FRONTReviews > Readers and patrons of the business journal are invited to submit reviews (along with an optional photo) to news@vbFRONT.com. We’ve expanded our reviews to include books, music, art, performances, culinary— with a preference for local productions. Reviews must be original, include the author’s name and location, and should be brief, under 350 words.
The Thirllbillyz: Romp Rising
The Orchard (Ballantine Books, 2022) by Kristina Gorcheva-Newberry is based in part The Thrillbillyz, with Kerry Hurley's husky on her own life experiences. She left Russia vocals leading the charge, is a Roanoke Valley for college in the States almost 30 years ago icon of a band, consistently considered one as the Soviet Union morphed into a country of the best in the region. Hurley's other that offered more hope and freedom perhaps band, Fat Daddy, was recently named one than the past – but a degree of uncertainty of Roanoke's Top 10 and he is as versatile as well. Gorcheva-Newberry, who also as the new Thrillbillyz album "Romp Rising" spends time in Brooklyn (her mother lives suggests: blues, country, rock, funk—all of there) and in her native Russia, has written which are part of the romp here. The band's a no holds barred, sometimes raw account musicians include Mike Maycock and Bradley about coming of age, about dreamy summer Carr on guitars, Jim Rice on bass, Brett days at “Anya’s” vacation family dacha in the Reynolds on drums and Timbo Sims on country, about teenage boys and about the keyboards. They are joined on individual shortcomings of life in Soviet Russia. songs by people like the estimable Tom Ohmsen, David Ferguson, Billy Foster, It’s written with a real creative flourish Elmo Coles and Jerry Wood on this Flat Gorcheva-Newberry earned a Master’s of Five Studios recording. The CD is worth Fine Arts with a focus on creative writing the effort if all you hear are "Star City Blues" about a decade ago from Hollins University and "Franklin County Moonshine," but the – and it offers a glimpse perhaps into how album is a blast beginning to end. the average Russian deals with the foibles of its own government. Timely you might —Dan Smith say. The Orchard was inspired in part by Chekhov’s play The Cherry Orchard, where as in Gorcheva-Newberry’s first novel (she’s A glimpse into about done with a followup) a beloved family fruit orchard is threatened by societal and the Russian mindset class change in Russia. For those that want A Wytheville resident who emigrated from a glimpse into another world that sadly is Russia after the fall of the Iron Curtain and in the spotlight now because of the Ukraine “perestroika” took hold has written her first invasion, The Orchard is a worthwhile read. novel. It’s a coming of age story that also offers a glimpse into the Russian mindset. —Gene Marrano
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