Raleigh's 2012 Hopscotch Festival Announces Lineup

The Roots are one of the headliners at the third
annual Hopscotch Music Festival, Sept 6th-8th.

Those of you who've been reading Myxem for a while know that we're huge proponents of the annual Hopscotch Music Festival in downtown Raleigh, NC and have been anxiously awaiting this year's lineup. Well, at approximately 12:01AM on Wednesday April 18th, that wait was over. This year's festivities will be headlined by hip-hop all-stars (and Jimmy Fallon's favorite co-workers) The Roots, legendary noise pop pioneers The Jesus & Mary Chain, and influential introverts Built to Spill. Also of note: the one-of-a-kind solo set from John Darnielle (a.k.a. the Mountain Goats) consisting of 50% acoustic Mountain Goats rarities and 50% heavy metal songs covered on a grand piano, Matthew E. White performing his currently unreleased 5-track album with a gospel choir and full string section, and what is certain to be an electrifying performance from quirky Pittsburgh MC Danny Brown. Also, according to the official press release, "New York guitarist Ben Greenberg, who performs as Hubble, will offer the world premiere of a piece called Lag, in which he uses the Internet as a delay pedal." Not sure how exactly that will work, but I'm excited to find out.

3-Day Wristbands and VIP wristbands are on sale now for $110 and $165 respectively, with single day passes and City Plaza tickets going on sale in July when the performer schedule is announced. Check out the full lineup after the jump and be sure to check out the festival website for details and ticket information.

Two Raleigh, NC Festivals Add New Venues

Photo courtesy of progressenergycenter.com

The burgeoning metropolis of Raleigh, NC is already gearing up for the 3rd Annual Hopscotch Music Festival this September (check out our extensive past coverage here). For those of you unfamiliar with the event, the aptly named Hopscotch Festival takes place across over a dozen different venues in downtown Raleigh, all within reasonable walking distance of each other, consisting of a large outdoor stage in City Plaza and an assortment of bars, clubs, and theaters of all shapes and sizes. Back in November, a mere two month after 2011's stellar weekend, the folks at Hopscotch announced that they would be adding the main gallery of Raleigh's Contemporary Art Museum as their fifteenth performance venue, indicating that the festival was continuing to build on the expansive growth that it made after between 2010 and 2011. It turns out that was only the beginning.

Album Review: "All That The Rain Promises" by Bombadil

All That the Rain Promises by Bombadil was released on
November 8, 2011 by Ramseur Records

If you've been with Myxem for a while, you may remember our coverage of the third day of the Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh, NC. We talked at length about Bombadil, a Durham-based band that we caught a glimpse of between sets from the Flaming Lips and Lost in the Trees. It takes a very special performance to stand out between two musical powerhouses such as those, but when the dust cleared and the copious glitter from the Flaming Lips show finally washed out of my hair, the memory of Bombadil's set at Fletcher Opera Hall still burned clearly in my mind. They completely took me by surprise with a display of sheer, raw talent that had me listening to their back-catalog (specifically 2009's epic Tarpits and Canyonlands) and nothing else for about a solid month.

Now, a full two months later, Bombadil has released their third album, All That the Rain Promises. I've been excited about this one for quite some time and can say with complete honesty that I am nowhere near disappointed. All of the key elements that drew me to Bombadil in the first place are present in full force; the album opens with "I Will Wait", an emotional dirge reminiscent of traditional Southern hymnals, before going into the elegant guitar work and slow build that comprise "The Pony Express." From there, we are treated to another admirable collection of tunes steeped in the band's quirky sort of charm, with the composition of each one managing to outshine its predecessor at first listen. Lyrically, the band doesn't stray too far from the eloquent pseudo-folk storytelling we've come to expect from them (with the notable exception of "A Question" which reads like a playground love-note), and I quite frankly have no problem with that. There are certainly attempts to get more ambitious vocally, such as the penultimate ballad "Short Side of the Wall", but for the most part Bombadil stick to what they know, and they seem it know it damn well.

After a brief hiatus brought on by vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Daniel Michalak's health issues, Bombadil has come roaring back into the North Carolina music scene, and with All That the Rain Promises, they have shown that they are anything but rusty. The album is a complete and seemingly effortless return to form that is impossible not to enjoy. I cannot recommend it highly enough and will be waiting patiently to hear what this incredibly talented group comes out with next.

Rating: 9.4/10
Standout Tracks: "The Pony Express", "One Whole Year", "Laundromat"

Myxem Picks 'Em - Week of 09/12/11

Beaten and bedraggled by the fantastic weekend in Raleigh, NC at the Hopscotch Music Festival, we finally got around to setting down and assembling a playlist. Needless to say, the playlist focuses heavily on the highlights of the festival including Bombadil, Empress Hotel, Ben Sollee and Shit Horse. The playlist also features some non-festival talent in the way of Warm Ghost's chillwave stylings, new tracks from St. Vincent and Girls, and Fleet Foxes' "Grown Ocean." Click the banner above to listen to the playlist.

Hopscotch '11 - Day Three Review

The Myxem crew awoke battered and beaten on Saturday morning; two full days of Hopscotching can really kick your ass. Regardless, this was our big day and we were going to enjoy the hell out of it. I was about thirteen years old when I first heard the Flaming Lips. I was an awkward eighth grader who listened to a lot of classic rock and watched a lot of VH1, where they played a clip of "Do You Realize??" during just about every commercial break. It was this that inspired me to check out the whole album, which led me to the Soft Bulletin, which led to Clouds Taste Metallic, and the rest is history. Today would be my first time ever seeing the Lips live, a moment that my awkward teenage years had been building up to. Needless to say, I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing. But, before that glorious moment, there was lot on the agenda: bands to see, day parties to attend, and a whole lot of walking around.

Hopscotch '11 - Day Two Review

TOW3RS at The Hive were definitely a
highlight of the Day Party lineup.
Photo courtesy of The Bottom String

After the incredible first day, featuring obvious highlights Empress Hotel and Dinosaur Feathers, we awoke Friday with that festival feeling, the mixture of weariness and palpable excitement. After all, we had lined up a pretty big day and it was by no means disappointing.

Terry and I had been pretty excited about Shit Horse, so our first stop of the day was Odessa Fest at King's Barcade. Their set was all of the incredibly well-done, weird rock we'd come to expect and set the day off on the perfect note. While at Odessa Fest, we also caught Wesley Wolfe's vinyl cutting demonstration, which was definitely a pretty neat spectacle. The singles Wesley cut at the demonstration were later auctioned off.

From Odessa Fest, we headed to The Hive for Diggup Tape's Rooftop. We caught a stellar set from TOW3RS in what was only their second live performance and actually their first with that lineup. They stand-out as a highlight of the day, their preternatural skills in songwriting and musicianship set my expectations for the band high, and I wait with bated breath for their release.

Hopscotch '11 - Day One Review

The Love Language played a stellar set at the
Lincoln Theater last night.

I began my endeavor into Hopscotch's first day with high hopes. As I've previously mentioned, the sheer atmosphere of downtown Raleigh during the festival is electrifying. The Myxem staff spent most of the day exploring the downtown area, learning the lay of the land and such. We unfortunately did not get settled in time to attend a day party but were instead indulging ourselves in local cuisine (check out Kyle's review of Beasley's Chicken + Honey, which was stellar) and making a stop into Shopscotch, a "pop-up store" forged by online merch retailer Kung Fu Nation and a handful of local artists to sell their wares to the public. The selection of vinyl records in Shopscotch is definitely worth a look; I'll be going back tomorrow with cash in hand. In addition to new releases, reasonably priced t-shirts, and other assorted swag, the selection boasted a variety of rare and out-of-print records that any collector would drool over. If you have the time, I highly advise taking a second to stop in and see what's for sale.

The Myxem staff began our night at King's Barcade for Brooklyn-based quartet Dinosaur Feathers. In my personal opinion, there could have been no better way to kick off the festivities. The venue was packed to the gills, but the band was sure to bring enough energy to go around. Their infectious breed of intelligent pop-rock kept the crowd moving, and their performance was absolutely flawless. I left King's exhausted from the dancing that I couldn't help but partake in and filled with even higher hopes for what my night would have in store.

Hopscotch '11 - In Brief - Day One

We got a late start today. We had planned to be at the Big Boss day party held at Sadlack's Heroes, but as the rumor spread that it'd been closed down due to a noise complaint we decided to sit tight and catch up with a few episodes of Friends. Which was by no stretch of the imagination a waste of time.

By the time we had made it downtown, it was with just enough spare time to be one of the first through the door for Dinosaur Feathers. These boys took King's Barcade through the roof. I cannot possibly think of a better opener for King's incredible line up, and I hazard to say it'd be difficult to name a band I'd rather have seen as my first band of Hopscotch 2011.

We made a mistake and left King's, as they were counting people as they exited and letting the same number of people in, it seemed re-entry was unlikely. We lamented our bad luck, but forged on to Cassis Orange down at The Union (which is kind of a haul from King's). The two and half songs we caught were amazing. There were some technical issues with a sample going awry and it was pretty difficult to see, as The Union does not have a stage.

Hopscotch '11 - Spotify Playlist

For those of you attending Hopscotch 2011 and wondering which bands will be most worth your time or those of you unfamiliar with the roster, check out this Spotify playlist. This is what I've been listening to in preparation for this year's festival, and it's a good portrait of the array of acts that will be rocking Raleigh this weekend. Click the banner above to hear the Spotify playlist.

Hopscotch '11 - Smells Like Team Spirit

Raleigh City Plaza, 2010. Photo by Ladye JaneVickers.

2011 will mark my first immersion in the full Hopscotch Music Festival experience. Last year, I was only in town for the last day to see Public Enemy and No Age in City Plaza and attend a fantastic day party for Trekky Records beforehand. Then and there, I swore that nothing would prevent me from enjoying everything the festival's second year would have to offer. And now, here I sit, with a blue wristband on my right arm and an itinerary that's constantly being rewritten.

What won me over so powerfully this time last year was the strange feeling that seemed to dominate downtown Raleigh on that Saturday evening. It was an atmosphere so overwhelmingly infectious that just by walking down the street, you feel included in something bigger than yourself: a horde of enthusiastic spectators, all here because they're excited about independent music. More than that, the event seems like a tribute to Raleigh itself; the fact that a city's community can have the ardent passion required to pull off something of this magnitude speaks volumes about its character.

Hopscotch '11 - Eats - Beasley's Chicken + Honey

Beasley's Chicken + Honey is located at 237 S Wilmington St.
Image from New Raleigh

If you're wandering around downtown, or even if you've recently been displaced by the unfortunate incident at Sadlack's Heroes (apparently closed after a noise complaint), fear not: right down the road is a great place to weather the storm and get your hands on some fresh brewed tea and some out of this world fried chicken.

This is, hands down, the best fried chicken I've had. Now, I don't consider myself a connoisseur exactly, but I am certainly no stranger to dipping poultry in breading and hot oil. My surprise came as Beasley's Chicken + Honey managed to take that simple concept, douse it with class and upgrade the whole concept to something purposeful and tasteful, a nearly gourmet experience. From the dijon-honey sauce to the amazing (and obviously handmade) biscuits, the chefs combine attention to detail with that feel good down home style and serve it in generous portions. Even the tea is purchased by 1/2qt in re-purposed mason jars.

Hopscotch Announces Day Party Lineup

After announcing an incredible lineup, featuring headliners The Flaming Lips, Guided By Voices performing their final show, Lost in the Trees and about a hundred and fifty other equally remarkable acts (full list here), Raleigh, NC's Hopscotch Music Festival announced their equally incredible day party lineup.

The day partying starts on Thursday with a kickoff party at Sadlack's Heroes featuring Chip Robinson, Olympic Ass Kicking Team and others. On Friday, Tir Na Nog hosts Duo Sets, where performers pair off from Mandolin Orange, Birds and Arrows and others. Kings will also be rocking it on Friday with Transportations, Shit Horse, Americans in France and Wild Wild Geese. The Pour House will be hosting a Three Lobed Recordings party, featuring Year of the Pig, The Moaners and Monsonia.

Raleigh's Hopscotch Music Festival Updates Lineup, Adds Venue

Building on an already impressive selection of bands including the Flaming Lips, Drive-By Truckers, Superchunk, The Love Language, and more, today it was announced that Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh, NC would be adding 14 new bands, most notably: Titus Andronicus, Times New Viking, and the Vivian Girls. In addition to taking place in several different bars and nightclubs scattered across downtown Raleigh, as well as the outdoor stage set up in City Plaza, Hopscotch also announced an additional venue: a former warehouse known as the Union, conveniently located right around the corner from the brand new city ampitheater. For tickets, information, and a newly posted schedule for Hopscotch, check them out at http://www.hopscotchmusicfest.com/.