Neutral Milk Hotel extends reunion tour, coming to Carrboro

After skipping the area on the first leg of the band's reunion tour, kicking off this October, indie rock legends Neutral Milk Hotel have announced a slew of new dates, including a two-night stand in the Triangle.

The band will play Cat's Cradle on February 1 and 2, 2014. Tickets will go on sale Friday, Aug. 2, via Ticketfly with a limit of four tickets per person. $1 per ticket sold will be donated to Children of the Blue Sky. All tickets must be picked up at will call the night of the show, and photos and videos are prohibited, including cell phone photography.

A complete list of Neutral Milk Hotel tour dates is below.

A-Trak & Holy Ghost! added to Hopscotch lineup, Big Boi is rescheduled

Holy Ghost!

The Hopscotch organizers have found a replacement, actually two, for hip hop star Big Boi, who was slated to headline the City Plaza stage on Friday, September 6. The night will now be capped with sets from Holy Ghost! and A-Trak. Gross Ghost and Future Islands will stick kick off the City Plaza show on Friday.

The Big Boi show has been rescheduled as promised and he'll now headline a show at Memorial Auditorium on Saturday, September 21. Folks who purchased tickets solely for the City Plaza show headlined by Big Boi will be contacted by Hopscotch so they can receive a free ticket to the new show on September 21.

Colin Meloy announces new solo EP, fall tour

The Decemberists' frontman Colin Meloy is taking a break from his successful children's book series The Wildwood Chronicles to release new EP of cover songs and head out on his first solo tour in five years this fall.

Meloy will play the Carolina Theatre in Durham on Wednesday, November 6. Eleanor Friedberger will open. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 2, via the venue box office and Ticketmaster for $26 to $36.

Check out a video of Meloy performing The Decemberists' tune "Down By the Water" during a solo concert for KEXP a few years ago below.

J Roddy Walston & The Business announce new album, fall tour

Soulful Baltimore-based rock band J Roddy Walston and The Business have announced the release of new album on September 10 titled Essential Tremors and they'll hit the road on a big fall tour in support of it.

The tour will bring the band back to Kings Barcade in Raleigh on Tuesday, October 29. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $12.

Check out the rocking track "Heavy Bells" from Essential Tremors below. Also check out some photos from the band's set at the Hopscotch Music Festival last year HERE.

Megafaun & Arnold Dreyblatt announce collaborative album

After collaborating at last year's Hopscotch Music Festival for a special performance, local folk rock/experimental/Americana group Megafaun and Berlin-based composer Arnold Dreyblatt decided to document their chemistry by recording an album at Pinebox Recording in Graham.

The album is titled Appalachian Excitation and will be release on September 17 by Northern Spy Records. Check out the album's opening track "Home Hat Placement" below along with the complete track list.

Big Boi cancels upcoming shows including Hopscotch

Hip-hop star Big Boi, who was scheduled to headline the Hopscotch Music Festival City Plaza stage on Friday, September 6, has canceled all of his upcoming tour dates citing a leg injury that took place in June.

The Independent notes that the Hopscotch Festival organizers knew about Big Boi canceling his Hopscotch performance more than a week without notifying the public and continued to sell tickets until at least Friday, July 26, still listing the rapper as the headliner. As of now, tickets for Friday's City Plaza show are still for sale via Etix but Big Boi's name has been removed from the ticket page and replaced with "TBD."

Junip announces fall tour, coming to Carrboro

Swedish rock band Junip are hitting the road this fall on a new tour in support of their acclaimed sophomore album (which is self-titled and already making best of 2013 lists even though the year is only half over) and they'll be making a stop in the Triangle.

They'll play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Tuesday, October 8. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $15.

Check out the band's recent performance on the KCRW show Morning Becomes Eclectic below.

Hugh Laurie announces fall tour, coming to Durham

Perhaps best known as star of the Fox television drama House, Hugh Laurie is also an accomplished musician who is releasing a new album on August 6 titled Didn't It Rain. He'll hit the road this fall to play some shows and he'll be making a stop in the Triangle.

Laurie will play the Carolina Theatre in Durham on Friday, November 1. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 27, for $35 to $95.

Check out a video of Laurie and his band performing the song "Wild Honey" from the new album on the RMS Queen Mary below.

New music video from The Love Language - "Calm Down"

The Love Language's new album Ruby Red was unleashed on the world on Tuesday (check out a review HERE) and the band has released the first music video from the album for the song "Calm Down."

The video, which was filmed around the Triangle including at Local 506 in Chapel Hill, features the journey of a lonely spaceman booted from the home of Laura Ballance to kick the story off. Check it out below.

The Love Language's big album release show is at the Cat's Cradle on Friday night, July 26. Tickets are still available via Ticketfly.

Wavves announce fall tour with Jacuzzi Boys, King Tuff

California indie rockers Wavves are heading back out on the road this fall on a North American tour in support of their latest album Afraid of Heights, released earlier this year and Jacuzzi Boys and King Tuff will be joining them.

The trio of bands will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Monday, October 7. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 26, via Ticketfly for $17.

Check out the Wavves tour announcement below which features the band skydiving as well as the song "Demon to Lean On."

The Head and the Heart announces new album, fall tour

Seattle indie folk band The Head and the Heart will release their sophomore album Let's Be Still on October 15 via Sub Pop Records and they'll hit the road on a big fall tour in support of it.

The band will make the jump to The Ritz in Raleigh on Sunday, November 10. Thao and the Get Down Stay Down and Quiet Life will open. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 26, HERE for $22.

There is no new music from the new album to share yet but check out a video of the band's full KEXP session filmed last September below.

John Legend announces new album, Made To Love Tour

R&B superstar John Legend is gearing up for the release of his of his fourth full-length album, Love in the Future, on September 3 and he'll be hitting the road on the Made To Love Tour this fall in support of it.

He'll hit the Durham Performing Arts Center on Halloween, Thursday, October 31. Tamar Braxton will open. Ticket information is not available yet but we'll keep you posted. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 2 via the venue box office and Ticketmaster for $51 to $130.

Check out a video of Legend performing the first single from Love in the Future, "Made For Love," on Good Morning America last month below.

Built To Spill announces big fall tour, coming to Carrboro

Indie rock veterans Built To Spill are heading out on the road again this fall on a big tour that will bring them back to their regular Triangle haunt.

The band will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Wednesday, October 30. Genders and Slam Dunk will open. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. via Ticketfly for $20.

Check out a video of an entire show Built To Spill performed earlier this year in Sacramento below.

Album Review: The Love Language - Ruby Red

Ruby Red, The Love Language’s first album in three years, opens with a determined, focused beat. It's the first sign that the extra time during the recording process has led to a new ambitious — and ultimately flawed — sound.

“Calm Down,” the opening track, feels relentless as the beat drives through a 2 minute guitar and drum jam. Despite a nice build, it feels tacked on. There’s something that feels cold and mechanical about it.

This feeling permeates many of the additions to the band’s sound. The vocals are distant instead of big and bold. Strings, horns, and glockenspiel feel perfunctory. The shift in focus from melody and vocals towards composition and instruments makes The Love Language feel less like a band wanting listeners to join them in song and more like a band hoping people will sit back and appreciate them from afar.

Merge signs Saint Rich, debut album out in October

The ever-growing roster of acts signed to Merge Records has just grown one act bigger with the addition of Saint Rich, the new project of Delicate Steve bandmates Christian Peslak and Steve Marion.

Merge will release the group's debut album, Beyond the Drone, on October 1. Check out the fantastic song "Officer" from the album below (you can also download the song for free via Bandcamp).

The band will hit the road in the fall supporting Wild Belle (who we coincidentally just posted about earlier today) but they are not currently supporting the Raleigh show. We'll let you know if that changes or when the band adds a Triangle date to their schedule.

Wild Belle announces fall tour, coming to Raleigh

After playing some big festivals this summer including Lollapalooza and Outside Lands, Chicago indie rock siblings Wild Belle will hit the road on a big fall tour in support of their debut album Isles, released earlier this year.

The band will play Kings Barcade in Raleigh on Monday, October 21. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $10.

Check out a video of Wild Belle performing the song "Keep You" at Lincoln Hall in Chicago earlier this year below.

Dickey Betts & Great Southern announce new 2013 dates, coming to Durham

Founding member of The Allman Brothers Band and celebrated southern rock guitarist Dickey Betts and his band Great Southern have just added some new tour dates to his 2013 tour schedule which includes at stop in the Triangle.

Betts and the band will play the Carolina Theatre in Durham on Friday, August 30. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Monday, July 22, via the venue box office and Ticketmaster for $35 to $55.

Check out Betts performing his Grammy winning instrumental tune "Jessica" at a show in New York last summer below.

Man Man announces new album, big fall tour

Philadelphia indie rockers Man Man are releasing their fifth full-length album on September 10 titled On Oni Pond and they'll be hitting the road on a hefty fall tour supporting it.

The band will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Monday, October 28. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. today, Friday, July 19 via Ticketfly for $15.

Check out the lyric video for the groovy tune "Head On" from On Oni Pond below.

The Love Language hosting 'Ruby Red' listening party in Durham, streaming album online

The Love Language are planning a busy week around the release of their new album Ruby Red, officially out on Tuesday, July 23. After hitting Schoolkids Records on Saturday for an in-store performance on Saturday which we told you about last month, the band will be hosting a free listening session in Durham.

Folks will be able to listen to Ruby Red from noon until 2 p.m. at Motorco Music Hall in Durham on Sunday, July 21. Bull City Records will also be on hand to sell the new album a couple of days early on CD and vinyl. There will also be some door prizes, ticket giveaways and other fun things going on.

Surfer Blood announces fall tour, coming back to Carrboro

Florida indie rockers Surfer Blood are hitting the road this fall on a big tour in support of their new album Pythons, released in June, and they'll be making their way back to the Triangle.

The band will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Tuesday, October 1. Gauntlet Hair will open. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 19, via Ticketfly for $14.

Check out a video of Surfer Blood performing the song "Weird Shapes" from the new album at a bike shop in Portland below.

India.Arie releases 'Songversation,' announces fall tour

Soul singer India.Arie just released her fifth full-length album in June titled Songversation and she will be taking it on the road this fall as she tours the U.S.

She'll play the Durham Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, October 29. Tickets will go on sale at noon on Friday, July 19, via the venue box office and Ticketmaster for $35 to $65.

Check out the sultry sounds of the song "Cocoa Butter" from her new album Songversation below.

Johnny Marr announces US tour, coming to Carrboro

Former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr is hitting the road on a U.S. tour this fall in support of his debut solo album The Messenger released earlier this year and he'll be making a stop in the Triangle.

Marr will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Tuesday, November 19. Ticket information is not available yet but we'll keep you posted. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 19 via Ticketfly for $22.

Check out a video of Marr and his band performing "New Town Velocity" from The Messenger at the Glastonbury Festival last month below as well as a video of them performing The Smiths' classic "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" at Coachella.

Win tickets to Robert Plant at Booth Amphitheatre

Robert Plant is currently making his way across the country with his band the Sensational Shape Shifters, and we have a pair of tickets for one lucky reader for Plant's show at Cary's Booth Amphitheatre this Saturday, July 20.

For a chance to win, email us at trianglemusiccontests at gmail dot com no later than noon on Thursday, July 18, and tell us what song you hope Plant and his band will play at this Saturday's show. We'll notify the winner Thursday afternoon. Congratulations, Justin M!

Tickets to the show are $65 for reserved seats and $50 for lawn and are available via Etix. There is a BOGO deal running through Wednesday, July 17, at midnight to get two lawn tickets for $50 with no fees.

New music video from Bombadil - "Escalators"

Quirky Triangle trio Bombadil will release their new album Metrics of Affection next Tuesday, July 23, and the band have just released their first music video from it.

The video is for the song "Escalators" and if you're wondering, yes there is an actual escalator in the video a few times. Check it out below. The song is available as a free download as part of A Pocket Guide to Bombadil, an EP available on NoiseTrade.

As we've previously mentioned, the band will be celebrating the release of Metrics of Affection with a big show at Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh on Saturday, July 27. Tickets are available via Etix for $10.

CocoRosie announces fall tour, coming to Carrboro

After spending the summer and early fall touring Europe in support of their new album Tales of a Grass Window, French group CocoRosie will come to North America for a big tour that includes a stop in the Triangle.

The band will play the Cat's cradle in Carrboro on Wednesday, November 6. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $18.

Check out the music video for "After the Afterlife" from Tales of a Grass Window below.

Tift Merritt to release deluxe edition of 'Traveling Alone' in September

Songstress Tift Merritt is celebrating the one year anniversary of her latest album Traveling Alone with the release of a deluxe edition of the album this September.

The new box set, available in either CD or vinyl format, will be packaged with a hard bound, vintage styled lyric book. In addition to the original album the release includes an additional disc/record containing ten previously unreleased acoustic songs titled Traveling Companion. It includes some new originals as well as two covers of songs by Joni Mitchell and Tom Waits. Check out the song "Lingering On" as well as the full track list for the release below.

Polvo returns with 'Siberia' in October

Chapel Hill noise rock veterans Polvo will return with their sixth full-length album (the second since they reunited in 2008) titled Siberia on October 1, which will be released by who else but Merge Records.

Merge describes the album as "a record that’s humming with confidence, the sound of a band with nothing to prove, but proving it anyway." Check out the eight-song track list below.

The band will certainly play a local release show some time around the album's release date. We'll let you know when that's announced and when the first new music from the album becomes available.

Mandolin Orange releasing 'This Side of Jordan' in August

Triangle folk duo Mandolin Orange signed with local label Yep Roc Records earlier this year and are gearing up for the release of a new album titled This Side of Jordan.

The album will be released on August 20 and you can check out the album's opening track, "House of Stone," below along with the full 11-song track list.

The band will celebrate the release of This Side of Jordan with a big show at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Friday, August 23. Ticket information is not available yet but we'll keep you posted.

New music from Superchunk - "Me & You & Jackie Mittoo"

Superchunk's new album I Hate Music will be out in a little over a month, August 20 to be exact, and the band has released the second new song from the album.

The song is the short but sweet second song from the album "Me & You & Jackie Mittoo." Stream the song below. The song will be released on 7" vinyl on July 23 with the non-album b-side "Sunset Arcade."

As we previously mentioned, the band will celebrate the release of I Hate Music with a show at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Saturday, August 24, with The Parting Gifts. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $15.

Pearl Jam announces fall tour, heading to Charlotte

The always popular rockers Pearl Jam are reportedly almost finished with a new album, their first since 2009, and they're hitting the road this fall on a big North American tour, presumably in support of the forthcoming album.

The band won't be stopping in the Triangle but they will be playing the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte on Wednesday, October 30. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 27, via Ticketmaster for $69.

[UPDATE: The band have announced the release of their new album Lightning Bolt which will be out on October 15. Check out the song "Mind Your Manners from the album below.]

Album Review: Estrangers - Season of 1000 Colors

The anticipated debut from Winston-Salem’s Estrangers, Season of 1000 Colors, justifies the local buzz around the band.

The easy comparison is to The Love Language. Estrangers’ shimmering pop has a layer of fuzz, catchy melodies, and 60s inspiration, but the music of The Love Language is much more immediate. There’s more mystery and nuance to the Estrangers.

“Dayzd” is energetic and danceable, but wanders its way into “Moonraker,” a short instrumental that could be taken from some lost James Bond film. That then shifts quickly in the rocking “Monarchs.” The brilliant transitions in Season of 1000 Colors make it easy to glide through its 33 minutes without noticing most of the song changes.

Bill Callahan announces new album, fall tour

Singer-songwriter Bill Callahan will release his fourth album under his own name on September 17 titled Dream River and then he'll hit the road on a big fall tour in support of it.

Callahan will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Sunday, September 29. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 12, via Ticketfly for $15.

Check out Callahan performing his old Smog tune "Cold Blooded Old Times" for PitchforkTV earlier this year below.

The Weeknd preps 'Kiss Land,' announces fall tour

Rising R&B star The Weeknd is prepping his new album Kiss Land for a late summer release with a specific date yet to be determined but he has announced a big U.S. tour this fall in support of it which will bring him to the Triangle for a big show.

The Weeknd will play the Durham Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, October 2. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 12, via the venue box office and Ticketmaster for $48.

Check out the title track from the forthcoming album Kiss Land below.

Willie Nelson & Family extend 2013 tour, coming to Cary

Country lengend and regular Triangle visitor Willie Nelson has added some new dates to his 2013 schedule in support of his latest album Let's Face the Music and Dance and he'll be stopping in the Triangle in September.

Nelson and the family will return to Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary on Saturday, September 14. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 12, via Etix for $35 (lawn) or $54.50 (reserved or table seats).

Check out the music video for Nelson's version of the Django Reinhardt song "Nuages" from Let's Face the Music and Dance below.

Steve Earle & The Dukes announces 2013 dates

Singer-songwriter Steve Earle and his band The Dukes will be on the road this summer in support of their new album The Low Highway released earlier this year and you guessed it, they'll be making a stop in the Triangle.

They'll play the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh on Sunday, August 25. Ticket info is not available yet but we'll keep you posted. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 11 via Etix for $25 or $40 (VIP balcony).

Check out the music video for "Invisible" from The Low Highway below as well as a video of Earle performing some solo tunes and talking to the folks at KEXP earlier this spring.

New music video from Mount Moriah - "White Sands"

It's been four months since Mount Moriah released their acclaimed sophomore album Miracle Temple and after wrapping their U.S. tour last week in Durham the band has released a new video from the album.

The video is for the song "White Sands" and it's mostly a straightforward performance video that features a bit of acting by the core members. Check it out below.

Mount Moriah will be performing at the Hopscotch Music Festival on Friday, September 6. They'll be playing at the Fletcher Opera Theater at 11:30 p.m. Check out more info about the Hopscotch Festival HERE.

North Carolina State Fair announces 2013 music lineup

The North Carolina State Fair is just a a little more than three months away and the organizers have just announced the full 2013 music lineup of Dorton Arena headliners on October 17-27 except for a single date which is still TBA.

This year's lineup is about as underwhelming as every other year but a portion of the schedule does resemble the Lincoln Theatre schedule a bit more than in previous years with the inclusion of Sister Hazel and the Michael Jackson tribute band Who's Bad.

Richard Buckner releasing 'Surrounded' in September

After releasing the fantastic album Our Blood two years ago, singer-songwriter Richard Buckner is back this year with a brand new album titled Surrounded. The album will be released by Merge Records on September 3 and will feature nine new songs recorded with producer Tucker Martine.

Check out the album's second track, "When You Tell Me How It Is," below where you'll also find the album's full track list.

A tour in support of Surrounded should be announced soon. We'll let you know once Buckner plans a trip back to the Triangle. Check out a few photos and a review of his show at the ArtsCenter in 2011 HERE.