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



Upcoming Shows
Okkervil River @ The Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, NC on Tuesday September 13, 2011
Okkervil River stopped through the Triangle once before this summer with their powerhouse of a tour featuring openers of Titus Andronicus and Future Islands, but they'll be stopping through yet again, this time in Raleigh for a show at The Lincoln Theater.  I've always been a fan of shows at The Lincoln because it's the perfect size to feel intimate with bigger bands but large enough to make it feel important with local acts and the like.  This is one that I'm hell bent on catching, especially since I missed the Cats Cradle show.  Get tickets for this before it sells out!

Bonnie Prince Billy @ The Soapbox Laundrolounge in Wilmington, NC on Thursday October 6, 2011
Bonnie Prince Billy is a name that people have been praising for well over ten years and rightfully so, as Will Oldham is a brutally honest and sincere songwriter who lays it all out on the table.  This magnificent songwriter will be gracing the stage of The Soapbox in Wilmington in October and it's a show that the eastern part of the state should have no reason for missing!  The atmosphere at The Soapbox is incredible, especially when the place is packed out and you can almost feel the floor's integrity being proved.  This show is also part of a celebration of the 9th anniversary of The Soapbox and rumor has it that some other awesome shows will be announced soon for the month of October, so keep your eyes posted!

The Head and The Heart w/ Thao and The Get Down Stay Down, The Devil Whale @ The Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, NC on Thursday September 22, 2011
The Head and The Heart have quickly become indie darlings over the span of the past year or so, opening for incredible acts like The Decemberists and Iron & Wine and playing on quite a few Late Night shows all well.  The Seattle based folk/pop group will be making their stop through NC in September with quite the lineup.  While I'm easily most excited to see this rapidly rising and incredibly talented group I've also been a fan of Thao for quite some time and the chance to see her at The Lincoln Theatre with such an awesome lineup surrounding her is only one more reason to drop the money on this show.  At $15 you can't go wrong with it!

Wilco w/ Nick Lowe @ Raleigh Amphitheater in Raleigh, NC on Tuesday September 27, 2011
Wilco.  Wilco is arguably one of the most influential and talented bands of our generation and they continue to tear up the music industry with excellent releases over and over again.  With a handful of classic albums under their belt, Wilco is an act that are always consistently putting out heartfelt and enjoyable Americana based music.  Raleigh Amphitheater will surely be packed out for this show and rightfully so because this is going to be one of the highlights of the year for Raleigh and the surrounding areas in terms of shows.

Hear Here

Saturday, July 16

Shuffle Magazine Presents Museum Mouth w/ Pretend Surprise, Mortal Man @ The Soapbox in Wilmington, NC

$5

Shuffle Magazine is an online and print based magazine that focuses on providing some excellent pieces on Carolina bands.  As a part of their excellent services to both of the Carolinas they also put on shows, this one in particular boasts an interesting mix of bands but showcases one in particular pretty worthy of paying attention to.  Museum Mouth are based out of Southport, NC and their fuzzed out indie rock sounds bleed through with a heavy influence from punk with their often quick paced vocals and garage/surf rock guitar vibes.

The Ladybug Transistor w/ James Husband, T0W3RS @ Kings Barcade in Raleigh, NC

$8 in advance/$10 day of

Merge Record's The Ladybug Transistor have been making waves with their latest release, Clutching Stems,  a poppy yet centralized release that only confirms the talent that lies within this band even after six releases.  Going since the mid-90's The Ladybug Transistor still have just as much energy as ever and their timeless sound continues to bring in more and more fans with each release.  This show of the week isn't just because of the excellent headliners though, James Husband of Of Montreal fame is but one of the openers and his multi-faceted pop sounds are the excellent compliment for The Ladybug Transistor.  James has been the guitarist for Of Montreal throughout their most acclaimed releases and his own work allows his talent to shine through.  T0W3RS serve as the local openers for this show and deserve just as much attention as Husband and The Ladybug Transistor because if they continue on the arch that it looks like they're building for themselves then you'll be hearing a lot about these guys soon.  Their lineup is a conglomeration of local artists like Derek Torres of Lake Inferior and Sam Logan of The Huguenots and their electro-pop sound is one that they've already seemed to have gotten a firm grasp on.  You don't wanna miss this show.

Sunday, July 17

Howlies w/ The Charming Youngsters, Nests @ Kings Barcade in Raleigh, NC

$5 in advance/$7 day of

After building up a name for themselves with their debut of Trippin' With Howlies, Howlies have been getting better and better with time.  Honing their sound, Howlies have become an incredibly exciting band to keep track of and better yet even more exciting to check out live.  Their infectious rhythms and hooks keep the listener begging for more, it's hard not to because there's little not to like about the band's sound.  They've got meaningful and relevant lyrics that don't stray too far with flowery speech but stick straight to the point while not being overly simple.  Quite frankly they're a fun band to listen to, and that's something that not everyone has going for them.  This makes the combination of them playing with The Charming Youngsters all the better seeing as the jangle-pop band from Greenville has much of the same qualities.  They're an endearing band who can keep show goers enthralled with their high energy raucous tunes.  The Charming Youngsters are hooking up with Howlies in Greenville at Live Bar on July 15 and also at The Pinhook in Durham on July 16, so if you're not in Raleigh then you should check out these bands in either Durham or Greenville, you won't regret it!