RVA Mag

Richmond, VA Culture & Politics Since 2005

Menu

Butcher Brown and the NPR Tiny Desk Session

|

Topics: , , , ,

Richmond’s Butcher Brown has been on a roll as of late, which is impressive considering the worldwide lockdown, but they kept their music out there and grew their fanbase. Not easy.

The guys launched their YouTube series #MothershipMonday and stayed connected during the pandemic. They hit national level news when ESPN reached out to create the new pre-kickoff Monday Night Football hype song. And somewhere in there, they released a new album #KingButch to universal acclaim. The guys are on the way, way out there reaching the masses.

Luckily, I got to be a part of their newest project (thanks Joey!) that dropped yesterday on NPR Tiny Desk and was able to get a few moments with Marcus Tenney to get his thoughts on everything.

#KingButch by Butcher Brown

R Anthony Harris Marcus, I saw the video for ‘Gum in My Mouth’, which I thought was great, and now we are here together shooting your video NPR Tiny Desk! Seems like a good time to ask — what is going on with the band? What are your plans for 2021? What you are excited about?

Marcus Tenney We’ve been working on a lot of videos and focusing on video content. You know, we feel like everybody is in the house watching videos and all types of stuff like that, so we’ve been focused on trying to put our thing in video format, and getting used to documenting everything we do. So that’s been like a big focus. 

And I feel like it’s crazy that it brought us here tonight because like you know we started doing videos at the top of the pandemic with #MothershipMonday. So that was us basically like we are gonna put up videos because we have no shows, and then that turned into all this and at the other side of the pandemic, we are doing a Tiny Desk — which is kind of crazy. That’s crazy.

RAH Did NPR reach out to you? How did that happen?

Cory Fonville photo: R. Anthony Harris @majormajor____

MT Corey put the feels out for that. He’s connected. You know running around the Earth. Before the pandemic at one point he was in China twice in two weeks. 

RAH Like, he went to China, came back and then went back within 2 weeks?

MT Yeah, like he went to China, came back to wash clothes, and went right back. So you know, that type of networking, that’s Cory’s game in Butcher Brown.

RAH I haven’t had time to catch up with you since you guys got on Monday Night Football. 

MT That was Chris Dunn, our A&R and producer. He was working on a project for Concord Records and they approached him and he was like, I know the band that can do it. So he was like I’m going to hook you up with this and that was a cool learning experience because we got to work with ESPN which was super duper cool but they was ready to move. 

RAH You guys always rep the city and to see that happen for you made a lot of people around here proud. I had people asking me if I know you Marcus… (laughs)

MT Since Best Friend’s Day! Shoutout to Ward (Chop Suey Books) and those guys. 

RAH So the band has momentum. How’s the response been to #KingButch?

MT It’s been great. It’s been better than we could have ever thought. It’s hard because it’s all been digital. We haven’t really played, so to get any response at this point is magic, but the response we’ve got is insane. So we can’t wait to go out there and do the rest of the package.

RAH Are you planning any shows for this summer? 

MT Yeah, we’re gonna inch back out there and see what gives. Everybody trying to figure out what parts on the ground are hard and soft. So we’re just gonna take everything we can. We are setting up a lot of home shows, and trying to get linked up with bigger shows, because you know we were in the process of that before. Everybody had to take some steps back. 

RAH Yeah, no doubt. Are you trying to hit the road? 

MT At some point, we want to hit the road but we want to do it smarter than we were doing it before. Because I really felt like we had like a lot of opportunities sitting on the table just the way we were moving. So we’re gonna reassess and see what’s going on. So, once we really feel like we know what’s happening and we really know how we’re supposed to move — and our road — we’re trying to jump back out, just as hard as we were.

RAH Maybe it’s a bit early but have you started thinking about the next album?

photo: R. Anthony Harris @majormajor____

MT We’ve been doing sessions and been trying to stay in the studio every month, every couple months, just to stay fresh on that side. And then we’re doing videos and trying to do what we can to supplement the live show, but we actually have a lot of stuff that we want to put into the running for the next album. At this point, the way we operate with that is we’re just going to make a bunch of stuff and then there is a point where we sit down to figure out what’s actually going to be a part of the record. 

RAH I’ve been listened to the album a lot. What are the band’s influences? What is everybody listening to?

MT I’ve been in school with Devonne ( DJ Harrison) since 2003 and were in our first band together, Bella Blue. We’ve been playing ever since, so I feel like ever since then we’ve had multiple influences playing freelance — so we had to play with the blue grass cats, we had to play with the hip hop cats, the rock cats, the jazz cats. So you pick up all this information when a lot of your other people was heavy in one field. So we just eventually took all of the pieces that we were left with and just put it into scene. 

Now, I feel like the thing that steers Butcher Brown’s sound is like what do we feel like playing in terms of like — we’re gonna play this section like g-funk. Are we gonna play this section like rock and roll? We’ll play this section like that, and whatever that means to whoever, such and such might be pulling from John Bonham. Or he might be pulling from Herbie Hancock, but the topic of the conversation is g-funk or soul or neo-soul. I love that! That’s the crazy shit, because you can kind of like, it’s just like being with your friends — your real closest friends — you can act how you want to act, whenever you want to act that way and they always will make room for you. That’s exactly how it feels.

RAH And only put the coolest shit on the album.

MT Exactly! Because you know, when you get people to try new shit, you got to set it up. You know what I mean? Like when you want a little kid to try this food for the first time you can’t just give it to them on the fly — you got to be like okay, this is not gross. You got to set it up. 

People operate the same way with music. So with the weirder tracks, it’s like well we’re gonna try to put this out on this platform and see how it fit over there because we’re going to have you on this. And so that’s why we spent a lot of time with the pieces and really see what is the broad reach stuff what fits people and what’s gonna hit people the right way.

RAH Well, I appreciate the music. All success to you. I think this year is gonna be great. 

MT  I think so. I’m looking forward to getting back out there and everybody is ready to get out. The Roaring 20s is coming. Pleasure talking with you. 

Find more information on Butcher Brown at butcherbrown.com
Full disclosure: this video was shot and edited by Wharton Major, which is Joey Wharton and I.

Long Live #KingButch

|

Topics: , , , , , , , ,

Butcher Brown’s new album, #KingButch, is almost here. Recorded inside their home studio, Jellowstone, the record marks a milestone for Black musicians in funk, hip-hop, and R&B genres from the River City. 

#KingButch is on the horizon. The latest record from Butcher Brown, which releases virtually on September 18th, is everything the band’s fans have come to know and love about them; yet it’s distilled, extrapolated, and refined. 

The new album, their first for the Concord Jazz record label, is an eclectic and electric compilation, with songs as diverse as the five members of the band. The musicians’ versatility melds into something entirely original. Its tracks are an amazing feat for any band — with any amount of resources, or access to the world’s best studios. It could be assumed upon listening that this is the case for #KingButch, but the uninformed listener may be surprised to learn that it was recorded at the band’s home studio, Jellowstone. 

Jellowstone is the home studio of Butcher Brown’s DJ Harrison, and it’s served as an integral part of the band since its conception. Along with the members of Butcher Brown, Jellowstone is that “other entity” that has consistently brought a distinct, sonic uniqueness to their studio albums. The confluence of band and studio makes every Butcher Brown record sound unlike anything else. 

“There’s always been a natural vibe there,” DJ Harrison said. “We’ve all lived here at different points in time. It’s like a home base for us, a central meeting place.” 

A workplace is essential to any band. It allows the artists a creative space, free from judgment or distractions. Jellowstone gives Butcher Brown a place to shut off the outside world, ignite their inspiration, and exercise their talents together as a uniform outfit. 

While this era brings the same lineup of players into the same studio, what makes #KingButch different from its predecessors? The progressive sound on this record had something new thrown into its creative process. That influence was the introduction of Chris Dunn: co-producer for #KingButch and head of A&R for Concord Jazz. Corey Fonville, the band’s drummer, had a lot to say about their newly-budding relationship with the record label. 

“In the conversations I was having with Chris Dunn, everything I showed him from our previous work was done at Jellowstone,” Fonville said. “He loved the vibe of all those records — even the things that never came out — and he said, ‘I want the sound of whatever I’ve been hearing all these years.’” 

Dunn didn’t just suggest, but outright insisted, that the band maintain the sonic integrity of their discography to date. That meant recording at their home studio. 

“Obviously, that meant a lot to me,” Fonville said. “And I’m sure it meant a lot to Devonne — DJ Harrison — and everyone else, too. We’ve spent so much time [at Jellowstone], and a lot of history was created in that environment.” 

DJ Harrison offered a verbal window into day-to-day life in the studio. Pulling back the curtain on the magic of Jellowstone, he discussed the creation of #KingButch. “It’s a constant energy from the time we get there to the time everyone leaves,” he said. “We all come here with a central purpose, trying to get to the finish line with the same end goal. We’re all hyped up to see the possibilities we haven’t pursued. We’re trying to create something new; something fresh that we all like.” 

Behind the scenes, the band is creating concepts, writing lyrics, and coming up with new melodies and musical phrases. Fonville helped explain where some of these ideas originate, and how they move from the bandmates’ minds (or voice memos on their phones) to what we hear on the record. 

“Our sessions are always organic with songwriting ideas,” Fonville said. “We might bring something in, or we might just create on the spot. Marcus might say, ‘Yo, I might rap this,’ or ‘I might add some vocals on it.’ We don’t overthink compositions. We come in there with fresh minds, and then whatever makes sense, we try to execute.” 

An interesting note about #KingButch is that it doesn’t give us one similar tune after another. Instead, it’s a healthy mix of psychedelic/groovy instrumental jams, straightforward R&B, funk, and even hip-hop bangers. Many of the lyrics and vocals on the rap and hip-hop tracks are provided by the one and only Marcus Tenney, aka Tennishu (pronounced “tennis shoe”). Tenney, who also contributes trumpet and saxophone to the group, put in his two cents about his lyrical process, and how his writing fits into the greater sonic tapestry of the band. 

PHOTO: Butcher Brown by Jacob Blickenstaff

“On the rap songs, I wrote a lot of the lyrics,” Tenney said. “The inspiration for ‘Gum In My Mouth’ came from the audio clip that’s on the actual track. It ranges anywhere from how I’m feeling that day to the vibes the music gives me. It changes from day to day.” Tenney was clear and concise as he spoke, not dissimilar to his vocal tracks on the record. “When I write lyrics, I have to hear the music first to make sure it’s all pinned together.” 

Bassist Andrew Randazzo provided some background on the last few years of Butcher Brown’s career, during which in new members to form the group we know today. After guitarist Morgan Burrs joined the band and Tenney became a full-time member in 2016, the lineup changes brought new inspiration.

“2016 is around when we started writing and recording some of the songs [on #KingButch],” he said. “There were probably 30-40 tunes recorded over the past few years, which then culminated into what made it on the album.” 

Speaking with the band as a whole, it becomes clear that this group truly does it for the love of making music. They have a compulsion to keep moving toward something new. The consistency of their recording process may differ from other groups; many artists write a new album on their own, and only use the studio once a year when they’re ready to record. But the advantage Butcher Brown has with Jellowstone allows their studio to be an ongoing workshop for songs on a regular basis.

Over the course of months and years, those dozens of sessions become something that resembles a record. The band then assembles that compilation of songs, zeroing in on favorites, and puts the rest on the shelf for later use. Jellowstone is Butcher Brown’s creative secret weapon — a laboratory of sounds and endless ideas. This is glaringly apparent in the diversity of songs on #KingButch. 

Burrs helped provide a timeline of the album’s creation. “We recorded in October of last year,” he said. “We finished [around] the day before Halloween, and that was the bulk of the record.” The songs were put to the test on stage long before their studio recordings. 

“We played so many shows between 2017 and 2019,” Fonville added. “We were on tour all the time, opening up for different acts. That was our opportunity to workshop this music. I always say that it was like an open rehearsal for people to hear these songs over and over again… by the time we got into the studio, we were ready. Everything was all lined up. It was just about editing, and figuring out how to make a more precise version of these songs.” 

Even as they release their latest work, Butcher Brown has not been spared the effects of COVID-19. Compounded by the sociopolitical climate and recent civil unrest, the band spoke on how the times have informed their process, and how #KingButch fits into it all. 

“My view on the political climate is that people are standing up for what they want to change,” Tenney said. “People are looking at the current situation and thinking, ‘This could be different, so let’s change it.’ I feel like that’s what we did with a lot of the music on this record — so this record, even though it was made before recent events happened, still speaks to that similar language. You have more options available than you may realize sometimes. You can change it if you really want to.” 

Butcher Brown’s process in the studio was uninhibited and fearless. The artists were unafraid to try new things, constructing and deconstructing new sonic structures. Fonville added his own perspective on how the album is relevant to today’s world. 

“We did it for the culture,” Fonville said. “This music is Black music. You hear the blues, gospel, the struggle — things we’ve been fighting for all these years. We recorded this material long before the pandemic, but I think if we had recorded it now, it would still be reflective of the times, regardless of circumstances.” 

Elaborating on their new partnership with Concord Jazz, Randazzo discussed their experience and what they anticipate this major label debut will be for #KingButch. 

“Being on a big label like Concord affords us some visibility that an independent release would not, so I think we’ll see a lot of benefits of the label relationship post-release,” Randazzo said. “So far, the biggest thing was having Chris Dunn in the studio. He came to Richmond to hang with us while we recorded, and he’s a co-producer on the record. Chris is not a musician, per se, but he knows music. He’s coming from a radio DJ perspective, and he’s worked with this label for a long time.” 

PHOTO: Jacob Blickenstaff

Randazzo pointed out that Dunn brought a perspective different from the band’s own, one that became essential to the process. “He knows records so well, but not from a music theory standpoint like we have all thought about for the longest time. He’s coming at it from the other side,” said Randazzo. “That was huge for us, to have him in the room. Moving forward, I think [Concord will help create] visibility and distribution. It will get to more ears, and because of the records they have, more eyes will be on us.” 

The stunning cover art on #KingButch was provided by abstract collage artist Lou Beach, who did artwork for pioneering jazz-fusion band Weather Report in the late 70s and early 80s. Concord was able to pull their resources together for Butcher Brown’s latest cover art. 

“We were at a meeting in January in L.A. and met with the team. That was the initial interface between Butcher Brown and Concord Jazz,” Tenney said. “We needed artwork, and one of the references we sent for artists we liked was Lou Beach. They said they’d see if we could get Lou Beach for #KingButch… In my mind, I was thinking, ‘This is some official label process you’ve got to do to get someone like Lou Beach. That’s not just picking up the phone.’ But as it turns out, it was. He lived right around the corner in Beverly Hills. We were in the middle of a meeting with someone else when we heard people talking out front, and it was Lou Beach. He just walked right in the room.” 

#KingButch marks the beginning of what the band hopes will be a long and fruitful partnership between Butcher Brown and Concord Jazz. It begins on an auspicious note, one unlike anything in recent memory to come out of Richmond. The tremendous feat that is #KingButch is something to be celebrated by the local music community, and fans of the band both old and new. 

Summer Madness: Weekend Playlist By Marcus Tenney

|

Topics: , , , , , , , , ,

Every Friday night, RVA Mag drops an absolutely amazing playlist curated by Virginia’s most influential artists, musicians, and institutions.

This time around our festival of musical excellence is brought to you by Marcus Tenney, who you may know from many different arenas of sound around Richmond. On trumpet and saxophone, he performs with his own Trio and Quartet, as well as being a core member of Butcher Brown. And on the mic, he raps under the name Tennishu, and collaborates with his Butcher Brown bandmate DJ Harrison in a duo known as Tennison.

With this much going on, you can imagine that he stays busy at all times, and that’s definitely true this week. Tonight sees Tenney tearing things up at the Broadberry with a release party for Triple Trey, the latest slab of hip hop excellence from Tennishu. He’ll be joined by the R4ND4ZZO Big Band, featuring the rest of Butcher Brown, for an evening of powerful music from all walks of life. Tickets are $12 at the door — start walking now.

And on your way, put this Spotify playlist into your headphones and groove. It kicks off with “Peace,” the preview single from Triple Trey, and only gets heavier from there, with classic funk and hip hop from the likes of Rick James and the Notorious BIG standing alongside the best our modern river city sound has to offer, including Kenneka Cook, No BS! Brass, and a whole lot more.

Step to the rhythm, Virginia.

Open this playlist from mobile in your Spotify app HERE.

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: December 18 – December 25

|

Topics: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, December 22, 9 PM
L’Amour, Sick Bags, DJ Sam Slug @ Mojo’s – Free (Donations appreciated)
It’s time to go back to the dawning days of Richmond punk — long before White Cross or Death Piggy, back when punk hadn’t yet become a pedal-to-the-metal speed competition, before it was all about rage and fury. Back in the late 70s, the Ramones, Dead Boys, and Dictators were still kings of the US punk scene, and here in Richmond, our earliest punk exports fit into much the same mold; mixing teenage hormones, class-clown goofiness, and no-frills rock n’ roll into a potent cocktail of melody, energy, and fun.

1979 was the year that L’Amour, one of the foremost bands in that first wave of RVA punk, released their sole EP. It featured two songs, “Sunglass Party” and “Someday,” and preserved the group’s blend of Stonesy catchiness and New York Dolls-style gleeful trashiness for posterity. There was a lot more where that came from, but it was much harder in those days to record and release music than it is today, so the rest of it spent decades languishing unheard on tapes buried in former members’ basements.

Thankfully, this year has seen a resurrection of L’Amour’s greatness, as VA label Beach Impediment has collected all of the band’s known recordings onto an excellent 14-song LP entitled Look To The Artist. To celebrate its long-overdue release, core L’Amour members Tom Applegate and David Stover have regrouped, recruited a young rhythm section from among the fertile talent pool of today’s Richmond punk scene, and returned to action for this incredible reunion show at Mojo’s Saturday night. Most of us probably missed L’Amour the first time (I was three, and I’m OLD), so this is a golden opportunity to be present for a return to the very roots of this city’s near half-century of punk greatness. And how can you possibly turn that down?

Wednesday, December 19, 7 PM
A Very Butcher Holiday, feat. Butcher Brown, R4nd4zzo Big B4nd @ The Broadberry – $12 in advance/$15 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Christmas time is here, and Butcher Brown knows it. This excellent quintet is getting into the holiday spirit at the Broadberry tonight with an excellent set of jazzed-up Christmas standards, paying tribute in particular to the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s classic soundtrack for A Charlie Brown Christmas. They’ll be joined by the R4nd4zzo Big B4nd, a fifteen-or-so-piece project led by Butcher Brown’s very own bassist, Andrew Randazzo, which brought us much the same tribute last year, as captured on their Tribute To Vince Guaraldi LP, released back at the beginning of this year.

Considering Guaraldi often worked at the head of a simple piano-bass-drums trio, this brassy, expanded treatment from a group that includes multiple trumpets, trombones, and reeds is different from the original in significant ways. However, the jazzy spirit of Christmas that makes Guaraldi’s original album the objective best holiday music ever (yeah, I said it) remains intact, even as the group’s inspired new arrangements allow for considerable creativity. Whether you’re a fan of A Charlie Brown Christmas in particular or the holidays in general, and even if you just like good jazz music no matter the season, this show’s got a lot to offer you. Be there, and get into the spirit the Butcher Brown way.

Thursday, December 20, 7 PM
Snail Mail, Bleary Eyed @ The Broadberry – $15 in advance/$18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Look, I admit it — I’m just discovering Snail Mail. I’m a big-time music nerd (as you may have gathered) and I catch a lot, but sometimes things are gonna slip past my radar until way past time that I should have heard them. Snail Mail is one such thing; somehow I missed their debut full-length, Lush, when it was released this past summer and proceeded to score Best New Music plaudits from Pitchfork. Oops.

I mean, I always take that website with several grains of salt, so don’t get me wrong, but this time they are totally correct — Lush is an absolute tour-de-force. Where downcast indie-pop songwriting is concerned, Snail Mail frontperson Lindsey Jordan has an incredible gift, and songs like “Speaking Terms” cut to the heart of the tremendous difficulties inherent in all human relationships, even as they wash your tears away with beautiful vocal melodies and perfect chiming guitars. This is an album that will resonate with the awkward emo nerd inside us all, even the jaded denim-clad metalheads among our number. I will go so far as to say this — if you’ve ever in your life had feels about a thing, you need to be at the Broadberry this Thursday night. Snail Mail’s gonna make you feel all those feels all over again, and in much more wonderful ways.

Friday, December 21, 8 PM
Camp Howard, Twain, Recluse Raccoon, Kenneka Cook @ Gallery 5 – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Get ready for a lovely night of gorgeous indie sounds at Gallery 5 this Friday. This quartet of excellent Virginia artists will ease you into the weekend before Christmas and all the hectic travel plans you’re sure to be executing in the days that follow. Reliable RVA mainstays Camp Howard are at the top of the bill, and that’s always a good place for them; it may have been a year and a half since most recent EP, Juice, but Nic and the boys have established such a reliable track record of glittering post-punk power-pop over the past several years that everyone in RVA knows what these boys have to offer.

Where this show is concerned, though, Camp Howard is just the beginning. Twain hail from Franklin County, a rural region just south of Roanoke that has legendarily been known as “the moonshine capital of the world,” so you know this band understands how to have a good time. Their 2017 LP, Rare Feeling, is full of beautiful songs that bring an understated, pensive touch to a style landing somewhere between indie and alt-country. They’re simultaneously reminiscent of Sturgill Simpson and My Morning Jacket, and just as excellent a listen as those two, so they’re well worth your time. Recluse Raccoon are a good bit more social than the name suggests, and in fact they recently released a gorgeously weird self-titled LP that makes quite an impression with its introspective tunes embroidered by a variety of unconventional instruments. And of course Kenneka Cook is always someone you should catch, even if it means showing up early — her excellent voice and skillful compositions are worth the price of admission all by themselves.

Saturday, December 22, 8 PM
Planned Parenthood Fundraiser, feat. Occultist, VV, Kuni, Trapcry @ Gallery 5 – $5 to $10 suggested donation
With Strange Matter sadly shuffling off this mortal coil, there seems little doubt that we’ll all be spending more time at Gallery 5 in the near future. Their focus on the DIY community and support for causes that matter to the less-privileged inhabitants of the river city makes the gallery the obvious torchbearers for the sort of local scene support that Strange Matter was so good at. This Saturday night, they prove it for the second time in 24 hours with an amazing benefit for Planned Parenthood — an organization that’s been constantly under siege for several years now, and does crucial work within the local community, from ensuring your right to reproductive freedom to such important things as providing essential health care for transgender people without other options (like me, for instance).

Occultist are headlining this shindig, and it’s great news, considering how difficult it’s been to catch these thrash-metal ragers in a live setting over the past year or so. It’s been quite a while since they brought us any new studio recordings, and at this point they’re sure to have some new material to bring you, so get ready to headbang with a grateful fury. VV are an excellent addition to any bill, and their vitriol-drenched, synth-laced postpunk attack is particularly apropos for a Planned Parenthood benefit — smashing patriarchal faces for the win. Kuni’s queer electro-punk and the seductive techno-dance sounds of Trapcry will round this bill out perfectly. You’ll dance, you’ll rock, you’ll smash the patriarchy… it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Sunday, December 23, 8 PM
Marc Rebillet, DJ Harrison @ The Camel – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Marc Rebillet is a phenomenon that’s not that easy to explain. What I’d heard from other people before I checked out his music led me to expect one thing, but what I found was something significantly different. People will tell you this guy’s a bit of a comedian, and certainly he approaches his electro-funk music with an irreverent, humorous attitude, but the results he gets from synthesizers, beat loops, and most importantly his unforgettable voice are not only entertaining but seriously intriguing.

His Loop Daddy EP, released a couple of months ago, finds Rebillet, who got his start on YouTube, in loverman mode, sounding a bit like Baltimore electro-goof Dan Deacon if he was able to expertly channel R. Kelly. However, he’ll occasionally put the whole damn thing on pause to holler ridiculous improvised exhortations, and yeah, you’re gonna laugh at those times. Mostly though, Marc Rebillet’s gonna get your booty shaking with a rhythm that might seem totally out of place this close to Christmas but is, if anything, exactly what you need to survive another awkward dinner at Grandma’s house. So head to the Camel this Sunday and get in the pool. You know what I’m talking about.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Friday, December 21, 8 PM
Demons, Shy Low, Ladada @ Taphouse Grill – $5
Shit is always pretty heavy down Tidewater way, I’ve found. There are indie shows down there at times, but a lot of what I find coming out of that geographical region of Virginia is hard as fuck and taking its best shot at crushing your skull. The same is true of Demons, though instead of super-heavy deathcore stuff, this band is aiming for more of a thick, metallic sound on latest EP Made In The USA. The resulting pummeling lands somewhere between Far Beyond Driven-era Pantera and early Every Time I Die. And when it lands, it lands on its feet and starts charging straight at you. Be there to meet the onslaught at Taphouse Grill this Friday, and you’re sure to be glad you did.

This show will also bring you a performance from Richmond’s own Shy Low, who’ve been less active recently than they were a few years ago. However, their most recent release, Burning Day, was only a year and a half ago, and it showed that they’d retained their powerful approach to the instrumental post-rock sound on which they made their name back a half-decade or so ago. So you can certainly expect a reliable (post-)rocking from these guys, and you’ll get a bonus set from openers Ladada, who have a catchy indie-pop sound that’s sure to delight. All in all, it’s a fine Friday night in Norfolk. Enjoy!

Sunday, December 23, 4 PM
Shaka’s Appreciation Show, feat. The Unabombers, Beggar’s Row, Accident Prone, Pushing On, Evade, Faded, Freebase, Chain Breaker, Catalyst, Semtex @ Shaka’s – Free!
It’s a sad story, one that those of us here in Richmond know all too well. Norfolk live music mainstay Shaka’s is celebrating its tenth anniversary this month… but it’s also closing its doors forever. That’s not happening after this Sunday matinee show — their last show is actually the Doyle gig on New Years Eve — but it is one of the last chances the Norfolk area will have to show their appreciation for a venue that’s filled much the same role in their scene that Strange Matter has in ours. What a shame.

The show itself will be a glorious occasion, though, with longtime VA punk veterans The Unabombers taking care of business at the top of the bill. These guys have been rocking the Hampton Roads area and beyond for over 20 years now, and they’re the perfect band to send Shaka’s off on a high note. And there’s a ton of hardcore punk on the bill besides, from the speedy metallic rage of Beggar’s Row to the brutal pummeling mosh of Evade to the angry punk/HC of Pushing On. There are a whole bunch more bands on this one too, and the price is certainly right, so if Shaka’s ever meant anything to you, there’s no time like the present to both show it some love before it disappears and to enjoy the Hampton Roads hardcore/punk scene’s past, present, and future all in one great place.

—-

Email me if you’ve got any tips for me about upcoming shows (that take place after the week this column covers –- this week’s column has obviously already been written): [email protected] [and yeah, there’s plenty more of my writing to read over at GayRVA — come say hey.]

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

PHOTOS: The Best of Lockn’ Festival 2018

|

Topics: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This past weekend, thousands of jam band fans, deadheads, festy fiends, and music lovers of all kinds flocked to Infinity Downs Farms in Arrington, Va. to see their favorite national, regional, and local acts perform at the annual Lockn’ Festival. Over 25 bands and musicians filled the bill for the four-day jam and rock music fest, which launched back in 2013, including major acts like Umphrey’s McGee, Lettuce, Dead & Company, funk legend George Clinton, Sheryl Crow, Matisyahu, and Widespread Panic. Of course, the usual suspects were there as well, with multiple performances by Keller Williams, along with Bob Weir and friends.

Lockn’ saw several Richmond acts take the stage including the psychedelic rock circus that is People’s Blues of Richmond and instrumental funky jazz group Butcher Brown, along with Charlottesville’s Erin & the Wildfire and Disco Risque. Although the music is what brings in attendees, the sense of camaraderie, good vibes, activities, and overall camping experience is what keeps them coming back year after year. All throughout the day, people could be seen doing yoga, riding around the campgrounds on bikes, hula-hooping, swimming in the Tye River, and dancing into the wee hours to late-night sets. A newer addition to the festival was Garcia’s Forest, a late-night dance party with DJs blasting the music of the Grateful Dead legend himself.

Also, new this year, was Hamageddon, a 14-inch high metal pig sculpture that cooks a pig-on-a-spit in its “belly” and shoots fire from both ends. LOCKN’ partnered with Chef Craig Hartman at Virginia’s BBQ Exchange to serve Hamageddon pulled pork sandwiches all weekend long. Yeah, you missed out if you weren’t there.

Photo Courtesy of Lockn Festival

RVA Mag was there to capture all of the great performances, barefoot dancing, chill vibes, and more. Below, check out what you missed, or relive the magic from Lockn’ Festival 2018:

John Mayer and Bob Weir

Lettuce

Butcher Brown

People’s Blues of Richmond

Tim Beavers, People’s Blues of Richmond

George Clinton

Erin Lunsford of Erin & The Wildfire

Sheryl Crow

Photos By: Branden Wilson and Darienne Skye Montgomery, Intro by Amy David 

 

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Blending Hard Bop and Traditional Jazz, Marcus Tenney Quartet Shines on ‘Moment’

|

Topics: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Multi-instrumentalist Marcus Tenney is a relentless musician. He plays saxophone and trumpet in Richmond powerhouse acts Butcher Brown and No BS! Brass Band, tours with indie-duo Foxygen, and records hip-hop records under the name Tennishu, among other things.

And tonight, one of his lesser known, but equally impressive projects, the Marcus Tenney Quartet, will release a new set of recordings on Richmond record label American Paradox’s cassette series “RVA Jazz Tapes”. The album, Moment, consists of four straightforward jazz pieces that recall jazz classics of the 50s and 60s like Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, or John Coltrane’s Giant Steps.

The quartet features Tenney on trumpet, Alan Parker on guitar, Billy Williams on drums, and Andrew Randazzo on bass.

Moment was recorded live at the former American Paradox studio on the Maggie Walker museum block in Jackson Ward. “It’s cool to play jazz in a historic area, it was like the cherry on top,” said Tenney of the recording session.

The influence of hard bop on the recordings is apparent, but there are discernible elements of fusion, rock, and hip-hop throughout the recording that make this more than a throwback. “Sometimes the walls between genres are very fluid,” Tenney said.

And that blending of jazz and hip-hop, said Tenney, has experienced a resurgence in recent years.  “It seems like a time when music that has been the underdog, is coming back to the top again.”

Occasionally, the jazz ensemble will lock into a repetitive groove that resembles a hip-hop bar before breaking into a loose melody, and Williams’ drumming ranges from frenetic jazz tapping to straight-ahead rock rhythms. The mixing of styles is subtle, and to this listener, it sounds very natural and unambitious. The ideas flow effortlessly from one to the next.

Tenney said that the compositions on Moment were partly inspired by a piece called “Was” by jazz guitarist Adam Rogers. Rogers is a prolific musician who has played alongside John Zorn, Norah Jones, and Bill Evans, to name a few.

“Was” begins with a simple, repetitive theme. As the song progresses, the musicians begin to expand on the original theme until it is almost unrecognizable. “There’s a couple songs that are inspired by that kind of writing and that type of thinking, of just taking one simple thing and having everyone get creative with it,” Tenney said of Moment.

The third track on Moment, “Loss”, was partially inspired by John Coltrane. Tenney said that his favorite Coltrane records are from his transitional phase between straightforward hard bop and the spacey free jazz he recorded near the end of his life. “I like the powerful sound that he had at the end, but when he was still playing compositions that were easily recognizable,” said Tenney.

The Marcus Tenney Quartet will kick off their cassette release party for Moment at Vagabond tonight at 9 p.m. 

 

 

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond