rawk Archive
02 Oct 2022
Acoustic Syndicate’s Natural Crossover
Since forming in 1992, North Carolina quartet Acoustic Syndicate has cultivated and developed a musical style that draws from a wide array of genres and styles; the band has never allowed itself to be hemmed in by preconceived notions about what is or is not bluegrass. Or Americana. Or rock, or any number of other
01 Oct 2022
30 Days Out, October 2022 #1: Sweet Lizzy Project, Brushfire Stankgrass, Marley Carroll, Mac Sabbath
The next 30 days of live music in Asheville are all over the map. And we like it that way. Here are four highlights of the coming 30 days (okay, 31 this time). Artist: Sweet Lizzy Project Venue: Asheville Music Hall Date: Thursday, October 20, 8:30 p.m. Door: $17 When I reviewed this Cuban group’s
25 Sep 2022
Album Review: No. 2 – First Love
First things first: this band isn’t thenewno2, Dhani Harrison’s project named after the succession of characters who portrayed the mysterious leader in The Prisoner. No, this No. 2 has been around a bit longer than Harrison’s group, so one might think of it as the “old” No. 2. But hey, they’re new to me, and
19 Sep 2022
Album Review: Eric Slick – Palisades
A former student (alongside his sister Julie Slick) at the Paul Green School of Rock Music, Eric Slick was catapulted to well-deserved fame when Adrian Belew chose him and Julie to work as his rhythm section in the Adrian Belew Power Trio in the mid- to late 2000s. From there, Eric joined Dr. Dog as
18 Sep 2022
EP Review: Salim Nourallah – See You in Marfa
Salim Nourallah is from Texas, but for See You in Marfa, his project collaborator is the great Marty Willson-Piper, former guitarist for The Church and a superb musician, singer and composer in his own right. The album was recorded in Nashville, with Willson-Piper’s guitars (on two tracks) cut in the southwest of England. The five
17 Sep 2022
Album Review: Mark Duda – Bodega Flowers
I’ll be honest: this one confused me. From the Halloween-themed font to the woman on the cover (is that Mark Duda?) And the Japanese(?) lettering, I had no idea at all what to think about this CD. So of course I did what one should do in such cases: play the thing. Thank goodness. It’s
14 Sep 2022
Album Review: The Krayolas — Happy Go Lucky
If the Smithereens were from Texas instead of New Jersey – and if they built on their Beatles influences not by exploring an affinity for Black Sabbath but instead for the Sir Douglas Quintet – then they might sound a bit like The Krayolas. With a chirpy demeanor, jangling guitars and peppy hand claps, The
13 Sep 2022
Concert Review: Interpol (Sep 3 2022, Asheville NC)
It’s been 20 years since Interpol released their celebrated debut Turn On The Bright Lights, an album that came at a time when the indie music scene in New York was booming and entering a new sonic era alongside bands like The Strokes, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and LCD Soundsystem. Now, in 2022, Interpol have
11 Sep 2022
Album Review: Jem Records Celebrates Pete Townshend
Too often, various-artists tribute albums are like celebrity roasts: it’s far less about the ostensible honoree, and for more about the roasters (or, in this case, “tributers”). And I’m on record stating my assertion that few tribute projects add much of value to the music. But there are exceptions, and they make the whole concept
09 Sep 2022
DVD Review: Waiting – The Van Duren Story
In recent years, a remarkably personal style of documentary has come into vogue. Whereas in a traditional documentary, the narrator is both invisible and omniscient, and this new (or newly popular) style, the narrator is very much part of the story, and said narrative tends toward subjectivity. In and of itself, the approach is not