ARTS Pick: The Last Bison

If music is poetry, then the evidence is in the perfect harmonies of The Last Bison. Hailing from the southeast corner of Virginia, the Bison defined its latest album, VA, in a rustic cabin on the edge of Chesapeake Bay’s Great Dismal Swamp—and contrary to the location name, the tunes are bright, sunny, and upbeat. […]

ARTS Pick: Technosonics XV

Technology and music have a symbiotic relationship. Developments and inventions constantly change the way we write, perform, and listen to music of all styles and genres. Technosonics XV: Found Sound celebrates the latest innovations in music technology by showcasing digital music, electro-acoustic music, and the combination of high profile performers with UVA composers and faculty. […]

In transition: Teen queen Kate Voegele explores her mature side

Kate Voegele was miscast—quite literally. Voegele’s career hit the fast track in 2005 when she gained a strong following on the social media site MySpace. That same year, MySpace and Interscope Records teamed up to create MySpace Records, and Voegele became one of the label’s earliest signees. She released her first major label-backed full-length record […]

ARTS Pick: Dum Dum Girls

Dum Dum Girls is a throwback band that’s a force to be reckoned with. Take spitfire riffs, increase the attitude, and spice generously with talent for an adrenaline rush coupled with a healthy dose of introspection. Moving beyond simplistic ballads, frontwoman Dee Dee Penny explores a wealth of emotion, defining rebellion in life, love, and […]

Tag team: Run the Jewels takes chemistry to the next level

The collaboration between Killer Mike and El-P, the two indispensable and bomb-throwing emcees who form the uncompromisingly raw and forward-thinking rap duo Run the Jewels, has been as perfect as it was unexpected. They seem, at first, like odd bedfellows: El-P’s a noise-loving Brooklyn firebrand with an independent streak as long as Bedford Avenue; Atlanta […]

ARTS Pick: Julian Casablancas & The Voidz

While his band The Strokes are on hiatus, punk rocker Julian Casablancas is keeping busy with countless tributes, collaborations, and side projects. He can be heard alongside Queens of the Stone Age, Daft Punk, Pharrell, Eddie Vedder, and even Andy Samberg on a slew of songs. His current act Julian Casablancas & The Voidz strays […]

ARTS Pick: The Secret Sisters

With the recent release of Put Your Needle Down, produced by T Bone Burnett, The Secret Sisters prove they’ve come a long way from their Alabama youth. The sweet-voiced siblings have managed to retain their innocence and charm following projects with big shots like She & Him, Ray Lamontagne, Paul Simon, and Elvis Costello, as […]