Leading up to LEAF festival, Mountain Xpress is talking to a number of artists from across the country and across musical genres. Abigail Washburn (Uncle Earl, The Sparrow Quartet) recently released the 12-track collection Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn with her husband and fellow banjo player, Béla Fleck (The Fleck Tones, The Sparrow Quartet). They’ll […]
Leading up to LEAF festival, Mountain Xpress is talking to a number of artists from across the country and across musical genres. Folk musician Dom Flemons describes himself as an American songster. A founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, he’s since gone on to pursue a solo career and recently released his album Prospect […]
Leading up to LEAF festival, Mountain Xpress is talking to a number of artists from across the country and across musical genres Singer-songwriter Wyatt Espalin is the winner of this year’s NewSong competition. From a small town in Georgia, he moved to Nashville to pursue music. Espalin was a member of the band Trees Leave […]
Leading up to LEAF festival, Xpress is talking to a number of artists from across the country and across musical genres. The Revelers, with members of the Red Stick Ramblers and The Pine Leaf Boys, are a Cajun and swamp-pop outfit based in Lafayette, La. Regular visitors to Asheville, they’re as at home playing to […]
Leading up to LEAF festival, Xpress is talking to a number of artists from across the country and across musical genres. David Wilcox is a singer-songwriter who released his first album in 1987. A Warren Wilson graduate, he was an important part of the folk music scene in Black Mountain and Asheville in the late […]
Leading up to LEAF festival, Xpress is talking to a number of artists from across the country and across musical genres. The Nth Power classifies its sound as, simply, “Love.” With musicians culled from the likes of Dumpstaphunk, John Brown’s Body and John Brown’s Body, the collective performs an intoxicating mix of soul, funk, jazz, […]
Leading up to LEAF festival, Xpress is talking to a number of artists from across the country and across musical genres. Local West African folk music outfit Mande Foly incorporates the kamal ngoni, syncopated rhythms and call-and-response singing. Mountain Xpress: What’s it like to be a West African band in Western North Carolina, versus in […]
“America’s two-man outlaw country band” is the tagline for North of Nashville, the collaborating between Jay Basiner (acoustic guitar, lead vocals, harmonica, percussion) and Andrew Martelle (fiddle, mandolin, guitar, vocals). As the duo’s name suggests, they’re located north of Music City. Far north. In Maine. But Basiner and Martelle have a pitch-perfect country sound, from […]
The Water Liars take Instagrams of album covers, muscle cars, breakfast specials and random signs. They write the kind of songs that you get instantly and understand later. From Mississippi, Water Liars was originally singer-guitarist Justin Kinkel-Schuster and drummer Andrew Bryant, and their combined vision. Constantly productive and constantly on the road, the duo eventually […]
Mutual Benefit is an ironic name for a band that’s singular rather than plural. Singer-songwriter Jordan Lee is the project’s sole permanent member. Then again, the benefit in question might be shared with Lee’s many collaborators — he assembles a group for each album he puts out. The most recent release, the dreamy and transcendent […]
Little Dragon was formed in the mid-‘90s by vocalist Yukimi Nagano and her high school friends drummer Erik Bodin, bassist Fredrik Källgren Wallin and keyboardist Håkan Wirenstrand. Even if, in 18 years, Little Dragon’s studio discography is short, the band’s list of EP, singles and videos shows that its emphasis is on immediacy and artistry.
With a band name like Dresses, you kind of need to bring it, style-wise. Although Timothy Heller (the female half of the duo) says she prefers to wear skirts onstage, the band does sell unusual pairs of Doc Marten boots on its website — red velvet last week, floral this week. And graphic shirts that […]
Nashville-based alt-country artist Lera Lynn might be right in the middle of one of the most commercial music movements of our time, but she approaches her own craft with thoughtful discernment. From minimalist videos to her own visual art, she’s not just cranking out pop songs but producing the sort of music that’s as substantial […]
This band, with a revolving cast of players, “is about creating community and friendships as much as it is about creating spectacular music.” Led by founder and conductor Matt Butler, Everyone Orchestra returns to Asheville on Thursday, Feb. 6 with a local-heavy lineup.
Acoustic duo Lucrezio is the project of wife-and-husband musicians Jennifer Lucrezio and Jordan Bumgarner. The two met with Jennifer decided to turn her solo piano-pop act into a full band and began auditioning players. Turned out, they connected not only musically but romantically, and the rest of that story can be found in their albums, videos and live show. Catch the latter at Altamont Brewing on Thursday, Jan. 30. 8 p.m., free show.
Local hip-hop band Free Radio, fronted by Austin Haynes and Johnny Reynolds, will play the exclusive Pre-Jam (kicking off the Warren Haynes Christmas Jam) this Thursday. In advance of the show, Austin talks to Xpress about Free Radio’s new as-yet-to-be-named backing band, what it means to represent Asheville at the Christmas Jam, and why sharing a stage with his uncle is such a big deal. Photo by Nick King.
After a stint in Knoxville, electronic musician and producer Sai (aka 9th Phoenix) moved her family back to Asheville. She holds a release show for her new album, “Iyen,” on Saturday, Dec. 7, at Club Metropolis. That event includes sets by E8 electronique, Sonen and Dj Arque, and a runway show by fashion designer Danielle Miller of Royal Peasantry. Photo by Rudy Aguilar.
The Gurp City South winter showcase takes place at Asheville Music Hall on Friday, Nov. 22. Ronny Mac from local hip-hop collective Fist Fam talks about reunions, the local hip-hop scene and the effect of a stable environment.
The Charleston, S.C.-based blues rockers play a free show at Pisgah Brewing on Friday, Nov. 15.
In advance of the band’s Nov. 5 return to The Orange Peel, keyboardist Jeremy Ruzumna talked to Xpress about some changes in the band’s sound, how they keep the spirit of fun in their music, and one crazy appearance on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.”
The Portland, Ore.-based roots-rock outfit plays The Orange Peel on Monday, Oct. 21 with The Head and the Heart and Thao & the Get Down Stay Down. In advance, they talk about new album “Wild Pack” and touring the country in a van fueled by used vegetable oil.
