Baker re-emerged recently with his fifth studio album, Morning Light.
Album review: ‘I Am Your Neighbor’ by Zoe & Cloyd
Perhaps the Asheville bluegrass duo hasn’t explicitly set out to make a politically themed album with their third album, I Am Your Neighbor. But, while it’s certainly true that this new collection of original and traditional music can be richly enjoyed simply on a musical level, there’s more going on here than fine musicianship and vocal work.
La Santa Cecilia brings Mexican sounds to fall LEAF
On a bill that includes Angelique Kidjo, The Wood Brothers, Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles and more than 30 other acts, La Santa Cecilia is in keeping with the festival’s stated mission of being an “intergenerational celebration of world culture.”
Smart Bets: Empire Strikes Brass
The Asheville-based brass/funk/rock band plays an album release show Oct. 11 at Isis.
Smart Bets: Casa de Coco
Asheville-based artist Coco Villa launches her new brand on Oct. 10 at Revolve Studios.
Acoustic Asheville: The HawtThorns
The pair recently made their Asheville debut at The Grey Eagle and gave an exclusive, two-song performance before their concert.
Smart Bets: Delicious
The Asheville-based instrumental rock trio plays The Odditorium with Night Beers and Toke on Oct. 9.
Amythyst Kiah brings her hard-earned musical momentum to Isis
The Johnson City, Tenn.-based artist discusses her lyrical and sonic inspirations and working with Rhiannon Giddens in the Our Native Daughters supergroup.
Smart Bets: Rickie Lee Jones
The rock legend plays Asheville Music Hall on Oct. 7.
Smart Bets: Lunsford Festival
The 52nd celebration of authentic mountain music and dance returns to Mars Hill University on Oct. 5.
Album review: ‘Hottest in the City, Vol. 1’ by DJ Audio
Accordion isn’t an instrument one would expect to find on a hip-hop mixtape. And in all likelihood, it’s a sampled version of the squeezebox. But whatever its source, that musical texture adds a left-field quality to what’s essentially a rapid-fire AutoTuned rap piece with more conventional singing on the chorus.
Smart Bets: Kinobe and Akello
The Ugandan musicians take to the Isis stage on Oct. 2.
Blue Ridge Pride Festival rolls out the welcome mat
“I find that, in Western North Carolina, the vast majority of people and institutions at least aspire to be welcoming,” says Blue Ridge Pride Executive Director Tina White.
The Marcus King Band hosts its third festival at Pisgah Brewing Co.
Music fans in the region took to Marcus King from the very beginning. “Honestly, it was the first market to to embrace us before we were an act that went national or international,” he says. “This was before our own actual hometown embraced us.”
Smart Bets: Mountain Heritage Day
Western Carolina University’s annual celebration of Southern Appalachian returns to campus on Sept. 28.
Acoustic Asheville: Lauren Anderson
Anderson has one full-length record out now and recently released her third EP. Titled Won’t Stay Down, it features five original songs with a full band in support.
Asheville’s Mountain Top Polka Band marks its 10th anniversary
“Some people say, ‘I really don’t know about polka,’ but we make it for everyone,” clarinet player Adam Bennett says. “This year, we threw in ‘Africa,’ by Toto.”
Smart Bets: Parsnip
The Australian pop-punk quartet play Static Age Records on Sept. 25.
The Midnight Hour brings its sophisticated hip-hop to Asheville
“We’re looking back at that time of black excellence and giving it a new light for today with our music and our brand,” says multi-instrumentalist Adrian Younge.
Smart Bets: Charming Disaster
The Brooklyn-based folk-noir duo plays Asheville Julyan Davis’ Mill at Riverside studio on Sept. 24.
Smart Bets: Fireside Collective
The Asheville-based progressive bluegrass group headlines The Grey Eagle on Sept. 21.