Surfer Blood, Wye Oak, and Free Energy capture the crowd at Deja Fest + Jack The Radio's Bottom String Session

Through the pounding heat and pounding rain, Deja Fest pulled through and provided for an awesome free event in downtown Raleigh that got me sufficiently stoked for Hopscotch in September.  The festival was put on by Deja Mi, a mobile media sharing app that allows users to share their concert footage and the like on their iPhones or Droids so you can check out what's going on all over town.  It's a pretty nifty app once all of the kinks get worked out and you get over the fact that you're looking at a bunch of people's camera quality pictures, but either way it's provided for a pretty awesome outlet in terms of a great free event for Raleigh.  Bands like Wye Oak, Free Energy, and Surfer Blood stuck out throughout the day but there were quite a few surprises throughout the lineup.

Hear Here: Week of July 18

This a week I've been looking forward to for a while now, we've got some incredible shows happening in the state this week and in particular I'm incredibly excited for the free Deja Fest in Raleigh this weekend!  Before we get to that though we've had some pretty exciting shows announced for the fall as well including the likes of Ra Ra Riot, Cut Copy, and tUnE-yArDs.  In other news the Okkervil River show on September 13 at The Lincoln Theatre just had opener Wye Oak added, making these tickets even more in demand so get them in advance if you plan on going!

Show of the Week: Deja Fest in Raleigh, NC w/ Surfer Blood, Wye Oak, Hooray For Earth & more on July 22-23

Hopscotch Music Festival announces Day Parties + Ed McKay Artist and Author Series

Hopscotch Music Festival is held from September 8-10
in downtown Raleigh, headlined by The Flaming Lips
and Guided By Voices

It's been a big week for Hopscotch, not only did Guided By Voices announce that their September performance in Raleigh would be their farewell performance, but Hopscotch also announced some of their free Day Parties and their Ed McKay Artist and Author series.  The Ed McKay Artist and Author series will feature some headlining artists joining in on some of the most exciting parts of Hopscotch, I mean who can turn down seeing Wayne Coyne discuss "The Limits of Pop Music" or John Vanderslice and Patterson Hood discussing "The Power of Narrative Songs".  Not only does the Artist and Author series deliver but we've also got some awesome Day Parties going on this year between two features from DiggUp Tapes on Friday and Saturday and some of last years favorite's such as Trekky's Daydream, Hometapes' Friend Island, and much, much more.


The Ed McKay Artist and Author series last year featured names like Chuck Dee, Andrew Whiteman (Broken Social Scene), and local Grammy-winning producer 9th Wonder, but this year's boasts even bigger and better names for the unique and invigorating series that gives the fans a bit closer of a look into these artist's perspectives.


Hopscotch's second year of Day Parties continue to bring the heat as well, there's some incredible lineups already set up and even more to be rolling out between now and September.  Some highlights include The Rosebuds & Friends outside of The Lincoln Theater with The Rosebuds, Hammer No More The Fingers, Ben Sollee, and The Big Picture just to name a few.  DiggUp Tapes Saturday show has a pretty awesome lineup as well with Lonnie Walker, Birds of Avalon, Quiet Hooves, Thank You, and surprise guests.  Check out the full list of Day Parties below along with the Ed McKay Artist and Author series information.  You can get more information about Hopscotch Music Festival from their website at http://www.hopscotchmusicfest.com.  The number of All-Show 3 Day Passes are dwindling though so pick one up while you still can!

Album Review: "Last Summer" by Eleanor Friedberger

Eleanor Friedberger's Last Summer was released on July
12, 2011 on Merge Records

The Illinois songstress Eleanor Friedberger may be best known for her work with her brother Matthew in the critically acclaimed The Fiery Furnaces, but after hearing all of her talents shine through on her debut solo record, Last Summer, it's clear that she's much more than just the (pardon the pun) fiery frontwoman of a heavily influential band of the 00's, she's also a powerhouse of a solo artist who's mastered all of the little nuances of her sound, making sure that there's not a single moment on this record that's lacking in sound or lyricism.  Friedberger's record is filled with densely packed layers of instrumentation that perfectly compliment the refrain and subtlety that's displayed in her vocals.

Hear Here: Week of July 11

It's almost overwhelming at how many excellent shows have been announced for the tobacco state within the past few weeks and they continue to roll in as the summer goes by.  With only eight more weeks to wait until Hopscotch we've got a lot of anticipation building this week for the free day party announcements.  That's not the only thing exciting that will be dropping this week though, between some awesome shows (like our show of the week featuring Merge Records artist The Ladybug Transistor) and some even more exciting show announcements we've got a lot to cover!


Show of the Week: The Ladybug Transistor w/ James Husband, T0W3RS @ Kings Barcade in Raleigh, NC