Thomas Kozak & the Poets – Live Tonight – The Getaway River Bar – Asheville FM Live Music Sessions – Wednesday Dec 20th, 10-11pm 103.3FM – streaming www.ashevillefm.org

This week, we dig into the pre-trial hearings and jury selection for Ayla King, Stop Cop City movement’s first and only co-defendant so far to be granted a speedy trial. We’re joined by Silver, an on-the-ground correspondent among many in Atlanta focused on supporting the collective defense against the State of Georgia’s RICO indictment. Stay tuned for future coverage of the trials as they unfold.

We will be focusing on the pretrial proceedings of defendant Ayla King, who has bravely flexed their right to a speedy trial and whose case we will be following more in-depth when opening arguments begin on January 10th. To help us unpack some of the media and legal intricacies in this case we will hear from Jewel, a North Carolina based lawyer (member of NLG Mass Defense) followed by an interview with Matt from Atlanta Community Press Collective. Jewel will help us understand some of the strategy of exercising a right to speedy trial while Matt will speak as one of the only members of local media to actively cover jury selection. The full episode can be heard here.

First, some background to this case for listeners less familiar:

•  On August 29th the State of Georgia filed an indictment against 61 people in the movement to Stop Cop City and defend Weelaunee people’s park. The state alleges that music festival attendees and protestors engaged in racketeering, domestic terrorism, arson and money laundering– all as part of a so called mob conspiracy to halt construction of the massively unpopular expansion of police traning grounds in Southeast Atlanta– also known as Cop City.
• This indictment follows a years-long, powerful and popular struggle against the city of Atlanta and their Police Foundation’s attempts to build the 90 million dollar training grounds. The expansion of this site not only follows the widespread anti-police movements of 2020 but further bolsters US backed military training such the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange (aka GILEE) – a direct exhange program between Atlanta police and the Israeli Occupational Forces, who are currently waging genocide in the occupied Gaza strip of Palestine.
• We have experienced the unrelenting and escalating criminal charges (such as domestic terrorism charges for so called trespassing on public land, racketeering charges for mutual aid), raids of collective organizing and healing spaces, and even the assassination of a beloved comrade, Tortuguita. Not only have these atrocities failed to stop the movement against Cop City, but they have inspired renewed resistance and solidarity from across the country and across the world.

Announcements

Noise Demo on NYE at Buncombe Jail

If you’re around Asheville on Sunday, December 31^st, you’re invited by a coalition of abolitionist crews to attend the New Years Noise Demo, gathering at 7pm at the ampitheater at 630 Pack Square and to bring things for making some noise. The Asheville Community Bail Fund will be selling Certain Days Calendars and folks will also be bailing out and welcoming folks to start their new year outside the walls of the Buncombe County Detention Center. It’s a great event to meet folks and learn about local projects dreaming of and working towards a future without prisons! More at Blue Ridge ABC’s website.

If you’re in another area of Turtle Island, you can scan your social media for noise demos to participate in or make one up yourself. Often there’s a list of things to get involved in available at ItsGoingDown.Org

Anticapitalist Bookfair in Small Town Oregon

If you’re in the Corvallis, Oregon area in early January, the folks organizing the Heart of the Valley Anti-Capitalist Bookfair have announced their programming and entertainment schedule for events January 19^th to 21^st. A few of our past guests on The Final Straw are listed there if you want to brush up on the topics. More info at Hotvbookfair.noblogs.org

Eric King in Halfway House

Anarchist and antifascist prisoner, Eric King, has been released to a halfway house as he finishes the last portion of his nearly-decade-long incarceration. You can donate to his post-release fundraiser via his GoFundMe, read updates and words from Eric at SupportEricKing.org or on Instagram

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Featured Tracks:

• Take It To Trial by Young Thug, Yak Gotti & Gunna (instrumental sample)
• Freedoom by Upchuck from Bite The Hand That Feeds

Airing Saturdays at 11 am, Brown Mtn. Lights  is a free form show that spans the musical horizon featuring folk, jazz, Americana, rock, early blues and beyond.  We look for songs with a deep emotional impact, like the magic of nature itself.

This year, we heard many amazing releases. Now that the music world is in post-pandemic recording and touring mode, the flood of great music is postively overwhelming. We rarely repeat spins, on principle, so it was hard to narrow down this year’s most interesting records, but here are some gems that we really dig this year:

Fire! Orchestra: Echoes [Rune Grammofon]

The newest release from the mind blowing and huge [43 person] mostly Scandinavian ensemble led by saxophonist Mats Gustafsson features 80+ minutes of explosive music. Blending rock, jazz, avant garde and classical, Fire! Orchestra pulls all the punches. Free jazz legend Joe McPhee makes a submerged guest appearance on a stand-out track, I see your eye Pt. 2.  Whatever you call this music…..it is thrilling and all-encompassing.

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Kaze & Ikue Mori: Crustal Movement [Libra Records]

While the pandemic does seem to be in the rear view mirror, this album emerged sort of miraculously from it. Featuring 2022 MacArthur Genius recipient and no-wave and all around experimental music legend, Ikue Mori on electronics, drummer Peter Orins and pianist Satoko Fujii, this album is a sonic adventure.  With sections offering incredible dynamics, space and anarchy, it’s a great testament to the abilities of these musicians to work in the challenging conditions of the pandemic to assemble these improvisations remotely into something rather amazing.

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Nightbeats: Rajan [Suicide Squeeze Records]

Danny Lee “Rajan” Blackwell leads this Texan-born, Seattle-based, guitar-drenched psychedelic band on their 5th album. This one features a touch of Indian sounds blended with elements of The Seeds, early Stones and maybe a sprinkle of Graham Parsons.  The Brown Mountain Lights creative crew all [1 of us] approve of this happy mix.

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Josephine Foster: Domestic Sphere [Fire Records]

With a quivering voice like a theremin on a windy prairie, Foster’s music evokes the lonely landscape.  Soothing but also unsettling, like a midday dream.  Her newest record is very stripped down, but she fills the space with the occasional gathered sound and floating lyrics that are….well….haunting: “Darling I am a haunted house / All earthly things are snares, you see / Take the breath from my mouth / Ease the door, now let me be / For / I am a haunted house / There is no light in me ”  

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Hayden Pedigo: The Happiest Times I Ever Ignored [Mexican Summer]

Fans of the primitive guitar work of John Fahey or newer purveyors of the form, like William Tyler, might check out this 29 year old’s newest record. Anything from the Mexican Summer label typically catches our ears, and this one shows the incredible promise of Pedigo’s guitar work. He’s one to watch….

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Desire Marea: On the Romance of Being [Mute]

South African queer performer, actor, and trained spiritual healer Buyani Duma performs under the stage name, Desire Marea.  Their 2nd album employs a 13 member ensemble and combines house, gospel, Zulu tribal and so much more into an indescribable social and artistic statement. The must see and daring video to the album’s frenetic centerpiece, “Be Free” encapsulates how Desire Marea courageously represents the past, present and future of Afro-pop, and maybe just all pop.

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The Nude Party: Rides On [New West Records]

Boone, NC-born, New York-based psych-folk/ country-rockers have caught an unassuming groove on their third full-length and self-produced record.  What if the Velvets and the Stones took a trip into the desert with Sky Saxon behind the wheel of a 70’s shag carpeted van?  Ride on…..

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Bonnie Prince Billy: Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You [Drag City]

Like some kind of weird orange wine aged in an underground cask, Will Oldham’s music has a peculiar presence on the palate; invigorating with obscure floral notes, and…..just a little vinegar.  His newest, and 21st record under the BPB moniker, has unforgettable lines that come straight at you like mini sermons from a front-porch prophet.  Consider “Trees of Hell: “The trees have come to take back what wе took away from them / We yanked thеir roots, claimed their branches, pulled them limb from limb / We stole and violated all that would have been shared swift / We saw inherent harmony, assumed it was our gift” This is one of his best records.

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Hauschka: Philanthropy [City Slang]

His newest album after winning an Oscar for the soundtrack for last year’s remake of All Quiet on the Western Front, Hauschka is Volker Bertelmann‘s prepared piano project.  Getting the most out of both the percussive and string aspects of the piano, Philanthropy is a mostly positive minimalist record with titles that highlight humanity’s best attributes. My favorite is the propulsive opener, “Diversity.” An inspiring record that goes great with reading, running, walking, sitting, talking, cooking, eating, listening, etc”

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Cable Ties: All Her Plans [Merge Records]

A great fist pumping record from Australia that proves that punk’s central attributes are timeless and essential.  The third album from the Melbourne trio led by Jenny McKechnie features some great anthems to our most crucial issues – from mental health and addiction, to trusting others and….well….the basic need for love.  Check out the great mix of angry fire and devotion in “Time for You.” This is a great band.