AltWeeklies Wire
My Dad is Dead bids a redemptive farewellnew
Early indie rock misanthrope My Dad is Dead ends its 25-plus-year run this weekend.
Tags: My Dad is Dead
Shakori Hills Continues to Grow its Festival and Raise its Communitynew
"People really come here to spend time with their friends and their family. I think that's probably the unsung part of the festival of what really brings people in." -- Jordan Puryear
Tags: music festivals, Shakori Hills
New Music Raleigh's Classical Crossover in a Rock Clubnew
New Music Raleigh recruited Shara Worden for Penelope in large part because the piece, like the group itself, blurs the lines between classical and rock music.
Dan and Letha Melchior Maintain Creative Resolve in the Face of Sicknessnew
Serious illness pushes everyone into the health care tangle, but artists -- especially musicians -- are often hit hardest. Holding a job with decent health care in the U.S. often serves as an impediment to touring, recording or proper practicing.
Can Crowdfunding Change the Way Music is Made?new
With crowdfunding, people interested in seeing a certain endeavor completed can contribute money in tiered amounts in exchange for gratitude or goods.
Tags: Crowdfunding
Le Weekend's DBLSCRT Tries Its Songs Both Waysnew
The trio's second album features five mismatched song pairs that present parallel-universe takes on a similar melodic idea.
Tags: DBLSCRT, Le Weekend
Team Spirit: Durham's 307 Knox Records Turns Fivenew
Since 2004, the imprint has released 31 records—a compilation full of Bull City bands, full-lengths by Midtown Dickens, The Future Kings of Nowhere and Cantwell, Gomez & Jordan and a series of 7-inch vinyl singles. Meet founder Melissa Thomas.
Year in Review: A Sizable Fleet of North Carolina Bands Found Bigger Audiencesnew
This year, more than any other this decade, the Triangle's local band scene seemed to engender broader support. It was a good year to be, as one excellent local compilation put it, "hearing here," at home.
#thissongissogreat: How to Change This Band's Life, in 140 Characters or Lessnew
The Twitter paradigm reverts to the antiquated record-store clerk model, where you discover new music because you trust the person behind the counter who loves something you've yet to hear.
The Tuba Exchange Makes Durham Something of an International Tuba Meccanew
The Tuba Exchange, which has specialized in tuba trade, repair and distribution for a quarter-century, is the only business of its kind in the country, specializing only in tubas and accepting trade-ins.
How Coldplay Became the First Band to Beat the Digital Deficitnew
Chris Martin and company can claim is that they're the first band to break the million mark in digital album sales. In other words, they're the Internet Music Kings.
Tags: Coldplay
It's Your Noise, Too: Merge Records Turns 20new
Instead of pursuing the cold, quick cash-in of some hot new trend, Merge has consistently sought out the songs and bands its owners loved.
If Your Love is Cheap, Windows Loves Your Bandnew
Microsoft's Sponsored Songs program is the latest in a series of variably successful attempts by large companies to use independent music to reach a new audience. If it is to be a long-term strategy, though, many say it must form a stronger bond between the bands and brands it links.
The Music Industry Isn't Done Harassing College Students Over File Sharing. Should It Be?new
Last December, the Recording Industry Association of America announced it would no longer continue its massive legal campaign against downloaders. But that doesn't mean you should grab that album off BitTorrent quite yet.
Tags: RIAA, illegal downloading
A Wealth of Free Musicnew
Bigger crowds for bands, higher sales for bars, and cheaper nights for fans: So why aren't all shows free?
Tags: live music, economic issues
