Album Review: White Lung - Deep Fantasy

White Lung’s new release Deep Fantasy is relentless and gripping proof that punk is not dead. Enthralling the listener from the opening track, the album doesn’t let up until the final note fades away.

It’s hard to find soul in a genre that is dominated by screaming, fast-paced guitars and crashing cymbals. That is not true for the case of White Lung, however. Lead singer Mish Way never lets her voice be overpowered by the heavy-hitting music that constantly surrounds her. Though she never reaches a scream, Way still commands power and attention as her voice rips through the music into the listener’s ears.

Tennis announces new album 'Ritual in Repeat,' fall tour

Colorado indie rock band Tennis will release their third full-length album on September 9 titled Ritual in Repeat and then they'll hit the road on a big fall tour in support of it.

The band will return to the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Wednesday, September 24. Pure Bathing Culture will open. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $13.

Check out the slick, catchy song "Never Work For Free" from the album Ritual in Repeat below.

Tony Bennett announces new tour dates, returning to Durham

Photo by Larry Bussaca

Legendary singer Tony Bennett has a new album of duets with Lady Gaga titled Cheek to Cheek due out later this year and he has announced some new dates extending into early 2015, including a return to the Triangle.

Bennett once again play the Durham Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, February 11. His daughter Antonia Bennett will open. Tickets are on sale now via the venue box office and Ticketmaster for $66 to $125.

Check out Tony Bennett's 85th birthday concert filmed at the London Palladium in 2011 below.

White Denim announces fall tour, coming to Carrboro

Texas rockers White Demin are hitting the road this fall on a North American tour in support of their latest album Corsicana Lemonade released last fall.

The tour will stop at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Thursday, September 18. Clear Plastic Masks will open. Ticket will go on sale at 10 a.m. today, June 27, via Ticketfly for $15.

Check out White Denim's full performance of four songs from Corsicana Lemonade for KEXP earlier this year below.

Hiss Golden Messenger shares "Saturday's Song," announces fall tour

Hiss Golden Messenger's Merge Records debut, Lateness of Dancers, is still more than two months away (it's out on September 9), but a new song from the album has just been released. Check out "Saturday's Song" from the album below.

In addition to releasing the new song, Hiss Golden Messenger has announced a fall tour that includes an album release show at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Saturday, September 13. Strand of Oaks and Alexandra Sauser-Monnig will open. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 27, via Ticketfly for $12.

Hiss Golden Messenger will also play the sold out Merge 25 Festival at the Cat's Cradle on Friday, July 25 as well as the free day party at the Cradle on Thursday, July 24 with Amor de Días.

The Rosebuds debut 'Sand + Silence' tunes at Duke Gardens

All photos by Kevin Norris

The Rosebuds returned to the Triangle last night to celebrate Merge Records' 25th anniversary and to debut songs from their forthcoming album Sand + Silence, due out on August 5 (on Western Vinyl).

After kicking things off with a few classics, "You Better Get Ready," "Back to Boston" and "Life Like," the band launched into their first single from the new album, the catchy "In My Teeth." Throughout the set the band debuted seven more songs from the new album for the crowd including the title track, "Wait a Minute," "Give Me a Reason" and "Blue Eyes."

Phantogram announces fall tour, coming to Raleigh

New York electronic duo Phantogram released their sophomore album Voices earlier this year and they've been touring hard in support of it. They have just tacked on a new round of U.S. dates to their tour itinerary this fall that will bring them to the Triangle.

The duo will play The Ritz in Raleigh the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw on Wednesday, October 15. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 27, via Ticketfly for $25.

[UPDATE: The show has been moved from The Ritz to the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw, almost 50 miles west of the original venue. The Cat's Cradle says that ticket information has been emailed to ticket holders.]

Check out the music video for "Fall in Love" from the album Voices below.

Jimmy Eat World announces fall tour, vinyl reissues

Southwest rockers Jimmy Eat World are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the album Futures this year with a vinyl reissue of the album on September 30 as well as reissues of Static Prevails on August 19 and Clarity on September 2. The band will hit the road in October on a U.S. tour that will wrap up in the Triangle.

The band will play The Ritz the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh on Wednesday, October 22. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 27, via Ticketfly for $25.

[UPDATE: The show has been been moved from The Ritz to the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh.]

Check out the music videos for "Work" and "Pain" from the album Futures below.

Paul McCartney adds Greensboro date to 'Out There' tour

After having to postpone some shows in the last few months due to some health issues, Sir Paul McCartney is kicking things back into high gear this next month as he picks up his Out There world tour. He just added a new show to his itinerary, his first show ever in Greensboro.

Sir Paul will play the Greensboro Coliseum on Thursday, October 30. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Monday, June 30, via Ticketmaster for $59.50 to $250.

Check out the music video for "Appreciate" from McCartney's latest album New below.

Sharon Van Etten announces 'Are We There' fall tour

Photo by Dusdin Condren

Singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten released fourth full-length album in May titled Are We There and she has extended her already busy tour schedule with new fall North American dates that will bring her back to the Triangle.

Van Etten will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Thursday, October 23. Tiny Ruins will open. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $15.

Check out the music video for "Every Time the Sun Comes Up" from Are We There below.

Merge 25 Festival adds free day parties in Carrboro

The big Merge 25 Festival kicks off in exactly a month and while tickets are sold out for the Thursday and Friday night shows at the Cat's Cradle, the label has just added a few outdoor day parties behind the club at the Orange County Social Club on those days.

The shows will be from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 24, and Friday, July 25, at the Orange County Social Club. Amor de Días and Hiss Golden Messenger will play Thursday and Radar Brothers and Saint Rich will play Friday.

Tickets are still available HERE for the show on Wednesday, July 23, at Baldwin Auditorium in Durham featuring Lampchop, Mount Moriah and William Tyler. Tickets are also available HERE for the big Saturday, July 26, outdoor show in Carrboro hosted by Margaret Cho featuring Neutral Milk Hotel, Caribou, Teenage Fanclub, Bob Mould, Mikal Cronin, Ex Hex, The Love Language and The Music Tapes.

Album Review: Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence

On the follow up to her successful debut, Born To Die, Ultraviolence finds Lana Del Rey fine-tuning her trademark, melodramatic sound. Beautiful and dark, her second release is more complete and powerful than her past work.

Many things from her first release still remain. A spoken word section on the title track similar to the one on “This is what Makes Us Girls” and hip-hop influenced beats are still present. The minimalist aesthetic, which made Born so unique, still exists here as well, most songs having on a bass beat and vocals with a piano or a guitar added in.

Lauryn Hill announces summer tour, coming to Raleigh

Though she's only released one solo album during her career, R&B/hip-hop star and former Fugee Lauryn Hill has maintained a certain stature in the music world built on the success and critical acclaim of 1998's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. She's hitting the road this summer on a North American tour that will bring her to the Triangle.

Hill will play the Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh on Sunday, July 20. Tickets are on sale now via the Duke Energy Center box office and Ticketmaster for $23.62 to $70.46.

Though she hasn't released a new album since her 1998 debut, she has released a few singles over the years, the most recent being 2013's "Consumerism." Check out the music video for the song below along with the video for her hit "Doo-Wop (That Thing)."

New music from Sylvan Esso - "The Cosmos" (Porches cover)

While promoting their fantastic self-titled debut, Triangle electro pop duo Sylvan Esso recorded a performance for SiriusXM that included an amazing cover of Porches' song "The Cosmos."

"The Cosmos" was released by Porches on the album Slow Dance in the Cosmos last year. Check out their original, rocking version below as well as Sylvan Esso's more laid back, synth-based version. The duo also played the song recently for a French radio station. Check out that performance below as well.

Sylvan Esso will play the Haw River Ballroom on Halloween, Friday, October 31. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $15.

Album Review: Hundred Waters - The Moon Rang Like a Bell

The second release from Hundred Waters, The Moon Rang Like a Bell, finds the band fine-tuning their soft, electronic sound. A new-age experimental band, similar to Alt-J and Imogen Heap, Hundred Waters uses a variety of synthesizers and sound machines to create music that is both rich and beautiful.

The diversity of sounds and instruments on the album produce unique sounds that range from heavy bass lines on “Innocent” to bells and pulsing synths on “[Animal].” The instrumentation creates a quiet aesthetic that blends flawlessly with lead singer Nicole Miglis' haunting voice. 


Duke Performances announces 2014-15 season, William Tyler, Ari Picker & many more

Duke Performances' Music in the Gardens series is in full swing right now but once the summer series comes to an end, the massive 2014-15 series will kick off will an impressive array of performances running through May of next year.

Amongst the eclectic schedule a few shows stand out to us, including guitarist William Tyler performing a piece called Corduroy Roads for four nights at Shadowbox and Ari Picker of Lost in the Trees performing a new piece called called Lion and the Lamb with musicians including Phil Moore of Bowerbirds among others for two nights at Nelson Music Room.

Delta Spirit announces new album, fall tour

California indie rockers Delta Spirit will will release their fourth full-length album on September 9 titled Into the Wide and they'll hit the road on a big fall tour in support of it.

The band will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Wednesday, September 17. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 20, via Ticketfly for $15.

Check out a pair of teaser videos for the new album Into the Wide below.

J. Roddy Walston & The Business announce fall tour

Tennesse rockers J. Roddy Walston and the Business are fresh off of an appearance at the Bonnaroo Music Festival this past weekend and they've just rolled out a new round of fall tour dates that will bring them back to the Triangle.

The band will play the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh on Sunday, September 28. Fly Golden Eagle will open. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $14.

J. Roddy's latest album Essential Tremors was released last year. Check out a live performance of "Heavy Bells" from the album below.

Sylvan Esso to celebrate Halloween in Saxapahaw

The Triangle's rising stars Sylvan Esso just released their debut album last month (it debuted and number 38 on the Billboard 200) and sold out their release show at the Cat's Cradle as well. Now the duo will play the Triangle again this fall on Halloween.

They'll play the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw on Friday, October 31. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $15.

Check out Sylvan Esso's latest music video for the song "Play It Right" from Sylvan Esso below.

The Big Shindig returns with Weezer, Foster the People, Fitz & the Tantrums, more

After seeming to have gone extinct more than ten years ago, G105's old annual concert at Walnut Creek Amphitheatre, The Big Shindig, has been given new life by the relatively young local radio station 95X.

The show will return to Walnut Creek in Raleigh on Sunday, September 7. The lineup is Weezer, Foster the People, Fitz and the Tantrums, The Pretty Reckless, Bear Hands, Fuel, Foxy Shazam, Iamdynamite, Big Data, Sir Sly and Skratch N' Sniff. Tickets are on sale now via Live Nation for $25 to $75.

Babyface announces summer tour, coming to Durham

R&B singer-songwriter, producer and hitmaker Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds released a new album earlier this year with Toni Braxton titled Love, Marriage & Divorce that debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart the week it was released. He'll hit the road later this year on a summer tour that will bring him to the Triangle.

Babyface will play the Durham Performing Arts Center on Sunday, August 10. Eric Benet will open. Tickets are on sale now via the venue box office and Ticketmaster for $45 to $85.

Check out the music video for "Hurt You" from Braxton and Babyface's new album below.

Hopscotch rounds out 2014 lineup adding 25+ bands

Back in April when the initial 2014 Hopscotch Music Festival lineup was announced, the festival said that 40 more acts would be added in the coming weeks. The lineup has now been finalized adding 29 more acts including The War on Drugs, De La Soul and Toon and the Real Laww, which were announced in late April and mid-May.

The new additions are clipping., What Cheer? Brigade, Ka, Jason Lescalleet, Reptar, Vaadat Charigim, MV & EE, Celestial Shore, Zomes, Slim Twig, New Madrid, Circuit des Yeux, Weyes Blood, Flesh Wounds, Naked Gods, White Life, SoftSpot, Sinners & Saints, COLOSSUS, Crowdsource, Spclgst & Nicky Bagz, Deep Sleeper, PRIMOVANHALEN, Other Colors, Judy Barnes and FUNKSS. Check out the full updated lineup below. The schedule is set to be released in mid-July.

J Mascis announces new album, big fall tour

Singer-songwriter and Dinosaur Jr. frontman J Mascis will release a new album this summer via Sub Pop titled Tied to a Star. The album will be released on August 26 and then Mascis will hit the road on a big U.S. tour in the fall.

He'll play Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Saturday, September 27. Tickets will go on sale at noon on Friday, June 13, via Ticketfly for $20.

Check out the song "Every Morning" from Tied to a Star below.

New music from Spider Bags - "Japanese Vacation"

Spider Bags' Merge Records debut, Frozen Letter, is less than two months away and the band/label have shared another new song from the album. Check out the second track, "Japanese Vacation," below (and listen to the previously released song "Back With You Again in the World" HERE).

The band will play the Duke Gardens next week, on Wednesday, June 18, as part of the Music in the Gardens series, which is also part of the Merge 25th anniversary festivities this year. Tickets are on sale HERE for $13.

The Polyphonic Spree announces summer tour, coming to Carrboro

Massive symphonic rockers The Polyphonic Spree released their fourth studio album last year titled Yes, It's True and they are hitting the road this summer on a U.S. tour in support.

The band will return to Carrboro, but this time they'll play the much more intimate ArtsCenter on Friday, August 29. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $22.

Check out The Polyphonic Spree's animated music video for "Popular By Design" from Yes, It's True below.

Real Estate announces fall tour, coming to Carrboro

Indie rock rising stars Real Estate have added new fall tour dates to their busy tour schedule in support of their new album Atlas released earlier this year.

The band will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Friday, September 19. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 13, via Ticketfly for $18.

Check out the music video for "Crime" from Atlas below. It stars comedian and actor Andy Daly of the shows Review and Eastbound and Down.

The New Pornographers announce new album, tour with Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Indie pop supergroup The New Pornographers featuring A.C. Newman, Neko Case and Dan Bejar are back with their first new album since 2010's Together. The band will release Bill Bruisers on August 26 and the full lineup will hit the road for a big fall tour with support from the Pains of Being Pure at Heart.

The bands will wrap the tour at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Sunday, November 23. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 13, via Ticketfly for $30.

Check out the title track from Bill Bruisers via the interactive video below.

Justin Townes Earle announces new album, fall tour

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle will return this fall with his fifth full-length album and a big headlining tour. The album is titled Single Mothers and will be out on September 9 via Vagrant Records.

Earle will play the Carolina Theater in Durham on Saturday, September 13. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 13, via the venue box office and Ticketmaster for $28 to $59.50.

Check out a video of Earle playing a new song titled "White Dress, White Shoes, White Gardenias" at the Southland Ballroom in Raleigh last December below.

OK Go announces new album 'Hungry Ghosts,' fall tour

Chicago pop rockers OK Go will release their first new album in four years in October titled Hungry Ghosts and they're hitting the road in late summer and early fall in support of it.

The band will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Thursday, September 25. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 13, via Ticketfly for $15.

Check out a teaser video for Hungry Ghosts below that features clips of quite a few songs from the album. Ahead of the album release the band will release the Upside Out EP that will feature four songs from Hungry Ghosts. It will be out on June 17.

The Rosebuds announce 'Sand + Silence' tour, share "In My Teeth"

Last week The Rosebuds announced that their sixth full-length studio album (seventh counting Christmas Tree Island) on August 5 via Western Vinyl titled Sand + Silence. Now the band has shared the song "In My Teeth" from the album that you can stream below where you'll also find the full album track list.

In addition to releasing the new song, The Rosebuds also announced the first tour dates in support of the album including a big hometown show. The band will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Saturday, August 2. Ticket information is not available yet but we'll let you know when it is. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 13, via Ticketfly for $15.

Hiss Golden Messenger releasing 'Lateness of Dancers' this fall

As we mentioned a few months back, singer-songwriter M.C. Taylor, better known as Hiss Golden Messenger, signed with Merge Records and he would be releasing a new album later this year. Now we have the details of that album to share.

The new album is titled Lateness of Dancers and will be out on September 9. It was recorded last fall in Hillsborough and features Phil and Brad Cook, William Tyler, Scott Hirsch and Alexandra Sauser-Monnig. Check out a teaser video for the album below.

Hiss Golden Messenger will play the Merge 25 Festival at the Cat's Cradle on Thursday, July 24, with Superchunk, Reigning Sound, The Rock*A*Teens, The Clientele, Telekinesis, Eleanor Friedberger and Amor de Dias. The show is sold out.

Islands announce fall tour, coming to Chapel Hill

Canadian indie rockers Islands released their fifth studio album last fall titled Ski Mask and the band is gearing up for a tour this fall in support of it.

Islands will play Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Monday, September 15. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $12.

Check out the band performing the song "Shotgun Vision" from the album Ski Mask at a show in California earlier this year below.

The Clean announces summer tour, coming to Carrboro

It's turning into a big year for David Kilgour. As we mentioned a few days ago, he and his band The Heavy Eights will release a new album on August 5 and will be playing the Merge 25 Festival in Carrboro in July. And as we mentioned about a month ago, Kilgour's band The Clean will reissue a deluxe edition of Anthology on July 15 and they have just announced a short summer tour that will bring them to Carrboro as well.

The Clean are set to play the Cat's Cradle Back Room on Monday, August 25. Boogarins will open. Tickets will go on sale today, June 6, at 10 a.m. via Ticketfly for $15.

Check out the classic Clean video for "Beatnik" below.

The Rosebuds new album 'Sand + Silence' coming in August

North Carolina duo The Rosebuds will return this summer with their first studio album of original, non-holiday music since 2011's Loud Planes Fly Low.

Not many details were given, but the band posted on Facebook yesterday that the new album titled Sand + Silence will be out on August 5 on Western Vinyl (this will be their first album not released by Merge Records).

The band posted a teaser video for the new album which appears to have been filmed at Justin Vernon's studio. Vernon is seen in the video along with Nick Sanborn of Sylvan Esso and Megafaun, drummer Matt McCaughan and engineer B.J. Burton. Check out the video below which features a bit of an excellent sounding new tune.

Crocodiles announce summer tour, coming to Raleigh

California indie pop duo Crocodiles release their fourth full-length album last summer titled Crimes of Passion and they'll hit the road this summer on a big tour in support of it.

The band will play Kings Barcade in Raleigh on Tuesday, August 26. Ticket information is not available yet but we'll keep you posted.

Check out the music video for "Teardrop Guitar" from the album Crimes of Passion below.

David Kilgour & The Heavy Eights releasing 'End Times Undone' in August, share "Comin' On"

New Zealand singer-songwriter and The Clean co-founder David Kilgour is back with a new album this year with The Heavy Eights, the follow-up to 2011's Left By Soft. The album is titled End Times Undone and it will be released by Merge Records on August 5.

Check out the music video for the album's seventh track "Comin' On" as well as the complete track list for End Times Undone below. The vinyl edition of the album will be pressed on randomly colored vinyl.

As previously mentioned, The Clean's Anthology will be reissued as a deluxe four-LP set on July 15. David Kilgour and The Heavy Eights will play the Merge 25 Festival at the Cat's Cradle on July 25 with Destroyer, Wye Oak, The Mountain Goats, Imperial Teen, Hospitality, Saint Rich and The Vertical Scratchers. The show is sold out.

The 1975 announces fall tour, coming to Raleigh

English pop band The 1975 had a breakout year in 2013 with the release of their self-titled debut album and played a sold out show at the Cat's Cradle last month. Now the band will come back to the states for a big fall tour that will bring them back to Triangle.

This time The 1975 will play The Ritz Memorial Auditorium in Raleigh on Sunday, November 30. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 6, via Ticketmaster for $28.

[The show has been moved from The Ritz to Memorial Auditorium due to ongoing renovations at The Ritz.]

Check out the music video for the band's latest single, "Robbers," below.

David Gray announces new album, summer tour

British singer-songwriter David Gray will release his tenth full-length studio album Mutineers in a few weeks, June 17 to be exact, and he'll hit the road on a monthlong North American summer tour in August that will bring him back to the Triangle.

Gray will play the Red Hat Amphitheater on Monday, August 11. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 6, via the Duke Energy Center box office and Ticketmaster for $30 to $54.50.

Check out the music video for "Back in the World" from the new album Mutineers below.

Band of Horses announces summer tour, coming to Carrboro

South Carolina rockers Band of Horses are playing a few festivals this summer, one of which is the Firefly Music Festival in Delaware in a few weeks. Luckily for the Triangle, the band have announced a few shows on their their way north that includes a stop here.

The band will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Wednesday, June 18. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $20.

Band of Horses most recent release in a live album titled Acoustic at the Ryman. Check out the version of "No One's Gonna Love You" from the album below.

Lorde announces fall tour, coming to Raleigh

One of the biggest and perhaps most unlikely stars of the last year or so, the 17-year-old New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, has just announced some new North American tour dates this fall that will bring her to the Triangle.

Lorde will play the Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh on Thursday, September 18. Majical Cloudz will open. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 6, via the Duke Energy Center box office and Ticketmaster for $39.50 to $65.

Check out the music video for "Team" from Lorde's debut album Pure Heroine below.

Temples announces North American tour, coming to Carrboro

Up and coming U.K. rockers Temples just released their debut album in February titled Sun Structures. The band will come to North America for a tour later this year and they'll stop in the Triangle this fall.

Temples will play the Cat's Cradle on Wednesday, October 29. Spires will open. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 6, via Ticketfly for $16.

Check out the music video for the song "Mesmerise" from Sun Structures below.