September 9:  Song of the Day.  Blind Pilot–Go On, Say It

Today’s Song of the Day choice comes from a band out of Portland, Oregon that has recently caught my ear and won’t let go.  Blind Pilot,  led by frontman Isreal Nebeker and drummer Ryan Dobrowski, is just one of a growing number of alternative /indie-folk bands out of the Pacific Northwest that are beginning to make me wish I lived a little closer to the Pacific Ocean.  In addition to Seattle’s Fleet Foxes and Kay Kay and his Weathered Underground, let me suggest you check out Blitzen Trapper and Horse Feathers (both from Portland) as well as The Cave Singers (also from Seattle).  If you want a music scene, the great Northwest is where it’s at. (Portland alone is currently home to Modest Mouse, the Shins, the Decemberists, M. Ward, The Thermals, Laura Veirs, the Dandy Warhols, and Stephen Malkmus for starters)

As for Blind Pilot, their latest album, the self-released 3 Rounds and a Sound, just hit stores back in July and has been lovingly compared to the Shins and Iron and Wine, as well as to Beck’s intimate folk masterpiece Sea Change.  I’m still waiting to get my hands on the full length, but in the meantime I’ve been enjoying a steady diet of the song “Go On, Say It”, which has been on play and repeat for the past week and a half in my brain.    [video for “Go On, Say It” after the break] »Read More

Popularity: 13% [?]

Has anyone else noticed lately that the Gravity Lounge has been booking more and more music acts in the indie / alternative rock vein?  It’s not an entirely new approach for the downtown music venue that recently celebrated its five-year anniversary, but it seems to be happening with a greater frequency these days.  That’s not to say it’s happening on a night-in, night-out basis, but it’s definitely a welcome addition to the Gravity’s already solid line-up of singer-songwriters, acoustic acts, and touring Americana artists.

[Gravity photo by Carey Clutts] »Read More

Popularity: 17% [?]

I was sitting on my ass, looking out at the sunset west of town last night and I was thinking about hating. Yea, hating. I’m guilty of it - maybe too often - and a lot of times it is well deserved because lets face it there are a lot of things in this town to hate on. I mean there’s that abomination of terrible sound eminating from Coupe de Villes every weekend night during the school year and that terrible band that… OK .. breathing deeply…

There are also a lot of things about the music and arts scene here that I love. I’m really a lover at heart, and not a fighter. The heart of squidtank is only partially black and opaque, even though all of me loves the Cure.
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Popularity: 43% [?]

My good friend Boober (and yes he is a real person and yes his friends indeed call him Boober) went to college and lived in Richmond, Virginia from 1992 until the mid/late 90’s.  He was and still is a musician and during his time in Richmond was a member of numerous bands, ensembles, and noise-making collectives. 

Richmond’s underground music scene is/was quite vibrant and Boober was fortunate enough to fall in with a group of guys in college that not only shared many of his personal tastes and ideas about music, but were also musicians themselves.  It was this combination of various levels of community (college, friends, city music scene) that helped bring these guys together and supported their brief careers as modest rock stars.

But let’s imagine that instead of heading to Richmond that Boober moved to Charlottesville.  And instead of 1992, the year is 2008.  His reasons for coming to C’ville are not to go to school, but to test the waters of the Charlottesville music scene as a musician.  Where would/should he begin to find his community?…
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