Hipper than jazz: Two local cats take improvisation to another plane

Jazz player and UVA music professor Robert Jospé has some pretty far-out ideas about music. But Stephen Nachmanovitch, the man who’ll join Jospé onstage for a completely improvised concert on January 24 at UVA’s Brooks Hall, makes him seem like an accountant in a conservative suit. “My early musical experiences were in the classical music […]

ARTS Pick: Sylvan Esso

In 2012, Amelia Meath (Mountain Man) joined Nick Sanborn (Megafun) in Durham, North Carolina to collaborate on a song, and even though they had their own respective projects, they agreed there was something special between them, and eventually Sylvan Esso was born. The duo released its self-titled debut album in 2014, resulting in a 10-song […]

ARTS Pick: Kawehi

Escape the arctic blast with Kawehi, the hottest one-woman band out of Lawrence, Kansas. This firecracker of a songwriter focuses on social injustice and doesn’t mince words in describing herself as a “shit talker” and “musician who walks like a trucker.” She also walks the talk by looping guitars, keys and beatboxing on innovative, themed […]

Windows down: Florida Georgia Line balances outlaw and pop country

Two stories come out of Nashville. The first one is: The town is full of amazing singer-songwriters, and you can see one of them playing on any given night at any corner bar. The second goes like this: The stars of modern country aren’t those same singer-songwriters; they’re the good-looking young people who can put […]

A girl thing: Area choirs gather to heal and empower

Craig Jennings didn’t know Hannah Graham. But last fall, “after she disappeared under the eyes of cameras on the Downtown Mall, I couldn’t stop thinking about what her family was going through,” said Jennings, the choral director at Burley Middle School. That feeling grew stronger as days turned into weeks, and Jennings watched his students […]

Film review: Selma is a well-crafted portrait of a moment

Among the many artistic and political accomplishments of Ava DuVernay’s Selma is the full embodiment of grassroots activism. After generations of society’s dismantling of the breadth of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s political and ethical contributions down to a single sound bite (that is routinely misappropriated), DuVernay has done King and the world a favor by […]

Circle of hope: Arturo Lindsay’s global soul search

Photos of secluded beaches, colorful fishing boats and turquoise waves hang on the walls of Second Street Gallery, which has been temporarily overrun with harbor themes: a white ship-shaped structure from which dozens of folded origami boats dangle and twirl, a wash of sand and seashells across the gallery floor, a navy blue wall bearing […]

ARTS Pick: Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.

Over two years after taking home a million dollar grand prize on “America’s Got Talent,” classic crooner Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. continues to wow national audiences with his smooth Sinatra covers. While he’s not quick to forget his West Virginia roots, the once penniless car washer has catapulted to fame with interpretations of Old Blue […]

Album reviews: Oceaán, Gemma Hayes, She & Him

Oceaán The Grip EP/B3SCI Records Genre labels are inherently shortsighted, but if you absolutely have to use one for Oliver Cean a.k.a. Oceaán’s, second EP, The Grip, then try dubhoptronica. Angelic synths and hip-hop beats marry together seamlessly on the closing track, “At Your Feet,” while “Veritas” combines wobbly rhythms with beats and what appear […]