By Erin Lyndal Martin
In 2023, Charlottesville’s music scene thrived with blurred genres and an array of music venues. The year saw bands incorporating ’80s pop hooks, ’90s synths, and other welcome blasts from the past.
With continued fallout from the pandemic, Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar stopped hosting shows, leaving punk and indie bands to find new stages, such as the Visible Records gallery. Chinchilla Café welcomed more experimental acts—Films on Song even recorded a music video there. The Southern Café & Music Hall lineup included bands like Lowland Hum that prefer a quieter atmosphere, and Dürty Nellys kept rockin’ fans in the parking lot with gigs played from the bed of a pickup truck.
Among the many excellent releases from Charlottesville artists, some stand out. The following records (and one single) have a presence that will carry into the future.
Kate Bollinger
“You at Home,” single
A collaboration with Dave Longstreth of Dirty Projectors, the single was written and recorded by the two artists in a day—they returned in a year to add guitars, keys, and even the sound of Bollinger’s clogs on the floor. Bollinger’s sunny lilt drives the song, and the intimately recorded acoustic guitars fill the space around it. Bollinger made her debut with the 2022 EP Look at it in the Light, she’s released standalone singles, and is currently supporting Liz Phair on tour.
David Wax Museum
You Must Change Your Life, LP
The Mexi-Americana of this husband-and-wife duo remains accessible and fun. The band uses Mexican folk instruments to make music that’s consistent with American folk rock, often with throwback vibes. Their music is just easy to listen to (but not easy listening).
Films on Song
Slightly Nightly, LP
On its debut record, Films on Song brings ’80s melodies and crunchy guitars to contemporary, fuzzed-out rock. With flashes of glam and soaring dream pop, the music has a luxe vastness surrounding more modest indie vocals and phrasing.
Illiterate Light
Sunburned, LP
With a massive regional following cultivated at live shows, Harrisonburg’s alt-rock duo Illiterate Light gained an even bigger fan base in 2023, releasing Sunburned in January, followed by a national tour as the opening act for The Head and the Heart. From the start, the new record is heavy, layered, and moody. Just as quickly, it turns into the lo-fi brood of songs like “Fuck LA” and the hook-laced “Hellraiser.”
Kendall Street Company
Separation95, LP
KSC is often compared to jam bands because of its eclectic, top-notch musicianship and energetic live performances. But those wary of the genre should not be dissuaded. Kendall Street Company’s grand vision aligns with mainstays like the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and the group’s songs have a wit and sarcasm more akin to indie rock. Separation95 is a master class in eclectic musicianship, and best of all, the sense of humor never leaves the sound.
Lowland Hum
From Self, With Love, LP
The most recent offering from the Charlottesville husband-and-wife duo Lowland Hum features inviting melodies and lightful arrangements. While some songs center around weightier moments in life, Lauren and Daniel Goans navigate them beautifully, finding things genuinely worthy of celebration. With acoustic instruments and Daniel’s savvy production, the band shows that unplugged doesn’t have to mean oversimplified.
Ships In The Night
Latent Powers, LP
Latent Powers by Ships In The Night (Alethea Leventhal) is one of the year’s best. Leventhal’s ethereal vocals channel dark and light simultaneously. She underpins her voice with trip-hop beats and synth sweeps borrowed from the ’90s but renovated for today. Haunting is the word often used to describe her music and it’s apt, given the resulting goosebumps. If you miss Mazzy Star or the Cranes, Ships In The Night is here and now.
7th Grade Girl Fight
Someone Will Be With You Shortly, EP
The post-punk outfit’s sixth release keeps up the energy of its predecessors. The garage rock vibes inject a ’90s flavor into four songs that surge with an exuberant, witty brand of post-punk.
Sonneblom
lig breek deur, EP
Released in November, this four-song EP of solo piano music is a side project for singer-songwriter Ryan Goodrich. Sonneblom (sunflower in Afrikaans) recorded the EP after visiting his South African grandparents to capture the hope and inspiration he felt. Balancing the contemplative with the up-tempo, these songs are perfect for background listening.