Annie Galvin

Annie Galvin is a writer and academic in Charlottesville, VA. She has written about books, music, and theater for PopMatters, LA Review of Books, Slant Magazine, Washington City Paper, and others. She has a PhD in English and teaches courses on global literature, gender studies, and media at the University of Virginia.

Culture/Events/Featured: Top of Home Page/Features/Music/Music Features

How Does Taylor Swift’s ‘Reputation’ Fit in with The Current Political Climate?

Annie Galvin / 2 August 2018

Like an alchemist, Taylor Swift turns stray thoughts and abject emotions into global cultural touchstones—and into piles and piles of cold, hard cash. What do her fans get out of it?

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Music/Reviews

Luluc Offers Solace Through Sound and Language on ‘Sculptor’

Annie Galvin / 9 July 2018

Australian folk duo Luluc follows their breakout album Passerby with a more ambitious sound that inspires reverence and awe on Sculptor.

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10 Americana Fest Bands to Fall in Love With Right Now

Annie Galvin / 8 October 2015

In addition to well-established headliners, 10 up-and-coming artists stood out at the 2015 Americana Music Festival in Nashville.

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Nate Ruess: Grand Romantic

Annie Galvin / 6 August 2015

Nate Ruess anchors his first solo album by doing what he’s always done best: blowing the roof off the place with astronomically rangy, patently catchy hooks.

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Torres: Sprinter

Annie Galvin / 14 May 2015

The foreboding sonic weather systems that Mackenzie Scott summons in her songs give dimension to the complex topics she explores.

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Alabama Shakes: Sound and Color

Annie Galvin / 22 April 2015

What makes the Alabama Shakes sound new is that they’re evidently devoted to their musical forebears -- everyone from Etta James and Aretha to Bowie and Zeppelin -- yet also coquettishly unfaithful to each one of them.

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Delta Rae: After It All

Annie Galvin / 14 April 2015

On its second album After It All, the Durham-based sextet successfully raids the storehouse of American musical traditions, incorporating influences ranging from blues to folk, rock to pop, and hip-hop to musical theater.

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15 Must-Know Artists from SXSW 2015

Annie Galvin / 26 March 2015

Amidst the many artists that flooded SWSX this year, these 15 new and rising talents stand out amidst the fray.

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Laura Marling: Short Movie

Annie Galvin / 26 March 2015

The eclectic guitar becomes a tool that complements Laura Marling's lyrics on this pivotal album, at times articulating visceral anger and, at others, obliterating psychic barriers and clearing space for something new.

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South By Southwest Music Festival 2015: Friday

Annie Galvin / 23 March 2015

From artists that have already made a splash (Bleachers) to those hoping to land a record deal (Demi Louise), Friday of SXSW 2015 captured the struggle to make it in the modern music industry.