The swift guitar stylings of Hiroya Tsukamoto are the result of his discovery of the banjo, and a childhood love of bluegrass comes through in his playing, which includes takes on folk, jazz, and traditional Japanese music. As a teen, Tsukamoto worked tirelessly to perfect his craft, and it paid off in 2000 when he […]
With Life Changes, Thomas Rhett delivers a collection of fearless rock and country vibes in a reflective ode to things lost and found. Growing up in the music scene, Rhett seemed destined to follow in the footsteps of his country singer dad, but found himself fostering the success of his peers, penning tunes for acts such […]
Acoustic-folk extraordinaire Frank Turner is an expert at traversing artistic and geographic borders. He was born in Bahrain before moving to England where he studied alongside classmate Prince William (and picked punk over posh traditionalism). Following the dissolution of his hardcore group Million Dead, Turner focused his energies on a singer-songwriter career. He attributes the […]
Self-taught instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile broke out in 2007 with her second album, The Story, and a career built on bright folk-pop was launched. Eleven years later, Carlile’s sixth studio release, By the Way, I Forgive You, is a deeply personal record that grapples with loss, forgiveness, queer motherhood, and spirituality. Boston indie-folk quartet Darlingside […]
What a difference a decade makes. Ten years ago, the housing bubble had burst, the hottest area in real estate was foreclosures, and the Downtown Mall was littered with vacancies. Today, the county development scene is “white hot,” according to Albemarle Director of Community Development Mark Graham, and in the city, Director of Economic Development […]
‘United by beer’ City boosters and brewmasters have come together to blaze the Charlottesville Ale Trail, a two-mile stretch they’re calling the premier urban and pedestrian beer trail in Virginia. The six stops along the way are Random Row Brewing Co., Brasserie Saison, South Street Brewery, Champion Brewing Company, Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen & Brewery, […]
Country twang that hops and sways, soul that trembles and soars—these descriptors make up two halves of an imaginative whole. Americana duo Birds of Chicago got their start with a leap of faith, when JT Nero and Allison Russell paused their individual music endeavors to celebrate their 2013 self-titled debut. Home is on the road […]
For some artists, hitting the road is synonymous with coming home. The Brooklyn-based quartet Yarn, which recently planted its bluegrass roots in North Carolina, has notched more than a thousand shows across the country. It even has a Grammy nomination stapled to its name, and has shared the stage with both Alison Krauss and The […]
Casey Horn is growing old, and with age comes a whole lot of trouble—between his mother’s poor taste in men, his younger brother’s out-of-this-world obsession, and the neighbor girl’s frustrating lack of interest, he’s finding that life isn’t exactly grand. The Secret Rain follows Casey as he navigates these obstacles with the help of Audrey […]
Any artist that opts to start off a track with the words, “Pour me another drink and punch me in the face” certainly has no shortage of spunk. Josh Tillman, who famously deemed himself Father John Misty, has taken to the road in celebration of his recent LP, God’s Favorite Customer. Misty delivers hypnotizing indie […]