Reviews

With an unexpectedly strong winter storm covering much of western NC, fans and artists alike had an eventful time making their way to Asheville for the 29th iteration of Warren Haynes’ Christmas Jam. Friday was tough all around;  the now-traditional Pre-Jam event was canceled due to the weather, many flights into Asheville and Charlotte were […]

Alicia Bognanno, lead singer of Bully, is a manifestation of the spirit of 90’s grunge rock personified in a youthful and determined frontwoman. The voice of Courtney Love, the appeal of Cobain, and the studio proficiency of Steve Albini all seem to coalesce into Bognanno as a contemporary tour de force. Bully was on full […]

Strong performances save this biopic from itself.

Guillermo del Toro outdoes himself again.

In the newest installment of Wannabe, artist Chris Prunckle recounts a damn good time he had at the Holiday Hangout in Little Rock, Arkansas, in his signature six-panel comic strip form. Held at the White Water Tavern, the annual three-day event featured a slew of Americana and alt-country talent, including Tim Easton, Austin Lucas, Brent Best, Two Cow Garage and lots […]

[rating=6.00] Hit and miss as is Jim James’ Tribute To 2, it is at least a respite from the amorphous likes of last year’s Eternally Even (and to a lesser extent, its 2013 predecessor Regions of Light Sound of God). This solo album leaves the distinct impression James’ reach exceeds his grasp, as only a […]

Long Beach, California’s Cold War Kids have had an interesting path to stardom. Their debut album Robbers and Cowards propelled them to indie rock stardom and the hit single “Hang Me Up to Dry” ended up in all sorts of places, including television advertisements. Then, for a while, it was rough. The addition of new […]

At one of The Weather Station’s live shows in early 2016, audiences were treated to one of the quietest shows they’d probably ever experienced. Tamara Lindemann had just released Loyalty in 2015, and her performance of its soft, folksy songs was sparse. She had a band with her, but the focus was on her and […]

[rating=7.00] Twenty-seven years ago, Van Morrison penned a tune, “I’m Not Feeling It Anymore.”  Yet, now more than ever he refuses to just “phone it in.” It seems that “It’s Too Late to Stop Now” is Morrison’s mantra with Versatile, as at the age of 72 he is back to his multiple annual output of […]

When a show is billed as “An Evening with David Rawlings,” you know that you are going to be treated to Americana at its most genuine. Rawlings is one of the most revered practitioners of the genre and his two hour plus show at Northampton’s Academy of Music on November 28th featured spirited bluegrass, raucous […]