Will Marsh of Gold Connections joined WNRN to talk about the Central Virginia band’s latest EP Ammunition. The five song collection of propulsive guitar-driven slacker rock seems tailor made for the stage, but with touring out of the equation Marsh found himself with the headspace to tackle other areas of the album release cycle, like creating a pair of ambitious cinematic music videos. (more…)
Central Virginia’s Free Union started 2020 on a roll. The group was tapped by WNRN to appear live on the nationally syndicated program World Cafe, NPR was spinning their music, festivals were reaching out, and a palpable sense of momentum was emerging. The contours of the few months of the story are familiar by now. Tour dates postponed, festivals cancelled, creativity brickwalled. (more…)
Alaska Reid discusses her musical influences from Dinosaur Jr. to Joni Mitchell as well as the making of her debut solo album Big Bunny and performs live in this Home Studio Session.
Thanks to the 500+ listeners who weighed in with their Top 10 Albums of 2020! We are busy crunching the numbers and preparing to share the results during our annual New Year’s Eve countdown. Tune in all day form 8am-6pm as we unveil the list and we’ll also update this page as the results go live. While there may not have been a lot to love in 2020, artists found a way to inspire us, challenge us, and transport us. Whether it was rock’s old guard burnishing their legacy with great new albums (Dylan! Springsteen!), newer artists who burst onto the scene or broke through in a big way this year, or some Central Virginia’s best homegrown artists releasing excellent records, this list (YOUR list!) is a great snapshot of the diverse and wonderful world of music that carried us through highs and lows of this year. Thanks again and check out the list below!
Top Albums of 2020:
While working from home WNRN is connecting you to some of our favorite musicians near and far in a very personal way in our Home Studio Sessions. We produced over 70 sessions between March and December and below we’ve shared 5 of our favorites. Enjoy!
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Coming off a five-year hiatus, Seattle indie folk band Ivan & Alyosha released their self-titled record Ivan & Alyosha in October. After a long run of albums, EPs and tours, the group took a collective breather from recording in 2015. (more…)
Iconoclastic artist Jim White talks about finding a home for orphan songs on his new collection Misfit’s Jubilee, growing pecans, and the importance of adding “sonic parsley” to an album.
Join us for Miller Circle Mixtape streaming live on our Facebook and YouTube pages on December 12 at 7 PM ET. This virtual concert will celebrate the Harrisonburg, VA music scene and help the community heal after a tragic explosion earlier this year that destroyed multiple businesses including Hometown Music and Blue Sprocket Sound. The lineup is composed of artists who have recorded at Blue Sprocket Sound and includes The Dawn Drapes, Erin & The Wildfire, Grayling Skyy, Illiterate Light, The Judy Chops, Kendall Street Company, Madly Backwards, and Prince Bellerose.
We’ve included fundraising links here for the local businesses impacted by the October 17th explosion below. Click the link to contribute to the recovery efforts for these local Harrisonburg businesses.
Kate Stables of This is the Kit connects with us via Zoom for this Home Studio Session to talk about her new album Off Off On and performs live versions of songs from the album.
