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White Laces Release Free Live EP
In the wake of the success of their lauded debut album, Moves, with its romantic-esque indie pop sound, Richmond dream rockers White Laces have released a new EP, //////Interzone.
SHOW REVIEW: Toro Y Moi
Toro Y Moi, Wild Belle, Dog Bite
Saturday, February 9 at The National
Recently, I’ve been writing about and frequenting dance parties around Richmond, but I can only dance so much before my soles crumble off and my soul crumbles away. So last Saturday, I opted to go watch some live music at the National, just to keep it chill. I didn’t know that the Toro Y Moi show would turn into A BIG ASS DANCE PARTY. What am I, cursed by fun?
DAILY RECORD: Grouper
Grouper – The Man Who Died In His Boat (Kranky Records)
Anybody with a history of buying music could rightly be wary of the phenomenon of long-unreleased companion recordings that might see the light of day subsequent to the success of some artist's better-loved work. Though they're usually posited as some sort of buried treasure, they're more often than not a cash-grab and, while die-hard fans might rejoice, it's often readily apparent why they had not been released in the first place.
Living Lens: An Interview With Mountains
Though the music purveyed by Mountains can be characterized by a few distinct facets - pastoral ambient drone, psychedelic neo-folk, musique concrete - it never comes off as anything but singular in its intent. With extended passages that shift gradually over their course, Mountains' songs act as immersive experiences, rife with the sort of attention to detail that rewards a patient and attentive listener.
DAILY RECORD: My Bloody Valentine
My Bloody Valentine - m b v (self-released)
While no one was looking, it happened. Legendary early 90s UK guitar-noise pioneers My Bloody Valentine suddenly released their third album late last Saturday night, making mp3 copies available for purchase and immediate download on their website and, in the process, seemingly breaking the entire internet. The fact that m b v is their first album in 22 years has led to a lot of hype(rbole), and made it somewhat difficult to get a handle on what we actually have here.
Win Tickets To See Toro Y Moi At The National!
If you like to dance, we've got the show for you! This Saturday, Chaz Bundick, better known to fans far and wide as Toro Y Moi, will take the stage at the National to bring his excellent blend of hip grooves and intelligent pop to RVA.
DAILY RECORD: Ethernet
Ethernet – Opus 2 (Kranky Records)
It can be difficult to determine the extent to which Ethernet's fourth full-length album works. When the circumstances of its creation, its intent, and its actual aesthetic are juxtaposed, they all seem at stark enough contrast that it can be difficult to establish the album's purpose, let alone whether it's been achieved.
I Like To Feel Like A Fish Out Of Water: An Interview With E.D. Sedgwick
One of the newer bands to come out of DC’s Dischord Records is set to play live at Steady Sounds this Saturday, February 2nd. For anyone who is tired of music that fits any specific genre and ready to listen to some purely original jams, E.D. Sedgwick is a band not to be missed.
SHOW REVIEW: Purity Ring
Purity Ring fanatics lined up in front the Jefferson Theater in Charlottesville on January 28th, 2012. Patiently waiting out front around 645 PM, the line extended for a block--everyone was pumped to see the band play their excellent debut, Shrines, live.
DAILY RECORD: Mountains
Mountains – Centralia (Thrill Jockey)
I don't know what the members of Brooklyn duo Mountains were aiming for when they named their band, and I hate to even speculate, except that the moniker is so appropriate that it's difficult not to. Evoking the immense, the immovable, and the largely immutable might prove an overstatement of some artists' abilities, a difficult bar across which to leap, but when listening to Centralia, Mountains' most recent release, the name seems the perfect choice for this particular band, as theirs is music that manages the difficult task of maintaining a thoughtful singularity of purpose while at the same time not coming off monomaniacal or dull.
Win Tickets To See Tegan And Sara At The National!
Yes, it's true--in collaboration with our colleagues at Gay RVA, we're giving away two pairs of tickets to see Tegan And Sara at the National this Friday, January 25.
Commonwealth Of Notions Presents: Compilation (Volume One)
As part of our continuing series of compilations featuring local music curated by local bloggers, today RVA Magazine presents The Commonwealth Of Notions Compilation (Volume One), compiled by Shannon Cleary, host of the Commonwealth Of Notions radio show on WRIR and frequent RVA Magazine contributor.
Win Tickets To See Cat Power At The National!
This is a rare and important occurrence--Chan Marshall, who records and performs under the name Cat Power, is doing a brief American tour this month, and one of the seven dates she's playing in this country will take place right here in RVA at the National!
DAILY RECORD: Brian Eno
Brian Eno – Lux (Warp Records)
The quasi-manifesto liner notes that accompanied Brian Eno's 1975 album Discreet Music offered the first definition of ambient music, coining the term and providing a blueprint for an immersive approach that leant itself to appreciation on both conscious and intuitive levels. Acting in an almost utilitarian fashion, as an extension of Erik Satie's concept of “furniture music,” Eno suggested a methodology in which sounds would be created to blend in with an atmosphere, becoming as much a part of an environment as lighting or temperature.
RVA No. 11: Eternal Summers
While it is not actually the vanished island community of early United States history, Roanoke, Virginia has long been a sort of cultural lost colony. It’s no wonder that, in recent years, the city has taken on a majestic quality. The bands that make up the Roanoke-based musical confederation known as The Magic Twig Community--including The Sad Cobras, The Young Sinclairs, The Missionaries and Eternal Summers--are a testament to this fact. With this year’s release of their second album, Correct Behavior, Eternal Summers have grown beyond the boundaries of their close-knit hometown scene, while still finding a way to stay true to their origins.
FRIDAY: The Trillions, White Laces & Anousheh At Balliceaux!
2012 is quickly drawing to a close, and the entire RVA musical community is celebrating yet another great year for local music. Three artists who've had particularly big years will cap off the past 12 months by performing together this Friday at Balliceaux, and if you're a fan of RVA music, you need to make sure you're in attendance.
RVA No. 11: Matthew E. White
2012 has been an eventful year for Richmond’s own Matthew E. White. With an opening slot on the Mountain Goats’ nationwide tour, a budding record label, and the release of his critically acclaimed first solo album, White’s career is poised for the advances most musicians dream of. Released August 16th, White’s album Big Inner concludes years of musical and personal maturation for the multi-instrumental singer, songwriter, and producer. The most accurate description of Big Inner is that of a musical atonement; it leaves you feeling both deeply moved and refreshed. Take, for example, the song "Gone Away.” In his soft, mellow way, White sings the lines, "He will break your kingdom down, He will tear your kingdom down." At its zenith, the song develops into pure gospel. A full choir surfaces to pick up the intensity of lyrics that could be taken religiously or symbolically. There’s a sense of a modern day expiation of sins. White’s lyrics, in true gospel fashion, effuse the hope of redemption, and in my case, provide a light the end of the tunnel for someone with too many hang-ups. Powerful horn arrangements and a choir swathe White’s breathy vocals with soul. Upon first listen, it was hard to reconcile the sage, prophetic image formed in my head by the music with the fact that a 29 year old had composed and performed it.
Ghost Of Pop 8: Goldrush & The Trillions
It wouldn’t be a Ghost of Pop without a particular set of individuals involved, and that list certainly includes members of Goldrush and The Trillions. Members of both outfits have been involved in multiple musical incarnations throughout the history of this annual event--whether that was as part of Prabir and The Substitutes, The Druthers, The Awesome Few, My Old Ways, Rabbits, or The Rachel Nevadas, these were the people making it happen from the start.
Check Out A New Dead Fame Track, See Them Saturday At Balliceaux
RVA postpunk sensations Dead Fame just finished up a session with local producer/guitarist Pedro Aida (Fun Size/River City High), and we've got the premiere of one of their new tracks, "My Body, My Fo
Ghost Of Pop 8: An Interview With SaU
One of the coolest things about the Richmond music scene is the deep-rooted respect that many musicians have for one another. I was honored to have Matt Taylor from Motion City Soundtrack produce the last set of Goldrush recordings. When we were taking breaks from recordings, we could chat about the Richmond scene and share our mutual respect for many of the key players, one of whom is Jonathan Sullivan of Kid Is Qual.
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