Tree Tops, Cory Smith’s ever-rotating “progressive groove-rock” project, has been at the center of Knoxville’s expanding prog scene for the past four years. But only now—after running the treadmill of …
Local Music Review: White Stag, ‘Emergence’
More than 11 minutes into “Emergence,” the monster title track from White Stag’s debut album, the prog-metal quartet breaks the spell of a brooding acoustic guitar atmosphere, introducing a carnivalesque …
Ex-Mobility Chief Guitarist Continues to Evolve With New Post-Rock/Prog Band Aelude
Mobility Chief, one of Knoxville’s most dynamic prog acts, pulled the plug in June 2015. There was no animosity, only the inevitable creative tensions of a democratic rock band. Now, …
Zappa Family Dispute Can’t Slow Down Dweezil’s Tribute Tour
For more than a decade, Dweezil Zappa has revitalized his father’s music, joyously paying tribute to the near-manic eclecticism and complexity of the Frank Zappa catalog. But his latest tour …
Sylvan Esso’s Amelia Meath Adjusts Her Expectations After Unforeseen Breakout Success
“If someone ever says ‘folktronica’ to my face, I might kick them,” says Amelia Meath of the North Carolina indie-pop/folk duo Sylvan Esso. Her exasperated tone suggests both sarcasm and …