***Note: In the Xpress story below, we stated that the $350,000 UNC Asheville claimed to be saving by closing the Environmental Quality Institute would be on a per year basis. In fact, communications from UNCA officials did not indicate those were annual savings. In this letter from EQI Director Steven Patch, he says the university … Read more
A December 2008 coal-ash spill in Tennessee appears to have spurred North Carolina legislators to increase oversight of 12 dams that hold back the toxic material — two of them in Buncombe County. Gov. Bev Perdue signed Senate Bill 1004 into law July 31. The legislation requires Department of Environment and Natural Resources staff to … Read more
To celebrate five years of music, discovery and community, Harvest Records is bringing 16 bands to town, for a three-night, three-venue extravaganza dubbed Transfigurations. Friday and Saturday nights feature an earlier show and a later show, so no one has to miss any of the music. Plus on Saturday, Harvest brings in four independent record-label … Read more
On a recent Saturday afternoon, when clouds climb over the mountains and spit a little rain every half hour or so, Harvest Records teems with customers — customers who don't come in just to consume, but who seek safe haven among fellow fans, freaks and collectors. They hang out (oftentimes for hours), shoot the breeze, … Read more
There are still a few small record labels committed to hunting down hidden sounds, releasing obscure music from all corners of the globe, reissuing forgotten classics and unearthing overlooked gems. Representatives from four of these vanguard labels will join in a panel moderated by Asheville Free Media's Greg Lyon at 1 p.m. Saturday at the … Read more
Swedish multi-instrumentalist, composer and band leader Gustav Estjes describes the music of his band Dungen as "heavy, but soft as well." While Dungen is unabashedly heavy, there remains great subtlety in the songs, conveyed through extensive use of flute, violin and keyboards. Dungen's sound is a swirling mix, informed by psychedelic rock and European folk. … Read more
As much as I love cycling in Asheville, it is not without its challenges: steep terrain, erratic weather, a lack of infrastructure and harassment by hostile motorists. The latter peril was graphically illustrated July 26, when Asheville firefighter Charles Diez allegedly harassed Alan Simons verbally, pointed his gun at Simons' head and pulled the trigger … Read more
While outsiders might associate mountain cuisine with ramps and corn liquor, Western North Carolinians know the region's most iconic local-food product of the 21st century is goat cheese. It's not surprising that a region as devoutly locavore as ours would embrace goat cheese, which elegantly encapsulates all the best attributes of local food. Goat cheese … Read more
Morning is an especially nice time for a summer mountain-bike ride at Bent Creek: The bugs aren't mobilizing yet, the thermometer hasn't hit 90 degrees, and you don't have to fret about afternoon storms. Hoping to avoid those terrible three, I recently confronted a gray, wet rag of a sky that seemed sure to let … Read more
Our tomato plants need more sun, less rain and more heat, my mother declared recently. This wasn't news, and she made the observation under gray skies that promised yet another unusually cool summer day. It's rained so much that the plants' identifying tags have been washed clean, and I can't remember what varieties I brought … Read more
