Well it’s officially the holiday season, and there’s no avoiding it now. Some artists are fully embracing the season, while others are choosing to chug along and continue releasing their music and playing their tracks live like it’s any other time of the year. Honestly, a mix of the two is probably the way; for those weary of the holiday music, listeners can simply head on down The Camel any night of the week for some good old fashioned Richmond underground music. However, for those who crave the holiday tunes, one need not look far for those who love to fully delve into the culture and music of the season. Anyways, I’ve got both for you. On this week’s SOUND CHECK Beach Fossils are making a trip into town, a huge lineup of incredible artists featuring CAS are at Richmond Music Hall, and a number of local artists have a mixture of holiday and secular tunes for you.
If you’re a band with music, a listener with suggestions or just want to reach out, send an email to Bones@RVAmag.com
out of town acts to see
BEACH FOSSILS
Monday November 27th @ The National
Doors: 6:30 pm
Beach Fossils are no spring chickens, having formed in Brooklyn in 2009, but the group has found a sound that works for them and stick to what they know works. Since their first self-titled album in 2010 the group have stuck to their spacey indie songwriting and have strayed little over the course of the last decade. The thing that I find about this kind of laid back style of rock music is that it some of the most easy listening and least invasive sounds out there these days, having something for just about everyone. Although perhaps not necessarily the most stimulating in terms of rock concerts, if you don’t love the laid back tones of indie rock, but someone’s looking for a plus one, by all means go and you might just be surprised by the vibes of a live concert.
Local & Regional Acts to see
CAS
Sunday, November 26th @ Richmond Music Hall
Doors: 7:00 pm
Christopher Adkins Stone, or CAS as you more likely know him, is a guitar master. I did a piece on the artist last year in promotion of his Hourglass Session going live on RVA Mag TV, and since then he has release an album of original music. Stone has the looks, the skill and the vibe, and if you don’t believe me, then allow me to regale you with this fact. I once saw a video of CAS playing guitar at a skate park on top of a quarter pipe playing solo in front of dozens of super models at a fashion show in Miami, and it really doesn’t get much more rock star than that. To catch this master at work, you simply must make your way to Richmond Music Hall Sunday night.
Also on the bill for the evening are progressive rock outfit Marshall Family Values who have dropping tracks like crazy, and Sunflower’d, a classy take on indie rock. It’s going to be a great night filled with even better music, so if you’re looking to get back in the groove after coming back into town from Thanksgiving affairs, or looking to blow off some steam after the family finally vacated the city, look no further.
Local & Regional Releases
DJ HARRISON
Christmas Time is Here (Single)
There isn’t much to say about this delightful track except that it surprised me in the most wholesome way imaginable. DJ Harrison is known for his high quality production of chill beats and hip hop, but have now he’s putting out tributes to the music of Vince Guaraldi, starting with his version of the timeless holiday classic, “Christmas Time is Here.” A faithful interpretation that should absolutely grace your holiday playlists this year, and absolutely worth the variation if only to provide a little spice to your holiday life this season.
REIN
“Radio” (Single)
Somebody stop him. REIN can’t seem to help himself as he’s dropping track after track and working on so many projects that it’s hard to keep up. For a solo artist it is a truly prolific amount of work and listeners can only hope that the accomplished guitarist is gearing up towards something bigger than a series of singles. This newest track “Radio” is of course defined by guitar led sound and features a pop twinged attitude that the singer/songwriter defaults to, some wonderful tight harmonies and of course his iconic guitar tone.
DANGER BIRDS
“Postcards” (Single)
I’m sure that we will be talking about Danger Birds more, as they have a whole schedule of releases lined up for the end of this year and we’re only catching them in the middle. The new group out of RVA pour out an Indie rock sound and they know what their lane. Punchy guitar tones and irreverent lyrics define these catchy jams, and they’ve got more where that came from, so keep your eye an them your ears open for their new tracks and some concert dates coming up at the beginning of December.
What I’m Listening to
In this section, in case you were wondering, I usually try to stick to music that has been released in this calendar year (which is why this part is often left blank). However, this time around, I could not resist discussing this album released last year by musician Benjamin Clementine. The London, England born transplant to Paris, France is entirely self-taught and spent his early 20s busking on the streets of the famous French city. Sounding like Bob Marley, but with indie sound inspired by classical piano music, Clementine is thoroughly unique. This is only his most recent record, yet he’s got a back log of four albums each better than the last. A versatile artist with multiple mediums, just check out his website, Clementine is an artist to keep your eye on in case he ever comes stateside.
Top photo courtesy of Beach Fossils
