Video: Tift Merritt performs with Andrew Bird on Letterman

With Sandy's devastation causing chaos throughout the northeast, the late night shows based in New York have had to make some adjustments to their typical production schedules and find substitute guests for those unable to make it to New York.

With that in mind, Andrew Bird was called upon to play the show on Tuesday night and he performed a fantastic version of "If I Needed You" with Tift Merritt on acoustic guitar and vocals and Alan Hampton on bass and vocals. Check out the performance below.

Merritt will play the Cat's Cradle on Thursday, November 15 with Justin Townes Earle. Check out more info on the show HERE.

Album Review: T0W3RS – Wyatt

If T0W3RS’ full length If All We Have Is Time is the introspective side of the band, then the Wyatt EP is its extroverted cousin.

The 5-song EP clocks in around 20 minutes, but it covers a lot of ground. Wyatt feels like a sneak peek of where this creative local group is going.

“Möbius Strip” opens the record with a chugging guitar line building tension until the chorus bursts like firework. “Bounty” is an infinite shuffle that spins around itself with some catchy repetition.

Diamond Rugs kicks off tour at The Pinhook with Gross Ghost

Photos by Justin Weber

On Sunday night, Diamond Rugs – a meld of Black Lips, Deer Tick, Los Lobos, and several other bands – kicked off their first tour at The Pinhook in Durham.

The semi-super group didn’t waste any time trying to project a rowdy bar band image by kicking things off with a cover of Dire Straights’ “Money for Nothing.” With seven musicians on stage including trombone and bari saxophone players, the energy level was high. It’s clear these guys have a lot of chemistry together.

With only a handful of folks in the crowd, the band seemed to be in rehearsal mode. They were pretty loose and goofing around. When they played, “Totally Lonely” they actually played part of the recording because Justin Collins, who sings on the track, wasn’t able to make it to the show.

Win tickets to Future Islands at Lincoln Theatre

Baltimore trio Future Islands will return to their North Carolina roots this weekend with a show at Raleigh's Lincoln Theatre, kicking off a tour that will take them through the East Coast and Midwest.

For a chance to win a pair of tickets to the show, email trianglemusiccontests at gmail dot com with "Future Islands tickets" in the subject line no later than 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 31. We will select and notify a winner that afternoon. One entry per person, please.

Tickets to the show are $14 and available via etix. Talk Normal and Airstrip will open.

Taylor Swift announces 2013 'Red' tour, three NC dates

Young pop songstress Taylor Swift's dominance as a pop/county powerhouse has shown so signs of slowing down. Her latest album Red was released last week and is projected to have sold about 1.1 million copies in the first week, an almost impossible number to reach in the modern music world.

Piggybacking on that success, Swift has announced a year-long tour in support of the album which includes three North Carolina dates in 2013.

Only the cities have been announced so far, but she'll play Charlotte on Friday, March 22, Greensboro on Thursday, September 12 (presumably at the Greensboro Coliseum) and Raleigh on Friday, September 13 (presumably at the PNC Arena). Ed Sheeran will open every show.

Divine Fits rocks through fiery set at Lincoln Theatre

All photos by Kevin Norris

Indie rock supergroup Divine Fits, featuring Britt Daniel of Spoon, Dan Boeckner formerly of Wolf Parade and Handsome Furs, and Sam Brown of New Bomb Turks, rolled into the Raleigh Sunday night to play a fiery show in support of their debut album A Thing Called Divine Fits.

The band got things started with "Neopolitans" and roared through a killer set including "My Love is Real," "Like Ice Cream" and "Would That Not Be Nice." Other than the songs from their debut album, the guys played a few fantastic covers, "Lost" by Frank Ocean" and "You Got Lucky" by Tom Petty.

Video: Lost in the Trees performs on Morning Becomes Eclectic

Lost in the Trees are currently touring the U.S. supporting their fantastic album A Church That Fits Our Needs and the band stopped to perform for Morning Becomes Eclectic on KCRW in California.

Check out the band's stunning full set below which includes an interview in the middle (you can also just listen to the performance HERE). During the interview, Ari Picker mentions that he is currently working music for the next album which will be less heavy lyrically and more groove based that his previous releases. The close their set with a new song titled "Glass Harp."

Alicia Keys coming to Raleigh for early vote event

Grammy winning R&B artist Alicia Keys will be stopping in the Triangle today, Friday, October 25, to appear at an Early Vote Rally for Barack Obama.

Things will get started at 4 p.m. at the Chavis Park baseball field at 505 Martin Luther King Boulevard in Raleigh. It's unclear whether she'll perform or not. The official event announcement says that there will be "remarks from Alicia Keys."

The event will also feature free food and certainly quite a bit of encouraging attendees to vote early – which is a good idea. A list of early voting sites by county is available here.

J. Cole set to play UNC homecoming

Fayetteville-bred hip hop artist J. Cole is slated to play UNC's homecoming celebration this year, a departure from indie pop shows featuring The New Pornographers and Passion Pit in recent years.

J. Cole will play UNC's Carmichael Auditorium on Sunday, November 4. Tickets are currently on sale via the Carolina Union Box office in person or by calling 919-942-1449. Tickets are $15 for students and $30 for the general public.

Check out Cole's latest video for "Sideline Story" below.

Win tickets to Divine Fits at Lincoln Theatre

Indie supergroup Divine Fits is out on tour in support of its debut album A Thing Called Divine Fits, and the band will make a stop at Raleigh's Lincoln Theatre this Sunday, October 28.

For a chance to win a pair of tickets to the show, email trianglemusiccontests at gmail dot com with "Divine Fits tickets" in the subject line no later than 10 a.m. Friday, October 26. One entry per person, please.

Tickets to the show are $16 in advance via Etix. Cold Cave will open.

Ra Ra Riot announces new album, winter tour

Photo by Shervin Lainez

Indie band Ra Ra Riot has announced that they will release their third full-length album Beta Love on January 22 and will immediately hit the road on a big tour to support it.

The band will return to the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Monday, February 25. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, November 2, via Etix for $15.

Check out more info on the new album Beta Love HERE.

Win tickets to Hospitality at Local 506

Hospitality is nearing the end of its autumn tour in support of the band's self-titled Merge debut. But before heading home to New York, they will make a stop at Local 506 in Chapel Hill this Saturday, October 27.

For a chance to win a pair of tickets to the show, email trianglemusiccontests at gmail dot com with "Hospitality tickets" in the subject line no later than 3 p.m. tomorrow, October 25. One entry per person, please.

Tickets to the show are $9 and available via Ticketfly. Teen and The Human Eyes will open.

Guster announces acoustic tour with string section

Pop band Guster is hitting the road early next year to play a series of special acoustic shows accompanied by a string section. The tour will feature the band playing "wacky" set lists, taking requests and taking questions.

The band will return to the Carolina Theatre in Durham on Saturday, January 12. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, October 26, for $27 to $37 via the venue box office and Ticketmaster.

Check out a performance of "Rocketship" from an acoustic show earlier this year which features a cellist and violinist below.

Titus Andronicus, Mac McCaughan & Spider Bags to play early voting event in Durham

Early voting has begun in North Carolina and a trio of performers will gather in Durham this Friday to spread the word.

Titus Andronicus, Mac McCaughan (of Superchunk and Portastatic) and Spider Bags will play Durham Central Park on Friday, October 26. The event is scheduled to start at 11 a.m., with music starting at noon, and run until about 1:30 p.m. Check out the performance schedule below.

There will also be food served by The Lantern of Chapel Hill and Toast of Durham so you can grab lunch while you check out some great music.

Toro Y Moi announces winter tour, coming to Carrboro

South Carolina singer-songwriter Chazwick Bundick, better known as Toro Y Moi, is a regular visitor to the Triangle and he'll make his way back here again in support of his forthcoming album Anything in Return, due out on January 22.

Toro Y Moi will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Friday, February 8. Wild Belle will open. Tickets will go on sale via Etix on Friday, October 26 for $13.

Check out the song "So Many Details" from Anything in Return below.

Calexico announces winter tour, coming to Carrboro

Arizona Americana/indie folk band Calexico just released their seventh studio album in September titled Algiers. They'll head out on the second leg of their tour in support of it in early 2013 and will come to the Triangle.

They'll play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Saturday, January 26. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, October 26 via Etix.

Stream or download the song "Para" from the album Algiers via the widget below.

Win tickets to Sharon Van Etten at Cat's Cradle

Brooklyn-based singer songwriter Sharon Van Etten has been touring the globe in support of her latest release, Tramp, and she'll be making a stop at Cat's Cradle this Friday, October 26.

For a chance to win a pair of tickets to the show, email trianglemusiccontests at gmail dot com with "Van Etten tickets" in the subject line no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, October 24. One entry per person, please. Congratulations Iain, W.!

Tickets to the show are $15 in advance, $17 dos and available via Etix. Damien Jurado will open.

Horse Feathers announces late 2012 dates, coming to Chapel Hill

Indie folk band Horse Feathers is hitting the road late this year in support of their latest album Cynic's New Year, released earlier this year. They'll spend their time on tour with Frank Fairfield, but will stop in the Triangle for a headline show.

Horse Feathers will stop at Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Friday, November 16. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $12.

Check out a video of the band performing "Bird on a Leash" from their new album for WFUV earlier this year below.

Passion Pit plays packed, sweaty show at The Ritz

All photos by Kevin Norris

Days after playing for millions of viewers on Saturday Night Live, Passion Pit rolled into Raleigh to play a sold out show at The Ritz (which has returned to the name after being called the Disco Rodeo for many years).

The band stormed the stage and immediately launched into "Talk a Walk," the first single from their new album Gossamer. They didn't slow down and followed it with the barn burner "The Reeling."

As the set rolled on the band played tracks from each of their releases including two songs, "I've Got Your Number" and "Better Things," from their debut EP Chunk of Change.

Ty Segall announces winter tour, coming to Raleigh

San Francisco singer-songwriter Ty Segall released a new album titled Twins earlier this month and he's hitting the road on a big North American tour this winter to support it.

He'll make a stop at Kings Barcade in Raleigh on Wednesday, January 30. Ex-Cult will open. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $12.

Check out the performance of "Thank God for Sinners" from Conan a few nights ago below. The song is from the new album Twins.

Album Review: The Mountain Goats - Transcendental Youth

“I hide down in my corner because I like my corner,” John Darnielle sings on the opening track of The Mountain Goats latest LP, Transcendental Youth.

Darnielle has made a career out of revealing the dark crevasses and the ugly nooks and crannies that make up this corner. Up to this point, he has acted as a bard to make sure the stories of his unfortunate characters are told.

On Transcendental Youth, Darnielle rises from poet to leader. He’s encouraging his characters – and through them his audience – more openly than ever before.

Chatham County Line announces 2012 Electric Holiday Tour

The holidays are just around the corner which means that local string band Chatham County Line are preparing to strap on some electric instruments and head off on their annual Electric Holiday Tour in a few months.

The band will head back to the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw on Friday, December 21. Ticket info is not available yet. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $15.

Conspicuously missing from the schedule this year is a Raleigh show. They always play Raleigh on the tour, but there is a TBA on the schedule as you can see below, so maybe they'll announce the hometown gig later.

Diana Krall announces spring tour, coming to Durham

Jazz pianist and singer Diana Krall released a new album earlier this month titled Glad Doll Rag and she's just announced a spring tour in support of it.

Krall will play the Durham Performing Arts Center on Saturday, April 6. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, October 19 via the venue box office and Ticketmaster for $65 to $125 (yikes).

Check out the song "Wide River to Cross" from Glad Doll Rag below.

Win tickets to The Afghan Whigs at Cat's Cradle

Alt rockers The Afghan Whigs reunited earlier this year and have embarked on their first North American tour in 13 years with dates sold out across the country. The band will play Cat's Cradle this Sunday, October 21.

For a chance to win a pair of tickets to the show, email trianglemusiccontests at gmail dot com with "Afghan Whigs tickets" in the subject line no later than 3 p.m. on Wednesday, October 17. We will select and notify a winner that afternoon. One entry per person, please.

Tickets are $35 and available via Etix. Wussy will open.

Pomegranates announces fall tour, coming to Raleigh & Chapel Hill

Ohio indie rock band Pomegranates are hitting the road this fall in support of their new album Heaven and will be making two stops in the Triangle.

First, they'll play Kings Barcade in Raleigh on Sunday, November 11. The Hounds Below will open. Tickets are on sale via Etix for $8.

The next night, Monday, November 12, Pomegranates will play Local 506 in Chapel Hill. Additional information about the show is not available yet, but we'll keep you posted. The Hounds Below will open this show as well. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $8.

Diamond Rugs to play free show in Durham

Indie rock and roll supergroup Diamond Rugs, featuring members of Deer Tick, Black Lips, Los Lobos and Dead Confederate, are hitting the road on a short tour this month which will culminate in a performance at the Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin. On the way to Texas, the band will stop in the Triangle for a free show.

They'll play The Pinhook in Durham on Sunday, October 28.

Check out the band performing "Blue Mountains" on the Late Show with David Letterman back in June below.

Wale & Gloriana coming to NC State in November

NC State has their big Pack Howl Pep Rally and Concert coming up in November and they've booked two very different artists to perform.

Washington DC born hip hop artist Wale will headline and Nashville country act Gloriana will open. The show is at Reynolds Coliseum on NC State's campus on Thursday, November 1. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $25.

Wale will release a new album on December 1 titled I Ain't Perfect. Gloriana released a new album earlier this year titled A Thousand Miles Left Behind. Check out music videos from both artists below.

New music video from the Mountain Goats - "Cry for Judas"

The Mountain Goats just released a new album last week titled Transcendental Youth and they've followed it with a new music video or the song "Cry for Judas."

The video is dark and intriguing but we wouldn't expect less from John Darnielle and the gang. Watch the clip below which features some blood, so if you're squeamish, don't say we didn't warn you.

The Mountain Goats are taking the new album on the road through December. Check out the dates below.

White Rabbits announces late 2012 dates, coming to Chapel Hill

Brooklyn indie rock band White Rabbits are rolling out some late 2012 tour dates in support of their latest album Milk Famous and they'll make their way back to the Triangle in December.

The band will play Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Sunday, December 2. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $10.

The show at Local 506 has been cancelled. Refunds are available at the point of purchase.

Album Review: Mark Eitzel - Don't Be a Stranger

Don’t Be A Stranger, the new solo album from Mark Eitzel, sounds like a defiant last stand and the work of a man going down fighting.

Eitzel’s voice is well-wore, hollow, and haunting. The open, yet intimate arrangements around it amplify the effect. Despite his gentler vocals and quieter compositions, the lyrics give Don’t Be A Stranger a sharp bite.

The album begins with Eitzel walking us through visions of the past. On “I Love You But You’re Dead” he shows us the broken promises of a run-down rock club. “The Bill Is Due” chronicles the recurring stress of the end of the month.

Sufjan Stevens announces Christmas Sing-A-Long tour

Indie singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens will hit the road between Thanksgiving and Christmas on a holiday tour which he has dubbed the Surfjohn Stevens Christmas Sing-A-Long: Seasonal Affective Disorder Yuletide Disaster Pageant on Ice.

The tour will come to the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw on Sunday, November 25. Sheila Saputo (an alias of singer-songwriter Rosie Thomas) will open the show. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, October 12 via Ticketfly for $20.

Stevens will release a holiday box set on November 13 titled Silver & Gold: Songs for Christmas, Volumes 6-10. Check out a clip from the album below.

New music from Tracey Thorn - "Tinsel and Lights" & "In the Cold, Cold Night"

We told you a few months ago that British singer-songwriter Tracey Thorn will be releasing a new holiday album on October 30 titled Tinsel and Lights via Merge Records. Now, even though Halloween is still weeks away, you can already check out a few tracks from the album.

Listen to the songs "In the Cold, Cold Night" (a White Stripes cover) and "Tinsel and Lights" (a Thorn original) via the widgets below.

Check out more information about the album Tinsel and Lights HERE.

New music video from Shirlette Ammons - "Take a Chance"

After a releasing a fantastic EP last year with Chapel Hill soul/rock band the Dynamite Brothers, Durham poet and hip hop artist Shirlette Ammons is back this year with her debut solo album titled Twilight for Gladys Bentley.

The album will be out soon, but you can check out a music video from the album now. It's for the song "Take a Chance" and offers a more straightforward hip-hop sound that Ammons' music with the Dynamite Brothers. Watch the video below.

Shirlette and some friends will be performing songs that have been banned throughout the years at a special event at the Durham Public Library on Roxboro Road on Saturday, October 6 at 3 p.m.

Bowerbirds & Mount Moriah to play big hometown show

As the weather gets colder and the holidays draw near, some of the Triangle's biggest local acts tend to hunker down around home, leading to some fantastic gigs popping up. One of those has just been announced which will feature Bowerbirds and Mount Moriah.

The pair will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Saturday, December 8. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, October 5 via Etix for $12.

Check out Phil Moore of Bowerbirds performing a solo version "In the Yard" from the band's latest album The Clearing below. Check out the music video for "Plane" from Mount Moriah's self-titled album (which was just released on vinyl by Merge Records) below as well.

Video: Ben Folds Five performs "Do It Anyway" on Colbert

Ben Folds Five's new album The Sound of the Life of the Mind debuted at number 10 on the Billboard albums chart and the band made their first television appearance in support of the album on Monday night.

The band sat down with Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report for an awkward interview and then performed the song "Do It Anyway" from the new album. Check out the performance and interview below.

Check out photos and a review of Ben Folds Five's recent show at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary HERE.

Album Review: Tift Merritt - Traveling Alone

Tift Merritt’s transition to Yep Roc is off to a solid start with Traveling Alone, a record about solitude and independence that allows Merritt to shine.

On the opening title track, Merritt sings over sparse guitar in a tone that’s weary from hard lessons learned. She cuts to the chase. “I would teach him something. Say, ‘Son, you gotta hold your own and it’s good to have a taste for traveling alone,’” she sings.

Traveling Alone feels like the result of a southern woman hardened by the world — “Sweetness ain’t gonna get you home,” Merritt sings — but the record never feels overly cynical. Merritt’s not blaming, just explaining how things are.

Dave Matthews Band announces tour, return to Raleigh

Former summer concert mainstays Dave Matthews Band took a bit of a break from performing in the Triangle, but the band will return this winter for a rare indoor concert.

Dave Matthews Band will play the PNC Arena on Wednesday, December 12. The Lumineers will open. Tickets go on sale to the public Friday, Oct. 19, at 10 a.m. A Warehouse presale will begin Thursday, Oct. 4, at 10 a.m. Ticket prices are TBA.

This will be the band's first indoor show in the Triangle since playing Duke's Cameron Stadium in 1995. A complete list of tour dates is below.

New music video from Lost in the Trees - "Villain (I'll Stick Around)"

Lost in the Trees have stayed busy this year since the release of their sophomore full length A Church That Fits Our Needs and they've just released a new music video from it.

The video is for the song "Villain (I'll Stick Around)" and like past videos from the group, it's fairly dark yet quite beautiful. Check it our below.

Lost in the Trees will play the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival in Silk Hope this weekend, Saturday, October 6. Tickets are available HERE.

Lyle Lovett and His Acoustic Group announces fall tour, coming to Greensboro

Acclaimed country singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett is hitting the road this fall with His Acoustic Group in support of his latest album, Release Me, released earlier this year.

The tour will bring Lovett to the War Memorial Auditorium at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex on Friday, November 16. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster for $34.50 to $65.

Check out Lovett and the band performing "Isn't That So" from Release Me live on The View earlier this year below.

The Love Language to play Chapel Hill tonight

Photo by Michael Graham

Chapel Hill institution The Cave is getting new owners (the folks at Slim's) this week and the club is being rechristened with a big show tonight, October 1.

Things will get started at 9 p.m. with Old Bricks followed by a set by local superstars The Love Language. Admission will be $7 and there are no advance tickets. You'll want to get their early if you want to get in since the club holds less than 100 people.

As we previously mentioned, The Love Language will also play a big show at the Lincoln Theatre in November. Check out info on the show HERE.