The Scruffy Stuff Knox News

Adeem the Artist dropped their highly anticipated follow-up to "White Trash Revelry" on May 3, and we can't stop listening! The appropriately titled album, "Anniversary," released the same day they celebrated 10 years of marriage with local artist High Five Hannie.  Adeem joins "The Scruffy Stuff" to talk about their family's journey amid newfound fame, the research that goes into writing, the expectations for their hometown album release show and just how many times you can wear a shirt on tour before it's considered dirty.  Want to hear more? Check out the last time Adeem the Artist joined "The Scruffy Stuff" to perform and discuss songs off "White Trash Revelry."  >> Tickets: Adeem the Artist album release show, May 10 at the Bijou Theatre >> Photos: Knoxville's own Adeem the Artist through the years >> Link: A queer child of Appalachia, Adeem the Artist chronicles the American South in vivid truth >> Link: Knoxville's own Adeem the Artist teases next album with a new '90s pop country bop' single "The Scruffy Stuff" is presented by knoxnews.com. Want more downtown analysis? Sign up for the free weekly Urban Knoxville newsletter by clicking here, and join the downtown discussion by becoming part of the Urban Knoxville group on Facebook.

A proposed high-rise along the Tennessee River would be one of the first things people see when entering downtown from the south, but the design is still up for debate.  While developers have expressed to stakeholders the challenges of building on a sloped riverside site, the Design Review Board wants them to go back to the drawing board to brainstorm how the project will better benefit the public.  Growth and development reporters Ryan Wilusz and Silas Sloan discuss what must happen for this project to move forward and how a successful development could change the way people experience and interact with the western edge of downtown.  >> Link: Why 16-story apartment building planned downtown has to rethink its design "The Scruffy Stuff" is presented by knoxnews.com. Want more downtown analysis? Sign up for the free weekly Urban Knoxville newsletter by clicking here, and join the downtown discussion by becoming part of the Urban Knoxville group on Facebook.

While it took a while for Kern's Food Hall to finally open, it didn't take long for people to begin exploring the property in packs – enjoying sushi and pizza from vendors, sipping on rooftop drinks, and shopping for flowers, clothes and artsy paper goods.  Take it from this week's co-hosts, Ryan Wilusz and Brianna Paciorka, who visited on a Thursday afternoon and were welcomed by the bustling sounds of a diverse customer base, including UT students. It makes sense with all the apartments aimed at college students nearby. Kern's Food Hall is no Marble City Market, Knoxville's first food hall, and that's OK. We break down some of the differences, what makes Kern's unique, how it could affect South Knoxville growth and everything else you should expect before visiting. That includes a breakdown of what's open in this first phase.  >> Link: Kern's Food Hall is ready to spill some secrets - restaurants, rooftops, brewery and all >> Link: Kern's Food Hall is open! Here are 9 things to know, from eating to parking >> Photos: See Kern's Food Hall on opening day! "The Scruffy Stuff" is presented by knoxnews.com. Want more downtown analysis? Sign up for the free weekly Urban Knoxville newsletter by clicking here, and join the downtown discussion by becoming part of the Urban Knoxville group on Facebook.

Orson Welles has nothing on the far-fetched story inspiring a new out-of-this-world nightclub in the newly established Asylum District that could expand what people consider the boundaries of downtown Knoxville. The tall tale, from the mind of owner Scott West, goes like this: Rogue doctors from Oak Ridge recently hauled an extraterrestrial artifact they discovered to limestone caves beneath The International property in downtown Knoxville, where radiation technology was used to see what's inside. The experiment came with unexpected consequences, resulting in a rift in space and time that has caused these humans to become aliens, the past to become present, and myth to become reality. This week's co-hosts, Ryan Wilusz and Keenan Thomas, were at opening weekend of Asylum 801 to document how this nightclub could change Knoxville, from bridging the gap between downtown and the university to serving as an incubator for up-and-coming artists by giving them a state-of-the-art stage to perform on. Not to mention filling a dancing void in downtown, which has been without a regularly programmed nightlife venue of this magnitude.  >> Link: Asylum 801, a new downtown club, is ready to blast off in extraterrestrial fashion >> Photos: Check out opening night of Asylum 801 club in Knoxville "The Scruffy Stuff" is presented by knoxnews.com. Want more downtown analysis? Sign up for the free weekly Urban Knoxville newsletter by clicking here, and join the downtown discussion by becoming part of the Urban Knoxville group on Facebook.

Before you read about it on CBS News or even our own USA TODAY, Knox News was first to report that a Dolly Parton and Beyoncé collaboration could be happening as part of the latter's album "Cowboy Carter."  How did we know? Trending news reporter Devarrick Turner straight-up asked Parton during a Dollywood interview, and she seemed eager to spill the tea. The result was a whirlwind of coverage related to the possibility of a "Jolene" cover, all citing Knox News and Turner's work.  Turner joins host Ryan Wilusz on this week's episode to discuss why he asked the question in the first place, what it's like to interview Parton and how the media craze caused by his reporting unfolded right before his eyes.  >> Link: Will Dolly Parton be on Beyoncé’s new country album? Here’s what Dolly had to say >> Link: Hear and see Dolly Parton on Beyoncé’s new album 'Cowboy Carter' >> Link: Will Knoxville radio play Beyonce's cover of ‘Jolene’ or shops sell 'Cowboy Carter' vinyl? "The Scruffy Stuff" is presented by knoxnews.com. Want more downtown analysis? Sign up for the free weekly Urban Knoxville newsletter by clicking here, and join the downtown discussion by becoming part of the Urban Knoxville group on Facebook.

For the first time in a long time, East Knoxville residents cut off from downtown through the demolition of mostly Black neighborhoods in the 1960s and '70s will be able to move more easily throughout the city to take advantage of new amenities, new infrastructure and new job opportunities. But amending the generational pains of urban removal, touted as urban renewal at the time, is just a sliver of the expansive overhaul known as "Reconnecting Knoxville" that will add walkways to highways, replace parking lots with parks and bring Knoxville's complicated African American history to the forefront of a city trying to navigate the crossroads of progress while remembering − and learning from − past mistakes. Listen as hosts Ryan Wilusz and Brianna Paciorka discuss how this seven-phase project will change the way people experience downtown and nearby neighborhoods, including how the downtown baseball stadium fits in the plans.  >> Link: 5 ways new paths and parks will 'Reconnect Knoxville' from the stadium to the river "The Scruffy Stuff" is presented by knoxnews.com. Want more downtown analysis? Sign up for the free weekly Urban Knoxville newsletter by clicking here, and join the downtown discussion by becoming part of the Urban Knoxville group on Facebook.