Carrboro Music Festival brings 180+ acts to town this weekend

The annual Carrboro Music Festival will once again take over Carrboro this weekend as more than 180 acts will play on 25 different stages, including a show in Town Common Saturday afternoon.

Check out the massive, diverse lineup and stage schedule HERE. There is rain in the forecast this weekend, but 13 of the 25 stages are either inside or can be moved inside, so the show will go on. And as always, the Carrboro Music Festival is free so it's a great chance to get out and enjoy tons of music.

New music from Mount Moriah - "Calvander"

We told you earlier this month about Mount Moriah's new 7" featuring the song "Calvander" with a "garage rock" demo of "Baby Blue" and a live version of "Plane." It will be out on October 9 via Merge Records, but you can check out the a-side now below.

The release show for the new release will be at the Pinhook in Durham on Friday, October 9. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $10.

Josh Ritter announces winter 2015 tour

Singer-songwriter Josh Ritter will release his eighth studio album on October 16 titled Sermon on the Rocks and he has just announced a new run of winter tour dates in early 2016 in support of it.

Ritter will play the Carolina Theatre in Durham on Thursday, February 25. Every ticket purchased will include a download of Ritter's new album. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 25, via Ticketmaster and the venue box office for $29 to $63.73. The venue pre-sale will begin at 10 a.m. today, September 23, with the code SERMON.

Check out the song "Where the Night Goes" from Sermon on the Rocks below.

Surfer Blood announces 2015 fall tour, coming to Raleigh

Florida indie rockers Surfer Blood released their third full-length album earlier this year titled 1000 Palms and they'll hit the road on an east coast tour in November in support of it.

The band will return to Kings in Raleigh on Saturday, November 28. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $12.

Check out Surfer Blood's new animated music video for the song "Grand Inquisitor" from 1000 Palms below.

Mitski announces fall 2015 tour, coming to Durham

After dazzling folks at the Hopscotch Music Festival a little more than a week ago, Brooklyn singer-songwriter Mitski has announced some new fall tour dates that will bring her back to the Triangle.

She'll play the Pinhook in Durham on Friday, November 13. PWR BTTM will open. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $10.

Check out Mitski's Tiny Desk set for NPR a few week ago below. It features three songs "Townie" and "Last Words of a Shooting Star" from her new album Bury Me at Makeout Creek and "Class of 2013" from her 2013 album Retired from Sad, New Career in Business.

San Fermin announces December dates with Sam Amidon

Brooklyn orchestral pop band San Fermin released their sophomore album, Jackrabbit, earlier this year and the group has been touring hard in support of it all year. The band has just added a new round of headlining dates for this December and they'll bring singer-songwriter Sam Amidon out as support.

The pair will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Tuesday, December 15. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. today, September 18, via Ticketfly for $15.

Check out a live performance of the title track from the new album Jackrabbit below.

Hopscotch Night 3: Boulevards seizes the moment as Hopscotch comes to an end

All photos by Kevin Norris

After six years, Hopscotch finally defeated me. By the time Saturday rolled around, I was dragging and for the first time I cut back on the shows I planned to attend. With my most anticipated artist, Owen Pallet, canceling for a family emergency and one in, one out situation at nearly every Moore Square area venue, I focused on catching a select few musicians.

Dwight Yoakam is one of the most intriguing headliners Hopscotch has every booked. Seeing his name on the lineup invokes a “Whoa. Really?” that sends one brain into a dance to reconcile how strange and awesome it was all at once. Yoakam did not disappoint, despite some early technical issues. There were sparkling sport coats, big cowboy hats and boots, but this wasn’t a night of country at Walnut Creek. Yoakam’s music appeals to a general audience, but he keeps his roots in country and rock and roll without kowtowing to Nashville’s pop influence.

Punch Brothers announce December tour, coming to Durham

The virtuoso string band Punch Brothers have just announced a new round of December tour dates in support of their latest album The Phosphorescent Blues and they'll return to the Triangle.

The group will play the Carolina Theatre in Durham on Thursday, December 17. Anais Mitchell will open. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 18, via the venue box office and Ticketmaster for $37 to $78.50. The venue presale began today, September 16, via Ticketmaster with the code BLUES.

Check out Punch Brothers performing the songs "Me Oh My" and "Boll Weevil" from the new album for the Bluegrass Situation below.

Hopscotch 2015 Night 2: Discovering music in three ways

All photos by Kevin Norris

Hopscotch is about many things, but one of the most important is discovery. Discovering new music is an obvious benefit, but it goes beyond that. Hopscotch makes a habit of bringing back older artists which allows for rediscovery of old favorites. It gives musicians the freedom and ability to craft performances that wouldn’t happen elsewhere so you can see your favorite artists from a new perspective. I encountered all of those facets of discovery on Friday night.

New to me were Carlitta Durand, the compositions presented by New Music Raleigh, Luxe Posh and Mitski. Durand, an R&B artist from Durham, opened the night at the main stage in City Plaza. A 6 p.m. start time meant that the crowd was small. Durand’s enticing voice added a breathy layer over hushed grooves and funky bass lines. It was a nice change of pace from the rock and roll I consumed all afternoon at day parties and it made me think that Hopscotch needs more R&B in its lineup (or I needed to pay more attention and seek out the R&B that was available at the festival).

Hopscotch 2015 Night 1: Mac McCaughan, Bully & Battles shine after the rain

All photos by Kevin Norris

Walking into City Plaza on Thursday night, there was an uncertainty in the air. Dark clouds threatened rain and storms, an e-cigarette brand hawked its vapor to concert goers, and Ought was getting ready to take the stage in place of Deerhunter, one of the several bands who had to cancel their trips or couldn’t make it to North Carolina. It seemed foreboding. Would this be the year that Hopscotch failed to live up its reputation?

Ought proved a suitable replacement and a first step towards reassurance. The charming Canadians stuttering post-punk slowly built. Early on, jagged rhythms felt carefully designed and Tim Beeler’s vocals felt almost matter-of-fact in tone, but by the end of their set they let loose into a climax that felt spontaneous. Beeler’s friendly banter between songs warmed a cool audience that at times still seemed disappointed at Deerhunter’s absence.

Dave Rawlings Machine preps new album, big fall tour

The Dave Rawlings Machine, the alter ego of the duo of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings where the latter takes the lead, will release their sophomore album this Friday, September 18, titled Nashville Obsolete. They have just announced a huge fall/winter tour in support of it that will bring the group to a larger than normal Triangle venue.

The group, that also features Willie Watson and Punch Brother Paul Kowert, will play the Durham Performing Arts Center on Sunday, November 22. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 18, via the venue box office and Ticketmaster for $35 to $45. Fan club, venue, and Ticketmaster pre-sales begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday, September 17.

Waxahatchee, Greg Fox to fill for Owen Pallett at Hopscotch

A sudden family illness has forced Owen Pallett to cancel his headlining appearance at Fletcher Opera Theater tomorrow night as part of Hopscotch Music Festival. Pallett was also slated to be this year's Improviser in Residence.

Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee will instead fill in at Fletcher, playing a solo set tomorrow at midnight. The Indy reports that Greg Fox has already stepped in as improviser in residence.

Ben Gibbard coming to Raleigh for 'Slacker' screening

As we mentioned months ago, Death Cab For Cutie will be coming to the Red Hat Amphitheater on Tuesday, September 15, but frontman Benjamin Gibbard will be making an another appearance in the Triangle that almost slipped past us.

Gibbard will appear at a screening of the Richard Linklater  film Slacker at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh on Monday, September 14. Gibbard will participate in a discussion of the film and also perform a few solo acoustic songs. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $20 (or $15 for museum members).

Check out Gibbard performing the songs "Something's Rattling (Cowpoke)" and "Teardrop Windows" from his solo album Former Lives below.

Mary J. Blige announces fall tour, coming to Durham

Soul singer Mary J. Blige is hitting the road this fall on a short run of East Coast tour dates in support of her latest album The London Sessions and she will be making a stop in the Triangle.

Blige will play the Durham Performing Arts Center on Sunday, November 1. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 11, via the venue box office and Ticketmaster for $68.75 to $128.75. The venue and Ticketmaster pre-sale will be at 10 a.m. on Thursday, September 10.

Check out Blige's music video for the song "Doubt" from The London Sessions below.

CRUISR announce fall 2015 tour, return to Chapel Hill

Philadelphia indie pop band CRUISR has been busy touring the country building a name for themselves across the U.S. The band will hit the road this fall supporting Misterwives on tour, but on a day off during the tour they'll play a headlining show in the Triangle.

The band will return to Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Wednesday, September 30. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $10.

Check out CRUISR's new single, "Throwing Shade," below.

New music video from Mandolin Orange - "Jump Mountain Blues"

Chapel Hill duo Mandolin Orange released their latest album Such Jubilee earlier this year via Yep Roc Records and now they have released a cool new music video for one of the tracks.

The animated video is for the song "Jump Mountain Blues." Check it out below.

The group's only upcoming North Carolina date as of now is at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center in Lenoir on Saturday, November 7. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $21.50 plus fees.

Mount Moriah announces new 7-inch, fall release show

Local folk rock band Mount Moriah should have a new album in the no too distant future, but in the meantime the band will release a new three-song 7-inch this fall.

On October 9 Merge Records will release "Calvander" with a "garage rock" demo of "Baby Blue" and a live version of "Plane" from Fletcher Opera House during the Hopscotch Music Festival in 2013 as the b-sides.

The band will celebrate the release of the 7-inch on Friday, October 9, at the Pinhook in Durham. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 4, via Ticketfly for $10.

Birds and Arrows announce new album 'Edge of Everything'

Local folk rock duo Birds and Arrows are returning this fall with their seventh album titled Edge of Everything. The album will feature ten new songs from the group and will be released on October 30.

The album will feature a number of guest musicians including Ben Folds Five bassist Robert Sledge and singer and flutist Skylar Gudasz, among others. Check out the trailer for the album below.

The band will hit the road in support of the album this fall. They have a number of local shows coming up in Chapel Hill, Raleigh and Pittsboro. Check out their full tour schedule below.

Tori Kelly announces 'Where I Belong' 2015 fall tour

Fresh off of her breakout performance on the MTV Video Music Awards Sunday night, singer-songwriter Tori Kelly has announced a new fall tour in support of her debut album Unbreakable Smile that was released a few months ago.

Kelly will play The Ritz in Raleigh on Thursday, October 29, as part of NC State's homecoming festivities. Tickets will be $10 to $25, likely $10 for NC State students and $25 for the public, but on sale dates are not yet available.

Check out the aforementioned performance of "Should've Been Us" from the VMAs below.