Hopscotch announces speaker series with big names

As September draws closer, more Hopscotch special events are being finalized, and now we know the details of the Artist and Author speaker series.

The event is held each day of the festival, September 8-10, from the 3 to 5 p.m. at the Raleigh City Museum. Speakers featured over the the three days include Wayne Coyne (of The Flaming Lips), Patterson Hood (of Drive-By Truckers), John Vanderslice, Peter Holsapple and many more.

Check out the full lineup of speakers below. For more details on the topics of each event, head HERE.

The Wombats announce fall dates with The Postelles, coming to Chapel Hill

U.K. indie pop band The Wombats released their second full-length album, The Wombats Proudly Present: This Modern Glitch, in April and they'll be crossing the Atlantic this fall to play shows across the U.S. with New York band The Postelles.

They'll come to Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Tuesday, October 25. The Static Jacks will round-out the three band bill. Tickets go on sale on Friday, July 15 via etix for $10.

Check out the music video for "Our Perfect Disease" from The Wombats' new album below, where you'll also find a widget where you can download the song "123 Stop" from The Postelles' self-titled debut album.

Girls announces new album & fall tour, coming to the Triangle

California indie band Girls will be releasing their sophomore album Father, Son, Holy Ghost on September 13, and you guessed it, they're hitting  the road this fall to support it.

The tour will hit the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Saturday, September 17. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, July 15 via etix for $14.

Details of the album have not been announced yet, but the band did post a mysterious album widget on their Facebook page. Check it out HERE.

Crooked Fingers rejoin Merge Records, new album in October

If the hive of activity surrounding the Archers of Loaf reunion tour and re-release of Icky Mettle in August wasn't enough, Eric Bachmann is returning to his main recording project Crooked Fingers this fall.

Merge Records will release the new Crooked Fingers album Breaks in the Armor on October 11. The album was recorded in Athens, GA, which Eric Bachmann now calls home. The album's 11 songs will feature backing vocals by singer-songwriter Liz Durrett.

Check out a trailer for the album below, which features a new song and beautiful shots of Bachmann and Durrett along along a stretch of rural highway.

Elvis Costello extends 'Spectacular Spinning Songbook' tour, coming to Durham

Elvis Costello and the Imposters have been showing off the songwriter's expansive catalog and his exuberant personality on the revived Spectacular Spinning Songbook Tour, which features a giant wheel on stage, spun by guests to determine some of the songs included in the set. The wheel is massive and the staging is elaborate (check out a video of someone spinning the wheel below to get the song "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea)."

The tour has been extended and it's coming the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) on Thursday, Septmber 22. Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, July 15 at noon via Ticketmaster and the box office for $39.50 to $79.50.

[UPDATE: The start of the tour has been delayed until September 24 in Atlanta due to a serious illness of a close family member. The DPAC show is among the postponed dates. A rescheduled date is in the works and the venue is encouraging people to hang on to their tickets which will be good for the new date.]