Music Review: The Warden, L-I-V-I-N

By Melissa Bratcher

Only The Warden could change my mind about “Kokomo.” To refresh your memory, The Warden is Ward Richmond, an East Dallas hellraiser who sings about drinking and regretting, honky-tonking and shenanigans, and he does it with style and aplomb. On his welcome return, L-I-V-I-N, The Warden dips into a variety of genres that are all filtered through his particularly Texas vibe.
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Twilight Fauna Returns With “The Year The Stars Fell”

By Tim Murr

Johnson City’s Twilight Fauna is an Appalachian atmospheric/ambient/black metal project created by Paul Ravenwood. I stumbled across Twilight Fauna a few years ago and I was really struck by the power and emotional depth Ravenwood captured. The idea of mountain metal was something else that I’d never considered and was intrigued by.
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“Cannibal” Is 100 Proof Southern Noir Goodness

By Tim Murr

Set in the swampy Florida Gulf Coast, Cannibal is about a virus that causes the infected to crave flesh. Wait! It’s not another zombie story! Stay with me.

We’ve all got zombie fatigue, but Cannibal is different. Writers Brian Buccellatto and Jennifer Young and artist Matias Bergara craft a fantastic tale where character comes first. There’s also a solid mystery story built on the bedrock of great horror. Volume one collects the first four issues of this Southern Gothic noir and for me it’s a home run.
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Music Review: John 5 and the Creatures, Season of the Witch

By Jeffery X Martin 

Here’s a question for all the metal guitarists out there: why is it so important to prove to your audience that you can play country or bluegrass songs? It’s a weird trope. On their new instrumental album, Season of the Witch, John 5 and the Creatures head to the hills twice. He even busts out the Old Ban-Jo! It’s almost like he’s admitting that rock and roll has some roots down in the holler and not so much in the Hollywood hills.
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Music Review: The Creation, Action Painting

By Melissa Bratcher

How is it that we don’t speak of The Creation in the same reverent tones as The Kinks, The Stones, and The Who? They made seemingly commercial, well-written songs with appealing melodies, and  they were produced by Shel Talmy, who produced and arranged tracks by The Kinks and The Who. Guitarist Eddie Phillips ostensibly created guitar bowing (playing guitar with a violin bow), but Jimmy Page isn’t sending him royalty checks. They had a stage show that would incite fervor; they had the right look; they had the crunchy, chunky sounds that epitomized a very specific era of British rock. And yet, and yet, they’re maybe a footnote in rock history.
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“Lone Wolf And Cub” Now Available In A Triumphant Box Set

By Tim Murr

Writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima’s manga epic Lone Wolf And Cub hit the stands in 1970. It was a massive success, with meticulous details, historical accuracy, and gorgeously realistic artwork. Lone Wolf And Cub would, and still does, have a strong influence across various artistic forms. By 1972, the series was already adapted into a film, a huge success itself which launched five sequels.
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TV Review: The Walking Dead, “Rock In The Road”

By Laury Scarbro

Things are really starting to pick up on The Walking Dead. Last episode, Negan took off with Eugene, leaving us all to wonder what horrifying music the poor guy will have to endure, not to mention the rest of the degradation commonly visited upon those under Negan’s “care.” This episode serves as the beginning of weaving together all the separate threads that previous episodes have left dangling in the wind.

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Music Review: The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Front Porch Sessions

By Melissa Bratcher

Unless Reverend Peyton and his Big Damn Band comes to your house and plays a set on your porch (or perhaps you end up on his front porch),  Front Porch Sessions  is as close as you’ll get to that specific pleasure. It’s an organic, charmingly effective album that mixes classic blues songs with The Rev’s originals. It’s thrillingly alive and a fine introduction for those who haven’t been fortunate enough to make The Rev’s (and his Big Damn Band) acquaintance yet.
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Death Metal Legends Obituary Return With Tenth Studio Album

By Tim Murr

Photo © Ester Segerra

One of the original, biggest, and most significant death metal bands—Tampa, FL’s Obituary—will release their latest album on March 17. The album is a follow-up to their 2013 release, Inked In Blood, their second release with Relapse Records. The band dropped the first single for the album, “Ten Thousand Ways To Die,” back in October. It’s a solid track, sure, but it almost pales in comparison to the rest of the album.
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Music Review: Old 97’s, Graveyard Whistling

By Melissa Bratcher

There’s something enormously comforting about a new Old 97’s album. You know what it will sound like: giant, resonant guitar, Rhett Miller’s clever lyrics and busted yelp, a chugging beat. Songs to sing along with. There have been the barest of forays into other sorts of music, influences splashed on their otherwise perfect template, but if you can say one thing about Old 97’s it is this: they are consistent.
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