ARTS Pick: Greensky Bluegrass

From their home base of Kalamazoo, Michigan, the five members of Greensky Bluegrass have forged a defiant, powerful sound composed of seemingly irreconcilable elements. While rooted in classic string-band Americana, the tension and release between tradition and innovation, prearranged songs and improvisation, and acoustic tones and electric volume is what makes this act so thrillingly […]

Out of The County: Lord Nelson spotlights community on debut album

Growing up in Nelson County, Kai and Bram Crowe-Getty picked up instruments at a young age. Since then, they’ve each played on a variety of stages and in a handful of different bands—but they both agree that their current band, Lord Nelson, is different than the rest. And with this week’s release of the band’s […]

ARTS Pick: Strand of Oaks

Sometimes personal crises are the inspiration behind the most expressive art, as showcased on Tim Showalter’s recent album HEAL. Under the moniker Strand of Oaks, Showalter demonstrates through his love of ’70s, ’80s and ’90s rock and pop that the process of healing is often a combination of clarity, confusion and euphoria. Tying together three decades […]

ARTS Pick: Mitch Wise

Local rapper, emcee and producer Mitch Wise lays down rhymes from his under-ground, independent rap album, Saturn Return. His complex beats laced with folk and electronic influence add an unexpected layer to the wild dichotomy of grounded lyrics and a soaring rhythm. Wise is joined by rap artists Keese, B Cope and Brian Moon for a […]

ARTS Pick: An Evening with Mollie O’Brien, Rich Moore and Todd Burge

The Prism Coffeehouse fall series kicks off with An Evening with Mollie O’Brien, Rich Moore and Todd Burge. O’Brien stands out as an accomplished vocalist who challenges musical boundaries, while Moore’s onstage commentary and seasoned guitar skills string together an intuitive, high-quality set. Burge draws from his rich life experiences, writing songs from a different […]

Ghost muse: Singer-songwriter Anthony D’Amato finds inspiration in creative legacy

In 2010, upon the release of Down Wires, an album described as gritty, soulful and startlingly Dylanesque, Anthony D’Amato exploded onto a revitalized folk music scene. While his brethren were busy cashing in on a highly produced, four-on-the-floor-driven sound (think the throbbing undercurrent of Mumford & Sons’ 2009 Billboard-topper Sigh No More), D’Amato was stripping […]

Local ties: Harmonica player Gary Green hits a familiar stage

As audio engineer for Charlottesville’s Paramount Theater, it’s Gary Green’s job to make musicians sound great. What many people don’t know is that Green is an accomplished musician in his own right. A virtuoso harmonica player, he won the Hohner-sponsored 1987 World Harmonica Championships, and by his own estimate has since played on recordings for […]

ARTS Pick: Gaelic Storm

The name evokes a tempestuous clan of freckled redheads taking no prisoners as they blast through a set of fiddle-driven pub rock in the heart of a Celtic village, but, in reality, Gaelic Storm is a group of friends who met in Santa Monica, California, and made it big after appearing as the steerage band […]

ARTS Pick: Xilent

  Xilent’s rise to prominence has been meteoric, to say the least. At just under two years since his debut release, Choose Me II, marked the arrival of a serious new talent, he’s become one of the most talked about names in dubstep. Maintaining a global DJ schedule alongside his production and remix work, Xilent is […]

UPDATED: Lockn’ to open Friday morning

The Lockn’ organizers have officially announced that all Thursday performances at the music festival have been cancelled, due to a severe thunderstorm that caused damage to the festival’s parking and campground area Wednesday evening. It is now scheduled to open “first thing” Friday morning, according to organizers who are also offering places campers can stay […]