Summer is almost over in RVA, and Sounds of RVA is sending the season off right this Saturday at Bogart’s.
Summer is almost over in RVA, and Sounds of RVA is sending the season off right this Saturday at Bogart’s. The groovy blues rock of The Dirty Picture Show will be heating things up, Dave Watkins’ Colloquial Orchestra will be cooling things down with his improvisational band of local musicians, and PJ Sykes of Hoax Hunters will be electrifying the night with his dope guitar effects. As always, Bogart’s will be bumpin with plenty of free parking and ready access to bartenders/waitstaff.
The Dirty Picture Show released Dirty Demos about a week ago, and the four tracks are a funky blend of the soul of Jim Morrison (vocalist/guitarist Luke Wilson, not the actor), Southern rock sounds, a strong low end, and the swagger of a psychedelic nightlife. These dudes know how to lay it down, and we are anticipating their set to blow some minds. Featuring guitarist Taylor Laub of the hugely popular The Northerners, TDPS wails and rags on some pretty gnarly jams. Let your “Hair Run Wild” with the last track on the album, and chord progressions will amp you up as the song lets loose.
photo by Greg Garner
The Colloquial Orchestra has taken many shapes and forms over the years. Back in February, Dave Watkins enlisted eleven musicians (including Nelly Kate, Adam Tsai of Nick Coward and the Last Battle, Matt Klimas of the Snowy Owls, Nathaniel Roseberry of Street Pizza, and many more) for a memorable experimental set of epic proportions. Here is the set from that night:
photo by Hilary Langford
PJ Sykes is perhaps best known in Richmond as a brilliant photographer, but he also plays in kick-ass electro-rock trio Hoax Hunters. He will stop by Bogart’s sans the other “Hunters” for a solo set of guitar and vocals. Rumor is that he has learned a new cover song for this show, so we are most excited. Check out Hoax Hunters’ most recent single from a split single with The Snowy Owls below. See you Saturday, August 17 @ Bogart’s in the Fan, 9 pm doors, 10 pm music, $5.
photo by PJ Sykes
For those of us still grasping at the warm summer rays, The Snowy Owls has released an EP, the Summer EP, of songs all about summer. From the low-key, 90s guitar buzzing of “Feels Like Summer” (I’d call it “Feels Like Summer in the 90s”) to the shoegaze splendor that is “Next Summer,” the Snowy Owls explore the warmth. The four songs have that summer-centric, hazy mood to them. Make sure you check out The Snowy Owls at Fall Line Fest 9/6.
photo by Fire at Will Photography
Kyle Thornton is a Christian singer/songwriter who has just released an album called Transitions. The intimate acoustic R&B tracks won’t isolate the non-Christian listeners, either. Thornton avoids overtly saying words like “Jesus” and “God” while remaining soulful.
Singer/songwriter Geoffrey Gill has been recording a song every week since 2013 began, calling the process his Project52. He has just released a compilation of the best songs from this first half of the year. He calls the album 26, referring to the number of weeks these songs are culled from. There are then 13 tracks that appear. Some tracks are cover songs, like Iron and Wine and Vampire Weekend. Check out “Wildwood Flowers,” not the Carter Family song, but rather a toy organ-saturated soundscape that somehow recalls bagpipes.
Michael Piffsmoke of Exit Entertainment has released a fresh mixtape called The Book of Piffsmoke Vol. 1. With beats like Dilla, tracks like “Piffsmoke” combine classic soul clips with Piffsmoke’s nasty ass flow.
Matthew E. White‘s last album was so good that people are still experimenting with his tracks and making new things. Even though the footage was taken back in 2011, Snow Panda (pictured just above) recently released a video for the song, “Will You Love Me” which follows around a little spaceman robot in Richmond. He takes in the sights like the Westhampton Theater, mannequin upskirts, and Carytown.
The Letting Go is a folk band led by Red Lewis, who has been popping up everywhere lately from Instagram to Need Supply online catalogs. He has just released the song and video of “This Haunted Love,” a teaser track from Lewis’ upcoming album. Also, below that you’ll see “Summer Love Part I” which is a little bit Lumineers-y. Lewis’ subtle vocals do not overwhelm and blend well with his banjo and collective refrain.
image by Pat Bench
Crater is a new black metal band who just released a demo track called “II.” The band features members from Riot Squad and Christmasfits. Check them out @ Strange Matter on 9/28 (early show) with Ramming Speed, Ruidosa Inmundicla, and Occultist.
photo by HardRockRVA.blogspot.com
Last but not least, Volture returns with a new frontman (Jack Bauer) and a preview track from upcoming LP on High Roller Records! “On the Edge” is the speediest thrash metal and really rips. The slowed-down bridge makes sure the power metal is on point. Bauer’s high pitch vocals pierce through the heaviest guitars and drumming.
By Sarah Moore Lindsey (soundsofrva.org)
