Andy Aylward

Punk music lost one of its original heroes this week with the sad news of the death of Poly Styrene, the feisty front woman of British punk greats X Ray Spex. Her unique and unapologetic style paved the way for women in punk music.

Poly Styrene—whose real name is Marianne Joan Elliott-Said—died on Monday from breast cancer that had spread to her spine and lungs. She was 53.Read more...

DC power pop band Title Tracks—or rather songsmith John Davis—has made a triumphant return with In Blank. The album is somehow an even more focused dose of classic 70s punk-pop than the 2010 album It Was Easy, a record that solidified Davis as a smart and stylish songwriter. As much as this album nods to the greats that came before, Davis is well on his way with In Blank to a signature brand of blistering punk that never misses an opportunity for a hook.Read more...

For the longest time the Walkmen represented the paragon of indie rock austerity. The band almost never interacts with the crowd, rather singer Hamilton Leithauser and company march on stage, curtly introduce songs and some hour and a half later politely bid the crowd goodnight. Attire follows the same Spartan decree: black or, if in a cheery mood, gray business casual attire always. Band members dancing? The most you will get is bassist Pete Bauer’s tipsy bounce as the band finishes a set with more raucous older material.Read more...

A study by a former University of Richmond professor has found that the proposed privatization of liquor sales by Gov. Bob McDonnell would lead to a sharp increase in taxes paid by residents.

Virginia is currently debating whether to end government controlled liquor stores and join the growing number of states that have privatized liquor sales. Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-Va) is leading the privatization charge, citing potentially higher profits and increased market diversity as leading reasons to change the status quo.Read more...

Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA 5) is in a tough spot as November nears. Unemployment figures in parts of his Fifth district are as high as twenty percent, double that of the nation; the GOP is targeting the freshman congressman as one of many anticipated Democratic defeats; and, more broadly, Perriello is a liberal politician operating in the traditionally conservative Fifth district, with the one exception being right here in Charlottesville.Read more...

Write, edit, file, repeat. The internship was all meat and straightforward meat at that: cover Bay area politicians or come up with other story ideas germane to San Francisco.Read more...

The Charlottesville City farmer’s market sprang back into action at the beginning of the month, despite talk last fall of moving the local institution to a new location. Situated in the parking lot downtown on Water Street (right off the mall), the market offers a diverse range of edibles, from locally grown produce to homemade pastries and papusas. This season, even more vendors have been added to the labyrinth of booths. The market expanded to First St. to accommodate the new foodies.Read more...

Ted Leo has got some good things going for him: indie rock lifer, a punk rock pedigree, a politically and socially conscious message, and now, a stellar follow up to 2007’s Living with the Living.Read more...

Washington D.C. native and multi-instrumentalist John Davis has been performing, writing, and recording punk and pop for over a decade. His third project so far, Title Tracks, just released their debut album on Brooklyn label Ernest Jenning Record Co.Read more...

The January 29th Final Friday art event at the U.Va. Art Museum and the Ruffin Gallery saw a great turnout despite frigid temperatures and a threat of snow. For readers who have not taken advantage of this once-a-month open house style event, I highly recommend it as either a great way to kick off the weekend or a lovely evening on its own.

Final Fridays take place on the last Friday of each month when the museum (and often Ruffin Gallery) extend hours to 7:30pm and cater the party-vibed event with artisanal cheeses and breads, soft drinks, wine, and beer. Oh, and it’s free.Read more...