I am a proud rocker, a punk at that, but with everyday I feel like I fall in love with another type of music. We are in such an amazing time of live shows, it seems like we get more and more world renowned acts in every flier I see, with bands and artists coming from the literal opposite ends of the globe coming to RVA. Times are changing and I think our city will not be left behind.
Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? I am your guy at Griffin@rvamag.com.
Brown’s Island | Wednesday, August 28th
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Geese
I am a firm believer that Australia is the current music innovator. For the past 15 odd years, the Aussies have done nothing but churn out interesting and refreshing bands. At the genesis of this renaissance was a band that has come to be known as “King Giz“. They are returning to this side of the equator with the release of their TWENTY-SIXTH studio album, Flight b741. Go reread that last sentence real quick please. With most genres covered so far, the kings, lizards and wizards are running with the blues, in all the weird and unexpected ways you could expect from them. This feels like if you took 50’s rockers, sent them to 2024, gave them a bit of amphetamines and showed them acid jazz. It still has the classic feel and ideas of the Gizzverse (the world the band has built through so many albums), but has some of my favorite lyrics the band has put out so far.
The young but critically acclaimed Geese will be opening up the show. Hailing from one of the other musical innovation epicenters, NYC, the group first formed in high school and around the time of graduation they were ready to sign with Partisan, where they have put out two full lengths and more recently a live album. They are a healthy bit of soulful rock. I found a distant string connecting them to the Equals, similarly refusing to fit into a box. The titular track of their most recent record, 3D Country, almost hails to another NYC legend in the mellow rock multiverse, Television. I think they will give the show good ground.
Virginia Credit Union Live | THURSDAY, AUGUST 29th
Ivan Cornejo
Ivan Cornejo is another testament of the importance of young people in music. The twenty year old Californian is pushing forward the traditions of Mexican music, embracing modernity with all the passion and soul of the past.
His first record, Alma Vacía, debuted just weeks after his seventeenth birthday and put him on two national radars.
He is currently touring MIRADA, his newest record which explores a sense of wanting, the tension of young adult life, while maintaining the airy romance that lingers from childhood. The album is atmospheric, and sonically feels like his biggest yet, not necessarily in goal or ambition, the sound is just large and encompassing. I feel like the American music stage is far more open to foreign inspired music. Ivan found himself performing the likes of Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits. Young, exciting, sincere, and resonating.
Richmond Music Hall | SATURDAY, AUGUST 31st
Into the Fog, Crooked Creek Misfits
Jammers with a record. The Raleigh native bluegrass trio Into the Fog just put out Carolina Moon, which is some of the most fun I have had with a band that prides themselves on jamming. The group for sure has a funk frame in which they’ve fitted themselves with the trappings of country blues. The thing that I cannot take my ears off of is the mandolin. Winston Mitchell, the operator of the instruments, handles it like he is fronting a 70’s rock band with a Les Paul. It’s creative and expressive, and lets the guitar and bass have the type of conversation you only have with the friends you miss. Appalachian Girl is my standout of the album and think it will handle itself well live.
Opening up is Crooked Creek Misfits, a local outfit that does not have any releases out as of right now. From what I can find online they are a traditional Appalachian band, with a more up to date lyric style. They are getting their money off of the violin, which is leading them up front.
Get Tight Lounge | SATURDAY, AUGUST 31st
DJ Williams Projekt
With Richmond ties from DJ Williams Projekt, the acclaimed guitarist will be hitting up Get Tight. Incredibly groovy and rich, the group feels a bit jammy, but maintains the attention very well. DJ Williams voice is high and light, a feather catching the breeze coming from the intelligent bass. His newest single, “Tahir’s Mannequin“, is sophisticated and produced extremely well. The conversation between the guitar and bass is so fluid and telling.
Back to school at the Broadberry | FRIDAY AUGUST 30th
The Mitras, Nancy Raygun, Misc., Twin Films
Nothing like a good local Broadberry show. The Mitras have been a staple in the rock scene for quite a bit now. Their sound is a blend of grunge and garage, sort of a sum up of everything that was right with the 90’s, but not outdated. I am in love with the vocals, the way they open up and lean is inspiring. Their newest single, “Little Bits“, does them very good justice, showcasing the thick guitars and nuclear drums, with a little tamborine to hit the gas. I think “The Leap“ is a good way to get to know these guys before you see ‘em live.
Nancy Raygun is fresh off of their new release and ready to rumble. I have been following these guys since I was in high school, they are psychedelic and passionate, and seem to be on a good trajectory with their last few singles, my favorites in their catalog so far.
I have been meaning to catch Misc. for the longest time. I have heard nothing but the rave about these guys, especially with their live shows. They are rocking some heavy guitars but with an acute sense of groove, I don’t feel like I am held to the traditional mosh with these guys, there seems to be a bit more freedom, a bit of room to explore. A band that knows how to drive, I think these guys will resonate with fans of Show Me the Body and Wrong Worshippers.
Twin Films have been another one on my radar lately. These guys radiate summer. It’s a pop sound that still feels refreshing, I read it as an evolution of Mac Demarco, the next step in the biology of catchy indie. There is a lot of room to breathe in the sound, where you close your eyes and bounce between the voices in a haze that will eventually end, but you don’t care.
New Tunes
The EP is titled “Sad Girl Summer,” yeah that adds up seeing as I want to curl up in a ball listening to this song. The vocals are right to you, right straight to you. The guitar gives you so much room to find yourself, to visit all those old times. The singing style is like a violin serenade, calming you down after everything you have been through.
Deadbeat Love is the first single from the local indie pop artist Corduroy. It’s a dreamy track that is all about dancing. It has the feeling of young adult romance and tells the tale of desire in the modern isolated world. The production is top notch and gives the tune a really immersive feel, like you are wandering around a tunnel of changing lights.
Import Bin
A new paragraph in the egg punk book that seems like it’s being taught in school. The new single from the Texas based bouncer is full of fuzz and crunch. This simple (possibly programmed) drum part seems like it is really becoming a staple of the times in every genre I stumble upon.
Main photo of King Gizzard by Maclay Heriot
