Two celebrated local artists (one who’s bidding farewell to Asheville, the other a globetrotting artist who’s only occasionally home) and two psychedelic bands (one a relic from the ’70s, the other a new and soul-infused exponent of the style) are spotlighted in this roundup.
“We were activists before we were musicians,” says Chloe Smith. “So there’s always been a natural instinct for us to be aware of what’s going on in our surroundings and take part in movements and missions to make the world a better place.”
‘Sorry’ is a consistently engaging collection of songs that work on their own.
Friends and band mates encouraged Ryan RnB Barber. “They told me, ‘People really need to hear your type of r&b and hip-hop funk right now,’” he says.
Four accomplished comics — two from Western North Carolina and two based in Colorado — bravely bring their humorous stand-up to The Magnetic Theatre.
You can enjoy an all-(local)-star tribute to a country legend, an excellent local singer-songwriter, a touring female-led indie band and a fiery British songwriter whose best work ranks up there with Springsteen and Dylan.
“Not only is the music evolving,” mandolinist Ty Gilpin says, “but the subject matter of the music is also changing to reflect what’s happening in the world today.”
The five-song collection explores an intriguing and often unexpected palette of sonic textures.
With the benefit of hindsight, each of Drunken Prayer’s previous albums seems like a step on the road to making Cordelia Elsewhere; the record adds up to a showcase of Morgan Geer’s unique skillset.
Country, blues, bluegrass and … prog-hop? The variety of live music available in Asheville never ceases to impress.
Two bands, each led by high-profile fixtures of the Asheville music scene, are coming together to present a unique night of music.
Newcomers to the group’s sound to assume that Day & Dream makes exclusively languid, laid-back music. “First in Flight” pummels forward relentlessly; it’s just that it does so in an airy, shoegazey kind of way.
To date, the group has produced at least five professional-grade music videos for songs on the new album (plus one for a non-album track — an impassioned reading of the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter”).
This roundup takes a look at three Asheville based acts in three very different musical styles, plus a compelling national-level musician who’s also a respected activist, theologian, author and documentary filmmaker.
While ‘Baggage’ has relatively little connection to classic hard bop jazz of the previous century, its cover design shows that Sk has a sense of history and an interest in finding his own place within it.
Though he’s settled in Atlanta, Kelly looks back fondly upon his time in the Asheville music community. He started playing with The Goodies when he was 19. He says that Goodies front man Holiday Childress was a major influence on his own songwriting.
Two groups that lean in a dreamy, shoegaze direction (one local, one on tour) plus a jazz singer who has recently made Western N.C. her home and a prodigious guitar talent who’s finding fame on stage and screen.
Live onstage, Mindshapefist’s sound is a whirlwind of guitars, bass and drums. But the band’s focus on vocals remains a part of the experience. “We’re proud of what we do on the CDs, and we think they’re a good representation,” drummer Fred Hensley says. “But we’re definitely a live band.”
“We play all over the South, and it’s just different,” Taj Mahal says. “People have manners. Folks come to dance; they come to have a nice time.”
At right around 30 minutes, Dusk certainly isn’t an epic-length recording. But the eight songs on Lavender Blue’s debut album provide a good overview of the varied yet cohesive musical perspective of Kayla Zuskin.
Three of the sets noted below are free, but you can do your part to support local music by helping fill the tip jar. Lots of rock, surf and Americana in this roundup.