RVA Magazine | Richmond, VA

DAILY RECORD: Sun Araw & M. Geddes Gengras Meet The Congos

Sun Araw & M. Geddes Gengras Meet The Congos – FRKWYS Vol. 9: Icon Give Thank (RVNG Intl. Records)

The pairing of younger musicians with more seasoned counterparts can be a tricky proposition. Though these may be well-intentioned attempts to bridge generational and cultural divides, they often come off as an older artist's attempt to leech credibility off of a younger musician or a younger musician's attempt to gain timelessness by proxy – or worse yet, both. The FRKWYS series curated by RVNG Intl. Records (who apparently hate vowels as much as they love collaborations) has been a notable exception, in previous volumes pairing up recent experimental artists like Julianna Barwick and Excepter with seasoned veterans like Ikue Mori and Jim Thirwell. At first glance, the series' most recent volume might seem the least likely to work, teaming the abstract exotica of Sun Araw, the electronic psychedelia of M. Geddas Gengras, and the roots reggae of the Congos (whose 1977 album Heart Of The Congos is one of the best records ever to come out of Jamaica).

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DAILY FIX: The Fire Tapes, "Attack Of The Clones"

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The Fire Tapes are a Charlottesville indie-rock band that's been getting a bit of attention lately through high-profile gigs like Charlottesville's Tom Tom Founders Festival, as well as opening for Dirty Ghosts when they played DC's Black Cat. Their debut album, Dream Travel, was released last fall, and they've just released a video for "Attack Of The Clones," a track from that album.

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Five Film Favorites: Johnny Depp Films

Upon viewing a still image of Johnny Depp as Tonto for the upcoming Lone Ranger flick (2013), I came to the conclusion that Johnny Depp looks tremendous in makeup. He probably looks good all the time, but he shines in makeup. While the choice to have Depp represent Tonto may be politically and culturally dubious (as if the character of Tonto is not always already fraught with political and cultural dubiousness), Depp nonetheless looked terrific in makeup that may or may not be a culturally and historically accurate representation of Native Americans.

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TONIGHT: Downbeat Switch w/ The Dream Machine At The Republic

It was a rock smorgasbord at The Republic last Thursday, where The Dream Machine warmed the crowd for Sam Robinson and the Groove-Elators and closing act Beef Lizard. As the opening act, The Dream Machine set was toned down just a touch. This was certainly not a bad thing; it was refreshing to see them play with a greater degree of control. I heard several different renditions of familiar songs - they took "I Want It" and funked it out, leaving more room for J. Shear to belt guitar solos. I also heard a new blues number, to which Luke Wilson went wild on harmonica.

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Seussical The Musical At Theatre IV

Seussical The Musical, a theatrical adaptation of multiple characters, books, and aspects from the world of Dr. Suess (Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Mayzie, and more), is in town at Theatre IV. I was able to chat with one of the lead actresses in the musical, Aly Wepplo--whose previous credits include Theatre IV’s The Ugly Duckling and Harriet Tubman, Barksdale’s 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Is He Dead? and Lend Me a Tenor--to get the lowdown on what we can expect from the play.

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An Oath of Service Betrayed–-By One-Third of the Virginia House of Delegates

During the recent debate on the judicial nomination of Tracy Thorne-Begland for appointment to the General District Court bench, social conservative members of the House of Delegates repeatedly claimed that Mr. Thorne-Begland was unfit to serve as a judge because he had violated his duty to his country when he chose to declare his sexual orientation while in active military service. They likewise claimed that he betrayed his oath as a commissioned officer, thus calling into question his integrity and faithfulness to his mission. These Delegates sought to vote down Mr. Thorne-Begland’s nomination, extolling the sanctity of an oath and a duty that he allegedly broke.