Ghosts of Monday will be released January 23, 2023. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Because any day is a good day for a horror movie: Acclaimed actor Julia Sands stars in The Ghosts of Monday, an unnerving new horror experience from filmmaker Francesco Cinquemani (Eye For An Eye). It will be available on digital, blu-ray, and DVD starting January 23, 2023. (The Ghosts of Monday, 2022)
Mark Huberman (Vikings Valhalla) stars as a television director who becomes embroiled in a supernatural conspiracy after traveling to Cyprus to make a tv pilot about a haunted hotel. Julian Sands (Warlock), Marianna Rosset (Survive or Sacrifice), Elva Trill (Jurassic World: Dominion) and Anthony Skordi (Onassis) also appear in the frightening profusion of suspense and scares.
The Gibson Brothers announce upcoming album Darkest Hour, due out January 27, 2023. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
The Gibson Brothersare the real deal. They can pick. They can sing. And they can write a damn good country song. Country Music Hall of Famer Tom T. Hall was always an early supporter, encouraging their writing, and predicting success. They have won about every bluegrass award you can name and released albums on almost every premier Americana label you can think of including Sugar Hill and Rounder. Their songs have been recorded by bluegrass legends no less than Del McCoury. It is a resume almost anybody in country music would be proud to have. Despite all of this, The Gibson Brothers are not yet household names. Their latest album, Darkest Hour, produced by dobro master Jerry Douglas, might just change that. It is due out January 27, 2023. (The Gibson Brothers, 2022)
Kicking off with a flurry of traditional bluegrass excellence, The Gibson Brothers’ new single Dust is more than a just statement of musicianship. It is the whole package; world-class picking, clear and refined vocals, and rock-solid songwriting. An ode to leaning into down-and-out—“Left in the dust” by ex-lover— Dust puts a clever, positive spin on being left behind. “Me and dust, we do fine.” Dust is the first track The Gibson Brothers have shared from their upcoming album Darkest Hour. Produced by dobro king Jerry Douglas, Darkest Hour represents the purest form of Leigh, Eric, and the band’s stage show, with a room full of exceptional musicians.
Darkest Hour spans from trad-grass to country-soul and back again, utilizing classically bluegrass instruments as well as electric guitars and drums to craft a sound fit for the songs it surrounds. While The Gibson Brothers have achieved a level of success doing things their way, and that is not going to change, those who know—their peers that voted them to two Entertainers of the Year Awards, and their famed crop of producers—know just how talented these guys are and just how much they deserve for DarkestHour to take The Gibson Brothers to a whole new level.
Fans can purchase or stream Dust today at and pre-order or pre-saveDarkest Hour ahead of its January release.
Darkest Hour track list: 1. What A Difference A Day Makes 2. Heart’s Desire 3. So Long Mama 4. I Feel The Same Way As You 5. Shut Up and Dance 6. I Go Driving 7. My Darkest Hour 8. Who’s Gonna Want A Heart Like Mine 9. One Minute Of You (Song For Annie Gray) 10. Your Eyes Say His Name 11. Dust 12. This Good Day
itzel2thec is a freestyle music artist. His new album L C is available now. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
For fans of freestyle music and hip hop, there is itzl2thec and he has a new album out.
Itzl2thec is a freestyle music artist from Austell, Georgia who has been recording since he was 14 years old. His music library is available on several platforms including YouTube, SoundCloud, TikTok, and ArtistRack. His new album is titled L C. (itzl2thec, 2022)
L C track list: Careful (feat. Mfast) I Pace I Go Coated Knew You Would Feel Me (feat. Mfast) Silver Foxx
All Out by Kallahronh. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Killahronh is an 80s baby familiar with the Golden Era of Hip Hop, yet on the cusp of Millennialism. He started as a drummer in a few indie rock, and Hip Hop bands, to Podcasting, and ultimately becoming the CEO for the Drodian™️ brand; trademarking and defining its motto as: POSITIVITY, ENLIGHTENMENT, TALENT, ACTION & QUALITY. His style of song creation has been defined as multi-faceted, thought provoking, and smooth. He represents the collective known as the DRODIANS. A group of unique individuals who use their talents and their brands to help make the DRODIAN™️ brand a household name. (Killahronh, 2022)
All Out by Killahronh is streaming exclusively on Tidal and on iTunes.
All Out track list: All out Intro Urgency (feat. URG7) All out Bleach Survivor Somethin’ ain’t Right (feat. Pause) All out M&M Cookie Predator Hit the Ac All out Airport Predator Perspective (feat. Dios Negasi) All out Before Man Walked Honda Civic (feat. Kinewa) All out Crazy Trauma Flashback Buy the Ticket Take the Ride All Outro
Killahronh’s All Around The World is available for streaming. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Killahronh is an 80s baby familiar with the Golden Era of Hip Hop, yet on the cusp of Millennialism. He started as a drummer in a few indie rock, and Hip Hop bands, to Podcasting, and ultimately becoming the CEO for the Drodian™️ brand; trademarking and defining its motto as: POSITIVITY, ENLIGHTENMENT, TALENT, ACTION & QUALITY. His style of song creation has been defined as multi-faceted, thought provoking, and smooth. He represents the collective known as the DRODIANS. A group of unique individuals who use their talents and their brands to help make the DRODIAN™️ brand a household name.
All Around the World by Killahronh is a body of work with catchy songs. It is available on Tidal, Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, iTunes, and more.
All Around the World track list: Around the World Better Than Me Never Enough (feat. Mayaya) Legendary Moves (feat. Coulter) Drodian Universe President 1 The Glow Up Earthquakes Like Tyler and Drake (feat. Jiz Jones) Blacklisted (feat. Dios Negasi) Golden Ticket Drodian Universe President 2 Oblivious (feat. Jiz Jones) Scared of Success (feat. Tony Tig) Playing My Song (feat. Emily Coy)
Good Shepherds is available on Tubi and Amazon Prime Video. Photo: Google
Narrated by Dr. Jane Goodall and featuring the Vienna Boys Choir, Good Shepherds is a visual masterpiece for the holiday season by director Curt Faudon. It is available now free on Tubi and to buy or rent on Amazon Prime Video. (Good Shepherds, 2022)
The Vienna Boys Choir, alongside narrator Dr. Jane Goodall, present a gripping, deeply emotional, and stunning mix of holiday and herding music from Ireland, Laponia, Kenya, Norway, Palestine, and Austria. It features a haunting blend of classical arias and motets: 22 pieces of inspiring music selected from Handel’s Messiah, Heinrich Schutz, Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, George Frideric Handel, and Jean Lheritier, as well as carols and animal calls with traditional herdsmen and women and nature’s very own music. Five years in the making, the stunning photography and visual enhancements create a mesmerizing tapestry of color and images.
Good Shepherds is an appeal to act as “good shepherds“ towards each other and our environment. The Vienna Boys Choir meets with internationally acclaimed musicians and with real – traditional – herdsmen and women in Lapland, Ireland, Palestine, Norway, and Kenya to perform together. Narrated by primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall.
Boomerang Town will be released February 17, 2023. ‘Missing Someone’ is the first single. Photo: Google
Songwriter and musician Jaimee Harris started writing “Missing Someone” as a silly little love song to her long-distance partner. “Instead of sending each other postcards or letters, we wrote each other love songs and sent voice memos to each other,” she recalls. The deeper she got into the writing process, the more the song morphed with her life experiences and her strengthening relationship with her partner, venerable folk songwriter Mary Gauthier. “Missing Someone” is the first single from Harris’ upcoming sophomore effort, Boomerang Town—out February 17 via Thirty Tigers. Boomerang Town marks a bold step forward for this country-folk-leaning singer-songwriter. It is an arresting, ambitious song-cycle that explores the generational arc of family, the stranglehold of addiction, and the fragile ties that bind us together as Americans. (Jaimee Harris, 2022)
Folk Alley premiered “Missing Someone,” writing, “Jaimee Harris has been making waves with her emotive, stirringly honest songwriting that walks the often thin line between folk and country. Whatever you want to call it, it rides on the smooth instrument of Harris’ vocals and her courageous storytelling lyricism.” The song’s accompanying video is part of a series of music videos for the entire Boomerang Town album—all made by fellow musicians. Neilson Hubbard and Joshua Britt directed the “Missing Someone” video. It features a lively cast of characters including the aforementioned Gauthier as an aerobic instructor and Harris sporting red, heart-shaped shades that fit the mood just right.
Fans can have their first taste of Boomerang Town by streaming or purchasing “Missing Someone” at this link, watch the music video here, and pre-order or pre-saveBoomerang Town ahead of its February 17 release right here.
It was from the intersection of social, personal, and political currents that the new album was born. While much of the material on Boomerang Town was inspired by personal experience, the songs on this collection are far from autobiographical xeroxed copies. More than anything, they come from a place of emotional truth.
Catch Jaimee Harris on tour: January 5 – Winter Haven, FL – Gram Parsons Derry Down* January 6 – Sarasota, FL – Fogartyville Community Media Arts Center* January 7 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Broward Center for the Performing Arts* January 8 – Gainesville, FL – Heartwood Soundstage* January 10 – St. Augustine, FL – Cafe Eleven* January 11 – Tallahassee, FL – Purple House Concerts* January 13-15 – Seaside, FL – 30A Songwriters Festival January 18 – Mobile, AL – The People’s Room January 20 – LaGrange, GA – Pure Life House of Music January 26 – Little Rock, AR – White Water Tavern^ January 27 – Tulsa, OK – Mercury Lounge January2 8 – McAlester, OK – Spaceship Earth Coffee February 1-3 – Kansas City, MO – Folk Alliance International February 19 – Santa Monica, CA – McCabe’s February 23 – San Francisco, CA – KC Turner’s House Concert
* Supporting Mary Gauthier ^ With Bonnie Montgomery
A New Year’s Eve concert at JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa in Sonora is just one option for ringing in the new year. Photo: JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa, used with permission.
It is time to start making plans for the biggest party of the year: New Year’s Eve. If you are in the San Antonio area, or plan to be, here are three ideas to get you ready to ring in the new year. JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa in Sonora, Texas is hosting a concert, Carriqui at the Pearl will debut its New Year’s Eve House Party, and Thompson – San Antonio Riverwalk is celebrating the New Year in style with an epic firework show at the iconic rooftop restaurant & bar, The Moon’s Daughters. So whether you want to celebrate with a concert, at a party, or with fireworks atop a rooftop restaurant, get ready to party in style. (JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa, Carriqui, The Moon’s Daughters; 2022)
On Saturday, December 31, guests of JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa will dust off their cowboy boots, raise a glass, and celebrate the coming of 2023 with a night to remember. The concert will begin with an opening set by local Texas band, Jukebox Preachers. Nashville powerhouse and country music star Aaron Tippin will then take the stage to wrap up 2022:
Doors/Bar Open: 6:30p.m.
Performance Times:
Jukebox Preachers, 7:30p.m.
Aaron Tippin, m.
Ticket Options:
General Admission Ticket: $75 per person
VIP Private Table (8 tickets included + 2 drink tickets per person): $1,500
For those enjoying a concert together with an overnight stay, guests can embrace the true Texas lifestyle with horseback riding, cowboy cookouts, ATV adventures, trail and bike riding, archery, and more. Guests can book their weekend stay online.
To help grant more music lovers the opportunity to attend, JL Bar has also partnered with surrounding hotels offering availability and will be providing shuttles to/from Sonora:
Quality Inn, Sonora Location – $100-110/night**
Shuttle Services to and from Sonora: $20 per person
Shuttles depart Quality Inn at 4:15pm and 6:00pm
Holiday Inn Express, Junction Location – $100/night**
Shuttle Services to and from Junction: $30 per person
Shuttles depart Holiday Inn Express at 4:00pm
**Mention the JL Bar Resort for quoted rate, limited rooms per location, first come basis.
Potluck Hospitality is excited to announce that Carriqui (239 E. Grayson St) will debut its New Year’s Eve House Party on December 31, 2022. In addition to standard dinner service (last seating at 9p.m.), the house party will kick off at 10p.m. and run until 2a.m. In anticipation of 2023, Carriqui is taking inspiration from the building’s past as Boehler’s Garden. Fifty years ago, the historic building that is now Carriqui was owned and operated by Aubrey Kline and his brothers. Kline was affectionately known as “Mr. Pearl,” entertaining and hobnobbing with movie stars, politicians, and dignitaries. Upon his retirement from Pearl in 1972, he turned his attention to making Boehler’s Garden the place for a good time.
Carriqui’s NYE House Party turns up the volume on good times and pays homage to the 1970s (period attire encouraged, but not required). Tickets are $25 each and can be purchased through Tock. The experience includes live music from beloved local favorites Buttercup and DJ Steven Lee Moya, appetizer stations, a champagne toast at midnight and breakfast tacos as a parting gift.
For the second year in a row, Thompson San Antonio – Riverwalk is celebrating the New Year in style with an epic firework show at the iconic rooftop restaurant & bar, The Moon’s Daughters. This year’s theme is “Celestial Ball,” paying tribute to the Goddess of the Moon, Celine. Perched on the 20th floor of the hotel floating high above the River Walk, The Moon’s Daughters dazzles with views of the twinkling city lights of the San Antonio skyline. Guests will dance the night away with celebrity performer DJ JAX, who has spun for the Latin Grammy’s WMC, UMF, and many other festivals and has recently opened for the Chainsmokers.
Several Table Packages, named after the hotel’s monthly cosmic night series, will range from $400 to $100,000; the ultimate experience includes flights and a three-night stay at any other Hyatt property in the world. From Cosmic to The Universe, select from the VIP packages to enjoy an open bar, champagne, spirits, and magnum bottles to toast the New Year.
From 10p.m. to 2a.m., the night promises to bring unforgettable firework views, a stellar atmosphere, and a celebrity DJ to match. Tickets are available for purchase on Eventbrite.
Rickshaw Girl is available to stream now. Photo: Amazon
Mitali Perkins writes novels for young people, including “You Bring the Distant Near,” (nominated for the National Book Award) “Rickshaw Girl,” (NYPL best 100 Book for children in the past 100 years), “Bamboo People,” (ALA Top 10 YA novel) and “Tiger Boy.” (South Asia Book Award winner) Her newest is “The Story of Us,” a picture book from Beaming Books, and a nonfiction book for adults, “Steeped in Stories: Timeless Children’s Novels to Refresh our Tired Souls,” published by Broadleaf. “Rickshaw Girl” is the critically acclaimed story of a young, artistic Bangladeshi girl who bravely defies tradition in order to support her family through hard times. It was adapted into an award-winning film and is available for streaming on Amazon Video and Apple iTunes, from Filmhub and Sleeperwave Films. (Rickshaw Girl, 2022)
In the movie adaptation, Novera Rahman portrays the teenage Naima who, after her father, a rickshaw driver, gets sick and cannot work, is determined to do whatever it takes to help out the family. She is a talented artist and her father encourages her gift but it is not financially rewarding. His rickshaw is repossessed because he has been unable to report to work and her mother loses her job when she is accused of stealing a cellphone. When Naima’s mother dashes her dreams of being an artist, it sends the frustrated teen off to the big city, determined to earn money for the family’s survival. At first she gets a job as a housekeeper but the conditions are so bad she leaves after one day. Out of options, she disguises herself as a boy to get a job as a rickshaw driver using the skills her father taught her. Her creative drive has her sneaking every opportunity to paint and her vivid artwork comes to life in beautifully animated form, along with hope that her emergence as an artist will be her true salvation.
Life’s harsh reality can be tough on anyone, especially children and teenagers. Rickshaw Girl does an exemplary job of combining the grittiness of the big city with the beauty of Naima’s paintings, which proves that beauty can be found in the most desolate of places. This coming of age movie touches on the topics of family pride, female empowerment, and self esteem/respect while sharing the Bangladeshi culture. While it is reminiscent of Mulan, friendship, hardships, and familial responsibilities are elements of the human condition that are similar across cultures and languages. Most importantly, it stresses the importance of never giving up on your dreams, even if you have to temporarily set them aside. It is a positive, uplifting movie recommended for teenagers and adults alike.
** Thank you to October Coast for an advanced screening.
Anika Savoy’s ‘The Ghost in Her’ will be released January 3, 2023. Photo: Amazon
Anika Savoy is an award-winning author and attorney who has always felt a supernatural pull. A healthy skeptic, she cannot deny her near-death experience and the shift it made in her life and writing. She attended McGill University and graduated with distinction in 1988 with a B.A. in English Literature. While at McGill, she won several creative writing contests. Thereafter, she wrote three historical romance novels. In 1998, Anika changed course and pursued her lifelong dream of becoming an attorney. She graduated from University of Cincinnati, College of Law with Dean’s Honors in 2001 and practiced law for almost 20 years. Now, Anika returns to her first love: writing historical romances. She strives to add paranormal elements that take readers into a fairy tale universe where ghosts and witches exist, and happy endings abound. In “The Ghost In Her,” the first in Anika Savoy’s Ungilded Series, she delivers a paranormal historical romance book that revolves around themes of class disparity and feminism. “The Ghost in Her, Ungilded: Book One,” will be released January 3, 2023 and is available for pre-order on Amazon and other fine retailers. (Anika Savoy, 2022)
“The Ghost in Her” – introduces readers to Maggie O’Connor, who comes from a long line of Irish female seers. She does not want to see ghosts, but there is nothing she can do to stop them from following her around New York City in the late 1800s. When her sister’s baby is kidnapped, she and her employer’s handsome son race to rescue the child. First, however, Maggie must escape from the madhouse she is sentenced to on Blackwell Island. Will the ghosts help her win in a battle where the obstacles seem insurmountable?
“The first book of Anika Savoy’s Ungilded Series, ‘The Ghost in Her,’ is a dark, immersive fairy tale, dusted with Gothic whimsy. It is a story for the romantic and the history buff, a rich page-turner that forces us to consider the ongoing social ills that, to this day, continue to haunt us.” Mike Robinson, award-winning author of The Enigma of Twilight Falls Trilogy
Savoy is an avid explorer and researcher. She spent time on Blackwell Island, known as Roosevelt Island today, investigating the location of the former asylum, as well as researching the Bowery of New York, and exploring her own family’s history for inspiration. Elements of the supernatural, Gothic horror, and mystery make the book a genre-bender that promises to entice fans of Harper Lin’s Southern Sleuth Series or Christina Skye’s Draycott Abbey Series.
“I’ve always had an interest in the supernatural. While I’m a healthy skeptic, I can’t deny the real otherworldly encounters I’ve had, including a near-death experience. This is what has fueled my writing, and what I hope helps deliver a plausible reading adventure to people in my new Ungilded Series.” – Anika Savoy
SA Examiner 