::I got so damn busy i didn’t even do a recap last year::
Yet this year, we sit quarantined at out house, having been bitten yet again by that scourge, the COVID-19 bug. But hey, 2023 was a year of strikes and gutters. Let’s recap:
::STRIKES (like, in bowling)::
The year started off with a busy bang as Dragmatic, the band fronted by longtime friend and hetero-life-mate Ryan Kennemur, got invited to play the coveted Great Cover Up at King’s in Raleigh. We performed as Canadian rock band Sloan, who also happen to be a huge influence on our original music (center bottom).
It was a great night until we learned that it turned out to be a COVID super-spreader event. Our drummer and guitar/bass player both got nabbed by the virus. We sounded good, tho.
We made good on our New Year’s Resolution to cook a new dish every month for all 12 months. Some of the recipes are likely going to make it into the normal rotation (top left).
We visited the Duke Lemur Center and walked with some cool lemurs (top right).
We took a trip to Toronto, Ontario Canada (my first time North of the Border), rode bikes on the Toronto Islands, and best of all, caught Asheville’s Wednesday at the legendary Horsehoe Tavern. (center)
Played my first legit show in a band doing original music with Dragmatic alongside our friends Secret Monkey Weekend, and Cage Bird Fancier. It’s fun swapping back and forth between guitar and bass.
On a whim, bought a Lukas Nelson signature model Gibson Les Paul Jr. modeled after Nelson’s 1956 Gibson Les Paul. This is one of the finest instruments I own and have played it nearly every day since mid-August of this year (bottom left).
Attended our first Hopscotch Music Festival in Downtown Raleigh where our inner 90s kids came back alive seeing bands like Pavement, Sunny Day Real Estate, Digable Planets, American Football, and more (bottom left).
Drank some damn fine bourbon (bottom center-right), and kept it real with the Lehigh Valley Workshop (left center).
::GUTTERS (also, like, in bowling)::
Begrudgingly saw Ryan Adams play his first show in Raleigh since 2005, and it was unremarkable. Most of those who were there while he was coming up we absent; and I figured they would be, bridges having been burnt and all (bottom center-left).
If you’re familiar with Adams’ live sets, they can either quickly derail or become legend on a whim. There was a part of me hoping Adams would pull off an absolutely legendary show as a giant fuck you to all those who stayed home. Instead, we got a rambling set that lilted to an abrupt 10:30 PM cut because of the city curfew on this particular Sunday night.
Got t-boned and totaled my 2009 Toyota Tundra while pulling into the storage lot where I keep my boat, and am still receiving treatment for damage to the existing back injury I have from a prior car accident in 2013. I’ll never not own a Toyota. It’s the second one that’s saved my life in a wretched accident (center right).
Lastly, there was the music. And by god there was a LOT of it.
Since November 1st, 1996, I have been a member of a music listserv called the Postcard from Hell. Postcard, for short, was started as an online meeting place for fans, friends and followers of Belleville, Illinois alt.country stalwarts Uncle Tupelo. Taking its name from the band's song "Postcard," the digital community continued onward after Uncle Tupelo's split in 1994 with keen interest in the successive careers of Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) and Jay Farrar (Son Volt.)
Damn near thirty years on, the list not only survived but has grown miles beyond people trading live tapes and talking about the band that inspired it.
It is a place for music discovery, and one of the projects/services I have contributed to the list for part of last year and all of this one, was to scour new music release lists, sample those that seemed interesting (or were by bands that folks from this online music community likely would want to know about), and compile them into posts, with spotify links for easy streaming of the record(s). I also aggregated these “weekly interesting new releases” into monthly spotify playlists for those who wanted everything in one place.
This year, I went a step further and used this blog to publish these weekly new release lists. If you are interested in visiting the mammoth blogpost that has lists of new releases from nearly all 52 weeks in 2023(not many ‘interesting’ new releases in late December of a year) , you can find it here. The links to all of the spotify playlists are also included on the post.
From those, I culled just the records that I enjoyed - or at least hoped to revisit and give more attention to, though my intention to do so fell flat with some records. As such, here is a list of 2,384 songs across 220 records by 216 artists (Isaac Alexander and Hotline TNT both have multiple releases on this list) to give you an idea of what made my ears perk up in 2023: Records: 2023.
From that, I pulled my ten favorite records of the year and a little over thirty “elevens” that just made the cut. A “Standout Track” from each is included on the embedded spotify playlist below. Further down are my musings about each record that I hope you’ll read, and feel encouraged to click on the linked record to listen in full.
Also, be sure to peep the list of 45 concerts (and additional musical/stand-up performances) I took in this year. It was a good one!
Cheers, y’all. Let’s meet back here this time next year!
My Favorite Music from 2023: A PLAYLIST
Top Ten Records of 2023
10. Blondshell ::BLONDSHELL:: After spending the first three years of her twenties pursuing a pop career with her outfit BAUM (and, yikes), Sabrina Mae Teitelbaum switched gears, grabbed guitars, and embraced a more 90s grunge sound, rebranding with the moniker Blondshell. This record is an incredibly fun game of “spot the influence from the 90s.” Echoes of Hole/Courtney Love, No Douby/Gwen Stefani, PJ Harvey, Cranberries/Delores O’Riordan come through the vocals, while the grit and grind of the guitars evoke Pixies and Nirvana.
Standout Track ::Salad::
9. Duane Betts :: WILD & PRECIOUS LIFE:: It’s wild that in the decade prior to WILD & PRECIOUS LIFE that Duane Betts was road-dogging and guitar-slinging with a number of bands, including Dawes and his father Dickey’s Great Southern. But WILD & PRECIOUS LIFE, and the 2018 EP SKETCHES OF AMERICAN MUSIC find the guitar sire honing his songwriting skill after a lifetime of being surrounded by southern rock music, and the icons who made it. A definite highlight of the year was catching Duane at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh earlier this year and hearing him play my favorite song that his father wrote. But as much as Betts draws on the influence of his elders, his songs stand alone as well.
Standout Track ::Waiting on a Song::
8. Hurry ::DON’T LOOK BACK:: Hurry answers the question: “What if Teenage Fanclub were from Philly and made the proper follow-up to GRAND PRIX?” This record is full of that thing where you bend a guitar string that’s 1/2 step down up to the same note (think slow guitar solo part at the end of “The Concept”). IYKYK. Matt Scottoline has been releasing albums under the Hurry moniker for a decade, and this might be his best. Absent on DON’T LOOK BACK is the heavy chorus-pedal-swirl on the rhythm guitar which was prominent on recent releases, and was a distraction from the saccharine vocal melodies and harmonies that make Scottoline’s songs soar.
Standout Track ::Little Brain:: {bendy thing at 3:15!!!]
7. Andrew Bryant ::PRODIGAL:: Hopelessly drawn to songs about ‘place’, Andrew Bryant’s PRODIGAL was quick to reel me in. The Water Valley, Mississippi musician (and one-time one-half of the Water Liars) has continuously cranked out records since 2009s GALILEE, and with each release, he has further finely tuned his craft. PRODIGAL sounds like the hymnal from the church I wish existed. The one where you’re not made to feel guilt for your shortcomings. The one where atoning for failed relationships involves joy. The one where the difficulty of fatherhood is embraced. The one where no matter who you are or where you’re from, you don’t get judged. PRODIGAL is that church, and Andrew Bryant is its pastor.
Standout Track ::Shiloh::
6. Kym Register + Meltdown Rodeo ::MELTDOWN RODEO:: In August 2022, I showed up at the Pinhook in Durham, NC to see my pal Lee Bains kick off his tour in support of his latest record, OLD TIME FOLKS. After longtime bandmates Adam and Blake Williams decided to call it a day, Bains found himself in need of a touring band. Enter Meltdown Rodeo (née Loamlands). Like Bains, Register’s songs are like ice picks, chipping away at tired, old social tropes that we’ve become too numb - or lazy - to confront. For example, the opening track, Scottsboro, is about The Scottsboro 9's racist arrest in 1930's Alabama and the history of Communist organizing / involvement in workers rights and uprisings in the southeastern US. Each song is a new chip highlighting the struggle against classism and racism, as well as the social justice fight for workers rights and queer identity in the American South. Longtime Durham stalwart Joe Westerlund and bassist Sinclair Palmer hold down the rhythm while lead guitarist Matt Phillips weaves a textured quilt of twangy and soulful guitar lines that might make a Jason Isbell fan listen more closely. On top of all that is Register’s vocals, which blanket these songs like a younger, Southern Natalie Merchant. Just gobs of soul on this record.
Standout Track ::Some Boy::
5. Wednesday ::RAT SAW GOD:: There is a scene emerging out of Asheville, NC. Leading that pack, arguably, is Wednesday, the project fronted by songwriter Karly Hartzman, whose partner (MJ) Jake Lenderman, in addition to being a hell of a songwriter in his own right, layers ferocious lead guitar to Hartzman’s calm-to-vicious songs on the band’s latest, most even record to date. Recorded in Asheville at Drop of Sun Studios, recording wizard Alex Farrar expertly captures the softer, more wistful Hartzman with the same intensity as the “about to explode” Karly when she is vocally careening off the cliff (check out the back half of “Bull Believer” for an example where Hartzman moves from droning the line “finish him” to a two-minute holler and scream sesh to close out the song). RAT SAW GOD runs the musical gamut from Sonic Youth noise rock (Hot Rotten Grass Smell) to twangy, alt-country (Chosen to Deserve), buttressed by Xandy Chelmis’ soaring pedal steel guitar, all featuring Hartzman’s ‘observational’ lyrical musings. I feel like this record is Wednesday at their moment just before breaking out…and it’s been fun watching it unfold.
Standout Track ::Quarry::
4. Bully ::LUCKY FOR YOU:: The songs on this record sound perfect. Probably because prior to forming Bully, Alicia Bognanno moved to Nashville, TN to earn a sound engineering degree from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). This led to an internship at the famed Electrical Audio in Chicago (alongside notable producer of some of your favorite records, Steve Albini), and a gig engineering at Battle Tapes Recording and running sound at the Stone Fox venue in Nashville. Couple this audio engineering knowledge with Bognanno’s angsty, political, cathartic, anthemic, gritty, grungy songwriting, and you get huge, sonically-bursting-at-the-seams, guitar-driven rock-n-roll, a growling, sometimes strained voice; which at times sounds like it is trying to leave her body, and lyrics that rightfully put any know-it-all 40-year-old white guy who doubt’s Bully’s legitimacy as a band in their goddamn place. Those who have compared Bully/Bognanno to Nirvana/Cobain are definitely hearing what I am hearing in this record.
Standout Track ::Change Your Mind::
3. Buddie ::AGITATOR:: Originally hailing from indie hotbed Philadelphia, PA, chief Buddie songwriter Dan Forrest relocated to Vancouver, British Columbia to earn a graduate degree in ecological sustainability. Prior to his departure, Buddie convened in a Philly studio in 2021 and recorded the songs that would become AGITATOR. This record is a master class in fuzzy, melodic power pop about millennial anxiety, covering topics like climate/ecological/inequity grief & anxiety, and seeing the colonial/imperial/capitalist project of western Europeans and their offshoots, the US, Canada, Australia... as the root of these crises. Hell, if I were Dan Forrest, I might submit AGITATOR as my dissertation. In addition, what drew me to this record was the uncanny similarity in sound to two Frederick, Maryland based outfits that are no stranger to my speakers: Jim Shorts & Mr. Husband/The Trend. If you like this Buddie record, please also check out these two bands, as they’re cut from the same cloth.
Standout Track ::Class Warfare:: [Sounds like a lost Posies song]
2. Will Johnson ::NO ORDINARY CROWN:: It’s been a wild twenty-five-year ride since first hearing centro-matic’s REDO THE STACKS back in college. Indeed, Will Johnson’s songwriting was such an inspiration that me and Ryan Kennemur (who has been my songwriting partner for as long), made a record leaning heavily on our newfound centro-matic influence. Over this period, through work with centro-matic, South San Gabriel, Jason Molina, Monsters of Folk, New Multitudes and Marie/Lepanto, Johnson’s loud, raspy voice has matured into a fine-tuned howl that hovers in the room like a vapor when he sings. More so than the instrumental palate or his oft cryptic lyrics, its the vocal melody that forms the foundation of Johnson’s songs. And those collected on NO ORDINARY CROWN are elite examples of this. Over the years, I’ve come to call Will Johnson a friend, and I’d be grateful if you lent an ear to my friend’s extraordinary record.
Standout Track ::The Conductor Calls:: [it has delicious pedal steel guitar AND hand-claps!]
1. Fust ::GENEVIEVE:: It’s hard to write about GENEVIEVE without getting personal and drawing some parallels to chief Fust songwriter Aaron Dowdy. For example, I grew up in a small, blue collar town in south-central PA, nestled in the northern Shenandoah Valley. Though my hometown is only an hour from Washington DC, my raising was way more Appalachia than Anacostia. My life trajectory has been vastly different from most of my hometown peers (i.e., I think I am still the only person in my graduating class who earned a PhD), but I still sometimes imagine my life had I followed a path similar to that expected of those who come from where I come from. It’s no surprise, then, that I gravitated to the songs on GENEVIEVE. Dowdy, who hails from Bristol, Virginia, a small, blue-collar town in the Shenandoah Valley, left his home and is currently a graduate student at Duke, pursuing a PhD in Literature. The characters in Fust songs often represent the life my alternate trajectory may have promised. These characters are navigating life milestones like love, marriage, and parenthood while doing their best to ignore how their surrounding town is crumbling to dust. However, they continue to lay roots in the hope that it will hold the ground beneath them a little longer. Hope and fatalism swirl through this record like a yin and yang - and it really doesn’t get more Appalachian than that.
Song of the Year ::Violent Jubilee::
::The ElevenS: Records that just missed the cut::
::(ORDERED BY GENRE, THEN ALPHABETICALLY)::
::Alternative/Indie/Rock::
Bory ::WHO’S A GOOD BOY:: Bandcamp's favorite freelance writer, Ben Salmon was the first person I hears sing the praises of Bory. The Portland, Oregon power pop outfit is the vehicle of Brenden Ramirez, who, in working closely with Portland Renaissance Power Pop stalwart Mo Troper, has crafted an album lush with melody, rich vocal harmonies, and some fun "spot the era of Teenage Fanclub this sounds like" moments.
Standout Track ::Feel the Burn::
Cory Hanson ::WESTERN CUM:: Winning the Gold for grossest record title, do NOT let it sway you from this excellent power pop gem. You may have familiarized yourself with Hanson through his psych-pop outfit Wand. The opening track on this record has pop hooks galore, and a guitarmony solo that gives whiffs of Thin Lizzy, while the follow-up second track opens like a lost Zeppelin tune. Later, Ghost Ship lilts along a bed of twangy, country-tinged melodies. This record is a vibe!
Standout Track ::Wings::
Diners ::DOMINO:: The PacNW is alive and well with poppy, indie music. One lynchpin in that scene as of late is Mo Troper, whose production work really brings Blue Broderick’s catchy, guitar-driven indie pop songs to life here.
Standout Track ::Someday I’ll Go Surfing::
Dosser :: VIOLENT PICTURE/VIOLENT SOUND:: Baltimore, Maryland buds whose dads probably listened to the same 90s grunge that I grew up cutting my teeth on…but they do it right. Like Narrow Head below, there’s elements of Hum, the Foo Fighters, and [insert 90s fuzzy alt-rock band here].
Standout Track ::Joy Thief::
Drew Beskin ::GARRETT [EP]:: Extended Play [EP] releases typically show up among the elevens, because they often just fall short (naturally) of being enough. But if Athens, Georgia’s most prolific songwriter puts music out, it’s damn near guaranteed to show up on this year-end list. Beskin experiments a bit more on this release, with jammier songs (like the 5-minute trippy opener Nosedive), and the more electronic album closer (Revenge Body), but the classic power pop elements can’t help but shine through in Beskin’s writing.
Standout Track ::Never Even Listening::
Dropkick ::THE WIRELESS REVOLUTION:: On any other day of the week, the latest dropkick record would be squarely in the top 10. Dropkick answer the question “What if Gerry Love never left Teenage Fanclub and their past several records have had all the magic as their earlier output?” Gobs of jangle, melody, and three-part vocal harmonies make this a winner.
Standout Track ::The Other Side::
Horsehead ::SUNDOGS DANCING IN THE EARLY MORNING LIGHT:: Who says ‘heartland rock’ needs to come from the ‘heartland’? Based in Richmond, Virginia, Horsehead’s Jon Brown and Kevin Wade Inge have been crafting a ‘Tom Petty, but twangier’ sound together for nearly 30 years. Their latest is sonically similar to 2012’s SYMPATHETIC VIBRATIONS, which was a banger. Proud to call these bois pals.
Standout Track ::Clouds Like Cast Iron Blues::
Hotline TNT ::CARTWHEEL:: If I ever meet Hotline TNT’s Will Anderson, I hope to ask him whether he ever listened to 90s alt rock band Eugenius, one of several projects started by Eugene Kelly while the Vaselines were inactive. These Hotline TNT songs are like waves peaking on a sea of fuzzed out guitar. The vocal melodies are the wave peaks, that stand above the melee only briefly until falling again into the sea of fuzz. It’s a hypnotic sound that I really connected with. It may have something (read: everything) to do with Alex Farrar’s production hand in the record.
Standout Track ::History Channel::
Indigo De Souza ::ALL OF THIS WILL END:: Another artist from the emerging hotbed of Asheville, NC that walks a slightly different soundscape. De Souza’s past records featured drums, guitar, and production by Jake (MJ) Lenderman and have been reorded by Alex Farrar at Drop of Sun Studios in Asheville, NC. De Souza’s songs are tense with layers of gritty guitar and lilting synth and riotous lyrics by narrators who seem to keep finding the shit-end of the stick…but doing their level best to make it through.
Standout Track ::All Of This Will End::
MJ Lenderman ::AND THE WIND (LIVE AND LOOSE!):: My favorite artist actively making music at the moment released a blistering live record which has captured a band at the start of their upward trajectory. I was fortunate to see Jake & the Wind on this tour, and it felt like seeing early Uncle Tupelo or Nirvana, or Replacements shows. Just pure magic.
Standout Track :: Live Jack - Live::
Narrow Head ::MOMENTS OF CLARITY:: Proof that Dallas, TX has more than just country music and oil. Narrow Head straddles the line between 90s Hardcore bands like Helmet and fuzzed-out, trippy alt-rock a’la Hum.
Standout Track ::The Real::
PONY ::VELVETEEN:: PONY answers the question “What if [primary singer/songwriter] Sam Bielanski’s mom put headphones on her belly while pregnant with Sam, but instead of playing Vivaldi, played Veruca Salt’s AMERICAN THIGHS?” Just catchy, angsty, grrrrl rock ‘n’ roll.
Standout Track ::Peach::
The Pretty Flowers ::A COMPANY SLEEVE:: Taking just the pages out of the Guided By Voices playbook that results in good, pop-rock, even-structured songs, with a foreword by latter-day Replacements and an epilogue by early-career Superchunk, the Pretty Flowers may have a good book on their hands!
Standout Track ::Another Way to Lose::
Roger Bryan & The Orphans ::THAT’S LIFE [EP]:: Upstate New York’s Roger Bryan and the Orphans put out the best Paul Westerberg/Replacements record of 2023. If this weren’t an EP, it probably would have made a run for the top 10.
Standout Track ::Whispers::
Sad Palomino ::ASLEEP IN THE SADDLE:: It’s difficult to boil down sound of Fayetteville Arkansas’ Sad Palomino into a singular point of reference. On one hand, there’s probably a Nirvana influence (evidenced by select vocal melodies, but without the Cobain growl), a general grunge influence (evidenced by the fuzz on the *bass*), and a dream pop influence (evidenced by general quiet-to-crescendo song structure). The production on this record is tops (and should be after producer Will Eubanks spent years working with the band at East Hall Studios to dial in the sound).
Standout Track ::What It Feels Like::
Sluice ::RADIAL GATE:: When Durham, NC-based songwriter Justin Morris isn’t crafting the best soundtrack to a cold weather road trip at dusk through the sonic landscapes he paints with Sluice, he can be found with his bandmates backing Aaron Dowdy in Fust. Morris’ voice is akin to the soft delivery of Neil Halstead of Mojave 3, and the late-night feel of these tunes isn’t too dissimilar either. Exponentially more Biblical references in Sluice songs tho. There is a glut of great music coming out of Durham, NC and Philly’s Dear Life Records right now. What a time to be alive!
Standout Track ::Acts 9:3::
Truth Club ::RUNNING FROM THE CHASE:: Sluice is to Durham as Truth Club is to Raleigh. Truth Club recorded RUNNING with Alex Farrar at Drop of Sun Studios in Asheville, NC. If you read all of this post, you’ll note a theme that most records made there are highlighted somewhere in this post. Truth Club is heavy, noisy, brooding, and teetering on the precipice of exploding. Heavy rhythm guitars lay a base for arpeggioed, jangly - and sometimes feedback-screaming lead guitar lines. Careful spinning this one if you already have high blood pressure.
Standout Track ::Uh Oh::
The Whiffs ::SCRATCH ‘N’ SNIFF:: The Whiffs answer the question “What if the Replacements were a new band in the 2020s, but were from Kansas City and probably smell more like barbecue smoke than cigarette smoke?” Excellent garage-y, gritty power pop from the City of Fountains.
Standout Track ::Pretender::
::Alt-Country/AmericaNA::
Ava Mirzadegan ::DARK DARK BLUE:: Ava Mirzadegan answers the question “What if Gregory and the Hawk’s Meredith Godreau and Owen’s Mike Kinsella engineered a sire from their respective DNA samples?” Mirzadegan’s songs are quiet, longing, wistful, melancholy. Perfect for the winter ahead.
Standout Track ::Good::
Doug Paisley ::SAY WHAT YOU LIKE:: Doug Paisley’s SAY WHAT YOU LIKE answers the question “What if Kenny Rogers was alive, younger, from Toronto, and releasing excellent alt-country?” This record was on heavy rotation in my head while visiting Toronto earlier this year…especially when we rented bikes on the Toronto Islands.
Standout Track ::Sometimes It’s So Easy:: [That walk-up bass line at 2:13 slays me]
Dylan Earl ::I SAW THE ARKANSAS:: Thanks to Dylan’s relentless touring, which carries him to the Old North State dang near every tour, I’ve been able to keep an open line to my old ‘rock star’ days in Arkansas. Indeed, Dylan’s keys player is Lee Zodrow, who fronted Basement Brew, an outfit I moonlit with of an evening. But whatever. If you like sad boi country sung by a Keith Hernandez look-alike (RIP Big Hands Jason) with a deep baritone, this is gonna be your jam. RIYL The Star Room Boys, The Derailers, Adam Lee & the Dead Horse Sound Company. Don’t sleep on Dylan’s label, Gar Hole Records, which boasts other great Arkie acts like Bonnie Montgomery, Nick Shoulders, and keeps company with Willi Carlisle.
Standout Track ::White Painted Trees::
Espanola ::ESPANOLA AGAIN:: If you’ve ever listened to - or seen live - City & Colour, Daniel Romano, Cowboy Junkies, Kathleen Edwards, Matt Mays, Elliott Brood, The Sadies, the Arkells, and/or the Weather Station, then it is possible that you’ve heard/seen Espanola’s Aaron Goldstein, as he has served as a side player for all of the above acts. Mash off of them together as influences, and you get a good idea of what Espanola brings to the table.
Standout Track ::Look to the Sky::
Hello June ::ARTIFACTS:: Sara Rudy crafts twangy indie rock songs steeped in Appalachian Fatalism like only a native of West Virginia can.
Standout Track ::Interstate::
John R. Miller ::HEAT COMES DOWN:: Though now spending time in Nashville, John R. Miller has continued to craft songs with characters who are usually up to no good, hiding under the night sky, and tromping around the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. BRB, about to go put on my Mecklenburg Inn t-shirt and dig out my Fox Hunt records.
Standout Track ::Harpers Ferry Moon::
Ladybird ::LADYBIRD [EP]:: It’s a damn shame Pete Freeman, Ladybird’s chief songwriter, left Frederick Maryland before he and I could become friends, because he writes sad-bastard alt-country songs like I want to write. And I’m thinking we coulda started a Ladybird East. These songs make me think Freeman was listening to a ton of 90s alt-country when these songs were written. Based in Milwaukee, the songs and characters are often plodding around the Cream City, soaked in beer and making suspect decisions. My kinda people.
Standout Track ::Console::
Lydia Loveless ::NOTHING’S GONNA STAND IN MY WAY AGAIN:: Is it weird that 90% of the time when you go out here in Raleigh NC you wind up hanging out with the subject about whom the majority of Lydia Loveless’ latest batch of excellent songs were written? Seems weird. But makes for damn good listening.
Standout Track ::Sex and Money::
Pony Bradshaw ::NORTH GEORGIA ROUNDER:: There’s a scene emerging out of North Georgia, and Pony Bradshaw’s smart, twangy, southern rock-influenced songs are a fine export. Lost of romp and foot stomping are in order while listening to these songs.
Standout Track ::North Georgia Rounder::
Ratboys ::THE WINDOW:: This probably belongs in the “rock” category, but on their latest, Ratboys experiments with more folky, country sounds. And the sound on the record is crisp, having worked with Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla, who produced.
Standout Track ::Morning Zoo:: [Note: a top 3 song for me this year]
Ruston Kelly ::THE WEAKNESS:: Ruston Kelly answers the question “What if all the screamo kids you went to high school with traded in their fuzz pedals for pedal steel guitars?” The saddest of bastards playing some of the most heart-achingly great alt-country at present. Ruston’s records have been like dating someone with Borderline Personality Disorder…despondent, drugged, and fucking up at every turn, then hopeful, redeeming and apologetic, and then back to regretful, anxious, and abandoned…then hopeful again. It’s a veritable rollercoaster of emotions, and I connect right to all of them.
Standout Track ::Holy Shit::
Viv & Riley ::IMAGINARY PEOPLE:: A friend recently lamented that they never had the opportunity to catch Viv & Riley before their relocation from the Pac NW to Durham, NC. We’re glad to have this duo who answers the question “What if Gunnar and Scarlett from ABC’s Nashville were more indie-folk and less country?”
Standout Track ::Sauvie Island::
::Funk/Hip-Hop/Soul::
Adi Oasis ::LOTUS GLOW:: Adi Oasis is a French Caribbean, Brooklyn-based soul/funk songwriter and suuuuper badass bass player. This record answers the question “What if DapTone Records released a record influenced by 90s R&B?”
Standout Track ::Serena::
Jalen Ngonda ::COME AROUND AND LOVE ME:: If you’re a sucker for neo-soul a’ la Lee Fields, Charles Bradley, and/or Durand Jones and the Indications, give Washington DC’s Jalen Ngonda a spin. It shouldn’t be a surprise that he is on Daptone Records.
Standout Track ::If You Don’t Want My Love::
Oddisee ::TO WHAT END:: This record sounds like an hour-long episode of Yo! MTV Raps from 1991. Lots of old school sounds and textures here.
Standout Track ::Many Hats::
Shows: 2023
[1]. Jan 27, 2023 ::The Great Cover Up @ King’s, Raleigh, NC:: ***
[2]. Jan 28, 2023 ::The Great Cover Up @ King’s, Raleigh, NC::
[3]. Jan 31, 2023 ::Pony Bradshaw w/Charles Latham & his Borrowed Band @ The Pour House, Raleigh, NC::
[4]. Feb 2, 2023 ::MJ Lenderman w/ Florry @ The Cat’s Cradle Back Room, Carrboro, NC::
[5]. Feb 10, 2023 ::Kathleen Edwards w/ Matt Sucich @ The Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC::
[—]. Feb 17, 2023 ::The Book of Mormon @Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham, NC::
[6]. Feb 24, 2023 ::Hank Sinatra w/ Tan & Sober Gentleman + Charles Latham & his Borrowed Band @ The Pour House, Raleigh, NC::
[7]. Mar 4, 2023 ::The Beths w/Sidney Gish @ The 9:30 Club, Washington DC::
[8]. Mar 9, 2023 Why Bonnie w/ Foyer Red @ Duke Coffeehouse, Durham, NC::
[9]. Mar 12, 2023 ::Willi Carlisle @ The Pinhook, Durham, NC::
[—]. Mar 25, 2023 ::Trevor Noah @ Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham, NC::
[10]. Mar 28, 2023 ::Archers of Loaf w/ MJ Lenderman @ The Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC::
[—]. Apr 12, 2023 ::Beetlejuice @ Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham, NC::
[—]. Apr 14, 2023 ::Porgy & Bess @ Martin Marietta Center for Performing Arts, Raleigh, NC::
[11]. Apr 15, 2023 ::Ruston Kelly w/ Annie DiRusso @ The Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC::
[12]. Apr 18, 2023 ::Clint Roberts & Helena Rose; Beer & Banjos @The Raleigh Times, Raleigh, NC::
[13] Apr 22, 2023 ::The Mountain Goats w/ Adeem the Artist @ The Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC::
[14] Apr 23, 2023 ::Band of Heathens @ Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC::
[15]. Apr 25, 2023 ::Drive By Truckers w/ Lydia Loveless @ Haw River Ballroom, Saxapahaw, NC::
[16] May 9, 2023 ::Josh Ritter w/ Adeem the Artist @ The Jefferson Theatre, Charlottesville, VA::
[17]. May 12, 2023 ::The Gaslight Anthem w/ Emily Wolfe + Oso Oso @ The Ritz, Raleigh, NC::
[18]. May 18, 2023 ::Dylan Earl w/ Charles Latham & his Borrowed Band + Kym Register & Matt Phillips @ The Pinhook, Durham, NC::
[19]. May 27, 2023 ::Dylan Earl w/ Reese McHenry @ King’s, Raleigh, NC::
[20]. May 28, 2023 ::Ryan Adams & the Cardinals w/ Ruby Force @ Red Hat Amphitheater, Raleigh, NC::
[21]. Jun 8, 2023 ::The Indigo Girls w/ Larkin Poe @ Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham, NC::
[22]. Jun 10, 2023 ::Dumb Valley w/ Flooded + The Dirty Middle @ Olde Mother Brewing, Frederick, MD::
[23]. Jun 16, 2023 ::Pixies w/ Franz Ferdinand + Bully @ Red Hat Amphitheater, Raleigh, NC::
[24]. Jun 23, 2023 ::Wednesday w/Tenci @ The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, ON, CAN::
[25]. Jun 26, 2023 ::Sloan @ The Cat’s Cradle Back Room, Carrboro, NC::
[—]. Jun 28, 2023 ::Six @ Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham, NC::
[26]. Jul 11, 2023 ::Dragmatic w/ Cage Bird Fancier + Secret Monkey Weekend @ The Pour House, Raleigh, NC :: ***
[27]. Jul 13, 2023 ::Fust w/Dirty Flowers @ The Pinhook, Durham, NC::
[28]. Jul 14, 2023 ::Son Volt w/ Peter Bruntnell @ Haw River Ballroom, Saxapahaw, NC::
[29]. Jul 20, 2023 ::Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel w/ Gabriel Kelley @ The Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC::
[30]. Aug 17, 2023 ::The Beths w/ Disq @ The Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC::
[31]. Aug 29, 2023 ::Kym Register & Meltdown Rodeo w/ Alice Gerrard & Tatiana Hargreaves @ The Pinhook, Durham, NC::
[32]. Sep 2, 2023 ::Huntington Music and Arts Festival, Ritter Park, Huntington, WV; Adeem the Artist, Dougie Pool, William Matheny, Kindred Valley
[33] Sep 7-9, 2023 ::Hopscotch Music Fest, Downtown Raleigh, NC; Alvvays, American Football, Digable Planets, Margo Price, Pavement, Sunny Day Real Estate; Cable Ties, Dylan Earl, Fust, Florry, Hotline TNT, Joe Westerlund, Natalie Jane Hill, Sluice, Truth Club::
[34]. Sep 23, 2023 ::Futurebirds w/ Holler Choir @ Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC::
[35]. Sep 26, 2023 ::Bully w/Wombo @ Motorco, Durham, NC::
[36]. Sept 27, 2023 ::IBMA Ramble, Downtown Raleigh, NC; Caleb Bailey @ Paine’s Run, Magpie the Band, Backline, Arkansauce
[37]. Oct 1, 2023 ::Adeem the Artist w/ Flamy Grant @ The Pinhook, Durham, NC::
[38]. Oct 15 2023 ::Superchunk w/ Sluice @ Motorco, Durham, NC::
[39]. Oct 20, 2023 ::Ryan Kennemur @ the Farmhouse Cafe, Wendell, NC::
[40]. Oct 21, 2023 ::Kym Register & Meltown Rodeo -Record Release- w/ Flock of Dimes, The Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC::
[—] Nov 2, 2023 ::Stephen King’s Misery @ The Raleigh Little Theatre, Raleigh, NC::
[41]. Nov 18, 2023 ::The Debonzo Brothers @ Trophy on Maywood, Raleigh, NC::
[42]. Nov 25, 2023 ::Liz Phair w/ Blondshell @ The Anthem, Washington DC::
[43]. Dec 1, 2023 ::Ryan Kennemur @ the Farmhouse Cafe, Wendell, NC::
[44]. Dec 5, 2023 ::Lydia Loveless w/ Reese McHenry @ Cat’s Cradle Back Room, Carrboro, NC::
[—]. Dec 16, 2023 ::Cabaret @ The Kit Kat Club, London, UK::
[45]. Dec 16, 2023 ::Elvana w/ Oh My God! It’s the Church @ The Roundhouse, London, UK::
[—]. Dec 19, 2023 ::Stranger Sings @ Southwark Playhouse, London, UK::