I first came to know of Texas-born singer-songwriter Jolie Holland during her brief stint as a member of Be Good Tanyas around the time the all-girl group put forth their debut Blue Horse in 2000. From there my proper full introduction to her music came via her solo debut album Catalpa in 2003 but it was the arrival of Holland's second album, Escondida in 2004, that just completely blew my min...
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Jolie Holland::Delia [Video]
The Southern (former Gravity Lounge) Announces First Shows For Late Summer / Early Fall
James McMurtry, Ingrid Michaelson, and Jolie Holland [l-r]While the first three show announcements haven't come directly from the new venue's management, they have arrived via Starr Hill Presents, and it looks like the former Gravity Lounge, now named The Southern, should be up and running once again in Charlottesville before summer ends. With a new management team in place, a promised ...
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Blitzen Trapper::Black River Killer [New Video]
Here's the brand new video for Blitzen Trapper's "Black River Killer" which appears on the band's 2008 Sub Pop Records release Furr and is one of my favorite tracks from one of my favorite albums from last year. I'm still hoping we can get these guys to come put on show for us here in Charlottesville one of these days.As an added bonus, I've thrown in a listening track for "Gold for Bread" (als...
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Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons::Born Again [MP3]
Corey Chisel is set to release his full-length studio debut Death Won't Send a Letter later this fall and the first preview track from that forthcoming album was made available earlier this week. "Born Again" was co-written with the Raconteurs' Brendon Benson and also features guest appearances by Raconteurs' bassist "Little Jack" Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler.Corey Chisel and the Wanderi...
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Wrinkle Neck Mules to Release 4th Studio Album This September
Wrinkle Neck MulesBack in February, on the eve of the Wrinkle Neck Mules' last Charlottesville concert appearance, I told you to be on the lookout later for the possibility of two new albums from the Mules in 2009. And while I'm not sure that both of those promised records will be released before year's end, I can at least report that one of them is currently in works...and that alone is reaso...
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Locals Only--Concert Calendar (July 8 - July 14)
Plenty of local favorites performing in and around Charlottesville over the next seven days. Of course there are the usual suspects playing their usual haunts: Jim Waive at Blue Moon, Thompson / D'earth and B.C. at Miller's, the Hogwaller Ramblers at Fellini's, and the Olivarez Trio at C&O. And as always, in addition to the weekly regulars there's got to be a couple special shows thrown in f...
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New Bowerbirds Album Hits Stores Today; On Tour With Megafaun
Bowerbirds [photo by Nick Helderman]I first wrote about Bowerbirds back in April, around the same time that it was announced that the Raleigh-based duo of Phil Moore and Beth Tacular were set to release a new album this summer. Titled Upper Air, the new record just hit stores today (July 7th) via Dead Oceans Records.And while I don't yet have a copy of the new album, I'm hoping that that shoul...
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Avett Brothers Tour Lands in Virginia This Week; Three-Song EP Now Available on iTunes
The Avett Brothers [photo by Hollie Ash]The Velvet Rut favorites The Avett Brothers will be blazing through Virginia for three tour dates later week. The Avetts hit the Harrison Opera House in Norfolk on Thursday, The National in Richmond on Friday, and the Performing Arts Theatre in Roanoke on Saturday. All three dates will include special guests Thao with the Get Down Stay Down. If you li...
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Elvis Perkins in Dearland::Chains Chains Chains [New Video]
When the time finally arrives to pick a favorite album from 2009 I have a feeling the decision is not going to be an easy one. But here's a definite nominee. The self-titled album from Elvis Perkins in Dearland, which was released back in March on XL Recordings, will no doubt end up high on my list of favorites. And I have to say that if the year were to end today it would probably be my cur...
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The Cinnamon Band::Buena Vista [MP3]
The Cinnamon Band [John Harouff (l) and Neil Campbell (r)]If you've been following along and reading my blog posts since the cvilleMUSE.com days I don't have to tell you that I've been a big fan of Staunton, Virginia's The Cinnamon Band for some time now. My introduction to The Cinnamon Band stretches back to April of 2008 when I saw the duo of guitarist John Harouff and drummer Neil Campbell ...
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Woody Guthrie::This Land is Your Land [Essay]
A re-post of an article originally published on AmericanaRoots.com as part of their "Power of A Song" feature from a couple years ago. I also published this one on cvilleMUSE last year for the 4th of July and figured I'd bring it back once again for this Independence Day. Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land" says it better than just about anything around. If there was ever a song that truly...
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Birdlips Prepare to Hit the Road for U.S. Tour
Birdlips [photo by Greg Nash]Local Charlottesville indie-folk duo Birdlips is preparing to hit the road later this month for the band's first ever cross-country tour. I've become a huge fan ever since first discovering the band's full-length debut Cardboard Wings last summer and even now the album is one that is never far from stereo. So far the first nine tour dates have been announced with ...
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Joe Pug::New Five Song EP Available As FREE Download
In advance of the release of his full-length debut later this fall, Chicago-based singer-songwriter Joe Pug is offering up fans a FREE five-song EP as a thank you of sorts for all their support. Calling the collection In the Meantime, the five free tracks were all taken from the original recording sessions for Pug's Nation of Heat EP (from back in 2008). You can grab yourself a copy of In the...
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Remembering Koko Taylor::Wang Dang Doodle [Video]
Finally getting back on line after a pure nightmare of internet and computer-related problems over the past seven or eight days. And while I'm still trying to get caught up on a backlog of missed emails and the like, there was one bit of music news from last week that I felt needed more than a passing mention.Next to Howlin' Wolf, Koko Taylor may very well be one of my all-time favorite blues ...
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Dave Rawlings Machine::Girls Just Want To Have Fun (Video)
The first (and only) time I ever saw Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch perform this Cyndi Lauper cover was back in 2002 at the always unpredictable (and entertaining) Saturday Midnight Jam at Merlefest. The Midnight Jam that year was packed with great performances but to be honest it was Rawlings and Welch who were a part of many of my favorite memorable moments from that night. They joined Pete...
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The Big Surprise Tour Coming to Charlottesville This August
Old Crow Medicine Show [photo by Aaron Farrington]Without a doubt the best Charlottesville concert announcement I've seen so far this year, there is absolutely no chance I'll be missing the arrival of The Big Surprise Tour at the Pavilion later this summer. Billed as "an old fashioned revue", The Big Surprise Tour will be comprised of four acts whose music barrels right down into my personal s...
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