Let's go ahead and get the obligatory bio out of the way: Justin Townes Earle is the son of notorious country-rock bad boy Steve Earle, named for his father's mentor, iconic cult songwriter Townes Van Zandt. And while that makes for a good story, Earle's music speaks for itself. Understated, sincere and timeless, his ultra-traditional […]

The man in black is gone, but his music is alive as ever. This weekend, nearly two dozen of Asheville's best and brightest musicians converge on Stella Blue to breathe new life into some of Johnny Cash's finest tunes. Added bonus? The two-night event will raise money for music education in public schools. Illustration by […]

Our future looks grim, and it's all your fault. The media controls your mind, and they've sold you a meaningless world of corporate consumerism that is decimating the values and traditions of America. But you're too apathetic to notice. Rage against the machine: Buck, former guitarist for Th' Legendary Shack Shakers, says he's at war […]

"I said 'pop music for cannibals' for a while," recalls the If You Wannas Ryan Cox. "Then I called it 'minimalist pop mayhem.' I also said 'green apples in mud' to someone once." Time to take great risks: The new album was recorded in different houses, with different instruments, during different seasons. "The changes in […]

"I certainly thought that would be it for the band," Ahleuchatistas frontman Shane Perlowin says matter of factly. He's referring to the loss of drummer and founding member Sean Dail last year, weeks before the band was scheduled to leave for tour. Ironically, as he talks about the band's near demise, Perlowin is preparing to […]

The Osmonds were on to something with "A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Rock N' Roll." And cheesy as they may be, that sentiment pretty well covers the lineup at the Grey Eagle Saturday. Brooklyn's Andy Friedman and the Golden Winners share the stage with Asheville's raucous Brian McGee and the Hollow Speed and […]

"We're kind of like the hardcore band for not hardcore people," says Just Die! guitarist and de facto front man Matt Evans. You'll know it's a Just Die! song because it’s spastic: The new record’s got something for everyone, says front man Matt Evans. Photo by Brian Dubin But don't be fooled. Evans is referring […]

Malcolm Holcombe has a clear sense of the bigger picture. Critics sing his praises, his peers hold him in the highest esteem (Steve Earle called him "the best musician I ever threw out of my recording studio"), and he plays to adoring fans across the United States and Europe. But Holcombe is surprisingly quick to […]

Town Mountain loves Asheville. So much so, in fact, that they named their band after one of the city's most recognizable natural landmarks. And, says bassist Barrett Smith, they can't stop talking about it. Criss-crossing the nation, spreading their adrenaline-filled blend of aggressive bluegrass and traditional country, it's obvious to the band that people are […]

Things have changed for The Kingsbury Manx.  In the past three years, the Chapel Hill foursome have all gotten married, signed to a local upstart label, dropped a rigorous touring schedule, and until recently, mostly disappeared from the public eye.  The one thing that hasn't changed, though, is the band's knack for writing dreamy, Kinks-inspired […]

Talk to anyone who has seen a Toubab Krewe show and they’ll tell you the same thing: This is a band you have to see live. Trained in traditional West African instruments, with WNC roots: The band sets up along the Niger River in Mali. Fitting, then, that Toubab would choose The Orange Peel as […]

“We’re a Craigslist success story, I guess,” jokes Telepath bassist Curt Heiny. The beginning of the story was typical: A want ad was placed, e-mails were exchanged, practices ensued, etc. But the end result—a global-minded three-piece that won swift acclaim—was anything but. Contact high: The Asheville-rooted trio’s new album blends Jamaican dub, hip-hop and modern […]

At home at Handcranked: Jason Krekel also creates illustrations, prints and ephemera at the downtown Handcranked Letterpress studio. Photo by Sandlin Gaither People used to ask Ami Worthen, “What is that little thing you’re playing,” says her Mad Tea Party partner, Jason Krekel. “These days, the majority of comments are like, ‘Oh, I’ve started playing […]

No story about Ahleuchatistas would be complete without drawing a comparison between their inimitable name and indefinable sound. Even in the Midst: After a half-decade together, the Ahleuchatistas have finally found a foothold in the experimental-music world. Photo By Joshua Hoffman But for a band that began with a classified ad seeking players to make […]

The Felice Brothers story is already shrouded in the sort of mythical aura where fact and fiction are indistinguishable, and, for that matter, mostly irrelevant. It’s the good, old-fashioned, over-romanticized, seemingly forgotten story of the rambling American folk singer. In a sense, it’s the same sort of back-story that catapulted Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie, […]

Life is full of second chances. For thousands of Deadheads born too late to see the band’s legendary live shows, that second chance has come in the form of the Dark Star Orchestra. The musical necromancy of the devoted fan: Dark Star Orchestra has been bringing the music of the Grateful Dead back to the […]

“I had an epic journey to get here,” SeepeopleS front man and multi-instrumentalist Will Bradford says from a studio in Boston. Now you see them: Although SeepeopleS frontman Will Bradford (far right) and drummer Tim Haney (second from right) are based in Asheville, the rest of the group isn’t exactly local. Keyboardist Peter Keys (far […]

With a name like the Asylum Street Spankers, preconceptions are almost impossible to avoid. And in this case, they’re probably accurate. From the wry humor and social commentary of their breakaway YouTube hit “Stick Magnetic Ribbons on Your SUV” to Mommy Says No!, their award-winning children’s album, the Spankers have made a career of defying […]

Twenty years after releasing his first solo recording and nearly eight decades into his legendary career, 94-year-old blues pianist Pinetop Perkins is still going strong. Certified blues legend: Grammy-winning bluesman Pinetop Perkins performs with Bob Margolin. Last month, the highly influential Delta bluesman—best known for his stint backing Muddy Waters in the 1970s—received Grammy nominations […]

Asheville is a city that prides itself on community and sharing. This weekend, that sentiment will spread to the local music scene as some 34 artists perform on three stages for the venue-based music festival known as POPAsheville. POP-stars: Clockwise, from top left: Ruby Slippers, The Cheeksters, EAR PWR, Laura Reed and Deep Pocket, Nevada, […]