More than almost any other genre of music, the blues is caught in the trap of authenticity. To the purist, for something to be truly blues it must sound like the blues, meeting technical standards of chords and rhythms; feel like the blues, with themes of sex, drugs, death and redemption elaborated by a singer … Read more
Of note Folkie Newsflash: Singer/songwriter Brianna Lane (www.briannalanemusic.com) is currently recording her debut album, on rooftops, with the aid of local producer Chris Rosser. The album should be available in July. OEF finds new bassist: Just a few days after Asheville-based heavy-metal band One-Eyed Fish parted ways with bassist Slim, the band found a replacement … Read more
“My approach to music has always been about the live experience,” Michelle Shocked asserted in a recent interview. She’s on the road in support of her new release, the gospel-inspired Deep Natural (Mighty Sound, 2002). “I went to church for the singing,” she says, “but stayed for the message.” The gospel, any kind of gospel, … Read more
Every family has its traditions. Sometimes they are newly made, and sometimes they are passed down from a grandmother or an aunt. But these days, few can claim a tradition as old and as steeped in heritage as the music that still lives on through some Madison County families. For these people, music has been … Read more
My gardening pal Frank McCarter doesn’t eat eggplant. Not that he doesn’t find it tasty, but he maintains that there’s no other mammal that eats eggplant, which he takes to be a solid indicator that we shouldn’t either. Lord knows I understand the connection between edible veggies and mammals. This spring, my asparagus patch has … Read more
“We in WNC have a commodity that’s so valuable; my passion is to let people know about it.” Mountain Sports Festival co-founder Stuart Cowles [Editor’s note: Xpress is proud to launch its new sports section, Play by Play, with this article. Look for savvy, in-depth sports reporting once a month.] How do you nurture a … Read more
Media workshops typically available only to journalists in big metropolitan areas are now being offered locally by the Fund for Investigative Reporting (FIRE), thanks to funding by the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation and the New Leaf Fund. The workshops will teach computer skills that make it easier to investigate, research and report on … Read more
Nearly two years after he was fired, former Buncombe County Budget Director Ken Goble has lost a court battle with the county. The eight-year county employee was fired in June 2000 for alleged insubordination. He sued in October of that year, saying he’d been illegally dismissed — a claim the county denied. Goble claimed he’d … Read more
We’re sitting in our own stew — and it’s making us sick. That was a cornerstone of the message air-quality advocates did their best to impress upon the Buncombe County commissioners at their May 7 meeting. Alan McKenzie, who chairs the WNC Regional Air Quality Agency’s board, tried to debunk a popular myth — that … Read more
A consultant’s revised traffic projections for the Asheville area has finally arrived, and the N.C. Department of Transportation has responded by proposing the same solution it was pushing several years ago: Widen Interstate 240 through West Asheville to eight lanes now, or by the year 2025 high volumes of traffic will bring motorists to a … Read more
