At 11 years old, Kate Tamarkin sat in a dark Laguna Beach, California theater, her mouth gaping, flabbergasted at the boisterous sounds produced by the singers in a performance of Amahl and the Night Visitors. “I had not ever heard opera before,” said Tamarkin, who 40 years later is now the director of the Charlottesville & […]
At 11 years old, Kate Tamarkin sat in a dark Laguna Beach, California theater, her mouth gaping, flabbergasted at the boisterous sounds produced by the singers in a performance of Amahl and the Night Visitors. “I had not ever heard opera before,” said Tamarkin, who 40 years later is now the director of the Charlottesville & […]
Throughout last year, I kept hearing the name Guardian Alien. At first I wasn’t at all curious. The band name led me to the assumption that it was “some sort of dubstep or chillwave thing,” and its record sleeve—a watercolor drawing of an alien with dreadlocks, holding a repeating version of the record itself—was easily […]
Don’t fret if you missed Joseph Arthur’s well-hyped recent album Boogie Christ, because the highly regarded musical talent has just released a follow-up entitled The Ballad of Boogie Christ Act 2. Arthur is a poet, artist, and musician from the Midwest who got his first record deal after sending Peter Gabriel a demo. Add on […]
For Nashville-based singer-songwriter Brooke Annibale there was never any doubt that a career in music was in her future. “My family owns a music shop in Pittsburgh,” she said. “I started taking lessons and as soon as I knew enough chords, I started writing songs.” Annibale has four self-releases to her name including 2013’s Words […]
Like many Grateful Dead fans, Rob Barraco has been a devoted Deadhead since his teenager years. It’s safe to say the versatile keyboardist has found the perfect gig as a member of Dark Star Orchestra. Since forming in 1997, the lauded tribute act has earned its own legion of fans for spot-on re-creations of entire […]
Named after the Spanish festival in Pamplona famous for the running of the bulls, San Fermin is the pop music outlet for Brooklyn-based composer and songwriter Ellis Ludwig-Leone. Along with vocal contributions from Allen Tate, Jess Wolfe, and Holly Laessig of Lucius, Leone brings baroque stylings to the indie arena in an operatic composition that unites familiar […]
Bridging the gap between jazz and rock, virtuoso drummer Cindy Blackman Santana is gigging on her new release, Another Lifetime. The album is a showcase for the critically acclaimed style that pays homage to her mentor Tony Williams, and the classical training that focuses her sonic explorations. Rising from humble beginnings as a busker in […]
Daniel Bachman is a 24-year-old fingerpicking guitarist whose style is often compared to American Primitive musicians like John Fahey and Jack Rose. Bachman’s signature layered tones are in fine form on his fourth full length album, Jesus I’m a Sinner, and his fall tour will make its final stop at the Tea Bazaar on November […]
To the average listener, traditional Appalachian music has little in common with avant-garde drones and improvisational noise. Nathan Bowles has forged a career in each of these genres. The brilliance of his body of work is the suggestion that these styles share a common aesthetic and inform one another. “They’re both fueled by the same spirit,” […]
Indulge in the sounds of the 1600s with Three Notch’d Road: The Charlottesville Baroque Ensemble’s season opener, “O Sacred Oracles: Handel Oratorios & Sonatas.” Local instrumentalists perform using period instruments, like the baroque violin and recorder, which were popular in the era between Renaissance and Classical music. Highlighting works by German composer George Frideric Handel, […]