New to the Berkeley Cafe concert calendar, Norwegian singer Jonas Fjeld on Feb. 12, backed up by the Triangle's own Chatham County Line. Fjeld and CCL are wildly popular over in Fjeld's home country, and this show is a "dress rehearsal" for the duo's upcoming Norwegian tour in support of "Brother of Song" -- due out Feb. 24 in Norway. No U.S. release yet, but we can hope.

ADDENDUM: Here's a bit of CCL live, courtesy of NBC-17.

Incoming governor Bev Perdue has a most impressive lineup of North Carolina acts set to play at her inaugural ball in Raleigh next month. The festivities kick off Jan. 8 at the Lincoln Theatre with pop bands old and new, Dillon Fence and Pico vs. Island Trees. Then on Jan. 9, the formal ball at the Raleigh Convention Center will have musicians including Durham jazzman Branford Marsalis, Granite Falls-born country singer Eric Church and two of the Triangle's best alternative-country acts, Tres Chicas and Chatham County Line.

For complete lineup and ticket details, check here.

This year has seen a ton of fantastic local records perfect for gift-giving -- just check the tags on this post for a few suggestions on acts to look for. And for further specifics, click here.

Meanwhile, the annual "alternative" musical gift guide is coming on Dec. 14. Check previous years' installments here.

Economic calamaties aside, there's at least one area where Depression is on the decrease: Just five months after its final issue as a bi-monthly magazine, No Depression is back as a twice-yearly "bookazine," plus a revamped Web site. Read more about that here. Also, ND regulars Chatham County Line and Thad Cockrell play a show sponsored by No Depression Friday at Cat's Cradle.