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For folksinger Willi Carlisle, singing is healing. And by singing together, he believes we can begin to reckon with the inevitability of human suffering and grow in love. On this third album of his, he invites audiences to join him: “If we allow ourselves to sing together, there's a release of sadness, maybe even a communal one. And so for me personally, singing, like the literal act of thinking through suffering, is really freeing.” Willi plays banjo, harmonica, button- box, flat-picked guitar, fiddle, front-porch banjo; Darrell Scott contributes guitar, dulcimer, pedal steel, mandolin, lap steel, dulcimer, lap steel, baritone guitar, banjo and piano.

To call this a pandemic record might be slightly misguided, even though most of the songs were in fact written during 2020 and 2021. But the vibe of the record is upbeat, and weird, and fun, and sometimes sad, but hopeful, and occasionally poignant, and silly, and hopeful, but ridiculous, and also hopeful. You might think that’s a lot of vibes, but there are 16 songs on the record, because we’ve all been through a lot, and so Matt figured that, this time, everyone deserved a few more songs and a few more vibes than usual. (Based on what we know of his trademark wit and songwriting style, we think the previous description may have been written by Matt himself.)

The New Mastersounds’ guitarist and bandleader Eddie Roberts has his first album apart from that great band, thanks to the Southern Rock-infused funk project The Lucky Strokes. Mississippi-based guitarist and vocalist Shelby Kemp is joined by sisters Ashely Galbraith on bass and Taylor Galbraith on drums.

Matt Pond heard Virginian and former Asheville resident Alexa Rose mention his band in her song “Wild Peppermint” and reached out with thanks and an invitation to work on some songs together. This sweet and clear-eyed collection is the result: a warm 5-song EP that shows their mutual respect for each other’s music. “The first time I heard Matt Pond PA was on a high school mix CD circa 2011”, Alexa commented on Instagram. “I was obsessed with the song Snow Day and played it over and over again. Without a doubt, I would have been a top 1% listener if Spotify had existed back then.”

Iron & Wine will release his/their seventh full-length album, Light Verse, on April 26th. The ten-track collection was produced by the band’s principal singer-songwriter Sam Beam, and includes “You Never Know.” North Carolina’s Sarah Shook has a new album Revelations coming out March 29th; we’ve got the title track. The band plays the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro that day, and the Grey Eagle in Asheville on the 30th! And we have the first new music from The Decemberists in six years with a new single: "’Burial Ground’ is in that time-honored popsong tradition, a paean to hanging out in graveyards," says songwriter Colin Meloy. It also features vocal help from James Mercer of The Shins.

It’s been three years since we last got a full album from Galax, Virginia’s Dori Freeman. Her follow-up to Ten Thousand Roses is a wonderful blend of pop, folk, and old-time, with songs that ponder the rockiness of relationships, the injustices inherent in a divided society, and the yearning for self-acceptance.

Introducing a four-piece acoustic-based band out of Colorado, who passed through our area last September for Brevard’s Mountain Song Festival. The band draws on bluegrass, old-time, pop, and classical influences, and is made up of Bonnie Sims on mandolin (Bonnie & Taylor Sims, Everybody Loves an Outlaw, Bonnie and the Clydes), Dr. Joy Adams on cello (Nathaniel Rateliff, Darol Anger, Half Pelican, Bruce Hornsby, Bobby McFerrin, Chick Corea, Ben Folds), Hazel Royer on bass and guitar, and Eve Panning on fiddle (Lonesome Days, Barrage, Hollywood Film Score Orchestra). Big Richard plays the Grey Eagle in Asheville on Wednesday after their debut session here in Studio B.

Join us as we celebrate one of our favorite regional (Candler area) musicians, with a wonderful, humble, grounding spirit. As his website describes him, “When it comes to the modern-day singer-songwriter, he remains a bastion of musical talent and lyrical aptitude — a melodic voice-of-reason and safe haven amid a 21st century world seemingly gone mad.” ). This is his 5th solo album, in addition to his former work with Band of Horses. “[The album title track] is about letting go of innocence and facing the reality of a society that is in decline — one that is refusing to change course or even pause itself,” Ramsey says. “It’s searching for hope in all of this. It’s wanting my children to be able to experience this world with wonder and joy and not have to carry the weight of our mistakes. …I feel secure in what I do musically and I believe in what I’m writing. I try to write songs that I believe every word of. I don’t want to ever dance around something or have to sing lyrics that don’t feel like truth to me.”

Fronted by bandleader and son of East Los Angeles Joey Quinones, the group has quietly chipped away at the sounds of R&B and soul for the last half-decade. Quinones and his crew have continuously created a distinctive vibe that explores all aspects of a timeless genre, bringing together their interpretation of music through an unmistakable modern lens. Joining Quinones on vocals and keys are vocalist Adriana Flores, Christopher Manjarrez on bass, Francisco Floreson on guitar, Bryan Ponce on guitar and vocals, Luis Carpio on drums and vocals, saxophonists Eric Johnson and Steve Surman, and Jose Luis Jimenez on trombone.

“Buoyant, big-hearted avant-pop... His most infectiously joyous songs to date.” – Uncut. Deep, atmospheric, sonic gems on “Phasor”, which should appeal to fans of Jose Gonzalez/Junip. In his follow-up to his response to the quarantine lockdown album “Far In”, this one is an homage to going outside again. It’s a returning-to-life record, remembering what the sun feels like and letting it warm your skin. His tour takes him to Asheville on April 21st!