In what stands as one of the boldest, most ambitious projects of his storied career, Waterboys auteur Mike Scott has collaborated, figuratively speaking, with the legendary Irish poet W.B. Yeats on the 14 songs of An Appointment With Mr. Yeats. “I love the way Yeats’ poems lend themselves to music,” says Scott. “But I also like Yeats as a guy — a dandified, opinionated, larger-than-life character. I feel a kinship to him.

AURA Music Events has unveiled the next phase of the 2013 AURA Music & Arts Festival musical line-up which includes 15 stellar acts to compliment the four headliners already announced this summer. In addition to two sets from Papadosio, Conspirator (ft. Marc Brownstein & Aron Magner of the Disco Biscuits), Perpetual Groove and The Heavy Pets, fans can indulge in two performances by Dopapod and Kung Fu including the premier of Kung Fu’s tribute to Stevie Wonder featuring the Royal Family’s Nigel Hall.

Newgrass folk-rock pioneers Acoustic Syndicate are proud to announce new tour dates for the 2012 holiday season. Having just celebrated their 20th Anniversary this spring, the band will be closing a celebratory year with shows in Asheville, Raleigh and Charlotte, NC. Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased through all venue outlets. A full listing of dates and venues is below.

How many Grateful Dead tribute bands does the scene need? The answer could be endlessly debated each way forever. I suppose it’s fair to say that since Dead music is a rolling snowball of endless genres, sporting both originals and reinvented covers with thirty years of varying performances where supposedly “no show was ever the same twice,” that room for countless cover acts isn’t unfound. After all, people still want to listen to their music, obsessively, even though they haven’t been around for seventeen years.