Alternative four-piece Swimming With Bears is on a mission. The Austin-based group has been tirelessly honing its groovy sound since releasing its self-titled debut EP in 2016. Energy and style, from smooth lead guitar riffs to driven bass lines held steady by slick rhythms, are the keys to SWB’s feel-good soul. The new single “French […]
With a blend of American folk and styles rooted in Latin America, Calexico, named for the southern border town in California, has a distinctive, playful sound. Vocalist/guitarist Joey Burns and John Convertino use Tex-Mex indie rock to approach current issues through melodies and lyrics. The band’s impassioned ninth album, The Thread That Keeps Us, is […]
The woman whose accusations jailed former Food Lion manager Mark Weiner for two and a half years before he was released, and led to the defeat of then-commonwealth’s attorney Denise Lunsford in 2015 was in court April 27. Chelsea Steiniger accused Michael Mills, the father of her two children, of punching her on February 15. […]
By Jeanne Nicholson Siler April showers have finally brought May flowers, but any time it’s precipitating at the Charlottesville Albemarle Airport, some passengers boarding or leaving airplanes will have a dry passage—at least part of the way. The airport purchased four portable jet bridges—covered ramps—earlier this year to eliminate the movable steps between a plane […]
Spring cleaning As the weather warms, more people are outside and noticing just how trashy our scenic highways are. That’s when local groups that have adopted a highway under the Virginia Department of Transportation don their orange blaze vests and go clean up after their filthy neighbors. Groups that volunteer are asked to take care […]
By Natalie Jacobsen A tale of two incidents at the University of Virginia School of Law library has prompted the administration to restrict access to students-only for the exam period, which ends May 11. On April 18, Charlottesville’s embattled whites-righter, Jason Kessler, entered the school’s library and plopped down in a central location to do […]
Known as a band that details its personal evolution and society’s ills through the somber delivery of cryptic lyrics, The National is often pigeonholed as brooding and melancholy. But its obsessive fanbase, officially named Cherry Tree, finds optimism, hidden messages and even tattoos (of lyrics) in the euphoric undercurrent of the group’s music. Tracks on […]
Billed as a “musical lovingly ripped off from the motion picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” Spamalot parodies the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table using British humor of the highest (Ex)caliber. The original Broadway production, directed by Mike Nichols, debuted in 2005 and collected three Tonys, including Best […]
The Andrew Collins Trio has been at the center of Canada’s acoustic music scene since 2005, and its catchy, explorative tunes have made their way to folk fans across the continent. Headed by the accomplished multi-instrumentalist from which the band takes its name, and completed by fellow string virtuosos Mike Mezzatesta and James McEleney, the […]
Hailed as an up-and-coming country star, Margo Price has succeeded in telling her story through vivid songwriting and compelling performances. From the loss of her family’s farm, to selling her car and pawning her wedding ring to buy studio time, Price’s journey is authentically crafted into songs drawn from experience. Her sophomore album, All American […]