Historical marker for Ashburn School

Less than nine months after vandals defaced the Ashburn Colored School by spray-painting it with racist graffiti, a Virginia historical marker has been installed near the front entrance of the gleaming white building.

The marker came about through the efforts of a group of seventh-grade students at Farmwell Station Middle School who selected it as a project for their social studies class in the fall. They cleared hurdles at local and state levels to obtain grant funding for the marker and win approval from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, which installed the marker Monday.

Full story

The Washington Post, June 11, 2017

Car Seat Headrest in the news – June 2017

“Their haunting melodies adhere themselves to your inner ear and leave you deciding to just leave the album on loop for hours on end.”

–Scott Castro on RVA Hub, June 29, 2017

“Don’t miss indie rock band Car Seat Headrest.”

–Colleen Curran in Richmond Times Dispatch, June 28, 2017

“Catch up with the Leesburg-born band ahead of their closeout performance at Friday Cheers on June 30”

–Robey Martin in Richmond Mag, June 27, 2017

“…one track from the record stood out for me and sparked something deep inside of me that few songs have before.”

—theindianindiehead, June 22, 2017

“‘His name is Ethan Ives and he plays in a band called Car Seat Headrest,’ she said casually.”

–Gabe Pollack on KEXP.org, June 20, 2017

“Car Seat Headrest Juggling Criticism, Praise as a Young Band”

–Kristin M. Hall on Associated Press News, June 19, 2017

“The twenty-something is able to reach back and pull out some of that late teen angst, turn it into a brilliant indie rock sound, and then throw in (sort of but not…) covers here and there, making you scratch your head like whaaaat but then the end result is ‘OMG I love this.'”

–Brittany on Live Music Louisville, June 19, 2017

“…the band created a quintessential Bonnaroovian moment: everyone in the audience could relate to the excitement of a fantasy coming to fruition, so the tent’s overflowing positivity – emanating equally powerfully from the band and their crowd – only enhanced Car Seat Headrest’s already consistently superior indie rock chops.”

–David Brendan Hall on Consequence of Sound, June 12, 2017

“Car Seat Headrest had one of the best sets of the festival. Keep an eye on Will Toledo, he is surely destined for even bigger things.”

–Chris Rutledge in American Songwriter, June 10, 2017

“A star was born on stage at This Tent Friday afternoon, and we’re not talking about indie-rockers Car Seat Headrest — though they’re among the most acclaimed acts to emerge from that world in the last few years.”

–Dave Paulson in The Tennessean, June 9, 2017

“The four-piece took to the stage with no ceremony, grabbed their instruments and proceeded to melt my face off with a blistering performance.”

–Joe Marvilli on No Ripcord, June 9, 2017

“Toledo raps, under the stage name ‘Stoney Bologne,’ about how bullies pushed him into pools and kicked his face.”

–Grant Sharples on Paste, June 8, 2017

“After cheekily acknowledging the piece on Twitter yesterday, Toledo and his band have dropped what’s been described as “our new, on-point diss track.”

–Sarah Murphy on Exclaim!, June 8, 2017

“Will Toledo shares his ‘brand new, on-point diss track’ after Sam Ray called his music ‘thoroughly bland'”

–Evan Minsker on Pitchfork, June 7, 2017

“Ricky Eat Acid Shares Essay-Length Car Seat Headrest Takedown”

–Chris DeVille on Stereogum, June 7, 2017

“Toledo’s ‘Stoney Bologne’ is less of a diss track and more of a rambling joke-rap digression about being bullied in school…”

–Peter Helman on Stereogum, June 7, 2017

“…to be among a friendly group of people, all connecting, all exuding redemptive, therapeutic energy was inspirational.”

–Turner Walston on Argyle Creative Media, June 6, 2017

“From one of the top albums of 2016 – Teens of Denial – Car Seat Headrest’s Will Toledo sings about past lives, drugs, that guy he hates and well, being letdown by hippie culture, all with charged-up guitars and a crazy-good hook.”

–Anurag Tagat on Askmen India, June 5, 2017

“Governor’s Ball After Dark — Car Seat Headrest”

—crowdalbum, June 5, 2017

“Despite his shy demeanor, this anti-frontman’s ability to mesmerize a room is a testament his solid songwriting, which was on full display tonight.”

–Audra Tracy on The Waster, June 4, 2017

“Mighty songs from a muscular band.”

–“All Songs Considered” on NPR, June 1, 2017

Uncertain future for Round Hill jam sessions

On the last Friday of every month, musicians converge on the Old Furniture Factory in Round Hill, toting stringed instruments of all sizes, from mandolins to upright basses. Before long, they are standing in small clusters, picking and singing, filling the room with strains of bluegrass and old-time country music.

For 14 years, the informal sessions have attracted singers, instrumentalists and fans from the Washington area and beyond. But the future of the jams is uncertain. The Old Furniture Factory is for sale, and bluegrass enthusiasts fear the music will end when the building changes hands.

Full story

The Washington Post, June 4, 2017

Randall: Exciting times in Loudoun

In her annual State of the County presentation, Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) described Loudoun as strong, thriving and “standing on the cusp of an exciting future.”

A standing-room-only crowd that included business leaders and public officials from across the region packed the Board of Supervisors’ meeting room Wednesday, as Randall recapped the county’s successes of the past year. She also pointed out some of the challenges associated with Loudoun’s high cost of living, including the lack of workforce housing and an inadequate pay scale for public safety workers.

Full story

The Washington Post, May 28, 2017

Leesburg Vintner withstands competition

Owner Mike Carroll in his shop, Leesburg Vintner

Although Leesburg Vintner was closed Monday, owner Mike Carroll was working in his shop while a ribbon-cutting for Delirium Cafe was taking place across the street.

“I think it’s going to be a game-changer,” Carroll said as he peered through the blinds at the growing crowd outside the cafe, a franchisee of a popular Belgian beer company. “It’s created a buzz unlike anything I’ve seen since I’ve been here.”

Carroll has been selling bottled wines at the northwest corner of King and Loudoun streets in Leesburg for almost three decades. During that time, he has withstood increasing competition from big box stores and local wineries.

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The Washington Post, May 21, 2017

Supervisors debate including transition area in plan’s vision statement

A narrow swath of land between eastern and western Loudoun County dominated the discussion as the Board of Supervisors wrestled recently with the wording of the vision statement for a new comprehensive plan that will guide development in the county for decades to come.

On May 2, six months into the 18-month process of creating the plan, supervisors began discussing a draft vision statement and goals that had been developed by a committee of stakeholders after a period of public input.

Most of the discussion focused on the “transition policy area,” which was zoned to serve as a buffer between rapidly developing eastern Loudoun and the rural west. Supervisors disagreed over whether the vision statement should include the word “transition” as one of the primary types of land areas in the county, along with “rural, suburban and urban.”

Full story

The Washington Post, May 14, 2017

Car Seat Headrest in the news – May 2017

“Alternative band Car Seat Headrest, who has been making waves in the music industry since the release of their sophomore album, ‘Teens of Denial,’ will be playing a late-night set at Webster Hall after their performance at Gov Ball.”

–Dana Reszutek on amNY.com, May 25, 2017

“Lo-fi indie rocker and Bartlett favorite Car Seat Headrest, the project of Will Toledo, makes its Sasquatch debut this year… Toledo has a cult following so expect big crowds.”

–Azaria Podplesky, The Spokesman-Review, May 25, 2017

“9 bands to discover at Sasquatch 2017”

–Branden on 107.7 the end (Seattle), May 24, 2017

“CSH proved themselves to be contenders as just an excellent and unique rock band in an era where rock music isn’t necessarily in the spotlight for American music culture anymore. All hail Will Toledo. All hail Car Seat Headrest.”

–Mitchell Banks on WIUX (Indiana University Student Radio), May 23, 2017

“Australian alt-rock trio Middle Kids are announcing a North American tour today. To promote it they went on SiriusXM radio, where singer Hannah Joy performed a solo piano cover of Car Seat Headrest’s Teens Of Denial opener ‘Fill In The Blank.'”

–Chris DeVille on Stereogum, May 17, 2017

“With a very personal, smart, and insightful lyrical prowess and a dynamic, inventive indie rock style, Car Seat Headrest are one of the most exciting rock group to pop up in recent memory, and with an engaging, stellar live show to boot, they’re at must-see at Bonnaroo.”

–Philip Obenschain on No Country, May 15, 2017

“The band now tours the world and continues to top all the charts with their songs that are angsty, emotionally complicated in the most endearing way, and so honest that it sometimes stings.”

–Cynthia Bonitz on mxdwn.com, May 11, 2017

“The energy, comfort and familiar awkwardness of the set was exactly what the night called for and Toledo did not disappoint.”

–Adrian Vega-Albela Osorio on KSXC Radio (Los Angeles), May 10, 2017

“Car Seat Headrest’s ambition and stunning songwriting has been apparent since its early days of recording in Toledo’s car − only difference is that they’ve upgrading their recording digs and there’s a host of adoring fans listening.”

–Avery Newmark on AJC.com, May 5, 2017

Hill School Arboretum gets recognition

The Hill School, as seen from the arboretum

Thousands of trees adorn the property of The Hill School in Middleburg, providing a peaceful, natural landscape for the school campus and an outdoor learning laboratory for the students.

Some of the trees at The Hill School Arboretum look as though they could have been there for a century. But less than three decades ago, the school was surrounded by hayfields and cornfields. A gift of land and the vision of a dedicated volunteer led to the establishment of the arboretum, school officials said.

The arboretum was recently selected by the Smithsonian Institution and the Garden Club of America for inclusion in the Archives of American Gardens. The school announced in February that the arboretum was one of 51 properties across the country that were added to the archives last year.

Read more

The Washington Post, May 7, 2017

School Board accepts budget reduction

When the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors adopted a budget for fiscal 2018 on April 4, it handed the school board the task of trimming its expenditures by $5.5 million.

On Monday, the school board completed the budget reconciliation process by approving a list of reductions recommended by Schools Superintendent Eric Williams. That list avoided cuts to the school board’s key initiatives, such as expanding full-day kindergarten, boosting employee salaries and buying new school buses.

More

The Washington Post, April 30, 2017

Leesburg gardens on display

In 1817, Gen. George Rust bought a 485-acre tract along the Potomac River north of Leesburg and began building a Federal-style home there. The rock outcrops that studded the land inspired the property’s name: Rockland.

Two centuries and five generations later, Rust’s descendants still own and occupy Rockland. But maintaining old homes is costly, and the current occupants are searching for new ways to generate revenue from the property so they can continue to keep it in the family.

Rockland is one of six picturesque Leesburg-area properties that will be open to visitors Sunday and Monday during Virginia’s Historic Garden Week. The Garden Club of Virginia uses proceeds from the event, now in its 84th year, to restore and preserve historic public gardens across the commonwealth.

Read more

The Washington Post, April 23, 2017