The newly reformed, Group of Asheville Song Makers (GASM), will hold it's next songwriters circle on Tuesday February 12th starting around 7pm.  The event will take place at Two Guys Hoagies at 123 Charlotte Street in Asheville.     It's a wondeful opportunity for local songwriters to showcase their work, try out new material, and seek constructive feedback from their peers.  It's also a great place for a enjoyable and relaxing evening listening to some of Asheville finest musicians.

 For additional information contact Charlie Van Buskirk at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Ear Pwr continues to build a strong fan base with catchy tunes and an emphasis on fun.

If you're looking for soaring vocal gymnastics, searing guitar solos, or deep literary gut opening songs, then you might want to avoid local favorites, Ear Pwr.  But, if you're looking for a band which emphasizes infectious poppy lyrics against an electro-punk beat, if your looking for a band who plays  for the pure enjoyment of their audiences, if you're looking for a band whose songs encourage (even demand) that you just loosen up, haven fun, and get your feet moving....then look no further than Ear Pwr.  The band has built a strong following in the Asheville area and was a huge hit at the recent POPAsheville Festival.

The band was recently featured in an article by Alex Minor, writing for the Blue Banner. (Read the full article at the Blue Banner website )

Excerpt:

"Most of all, Ear Pwr is just a really fun house band. Devin (Booze) has always carried the happiness thing. It's high energy, excitement, fun," said Forrest McCuller, 21-year-old literature student.  Booze, 20-year-old UNC Asheville music technology student and 25-year-old Sarah Reynolds generate large, lively crowds at their Asheville performances.

Movers and Shakers, the new release from Asheville band The Cheeksters, continues to garner high praises.  The following article is from the AbsolutePowerPop website.

The last year or so has been good for boy/girl indie pop bands. While the New Pornographers are the exemplar of the subgenre, recent releases by such acts as Georgie James have been outstanding as well. Which brings us to The Cheeksters, the latest entrant into this derby, and their fine new disc Movers and Shakers.

The Cheeksters are the Asheville, NC group led by Mark Casson and Shannon Hines, and this is (by my count) their fifth disc. Casson is originally from England and he brings a natural British pop sensibility to their work, which is apparent off the bat with the infectious "What The Pretty Girl Did", a kind of Kinks-meet-Merseyside bouncy number. The ragtime-y title track follows and continues the disc's appeal. Other standouts include "The Top of the Tree", in which Casson channels Gilbert O'Sullivan; the anthemic "Waiting in the Wings", swelling strings and all; and "Love Hearts In My Eyes", in which Hines contributes a sultry vocal over a winning indie pop beat.