Alex Nudd
Music Host and ProducerAlex has been a fan of radio since childhood and jumped at the chance to get involved with college radio in the late 90's. He served as marketing director and program director at WAQU before taking a job with Clearchannel Broadcasting around the turn of the century.
After becoming disenchanted with commercial radio, he moved to Asheville in 2006 and soon became acquainted with WNCW as a listener, supporter, and volunteer.
In the meantime, he has operated a small home improvement business in Western North Carolina, where he enjoys life with his wife, Darlene, and Son, James, and has enjoyed public radio all the while.
It wasn't until 2023 that he knocked on the door at WNCW and said, "I would like to get in on this action." Program director, Joe Kendrick noticed that Alex has a face for radio and Alex explained that it was because he had some radio experience in decades past and it is hard to get the radio off once you really get all into it.
After hosting over 100 hours of ARC overnight, Alex signed on as a staff member and now hosts and produces radio programs for WNCW. You can hear him on WNCW's Music Mix Mondays from 3 to 6 pm, Thursdays from 9pm to midnight, and Peak of the Week Thursdays from 8 to 9 pm, and as an occasional fill-in host.
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Peak of the WeekThis band based out of Portland, Oregon (but with Asheville ties too!) has this new album on Bloodshot Records, with themes of kicking old habits, letting go of control, interrogating motives, and fearless open hearts. And we’re sad to report they have announced it will be their last! They’ve issued a statement that “after nearly 20 years of touring, we’ve had to be honest with ourselves about what it takes to sustain this band. Nearly every cost of being on the road—from fuel and flights to food and lodging—has gone up, while artists’ guarantees have remained largely static. At some point, you have to ask whether the way you’ve always done it still makes sense.” They play the Grey Eagle in Asheville on October 8th. -
Peak of the WeekFollowing Rodney Crowell’s string of 2001’s Houston Kid, 2003’s Fate’s Right Hand, and 2005’s The Outsider, he continued on with a 2005 studio session with the same band, including Steuart Smith on guitar and Benmont Tench joining on organ. But he decided to move on from it before approving its release….until now! He now finds it has a great deal of relevance, and with a few modern touches he’s added to it, it just might rank as one of his finest albums. -
Peak of the WeekWeen’s beloved country music detour, 12 Golden Country Greats, turns 30 this summer, and Rhino Records is celebrating by remastering the album and expanding it with more than 20 unreleased demos and outtakes from the Nashville sessions. Dean Ween (Mickey Melchiondo) and Gene Ween (Aaron Freeman) traded the Tascam four-track cassette recorders of their early years for the professional polish of Bradley’s Barn near Nashville. Produced by Ben Vaughn, the duo recruited a group of elite session musicians including The Jordanaires, who had previously backed Elvis Presley. Sticking to Nashville tradition, Melchiondo and Freeman provided only vocals, allowing veteran players like pianist Hargus “Pig” Robbins and fiddler Buddy Spicher to handle the instrumentation -
Peak of the WeekSince forming in 2016, when Quentin Baxter, Quiana Parler, Charlton Singleton, Clay Ross, and Kevin Hamilton—all seasoned musicians from the Charleston, South Carolina area—decided to form this band, Ranky Tanky has earned acclaim for their interpretations of Gullah spirituals and original music that pulls from jazz and folk traditions. They’ve certainly put the rich traditions of the Gullah Geechee people of the South Carolina and Georgia coast on the musical map for many across the country. Their self-titled 2017 debut topped Billboard’s jazz chart, while the 2019 album Good Time won a Grammy for Best Regional Roots Music Album—the first time an album of Gullah music received the honor. We loved hosting them in Studio B back in 2022. They return to our area for a Charlotte show on Saturday, September 12th. -
Peak of the WeekProduced by GRAMMY®-winning close collaborator Matt Ross-Spang (who helmed Price’s prior albums Midwest Farmer’s Daughter, All American Made, Hard Headed Woman), this surprise new album from Margo honors former songwriters who have used the emotional and lyrical power of song to advocate for human dignity and independence – in this case, Bob Dylan, Blaze Foley, and Charlie Daniels. Tracing a lineage of protest music through some of its most powerful voices, the surprise drop comprises nine tracks that embody the issues Price has championed both on and off the stage, from prison reform and marijuana legalization to the rights of farmers and immigrants, and the struggles of working people around the world. Joan Baez and Memphis Mariachi are among the artists here. -
Peak of the WeekThis band fronted by BJ Barham (who has NC roots, by the way) may not have found anything approaching mainstream success, but it’s certainly got a loyal fan base throughout the country that eagerly awaits each strong release from them. And we have that again this year, with another one produced by Shooter Jennings. As Peter Churchill of Americana UK writes, “Barham founded the band in 2006 and, twenty years and twenty albums later, is still writing songs that could sit quite easily within the catalogues of a Springsteen or a Mellencamp. Tackling themes like the downfall of small-town America, the yearning for true connection and the socioeconomic wreckage of unconstitutional politics, Barham’s lyrics paint pictures wrapped around a rock and roll soundtrack.” They play the Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte on August 15th and the Grey Eagle in Asheville on September 3rd. -
Peak of the WeekThe Breaks brings together guitarist Eddie Roberts (The New Mastersounds), drummer Stanton Moore (Galactic), and organist Robert Walter (The Greyboy Allstars)—three musicians whose collective groove has shaped the sound of contemporary funk for over two decades. Rooted in the tradition of late-’60s organ trios and hard-hitting boogaloo, The Breaks pushes the sound forward with deep-pocket rhythms, tight arrangements, and fearless improvisation. Eddie Roberts’ sharp, melodic guitar work dances effortlessly over Stanton Moore’s explosive New Orleans-infused drum grooves, while Robert Walter’s signature Hammond organ tones tie it all together with grit and soul. -
Peak of the WeekMidwesterner Kevin Morby always delivers lyrically rich, intriguing albums. There’s a newfound confidence and clarity in this, his 8th one, following 2020’s Sundowner and 2022’s This Is a Photograph. Aaron Dessner of The National produced this, and both Morby’s writing and Dessner’s production recall Tom Petty’s 1994 classic Wildflowers. “Morby’s albums are akin to novels, best taken as a whole, but the songs that make up each of the chapters are their own novellas. …This record is so Zen. So Heartland. Kevin Morby is a Master of The Sonic Build.” – WNCW Program Director Joe Kendrick. “Repetition and ritual are paths to enlightenment in Mr. Morby’s songs, and the quietly powerful ‘Little Wide Open’ is filled with earned wisdom.” — The Wall Street Journal -
Peak of the WeekFollowing his Middle album from last year, which we enjoyed spinning, and millions of new Instagram and TikTok followers (and about as many songs in the fields under power lines), Jesse Welles releases his sixth studio album, Masks Off. It’s the culmination of his work, as he came to prominence by performing songs in the Arkansas wilderness where he was raised and where he currently resides. “These songs were highlights of the past year, and they sort of speak to the moment we’re at,” he states. “I’m not trying to tell folks how to think or get a reaction. All I do is write my lyrics, make my records, and cross my fingers.” Jesse plays in Asheville on July 25th. -
Peak of the WeekWe’re glad to have the latest project of Western NC’s Anya Hinkle, Billy Cardine, and Mary Lucey — Tanasi. Perhaps you’ve already gotten to know this trio of “worldgrass” musicians. As they describe it, their music “follows the invisible threads that connect cultures, landscapes, and hearts—from Nepal’s high plateaus and South African villages to the mountains of Appalachia—celebrating the shared human rhythms that surface wherever people gather to sing, dance, grieve, and love. Together they represent an eclectic variety of regional acts over the past 20+ years, including Tellico, the Biscuit Burners, Lovers Leap, and Acoustic Syndicate. Songwriters on this new release, aside from traditional Appalachian and Nigerian tunes, include Jimmy Cliff, Shambhujeet Baskota and Bidhan Acharya, George Harrison, and the three members.
