Thursday, August 28, 2014

Yelawolf announces the Slumerican Made fall tour

Alabama rapper Yelawolf is preparing to release his second solo album, Love Story, sometime before the end of the year and he has just announced a big fall tour dubbed Slumerican Made that will make a stop in the Triangle.

Yelawolf will play the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh on Friday, December 19. Ritzz, Big Henry and DJ Klever will open. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $22. There are also VIP tickets available for $75.

Check out Yelawolf's latest single, "Honey Brown," below.

Saintseneca announces fall tour, coming to Chapel Hill

Up and coming Ohio indie folk band Saintseneca released their Anti- Records released sophomore album Dark Arc earlier this year and the band are hitting the road on a big fall tour in support of it.

They'll play Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Tuesday, November 11. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $10.

Check out Sainseneca's recent set for NPR's Tiny Desk series below featuring the songs "Happy Alone," "Fed Up With Hunger" and "Blood Bath."

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Merge to reissue East River Pipe's 'The Gasoline Age' in October

Continuing the celebration of their 25th anniversary reissue series, Merge Records has just announced the latest release that's in the batter's box.

On October 7 the label will release East River Pipe's 1999 album The Gasoline Age on vinyl for the first time. The release will include a download of the album as well as nine previously unreleased from the East River Pipe archives. Check out the complete track list below.

Listen to the album's penultimate song, "Atlantic City (Gonna Make a Million Tonight)," below.

Ty Dolla $ign announces In Too Deep fall tour

Los Angeles up and coming hip hop artist Ty Dolla $ign released his debut EP earlier this year titled Beach House, a new mixtape titled Sign Language earlier this week, and his debut full length is expected out later this year. On top of that he recorded the song "Shell Shocked" for the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Now he has announced a big fall tour that will bring him to the Triangle.

Ty will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Sunday, October 19. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. today, August 27, via Ticketfly for $20.

Check out the music video for the song "Or Nah" featuring the The Weeknd, Wiz Khalifa, and DJ Mustard from the Beach House EP below.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Phillip Phillips announces fall tour, coming to Durham

Georgia singer-songwriter and American Idol season 11 winner Phillip Phillips released his sophomore album earlier this year titled Behind the Light. He has just announced a fall tour that will bring him to the Triangle.

Phillips will play the Durham Performing Arts Center on Sunday, November 2. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 29, via the venue box office and Ticketmaster for $49.50.

Check out the music video for the song "Raging Fire" from the album Behind the Light below.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Lost in the Trees & Gross Ghost to play Hopscotch preshow

When we told you about the announcement of the Hopscotch Music Festival day parties for 2014, there was still a big "TBA" listed for the Wednesday night pre-festival party at the Lincoln Theatre.

Now we know that the bands playing that night will be local heavy-hitters Lost in the Trees and Gross Ghost. Tickets for the show are on sale now via Etix for $15.

Check out Lost in the Trees performing a stripped down version of the song "Daunting Friend" from their latest album Past Life for radio station WNRN in Charlottesville below.

Aoife O'Donovan extends tour into 2015, coming to Raleigh

Americana/folk rock singer-songwriter Aoife O'Donovan has been touring hard since the release of her debut album Fossils released last year via Yep Roc Records. She has added more tour dates that will bring her back to the Triangle early next year.

O'Donovan will play the Fletcher Opera Theater in Raleigh on Friday, January 16. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, September 10, via the Duke Energy Center box office and Ticketmaster for $27 to $29.

Check out the music video for the song "Beekeeper" from the album Fossils below.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Mandolin Orange schedule a special two-night stand in Carrboro

After everyone has stuffed their face on Thanksgiving this year, Mandolin Orange will be in Carrboro to help you digest with a two-night stand in Carrboro.

The band will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Friday, November 28, and Saturday, November 29. The first night will be seated and feature just the principle duo and the second night will be standing and feature a full band. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. today, August 22, via Ticketfly. A two-night pass is $25, a Friday only ticket is $18 and a Saturday only ticket is $12.

The group has had a busy year on the road in support of their 2013 album This Side of Jordan and these shows are going to serve as a homecoming and a way top cap off the year. Check out the duo performing "The Runaround" from This Side of Jordan for the Sawyer Sessions below.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

The Jayhawks announce fall tour, coming to Carrboro

Minnesota alt country mainstays The Jayhawks reissued three of their albums, Sound of Lies, Smile and Rainy Day Music, as expanded editions with bonus tracks earlier this summer with vinyl reissues coming on September 30. To support the reissues, the 1997 lineup of the band consisting of Gary Louris, Marc Perlman, Tim O'Reagan, Karen Grotberg and Kraig Johnson will hit the road this fall.

The band will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Wednesday, October 22. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 22, via Ticketfly for $22.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

New music from Hiss Golden Messenger - "Mahogany Dread"

The new Hiss Golden Messenger album Lateness of Dancers is just three weeks from hitting the streets. It's out on September 9, and another new song from the album has just been released.

Check out the album's third track "Mahogany Dread" below. If you haven't already checked out the previously released songs, check out "Saturday's Song" HERE and a live performance of "Lucia" HERE.

Hiss Golden Messenger will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Saturday, September 13, with Strand of Oaks and Alexandra Sauser-Monnig. Tickets are available via Ticketfly for $12.

Meat Puppets & Cass McCombs announce fall co-headline tour

Veteran rockers Meat Puppets are teaming up with singer-songwriter Cass McCombs for a fall co-headline tour that will take the bands across the country.

The pair will play Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Tuesday, November 4. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $17.

Check out the song "Down" from Meat Puppets' latest album Rat Farm as well as the music video for "Big Wheel" from McCombs' latest album Big Wheel and Others below.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Twerps sign with Merge, release new EP

Australian indie pop band Twerps have signed with Merge Records who will release the band's next full-length album in early 2015. But you don't have to wait until then for new music because in addition to announcing that the band joined the label's roster today, Merge also released a new EP from the band.

The new eight-track EP is titled Underlay and is available via the usual digital outlets now. You can also stream the entire EP via the Soundcloud widget below for a limited time.

Album Review: David Kilgour and the Heavy Eights - End Times Undone

The opening track to David Kilgour and the Heavy Eights’ End Times Undone fades in quietly as if trying not to disturb and to pretend that it was playing the whole time.

When it’s sure it has been noticed, the opening track “Like Rain” kicks into a slightly higher gear. It’s still relaxed, but there’s a vibrance to this song - and to the album as a whole - that makes End Times Undone feel more alive than its 2011 predecessor Left By Soft.

The best example of this comes on the next song, “Lose Myself in Sound.” The opening guitar splashes aggressively, but it’s cut off quickly and allowed to ring while the percussion begins to drive the song underneath all the swirling tones and colors.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Method Man & Redman announce fall tour, coming to Raleigh

Hip hop icons Method Man and Redman are heading out this fall on the Smokers Club Tour and one stop on their outing will be right here in the Triangle.

The pair will play the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh on Friday, November 21. B-Real of Cypress Hill, Berner, and Mick Jenkins will open. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $30.

Method Man and Redman are working a new album titled Blackout 3, the follow-up to 2009's Blackout 2, but they are each also working on new solo albums. There is no word yet on when these new albums will be out.

Ages and Ages announce fall tour, coming to Chapel Hill

Portland rockers Ages and Ages released their sophomore album Divisionary earlier this year and they have just announced a new fall tour in support of it.

The band will play Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Tuesday, October 28. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $8.

Check out Ages and Ages full performance for radio station KEXP in June featuring the songs "I See More," "Our Demons," "Light Goes Out" and "Divisionary (Do The Right Thing)" from the album Divisionary below.

Friday, August 15, 2014

The War on Drugs add fall dates, new Triangle show

The War on Drugs will be headlining the Lincoln Theatre on Thursday, September 4, during the Hopscotch festival but he has already scheduled a return to the Triangle this fall, just a bit to the west.

The band will play the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw on Friday, October 17. Peter Matthew Bauer of The Walkmen will open. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $20.

Check out The War on Drugs performing the song "Red Eyes" from their latest album Lost in the Dream on the Late Show with David Letterman last month below.

Nickel Creek dazzles Cary on reunion tour with new songs, classics

Thursday night brought incredibly mild weather and the perfect conditions for a big outdoor show at Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheater. The venue hosted reunited bluegrass/newgrass group Nickel Creek who are celebrating their 25th year in 2014.

The band hit the stage and it immediately seemed as if no time had passed since they last toured in 2007. They kicked things off with "Rest of My Life," the opening track from their new album A Dotted Line. The playful onstage antics were back, they sounded fantastic and they seem energized by the hiatus and the new music.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Willie Watson announces fall tour, coming to Raleigh

Singer-songwriter Willie Watson, formerly of Old Crow Medicine Show, plans to stay on the road for much of the remainder of the year touring in support of his debut solo album Folk Singer Vol. 1. He played the Cat's Cradle Back Room last month but when he comes back this fall he'll play a big seated theater.

Watson will play the Fletcher Opera Theater in Raleigh on Thursday, November 13. Tickets will go on sale at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, September 10, via the Duke Energy Center box office and Ticketmaster for $27 to $29. A presale for Pinecone members will begin at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, September 3.

Check out a video of Watson performing the song "Mexican Cowboy" from Folk Singer Vol. 1 for A Prairie Home Companion earlier this year below.

Hopscotch Music Festival announces 2014 day parties

The 2014 Hopscotch Music Festival is just three weeks away and the festival has just announced their annual series of day parties, kickoff parties, after-parties and whatnot. Bands will be playing venues all around downtown Raleigh from Wednesday, September 3, through Sunday, September 7.

Among the big list of performers are Mary Lattimore and Thurston Moore, Ex Hex, Spider Bags, Lilac Shadows, Schooner, Gross Ghost, Pipe, Chris Stamey, Caitlin Cary, Hammer No More the Fingers, T0W3RS, Loamlands, Whatever Brains and so many more. Check our schedule HERE.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

New music video from Ryan Adams - "Gimme Something Good"

Ryan Adams' new self-titled album will be out in a little less than a month, September 9 to be exact, and he has just released a new music video for the album's first single "Gimme Something Good."

The music video features Adams' and actress Cassandra Peterson as her best known character Elvira. It's pretty random yet somehow not that surprising coming from Adams. Check it out below.

Adams has been playing some other songs from the new album at recent shows. Check out a performance of "Stay With Me" from the State Theatre in Portland, ME below as well.

Stars announces new album 'No One is Lost,' fall tour

Canadian indie pop band Stars is back this fall with the seventh full-length album No One is Lost due out on October 14. They have just announced a fall tour in support of the album that will bring them back to the Triangle.

The band will play the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh on Friday, November 14. Hey Rosetta will open. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $20.

Check out the song "From the Night" from No One is Lost below.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Surfer Blood announces fall tour, coming to Raleigh

Florida indie rockers Surfer Blood are heading back out on the road this fall in support of their sophomore album Pythons released last year.

The tour will bring the band to Kings Barcade in Raleigh on Saturday, October 18. Eternal Summers will open. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $10.

Check out the band performing a new, unreleased song titled "Islands" in the living room of drummer Tyler Schwarz's parents below.

Album Review: The Rosebuds - Sand + Silence

The Rosebuds first post-Merge record, Sand + Silence, tries to address the elephant in the room since the band’s masterful break up record, Loud Planes Fly Low: how does the band move on?

Since the 2011 masterpiece, The Rosebuds have distracted themselves with gimmicks like a Christmas record and a re-interpretation of Sade’s Love Deluxe. Sand + Silence finally brings Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp back together along with friends Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Matt McCaughan (Bon Iver) and Nick Sanborn (Megafaun, Sylvan Esso) to help ease the transition.

Monday, August 11, 2014

Motorco to host John Darnielle book reading and signing in September

The Mountain Goats' mastermind John Darnielle will release his first novel on September 16 titled Wolf in White Van. Daniel Handler, best known for his work under the pen name Lemony Snicket, says the book "moves through the mind like a dark-windowed car through a sleepy neighborhood, quiet, mysterious, menacing, taking you places you will never, never get out of your head."

With that said, The Regulator Bookshop will host a book reading and signing by Darnielle at Motorco Music Hall in Durham on Thursday, September 18. Tickets are available HERE for $5. Each ticket also gets you $5 off the cost of the book.

Check out more information about Wolf in White Van HERE.

Lydia Loveless announces fall tour, coming to Durham

Alt-country singer-songwriter Lydia Loveless just released her third full-length album earlier this year titled Somewhere Else and she has just added new fall dates in support of it that will bring her to the Triangle.

She'll play the Motorco Music Hall in Durham on Monday, September 23. Tickets are on sale now HERE for $12.

Check out Loveless and her band perform for NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series. The set is comprised of the songs "Head," "Verlaine Shot Rimbaud" and "Mile High."

Friday, August 08, 2014

John Butler Trio announces fall tour, coming to Raleigh

Australian roots rockers the John Butler Trio released their six studio album earlier this year titled Flesh and Blood and they are heading out on another run of U.S. dates this fall.

The band will play The Ritz in Raleigh on Saturday, November 15. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $29.50.

Check out the music video for the song "How You Sleep at Night" from the album Flesh and Blood below.

Zammuto adds fall tour dates, coming to Durham

Vermont singer-songwriter Nick Zammuto, better known simply as Zammuto, will release a new album on September 2 titled Anchor and they're spending most of the rest of the year on the road and will stop in the Triangle this fall.

The band will play The Pinhook in Durham on Wednesday, October 29. Barnaby Bright will open. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $10.

Check out the music video for the song "Great Equator" from the forthcoming album Anchor below.

Thursday, August 07, 2014

Listen to Teenage Fanclub perform on the Dinner Party Download

Teenage Fanclub at Merge 25
Photo by Kevin Norris
As all of the Merge 25 hoopla was going on a couple of weeks ago you may have read about some Merge dignitaries recording an episode of Dinner Party Download at the Nightlight with Teenage Fanclub as the house band (check out our account of the event HERE).

The performances by Teenage Fanclub are now available to stream and in addition to the classic "Everything Flows" you can also check out their cover of "Doledrums" by The Chills. The full episode is not available yet but we'll let you know when it is.

Merge just reissued Teenage Fanclub's albums Man-Made and Shadows on vinyl earlier this week.

Spider Bags go all out for in-store 'Frozen Letter' release

Photo by Justin Weber
Spider Bags doesn’t do anything halfway even in-store performances. The small crowd at Schoolkids Records in Raleigh would’ve been happy with a couple of songs, some thanks yous and a new record, but the band treated them to a full show.

The 17-song set covered a majority of the new record, Frozen Letter, and fan favorites, but Spider Bags went deep into their discography by playing “The Bottle” off of their 2007 self-titled debut. The band sipped liquor from a brown bag and what was a record store quickly became a rock venue.

Wednesday, August 06, 2014

Chris Robinson Brotherhood announces fall tour, two nights in Raleigh

Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson and his band Chris Robinson Brotherhood released a new album in the spring titled Phosphorescent Harvest and they're staying on the road through the fall.

The band will play two nights at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh on November 1 and 2. Tickets are on sale now via Etix. A single-show ticket is $20 and a two-night pass is $36.

Check out a video of the band performing "About a Stranger" from the new album at the High Sierra Music Festival earlier this year below.

Lake Street Dive announces fall tour, coming to Saxapahaw

Boston jazz pop band Lake Street Dive has been touring hard this year in support of their breakthrough album Bad Self Portraits and they are not slowing down any time soon. The band has announced new fall tour dates that will bring the band back to the Triangle.

The group will play the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw on Thursday, November 6. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 8, via Ticketfly for $18.

Check out Lake Street Dive's full performance and interview on KEXP last fall below.

Tuesday, August 05, 2014

Album Review: Spoon - They Want My Soul

After a four-year hiatus, Spoon is back with their eighth full-length LP, They Want My Soul. This long gap in between albums allowed the band to add new styles to their repertoire and fine-tune their signature minimalistic sound.

Drawing influence from lead singer Britt Daniel’s side project, Divine Fits, and other modern music forms, Spoon has added new variations to their classic garage rock sound, including electronic and jazz styles. These new sounds give a new depth to the normally sparse instrumentations that have been present on Spoon’s earlier releases.

Dum Dum Girls announce fall tour, coming to Raleigh

Indie rock band Dum Dum Girls released their third full-length album earlier this year titled Too True and the band will head out on fall tour in support of it in the coming months.

The band will make a stop at Kings Barcade in Raleigh on Monday, November 3. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $14.

Check out the music video for the song "Rimbaud Eyes" from the album Too True below.

Album Review: Spider Bags - Frozen Letter

Spider Bags’ Merge Records debut, Frozen Letter, is both the clearest distillation of the sincerity that has made the band great for years and an exciting extension of the band’s sound.

“You know I’ll always be honest in everything that I do” are the first words Dan McGee sings on opener “Back With You Again in the World.” Frozen Letter’s A-side works to prove this point. The first four will feel familiar to fans of Spider Bags: short, fuzzy, energetic garage gems.

It ends with a cover of John Wesley Coleman’s “Summer of ’79” which takes the nostalgists to task. “Why you wanna be a Rolling Stone? Why you think your daddy’s the king of rock and roll? You weren’t there for ’79. You weren’t there. You weren’t alive.”

Monday, August 04, 2014

Shabazz Palaces releases sophomore album, announces fall tour

Seattle experimental hip-hop collective Shabazz Palaces led by Ishmael Butler just released their sophomore album last week titled Lese Majesty and they're hitting the road later this month on a tour in support of it.

The tour will stop at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Tuesday, August 26. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $13.

Check out the song "Forerunner Foray" from the album Lese Majesty below.

Living Colour announces Synesthesia fall tour

Veteran New York rockers Living Colour have announced the release of a new album on September 18 titled Shade and they'll hit the road on the Synesthesia Tour this fall in support of it.

The band will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Wednesday, December 10. John Wesley will open. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $22.

[UPDATE: Living Colour has postponed most of their December tour dates to finish recording their new album. The Cat's Cradle show is among those shows and a new date has not been announced yet. The new date for the show is Monday, February 9. All tickets for the previous date will be honored for the new date.]

Friday, August 01, 2014

The Julie Ruin, Ex Hex & Mount Moriah to play Girls Rock benefit

This fall a trio of great female led bands will converge on Carrboro to play the ten year anniversary celebration of Girls Rock NC and to raise money for the organization.

The Julie Ruin, featuring Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill, Ex Hex, and Mount Moriah will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Saturday, October 4. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, August 12, via Ticketfly for $27.

In addition to the show at the Cat's Cradle there will also be interactive camp experiences/workshops, a screening of The Punk Singer and an alumni showcase at the ArtsCenter. There will also be a post-show dance part at The Station. Learn more HERE.

Caribou announces fall tour, coming to Carrboro

After playing the Merge 25 festival this past Saturday, Canadian electronic band Caribou has announced a big fall tour in support of their forthcoming album Our Love out October 7.

This time around the band will play inside the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Sunday, November 16. Jessy Lanza will open. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $18.

Check out photos and a write-up of Caribou's set at Merge 25 HERE and stream "Can't Do Without You" from Our Love below.