TRKfest 2012 lineup announced, Des Ark, Hammer & more

It wouldn't be summer in the Triangle without Trekky Records' big annual party, TRKfest. Weather permitting, this year's festival will return to Piedmont Biofuels in Pittsboro on Saturday, July 21 (last year's event was moved to the Haw River Ballroom due to rain).

This year's lineup features a few performances you won't find anywhere else. First is Lost Skulls, a Misfits cover band featuring

Bombadil, Mandolin Orange, Midtown Dickens & more to play spring Shakori festival

With spring in full effect, it's almost time for the bi-annual Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival in Chatham County. The 2012 spring event will be on April 19-22 and feature an array of fantastic local and national acts.

Some acts on that caught our eyes include The Beast, Big Fat Gap, Bombadil, Donna the Buffalo, Greg Humphreys & The Hobex Allstars, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Justin Robinson & the