The Strumbellas
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY THE STRUMBELLAS Ever since forming in 2008 and releasing their debut album, 2012’s My Father and the Hunter, two-time JUNO award-winning alternative group The Strumbellas have steadily released follow-ups containing every ounce of stomping, hand-clapping, alt-country gusto, from 2013’s We Still Move on Dance Floors to 2016’s Hope to 2019’s Rattlesnake. They’ll soon round the corner with a brand-new fifth studio album, Part Time Believer, a collection that signals The Strumbellas’ grand return and rebirth. Now with Jimmy Chauveau on board as lead vocalist, The Strumbellas spent the last four years writing, recording, and whittling 50 songs down to 12. Honed by producers Ben Allen (Gnarls Barkley, Kaiser Chiefs), Keith Varon (Machine Gun Kelly), Stevie Aiello (30 Seconds To Mars), and Dave Schiffman (RHCP, The Killers), Part Time Believer continues The Strumbellas’ long-standing tradition of blending anthemic, brightly coloured compositions with yearning, contemplative lyrics. “I think people often feel like things are escaping them, or they’re trying to grab on to something — happiness, gratitude, professional or personal goals — and for some reason, they just can’t get there,” says David Ritter, who handles piano, organ, percussion, and vocals. “Even if they get the thing they want, it doesn’t feel the way they thought it would. A lot of these songs are about trying to, like, figure out why we’re all feeling this way, and how we can find more peace in our lives.” Wildermiss Wildermiss, an human indie rock band originally from Denver and now based in Nashville, released their first full-length LP in October 2023. Fronted by the human Emma Cole on vocals and synth, with fellow humans Joshua Hester on guitar and Caleb Thoemke on drums, their musical journey has taken them far and wide, accumulating more miles than you can imagine. With their undeniable talent and unwavering dedication, Wildermiss has become a beloved fixture in the hearts of their human fans. Prepare to be captivated by their album, a testament to their creative evolution and a sonic adventure unlike any other. -ChatGPT
Illiterate Light + Liz Cooper
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY ILLITERATE LIGHT It’s dangerous to put Illiterate Light in a box, especially with the release of their new album, Arches. Are they a guitar-driven indie rock duo? Kaleidoscopic neo-psychedelia? Synth-kissed, harmony-laden folk? What does one do with an album beginning with “fake tits and diet coke,” then pivoting to train derailments in rural Ohio and never-ending black holes? These prolific farmers-turned-rockers have captured the energy of their live shows—fans crowd-surfing, moshing, crying, and crooning—and infused it into their latest release. Illiterate Light’s third album, Arches, is not a passageway but an arrival. “We’re no longer striving to define a sound,” said drummer Jake Cochran. “We’re leaning into sides of ourselves that have felt off-limits, sticking to what feels right rather than concerning ourselves with comparison.” Out November 1 via Thirty Tigers, the record is bursting with thunderous anthems, biting lyrics, and lush harmonies.. Arches was recorded in two very different locations: small-town Appalachia at Gorman’s home studio and Hollywood, CA at Sunset Sound with producer Joe Chiccarelli (The Strokes, Beck, The Killers). “We wanted the best of both worlds,” says Gorman. “We spent several days with Joe at Sunset. To record vocals in the same live room as so many of my heroes—Neil Young, Paul McCartney, Dylan—was unreal. I knew I was in a holy place.” The LA session was paired with sessions in Virginia, where Gorman and Cochran co-produced the bulk of the record with longtime collaborator Danny Gibney. In their hometown, they experimented with soaring instrumental journeys and had friends sit in on the sessions to keep things lively. LIZ COOPER On the porch of her one-time Nashville home, Liz Cooper had a multimedia project that combined two of her loves: lips and cigarettes. She painted her own lips with red paint and kissed a canvas two or three hundred times, later dotting them with the detritus left behind in ashtrays by her friends. An overlap of intimacy, indulgence, cheekiness, and sensuality, the piece complements Cooper’s roiling second record, Hot Sass. Over jagged, frenetic guitar parts, Cooper sets expectations aflame with the record’s title track. Her songs unfurl like smoke spiraling off an incense cone late in the afternoon, with Cooper pushing deeper into psychedelic openness, punk ferocity, and beyond.Hot Sass marks multiple departures for Liz Cooper: from her nine-year home of Nashville, from her band addendum of the Stampede, from any genre-burdened expectations she’d accumulated over the years. After heavy touring in support of 2018’s Window Flowers, where her songs stretched out in live settings, she felt constricted by the Americana-adjacent associations that the Stampede carried. So with her bandmates’ blessing, she dropped the moniker, pursuing sounds and songs that let her chase the inspiration lent to her by the likes of Courtney Love, Lou Reed, and David Bowie.
Half Waif
ALL AGES SEATED SHOW LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE HALF WAIF In the deep Upstate New York winter of 2022, trees bare and taunting, Nandi Rose found herself searching for an apricitic clarity. She has always found the season difficult; its ruthless theft of birdsong and flora, heavy clouds low and smothering what little light remains. But the cacophonous silence of that winter was particularly brutal. It should have been stirred by the growth of life, a promise of a new chapter, a bright dawn, as Rose learned she was pregnant with her first child. That promise was broken in early December, when stillness took over the ultrasound screen; slow-motion mouths told her the life inside her had ended. Like a snapped branch weighed down by leaden frost, Rose lost a part of her future she thought would blossom. See You At The Maypole was originally intended as a departure from the darker works of Half Waif. Whereas 2021’s Mythopoetics dealt with familial traumas and the patterns we carry with us, Rose––armed with the anticipation of planning her own family––envisioned a new collection of soft and joyous odes to motherhood, and to new beginnings. That writing sparked in the summer of 2021 at a solo retreat in the Catskills, as melodies formed in a small cabin overlooking a luscious and rain-rippled pond. A month later, Rose found out she was pregnant and anticipated nine months of writing through a new, maternal lens, speckled with the verdure of certainty. But when that soundless morning arrived in December, See You At The Maypole took on a new life. One that would seize the uncomfortable reigns of uncertainty. NOIA Structured to unfold like a dream, the debut album by NOIA combines an array of languages – Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, English – and traditional sounds from her childhood in southwestern Europe to process her personal transformations over the past two years while living between NYC and Barcelona.Gisela Fullà-Silvestre formed the alias NOIA to create separation between her profession as a celebrated composer and mix engineer for film and TV, and her experimental pop productions. After graduating from Berklee in 2015, the Barcelona-bred artist relocated to Brooklyn and started writing music that channeled her early attachments to sound, which were formed osmotically as a child in the home of her activist parents. Shortly thereafter, she released her inaugural EP, Habits, which was a lush, romantic affair anchored by singles “Nostalgia Del Futuro” and “Itaca Tropical.” NOIA played shows across North America and Europe, and embedded herself deeply into NYC’s creative community. 2019 then saw the release of her second EP, Crisalida, a Catalan word for “cocoon,” that expanded on her international references to mine an increasingly leftfield palette. Dancehall and tropicalia radio fused with R&B and glitchy sound design to create an utterly placeless sonic world.
OUTPOST: Sister Ivy (ALBUM FUNDRAISER SHOW) w/ Danielle Angeloni
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINE Sister Ivy: Sister Ivy is the voice of the vine that weaves in and out of roots and open air, mixes with the weeds, and climbs to lofty vistas on the limbs of grand trees. A quizzical poet with a voice brimming with turbulent emotion and heartfelt presence, she moves to join the juxtaposed, not only lyrically, but musically, with careful dissonance and timely resolve, blending the mundane with the magical, providing unexpected nourishment and plenty of food for thought. Sister Ivy fuses Neo-soul, Jazz, R&B, and Rock elements to carry poetic musings to the listener’s ear on a groove-able sonic vehicle with influences spanning from Badu and Glasper to Radiohead and Pink Floyd. Lyrical content spans a wide spectrum with emotional states ranging from sweet infatuation to righteous anger; content ranging from entomological curiosity to suspicions of an impending apocalypse. Danielle Angeloni: Danielle lives the life she’s always imagined- writing and performing music while inspiring others to embrace their innate creativity. Danielle has devoted over 15 years to studying and performing jazz, soul, and alternative pop. Her musical influences include Billie Holliday, Norah Jones, Feist, Emily King and many more. She has performed at venues such as Music Box San Diego, Quartyard SD, San Diego Made Markets, Books and Records Bar, YouBloom Festival Los Angeles, Hard Rock Cafe Boston, The Berklee Performance Center, Sidewalk Cafe NYC and more. Her debut EP Setting Fires was released in 2017 and can be found on all major streaming platforms. Danielle is currently San Diego based and willing to travel for exceptional experiences.
Melt
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY MELT Pulsing with the energy of their hometown New York City, ‘If There’s a Heaven’ (out 9/13/24) is the debut album from indie band Melt. The band formed in 2017 and cut their teeth touring on the heels of their viral single “Sour Candy” over weekends in college. Called “one groovy superorganism” by NPR, they are known for their ecstatic live set. In 2021, Melt released their ‘West Side Highway’ EP and toured nationally, further developing their intuitive connection as players as well as cementing their status as a band to watch. ‘If There’s a Heaven’ presents Melt simultaneously at their most airtight and freewheeling – evoking the raw, communal spirit of Fleetwood Mac as well as the modern, danceable hooks of MUNA. Recorded live to tape with producer Sam Evian (Big Thief), the eleven tracks span existential, feel-good pop (“Plant the Garden”), classic love ballads (“Your Name”) and lush, soulful rockers (“Heaven”). Melt’s debut is a joyous, timeless soundtrack for coming of age and finding oneself and one’s community. As emotionally stirring as they are groovy, Melt will move listeners in every sense of the word. MARIS MARIS hitched a ride on a comet to Los Angeles in 2021, and decided to stay and become a pop music sensation. Her mission on this planet is to connect with listeners through her candid experiences as a queer and emotionally vulnerable songwriter with an ‘80s-inflected pop universe and beats you can’t help but dance along to. In 2023, MARIS released a celestial six-song EP, Gravity, and accompanying short film, Gravity: The EP: the Movie (Black House, Best Friends Music), followed by new singles, “Voicemail”, “Hot Guitar Player”, and “GOING YET!.” She supported the releases throughout the solar system, opening for acts including Anna Of The North and The Wrecks. She performed at Boston Calling and Missoula Pride this summer. Fans can catch MARIS Earth-side this fall opening for Melt on their North American tour. Best experienced live, MARIS and her music have a riveting aura that ensures all in attendance are in a safe place to be their happiest, truest, and most out-of-this-world selves. Her newest singles, “The Fight” and “Julia Roberts,” are available everywhere now!
M. Ward
ALL AGESSTANDING ROOM ONLY M. WARD For Beginners: The Best of M. Ward is a collection for M. Ward fans of any vintage. Gathering together 14 tracks from across his Merge Records discography, including the newly recorded song “Cry,” For Beginners is both a primer and a mixtape of favorites sequenced in a way that gives them new life. Beginning with “Chinese Translation” and “Poison Cup” from 2006’s Post-War, For Beginners drops in on Ward as he expands his prowess in the studio. His singular cover of David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” from 2003’s Transfiguration of Vincent, breaks out into the exuberant “Never Had Nobody Like You” from 2009’s Hold Time. Rather than the neat evolutionary line suggested by a chronological arrangement, what holds For Beginners together is Ward’s impeccable skill as a songwriter, which remains in focus as his sound expands from low-fi home recordings to electric, radio-ready stompers. Serendipitously timed for release during Merge Records’ 35-year anniversary, this celebration of one of the label’s most beloved artists includes “Cry”—his first new recording on Merge since 2018—a stripped-down cover of the Godley & Creme pop classic featuring Melbourne, Australia’s Folk Bitch Trio. “Cry” was recorded in a Tasmanian modern art museum called MONA. I sat at the end of a long hallway a few feet away from Anselm Kiefer’s sculpture of a 20-foot-high stack of lead books, and standing to my left and right around a single microphone were Melbourne’s Folk Bitch Trio; we rehearsed and recorded “Cry” in about 30 minutes. A pleasure to add this song to a collection of some of my favorite memories of music-making during the first decade of record-creating with my friends at Merge. The song is the perfect capstone for a collection of this nature, summing up much of Ward’s power as a musician: the richness he’s capable of achieving in sparse recordings, his knack for collaboration, and his ability to see through to the soul of a meticulously crafted pop song—as much a means of looking forward to what’s to come of his own work as it is a callback to his past. FOLK BITCH TRIO Folk Bitch Trio are a band born out of a mutual love for songwriting, rocking and the truth. Their new singles, ‘Analogue’ and ‘I Heard’ are quintessential Folk Bitch Trio, combining confessional lyricism of what it feels like to be young and crave control with unpretentious instrumentation and buttery three part harmony. A side Analogue serves as a reminder to keep on stumbling forward, employing powerful harmony and a bright sound in hand with a beat that will push your feet and heart along, while B side I Heard is an ode to the startling realisation you’re in control of your own life sung against an ominously sparse nylon-string guitar.
Magenta Sunshine
ALL AGES STANDING ROOM ONLY MAGENTA SUNSHINE Magenta Sunshine is a horn-driven, hard-hitting roots fusion band from Asheville, NC. Lacing danceable rhythms, brassy soundscapes, and poetic lyricism into genre-defying arrangements, Magenta Sunshine is an all-original, six-piece unit composed of instrumentalists from some of Asheville’s most respected ensembles. Since 2018, the band has earned a dedicated following and a valid reputation for “blistering” live performances that place the audience at the intersection of psychedelic improvisation and well-crafted songwriting.
PATIO (FREE SHOW!): Hayley Renae
– FREE SHOW!!! – ALL AGES – LIMITED SEATING IS FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED Hayley Renae, a guitarist and singer-songwriter with a lifelong passion for music, crafts songs inspired by the Appalachian Mountains and her love for nature. Since moving to Asheville in 2021, she’s enchanted passersby with her loop station performances on the streets downtown. Her melodic tunes and uplifting lyrics encourage listeners to notice and appreciate the little things in life, especially the beauty of nature. FREE SHOW!! Show runs 5:30-6:45. Food and drink available from The Grey Eagle Taqueria. Family friendly show! Come fill your Monday evening with food, drink, fun and some of the best live music Asheville has to offer – all in one place.
OUTPOST: Julianna Jade with Washer Dryer & Kassidy Blount
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINE Julianna Jade: Julianna Jade, a local musician in Asheville, NC is an up-and-coming singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Her distinctive sound is inspired by life’s most profound and wistful moments, resulting in a collection of songs that are both emotional, inspiring, and passionate. Her lyrics and melodies have the power to transport you back to a special memory leaving you spellbound. With a beautiful blend of warm acoustic guitar and soulful vocals, listeners are left feeling a tug at their heartstrings and wanting more. Music is food for the soul and Julianna Jade’s music is a perfect reflection of that. Washer Dryer: Washer Dryer is a new folk-rock/psychedelia band, originally based in NYC, recently relocated to Tallahassee. The husband and wife duo are releasing their debut EP this fall on Head Bitch Records. Kassidy Blount: Kassidy Blount is a jazz vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter whose expressive music draws influence from genres such as folk, rock, and country. Known for her smooth vocals and honest lyricism, Kassidy’s soulful storytelling invites listeners to share in a captivating and vulnerable performance that is sure to appeal to music fans from all walks of life.
OUTPOST: Sari Jordan & Julie Odell
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINE Sari Jordan: Sari jordan (they/she) is a New Jersey-born, New Orleans-based vocalist, songwriter, andmusician with a voice that shines in its raw honesty and playful boldness. Fresh off the release oftheir debut ep sing to the moon, Sari continues to create in pursuit of the truth about growth.their style blends indie rock with youthful, New Orleans-inspired songbook influences, resulting inan ethereal alt-jazz that strikes at the heart. Sari has shared the stage with international indieicon Alice Phoebe Lou, as well as many local New Orleans legends such as George Porter jr.,Isaac Eady & Third Moon, and Billy Iuso at Jazz Fest, the maple leaf bar, and Tipitina’s. They will be performing in Asheville as a touring artist out of New Orleans. Julie Odell: Julie Odell is an Asheville via New Orleans based singer-songwriter. Her music is folky, dreamy, and soulful, marked by her powerful, peculiar vocals, detailed textures, and an instinct for immediate songcraft. Her songs are complex and multifaceted, in part because they don’t follow expected trajectories or settle into long stretches of even-keeled languor.
