pop Archive
30 Oct 2021
There is the Love: NC Music Hall of Fame 2021
North Carolina has a rich and varied musical heritage. As a means of honoring that state’s contributions to music, the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame was established in 1994. […]
29 Oct 2021
Album Review: Loveland Duren — Any Such Thing
If you know the name Van Duren, it’s likely that you’re familiar with him as part of the musician/songwriter axis of Memphis, Tennessee, a scene that also gave us Big […]
24 Oct 2021
Album Review: Alison Faith Levy — You Are Magic
Disclaimer: My children are in their late 20s and early 30s, so I am by no means the primary target demographic for this release. But I know good music when […]
23 Oct 2021
Album Review: Richie Mayer – The Inn of Temporary Happiness
Richie Mayer is a clearly a student of classic pop. His breezy melodies are irresistible. They sound jut familiar enough to invite comparisons to The Beatles and like-minded artists, but […]
22 Oct 2021
Sugar Candy Mountain Makes a Good ‘Impression’
Hypnotic psychedelia with a deep groove is the musical stock in trade of Oakland’s Sugar Candy Mountain. Led by multi-instrumentalists Will Halsey and Ash Reiter, the group debuted with a […]
07 Oct 2021
Album Review: The Orange Peels — Celebrate the Moments of Your Life
One never quite knows what to expect from The Orange Peels, and within that uncertainty lies a part of the group’s charm. They certainly don’t fit neatly into any particular […]
01 Oct 2021
30 Days Out, October 2021 #1: Jimbo Mathus, Rocky Horror Show, Buddy Guy, Tennis
Americana that’s more than twang. Classic camp. A blues legend. Retro-pop. Those are four of the highlights on the Asheville music calendar these coming 30 days. Artist: Jimbo Mathus Venue: […]
28 Sep 2021
Album Review: The Mommyheads — Age of Isolation
The Mommyheads aren’t widely known outside of New York City (and Sweden), and that’s a shame. With wit that sometimes rivals that of XTC, a melodic sense that recalls 10cc […]
23 Sep 2021
Sandy’s: Rewarding the Listener’s Investment
The third album from psych-pop outfit Sandy’s, Magic Mind has a shimmering, multilayered character that may evoke thoughts of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots-era Flaming Lips, early Crowded House and […]
18 Sep 2021
30 Days Out, September 2021 #2: Schizophonics , Side Pony, Dirty Logic, Thievery Corporation
Lots of cool choices for live music in and around Asheville in the coming thirty days. By now, you know the drill: Most venues are requiring proof of vaccination or […]