Joe Kendrick is the program director at WNCW, World Cafe's affiliate in Spindale, N.C. The station's wide geographic coverage (North Carolina, South Carolina and into Tennessee) is matched by the breadth of the music it features. WNCW dives into Americana, blues and bluegrass, and even broadcasts a Sunday-afternoon old-time show.
We asked Kendrick for an equally wide-ranging view of the local music scene for our Sense Of Place trip to Asheville, N.C. During the on-air World Cafe broadcast each day this week, he presents a different local artist. Below, hear and download all five songs.
Sense Of Place Asheville: Joe Kendrick's Local Picks
The Marcus King Band
""I Won't Be Here""
The Marcus King Band, from upstate South Carolina, is led by a young singer-songwriter who's just been signed to a big label. King's debut album is due soon.
Unspoken Tradition
"The Bullet"
Hear the "working-class bluegrass" of Unspoken Tradition, one of the very best of the young area bluegrass bands. The group has been together since 2013.
The Broadcast
"On The Edge"
Joe Kendrick's picks aren't limited to exclusively homegrown talent: The Broadcast relocated to Asheville from Brooklyn and recorded its soon-to-be-released album in Los Angeles.
Floating Action
"Split The Bill"
Seth Kauffman is the underappreciated genius of the Asheville music scene; nearly everyone we talked with during our Sense Of Place trip mentioned him and his in-demand skills. Kauffman has worked in Nashville with producer Dan Auerbach and in Lousville with Jim James of My Morning Jacket. Hear this song from his band Floating Action's latest double-vinyl release.
The Hermit Kings
"War Cry"
Joe Kendrick's final pick is The Hermit Kings, a rock band whose members are named Zaq (Suarez), Zack (Hayes) and Zach (Dier) — and Simon George. The Hermit Kings' new album may be the band's last, but it's more than worth hearing.
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