In celebrating the area’s rich vein of Irish heritage, the Blue Ridge Irish Music School sponsors Dónal Maguire, a vocalist with profound reverence for his roots and one who instills pride and passion for his homeland. Singing unaccompanied or with mandolin, Maguire makes accessible the Emerald Isle’s enchanting melodies in songs about love, labor, and […]
In celebrating the area’s rich vein of Irish heritage, the Blue Ridge Irish Music School sponsors Dónal Maguire, a vocalist with profound reverence for his roots and one who instills pride and passion for his homeland. Singing unaccompanied or with mandolin, Maguire makes accessible the Emerald Isle’s enchanting melodies in songs about love, labor, and […]
Songwriter and UVA alumnus Adam Long has popped in and out of various groups on the Virginia music circuit for the better part of a decade. His current group finds Long writing the lyrics while his friends play the tunes. Scrapping early names like Adam Long and the Quest for the Grapefruits, the band settled […]
After a successful Kickstarter funding, and a month-long session cloistered in the studio, folk rock family act The Currys are celebrating the release of their first full-length album, Follow, fresh from the hallowed boards of White Star Sound. Formerly an acoustic act consisting of Jimmy, Tommy, and Galen Curry, the trio has added Matt Kauper […]
Musicians. They’re just like the rest of us. Some of them you hit it off with immediately—you get them, and they try their best to understand you. With others, you just don’t see eye-to-eye. Phosphorescent’s Matthew Houck is the type of guy it would be hard not to see eye-to-eye with. An Alabama native who […]
When she’s not teaching composition at UMass Amherst, Sadie Dupuis moonlights as the lead singer for rock troupe Speedy Ortiz. Originated as Dupuis’ passion project, Speedy Ortiz’s composed garage rock is flighty, while anchored in distorted, klaxon guitars. The punk angst is softened by punchy, cryptic songwriting that captures themes of unrequited relationships and self-deprecation in […]
Hard rock never lost its appeal for fans of the Maryland-based band Clutch. Even after scaling back the long jams on its tenth studio album, Earth Rocker, the fret-shredding foursome still reigns as an unapologetic homage to the founders of heavy metal. Trading on clever lyrics emitted with a growl and pushing the limit on […]
The title of singer Cate Le Bon’s latest release, Mug Museum, conveys a simple whimsy, along with the special offer of a handcrafted mug accessory, but fans know of the brooding complexity that lies beneath its quirky exterior. Often compared to the dark folk songstress Nico, Le Bon’s music is moody, captivating, and infused with […]
The Richmond-based rock duo Boxwave features John Mustachio on bass and Brad Ellsworth on percussion in a minimal act that strives to invigorate the often ignored rhythm section. Spartan and unassuming, Ellsworth provides enthusiastic backing to Mustachio’s gritty playing in a guerrilla rock attack that fuses funk and jazz into extravagant, melodic flights. The pair appears […]
Passafire’s Ted Bowne says he has nothing but respect for his peers in reggae, but there’s one figure in the modern game he doesn’t like—Snoop Lion, formerly Snoop Dogg. “I thought the transformation was well-intended, but if someone starts coming around your house and wearing your clothes and talking like you, it is weird,” Bowne […]
Formed in Athens, Georgia in 2002, The Whigs have grown into a seasoned rock band. While teething, the group played with rock stalwarts Kings of Leon and The Black Keys before maturing a sound that is explosive and heavy, but not without infectious hooks. The Whigs’ newest album, Enjoy the Company, plays around with a […]