Triangle Music

Acclaimed bluegrass (or newgrass as some call it) singer-songwriter and mandolin player Sam Bush will be on the road this fall with his band and they'll make a stop in the Triangle.

The Sam Bush Band will play the ArtsCenter in Carrboro on Saturday, October 27. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $35.

Check out a video of Bush performing "Sailin' Shoes" at Gibson Guitars in New York a few years ago below.

California swing band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy made a splash in the late 1990's with the unlikely hits "You & Me & the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight (Baby)" and "Go Daddy-O" which drove their self-titled album to sell more that a million copies. The band are hitting the road this fall supporting their new album Rattle Them Bones and will make a stop just outside the Triangle.

The band will play the Clayton Center in Clayton on Saturday, October 27. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $32.

Check out a video of the band performing "Diga Diga Do" from Rattle Them Bones at recent telethon to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association below.

Schoolkids Records on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh will host two big in-store performances this fall that they have just announced.

First, alt-rockers Mutemath will stop by the store at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, October 9, to play a few songs before heading to the Lincoln Theatre for a show later that night.

Then, local rising star M.C. Taylor, aka Hiss Golden Messenger, will stop by the store at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 17, to play a few songs and promote his new rarities collection Lord I Love the Rain.

All photos by Kevin Norris

Canadian indie pop band Stars returned to the Cat's Cradle on Wednesday night to share their latest album The North with their Triangle fans.

The band played a set heavy on the new album, opening with danceable first single "The Theory of Relativity" and they played all but one of the twelve songs during their 20-song set. The crowd belted out the lyrics to the new songs including "Through the Mines" and the fantastic "Hold on When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It."

The band balanced the new songs with tunes from their catalog, digging as far back as "Elevator Love Letter" from their 2003 album Heart. "Your Ex-Lover is Dead" featured a vigorous crowd singalong that caused big smiles to wash over most of the band.

The Bonnaroo Music Festival is keeping their name out in the world between their massive summer shindigs by sponsoring a fall tour with indie bands White Denim and Maps & Atlases.

The tour will come to the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh on Thursday, November 1. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $10.

Check out the music video for the song "Street Joy" from White Denim's latest album D below. Also, stream or download the song "Winter" from Maps & Atlases new album Beware and Be Grateful below as well.

Siblings and singer-songwriters Jessica Lea and David Mayfield are teaming up for an east coast tour this fall dubbed The Sibling Rivalry Tour.

The tour will come to Kings Barcade in Raleigh on Thursday, December 6. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $12.

Check out a Jessica Lea performing the song "Sometimes at Night" from her latest album Sometimes at Night below. Check out David Mayfield Parade's music video for "I Just Might Pray" from the band's self-titled album below as well.

This Sunday, September 30, more than 170 bands, singer-songwriters and other musicians will flood the streets of Carrboro during the 15th Carrboro Music Festival.

The festivities will start at 1 p.m. and feature bands everywhere from the PNC Bank on Weaver Street to the Cat's Cradle. The lineup includes T0W3RS, Jack the Radio, Onward Soldiers, Big Fat Gap, and Mike Blair and The Stonewalls just to name a few.

Check out the full lineup and schedule HERE. This event is free so get out and enjoy some music.

Bob Mould’s stellar new album, Silver Age, is more evidence that Merge Records is where old indie rockers go to revive themselves. From Superchunk to Redd Kross, Archers of Loaf to Polvo, Merge has found a formula rekindle interest in classic bands.

Silver Age sounds like a brand new Sugar album. It’s as if 1996 to 2011 didn’t happen and Mould hasn’t missed a beat. His songs still expertly combine unrelenting guitars, catchy melodies, and a devil-may-care attitude.

Songs like “Silver Age,” “The Decent,” and “Keep Believing” feel unstoppable. There’s nothing revolutionary here, but aggressive and well-crafted rock never gets old. It’s too bad the album didn’t come out 3 months ago because Silver Age will make you want to roll your windows down and crank it up.

After playing a big free show in Carrboro this past weekend, singer-songwriter Tift Merritt will return to Carrboro later this fall for a big co-headline show with fellow acclaimed singer-songwriter Justin Townes Earle.

The pair will play the Cat's Cradle on Thursday, November 15. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, September 26 via Etix for $20.

Check out the title track from Earle's latest album, Nothing's Gonna to Change the Way You Feel About Me Now, below. Merritt's new album Traveling Alone will be released on October 2. Check out the song "Sweet Spot" from the album below as well.

Yeasayer were originally schedule to pay the Cat's Cradle earlier this month, but the band had to postpone the show which now has a new date.

The band will now play the Cradle on Monday, November 19. Daedelus will open. All previously purchased tickets will be honored. Tickets are also on sale now via Etix for $22.

Check out the music video for "Longevity" from the band's latest album Fragrant World below.

Photo by Parker Fitzgerald

As we've mentioned previously, Raleigh expatriate Tift Merritt has a new album on October 2 titled Traveling Alone. She's released two videos of her performing stripped down versions of a few new songs.

Check out Merritt sitting in a window performing a solo version of "To Myself" and then sitting on a porch with Jay Brown performing "Feeling of Beauty" below. The latter is particularly stunning.

Merritt will perform a sold out free show at Carrboro Town Commons tonight, September 21, with Megafaun and Mandolin Orange. Megafaun tweeted on Thursday that this show and their opening set later that night opening for The Old Ceremony at the Cat's Cradle will be "our last proper shows for a LONG ASS TIME."

R&B legends and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Isley Brothers, led by founding member and lead singer Ronald Isley, will make their way to the Triangle just before Christmas.

They'll play the Durham Performing Arts Center on Friday, December 21. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, October 5 for $45 to $100.

Check out the classic Isley Brothers tune "It's Your Thing" below.

The Avett Brothers are out on tour in support of their new album, The Carpenter, and paid a visit to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon yesterday while in New York.

The band played "Down With the Shine" from their new album. The Carpenter recently debuted at no. 4 on the Billboard Top 200 — the band's highest chart position to date.

While the band's current tour schedule will keep them busy through the end of October, they currently have no North Carolina dates scheduled.

Indie rockers Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah are currently will be out on tour with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes over the next few weeks and on a night off between Asheville and Charleston, the band will stop in the Triangle for a headline show.

The band will play the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh on Friday, September 28. Gray Young and A Rooster for the Masses will open. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $15.

Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah's latest album, Hysterical, was released last year. Check out the band performing the title track from the album for WFUV below.

Irish alt rockers Ash released a new EP of covers in June titled Little Infinity and they will be coming to the states this fall for a short tour in support of it.

They'll play Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Wednesday, November 14. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $12.

Check out the band's version of the classic Bobby Freeman song "Do You Wanna Dance" from the new EP Little Infinity below.

After announcing the signing of William Tyler and Reigning Sound on Monday, Merge Records followed  that by announcing that they have also signed up and coming Triangle band Mount Moriah.

Merge will release the band's self-titled debut album on vinyl for the first time on October 2. The release will include a digital download of the album as well as some bonus live recordings from the band's various radio station performances over the past year or so. Check out the full track list below.

Mount Moriah's sophomore album will be released in early 2013. We'll keep you posted with the details of the new album when they become available.

The debut album from Chicago quartet California Wives, Art History, is a well-executed take on new wave nostalgia, but fails to leave the listener with all the warm, fuzzy feelings that accompany the genre’s quintessential records.

Art History has a familiary sound. Glamorous guitars and sheets of synths surround the nasal, hushed vocals of lead singer Jayson Kramer while he sings big melodies. It’s a style that’s had success and California Wives stick to it.

“Blood Red Youth” is the most engaging track on the album. Its shifting layers allow individual lines — drums, guitar, bass and vocals — to star at separate times. The nuanced composition creates a bigger payoff with the band goes all in at the end of the track.

Ben Folds Five's first album in 13 years, The Sound of the Life of the Mind, is out today and the band released a fantastic new music video yesterday for the song "Do It Anyway."

The video features the fantastic Jim Henson muppets of the 1980s television show Fraggle Rock. If you're of the right age to remember the show or maybe just cool enough to be familiar with it anyway, you'll love this clip. In addition to the Fraggle gang, the video also features Rob Corddry, Anna Kendrick and Chris Hardwick. Be sure to stick around after the song ends to hear the Fraggle theme.

The Five played Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre on Sunday night. Check out photos and a write up of the show HERE.

Merge Records has a had a big year of releases so far this year and there are still a few to go, but the label is already looking ahead to 2013. They just signed two new acts, The Reigning Sound and singer-songwriter William Tyler.

The Reigning Sound formed in Memphis and are now based in Asheville. They are led by veteran garage rock singer-songwriter Greg Cartwright.

Singer-songwriter William Tyler played guitar in Lambchop for years before heading out on his own. He released his debut album in 2011 and was all over this year's Hopscotch Festival playing with Hiss Golden Messenger and Megafaun in addition to his own headline show.

Merge plans to release new albums by each of their new signees next year.

Canadian indie pop band Stars has a new album out this fall, as do both of their tourmates, Diamond Rings and California Wives. The trio will make a stop at Cat's Cradle on Wednesday, September 26, and we have a pair of tickets to giveaway courtesy of California Wives.

For a chance to win, email trianglemusiccontests at gmail dot com with "Stars tickets" in the subject line no later than 3 p.m. on Wednesday, September 19. We will select and notify a winner that afternoon. One entry per person, please.

Tickets to the show are $22 in advance, $24 day of show and are available via Etix. Stream California Wives' song "Purple" below.

Photo by Cynthia Wood

Singer-songwriter Mark Eitzel, who will release a new album on October 2 titled Don't Be a Stranger, has extended his fall tour plans into December and bring the former American Music Club frontman to the Triangle.

He'll play Kings Barcade in Raleigh on Saturday, December 8. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $12.

Check out the song "I Love You But You're Dead" from Don't Be a Stranger below. Check out more information about the album HERE.

All photos by Kevin Norris

Reunited Chapel Hill-born piano pop trio Ben Folds Five returned to the Triangle Sunday night in support of their first new album in 13 years, The Sound of the Life of the Mind, out on Tuesday, September 18.

The band opened their set with a nice, mid-tempo new song, "Michael Praytor, Five Years Later" before launching into the instrumental "Theme from "Dr. Pyser"" and the rocker "Jackson Cannery."

Among the other new songs in the set were the fantastic ballad "Sky High" and the title track from The Sound of the Life of the Mind which features lyrics by Nick Hornby.

There once was a kid from North Carolina who grew up to be a rock ‘n roll star. Such is the story of Ryan Adams, but as many in the local music scene know, there’s much more to it than that.

David Menconi, local music critic extraordinaire, is perhaps the one perfect person to tell that story, and he has done so splendidly in Ryan Adams: Losering, a Story of Whiskeytown.

While this is indeed an unauthorized biography – Adams did not agree to be interviewed for the book – it helps that Menconi was essentially riding in the sidecar for much of Whiskeytown's rise to prominence. Menconi's extensive history of interviews with Adams and other key players in the Whiskeytown story proved invaluable, as he discusses on his blog.

Durham quartet Midtown Dickens and Virginia musician and bandleader Matthew E. White both just played the Hopscotch Music Festival last week and now they're teaming up for a big show in the Triangle.

The pair will play the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw on Saturday, November 17. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $10.

Check out a review and photos of Matthew E. White's set with his 30-piece band at Fletcher Opera House during Hopscotch HERE. Also, check out photos and a write up of Midtown Dickens show at Duke Gardens in July HERE.

Photo by Michael Graham

As of yet, there's still no word on when The Love Language's long awaited third album will be out, but following the band's big day party during the Hopscotch Music Festival, the band have announced another big Raleigh show.

Stu McLamb and his accomplices will play the Lincoln Theatre on Friday, November 9. Gross Ghost and The Toddlers will open. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $12.

Check out photos from the aforementioned Hopscotch day party HERE.

Mashup artist Girl Talk is coming back to the Triangle for a show at the Longbranch in Raleigh on Thursday, September 20.

For a chance to win a pair of tickets to the show, email trianglemusiccontests at gmail dot com with the subject line "Girl Talk tickets" no later than noon on Monday, September 17. We will select and notify a winner that afternoon. One entry per person, please.

Tickets to the show are $20 in advance, $22 day of show via Etix. G-Side will open the show.

Nashville singer-songwriter Will Hoge is releasing a new mini-album/EP of socially charged songs on September 18 titled Modern American Protest Music. He'll be on the road supporting the release this fall and will make his way back to the Triangle.

Hoge will play the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh on Tuesday, October 2. The show is a co-headline gig with Drivin' N Cryin'. Tickets are on sale now via Etix for $14.

He'll also come back on his own to play Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Wednesday, December 5. Details about this show are not available yet. Tickets for the show are on sale now via Ticketfly for $12.

Hip hop artist Aesop Rock released his sixth full-length album earlier this year titled Skelethon and he'll be hitting the road on a big fall tour to support it.

The tour will stop at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Monday, October 29. Rob Sonic, DJ Big Wiz and Dark Time Sunshine will open. Tickets are going on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 14, via Etix for $20.

Stream the entire album Skelethon via the YouTube video below.

Regular Triangle visitors The Hold Steady are heading back out on the road for a few shows this fall and the Triangle was lucky enough to get one.

The band will return to the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Sunday, October 14. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 14 via Etix for $18.

The band's latest album is 2010's Heaven is Whenever. Check out the band performing "Rock Problems" from the album on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson below.

One of the hottest bands around right now, Fun., are hitting the road on a fall tour that will bring them back to the Triangle (the band played the Cat's Cradle in February).

This time they stop at a bigger venue, Disco Rodeo in Raleigh, on Thursday, November 29. Tickets will go on sale at noon on Saturday, September 15 for $29 via Etix (the band gives $1 of every ticket sold to their foundation which advocates for marriage equality).

Check out a video of the band performing "Some Nights" (which is currently number five on Billboard's Hot 100 chart) at the Do Something Awards below.

All photos by Kevin Norris

New York indie rockers Versus took the stage at the Lincoln Theatre on Saturday night which was dominated by Merge acts (Mac McCaughan and Wye Oak were also on the bill). The band rocked through the first few songs of their set which sounded fantastic.

A little later over at Memorial Auditorium, smoke machines filled the dark venue well before drone metal band Sunn O))) took the stage. Backed by a giant wall of amplifiers, the creepy, robe wearing band shook the venue with crushing sounds.

Photo by Kevin Norris

Weather was not a friend to the Hopscotch Music Festival on Saturday evening as a strong band of storms rolled through Raleigh forcing crowds to seek shelter in local businesses around City Plaza. The crowd patiently waited and even though Escort set's was canceled, once the rained passed, The Roots stormed the stage.

The band are a true powerhouse both musically and as entertainers. They rocked through a set including hits like "The Seed (2.0)," "How I Got Over" and "Here I Come," the theme song for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

New Jersey rockers The Feelies are on tour in support of their 2011 release, Here Before, and they'll make a stop at Cat's Cradle on Saturday, September 15.

For a chance to win a pair of tickets to the show, email trianglemusiccontests at gmail dot com with "Feelies tickets" no later than noon on Wednesday, September 12. We will select and notify a winner that afternoon. One entry per person, please.

Tickets to the show are $18 and available via Etix.

All photos by Kevin Norris

Fletcher Opera Theater is the perfect venue for the current Lampchop tour. The band wants to play as quiet as possible and the theater provided both the acoustics and expectations to make it work.

Early this year at Motorco, Lampchop tried a similar set that was marred by an incessant hum from on of the amps and a chatty crowd. In Fletcher the audio was perfect. Audiences also act differently in seated venues. Fletcher is not a social venue; it’s a place to hear music.

The crowd at Raleigh’s Contemporary Art Museum (CAM) was damp and slightly confused. On stage was a man in a tattered bunny mask wearing nothing but a vest, leather chest strap and black briefs.

As NOBUNNY ripped through their first songs, there was laughter and lots of pointing. It seemed many folks at CAM didn’t know what they were getting into.

NOBUNNY’s lead singer danced around the stage animating his silly lyrics with tons of gestures. The look in his eyes was maybe the craziest anybody would see all weekend at Hopscotch.

Photo by Kevin Norris

One of the most talked about day parties of Hopscotch 2012 was the big Megafaun and Friends party in front of Mecca on Martin Street.

Megafaun were joined by phenomenal guitarist William Tyler for most of the set which included "His Robes," "Heretofore," "Second Friend" and "Get Right." Towards the end of the set, the band were joined by Adam Granduciel of The War on Drugs and drummer Chris Corsano. Everyone on stage appeared to be having a great time and the crowd loved it.

Earlier in the day, The dB's and Mount Moriah played the party. Check out photos from those sets below.

All photos by Kevin Norris

Venerable North Carolina pop rock band The dB's took  the stage at one of the Hopscotch Festival's new venues, Long View Center, late Friday night to play songs from their new album Falling Off the Sky as well as songs from their catalog.

The original four-piece band were accompanied by local singer-songwriter Brett Harris sounded fantastic on classics like "Love is for Lovers" and "Ask for Jill" as well as new tunes like "World to Cry" and "Collide-oOo-Scope."

Photo by Michael Graham

The Fletcher Opera Theater was full of fantastic folks music on Friday night. Canadian singer-songwriter Tamara Lindeman, aka The Weather Station, and Hiss Golden Messenger featuring Brad and Phil Cook of Megafaun and guitarist William Tyler, stunned crowds with their sets.

Check out photos of The Weather Station and Hiss Golden Messenger below.

All photos by Michael Graham

Hopscotch day two ended with an epic two-hour set from The Mountain Goats in Fletcher Opera Theater.

John Darnielle opened with his much anticipated set of metal covers. He sat at the piano and was joined by a trio of backup singers.

Darnielle’s arrangements of Ozzy Osbourne, Gorguts, Nightwish, and more proved that there was beauty beneath the hard exterior of these songs. He made the audience hear music from a different perspective and likely opened some new ears to a new genre of music.

Photo by Kevin Norris

It was a good night for rock and roll in Raleigh and the comfortably full Tir Na Nog got some of the best.

Boone's Naked Gods owned the small stage in the Irish pub. Singer Seth Sullivan bashed his tambourine with fury in between verses. Guitarist Derek Wycoff bent his guitar every which away to get it to scream and howl.

While Naked Gods’ robust rock is angular at times, it has a very organic sound. The mountains that surround the band’s hometown seem very much a part of their music.

Photo by Kevin Norris

The first main stage show at Hopscotch 2012 was a blast from the past. Hall of fame indie rockers Built to Spill and The Jesus and Mary Chain brought the audience back to the 90’s.

The crowd was packed up to the sound tents when I arrived during Built to Spill. The band’s classic slacker rock sounded good, but the crowd was in a lull. Other than lead singer Doug Martsch, the band has little stage presence. The crowd was waiting for something exciting to happen, but it never came.

All photos by Michael Graham

During the day on Friday, Hopscotch threw a big day party bash in front of the Contemporary Art Museum (CAM) in Raleigh headlined by The Love Language.

The band played a bunch of new material, presumably from their forthcoming album, as well as some classics with a new lineup that featured Ryan Gustafson on guitar, original drummer Tomas Simpson, and Mark Simonsen of The Old Ceremony on vibes as well as string and horn players.

Lonnie Walker and The Lollipops played earlier in the day. Check out photos from the party below.

All photos by Kevin Norris

Early on in the first night of Hopscotch, the Berkeley Café was nearly full for the late local band conglomeration, Airstrip. Featuring members of Horseback and Veelee, the quartet features jangly melodies supported by drones and a rumbling rhythm section.

All photos by Kevin Norris

In just three years, Hopscotch has become one of the most respected music festivals in the country. One reason for this is the truly unique sets its organizers put together. The first night of Hopscotch 2012 was no exception.

In Fletcher Opera Theater, Matthew E. White and 30 other musicians (including the Triangle’s own Phil Cook) recreated White’s adventurous new album, Big Inner, live. White stood center stage straddled by bass, drums and keys. Behind him were sections of strings, back up vocalists, and winds.

Photos by Kevin Norris

Maryland rockers J Roddy Walston and the Business brought a little old school rock and roll to the first night of Hopscotch playing to a big, sweaty crowd at Tir Na Nog.

The band jammed away on their classic sounds and frontman Walston noted that the band were playing a bunch of new songs for the crowd who seemed to love every minute of it.  The band also encouraged the crowd to check out Shovels and Rope's set on Saturday night at Deep South the Bar (Walston was wearing a Shovels and Rope shirt during the set).

Check out a few more photos from the band's set below.

All photos by Kevin Norris

Carrboro band Lilac Shadows kicked off the 2012 Hopscotch festivities at Kings Barcade. With the aid of some projected psychedelic visuals, the band sounded stellar.

Sam Logan's catchy, dream-like songs felt even more lush live than they do on record and the band were solid. The title track from the band's debut release, the Shallow Madness EP, was particularly rocking.

Check out a few more photos from the set below.

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti is on tour with a brand new album, Mature Themes, and the band will make a stop at Cat's Cradle on Tuesday, September 11.

For a chance to win a pair of tickets to the show, email trianglemusiccontests at gmail dot com with "Ariel Pink tickets" in the subject line no later than 3 p.m. on Friday, September 6. We will select and notify a winner that afternoon. One entry per person, please.

Tickets to the show are $15 and available via etix. Bodyguard and Moon Diagrams will open the show.

Arena rock superstars Foo Fighters stopped at the Fillmore in Charlotte for a rare club show on Wednesday night to support Rock the Vote and die-hard fans were treated to a 35-song set that clocked in at just over three hours.

The band brought their A-game, rolling through a set of greatest hits combined with songs from their latest album Wasting Light, all of which sounded phenomenal. The band rocked through a cover of Tom Petty's "Breakdown" towards the end of "Dear Rosemary," which delighted the crowd.

The old classic "I'll Stick Around" was a fiery inclusion in the set and the band took on the Paul McCartney classic "Jet," a song they hadn't played since a MusicCares concert honoring McCartney earlier this year.

Singer-songwriters Will Johnson (of Centro-Matic) and Anders Parker are teaming up for a fall tour that will feature the pair playing mostly house concerts, but they'll make a stop in the Triangle for a more traditional gig.

The two will play the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw on Tuesday, September 18. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $10.

Johnson and Anders released a Woody Guthrie tribute album earlier this year with Jay Farrar and Jim James titled New Multitudes. Check out the quartet performing the song "Old LA" from the album on KCRW below.

The new indie supergroup Divine Fits, featuring Brit Daniel of Spoon, Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade and Handsome Furs and Sam Brown of New Bomb Turks, just released their debut album, A Thing Called Divine Fits a week ago (check out our album review HERE). The band have announced a fall tour which will bring them to the Triangle.

They'll play the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh on Sunday, October 28. Cold Cave will open. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, September 7, via Etix for $16.

Check out the song "My Love is Real" from A Thing Called Divine Fits below.