Tuesday, July 29, 2014

The Rosebuds Set to Release Sand + Silence


With the upcoming release of their newest album, Sand + Silence, The Rosebuds will return to the Triangle this weekend to play at Cat's Cradle.  Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp make up the indie rock duo that have called the Triangle home since they were signed by Merge Records in 2003.

It was in 2003 that The Rosebuds emerged on the local music scene with the release of their debut album, The Rosebuds Make Out.  Since then, Howard and Crisp have continued to utilize their individual musical talents to produce consistently creative albums that captures their rock and blues inspired sound.  Sand + Silence is sure to deliver on creativity as well, as Howard and Crisp are accompanied by two musicians with musical connections to the Triangle, Justin Vernon and Nick Sanborn of Sylvan Esso and Megafuan.  It should come as no surprise that it only took the band a week to record the album with the abundance of talent available to contribute on what will be The Rosebuds sixth full length album.  Sand + Silence will officially be released on Tuesday, August 5.

Sand + Silence is available for pre-order through The Rosebuds' website. Opening for The Rosebuds will be the talented singer-songwriter, Jesse Marchant.  The show is set to start at 9pm and tickets are still available for just $15.  Tickets can be purchased on the Cat's Cradle website and be sure to get your copy of Sand + Silence.  

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Join the Raleigh Viewing Party for Bluegrass Music Awards Nominations


Bluegrass fans all over the globe can watch live as the final nominees for the 25th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards are announced on Wednesday, August 13 at 4:45 pm Central/5:45 pm Eastern; for the fourth year in a row, Music City Roots will broadcast the nomination press conference live at www.musiccityroots.com, from Liberty Hall in The Factory at Franklin (230 Franklin Road) in Franklin, Tennessee.
Celebrated bluegrass artists/songwriters Sam Bush and Jim Lauderdale will host the Aug. 13 nominations press conference, which is free and open to the public. Separate admission is required for Music City Roots’ Wednesday show, which will feature Sam Bush, Balsam Range, Detour, and Becky Buller. The regularly scheduled Music City Roots show will take place after the press conference at 7:00 pm Central. For ticket information, visit the MCR’s website.
Like last year, bluegrass supporters in Raleigh, North Carolina – host city for IBMA’s World of Bluegrass, Sept. 30 – October 4 – have the opportunity to watch the live August 13 nominations broadcast with fellow music fans at a “viewing party” at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (11 West Jones Street) in downtown Raleigh. The viewing party is free and open to the public, but free tickets are required – visit pinecone.org for details. North Carolina bluegrass band Diamond Creek will perform in the Daily Planet CafĂ© after the final nominees are announced.
Subscribers to SiriusXM can also listen to the August 13 press conference live on the Bluegrass Junction channel, with coverage starting at 4:45 pm Central/5:45 pm Eastern.
The International Bluegrass Music Awards will take place in Raleigh’s Memorial Auditorium (in the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts) at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, October 2. Grammy-winning country vocalist Lee Ann Womack and Grammy-winning musician Jerry Douglas have been tapped to host the Awards show.
The IBMA Awards is part of IBMA’s World of Bluegrass event, an annual bluegrass music homecoming. The event consists of four parts: the IBMA Business Conference, September 30 – October 2; the 25th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, scheduled for Thursday evening, October 2; Wide Open Bluegrass, October 3-4 (which includes both free stages and ticketed festival performances) and the Bluegrass Ramble, an innovative series of showcases, taking place September 30 – October 2 in downtown Raleigh and at the Raleigh Convention Center.
Tickets for the Award Show, as well as for the ticketed portion of Wide Open Bluegrass (which takes place at Red Hat Amphitheater and Raleigh Convention Center Ballroom Stages), Bluegrass Ramble Showcase passes, IBMA Business Conference registration and hotel reservations – along with additional details and pricing information – are available through IBMA’s website, ibma.org.   
IBMA – the International Bluegrass Music Association – is the professional trade organization for the global bluegrass music community. The organization’s six-year stay in Raleigh is the result of a partnership with The Greater Raleigh Convention & Visitors Bureau, PineCone—The Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, the City of Raleigh and a local organizing committee.

*Information courtesy of PineCone press release 

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Raleigh Hosts Farm Aid

Just announced, Walnut Creek Amphitheater will  host the Farm Aid concert on Saturday, September 13.  Headliners include Jack White, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews.  Also included in the lineup is hometown band, Delta Rae, Jamey Johnson, and Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

In a statement from Farm Aid president, Willie Nelson, "This region knows the value of its farmers and offers increasing opportunities for new farmers to build a strong regional food system. On the Farm Aid stage Saturday, September 13, we’ll celebrate family farmers and the healthy communities they’re growing for all of us.”  Get your tickets via Live Nation starting August 1, and support family farmers. 

Old Quarter EP Release Party at The Pour House

 Alt-country band, Old Quarter has recently released their second EP, Gone, Not Forgotten, on July 22. Of course, new music must be celebrated; join the party at The Pour House on Friday, July 25.


The Raleigh natives are experts at meshing traditional country with the sounds of classic rock-n-roll and alternative music. This EP is a follow-up to their first release in 2012, Live OakGone, Not Forgotten continues with the themes of self-reflection and love lost.  Through the lyrics, lead singer, John Massengill expresses a vulnerability with stories of conflicts in life and heartache.  The band intensely taps into raw emotions experienced by most with genuine and thoughtful lyrics and melodies that are reminiscent of traditional country song-writing. 

The EP can be purchased by visiting Old Quarter's Bandcamp page.  Come out and see them live at The Pour House on Friday, July 25 with support by Cousins, The Loudermilks, and Grace & Tony.  Tickets are $7 at the door and the show starts at 9. 

 

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Drive-By Truckers Announce Fall Tour with Houndmouth and More

The Drive-By Truckers are back on the road and they are surrounding themselves with some impressive
company.  Houndmouth, Lucero, St. Paul & the Broken Bones and Lee Bains & the Glory Fires will be joining the Fall tour across the states.

Since the March release of their 12th studio LP, English Oceans, the Drive-By Truckers have barely had a moment's rest since embarking upon tour dates that have taken them throughout the U.S. and Europe. This September and October the band will make their way around the country, playing rock shows with St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Houndmouth, Lucero, Lee Bains & The Glory Fires and more.

All of these recent shows have manifested a new live experience for the band that will be showcased in their new live concert film that will be released this fall. 

BothMike Cooley and Patterson Hood penned songs independently that dovetailed brilliantly with each other on English Oceans, originating in a truly collaborative effort that the band has never utilized before.

"Every song on this record connects with another song," Hood says. "I noticed Cooley's got a line in 'Primer Coat' about 'apron strings,' and I have the exact same image in one of my songs, 'Hanging On.' It goes on and on and on like that on this record, and that's a pretty good sign for things, particularly given how different our temperaments are and our styles of writing are."

Looking at the accomplishments of English Oceans from the perspective of DBT's nearly three-decade history, both Cooley and Hood decline to hedge their bets on the quality of their latest work.

"You're always hesitant to say, 'Oh, this is the best record we've ever made,'" Cooley says, "because you always want to. And sometimes you say it, and sometimes you're right, and sometimes you think, 'Well, maybe I jumped the gun on that a little bit, I got excited.' But I think this just might be the best record we've ever made."

Hood concurs enthusiastically: "It's my favorite thing that we've ever done. I'm proud of our catalog - we always try to make as good a record as we can make. Sometimes things just work. This time, we made kind of a magical record. I've always felt that Decoration Day was our best record, and this is the first one that I think is a better record than that was. Every piece of the puzzle fit.

For more details about the band, check out our interview with Patterson Hood and our show review from their March performance at The Ritz.   

Head below for a full list of the Truckers' upcoming dates, they are all on sale now at http://drivebytruckers.com/shows.html
Tour Dates

7/18 - Marysville, TN - The Shed
7/19 - Cincinnati, OH - Buckle Up Music Festival
9/4 - Dewey Beach, DE - Bottle & Cork
9/5 - Arrington, VA - Lockn'
9/6 - Wilmington, NC - Greenfield Lake Ampitheater
9/12 - Louisville, KY - Iroquois Ampitheater w/ North Mississippi Allstars
9/13 - Detroit, MI - Royal Oak Theater
9/14 - Champaign, IL - Canopy Club
9/16 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown
9/17 - Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom
9/18 - Dallas, TX - Southside Music Hall
9/19 - Memphis, TN - Minglewood Hall
10/4 - Mt. Pleasant, SC  - Holy City Hogs
10/10 - Atlanta , GA - Tabernacle
10/11 - Birmingham, AL - Cask and Drum
10/ 17 - New York, NY - Beacon Theater
10/ 18 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
10/ 19 - Albany, NY - Hart Theatre at The Egg
10/21 - Pawtucket, RI - The Met
10/22 - Bethlehem, PA - Musikfest Cafe
10/23 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
10/24 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theater
10/25 - Springfield, MO - Gillioz Theater
10/28 - Fayetteville, AR - George's Majestic Lounge
10/29 - Oxford, MS - The Lyric Oxford
10/30 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
11/1 - Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore

J. Cole's Secret Concert - Shhhh

Who says you can't go home?  Rapper J. Cole defies this old adage by bringing a concert to his hometown for only a buck.  That's right, the show will only cost one dollar, but there is a catch.  The venue for this show is top secret.  The only way to find out is through the power of social media.  Be sure to follow J.Cole on Twitter to get the deets on show day, Saturday, July 19.

J. Cole was raised in Fayetteville, NC and gained recognition by Jay Z after releasing his mixtape, The Come Up.  His debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story was released in 2011 and earned him a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.

Raleigh is one of six top secret concerts being given by J. Cole, with other appearances being made in New York, London, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles.  Keep your Twitter feed on high alert, get your keys ready, and save that hefty one dollar bill because this show is first come first served.  May the odds be ever in your favor. 


Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Google Play Releases Merge Records Documentary



Need more Merge?  Google Play has you covered with a new documentary, 25 Years with Merge Records.  The video contains interviews with Mac, Laura, Merge musicians, and friends of the label discussing Merge through the years. 

As a bonus, US music fans have access to download 25 free Merge tracks, including five new recordings from Superchunk, The Mountain Goats, Telekinesis, Saint Rich, and Hiss Golden Messenger. 

Join the celebration and check out all of the Merge 25 festivities.  


Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Lee Ann Womack and Jerry Douglas to Host IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards


Grammy-winning country vocalist Lee Ann Womack and Grammy-winning musician Jerry Douglas  will host IBMA’s 25th annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, scheduled for October 2 at Raleigh, North Carolina’s Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. Known as bluegrass music’s biggest night of the year, the International Bluegrass Music Awards acknowledges the year’s outstanding talent and achievements, honors new Hall of Fame inductees, and waves the worldwide flag for bluegrass music. 

The International Bluegrass Music Awards is part of International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass 2014 event, which takes place September 30 –  October 4 in Raleigh, North Carolina

“Aside from the fact that each has a boatload of undeniable talent and personality, Jerry Douglas and Lee Ann Womack share a musical outlook that has plenty of room for creativity and innovation on the one hand, and for a love and mastery of tradition on the other,” said IBMA Board chair Jon Weisberger. “It’s a perfect combination, and one that exemplifies the enduring vitality of our kinds of music. To say that we’re excited about having these folks hosting our awards is an understatement." 



Womack slipped into Raleigh during last year's World of Bluegrass to enjoy a grassroots fan's perspective, catching Wide Open Bluegrass and street fair artists, listening in to some of the many jam sessions (occasionally acceding to requests to sing from pickers who recognized her), and enjoying the Awards Show that she now looks forward to hosting with Jerry Douglas.

“Last year, I came as a fan – and I loved every moment of World of Bluegrass!” Womack said. “The joy everybody has about the music, the quality of the playing, seeing old friends, discovering new artists and even meeting Tony Rice! To be a part of the IBMA Awards is such an honor, I can’t tell you... and to get to co-host with Jerry Douglas? How lucky can one girl get?!”

"It is my great pleasure to be co-hosting this year's IBMA Awards,” said Douglas. "In the forty years that I have been a professional musician, starting with the Country Gentlemen in 1973, bluegrass music has been my anchor and compass wherever I may go. If that weren't enough, I get to share duties with the beautiful Lee Ann Womack, one of the most amazing singers in the world and a very funny lady. I don't exactly see a night of sticking to the teleprompter with her around, and that is just fine with me. I'm sure it's going to be a wonderful evening for us all!"

Womack, who burst onto the scene with “Never Again Again,” has always been a purist about music. A singer’s singer, in addition to her international multiple week #1 “I Hope You Dance,” recently performed by special request at Maya Angelou’s memorial, the Jacksonville, Texan has recorded with Bryan Sutton on Divided & United, Buddy Miller on multiple projects, Willie Nelson, Alan Jackson, Don Henley, David Nail and Dan Tyminski. The Way I’m Livin’, her much anticipated roots music project on the Sugar Hill label, has already received positive notice from The Wall Street Journal, RollingStone.com and USA Today




Womack's connection to bluegrass goes beyond just being a fan of the music.  Ricky and Sharon White Skaggs put in appearances on her first two albums, while for her epic I Hope You Dance, Womack brought in Ronnie Bowman and a pre-O Brother Dan Tyminski to sing with her on the Don Williams classic, "Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good" - and, coincidentally, kicked off the album with Ronnie and Greg Luck's "The Healing Kind."  A few years later, she returned to the well when she tapped a group of bluegrassers that included Bowman and members of the just-forming Infamous Stringdusters to accompany her on a couple of memorable tours, and she's continued to call on Bowman and long-time friend Shawn Lane (Blue Highway) for occasional performances since.  



Internationally recognized as one of the world’s most renowned Dobro players, Douglas ranks among the top contemporary artists in American music. Douglas has garnered 13 Grammy Awards while holding the distinction of being named “Musician of the Year” by The Country Music Association (2002, 2005, 2007), The Academy of Country Music (11 times), and The Americana Music Association (2002, 2003), as well as numerous International Bluegrass Music Association awards.  In 2004, the National Endowment for The Arts honored Douglas with a National Heritage Fellowship, acknowledging his artistic excellence and contribution to the nation's traditional arts, their highest such accolade. In addition to his groundbreaking work as a member of Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Country Gentlemen, J.D. Crowe & The New South, Boone Creek, Strength in Numbers, Elvis Costello’s Sugarcanes, and others, Douglas has graced over 2,000 recordings by such distinguished artists as James Taylor, Paul Simon, Ray Charles, Lyle Lovett, Elvis Costello, Garth Brooks, Charlie Haden, Earl Scruggs, Phish, Emmylou Harris, Bill Frisell, The Chieftains, and the eight million-plus selling soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou?

On September 16, 2014, Rounder Records will release two very special albums featuring Douglas: Three Bells, featuring Douglas collaborating with fellow Dobro masters Mike Auldridge and Rob Ickes, and The Earls of Leicester, a bluegrass supergroup featuring Douglas, Tim O'Brien, Shawn Camp, Barry Bales, Charlie Cushman, and Johnny Warren paying tribute to the music of Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs.



Tickets for the Award Show, as well as for the ticketed portion of Wide Open Bluegrass (which takes place at Red Hat Amphitheater and Raleigh Convention Center Ballroom Stages), Bluegrass Ramble Showcase passes, IBMA Business Conference registration and hotel reservations – along with additional details and pricing information – are available through IBMA’s website, ibma.org.

*Information Courtesy of IBMA Press Release