Easy listening: Corsair makes heavy metal for the masses

Heavy metal is a tree with many branches, dozens of sub-genres and cross-bred styles. But Charlottesville’s Corsair has older influences than most of its peers, reaching back past the aggressive thrash era of the ’80s, to focus on a time when the distinctions between heavy metal, glam, and hard rock were less clear. Its sound […]

C’est si BON: Local café and art gallery changes its beat

Charlottesville’s newest event venue, café, and chill spot, BON, is kicking off its first month of business on the ground floor of the Pink Warehouse on South Street.  Though BON has existed as a drum shop and mecca for drum circle enthusiasts for almost five years, its reopening in May marked a recommitment to fostering […]

The voice: Joan Baez gives old songs new life

Joan Baez still possesses the unwavering ability to make any song her own, even when she didn’t write the lyrics. It comes from her voice, an unmistakable soaring soprano with nightingale soul that took her to the stage of the Newport Folk Festival at the tender age of 18 and still carries a music career […]

ARTS Pick: Ivan & Alyosha

Seattle-based indie folk-pop quartet Ivan & Alyosha is nothing if not adaptable, which proved to be a crucial trait during the recording of its first full-length album, All the Times We Had. The band felt pressured, fell out of sync, and scrapped the first attempt. But the challenges eventually paid off in a new record […]

ARTS Pick: Langhorne Slim and David Mayfield Parade

Inspired by the joys, perils, and emotional trials that continuous travel can impart on an individual, Langhorne Slim shares the crazy soul that has become a product of his many adventures in life. He keeps it real (along with his band The Law) playing hard-drivin’ folk rockers and ’50s-style rock ‘n’ roll ballads that speak […]

ARTS Pick: Bach’s Lunch Break

Take Bach lunch. Lunch breaks appear to be a dying ritual, as indicated by the chip crumbs around the wheels of your office chair. It’s time to mark your Thursday calendar for a noon date with J.S.B. and a change of the workday pace. Bach’s Lunch features uplifting 30-minute musical performances by the area’s classical talent […]

Interview: Cut Copy blends indie rock, EDM, and skinny jeans

Have a quick look at Cut Copy’s upcoming tour schedule, and the first song that is likely to come to mind is “One of These Things (Is Not Like the Others).” After kicking off in C-Ville on June 6, the Australia-based electronic pop quartet will head to D.C. and New York. So why Charlottesville, a […]

ARTS Pick: Primus

For more than 27 years, musical outlier Primus has been creating some of the most unique, boundary-pushing music since the early days of Zappa and Pink Floyd. Its first album in 11 years, Green Naugahyde is another experimental project that pays tribute to the band’s earlier days. According to Primus’ leading man, Les Claypool, “We’re […]

Guided by Bob: Hibernator Gigs releases a sly tribute to GBV

Guided By Voices is one of the most prolific and beloved rock bands of the past 30 years. The Dayton, Ohio group fronted by Robert Pollard has released dozens of albums, EPs, singles, and three boxed sets of original material, frequently changed band members, broke up and reunited, splintered off into various solo and side […]