Podcasts about Mountain Xpress

“Wake Up, Asheville!” is a morning podcast updating you on the important local headlines from across the local media landscape. We check in with the Citizen-Times, Mountain Xpress, Asheville Watchdog, BPR, WLOS, AVL Today and even podcasts like The Overlook with Matt Peiken.We then boil it all down to what you need to know in under five minutes. “Wake Up, Asheville!” premieres June 17th and it's freshened up every weekday morning. Subscribe for free now wherever you get your podcasts!

This week on the podcast, I'm joined by Christine Edwards of Civility Localized, a Charlotte-based public engagement firm that is changing the game on so many levels.But most of all, this is an episode of two Black Southern women who are connected in some shape or form to North Carolina, talking about how we both are motivated and have or haven't been supported by that state.About our GuestChristine Edwards is a civic firebrand who has immersed herself in helping urban communities grow with dignity. Since founding Civility Localized in 2018, her work has affected change nationwide through innovative outreach strategies that support racial equity, reducing barriers to participation, and encouraging sustainable growth for cities. Christine earned her Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Urban Management and Policy from UNC Charlotte. Christine's work has been featured in Fast Company, Axios, The Business Journals, Queen City Nerve, Mountain Xpress, Pride Magazine, QCity Metro and many other local and national publications. Christine serves as a board member for Generation Nation, an organization cultivating the next generation of civic leaders and is a member of the board of directors for the Humane Society of Charlotte. She enjoys southern food, and loves seeing urban policy theory play out in daily life.* Social Media & Websites:* Websites:https://www.CivilityLocalized.comhttps://www.CivicImpactAcademy.com https://www.MeetChristine.co* Facebook: https://facebook.com/civilitylocalized* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/civility-localized/* Twitter: @CivilityCo* Instagram: @CivilityLocalizedAlso, I had to have an NC-related hot topic this week and it's about this new mask and protest banning bill, that's just the latest of laws making me not want to move home again, despite my love and homesickness.Read the reference article here — https://www.wral.com/story/nc-senate-votes-to-ban-people-from-wearing-masks-in-public-for-health-reasons/21433199And I found two Black North Carolina authors for you to read this week, you can purchase then in my Bookshop.org store:https://bookshop.org/a/5060/9781982163693https://bookshop.org/a/5060/9780679737889Never miss an episode, subscribe to my Substack or on LinkedInYou can also find me, Kristen , @blackurbanist or @kristpattern. Get full access to Defying Gentrification, Crafting Liberation at theblackurbanist.substack.com/subscribe

This week on the podcast, I'm joined by Christine Edwards of Civility Localized, a Charlotte-based public engagement firm that is changing the game on so many levels.But most of all, this is an episode of two Black Southern women who are connected in some shape or form to North Carolina, talking about how we both are motivated and have or haven't been supported by that state.About our GuestChristine Edwards is a civic firebrand who has immersed herself in helping urban communities grow with dignity. Since founding Civility Localized in 2018, her work has affected change nationwide through innovative outreach strategies that support racial equity, reducing barriers to participation, and encouraging sustainable growth for cities. Christine earned her Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Urban Management and Policy from UNC Charlotte. Christine's work has been featured in Fast Company, Axios, The Business Journals, Queen City Nerve, Mountain Xpress, Pride Magazine, QCity Metro and many other local and national publications. Christine serves as a board member for Generation Nation, an organization cultivating the next generation of civic leaders and is a member of the board of directors for the Humane Society of Charlotte. She enjoys southern food, and loves seeing urban policy theory play out in daily life. Social Media & Websites: Websites: https://www.CivilityLocalized.com https://www.CivicImpactAcademy.com https://www.MeetChristine.co Facebook: https://facebook.com/civilitylocalized LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/civility-localized/ Twitter: @CivilityCo Instagram: @CivilityLocalized Also, I had to have an NC-related hot topic this week and it's about this new mask and protest banning bill, that's just the latest of laws making me not want to move home again, despite my love and homesickness.Read the reference article here — https://www.wral.com/story/nc-senate-votes-to-ban-people-from-wearing-masks-in-public-for-health-reasons/21433199/And I found two Black North Carolina authors for you to read this week, you can purchase then in my Bookshop.org store:https://bookshop.org/a/5060/9781982163693https://bookshop.org/a/5060/9780679737889Never miss an episode, subscribe to my Substack or on LinkedInYou can also find me, Kristen , @blackurbanist or @kristpattern.

Just last week, Asheville City Schools voted to merge Montford North Star Academy into Asheville Middle School. The move will reduce the district's $4.5 million budget shortfall by as much as half, but it also raised a lot of anger, sadness and questions from affected parents. My guest today is Greg Parlier, a reporter who covers education for the Mountain Xpress. We look backward and forward at this decision, along with underlying trends that loom large for public schools everywhere. We talk about the impacts of charter and private schools, where things stand with a potential merger of Asheville City Schools into Buncombe County Schools and the troubled history of Asheville City Schools around issues of equity.  SPONSOR: Greenland Pro Cleaning is a locally owned, eco-friendly, allergy-friendly cleaning company for homes, AirBnBs and offices. Use the code OVERLOOK at checkout for $60 off your first order with Greenland Pro Cleaning of Asheville. SPONSOR: Locally owned REM Audio & Video offers an array of sound, video, lighting, security and network services for any home. Support The Overlook by joining our Patreon campaign!Advertise your event on The Overlook.Instagram: AVLoverlook | Facebook: AVLoverlook | Twitter: AVLoverlookListen and Subscribe: All episodes of The OverlookThe Overlook theme song, "Maker's Song," comes courtesy of the Asheville band The Resonant Rogues.Podcast Asheville © 2023

Part 3 of 3 episodes where The Get Right Band talks about their album iTopia   Quick episode mp3 download https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/57iaj2/Ep_176_Get_Right_Band_iTopia_pt_3b3xm2.mp3   Find The Get Right Band here thegetrightband.com Facebook open.spotify.com YouTube Instagram   Subscribe to the podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wnc-original-music/id1378776313 https://www.iheart.com/podcast/wnc-original-music-31067964/   Follow on Social Media https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com https://www.instagram.com/wnc_original_music/   Thanks to The Sleeping Cliffs  for the closing song Linktree Spotify Bandcamp Youtube Instagram All music used by permission   “The Get Right Band filters 60's/70's psychedelia and 90's alternative rock through a modern lens– as if Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Nirvana co-wrote an album produced by Danger Mouse and Dan Auerbach.” -American Songwriter   The Get Right Band is a psychedelic indie rock power trio committed to relentlessly following their muses to honest self-expression, to whatever excites them and pushes them into unexplored territory, to capturing some version of truth. American Songwriter writes that the Asheville, NC based group, “filters 60's/70's psychedelia and 90's alternative rock through a modern lens–as if Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Nirvana co-wrote an album produced by Danger Mouse and Dan Auerbach.” The Get Right Band formed in 2011, built around the musical brotherhood that guitarist/singer/songwriter Silas Durocher and bassist Jesse Gentry have formed playing music together since middle school (25 years!). Durocher, who is a trained composer and has been commissioned to write for symphonies and chamber groups, has guitar chops that can soothe or rage, with a charismatic swagger as frontman and singer. Gentry's virtuosic bass playing “catapults from elastic to nasty” (The Mountain Xpress). Over the years, GRB has defined their sound through constant evolution, building to the hook-driven, synth-heavy pop/rock/psych band they are today. The Huffington Post writes, “their songs are infectious and take you immediately to a place. The lyrics are smart and bear weight.”    “The Get Right Band are the type of performers that you just know will break out. Their songs are infectious and take you immediately to a place. The lyrics are smart and bear weight.” – The Huffington Post   The Get Right Band has shared the stage with Dr. Dog, Everclear, Cracker, UB40, Rusted Root, Smash Mouth, and Lifehouse; been featured on NPR's World Cafe, Paste Studio, and WTF with Marc Maron; and performed at major venues and festivals including The Fillmore, Brooklyn Bowl, Theatre of the Living Arts, The Orange Peel, FloydFest, Bristol Rhythm & Roots, and Riverbend Fest. They have released four studio albums and a live album, and their latest LP, iTopia, dropped on April 7, 2023.     Based in the sprawling Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, The Sleeping Cliffs is a solo studio project from multi-instrumentalist Todd Glidewell. Combining elements of indietronica, post-rock, alternative, funk, jazz-fusion and ambient electronica, The Sleeping Cliffs produce emotive, cinematic, instrumental songs. Though not boxed in by any one genre, the songs share an undertow of gritty bass lines, layers of guitar, and big rock drums.  

The return of The Get Right Band continues against all odds   Find The Get Right Band here thegetrightband.com Facebook open.spotify.com YouTube Instagram   Thanks to Stress Dolls  for the closing song Instagram - instagram.com/stressdolls Facebook - facebook.com/stressdollsmusic TikTok - tiktok.com/@stressdolls Youtube - youtube.com/@stressdolls Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/2L4MBngvappicW4avjknRZ?si=GV-cbUQuSmKuSXvwSv3ewA   Subscribe to the podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wnc-original-music/id1378776313 https://www.iheart.com/podcast/wnc-original-music-31067964/ This link has all the other places to subscribe https://gopod.me/wncom   Follow on Social Media https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com https://www.instagram.com/wnc_original_music/   All music used by permission   “The Get Right Band filters 60's/70's psychedelia and 90's alternative rock through a modern lens– as if Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Nirvana co-wrote an album produced by Danger Mouse and Dan Auerbach.” -American Songwriter   The Get Right Band is a psychedelic indie rock power trio committed to relentlessly following their muses to honest self-expression, to whatever excites them and pushes them into unexplored territory, to capturing some version of truth. American Songwriter writes that the Asheville, NC based group, “filters 60's/70's psychedelia and 90's alternative rock through a modern lens–as if Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Nirvana co-wrote an album produced by Danger Mouse and Dan Auerbach.” The Get Right Band formed in 2011, built around the musical brotherhood that guitarist/singer/songwriter Silas Durocher and bassist Jesse Gentry have formed playing music together since middle school (25 years!). Durocher, who is a trained composer and has been commissioned to write for symphonies and chamber groups, has guitar chops that can soothe or rage, with a charismatic swagger as frontman and singer. Gentry's virtuosic bass playing “catapults from elastic to nasty” (The Mountain Xpress). Over the years, GRB has defined their sound through constant evolution, building to the hook-driven, synth-heavy pop/rock/psych band they are today. The Huffington Post writes, “their songs are infectious and take you immediately to a place. The lyrics are smart and bear weight.”    “The Get Right Band are the type of performers that you just know will break out. Their songs are infectious and take you immediately to a place. The lyrics are smart and bear weight.” – The Huffington Post   The Get Right Band has shared the stage with Dr. Dog, Everclear, Cracker, UB40, Rusted Root, Smash Mouth, and Lifehouse; been featured on NPR's World Cafe, Paste Studio, and WTF with Marc Maron; and performed at major venues and festivals including The Fillmore, Brooklyn Bowl, Theatre of the Living Arts, The Orange Peel, FloydFest, Bristol Rhythm & Roots, and Riverbend Fest. They have released four studio albums and a live album, and their latest LP, iTopia, dropped on April 7, 2023.   Stress Dolls is the moniker of Chelsea O'Donnell, a songwriter from Buffalo, NY. She writes songs inspired by life experiences, ranging from dealing with chronic illness, to learning to live with anxiety, and even a few love songs thrown in for good measure. Currently, Stress Dolls takes on several forms live: solo with O'Donnell and her acoustic guitar; as a duo when joined by longtime collaborator Sally Schaefer on violin; or as a band when combined with members TJ Luckman (bass), Jordan Smith (lead guitar), and Josh English (drums). The project's sound has drawn such comparisons as "Joni Mitchell meets Nirvana," "Avril Lavigne and Foo Fighters in a blender," and "Kathleen Hanna fronting Modest Mouse."    

One episode couldn't contain all of Andrew Thelston's talent. A bonus episode so huge I had to being in Courtney Cahill to help control it.   Listen and follow Andrew Thelston http://www.andrewthelston.com/ https://spotify.link/acRkq9CdPDb https://music.apple.com/us/album/illuminated-plastic-ep/1708447014    Check out Courtney Cahill's projects https://instagram.com/rockyhorrormusicshow https://instagram.com/doubleloveandthetrouble   Subscribe to the podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wnc-original-music/id1378776313 https://www.iheart.com/podcast/wnc-original-music-31067964/ This link has all the other places to subscribe https://gopod.me/wncom   Follow on Social Media https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com https://www.instagram.com/wnc_original_music/   All music used by permission   The Andrew Thelston Band, voted #1 favorite rock band in the 2023 Best of WNC contest by Mountain Xpress, has been stunning audiences in the WNC region (and beyond) for 5 years. Frontman Thelston, voted #1 best guitarist in the same competition, is the creative force, bringing high-energy, funk-infused original rock n' roll that draws influence from Prince, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Led Zeppelin, and Queen. In 2019, Thelston's original music was featured on the hit Netflix show “Lucifer.” Thelston is widely known for his guitar virtuosity and soaring vocals, and leads the 4-piece band with a dynamic stage presence. Bassist Roddy Wilder and drummer Jeff Lott create a rock solid rhythm for Thelston's guitar and vocals. Singer-songwriter/keyboardist Carrie Morrison fills out the band's sound with powerhouse vocals and technical prowess   “Guitar-heavy rock that takes in late 1960s psychedelia, blues influenced solos, and occasional nods to acoustic folk, all tied together by Thelston's earnest, emotional vocals”-Greenville Journal   “In terms of musical ambassadors within the melodic melting pot of a scene that is Western North Carolina, you'd be hard-pressed to find an artist as dedicated and inclusive as that of Andrew Thelston.”- Garret K. Woodard Smoky Mountain News   “Andrew Thelston Band is a force to be reckoned with”- Alex Deutsch: WNC Original Music Podcast   “I can't wait to hear more from such a talented artist. The future of Andrew Thelston is looking bright”-LOCAL LIVE Magazine    “Andrew Thelston is one of the hardest working, talented and intelligent artists in the Asheville area”-LSTNIN

Andrew Thelston returns to talk about his new EP Illuminated Plastic. Courtney Cahill co-interviews and honestly does a better job than I ever have.   Click here for easy streaming or download -   https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/utse7f/Ep_173_Andrew_Thelston_Illuminated_Plastic_EPadnqb.mp3   Listen and follow Andrew Thelston http://www.andrewthelston.com/ https://spotify.link/acRkq9CdPDb https://music.apple.com/us/album/illuminated-plastic-ep/1708447014    Check out Courtney Cahill's projects https://instagram.com/rockyhorrormusicshow https://instagram.com/doubleloveandthetrouble   Find The Lily Vakili Band here https://www.facebook.com/LilyVakiliBand https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O2JmOb65Lw http://lilyvakili.com/   Subscribe to the podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wnc-original-music/id1378776313 https://www.iheart.com/podcast/wnc-original-music-31067964/ This link has all the other places to subscribe https://gopod.me/wncom   Follow on Social Media https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com https://www.instagram.com/wnc_original_music/   All music used by permission   The Andrew Thelston Band, voted #1 favorite rock band in the 2023 Best of WNC contest by Mountain Xpress, has been stunning audiences in the WNC region (and beyond) for 5 years. Frontman Thelston, voted #1 best guitarist in the same competition, is the creative force, bringing high-energy, funk-infused original rock n' roll that draws influence from Prince, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Led Zeppelin, and Queen. In 2019, Thelston's original music was featured on the hit Netflix show “Lucifer.” Thelston is widely known for his guitar virtuosity and soaring vocals, and leads the 4-piece band with a dynamic stage presence. Bassist Roddy Wilder and drummer Jeff Lott create a rock solid rhythm for Thelston's guitar and vocals. Singer-songwriter/keyboardist Carrie Morrison fills out the band's sound with powerhouse vocals and technical prowess   “Guitar-heavy rock that takes in late 1960s psychedelia, blues influenced solos, and occasional nods to acoustic folk, all tied together by Thelston's earnest, emotional vocals”-Greenville Journal   “In terms of musical ambassadors within the melodic melting pot of a scene that is Western North Carolina, you'd be hard-pressed to find an artist as dedicated and inclusive as that of Andrew Thelston.”- Garret K. Woodard Smoky Mountain News   “Andrew Thelston Band is a force to be reckoned with”- Alex Deutsch: WNC Original Music Podcast   “I can't wait to hear more from such a talented artist. The future of Andrew Thelston is looking bright”-LOCAL LIVE Magazine    “Andrew Thelston is one of the hardest working, talented and intelligent artists in the Asheville area”-LSTNIN  

You'd have to be a shut-in not to notice the prevalence of panhandling in Asheville. It's become so visible along Interstate on-ramps and off-ramps that, early this summer, a committee of city councilwomen proposed penalizing sympathetic motorists who stop to give money to panhandlers.A public outcry compelled them to walk back that proposal and soften other language in a pending update to the city's panhandling ordinance. But Asheville's civic, business and tourism leaders still see a crisis of perception and an economic cost connected to panhandling.Today's guest is Chase Davis, a relative newcomer to the reporting staff at Mountain Xpress. We talk through his recent reporting on panhandling and efforts to stem the tide. We break down the differences between panhandling, vagrancy and the unhoused. We also get into the challenges for a city striving to balance empathy with solutions and contrast Asheville to the town of LaGrange, Ga., where Davis last reported on these same issues.Get five news headlines from around Asheville in your morning inbox. No ads, no spam—simple as that. Subscribe for free to the First Look newsletter from The Overlook. Support The Overlook by joining our Patreon campaign!Advertise your event on The Overlook.Instagram: AVLoverlook | Facebook: AVLoverlook | Twitter: AVLoverlookListen and Subscribe: All episodes of The OverlookThe Overlook theme song, "Maker's Song," comes courtesy of the Asheville band The Resonant Rogues.Podcast Asheville © 2023

The Get Right Band returns to talk about their recent album iTopia   Find The Get Right Band here thegetrightband.com Facebook open.spotify.com YouTube Instagram   Subscribe to the podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wnc-original-music/id1378776313 https://www.iheart.com/podcast/wnc-original-music-31067964/ This link has all the other places to subscribe https://gopod.me/wncom   Follow on Social Media https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com https://www.instagram.com/wnc_original_music/   All music used by permission   “The Get Right Band filters 60's/70's psychedelia and 90's alternative rock through a modern lens– as if Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Nirvana co-wrote an album produced by Danger Mouse and Dan Auerbach.” -American Songwriter   The Get Right Band is a psychedelic indie rock power trio committed to relentlessly following their muses to honest self-expression, to whatever excites them and pushes them into unexplored territory, to capturing some version of truth. American Songwriter writes that the Asheville, NC based group, “filters 60's/70's psychedelia and 90's alternative rock through a modern lens–as if Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Nirvana co-wrote an album produced by Danger Mouse and Dan Auerbach.”   The Get Right Band formed in 2011, built around the musical brotherhood that guitarist/singer/songwriter Silas Durocher and bassist Jesse Gentry have formed playing music together since middle school (25 years!). Durocher, who is a trained composer and has been commissioned to write for symphonies and chamber groups, has guitar chops that can soothe or rage, with a charismatic swagger as frontman and singer. Gentry's virtuosic bass playing “catapults from elastic to nasty” (The Mountain Xpress). Over the years, GRB has defined their sound through constant evolution, building to the hook-driven, synth-heavy pop/rock/psych band they are today. The Huffington Post writes, “their songs are infectious and take you immediately to a place. The lyrics are smart and bear weight.”    “The Get Right Band are the type of performers that you just know will break out. Their songs are infectious and take you immediately to a place. The lyrics are smart and bear weight.” – The Huffington Post   The Get Right Band has shared the stage with Dr. Dog, Everclear, Cracker, UB40, Rusted Root, Smash Mouth, and Lifehouse; been featured on NPR's World Cafe, Paste Studio, and WTF with Marc Maron; and performed at major venues and festivals including The Fillmore, Brooklyn Bowl, Theatre of the Living Arts, The Orange Peel, FloydFest, Bristol Rhythm & Roots, and Riverbend Fest. They have released four studio albums and a live album, and their latest LP, iTopia, dropped on April 7, 2023.  

North Carolina legislators recently legalized sports betting in the state. Once enacted, that could funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue each year to the athletics programs of UNC-Asheville and Western Carolina and Appalachian State universities.Justin McGuire, a reporter with Mountain Xpress who has covered this development, talks about the forces that led to legalization and how concerns about gambling addiction shaped it. We also talk about the broader cultural tipping point of legalized gambling in this country and what this might forecast about the development of more casinos in North Carolina.Get five news headlines from around Asheville in your morning inbox. No ads, no spam—simple as that. Subscribe for free to the First Look newsletter from The Overlook. Support The Overlook by joining our Patreon campaign!Advertise your event on The Overlook.Instagram: AVLoverlook | Facebook: AVLoverlook | Twitter: AVLoverlookListen and Subscribe: All episodes of The OverlookThe Overlook theme song, "Maker's Song," comes courtesy of the Asheville band The Resonant Rogues.Podcast Asheville © 2023

Passenger trains haven't rolled through Asheville since 1975, but there's a serious plan from the North Carolina Department of Transportation to bring them back. Daniel Walton's recent story for Mountain Xpress connects the tracks between three decades of studies and recent federal infrastructure funding to a planned 140-mile route from Asheville east to Salisbury. We talk about the environmental and cultural factors playing into the rekindled interest in passenger rail, how the proposed line out of Asheville would feed into a wider web of passenger lines and a long timeline that could leave the project prone to shifting political and economic winds.Support The Overlook by joining our Patreon campaign!Advertise your event on The Overlook.Instagram: AVLoverlook | Facebook: AVLoverlook | Twitter: AVLoverlookListen and Subscribe: All episodes of The OverlookThe Overlook theme song, "Maker's Song," comes courtesy of the Asheville band The Resonant Rogues.Podcast Asheville © 2023

Hundreds of teachers, school staff and board members, parents and even students rallied at Buncombe County Commission hearings as recently as last week. They're calling on county officials to meet living-wage standards by raising local supplements to match other North Carolina districts with high costs of living. Greg Parlier, a recent addition to the reporting staff of Mountain Xpress, breaks down the stalemate over salaries within Asheville City and Buncombe County school districts, the politics involved at the local and state levels, the limited impact of teachers' associations and how the proliferation of charter schools is affecting teacher pay.Support The Overlook by joining our Patreon campaign!Advertise your event on The Overlook.Instagram: AVLoverlook | Facebook: AVLoverlook | Twitter: AVLoverlookListen and Subscribe: All episodes of The OverlookThe Overlook theme song, "Maker's Song," comes courtesy of the Asheville band The Resonant Rogues.Podcast Asheville © 2023

The trash dotting Asheville's streets, riverbeds and freeway underpasses has seemingly grown so bad, even TV news is devoting time to it. But no local reporter has dived deeper into the proverbial dumpster than today's guest, Jessica Wakeman of the Mountain Xpress. We discuss what she found in her reporting, beneath the surface of the trash we see to root out the myriad sources, the disparate agencies and people tasked with cleaning it up and some of the social and cultural forces at play.Support The Overlook by joining our Patreon campaign!Advertise your event on The Overlook.Instagram: AVLoverlook | Facebook: AVLoverlook | Twitter: AVLoverlookListen and Subscribe: All episodes of The OverlookThe Overlook theme song, "Maker's Song," comes courtesy of the Asheville band The Resonant Rogues.Podcast Asheville © 2023

Despite Asheville's leafy reputation, Western North Carolina doesn't exactly have a robust farming industry for hemp. Daniel Walton, formerly a staff writer and now regular contributor to Mountain Xpress, talks with Matt Peiken about his recent coverage of the region's hemp industry, where the state legislature stands around the legalization of marijuana and how that legalization would affect the hemp and CBD retail markets.Support The Overlook by joining our Patreon campaign!Advertise your event on The Overlook.Instagram: AVLoverlook | Facebook: AVLoverlook | Twitter: AVLoverlookListen and Subscribe: All episodes of The OverlookThe Overlook theme song, "Maker's Song," comes courtesy of the Asheville band The Resonant Rogues.Podcast Asheville © 2023

Nearly three dozen volunteer boards and commissions advise Asheville City Council. Today's guest, Brooke Randle of Mountain Xpress, breaks down for host Matt Peiken how these boards and commissions work, the politics that can steer council away from their recommendations and what happened when city officials tried to drastically cut back on these commissions.Support The Overlook by joining our Patreon campaign!Advertise your event on The Overlook.Instagram: AVLoverlook | Facebook: AVLoverlook | Twitter: AVLoverlookListen and Subscribe: All episodes of The OverlookThe Overlook theme song, "Maker's Song," comes courtesy of the Asheville band The Resonant Rogues.Podcast Asheville © 2023

Owners of the Asheville Tourists baseball team insist McCormick Field needs $30 million in renovations. If Asheville and Buncombe County leaders don't agree to carry most of that cost, the team is threatening to leave Asheville. Our guests today say that's an age-old play: Owners of pro sports teams leveraging cash-strapped cities for new or improved stadiums.Today's guests have studied this issue on a local and national level: Justin McGuire is a reporter for Mountain Xpress; Jonathan Brown is an economics professor at UNC-Asheville; and John Mozena is a Michigan-based writer and president of the nonprofit Center for Economic Accountability. The Asheville Tourists didn't respond to an emailed request to speak with someone from their ownership group for this episode. You'll hear about the history of this team's requests for stadium renovations, the economics of public funding vs. the financial return to cities and how nostalgia, politics and other factors you can't find on a ledger play into these decisions.Support The Overlook by joining our Patreon campaign!Advertise your event on The Overlook.Instagram: AVLoverlook | Facebook: AVLoverlook | Twitter: AVLoverlookListen and Subscribe: All episodes of The OverlookThe Overlook theme song, "Maker's Song," comes courtesy of the Asheville band The Resonant Rogues.Podcast Asheville © 2023

Pitchers and catchers have begun reporting to spring training, so we're covering baseball on this week's show. Specifically, we talk to Justin McGuire, reporter with the Mountain Xpress, to explore the past and future of baseball at Asheville's McCormick Field.

Asheville Police have been public about their challenges recruiting and keeping officers. Daniel Walton, today's guest, has covered the travails of the Asheville Police as a reporter and city editor with Mountain Xpress. Host Matt Peiken talks with Walton about the department's checkered history both on the streets and within its ranks. Walton also details some of the factors keeping Asheville from making more headway in its recruitment and the department enlisting outside help.Support The Overlook by joining our Patreon campaign!Advertise your event on The Overlook.Instagram: AVLoverlook | Facebook: AVLoverlook | Twitter: AVLoverlookListen and Subscribe: All episodes of The OverlookThe Overlook theme song, "Maker's Song," comes courtesy of the Asheville band The Resonant Rogues.Podcast Asheville © 2023

SOREN LIT 2022- Glenis Redmond www.sorenlit.com SOREN LIT Editor: Melodie J. Rodgers, MFA Glenis Redmond is a performance poet, a Kennedy Center Teaching Artist, and a Cave Canem alumni. In October of this year, Glenis was selected to be the City of Greenville's first poet laureate. She has authored six books of poetry: Backbone (Underground Epics,2000), Under the Sun (Main Street Rag, 2002), and What My Hand Say (Press 53, 2016), Listening Skin (Four Way Books), Three Harriets & Others (Finishing Line Press), and Praise Songs for Dave the Potter, Art by Jonathan Green, and Poetry by Glenis Redmond (University of Georgia Press). She is presently working on a seventh collection, Port Cities: Portals of the Second (Domestic) Middle Passage. In 2020 Glenis received the highest arts award in South Carolina, the Governor's Award and in 2022 she was inducted into the South Carolina Academy of Authors. Glenis was born on Shaw AFB in Sumter, South Carolina. She presently resides in Greenville, South Carolina. She was the founder of the Greenville Poetry Slam in the early 90's. She confesses she is Bi-Carolinian as she lived in Asheville, North Carolina for seventeen years and was a vital leader in the poetry scene in the 90's. During that time, she was a Southern Fried Slam champion of the individuals twice and ranked twice in the top ten at the National Slam. Glenis was awarded the WNC Best Poet through the Mountain Xpress so many times, she was placed in the Hall of Fame. Glenis is a North Carolina Literary Fellowship recipient and helped to create the first Writer-in-Residence program at the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site in Flat Rock, North Carolina. She received her MFA in Poetry from Warren Wilson College while touring full-time as a poet and mother-of-twins, Amber, and Celeste Sherer. She is now a Gaga to three grandchildren Julian, age 7 and Paisley age 1 and newborn, Quinn. Glenis has spent almost three decades touring the country as a poet and teaching artist. She served as the Poet-in-Resident for the Peace Center in Greenville and the State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ. As a Kennedy Center Teaching Artist, for seventeen years, Glenis has created and facilitated poetry workshops for school districts across the country. Since 2014, she has served as the mentor poet for the National Student Poets Program through Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. In the past she has prepared these exceptional youth poets to read at the Library of Congress, the Department of Education, and for First Lady Michelle Obama at The White House. Her poetry has been showcased on NPR and PBS and has been most recently published in Orion Magazine, storySouth and The New York Times, as well as numerous literary journals nationally and internationally. Glenis believes poetry is the mouth that speaks when all other mouths are silent. Website: www.glenisredmond.com Instagram: glenismakingpoetryreign Twitter: glenisredmond TikTok: RedwomanGlenis --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/melodie-rodgers/message

Hope for Christmas (S2 | E102) The Lester the Nightfly Holiday Music Interview Yes. That's right. A holiday show just prior to Thanksgiving. In a word, our crack team at LTNF is "UNAPOLOGETIC!" We love Christmas and we don't care who knows it! This is our second sit-down with Hope. We helped her celebrate the release of her 2022 record Before We Take Our Leave here, and here. Thank you Hope Griffin for so much new Christmas music for this season. Hope for Christmas this week on Lester the Nightfly. Born in Anchorage, Alaska, Hope Griffin was literally born into music. Surrounded by a musical family, she began singing and performing when she was very young. Hope first got turned onto the idea of writing her own music when she received a guitar at age 17. She attended Carson-Newman University and went on to receive a Bachelors degree in classical voice. It was there that her true flair for songwriting developed. Hope's drive to perform her original works was launched after winning a songwriters contest in college in 2007. She eventually moved to Asheville, North Carolina where she began introducing her angelic vocals and folky lyrics into the music scene. Hope quickly began to rise as an Asheville favorite. In 2012, her debut single “Hanging In The Balance” made international radio play. She was recognized in regional publications such as the Herald-Journal, The Mountain Xpress, and The Daily Times. Hope Griffin VIDEO REFERENCES https://youtu.be/LrdJuDPB1Rk Giulio Gari Competition Performance   Thank you, thank you stations we love! WPVM 103.7FM WERB 107.5 FM KPOV 88.9 FM WHPW 93.7 FM KYGT 102.7 WBDY 99.5 FM KFOI 90.9 FM KUGS 89.3     Learn more about LTNF here. And visit this link to send us a message: CONTACT US.        

Be on the lookout for a surprise bonus episode later this week!!!Today's episode is all about the Marion Massacre, which took place in Western North Carolina. What started with exploring a story of labor organizing that ended in tragedy that's close to home for yours truly, ended with reflections on how the police state is inherently designed to benefit systems of oppression. A well-kept mountain secret makes way for teaching an important lesson about how we have the opportunity to make a choice about our contributions to the ongoing journey towards true liberation.Sources for today's episode:- All newspaper articles that were referenced or used as source material for this episode were compiled by McDowell County locals in scrapbook formatted and later presented digitally by the Mountain Xpress. They can be accessed at the following two links:1) https://issuu.com/mountainx/docs/marionscrapbookpart12) https://issuu.com/mountainx/docs/marionscrapbookpart2Additional Sources include:- Frankel, J. (2011, March 29). Mountain shame: Remembering the Marion Massacre. Mountain Xpress. - Jones, A. H. (2021, October 7). North Carolina's Anti-labor Record is a Shameful Betrayal of our State's People. The Mountaineer. - Palumbo, M. (n.d.). The Lawrence Mill Strike and Other Famous Mill Strikes. Retrieved August 13, 2022, from http://20thcenturyhistorysongbook.com/song-book/the-industrial-age/the-lawrence-mill-strike-and-other-famous-mill-strikes/. - Guthrie, W. (2011). The Marion Massacre. YouTube. YouTube. Retrieved August 13, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFZU9c6mdkw. Support and follow the pod:linktr.ee/rednecksrising

Ellen and Dan talk with Hanna Raskin, founder and editor of The Food Section, a Substack newsletter devoted to covering restaurants and trends in food across the South. Before starting her Substack last year, Hanna was food editor and critic for eight years at the family-owned Charleston Post & Courier in South Carolina. Hanna also covered food for alternative weeklies, including the Mountain XPress in Asheville, North Carolina, and Seattle Weekly.  Dan offers a Quick Take on The Baltimore Banner, a nonprofit news project that finally made its long-awaited debut. He wishes them all good luck but has some issues with their business model, which includes a hard paywall. Ellen's Quick Take is on a Pew Research Center study on trends in digital circulation at locally focused publications. The bottom line: digital is trending up, print circulation continues to tank, and readers are spending less time on site. 

We're excited to welcome Justin McGuire to the show to talk about his recent Mountain Xpress article sharing the history of black baseball teams in Asheville! #indiesportsradio

It's the bonus episode with Modern Strangers. The guys answer fan questions and find out a little bit about each other and themselves. Too much, really. Main episode here https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com/e/ep-132-modern-strangers-pt-3/ Click here for easy streaming or download - https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/is2qzx/Modern_Strangers_Bonus_Episodebplah.mp3   Click to listen on Apple Podcasts/iTunes    Stitcher     Pandora    Spotify     Google Podcasts   Stream Modern Strangers's new album here Modern Strangers - Dangerous Fiction on Spotify   Listen and follow Modern Strangers at these places http://www.modernstrangers.com/ https://www.instagram.com/modernstrangersavl/ YouTube Channel https://modernstrangers.bandcamp.com/ Spotify   Follow the guy's other projects - Pronounced Heroes https://www.facebook.com/pronouncedheroes https://www.instagram.com/pronouncedheroes   The Deathbots https://thedeathbots.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thedeathbots   Bangers and Mash https://m.facebook.com/bangersandmashavl/   Rocky Horror Music Show https://www.facebook.com/RockyHorrorMusicShow/   Subscribe to the podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wnc-original-music/id1378776313 https://www.iheart.com/podcast/wnc-original-music-31067964/ This link has all the other places to subscribe https://gopod.me/wncom   Follow on Social Media https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com https://www.instagram.com/wnc_original_music/   All music used by permission   "There are few groups on the local scene that would classify as pop bands. Modern Strangers is among that elite camp. With catchy melodies and an infectious energy, they create a sound that feels as if it comes from another era" - Mountain Xpress (09/09/2017) “ There isn't enough pop music in Asheville, but Modern Strangers are helping to change that” - Ashvegas (Caleb Calhoun 3/22/2018) “You Guys are a gnarly party band!!” (Quinn Powers 06/02/2019) Modern Strangers is an Asheville-based band playing high-energy, toe-tapping, and melodic rock music! A 4-piece combo of journeymen musicians, they take their varied influences and form them into a JanglePop juggernaut with a mountain twist. Hard to pin down their sound, they've heard comparisons from The Beatles to The Pixies to early REM to Elvis Costello to The Kinks. Catchy songs, vocal harmonies and just the right amount of edge make these guys a fun night whether they're playing originals or quirky covers.  

Modern Strangers discuss their music, their scholastic histories, their favorite local bands, frets, thumbs, Kate, a bunch of other people, Kate again, royalties, and lots and lots of other stuff.   As long as this episode is, there's also a bonus episode! So make sure to listen to that as well. https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com/e/modern-strangers-bonus-episode/   Click here for easy streaming or download - https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/5x7fk9/Ep_132_Modern_Strangers_pt_37ck0i.mp3   Click to listen on Apple Podcasts/iTunes     Stitcher    Pandora    Spotify    Google Podcasts   Stream Modern Strangers's new album here Modern Strangers - Dangerous Fiction on Spotify   Listen and follow Modern Strangers at these places http://www.modernstrangers.com/ https://www.instagram.com/modernstrangersavl/ YouTube Channel https://modernstrangers.bandcamp.com/ Spotify   Find Black Dead Billionaires here- deadbillionaires.bandcamp.com deadbillionaires.com www.Facebook.com/deadbillionaires www.Instagram.com/deadbillionaires  https://youtu.be/D8uWDjhiw3Y Spotify   Follow the guy's other projects - Pronounced Heroes https://www.facebook.com/pronouncedheroes https://www.instagram.com/pronouncedheroes   The Deathbots https://thedeathbots.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thedeathbots   Bangers and Mash https://m.facebook.com/bangersandmashavl/   Rocky Horror Music Show https://www.facebook.com/RockyHorrorMusicShow/   Subscribe to the podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wnc-original-music/id1378776313 https://www.iheart.com/podcast/wnc-original-music-31067964/ This link has all the other places to subscribe https://gopod.me/wncom   Follow on Social Media https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com https://www.instagram.com/wnc_original_music/   All music used by permission   "There are few groups on the local scene that would classify as pop bands. Modern Strangers is among that elite camp. With catchy melodies and an infectious energy, they create a sound that feels as if it comes from another era" - Mountain Xpress (09/09/2017) “ There isn't enough pop music in Asheville, but Modern Strangers are helping to change that” - Ashvegas (Caleb Calhoun 3/22/2018) “You Guys are a gnarly party band!!” (Quinn Powers 06/02/2019) Modern Strangers is an Asheville-based band playing high-energy, toe-tapping, and melodic rock music! A 4-piece combo of journeymen musicians, they take their varied influences and form them into a JanglePop juggernaut with a mountain twist. Hard to pin down their sound, they've heard comparisons from The Beatles to The Pixies to early REM to Elvis Costello to The Kinks. Catchy songs, vocal harmonies and just the right amount of edge make these guys a fun night whether they're playing originals or quirky covers.   Dead Billionaires are a ramshackle trio bent on scratching a primal itch -- empowering audiences through effervescent, driving rock n roll.    Formerly known as Little River Creek Police, Dead Billionaires started as the songwriting project of front man Warren Campbell in 2016 in Richmond Virginia. Settling into a power trio lineup with Nick Trbovich on bass and Hunter Rhodes on drums, the band wields music as a tool for grappling with the problems of our modern society, while having a hell of a lot of fun doing it.   Their self-titled re-debut "Dead Billionaires EP" tackles themes of self-doubt, impermanence, and perseverance while capturing the frenetic and vibrant energy of their live set.

The Get Right Band return to the podcast to discuss mix cassette order, making music videos, touring the Caribbean, and more.   Photo courtesy of Tom Farr https://www.instagram.com/ringofarr/   Click here for easy streaming or download -   https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/vigc53/Ep_130_Get_Right_Band_3agt1n.mp3   Click to listen on Apple Podcasts/iTunes     Stitcher    Spotify   Pandora   Listen and follow The Get Right Band at these places https://thegetrightband.bandcamp.com/album/itchy-soul https://thegetrightband.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thegetrightband/ https://www.instagram.com/thegetrightband/   Find Metrofern here https://www.youtube.com/metrofern https://www.facebook.com/metrofern/ https://www.instagram.com/metrofern/?hl=en https://metrofern.org/   Subscribe to the podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wnc-original-music/id1378776313 https://www.iheart.com/podcast/wnc-original-music-31067964/ This link has all the other places to subscribe https://gopod.me/wncom   Follow on Social Media https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com https://www.instagram.com/wnc_original_music/   All music used by permission   THE GET RIGHT BAND is “hip-shaking, earthquaking pure funk fun” (The Alternate Root). They are one of Relix Magazine's “On The Verge” picks, Home Grown Music Network's 2015 “Best New Band of the Year,” and were voted “Best Progressive Band” in Western North Carolina by Mountain Xpress readers. They have performed on the famed World Cafe, a nationally syndicated NPR show, and have brought their unique sound to major festivals and venues such as FloydFest, The Orange Peel, Music City Roots TV Show, The Green Parrot, Arlene's Grocery, and Riverbend Fest. Combining catchy, clever, honest  songwriting with musical expertise and fearless improvisation, the live show promises to move your head, heart, and hips.   Metrofern is a self-produced and managed 6 piece funk band formed by members Sam Witz and Chesty Hall dedicated to the creation of bright, rhythmically driven funk music. Since their debut EP in 2019, they have blended elements of Jazz, Rock, Disco, and Folk with retro recording techniques to bring reminiscent styles to a modern context. Having emerged on the scene from IL, their name is a play on the Chicago city motto, "Urbs in Horto," or Garden in City. They released "Swingin' in the Afternoon" in the summer of 2020 to remind a locked-down world of the simple joys of life.   

Asheville City Council held its annual retreat earlier this month at Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville. The whole event was open to the public, but only after a lawsuit that was filed by five media outlets - Mountain Xpress, Asheville Citizen-Times, Blue Ridge Public Radio, Carolina Public Press, and AVL Watchdog.

Visit our Facebook group - bit.ly/WNCOMGroup   Mp3 download or instant streaming - https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/vsdhk8/Heather_Taylor_mini_ep7we6v.mp3   Click to listen on Spotify    Find Heather's Music Here www.heathertaylormusic.com   https://heathertaylorcreates.bandcamp.com/ https://youtu.be/TngKTrZ_Xe4 Subscribe to the podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wnc-original-music/id1378776313 https://www.iheart.com/podcast/wnc-original-music-31067964/ This link has all the other places to subscribe https://gopod.me/wncom   Follow on Social Media https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com   All music used with permission   Songstress, visual artist & multi-instrumentalist Heather Taylor lights up the stage with her award winning folk & soul influenced tunes. Heather Taylor is creative to her core. Classically trained at The Crane School of Music, the Asheville, NC resident is accompanied by her octave mandolin and flute. She draws elements of blues, Americana, roots and rock into her songwriting.Taylor won the Brown Bag Songwriting Competition in 2017 and her more recent accolades include her win as Mountain Xpress readers’ second favorite local lyricist in the 2019 Best Of WNC survey, a solo debut at the international Fall LEAF Festival at Lake Eden, and a tour as a part of the NC Songsmiths collective.Heather is currently and actively working towards releasing original tunes and monthly cover songs to her patrons through Patreon.

All music used by permission THE GET RIGHT BAND is “hip-shaking, earthquaking pure funk fun” (The Alternate Root). They are one of Relix Magazine’s “On The Verge” picks, Home Grown Music Network’s 2015 “Best New Band of the Year,” and were voted “Best Progressive Band” in Western North Carolina by Mountain Xpress readers. They have performed on the famed World Cafe, a nationally syndicated NPR show, and have brought their unique sound to major festivals and venues such as FloydFest, The Orange Peel, Music City Roots TV Show, The Green Parrot, Arlene’s Grocery, and Riverbend Fest. Combining catchy, clever, honest  songwriting with musical expertise and fearless improvisation, the live show promises to move your head, heart, and hips. Originally from West Virginia, KOLE grew up in a musical family alongside his 5 younger brothers and sisters. He received his first major break at age 15, performing with Lacey Sturm, of Flyleaf. This would catapult him into pursuing a promising career in music. At age 18, he moved to California and began performing as a drummer gaining success in just a few years. He then decided it was time to focus on writing music for other artists and bands. This move would lead him back east to Pittsburgh where he eventually would meet a young producer, Caleb Thomas. Together they began to create the first major project of his career. KOLE's nine track LP titled CaH20, is set to release in 2021.

All music used by permission THE GET RIGHT BAND is “hip-shaking, earthquaking pure funk fun” (The Alternate Root). They are one of Relix Magazine’s “On The Verge” picks, Home Grown Music Network’s 2015 “Best New Band of the Year,” and were voted “Best Progressive Band” in Western North Carolina by Mountain Xpress readers. They have performed on the famed World Cafe, a nationally syndicated NPR show, and have brought their unique sound to major festivals and venues such as FloydFest, The Orange Peel, Music City Roots TV Show, The Green Parrot, Arlene’s Grocery, and Riverbend Fest. Combining catchy, clever, honest  songwriting with musical expertise and fearless improvisation, the live show promises to move your head, heart, and hips. Originally from West Virginia, KOLE grew up in a musical family alongside his 5 younger brothers and sisters. He received his first major break at age 15, performing with Lacey Sturm, of Flyleaf. This would catapult him into pursuing a promising career in music. At age 18, he moved to California and began performing as a drummer gaining success in just a few years. He then decided it was time to focus on writing music for other artists and bands. This move would lead him back east to Pittsburgh where he eventually would meet a young producer, Caleb Thomas. Together they began to create the first major project of his career. KOLE's nine track LP titled CaH20, is set to release in 2021.

Visit our facebook group - bit.ly/WNCOMGroup   Listen and follow The Get Right Band at these places https://thegetrightband.bandcamp.com/album/itchy-soul https://thegetrightband.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thegetrightband/ https://www.instagram.com/thegetrightband/   Photo courtesy of Tom Farr   Find Kole Here https://open.spotify.com/artist/0YtN1EC7CbypTIEAEA7zbn?si=8MKT27DJQtSN1xlGBupa_A www.Instagram.com/therealkolemusic      Subscribe to the podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wnc-original-music/id1378776313 https://www.iheart.com/podcast/wnc-original-music-31067964/ This link has all the other places to subscribe https://gopod.me/wncom   Follow on Social Media https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com https://www.instagram.com/wnc_original_music/   All music used by permission   THE GET RIGHT BAND is “hip-shaking, earthquaking pure funk fun” (The Alternate Root). They are one of Relix Magazine’s “On The Verge” picks, Home Grown Music Network’s 2015 “Best New Band of the Year,” and were voted “Best Progressive Band” in Western North Carolina by Mountain Xpress readers. They have performed on the famed World Cafe, a nationally syndicated NPR show, and have brought their unique sound to major festivals and venues such as FloydFest, The Orange Peel, Music City Roots TV Show, The Green Parrot, Arlene’s Grocery, and Riverbend Fest. Combining catchy, clever, honest  songwriting with musical expertise and fearless improvisation, the live show promises to move your head, heart, and hips.   Originally from West Virginia, KOLE grew up in a musical family alongside his 5 younger brothers and sisters. He received his first major break at age 15, performing with Lacey Sturm, of Flyleaf. This would catapult him into pursuing a promising career in music. At age 18, he moved to California and began performing as a drummer gaining success in just a few years. He then decided it was time to focus on writing music for other artists and bands. This move would lead him back east to Pittsburgh where he eventually would meet a young producer, Caleb Thomas. Together they began to create the first major project of his career. KOLE's nine track LP titled CaH20, is set to release in 2021.  

Visit our facebook group - Facebook Group   Click to listen on Apple/iTunes  Stitcher   Google Podcasts   iHeart Radio    Spotify Stream Modern Strangers's new album here Modern Strangers - Dangerous Fiction on Spotify   Listen and follow Modern Strangers at these places http://www.modernstrangers.com/ https://www.instagram.com/modernstrangersavl/ YouTube Channel https://modernstrangers.bandcamp.com/ Spotify   Find Black Tar Roses here- www.blacktarroses.com www.facebook.com/blacktarroses https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3IQ-Jxis5bN7KbrNpd8p7w https://www.instagram.com/blacktarroses/ https://twitter.com/blacktarroses       Subscribe to the podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wnc-original-music/id1378776313 https://www.iheart.com/podcast/wnc-original-music-31067964/ This link has all the other places to subscribe https://gopod.me/wncom   Follow on Social Media https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com https://www.instagram.com/wnc_original_music/   All music used by permission   "There are few groups on the local scene that would classify as pop bands. Modern Strangers is among that elite camp. With catchy melodies and an infectious energy, they create a sound that feels as if it comes from another era" - Mountain Xpress (09/09/2017) “ There isn’t enough pop music in Asheville, but Modern Strangers are helping to change that” - Ashvegas (Caleb Calhoun 3/22/2018) “You Guys are a gnarly party band!!” (Quinn Powers 06/02/2019)Modern Strangers is an Asheville-based band playing high-energy, toe-tapping, and melodic rock music! A 4-piece combo of journeymen musicians, they take their varied influences and form them into a JanglePop juggernaut with a mountain twist. Hard to pin down their sound, they've heard comparisons from The Beatles to The Pixies to early REM to Elvis Costello to The Kinks. Catchy songs, vocal harmonies and just the right amount of edge make these guys a fun night whether they're playing originals or quirky covers.

On September 4 th and 5 th Blue Ridge Public Radio in partnership with Smoky Mountain News and Mountain Xpress held two forums with the major party candidates for the currently vacant seat in North Carolina's 11th Congressional district. Republican Madison Cawthorn and Democrat Moe Davis faced each other at Western Carolina University's Biltmore Park campus, and then again at the school's main campus in Cullowhee. Cory Vaillancourt of Smoky Mountain News and BPR moderated. Below is a condensed one-hour program the features portions of both forums. You can watch the full forums anytime on the BPR Facebook page . (The BPR News Presents theme song is The Vibes by Audiobinger)

On September 4 th and 5 th Blue Ridge Public Radio in partnership with Smoky Mountain News and Mountain Xpress held two forums with the major party candidates for the currently vacant seat in North Carolina's 11th Congressional district. Republican Madison Cawthorn and Democrat Moe Davis faced each other at Western Carolina University's Biltmore Park campus, and then again at the school's main campus in Cullowhee. Cory Vaillancourt of Smoky Mountain News and BPR moderated. Below is a condensed one-hour program the features portions of both forums. You can watch the full forums anytime on the BPR Facebook page . (The BPR News Presents theme song is The Vibes by Audiobinger)

 Visit our facebook group - Western NC Original Music   Click here for easy streaming or download -   https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/h7xs8p/Ep94HopeGriffinPt3.mp3   Places to listen iTunes Spotify Stitcher Listen and follow Hope  at these places https://www.hopegriffinmusic.com https://www.facebook.com/hope.griffin.songs/   Thanks to The Krickets for the closing song www.thekrickets.com www.facebook.com/thefloridacrickets   Subscribe to the podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wnc-original-music/id1378776313 https://www.iheart.com/podcast/wnc-original-music-31067964/ This link has all the other places to subscribe https://gopod.me/wncom   Follow on Social Media https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com https://www.instagram.com/wnc_original_music/   All music used by permission   Born in Anchorage, Alaska, Hope Griffin was literally born into music. Surrounded by a musical family, she began singing and performing when she was very young. Hope first got turned onto the idea of writing her own music when she received a guitar at age 17. She attended Carson-Newman University and went on to receive a Bachelors degree in classical voice. It was there that her true flair for songwriting developed. Hope’s drive to perform her original works was launched after winning a songwriters contest in college in 2007. She eventually moved to Asheville, North Carolina where she began introducing her angelic vocals and folky lyrics into the music scene. Hope quickly began to rise as an Asheville favorite. In 2012, her debut single “Hanging In The Balance” made international radio play. She was recognized in regional publications such as the Herald-Journal, The Mountain Xpress, and The Daily Times. She appeared on WNC television, and began touring all over the Southeast USA. In 2014, in an effort to expand her acoustic sound, she teamed up with NJ born cellist and Asheville transplant Jamie Leigh Bennett to create a dynamic guitar/cello blend of original sound. In 2016, 2017 & 2018, she consecutively snagged both best “Singer-Songwriter” and best “Acoustic/Folk Band” titles in Western North Carolina though community votes. Together, their combined fusion of her silky vocals and Jamie Leigh’s deep, rich cello lines has made for a listening experience quite unlike any other. Hope’s “in your face” style of ballad writing, as well as the duo’s reputation for playing fresh versions of songs that span through the decades has made them popular amongst a wide range of age groups. Hope continued to wow audiences and stretch the musical boundaries by switching from soulful ballads to high-energy blues with ease. Her 6 original song EP, entitled “Say What You Will” released on February 6th, 2015 to a sold out show at Isis Restaurant & Music Hall in Asheville, NC. Her third song on the album titled “A Fisherman’s Life” was awarded “best song” in WNC in 2016. Each song on the record offered a diverse style and hook worthy of its subject matter, but all were linked with Hope’s angelic voice, catchy beats, and poignant imagery. The album was one that fans of folk music and singer-songwriters had been waiting for since Hope first began mesmerizing her audiences, and was the perfect exhibition of her extraordinary talent. Riding on the wings of the success of 2015’s album, Hope jumped back in the studio to record a larger project titled “Where the Soil & the Stars Meet”, which released on October 31st, 2016. As a strong follow up to her previous release, Hope’s album—her first LP—was as eclectic and as unpredictable of a musical journey as those who fell in love with her debut might have expected. Song after song, Hope defied convention, leading her audience by the hand through honest reflections of true love, a broken heart left devastated, a chance meeting with strangers, to the celebration of a long life well-lived. Constantly blending genres, the very essence of Hope’s trademark style constantly remains: Her lyrical quality of capturing the simplest of life’s moments and rendering them profound reflections on the emotions that unite us all. A haunting and always evolving collection of ballads, “Where the Soil and Stars Meet” peered into the soul of an artist whose fingers remain firmly on the pulse of the curious odyssey in which we all find ourselves. At the conclusion of 2017 (and just in time for the season), Hope released her latest project “And the Lights Will Shine” – a 6-song collection of holiday tunes. Reflective of her usual folk flair, the EP was well received by all. As expressed by Bill Kopp from the Mountain Xpress: “With ‘And the Lights Will Shine,’ folk/Americana artist Hope Griffin bravely takes on a clutch of holiday classics (adding an original of her own) and creates a fine, distinctive record in the process.” Since then, Hope has far from slowed down. In 2018, she toured nationally in the the Northeast, Midwest, and Northwest regions and released her latest single “Carousel”, a hauntingly beautiful ballad which garnered much praise from both her local community and abroad. She can currently be seen on tour in a variety of combinations, most notably as a Folk/Americana duo with her cellist Jamie Leigh. Her free spirited personality and ability to tell beautiful stories through song make her a true force to be reckoned with – and a hard excuse to miss

Visit our facebook group - bit.ly/WNCOMGroup       Click here for easy streaming or download -   Click to listen on   Listen and follow Modern Strangers at these places http://www.modernstrangers.com/ https://www.instagram.com/modernstrangersavl/ YouTube Channel https://modernstrangers.bandcamp.com/ Spotify     Find The 2Digh4 here https://www.facebook.com/2Digh4/ https://2digh4.com https://www.instagram.com/2Digh4/   Subscribe to the podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wnc-original-music/id1378776313 https://www.iheart.com/podcast/wnc-original-music-31067964/ This link has all the other places to subscribe https://gopod.me/wncom   Follow on Social Media https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com https://www.instagram.com/wnc_original_music/   All music used by permission   "There are few groups on the local scene that would classify as pop bands. Modern Strangers is among that elite camp. With catchy melodies and an infectious energy, they create a sound that feels as if it comes from another era" - Mountain Xpress (09/09/2017) “ There isn’t enough pop music in Asheville, but Modern Strangers are helping to change that” - Ashvegas (Caleb Calhoun 3/22/2018) “You Guys are a gnarly party band!!” (Quinn Powers 06/02/2019) Modern Strangers is an Asheville-based band playing high-energy, toe-tapping, and melodic rock music! A 4-piece combo of journeymen musicians, they take their varied influences and form them into a JanglePop juggernaut with a mountain twist. Hard to pin down their sound, they've heard comparisons from The Beatles to The Pixies to early REM to Elvis Costello to The Kinks. Catchy songs, vocal harmonies and just the right amount of edge make these guys a fun night whether they're playing originals or quirky covers.

Visit our Facebook group - bit.ly/WNCOMGroup   Click here for easy streaming or download -  https://bit.ly/GetRightBand1mp3   Click to listen on Apple/iTunes   Stitcher   Spotify     Listen and follow and download The Get Right Band at these places https://thegetrightband.bandcamp.com/album/itchy-soul https://thegetrightband.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thegetrightband/ https://www.instagram.com/thegetrightband/   Find The Deathbots here https://thedeathbots.bandcamp.com/ https://www.instagram.com/hailtothedeathbots/ https://www.facebook.com/thedeathbots/   Subscribe to the podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wnc-original-music/id1378776313 https://www.iheart.com/podcast/wnc-original-music-31067964/ This link has all the other places to subscribe https://gopod.me/wncom   Follow on Social Media https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com https://www.instagram.com/wnc_original_music/   All music used by permission   THE GET RIGHT BAND is “hip-shaking, earthquaking pure funk fun” (The Alternate Root). They are one of Relix Magazine’s “On The Verge” picks, Home Grown Music Network’s 2015 “Best New Band of the Year,” and were voted “Best Progressive Band” in Western North Carolina by Mountain Xpress readers. They have performed on the famed World Cafe, a nationally syndicated NPR show, and have brought their unique sound to major festivals and venues such as FloydFest, The Orange Peel, Music City Roots TV Show, The Green Parrot, Arlene’s Grocery, and Riverbend Fest. Combining catchy, clever, honest  songwriting with musical expertise and fearless improvisation, the live show promises to move your head, heart, and hips.

We speak with Alli Marshall who was a writer and journalist for The Mountain Xpress for 17 years and was recently laid off.  She has written numerous books and has been a stalwart supporter and proponent for the art scene in Asheville.  We discuss the future of Asheville and the world as we move into a new 'normal'.  A great discussion about our own creativity amidst this and considerations for what we want to be after we emerge from Stay Home Stay Safe.

If you enjoy the episode please consider sending a little something Hope's way https://venmo.com/hopegriffinmusic   Click here for easy streaming or download   https://bit.ly/HopeEncoreMp3 iHeart Radio - https://bit.ly/HopeEncoreIheart Spotify - https://bit.ly/HopeEncoreSpotify Apple podcasts/iTunes - https://bit.ly/HopeEncoreApple Google Podcasts -  https://bit.ly/HopeEncoreGoogle Stitcher - https://bit.ly/HopeEncoreStitcher   Follow Hope on Social Media for upcoming events and livestreams www.hopegriffinmusic.com Facebook Instagram   YouTube Link www.iheart.com/podcast/256-wnc-original-music This link has all the other places to subscribe https://gopod.me/wncom   Follow on Social Media https://www.facebook.com/wncoriginalmusic https://www.wncoriginalmusic.com https://www.instagram.com/wnc_original_music/   All music used by permission   Born in Anchorage, Alaska, Hope Griffin was literally born into music. Surrounded by a musical family, she began singing and performing when she was very young. Hope first got turned onto the idea of writing her own music when she received a guitar at age 17. She attended Carson-Newman University and went on to receive a Bachelors degree in classical voice. It was there that her true flair for songwriting developed. Hope’s drive to perform her original works was launched after winning a songwriters contest in college in 2007. She eventually moved to Asheville, North Carolina where she began introducing her angelic vocals and folky lyrics into the music scene. Hope quickly began to rise as an Asheville favorite. In 2012, her debut single “Hanging In The Balance” made international radio play. She was recognized in regional publications such as the Herald-Journal, The Mountain Xpress, and The Daily Times. She appeared on WNC television, and began touring all over the Southeast USA. In 2014, in an effort to expand her acoustic sound, she teamed up with NJ born cellist and Asheville transplant Jamie Leigh Bennett to create a dynamic guitar/cello blend of original sound. In 2016, 2017 & 2018, she consecutively snagged both best “Singer-Songwriter” and best “Acoustic/Folk Band” titles in Western North Carolina though community votes. Together, their combined fusion of her silky vocals and Jamie Leigh’s deep, rich cello lines has made for a listening experience quite unlike any other. Hope’s “in your face” style of ballad writing, as well as the duo’s reputation for playing fresh versions of songs that span through the decades has made them popular amongst a wide range of age groups. Hope continued to wow audiences and stretch the musical boundaries by switching from soulful ballads to high-energy blues with ease. Her 6 original song EP, entitled “Say What You Will” released on February 6th, 2015 to a sold out show at Isis Restaurant & Music Hall in Asheville, NC. Her third song on the album titled “A Fisherman’s Life” was awarded “best song” in WNC in 2016. Each song on the record offered a diverse style and hook worthy of its subject matter, but all were linked with Hope’s angelic voice, catchy beats, and poignant imagery. The album was one that fans of folk music and singer-songwriters had been waiting for since Hope first began mesmerizing her audiences, and was the perfect exhibition of her extraordinary talent. Riding on the wings of the success of 2015’s album, Hope jumped back in the studio to record a larger project titled “Where the Soil & the Stars Meet”, which released on October 31st, 2016. As a strong follow up to her previous release, Hope’s album—her first LP—was as eclectic and as unpredictable of a musical journey as those who fell in love with her debut might have expected. Song after song, Hope defied convention, leading her audience by the hand through honest reflections of true love, a broken heart left devastated, a chance meeting with strangers, to the celebration of a long life well-lived. Constantly blending genres, the very essence of Hope’s trademark style constantly remains: Her lyrical quality of capturing the simplest of life’s moments and rendering them profound reflections on the emotions that unite us all. A haunting and always evolving collection of ballads, “Where the Soil and Stars Meet” peered into the soul of an artist whose fingers remain firmly on the pulse of the curious odyssey in which we all find ourselves. At the conclusion of 2017 (and just in time for the season), Hope released her latest project “And the Lights Will Shine” – a 6-song collection of holiday tunes. Reflective of her usual folk flair, the EP was well received by all. As expressed by Bill Kopp from the Mountain Xpress: “With ‘And the Lights Will Shine,’ folk/Americana artist Hope Griffin bravely takes on a clutch of holiday classics (adding an original of her own) and creates a fine, distinctive record in the process.” Since then, Hope has far from slowed down. In 2018, she toured nationally in the the Northeast, Midwest, and Northwest regions and released her latest single “Carousel”, a hauntingly beautiful ballad which garnered much praise from both her local community and abroad. She can currently be seen on tour in a variety of combinations, most notably as a Folk/Americana duo with her cellist Jamie Leigh. Her free spirited personality and ability to tell beautiful stories through song make her a true force to be reckoned with – and a hard excuse to miss.

Welcome to lucky Episode No. 13 of the Tasty Brew Music Podcast. I discover new music through word of mouth, radio promoters, podcasts, other artists, friends and family. There are those that seek ME out, finding me through any number of channels…perhaps through my membership in Folk Alliance International, the Americana Music Association, the National Federation of Community Broadcasters or just going down that internet rabbit hole using certain music related hashtags or keywords . The Rough & Tumble, Mallory Graham and Scott Tyler, found ME, sent me their cds with lovely handwritten notes and beautiful self-created art work. And the music was thankfully and delightfully right up my alley. They contacted me six months in advance of knowing they would be in the Kansas City area, asking if they could come on my Tasty Brew Music Radio Show on KKFI…even knowing I’m on at oh dark thirty through drive time on Tuesday mornings. We made a date, they came on the show and we made further plans to meet for a sit down conversation to get to know each other better. I am fascinated by anyone who is brave and courageous to sell everything they own and hit the road to pursue their dreams. They have a wonderful insight on being true traveling troubadours in America in 2019. I wanted to ask them questions that I felt would be of interest to any aspiring road dogs out there. They describe themselves as a “dumpster-folk, thrift store-Americana duo, hobbling around the country in their 16-foot camper since 2015”. They picked up a couple of actual strays along the way--Puddle & Magpie Mae-- and have been making themselves at home in living rooms, bars, theaters, and festivals across the country. "Their music has been described as ‘restorative, their performance highly entertaining, their orchestra of unusual instruments intriguing, and… jokes and stories are worthy of an HBO special." (Linda Bolton, Cozy Cabin House Concerts). The stray folkies are as industrious as they are scrappy, releasing five EPs and two albums in their 8 years. The Rough & Tumble’s 2018 release We Made Ourselves a Home When We Didn’t Know, brought the listener to the road and the road to their home, an album “as cozy, comfortable and inviting as a well-worn couch.” (Bill Kopp, Mountain Xpress). They have a weekly live cast, a monthly blog, a Cook & Color Book, a food blog and play upwards of 150 shows a year. Enjoy my conversation with Mallory and Scott – The Rough & Tumble – now THAT’s Americana!

Owner and founder of Namaste in Nature, a brilliant Asheville based company that creates unique experiences that combine yoga, meditation, and hiking into one guided trip. Lauded by Forbes, Asheville Citizen-Times, Mountain Xpress, and Romantic Asheville as “the thing to do when you come to Asheville”. This 'hippie job' that Miranda created for herself is quickly becoming a household name in North Carolina and beyond. And that has everything to do with Miranda Peterson. She is a powerful manifestor and a savvy slash conscientious business owner. She’s passionate about creating mindfulness and yoga experiences for hikers of all levels. What better way to experience yoga for the first time than at the top of a beautiful mountain among some of the oldest mountains in the world, second only to South Africa's Barberton greenstone belt? And Miranda and her team take care of all the planning and details so all you have to do is show up, be present, and absorb all the healing benefits of being immersed in nature. You can connect with Miranda at www.namasteinnature.com OR www.mirandapeterson.com Visit www.ashevilleawake.com to see the detailed Show Notes. Thanks for listening!

On Wednesday October 17th, Blue Ridge Public Radio and Mountain Xpress hosted a forum with the candidates for the District 2 seat on the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. Republican Glenda Weinert and Democrat Amanda Edwards are running for the seat being vacated by Democrat Ellen Frost, who declined to run for re-election. Early voting in North Carolina runs until November 3rd. You can find a polling place near you here . Election Day is November 6th. Those who did not register to vote by the October 12th deadline can still vote but only during the early voting period. They will not be able to vote on Election Day. 0:00 - Introduction 1:01 - Opening statements 4:47 - What would you do as county commissioner to help restore faith and trust in Buncombe County government following the Wanda Greene scandal? 7:39 - What do you think of what commissioners have done already in the aftermath of the Greene scandal? 10:51 - District 2 is one of the most closely divided election districts

On Wednesday October 17th, Blue Ridge Public Radio and Mountain Xpress hosted a forum with the candidates for the District 2 seat on the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. Republican Glenda Weinert and Democrat Amanda Edwards are running for the seat being vacated by Democrat Ellen Frost, who declined to run for re-election. Early voting in North Carolina runs until November 3rd. You can find a polling place near you here . Election Day is November 6th. Those who did not register to vote by the October 12th deadline can still vote but only during the early voting period. They will not be able to vote on Election Day. 0:00 - Introduction 1:01 - Opening statements 4:47 - What would you do as county commissioner to help restore faith and trust in Buncombe County government following the Wanda Greene scandal? 7:39 - What do you think of what commissioners have done already in the aftermath of the Greene scandal? 10:51 - District 2 is one of the most closely divided election districts

Thanks for checking out Anecdotal Evidence.   I'm very excieted to share this week's episode with my conversation with Dr. Angela Hind.  I had the good fortune of meeting Angela earlier this year after reading an article about fluoride in the local Mountain Xpress.  Fluoridating our water supply is a very controversial issue that stirs up charged debate.  It is an interesting issue to explore because there are strong opinions on either side of the argument.  It represents a polarizing issue that makes it difficult to foster intelligent discussion without devolving into fruitlessly angry rhetoric.  For an example of this, check out the 125 comments at the end of the above-referenced article.   And as the level of discourse in our country has taken an ugly turn from this year's election and from our increasingly isolated lives, it marks a symbolic issue to see if we can explore healthy discussion. Our response to this challenge reflects how we respond to the crises that face us as a society.  In our conversation we explore some of this, as well as some of the controversy regarding genetic modification of our natural world and our food supply.   Moreover, Angela shares her personal journey with illness and having to find her healing path.  She also shares how this changed her medical practice from that of a clinical hospitalist to one of an educator and consultant.  Her unique pathway which she had to carve out herself serves as inspiration to me in finding how to have a meaningful medical practice in a world of an increasingly dehumanizing medical system.

What if potency is simply your ability to change the world?  How often do we ask for it to show up, and then hesitate to step into it.  Join me and my special guest, world renowned psychic, Charley Castex,  as we look  at how to be Unchained from our limitations and instead choose our Pathway to Potency. Internationally acclaimed for his clairvoyant accuracy and compassionate guidance- Charley has several high profile feathers in his cap, having been spotlighted by The New York Times, The Huffington Post and ABC & NBC national news. Readers of Mountain Xpress in Asheville NC have consistently voted Charley “Best Psychic” for over a decade. Charley was listed at number 5 in the just published “ Top 50 Psychics in the US for 2016.” Charley’s guidance is a composite of Clairvoyance, Life Direction and Medical Intuition. Integrating double deck card reading and down to earth guidance into each Psychic session, Charley’s visionary gift is geared toward the heart of the matter. Charley empowers souls globally by phone and provides in person sessions in Asheville, NC. www.charleycastex.com 828-251-5043 http://charleycastex.com/ Becky Herdt is a Business and Life Coach, Motivational Speaker, Radio Show Host, Author and Access Consciousness Certified Facilitator who finds great joy in working with people and organizations to discover what unique talents and capacities they already have – especially those things hidden from view! www.unchainedwithbecky.com

We're back! We took a mini summer vacation, but Finding Asheville is back with a fascinating new episode. While Benny plays at the beach, Emily and guest co-host Janet sit down with our guests for the week. Elizabeth McGuire and Lina Eriksson are a couple living in Sweden. Liz is a writer - formerly of the Mountain Xpress - and expat who now calls Sweden home.  Listen in as Janet and Emily learn about life in Sweden, and how the social life differs from here in the United States. Gain knowledge about how a socialist country cares for their citizens, and how people overseas view our current presidential race. All of this and much much more on this special edition of Finding Asheville. Follow Liz here: http://belovelive.com Follow Lina here: http://lier.se Read Liz's Asheville based coffee series, called 40 days of Fika here: http://ashevilleblog.com/40-cups-40-cafes-40-days-a-girl-and-her-fika/   Be sure to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes here to get new episodes to download to your listening devices each week and get caught up on past episodes! Oh and if you are feeling super nice like the Finding Asheville Facebook page here.

Music Journalist Alli Marshall hasbegun the promotional tour for her first novel, How to Talk to Rockstars, which was inspired by her years of interviewing musicians. The Western New York native was transplanted to Western North Carolina via Goddard College where she earned her MFA in Creative Writing before landing a job as the arts & entertainment reporter at Asheville’s alt-weekly news and arts paper, Mountain Xpress. A dozen years later she’s still at it, regularly interviewing musicians and artists of all genres, reviewing albums and writing articles. She also serves as the arts section editor at Xpress. Musician, songwriter and performer Joey Stuckey has no boundaries. In his spare time, we're guessing he never sleeps, he is a producer, adjunct professor, TV show host, studio engineer - at his own Shadow Studios - husband, and very active in his community of Macon, Georgia. He's worked with and is highly respected by many of music's luminaries. While in Nashville working a production gig with legendary Alan Parsons he suggested a subtle change with one of the instruments would greatly improve the recording. After testing the idea, Parsons deferred to his judgement and followed it by directing the crew to follow Stuckey's direction without question. Yet even the Eye In The Sky guy likely never imagined he would see video proof of the Macon guitar slinger carjacking a woman's BMW to get to a gig in the video for his Blues song Blind Man Drivin'. Mme Perry also had a few surprise guests that night! We welcome your calls.

Rationality amidst fear?   Nathan sits down with David Forbes, editor of The Asheville Blade, for the 43rd episode of the Finding Asheville podcast. They chat about growing up in rural Northeastern North Carolina, how class impacts political participation, why he started reading the newspaper as early as the second grade, whether or not writer’s block actually exists, why he fell in love with local journalism, why Asheville should be rather than to seem, why Asheville has to tackle its lack of diversity, defacto segregation, and low wages now, the future of The Asheville Blade, and the details on union drive efforts that ultimately lead to his dismissal at the Mountain Xpress. 

This Sunday on AWOP radio, we're featuring Allie McNeil and a live interview with single-payer activist Dr. Margaret Flowers, a Maryland pediatrician and steering committee member for the Maryland chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program. A special treat for the news geeks! Kim, Nunzia Rider- Executive Editor of A World of Progress and Margaret Williams- News Managing Editor at Mountain Xpress, Asheville's Independant Alternative weekly will be talking the future of news and the internet. Is the marriage of curation and social media the future of Journalism.   Show notes and links: Shout outs!@shondi99  @whodat35New Deal 2.0.org   Music:Dead Man's HandTake My Job AwayWave to the haters

Having studied a little photojournalism in college, photography has become a resurgent interest of mine and I was caught by a recent cover of the Mountain Xpress, Asheville’s alternative weekly newspaper. It has a striking image of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, taken by George Masa.