Ben Sollee announces 2012 tour, coming to Raleigh

Kentucky singer-songwriter and cellist Ben Sollee is hitting the road this spring in support of his latest album Inclusions, released last year. He's also recording his third album, Half-Made Man, this year with the support of fans using the fundraising method (he reached his goal in just four days).

The tour will make a stop at Kings Barcade in Raleigh on Thursday, May 10. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $15.

Watch Sollee and his band perform a fantastic set for NPR's Tiny Desk series below. It includes the songs "Hurting," "Captivity" and "The Globe" from Inclusions as well as a little a cappella ditty they call "Inclusions." You can also stream the album Inclusions in its entirety via the widget below.

Album Review: Bowerbirds - The Clearing

The Clearing by Bowerbirds is the sound of a band that has been freed both musically and spiritually.

The third album from the North Carolina band starts with the rousing “Tuck the Darkness” which builds into a powerful, swirling mantra that sets the tone for the rest of the record’s 45 minutes.

“Oh my dear friend, everything falls to death,” duo Phil Moore and Beth Tacular tell us, “We tuck the darkness in. We tuck the darkness in.” They’ve learned to accept the unhappy necessities of life. “Tucked the darkness in, dragged the harrow across the land,” Moore sings, “found my fresh start, sowed my wildest dreams.”

The Polyphonic Spree announces 2012 tour, coming to Carrboro

The psychedelic orchestral pop sounds of The Polyphonic Spree will be heard throughout venues across the North America again this spring as the band embark on their first proper tour in about four years.

The band will return to the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Saturday, May 26. Sweet Lee Morrow will open. Ticket info is not available yet, but we'll keep you posted. Tickets are $17 in advance and are on sale now via Etix.

The band's latest album is 2007's The Fragile Army, though a new album is expected sometime soon. They just release a new single in February titled "What Would You Do?" Watch the music video for the song below.

Tift Merritt, Bombadil and more join Racing the Cure lineup

Racing the Cure: A Benefit for Oliver Gant has added Lincoln Theatre to its roster of venues and some pretty big names in local music along with it.

Tift Merritt, Bombadil, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Small Ponds and Brice Randall Bickford will perform at Lincoln Theatre as part of the event on Friday, March 23. Kings, The Pour House and Tir Na Nog will also be hosting shows as part of the benefit, featuring The Avett Brothers, The Love Language, Annuals and more.

Tickets are available now for $25 via etix and will get you into any of the four venues, capacity permitting. A complete schedule is below. More details on the show and Oliver are available here.

New music video from Mandolin Orange - "Clover Tune"

Triangle duo Mandolin Orange have been earning more regional and national attention since the release of their sophomore album Haste Make / Hard Hearted Stranger last year. The band has now released a music video for the song "Clover Tune," found on the latter half of the double album.

The video is a simple yet effective performance filmed at The Station in Carrboro and Memorial Hall on UNC's campus. Check it out below.

Mandolin Orange will be touring quite a bit this spring and will be opening for Bowerbirds at the Cat's Cradle on Saturday March 17. They'll also play the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival on Friday, April 20.