Music

We had a lovely chat with a local Asheville band, STEREOSPREAD. The band is comprised of James and Sarah, a couple local to Hazelwood, NC. Look for their upcoming local shows! Q:Why did you chose this particular genre of music? A: James’s background is in stuff like trip-hop, darkwave, and shoegaze, but he’s produced in all kinds of genres. We probably would have been a triphop band were it not for Sara’s pop sensibilities. Her vocals were influenced by rock and pop vocals (and jazz), so she gravitated towards pop structures and the sing-a-long chorus. So we ended up combining the atmospheric aspects of shoegaze and other darker electronic genres with pop songwriting. Most people consider us dreampop. Q:How long has the band been together? A: The band has been together about as long as we have been a couple. We met online (on Facebook) through a mutual production friend and we did a couple of collaborations long distance. Well, the attraction was not just musical, so James ended up moving to NC and we’ve been together ever since. Q:How did you come up with the name of your band – Stereospread? A: We decided to be “STEREOSPREAD” about three months after …

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ASHEVILLE, NC. – Chris Schieman Media and Marketing is excited to announce the launch of Asheville Music Today, which will be streamed live on www.ashevillemusictoday.com starting Sunday July 21st, 2013 at 7 p.m. The show’s first guests will be The Bread and Butter from Asheville and Terina Plyler from Brevard. Asheville Music Today is an innovative weekly one-hour live talk show featuring and promoting local music of all genres from Asheville, Western North Carolina and East Tennessee. The show is hosted by national broadcasting veteran Chris Schieman. “This show is going to generate buzz because it’s going to be unpredictable while giving musicians a real voice,” Schieman said. “It’s not a normal talk show where the usual questions are asked. It’s going to be deeper, funnier and edgier than a traditional talk show.” Asheville Music Today will feature two musical guests each week. “We’ll talk about a variety of topics. Things going on in the world, the music industry, whatever may be annoying me that particular day,” Schieman said. “I’m a student of Jack Paar and David Letterman. This show will reflect that brand of intelligent and fun, sometimes silly conversation.” Asheville Music Today will also include live performances of …

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You enjoy them! Tar and Rosin has an energy like I haven’t seen in a band for awhile. These folks have wisdom and cadence in their playing that makes you want to get rowdy! With a fiddle, banjo, gee-tar, and wash board, along with collaborations, Tar and Rosin will get your body moving as you order another local brew. Based out of Des Moines, IA at the moment, this mutlicultural band loves Asheville so much, they’re thinking about moving here! If you love a fast string sound, with the passion of a unionist from the 30’s, check out Tar and Rosin. The name of their CD says You Can’t Get There From Here, but if you’re listening while drinking whiskey, you will get there, and you’ll enjoy every minute. They played at a variety of venues around town, including the Westville pub and Highland Brewing Company, while they were here. The band is in Eastern North Carolina right now. They’re headed on up the east coast, but I’ll put money on them coming back here as soon as they can. Just some words of warning: Don’t invite them back to stay the night at your place, and DO NOT call …

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Westville Pub attracts a fun crowd on Tuesdays with their Blues night. The Westville All Stars headline, and other folks interested in jamming are welcomed up to play. The music starts at 10 P.M., but the sound checks start earlier. If you’re there around 9, you may get to hear Somewhere Over the Rainbow sung in a grizzly ‘ol bluegrass voice while the mics and instruments are tuned up. The crowd is eclectic, the music was hopping, and I haven’t had shrimp and grits that good since I was in Charleston! The space is comfortable and Westville Pub is an easy place to be. With a small dance area, a pool table in the back, and different places to perch, it’s no wonder West Asheville is proud to claim this neighborhood pub. If you’re free on a Tuesday, come dance and buy me a Magic Hat stout at Westville Pub on Haywood, and best of all, no cover charge!

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Asheville High School’s marching band was chosen to march in the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Parade, representing the state of North Carolina. The band was only started in competitions six years ago after the current band director Will Talley took the helm. As such a young band, it is an extreme honor to be selected as one of 90 groups out of the 2,807 original applicants. The band worked hard to raise the $90,000 it cost for this trip, doing a variety of fundraisers including a pre-inaugural support concert, and a 5k. The band embarked to Washington DC on Friday, January 18th, and arrived home on Tuesday, January 22nd. In addition to marching in the parade, the students had the opportunity to enjoy the varying aspects of Washington DC culture and get a tour of the capital, tour museums, attend the Inaugural Gala Awards Ceremony, and top the trip off with a celebratory dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe after the parade. Over the weekend, the band was also honored the title of “Grand Champion”. Way to go, Asheville High Marching Band! Want to see USA Today’s coverage of the event? Click here You can also see WLOS’s coverage of the …

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Dawes is an american rock band from Los Angeles, CA has cast aside their post punk sound in favor of folk rock flavor. They are releasing their 3rd album titled Stories Don’t End on April 9th of this year. If you aren’t familiar with the band, Dawes is composed of brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith, along with Wylie Gelber and Tay Strathairn. Rolling Stone reports that this much anticipated album was recorded here in Asheville. Recorded in five weeks last September in Asheville, North Carolina, Stories Don’t End features clean production from King (Tom Waits, Norah Jones), who helped the band break out of its vintage mold, though they don’t completely strip away that Laurel Canyon sound. “These are the same four guys that you’ve gotten to know very well on the first two records, but at the same time, this album feels like a growth,” [Taylor] Goldsmith says. The band toured last summer opening for the popular Mumford & Sons as they released their album Babel.  

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