Local music matters

With the recent completion of the massive John Paul Jones Arena, and the continuing popularity of music venues like Starr Hill and the Satellite Ballroom, Charlottesville now rivals Richmond for the title of hippest city in Central Virginia. Considering that new clubs are opening with increasing frequency, and local shows are constantly being announced and rearranged, it’s high time that someone stepped up and began wrangling all of these times and locations for local music fans, who want nothing more than to rock out (with their you-know-whats-out) on a Friday night.
    Sure, C-VILLE Weekly offers a fairly comprehensive listing of local music events on our website, but for the local music-obsessive who craves even more in-depth coverage, UVA Student John Ruscher is here to help.
    Nailgun, which Ruscher describes as a “Central Virginia Music Blog,” covers the entire gamut of our burgeoning music scene: daily updates regarding local shows, CD releases, and news about both Charlottesvillian bands and prominent independent groups. Nailgun also highlights several different shows each night, just in case you’re not in the mood for another post-folk-nü-metal-noisewave combo (insert eye-roll here). Nailgun also occasionally posts photos from recent shows—if you look hard enough, you might even see yourself in some of the pix, you hardcore hipster, you.
    The site is laid out in a classy, light blue-on-dark blue design, which is pleasingly easy on the eyes. Additionally, it features a well-organized sidebar that spotlights upcoming indie shows for the next three (!) months, so you’ll have plenty of time to ask out that cute chick with the short hair and glasses in your English class (of course, she’ll probably ditch you for the drummer from local heartthrobs Cataract Camp, but hey—it never hurts to try).
    Another incredibly useful Nailgun feature is the local links section, which points readers to other outstanding music-related websites—including a little up-and-comer called c-ville.com. Hey, what goes around, comes around. —Andy Johnson