Twin Tribes
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLYTWIN TRIBES Hailing from Texas, Twin Tribes is an emerging force in the darkwave scene, turning heads in 2018 with the release of their debut album “Shadows” that featured dark melodic sounds, synthesizers, lyrics about the undead, and the occult and parallel universes. They returned in 2020 with the ten-track album “Ceremony” with an evolved sound that explored love and loss while showcasing their progression as a band. With songs that are both dynamic and introspective, they balance the darker shades of the emotional spectrum with an energy and momentum that gifts their music a powerful sense of urgency and drama. Their lyrics dig deep into the personal turmoil of love, life and loss, and have forged a new aesthetic that fuses the gothic with the romantic, viewing emotional themes through a darker lens. As their second LP gains increasing critical and commercial attention, these pillars of the independent music scene continue to re-define what genres such as darkwave and post-punk mean in 2023. URBAN HEAT Urban Heat is poised to break nationally in 2023. In March Urban Heat joined TikTok darlings Vision Video for a 3-week tour, taking them to the East Coast and Canada. The success of the tour led them to extend the joint run to the West Coast in August, where many shows sold out. Their official SXSW performances had them playing to packed crowds at Stubb’s Outdoor Ampitheater, the Austin Chronicle’s day party, and a SPIN party, who of frontman Jonathan Horstmann wrote “The star power is there, more so than any Austin musician in recent history.” In May Urban Heat delivered a powerful set at Cruel World Fest in Pasadena California, joining a lineup that included Siouxsie, Iggy Pop, Gary Numan, and other genre icons. They are following up with a national headline tour in November, beginning with a performance at Darker Waves in Huntington Beach. After winning an Austin Music Award for “Song of the Year” for “Have You Ever”, they graced the coveted cover of the Austin Chronicle and topped Austin Monthly’s list of “8 Austin Acts Poised to Break Out at SXSW 2023”.2022 was already a year of exponential growth for the band. Before winning “Song of the Year”, their single “Have You Ever” had a viral moment on TikTok. This propelled them into their first national headline tour after playing at the Austin City Limits Festival. They were selected as Sonic Guild grant recipients and featured as KUTX 98.9’s Artist of the Month in July.”A lightning rod of dark electro/proto-punk/new wave/synth wave/part goth/part industrial sound that is all the things but… simultaneously transcending them into something fresher.” – Laurie Gallardo, KUTX 98.9DANCING PLAGUE
Fat Tuesday Fiesta ft Tuxedo Junction
-ALL AGES-MIXED SEATED and STANDING SHOW with DANCE FLOORTUXEDO JUNCTIONCalling all music lovers, dancers, and supporters of a worthy cause! Celebrate Mardi Gras during a singular evening benefitting the Asheville Breakfast Rotary Foundation! Tuxedo Junction covers a HUGE variety of danceable hits from Swing Jazz to Classic Rock, Pop, Funk, Motown, Beach, Country, and Rockabilly! All proceeds go back into the community for charitable organizations and scholarships.
Willi Carlisle
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLYWILLI CARLISLE For folksinger Willi Carlisle, singing is healing. And by singing together, he believes we can begin to reckon with the inevitability of human suffering and grow in love. On his latest album, Critterland, Carlisle invites audiences to join him: “If we allow ourselves to sing together, there’s a release of sadness, maybe even a communal one. And so for me personally, singing, like the literal act of thinking through suffering, is really freeing,” he says. Rooted in the eclectic and collective world of his live shows, Carlisle’s third album, Critterland takes up where his sophomore album, Peculiar, Missouri left off, transforming Peculiar’s big tent into a Critterland menagerie and letting loose the weirdos he gathered together. The album is a wild romp through the backwaters of his mind and America, lingering in the odd corners of human nature to visit obscure oddballs, dark secrets and complicated truths about the beauty and pain of life and love. Produced by the GRAMMY Award-nominated Darrell Scott and to be released Jan. 26, 2024 by Signature Sounds, Critterland considers where we come from and where we are going. On the album, he takes on human suffering through stories about forbidden love, loss, generational trauma, addiction, and suicide, believing that by processing the traits and trauma we inherit, he can reach a deeper understanding of what it means to succeed and to exist. NAT MYERSA poet with a staggering and true voice, Korean-American troubadour Nat Myers’ folksy blues and remarkable pickin’ are authentic, timeless, and enduring. The Kenton County, KY native’s delivery harkens to traditional blues giants, but it’s his unique blend of modern roots and Americana that continues to make crowds drop their jaws. Recorded live at the 100-year-old-plus home of producer Dan Auerbach, Yellow Peril is haunted with the ghosts of the rich history of the blues.
Turnover
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLYTURNOVERThe title track of the band’s new album, Myself in the Way, speaks to this mindset. “I can’t put myself in the way of love again,” sings Getz, “I promise I’m going to go all the way with you,” is specifically about Getz getting engaged to his longtime partner, but applies to the general outlook he had toward life in lockdown. “I was living in Sebastopol, California at the time and felt like I truly lived there for the first time since I wasn’t leaving for tour. I was able to go meditate at the Zen Buddhist dojo down the road, run and bike around the hills in Sonoma county, learn about plants and gardening, take some Spanish and arboriculture classes, and get involved with the volunteer fire department. Just do a bunch of new things to challenge and inspire me in a natural way.” Turnover’s other members also used the time to deepen interests they hadn’t been able to fully explore before covid. Bass player Dan Dempsey was in New York City and responded to lockdown by spending more time practicing his visual art in drawing and painting. He painted the album’s cover during this period and developed a style that has become a central theme for the band in its current iteration. Drummer Casey Getz found work at a Virginia Beach state park as touring continued to be postponed. He was in search of and inspired by having a work-life balance different than he’d experienced since he was younger. Through this, he was able to nurture current relationships more and find new ones, something touring made much more difficult. This led to Casey playing drums with a group of longtime friends in Virginia Beach and further developing his drumming style – adding a new prowess for fluidity and improvisation through lengthy jam sessions with the group. Guitarist Nick Rayfield was focused on sharpening his guitar and piano playing and was able to devote energy to skateboarding and his retail business more than he had been able to for the last few years. This was also the band’s first album with Rayfield making songwriting contributions after touring with them for years as a live member, adding a new creative element to the songs. MSPAINTIt’s exceedingly rare to hear something truly original. Something that’s actually breaking new ground, something that maybe we don’t even have words for just yet. Something like MSPAINT. In a time when so much musical territory feels well-trodden, MSPAINT are the exception. On their debut full-length Post-American, the Hattiesburg, Mississippi-based four-piece draw on everything from hardcore, to hip hop, to synth-punk, and beyond to make an unabashedly weird amalgam that sounds as fresh and compelling as it is instantly satisfying.DROOKDrook is a pop band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 2019, the group splices together elements of indie, rock, and electronica, focusing them all to a single point on their recordings. Drook’s live show puts this synthesis on full display, bringing energy and dynamism to the band’s musically diverse catalog.LAWN ENFORCEMENT
Kashus Culpepper
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLYKASHUS CULPEPPER26-year-old Navy veteran Kashus Culpepper was born and raised in Alexander City, Alabama where he grew up singing in church and discovered the beauty of music of all genres. With influences ranging from Stevie Wonder and Howlin’ Wolf to Chris Stapleton and Ray Lamontagne, Kashus has developed his own unique singing style that has inspired crowds throughout Alabama and the Mississippi Gulf Coast where he became a fixture in the music scene playing covers and originals five nights a week. While playing in cover bars helped pay the bills, Kashus knew early on that he would much prefer that audiences sing along to his own original songs rather than the songs of others. It was with that in mind that he made the move to Nashville Tennessee where he has been welcomed by the songwriting and artist community. He has since written some amazing songs that remain rooted in country, but reflect the wide range of music and artistry that have influenced him throughout his life. Be on the lookout for some of those songs to hit streaming platforms in the months ahead. BRENDAN WALTER Brendan Walter is a Dallas, TX, born and raised, singer/songwriter. For the last 18 years of his life he has been a semi-professional/collegiate hockey player and since retiring, in May of 2023, has been following his lifelong passion of being a musician. He has amassed over 150k followers between Instagram and TikTok, posting videos of covers and original music which has opened up the doors for him to perform live around the country and begin his dream of becoming a star in the music industry.
Flight Attendant w/ ¿WATCHES?
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLYFLIGHT ATTENDANT “Flight Attendant delivers an experience.” – RollingStone Magazine Frequently called a “sonic unicorn” in a city that is celebrated for its bustling – albeit crowded – music scene, Flight Attendant is the kind of band that has listeners getting out of their seats and into their full, upright positions. With their power-pop hooks and infectious energy, this Nashville-based foursome isn’t just ready for take-off; they’re already at cruising altitude, preparing to penetrate the bounds of the Earth’s stratosphere. Serendipitously coming together through similar interests – not the least of which is fine wine – Flight Attendant is comprised of Karalyne Winegarner (Lead Vocals, Keys); Vinny Maniscalco (Vocals, Guitar); Nikki Christie (Vocals, Viola); and Derek Sprague (Drums). A certified sommelier originally from Kansas City, Karalyne met Vinny – an award-winning bartender – while the two were working at a popular Nashville restaurant. Nikki soon joined the team, bringing a new sensibility from her hometown, Los Angeles. It didn’t take long before the three decided to form a band, discovering their shared love of playing music over late-night wine tastings. They soon recruited Derek – their Boston-born, lager-loving drinking buddy to play drums, and the lineup was complete. Often compared to bands like Haim or Florence and the Machine and influenced by many of their favorites from Christine and the Queens to Trent Reznor to Cage the Elephant – , Flight Attendant continues to reach new heights, particularly when they perform live. “Karalyne commands your attention like Freddie Mercury working the crowd in an arena,” proclaimed Glide Magazine. In 2022, Flight Attendant released their self-titled debut album, produced by Grammy Winning engineer and producer, Charles Yingling. As the band is quickly ascending on the global stage, they continue to release new music in 2024. “We just want to put out better and better stuff,” shares Karalyne. “The more we do it, the more elevated the whole process becomes. We are finally strong enough in our image, sound, and brand that we are ready to take it to the next level.” ¿WATCHES? WHO IS ¿WATCHES? -The musical equivalent of a razor blade haircut. -David Lynch and Mike Watt engaged in a palm-spit handshake. -Satan in a short dress and an Orioles hat. -A fast and animated weirdo punk duo out of Asheville, NC. FANTOMEX Fantømex is an indie punk, post-harcore band from Western North Carolina. Influenced by bands like mewithoutYou and At the Drive-In, Fantømex’s music is fast, loud and full of angsty femme empowerment. The band released February 2024, they are set to have their third release with their EP, “Chimera”, the sister EP to 2022’s “Terraformed”. Fantomex’s live shows are a hypnotic and high energy performance that borders on theatrical. They are a performance not to be missed.
THE ERAS PARTY – A Taylor Swift Inspired Dance Party
– ALL AGES- STANDING/DANCING ROOM ONLYTHE ERAS PARTY – A Taylor Swift Inspired Dance PartyDJ playing Taylor through her eras, costume contest, lipsync battle, themed photo areas, free koozie, bracelet trading, and more!
Eric Travers ‘Dead End Street’ HOMETOWN PREMIERE
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLYERIC TRAVERS BAND29 year old, Eric Travers has found his way back home playing his drums, guitar, keyboard and blowin’ on his blues harp in Black Mountain, NC writing his next album with a new lineup. The Asheville, NC-based group plays Rock N Roll Blues, Americana, and Rhythm & Blues roots! Eric Travers Band is also bringing a hometown nostalgia feeling with their DEBUT SINGLE to be released on May/20 at The RailYard Outdoor Stage Grand Opening Celebration. They will be playing at the upcoming Asheville Fest this summer and the Band just welcomed two new members Dorsey Parker and Ian Harrod. Ian is a great singer and bass player and along with Dorsey’s guitar expertise, they make a great team. They’ve been jammin’ together for 10+ years! Learn more about the Eric Travers Band. His small town stomping grounds always welcome him after long tours with Travers Brothership. In 2019, they played 200+ shows in 9 countries! Eric began writing songs and formed his fourth band by the age of 15 with his twin brother, Kyle Travers and original members of Travers Brothership. They were blessed to share the stage with Warren Haynes, Moe, Old Crowe Medicine Show, Ivan Neville, Dr. John, Taj Mahal, Jeff Sipe, Karl Denson, Jaimoe, Yonrico Scott and MANY more. Being the same age and growing up with a bit of jam-band roots, some highlights of Eric’s career include sit ins with Marcus King and Billy Strings. Now, with 15 years of touring experience and 35+ songs recorded under his belt, Travers looks to reach for new horizons in 2023 with ETB and his new label, All Aboard Records. PEACOCK PLANETPeacock Planet is the creative project of Louly Peacock and Simeon Hickman. The “Planet” came out with their latest album, Trashee Deevas, in the fall of 2023, featuring Jeff Sipe, Jack C. Mascari, Zack Page and Lyndsay Pruett. Critics praise how Peacock Planet’s miasma of styles condenses down to guitar and keyboard driven progressive rock, harkening back to new wave and jam band roots. Not many write, nor perform, such a crazy, eerie mishmash! Imagine if the B 52s had a baby with Southern Culture on the Skids with Phish as the Godfather.Howie Finkle (bass) and Dana Drevitson (drums) round out the rhythm section and lay down the sonic canvas that provides the creative launchpad of Sim (guitars and vox) and Louly (Vox and Keys and cowbell). Rocky Horror at the discotheque, Peacock Planet will get you shakin’ your mojo bag all night long! (PS: the next album, Moxie Sparklebomb is set to drop in May 2024)
Allah-Las
ALL AGES STANDING ROOM ONLY ALLAH-LAS Are you tired of that same old song? Tune into any alt-rock robo-jock frequency on the FM dial and you’ll know what I mean. Somewhere along the way, nostalgia curdled, and it feels like we’re doomed to hear the same boring souls for eternity. But don’t ask California sons Allah-Las—they wouldn’t know a thing about it. “The Stuff,” which opens the band’s fifth LP, Zuma 85, lays it out: “I don’t listen to the radio/They keep playing that song again/And the deejay’s a computer.” As the glammy, electronic strut of the song indicates, Zuma 85 signals the start of a new era for Allah-Las, and finds the band reinventing itself in defiance of the algorithmic categorization and robotic sterility. Recorded in the midst of the shift from the Old World to whatever branch of reality we’re on now, it’s a return, too: The album will be released via their own label, Calico Discos, in partnership with Innovative Leisure, which released early defining statements like Allah-Las (2012) and Worship The Sun (2014). For the last 15 years, Allah-Las have alchemically melded surf rock washes with folk rock jangle and rock, building up their lauded music podcast, Reverberation Radio, and record label, Calico Discos, in the process. But a lot has changed since Matthew Correia (drums/vocals), Spencer Dunham (bass, guitar, vocals), Miles Michaud (guitar, organ, vocals), and Pedrum Siadatian (guitar, synth, vocals) first bonded over psych rock vinyl in the back room at Amoeba Records in the late aughts. Zuma 85 finds the quartet facing a new world with a wealth of new sounds, drawing from an eclectic mix of progressive rock, prog, kosmische, and Eno-esque art rock, scuzzy Royal Trux riffs, and detouring into tones and textures that call to mind ‘90s and 2000s pop. The album was born, like so much else these days, out of the downtime of 2020-2022. For most of the band’s existence, Allah-Las adhered to a year to album year/tour year schedule, logging serious hours on the road. When the shutdown of 2020 put everything on hold, it opened up space for each member to focus on their own lives and interests, and time to re-envision what creative processes could look like. When it came time to reconvene, that sense of looseness proved pivotal. Instead of bringing finished songs to the studio, they entered the picturesque Panoramic House recording in Stinson Beach (a space co-owned by John Baccigaluppi of Tape Op magazine) with sketches, ideas, and riffs. Working with co-producer Jeremy Harris (White Fence, Devendra Banhart, Sam Gendel) they shaped and crafted the new songs in real time over three sessions, which were then mixed in Los Angeles by frequent collaborator Jarvis Taveniere. Sharing a name with that song is a photo of an abandoned house by California photographer John Divola. Selected by Correia, the band’s resident photography head and album art designer, it juxtaposes a visage of man-made chaos against the natural beauty of the West Coast. It served as an unspoken reference point for the album, a symbolic totem indicative of a new era. A decade and a half into their run as Allah-Las, Correia, Dunham, Michaud, and Siadatian continue on an evolutionary path. Are you tired of the same old songs? So are they. So blow it up and let it rip. MASTON REVERBERATION RADIO
Bendigo Fletcher
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLYBENDIGO FLETCHERFREE RANGE Sofia Jensen make considered folk rock under the name Free Range. The Chicago-based artist is releasing their debut album Practice on February 17 via Mick Music, and it’s sure to be one of the early highlights of 2023. Today, they’ve shared the album’s third single “Growing Away” and a music video for it directed by Robert Salazar. Free Range’s music makes mature confessionals feel as simple as flicking on a light switch when the sun starts to set. Jensen’s delivery is gentle, even when their lyrics are untangling stormy thoughts. It’s a kind of openness and ease heard in Jeff Tweedy’s or Ben Gibbard’s writing, unveiling comfort in dark truths. Here, Jensen discusses memory loss as a consequence of self-destruction rather than lack of attentiveness. “I let you think that it was accidental,” they sing in the first verse. “When I stopped caring about being careful.” Loss of time and events indicate a loss of something much more—a sense of self. “‘Growing Away’ was written a few months before I ultimately did get sober, and it deals with the realization that I was losing track of who I was,” Jensen says of the new single. “The things I was doing were all controlled by the lack of compassion I had for myself. I felt really disoriented in this haze of memory loss that was becoming a huge part of my life, and I was still at a point where I had no idea how to talk about it with anyone. It was really important for me to write this song I think, because it served as an exercise in acceptance for me for the things I needed to do to finally take care of myself.”
