This month’s offerings include blues/rock, hip-hop, Appalachian-centered Americana and therapeutic folk/rock.
Q&A: Womansong choir sings for community causes
Xpress sits down with Jennifer Langton to discuss Womansong’s mission, the challenges women choirs face and the benefits of being a nonprofit.
Mars Hill University launches the Bobby McMillon Legacy Project
“Bobby [McMillon] had a completely disarming personality,” says Leila Weinstein, program coordinator at The Liston B. Ramsey Center for Appalachian Studies at Mars Hill University. “He was very soft-spoken, but he had a dry wit. He could pull you in telling stories in his quiet, understated way. And before you knew it, you were rapt with attention and in his spell.”
Familiar tunes performed in costumes ring in the Halloween season
With Halloween approaching, local music venues host a variety of holiday-appropriate acts — costumes and all.
Buskers, downtown businesses grapple over amplification
Buskers are visible ambassadors of Asheville’s artistic community, and some downtown businesses say street performances create a convivial atmosphere. But for others who live and work downtown, amplified sound is a daily cacophony.
Eleanor Underhill, Town Mountain, Smoky Mountain Sirens and GrudaTree release new albums
This month’s roundup includes creative covers, alt-country, punk and psychedelic soul.
Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band celebrates 20 years
John-Paul Miller, founder and guitarist of Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, discusses the group’s 20-year anniversary and its upcoming show at Salvage Station, Friday, Sept. 16.
Asheville FM curates all-local record compilation
“Real People, Great Radio,” a new local compilation album, features 10 WNC-based bands and performers.
Around Town: The East End/Valley Street Community Heritage Festival returns
The East End/Valley Street Neighborhood Association celebrates the neighborhood’s legacy and heritage on Saturday, Aug. 27, at Martin Luther King Jr. Park. Also: The Asheville Symphony Orchestra’s new season launches; Western Carolina University hosts its latest exhibits; and more!
Nightlands, Jaze Uries, Madelyn Ilana and Eric Congdon release new albums
Electro-rock, ’80s-inspired R&B/soul, dreamy folk and Americana are represented in this month’s New Album Roundup.
Local author reexamines his youth in Asheville, 1960-80
Dan Lewis, an accomplished local musician, recently put down his guitar in order to pen his memoir, Growing Up In Asheville, North Carolina: How Music and Art Spurred a Renaissance In a Sleepy Southern Town.
Music industry insiders talk DIY versus the studio touch
Precisely what sonic rubrics need to be met can change from person to person, but as area radio hosts, publicists and studio professionals note, success is attainable for local musicians aspiring to reach a broader audience.
Local bands discuss touring amid inflation
Rising costs have brought an already wrought situation to the brink, but Asheville-area artists continue to make it work.
Three local bands celebrate landmark anniversaries
Local bands Andrew Scotchie and the River Rats and Empire Strikes Brass celebrate 10 years; meanwhile, fellow Asheville act, River Deep, turns 30.
Local veterans find healing through the arts
Photography, music and writing have helped area military servicemen work through combat trauma.
Seth Walker, Valorie Miller and Erika Lewis release new albums
Two recent transplants and an Asheville mainstay discuss their latest LPs.
Local record-shop entrepreneurs discuss the wild world of vinyl
This roundtable discussion hits on vinyl trends, keeping up with new music and counteracting record-store stereotypes.
Son’s posthumous album helps Asheville mother heal
Claudia Mason has made it her mission to share the music of her late son Brian Konopasek, aka Morse Code, with the world.
Bryan Sutton debuts Blue Ridge Guitar Camp
Asheville native and Grammy Award-winning musician Bryan Sutton discusses his new guitar camp and concert series.
Cold Mountain Music Festival’s unplugged nature is a feature, not a bug
Launched in 2017 as a fundraiser for the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina, Cold Mountain Music Festival returns Saturday, June 4, after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19.
Local musicians double down on their craft after working with famous artists
Zach Cooper, Debrissa McKinney and Seth Kauffman discuss their experiences with well-known musicians.