02 Oct 2023
Preview: Music to Your Ears – Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy

In the early to mid 1970s, Led Zeppelin reigned supreme in the world of rock. Rising from the ashes of seminal ‘60s band the Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin drew upon classic […]
01 Oct 2023
30 Days Out, Oct. 2023 #1: Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Jonathan Richman, Andrew Finn Magill, Buddy Guy

A globetrotting WNC favorite son, a blues legend taking a well-deserved victory lap, and two other big names: those are the highlights of Asheville and nearby live music in the […]
30 Sep 2023
More on Stax from William Bell (Part 2 of 2)

Continued from Part One… Songwriting And with music, but I found out early on, when you write honestly and you write about life itself, the generations change and the times […]
29 Sep 2023
More on Stax from William Bell (Part 1 of 2)

My feature on Written in Their Soul also drew from a conversation with William Bell. But because of space considerations, precious little of our chart found its way into the […]
28 Sep 2023
More on Stax Records from Deanie Parker (Part 2 of 2)

Continued from Part One… Isaac Hayes: I remember when he first came to Stax. I remember when he had hair. I remember when he didn’t have but two shirts. He […]
27 Sep 2023
More on Stax Records from Deanie Parker (Part 1 of 2)

Deanie Parker has an insider’s perspective on legendary Stax Records. As a staffer, recording artist and songwriter, she experienced the label to a degree that few others could even conceive. […]
26 Sep 2023
Stax Records: Written in Their Soul (Part 2 of 2)

Continued from Part One… Some of the demos on the new set feature vocal and simple accompaniment; others are more fully arranged, often including an entire band. The demos in […]
25 Sep 2023
Stax Records: Written in Their Soul (Part 1 of 2)

Most listeners never get to hear demo recordings. Created by songwriters as a guide for recording artists, those demos aren’t meant to be shared with the public. But they’re an […]
24 Sep 2023
Album Review: TrancEnd — Lilac

I was turned on to this band by someone who emphasized that nearly all of the band members are partially sighted. While that in and of itself isn’t enough to […]
23 Sep 2023
Update: What’s the Big Idea

UPDATE: I’m revising this page whenever there’s new news. — bk I began work on my third music-related book a few months ago. I’ll be delivering the finished manuscript for […]