Authors to sign sports-themed books

As the public information officer for the Loudoun County school system, Wayde Byard is one of the best-known local officials. In winter, children, parents and school staff members eagerly anticipate hearing his voice on phone alerts announcing weather-related school closings.

Now Byard is directing his voice toward a new audience, as the author of a history of the Washington Redskins. His first book, “The Burgundy and Gold Standard,” has been published by Mascot Books, which is based in Herndon.

Byard and two other local authors will sign their sports-related books Tuesday at an event in Ashburn. Joining Byard will be Andrea Alexander, who has written two sports biographies for children, and Ann Good, author of “Washington Nationals A to Z.” The event will raise funds for Glory Days Live, a nonprofit group Alexander is launching to raise money and equipment to help children from low-income families play sports.

Read on…

Washington Post, July 24, 2016

Beaverdam Reservoir is open — for now

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Beaverdam Reservoir

Last Sunday morning, dozens of water enthusiasts arrived at a cramped parking lot, traveling solo or in small groups. They unloaded brightly colored kayaks, paddle boards and canoes from their vehicles and pushed off from a small incline into a shimmering, 600-acre body of water.

A fisherman cast his line from the shore nearby, while another dropped his line from a boat a few hundred yards away. A great blue heron flew back and forth, close to the surface, scanning for food and occasionally landing on the shore to take in the scene.

The tranquility at Beaverdam Reservoir was striking, in part because it is such a short distance from the traffic and bustle of Ashburn. Because the reservoir supplies drinking water for thousands of Loudoun residents, the scene was undisturbed by the sounds of gas-powered watercraft, which are prohibited to protect the water quality.

The park is open daily from dawn to dusk — but not for long…

Full story…

Washington Post, 7/10/16

 

Loudoun’s IT system costs mounting

The cost of bringing Loudoun County’s computerized financial management systems into the 21st century continues to mount.

The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously June 23 to reassign the trouble-plagued project from AST, the company that had been contracted to do the upgrade, to Oracle America. The board also pumped almost $4.8 million into the project, pushing the total cost above $46 million — nearly twice the initial budget of $25 million.

Read more…

Washington Post, 7/3/16

Car Seat Headrest in the News – July 2016

Teens Of Denial is just the right combination of real angst and real musicianship…”

–Michael White on Pretty Neat Grooves, July 29, 2016

“Car Seat Headrest Announce Tour, Release Live EP”

–Matthew Strauss on pitchfork.com, July 25, 2016

“Car Seat Headrest announces U.S. fall tour”

–Michelle Geslani on Consequence of Sound, July 25, 2016

“Car Seat Headrest Covered David Bowie’s ‘Blackstar.’”

–Rachel Brodsky in Spin, 7/19/16

“The Seattle band behind one of the most acclaimed indie rock records of 2016 gets set for Capitol Hill Block Party.”

–Seth Sommerfeld in SeattleMet, 7/19/16

Will Toledo’s “sound takes elements from each — Lennon-McCartney’s studio experimentation, Brian Wilson’s lyrical introspection, Pete Townshend’s power-pop guitar riffs — and combines them into something wholly original.”

–Jacob Nierenberg in Seattle Times, July 18, 2016

“In town to play a sold-out show at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis, Car Seat Headrest…stopped by The Current’s studio for a session hosted by Mark Wheat.”

The Current (Minnesota Public Radio), July 18, 2016

“Toledo…remains a vulnerable lyricist, and on ‘Denial,’ he looks at inadequacy with inspired intelligence and compelling clarity.”

–Piet Levy in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 18, 2016

“Toledo encapsulates what it is like to be a young adult in the 21st century and the psychological distresses of the rather generalized ‘millennials.'”

–Hunter Holcomb on Hunterthinking, July 18, 2016

“What Toledo shares with The Replacements’ Paul Westerberg in particular is an almost-crippling self-awareness, which he ultimately overcomes with wit.”

–Nick Bollinger on RNZ (New Zealand), July 15, 2016

“…one of the best rock albums of the year.”

–Chris Riemenschneider re: “Teens of Denial” in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, July 14, 2016

“…where would we be without the Pixies? Weezer? Pavement? EELS? All of which seem to be alive and very present [in Car Seat Headrest] and packaged in a delightful, intricate and intriguingly ‘new’ way.”

Ravechild, July 14, 2016

“…this album is a modern indie-rock classic. Toledo is a voice that should be watched for greatness ahead, coming off like a lost descendant of both Ray Davies and Stephen Malkmus. ***** ”

–Allan Raible on ABC News, July 13, 2016

“…a great, unadulterated guitar sound on ‘Fill in the Blank.’ It’s crunchy and dry, almost British sounding.”

–Joe Bosso in Premier Guitar, July 12, 2016

“…a breakaway album that realized Toledo’s work in punchy, scrappy, full-band arrangements.”

–Jennifer Kelly re: “Teens of Style” in Pop Matters, July 12, 2016

Denial is a sprawling, ambitious 12-song album that finds Toledo and his bandmates fully embracing and embellishing its new full band status.”

–Joshua Miller on Shepherd Express, July 12, 2016

“How Car Seat Headrest Became Indie Rock Heroes”

–Matthew Perpetua on BuzzFeed, July 10, 2016

“4Knots Fest 2016 in Pics”

— Photos 94-110 by Amanda Hatfield for Brooklyn Vegan, July 10, 2016

“Favorite Albums of 2016: Mid-Year Report”

Farce the Music, July 7, 2016

“Toledo joins musicians like Bob Dylan, Tom Waits and Conor Oberst, all with untraditional voices boosted by novelistic songwriting. The sheer amount of observations packed into these songs is astounding, made all the better by the fact that the music rocks.”

–Clarke Reader in The Lakewood Sentinel, July 6, 2016

“The crushing, anxiety-ridden lyrics of front-man Will Toledo also more striking than ever, leaving the crippling imperfections of his personality bare to witness on every aching track, bringing with them an incredible intimacy.”

–Joe Austin, on Toast, July 6, 2016

“Toledo’s deft wordsmithery takes this preoccupation with inner conflict and transforms it into sometimes weird, always compelling narrative.”

–Jeremy Burke in The Village Voice, July 5, 2016

“…epic singalongs and gloriously hook-heavy guitar songs.”

–James Belfield re: “Teens of Denial” on New Zealand Listener, July 4, 2016

“Lyrically Toledo is at his best. Besides Courtney Barnett he’s the best wordsmith in rock n roll right now.”

Wires & Waves re: “Teens of Denial,” July 3, 2016

“It’s the epiphany of adulthood’s anticlimax: a study, weighted equally by wit and poignancy (though never self-pity) of the free-fall between losing your innocence and reclaiming your self-respect, losing your faith and grasping for something, anything to replace it.”

–Andrea Domanick on Noisey, July 1, 2016

“24 hours spent in London spent with a songwriter paying the price for what might be the year’s best indie rock LP.”

–Alex Wisgard in the cover story of Loud and Quiet, July 1, 2016