Say you’re an Australian future-beat musician named Nicholas Murphy, and you’ve got a good, soul-tinged sound, except that people show up at your shows expecting to see some other Nick Murphy. You do the logical thing: Change your name to honor one of your jazz heroes. Yeah, Murphy’s not a jazz guy. But Chet Baker […]

Drummer, guitarist and vocalist Cedric Burnside inherited the blues from patriarch and legendary bluesman R.L. Burnside — in the song "R.L. Burnside," Cedric sings about how his grandfather ("Big Daddy") bought him a drum kit when he was 16. Everything he does, now and forever, is in the memory of R.L., says Cedric. A lot […]

It's weird to describe noise-rock as cozy, but there's something to the guitar-bass-and-drums bombast of local trio Telecine that's strangely soothing. Maybe it's the fuzzy sweater hug of static at the core of each song. Maybe it's Andrew Larson's gentle tenor, or the rainy-day melancholy of the vocals that rise through the heavy churn and […]

Think of it as STOMP, only from Japan’s Nara Prefecture, and centered around the ancient art of Taiko drumming as opposed to making rhythms with janitorial equipment. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Yamato, though the years haven't slowed the percussionists’ frenetic pace nor dulled their athletic prowess. "The master drummers perform on a […]

Despite metal music being listed as a factor in juvenile delinquency in certain academic reports, London-based metal outfit Orange Goblin describes the genre as "a motivating mindset, a positive force and an inspirational belief system." The quartet has been taking cues from progenitors like Black Sabbath, Black Flag and Thin Lizzy since the mid-90s, honing […]

Comedian Mike Lawrence kicks off a new comedy series, Funny Business at The Mill Room on Friday, Nov. 1. Want to win a pair of tickets? Look for this post on the Xpress Facebook page.

Nashville-based writer Ann Patchett has authored six novels. But her most recent book is a memoir: This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage. It's "a very real love story, and one that is much more about the journey than the destination," as Patchett's website explains. It's a love story about more than just the […]

Although they live in Philadelphia, indie-rockers Dr. Dog are pretty much honorary Asheville residents. The band makes a WNC stop annually-ish (sometimes more often, like when they headlined Bele Chere in 2012). On the heels of last year's dramatic and expansive Be The Void, the band just released B Room. According to a press release, […]

While you’re not likely to spot any zebras or giraffes on this safari (maybe a bear or two), there’s no shortage of arts and crafts to be found. More than 40 artists (eight of whom are new to the event) open their studios to the public during this weekend-long, self-guided driving tour. Work includes pottery, […]

Self-proclaimed "terrified child dance punk" act Bulgogi is the brainchild of Tim Tsurutani, formerly of Chicago's CAW! CAW! Tsurutani not only enjoyed his time in Asheville last year, he recorded a collection of songs in a West Asheville basement. The result is Give Up Your Guts: a twitchy, dancey, textural adventure through emotional states, nightscapes, […]

"The idea for Mipso arose out of freshman year daydreaming at UNC Chapel Hill," says the bio for the roots-inspired trio. "After the usual band-making delays — Jacob took a year off to study winemaking in New Zealand, Joseph detoured to Argentina for Tango guitar lessons, Wood earned his chops in the Carolina jazz department […]

The Odditorium scores one of the most unique lineups this week, with prog-punk visionaries Circle Takes the Square sharing a bill with spoken-word/hip-hop artist B. Dolan. The pairing is called the "cross pollination tour" and "will see Dolan backed by a new live ensemble, formed for the production of his upcoming 2014 LP." Having recently […]

Photographer (and Xpress contributor) Daniel Coston was a magazine writer until one day, when the staff photographer wasn't available, Coston stepped behind the lens. That happy accident led to many more invites to photograph musical acts and live shows across the state. Sixteen years later, he found himself with a collection of images documenting the […]

This Long Beach, Calif., indie-rock outfit doesn't have a bio on its website. Or on its Facebook page. So you have to dig around for interviews with publications like American Pancake and Fox+Hound to learn fun facts like bassist/vocalist Jonny Bell has a day job as a contractor, drummer Kevin Stuart paints motorcycles and guitarist […]

According to the bio of folk-rock on- and off-stage duo Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, they’ve finally hit their stride with new album, Wassaic Way. The hook-heavy, jangly collection seems to tap the couple's small-town roots and big-city inspirations. It also has a cool connection to Guthrie's family: The record was recorded in Chicago […]

The first thing that singer-songwriter Brett Dennen wrote for his new album, Smoke and Mirrors, was “Wild Child,” a song, he says, “Pointed the ship in the direction it was going.” It’s a rollicking, feel-good folk-rocker that, the musician says, reconnected him to his roots. Those roots include his mountain home in the Sonora Pass […]

"Your home movies are probably a lot more interesting than you remember," insists a press release for the 11th annual Home Movie Day, a worldwide event. It originated as "a means to promote the preservation of amateur films" with two dozen locations across the U.S., Mexico, Canada and Japan. Since its inception, Home Movie Day […]

Local author Tommy Hays, known for adult fiction Sam’s Crossing, In the Family Way and The Pleasure Was Mine, just published his first young-adult novel. The new book, What I Came to Tell You, is set in Asheville. It’s the lovingly wrought tale of Grover, who recently lost his mother. While dealing with his own […]

Motown soul, '60s girl-group harmonies and Canadian indie-pop all meet in Chic Gamine. The powerhouse ensemble, from Winnipeg, has opened for Smokey Robinson and shared a stage with Mavis Staples. They won a Juno award for their 2009 self-titled debut and played the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. If that's not an impressive enough list of […]