Justin's Favorite Albums and Songs of 2015

As with any year in music, honesty is what makes an album stick. Sometimes that honesty is brutal. Torres' Sprinter, my favorite record of the year, tears her religious upbringing to shreds as she builds her new identify. Here her raw screams live hammered home the point. Björk chronicled her breakup with long-time partner Matthew Barney in ways that made me cringe and cry.

Other times honesty is joyful. Daddy Issues took not giving a fuck to another level and spoke their own truth without a care of who was listening. John Darnielle reveled in his love of professional wrestling with an entire album about it. It's not a passion I share, but his enthusiasm had me wanting to jump off the top rope.

Tift Merritt to play 'Bramble Rose' in Carrboro

Raleigh singer-songwriter will revisit her 2002 debut album Bramble Rose in early 2016 with a deluxe reissue of the album on February 19 and a special Triangle show where she and her band will play the album front to back.

The show will be at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Friday, February 26. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. today, December 18, via Ticketfly for $25.

Check out the title track from the album Bramble Rose below.

Carly Rae Jepsen kicking off 2016 tour in Raleigh

Canadian pop singer Carly Rae Jepsen released her critically acclaimed third album earlier this year titled Emotion and she'll kick off her 2016 winter/spring tour right here in the the Triangle.

Jepsen will play The Ritz in Raleigh on Friday, February 12. Tickets will go on sale at noon on Friday, December 11, via Live Nation for $25. A pre-sale for Citi Card members will begin at 2 p.m. today, December 10.

Check out the music video for "Your Type" from the aforementioned album Emotion below as well as Jepsen's newly released cover of the Wham! holiday classic "Last Christmas."

Wavves & Best Coast announce winter tour, coming to Carrboro

Indie pop bands Wavves and Best Coast both released new albums this year titled V and California Nights respectively. The pair will team up for a tour in early 2016 called Summer Is Forever II that will bring them the Triangle.

Wavves and Best Coast will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Monday, February 15. Cherry Glazerr will open. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, December 11, via Ticketfly for $30.

Check out Wavves' music video for "Way To Much" and Best Coast's music video for "In My Eyes" below.

ODESZA, Gary Numan, Reggie Watts, Laurie Anderson to play first Durham Moogfest

Gary Numan

After months of anticipation, the initial lineup has been announced for Moogfest, the music festival and conference once located in Asheville but moving to Durham in 2016.

The four-day event will take play May 19-22 and topping the bill are ODESZA, Gary Numan, GZA, Laurie Anderson, Explosions in the Sky, Blood Orange, sunn O))), Oneohtrix Point Never, Suzanne Ciani, Reggie Watts, Sun Ra Arkestra and The Orb. Gary Numan will be featured in a three-night residency and GZA in a two-night residency. Check out a lineup video featuring musician and funny man Reggie Watts below.

Garth Brooks announces 2016 dates, coming to Raleigh

Country superstar Garth Brooks is showing no signs of slowing down the big comeback he launched earlier this year as he has just announced a new round of dates in 2016 that will bring him to the Triangle for the first time in over 18 years.

Brooks will play the PNC Arena in Raleigh with Trisha Yearwood on March 11 and 12. Tickets will go on sale via Ticketmaster at 10 a.m. on Friday, December 11, for $65.73 plus fees. There are no pre-sales and tickets will not be available at the box office on Dec.11, only online or by phone.

UPDATE: With both shows selling out within an hour, Brooks has added a third Raleigh show for Sunday, March 13. Tickets are on sale now.

Check out Brooks performing his hit "Friends in Low Places" on the Today Show earlier this year below.

The Avett Brothers releasing 'Live, Vol. 4' recorded in Raleigh

Continuing their ongoing series of live albums, the last of which was released in 2010, The Avett Brothers will release Live, Vol. 4 in just few weeks.

Live, Vol. 4 was recorded and filmed at the Avetts big New Year's Eve show Raleigh at the PNC Arena last year. The CD/DVD set will be released on December 18. Check out the track list below that includes two new songs from the show, "Satan Pulls The Strings" and "Rejects in the Attic."

The Avett Brothers just announced their spring tour plans and they include a return to the Azalea Festival in Wilmington on Thursday, April 7. Tickets will go on sale HERE at 9 a.m. on Saturday, December 5.

Kurt Vile & The Violators announce winter 2016 tour

Philadelphia singer songwriter Kurt Vile has extended his world tour in support of his new album b'lieve i'm goin down... and the new North American leg in early 2016 will bring him to the Triangle.

Vile will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Thursday, March 3. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, November 20, via Ticketfly for $20.

Vile recently performed a session for KEXP in Seattle. Check out the full performance below.

Dixie Chicks announce 2016 North American tour

Ten years after releasing their last album Taking the Long Way, which earned them an album of the year win at the Grammys, country superstars the Dixie Chicks will hit the road on their first big North American tour since winning that award.

The group will play Walnut Creek Amphitheatre in Raleigh on Friday, August 12. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, November 20, via Live Nation for $42 to $136. Various pre-sales will begin throughout the week, with the tour club sale today, November 17, the Citi pre-sale on November 18, and the Live Nation and Facebook pre-sales on November 19.

Angel Olsen announces 2016 spring tour

Singer-songwriter Angel Olsen has announced a short run of Southern tour dates in the spring, including a return to the Triangle.

Olsen will play the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw on Sunday, April 3. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, November 13, via Ticketfly for $17.

Check out the music video for the song "Window" from the deluxe edition of Olsen's latest album Burn Your Fire for No Witness below.

Ellie Goulding announces spring 2016 North American tour

British pop star Ellie Goulding will release her third full-length album Delirium this Friday, November 6, and she has just announced a big spring 2016 North American tour in support of it.

Goulding will play the Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh on Friday, June 10. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, November 6, via the Duke Energy Center box office and Ticketmaster for $35 to $59.50. The Live Nation pre-sale will begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday, November 5.

Check out the song "Army" from the album Delirium below.

Demi Lovato & Nick Jonas announce 2016 summer tour

Young pop stars Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas will team up for the Future Now tour next summer and on their extensive trek the pair will make a stop in the Triangle.

Lovato and Jonas will play the PNC Arena in Raleigh on Saturday, July 2. Tickets will go on sale on Saturday, November 7, via the venue box office and Ticketmaster. Folks with a Citi card will have access to a pre-sale starting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, November 3.

Lovato just released her fifth studio album a earlier this month titled Confident. Check out the music video for the title track from the album below.

Shovels & Rope announce intimate spring 2016 tour

After spending the early part of 2016 touring with Jason Isbell, the South Carolina husband and wife duo Shovels and Rope will head out for some intimate, seated spring dates that will feature the band pulling out some deep cuts, new versions of familiar song and even some brand new tunes each night.

The tour will stop at the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw on Sunday, March 20. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, October 30, via Ticketfly for $25.

Check out the duo performing "Mary Ann and the One Eyed Dan" at the Cat's Cradle earlier this year below.

Twenty One Pilots announce 2016 summer tour

Ohio duo Twenty One Pilots released their fourth studio album in early 2015 titled Blurryface and the band has stayed busy touring in support of it. The touring shows no signs of stopping in 2016 as they band has just announced big summer tour plans that will bring them to the Triangle for their biggest show here to date.

Twenty One Pilots will play the Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh on Wednesday, June 29. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, October 30, via Ticketmaster and the Duke Energy Center box office for $35 to $45. The Live Nation and Ticketmaster pre-sale begins at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, October 28.

Check out the music video for the song "Lane Boy" from Blurryface below.

Junior Boys announce new album 'Big Black Coat,' spring 2016 tour

Canadian electro pop duo Junior Boys will release their first new album in almost five years on February 5 titled Big Black Coat and they will hit the road on a North American tour in the spring.

The group will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Monday, March 28. Jessy Lanza and Borys will open. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. today, October 23, via Ticketfly for $15.

Check out the title track from the new album Big Black Coat below.

Boulevards signs with Captured Tracks, full-length coming in 2016

Raleigh R&B rising star Jamil Rashad, better known as Boulevards, dazzled a big crowd at CAM during Hopscotch last month (check out photos HERE). He released an EP a few weeks later, and now he has signed a deal that will see his first full-length hitting stores next year.

Boulevards has signed with the Brooklyn-based label Captured Tracks, home to indie acts such as Mac Demarco, DIIV and Wild Nothing. The label will release his full-length album sometime in 2016 and they are distributing his aforementioned self-titled EP released last month on vinyl, CD, cassette and digital. Check out the new music video for the song "Got to Go" from the EP below.

Boulevards will play Kings in Raleigh on Friday, November 27. T0W3RS will open. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $10.

Rhiannon Giddens announces new EP for Black Friday Record Store Day

We've written about North Carolina rising star Rhiannon Giddens quite a bit this year around the release of her acclaimed solo debut Tomorrow is My Turn, but now she is prepping an addendum of sorts to the album, which will be released next month.

Giddens will release a new EP titled Factory Girl for Black Friday Record Store Day, on Friday, November 27. The EP includes five songs recorded during her T-Bone Burnett produced sessions for Tomorrow is My Turn.

After first being released exclusively to independent record stores on November 27, the EP will be released digitally on December 11.

Ani DiFranco announces 2016 trio tour, coming to Raleigh

Veteran singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco released her 18th album last year titled Allergic to Water and in early 2016 she'll head on a series of trio dates, backed by a drummer and bassist, the will bring her to the Triangle.

DiFranco will play the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh on Saturday, January 23. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, October 23, via Etix for $32.50. A pre-sale begins at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, October 21, via Etix with the code "allergic."

Check out the song "Careless Words" from Allergic to Water below.

Will Hoge announces fall 2015 tour, coming to Durham

Nashville singer-songwriter Will Hoge released a new album earlier this year titled Small Town Dreams and he will continue touring in support of it his fall with some new tour dates.

Hoge will make a stop at Motorco Music Hall in Durham on Friday, November 13. Sunday Best will open. Tickets are on sale now HERE for $15 (plus a $3 membership fee if you're not already a member of the club).

Check out Hoge's "Still a Southern Man," written condemning the confederate flag written and recorded after the tragic shooting in Charleston earlier this year, below.

E Street guitarist Nils Lofgren announces 2016 tour

Photo by Joseph Quever

E Street Band guitarist and singer-songwriter Nils Lofgren will hit the road in 2016 for a few solo tour dates and one of his stops will be right here in the Triangle in January.

Lofgren will play the Carolina Theatre in Durham on Thursday, January 21. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, October 16, via the venue box office and Ticketmaster for $29 to $79.10. The venue pre-sale has already started via Ticketmaster using the code FACE.

Lofgren released a 10-disc career retrospective last year titled Face the Music and he will also release a new live album on November 13 titled UK2015 Face the Music Tour. Check out a video of Lofgren playing the songs "Man in the Moon," "Girl in Motion" and "Rusty Gun" in London earlier this year below.

New music video from Phil Cook - "1922"

Singer-songwriter Phil Cook's triumphant new album Southland Mission has been out for a month now and now a new music video has been released for the album cut "1922."

The video is a montage of studio footage, live performance footage, behind the scenes footage and more. It really seems to capture the community nature that surrounds the album and its live performances. Check it out below.

Cook will play Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Saturday, January 23. The Dead Tongues will open. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $12.

Benji Hughes to release first Merge full-length in January

Benji Hughes just released his first music via Merge Records last week in the form of two 7-inch singles and now he's gearing up for his first full-length on the label due out in early 2016.

Hughes's new album is titled Songs in the Keys of Animals and will be to on January 26. The Charlotte singer-songwriter recorded the album over a two-year period, mostly in New York. It will be released on one LP or two CDs (the two discs are to emulate the idea of the side break with vinyl).

Check out the a-side of one of the two aforementioned 7-inch singles, "Freaky Feedback Blues," below.

Brian Fallon recording solo album, announces winter tour

With The Gaslight Anthem now on an indefinite hiatus after wrapping their last tour earlier this year, frontman Brian Fallon has already hit the studio to record a solo album. The album, titled Painkillers, is being recorded in Nashville with singer-songwriter and producer Butch Walker and is expected to hit stores in early 2016, likely before he hits the road for his newly announced east coast tour.

Fallon and the Crowes will play the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw on Saturday, January 16. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $25.

Check out Fallon's full set from the Newport Folk Festival earlier this year below.

Crocodiles announce fall 2015 tour, coming to Durham

California indie rockers Crocodiles just released their fifth studio album earlier this year titled Boys and they will hit the road later this month on a short tour that will bring them to the Triangle.

The band will play The Pinhook in Durham on Sunday, October 25. Lilac Shadows, Shepherds and Dark Tunnels will open. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $7.

Check out the music video for "Hard" from the album Boys below.

Chatham County Line announces 2015 Electric Holiday Tour

Local string band Chatham County Line will head out again this December on their annual Electric Holiday Tour. The four-date tour will see the group and a few friends, Johnny Irion, Jay Brown and Zeke Hutchins, add some electricity to their set, literally, and have fun playing a mix of originals, covers and holiday tunes.

The tour will hit Asheville, Wilmington and Southern Pines before wrapping up at the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw on Saturday, December 19. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, October 19, via Ticketfly for $20.

Check out a performance of "One More Minute" from the 2013 Electric Holiday Tour below.

Low announces winter 2016 tour, coming to Carrboro

Veteran Minnesota indie rockers Low released their eleventh studio album earlier this year titled Ones and Sixes. The band has just announced a new round of winter tour dates in support of the album slated for early 2016 that will bring them to the Triangle.

The band will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Wednesday, February 3. Tickets will go on sale at 11 a.m. on Friday, October 9, via Ticketfly for $20.

Stream the full album Ones and Sixes below.

New music video from Rhiannon Giddens - "Black is the Color"

Carolina Chocolate Drop Rhiannon Giddens struck out on her own earlier this year with her first solo album Tomorrow is My Turn. She has now released a new music video for the album's seventh track, "Black is the Color." Check out the charming video below.

Giddens just played a big hometown show in Durham last week and there are no North Carolina dates currently on the books, but Giddens will be on the road supporting the album through the fall. Check out the dates below, the closest being in Richmond, VA on November 18.

Wide Open Bluegrass to move indoors this weekend

Due to the impending severe weather associated with Hurricane Joaquin, this weekend's big outdoor Wide Open Bluegrass Festival shows set to take place at the Red Hat Amphitheater on October 2 and 3 will now be moved indoors.

The shows will now take place in Halls A and B of the Raleigh Convention Center, right across South McDowell Street from the amphitheater. Friday night's show headlined by Alison Krauss and Union Station is sold out, but tickets are still available for Saturday night's show headlined by Jerry Douglas presents Earls of Leicester and the Sam Bush Band. Ticket are available via Etix.

Carrboro Music Festival brings 180+ acts to town this weekend

The annual Carrboro Music Festival will once again take over Carrboro this weekend as more than 180 acts will play on 25 different stages, including a show in Town Common Saturday afternoon.

Check out the massive, diverse lineup and stage schedule HERE. There is rain in the forecast this weekend, but 13 of the 25 stages are either inside or can be moved inside, so the show will go on. And as always, the Carrboro Music Festival is free so it's a great chance to get out and enjoy tons of music.

New music from Mount Moriah - "Calvander"

We told you earlier this month about Mount Moriah's new 7" featuring the song "Calvander" with a "garage rock" demo of "Baby Blue" and a live version of "Plane." It will be out on October 9 via Merge Records, but you can check out the a-side now below.

The release show for the new release will be at the Pinhook in Durham on Friday, October 9. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $10.

Josh Ritter announces winter 2015 tour

Singer-songwriter Josh Ritter will release his eighth studio album on October 16 titled Sermon on the Rocks and he has just announced a new run of winter tour dates in early 2016 in support of it.

Ritter will play the Carolina Theatre in Durham on Thursday, February 25. Every ticket purchased will include a download of Ritter's new album. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 25, via Ticketmaster and the venue box office for $29 to $63.73. The venue pre-sale will begin at 10 a.m. today, September 23, with the code SERMON.

Check out the song "Where the Night Goes" from Sermon on the Rocks below.

Surfer Blood announces 2015 fall tour, coming to Raleigh

Florida indie rockers Surfer Blood released their third full-length album earlier this year titled 1000 Palms and they'll hit the road on an east coast tour in November in support of it.

The band will return to Kings in Raleigh on Saturday, November 28. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $12.

Check out Surfer Blood's new animated music video for the song "Grand Inquisitor" from 1000 Palms below.

Mitski announces fall 2015 tour, coming to Durham

After dazzling folks at the Hopscotch Music Festival a little more than a week ago, Brooklyn singer-songwriter Mitski has announced some new fall tour dates that will bring her back to the Triangle.

She'll play the Pinhook in Durham on Friday, November 13. PWR BTTM will open. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $10.

Check out Mitski's Tiny Desk set for NPR a few week ago below. It features three songs "Townie" and "Last Words of a Shooting Star" from her new album Bury Me at Makeout Creek and "Class of 2013" from her 2013 album Retired from Sad, New Career in Business.

San Fermin announces December dates with Sam Amidon

Brooklyn orchestral pop band San Fermin released their sophomore album, Jackrabbit, earlier this year and the group has been touring hard in support of it all year. The band has just added a new round of headlining dates for this December and they'll bring singer-songwriter Sam Amidon out as support.

The pair will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Tuesday, December 15. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. today, September 18, via Ticketfly for $15.

Check out a live performance of the title track from the new album Jackrabbit below.

Hopscotch Night 3: Boulevards seizes the moment as Hopscotch comes to an end

All photos by Kevin Norris

After six years, Hopscotch finally defeated me. By the time Saturday rolled around, I was dragging and for the first time I cut back on the shows I planned to attend. With my most anticipated artist, Owen Pallet, canceling for a family emergency and one in, one out situation at nearly every Moore Square area venue, I focused on catching a select few musicians.

Dwight Yoakam is one of the most intriguing headliners Hopscotch has every booked. Seeing his name on the lineup invokes a “Whoa. Really?” that sends one brain into a dance to reconcile how strange and awesome it was all at once. Yoakam did not disappoint, despite some early technical issues. There were sparkling sport coats, big cowboy hats and boots, but this wasn’t a night of country at Walnut Creek. Yoakam’s music appeals to a general audience, but he keeps his roots in country and rock and roll without kowtowing to Nashville’s pop influence.

Punch Brothers announce December tour, coming to Durham

The virtuoso string band Punch Brothers have just announced a new round of December tour dates in support of their latest album The Phosphorescent Blues and they'll return to the Triangle.

The group will play the Carolina Theatre in Durham on Thursday, December 17. Anais Mitchell will open. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 18, via the venue box office and Ticketmaster for $37 to $78.50. The venue presale began today, September 16, via Ticketmaster with the code BLUES.

Check out Punch Brothers performing the songs "Me Oh My" and "Boll Weevil" from the new album for the Bluegrass Situation below.

Hopscotch 2015 Night 2: Discovering music in three ways

All photos by Kevin Norris

Hopscotch is about many things, but one of the most important is discovery. Discovering new music is an obvious benefit, but it goes beyond that. Hopscotch makes a habit of bringing back older artists which allows for rediscovery of old favorites. It gives musicians the freedom and ability to craft performances that wouldn’t happen elsewhere so you can see your favorite artists from a new perspective. I encountered all of those facets of discovery on Friday night.

New to me were Carlitta Durand, the compositions presented by New Music Raleigh, Luxe Posh and Mitski. Durand, an R&B artist from Durham, opened the night at the main stage in City Plaza. A 6 p.m. start time meant that the crowd was small. Durand’s enticing voice added a breathy layer over hushed grooves and funky bass lines. It was a nice change of pace from the rock and roll I consumed all afternoon at day parties and it made me think that Hopscotch needs more R&B in its lineup (or I needed to pay more attention and seek out the R&B that was available at the festival).

Hopscotch 2015 Night 1: Mac McCaughan, Bully & Battles shine after the rain

All photos by Kevin Norris

Walking into City Plaza on Thursday night, there was an uncertainty in the air. Dark clouds threatened rain and storms, an e-cigarette brand hawked its vapor to concert goers, and Ought was getting ready to take the stage in place of Deerhunter, one of the several bands who had to cancel their trips or couldn’t make it to North Carolina. It seemed foreboding. Would this be the year that Hopscotch failed to live up its reputation?

Ought proved a suitable replacement and a first step towards reassurance. The charming Canadians stuttering post-punk slowly built. Early on, jagged rhythms felt carefully designed and Tim Beeler’s vocals felt almost matter-of-fact in tone, but by the end of their set they let loose into a climax that felt spontaneous. Beeler’s friendly banter between songs warmed a cool audience that at times still seemed disappointed at Deerhunter’s absence.

Dave Rawlings Machine preps new album, big fall tour

The Dave Rawlings Machine, the alter ego of the duo of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings where the latter takes the lead, will release their sophomore album this Friday, September 18, titled Nashville Obsolete. They have just announced a huge fall/winter tour in support of it that will bring the group to a larger than normal Triangle venue.

The group, that also features Willie Watson and Punch Brother Paul Kowert, will play the Durham Performing Arts Center on Sunday, November 22. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 18, via the venue box office and Ticketmaster for $35 to $45. Fan club, venue, and Ticketmaster pre-sales begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday, September 17.

Waxahatchee, Greg Fox to fill for Owen Pallett at Hopscotch

A sudden family illness has forced Owen Pallett to cancel his headlining appearance at Fletcher Opera Theater tomorrow night as part of Hopscotch Music Festival. Pallett was also slated to be this year's Improviser in Residence.

Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee will instead fill in at Fletcher, playing a solo set tomorrow at midnight. The Indy reports that Greg Fox has already stepped in as improviser in residence.

Ben Gibbard coming to Raleigh for 'Slacker' screening

As we mentioned months ago, Death Cab For Cutie will be coming to the Red Hat Amphitheater on Tuesday, September 15, but frontman Benjamin Gibbard will be making an another appearance in the Triangle that almost slipped past us.

Gibbard will appear at a screening of the Richard Linklater  film Slacker at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh on Monday, September 14. Gibbard will participate in a discussion of the film and also perform a few solo acoustic songs. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $20 (or $15 for museum members).

Check out Gibbard performing the songs "Something's Rattling (Cowpoke)" and "Teardrop Windows" from his solo album Former Lives below.