It’s a busy time of year, with kids getting out school, vacations being planned who knows what else on the docket, but that doesn’t mean you can’t time for a little music in your life. All over the city all week long you can find it if you’re looking, but let me give you the low down on some exciting things happening: Mdou Moctar and Leon III are down at Brown’s Island for Friday Cheers, then later that night Los Malcriados and friends take over The Camel, plus The Mitras and Kendall Street Company have new summer tunes for you. I’ve got it all for you and more on this week’s SOUND CHECK.
Are you a band with new music, a listener with suggestions, or just want to say hi? Send an email to Bones@rvamag.com
Friday Cheers
MDOU MOCTAR & LEON III
Friday, June 7th @ Brown’s Island
Doors: 6:00 pm
Perhaps the most interesting act to come to Friday Cheers this year, Mdou Moctar is a Nigerian quartet intent on making you feel confused. Their quirky rock adjacent tunes are full of disjointed rhythms and stumbling riffs that knock listeners back and forth while simultaneously hypnotizing them. Constantly keeping listeners on their toes, their newest record Funeral for Justice, released just last month, is full of tempo changes and odd techniques like autotune used sparingly or just once offering bizarre tonal shifts like I haven’t heard anywhere else.
Joining them on the Friday Cheers stage this weekend is Texas group Leon III, whose blend of country western twang with old school psychedelia make for a sound that just about anyone can appreciate. With three studio albums out listeners can get a good feeling for just who these Texas boys are before you head out to Brown’s Island this weekend, but with two unique acts performing, I don’t think you’ll find yourself disappointed.
Local & Regional acts to see
LOS MALCRIADOS, PAY RENT BRASS BAND & RASPBERRY PIE
Friday, June 7th @ The Camel
Doors: 9:00 pm
When Friday Cheers is on it be hard to make other plans for Friday night, but rest assured if you want something to do after the music down at Brown’s Island, then you can head on over to The Camel for some late night fun! Continuing their First Friday residency, Los Malcriados headline this stacked show full of high energy music and dance tunes. Their particular brand of latin influenced funk music captivates audiences with killer horn solos as much as it inspires listeners to dance and move.
Joining them is Pay Rent Brass Band, a local ensemble known for their brass band covers of video music scores and incredibly prolific performance schedule. Though only a 6 piece ensemble — relatively small compared to many other local horn bands — Pay Rent bring a massive sound and a tongue in cheek attitude that can not be ignored.
Coming up from Orlando, Florida is Raspberry Pie, and bringing along with them the thunder. Their upbeat dance numbers are reminiscent of flamboyant disco numbers, thus proving that if we as a species can revive swing music, then we for sure can bring disco back from its perhaps too early grave.
Local & Regional releases
KENDALL STREET COMPANY – “MY MAN’S WAS A FUNKY CAT” (single)
Why you gotta be so weird guys? Who is your man, and why was a a funky cat? What happened to him? What was he looking for downtown!? I’d love to have answers, but instead I’m greeted with saxophone solos instead. Rather than opting for long and in-depth story telling, or musical progression, KSC locks into a groove with a few well written lines repeated over and over again, with the premise merely serving as a vehicle just for their incredible instrumentalists to take killer solos. I don’t care if you don’t, so just take it in, don’t ask questions, and grove along to this weird little ditty which is just one release in a year long attempt to drop a song at the end of every month.
THE MITRAS – “LITTLE BITS” (single)
We’ve been talking a lot about The Mitras recently, but that’s just because they’ve been giving us so much to talk about. If you didn’t catch their live performance over the weekend at The Camel, then you can get a taste of what they’ve been up to with their new single “Little Bits” out now on all streaming platforms. Their live shows have to be seen to get the full picture, but this single will have to suffice for those you haven’t made it out yet. Fast paced music, tight harmonies, loads of energy and above all excellent stage presence make The Mitras one of Richmond’s great up and coming alternative acts. Full of angst and delivery with tons of personality, “Little Bits” is a quick little anthem to whatever it has you have been denied.
Top photo courtesy of Mdou Moctar
