‘True False’ deftly combines sardonic humor with its concern over weighty topics.
Author: Bill Kopp
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Free Planet Radio explores modern jazz on its fifth album
Free Planet Radio’s latest album still carries forth the sounds and textures that won the trio its dedicated following.
Album review: ‘White Moon’ by Abraham Jam
The song titles on White Moon telegraph the demeanor of the album: “Song of Peace,” “Rhythm of Surrender,” “Child’s Prayer.” A spoken-word introduction to the subtly funky “Drink Deeply” quotes from the Persian poet and mystic Rumi.
Low Cut Connie and Big Freedia team up for a musical hybrid tour
Both artists have played in Asheville multiple times in the past, and they’re excited about returning. “I love playing in Asheville because people are not afraid to get their hair messed up,” says Adam Weiner.
Bold Mama Elle premieres her one-woman show
Combining dance, speaking and singing (to pre-recorded music), the one-woman show is “designed to push the edge of personal and collective freedom,” performer Elle Swan explains.
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.”
AIC hosts Asheville’s inaugural improv festival
Asheville-based improvisers are a key part of the festival. “You’ll get to see a lot of the talent that’s already here in Asheville,” says Clifton Hall, the dean of AIC. “I would put some of our shows up against any other great show that you might see. There’s great improv here.”
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.
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.”
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.
Album review: ‘Sudden Swoon’ by Young Mister
Steven Fiore created his latest album, ‘Sudden Swoon,’ in his home studio (he calls it The Study). His process of crafting the album involved recording demos for 20 songs, sharing them with his Facebook followers and inviting them to vote for their favorites.
Penny & Sparrow showcase a new direction at an Orange Peel show
It was a relatively straightforward endeavor to deliver early Penny & Sparrow songs live onstage. The spare yet careful arrangements center on just a few elements. The layered sound of ‘Finch’ looks to be more of a challenge to reproduce in concert.
Album review: ‘You Good?’ by DJ Besbleve
Even those not predisposed toward Besbleve’s spiritual point of view won’t be able to deny the appeal and excellence of his masterfully constructed mixtape.
Alexa Rose co-bills at a singer-songwriter night
As she puts the finishing touches on ‘Medicine for Living,’ her album due in September, Rose is teaming up with duo My One and Only for a songwriter-focused show at Isis Music Hall on Sunday, Aug. 18.
Album review: ‘Collective Will’ by Moonlight Street Folk
There’s a quiet confidence in everything about this record. The musicians sound as if they’ve developed a preternatural level of unspoken communication, and they apply that to their music.
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears keep the blues relevant
When Lewis started writing his own material, his take on the blues reflected the influence of the more modern styles that had informed his musical sensibility. The result was something updated, something unique.
Album review: ‘Beautiful Noise’ by Stereospread
Jumping ahead of critics who might apply their own subjective labels to the band’s music, Asheville-based Sterospread has taken on the task itself, calling the sounds it makes “indietronica.”
Arrested Development headlines LEAF Downtown AVL
The band’s live shows remain full of engaging energy and excitement. Speech and his group have a long relationship with Asheville audiences: Arrested Development played the LEAF Festival in 2009 and has appeared multiple time at The Orange Peel.
Michael Franti & Spearhead stage a benefit for MountainTrue and French Broad Riverkeeper
Ultimately, Franti chooses to lend his name and support to efforts backed by passion: “At the end of the day, it’s just [about] finding people who are passionate about the same things that I am, and who are doing things that have local and immediate impact.”
Album review: ‘Vessels of Sound, Vol. 2: Morse’ by VIA
The Asheville-based shoegaze/electronic band’s fourth collection displays ample charms.