Bill Kopp
mxarts
Asheville, NC, United States
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Past articles by Bill:
Allan Day realizes new wave musical dreams after 40-year journey
In 1979, teenage guitarist Allan Day was inspired to write his own songs in the style of the Buzzcocks, the Ramones and other punk heroes. Now, in 2020, he's finally recorded and released that album. → Read More
Laura Boswell taps into natural world on chamber-folk EP
Classical music informs the songwriting and arrangements of this Asheville chamber-folk artist. → Read More
Samara Jade, Awen Family Band release new albums
The itinerant singer/songwriter and the Asheville-based musical collective took decidedly different paths in crafting their latest works. → Read More
Fwuit, The Moon and You release new digital-only albums
The HGTR/Moves side project and their husband-wife tour mates discuss their latest projects. → Read More
Virginia and the Slims, Young Mister release new albums
The jump blues/swing band plays the Asheville Guitar Bar patio on Oct. 23 while Steven Fiore's solo project hunkers down in Tryon. → Read More
Modern Strangers celebrates debut album with a livestreamed show
The Asheville jangle-pop quartet leverages its success as poll-winners and high-profile opening acts on its up-tempo, irrepressibly catchy debut album, “Dangerous Fiction.” → Read More
Orgatroid and Adi the Monk release new albums
Synth duo Orgatroid crafts ethereal, deep-groove synthesizer music, while Adi the Monk makes instrumental guitar-based soulful jazz/blues/funk. Even with pandemic-related shutdowns, both Asheville-based acts have new releases. → Read More
Brushfire Stankgrass returns with a third album and then some
The eclectic Asheville-based band celebrates the releases of a new album with a May 24 livestream show from The Grey Eagle. → Read More
The art of Ishmael is featured at OpenDoors Art Affair fundraiser
OpenDoors celebrates and supports local students through its work, and the goal for this year's fundraiser is $210,000. → Read More
Seratones combine introspection and soul-rock
“Really digging into the collaborative process, I learned how a song touched by different hands becomes this really cool thing,” AJ Haynes says. “It doesn’t detract from its uniqueness.” → Read More
Album review: ‘Sudden Swoon’ by Young Mister
Steven Fiore created his latest album, 'Sudden Swoon,' in his home studio (he calls it The Study). His process of crafting the album involved recording demos for 20 songs, sharing them with his Facebook followers and inviting them to vote for their favorites. → Read More
Penny & Sparrow showcase a new direction at an Orange Peel show
It was a relatively straightforward endeavor to deliver early Penny & Sparrow songs live onstage. The spare yet careful arrangements center on just a few elements. The layered sound of 'Finch' looks to be more of a challenge to reproduce in concert. → Read More
Album review: ‘You Good?’ by DJ Besbleve
Even those not predisposed toward Besbleve's spiritual point of view won't be able to deny the appeal and excellence of his masterfully constructed mixtape. → Read More
Album review: ‘Collective Will’ by Moonlight Street Folk
There's a quiet confidence in everything about this record. The musicians sound as if they've developed a preternatural level of unspoken communication, and they apply that to their music. → Read More
Album review: ‘Beautiful Noise’ by Stereospread
Jumping ahead of critics who might apply their own subjective labels to the band's music, Asheville-based Sterospread has taken on the task itself, calling the sounds it makes “indietronica.” → Read More
Album review: ‘Southern Exposure’ by Spaceman Jones
The record is a cohesive collection that bears the distinctive musical fingerprints of its creator. → Read More
The Grey Eagle celebrates its 25th anniversary
Music booker Jeff Whitworth says that he often hears positive comments. “People will tell me, ‘Thank you for hosting metal shows at The Grey Eagle,’ or, ‘I'm glad somebody’s booking real hip hop shows.’” → Read More
Caleb Johnson debuts ‘Born from Southern Ground’ with a hometown launch concert
Caleb Johnson doesn't get to spend a lot of time in Asheville these days, but keeps up with the local music scene as best as he can. “And for the most part, the musicians I use out on the road are Asheville-based,” he says. → Read More
The Casey Kristofferson Band releases its debut album
The band — which includes local musicians Zack Page (Kristofferson's former bass teacher) and guitarist Aaron “Woody” Wood — recently played its first high-profile gig at this year's MerleFest. → Read More
Guitarist Eric Gales kicks off this year’s Downtown After 5 concert series
Gales singles out Asheville bassist Cody Wright — with whom he has toured extensively — for special praise: “He’s an amazing player, and I think he’s going to go very far." → Read More