The list always feels too long. The truth is, we are constantly reminded how fortunate we are to have shared our time with such inspiring musicians of various genres, and to have their recordings to continually draw from. Sam Moore of Sam & Dave, Garth Hudson of The Band, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, Sly Stone, Jill Sobule, Flaco Jimenez…. Join Martin Anderson as he plays selections from some of the greats who passed away this past year.

We were elated to have another Pre-Jam this month, after last year’s Helene cancellation. And it was a great one! Daniel Donato might have surpassed Warren himself for the most blistering performances, with impressive contributions to three different sets. Asheville’s own MJ Lenderman and the Wind was among the other highlights, along with a tribute set to Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh from various musicians including Phil’s son Grahame Lesh, plus a special local connection made between Jerry Garcia and “Cold Rain and Snow” early on. Tune in as we rebroadcast the magic of the night.

Here are the Top Ten new album release picks from some of the WNCW staff. Click here for the complete Top 100 list as voted by our listeners and programming staff.

As voted on by our listeners and programmers, WNCW's Top 100 Albums of 2025! Click to see the full list.Click here to see some of our staff's picks.

This holiday season, we’re filled with gratitude — because of you.

You've cast your ballots. We are now busy tabulating the restults! Tune in for our Top 100 Countdown airing Monday, 12/29 from 9am to 6pm, and again on Tuesday, 12/30, with different songs.

This Austin band features a triple-threat of songwriters in Marco Gutierrez, Daniel Davis, and Colin Gilmore (son of legendary Texas troubadour Jimmie Dale Gilmore), plus seasoned bassist/producer Eric Harrison and drummer Trinidad Leal.

Look who’s back! Dillon Fence was formed at UNC-Chapel Hill in 1986, and made some great music that was played across the U.S. and U.K. “back in the 90s” (to quote the song and album from the band Hobex, formed by Greg Humphreys after Dillon Fence’s breakup in 2000). They’re now kicking off a “Celebrating Rosemary” tour, and Humphreys, Johnny Irion, and the band play the Grey Eagle in Asheville on Wednesday evening and the Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte on Thursday.

Amanda is one of our region's most treasured lyricists, storytellers, and singers. We love welcoming her back to Studio B, whether with her Honeycutters band, her friends in Cowboy Judy, or others. This time she'll pay a solo visit (unless she can wrangle a Honeycutter or two to make the trip) on Tuesday at 4pm, in advance of a Holiday show with the rest of the Honeycutters (Matt Smith, Rick Cooper, Evan Martin, and Kevin Williams) at the Grey Eagle on the 20th.

Langhorne Slim’s music has always been marked by diverse influences and unexpected turns. This time, he’s plugged in more than before: "I love acoustic music. I love folk music. But those aren't my only loves. Rock & roll has always tickled the same place in my soul as great singer-songwriter music, and I wanted to explore those influences. Raw songs that make you feel something: that's the stuff I'm after." His ninth album is scheduled for release on January 16th. He plays the Grey Eagle in Asheville on February 7th.