Valerie's top albums of 2008

When I first sat down to compile my 10 favorite albums from 2008 I knew it would be difficult — not because so much good music has come out this year (though it has), but because, well, I've been a big slacker and thought I hadn't listened to much of it.

Turns out I listened to more than I thought, but this list is telling in another way. See if you can figure it out...

Top albums of 2008
1. Slow Runner - Mermaids
2. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cardinology
3. Aimee Mann - @#%&*! Smilers
4. She & Him - Volume One
5. Kathleen Edwards - Asking for Flowers
6. The Killers - Day & Age
7. Butch Walker - Sycamore Meadows
8. Ben Folds - Way to Normal
9. Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
10. 1969 - Maya

OK, you get it yet? In 2008 I have been...a really big pansy. From politics to the economy and stress at work, 2008 hasn't been much of a cakewalk, and the mellow, somewhat soothing albums on this list reflect that. That said, I love them all. What about you guys, have you noticed your musical choices reflecting life at all these days?

Kevin's top albums of 2008

So here are my favorite albums of 2008. Choosing ten wasn't easy because there were a lot of good albums released this year. In my list, you'll notice my tendency to go with strong melodies and well crafted songs. Each of the albums below display those characteristics.

Top albums of 2008
1. Aimee Mann - @%&*! Smilers
2. Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul
3. She & Him - Volume One
4. The Killers - Day & Age
5. Coldplay - Viva La Vida
6. Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs
7. Slow Runner - Mermaids
8. The Explorers Club - Freedom Wind
9. Ben Folds - Way To Normal
10. Phantom Planet - Raise the Dead

Favorite local album
The Rosebuds - Life Like

Favorite EP
Violet Vector & the Lovely Lovelies - EP I

New Year's Eve happenings in the Triangle

Here's what's going in on in the Triangle on New Year's Eve. This is in no way a complete list, but it's an overview of the bigger events going on that will have live music. Click the venue names in the list below to find out more about each event. Also, be sure to let us know if we've missed anything important.

Carrboro
Cat's Cradle - Abbey Road Live w/ The Magictones

Chapel Hill
The Cave - Twilighter
Local 506 - Kerbloki, Red Collar, Hammer No More the Fingers
Mansion 462 - Muddy Honcho, The Ronda Robichaux Band

Durham
Broad Street Cafe - Music Maker Relief Foundation Bash featuring Cool John Ferguson, John Dee Holeman, Boo Hanks, Captain Luke, Macavine Hayes, The Rip It Ups

Raleigh
The Brewery - Kill Whitney Dead, The Demonstration, Wretched, When I Escape
First Night (downtown) - The Smithereens and many other acts
Lincoln Theatre - Unknown Hinson w/ Rebel Son
The Pour House - Urban Sophisticates w/ O Period
Volume 11 Tavern - Slugnut, Kiff, Soulpreacher, End of Days, H.O.W.

Triangle Music's 2008 readers' poll results

So after a few weeks of voting, we now have the results of our "Best albums of 2008" readers' poll. The response was great this year and it was also the most diverse we've had. We received votes for 80 different albums and Ryan Adams & the Cardinals latest album Cardinology came out on top.

Here are our readers' top 10 albums of 2008.

1. Ryan Adams & the Cardinals - Cardinology
2. The Rosebuds - Life Like
3. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
4. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
5. The Black Keys - Attack and Release
6. Okkervil River - The Stand Ins
7. Sigur Rós - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
8. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
9. Coldplay - Viva La Vida
10. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

Check back tomorrow for Triangle Music's top albums of the year.

Free old Arcade Fire song - "Burning Bridges"

To promote their new documentary Miroir Noir, Arcade Fire are giving away an mp3 of a rare old song called "Burning Bridges." To get the song, you have to give up a working email address and they'll send you the download. Click here to to do all that.

Fore more info on Miroir Noir, check out our previous post about it here.

The Rosebuds get 'Life Like' for Paste

The Rosebuds recently stopped by Paste Magazine to film a short set of stripped down tunes from their latest album Life Like. The sparse performance with just Ivan and Kelly's voices, an acoustic guitar and keyboard is quite nice. They played "In the Backyard," "Cape Fear" and "Life Like."

Watch the performances here.

The Rosebuds will hit the road in January which will include a stop at the Cat's Cradle. Check out the dates here.

John Booker of I Was Totally Destroying It's top 10 albums of 2008

Here's another local top 10 list for 2008. John Booker of I Was Totally Destroying It posted his favorite albums of the year along with a band update on MySpace. Booker wasn't afraid to pick a few mainstream albums and defends his picks to the "haters" in his post.

I Was Totally Destroying it made a fairly "prestigious" list themselves. They made The Onion A.V. Club's "The Year In Band Names List" which features the funniest and worst band names of 2008. IWTDI got a nod in the "First Person" category.

John Booker's top 10 albums of 2008:
1. Coldplay - Viva La Vida
2. Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak
3. Marnie Stern - This Is It & I Am It & You Are It & So Is That & He Is It & She Is It & It Is It & That Is That
4. The Sea and Cake - Car Alarm
5. M83 - Saturdays=Youth
6. Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue (reissue)
7. Foals - Antidotes
8. Torche - Meanderthal
9. The Night Marchers - See You in Magic
10. There Will Be Blood soundtrack

[photo by Kevin Norris]

Aimee Mann spoofs A Christmas Carol with John C. Reilly, Michael Cera, more

Somber songwriter Aimee Mann has released a new Christmas comedy video full of famous friends. The four part series is a spoof of "A Christmas Carol" featuring Michael Penn, Paul F. Tompkins, Jon Krasinski, Michael Cera, Grant Lee Phillips and John C. Reilly. Aimee Mann is Scrooge, which isn't a stretch for her musical persona. It's well worth a watch, especially for John C. Reilly, though everyone in it is funny.

Look for Aimee Mann's album @%&*! Smilers on my top 10 for 2008 which will be posted on December 30. If you haven't voted in our 2008 readers' poll yet, there's only two days left to have your voice heard. Voting ends at midnight on Friday, December 26. VOTE HERE.

Part One


Part Two


Part Three


Part Four

Coldplay celebrate the holidays with a free remix

Coldplay are giving away a free download to celebrate the holidays. The track is Thin White Duke's remix of their hit song "Viva La Vida." The download is available on the band's website through January 5.

The remix is pretty groovy. If you're not a fan of the original version, beware because the Thin White Duke mix adds over three minutes to the track. It clocks it at 7:24.

Download the track here.

Adam Baker of Annuals top 10 albums of 2008

Here's an interesting top ten list for 2008. This is Adam Baker's (of Annuals) favorite albums of 2008 as printed in Under the Radar magazine. He put the Jonas Brothers album of all things at the number one spot while giving nods to to local acts The Rosebuds and Lost in the Trees. Check out the list below.

[photo by Kevin Norris]

1. Jonas Brothers - A Little Bit Longer
2. Evangelicals - The Evening Descends
3. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
4. Radiohead - In Rainbows
5. Sigur Rós - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
6. Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst
7. What Laura Says - Thinks and Feels
8. The Rosebuds - Life Like
9. The Dodos - Visiter
10. Lost in the Trees - All Alone in an Empty House

Tift Merritt, Chatham County Line make the AMA's top of 2008

The Americana Music Association recently released their list of the top 100 Americana albums of 2008 based on radio plays. Tift Merritt's latest album Another Country scored the number five spot with 9,243 spins. Not bad for the Raleigh ex-patriate.

Chatham County Line's latest album IV came in at number 54 with 4,047 spins. Local label Yep Roc Records landed four albums on the list including IV, though it's not that shocking since Americana is the label's specialty.

Check out the top 10 below and the complete list of 100 albums here.

AMA Top 10 of 2008
1. Hayes Carll - Trouble in the Mind
2. James McMurty - Just Us Kids
3. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
4. Steve Earle - Washing Square Serenade
5. Tift Merritt - Another Country
6. Ryan Bingham - Mescalito
7. John Hiatt - Same Old Man
8. The Band of Heathens - The Band of Heathens
9. Levon Helm - Dirt Farmer
10. Alejandro Escovedo - Real Animal

Southeast Performer magazine closes its doors

Another casualty of the crummy economy, regional music magazine Southeast Performer has closed its doors.

An email from the editor late yesterday afternoon said there may be a digital publication run out of Performer's Boston headquarters, but for now, this is the end.

The magazine had featured Annuals, The Sammies, Cary Ann Hearst and Band of Horses on its cover and was a great tool for local and regional acts. Best of luck to the magazine's editor, Leila Regan-Porter, and the rest of the staff.

Annuals return to Daytrotter

Annuals recorded a new session for Daytrotter recently that was posted on Friday. Four tracks are available to download including "Confessor," "Always Do" and "Springtime" from Such Fun and "Around Your Neck" from the Wet Zoo EP. The performances are incredibly good and the recording is amazing. Download the tracks here.

While you're at it, if you haven't heard the band's original Daytrotter session posted in January 2007, check that out here.

Annuals will hit the road in 2009 for a long tour with What Laura Says and Jessica Lea Mayfield which will stop at the Cat's Cradle on January 31. Check out the rest of the dates here.

Candlebox to kick off Downtown Live in 2009

Continuing the trend of the past few years, the Raleigh Downtown Live concert series' first performer for 2009 has surfaced and is none other than Candlebox (we know this thanks to On the Beat). Yes, Candlebox. That band that had that one hit song, "Far Away," back in 1993 which was enough to help them move four million copies their self-titled album. The band will play the free Raleigh show on May 30.

So it looks like we're in for another bleak year of Downtown Live shows. We've come to expect it though. Happy holidays!

"Far Behind"

Ivan Howard, Reid Johnson play solo Friday night

Ivan Howard (of The Rosebuds) and Reid Johnson (of Schooner) will both play solo sets Friday night, December 19 at Rebus Works' special Christmas show. The music will start at 7:30 PM.

The gallery will be having a 5-10-20 sale. That translates to 5-inch art from 10 artists for $20 per piece. Other downtown galleries will also be open late Friday night. Proceeds from Rebus' art sales will be split between the artists and the Interfaith Food Shelter.

Rebus Works is at 301-2 Kinsey Street in Raleigh.

Check out a review and photos of Ivan and Reid playing with their band The Flute Flies at Local 506 here.

[photo by Kevin Norris]

New Novel video featuring Ben Folds - "I Am"

Upcoming hip-hop artist Novel chose an interesting partner for his song "I Am." He tapped former Triangle resident and local superstar Ben Folds to sample on the song. Not only did he sample Folds' song "The Luckiest" from 2001's Rockin' the Suburbs, but Folds played piano and sang on the track. The track also features Talib Kweli and Spree Wilson.

"I Am" is featured on Novel's I Am... (The Future Black President) The EP. Check out the video for the track below. Folds does not appear in the video.

Vote now in our annual readers' poll!

Do you have a new favorite album this year that you're just dying to tell the world about? Well here's your chance!! There's still a week left to vote in the 2008 Reader's Poll.

Just click here, submit your favorite five albums that came out this year and sit back while we tabulate the results. (Which reminds me, whoever it was that wasted their time typing "don't know" five times? Dude, that was just sad.) We'll post your favorites on Monday, Dec. 29, followed by our own top 10 lists on Dec. 30. Happy Festivus to all!

Dr. Dog announce 2009 US dates

Philadelphia band Dr. Dog have just announced their first US dates for 2009. The tour will kick off on February 11 in Raleigh of all places. The band will play The Pour House. Massachusetts band Drug Rug will open the entire tour.

Check out a recent live performance by Dr. Dog at The Parish in Austin, TX here.

Tickets for The Pour House show are not on sale yet, but be sure to get them in advance. The band packed Local 506 last time they were in the Triangle.

[UPDATE 12/18: Tickets for The Pour House show are on sale now for $12 via musictoday.com.]

Dr. Dog US tour:
02.11.09 - The Pour House - Raleigh, NC
02.12.09 - The Grey Eagle - Asheville, NC
02.13.09 - Tasty World - Athens, GA
02.14.09 - Mercy Lounge - Nashville, TN
02.17.09 - One Eyed Jacks - New Orleans, LA
02.18.09 - Club Downunder - Tallahassee, FL
02.19.09 - Crowbar - Ybor City, FL
02.20.09 - Culture Room - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
02.21.09 - The Social - Orlando, FL
02.22.09 - Cafe 11 - St. Augustine, FL
02.24.09 - Gravity Lounge - Charlottesville, VA

Morrissey to bring 'Tour of Refusal' to Triangle

Smiths' frontman and all around enigmatic character Morrissey has extended his "Tour of Refusal" to include a date in Durham. Where else would he be playing but the new Durham Performing Arts Center. The show will be on March 11 and tickets go on sale this Friday, December 19 at 10AM. Tickets prices will be $42 to $25.

Morrissey's new album Years of Refusal is due out February 16 in the UK, so it's presumably out on February 17 in the US. [UPADTE: Morrissey has inked a deal with Lost Highway Records who will release the album in the US on February 17.]

[found via On the Beat]

Morrissey US tour dates:
02.28.09 - Boca Raton, FL - Mizner Park
03.01.09 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live
03.03.09 - Jacksonville, FL - Florida Theater
03.04.09 - St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus Landing
03.06.09 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House Of Blues
03.07.09 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
03.09.09 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
03.11.09 - Durham, NC - Durham Performing Arts Center
03.13.09 - Richmond, VA - The National
03.14.09 - Washington, DC - Warner Theater
03.16.09 - Montclair, NJ - Wellmont Theater
03.17.09 - Pittsburgh, PA - Carnegie Music Hall
03.19.09 - Buffalo, NY - University at Buffalo Center for the Arts
03.21.09 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
03.22.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Academy
03.25.09 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
03.26.09 - New York, NY - Carnegie Hall
03.28.09 - Mashantucket, CT - Foxwoods
03.29.09 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
03.31.09 - Ann Arbor, MI - Michigan Theater
04.01.09 - Columbus, OH - Palace Theater
04.03.09 - Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Ballroom
04.04.09 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom
04.06.09 - Minneapolis, MN - State Theater
04.07.09 - Kansas City, MO - Midland Theater
04.08.09 - St. Louis, MO - Pageant
04.10.09 - Dallas, TX - Palladium Ballroom
04.11.09 - Houston, TX - Jones Hall
04.12.09 - Austin, TX - Bass Concert Hall
04.14.09 - El Paso, TX - Chavez Theater
04.15.09 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater

Independent's 'The Triangle's best 40 songs of 2008'

The Independent has released their annual "The Triangle's Best Songs" list. This year the list features 40 songs as opposed to last year's 35. Check out the list below and go to The Independent's site to download all 40 songs and read the reasoning behind each pick.

American Aquarium - "California"
Americans In France - "Liking You"
Annuals - "Hardwood Floor"
Auxes - "Burning Brighter"
Bellafea - "Depart (I Never Knew You)"
Birds of Avalon - "Earthbound"
Bombadil - "Cavaliers Har Hum"
Boyzone - "Sixth Hunkth"
Caltrop - "Sliceolator"
Chatham County Line - "Birmingham Jail"
Thad Cockrell - "Pride (Won't Get Us Where We're Going)"
The Curtains of Night - "Total Domination"
David Karsten Daniels - "Martha Ann"
Lois Deloatch - "Down By the Riverside"
The Dirty Little Heaters - "Untitled"
Double Negative - "Raw Engergy EP"
The Dry Heathens - "Splendid Little War"
Bryce Clayton Eiman - "The Black & the Black"
The Foreign Exchange - "Daykeeper"
Goner - "Hella Jean"
John Dee Holeman - "You Got to Lose, You Can't Win All the Time"
Michael Holland - "Ballad of Eric Rudolph"
I Was Totally Destroying It - "Done Waiting"
K-Hill w/ Keisha Shontelle - L.O.V.E."
Kooley High - "Kool With It"
L.E.G.A.C.Y. feat. Lunatic Messiah - "No Regrets"
Lost in the Trees - "Walk Around the Lake"
Lud - "A Tribute to German Jam Bands of the Late 1960s and Early 1970s"
The Mountain Goats - "Lovecraft In Brooklyn"
Pacific Before Tiger - "In Gold"
The Physics of Meaning - "Why Can't We Fall in Love Forever? (Anything is Possible)"
Portastatic - "Boy From School"
The Proclivities - "The Elephant"
The Rosebuds - "Nice Fox"
The Strugglers - "Out on the Main Drag"
Transportation - "Tell Me What You Want"
Valient Thorr - "I Hope the Ghosts of the Dead Haunt Yr Soul Forever"
Waumiss - "Nightingale"
Whatever Brains - "Swhatever"
The Whistlestop - "You Better Praise"

Dave Matthews Band unveils 2009 dates, Avetts, Roots and Old Crow to open

Dave Matthews Band fans will catch a little relief from the sweltering summer heat this year — the band is going back to playing late spring dates with stops in Raleigh and Charlotte.

The band will play Time Warner Cable Music Pavillion at Walnut Creek (whew! deep breath...) on Wed., April 22 followed by Charlotte's Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre on Friday, April 24.

Opening those dates, as well as a handful in Texas and the southwest are Carolina favorites The Avett Brothers. The Roots, Old Crow Medicine Show and Jason Mraz will open the rest of the dates announced so far.

Tickets to the two North Carolina shows will go on sale Friday, January 17, at 10am.

Dave Matthews Band's as-yet-untitled new album will be out on April 14. The album, the group's first since LeRoi Moore's death last year, was produced by Rob Cavallo — who you may remember from Green Day's American Idiot. It will certainly be interesting to see how longtime fans respond to this one. Are we in store for another Glen Ballard-style revolt? (P.S. I thought Everyday was a good album. Don't tell.)

04.14.09 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden !
04.15.09 - East Rutherford, NJ - IZOD Center !
04.17.09 - Charlottesville, VA - John Paul Jones Arena #
04.18.09 - Charlottesville, VA - John Paul Jones Arena #
04.20.09 - Pelham, AL - Verizon Wireless Music Center #
04.22.09 - Raleigh, NC - Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion $
04.24.09 - Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre $
04.25.09 - Nashville, TN - Vanderbilt Stadium
04.26.09 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Jazz Heritage Festival
04.28.09 - Alpharetta, GA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre $
04.29.09 - Alpharetta, GA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre $
05.01.09 - The Woodlands, TX - The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion $
05.02.09 - Dallas, TX - Superpages.com Center $
05.05.09 - Albuquerque, NM - Journal Pavilion $
05.06.09 - Phoenix, AZ - Cricket Wireless Pavilion $
05.08.09 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena %
05.09.09 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena %

! w/ the Roots
# w/ Old Crow Medicine Show
$ w/ The Avett Brothers
% w/ Jason Mraz

The Flute Flies, The Magic Babies celebrate CyTunes launch

The Flute Flies and The Magic Babies celebrated the launch of CyTunes on Friday with a packed show at Local 506.

The Magic Babies played first and killed with a set of groovy power-pop songs. The band's music is reminiscent of Big Star's more upbeat tunes. The set included a great Hollies cover that I can't remember now (if anyone knows what it was, drop us a line in the comments) of "Then the Heartaches Begin" (thanks Alex). Definitely check The Magic Babies out if you have a chance.

The debut performance by The Flute Flies came next. The band played their three songs that they wrote specifically for CyTunes as well as songs from each member's respective bands, including two Rosebuds songs. Zeno Gill took lead vocals on "Back To Boston" while Reid Johnson sang "Drunkards Worst Nightmare."

The band had some technical problems throughout the set and the songs were not as tight as they could have been, but the band seemed to be having a blast playing their debut set for a great cause. Hopefully, the area will see more Flute Flies shows in the future.

The low point of the night was some brief "comedy" by Trent Bowles of Popular Kids. Maybe there's some inside jokes that I didn't get, but the set seemed really tasteless, especially the jokes about Cy (which I won't repeat here). The crowd seemed stunned by some of the "jokes" too.

Go to CyTunes.org to download music from both The Magic Babies and The Flute Flies.

[all photos by Kevin Norris]

The Magic Babies


The Flute Flies


Trent Bowles

CyTunes is live now!

CyTunes wasn't scheduled to launch until midnight tonight, but the site is live now. Here's the current list of artists who have contributed songs for download.

• All Night
• Cantwell, Gomez & Jordan
• Chew Toy
• Cy Rawls' Sweet Militia
• The Dirty Little Heaters
• Double Negative
• Evil Wiener
• The Ex-Monkeys
• The Experts
• The Flute Flies
• Geezer Lake
• Greenades
• Hammer No More the Fingers
• I Was Totally Destroying It
• Joby's Opinion
• Johnson, Eubank, Morrow, Pence
• Josh Zaslow
• Lesbian Afternoon
• The Magic Babies
• Mercury Birds
• The Nein
• North Elementary
• Polvo
• Razzle
• Red Collar
• The Rosebuds
• Ryan Pound
• Shake Some Action!
• Sorry About Dresden
• Starmount
• Stratocruiser
• Superchunk
• Tractor Hips
• Wes Phillips

That's quite a launch. More songs will be added regularly, but that should be plenty to get people started. Oh, and the launch party at Local 506 starts in about 25 minutes. You'd better hurry.

Arcade Fire to release documentary

The fantastic Arcade Fire are gearing up to release a 70-minute documentary of the making of Neon Bible directed by Vincent Morisset. The documentary will include tour footage from the band's 2006 and 2007 tours shot by Vincent Moon. The titled of the film is Miroir Noir which is French for "Black Mirror."

The film will be available as a digital download via miroir-noir.com on Monday, December 15. It will also be available to order as a standard DVD or deluxe DVD form on that date. The deluxe version will include the band's SNL, Friday Night with Johnathan Ross and BBC performances. There's no word on when the DVD's will ship.

Watch the trailer for the film here.

[UPDATE: The DVDs will ship no later than March 31, 2009. When you pre-order either version of the DVD, you receive an instant download of the film.]

Roman Candle's new EP is free or pay what you want

Roman Candle have taken a page from the Radiohead playbook and released their new EP titled Eden Was a Garden via the "pay-what-you-want" model. But Roman Candle's version has a twist. The EP is also available via the "pay-nothing" model.

Here are the details. The EP is available via the Bandcamp download service. The format of the free version is 128kbps mp3s. If you choose the "pay-what-you-want" plan, there are numerous format options. They are:

• mp3 320kbps
• mp3 VBR high
• mp3 VBR low
• AAC high
• AAC low
• Ogg Vorbis
• FLAC
• Apple Loseless

The band's album The Wee Hours Review is also available via the "pay-what-you-want" model, but is not available for free. Both downloads are available here. The EP is also available on the band's MySpace via SnoCap for the usual price of $.99 a track.

The vinyl version of Eden Was a Garden is available at shows and has an extra b-side.

Roman Candle are currently wrapping up work on their new full-length album Oh Tall Tree in the Ear which will be out in 2009.

Joan Baez to tour in 2009, stop in the Triangle

Folk legend Joan Baez will hit the road in February 2009 to tour the US which will include a stop in the Triangle. She joins the ever growing list of first-class performers coming to Durham with a stop at the Carolina Theatre on February 28 on her schedule.

Tickets for the Durham show go on sale tomorrow, December 11 via tickets.com. They'll be $50, $40 and $35 depending upon the seat.

Baez's latest album Day After Tomorrow came out in September. It's her 33rd album (that's counting live albums).

Joan Baez tour dates:
02.16.09 - Monterey, CA - Golden State Theatre
02.17.09 - Santa Barbara, CA - Lobero Theatre
02.19.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Royce Hall (UCLA)
02.21.09 - Mesa, AZ - Ikeda Theatre (Mesa Arts Center)
02.22.09 - Albuquerque, NM - Hispanic Cultural Center Disney Theater
02.24.09 - Dallas, TX - Lakewood Theater
02.25.09 - Austin, TX - Paramount Theater
02.27.09 - Nashville, TN - Jame K. Polk Theatre [Tickets]
02.28.09 - Durham, NC - Carolina Theatre
03.02.09 - Charlotte, NC - McGlohon Theatre at Spirit Square [Tickets]
03.03.09 - Charlottesville, VA - Paramount Theatre
03.05.09 - Pittsburgh, PA - Byham Theatre
03.06.09 - Ithaca, NY - State Theater
03.07.09 - Cleveland, OH - Ohio Theater
03.09.09 - Columbus, OH - Southern Theatre [Tickets]
03.10.09 - Louisville, KY - Brown Theatre
03.13.09 - Bloomington, IN - Buskirk-Chumley Theater
03.14.09 - Madison, WI - Barrymore Theatre
03.16.09 - Columbia, MO - Missouri Theatre [Tickets]
03.17.09 - Lawrence, KS - Liberty Hall [Tickets]
03.19.09 - Beaver Creek, CO - Vilar Center for the Arts
03.21.09 - Boise, ID - Egyptian Theatre
03.22.09 - Sandpoint, ID - Panida Theater
03.24.09 - Missoula, MT - University Theatre
03.25.09 - Bozeman, MT - Emerson Cultural Center
03.27.09 - Calgary, AB - Jack Singer [Tickets]
03.29.09 - Edmonton, AB - Winspear
03.31.09 - Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theater [Tickets]

Schoolkids Records is on the move

You'd think with so few local music stores in the area it wouldn't be hard to keep track of where they're located. But alas, you'd be wrong.

Schoolkids Records final outpost in the Triangle is on the move again, this time back east on Hillsborough Street, past its previous location to the strip across from the NC State bell tower. The move should happen in mid-January, reports the N&O's David Menconi.

The space is smaller, but rent is cheaper, so hopefully owners will be able to hang on a little longer in tough economic times. Fingers crossed that space allows for the shop to continue hosting in-store performances.

CyTunes to launch Friday night

The digital download service CyTunes, created in memory of local music supporter Cy Rawls, is set to launch on Friday night reports The Independent. The site will go live at midnight following the CyTunes launch party at Local 506 featuring The Flute Flies and The Magic Babies.

The service will feature complete live sets from Superchunk and Polvo as well as unreleased music from Hammer No More the Fingers, The Flute Flies and two dozen other bands. All of the money raised from the digital sales will be given to the Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke Medical Center which treated Rawls.

Go to CyTunes.org to see a countdown to the launch.

Cary Ann Hearst & Michael Trent bring you Shovels & Rope

In 2007, soulful songstress Cary Ann Hearst and The Films' frontman Michael Trent combined their immense talent to record a duet album. It is titled Shovels & Rope is finally available to the masses after only being available at the duo's shows. The album is available via CD Baby, but keeps flying off the virtual shelves. Keep checking back because they restock regularly. The album should also be on iTunes soon.

The lo-fi album was recorded on tape by acclaimed drummer and producer Joey Waronker (Elliott Smith, Beck, Smashing Pumpkins). The album is reminiscent of The Band and Johnny and June Carter cash, but with a darker undercurrent.

I honesty can't describe the music with the panache that Hearst does, so here's a brief description in her own words.

"The record is a bunch of songs about the same people in a crappy town. Its dark, like rays of light bursting through dirty black lace. The good guys are bad guys, the bad guys are the heroes and a kid gets the death penalty. I mean dark. BUT, its beautiful. Sometimes it is stark, sparse and haunting. Other songs are lush, sweaty and haunting."

The tracks include eight originals by the duo and a country version of the Jump, Little Children song "Mexico" written by Jay Clifford and a brooding version of the old Charlie Feathers tune "Can't Hardly Stand It."

Download one of my favorites from the album "Boxcar" below and don't forget to pick up the album from CD Baby. It'll make a great gift.

Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent - "Boxcar" (mp3)
[the mp3 link has been fixed]

Willie Nelson, Ani DiFranco to play Durham

Durham is becoming the place to see bigger shows. Country legend Willie Nelson is the latest addition to the Durham Performing Arts Center schedule. He will play the venue on February 20 according to Pollstar. Tickets will go on sale to the public on December 19 and Willie's fan club pre-sale starts on December 15.

The Red Headed Stranger has three more North Carolina dates on the books as well. Asleep at the Wheel will open all of the dates. Check out the dates below.

Willie's latest album is a duet record Wyton Marsalis titled Two Men With the Blues.

Willie Nelson NC dates:
02.18.09 - Williamston, NC - Bob Martin Agricultural Center
02.19.09 - Boone, NC - The Holmes Center
02.20.09 - Durham, NC - Durham Performing Arts Center
02.21.09 - Greensboro, NC - War Memorial Auditorium

Also, thanks to On the Beat, we know that prolific singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco will play the Carolina Theatre on March 10. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, December 12, via the theatre box office and at carolinatheatre.org.

Difranco's latest album Red Letter Year was released in September. Download a track from the album below.

Ani DiFranco - "Emancipated Minor" (mp3)

Time to vote in the Best of 2008 readers' poll

It's that time of year again. The year is drawing to a close and we want to know what your favorite albums of 2008 are. We'll accept submissions through Friday, December 26 and post the results on Monday, December 29. Now for the details.

We've created an easy way to submit your lists this year. Just click the link below and the process will be quick and painless. It'll ask "What are your top 5 albums released in 2008?" There will be a box below the question and just fill in the 5 albums. Easy, no?

Submit your top 5 here.

We here at Triangle Music will also post our favorite albums of the year as we've done for the past few years. That post will come on December 30.

A.C. Newman, The Broken West tour in 2009

New Pornographers frontman A.C. Newman is gearing up to release his second solo album Get Guilty on January 20. He will hit the road in March with The Broken West to support it.

The tour includes a stop at the Cat's Cradle on January 19, which is a plus considering The New Pornographers have passed over the Triangle on their recent tours. Tickets will be $12 in advance and will be on sale soon via etix.com.

Check out a download from Get Guilty as well as one from The Broken West's latest album Now or Heaven at the bottom of the post.

A.C. Newman w/ The Broken West tour dates:
03.17.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
03.18.09 - Washington, DC - Black Cat
03.19.09 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
03.20.09 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl
03.21.09 - Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge
03.22.09 - St. Louis, MO - Duck Room
03.24.09 - Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar
03.25.09 - Chicago, IL - Logan Square
03.26.09 - Pontiac, MI - Pike Room
03.27.09 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
03.28.09 - Pittsburgh, PA - Andy Warhol Museum

A.C. Newman - "There Are Maybe Ten or Twelve" (mp3)
The Broken West - "Auctioneer" (mp3)

The Rosebuds add Cradle show to winter tour

Just a few days ago we brought you The Rosebuds new winter tour dates. It seems that we posted a little too soon because they've now added a show at the Cat's Cradle on January 24. It'll be a great night of music with Megafaun and The Love Language opening the show. Tickets for the show are on sale now for $10 via etix.com.

The Love Language will actually open all of The Rosebuds upcoming dates.

The Rosebuds tour:
01.14.09 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
01.15.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
01.16.09 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
01.17.09 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East (downstairs)
01.23.09 - Charlotte, NC - Visulite Theatre
01.24.09 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle

Dar Williams lines-up 2009 dates

Pop folkstress Dar Williams has scheduled her first tour dates for 2009 which will include a stop in the Triangle. The dates will keep her on the east coast for the early part of next year. Joshua Radin will open all of the January dates.

Williams and Radin will play the Cat's Cradle on January 28. Tickets will go on sale on Wednesday, December 10 via etix.com for $22.

Dar Williams just released her latest album titled Promised Land in September. The album features a nifty little cover of the Fountains of Wayne song "Troubled Times." Check out that track on MySpace and download "It's Alright" from the album below.

Dar Williams - "It's Alright" (mp3)

Dar Williams 2009 tour dates:
01.22.09 - Boston, MA - Paradise
01.23.09 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
01.24.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Keswick Theatre
01.26.09 - Richmond, VA - The National
01.28.09 - Carborro, NC - Cat’s Cradle
01.30.09 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre
03.0609 - Rockland, ME - The Historic Strand Theatre
03.07.09 - Brownfield, ME - The Stone Mountain Arts Center
03.14.09 - Bayshore, NY - Boulton Center for the Arts
03.15.09 - Ridgefield, CT - Ridgefield Playhouse

Flute Flies, Magic Babies play CyTunes show

The new mini-supergroup The Flute Flies and The Magic Babies will play a free show to launch CyTunes. The show will be the first live performance by The Flute Flies. In addition to sets by the two bands the show will also feature Rockin' Amonia Karaoke and DJ Viva.

The show will take place at Local 506 on December 12 at 9 PM. Find out more on Flute Flies here.

Christmas at the Cradle takes shape

The bands for the annual Trekky Records "Christmas at the Cradle" event have been announced. This year's show is on December 15 and advance tickets are $8. A portion of the proceeds from ticket and CD sales will go to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Check out this year's participating bands below.

The Trekky Yultide Orchestra
Megafaun
Sorry About Dresden
The Future Kings of Nowhere
The Scene of the Crime Rovers
North Elementary
Rock & Roll Elf (Clarque Blomquist of The Kingsbury Manx)
The International Grapevine

The Trekky Yultide Orchestra - "All I Want For Christmas is You" (mp3)
Megafaun - "Lazy Suicide" (mp3)

The Rosebuds add winter dates

The Rosebuds have lined up their first dates for 2009. So far the tour is just a short run up the east coast. The band just wrapped up their fall tour on Wednesday night at The Pour House.

The Rosebuds latest album Life Like is out now and made David Menconi's local music "Holiday gift guide." Check out the list for some great holiday gift ideas.

Oh, and don't forget to check out Ivan's new project The Flute Flies. There's more info on that here.

The Rosebuds tour:
01.14.09 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
01.15.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
01.16.09 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
01.17.09 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East (downstairs)

Ryan Adams working on follow-up to Cardinology

Ryan "Workaholic" Adams has already started working on the follow-up to Cardinology which just came out in October. The new album's working title is Dear Impossible.

Adams is currently working alone and plans to bring the Cardinals in later to fill out the tracks. He has said that the songs have a Love Is Hell vibe to them and has also compared the songs to The Smiths' Hatful of Hollow and Sonic Youth's Sister. Quite the comparisons, no?

Check out the most recent list of songs for the album below. Who knows how many if any of these songs will actually make the album. Stay updated on Adams whereabouts and his random thoughts via his current blog. Check out his current tour dates with Oasis here.

Dear Impossible working track list:
FireFly
So Quiet, It’s Loud
Goodbye Sunshine
Universe Size Arms
Dear Impossible
Please, Hold On
Souls Full of Holes
Ok, I Surrender
Wild & Hopeless
Kaleidoscope Eyes
Your Name Here
Mirror-Gold
The Lights
Lost in Space