Lowland Hum
At Home, Tone Tree Music
The Charlottesville-based wife/husband duo of Lauren and Daniel Goans have returned with their second quarantine-recorded album this year. (They released So Low, a reinterpretation of Peter Gabriel’s So, in May.) While So Low sought external inspiration, At Home is an intimate look inward, inspired largely by the birth of the couple’s first child. On the standout track “2082,” they ruminate on the sociopolitical climate, the state of the environment, and how the future will be impacted for the next generation. Brimming with their signature harmonies, At Home is a solid next stage for the homegrown act (released October 22).
Abby Huston
AH HA, Egghunt Records
Abby Huston grew up in Falls Church, and became integrated into the commonwealth’s arts scene while studying sculpture at VCU in Richmond. On AH HA, their sophomore output and debut on Egghunt Records, they offer a fresh and welcome voice to the spate of local music. Part shoegaze and part R&B, Huston’s dreamlike offerings are a perfect accompaniment to a chilly fall evening (released October 22).
7th Grade Girl Fight
7th Grade Girl Fight, Self-release
What began as a side project for Charlottesville musician Debra Guy has morphed into a full-blown, knock-down-the-door debut by a group of veteran local artists. After a series of area gigs and a string of singles, the musicians convened at James McLaughlin’s Mountainside Studio to take their output to the next level. Featuring Guy on vocals, Drew Pompano on bass, Wes Fleming on guitar, Bill Morris on drums, and J.J. Williams on synths/keys, 7th Grade Girl Fight’s self-titled full-length comes out of the gate swinging. Each track is a tightly crafted and concerted burst of rollicking energy for fans of garage rock or post-punk (released October 15).
Minor Poet
“Dissonance of Love”/ ”Silent Violent Creatures,” Self-release
Richmond-based musician Andrew Carter struck indie gold when he made his Sub Pop Records debut with the release of 2019’s The Good News. He’s followed that up with an awaited pair of singles, “Dissonance of Love” and “Silent Violent Creatures,” which continue his penchant for drumming up punchy pop-rock landscapes (released September 29).
