You could call Cathy Cleary, co-owner of West End Bakery in West Asheville, a legume lover. Her biggest crush? The Fortex pole bean, a type of long, stringless green bean that she grows for her restaurant every year. “They never get tough, they have a wonderful flavor and they’re great raw, roasted, steamed, blanched or … Read more
One thing that Los Angeles-based electronic trio The Glitch Mob can do that an analog band can't do is switch parts mid-song. "We can change instruments throughout the set," says Justin Boreta. "Everything is very flexible. Say, in this song I'm going to play a synthesizer and then a keyboard and then the bass line … Read more
Chaz Bundick and Mat Cothran are quite different on the phone. Bundick, the Columbia, S.C.-based musician behind the lush, throbbing psychedelics of Toro Y Moi is reserved and polite. He speaks softly and succinctly, beginning most every response with “I think,” as though he fears his ideas on his own music might be wrong. He … Read more
Buncombe County’s removal of 17 newspaper boxes in front of the courthouse was illegal, attorney Amanda Martin of the N.C. Press Association maintains. “There’s absolutely a First Amendment issue here,” she asserts. “Newspapers have the right to be on public property.” County Manager Wanda Greene ordered the move late last month. “We removed them because … Read more
It’s time for community interest to be considered before self-interest. We are seeing a groundswell of Asheville residents responding to the digital billboard installed on Merrimon Avenue; more than 370 people have signed a petition demanding that the digital billboard be removed. Support this effort by signing the petition to remove the billboard on Merrimon … Read more
Although Becky will continue to write periodic Profilers, her weekly column will now include new features such as Musical Missed Connections, Have You Seen this Band? and the occasional Personality Quiz. Contact her at beckyupham@gmail.com. Musical Missed Connections: Noble Creatures I spotted you at Earth Fare munching on cookies out of the case while grinding … Read more
In case you've been wondering, Asheville-based math rock/prog rock/punk/jazz duo Ahleuchatistas takes its name from the melding of two words: The Charlie Parker song title "Ah-leu-cha" and Zapatista (as in the Mexican liberation movement). The band (Shane Perlowin on guitar, Ryan Oslance on drums) is rather like both: a composition of disparate and experimental forces. … Read more
Knoxville trio Hudson K (fronted by singer/songwriter Christina Horn) describes itself as "eccentric anti-pop piano rock." What that means is it’s theatrical and entertaining while not veering too far into the surreal. Horn, a classically trained pianist, cut her teeth in Erick Baker's band before striking out on her own. Last year Hudson K released … Read more
Having just dropped her new album, Elsebound, Memphis-based country artist Ashley McBryde hit the road for a Southeast tour. McBryde co-wrote every song on Elsebound, from the catchy "Break It Fast" to the gospel-turned-rocker of "Holy Water" (which opens with an earnest chorus of "Amazing Grace"). "Put her on a stage and you will see … Read more
Regarding the N.C. Legislative Committee and their lack of common sense to attempt to use their wisdom to merge 22 local community colleges: Their [attempts] to save money leaves a lot to be desired. "Career politicians" have failed to realize that — due to the rising cost of tuition this year and [that some] students … Read more
