In a culture of designer cowboy boots and custom fitted blue jeans, Corey Smith breaks the mold and brings some grit and authenticity back to the country scene. Raised in the rolling hills of Jefferson, Georgia, Smith sings about experiences from rural Southern life. With nine albums to his credit, the country star has amassed […]
In a culture of designer cowboy boots and custom fitted blue jeans, Corey Smith breaks the mold and brings some grit and authenticity back to the country scene. Raised in the rolling hills of Jefferson, Georgia, Smith sings about experiences from rural Southern life. With nine albums to his credit, the country star has amassed […]
It’s man vs. monolith in Stanley Kubrick’s enigmatic sci-fi classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood star as two astronauts on their way to Jupiter aboard a sentient, computer-controlled spacecraft. From its iconic soundtrack to the tackling of evolution, artificial intelligence and extraterrestrial life, this 1968 epic continues to grow a cult […]
Jason Isbell is enjoying the afterglow of redemption. The lauded country-rock tunesmith is still touring behind his career-defining 2013 album Southeastern, an effort that earned overdue recognition for an artist who turned his demons into a poignantly captivating sonic statement. Ubiquitously praised by critics, the album led to Isbell taking top honors at the Americana […]
What a rare pleasure it is to experience something that is truly, unmistakably awful. No, really; in an age where the knowing, ironic wink of an eye or a single act of ham-handed self deprecation is applauded even if the story is unwatchable, we have forgotten the cathartic joy that comes from watching an unambiguously […]
Carl Anderson’s adept folksy songwriting and never-fail sense of humor took him from a local festival staple to a full-time Tennessee troubadour. His earnest lyrics, sincere, rich baritone vocals and simple acoustic guitar stylings find him trailing a long wake of critical praise. The prodigal Americana son returns to Charlottesville with fellow Nashville singer-songwriter Mary […]
Imagine entering a cave-like studio, its floor spotted with rags and walls textured with years of paint flicked off a loaded brush. You’re naked when you climb onto a small, sheet-covered bed, fully prepared to hold your pose for hours. Standing just a few feet away, an artist scrutinizes your body as he prepares to […]
It’s all too frequent that I overhear someone mention that she’d “love to go to the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, if only it wasn’t so far away.” To put this in perspective, the drive from downtown Charlottesville to the museum takes about 10 minutes. It’s roughly double that if you ride the public bus. Remember […]
Even though all of the members of Parquet Courts are originally from Texas, the four-man band is all about Brooklyn, New York. Its brand of punk harkens back to the ’80s when the simplicity of the genre was its beauty and soul. The band released its two albums on cassette tape after recording on an […]
Caitlin Canty Reckless Skyline/Self-released Caitlin Canty is one of the most beguiling singer-songwriters around, and Reckless Skyline is the latest evidence that she is a cut above the rest. Her songs run the gamut from hard luck tales of life going sideways (“Enough About Hard Times”) to looking for love in the arms of a […]
Led by childhood friends Toby Leaman and Scott McMicken, Dr. Dog spent years on the road polishing and perfecting its intellectual pop rock sound defined by four-part vocal harmonies and poetic lyrics. Repeated tour stops in Charlottesville made the band a local favorite early in its career. “I think the last time we played here, […]