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RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 4/11-4/17

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, April 14, 7 PM
SCAN Benefit, feat. Gull, Alfred., Womajich Dialysiez, DJ Jafar Flowers, DJ Synthia Slimez @ Champion RVA – $6-10 donation
Music is at its best when it is used to help make the world a better place. And musicians tend to understand that, which is why you see so many benefit shows taking place over the course of any given month. This particular month, April, is Child Abuse Awareness Month, and in the spirit of that cause, a few Richmond artists in the broader field of experimental electronic music have come together to throw a benefit for Greater Richmond SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now). This group runs programs doing everything from providing preschool for children who’ve experienced trauma to ensuring children have advocates for their interests in abuse/neglect cases. They’re doing important work, and community support is essential.

That’s what you’ll be providing by paying admission to this show at Champion Brewing Company, but don’t worry, you’ll be getting something out of the deal as well. For starters, Gull is performing at the top of the bill, and this one-man musical dynamo has been continually impressive for its near-decade of existence. Beginning as a fast, slightly quirky hardcore band, Gull has evolved into a hard-to-define project that takes its main elements — percussion and vocals, both fed through a variety of effects — and does all sorts of things with them. 2017 album Lurcher demonstrates the latest form the Gull identity has taken, bringing together ambient electronic swells with hypnotic repeating percussion patterns and Gull’s distinctive vocals — always sung through a microphone-equipped mask.

Gull won’t be the only artist immersing you in an all-encompassing world of sound at this show. Local rapper Alfred. has undermined a lot of expectations that come along with the hip hop genre by approaching it from an introspective, emotionally open, and musically adventurous mindset. His 2017 mixtape, So Sensitive, makes clear how gloriously unusual this “queer rap scallion” really is, and his unique approach will bloom into full life in the live performance environment. Meanwhile, Womajich Dialysiez is an experimental musical collective that focuses on improvisation from a femme perspective. Its shifting lineup brings a variety of local femme and gender non-conforming musicians together to create spontaneously generated music full of life and energy. Expect a whirlwind of percussion, electronics, and all sorts of other elements; there’s no telling where the music will go, but it’ll definitely take you on a journey. DJ sets from Jafar Flowers of Ice Cream Support Group and Synthia Slimez of Aesthetic Barrier will get this party rolling. Be there, and expand your mind for a good cause.

Wednesday, April 11, 8 PM
Infinite Third, Lobo Marino, Owlrare @ Pik Nik – Free!
I’ve been hearing a lot of people talk about this Pik Nik place lately, though thus far no one has elaborated on the role of baskets in this restaurant’s operation. Like, seriously, if they don’t bring your food to the table in a basket I don’t know what this restaurant is up to. However, we’re not here to talk about the food. We’re here to celebrate the fact that yet another local venue is dipping their toe into the world of live music. And since everyone likes seeing new places get into the show-booking game, it’s pretty essential to support those places when they start getting into the game, so they’ll want to continue.

Not that that’s a difficult thing to do when a venue offers an excellent midweek lineup like this one. Florida artist Infinite Third is at the top of the bill, returning to Richmond quite soon after his last performance as part of Silent Music Revival a few months ago. This artist brings us ambient guitar melodies that build into palaces of sound held up by the bones of programmed beats and sampled field recordings; his most recent LP, 2017’s Channel(s), is the sort of sound world one can get lost in for an extended period of time. The thought of this world taking over a restaurant on a Wednesday evening is fascinating, and certainly not an experience to be missed. Infinite Third will be joined on this outing by peripatetic experimentalists Lobo Marino, who bring together a variety of sounds from around the world in their unique, atmospheric style. The whole evening starts off with a set from intriguing local singer-songwriter OwlRare, and will be delightful from beginning to end — even if it doesn’t come in a basket.

Thursday, April 12, 8 PM
Rosetta, Ostraca, Truman, Twin Drugs @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
This show is exciting for a variety of reasons. First and foremost is the obvious — Rosetta has returned to RVA once again. This Philadelphia band, who started out working with labels but eventually decided to go it alone and has been self-releasing their material ever since, has been producing high quality material for quite a long time, and they’re showing no signs of stopping. 2017’s Utopioid was their sixth album, and it’s every bit as brilliant as previous career highs such as the excellent 2013 album The Anaesthete. With Utopioid, Rosetta continue evolving, expanding, and exploring their sound, now mixing the sludge, noise, and metallic hardcore elements that have been there from the start with increasing doses of shoegaze melody and post-rock atmosphere. They send all of this through a filter of passionate emotion that gives everything they do a heightened level of power and intensity.

Therefore, one can imagine that their performance at Strange Matter Thursday night will be one for the books, with an impact you won’t soon forget. And of course, the same can be said of any performance from local heavy hitters Ostraca, who’ve been unleashing their own intense, passionate take on metallic hardcore for over a decade now. 2017 brought us three new releases from Ostraca, all of which dramatically demonstrate how much better this band continues to get. There’s no better place to experience Ostraca than in live performance, and if you don’t know that firsthand, it’s time for you to find out. The bill offers an added bonus in the form of a performance by Truman, who’ve been playing less often in recent months but are no less awesome. Their epic take on emotionally-driven hardcore will have you riveted, so don’t miss it. Twin Drugs will kick the night off with what promises to be an excellent set of heavy shoegaze sounds, so show up on time and be prepared to immerse yourself in a night of outstanding sound.

Friday, April 13, 6 PM
Movement Presents PLRLS, Danger Boy, Serqet, Nocere, DJ Cortes @ Hardywood – Free!
Movement is an intriguing new group on the Richmond music scene. This vinyl-only DJ collective has two main goals: promoting the post-punk sound, and offering safer spaces for music fans of all types to dance together in harmony (a refreshing and positive goal). They don’t just do these two things in the context of dance nights either; they’re working to bring in killer postpunk bands from around the country and beyond to perform for us right here in RVA — which is how they came to produce Friday night’s show at Hardywood.

The event, which will feature Movement’s DJ Cortes spinning vinyl before and between bands throughout the night, is focused around the arrival of PLRLS, who hail from Baltimore and have a quirky take on postpunk that sees them integrating the goofy catchiness of Devo with the rumbling menace of Gang Of Four and the post-garage drive of The Rezillos. They’ll be joined by South Carolina’s Danger Boy, who bring us a fuzzy, punked-out take on the foreboding melodic sounds of early 80s UK stars like The Chameleons and The Cure. Two local groups will open up for these touring ensembles. Serqet is a local crew featuring former members of Hot Dolphin and Lost Tribe and bringing us a moody mix of early goth-punk Siouxsie and the Banshees, and rumbling peace-punk vibes a la Zounds. Finally, we’ll have the return of Nocere, which brings Shadow Age’s Aaron Tyree together with vocalist Emily Symington to create some prime drum machine-fueled coldwave sounds. This one really is essential.

Saturday, April 14, 8 PM
The Human Race Is Filth, Drugs Of Faith, Coroner’s Report, Amara, Hepatagua @ McCormack’s – $10
It’s a loud, heavy week here in RVA, y’all. We’ve already covered some loud sounds and it’s just gonna get louder from here, so if you can’t handle it, batten the hatches. The rest of us will be out here joyously banging our heads, beginning with Saturday night’s show at McCormack’s in Shockoe Bottom. This show is a Between 2 Beers production, and as usual, they’re out here making sure that we all get the proper amount of metal in our diets. This week’s installment sees excellence arriving in Richmond from several different fronts. Most importantly, this show will bring us the excellently named The Human Race Is Filth, a grinding crust band that can also slow down enough to drop incredible downtuned grooves on us all… at least, once in a while. Mostly though, this is shred-heavy speed freak music about how the world is doomed. I can’t argue with any of that.

Drugs Of Faith are also on this bill, and while they aren’t at the top, they’re at least as big an attraction as our headliners. This is the current project of Richard Johnson, the man known as the “grindfather,” who spent the 90s running pioneering American grindcore group Enemy Soil before forming Drugs Of Faith back in the early 2000s. Drugs Of Faith expand on the Enemy Soil legacy of blistering grindcore by integrating riffy midtempo grooves and more complex songwriting into their sound. And while they don’t release records as often as Enemy Soil did, by any means (their last release, a split EP with Cloud Rat, was three years ago), they keep the quality high and the rage unrelenting. This show will also feature a special appearance by Bostonian duo Hepatagua, who have some driving midtempo sludge-core to lay on us all, and will feature local blackened shredders Amara and brand-new local death metal duo Coroner’s Report laying some ugly sounds on us all. It’s a jam-packed night of unparalleled heavyosity. Just what we all need.

Sunday, April 15, 8 PM
Impiety, Divine Eve, Gravehill, Voarm @ Strange Matter – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Continuing with our theme, Strange Matter will bring us metal sounds spanning all corners of the globe this Sunday night, most notably Singapore death-rippers Impiety. And what better band could there be to grace the lord’s day than this blatantly sacreligious group of metal veterans, responsible for such classics as 1992’s Ceremonial Neochrist Redesecration EP, and 2009’s Terroreign (Apocalyptic Armageddon Command)? These metal vets have been coming out of the Far East to assault our ears with apocalyptic riffs, insanely precise lightspeed drums, and brutal death metal growls since back when I was in high school (and believe me when I tell you, that was a LONG time ago).

If you haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing Impiety’s pulverizing metallic destruction in person, you better make sure you’re at Strange Matter this Sunday night, because it’s a long way back to Singapore, and chances are they won’t make the trip again soon. Sweetening the pot will be another veteran band, this one from right here in the USA, Texas’s Divine Eve, who grabbed some underground recognition in the early 90s with their crushing death-doom sound, but spent many of the intervening years out of action and are only now returning to the world with a full tour. This band constitutes another rare opportunity, so you’ve got twice as many reason to make sure you don’t miss this show! And of course, we can’t forget California maniacs Gravehill, who’ve made quite a name for themselves with their dark, filthy take on thrash metal. Once you add local black metallers Voarm at the start of the evening, you’ve got a completely unmissable bill full of legends. You know what to do.

Monday, April 16, 9 PM
Seraph, Dr. No, Black Mountain Massacre @ The Camel – $5 (order tickets HERE)
Here’s a name I haven’t heard in a while! Seraph were a pretty strong presence in the local metal scene back in the first part of the decade, bringing us a powerful deathcore sound full of skull-fracturing low end intensity. Since not long after the release of 2014 EP Embrace Your Demise, though, Seraph have been on hiatus, biding their time until all members of the band could live in the same place again. Fortunately, that came to pass last fall, and they’ve been woodshedding and playing the occasional live gig around town since then.

This show is the latest step in their return to action, and promises to bring local fans some long-awaited new material as well as the highlights from their previous releases. If crushing ultra-slow breakdowns are your idea of fun, you’ll definitely want to catch this one. Seraph are joined on this bill by Dr. No, a new local group with some heavy metal tendencies, as well as a bit of good ol’ rock n’ roll thrown into the mix. The bill is rounded out by the memorably named Black Mountain Massacre, who get down with the Fu Manchu-style midtempo rockin’ metal grooves to get you raising your fist in the air. It’s gonna get heavy, folks.

Tuesday, April 17, 6 PM
Morbid Angel, Misery Index, Dreaming Dead, Hate Storm Annihilation @ The Broadberry – $25 in advance/$30 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Let’s wrap up the week with the most classic and essential metal firestorm of the many hitting RVA this week. At the top of this bill sits Morbid Angel, one of the most important death metal bands to come out of the genre. From groundbreaking 1989 classic debut Altars Of Madness to last winter’s Kingdom Disdained (yes, all their album titles are in alphabetical order), this band has never lost its ability to dish out fast and heavy riffage that is both incredibly brutal and surprisingly catchy. A lot of metal might fade into a rumbling blur, but Morbid Angel’s riffs are always memorable, most likely due to the guitar mastery of sole original member Trey Azagthoth, who has pulled together a variety of killer lineups over the years to keep Morbid Angel shredding at the highest levels.

These days, the band is rounded out by bassist/vocalist Steve Tucker, returning to the position he capably held down in the late 90s and early 00s after yet another departure by founding bassist/vocalist Dave Vincent. With Annihilated’s Scott Fuller skillfully laying down the killer beats, this lineup promises to tear all our heads off with aplomb, just as we always expect from these metal legends. Of course, Morbid Angel are reason enough to go to this show all by themselves; however, it certainly doesn’t hurt that they’ve brought along such a powerful supporting lineup to devastate you throughout the night. The grinding death metal attack of Maryland’s Misery Index is the most notable addition, and while it’s been four years since their last album, brand new single “I Disavow” shows that they’re still as intense as ever, so be prepared. This killer lineup is rounded out by melodic death metallers Dreaming Dead and the excellently monikered tech-death of Hate Storm Annihilation. Get ready to thrash.

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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, in case you’re wondering, more awesomeness from my cracked and bleeding fingertips is available at GayRVA — come say hey.]

Top Image by Vivienne Lee, based on a photo by Joey Wharton

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 12/6-12/12

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FEATURED SHOW
Thursday, December 7, 8 PM
Gritty City Is For The Kids 3, feat. Gritty City, Noah-O, Black Liquid, Michael Millions, Tef Wesley, Chance Fischer, Segga Spiccoli, Reppa Ton, Ant The Symbol, hosted by Been Official, music by Swerve 36 @ Strange Matter – $5 (or toy donations)
It’s Christmastime again, and like all good people everywhere, the Richmond music scene tends to get into the giving spirit. Not only has No BS! Brass Band’s canned food drive returned for another year, and Punks For Presents come back for a record five shows (more on that one later), Gritty City Records has put together their third annual Gritty City Is For The Kids hip hop summit. This show, rapidly becoming a local institution, will benefit Toys For Tots by bringing together perhaps the best lineup of local hip hop RVA’s seen since last Christmas.

No, seriously–I’ve talked before about how there are many layers to the RVA hip hop scene, and how every show seems to spotlight a different crew, each of which has a packed stable of amazing rhymers and killer producers waiting in the wings. But in a traditionally competitive genre, Gritty City stands out by crossing all lines between crews and uniting the entire scene for a night that brings together top-level artists from all facets of the scene. This isn’t surprising for a label that’s released local artists from The Lone Crow (aka Murk One) and The Honorable Sleaze (RIP) to Rah Scrilla and John Canada, but it’s certainly refreshing for fans of all facets of RVA hip hop–for once, you can see all the best locals on the same stage on the same night.

Who are we talking about here, exactly? Well of course you know the Gritty City fam (Johnny Ciggs, Fan Ran, Ben FM, etc) will be out in force. But they’ll also be joined by Charged Up majordomo Noah-O, who is a decade into his career and only getting better. Then there’s Michael Millions, an underrated emcee from the AGM posse who just might be the best rhymer on the local scene right now. Chance Fischer, one of the only rhymers with a prayer of challenging Millions for that title, will be there too. And of course, we can’t forget the hardest working man in Richmond hip hop, Black Liquid, who just dropped what must be at least his 20th album and shows no sign of slowing down. Strong up-and-comer Segga Spiccoli, production mastermind Ant The Symbol, rock-solid spitter Reppa Ton, and living legend Swerve 36 on the wheels of steel round out a lineup that no local hip hop fan has any excuse to miss. The charity stuff is important, but where this show is concerned, the reason for the season is the music.

Wednesday, December 6, 8 PM
The Palmer Squares, Vantablac Sol, Netherfriends, Yung Dxrk @ Strange Matter – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
From local hip hop to some touring rappers from Chicago, it’s a rhyme-heavy week. Here we have a three-artist tour package headed up by The Palmer Squares, who’ve got a huge social media presence and the lyrical skills to back up their high view numbers on YouTube. Their latest EP, NaPalm follows up their first two full-lengths with another half a dozen songs full of tongue-twisting turns of phrase from rappers Terminal Knowledge and Acumental, as well as thick, multi-layered beats from producer Nate Kiz, who isn’t technically in the group but has established a strong, unified sound for The Palmer Squares over the course of multiple projects.

Nate Kiz may not be along on this tour, but Vantablac Sol is, and I’m assuming this Chicago rapper quit using original nom de rhyme Bruce Bayne after DC Comics got wind of it. Regardless, his more laid-back flow fits with Palmer Squares’ more manic tendencies due to equally thick, pulverizing beats that tie his latest VBS Tape together. A fun third piece of this trio is Netherfriends, the Chicago-based project that came through Richmond a bunch back in the 50 Songs 50 States days. Shawn Rosenblatt’s solo project had more of a bedroom-indie vibe back then, but he was already starting to get into hip hop production last time I caught up with him a few years ago, so this tour makes a lot of sense in conjunction with recent beat-heavy releases like Piano Dude. Whether you’re in the house to catch up with Netherfriends or to catch some sick rhymes from Palmer Squares, this show’s gonna deliver some killer sounds to your earholes.

Thursday, December 7, 8 PM
Battalion Of Saints, The Cryptics, Talk Me Off @ Bandito’s – Free!
It’s never a bad guess to assume that an early 80s American hardcore band was full of dead end kids with no future, but even in a scene full of bands that could barely survive their own nihilistic lifestyle, Battalion of Saints deserve special recognition. After all, singer George Anthony has been the only surviving original member of the band since sometime in the late 80s. He’s kept the band rolling with a rotating collection of SoCal miscreants ever since, and most recently, they released a 3-song EP on Southern Lord that showed their skills at loud, fast, out-of-control punk noise having decayed not at all after 35 years of destructive rage.

So it’s pretty cool to see these maniacs rolling through Richmond once again, 20 years after they tore Strange Matter (then known as Twisters) apart on the Death-R-Us tour. This time they’ll be hitting Bandito’s, so all the punks who are scraping quarters together to buy 40s at 7-11 can stop by the show on the way to the store without worrying about their beer money having to go to the door charge. If you’re living a bit more of a sensible lifestyle these days, your money can easily go towards tasty tacos and high-quality brew from the Bandito’s staff. Either way, you’ll get a hefty dose of punk rock awesomeness from the Battalion as well as spooky, melodic punk tourmates The Cryptics and local hardcore-punk newcomers Talk Me Off. Don’t miss out.

Friday, December 8, 8 PM
Punks For Presents 2017, Night 1, feat. London Caroling, Good Cretins, Sex Tinsels @ Gallery 5 – $10
Over the next couple of weeks leading up to Christmas, Punks For Presents will present five amazing holiday-themed covers shows, all of which will benefit Childrens Hospital of Richmond, and all of which are well worth your time even if they don’t end up making it to this column. How could I skip out on this first one, though? It’d be pretty amazing to see an actual bill featuring the holy trinity of the 77 punk rock explosion, and since that will never happen, this is the next best thing!

Not only will this show feature the songs of the Ramones, The Clash, and the Sex Pistols, most likely performed by members of some of your favorite local bands (though at the moment that’s a closely guarded secret–you’ll have to show up Friday night to find out exactly who is involved), it will most likely also feature slightly-rewritten lyrics turning much loved classics into Christmas songs! “Santa Is A Punk”? “Yule Logs Burning”? “Holidays In The Snow”? All are possibilities, but what really makes this whole thing fun is finding out for yourself. Come rock out this Friday night and get in the giving spirit once again!

Saturday, December 9, 8 PM
Houdan The Mystic, Colin Phils, Gull, Shy Low @ Strange Matter – $6 in advance/$8 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Our favorite melodic prog mathematicians in Houdan The Mystic are back with yet another split LP. After keeping a low profile for a few years, since previously joining with Fight Cloud for 2014’s killer Where’s My Shakespeare?, they’ve decided to team up this time with South Korean transplants Colin Phils for a slab aptly titled Star Charts. This collection will enter the world this Saturday night at a shindig being thrown by Jet Trails Media over at Strange Matter. Like Where’s My Shakespeare?, Star Charts will enter the world on cassette and CD as well as over the digital waves. And really, even if you’re just planning on picking up the mp3s, record releases aren’t as fun without a big musical celebration, so you should still come out!

After all, Colin Phils are just as big a part of this whole picture as Houdan The Mystic, and unlike Houdan, they may still be quite unfamiliar to those of you who’ve been reading this column for a while. As previously mentioned, they originally formed in South Korea, and only arrived in Richmond recently. However, they’ve made a lot of local connections in their scant time here, and have impressed a lot of people who know what they’re talking about. Including me, I must say–the preview tracks from Star Charts available online show a mastery of everything from post-rock ambience to prog-emo grandeur and math-rock intensity. These guys are sure to bring the heat live, and if you, like me, still haven’t had the pleasure, this is the perfect opportunity. With Gull and Shy Low also on the bill, this is going to be a night full of challenging, amazing musicality. Get on board.

Sunday, December 10, 7 PM
The Dream Syndicate, Elephant Stone, Armistead of Love Tractor @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $20 (order tickets HERE)
Social media is a weird thing. For example, this morning as I was checking facebook on my way to work where I knew I’d eventually write about this show, I discovered that it was two years ago today when I returned home from seeing The Dream Syndicate at Strange Matter and bashed out a quick recap for my tumblr before I went to bed. I’d written about that show for my show column, and it had totally lived up to the pre-show hype I myself wrote. Now, with the Syndicate’s return to the city this Sunday night, I find myself writing about them again. And I don’t regret it one bit.

That 2015 show was an incredible showcase of Steve Wynn and co.’s amazing run of 5 releases between 1981 and 1989, and I’m sure there’ll be some Dream Syndicate classics unleashed to mindblowing effect this Sunday night as well. But the main reason you should go to Capital Ale House and see this band is because the reunited incarnation of the band released their first new album in nearly 30 years earlier this year, and How Did I Find Myself Here? stands alongside any of their previous work in awesomeness. Wynn’s killer tunes are still at the forefront here, but the atonal noise solos, the layered psychedelic guitar freakiness, the hypnotic buzzing hum, and the punk rock-fueled intensity from classic albums like Medicine Show and The Days Of Wine And Roses is still on display. So yeah, it’s safe to say these guys will kick ass once again. Kick down the 20 bucks for a ticket–it’s worth it.

Monday, December 11, 8 PM
R-Dent, Josie McQueen, Sleave, Halfcast @ Strange Matter – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)
If you play alt-rock loud and fast enough, it kinda crosses the line into punk, and Jacksonville’s R-Dent push their guitar-driven midtempo riffage across that line as often as they can. One could probably quibble about whether or not this band would be more at home on Sub Pop in 1993 or No Idea in 1997, but either way, those who like loud guitars, driving rhythms, intense vocals, and an undeniable melodic sense hiding underneath everything will find a lot to like in this band, who’ll show up to Strange Matter Monday night with some loud amps in the back of their van.

They’ll be joined by a trio of loud-rockin’ locals, led by Josie McQueen, who don’t really ever push their alt-rock sound into the red enough to count as punk. That’s not a dis, though–these guys are more like Cheap Trick jamming with Marvelous Three or something, and that kind of tight, rockin’ power-pop is too thin on the ground these days. It’s good to have someone bringing that style to us right here in RVA, and it’s also nice to have the gruff melodic punk of Sleave, who clearly would find their place on post-Y2K No Idea, in the house for this one as well. Halfcast opens up with some thick riffage to keep the rock going from start to finish.

Tuesday, December 12, 8 PM
New Madrid, David Barbe & Inward Dream Ebb @ Strange Matter – $10 (order tickets HERE)
REM may not be around anymore, but if you think that means Athens, GA is no longer musically relevant, you need to pay better attention. You can start right here with this show, during which Athens crew New Madrid will come to town to hypnotize everyone with their riveting psychedelic grooves. Latest album magnetkingmagnetqueen has the sort of laid-back, spacey sound that should appeal to fans of locals like Avers and Minor Poet, making it an amazing headtrip of a listen.

With them, New Madrid will bring David Barbe, a well-known Athens denizen who has produced New Madrid along with legends like the Drive-By Truckers and Deerhunter. Barbe’s quite a musician in his own right, which he initially proved as the bass player for early 90s alt-rock stars Sugar and continued to make clear on solo efforts like 2001’s Comet Of The Season. He’s recently stepped back from production to devote himself to music-making once again, and brand new album 10th Of Seas sees Barbe playing all instruments on an album of psych-infused alt-rock that reminds everyone who loved his old stuff exactly what made it all so great. Barbe will perform backed by Inward Dream Ebb, the alter-ego of New Madrid as they pay tribute to a mentor by backing him up before returning to the stage with a killer solo set to close out the night. It’s gonna be an awesome night–make sure you’re part of it.

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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] [yes, my email is through GayRVA, don’t get weird about it]

Indie pop outfit Blush Face discuss their debut album ahead of release show Saturday

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Despite being fairly new to the Richmond music scene, Trrrash Records’ Blush Face is already gearing up to release their debut album What Do You Want? this week. Entertaining us with their own special brand of indie pop is Allie Smith (vocals/guitar), Evan Hoffman (guitar), Drew Barnocky (drums), and Billy Bacci (bass). The band’s unique sound of folk and pop draws in listeners from both audiences.

“We are an indie pop-rock band, or an indie folk pop-rock band, if that’s even a thing,” Smith said. “A lot of those songs on the album come from my days as a solo artist. It started with just a guitar, then the drums and bass.”

Blush Face is signed with Tim Falen at Trrrash Records, formerly known as Bad Grrrl Records. Falen is a workhorse in the Richmond music, giving a voice to surf rockers The Milkstains, indie strummers Camp Howard, and twee poppers Atta Girl, to name a few. By helping these artists, Falen is doing something unforgettable for the community on top of doing what he loves.

The group formed in August of 2016 after Smith and Barnocky met at a Singer/Songwriter Night at The Camel. “I met Drew, and we immediately started practicing together,” Smith said. 

What Do You Want? was recorded over two days at the Virginia Moonwalker, an eight-track analog studio in Mechanicsville.

“We recorded live, with all of us in the studio playing together. So day one was the drums, guitar, and Carreon’s bass,” Smith said on the recording process. “The vocals were recorded the next day, plus we added some other cool instruments and sounds.”

Prior to this full-length record, the band released two singles, “Love For a Ghost” and “Eat My Blues” last month which are definite tracks to check out to hold you over until the band releases their album. 


The vocals coming from Smith on the current album are captivating and stem from a very personal place, whether it’s coming to terms with a difficult situation or self-realization.

“That’s when I feel like picking up the guitar the most. I also like to delve into cycles,” she said. “The last song on the album, ‘Clicking Heels,’ is what we usually start shows with, but it is the last here. It is meant to flow back into the first track, highlighting the cycle of renewal.”

There was some urgency to get the forthcoming album, What Do You Want?, out.  Blush Face’s previous bassist, Carreon, was moving and the band wanted to send him off with the album’s release. However, a call to perfection ultimately slowed the production down.

“I know there was some debate within the band on when the album would be released, but we wanted everything to be perfect; the sound’s maturity, the album art, all of it,” Smith said.

Image may contain: 1 person, on stage and playing a musical instrument

Blush Face’s ability to speak to one another through music alone stands as their greatest strength on What Do You Want?. The albums stutters to get off the ground at the first track, “Magnolia,” but has completely found its sound by the fourth track, “Citronella Cinderella.” The bass walks through the tempo, leaving a head-bopping ode to really grab the listener’s attention.

A personal favorite, “Rock Star Drama Queen” is cathartic, being pushed along by Smith’s impressive vocal range and Hoffman’s power chords. In fact, “Rock Star Drama Queen” and “Clicking Heels,” the last two songs, are expansive and derive true meaning from the band’s trick of seamless communication. The vocalist will cue the guitar, which prompts a drum fill, and at the end, the plucks of bass strings. Blush Face has demonstrated their potential here, which has us on the edge of our seats for the album drop.

Be sure to head out to Hardywood on Sat., Sept., 23, for the What Do You Want? release party. Attendance is free, and Blush Face will be backed by Gull and Bad Magic.

All photos via Joey Wharton Photography 

RVA’s Gull looks forward in 2017 with new full length LP and series of maskless performances

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Imagine a musician, hobbled by a leg injury, locking himself up in a remote shack for a week to complete a new record, and now imagine that man is RVA’s own Gull.

Gull, whose human name is Nathaniel Rappole, has always worked hard in what he’s done. A kind of one-man-band, though he hates that term, is a project which historically consists of raw, hard and fast live shows featuring the performer’s face covered in a skull mask.

His musical journey started years ago, but it’s entering a new phase, one with a few notable changes that also includes a series of record releases with the first, Lurcher, dropping today.

But rewind a bit, for the curious like myself.

I first witnessed the majesty that is Gull as he sped around Monroe Park bungeed into the back of a pick up truck, banging and finger tapping away like an otherworldly sonic beast. But long before that he was just Nathaniel Rappole, a 16-year-old son of an ornithologist living in Front Royal, VA. He started playing bass and noodled around in a few bands. He went to JMU for psychology where he still played music – those in the scene back then probably remember his other project, Snack Truck.

While Snack Truck might have faded, the frenetic mayhem that is Gull continues on to today. Wander through First Fridays or a House show and you’re bound to catch the bizarre spectacle as Gull manipulates his drum set, guitar and looping and effects pedals at the same time.

The minimalist production has always been easy to take on the road and that often found the performer traveling and playing where he could find space. The unique show usually led to great turn outs and so it wasn’t hard for him to develop a healthy touring pattern up and down the East Coast. But the act has gone much further than that as well.

His first big out-of-the-country Gull trip had him joining a family friend on a bike tour across rural parts of Mexico. A friend he’d made on the drive down offered to act as a follow-car bringing not only his sleeping gear but his instruments as well. This led to impromptu performances in the Mexican countryside and in some notable urban spots as well.

“Thats what helped inform me as far as this idea of using music for what its good for – breaking down barriers, offering something in public in this way,” he said. “It’s a good way to open the door and learn about other people’s cultures.”

He said the shows were received well, and he learned a few things about second-world touring in the process. Lamp posts are, evidently, notorious for having plugs in them if you know where to look, so he often would set up in the street using whatever power he could find.

This Mexico trip whetted his appetite for travel and a chance encounter with a friend in Philly lit a fire under his ass for more. After relating his Mexico experience he worked with a few close friends to raise funds for a trip to Africa. They raised $10,000 in a few weeks and used connections from college to develop a destination and travel plan that took him to Kenya with a small documentary crew.

That trip happened a few years ago and the footage, and Gull’s own version of the experience, is still being processed for the public.

“Seeing my own reflection in this way, even though I was coming at it in a way of being open and good, it’s a tricky and fine line,” he said, trying to avoid some sort of white-guy-tours-Africa video. “You can paint a very exploitative picture of a place very easily… Just setting up, playing guerrilla style, in the middle of Nairobi. So many people were just like ‘what the fuck is going on?’”

While his travel has helped inform his music, the production of Lurcher also opened up new creative pathways for the artist.

He’d gone to upstate New York to bury a family member. After they laid his aunt to rest, he tried to honor her memory by taking a dip in her favorite swimming hole, Chautauqua Lake, but the combination of his entry height and the six inches of standing water led to a broken right fibula.

He made it back to Virginia and got patched up – he uses both legs to perform so he figured he’d take the down time (his first since 2010) and turn it into something constructive. He still had shows booked, so he reached out to his brother and asked to borrow a synthesizer, a Juno Alpha 1.

He holed up at his sister’s place in Woodstock Va., in a shack/garage around back, and began developing a new record using the synth, an altered set up that wouldn’t require his broken appendage.

“I used it as an excuse to do something a little different,” he said – this also included additional vocals and using the microphone as a percussion instrument… while also playing for the first time with out his trademark mask.

That’s not to say it was all improvised, he was rehashing some techniques he’d already developed, but playing without a mask was a new venture for the veteran performer. He said the mask had always served a practical function as a hands-free microphone, but its detail and imagery involved other boons as well.

“[The mask] was a spiritual thing… tapping into the anonymity but also tapping into another, performance-based existence. It holds some kind of spiritual, shamanistic quality. You’re acting as some kind of medium,” he said.

But he did take the mask-lessness songs on the road for a few performances, including one set at Hardywood last month.

“I never felt naked while performing… It felt right, I didn’t feel as protected… it was like doing an acoustic show,” he said. “I could hear everyone talking and everything and that’s hard.”

Another recent show at Black Iris’s Back Bar venue featured a few mask-less songs as well as expanded dancing and movement on the part of the performer. While he might have had less of the mysterious allure, his movements reinforced the “shamanistic” qualities he said the totem provided.

“I never wanted the mask to be a shield, I wanted it to reveal something that’s within, below the surface. The fact that it’s a skull is part of that, revealing something beneath,” he said. “And I feel like we can get caught up in how a person looks. But that’s not to say I haven’t enjoyed some of the benefits of playing with a mask, you can hide a bit, or get over some of those performance fears.”

Either way, Lurcher offers a new take on his classic creative sound.

Stand out tracks include “The Ancestral Knife” and “Walk of the Carpenter” which has a music video you can see below:

Themes of social justice and acknowledging what man has done to itself are also heavy on the release. While he might still be mulling over the Africa footage, he’s doing his best to express his disdain for colonialism on this release in the interim.

He recorded the album with Cyrus Fisher at Lagom Audio/Visual, a Charlottesville-based label and recording space. Gull linked up with Fisher after a show in Harrisonburg about a year earlier and they finally ended up in the studio the second half of last year. The final product is the full length and a few EPs all set to drop throughout 2017.

“It was a lot of fun, I haven’t done that kind of thing since really starting Gull,” he said noting most of my recordings were done live with a few room mics. That’s fairly similar to how Lurcher came about with a few extra overdubs for clarity.

But how have years of world and US travels impacted this record?

“It’s a very human thing,” he said of the drums or procession that forms the backbone for his tracks. “The drums pull you in – we can be separated, but tribalism really comes out.. in the way our brains are wired…. drums are a positive part of that… you see kids, immediately, just taking to drums and start dancing. I’ve seen it so many times, playing here or in other parts of the world – it’s amazing to see so many different types of people being drawn to music I make and drums are a huge part of that.”

You can snag Lurcher here, and keep up with Gull on Facebook here.

RVA’s Gull looks forward in 2017 with new full length LP and series of maskless performances

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Topics: , , , ,

Imagine a musician, hobbled by a leg injury, locking himself up in a remote shack for a week to complete a new record, and now imagine that man is RVA’s own Gull.

Gull, whose human name is Nathaniel Rappole, has always worked hard in what he’s done. A kind of one-man-band, though he hates that term, is a project which historically consists of raw, hard and fast live shows featuring the performer’s face covered in a skull mask.

His musical journey started years ago, but it’s entering a new phase, one with a few notable changes that also includes a series of record releases with the first, Lurcher, dropping today.

But rewind a bit, for the curious like myself.

I first witnessed the majesty that is Gull as he sped around Monroe Park bungeed into the back of a pick up truck, banging and finger tapping away like an otherworldly sonic beast. But long before that he was just Nathaniel Rappole, a 16-year-old son of an ornithologist living in Front Royal, VA. He started playing bass and noodled around in a few bands. He went to JMU for psychology where he still played music – those in the scene back then probably remember his other project, Snack Truck.

While Snack Truck might have faded, the frenetic mayhem that is Gull continues on to today. Wander through First Fridays or a House show and you’re bound to catch the bizarre spectacle as Gull manipulates his drum set, guitar and looping and effects pedals at the same time.

The minimalist production has always been easy to take on the road and that often found the performer traveling and playing where he could find space. The unique show usually led to great turn outs and so it wasn’t hard for him to develop a healthy touring pattern up and down the East Coast. But the act has gone much further than that as well.

His first big out-of-the-country Gull trip had him joining a family friend on a bike tour across rural parts of Mexico. A friend he’d made on the drive down offered to act as a follow-car bringing not only his sleeping gear but his instruments as well. This led to impromptu performances in the Mexican countryside and in some notable urban spots as well.

“Thats what helped inform me as far as this idea of using music for what its good for – breaking down barriers, offering something in public in this way,” he said. “It’s a good way to open the door and learn about other people’s cultures.”

He said the shows were received well, and he learned a few things about second-world touring in the process. Lamp posts are, evidently, notorious for having plugs in them if you know where to look, so he often would set up in the street using whatever power he could find.

This Mexico trip whetted his appetite for travel and a chance encounter with a friend in Philly lit a fire under his ass for more. After relating his Mexico experience he worked with a few close friends to raise funds for a trip to Africa. They raised $10,000 in a few weeks and used connections from college to develop a destination and travel plan that took him to Kenya with a small documentary crew.

That trip happened a few years ago and the footage, and Gull’s own version of the experience, is still being processed for the public.

“Seeing my own reflection in this way, even though I was coming at it in a way of being open and good, it’s a tricky and fine line,” he said, trying to avoid some sort of white-guy-tours-Africa video. “You can paint a very exploitative picture of a place very easily… Just setting up, playing guerrilla style, in the middle of Nairobi. So many people were just like ‘what the fuck is going on?’”

While his travel has helped inform his music, the production of Lurcher also opened up new creative pathways for the artist.

He’d gone to upstate New York to bury a family member. After they laid his aunt to rest, he tried to honor her memory by taking a dip in her favorite swimming hole, Chautauqua Lake, but the combination of his entry height and the six inches of standing water led to a broken right fibula.

He made it back to Virginia and got patched up – he uses both legs to perform so he figured he’d take the down time (his first since 2010) and turn it into something constructive. He still had shows booked, so he reached out to his brother and asked to borrow a synthesizer, a Juno Alpha 1.

He holed up at his sister’s place in Woodstock Va., in a shack/garage around back, and began developing a new record using the synth, an altered set up that wouldn’t require his broken appendage.

“I used it as an excuse to do something a little different,” he said – this also included additional vocals and using the microphone as a percussion instrument… while also playing for the first time with out his trademark mask.

That’s not to say it was all improvised, he was rehashing some techniques he’d already developed, but playing without a mask was a new venture for the veteran performer. He said the mask had always served a practical function as a hands-free microphone, but its detail and imagery involved other boons as well.

“[The mask] was a spiritual thing… tapping into the anonymity but also tapping into another, performance-based existence. It holds some kind of spiritual, shamanistic quality. You’re acting as some kind of medium,” he said.

But he did take the mask-lessness songs on the road for a few performances, including one set at Hardywood last month.

“I never felt naked while performing… It felt right, I didn’t feel as protected… it was like doing an acoustic show,” he said. “I could hear everyone talking and everything and that’s hard.”

Another recent show at Black Iris’s Back Bar venue featured a few mask-less songs as well as expanded dancing and movement on the part of the performer. While he might have had less of the mysterious allure, his movements reinforced the “shamanistic” qualities he said the totem provided.

“I never wanted the mask to be a shield, I wanted it to reveal something that’s within, below the surface. The fact that it’s a skull is part of that, revealing something beneath,” he said. “And I feel like we can get caught up in how a person looks. But that’s not to say I haven’t enjoyed some of the benefits of playing with a mask, you can hide a bit, or get over some of those performance fears.”

Either way, Lurcher offers a new take on his classic creative sound.

Stand out tracks include “The Ancestral Knife” and “Walk of the Carpenter” which has a music video you can see below:

Themes of social justice and acknowledging what man has done to itself are also heavy on the release. While he might still be mulling over the Africa footage, he’s doing his best to express his disdain for colonialism on this release in the interim.

He recorded the album with Cyrus Fisher at Lagom Audio/Visual, a Charlottesville-based label and recording space. Gull linked up with Fisher after a show in Harrisonburg about a year earlier and they finally ended up in the studio the second half of last year. The final product is the full length and a few EPs all set to drop throughout 2017.

“It was a lot of fun, I haven’t done that kind of thing since really starting Gull,” he said noting most of my recordings were done live with a few room mics. That’s fairly similar to how Lurcher came about with a few extra overdubs for clarity.

But how have years of world and US travels impacted this record?

“It’s a very human thing,” he said of the drums or procession that forms the backbone for his tracks. “The drums pull you in – we can be separated, but tribalism really comes out.. in the way our brains are wired…. drums are a positive part of that… you see kids, immediately, just taking to drums and start dancing. I’ve seen it so many times, playing here or in other parts of the world – it’s amazing to see so many different types of people being drawn to music I make and drums are a huge part of that.”

You can snag Lurcher here, and keep up with Gull on Facebook here.

Words by Brad Kutner
Top Image by Filippo Fiumani (www.fiumani.it) from Lisbon, Portugal

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 2/17-2/23

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FEATURE SHOW
Friday, February 19, 8 PM
People’s Temple Project, Sleeper Wave, Van Hagar, Truman @ Circle Thrift – $3-5 suggested donation
[NOTE: Late this week, for the second time in this column’s two-year, 100+ episode existence. What can I tell ya? Life gets in the way sometimes. Hope you didn’t sit home bored last night! Here’s the rest of the week, and we’ll be on time next Wednesday, I promise. –Drew]
Swamp Fest was not a fluke!
[Read more…] about RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 2/17-2/23