Natalie Merchant commands stage at DPAC

All photos by Kevin Norris

Natalie Merchant was in complete control on Monday night. Her voice, her music, her band, her stage and her audience were all at her whim.

Her voice, powerful and rich, filled the Durham Performing Arts Center. In person, her voice grabs you by the ear and demands attention.

Her music appeared to fuel her on stage. She’s constantly animating her songs with arm, leg and body motions as she dances across the stage and around the band. At times the movements turn into cues as she directs her band members. Her stage presence is commanding.

We Are Scientists announces October dates, coming to Carrboro

New York rockers We Are Scientists are one of those American bands who have had more success in Europe than they have in their home country, but that's not stopping them from launching a 3-week North American tour this October is support of their new album Barbara, released in June.

The tour will stop at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Sunday, Oct. 17. Tickets will go on sale soon via etix for $12. The Twin Tigers and Rewards will open the show.

Check out the music video/skate (or scooter) video for the song "Nice Guys" from Barbara below which features the aforementioned scooter, some squirrels a toddler and more.

Album Review: The Clientele - Minotaur

The Clientele are serving up more of the reverb-drenched dream pop they’ve perfected, but some slight tweaks to the formula make their new mini-album, Minotaur, more than just something to hold fans over to their next full-length release.

Passionate Clientele fans probably decided to pick Minotaur up the second they heard about it and their patronage will be rewarded. The first five songs are relaxed and gorgeous. The standout is “Jerry” with its bright and breezy tune, but “As the World Rises and Falls” is right behind it, both in sequence and in quality. It's as catchy a song as the band has ever written.

The bouncy tempo and muted trumpets of “Paul Verlaine” should delight as well giving Minotaur a trio of strong tracks that wouldn’t be out of place on a full release.

Final three N.C. State Fair performers announced

The final three Dorton Arena performers for the 2010 N.C. State Fair have been released and surprise, they're all country, though one wasn't always a country singer. The big addition is former Hootie and the Blowfish frontman turned country star Darius Rucker on Saturday, Oct. 23.

The other acts announced are Easton Corbin and Justin Moore. Tickets for all three shows go on sale on Wednesday, Sept. 1 at 8 a.m. here.

Check out the full line-up below and our previous post about the performers here. We still recommend checking out Carolina Chocolate Drops for just $5.

New video from Ben Folds & Nick Hornby - "Things You Think"

In the process of promoting their highly anticipated album Lonely Avenue, Ben Folds and Nick Hornby took a little time to record and film a brand new song not featured on the album with the duo Pomplamoose who has become famous for the concept of VideoSong.

The process involves filming every part of the recording process and shining a little light on the multi-tracking which goes into making music. At the end, they're left with a very sharp, cool looking video.

The song they recorded is titled "Things You Think," which, like the album, features lyrics written by Nick Hornby. The album only features Folds singing, but Hornby contributed a spoken word part on this song, which is excellent. Check out the video below and the song has also been made available on iTunes.

Album Review: Darien - Theorem

Inspired by the extremes of deep sea and deep space on her debut EP, Theorum, singer-songwriter Darien Crossley finds a happy medium, shining on Theorem with an acoustic guitar and a cool indie-rock feel.


The entire EP flows well, the only low point coming about two thirds of the way through "Marianas Trench" (if you'll excuse the pun). There's a weird change in the rhythm section that interrupts an already solid beat with a noise that makes it seem like the song is skipping.

Lost in the Trees plays unreleased song for Daytrotter

There's no denying that Daytrotter is one of the coolest music sites around these days and they seem to like bands from the Triangle. The Rosebuds, Annuals, Megafaun and others have recorded sessions for them. Now they've added another Triangle band to the list, Lost in the Trees, who just re-released their stellar album All Alone in an Empty House in August.

The band played three songs from the album, the title track, "Walk Around the Lake" and "Song For the Painter." They also performed a really great unreleased song called "An Artists Song." Stream or download the session here.

Lost in the Trees next local show is at the free Trekky Hopscotch day party on Saturday, Sept. 11 at The Pour House in Raleigh. Check out a full list of the band's upcoming shows below.

Kings is reopening on Saturday night!

Since closing it's doors over three years ago to make a way for a parking deck in downtown Raleigh, Kings Barcade is finally ready to open it's doors once more at their new location at 14 W. Martin St.

The club will open on Saturday night, Aug. 28 with Bandway, Dynamite Brothers and Starmount. Doors will open at 8:30 p.m. with music starting at 9:30 p.m.

The opening was originally slate for Friday, Aug. 27, but the opening was pushed back a day due to inspections needing to be passed, which they now have. The Aug. 27 show featuring Spring Collection, The Royal Nites and The Tomahawks has been moved to Slim's.

The Rocket Summer announces acoustic tour, coming to Chapel Hill

Photo by Jered Scott

Chipper power pop rocker Bryce Avary, better known as The Rocket Summer, is launching an acoustic tour in October in support of his latest album Of Men and Angels, released in February via Island Records.

The tour will kick off in Chapel Hill at Local 506 on Tuesday, Oct. 12. Tickets will be $15 in advance and will be available via etix soon.

Check out the music video of the song "Hills and Valleys" from Of Men and Angels below along with the current tour schedule.

Deer Tick announces fall tour, coming back to Chapel Hill

The gritty Rhode Island lads of Deer Tick are preparing to hit the road again this October for a run of North American dates in support of their new album The Black Dirt Sessions, released in June via Partisan Records.

The tour will kick off right here in the Triangle on Wednesday, Oct. 6 at Local 506 in Chapel Hill. Ticket and opening act info is not available yet, but we'll keep you posted. Tickets are $12 in advance via etix.

Download the song "Piece by Piece and Frame By Frame" from The Black Dirt Sessions below where you'll also find Deer Tick's tour schedule. Also, you can check out photos and a review of Deer Tick frontman John McCauley's in-store at Schoolkids Records in October 2009 here.

Triangle Music's recommended Hopscotch Festival sets

After spending quite a bit of time digging through songs by each artist playing the clubs during the Hopscotch Festival in downtown Raleigh on Sept. 9-11, we've made our own version of the schedule with our recommended sets to catch.

There are some overlaps, especially on Friday, since 9th Wonder's big party at Lincoln Theatre and Saturday, since Megafaun's "A Seamless Night of Sound" event at Kings are both all night events. Also, we this is recommendations just for the club shows, and we highly recommend you check out part or all of the big City Plaza shows on Friday (Broken Social Scene, Panda Bear and The Rosebuds) and Saturday (Public Enemy, No Age and The Love Language).

Download a PDF of our customized schedule HERE. The recommended shows are in yellow.

Videos: Megafaun cover Gillian Welch & Bon Iver with The Tallest Man on Earth & Jaw Lesson

Local trio Megafaun are currently galavanting across Europe, bringing their unique brand of southern folk to the masses. During the Green Man Festival in Wales on Sunday, Aug. 22, the band teamed up with The Tallest Man on Earth for an amazing cover of Gillian Welch's "Everything Is Free" and someone captured it in HD video and uploaded in to YouTube. Check it out below.

The musicians all teamed up earlier this year at a secret show in Europe and performed a breathtaking cover of Bon Iver's "Creature Fear." Check out that video below too.

Megafaun are coming home soon to play the Hopscotch Festival in downtown Raleigh on September 9-11 (tickets available here) and then a three-night stand at the Hayti Center in Durham on Sept. 17-19 with Fight the Big Bull, Justin Vernon and Sharon Van Etten (tickets available here).

Leslie bringing southern rock to Raleigh this weekend

Photo by Austin Nelson

Charleston, SC trio Leslie are taking their southern rock swagger across the Carolinas over the next few months and we'll be stopping in the Triangle this weekend.

They'll play Slim's in downtown Raleigh on Saturday, Aug. 28 with The Debonzo Brothers. The cover for shows at Slim's is usually $3 or $5, but it is not specified.

Leslie just released a their new single, "Touch Me" for free. The song is from a forthcoming album which they've been working on for quite a while. Download the track via the widget below.

Los Campesinos! announce October tour, coming back to Carrboro

U.K. band Los Campesinos! are gearing up for another North American tour this October in support of their latest album Romance Is Boring as well as their even newer digital EP All's Well That Ends Well.

The band will stop at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Monday Oct. 18. Tickets for the show are on sale via etix for $15, or you can buy them now via the band's ticketing store for $19.43 which also includes a download of the new EP. Johnny Foreigner will open the show.

Stream the song "I Warned You: Do Not Make an Enemy of Me" from Romance Is Boring below.

Shearwater announce November tour with Damien Jurado

Photo by Amy V. Cooper

Austin, TX indie folk band Shearwater are gearing up for another U.S. tour this November in support of their latest album The Golden Archipelago and they'll be bringing singer-songwriter Damien Jurado along for the trek.

The band will play Local 506 in Chapel Hill for the second time this year on Saturday, Nov. 6. They were last here with Wye Oak in March. Tickets for the November show are on sale now via etix for $10.

Download the song "Black Eyes" from The Golden Archipelago below as well as the song "Arkansas"  from Jurado's latest album Saint Bartlett released in May via Secretly Canadian.

Vampire Weekend & Beach House extend tour, coming to Raleigh

Just when we thought there would be no new announcements for the inaugural season of the Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater, here comes to the coolest show booked at the venue to date.

Indie superstars Vampire Weekend have extended their fall tour with Beach House and will play the venue on Sunday, Oct. 17. Tickets for the show will go on sale here on Friday Aug. 27 for $28.50 or $37.50. Students will be given a $5 discount if they buy tickets at the Progress Energy Center box office and present their student ID (there is a limit of two tickets per ID).

Vampire Weekend's sophomore release Contra was released in January. Check out the video for the excellent song "Giving Up the Gun" from the album below along with the full tour schedule.

The Posies & Brendan Benson announce US tour, coming to Carrboro

Photo by Christine Taylor

Seattle rockers The Posies are gearing up to release their first new album in five years titled Blood/Candy via Rykodisc on Sept. 28. The release will be followed by a five week tour with songwriter (and member of The Raconteurs) Brendan Benson starting in the November.

The tour will bring the band to where else but the Cat's Cradle on Thursday, Nov. 18. Seattle based group Aqueduct will open the show. Tickets go on sale on Friday, Aug. 27 via etix for $18.

Check out the track "Licenses To Hide" from The Posies new album at Spin.com. Brendan Benson's latest album My Old, Familiar Friend was released in 2009. Check out a performance of "Garbage Day" from filmed for KCRW last year below along with the complete tour schedule.

Fans pack Schoolkids for Love Language in-store

All photos by Kevin Norris

Saturday afternoon brought local superstars The Love Language to Schoolkids Records in Raleigh for a free in-store performance in support of their sophomore album Libraries.

The band decorated the small stage with a few lamps and the store lights were cut off to create an intimate environment, even in the brightness of the afternoon.

The stripped down set-up did not keep the band from tackling some of the denser songs from their latest album, including fielding a view requests for the songs "Pedals" and "This Blood Is Our Own." Early in the set, the band payed tribute to local band Gross Ghost by covering the song "Lurker."

Album review: BARB - BARB

New Zealanders Liam Finn, EJ Barnes, Connan Mockasin, Lawrence Arabia and Seamus Ebbs have taken a break from their respective careers to form the side project BARB. Written and recorded in one month, their self-titled debut is an enjoyable albeit unpolished jam session.

BARB gets in the groove right away with “Leo.” It’s loose, lighthearted and sets the tone for much of the album. Despite clocking in at 48 minutes, the album blows by like an afternoon nap thanks to the band’s carefree style.

Chatham County Line dazzles another North Carolina crowd

After spending most of the summer touring in support of their latest release, Chatham County Line returned home to Raleigh to stun yet another crowd. You might expect a band to be worn-out and weary by the end of such a tour, but Chatham County Line came together for a truly excellent evening at the Fletcher Opera Theatre.

Most of the evening's material came from their highly-acclaimed new release Wildwood and their 2008 release IV. The group also threw in a few older favorites, such as "Route 23," "By the Riverside," and "Speed of the Whippoorwill." Hearing the old thrown in among the new simply highlights how much the band has grown throughout their time together.

I've come to believe that there is no such thing as a bad Chatham County Line show, but even so, this one was absolutely one of the best I've seen. Fletcher Opera Theatre suited them perfectly, being a little formal yet casual and laid back at the same time. Each note rang clearly throughout the theater, with the added bonus of people not elbowing you in the ribs as they make their way through the crowd.

Mountain Goats headlining Music For Fences benefit

The Coalition to Unchain Dogs is holding a their fourth annual benefit concert in Durham Central Park on Saturday, Aug. 28, a great event to raise money to build fences for dogs so they can run free instead of being chained to something.

This year's event will feature The Mountain Goats, The Countdown Quartet and Birds and Arrows. Things will get started at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 28 with music starting at about 4:15 p.m. with Birds and Arrows. Check out the full schedule below. Tickets are available for $12 in advance here or $15 on the day of the event.

Check out photos from last year's event featuring Superchunk and Regina Hexaphone here.

Lou Barlow plays marathon show with Wye Oak at Cat's Cradle

All photos by Kevin Norris

Two Merge Records labelmates, Lou Barlow and the Missingmen and Wye Oak, rolled into Carrboro Thursday night for a low-key show at the Cat's Cradle. While the crowd was small, maybe about a hundred people at the highest point, Barlow still put on a marathon show, playing 24 songs.

Barlow opened by himself, playing acoustic versions of many older tunes starting with the Folk Implosion song "Mechanical Man." Other old tunes included the Sebadoh songs "Magnet's Coil," "Skull" and "Too Pure."

After seven songs, Barlow was joined by The Missingmen for a rambunctious rock set featuring mostly songs from Barlow's latest album Goodnight Unknown and the band's mini-album = Sentridoh III. The band was electric, both literally and figuratively.

On sale today: Stone Temple Pilots and 311

It's Friday, so there are tickets for a couple of shows going on sale which  are likely the last two shows of the Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater's inaugural season.

Tickets for Stone Temple Pilots show with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club on Tuesday, Oct. 5 will go on sale today, Aug. 20 at 10 a.m. here for $41.60 to $62.50.

Second is 311's show on Saturday, Oct. 30. Tickets for that show go on sale today, Aug. 20 at 10 a.m. here for $29 to $51.50.

Chatham County Line filming their big Raleigh show

Chatham County line are gearing up for their big album Raleigh album release show this weekend at the Fletcher Opera Theater on Friday, Aug. 21 (the Eastern Triangle counterpart to July's album release show at the Cat's Cradle).

The group just announced that they will be filming the show in HD for a release of some type in 2011. So if you want to be part of the fun, head on down to the show on Friday. There are still some tickets available for $27.75 here or at the Progress Energy Center box office.

Check out the concert poster to the right there. Is it just me, or does it look like Dave Wilson is playing both guitar and banjo. I realize there was a period where Chandler Holt had a beard, but I've always seen him clean shaven. I just found it slightly amusing.

Cymbals Eat Guitars covers Superchunk's "Detroit Has a Skyline"

After 22 of 25 songs of the A.V. Club's Undercover series, where band's pick songs from a list of 25 songs to cover. With only three songs left to cover, someone finally chose Superchunk's "Detroit Has a Skyline." The band is the New York quartet Cymbals Eat Guitars. Watch their frantic performance of the song below.

Check out other great performances from the series here, including The Swell Season's excellent rendition of Neutral Milk Hotel's "Two-Headed Boy."

Punch Brothers announce fall dates, coming to Carrboro

Photo by C. Taylor Crothers

The virtuoso string quintet Punch Brothers have just announced a new round of fall tour dates in support of their sophomore album Antifogmatic which will keep the band busy through November.

Among the dates is a return to the Triangle. The band will play the Cat's Cradle on Sunday, Nov. 7. Tickets for the show will go on sale on Friday, Aug. 27 via etix for $18.

Punch Brothers were last in the Triangle in February, playing the Reynolds Theater at Duke University. Check out a review and photos of the show here. Also, check out our review on their latest album Antifogmatic here.

View the full tour schedule below as well as a excellent performance of "This Is the Song" filmed in New York's Lower East Side.

Album Review: Jon Lindsay - Escape from Plaza-Midwood

Aug. 17 marked the release of Escape from Plaza-Midwood, the full-length debut of Charlotte-based artist Jon Lindsay. On his first LP, Lindsay floats somewhere between Sean Lennon and Ben Kweller--more upbeat than Lennon but less folk-driven than Kweller.

Early in the album come two interesting tracks, "These Are the End Times" and "Futuretown." The titles mostly give away their subjects, but lyrically speaking, both are thought provoking and are backed with catchy tunes to boot.

This Year's Up-and-Comers: Last Year's Men

Next month will mark the arrival of the Hopscotch Music Festival, a three-day musical buffet featuring artists ranging from Public Enemy to Animal Collective's Panda Bear. If you can't make some of the evening festivities, don't worry. There are already several promising Hopscotch-centric parties scheduled during the day.

Durham-based Churchkey Records will host Churchkey III in honor of their third birthday. It's a free event on Saturday, September 11, at Tir na nOg and will (naturally) feature some of the label's fantastic artists.

Included in this great line-up is Churchkey's newest addition, Last Year's Men. They're Churchkey's youngest band—drummer Ian Rose is only 17, and guitarists Ben Carr and Geoff Schilling are 18 and 21, respectively. Ben and Geoff recently took a break from their full-time work schedules to talk to Triangle Music about just a few of the many things they have going on right now.

New music video series from North Elementary

Leading up to the release of their new album Southern Rescue Trails, due out on October 16 via 307 Knox Records, North Elementary are releasing a series of music videos, one for each song on the album. Each video was made by a different artist.

So far, three videos have been released, "Sons of Turbo Town" by Andy Herod, "Midwest Bug" by Matt Hedt and "It Comes To Everyone" by Billy Sugarfix. Check out those three below and there will be one released each week through Sept. 28 here.

North Elementary are playing with Electric Owls and Wembley at Local 506 on Saturday, Aug. 21. Tickets are $7 via etix. Check out the rest of the band's upcoming dates below the videos.

Tennis coming to Durham in August, sans the racquets

Lo-fi Denver, CO band Tennis are currently making their way across the U.S., bringing their 50s and 60s inspired pop to the masses.

They'll make a stop in Durham on Monday, Aug. 30 at The Layabout, which is a house venue at 2702 Lawndale Ave. Soft Company (Missy Thangs of The Love Language's group) and Cassis Orange are on the bill too. There is a $6 suggested donation at the door.

Check out the video for the song "Cape Dory" below and even more videos and songs on the band's MySpace page.

Cornershop announces fall dates, coming to Carrboro

The British lads Cornershop, best known for their unlikely 1997 hit single "Brimful of Asha," released a new album titled Judy Sucks a Lemon for Breakfast in 2009. The band will hit the road for a U.S. tour this fall in support of the release.

[UPDATE: The entire U.S. tour has been canceled including the Cat's Cradle date. The band's statement makes it sound like a business decision stating that the tour is postponed until next year when their new album will be out.]

The tour will stop at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Sunday, Nov. 21. Tickets for the show are on sale now for $16 via etix.

Check out the music video for the infectiously groovy song "Soul School" from their newest album below, where you'll also find the band's tour schedule.

New music video from Lost in the Trees - "Walk Around the Lake"

Lost in the Trees are staying incredibly busy lately, playing shows in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York promoting the release of All Alone in an Empty House. Now the band has released a new video for the song "Walk Around the Lake," featuring the band in the snowy outdoors at night. It's quite beautiful in it's simplicity. Watch the video below.

The band will be playing a free show on the Wallace Parking Deck in Chapel Hill on Thursday, Aug. 26 with The Physics of Meaning. Check out the rest of the band's schedule below the video.

White Rabbits announce new dates, coming back to Chapel Hill

The frenetic rockers of White Rabbit seem to be hitting the road for a new tour this fall. While only a few dates are currently available, there is a stop in the Triangle.

The band will come back to Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Tuesday, Nov. 2. Tickets will be $9 in advance & will be available via etix. An opening band(s) has not been announced yet. U.S. Royalty will open the show.

White Rabbit's are still supporting their sophomore album It's Frightening, released in May of 2009. This will be their second headline show at Local 506 this year, the last being in April. Check out a performance of "Percussion Gun" from that show below along with the current tour dates.

Cary Ann Hearst & Michael Trent play fiery Slim's set

All photos by Kevin Norris

Soulful duo Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent made their way north from Charleston, S.C. on Friday night to stir up a little trouble a Slim's in Raleigh.

The duo split the set, the first half led by Cary Ann Hearst and the second half by Michael Trent. They each played the junkyard drum kit on each other's songs, drums that were literally found in the garbage.

The raw power and soul of Hearst's voice has always been her strongest suit and it was on full display at Slim's on songs from duo's Shovels and Rope album including "Magdelina" and the phenomenal "Boxcar." The blistering "Hell's Bells" from Hearst's newest release, the EP Are You Ready To Die? Check out a video of the performance of the song below thanks to YouTube user umcoeur.

Moogfest adds more performers including Devo & Bonobo

The lineup for Moogfest in Asheville on October 29-31keeps adding more and more great performers to their already impressive bill. Now there's a new batch of new performers including Devo, The Disco Biscuits, Ikonika, Bonobo, Van Dyke Parks and Clare and The Reasons.

Obviously, the most notable addition is iconic pop band Devo, who just released a new album titled Something For Everybody in June. It is the band's first new album in twenty years. Check out the first part of the "making of" series about the unique album below where you'll also find the updated Moogfest lineup broken down by individual days.

Tickets for the event are on sale now here for $149.50 for a 3-day pass or $75 for a single day ticket.

Black Rebel Motorcyle Club opening for Stone Temple Pilots on fall tour

Photo by Tessa Angus

California trio Black Rebel Motorcycle Club have been tapped to open Stone Temple Pilots upcoming U.S. tour. This includes the band's upcoming show at the Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater on Oct. 5 and a newly added show in Charlotte on Oct. 6.

Also, there is finally an on sale date for the Raleigh show. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, Aug. 20 at 10 a.m. here for $26.50 to $46.50.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's latest album Beat the Devil's Tattoo was released in March. Check out the video for the title track from the album below.

Album Review: Lissie - Catching a Tiger

Lissie set expectations for her first full-length record pretty high with her excellent Why You Runnin'? EP late last year.

Why You Runnin'? had more folk and Americana inspiration than rock and pop, but Catching a Tiger flips the ratio. Three outstanding songs from the EP - "Little Lovin'", "Everywhere I Go", and "Oh Mississippi" - make their way on the album, but those expecting the new tracks to follow suit may be quick to dismiss the new album when they hear the pop direction Lissie has taken.

On sale today: Moogfest & $10 KISS lawn seats

Tickets for the big Moogfest festival in Asheville we've been talking about that features an impressive lineup of great acts like MGMT, Massive Attack and Jónsi are going on sale today, Aug. 13, at 12 p.m. here. 3-day passes are $149.50 while single day tickets are $75.

Also, lawn tickets for KISS with The Academy Is... and The Envy are $10 again. You can pick those up here. So if you want to see the spectacle but are afraid of fire and the high cost of concert tickets, here's your chance to see the show.

08.29.10 - KISS w/ The Academy Is... & The Envy at Walnut Creek Amphitheater [Tickets]
10.29-31.10 - Moogfest [Tickets]

Vetiver announces fall tour, coming to Chapel Hill

Photo by Alissa Anderson

Indie folk band Vetiver are hitting the road with excellent California band Dawes this fall which will be a great tour. Unfortunately, Dawes won't be stopping in the Triangle, but Vetiver will be working on their night off and will be stopping here.

Vetiver will play Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Monday, Nov. 1. Tickets will be $10 in advance via etix. An opening act(s) has not been announced yet. Twelve Thousand Armies will open the show.

Vetiver's latest release is More of This digital EP / 12" vinyl, released by Sub Pop in December. Check out photos from Vetiver's last stop in the Triangle with The Clientele in February here and you'll find Vetiver's current tour schedule below.

Newish music from Bombadil - "Barcelona"

It's been over a year since Bombadil released their latest album Tarpits and Canyonlands and it's also been over a year since the band announced an indefinite touring hiatus for medical reasons. The band have reached back into the past and released the song "Barcelona," which was recorded during the Tarpits sessions and written by Dan Shvartsman.

Download the groovy tune below and read a detailed account of the song here, including each member's take on it as well as an interview with the songwriter.

Will Hoge mixes old and new in 20-song Pour House set

All photos by Kevin Norris

Nashville troubadour Will Hoge returned to the Triangle last night, Aug. 11, for his first headline show in the area since is gruesome scooter accident in 2008, and he was back to his old self, minus the jumps (but hey, quite a large portion of his leg bones are now metal, so we'll cut him some slack).

Hoge took the stage with his band at the Pour House in front of a rowdy and rather noisy crowd and launched it a lengthy set, mixing old songs with ones from his latest album, The Wreckage. The crowd responded to both the old and new songs with enthusiasm.

While classics like "Secondhand Heart" and "Ms. Williams" received boisterous approval, so did "Even If It Breaks My Heart," the first single from The Wreckage. Clearly, Hoge is still gaining new fans five albums into his career.

Enjoy full Cradle shows from Chatham County Line & The Love Language

Photo by Kevin Norris

Local heavyhitters Chatham County Line and The Love Language both had album release shows at the Cat's Cradle in July for the albums Wildwood and Libraries respectively. Now thanks to the hard work of some fans, you can now enjoy both shows in their entirety.

Chatham Count Line's July 10 Cradle show is now available to stream or download at archive.org. If you don't check out the entire show, at least check out their cover of Lucinda Williams' "I Lost It" which is amazing. Check out our review and photos from the show here.

The Love Language's July 17 Cradle show is now available to watch in it's entirety below via Vimeo.com thanks to user cotafloata. We've embedded the show below, which is split into five parts. Check out our review and photos from the show here.

Arcade Fire's 'The Suburbs' is the #1 album in the U.S.

After a big push by Merge Records, fans and supporters of independent music, Arcade Fire has done it. Their new album The Suburbs has the number one album in U.S. It will debut on the Billboard 200 album charts at the top after selling a reported 156,000+ copies in it's first week, beating out Eminem's latest album The Recovery which was released in June.

This is a huge accomplishment for both the band and Durham based Merge Records. Arcade Fire's second album Neon Bible was the previous high mark for both the band and the label, debuting at number two.

The Suburbs is also the number one album in the United Kingdom this week, so that's huge too. The band just played a triumphant headlining set at Lollapalooza as well as two nights at Madison Square Garden, the second of which was webcast on YouTube. Check out numerous videos from that performance below.

Man or Astro-Man? announces tour, coming to Carrboro

The formerly elusive over the top Alabama space rockers Man or Astro-Man? are popping up more and more lately and the band have just announced a short east coast fall tour.

A few fall dates have surfaced so far and one of those is at the Cat's Cradle on Saturday, Nov. 6. Tickets for the show go on sale on Friday, Aug. 13 via etix for $13.

Check out the band's recent Daytrotter session here, which features three songs from the album Experiment Zero and one from Intravenous Television Continuum. Crank up the volume and rock away. Check out the full tour schedule below.

Full Moogfest lineup announced with Hot Chip, Panda Bear, Pretty Lights, more

The full lineup of Moogfest in Asheville on Oct. 29-31 has been announced and it's managed to get even better. Additions to the original batch of bands include Girl Talk, Panda Bear, EL-P, Pretty Lights, Hot Chip, Dan Deacon and more. Check out the full lineup below broken down by day.

The event will span three venues, the Asheville Civic Center Arena, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium and The Orange Peel.

Tickets go on sale Friday, Aug. 13 at 12 p.m. here. A three-day pass is $149.50 and tickets for individual days are $75. There will also be VIP passes for $349.50 that include priority access to venues, merchandise, access to lounges and other perks. You can see more info on that here.

Margot & the Nuclear So and So's announce fall tour, coming to Chapel Hill

Buzzard album cover

The Indiana band with quite the quirky name, Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, are preparing to release a new album on Sept. 21 titled Buzzard via their own label Mariel Records and distributed by Redeye Distribution (based in Haw River, NC).

With the release comes the obligatory tour, which will keep the band busy for two months this fall. The band will make a stop at Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Sunday, Oct. 3, with The Lonely Forest and Cameron McGill & What Army opening the show. Tickets are available in advance via etix for $10.

Follow the link below to download the song "Birds" from the new album and check out the full tour schedule below as well.

Win tickets to Lou Barlow and Wye Oak at Cat's Cradle

Lou Barlow and The Missingmen will swing through Cat's Cradle next Thursday, August 19, in support of Barlow's new EP, =Sentridoh III, with Merge Records labelmates Wye Oak, and we're giving away a pair of tickets to the show.

To win, email trianglemusicblog at gmail dot com no later than noon on Friday, August 14, with "Lou Barlow tickets" in the subject line. We'll notify a winner that afternoon.

Tickets are $12 and available via etix. Doors are at 8:30 with a show time of 9:30.

Electric Owls to play Chapel Hill with Wembley, North Elementary

Electric Owls, songwriter Andy Herod's project after The Comas, released his/their debut album, Ain't Too Bright in 2009 via Vagrant Records. He is calling Asheville home these days but is planning a return to the Triangle.

Electric Owls will headline a three-band bill at Local 506 on Saturday, Aug. 21 which will also feature local bands North Elementary and Wembley. Tickets info for the show is not available yet, but we'll keep you posted.

If you haven't heard the Owls yet, check out the songs "Magic Show" and "Cannibal Superstar" from Ain't Too Bright below. Herod has a knack for great melodies and lush arrangements which is front and center on the album.

Saturday's Peter Case show moved to The Cave

Just a heads up to everyone heading out to see Peter Case's show scheduled for the ArtsCenter in Carrboro on Saturday, Aug. 7. There was a fire in the HVAC system at the ArtsCenter which happened sometime in the last few days, so the show has been moved.

Case will now play at The Cave in Chapel Hill at 452 1/2 Franklin St. on Saturday night. The show will now begin at 10 p.m. instead of the original start time of 8:30 p.m.

Tickets for the show will still be available at the door of The Cave, now for just $10 at the door. They were originally $18 for the public at the ArtsCenter.

Caribou announces new tour, coming back to Carrboro

Caribou must really love the Cat's Cradle since he was just here in May, shortly after the release of his latest album Swim, and is already planning to come back.

He'll play a big show on Halloween, Oct. 31, at the Cradle. Tickets will go on sale on Saturday, Aug. 7 via etix for $16. Since it's Halloween, there's a fair chance things will get a bit crazier than usual.

During the same weekend, Caribou will be in Asheville to play Moogfest, which features an impressive line-up. We'll bring you more details on the festival once the full line-up is announced on Aug. 10.

Check out Caribou's new music video for the track "Sun" below, where you'll also find his current North American tour schedule.