Cover Story
The 2017 LEO Playlist: Our favorite local songs of the year
Once again, it was tough to whittle this list down to 20 songs, but what we ended up with is a pretty solid reflection of the vast spectrum of the Louisville music scene, from conceptual hip-hop to melancholy folk to unhinged punk and everything in between. There are familiar staples such as Joan Shelley, 1200…
A Q&A with John King about Louisville is for Lovers 2018
Louisville is for Lovers, the annual compilation of love songs from local musicians, ranging from straightforward to oddball, is releasing its 2018 version on Friday, Feb. 2. But you can pre-order it right now, which earns you an immediate download of a companion EP, featuring four duets. Those duets include such artists as Will Oldham,…
10 things to do under $5 this week in Louisville (1/8)
MONDAY How America Lost Its Mind Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church Free | 7-9 p.m. Do you read the news and think: “How the hell did things get this bad?” Well, this gathering aims to give you some clues. Led by John Busch, an associate professor of sociology at UofL, this discussion will examine The Atlantic…
5 things to do this weekend in Louisville (1/5)
FRIDAY Smash Bros. Party/Competition! (Jan. 5–6) DORK $10 | 5 p.m. DORK, the custom tattoo shop and creative space, is hosting its first ever “Super Smash Bros.” party and competition! Choose between playing “Super Smash Bros” on the Wii U or “Super Smash Bros. Melee” on the GameCube. Friday night’s gathering is purely for fun,…
10 concerts you shouldn’t miss in January
Paul Simon’s Graceland Headliners Saturday, Jan. 6 Celebrated local musicians, including Cheyenne Mize, Curio Key Club, Mark Charles Heidinger and Carly Johnson, will perform Paul Simon’s storied record, Graceland. This crew should be able to do justice to the big, layered and iconic folk-pop record. Sass, GRLwood, Bungalow Betty, Mosquito The Cure Lounge Thursday, Jan.…
Thorns & Roses: The Worst, Best & Most Absurd
Batter up! | Absurd Remember when your daddy would make you go out and pick the switch with which he would tan your hide? Hmm… we don’t either. But we bet that is what tRump had in mind when Mitch McConnell presented him with a Louisville Slugger after passage of the tax-deform bill. A good…
Record Review: Kwieta — ‘EYVE’
It stands to reason that a project featuring two thirds of Twin Limb would hit the high marks in all the right ways, and Kwieta exceeds those expectations. This is dream-pop, creamy and bleary eyed, with elements of unashamed shoegaze with beautiful textures. There are moments that recall Mazzy Star or Beach House, lush and…
Record Review: Fotocrime — ‘Always Night’
Earlier this year, after a decade together, the Ryan Patterson-fronted band Coliseum called it quits. It was a brilliant run, releasing records that triangulated metal, punk and straight-forward rock. Fotocrime, Patterson’s new project in 2017, clings closer to post-punk and new-wave, filtered through that classic ominous, moody Louisville sound that can scare the hell out…
Record Review: DUD — ‘Temple of the DUD’
Slick and to-the-point, fuzzed-out slacker rock is front and center on Scuzz Master singer/guitarist Danny O’Connell’s debut record from his solo project, DUD. Golden hooks are still the driving force, but here they’re covered in clouds of hazy distortion, stirring a little shoegaze into his punk and grunge formula. “Monument” kicks off the album with…
Record Review: Rmllw2llz — ‘Concerto No. 9’
Every time Rmllw2llz releases something, it’s a little tighter, a little better. On Concerto No. 9, we are now at what might be an emcee in his absolute prime, crushing it with every verse, each spit with a fire that comes from experience and hunger. The production has a Wu Tang level of classiness to…
Record Review: Midnight Channels — ‘Ether’
It’s hard to walk away from instrumental indie rock with a more positive take away than pure admiration for the talent of everyone involved. Midnight Channels certainly lack nothing in skill, evoking legends like Don Caballero or The Fucking Champs, as filtered through emo and softer tones. The music is proficient, but if there is…
Record Review: Evan Patterson — ‘My Dearest Dust’
There is an otherworldliness to the music of Evan Patterson, which has evolved well beyond his furtive forays into hardcore and noise-rock. Collaborating again here with Emma Ruth Rundle, who recently released a split with Patterson’s band Jaye Jayle, My Dearest Dust is a score to a short film of the same name. This is…
Record Review: Bungalow Betty — ‘Birthday Sandwich’
With Birthday Sandwich, the debut from dream poppers Bungalow Betty, the band exists in a haze of jangly indie. The eight tracks use chiming guitars and a host of available singers to flesh out their sound. While the guitars and vocals are enjoyable, the rhythm section really sets the band apart from the pack, melodically…
Record Review: Axel Roley — ‘Eve After Dark’
You can practically feel the presence of Vincent Price behind you, palpable by virtue of subtle, sampled shout-outs to his legacy. It’s that air of macabre whimsy that underscores, say, Thriller, that is present here, updated by producer Axel Roley’s grittier beats, and harsher language. It’s mostly an instrumental album, showcasing Roley’s talent behind the…
Best albums of 2017 (part three of three)
In 2017, artists had plenty to push up against in multiple directions, but it was more than just that. It would be unfair to say that everything had something to do with politics, though I hold to my previous statement that politics impacted every release in some way. Credit also goes to the talent of…
Julie Scoggins has a secret: ‘People are assholes’
Comedian Julie Scoggins is a motorcycle-loving, former long-haul truck-driving, Southerner. Raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, Scoggins bounced around a lot of her life: a sales rep for Frito-Lay, and then living with her husband on a boat in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. After moving back to the states, Scoggins tried stand-up comedy for the first…
Comic Book Reviews: ‘X-Men: Grand Design’ and ‘4 Kids Walk Into a Bank’
‘X-Men: Grand Design’ No. 1 Writer and artist Ed Piskor Review by Kyle Thompson, The Great Escape With so many people having a hand in the creation of a comic book, and so many different visions about what the end product should be, it’s kind of a miracle when it turns out to be great.…
How to eat without sinning in 2018
Happy New Year, everyone! Time for us all to purge ourselves of our bad eating and exercise habits and be healthful again for a couple of weeks. Join a gym. Buy a blender and start making smoothies with chia seeds and spinach. Swear off ranch dressing, and swear off red-velvet waffles. Consume only “lite” beer.…
The dirtiest word: Stop calling restaurants overpriced
I’m not opposed to offensive words. On a given day, I use the majority of them. Restaurant banter is strong, and the majority of my cooks fall into the “that cook” category. That cook — Noun (thAT kük): A degenerate with lack of respect for law, common decency or societal norm. Creative type. Outlaw. Rule…
The Farby isn’t Arby’s (in a good way)
I remember when I was young, maybe early teens, eating my first Arby’s beef and cheddar sandwich. I assumed it would be a classic Arby’s with a slice of cheese on top, but what I got was a sandwich drenched in thick, rich cheddar sauce that made me sick to my stomach. I would return…
Savage Love: Runners
Q: I married my high-school sweetheart at 17, had a baby, together a few years, mental illness and subsequent infidelity led to things ending. My ex-husband remarried, divorced again, and is now in another LTR. I’m in a LTR for a decade with my current partner (CP), we have a few kids, and I’m so…
A manifesto for 2018
Instead of a look back at 2017, because you would have to be legally insane to want to relive the nightmare, here’s what I want us to take into 2018: A healthy dose of skepticism with a shot of fortitude and a hope chaser. Believe love is the answer and manifest, cross your fingers and…
2018 on deck, the tarot cards say…
The ugly march of fascist, tiki torch-bearing, right-wing politics surfaced on American televisions and in our streets in 2017. Americans from the center and left responded. The division cost us lives. What is to happen to America? I don’t know, but when I have questions I look back on my witchy youth and pull out…
City life needs city gun laws
The state is about to converge on Frankfort for the General Assembly’s 60-day, “long session,” during which lawmakers will craft a two-year budget, debate pension reform and other issues. Mayor Greg Fischer and Louisville leaders should spend all of their time working for gun reform. In the past, Fischer has taken a more, some would…
