My Morning Jacket announces summer tour with Band of Horses, coming to Raleigh

Kentucky rock band My Morning Jacket is hitting the road this summer with stops at mid-size amphitheaters and theaters across the U.S., and they're bringing Band of Horses along for the ride.

The bands will stop at the Raleigh Amphitheater on Sunday, August 26. Ticket information is not available yet, but we'll keep you posted.

My Morning Jacket will donate $1 from every ticket sold for the August shows to a local charity. The charity for the Raleigh show is the Neuse Riverkeeper Foundation.

The Beach Boys bring sweet harmonies, classic tunes to Raleigh

On Sunday night, all of the living original Beach Boys brought their 50th anniversary tour to the Raleigh Amphitheater, giving fans a 42-song set full of rich harmonies and classic surf sounds.

The band took the stage as the sun slowly sank behind the stage, rocking through a set featuring a lot of their early crowd pleasing hits including "Catch a Wave," "Surfin' Safari" and "Surfer Girl," but some of the highlights of the first set were some of the deeper cuts including the rocker "You're So Good to Me," the country-tinged "Cotton Fields" and the beautiful ballad "Disney Girls."

After closing the first set with "I Get Around," band took a break before returning for a second set kicking off with The Mamas and The Papas classic "California Dreamin'." The second set featured fantastic renditions of some of the band's more experimental sounds including "Sloop John B.," "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "Heroes and Villains," the latter of which Brian Wilson sounded fantastic on.

New music video from Midtown Dickens - "Walk, Don't You Run"

Durham quartet Midtown Dickens have been busy since releasing their new album, Home, earlier this month. They gave away the fantastic tune "Walk, Don't You Run," and now they've released a music video for the song.

The video, filmed in Durham, features the band and many friends jumping into a swimming pool in slow motion. You'll see Heather McEntire from Mount Moriah in there towards the end, but she just helps someone else into the pool and doesn't take the plunge herself. Check it all out below.

Midtown Dickens will play the free Local Band Local Beer series at Tir Na Nog in Raleigh on Thursday, May 8 with Des Ark.

Battles announces 2012 tour, coming to Carrboro

New York experimental rock band Battles released their sophomore album Gloss Drop last year and are gearing up for a run east coast dates in June to support it.

The band will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Sunday, June 10. Advance tickets are on sale now via Etix for $15.

Check out the music video for the super catchy song "Ice Cream" from Gloss Drop below.

The Old Ceremony signs to Yep Roc, new album out this summer

Photo by Kevin Norris

Durham pop band and Triangle mainstays The Old Ceremony, led by singer-songwriter Django Haskins, has inked a deal with with the Haw River-based Yep Roc Records to release their fifth album, Fairytales and Other Forms of Suicide, this summer.

The album will be out on August 21 and the band will hit the road to play a few shows this spring ahead of the release. They'll play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro this Friday, April 27. John Dee Holeman will open. Tickets are $10 in advance via Etix.

They'll also play the Music in the Gardens series at Duke Gardens on Wednesday, June 13. Tickets will go on sale on Tuesday, May 15 HERE for $12.

New music from Old Bricks - "Anthem"

Raleigh duo Old Bricks are gearing up for the release of their sophomore album, City Lights, on May 8 via Grip Tapes. The band are sharing the album's closing track with everyone, which you can download or stream below.

If you buy the album via Bandcamp a bonus download of the 9-song Pretty Black & White EP is included.

Old Bricks will celebrate the album's release at Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Thursday, May 3. Filthybird will open. Advance tickets are available via Ticketfly for $6.

Video: The Love Language debuts "Faithbreaker" at Gravity Records

Stu McLamb of The Love Language spent Record Store Day at Gravity Records in Wilmington playing a set as a trio with Jordan McLamb and Justin Rodermond.

They debuted a new song that they say had just been written the week before called "Faithbreaker." The performance is featured in a video about the Record Store Day celebration at the store, which you can check out below.

Stu will play a special solo set at the Concert to Defeat Amendment One at the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw on Sunday, May 6. The show also features Bob Mould, David Cross, Tig Notaro, Superchunk and Amber Tamblyn. Check out more information about the event HERE.

Duke Performances unveils Music in the Gardens lineup

Duke Performances has announced the lineup for what is arguably the best summer concert series around and, as usual, it's end-to-end with stellar local acts.

The Music in the Gardens series kicks off Wednesday, June 6, with The Beast and Big Band and includes The Old Ceremony, Dex Romweber & The New Romans, Bombadil, Mandolin Orange, Midtown Dickens and Megafaun.

Tickets go on sale May 15 and are $12 in advance, $5 for Duke students and employees, and free for children 12 and under.

Andrew Bird announces summer tour, coming to Raleigh

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Andrew Bird is hitting the road on a summer tour in support of his new album Break It Yourself. The tour will make a stop in the Triangle with a stellar opener, legendary singer Mavis Staples.

Bird and Staples will play the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh on Tuesday, July 10. Tickets will go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 1 via Etix for $25 (general admission) or $45 (reserved seating).

Check out the song "Eyeoneye" from Break It Yourself below.

Jackson Browne announces summer acoustic tour, coming to Durham

Veteran singer-songwriter Jackson Browne is hitting the road this summer on an acoustic tour with singer-songwriter and former Nickel Creek member Sara Watkins.

The tour will bring Browne back to the Durham Performing Arts Center on Sunday, July 22. Ticket information is not available yet, but we'll let you know once it is.

Browne contributed his version of Buddy Holly's "True Love Ways" to the 2011 tribute album Listen to Me: Buddy Holly. Check out the song below.

Video: Drive-By Truckers & Megafaun pay tribute to Levon Helm

The recent passing of The Band's Levon Helm had a deep impact on fans and musicians across world. Tributes have popped up in the live shows of quite a few bands including the Drive-By Truckers and Megafaun, who performed a rousing version of "The Weight" at their show at Cat's Cradle on Thursday night.

Check out the performance below which features Phil Cook on verse three and Brad Cook on verse four.

Megafaun will play a special set at the Hopscotch Music Festival in September with German composer Arnold Dreyblatt. Check out more info about the festival lineup HERE.

Shovels and Rope announces spring 2012 dates, coming to Durham

Charleston husband and wife duo Shovels and Rope were among the many great bands announced to play the 2012 Hopscotch Music Festival in September, but you don't have to wait that long to see the band in the Triangle.

They're playing the Casbah in Durham on Wednesday, May 16. John Howie, Jr. and the Rosewood Bluff and Wylie Hunter will open. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $10.

Check out a review and photos from Shovels and Rope's show at Local 506 last August HERE. The band plans to release a new album titled O' Be Joyful on July 31.

Bonnie Raitt extends 2012 tour, coming to Durham

The venerable singer-songwriter and guitarist Bonnie Raitt is hitting the road for much of 2012 in support of her nineteenth album Slipstream, released last week (April 10).

She will grace the stage of the Durham Performing Arts Center on Friday, October 12. Sarah Siskind will open. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 27, via the venue box office and Ticketmaster.

Raitt appeared on the Colbert Report on Comedy Central earlier this week. Check out her performance of "Right Down the Line" from the new album as well as an online exclusive performance of the classic "Angel From Montgomery" featuring Stephen Colbert on vocals.

The Mountain Goats, Mac McCaughan & Greg Cartwright rally to fight Amendment One

Photos by Justin Weber

What happened in Durham at Motorco April 19, 2012, will live on in legend. Greg Cartwright, John Darnielle and Mac McCaughan pulled out all the stops for a truly unique concert benefiting Protect All NC Families in the fight against Amendment One.

The three titans of the North Carolina music scene traded off playing songs one by one while the other two sat on a couch on stage. I’ve never seen a show with a more comfortable atmosphere. It encouraged the musicians to banter back and forth and jump into each others songs in unexpected moments.

The night was full of requests as the event was centered around people paying to hear particular songs. This led to some rare treats: McCaughan singing “Swimming Through Tires” and “Like a Pearl” for the first time live, Darnielle covering Iron Maiden, Darnielle performing “High Hawk Season” and the crowd filling in the male choir parts, and Cartwright debuting a rocking new tune (“Come a Little Closer”).

The Cribs announces U.S. tour, coming to Durham

British rockers The Cribs are gearing up for the release of their fifth album The Belly of the Brazen Bull, due out in the U.S. on May 15. The band will come to the states for a short U.S. tour June which will bring them to the Triangle.

They'll play the Motorco Music Hall in Durham on Friday, June 8. Tickets will go on sale on Saturday, April 21 HERE for $15.

Check out the music video for catchy tune "Come On, Be a No-One" from The Belly of the Brazen Bull below.

Bob Mould, David Cross, Superchunk, Stu McLamb and Tig Notaro to play Amendment One benefit concert

With the May 8 North Carolina primary and vote for Amendment One just around the corner, more shows are popping up to raise awareness and help defeat the amendment.

The Haw River Ballroom, in conjunction with Merge Records and Cat's Cradle and the Coalition to Protect ALL North Carolina Families, will present a special show on Sunday, May 6, featuring Bob Mould of Hüsker Dü, David Cross, Stu McLamb of The Love Language, Tig Notaro, Superchunk as an acoustic duo, and Amber Tamblyn.

Tickets are $80 and include a limited edition silkscreened poster. This is a seated show and admission will be limited.

Album Review: T0W3RS - If All We Have Is Time

T0W3RS and their full-length album, If All We Have Is Time, feel off-kilter and unsteady, but there’s a charm to this ramshackle debut.

The 10-song, 30-minute record — which the band self-labels as “fffreaky outyyyy” on their promo — plays like a collection of knick knacks hidden away in a bedroom closet. T0W3RS stitches together elements of bedroom pop, psych rock and southern folk.

“Over & O’ver” is a fine example of the multi-genre space that the band inhabits. Muffled percussion and bleary vocals trot along until a contingent of keyboards and guitar blast through the haze.

Train announces 2012 summer tour, coming to Raleigh

Pop rockers Train just released their sixth full-length album California 37 on Tuesday and now they've announced a big summer/fall tour in support of it.

The band will play the Raleigh Amphitheater on Friday, July 27. Singer-songwriter Mat Kearney will open. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 28 via the big ticket outlets and will be available at the Progress Energy Center box office starting on Monday, April 30.

Check out the music video for "Drive By, " the first single from below.

The Hopsoctch 2012 lineup is here with The Roots, Jesus & Mary Chain, Built To Spill & many more

One of the most anticipated annual local music announcements is the Hopscotch Music Festival lineup, and today is the day where we get to share it with you.

This year's lineup includes a whopping 175 acts. Influential rock bands The Jesus and Mary Chain and Built To Spill will play the City Plaza stage on Friday, September 7 and hip-hop superstars The Roots will headline on Saturday, September 8 with dance group Escort opening.

Other performers include Dan Deacon, The dB's, Deerhoof, Field Report, Hiss Golden Messenger, J. Roddy Walston & The Business, Lambchop, Liars, Mac McCaughan, Roman Candle, Samantha Crain, Shark Quest, Shovels & Rope, Thee Oh See, Versus, Wye Oak, Yo La Tengo and Zola Jesus. Check out the full lineup below.

Shawn Mullins announces 2012 tour, coming to Durham

Georgia singer-songwriter Shawn Mullins, who broke into the mainstream with his 1998 hit "Lullaby," is hitting the road this summer in support of his latest album, 2010's Light You Up.

Mullins will make a stop at the Casbah in Durham on Saturday, July 7. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m on Thursday, April 19 via Etix for $20.

Check out the lyric video for the title track from Light You Up below. You can also watch a solo performance of "Lullaby" performed for KFOG in San Francisco below too.

Chris Stamey, Dex Romweber Duo & more to celebrate Record Store Day at Schoolkids

We've been patiently awaiting the announcement of in-store performances scheduled for Schoolkids Records on Record Store Day, which is this Saturday, April 21.

The wait is over as the store announced on Monday that The Chris Stamey Quartet, John Howie and the Rosewood Bluff, Michael Rank and Stag and the Dex Romweber Duo will play the store. There will also be a "very special guest" which has not been announced yet.

[UPDATE: The final act stopping by Schoolkids for an in-store on Saturday will be Durham folk rock band Delta Rae who will also be playing the CueGrass Festival at The Pit in downtown Raleigh that day. The band will release their debut album titled Carry the Fire via Sire Records on June 19.]

Win tickets to Eleanor Friedberger and Hospitality at Casbah

Eleanor Friedberger and her band are hitting the road this week with Merge labelmates Hospitality and the pair will make a stop at Casbah in Durham on Friday, April 20.

For a chance to win a pair of tickets to the show, email trianglemusiccontests at gmail dot com with "Friedberger tickets" in the subject line no later than noon on Thursday, April 19. We will select and notify a winner that afternoon.

Tickets to the show are $12 adv/$14 day of and available via etix.

Alice Cooper announces 2012 tour, coming to Raleigh

Theatrical rocker Alice Cooper is heading out on tour in 2012 in support of his new album Welcome 2 My Nightmare, a sequel to 1975's Welcome to My Nightmare.

The tour will bring the band back to the Triangle to play the Raleigh Amphitheater on Friday, June 22. Venrez will open. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 20 via the Progress Energy Center box office and the big online ticket outlets for $22 to $42.

Alice Cooper played the Durham Performing Arts Center on the Theatre of Death Tour in 2009. Check out the performance of "School's Out" from that show below.

Lambchop plays mellow set for packed Motorco crowd

All photos by Kevin Norris

Enduring Nashville indie band Lambchop rolled into Motor Music Hall in Durham on Saturday night in support of their eleventh studio album Mr. M, released in February (check out the album review HERE).

The show was more subdued than their recent Triangle gigs. The five-piece band kicked things off with a laid back version of "Give It" before launching into a set of mostly songs from Mr. M. "If Not I'll Just Die," 2B2" and "Gone Tomorrow" were highlights from the set, though the band painted a lush soundscape on every song.

Ten punk, ska & hardcore bands team up for Dirty South Fest

This summer, ten punk, ska and hardcore bands will team up for a one day event in Carrboro dubbed Dirty South Fest 2012. The lineup includes Cro-Mags, The Pietasters, Flatfoot 56, The Queers, Ducky Boys, Patriot, Bad Idea, Antagonizers ATL, Hub City Stompers and Unit Six.

The festival will be at the Cat's Cradle on Saturday, June 30. Doors will open at 3 p.m. and the show will start at 4 p.m. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $30.

There will be a pre-festival party the night before, on Friday, June 29, at Local 506 featuring DJs Midnight Cowboy, King Harold and Lauren Von Trap as well as live music from Jenny Woo. Tickets will be $7 at the door.

New music video from Lost in the Trees - "Golden Eyelids"

Local favorites Lost in the Trees are out wrapping up their first U.S. tour in support of their new album A Church That Fits Our Needs, which will end in the Triangle, and they've also just released a new music video from the album.

The video is for the hauntingly beautiful song "Golden Eyelids" and in typical Lost in the Trees style, it is visually stunning. It features the band under water, including Ari Picker singing the lyrics under water. Check it out below.

The band will wrap their current tour on Friday, April 20, at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro. Tickets are available via Etix for $15.

Free Energy announces a few spring shows, coming to Durham

Philadelphia power pop band Free Energy are gearing up to release their sophomore album Love Sign soon, though no release date has been announced yet. The band will play a few shows next week and will return to the Triangle.

They'll play the Duke Coffeehouse in Durham on Saturday, April 21. Deleted Scenes and Cigarette will open. Tickets will be $5 at the door for the general public or free for Duke students.

Stream the new single "Electric Fever" from Love Sign below. Check out photos and a review of the band's set at a DejaFest in downtown Raleigh last summer HERE.

The Magnetic Fields bring mix of old & new to the Cat's Cradle

The Magnetic Fields rolled into Carrboro on Wednesday for the first show of a two-night stand at the Cat's Cradle.

Songwriter Stephin Merritt and the band rolled through a 28-song set which spanned the band's entire career, though it heavily featured the band's new album Love at the Bottom of the Sea.

Merritt's dry, quirky humor was on display throughout the evening, most notably when he pointed out numerous times that Merge Records had "defected" and was no longer based in Chapel Hill, but in Durham. After stating that Chapel Hill people should be on one side of the room while Durham should go to the other he said that everyone from Raleigh is gay and should just come on stage.

Lucero announces hefty 2012 tour, coming to Carrboro

Memphis southern rockers Lucero released a new album titled Women & Work in March and will be spending the next few months on the road supporting it.

The band will stop at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Wednesday, June 20. Tickets will go on sale soon via Etix for $15.

Stream the new album Women & Work in its entirety below.

The Mountain Goats to play two special sets at Hopscotch

The Hopscotch Music Festival has been slowly announcing bands that will make up the massive 2012 lineup, and Tuesday brought a big announcement.

John Darnielle will play two special solo Mountain Goats sets at the Fletcher Opera Theater at the Progress Energy Center. The first will be a set of Mountain Goats rarities and fan favorites that don't typically find their way into the set lists.

The second set is incredibly intriguing. Darnielle will play a set consisting entirely of metal covers, which will possibly be performed almost entirely on the venue's grand piano. At the very least, it will be a unique evening.

Win tickets to Lambchop and Crooked Fingers at Motorco

Merge Records labelmates Lambchop and Crooked Fingers are teaming up for a show at Motorco Music Hall in Durham on Saturday, April 14, with Lambchop touring in support of their latest, Mr. M, and Crooked Fingers wrapping up a set of dates supporting their 2011 release, Breaks in the Armor.

For the chance to win a pair of tickets to Saturday's show, email trianglemusiccontests at gmail dot com with "Lambchop tickets" in the subject line no later than noon on Thursday, April 12. We will select and notify a winner that afternoon. One entry per person, please.

Tickets to the show are $12 in advance and $15 day of, and are available here.

NC musicians teaming up to defeat Amendment One

The Mountain Goats, Mac McCaughan of Superchunk, Eric Cartwright of Reigning Sound, and Tara DeFrancisco will take the stage at Motorco Music Hall on Thursday, April 19, for the Benefit to Defeat Amendment One.

General admission tickets are $20 and available here. VIP tickets are available for $100 and include a pre-show meet-and-greet and the opportunity to request a song in the set.

Visit protectallncfamilies.org to learn more about Amendment One, and please get out to vote on May 8.

Album Review: Lilac Shadows - Shallow Madness

The new EP from Carrboro’s Lilac Shadows, Shallow Madness, is made of a strange substance. It’s thick, but not impenetrable. It’s slick, but not artificial.

Listening to Shallow Madness is like diving into a viscous liquid. Remain still and the music — particularly “Rise” and “What Dreams” — will suspend you in its depths. However, put forth enough kinetic energy and “Bloodworth” and the title track will keep you in endless motion.

Lilac Shadows is Sam Logan, Derek Torres, and Karen Blanco of T0W3RS as well as Zack Oden from Annuals. The group’s addictive sound is possible because they build their layers of psychadelic synths atop a solid foundation of melody. When the propulsive second half of “A Shallow Madness” kicks in, it’s clear these aren’t pointless pallets of sonic textures.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre announces summer tour, coming to Carrboro

Veteran psychedelic rockers The Brian Jonestown Massacre are gearing up for the release of their thirteenth album Aufheben on May 1. After hitting the west coast in the spring, the band will head out on an east coast tour in late summer which will bring them to the Triangle.

They'll play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Tuesday, August 21. Magic Castles will open. Tickets will go on sale on Thursday, April 12 via Etix for $17.

Check out the song "I Want to Hold Your Other Hand from Aufheben below.

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds thrill Atlanta crowd

Anyone who's followed Triangle Music for a while may know that we wander out of the Triangle from time to time to catch shows that just never seem to make their way to us. On Friday, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds played the Tabernacle in Atlanta and we were there.

The former Oasis leader and principle songwriter kicked off his set by visiting the past with the classic Oasis b-side "(It's Good) To Be Free" followed by "Mucky Fingers," which both sounded fantastic. The rest of the main set relied heavily on Gallagher's new solo work, which works into the set seamlessly with the occasional Oasis classic.

"Everybody's on the Run," "If I Had a Gun..." and "The Death of You and Me" were big hits with the crowd, who seemed to know all of the new music, boisterously singing the choruses to practically every song.

River City Extension announces 2012 tour, coming to Chapel Hill

Photo by Danny Clinch

Eight-piece New Jersey band River City Extension are releasing a new album on June 5 titled Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Your Anger and will hit the road on a co-headline tour with The Drowning Men to support it.

They'll make a stop at Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Saturday, June 2. Ben Henderson will open. Tickets will go on sale at noon on Thursday, April 12 for $10 via Etix.

Stream or download the song "Welcome to Pittsburgh" from Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Your Anger below.

Bustello releasing a new song each month in 2012

Photo by Kevin Norris

Chapel Hill trio Bustello are taking part in a exercise they're calling the Song of the Month project in which they write and record a new song every month in 2012. Which three months already in the books, the guys have already released three new songs that they're giving away.

The songs released thus far are "Bluest Side of the Light," "Airline" and "Fatal Wave." Each song has a corresponding video, which you can check out below and you can download the songs HERE (scroll down for the download links).

We caught a bit of Bustello's set at Deep South the Bar during Hopscotch last year. Check out some photos and a write-up HERE.

Neko Case announces summer shows, coming to Raleigh

Back in 2010, songstress Neko Case was scheduled to play the North Carolina Museum of Art's summer concert series but unfortunately had to cancel her tour. Almost two years later, she'll finally make up the the show when she heads out on a summer tour.

Case will play the NCMA in Raleigh on Saturday, July 14. Kelly Hogan will open. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $20 (general admission) or $30 (reserved seats). Museum members can buy discounted seats.

Case just released a fantastic new song titled "Nothing to Remember" on the album The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 and Beyond. Check out the song below.

Win tickets to The Magnetic Fields at Cat's Cradle

The Magnetic Fields are out on tour in support of their new album, Love at the Bottom of the Sea (review here) and will play two nights at Cat's Cradle next week, April 11 and 12. We're giving away a pair of tickets to the first night, Wednesday, April 11, courtesy of Merge Records.

For a chance to win, email trianglemusiccontests at gmail dot com with "Magnetic Fields tickets" in the subject line no later than noon on Friday, April 6. We will select and notify a winner that afternoon. One entry per person, please. Congratulations, Paige J.!

Tickets to each show are $25 in advance and available via etix for Wednesday and Thursday. Devotchka will open both nights.

The Jacksons announce Unity Tour 2012, coming to Raleigh

For the first time since 1984, The Jacksons are hitting the road on the Unity Tour 2012. But this time, of course, they are without their superstar brother Michael.

The Jacksons will play the Raleigh Amphitheatre on Friday, July 6. Tickets go on sale in select cities on Friday, April 6, but no info has been announced for Raleigh. We'll keep you posted. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 27 via the Progress Energy Center box office and the big ticket outlets for $24.50 to $72.

"There's nothing like having all the brothers on stage at the same time," said Jackie Jackson. "This will be exciting for our fans around the world-- and I know at each concert, MJ's spirit will be in the house with us."

Jason Mraz announces 2012 tour, coming to Raleigh

Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz is releasing his fourth full-length album on April 17 titled Love is a Four Letter Word and will hit the road this summer on the U.S. leg of his Tour is a Four Letter Word world tour.

He'll make a stop at the Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion in Raleigh on Sunday, August 19. Christina Perri will open. Tickets will go on sale on Saturday, April 14 via the big ticket outlets.

Check out the music video for "93 Million Miles" from Love is a Four Letter Word below.

Album Review: M. Ward - A Wasteland Companion

Had M. Ward recorded an album titled A Wasteland, listeners wouldn’t have thought twice. Another melancholy record from folk’s most loved loners. Instead, M. Ward created A Wasteland Companion and that third word makes all the difference.

“When I was a younger man I thought that pain and defeat would last forever, but now I don’t know what it would take to make my heart back down ” Ward reveals as he opens the album on “Clean Slate (For Alex & El Goodo).” Dedicated to Alex Chiton of Big Star and his classic “Ballad of El Goodo,” Ward shows that a companion can be a song or an idea as well as a person. Even loners have things that get them through the tough times.

New music from Midtown Dickens - "Walk, Don't You Run"

The new Midtown Dickens album Home is out today via Trekky Records and they're giving away the new single "Walk, Don't You Run." Stream or download the fantastic two-minute and twenty-second folk song below.

The band will celebrate the release of Home on Saturday, April 7 at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro. Advance tickets are available via Etix for $5.

Midtown Dickens will also play the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival on Saturday, April 21. Saturday only tickets are available HERE for $40. Other Saturday performers include Bombadil, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Donna the Buffalo, Blitz the Ambassador, BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet and many more.

Fitz and the Tantrums announces 2012 dates, coming to Raleigh

Soul pop band Fitz and the Tantrums are hitting the road in 2012 hitting a number of big festivals including Coachella and Bonnaroo, but while they're out, they'll play a number of other shows which include a return to the Triangle.

The band will play the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh on Sunday, June 10. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, April 6 via Etix for $18.

Check out a video of the band performing the song "Don't Gotta Work It Out" on the Rachael Ray Show below.

Win tickets to Alabama Shakes at Cat's Cradle

Athens rockers Alabama Shakes are preparing to release their first LP, Boys & Girls, next week and are embarking on an international tour in support. Their show at Cat's Cradle this Friday, April 6, is already sold out, but we have a pair of tickets to give away to one lucky reader.

To enter to win, email trianglemusiccontests at gmail dot com with "Alabama Shakes tickets" in the subject line no later than noon on Wednesday, April 4. We will select and notify a winner that afternoon. One entry per person, please.

You can stream Boys & Girls in its entirety now at NPR's First Listen.

Bombadil, Mandolin Orange, Midtown Dickens & more to play spring Shakori festival

With spring in full effect, it's almost time for the bi-annual Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival in Chatham County. The 2012 spring event will be on April 19-22 and feature an array of fantastic local and national acts.

Some acts on that caught our eyes include The Beast, Big Fat Gap, Bombadil, Donna the Buffalo, Greg Humphreys & The Hobex Allstars, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Justin Robinson & the Maryannettes, Mandolin Orange, Midtown Dickens and Shirlette & The Dynamite Brothers. Check out the full lineup below.

Tickets are available HERE for a variety of prices depending on when you plan to attend.