it's a one time thing, it just... happens a lot
december 2024
a bulleted recap due to my diminished form after ringing in the new year.
i felt ample love for Nashville this december. early in the month ALI SPERRY and co. delivered another joyful A SPERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS at the 5 Spot. ROSEANNE CASH sang a surprise number; JOE PISAPIA led the band in a song from one of the greatest Christmas albums of all time: his own. december 5th never felt more like the 25th.
SHANE PERRY (of THE MEDIUM) put together a homegrown bill at Random Sample, which culminated in a charming run-through of his forthcoming solo album. WILL MANN and Delaney Esper of SON OF THE CHALLENGER took the first and second slots respectively. And my own father, ROGER MOUTENOT, capped the YK Records 15-year anniversary holiday party at the 5 Spot, where he debuted two new absolute heaters and concluded with his Christmas original: “LETTER TO SANTA”.1 shout out to Michael Eades for assembling a really one-of-a-kind roster of artists over at yk records. that’s what i call a labor of love.
speaking of Nashville love. i wrote a humble guide to the nashville d.i.y. scene for a zine in NYC called GUNK. they should publish a longer version of the guide to their substack, GUNKYARD. check it out if you’re interested. i felt mostly unqualified but enthusiastic all the same. the important thing is: d.i.y. music is alive and well in Nashville.
the New Commute year-end roundup of albums is still hitting and sending me down rabbit holes in the North Carolina music scene (see: SLUICE). i can’t get over that NAP EYES album for all of its idiosyncrasies. and ARMLOCK continues to scratch the indelible PINBACK itch i never knew i had.
MJ LENDERMAN is finally coming to Nashville after postponing his show in October. i’ll be seeing him at Brooklyn Bowl on the 25th. hope to see you there.
my friends and i threw a new years eve party. it was fun. there was dancing. there was karaoke. here’s the playlist (without the night-of laundry-room audibles)
for the record (and so my friends don’t scold me for omitting it), i played bass