The title track brings together sly humor and an understanding of the hard truths of modern life for a memorable number that recalls Kirsty MacColl’s forays into country and western.
Author: Bill Kopp
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ABSFest returns to Asheville for its 12th year
“Asheville loves the weird stuff” says festival founder Madam Onca O’Leary. This ABSFest showcases nearly three dozen performers; headliners include magician and storyteller David London and sideshow performer Alex Doll and Oregon Burlesque Fest “Keepin’ it Weird” award winner Natasha Riot.
30 Days Out: a look at upcoming concerts
This edition spotlights one of the strongest musical schedules in recent memory: two shows of historical and sociological importance, a preview of what is sure to be a highlight of this year’s Barnaroo, and the man responsible for some of the best (and least-heard) pure pop of the decade.
Album review: ‘A Circle of Stones’ EP by Ghostdog
Upcoming local dates for Ghostdog include a Saturday, May 26, set at The Odditorium and a Monday, June 18, show at Burger Bar.
Tiny Desk Contest winners Tank and the Bangas play Asheville
The New Orleans-based group combines spoken word, hip-hop, gospel and other styles into a unique sound all its own. Tank and the Bangas won the prestigious Tiny Desk Contest in 2017.
30 Days Out: a look at upcoming concerts
Funky get-down soul, flamenco gypsy jazz, hometown Americana and theatrical, unholy rock: those are the musical styles showcased in this roundup of Asheville concerts.
Three Asheville-based acts release new music
Soulful prog-hop group Natural Born Leaders mark the release of their debut EP About Time with a Saturday, May 5, show at Asheville Music Hall. Folk singer-songwriter Chuck Brodsky debuts his 10th album, Them and Us, at The Grey Eagle on Sunday, May 6. And singer-songwriter Brie Capone commemorates the release of her second EP, If I Let You In, with a May 5 performance at Isis Music Hall.
Andrew Finn Magill celebrates Brazilian music with two Asheville shows
In March, Magill assembled the Brazilian musicians for a premiere in Rio de Janeiro. Staged at the city’s culturally important Casa do Choro, the performance was “a celebration of the project, and of the people who have been a part of my story in Brazil, both musical and otherwise,” he says.
Amandla’s ‘Laughing Hearts’ draws from a range of influences and experience
As part of a fundraiser for the SoundSpace initiative (a nonprofit started by Coleman and Brett Spivey, designed to help provide low-cost rehearsal space for local musicians), Amandla plays at Isis Music Hall on Friday, April 27.
30 Days Out: a look at upcoming concerts
Americana, Indian music and icons of indie-rock and funk are all showcased in this edition.
Album review: ‘Mountain Overture’ by Balsam Range
As impressive as are both Balsam Range and the Atlanta Pops Orchestra Ensemble, the unsung hero of Mountian Overture is Wes Funderberk; on all but one tune, it is his arrangement skill that creates the seamless musical blend between the bluegrass and orchestral players.
Music Video Asheville puts local talent on the big screen
More than a decade into its celebratory chronicling of the local music scene, MVA is still evolving. One specific and ongoing goal is to make the competition as inclusive as possible.
30 Days Out: a look at upcoming concerts
Live and local shows featuring Americana, indie rock, boundary-pushing electronic music and raw rock ‘n’ roll are highlighted in this roundup.
Album review: Jonathan Wilson’s ‘Rare Birds’
While Wilson’s earlier material filtered his love of FM radio-style rock of the 1970s though a singer-songwriter sensibility, his sixth album, Rare Birds, finds the multi-instrumentalist fully immersed in those classic rock textures.
Chuck Lichtenberger celebrates a solo album release
Lichtenberger is the first to admit that he likes things a certain way. “I like being really prepared,” he says. “I like keeping a schedule. It keeps me sane and it makes me productive.” So the degree to which he gave producer Jonathan Scales free rein in making this album is remarkable.
Swannanoa songwriter, poet, artist and dramatist Billy Edd Wheeler celebrates a new memoir
Today, at age 85, Wheeler shows little sign of slowing down. Hotter Than a Pepper Sprout is a highly enjoyable chronicle, following a young boy in Boone County, W.V. through a fascinating lifetime, rubbing elbows with Elvis, Chet Atkins and countless other musical peers.
30 Days Out: a look at upcoming concerts
This roundup features touring acts from Montréal, rural Texas, South Carolina and Brooklyn. Their styles don’t necessarily conform to the reputations of their places of origin, but all four offer a unique musical perspective.
Album review: ‘Adi the Monk’
The arrangements are exemplars of economy. Adi plays all of the instruments, but there often aren’t many. The standard guitar-bass-drums setup provides most everything needed to convey the musician’s ideas.
Ozomatli builds bridges to younger fans with ‘Ozokidz’ show
Through its outreach to young listeners, Ozomatli has expanded, not changed, its focus. And the social themes that characterize much of the band’s music remain at the collective heart of the group.
30 Days Out: a look at upcoming concerts
A collective of local musicians coming together to help support a good cause, an uncompromising hard rock trio, an intriguing post-rock outfit from Asheville, and an iconoclastic rapper.
Album review: ‘Heavy Magnolias’ by Hannah Kaminer
The arrangements are pleasantly varied, but once again, the instrumentation exists in clear service to Kaminer’s voice and words.