ARTS Pick: Diane Cluck

Though she cut her musical teeth in NYC’s Lower East Side among other notables in the anti-folk game, Diane Cluck now resides in Virginia—a fitting landscape for her lovely and lonely brand of intuitive songwriting. Her first release in eight years, Boneset is a collection of songs written during her hiatus and presented in loose […]

ARTS Picks: Major and the Monbacks

The ink on their college diplomas is not dry, but the nine members of Major and the Monbacks are already making a splash in the Central Virginia music scene. Defying genres, these energetic artists combine Motown, Ska, and Southern rock with the self-proclaimed “Eastern Seaboard’s Horniest Horn Section.”  Their songs are pure celebration, a tribute […]

EXCLUSIVE! We Are Star Children video premiere for “Die Alone”

They call it “adventure rock,” but there’s really no defining the eclectic sound of We Are Star Children.  Born in 2010 from a humble duo, the group now boasts seven members and an instrumental range that spans across the full breadth of musical style.  Their first album, titled Love to the Wicked, blends playful trumpets […]

Write, recycle, repeat: How to give new life to old pencils, pens, vinyl, and CDs

Teri Kent runs Charlottesville’s Better World Betty, a non-profit organization and online resource for locals looking to shrink their impact on the environment. Every month, Betty—Kent’s ’50s-housewife-meets-earth-goddess alter ego—answers the most burning eco-questions from our readers about energy use, water, waste and recycling, transportation, and green buying. Send your inquiries her way. Q: Any place […]

ARTS Pick: Excision

A claw-like spaceship hovers above a cityscape as electronic dance music begins to build. The heavy bass finally drops, and a claw releases fiery bombs syncopated with the beat, leveling the city with sound and displayed by the Executioner, a 420 square foot video stage featuring 3D animation. Housed in the center of the behemoth, Canadian DJ […]

ARTS Pick: Women of Ireland

Prepare for St. Patrick’s Day with an evening of traditional Irish song and dance as former Riverdance members and a number of other talented dancers make up the Women of Ireland. The all-female lineup performs iconic steps to enchanting Celtic vocals by a sisterly trio from County Kerry, Ireland. Special guest Anthony Fallon, a four-time world champion […]

ARTS Pick: Kathryn Caine & The Small Band

If you’re looking for a mid-century, backwoods throwback, join Kathryn Caine & The Small Band to celebrate the release of a new studio album. Sometimes twangy, sometimes bluesy, Caine’s vocals evoke ’60s folk darlings Dusty Springfield and Bobbie Gentry on this self-titled collection of wide-ranging Americana. The lifelong singer-songwriter’s lyrics drive tunes featuring guitar work […]

ARTS Pick: Harlem Globetrotters

Hot hand jersey, make or miss, and trick shot challenge are three new rules fans can vote for to be used in upcoming games by the infamous Harlem Globetrotters. The full court wizards in red, white, and blue have been wowing audiences with superhuman basketball skills for an incredible 88 years, and have played over […]