2023 End of The Year Content Explosion
I could write a big rambling introduction about what 2023 was for me, but then I'd have to really think long and hard. I'd rather just get to the point and recap my year with a series of easily digestible lists
Favorite Records of 2023: First Half
Algiers - Shook It may feature a long list of collaborators and cover more stylistic ground than ever before, but the Atlanta band's ambitious 4th album Shook by Algiers Andy Shauf - Norm Another soft rock masterpiece by the contemporary master. Norm by Andy Shauf Billy Woods & Kenny Segal - Maps This is what you get when two of the most exciting artists in underground hip hop combine forces. Maps by billy woods & Kenny Segal Califone - Villagers Califone records are intricately-detailed, rustic portraits of the world via which one can get lost within for days. villagers by Califone Dave Scanlon - Taste Like Labor Although nowhere near as tense and claustrophobic as anything released with his experimental band JOBS, Dave Scanlon's latest solo record is similarly off-kilter and adventurous, resulting in a totally mesmerizing listen. Taste Like Labor by Dave Scanlon Home Is Where - the whaler At a time when so much indie rock sounds bored with itself, the whaler is a welcome reminder of the genre's more lively origins. the whaler by Home Is Where Indigo De Souza - All of This Will End On her latest, the Asheville-based songwriter confidently balances pop hooks with an earnest indie rock style, presenting a brutally honest and relatable self-portrait. All of This Will
2023: First Half Recap
A recap of Interviews and reviews that I've written in 2023 (so far)
Hari Kondabolu
A day after Vacation Baby’s debut on YouTube, I spoke with the comedian — who returns to The Orange Peel on Wednesday, May 17 — about the special and his attempt to interact with fans throughout the premiere.
Maria Bamford
The stand-up that Stephen Colbert once called his “favorite comedian on planet Earth” returns to town on Wednesday, May 10, to perform at The Orange Peel. In anticipation of the show, Maria Bamford spoke with Asheville Stages about connecting with fans and other comedians while on the road, her humorous role as Christian entrepreneur Amy Sleverson on the delightful Bonanas for Bonzanza podcast, and…
Nicholas Furgiuele / Gringo Star
For some people, music is just in their DNA. Brothers Nicholas and Peter Furgiuele of Atlanta-based garage rock quartet Gringo Star have been making music together since they were kids, which is no surprise considering that their grandfather Ed "Dr. Jive" Mendel was an influential disc jockey and music promoter during the early days of rock ‘n roll. Arriving as the garage rock revival of the aughts was still having its moment, Gringo Star released its promising debut, All Y’all, in 2008 to plenty of acclaim. In subsequent years, the hype for the subgenre has died down and many of the group’s contemporaries have called it quits, but the Furgiuele brothers and their bandmates have continued to evolve and improve upon their distinct take on the retro sounds that evoke their grandfather’s heyday. Set for a Friday, June 2, release, the band’s sixth studio album, On And On And Gone, may also be the quartet’s most adventurous. The record opens with the twangy “Stand and Turn Away” before giving way to the eerie psych pop tune “Told Me Once Before.” Later on, the hip-shaking “Get to Know You” combines dreamy vocals and strings with a catchy early rhythm & blues groove. Over the
Soulside
Asheville locals may recognize Bobby Sullivan as the general manager at the French Broad Food Co-Op, but in another time — the mid-late 1980s — he was the energetic frontman for legendary Washington, D.C.-based post-hardcore band Soulside.
Jonny Leather’s Favorite Albums of 2022
Listed in alphabetical order by artist, these are currently my favorite albums of 2022. A much longer list of what I've enjoyed during the year can be found here. The Afghan Whigs - How Do You Burn? [Royal Cream] Come to hear Mark Lanegan's ghastly voice one more time, stay to catch one of the most under-appreciated alt-rock bands of the '90s tap into the fire, heart and soul of the group's heyday. Essential Tracks: "I'll Make You See God" "Please, Baby, Please" "A Line Of Shots" Alabaster DePlume – GOLD [International Anthem] A colorful exploration of self-worth within a shape-shifting odyssey of spiritual jazz and spoken word.Essential Tracks: "I'm Good at Not Crying" "Don't Forget You're Precious" "The Sound of My Feet on This Earth is a Song to Your Spirit" GOLD – Go Forward in the Courage of Your Love by Alabaster dePlume Aldous Harding - Warm Chris [4AD] The New Zealand singer-songwriter shifts between an endless supply of voices, all equally beautiful, bizarre, and equipped with cutting turns of phrase.Essential Tracks: "Precious Babe" "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain" "Fever" Warm Chris by Aldous Harding Angel Olsen – Big Time [Jagjaguwar] The contemporary queen of melancholy finally fully commits to the Nashville sound and it fits like a well worn sweater on
2022: Year in Photos
After a couple of years of hibernation, I dusted off my trusty old camera and returned to photo pits to document live events in Asheville, NC. This is how the year looked through my lens.
Favorite Live Performances of 2022
When I walked into The Mothlight on March 13, 2020 to catch a performance by Algiers, I had no idea that it'd be the last one I'd see in well over a year. The rest of 2020 was mostly spent indoors. 2021 wasn't much different aside from a couple of shows late in the year. When 2022 began, I was hesitant to spend much time in crowded venues. Favorites such as Andy Shauf, Nick Cave and Iceage drew me out of the comfort of my living room. As the year progressed, I suddenly found myself spending more and more time at music venues, and back to photographing and writing about concerts. Out of the well over 60 music and comedy performances I was able to catch during the year, these are the 25 that I most enjoyed (in chronological order). Andy Shauf @ The Grey Eagle 2/23/22memorable moment: Setting foot back into The Grey Eagle for the first time since COVID struck wasn't an easy feat mentally, but the opening moments of "Neon Skyline" provided instant comfort. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis @ Thomas Wolfe Auditorium 3/1/22memorable moment: Sure, seeing Cave sing "Into My Arms" sent shivers down my spine, but it was
John Waters
In what still feels like a surreal fever dream, I recently had the opportunity to procure a brief phone chat with the “Pope of Trash” himself, the legendary John Waters.
