In a year chock full of highlights and surprises, Richmond did it again. The city’s music scene had a spectacular year that made me wonder–is there any end in sight for how crazy awesome the bands in this city have gotten? I surely hope not.
In a year chock full of highlights and surprises, Richmond did it again. The city’s music scene had a spectacular year that made me wonder–is there any end in sight for how crazy awesome the bands in this city have gotten? I surely hope not. Last year, I made a list of ten groups that I felt did excellent work in a live capacity. To throw things for a loop, I figured I’d make up a bunch of standard and bizarre yearbook-style categories for this year. Enjoy!
The Snowy Owls, photo by Chelsea Lahmers
Best Band: Warren Hixson
Best Song Title: Sports Bar, “I Was Going To Shave My Beard, But I Took A Nap Instead”
Best Record Label: BadgrrrlRecords
Best Live Artist: The Milkstains
Band That Needs to Just Get Around to Putting a Full-Length Out Already: The Snowy Owls
Those Manic Seas, photo from McAllisterRybak.com
Band I Want To Nerd Out About Robots and Technology With: Those Manic Seas
Record That Would Have Made My Top Ten If I Hadn’t Just Up and Decided To Join The Band: Clair Morgan, No Notes
Band With Best Movie Reference Song Titles: Everyone Dies In The End
Band I Still Dream of Seeing Reunite, But I Know it Will Never, Ever Happen: Light The Fuse and Run
Band I Want To Hang Out With and Hear Their New Album: White Laces
Avers; photo by Sarah Walor
As Much As I Want To See The New Coen Brothers Movie, I Feel Like I’ve Already Seen It When I Think Of: (Tie) Ben Shepherd and Nick Woods
Artist That I Catch Every So Often and Am Left Going, “How Could A Moment Like This Possibly Get Any Better?”: Josh Small
Band I Want To Party With in 2014: (Tie) Avers and Valdosta
Bands That Weren’t Included In My Top Singles and Releases Lists That Probably Make People Think I Failed Hard: (Tie) Windhand and Inter Arma
Hot Dolphin plays Shannon’s birthday party; photo by Marc Cheatham
Favorite Show of The Year: (Tie) Warren Hixson/Hypercolor @ Balliceaux; The Snowy Owls @ Fall Line Fest, Bermuda Triangles @ Bandito’s; The Shangri-Lords @ The Camel; and Hot Dolphin @ Everything Ever
When You Want To Think All Cover Bands Suck, But Then You Find That One That Just Nails It: Fear of Music (Talking Heads Cover Band)
Band That I Find Myself Mentioning Constantly But Wonder When The Rest of Richmond Will Catch On: The Kindling Kind
If I Did Drugs, I’d Probably Want To Do Them With: (Tie) Negative Gemini, Mirror Kisses, Heavy Midgets and Todd Herrington
The Catalyst; photo by Charles Benjamin Houck
Band That Broke Up This Year and It Broke My Heart: (Tie) The Catalyst and Nick Coward & The Last Battle
Songwriter Who Constantly Makes Me Spellbound With Their Wordplay: Jonathan Vassar
When I Think I Am Busy and I Need To Know Someone Else’s Life Is Probably More Chaotic Than My Own, I Look Towards This Blog: The Cheats Movement
A Long List of Bands That Are Putting Out Something in 2014 That I Can’t Wait To Get A Hold Of:
–White Laces
–Heavy Midgets
–The Trillions
–Black Girls
–Avers
–Warren Hixson
–Sports Bar
–Sundials
–The Kindling Kind
–Hypercolor
–Tungs
–Hot Dolphin
–Bermuda Triangles
–MUTWAWA
–The Milkstains
–Peace Beast
–The Diamond Center
–Dead Fame
–Negative Gemini
–Valdosta
–Positive No
–Photosynthesizers
–Canary Oh Canary
–dozens of others…
