The Weepies announces acoustic tour, coming to Carrboro

Massachusetts pop duo The Weepies are hitting the road this summer on an acoustic tour in support of their latest album Be My Thrill, released last year.

The tour will come to the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Tuesday, September 6. Tickets are on sale now via etix for $18.

The band recorded a new song called "Same Changes" for the movie Morning Glory. Check out the music video for the song below.

Album Review: Sloan - The Double Cross

Canadian power-pop icons Sloan celebrated their 20th anniversary this year which coincides with their tenth full-length studio album, The Double Cross.

From the opening rocker "Follow the Leader" to the downtempo closer "Laying So Low," the album features the catchy melodies and sharp arrangements which have been key to Sloan's success over the years.

"The Answer is You" is one of the best tracks on the album, featuring Queen-like grandeur including sweeping strings and a soaring and a bit theatrical melody.

The Blow announces June dates, coming to Chapel Hill

Photo by Chas Bowens

Musician Khaela Maricich, better known as The Blow, laid low for a few years after the release of her latest album, 2006's Paper Television. In 2010 she started playing shows again, debuting new songs. She's hitting the road again this June on another string of dates.

The tour will stop at Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Sunday, June 26. Tickets will be are $10 in advance and should be are available via etix soon now.

[UPDATE: Check out a music video for a demo of a new song titled "Ask Me" from The Blow below. The song will be featured on her forthcoming new album.]

Reverend Horton Heat plans hefty 2011 tour, coming to Carrboro

The wild rockabilly antics of Reverend Horton Heat are well known across the land, and 2011 will be an incredibly busy time for the band, keeping them on the road most of the year.

They'll come to the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Saturday, October 29 with Supersuckers and Dan Sartain. Tickets for the show are on sale now via etix for $18.

Reverend Horton Heat's latest album, Laughin' & Cryin' with the Reverend Horton Heat, was released by Yep Roc Records in 2009. Stream the song "Drinkin' and Smokin' Cigarettes" from the album below.

Nightlands releases two free covers, coming to Carrboro

Ahead of their upcoming tour opening for Sondre Lerche, the dreamy Philadelphia band Nightlands has released a free digital single called Covers. As the title suggest, it features two cover songs, "Trouble" by Lindsdey Buckingham and "Big Louise" by Scott Walker. Download both songs as a zip file below.

The Sondre Lerche tour featuring Nightlands will come to the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Thursday, June 9. Tickets are available via etix for $15. Kishi Bashi is also on the bill.

This week's Local Band Local Beer: Outside Soul

This week's free Local Band Local Beer show at Tir Na Nog in Raleigh, tonight, May 26, will feature Raleigh R&B and soul band Outside Soul. As always, the show will get started around 10 p.m. and it's ages 21 and up.

The evening will also feature a birthday party for the company Kinder Soles, which is celebrating it's one year anniversary of making environmentally friendly shoes.

Checkout a video of Outside Soul performing the song "Music Is Worthy" at Port City Java in Raleigh below.

Lucinda Williams adds summer dates, coming to Raleigh

Veteran Americana songstress Lucinda Williams is hitting the road this summer in support of her latest album Blessed, released in March, and you guessed it, she's coming to the Triangle.

She'll play the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh on Wednesday, July 27. Tickets will go on sale on Tuesday, May 31 for the public HERE (members can buy tickets now). Reserved seats are $33 and general admission is $22 ($11 for children ages 7-12).

Stream the song "Seeing Black" from Blessed below, which features Elvis Costello on guitar.

Miracle Fortress add headline shows, coming to Raleigh

Canadian indie band Miracle Fortress, the brainchild of musician Graham Van Pelt, will be out on tour with Junior Boys during the month of June, but on a day off from that tour, the band will stop in the Triangle for a headline show.

They'll play Kings in downtown Raleigh on Sunday, June 19. Oulipo will open the show. Tickets are just $4 in advance via etix.

Miracle Fortress just released their latest album Was I the Wave? on May 17. Download the song "Miscalculations" from the album below.

Video: Justin Vernon & Phil Cook cover Bonnie Raitt on Jimmy Fallon

As part of the promotion of Bon Iver's upcoming album Bon Iver, Bon Iver, due out on June 21, Justin Vernon appeared on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on Monday night.

In a rare twist, Vernon actually sat down and did an interview with Fallon, which is rare for musicians unless they're a huge rock star. The interview was followed by a performance of Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me," with a bit of "Nick of Time" and Donny Hathaway's "A Song For You" thrown in. Phil Cook of Megafaun backed Vernon on the piano. It's a fantastic performance, which you can watch below.

The Hold Steady announces summer tour, coming to Carrboro

Photo by Mark Seliger

The Hold Steady have rolled out new summer tour dates that will finally bring the band back to the Triangle in support of their latest album Heaven Is Whenever.

They'll play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Wednesday, August 31. Tickets will go on sale on Thursday, May 26 at 10 a.m. via etix for $18. The Donkeys are set to open the show.

Check out the band performing "Rock Problems" from Heaven Is Whenever on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson in May of 2010 below.

Blink 182 & My Chemical Romance announce 2011 tour, coming to Charlotte

Goofy pop punkers Blink 182 are planning to release their first new album since 2003 sometime this summer, but they've already signed on to the 2011 Honda Civic Tour along with alt rockers My Chemical Romance.

Unfortunately, the tour will skip the Triangle, but for fans that are up for a drive, the bands will hit Charlotte's Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on September 20 and the Virginia Beach Amphitheater (which is now apparently called Farm Bureau Live) on September 19. Matt & Kim will open both shows. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on June 10 via the usual places.

Stephin Merritt to release rarities collection in August

Stephin Merritt and his highly acclaimed band The Magnetic Fields may have parted ways with Merge Records after the release of their groundbreaking triple album 69 Love Songs, released in 1999, but his relationship with the label did not end.

The Magnetic Fields played a stellar set for the labels XX Merge festival in 2009 (see photos and a review HERE), and now Merge will release a collection of Merritt's previously released and hard-to-find recordings from 1994 to 1999. Some of the songs are solo, some are Magnetic Fields songs and there's a track each from Merritt's other projects The 6ths, Buffalo Rome and The Gothic Archies.

The Biters & The Booze wrapping up spring tour, ending in Chapel Hill

Retro rocking Altanta, GA bands The Biters and The Booze have teamed up for a spring tour, going on right now, which will bring the two bands to the Triangle this weekend.

The bands will play Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Sunday, May 29 with local opener Richard Bacchus & the Luckiest Girls. Tickets are available now via etix for $8.

The Biters have a classic, punk power-pop sound reminiscent of Cheap Trick, while The Booze have more of a British pop vibe. Check out music videos from each band below, "Born To Cry" from The Biters' album All Chewed Up and "Kick Me Where It Hurts" from The Booze's album At Maximum Volume.

New music from Brice Randall Bickford - "Songstress"

Singer-songwriter Brice Randall Bickford, who in the past released music and performed under the name The Strugglers, is preparing to release his first album using his own name. The album is self-titled and will be released on June 14 via Trekky Records.

The album features ten songs including the beautifully lush "Songstress," which you can download below.

Bickford will celebrate the release of the album with a free show at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Saturday, June 11 with Lee Waters (of Work Clothes), Django Haskins (of The Old Ceremony) and Heather McEntire (of Mount Moriah).

Locally Grown music and movies series announces summer schedule

Chapel Hill's Locally Grown Rooftop Music and Movies series will return for another season of free music and movies on June 23. The event is held every Thursday on top of the Wallace parking deck at 150 E. Franklin St., behind Jack Sprat Cafe and other businesses on Franklin Street.

This year's series features three concerts and six movies. Mandolin Orange and Big Fat Gap will kick things off on June 23, Holy Ghost Tent Revival and The Big Picture will perform on July 28, and Future Islands and Motor Skills will wrap up the series on August 18.

Concerts will start at 6 p.m. and movies will begin at sundown, about 8 p.m. Check out the full schedule, including the movies, below.

Amor De Dias brings wispy, mellow sounds to the ArtsCenter

The duo Amor De Dias, Alasdair MacLean of The Clientele and Lupe Núñez-Fernández of Pipas, came to Carrboro last night for a short set of mellow, wispy tunes from their self-titled album Street of the Love of Days.

The duo is like polar opposites vocally. Núñez-Fernández is soft-spoken, almost a whisper, while MacLean has a powerful, full voice which he had to pull back a bit at times to sing harmonies. They complement each other beautifully.

Peter Frampton announces Frampton Comes Alive 35! Tour, coming to Durham

Singer and guitarist Peter Frampton is taking his iconic 1976 live album Frampton Comes Alive! out on tour to celebrate it's 35th anniversary. Every show on the tour will be about three hours long, featuring the entire live album plus other highlights from Frampton's catalog.

The tour will come to the Durham Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, October 5. Tickets go on sale on Saturday, June 4 at 10 a.m. via the usual places starting at $45.

Listen to the Frampton Comes Alive! classics "Show Me the Way" and "Do You Feel Like We Do?" below. Like Wayne Campbell said in Wayne's World 2, "Everybody in the world has Frampton Comes Alive. If you lived in the suburbs you were issued it. It came in the mail with samples of Tide."

Carolina Chocolate Drops hit Daytrotter Studio

Durham string band the Carolina Chocolate Drops hit the Daytrotter Studios recently and the five-song session just made it's way online.

The band played a mix of tunes, including "Po, Black Sheep" from Dom Flemons 2009 solo album American Songster,  "Sourwood Mountain" from the Drops album Dona Got a Ramblin' Mind, a smooth version of "Why Don't You Do It Right?" from Genuine Negro Jig and a few unreleased songs, "Skillet Good and Greasy" and "Julianne Johnson/Arkansas Traveler."

Download or stream the session HERE.

Dawes rocks the Cat's Cradle with soulful style

All photos by Kevin Norris

On Wednesday night, California rockers (and part time Robbie Robertson backing band) Dawes rolled into the Cat's Cradle for their first headlining show in the Triangle.

The band, who almost didn't make it to the show due trailer problems, seemed happy that people showed up for the show and treated the crowd to a rousing mix of songs from their self-titled debut and their forthcoming album Nothing Is Wrong.

Bowerbirds to play Durham before opening for Arcade Fire

Before heading up to Charlottesville to open for Arcade Fire on June 8, Bowerbirds will have warm up with a show at Motoro Music Hall in Durham on Sunday, June 5.

Tickets for the show are on sale now HERE for $9.43 (21 and over) or $11.54 (under 21).

Bowerbirds have been laying low lately, so don't miss your chance to see the band live before they play for thousands of Arcade Fire fans and become superstars.

This week's Local Band Local Beer: Cola Freaks, Fossils & Double Negative

This week's free Local Band Local Beer show on Thursday, May 19 at Tir Nag Nog in Raleigh will be a loud one, featuring Cola Freaks and Fossils, both all the way from Denmark. Rounding out the bill will be local thrashers Double Negative.

Like usual, things get started around 10 p.m. and the show is ages 21 and up.

Check out a video below of Cola Freaks performing the song "Uppers and Downers," which is the opening track from their self-titled album due out digitally in the U.S. on May 31.

Josh Ritter announces summer tour, coming to Carrboro

Photo by Marcelo Biglia

Singer-songwriter and gifted wordsmith Josh Ritter is hitting the road again this spring in support of his new double live album and DVD titled Live at the Iveagh Gardens. He also has a novel coming out on June 28 titled Bright's Passage.

The tour will bring Ritter to the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Wednesday, July 27. Ticket info is not available yet, but should be soon. We'll keep you posted. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, May 20 via etix for $18.

Check out Ritter's recent performance on the NPR Tiny Desk video series below. It includes the songs "The Temptation of Adam," "Lark," "Rattling Locks" and "Kathleen."

Arcade Fire to play Charlottesville, Bowerbirds open

Even with the band's label, Merge Records, being based in Durham, the Triangle can't seem to get the Arcade Fire for a show. The band were last here for a short daytime show in Carrboro in 2008 in support of presidential candidate Barack Obama.

The band have announced their closest show to date, but it's still about a four-hour drive. They'll play the nTelos Wireless Pavilion in Charlottesville, VA on Wednesday, June 8. Raleigh band Bowerbirds will open the show. Tickets are on sale now for $40 HERE.

Album Review: Amor de Dias - Street of the Love of Days

Another popular Merge frontman has brought a side project to the Durham-based label. Alasdair MacLean of The Clientele has teamed up with Lupe Núñez-Fernández from Pipas to release Street of the Love of Days under the name Amor de Dias.

The record astounds right away with the seductive and gorgeous “Foxes.” Núñez-Fernández’s vocal performance is captivating and channels the allure of Astrud Gilberto. Throughout the album, she sings in a reserved yet expressive whisper that draws the listen in.

O.A.R. announces summer tour, coming to Raleigh again

The jammy rock band O.A.R. have visited every sizable amphitheater in the Triangle over the years, and on their summer tour, they're coming back once again.

The band will return to the Raleigh Amphitheater on Thursday, July 14. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, May 20 at 10 a.m. via the usual places for $19.50 or $29.50.

The band pulled 2,863 people to the amphitheater last August, which is about half of it's capacity. The band are planning to release a new album sometime this year, but the details of it are not available yet.

The Connells, The Love Language, Marcy Playground & more to play tornado benefit

This morning, Raleigh mayor Charles Meeker announced a big concert to benefit the victims of the tornadoes that hit the Triangle in April called Rise Up Raleigh. The concert will happen on Friday, June 3 at the Raleigh Amphitheater and will feature headliners The Connells, The Love Language and Marcy Playground.

Also on the bill is The Small Ponds, Kooley High, Young Cardinals, Aunt Martha, Motor Skills and Red Sonja Band. The show is free and no tickets are required. Donations are being accepted through via the United Way and will be given to Salvation Army of Wake County, Centro International de Raleigh, the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and the Helping Hand Mission.

The music will start at 5 p.m. and keep rolling until 11 p.m. Check out the stage schedule below.

Alberta Cross announces summer tour, coming to Chapel Hill

Alberta Cross, a band which has been described as a British take on southern rock, released their latest album Broken Side of Time in the U.S. last year, and are still touring hard in support of it.

The band have rolled out a bunch new tour dates which will bring them to Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Monday, June, 13, just two days after the band plays Bonnaroo. Tickets for the show are on sale now via etix for $10. Cory Chisel will open the show.

Check out the band's feature on Last Call with Carson Daly which aired last year below which includes an interview as well as a performance of the song "ATX."

Dinosaur Jr. announces 'Bug' tour, coming to Carrboro

Veteran rockers Dinosaur Jr. are hitting the road this June to play their classic 1988 album Bug in it's entirety. The U.S. portion of the tour includes just eight dates and will conclude right here in the Triangle.

They'll play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Monday, June 27. Henry Rollins will interview the band live onstage and L.A. punk band Off! Mac McCaughan (of Superchunk and Portastatic) will open the show. Tickets are on sale now via etix for $25.

Check out a 2008 performance of the opening track from Bug, "Freak Scene," below. The album was reissued by Merge Records in 2005.

Styx announces fall dates, coming to Cary

After a barrage of amazing shows announced at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary this season including Death Cab For Cutie, Alison Krauss and Union Station and Ray Lamontagne, it just wouldn't be a complete season if there wasn't another nostalgia show added to the schedule.

1970s and 80s hitmakers Styx have announce new fall tour dates and will hit the Cary amphitheater on Friday, September 16. Tickets for the show go on sale on Friday, May 20 at 10 a.m. for $44.50 or $30.

Dennis DeYoung is no longer in the band, so don't expect to hear the band's 1980s hit "Mr. Roboto," but you'll almost definitely hear "Renegade," which you can stream below.

Video: Phil Cook performs "Alberta" at All Day Records

Phil Cook and His Feat hit All Day Records in Carrboro on Sunday to promote his brand new album Hungry Mother Blues. During the set, he covered "Alberta," a traditional blues song made famous by Bob Dylan.

Will Hackney from Trekky Records was on hand to document the performance. Check out the video below.

Head HERE to download the song "Ballad of a Hungry Mother" if you haven't already.

The Huguenots split up, work together on other projects

Just a month after finally releasing their self-titled debut album, the local lads of The Hugenots are calling it a day. It's certainly a bummer for a band who have a great deal of potential and for which there had been already been rumblings about a possible follow-up EP.

The split is not a big surprise though, since the band has never been incredibly active, disappearing for long stretches of time, one of those being after the initial round of shows to support the album release. Members of the band have also been very active in a number of other groups recently.

This week's Local Band Local Beer: Mumu Tutu & Sex Panther

This week's Local Band Local Beer show Tir Na Nog in Raleigh on Thursday, May 12 will feature the local sounds rock bands Mumu Tutu and Sex Panther. The latter bills itself as the "Ultimate 80's Rock n Metal Party Band!"

Check out a video of Mumu Tutu performing the song "Snitches Get Stiches" in Greensboro last year. Also check out a video of Sex Panther performing AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long," which sounds pretty rough, but is fairly amusing.

As always, the show starts at about 10 p.m. and is ages 21 and up.

The Elected announces summer tour, coming to Chapel Hill

Photo by Lauren Dukoff

With Rilo Kiley still on an indefinite hiatus, Blake Sennet has revived his solo project The Elected and  is preparing to release his first album in five years. The album is titled Bury Me in My Rings and will be out on May 17 via Vagrant Records.

The band will hit the road this summer and will make a stop at Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Wednesday, June 22. Ticket info is not available yet, but we'll keep you posted. Tickets are on sale now via etix for $10.

Download the song "Go For the Throat" from the new album below and head over to My Old Kentucky Blog to stream the entire album.

New music from The Rosebuds - "Woods"

The Rosebuds new album Loud Planes Fly Low is about a month a way (it'll be out on June 7), but another song has been released from the album to wet everyone's apetite.

The song is "Woods," and no, it's not a cover of the Bon Iver song. Unlike the previously released track "Second Bird of Paradise," "Woods" is an upbeat pop song, though the lyrics are rather gloomy. Download the song below.

As we mentioned earlier, the band will head out on a headline tour to promote the new album in June, which will be at Kings in Raleigh on Saturday, June 11. Later this summer, they'll play another hometown show in Raleigh on Friday, July 29 opening for Bon Iver at the Raleigh Amphitheater. It's going to be a Rosebuds summer.

Ray Lamontagne & the Pariah Dogs extend tour, coming to Cary

The soft-spoken soulful singer-songwriter Ray Lamontagne and his band The Pariah Dogs have extended their summer tour supporting their latest album God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise into the fall, and you guessed it, they're coming to the Triangle.

They'll play the Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary on Monday, September 19. Brandi Carlile will open the show. Tickets go on sale on Friday, May 20 at 10 a.m. for $39.50 or $49.50 via the usual places.

Watch the band perform the songs "Beg Steal or Borrow" and "Henry Nearly Killed Me (It's A Shame)" from their latest album in rural Texas or the show Live at the Artists' Den below.

Steve Earle announces full band tour, coming to Durham

Troubadour Steve Earle released a new album in April titled I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive which was produced by the legendary T-Bone Burnett. He also just released a book with the same name.

He is hitting the road this summer and fall with his band The Dukes (and Duchesses) as well as his wife and fellow singer-songwriter Allison Moorer.

He'll hit the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) on Saturday, September 17. Tickets for the show go on sale on June 3 at 10 a.m. via the usual places including the box office starting at $27.50.

Album Review: The Felice Brothers - Celebration, Florida

While their previous efforts have been suited for backyards and barrooms, The Felice Brothers' Celebration, Florida is much more adventurous.

Titled after a town founded by The Walt Disney Company, the album is a caution against corporatism and praises the working class. The journey starts through corporate America (“Honda Civic,” “Ponzi”) before shifting to small town America (“Cus’s Catskill Gym”).

What makes Celebration, Florida so powerful is how the music reflects this journey.

Lil Wayne extends 'I Am Still Music' Tour, coming to Raleigh

Superstar rapper Lil Wayne has extended his 2011 tour, amusingly dubbed the I Am Still Music Tour, into the summer. On the new leg of the tour, he'll bring Rick Ross, Keri Hilson, Far East Movement and Lloyd along to open the shows.

The tour will come to the Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek in Raleigh on Friday, July 29 (a popular date as Bon Iver will be at the other amphitheater the same day). Ticket info for the show is not available yet, but we'll keep you posted.

Wayne's new album Tha Carter IV will be released on June 21, which features the single "6 Foot 7 Foot." Check out the video for the song below.

Bon Iver announces summer tour with The Rosebuds, coming to Raleigh

Photo by D.L. Anderson

Former Triangle resident and indie rock superstar Justin Vernon is finally preparing to release the long-awaited sophomore album from his band Bon Iver on June 21. The album is titled Bon Iver, Bon Iver. He'll hit the road this summer and he's taking The Rosebuds along as the opening act.

The tour will come to the the Raleigh Amphitheater on Friday, July 29. Tickets for much of the tour go on sale this Friday, but ticket info for Raleigh is not available yet. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 13 for $24.50 to $37.

[UPDATE: Download or stream the beautifully lush and rocking song "Calgary" from the new album via the widget below.]

Atari Teenage Riot announces new album & fall tour, coming to Carrboro

German electronica group Atari Teenage Riot reunited for shows  in 2010 after disbanding in 2000, and now they're back with their first new album since 1999's 60 Second Wipe Out. The album, titled
Is This Hyperreal?, is due out on June 7 digitally and June 21 physically.

The band will hit the road on a North American tour in the fall that will bring them to the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Friday, September 16. Tickets are on sale now via etix for $14.

Download the thrashing "Activate!" and slightly more poppy "Blood in My Eyes" from Is This Hyperreal? below.

Dawn Landes & The Hounds to play free show in Durham

Singer-songwriter Dawn Landes has a short series of dates scheduled in May in support of her latest album, Sweetheart Rodeo, released last year.

The tour will bring her to Durham on Sunday, May 15 for a free daytime show at Motorco Music Hall. The music will get started at 1 p.m. with Roger Gupton of The Jackets followed by Landes and her band The Hounds.

There will also be a vintage clothing market going on and Korean barbecue from KoKyu, so it will be a great way to spend the afternoon.

Album Review: Birds and Arrows - We're Gonna Run

Chapel Hill's Birds and Arrows spread their wings (pun intended), creating a lush, melancholy vibe on their sophomore album We're Gonna Run.

The band has a knack for writing fantastic, simple folk songs, then expand them into moody, ethereal compositions that make them special.

The album opens with "Time Alone," starting with guitar feedback into an organ, before charging in with drums and a driving cello line. The song rides the line between folk rock and mellow pop beautifully between the verses and choruses.

Video: Lost in the Trees perform in a subway station

Filming a band perform in unique places has become a big trend in recent years, but there's something cool about a band performing in a New York subway station, because it's something you actually see every day in the city.

Lost in the Trees took some time to film a performance for the site Subway Sessions, which as you've probably figured out, film sessions in subway stations. Check out performances of the songs "Tall Trees" and "Walk Around the Lake" filmed at the Broadway/Lafayette stop below.

The band will play the Cat's Cradle on Friday, May 13 with The Toddlers and Towers. Tickets are on sale via etix for $12.

Yep Roc releasing Fountains of Wayne's 'Sky Full of Holes'

Photo by Violeta Alvarez

It's been four years since power pop band Fountains of Wayne released Traffic and Weather. The band isn't exactly known for being prolific, but now they're returning with their fifth album, Sky Full of Holes.

North Carolina label Yep Roc will release the album on August 2, which will feature 13 new songs produced by Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger.

The band plan tour "extensively" in August and September in support of the album. Maybe they'll finally make their way to the Triangle since they're label is just short drive west on I-40.

Fucked Up announces summer tour, coming to Raleigh

Wild punk band Fucked Up are gearing up for the release of their new album David Comes To Life, out on June 7 via Matador Records. As these things go, the band will hit the road following the release and our heading our way.

They'll play Kings Barcade in Raleigh on Tuesday, June 28. Jeff and the Brotherhood will open the show. Tickets are on sale now via etix for $12.

Download the blistering track "Queen of Hearts" from the band's forthcoming album below.

Decemberists' Jenny Conlee diagnosed with breast cancer, missing upcoming shows

Some sad news emerged from The Decemberists camp yesterday. They announced that original member Jenny Conlee, known for playing accordion and other keys, was diagnosed with breast cancer not too long ago.

She continued touring through the Atlanta show on May 2, but is returning home now that the tour is over to undergo surgery and begin her recovery process. The outlook is good since she caught it early, but she will likely miss all of the band's May and June dates, including the Raleigh show on June 11.

We're hoping for a speedy and full recovery for Conlee and hope she'll be back on tour soon.

Album Review: David Kilgour and the Heavy Eights - Left By Soft

David Kilgour and The Heavy Eights latest album, Left By Soft, sounds free, easy, relaxed and natural so it makes sense that the album was recorded over one week in a camping lodge at the southern tip of New Zealand’s south island.

The album’s got a jam session feel and songs flow from one to the other. Opening tracks “Left By Soft” and “Way Down Here” have some added energy that helps to set the album in motion before it truly settles into its laid-back sway.

This week's Local Band Local Beer: Modern Skirts & Oulipo

Instead of posting about all of the free Local Band Local Beer shows during a given month like we usually do, we're going to start post about each individual one, mostly because the schedules are being rolled out slower than in the past.

With that said, this week's free show at Tir Na Nog on Thursday, May 5 will feature Athens, GA band Modern Skirts and Raleigh's own Oulipo.

Download the song "Bumper Car" from Modern Skirts' latest album Gramahawk below and check out our review of the album HERE.

Richard Buckner releasing 'Our Blood' in August

Softspoken singer-songwriter Richard Buckner will return this summer with his first new album since 2006's Meadow. The long delay for the album stems from a random series of unfortunate events including the death of his tape machine and then the stealing of the laptop containing new recordings.

The new music was finally pieced back together and patched up and is titled Our Blood. It will be released on August 2 via Merge Records. It features nine new tracks, including the opening track "Traitor," which you can download below.

Video: Ben Folds covers Ke$ha's "Sleazy" to benefit Japan

Piano pop geek Ben Folds has a strong following in Japan which dates back to the Ben Folds Five days. He is also known for his irreverent covers, the most popular in recent memory being Dr. Dre's "Bitches Ain't Shit."

Now, Folds and his cohorts have taken on Ke$ha's "Sleazy." Check out a video below documenting the band recording their version of the song. You can also download the song HERE, along with songs by Tegan and Sara, Surfer Blood, R.E.M., Counting Crows and others. 100% of the proceeds will benefit Save the Children, specifically going to Japan to help those affected by recent tragedies.