Hey y’all, we’re on Wednesdays now for the time being, and we’re keeping it all local this week. It’s a hot weekend at The Camel with Destructo Disk and Mobius Strip playing back to back nights at this Richmond landmark that you are not going to want to miss. After that we’ve got three releases from veterans who have been dropping tunes for years all the way down to a premiere release from a folk group that came out of nowhere. We’ve got it all for you on this week’s SOUND CHECK.
If you’re. a band with new music, or a reader with thoughts and suggestions, then send an email to Bones@rvamag.com
local & Regional Acts to See
DESTRUCTO DISK
Saturday November 11th @ The Camel
Doors: 8:00 pm
With a harsh punk sound that refuses to sacrifice melody while also not falling into the temptation of pop punk, Destructo Disk encapsulate the classic Richmond sound. Long known for it’s tradition of underground punk music, this group is on the front lines carrying the torch of legacy. They are energetic, completely genuine and have a sense of humor to boot, and on top of all of that they make great music with a full sound despite their small three piece line-up. Also on the bill for the night are local favorites Drook and relative new-comers Tentative Decisions, who also embody the punk ideals. If this is your sound, then make your way out for a night of satisfying thrashy tunes. Then, perhaps stick around and head back Sunday night for some more Richmond homegrown music.
MOBIUS STRIP
Sunday November 12th @ The Camel
Doors: 7:00 pm
They have no music out, I have not heard of them before this week, and then in an instant they’re everywhere. Keeping a tight schedule, since they began posting on Instagram in September these hotshots have already made the rounds and performed at a number of the usual Richmond music haunts like Black Iris and The Canal Club, and this weekend they will be making their way to The Camel for a night of raucous tunes with fellow locals Dead Psychic. Though they again seem to have released no music as of yet, if their Instagram is anything to go by, then they love to groove, and they like to do it fast. Check them out before they take off and you can’t seem them at the small up close and personal venues anymore.
Local & Regional Releases
BLACKWOOD STATION
Blackwood Station (Album)
The perfect record to accompany this time of year as hikers wander through autumnal landscapes, this album should be the soundtrack to anything fall related this season. The laid back self-titled debut album by Richmond based folk group Blackwood Station scratches every folk itch; steel guitars, heartfelt lyrics sung by a homey voice, and just the right amount of experimentation thrown in for a bit of variety. This group came out of nowhere for me, because as of the end of October I had never heard of them when they started dropping their first singles, and then just a week later they had put out an eight track album with almost 45 minutes of original music. Espousing to a keeping it simple mentality, the songs have simple and familiar instrumentation, but use those instruments sparingly giving the whole record a constantly growing feeling and a decidedly loose harmonic texture. A perfect example of how bands do not have to break ground to produce quality music that contributes to the art form, Blackwood Station have made an splash, and I look forward to seeing where they go from here.
My favorite tracks from Blackwood Station
- “Let Me Down Gently”
- “Father Sun”
REIN
“Devil Was An Angel” (Single)
Every time he drops a track, REIN never fails to have to it dialed in. With a satisfying guitar tone and the chops to back it up, REIN serves up his signature brand of pop-rock with catchy hooks, pleasing structure and a generous amount of frontman bravado. “Devil Was An Angel” satiates, however one can only hope that REIN is cooking up something on a grander scale. With tracks that stand well on their own, imagine what an artist like REIN could do with 40 minutes and 8-10 songs and the time to dig into grander themes musically and thematically.
WEEKEND PLANS
“Before/After (Live at The Basement)” (Single)
Full of raw soul and a surprising amount of loosely cobbled together psychedelia, Weekend Plans have knocked it out of the park with their music recent track. Starting with an almost disturbing bass guitar intro, the track takes it time before the rest of the band slowly emerge as if from behind blacked out curtain in the wings of a stage to present their piece and slowly add layers. Featuring everything you’d want from a Weekend Plans track from a groovy rhythm section, soulful vocals, a laser focused rap break, tight horn lines and of course a guitar solo. It is nice to see them at it again. It has been over a year since their last release, which was also a single, and listeners I’m sure are hungry like me for more.
What I’m listening to
FOO FIGHTERS
But Here We Are (Album)
For a veteran like Dave Grohl it seems that the tunes come easy. What started as a solo project after the tragic dissolution of Nirvana after Kurt Cobain’s suicide in 1994, Grohl’s Foo Fighters has turned into a worldwide phenomenon in it’s own right amassing a catalogue of over a dozen albums and 20,000,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Foo Fighters newest endeavor But Here We Are was released at the beginning of the summer and maintains the sound that you know and love from this staple of the modern rock music lexicon. While the album does little in the way of blowing minds with a fresh new sound, Foo Fighters continue to make heavy rock music for those who may not be fans of the melody-less sounds in the depths of the metal sub-genres, but who also can’t stand the trite often produced by the pop industry. Foo Fighters are classic, they are truthful and they remain a timeless throwback to the heights of rock and roll and stand as a testament to the mass appeal that the genre was had an retains in pockets all over the world to this day.
My favorite tracks from But Here We Are
- “Under You”
- “But Here We Are”
- “Rest”
Top photo courtesy of Destructo Disk by way of Elyza Reinhart
