Whitesnake announces summer tour, coming to Raleigh

Rock band Whitesnake, the guys who brought us the 1980s rock anthem "Here I Go Again," are hitting the road this summer on a North American tour that will bring the band to Raleigh (which happens to the birthplace of Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich, who has been in the band since they reformed in 2002).

The band will play the Memorial Auditorium at the Duke Energy Center (formerly the Progress Energy Center) on Tuesday, July 30. Tickets are on sale now via the venue box office and Ticketmaster for $52 to $67.

Check out the band performing their aforementioned hit "Here I Go Again" from the 2006 DVD Live... In The Still Of The Night below.

Free Energy extends spring tour, coming to Chapel Hill

Photo by Dominic Neitz

Philadelphia power pop band Free Energy will play the Triangle tonight (March 28) at Kings in Raleigh, but the band have just extended their spring tour schedule, which will return them to the Triangle once again.

The band will play Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Thursday, May 2. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $8.

Check out the song "Street Survivor" from the band's new album Love Sign below.

Album Review: Telekinesis - Dormarion

Michael Benjamin Lerner’s third record as Telekinesis, Dormarion, is like a bag of fun size candy. Each delicious nugget is individually wrapped and it’s really hard to stop with just one.

Lerner tries his hand at a myriad of different styles on Dormarion. The irresistible “Empathetic People” is a crunchy power pop delight. “Ghosts and Creatures” branches out into expansive electronic melodies.

If you’re looking for retro vibes, Telekinesis provides the bright, innocent romance on “Lean on Me” and cheesy snyths on “Ever True.”

Duke Performances announces 2013 Music in the Gardens lineup

Photo by Kevin Norris

Spring is here, even though it hasn't felt like it much yet, and it's time to start making room in your schedule for the 2013 Duke Performances Music in the Gardens series, which kicks off on June 5.

Just like the most recent seasons, this year's lineup primarily focuses on music from the Triangle including Hiss Golden Messenger, American Aquarium, The Tender Fruit, JKutchma & The Five Fifths, Kenny Roby and Diali Cissokho, and Kaira Ba. The out-of-towners this year are David Wax Museum and Matthew E. White (who is pretty much an honorary Triangle resident at this point considering his strong ties to the local scene).

The Features announce new album, spring tour

Hardworking Nashville indie rockers The Features will return to the Triangle this spring when they hit the road on a big spring tour in support of their new self-titled album due out on May 14.

The band will play Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Sunday, May 19. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $10.

The Features will also play Wilmington, Greensboro and North Myrtle Beach on the tour. Check out the full tour schedule below.

Check out the song "This Disorder" from the album The Features below. Also, check out photos and a review of the band's show at Local 506 last year HERE.

Lil Wayne announces America's Most Wanted Tour

After being hospitalized with seizures earlier this month and some media outlets reporting that he was on the verge of death, which the rapper rebutted with Tweets, Lil Wayne has announced a big summer tour dubbed the America's Most Wanted Tour.

He'll return to the Time Warner Cable Pavilion in Raleigh on Saturday, July 27. T.I. and Future will open. Ticket info is not available yet but we'll let you know when we know.

Wayne released his new album, I Am Not A Human Being II, today, March 26. Check out the music video for "Love Me" from the album featuring Drake below.

Live, Filter & Sponge join Everclear's 2013 'Summerland' Tour

Last year's new crop of 1990s nostalgia tours must have been quite successful because not only is Barenaked Ladies' Last Summer on Earth Tour back for a second year, Everclear has just announced their second annual Summerland Tour. This year they will be joined by Live, Filter and Sponge as they trek across the country this summer.

The tour will return to the Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh on Friday, May 31. Tickets will go on sale on Saturday, March 30 via Ticketmaster for $20 to $45.

Check out a little promo video for the tour below.

The Thermals announce new album, spring tour

Portland trio The Thermals will be releasing their sixth full-length album, Desperate Ground, on April 16 via Saddle Creek Records and will be hitting the road on a big spring to in support of it.

The band will play Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Friday, May 31. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $11.

Check out the music video for the short but sweet song "Born To Kill" from the album Desperate Ground below.

John Mayer announces big 2013 tour, first in three years

Singer-songwriter John Mayer has been sidelined from touring since he announced in 2011 that granulomas had been discovered in his throat. He released his new album Born and Raised last year and now he's finally ready to hit the road again for his first proper tour since 2010.

The tour will come to the Time Warner Cable Pavilion in Raleigh on Thursday, September 5. Phillip Phillips will open. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 12, via Live Nation.

Mayer did a big G+ Hangout event last night to announce the tour and play some songs with a small band and producer Don Was, which you can check out below. If you skip to 1:11:30 in the video, Mayer and the band perform a new song being called "Dear Marie."

Future Bible Heroes to release new album, reissue catalog

The Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt and Claudia Gonson along with composer Christopher Ewen are reviving their electro-dance group Future Bible Heroes and will release their first new album in eleven years in late spring.

The album is titled Partygoing and it will be released by Merge Records on June 4. On the same day, Merge will reissue the a four-disc or three-LP collection including remastered versions of the group's first two albums, three EPs and the new album. The set is simply titled Memories of Love, Eternal Youth, and Partygoing.

Check out the song "Living, Loving, Partygoing" from the new album below where you'll also find the complete track list.

Sea Wolf announces big 2013 tour, coming to Raleigh

Indie folk band Sea Wolf, led by singer-songwriter Alex Brown Church, will hit the road this spring on on a big North American tour in support of their latest album Old World Romance, released last year.

The band will play The Pour House in Raleigh on Tuesday, June 11. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $12.

Check out an "official rehearsal video" for the song "Miracle Cure" from the album Old World Romance below.

LL Cool J, Ice Cube, Public Enemy & De La Soul announce Kings of the Mic Tour

Throw-back tours have become all the rage in recent years and now some big hip-hop acts of the 1980s and 1990s have joined forces for the Kings of the Mic Tour. The tour will include LL Cool J, Ice Cube, Public Enemy and De La Soul.

The tour will stop at the Durham Performing Arts Center on Sunday, June 16. Tickets will go on sale Friday, March 22, at noon via the venue box office and Ticketmaster for $65 to $125.

LL Cool J Will release a new album on April 30 titled Authentic. Check out the music video for "Take It" from the album below.

Dropkick Murphys announces spring tour, coming to Raleigh

Massachusetts Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys are hitting the road this spring on a big tour in support of their new album Signed and Sealed in Blood, released in January and they'll make their way to the Triangle for a big show.

The band will play The Ritz in Raleigh on Tuesday, June 4. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 22 via Etix for $28.

Check out the band's performance of "Out of Our Heads" from Signed and Sealed in Blood on the Late Show with David Letterman last week below.

Album Review: Youth Lagoon - Wondrous Bughouse

On Trevor Powers’ first album under the moniker Youth Lagoon, he sang, “Don’t stop imagining. The day that you do is the day that you die.” If that’s the case, then Powers is very much alive on his follow up LP, Wondrous Bughouse.

The Year of Hibernation worked within a limited bedroom pop palette, but Wondrous Bughouse expands the music of Youth Lagoon into a myriad of vibrant hues. These colors explode on “Mute” creating a sense of wonder and scale. On “Attic Doctor,” Powers distorts them into an uneasy and frightening waltz.

Heart announces Heartbreaker Tour with Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience

Classic rockers and regular Triangle visitors Heart have announced a big summer tour dubbed the Heartbreaker Tour and they'll be taking Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience out as their opening act. Each night of the tour will close with a 30-minute Led Zeppelin encore.

The tour will stop at the Time Warner Cable Pavilion in Raleigh on Saturday, June 22. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 29, via Ticketmaster for $15 to $99.50.

Bonham performed "Stairway To Heaven" with Heart at the Kennedy Center Honors last year and the performance brought tears to Robert Plant's eyes. Check out the performance below which will likely be a part of the 30-minute Zeppelin encore (skip to 13:52 for the start of the song).

Barenaked Ladies, Ben Folds Five & Guster announce summer tour

Though the purported Mayan apocalypse has come and gone, Barenaked Ladies will revive its Last Summer On Earth tour this summer, this time bringing Ben Folds Five and Guster on board. The tour will make a stop at Raleigh's Red Hat Amphitheater on Sunday, July 28.

Tickets go on sale Saturday, March 23, at 10 a.m. via the Progress Energy Center box office and Ticketmaster for $30-72. VIP packages will also be available at lastsummeronearth.com. Ticket buyers will receive a voucher to download Barenaked Ladies' forthcoming album, to be released June 4.

Check out the tour announcement video below.

Hopscotch announces spring road shows in NC, VA

The Hopscotch Music Festival will announce the lineup for the big 2013 shindig on April 24 and they'll follow the announcement with six shows across North Carolina and Virginia.

The first shows will be right here in the Triangle on Thursday, April 25. There will be an early and a late show at the Nightlight in Chapel Hill. The early show will feature The Snails and The Art Department and the late show will feature Last Year's Men and The Dynamite Brothers. Tickets will be $5 at the door for each show (that goes for all of the Hopscotch road shows).

Check out the details for the rest of the road show below which includes shows in Winston-Salem, Wilmington, Asheville, Charlotte and Richmond.

Glen Hansard announces US dates, coming to Raleigh

Irish singer-songwriter and 2007 Best Original Song Oscar winner Glen Hansard will be hitting the road later this year to play a few U.S. shows in support of his debut solo album Rhythm and Repose, released last year.

Hansard will play the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh on Saturday, June 15. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $24 or $35 (museum members can buy discounted tickets).

Check out the music video for "High Hope" from Rhythm and Repose below.

Lyle Lovett & His Acoustic Group announces spring tour

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett is hitting the road again this spring with his Acoustic Group and he'll be returning to the Triangle for a show presented by Band Together NC supporting the Tammy Lynn Center in Raleigh.

They'll play the Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary on Saturday, May 4. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 15, via Etix for $34.50 to $69.50. There will also be VIP packages available for $150.

[UPDATE: Delta Rae and Chatham County Line have been added to the bill.]

Video: John Darnielle writes song about Justin Bieber

In a rather odd yet still somewhat unsurprising move, John Darnielle (of the Mountain Goats) has released a short video of a new song he wrote and recorded about Justin Bieber and his recent issues with paparazzi.

It's a brief yet amusing tune which makes some valid points like there are far more important things in the world to be worrying about other than a 19-year-old pop star. Check out the video below.

The Mountain Goats' latest album Transcendental Youth was released last October via Merge Records.

Album Review: William Tyler - Impossible Truth

William Tyler’s Impossible Truth, his second solo record and first for Merge Records, is an accessible and compelling set of guitar instrumental pieces.

Impossible Truth’s eight songs are comforting and warm. Tyler is an incredibly deft finger picker, but this album isn’t a chilly technical showcase. It’s greater than that. Tyler is far beyond the pretension of showing off for the sake of proving his prowess.

The record succeeds because a strong sense of melody. There aren’t any lyrics, but the lead guitar line is so vocal it feels like some may bubble up. “We Can’t Go Home Again” and “Hotel Catalonia” stand out with lasting, memorable melodies.

Sheryl Crow announces 2013 tour, coming to Durham

Singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow just released a new laid back single today titled "Easy" and she also has announced some new tour dates which include a stop in the Triangle.

Crow will play the Durham Performing Arts Center on Saturday, August 3. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 22, via the venue box office and Ticketmaster.

North Carolina guitarist Audley Freed is currently a part of Crow's band and can be seen performing "Easy" with her on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Bob Dylan extends spring tour with Dawes

The man, the myth and the indisputable (and indiscernible) legend Bob Dylan will spend the spring on tour in support of his latest album Tempest and he's taking the young rising stars Dawes out as his opening act. New dates have just been added, including a stop in the Triangle.

Dylan and Dawes will play the Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh on Thursday, May 2. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 23, via Ticketmaster for $29.50 to $59.50.

Check out the music video for "Duquesne Whistle" from Tempest below. Dawes will release their third album, Stories Don't End on April 9. Check out the song "From a Window Seat" from the album below.

Guy reunites, announces Durham show with Bell Biv Devoe

The reunited late 1980s and early 1990s R&B group Guy, led by Teddy Riley, is hitting the road this spring and will be making its way to the Triangle with 1990s hit-makers Bell Biv Devoe.

The two groups will perform at the Durham Performing Arts Center on Friday, May 13. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 29, via the venue box office and Ticketmaster.

Check out Guy in an old school "performance" of the song "I Like" from Soul Train below as well as the music video for Bell Biv Devoe's "Poison."

Lee Fields & The Expressions announce spring tour

North Carolina born and raised soul man Lee Fields and his band The Expressions will hit the road this spring in support of his 2012 album Faithful Man.

They'll play the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh on Thursday, April 11. Lady will open. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $12.

Check out Fields performing a stripped down version of the song "Still Hanging" from Faithful Man below. The performance features backing vocals by Lady.

New music from The Rosebuds - "Avalon"

After releasing a Christmas album and an album covering Sade's Love Deluxe, late last year, The Rosebuds are back again, this time with a single new song for the soundtrack of a young adult novel, of all things.

The fantastic new song is titled "Avalon" and is featured on the soundtrack for the book Crap Kingdom by comedian and author DC Pierson. "Avalon" can be streamed or downloaded via the Soundcloud widget below.

More music from the album including songs by Ted Leo, Free Energy, The Ettes and more can be streamed or downloaded HERE.

Best Coast announces spring tour, coming to Raleigh

After spending a few weeks in this spring playing arenas as Green Day's opening act, indie pop band Best Coast will hit the road on a headline tour which in support of their sophomore album The Only Place, released last year.

The band will play the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh on Saturday, June 1. Guards and Lovely Band Things will open. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, March 8, via Etix for $20.

Check out the music video for "Do You Love Me Like You Used To" from The Only Place below.

Eleanor Friedberger to release 'Personal Record' in June

Two years after releasing her debut solo album, singer-songwriter Eleanor Friedberger (half of The Fiery Furnaces) is back with her sophomore album Personal Record. Merge Records will release the album on June 4.

Check out the catchy, jangle pop tune "Stare at the Sun," the fourth track from the new album, below as well as the complete track list.

Friedberger took a trip to Jamaica after recording the album and used some footage from the trip for an album teaser. Check that out below as well.

Japandroids announce spring tour, coming to Carrboro

Canadian garage rock duo Japandroids released their highly acclaimed sophomore album Celebration Rock last year and it topped our 2012 readers' poll for best album of the year. The band have just announced some new spring tour dates which will bring them to the Triangle.

They'll play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Wednesday, June 5. A Place To Bury Strangers will open. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 8, via Etix for $15.

The band just performed the song "The Nights of Wine and Roses" on Conan last week. Check out the performance below.

Album Review: Shout Out Louds - Optica

The Shout Out Louds are a conundrum. Their latest release, Optica, makes all the right moves, but truly memorable music still eludes the band.

The sterile sound that plagued their previous release, Work, has been addressed. Optica is still polished, but much more easy going. Softer tones and a lazy haze give most of the album a glean of modern nostalgia. Songs like “Walking In Your Footsteps” definitely sound like they could’ve have appeared on a soundtrack for a long lost John Hughes film.

It sounds like the members of Shouts Out Louds are actually enjoying themselves. This record is less work and more play. Their playfulness can be heard in the off-kilter percussion of “Circles,” the dance-worthy beats of “14th of July,” and the jazz flute that’s all over the album. These small experiments make Optica a more enjoyable listen than Work.

The Darkness announces North American spring tour

Over-the-top British rockers The Darkness released their third full-length album Hot Cakes last August and the band will be coming to the States this spring in support of it.

The band will make a stop at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh on Friday, May 10. Free Energy will open. Tickets will go on sale on Saturday, March 9, via Etix for $22.

Check out the band's latest music video from Hot Cakes for the song "With a Woman below." Also check out a live performance of their crazy cover of Radiohead's "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" below too.

Fitz and the Tantrums announce new 2013 headline dates

Pop soul band Fitz and the Tantrums will be releasing their sophomore album More Than Just a Dream on May 8 and have already announced big summer tour plans as the opening act on Bruno Mars arena tour. The band have just rolled out some headline shows for the spring which will bring them back to the Triangle.

The band will play the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw on Saturday, April 13. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 8, via Ticketfly for $22.

Check out the opening track from More Than Just a Dream, "Out of My League," below.

The Smashing Pumpkins announce spring dates, coming to Raleigh

Billy Corgan and the current incarnation of The Smashing Pumpkins will hit the road this spring to play a few U.S. shows in support of their latest album Oceania, released last year.

The band will return to Raleigh (they played Memorial Auditorium in 2008) to play a bigger venue, the Red Hat Amphitheater, on Tuesday, May 7. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 8, via the Progress Energy Center box office and Ticketmaster for $25 to $49.50.

Check out The Smashing Pumpkins performing the song "The Celestials" from Oceania on Jay Leno's show last fall below.

Har Mar Superstar announces spring tour, coming to Raleigh

Singer-songwriter Sean Matthew Tillmann, better known by the stage name Har Mar Superstar, is releasing a new album on April 23 titled Bye Bye 17 and he'll be hitting the road this spring to support it.

He'll play Kings Barcade in Raleigh on Thursday, April 11. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $8.

Check out Har Mar Superstar performing the song "Girls Only" from his 2009 album Dark Touches on the defunct talk show Lopez Tonight a few years ago below.

Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band extends the Rock and Roll Never Forgets Tour

Classic rock icon Bob Seger has extended his Rock and Roll Never Forgets Tour further into the spring  and among the new dates is a stop in the Triangle.

Seger and The Silver Bullet Band will play the PNC Arena in Raleigh on Saturday, April 27. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 9, via the arena box office and Ticketmaster for $65 or $85.

The tour just kicked off on Wednesday night in Toledo, OH. Check out the performance of "Like a Rock" from the show below.