunch of free Local Beer Local Band shows each Thursday night at Tir Na Nog in Raleigh.

Things will kick off on November 4 with a listening party for The Beast and Nnenna Freelon's new album Freedom Suite as well as performances by The Beast, King Mez, Carlitta Durand, Brody & Choch and The Apple Juice Kid.

On November 11 there will be a New Raleigh showcase featuring Bright Young Things, Gray Young and Heads On Sticks. November 18 will feature Embarrassing Fruits, Kid Future and Americans In France.

There will be no show on November 25 since it's Thanksgiving.

Album Review: North Elementary - Southern Rescue Trails

Southern Rescue Trails is two parts rock, one part pop and half parts country and electronic filtered through fuzz and North Elementary blends all of these elements expertly.

The band moves between styles so fluidly, it’s often hard to tell where one begins and another ends. Every song has a dominant style, but pieces of other styles are woven in throughout. This makes transitions between contrasting songs less jarring and almost expected.

For instance, the beat-focused “Sharp Ghost Mind” leads into the country ballad “Southern Elevators” which in turn leads to the grinding, guitar driven “War for Kicks.” This three song sequence could be incredibly awkward, but the genre-meld created by North Elementary makes it feel natural.

Passion Pit gets thousands dancing at UNC

All photos by Kevin Norris

Friday night brought in some very cold weather, but the thousands of students and spectators at Carmichael Auditorium at UNC were warmed by the infectious pop sounds of Passion Pit.

The band kicked things off with "I've Got Your Number" from their 2008 EP Chunk of Change. From there, the band rarely let up, hitting the crowd all but one song from their breakthrough album Manners.

In the short time the band has been around, they have become a force to be reckoned with. Frontman Michael Angelakos bounded around the stage, interacted with the front row and belted out his trademark falsetto like a seasoned rock veteran.