Though Oklahoma Lottery is Karen Jonas’ debut recording, the album has been touted by critics as refined, polished, and sophisticated—a rare combination for an artist’s freshman effort. Jones is a native of Fredericksburg, Virginia, but her tone and approach are straight out of Nashville, Tennessee with stylistic nods to country greats like Willie Nelson and […]
Though Oklahoma Lottery is Karen Jonas’ debut recording, the album has been touted by critics as refined, polished, and sophisticated—a rare combination for an artist’s freshman effort. Jones is a native of Fredericksburg, Virginia, but her tone and approach are straight out of Nashville, Tennessee with stylistic nods to country greats like Willie Nelson and […]
Four years and three installments into the Expendables series and we’ve reached what is typically the nail in the coffin for action franchises: the PG-13 sequel. While the rating is essentially meaningless in this age of bloodless gun battles and cramming in as many “shits” as you can but using only one intentionally placed “fuck,” […]
Communitas is a Latin term that signifies the coming together of various mediums in the spirit of equality, which makes it the perfect name for an event that joins music and dance. From around the country, violinists and dancers come gather for a celebration of the human spirit through sound and motion. The concorDance contemporary […]
The wonderful tunes of Tina and Her Pony prove that not everything needs to be modernized in the 21st century. The Ohio duo sticks to the basics, producing amazing folk music from simple guitars, banjos, and cellos. Each song tells the story of a true experience and explores the themes and emotions found in the […]
Jeyon Falsini didn’t mean to stick up for C’ville’s music scene underdogs. It just kind of happened. The longtime concert promoter and booking agent started working with the Main Street Arena in July 2012. Management wanted to bring in someone to turn its small overflow space on Water Street from a clothing retailer into a […]
The intimate energy and raw emotion of Jolie Holland’s experimental live sets have recently garnered the attention of musical purists, the press, and even artists like Tom Waits and Sage Francis. Her permutation of folk, country, rock, jazz, and blues is meticulously blended and though her sound is distinctly original, a close listen will find […]
From the first note, Bella Morte is an all-out assault on the senses, with gothic metal as its weapon of choice. With a nod to Evanescence and Linkin Park, the local-born rockers continue the tradition of combining explosive sounds with brooding rhythms. An original mix of powerful guitars laced with electric synth that vacillates from […]
The fact that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles isn’t as bad as it could have been is a small miracle, given the reverse Midas touch of producer (and not director, another miracle) Michael Bay on preexisting franchises. Considering the film’s primary problems are only that it’s basically a straight-to-DVD actioner with cartoon characters shoehorned in and […]
There’s no metaphor or comparison that can illuminate the splendor of Kishi Bashi’s music. It’s beautiful and there’s no better way to describe it. Brandishing his violin, the Norfolk-based musician creates lush melodies that are soft and dream-like, accentuated by Asian undertones and complemented by upbeat electric riffs, melancholy bass chords and thoughtful lyrics. His […]
As C’ville residents, we often hear, “Charlottesville has changed so much since I moved here.” Some see this as a positive, others less so. Either way (and regardless of how long you’ve lived here) it’s likely that we all have indeed witnessed some evolution. Recent development has obviously changed the landscape of familiar areas including […]