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Bassist and singer/songwriter Melissa Carper was listening to an interview/documentary a year or two ago in which Ralph Stanley proclaimed “I don’t think you can get this sound unless it’s borned in ya” when describing how he got his mountain music sound. She immediately jotted down “borned in ya” on a piece of paper. “I knew I had to write that song,” she recalls. It’s become an appropriate title track for her new album, once again produced by Dennis Crouch and Andrija Tokic. Carper has a natural way of evoking a timeless sound that somehow evokes those golden ages of classic country, blues and jazz, and this new one is no exception. Crouch, Chris Scruggs, Billy Contreras, and others provide wonderful backup musicianship here. Most of the songs were written by Carper, though her friend and fellow musician in the Wonder Women of Country Brennen Leigh co-wrote three with her.

The Minneapolis-based brother duo Jack Torrey and Page Burkum - have shared their new album Every Time I Think About You via their own Walkie Talkie Records. Across the collection, the brothers evoke “pure Americana dream pop” (No Depression) and “a sound that’s like rain in the desert” (Bluegrass Situation.) The brothers cover themes that accompany moving on in these new songs - from loss, the past, and the weight of expectation. They play the Grey Eagle in Asheville on Sunday the 22nd and the Cat’s Cradle in Carborro on Tuesday the 24th.

Nick Lowe’s music career goes back to 1967 when he started the band Brinsley Schwarz, followed by Rockpile in 1975, and his solo career a year later. “(What’s So Funny About) Peace, Love & Understanding”, “Cruel To Be Kind”, “So It Goes”… These are some of the hits penned by Lowe, in a career that’s included pub rock, power pop, and new wave. He’s also collaborated for a number of years with the band Los Straitjackets, and they back him up on each track of this fun new release.

We’re excited to share with you this new one from Georgie Fuller and Will Turner and their band. We love how well they channel the sounds of 60’s acts from both the British Invasion and West Coast/Laurel Canyon explosion (think Fairport Convention meets The Mamas and the Papas); The Guardian writes that they “write and play music with that lick of madness that makes early Fleetwood Mac and peak Stones so thrilling”). Or take it from John Mayer, who says “I’ve been listening all week and I really love it!” Get to know this 2nd album of theirs, released as of September 6th.

This new one from Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent is a rocker! Moreso than their previous ones, and it’s closer to what they sound like in their live sets. In fact that’s somewhat intentional: the duo recorded this one based on how they would arrange the songs on tour. They play the Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte this Wednesday!

What does it mean to be a “Southern songwriter”? A few descriptions and parameters might come to mind, but American Aquarium front man BJ Barham has been expanding those stereotypes in his storytelling and soapbox sharing in ways that we can really get behind. As No Depression writes, “For the last two decades, (Barham) has seemingly willed his band to survive. Armed with an incisive pen and a love for Whiskeytown and Drive-by Truckers on one hand and Springsteen and Petty on the other, he gradually steered the rotating cast of his outfit from twentysomething dive bar revelry and heartbreak toward a more thoughtful, albeit scarred, maturity.” This is his/their 10th album, and 2nd in a row produced by Shooter Jennings.

Get to know this beautiful tribute to the many aspects of womanhood with this album from the daughter and torchbearer of the late Levon Helm. Supporting her here are Josh Kaufman (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, organ), Daniel Littleton (acoustic and electric guitar), Annie Nero (upright and center bass), Charley Drayton and Tony Mason (drums, percussion), Stuart Bogie (tenor sax), Dave Nelson (trombone, trumpet, euphonium, and brass choirs), Marco Benevento (organ), and Adam Minkoff (bass, percussion). Elizabeth Mitchell, Catherine Russell, Adam Minkoff and Zach Djanikian provide the background vocals.

This is the 4th album from this Brevard group. As their website bio describes, the goal of this album was to artistically, emotionally and energetically capture the essence of existence at a certain time and place. The place is of course our Southern Appalachian mountains, which they represent with a deep passion. They’ve got a couple of traditional fiddle tunes here, but otherwise all original tunes written by Josh Carter, Mallory Carter, Owen Grooms and others. Their album release show is Saturday September 21st at Paddle to the Pork (Green Road & Hannah Ford Road, between Brevard and Rosman.)

He’s been a professional musician for 30 years now, but this is his debut album of original material! The cofounder of Old Crow Medicine Show presents this collection of songs about beating the devil, and learning how to love himself again, and express himself freely and without limits. Congratulations, Willie!

Happy Fruition Day from WNCW: We’ve got them live in Studio B just past 11am, and three cuts from this new one between 2 and 3pm. The band from Portland, Oregon (and with Asheville connections too) is back with their first one in four years, so we’re extra excited to share it with you. “This is the first studio album that we’ve recorded entirely live,” says Jay Cobb Anderson, who shares frontperson duties with fellow multi-instrumentalists Mimi Naja and Kellen Asebroek. “We recorded 17 songs in 7 days, with everybody playing together in real time, and we didn’t overdub anything. The songs sound honest and real. They sound like us.” It was tracked and mixed by their drummer Tyler Thompson at eTown studios in Boulder, Colorado, home of one of our favorite radio programs! "Fruition Make Strong Return with Cohesive Folk and Americana...The band’s trademark three-part harmonies are still at the center of this self-produced record, but there is also a reinvigorated sound to the band.” – Glide