Words, music, images and more from Jim Barnes
Jimmy O’Connor and his family were living in a townhouse in Sterling, Va., 10 years ago when they felt the urge to move west.
“We had a growing family and were looking for more space — not only more space within the house, but more space outdoors — more trails and more trees,” he said.
Instead, they found what they were looking for just a couple of miles north in Sugarland Run, a compact community of 2,062 homes in eastern Loudoun County.
“Car Seat Headrest Members Create 1 Trait Danger; Releases Video Game ‘Lombardi’s World’”
–Jacob Uitti in American Songwriter, Dec. 9, 2020
“Following the release of their 12th studio album ‘Making A Door Less Open’, Car Seat Headrest performed lead single ‘Can’t Cool Me Down’ live on Jimmy Fallon the other night.”
“Crammed in a small bedroom, Will Tolledo and the rest of the band performed their single ‘Can’t Cool Me Down’, from Car Seat Headrest’s most recent album Making a Door Less Open.”
–Konstantinos Pappis on ourculture, Nov. 21, 2020
“As opposed to the high-end production complementing James Blake’s own Thursday night performance on Fallon, CSH opted for a bare-bones, DIY approach as the band members crammed into a small bedroom.”
–Alex Young on Consequence of Sound, Nov. 20, 2020
“‘Can’t Cool Me Down’ is off of CSH’s stellar 2020 LP, Making A Door Less Open. The Tonight Show play saw the band performing remotely in their first television appearance since the album arrived in May.”
–Nate Todd on JamBase, Nov. 20, 2020
“In a small apartment, Will Toledo and the band (including masked member Trait) played “Can’t Cool Me Down” from Car Seat Headrest’s latest album Making a Door Less Open.”
–Madison Bloom on Pitchfork, Nov. 20, 2020
“I’m sure it wasn’t intentional, but this smart, low-budget performance aired opposite Foo Fighters and their stadium-status light show playing on Colbert.”
–Tom Breihan on Stereogum, Nov. 20, 2020
When Meg and Barton Phillips were looking to move their family from western Fairfax County, Va., to a larger house in 2003, they considered the location of the Ridings at Blue Spring to be a plus. The homes with easy access to Route 50 at the eastern edge of Loudoun County would be conveniently located for their commutes.
But what set the Ridings at Blue Spring apart was the value of the new homes there compared with neighboring South Riding, a much larger community to the west.
Village Green at Elysian Heights goes by many names.
Nestled among farms, wineries and breweries in the gentle hills of northeastern Loudoun County, the community is commonly associated with the village of Lucketts, about two miles away. The mailing address is Leesburg. The neighborhood’s entrance signs say Village Green, but real estate listings fall under Elysian Heights. And, according to the community manager, the official name is Potomia.
“Will Toledo Takes Car Seat Headrest In A New Direction”
–Stephan Kallao on NPR’s World Cafe, Sept. 8, 2020
“Making a Door Less Open is a record made up of strange new realms of thought and travel along a concept of disembarking, traveling, and returning home.”
–Kieran Cleary on RVA, Aug. 5, 2020
When Anita Ramos was growing up near Falls Church in the 1960s, her father would occasionally drive into the country to watch the construction of London Towne, a community of 665 townhouses west of Centreville in Fairfax County.
“My relatives would ask, ‘Why are people building rowhouses out in the middle of nowhere?’ ” Ramos said.
The answer became evident by 1985…
Here is my latest musical composition, “When Darkness Closes In.”
When Shirley Barber moved with her young family to Ashburn Farm in 1989, “it was like the village of Oz dropped down into this country area — one road coming in and out, no buildings,” she said. “There was nothing here.”
Barber and her husband, David Tabor, were the original owners of a house in the eastern Loudoun County community of 3,863 homes, most of which were built between 1988 and 1993. A few smaller neighborhoods were annexed into Ashburn Farm during the ensuing decade.