Music Features


Avett Brothers: Young and not in the way Published on Oct 23rd, 2012 0 comments Just a little over a year after they last performed for a sellout crowd, the Avett Brothers returned to Charlottesville's nTelos Wireless Pavilion on a perfect fall night, Friday the 19th of October...
Counting platinum: After a decade, Crows return to town Published on Oct 20th, 2012 2 comments “You owe your audience a really passionate concert every night, so I want to come out and play my a— off,” says Adam Duritz, front man for Counting Crows, a fixture in the alternative rock scene for...
Blue Pavilion: Photos from last night's Jack White concert Published on Sep 28th, 2012 3 comments The critically acclaimed musician, Jack White, often frowns on photography at his shows, but he allowed access for acclaimed Central Virginia photographer Milo Farineau for the Thursday, September 27...
Need a myth? Okkervil River's Sheff probably has one Published on Aug 17th, 2012 5 comments "There's an aspect to religion and stuff like that," says songwriter and vocalist Will Sheff, "that simply is just really beautiful stories that tell some kind of truth that's so deep and cloudy that...
Exterior outlets: Stirratt explains why Wilco rocks on Published on Jul 7th, 2012 1 comments Over the past couple decades, few bands have been as consistently successful as Wilco, who have managed without a steady lineup or even a regular sound. Starting off as an alt-country act, Wilco...
Mix and run: Death Cab finds new formula in Codes and Keys Published on Jun 29th, 2012 0 comments Death Cab for Cutie has one of indie rock's great success stories. The act started in the late 1990s as Ben Gibbard and a cassette recorder but soon became a full band signed to the young and nearby...
Image-unconcious: tUnE-yArDs moves past the body Published on May 23rd, 2012 0 comments In 2011, tUnE-yArDs received the album of the year award for w h o k i l l in the Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop poll, which compiles the votes of about 700 music writers. Primary figure...
Big lessons: Candid Doughty offers sa-sa-something Published on Apr 28th, 2012 1 comments The man who sings about his reticence in "Na Na Nothing" turns out to have plenty to say– or at least write about. If fans haven't always been privy to intimate stories from Mike Doughty, they'...
Super 'Tramp': Van Etten laughs a lot more than you'd think Published on Apr 10th, 2012 0 comments "I’m not trying to fancy things up too much," says Sharon Van Etten with a laugh. “I’m just a girl in a sweater and jeans playing songs with my friends." It’s a humble understatement for a woman...
Alt approach: Sons throw a change-up in Sirens Published on Mar 14th, 2012 2 comments For a band rooted in tradition, Charlottesville-based alt-country act Sons of Bill have taken an unusual path to their new album and upcoming set of shows. Not only did they change their approach to...
Interview: Shelby Lynne speaks her f-ing mind Published on Oct 28th, 2011 54 comments "I'm a strong fcking btch," says Shelby Lynne. And that's not all she wants to clarify. Although raised in Alabama and possessing an admitted southern accent, she says she's not country. For sure,...
Duo interview: Inside the sweet harmony of the Civil Wars Published on Oct 13th, 2011 3 comments In a way, Joy Williams and John Paul White owe their success to uncertainty. Williams had stepped away from her career as a Christian artist and White had seen his debut album for Capitol get hung up...
My Morning Jacket & Avett Brothers Published on Oct 4th, 2011 0 comments Other recent rock shows that have drawn Daly and his camera their way include the August 24 nTelos Wireless Pavilion appearance of My Morning Jacket and the Septemer 15 performance of the Avett...
Jicks joined by West... and even a Dead cover Published on Oct 4th, 2011 3 comments College rock icon and UVA grad Stephen Malkmus brought his Jicks (his band) and his buddy and former bandmate Steve West (born in Charlottesville) to the stage of the Jefferson Theater September 30...
Interview: Behind the curtain with Stephen Malkmus Published on Sep 22nd, 2011 3 comments Stephen Malkmus needs no introduction in this town. A former UVA student, he co-founded the influential indie band Pavement in 1989 as a studio project that developed such a rabid following that it...
Bong passers: Wavves the new John Williams? Published on Sep 16th, 2011 9 comments Wavves is the brainchild of Nathan Williams, a San Diego stoner specializing in punk rock best suited for smoking and skateboarding. His first two albums were buzzed-about solo records put together...
We're going to need a bigger bulb: An interview with Pretty Lights [plus: free tickets!] Published on Sep 12th, 2011 3 comments Colorado-based electronic musician Derek Vincent Smith is putting a fresh face on the term "vintage" with his project, Pretty Lights. Even if he's been producing hip-hop influenced beats and heavily...
Swagged Out: Peyton Tochterman's 'A New World' Published on Sep 5th, 2011 3 comments At times, Peyton Tochterman's new album really doesn't even sound like a Peyton Tochterman album. This would be sort of an odd thing to suggest for any musician, but especially so with the...
Rock Gods: Sermons From The Hold Steady's Craig Finn Published on Aug 26th, 2011 0 comments Ever since their breakthrough album Separation Sunday, the Hold Steady have written songs examining characters in difficult situations (addiction, sex problems, dangerous communities) stumbling their...
Berlin bound: Sproule and Curreri head for Europe Published on Aug 22nd, 2011 1 comments Over the past decade, folk musicians Paul Curreri and Devon Sproule have been key figures in the Charlottesville music scene, but after a late August farewell concert, the married couple will move to...
More Tim and Dave... Published on Aug 21st, 2011 0 comments Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds played to a packed Pavilion last night, with people also lined up on the Belmont Bridge, perched on balconies, and standing on the Mall beyond the gates. Indeed, the...
Six strings: Ben Chasny chooses guitar over philosophy Published on Aug 7th, 2011 3 comments As Six Organs of Admittance, Ben Chasny has mixed acoustic guitar influences like Leo Kottke with unusual sounds and Eastern drones, though he's also gone into other genres, such as psychedelic rock...
City Slickers: California Dreaming with Dawes Published on Jul 18th, 2011 1 comments "The best rock 'n' roll is never preconceived," says Dawes frontman Taylor Goldsmith. This is hard to swallow coming from a guy whose handsome band hails from Los Angeles, one of the most...
Hometown favorites: This Parachute floats upward Published on May 27th, 2011 1 comments Arguably the most successful ensemble to break out of Charlottesville since Dave Matthews Band, Parachute– aka the group formerly known as Sparky's Flaw– returns home with friends in high...
Homecoming: Making a map of Mariana Bell Published on Apr 29th, 2011 0 comments As an Australian-born, Charlottesville-raised, New York-trained artist who's moved to Los Angeles, Mariana Bell knows the effect that location can have on her work. "There's some truth to the...
Dance the blues away: Doobie Brothers keep the music rolling Published on Apr 27th, 2011 0 comments At this point in their career, the Doobie Brothers have two interrelated sets of fans– the gracefully aging rockers who remember lazy summer days in the 1970s and '80s frolicking by a river,...
Variety hour: Manorlady keeps debut all in the family Published on Apr 19th, 2011 0 comments Manorlady Family Band is just that– a veritable family affair– with the main components consisting of husband and wife Melissa and Aaron Bailey on vocals and guitar and Melissa's younger...
Laughing Lucinda: She talks of marriage and kitchen tapes Published on Apr 15th, 2011 0 comments After a few decades of working at a measured pace, Lucinda Williams has suddenly become relatively prolific. This burst has led to the release of one of her finest albums, this year's Blessed (...
Hey diddle, diddle! Old Calf channels nursery rhymes Published on Apr 14th, 2011 0 comments For local folky Americana quartet Old Calf (the name reflects the conglomeration of founding members Ned Oldham and Matty Metcalfe), the inspiration for their newest release, the instrument-...
Beleza, but not Brazil: Funkalicious duo finds its rhythm Published on Apr 12th, 2011 0 comments When they brought their delicious and danceable Brazilian-inspired samba, blues, and funk to Charlottesville in the mid 2000s, husband and wife duo Madeline and Humberto Sales of Beleza Brazil were...