Despite its modest size, Richmond is home to a bevy of gifted MCs. Unfortunately, there are only a handful of venues around the city capable and willing to have them grace their stages. This not only frustrates MCs but also hip-hop lovers like Brandon White. So, he...
Danzig, with Devildriver Friday May 13 at The National Of late, the topic of Danzig always seems to start with an account of how the guy went slightly batshit in the ‘90s following the dissolution of the Eerie Von/John Christ/Chuck Biscuits lineup. The inevitable reference to the awful Blackacidevil and the elbow length black gloves with those...
Sorry Bamba – Volume One: 1970-1979 (Thrill Jockey Records) The past three decades or so have witnessed a wider appreciation for African music, in all of its widely-varied forms, than had ever been present outside that continent. Artists as disparate as Nigeria's Fela Kuti and the Congo's Konono No. 1 have all been embraced by audiences...
Over the course of their nearly three-decade career, The Flaming Lips have undergone a series of surprising metamorphoses and unconventional detours on their path to becoming an alternative rock institution. So it might come as a surprise to learn they’ve spent most of that time signed to Warner Bros.—one of the most traditional major labels in...
5/30 Mammoth Grinder, Miasmal, Occultist, Innumerable Forms @ Strange Matter 9pm. 5/30 Memorial Night Vinyl Escape feat. DJ's Chewlarock (pictured above), Prom Night, Obe One spinning funky classic, soul, hip hop – on 4 turntables & a periodically open mic @ The Nile 10pm. 5/30 Northern Diver, Young Adult Fiction, Black Girls (photo by Leslie...
...Running will be the way your life and mine will be described As in, “the long run” Or as in having given someone “a run for his money” Or as in “running out of time.” -Gil Scott-Heron, “Running” Eulogies and rememberances tend to be a comfortable home for overstatement. Accolades, deserved or not, can be heaped upon those who are no longer...
Tyler, The Creator - Goblin (XL Recordings) I’ve been trying to review the new album by Odd Future’s Tyler, the Creator for a few weeks now, but have struggled consistently with what to say about the new record, Goblin. It has received much critical acclaim—glowing reviews from Pitchfork and The Source have mixed with small blog hype to create a...
Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All Thursday, May 19 at Sonar (Baltimore MD) In a few months, Odd Future has gone from internet-fueled cult notoriety to the verge of world conquering stardom, hyped by the media and masses as the controversial current definition of youthful rebellion and musical cool. The group’s immense popularity and the media...
5/26 Kylesa (pictured above), Hour of 13, War Graves, Gritter @ Strange Matter 7pm. (early) 5/26 Os Magrelos, Beleza (pictured above), Capoeira Resistenca @ The Camel 8pm. 5/26 Crucial Elements @ The Republic 9pm. 5/26 Snowy Owls (pictured above), Cinnamon Band, Silversmiths @ Sprout 10pm. 5/27 Oregon Hill Funk All-Stars (pictured above),...
Altar Of Plagues – Mammal (Profound Lore Records) There's been many a critic's pen aflutter over the recent wave of bands who incorporate elements of black metal without really buying into the whole corpse-paint-and-shitty-recording-quality aesthetic that the genre's clung to so strongly over the years. Some of these bands are great (Deafheaven,...
