Album Review: Samantha Crain - Kid Face

“I had a deal with man and God. One let me down and one did not so I made my way back home. Oh, I thought I’d never go back,” Samantha Crain sings on “Never Going Back,” the opening track of her new album, Kid Face. Freed from her romantic relationship, the native Oklahoman reflects on the relationship’s collateral damage (“Taught to Lie”), her own world view (“Churchill”), and the state of the world today (“Somewhere All The Time,” “Ax”) as she takes stock of her first 26 years.

“What is spare time? I spend all of mine trying to figure this out,” Crain jokes on “The Pattern Has Changed” as she wonders what to do without a hectic tour schedule. The wit continues on “Paint.” “I’m almost young this year now that I’m older,” she sings. These smaller, but real issues provide balance to the weightier moments like “For the Miner” when she asks “Did you get used it or are you still up with the demons all night?”

Samantha Crain announces winter tour, coming to Raleigh

Songstress Samantha Crain will release a new album on February 19 via Ramseur Records titled Kid Face, but before the release, she'll hit the road on a winter tour that will kick off in the Triangle.

She'll play the Berkeley Cafe in Raleigh on Wednesday, January 23. Sunmer James will open. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $10.

Crain will also play Wilmington the following night, January 24, and then two nights at UNC Pembroke, January 25 and 26. Check out the full schedule below.

Check out the song "Never Going Back" from the forthcoming album Kid Face below.

Samantha Crain announces winter tour dates, coming to Chapel Hill & Raleigh

Oklahoma singer-songwriter Samantha Crain will hit the road in early 2012, still supporting her 2010 album You (Understood).

She'll play Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Tuesday, February 7 with American Aquarium. Tickets will be $8 in advance and will be available via Etix soon.

[UPDATE: Crain will also play the Pour House in Raleigh on Saturday, February 11. Tickets will be $10 at the door. There's no word on advance tickets yet.]

Samantha Crain brings Oklahoma charm to Duke Gardens

Oklahoma singer-songwriter Samantha Crain took the stage at Duke Gardens on Tuesday night for a fantastic set.

The petite songwriter was accompanied by a bass player and drummer as she rolled through her set drawing heavily from her newly released album You (Understood), opening with the rousing song "Lions."

During the set, the band was joined by Matthew Milia (on vocals) and David Jones (on banjo) of the Michigan band Frontier Ruckus for the best song of the set, "Santa Fe."

Win tickets to Samatha Crain at Duke Gardens

Alt. country, folk or indie pop — whatever you call it, Samantha Crain's bringing it to Duke Gardens next Tuesday, June 29, for the next concert in the Music in the Gardens series.

To win a pair of tickets to the show, email us at trianglemusicblog at gmail dot com by noon on Monday with "Samantha Crain tickets" in the subject line. Profess your undying love for Ms. Crain or don't say anything at all — we'll notify a randomly-drawn winner that afternoon.

Tickets to the show (and please note this week's show is on Tuesday, not Wednesday), are $10 or $5 for Duke students and employees and, as always, children 12 and under are free.

Win tickets to Annuals at Duke Gardens

It's nearly time again for Duke Performances' Music in the Gardens concert series and we're excited to offer one pair of tickets to a reader for most shows in the series.

To win a pair of tickets to the kickoff show with Annuals on Wednesday, May 26, email us at triangle_music [at] hotmail [dot] com by noon on Monday, May 24, with "Annuals tickets" in the subject line. We'll randomly select one reader to win. How could it be any easier than that?

Of course, if you don't want to leave it up to fate, tickets can be purchased to each other shows here. Click through for a complete list of Music in the Gardens shows and ticket prices.

Full details of Duke's Music in the Gardens series

With the winter we had this year, it's almost hard to believe that just six weeks from now we'll be spreading a blanket on the lawn at Duke Gardens to enjoy another summer full of great music. It should be no secret by now that the folks at Duke Performances excel at pulling together a fantastic roster of artists to fill the Gardens with their sounds, and this year is no different.

The series will kick off on Wednesday, May 26, with Raleigh-based Annuals and continue for 10 weeks including nights with Camera Obscura, Lonnie Walker, Kingsbury Manx, Max Indian and more.

First 2010 Summer in the Gardens shows announced

We're still well over two months away from the start of the always awesome Summer in the Gardens series put on by Duke Performances, but a trio of bands have already been announced. Local bands Annuals and The Kingsbury Manx will grace the gardens on May 26 and July 14 respectively. The third performer is Oklahoma songstress Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers on June 29, who is signed to Ramseur Records out of Concord, NC. The full Summer in the Gardens schedule will be released on April 15.

Check out mp3s from each of the three bands below, including a brand new track from Annuals upcoming EP Sweet Sister, due out on March 30. Keep an eye out for a review of the EP in a few weeks.

Check out our past coverage of the Summer in the Gardens series here.

Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers to play Duke Coffeehouse, Schookids

Oklahoma quintet Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers are setting out on a lengthy US tour that will bring their youtful alt-country sound to the Triangle. First, the band will stop in Silk Hope and play two days of the Shakori Hills Festival, April 16 and 17. They will then stop by Schoolkids Records in Raleigh on April 18 at 1 PM and then move on to Durham to play Duke Coffeehouse later that night.

The group released their debut EP titled The Confiscation via Ramseur Records last year and are preparing to release their debut LP Songs in the Night on April 28. Download tracks from both releases below along with the band's upcoming tour schedule (it's hefty).

from Songs in the Night
Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers - "Songs in the Night" (mp3)
Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers - "Get the Fever Out" (mp3)

from The Confiscation EP
Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers - "The River" (mp3)
Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers - "Devils in Boston" (mp3)

Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers dates:
03.28.09 - State College, PA - State Theatre *
03.29.09 - Brooklyn, NY - Southpaw (Native American Film and Video Festival)
04.15.09 - Alexandra, VA - Birchmere Bandstand # [Tickets]
04.16.09 - Silk Hope, NC - Shakori Hills Festival
04.17.09 - Silk Hope, NC - Shakori Hills Festival
04.18.09 - Raleigh, NC - Schoolkids Records
04.18.09 - Durham, NC - Duke Coffeehouse ^
04.19.09 - Mount Pleasant, SC - Village Tavern ^
04.20.09 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl ^
04.21.09 - Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder ^
04.23.09 - Austin, TX - The Parish ^
04.24.09 - Fort Worth, TX - Lola’s ^
04.25.09 - Lubbock, TX - The Foundation ^
04.26.09 - Santa Fe, NM - The Sub (College of Santa Fe) ^
04.28.09 - San Diego, CA -The Loft (UCSD) ^
04.29.09 - Los Angeles, CA - The Hotel Cafe ^
04.30.09 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent ^ [Tickets]
05.02.09 - Seattle, WA - Chop Suey ^ [Tickets]
05.04.09 - Boise, ID - Neurolox ^ [Tickets]
05.05.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court ^
05.06.09 - Denver, CO - Hi-Dive ^
05.07.09 - Lawrence, KS - Jackpot Saloon ^
05.08.09 - St. Louis, MO - Off Broadway
05.09.09 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle ^ [Tickets]
05.10.09 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom ^ [Tickets]
05.12.09 - Northampton, MA - Iron Horse ^
05.14.09 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom ^ [Tickets]
05.15.09 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church ^
05.16.09 - Norfolk, VA - The Boot ^
05.22.09 - Charlotte, NC - Visulite Theatre (Ramseur Records Night)
05.23.09 - Winston-Salem, NC - The Garage %
05.28.09 - Eugene, OR - Sam Bond’s Garage ‡
05.29.09 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent ‡
05.30.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland ‡ [Tickets]
06.01.09 - Tucson, AZ - Plush ‡ [Tickets]
06.03.09 - Austin, TX - The Parish ‡
06.04.09 - Denton, TX - Dan’s Silverleaf ‡
06.05.09 - Ozark, AR - Wakarusa
06.06.09 - Lawrence, KS - Jackpot Saloon ‡ [Tickets]
06.07.09 - Denver, CO - Hi-Dive ‡
06.08.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge ‡
06.10.09 - Washington, DC - Kennedy Center
07.11.09 - Washington, DC - National Museum of the American Indian (Indian Summer Showcase)
07.17.09 - Bristol, TN - Border Bash
07.25.09 - Floyd, VA - FloydFest
07.26.09 - Floyd, VA - FloydFest
08.01.09 - Portland, OR - Pickathon Roots Music Festival
08.02.09 - Portland, OR - Pickathon Roots Music Festival
09.19.09 - Bristol, VA - Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion
09.20.09 - Bristol, VA - Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion

* w/ Josh Ritter
# w/ The Felice Brothers
^ w/ Thao & the Get Down Stay Down
% w/ Frontier Ruckus
‡ w/ Langhorne Slim & the War Eagles