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The Richmond Music Catalog 1980-2021 Part 2

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I’ve been going to shows in Richmond for what I am frightened to realize is just shy of three decades now. I showed up as a fresh-faced college kid still too young to get into the 18+ shows, and these days I’m rapidly entering the back half of my 40s. My point? It’s safe to say that I’ve seen a ton of music from this city come and go.

And yet, it’s also very safe to say that I still have a ton left to discover. From the many bands (going back a good bit farther than even the 1980 date given as our ostensible starting point) that came along when I was still a kid (or maybe not even born yet) to the younger artists making noise right now in underground venues that I’m no longer young and hip enough to even learn about, there’s so much still to discover.

No matter what some scientist might tell you about how people stop listening to new music at 33 (google it, that’s a real study), I say it’s never too late to find new sounds with which to enrich your life. And there’s no better place to find them than embedded deep in the musical underground of your very own city. Whether you call it Richmond, RVA, river city or cap city, you can’t deny that there’s a ton of great music happening here. So let’s dive in, shall we? Welcome to The Richmond Music Catalog, part 2 of 4. — Marilyn Drew Necci

You can also check out Parts 1 (A-D) 2 (E-J) 3(K-R) 4(T-Z). Enjoy!

THE RICHMOND MUSIC CATALOG PART 2

Engine Down, ‘Rogue’ Engine Down
2004 Lookout! Records

Engine Down was a four-piece rock band from Richmond, Virginia, active from 1996-2005. They were a part of the Washington, D.C. area post- hardcore movement, along with bands like The Dismemberment Plan, Q and Not U, and Faraquet. The lineup included Keeley Davis on guitar and vocals, Jason Wood on bass and vocals, Jonathan Fuller on guitar and backup vocals, and Cornbread Compton on drums. In early recordings Wood and founding member Jeremy Taylor served as primary lead vocalists, but later in their career the duties of lead singer switched primarily to Davis. In 2005 Engine Down disbanded, following a farewell tour. Davis joined the band Sparta as lead guitarist. Compton began drumming for various bands including Biology, a side project with From Autumn to Ashes members Francis Mark & Josh Newton. Compton then joined Cursive to record their 2009 album Mama, I’m Swollen. Keeley and Jonathon Fuller have reunited in both Denali, and new band, Heks Orkest, featuring Denali member, Cam DiNunzio. — from Sputnik Music

Erin & The Wildfire, ‘Thirsty’ Thirsty
2016 Self Released

Charlottesville, VA-based Erin and the Wildfire will return with their new album Thirst, due out tomorrow (September 29). The sextet formed at nearby University of Virginia in 2011 and will release a new album inspired by the likes of Alabama Shakes, Vulfpeck, Funkadelic and Tedeschi Trucks Band (among others).

“We are stoked to have a cohesive, expressive record that we are proud of and represents a sound we’ve been working towards for years,” Erin Lunsford told Relix. “Thematically, Thirst is about my quest for love. I’d say a quarter of the songs are about one person in particular who I chased for a couple/few years. The song ‘Thirsty’ was the first in the series of longing songs followed by ‘Nothing Drowns You Out,’ ‘Meant For Me,’ ‘One Woman Show,’ and finally ‘Great Love.’ Longing turns to obsession turned to insecurity turned to anger turned in the end to a surrender of sorts with ‘Great Love.'” — from Relix

Eucharist, “Fooled Again,” Eucharist
1996 Mountain Records

Eucharist played crushing hardcore with influences from some of the best late-’80s/early-’90s US hardcore bands. I can hear traces of Infest, Citizens Arrest, Born Against, Rorschach, Crossed Out, etc. Besides this 12″, they had a few tracks on the Nothing’s Quiet on the Eastern Front compilation LP (alongside Devoid of Faith, Assfactor 4, Dropdead, Monster X, and more), the Vida Life comp (on Lengua Armada), and the, uh, Double Dose of Dicks 2×7″ comp. Their guitarist Mark Telfian would go on to play in the band Hail Mary and was the original guitarist of Limp Wrist. He also did the label Paralogy Records. –from Maximum Rocknroll

Fan Ran, ‘Trainwreck’ Loose Bowels
2017 Gritty City Records

“My influences on my style are AZ, Pimp C, & Prodigy,” said Ran. His influences are the reason he has such thoughtful lyrics. Some powerful tracks off of the album are “Train Wreck,” “Hunnid Dolla Bill$,” “All My Friends Are Dead,” and “God is Good.” The opening track, “Train Wreck,” was one of the oldest records on the album, but one of the most powerful songs. “The song was written after a whiskey binger weekend,” said Ran.

The track is a standout record because it is filled with heavy lyricism. “Hunnid Dolla Bill$ is a “fan favorite” according to the artist. And after one listen, I understood why. The track stands out with this heavy bass hitting instrumental with a deep vocal hook. “Hunnid Dolla Bill$” was the track that was the most fun to record,” said Ran. “Just being in the studio with the homies drinking a few brews, and we went into the booth and knocked out the song.”

The most personal track on the album is “All My Friends Are Dead “ which reflects Ran’s past over the last few years. “For that song it wasn’t about the lyrics,” said Ran, who mentioned losing friends to cancer and drugs. “I just went into the studio and started writing down a list of my friends that are dead and started rhyming their names. I’ve lost seven friends within the past three years.” — from RVA Magazine, May 19, 2016

Fight The Big Bull, ‘Mothra’ All Is Gladness In The Kingdom
2010 Self Released

Once upon a time, music was a craft, and the art form’s great craftsmen weren’t known as producers, but rather composers, arrangers, soloists, and bandleaders. It was an era when jazz served as the great storehouse of culture and style, and the big band functioned as archivist, interpreter and emissary to the masses. Matt White, the 27-year-old guitarist, composer, bandleader, and craftsman behind Fight the Big Bull, knows that time is now.

Make no mistake: There’s nothing nostalgic or revivalist about Fight the Big Bull. The “rapturously chaotic sound” owes as much to the band’s open ears as it does to their mastery of tradition. Forged in the fall of 2005 around the (now defunct) avant-garde guitar-trombone-drum trio Fight the Bull, the group has become a Richmond, Virginia, institution through their reputation for fearless improvisation and White’s clever, forward-looking charts. A bi-weekly local gig quickly garnered the band an eclectic following of devoted purists and eager converts, and their 2008 debut Dying Will Be Easy, on the Portuguese label Clean Feed, pushed the group before a national audience, earning them feature spots on WNYC and NPR’s Fresh Air, while Popmatters.com listed the record among the year’s best. It wasn’t long before the band landed a gig at celebrated New York avant-garde venue The Stone and a series of guest spots with visionary saxophonist Ken Vandermark in Chicago. — from Kennedy Center

Fighting Gravity, ‘Fools & Kings’ Forever=One Day
1996 Mercury Records

OK, class, pop quiz. Question: Assume there is a crowd-pleasing seven-piece ska-influenced group from Richmond, Va. Let them be called Fighting Gravity. Take as a given that every year, Fighting Gravity travel tens of thousands of miles up and down the Eastern seaboard playing both on and around college campuses for varying fees. Factor in that the band has done so ever since its founding at Virginia Polytechnic Institute approximately one decade ago. Now calculate exactly what Fighting Gravity have learned after all that up-close experience with higher education. — from Rolling Stone

Fire & Ice, “Not Of This Earth,” Not Of This Earth
2012 Reaper Records (video live at United Blood 2013)

The record brings us that Fire & Ice hardcore sound with a great groove to it, something we know bands such as Dead End Path, Expire and Backtrack so well for. I think it is cool to see all these bands go their own way, and make music that they love instead of sticking to the traditional way of doing things, and making the same records over and over again. The guys from Fire & Ice have followed their instincts and put something great together here.

‘Not Of This Earth’ is the title track of the record and kicks the whole thing into gear right from the start. The track has a slightly progressive (in terms of hardcore music) opening that will make sure to get the kids swinging. –from Legends Arising

500$Fine, “Learning,” Forward
1997 Self Release

We’re used to believing that in the age of the internet, everything lives forever. Of course, if you had a Geocities site 20 years ago or a MySpace account 10 years ago, you know that isn’t true, but still. What about stuff from before the internet, though? How much history that still exists within living memory is totally unknown to everyone that wasn’t there at the time? To be more specific: how many of my readers under the age of 35 have any idea that the basement cafeteria of a Catholic school in Chesterfield County was once one of the more consistent music venues in the Richmond area?

I know, it sounds crazy! And yet, for a time in the late 90s, St. Edwards Epiphany School on Huguenot Road acted as a gateway for an entire generation of suburban high schoolers to get into the music scene. It seemed like a safe place to drop your curious 12 year old — because it very much was — and everyone from teenage pop-punk bands to downtown stalwarts played there on at least a semi-regular basis.

Of course, for the most part, you can’t hear any of the bands that were St. Edwards regulars anymore — at least, not the way they were heard at the time. Their primitive 4-track demo cassettes may have been digitized at some point, but the recording technology 18 year olds had access to at the time wasn’t the greatest, and almost none of these bands left behind recordings that captured the immediacy and joy of seeing them live. Therefore, we can all be grateful that, this Saturday night, half a dozen of the most memorable veterans of St. Edwards’ basement stage will be back together once again, doing a set for old times’ sake down at Capital Ale House.

Fun Size is still around today, so you may have caught their catchy, emotional pop-punk sound at one point or another. But 500$Fine’s bassist, Patrick Daly, tragically died at the age of 16, so this performance, with Bradley Lile of fellow St. Edwards stalwarts Cloud 13 filling Patrick’s spot on bass, will be their first in over two decades. Their fiery, political take on reggae-influenced melodic punk made them Chesterfield’s own high-school Clash for a couple of years. If you’ve never seen them before, you need to fix that. –from RVA Magazine, November 26, 2019

Flesh Eating Creeps, “Fuck It Up, Richmond Style,” The Book About The Movie
2015 Handstand Records

Flesh Eating Creeps were a Richmond, Virginia hardcore punk band from 1995 to 2000. Over that time, they had 6 bassists, released a few EPs, and played a lot of shows in Virginia and its neighboring states. Members went on to form the bands Brainworms, City Of Caterpillar, Light The Fuse And Run, Municipal Waste, Stop It!! and Worn In Red. The two constant members, Chris Terry and Brendan Trache, worked with old friend Will Cole of Handstand Records to digitize vinyl and tape recordings, scan photos and flyers, and compile as much information as possible for this comprehensive, 58-song discography that includes deluxe and standard cassette releases, a Bandcamp download/stream, and an archival band website. –from Bandcamp

FM Skyline, ‘Overture’ Illuminations
2021 100% Electronica

FM Skyline, real name Pete Curry, is an Electronic, Vaporwave and Pop/Synth artist who has been in the game for several years now. In that time, he’s released a few studio albums, some of which are absolutely essential to any Vapor/Synth/Electronic collection regardless of which format you collect. Albums like Deluxe Memory Suite, EarthSim and Advanced Memory Suite are some of the finest the genre(s) have to offer. Recently, FM Skyline put out his studio effort which is called liteware, and I believe in time it will be looked back upon as yet another classic within the genre. Plus, it’s on 100% Electronica, so you can trust that it will be fantastic. — from VW Music

Four Hundred Years, “Red Tape,” Four Hundred Years EP
1996 Yuletide Records

At last! The legendary Suture LP (originally released on Great American Steak Religion) plus the first Four Hundred Years 7″ (originally on Yuletide/Rosepetal) has reappeared for the masses on CD format! This album is one that garnered the band critical acclaim and cult status around the world with its poignant political lyrics and unabashed energy. Indeed, this is timeless post-punk that will rekindle the flames of discontent and revive the revolutionary spirit. –from Dischord Records

4 Walls Falling, ‘Culture Shock’ Culture Shock
1993 Jade Tree

Scenes are often dated. Passion and skill, however, dodge the expiration date, explaining the staying power of 4 Walls Falling. While most prominent in the early to mid-’90s, 4 Walls Falling helped define-and continues to inform-a cathartic, inventive and personal style of hardcore still incapable of being watered down with tags like the “E” word. Drawing from the same zeitgeist as groups such as Endpoint and Turning Point, Four Walls chugged without machismo, and vented without moping. Simultaneously emotional and specifically political, songs like “Greed” or “Culture Shock” define 4 Walls Falling as an underground classic of recent times. — from Jade Tree

Fudge, ‘Girlwish’ Something Pretty Beautiful: A Brilliant Compilation
1993 Brilliant Records

In just two albums, Fudge shifted from dreamy bubblegum to pop-punk. The Richmond, VA, band met through mutual friends in 1990 and played for almost a year before finding a bass player or a suitable rehearsal space. Tony Ammendolia (vocals/guitar), David Jones (guitar/vocals), and Mike Savage (drums) wrote songs for the first album in a downtown apartment until Steve Venable (bass) arrived. Using a title borrowed from an e.e. cummings poem, The Ferocious Rhythm of Precise Laziness arrived on the major minor label Caroline in 1993, selling 10,000 copies and securing a tour with the Buzzcocks. Southside Speedway, with its shorter and harder-hitting songs, came out one year later. Citing minor differences among its members, Fudge split soon afterwards. Savage and Venable later played in Cherry 2000 until February of 2000. Jones joined Dynamic Truths and Ammendolia joined the ranks of fatherhood. — from All Music

Fun Size, ‘End Of The Road’ Since Last We Spoke
2012 Self Released

Well, in a further confirmation of my pet theory that every band that breaks up eventually gets back together, 90s-era Richmond pop-punk flagbearers Fun Size have returned. With three-fourths of their best-known lineup (only lead guitarist Orice Collins has been replaced by Pedro Aida) back in the fold, they’ve put together a new album called Since Last We Spoke and have now released that album’s first single, “End Of The Road” (available for download from their bandcamp page). The song itself might be my favorite thing that I’ve heard by Fun Size. While their 90s output seemed more influenced by bands like Green Day, frontman James Menefee has been dipping his toes into a more midwestern, perhaps even Westerbergian, alternative rock sensibility in his recent work with Long Arms, so it’s no surprise to hear a solid Replacements influence in the chorus–but it’s definitely cool. If the whole album sounds like this, I’m gonna love it. — from RVA Magazine, November 8, 2012

Grip (aka Dayspring), “Diffidence,” Friction Burn Fatal
1993 New Age Records

Grip remains one of my favorite local bands ever, and this EP is jammed with awesome riffs and great songs from that niche of the 90’s where metallic hardcore and weirdly melodic not-quite-“emo”-but-still-kinda-sorta-“emo” meshed rather nicely. The band had morphed into the equally awesome (and, sadly, equally short-lived) Dayspring by 1994, so this 1993 EP was their sole release. Great shit. –from Aversionline

GWAR, ‘Sick Of You’ Scumdogs Of The Universe
1990 Metal Blade Records

Before Oderus Urungus, leader of GWAR, answers any questions, he reminds me that I, a mere human, am “an insignificant speck of diarrheic phlegm.” When I reveal for whom I am writing this article, he replies, “SPIN… Ah yes, I think I wiped my buttocks with it once.” Such is the wisdom of the gods.

Well, not exactly gods. GWAR is actually a posse of Antartic warrior demigods. GWAR is also the sickest heavy metal parody band in the galaxy. But it would be best to let Oderus tell the story: “GWAR was created by the master of creation, an ambiguous being named Larry, as the ultimate doomsday device. GWAR was at one time in the legion of Scumdogs of the Universe, but they were banished to the earth. GWAR’s ultimate goal is to leave Earth, after destroying it, and rejoin the Scumdogs.”

Musically, GWAR is a hardcore quintet that spews a delicious viscous goo, blending Black Sabbath, the Meatmen and the Dickies. Live, they expand to 14 performers (non-musicians are called slaves, as are their fans), each dressed in outrageous Dungeons-and-Dragons-on-cough-medicine costumes.

The characters in GWAR (and they are always in character) are warriors who have taken to our earth’s strange indulgences. For instance, they all love crack cocaine. Flattus Maximus attributes his explosive guitar style to “a strict diet of vegetarians.” Balsac the Jaws of Death “writes songs by scratching his scrotum with his guitar.” — from Spin

Hex Machine, “Chub,” Fixator
2012 Learning Curve Records

Here it is, folks, the new video from RVA noise-rock auteurs Hex Machine! Yes, it’s true–a few months ago, I presented you guys with a new Hex Machine video that was basically just an album cover floating overtop of an abstract background while a song plays. And I’m not apologizing for that, either, because the song was just that good! But this is the real thing–an honest-to-goodness video for “Chub,” the newest single from Hex Machine’s second full-length album, Fixator, which came out this week on Learning Curve Records. Hex Machine leader Trevere Thomas and his current crew of road warriors may start this track with a wall of screeching noise, but there’s a real melodic sensibility lurking beneath the distortion and headbang-worthy riffs, as you’ll see on “Chub”‘s chorus.

What’s even cooler about all this is the video, directed by Philip Shive of the mysterious Voice Of Pizza, which really does look like the sort of clip that an off-kilter noisy alt-rock band would make back in the early 90s. It mixes what appears to be found footage from 30 to 40 years ago of all kinds of random stuff–a skipping businessman, little league baseball players, a dramatization of a surgical procedure–and some serious film distress that results in constant visual interference falling across the screen. I can’t really describe it any better than that, but it’s really cool and looks like the sort of video that Barkmarket used to foist upon an unprepared audience during the last hour of Headbanger’s Ball. Barkmarket mixed with the Jesus Lizard isn’t a bad musical reference for Hex Machine either, and it’s great that they’re bringing that sound to the RVA music scene–we could always use more loud, weird rock n’ roll! –from RVA Magazine, August 30, 2012

Holy River aka Lobo Marino, ‘Come With Me’ Kite Festival
2012 Self Released

Up to this point, their songs were planned around Price playing guitar, Sullivan on accordion, and a third member filling in the gaps. Now, with another set of songs almost complete, they were considering their next logical step. In many ways, this was the exact challenge they needed to face in order to create what has since become the standard setup for a Lobo Marino show.

This began with Sullivan’s acquisition of a harmonium–a type of organ, popular in the late 19th century (and to this day in India) that generates sound with a bellows. “Once I got the harmonium, that is what really helped us fill that space with the necessary bass,” Sullivan explains. “It also helped me find my voice. When I wrote on the accordion, the challenge was that it was higher than I was comfortable singing with. On the harmonium, the lower register comfortably suited my voice.”

At this point, Price also diverted his attention from strictly playing guitar on their songs. He began using a variety of percussive tools–everything from an enormous bass drum to vases to bells strapped to ankles. Just about anything under the sun was fair game. These instrumental changes helped guide the two as they decided to make their next recording a live album. For the session, Price and Sullivan were joined by a variety of musicians over the course of an evening in the upstairs corridor of Gallery5. “We were excited to invite what we consider to be our close family to one of our favorite spaces and have them be a part of this experience. It was also a strong testament to what our band had transformed into,” Sullivan says. This collection of songs, released in 2012 and entitled Kite Festival, perfectly articulated the sound of Lobo Marino up to that point. Songs like “Celebrate” and “Stay With Me” examined the delicate intricacies of their sound; one song relied heavily on percussion, another on the subtlety of their lyrical nuances. –from RVA Magazine, December 28, 2015

Holy Roller, ‘Muscle Up’ Muscle Up
2019 Self Released

You may not be familiar with the name Holy Roller or even know what it is, but you will definitely recognize some of the faces in this four-piece band that has recently made its debut, with an album slated to drop this fall.

Holy Roller is a new project from the guys of former Southern rock band Big Mama Shakes, who performed their last show under the name back in the spring. And now, armed with a new member, new material, and a new name and sound, the band is eager to show fans, old and new, what they’ve been working on. 

Since forming in 2013, Big Mama Shakes entertained Richmond crowds and beyond with their raw, energetic shows and southern charm. Since releasing their debut album, As She Does in 2015, the group built up a solid following with a monthly residency at The Camel, touring up and down the east coast and midwest, and playing alongside major names like Passion Pit, Incubus, and Nathaniel Rateliff. — from RVA Magazine, August 28, 2018

Honor Role, ‘Purgatory’ The Pretty Song
1987 Self Released

Honor Role emerged from being one of America’s most undistinguished hardcore bands to breathe new life into the genre. They developed so fast that they were more or less unloved in their time. The prime lineup(s) set a solid foundation of throbbing, dub-punk rhythms upon which guitarist Pen Rollings could flash his indie rock guitar-heroics and Bob Schick could emote his incredibly insightful, humanist lyrics in a voice both angst-ridden and empathetic. Few bands today boast a vocalist and a guitar player even remotely as passionate or talented as the pair.

The Pretty Song, co-released on Corrosion of Conformity drummer Reed Mullin’s label, is a burst of ideas and approaches. A vari-speed series of rhythmically nimble skips and trudges are dolloped with guitar noise and real songcraft. Highlights are “Throwing Rocks,” a downtrodden chug, and the sing-along bass-driven gloom of “Purgatory.” Bob Schick proves equal to both bitter haranguing (“Observation,” and “Jank,” a rip-snorting B-side) and weary meditations on doubt (“Six,” “Care Taker”). The whole band brims over with edgy intensity (maybe just perpetual nervousness). Although weakened by overly reverbed ’80s production, the record is a milestone and its influence on good folks from Superchunk to Don Caballero is easy to hear. — from Trouser Press

The Honorable Sleaze, “Hell On Wheels,” Heavenly Devilish II: Demons
2017 Gritty City Records

Last night, Richmond was hit with the news that Brian “The Honorable Sleaze” Davis, Sr., a staple of the local hip hop scene, died suddenly following complications during surgery.

Co-producer of the now-defunct Just Plain Sounds netlabel, Sleaze was known for his work as a skilled producer and artist. His most recent album, Heavenly/Devilish II: Demons, made waves in the local hip hop community after its release. Sleaze was widely regarded by fellow artists for his influence in the scene.

“I think the things he would say kept the realness in Richmond rap,” said Ant The Symbol, Sleaze’s producer and longtime friend. “It’s insane, you never think these things are going to happen until tragically, they do.”

In his music, Sleaze focused his attention on issues pressing to his community. According to his artist bio, his “everyman” quality touched on complex social issues but extended to all facets of life. His recent work addressed his personal life and its trials and tribulations. –from RVA Magazine, July 10, 2017

Hot Lava, ‘Blue Dragon’ Hot Lava
2009 Bar/None Records

It’s been 3 years of countless laughs and quite a few line-up changes, Richmond, Virginia’s Hot Lava, comprised of Allison Apperson, Jared Sosa, Andrew Mowe and Matt Deans, are finally ready to heat things up. Their multi-layered debut album, Lavalogy, is a unique, conceptual adventure that plays like the musical companion to a satirical and subversive graphic novel.

There is no denying the band’s love-affair with 90’s indie-pop or their 60’s inspired sensibilities, but Hot Lava’s music goes beyond celebrating the past, it gazes into the future with a wide-eye and an endearing, off-beat sense of humor. Whether lead singer Allison Apperson is romanticizing about a spinach-eating blue dragon, or wrestling with technology (Apple+Option+Fire), she and the rest of the boys are focused on smothering their catchy pop vignettes with candy-coated melodies and infectious hooks that are guaranteed to get your temperature rising. –from Bar/None Records

House Of Freaks, ‘Sun Goes Down’ Cakewalk
1991 Giant Records

The creative leap that brought House of Freaks to life in Richmond, Virginia as a duo of guitar/vocals (Bryan Harvey) and drums (Johnny Hott) has become an article of faith for the group. Intelligence, urgency and creative use of guest musicians far outweigh any structural doubt about what properly constitutes a rock combo. (So much for the 21st century modernity of the White Stripes.) Related by scope and approach to the Violent Femmes and redolent of cultural history in much the same way as the early Band, House of Freaks covers a rich and evocative American musical landscape. What makes the group work is not the novelty of the guitar’n’drums lineup, but Harvey’s guitar and vocals, which jump out at you with all urgency and stripped-down emotionalism. Furthermore, Hott’s industrial-strength drumming and Harvey’s terrific songs that draw on American folklore and mythology from the days of the slave trade up through the atomic era make for a winning combination of punch and intelligence. — from Trouser Press

Inquisition, ‘Pulse’ Revolution, I Think Its Called Inspiration
1995 Pop A Wheelie Records

To compose a brief history for those not familiar, I will note just a few things. This album was originally released in 1995 and members went on to form Strike Anywhere (named after one of the songs on the album), Ann Beretta, and River City High. They are cited as an inspiration for the likes of Hot Water Music, Ensign, Dashboard Confessional, Suicide Machines, and Anti-Flag.

Enough of the BS though; how is the album? Forget about 10 years ago; it’s an excellent album right now. It’s hard to avoid comparisons to a more complex version of early Strike Anywhere with Thomas (now singing for said band) at the vocal front here, but it’s interesting to hear what might happen when you take the Chorus of One EP and add even more well-developed ideas both musically and lyrically in the same relatively raw atmosphere. — from PunkNews.org

INTER ARMA, ‘The Summer Drones’ Paradise Gallows
2016 Relapse Records

Few metal bands in recent years have emerged with all their parts so immediately perfected as Inter Arma: every pummeling, slow-as-molasses drum fill; every seasick, punishing guitar solo; every ounce of reverb on Mike Paparo’s pained, death metal howl; every blast of feedback swelling in the mix like a bolt of thunder forecasting a biblical storm. For a band so wild and untamable, every aspect of Inter Arma’s records sounds as if it was deliberated upon and perfected for hours in a studio before reaching our ears. This was true on their 2013 Relapse debut Sky Burial, and it was even truer on their 2014 follow-up EP The Cavern. A single 45-minute track, *The Cavern *showcased a band uninterested in resting on their laurels. They had established a signature sound, with their moody amalgam of death metal, black metal, doom metal, and Southern rock, and were now focused on crafting compositions as interesting and distinctive as their sonics.

Such is the mission statement for Paradise Gallows, an album that finds the Richmond, Virginia five-piece alternatively aiming to be both the world’s heaviest act and also the prettiest— and they don’t waste any time. Brief opening number “Nomini” pairs acoustic fingerpicking with soaring David Gilmour-indebted solos and leads right into “An Archer in the Emptiness,” their most guttural, atonal slab of sludge to date. The juxtaposition of the two songs is an almost too-perfect summation of what Inter Arma is capable of (see also track titles like “Violent Constellations” and “The Summer Drones”), but Inter Arma is too smart to become formulaic. On Paradise Gallows, their songwriting is consistently sharp and challenging, making the album’s 71 minutes of shapeshifting feel not only coherent but also wholly natural and downright triumphant. — from Pitchfork

Ipecac, “The Self-Detonating Nuclear Family,” Tomato Tomato EP
1994 Fountainhead Records

Hi! I’m ATC. A little over 25 years ago I was in a band in Richmond, VA with 3, sometimes 4, of my friends. Back then, if anyone asked about the band, we’d almost always say something self-deprecating in response. We reprinted unfavorable reviews as advertisements. We would directly question the decision-making ability of the people who came to see us, etc.

Truth is, I loved making noise with those guys, and a couple of these songs(?) turned out just about exactly how we wanted them to. I’m glad that it was documented. There are 14 or 15 people who will be happy about this “unearthed” collection. Most are from Richmond’s Southside. Maybe a few from Eastend. A couple outside of DC… one or two in Philly. This is for you guys! To everyone else who stumbles across this… sorry, but watch your step next time.

Thanks! Enjoy! Wash your hands! And please keep your face covered in public… so the rest of us don’t have to cover our eyes! –from Bandcamp

Iron Reagan, ‘Miserable Failure’ The Tyranny Of Will
2014 Relapse Records

Iron Reagan are a Richmond band composed of members from notable crossover thrash groups like Municipal Waste and Darkest Hour. Their latest album is a thirty-two minute blitzkrieg that fires off short, potent riffs at a workmanlike pace, letting the listener sort out the mess for themselves.

A decade after his death (two since he left office), former president Ronald Reagan continues to be a subject of many a musical effigy, but it’s been a while since the hardcore community had him as its muse. Enter Iron Reagan, a Richmond band composed of members from notable crossover thrash groups like Municipal Waste and Darkest Hour, who are the jellybean cowboy’s latest invokers. While their sound places them as political punk in the vein of Wasted Youth or the Crucifucks, Iron Reagan’s lyrical tendencies skew nihilstic and violent with a dash of odd humor. Where Black Flag once instructed the crowd to “Rise Above”, Iron Reagan proudly declare, “I Ripped That Testament a New Asshole”. It’s a shock-driven approach, sure, but when it comes to expressing displeasure with the status quo, have punks ever bothered to clean up nicely and say “please”? — from Pitchfork

J Roddy Rod, ‘Where Da Twerkas At?’ J Roddy Rod
2008 Powerhouse Ent

Having started in the local scene hip-hop scene here in Richmond, J Roddy Rod aka The Twerk God has blown up regionally. Performing at a number of venues and house parties throughout the state and receiving radio play and spins in local clubs in Richmond, Chesapeake, and North Carolina has contributed to the success J Roddy Rod has found. In addition, he also has close to a million views on Youtube for his video, “Where Da Twerkas At?” — from RVA Magazine, June 25, 2013

J Roddy Walston & The Business, ‘Heavy Bells’ Essential Tremors
2013 ATO Records

As a preview for the release of their upcoming, fourth full-length album Destroyers Of The Soft Life, the Richmond, Virginia southern rock four-piece J. Roddy Walston & The Business brought their heavy jams and raging energy to Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY last week.

The band walked on stage to Tina Turner’s What’s Love Got to Do With It, which not only served as the pump up music but a clear hint at J. Roddy’s passionate belting and power vocal inspiration. Marigold – track two from the bands third album Essential Tremors – was the opener and it blasted off the fast-paced, hard rock J. Roddy style to set the attitude for the night. Walston continued the set with Same Days another song from LP3, and after jumped back to their self titled LP2 for Don’t Break The Needle. Both songs showcase Walston’s wailing, animated vocal performance. — from Thank Folk For That

Jason Mraz, ‘The Remedy (I Won’t Worry)’ Waiting For My Rocket To Come
2002 Elektra Records

Jason Mraz‘s Waiting for My Rocket to Come is a two-part invention. The first level is that of a young, almost compelling, singer/songwriter. Mraz has a nice voice, perhaps a little too articulated at times, which manages to mostly avoid the histrionic despite a predilection towards show tuney melodic turns. His voice tumbles out on top of folk-reggae rhythms that will probably sound a bit dated with time, but his vocals are filled with enough internal rhythms and rhymes to keep them interesting. Lyrically, Mraz relies on cliché to a certain degree, but does so with an earnestness that allows for believability and an eye for imagery that succeeds often enough to suggest that he knows what he’s doing. The second level of Waiting for My Rocket to Come is the production of John Alagía, whose work has enhanced other similar folk-pop fair, including the Dave Matthews Band and O.A.R. His work with Mraz is, at its best, transparent, filling out the songs with subtle and glossy production and instrumentation. Reflections of banjos, organs, mellotrons, lap steels, ukuleles, and others peak out through the shine of the tunes, creating an impact too rich to be written off as lite. — from All Music

Johnny Cigs, ‘Let’s Get It (Prod. by D.R.U.G.S. Beats)’ Lighters and Lightbulbs
2016 Gritty City Records

Originally from Alexandria, Ciggs first came to Richmond from Burke, where he grew up in 2002 as a student at VCU. Years later, he was tired of his job in sales and decided to do an internship at Da Spot Recording Studio.

“I learned a ton of stuff from them. I mean, the way that I go about recording sessions to this day is all based on what they taught me,” said Ciggs. “How to set up sessions and how to record in general, all those things I learned from there.”

As part of his homework for the internship, Ciggs was tasked with recording a song, which would become his first rap project. At the time, he was listening to classic East coast hip-hop from artists like Mobb Deep and Nas, which would continue to influence his work. Much of the subject matter in Ciggs’ lyrics is similar as well, what he would call “braggadocious rappity-rap,” but it also addresses his struggles with alcoholism and mental health issues.

“A lot of my music is more fun if you really listen to what I’m saying. I’m just making fun of myself and the ridiculous and crazy way I used to live,” said Ciggs. “Some days I wanted to die, other days I thought I was living the dream. But really, nothing changed, it was all nonsense.” — from RVA Magazine, November 16, 2020

Jolly Mortals, “225,” Paintscraper
1994 Whirled Records

The Jolly Mortals return from the grave to throw caution and convention aside, leaving their earlier appearance on the ÜB2B vs. the Earth compilation in the dust. These songs are not so metallic, but way groovier. Actually the best two, “4-Ever” and “Bedsores” are on the Bside of the disc, and they alternate between chunky riffs and quiet strumming. The tentative vocals, spastic studio effects, and homemade studio sound give the record (forgive me here) an almost trippy sound, completely unique to Richmond. I wish they had put this out earlier so I would have known to go see them. Readers, learn from my mistakes. –from Throttle Magazine

Jonathan Facka, ‘Tarmac’ Tarmac
2021 Broadcast Recordings

“My name is Jonathan Facka. I’m a singer songwriter from Richmond, Virginia, born at MCV and in 2015 moved to Arizona — I was there for about a year and then I came back. I played clarinet in middle school, and then I transitioned to guitar class in high school. And I just liked it. I didn’t write a real serious song until I was about 27, surprisingly. Basically, a bunch of tragedy happened and I didn’t know I had anything to write about until that. Better late than never.” — from RVA Magazine, July 12, 2021

Jonathan Vassar and The Speckled Bird, ‘Turn to Face The Wind’ Signs & Wonders
2021 Self Released

Whenever I am in need of contemplation, I look no further than Jonathan Vassar and the Speckled Bird. Their new LP doesn’t disappoint, especially with the addition of Paul Watson to the fold. The opening track keeps the familiar aspects of their sound, while incorporating new musical elements that seem to really push The Speckled Bird into the future. As one vignette from this LP, Vassar truly embarks in a literary direction that takes his songwriting up to a whole new level entirely. — from RVA Magazine, January 3, 2013

Josh Small, ‘Say Hello’ Tall
2013 Orchard Music

Throughout this CD, you can’t help but feel that Josh was alone, maybe slightly drunk (in a good way) and on his front porch in VA when writing these songs. Josh’s voice has a feel of despair and hope all rolled into one. When he sings songs like “Come Down,” “Peek Out the Windows” and “Knife in My Belly,” it’s almost as if he’s accepting the pain and putting a positive spin on it, which is what true great artists do.

There are various musicians who contribute to this disc playing drums, violin, congas, upright bass, and piano giving this a feeling of a group of friends getting together and jamming on whatever their heart feels at the moment. A few songs even have a gospel feel to them (“Knife in My Belly”) that could easily be sung during any Sunday mass. The songs all flow together and you can picture a few guys sitting on their front porch playing these songs over and over again. That dirty old Southern gospel feel oozes out of every minute Josh Small is performing. — from PunkNews.org

You can also check out Parts 1 (A-D) 2 (E-J) 3(K-R) 4(T-Z). Enjoy!

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: December 1 – December 7

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, December 4, 7 PM
Colin Phils, Houdan The Mystic, The Late Virginia Summers, Shapes In The Water @ Black Iris – $6 (order tickets HERE)
It sure is nice to see local music surviving and thriving in our post(?)-pandemic world. Live music shutting down completely for a year caused a lot of chaos for a lot of bands in this world, and while huge artists like Radiohead or Green Day or whoever could just live off all the money they’ve banked, a lot of times the loss of steady work for smaller bands led to breakups and indefinite hiatuses proliferating across the scene. Therefore, we can all be thankful that a quartet of veteran Virginia indie bands will be returning to form and bringing us all the sounds we love this Saturday night at Black Iris.

Colin Phils in particular was dealt a cruel blow by the pandemic; having released their latest LP, Trust Fall, at almost exactly the same time as the first big COVID shutdown hit us all back in March 2020, they were robbed the opportunity to travel around the country and the world showing off their latest work to both fans and new listeners. Since things came back online, they’ve been making up for lost time, touring around the East Coast and appearing live in a variety of places. And, by the way, with a variety of lineups. The photo accompanying this article documents the band’s lineup at the time Trust Fall was released, but I really can’t say for sure who (besides band mainstays Ben Tiner and Benjamin Mauch) will take the stage Saturday night. Rest assured, they’ll deliver you an unforgettable performance of some top-quality indie/math-rock/emo tunes regardless.

Colin Phils isn’t the only band making this Black Iris show worth your time, though; there’s also their former split partners Houdan The Mystic, a long-running local trio whose smooth, intricate math-rock sounds have been fascinating for screamo nerds, stoner indie heads, and everyone in-between for damn near a decade now. They may not have released anything since their aforementioned 2017 split with Colin Phils, but they just don’t like to rush. Rest assured, their music will still be right on time. The Late Virginia Summers, who hail from Lynchburg, have been enriching the VA indie scene with their synth-infused take on instrumental post-rock for over a decade now, and demonstrate that they’ve still got a lot to say on brand new release Beauty In The Ghost; expect them to show off some tunes from the new record on this night. Finally, Shapes In The Water released their debut LP only two years ago, but 3/4 of the band have a significantly longer history under the name From Fragile Seeds, and their new EP, Acedia, shows that their brand of intricate, post-rockified emo remains vital and is, if anything, getting better all the time.

Wednesday, December 1, 8 PM
The Octavias, Safari Room, Colpa Mia @ The Camel – $8 in advance, $10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
A lot has happened for a lot of Richmond bands while the pandemic had us all holed up in our rooms. One example is the duo formerly known as Grem Smiley, who — like Colin Phils — released a record only weeks before the pandemic made live music a thing of the past for over a year. After their Canvas LP lost its chance to soar, the band went into a long woodshedding period that saw their former name go by the wayside in favor of the (indisputably improved) name The Octavias. They’ve only released two songs under that name so far, but the rollicking rock n’ roll bash that they unleash on debut single “Sometimes” is certainly enough to whet one’s appetite for a full set from these rippers.

That’s what we’ll get at The Camel tonight, but it’s not all we’ll get; Nashville’s Safari Room are coming through town as well, and their more melodic approach is sure to act as an intriguing contrast to the rave-ups of The Octavias. Apparently people have compared them to all sorts of groups in the past, and most of those comparisons seem way off to me, so let me avoid that pitfall and just tell you that their delicate, arpeggiated guitar lines and soaring vocal melodies occasionally give way to powerful crescendos that make the whole thing feel ecstatic. Locals Colpa Mia will be rounding out the bill with their catchy indie pop tunes, so you’ll get a solid dose of excellence from this one. Get with it.

Thursday, December 2, 7 PM
Lenne, The Impurity @ Another Round Bar And Grill – Free!
Over the past few years, Another Round has made itself the indisputable local home of unreconstructed metal, untainted by hipsters and retaining its pure original state — as raging music for frustrated working class headbangers. And don’t get me wrong, the hipster stuff has its place, but sometimes its nice not to have to try and pick up on the influences of bands who worship an obscure death metal demo released in 1987 by a band from Argentina who never toured and were only together for six months, or whatever. When Lenne and The Impurity play a free show at Another Round this Thursday night, you won’t have to worry about any of that.

Instead, what you’ll need to know is that Lenne is a project featuring members of Sevendust and The Infinite Staircase, among others, dealing out some heavy rockin’ metal with a strong blues influence. The melodic vocals follow in a similar vein to the band members’ previous projects, but rest assured, the whole thing still hits hard as hell. Tourmates The Impurity, who hail from Buffalo, NY, have a similar sound, but are definitely willing to do some growling and screaming at times. All of it’s gonna bowl you over, and if you want to bang your head, you’ll have plenty of opportunities. Plus, the price is right. Make it happen.

Friday, December 3, 9 PM
Smirk, Hard Copy, Magic Wand @ Fuzzy Cactus – $10 in advance, $12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
This Friday night, Fuzzy Cactus will bring you a heaping helping of the exact kind of sounds you expect from this town’s proudest “rock n’ roll bar”: some raw, primitive, quirky garage rock. Smirk is a California band that’s actually a one-man project by Nick Vicario, whose name you may know if you’re nerdy enough to be aware of groups like Crisis Man and Public Eye. Richmond’s own Feel It Records handled the release of Smirk’s LP, a vinyl release from earlier this year that combined both of the project’s earlier cassette releases. Only a couple of months ago, Smirk followed up this release with a new one entitled EP (I sense a theme here), featuring seven new songs that are pretty much all off-kilter basement pop gems.

So yeah, you’ll definitely want to catch Smirk when they come through town dispensing their offbeat anthems, even if I can’t actually tell you what form they’ll take live — a pickup backing band? One guy doing everything? Prominent use of drum machines? I have no idea, but it’s worth finding out! The music’s sure to be fun regardless. Along for the ride on this one are Hard Copy, a quartet with a postpunk vibe and snarky political lyrics featuring members of Fat Spirit, New Turks, and Young Adult Fiction, among others. Their EP from this spring is a lot of fun; one would think this set would be too. Fun local punks Magic Wand will round out a bill full of great tunes at the most rock n’ roll bar in town.

Saturday, December 4, 6 PM
Holy Roller, Devil’s Coattails, Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers @ Fuzzy Cactus – $10 (order tickets HERE)
OK, so I just told you all about how rock n’ roll Fuzzy Cactus is in the last blurb, but never let it be said that they’re afraid to throw the occasional change-up. That’s what comes from this show starring headliners Holy Roller, who originally evolved out of Virginia quartet Big Mama Shakes a few years back. These days, Holy Roller have expanded to a six-piece, which pairs vocalist Brady Heck’s deep, soulful baritone with the unmistakable voice of talented Richmond singer-songwriter Rebekah Rafferty. The result, combined with the band’s Southern-rock tinges and subtle gospel flavorings, is a sound that fans of everything from Matthew E. White to Drive-By Truckers to Counting Crows should be able to appreciate.

Devil’s Coattails are also on the bill, and this ensemble goes even further outside the typical confines of “rock n’ roll” with their take on rootsy country sounds. Featuring members of The Dharma Bombs, Blush Face, the Pistol Sisters, and more, this six-piece — featuring two vocalists with some great interplay — lay down the kind of honky-tonk sounds you just can’t find in the world of mainstream country anymore. Plus, it’s got that freewheeling outlaw spirit. So in the end, it’s actually perfect for Fuzzy Cactus. As is Cassidy Snider, a homegrown blues singer with a soulful country vibe, who’ll be bringing her band The Wranglers along to kick this one off in fine fashion. So hey, make it a Fuzzy Cactus weekend, and on Saturday night, you’ll get to catch both kinds of music — country AND western.

Sunday, December 5, 7 PM
Nickelus F, Radio B, Michael Millions, NameBrand @ The Broadberry – $20 in advance, $25 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Do the talented MCs and producers who make up the crew known as Association of Great Minds even need any sort of introduction anymore? At least here in Richmond, I would hope not. However, I’ve got a couple of paragraphs to fill, so we’re gonna go ahead and talk about the greatness of the four men bringing the latest edition of their “Flag On The Moon” to The Broadberry this Sunday night. Nickelus F is probably the first among equals here, as he’s been making his name with top-level rhymes and excellent beats for something like 15 years now. His last big high-profile release, Stuck, came out on Vinyl Conflict back in 2018, but he’s still making great tunes — and probably hoarding at least some of them away from public eyes, as was true of the two Gold Mine compilations he released in 2019. Here’s the thing — it’s all great. And whatever he does onstage Sunday night, whether it’s a Nick F classic or some shit you’ve never heard before, it’s going to be top-quality and unmissable. So don’t blow it.

Let me not take anything away from Radio B, though. Out of all of these artists, he’s the one who put out a new full-length most recently, with his fall 2020 release All Art Ain’t Pretty — a record with a cinematic approach and philosophical lyrics that are clearly influenced by the Black Lives Matter movement and the protests that took place in Richmond last year. Hearing these songs live will be worth the price of admission to this event on its own, so make sure you’re there. And of course, you’re gonna want to be on time, as Michael Millions and NameBrand, who are actually brothers as well as artists in their own right, will be performing as well. Michael’s last major project, Hard To Be King, is still blowing my mind damn near four years later (calling it now: I’m gonna be jamming “Blacksugar” on a regular basis for the rest of my damn life). As for NameBrand, his 2019 EP Grace is a soulful collection of instrumentals that makes a perfect soundtrack for those afternoons when you’re doing some deep thinking — and whatever he lays down at this show will surely do a great job of bringing you into the mindset AGM are out to create. Tap in.

Monday, December 6, 6:30 PM
Can’t Swim, Fanfare, Frames, Drop The Girl @ The Canal Club – $15 in advance, $18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I know how it goes; after a weekend of live musical awesomeness, it can be difficult to keep the energy up for heading back out on Monday night. But you sleep on Can’t Swim at your own peril; this emotional rock band from New Jersey bring both melody and power to the equation that creates their brand new third LP, Change Of Plans. The result isn’t easily slotted into one genre or another, but you can hear all kinds of awesome things happening on it: chunky hardcore, melodic emo, pensive indie, driving rock, and even a tiny dose of metal cropping up at certain points.

The result is awesome on record, and it’s sure to be equally so in the live environment. So don’t miss out on this set — and don’t miss out on the trio of Richmond-based openers, all of whom have their own brand of catchy tuneage to present. Fanfare get downright pop-punky at times, but there’s some grit under there to keep things from getting too pretty or anything. As far as Frames goes, when you hear the name you might think of the band led by the Scottish guy from the movie Once, but that’s THE Frames. This Richmond band brings a heart-on-sleeve approach full of melody and yearning emotion, as documented very well on their 2019 EP Cursed. What have they got going on in these post-pandemic days? You’ll have to show up to find out. And openers Drop The Girl are a couple of charmingly goofy boys from Gloucester whose big pop-punk EP, Happy Again, was another March 2020 release that got totally outshined by the pandemic. Which is sad, because these guys are not just great fun, but actually great. Show up early and catch em all, Pokemon-style.

Tuesday, December 7, 7 PM
Wingtips, S Y Z Y G Y X, Jaguardini @ Fallout – $10 in advance, $15 at the door (order tickets HERE)
It’s Tuesday night at Fallout, so just like any other night at Fallout, the plan is to get gothed-up, wear tons of black, and dance all night to some wonderfully moody sounds. This time around, those moody tunes will be provided primarily by Wingtips, a band whose name is probably not supposed to make me think of shoes, but, well, there you are. Upon first listen to their new LP, Cutting Room Floor, and you’ll be thinking that a more appropriate name for them would have been “Black 20-hole Docs,” but the deeper you dig, the more you’ll find the heart of a dance-pop band beating within the atmosphere Wingtips creates.

I must say, I feel like Wingtips would have been just as happy opening for the Pet Shop Boys in 1985 as they would have been opening for Sisters Of Mercy in 1990, and if you’re the type of person who’d have been happy to be in the crowd at both of those shows (I am), you’ll definitely dig what Wingtips are doing. And you will dance. Oh yes… you will dance. Washington DC’s S Y Z Y G Y X (no, I don’t know how you pronounce it) has a more definitively dark, cold mood at work in their music, which adds a perfect contrast to the sound of the evening. And Harrisonburg dark-waves Jaguardini will get things kicked off with an infusion of cold synth grandeur. Perfect.

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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]

Top Photo: Colin Phils by Andre Mags Photography

Fiddling Into Richmond: Chance McCoy Brings Bluegrass To Richmond Music Hall Tonight

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Best known for his work with Old Crow Medicine Show, Chance McCoy has plenty to offer on his own, and he’ll show it off in the river city tonight.

Tonight at the Richmond Music Hall, a virtuoso fiddler, guitarist, and banjo player will be diving into the local music scene with a performance featuring his latest album. 

Chance McCoy is best known as a member of GRAMMY-winning Americana powerhouse Old Crow Medicine Show — but Wander Wide, his debut solo album, reveals a remarkable depth and versatility beyond anything we’ve heard from him yet. 

Photo courtesy Chance McCoy

Captivating in its cross between the traditional and the progressive, the record shows little regard for the conventional boundaries of genre and decade. It blends old-school bluegrass melodies with modern rock and roll arrangements, and rich, atmospheric production. McCoy based the album off of a live residency show he put on weekly at The Basement in Nashville, and the studio recordings here tap into the same exuberant energy he brought to the stage every night, with performances that unexpectedly twist and turn, sometimes transitioning from one tune to the next within the same track.

Ahead of his upcoming show at Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House downtown, I reached out to Chance for an interview and came to find out he had actually been staying in Richmond while working on a major motion picture. 

He invited me over to his apartment, so I stopped by and had a nice talk with him and his bandmate, Jackie, about some of his past and recent work, including his upcoming album, Wander Wide. We talked about their time in Richmond and the various projects he’s been working on here, including his newest self-made music video (filmed right here in Richmond down at the Pipeline Rapids — see above). We also talked a bit about his time with Old Crow, his transition from old-time music to the varied sounds of his upcoming album, and where he plans to go moving forward.

Check out the interview with Chance below, and be sure to grab tickets to catch him tonight with Graham Stone Music and Brady Allen Heck of Holy Roller.

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: April 24 – April 30

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, April 27, 2 PM
RVA (All Day) Block Party, feat. No BS! Brass Band (Photo by Lauren Serpa), The Trongone Band, The Congress, Kenneka Cook, Camp Howard, Piranha Rama, Calvin Presents @ The Broadberry – $25 (order tickets HERE)
Y’all had to know this was coming. How could I not talk about the Broadberry’s first big all-day outdoor throwdown of the year? After the long rainy winter we’ve endured, after the chilly late-breaking first half of spring, we’re finally getting some warm weather, and you better believe it’s a cause for celebration! And who better to celebrate great days in RVA with than No BS! Brass Band?

Who indeed. By now, this group of horn-playing troubadours should need no introduction, but on the off chance you moved to Richmond last week and still don’t know the basics, you’re in luck, because this show will act as a perfect introduction! Not only will you get an amazing outdoor live performance overlooking the beautiful intersection of West Broad and Arthur Ashe Boulevard, at this show you’ll also get the first opportunity to purchase No BS! Brass’s brand new double album, A Decade Of Noise, recorded live at their 10th anniversary show — at the Broadberry, natch. From their amazing covers of everyone from A-Ha to Led Zeppelin, to their many unforgettable originals, No BS! Brass Band are sure to bring the jazz, funk, soul, and hip hop your booty craves.

But that’s just the main course — and we all know that sometimes the side dishes are just as good, if not better! At this party, which kicks off about the time you roll out from brunch (2 PM, that is) and rolls on… wait for it… ALL DAY, you’ll get a killer indoor set from rockers The Trongone Band to close out the evening, as well as a diverse selection of excellent music earlier in the afternoon on the outdoor stage, from postpunk indie boys Camp Howard to electro-soul innovator Kenneka Cook and jam masters The Congress, along with quite a bit more. There were earlier tiers of tickets available for as low as $10, but they’re all sold out now. However, if you slept on this excellent bill, take heart — you can still grab a spot for your very own for only $25, a total bargain for such an embarrassment of musical riches as this.

Wednesday, April 24, 6 PM
Sylar, Cane Hill, Varials, Bloodline, Nhibitions @ The Canal Club – $15 in advance/$18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
We’re in a new era of heavy music, and the main way I can recognize that is by seeing how common and accepted nu-metal influences are. When I was growing up two decades ago, all the metal dudes mocked bands like Korn and Coal Chamber; even when you found some good in the genre from heavier bands like Slipknot and System Of A Down, you had to be careful about who you discussed it with. That’s how it was for my generation, but we’re all hitting middle age now, and the young metal kids on the come-up today seem completely unencumbered by this sort of elitism.

This bill is the proof — a double-headlining stomper that brings Queens, NY’s Sylar and New Orleans’ Cane Hill to the stage at the Canal Club tonight. Sylar was formed by a former roadie for Emmure, which should tell you something about their sound — that they’re heavy as fuck, in a sometimes ignorant fashion. But what’s more, they integrate the same sorts of touches from hip hop and Nine Inch Nails that you can find in Korn in their most famous era (i.e. “Freak On A Leash”). Meanwhile, Cane Hill conjures a heavier sort of nu-metal influence, reviving that downtuned Slipknot/Coal Chamber midtempo thud that also helped give birth to deathcore — but in the sort of straightforward manner that’s more likely to make you think of Mushroomhead than Suicide Silence. I don’t know how the kids are gonna mosh it up in the tight pants they wear today — Jncos would probably be a big relief for some of them (I’m calling it now: revival within five years). But rest assured, you’ll be headbanging right along with them at this one. Even if you did tell all your friends back in the day that you hated nu-metal.

Thursday, April 25, 7 PM
Nico Rivers & the Black Grass, Tyler Meacham, Natalie Tyer @ Garden Grove Brewing – Free!
I would never have predicted it, but Garden Grove Brewing has become one of the more reliable standby venues in town for music on the more melodic side of things — and considering how difficult it always is to keep a longtime venue going, that’s welcome news indeed. This is a particularly good example of what they have to offer, as they’ll be presenting two local songwriters and an excellent touring ensemble on a Thursday night, and charging you no money to see it! How awesome is that?

It’s even more awesome once you hear the work of Nico Rivers and realize what a treat you’re in for. This Massachusetts singer-songwriter travels with a revolving collective known as The Black Grass, which can consist of everything from his female singing partner and seemingly constant companion (whose name I can’t find anywhere online, though I don’t know if it’s me or Nico who should be embarrassed by that) to a full band featuring multiple electric guitars and a full drum kit. What will we get tomorrow night? I can’t tell you that, but I can tell you that Rivers’ atmospheric but rockin’ take on indie-Americana is sure to make you smile. Local singer-songwriters Tyler Meacham and Natalie Tyer will provide lovely sounds to get the room warmed up for the arrival of the Black Grass. Don’t miss a moment.

Friday, April 26, 9 PM
The Loneliers, Lounge Lizzard, Atamada @ Wonderland – $10
This’ll be a fun punk rock Friday night in Shockoe Bottom for sure. The Loneliers are coming to town from New York, and their sound constitutes a real breath of fresh air in 2019. They play jangly, upbeat melodic punk with a decidedly twee-pop edge, harking back to some classic mid-90s bands who paired their punk rock spirit with catchy tunes full of more than a spoonful of sugar.

If you dug Tiger Trap, Go Sailor, or Courtney Love (the Lois Maffeo-led band that had nothing to do with the singer for Hole), The Loneliers are sure to make you smile. Plus, they’re known to cover tunes from the Powerpuff Girls show, so you know they know what’s up. They’re paired on this bill with Lounge Lizzard, the new group featuring Toxic Moxie’s Sera Stavroula on lead vocals and members of bands like Cremains, Pissing Contest, and The Donalds backing her up. As I’m sure you’ve guessed, they’re cool as hell. Brand new locals Atamada will kick things off with some Tigers Jaw-ish melodic emo sounds from members of Truman. It’ll be a great way to kick off your weekend, so make the trip down to the Bottom, even if you have to do so on foot — you can worry about the long uphill walk home afterwards.

Saturday, April 27, 7:30 PM
The Jasons, The World’s Greatest Detective, Love Roses, Personal Crisis @ McCormack’s Irish Pub – $13
The love affair between melodic punk rock and classic horror cinema, launched over three decades ago by The Misfits and TSOL, continues apace in the new millennium. The Jasons are standard-bearers of this exact crossover, named as they are for the mysterious zombie murderer clad in a goalie mask, who murdered teenagers everywhere from summer camp to outer space in the classic Friday the 13th series of films — or at least all of the sequels (which stalled at Part 12 a decade ago, what’s up with that?).

The Jasons are on tour promoting the impending release of their latest album, Blood In The Streets, but this show has a more important cause, being a fundraiser for Scares That Care. This charity group, run by horror fiction creators and fans, not only holds a horror convention in Williamsburg every summer but also donates all the funds they raise each year to children experiencing medically-related hardships. In other words, it’s super-cool, and the fact that your door price will go to them is all the more reason to make it out to McCormack’s on Saturday night for this rager. The fact that Brooklyn punkers World’s Greatest Detective, local HC-punk heroes Love Roses, and Fredericksburg’s Personal Crisis are also on the bill only makes this even cooler. So show up already, punk.

Sunday, April 28, 8 PM
Orville Peck, Holy Roller, LIZA And The Heart-Takers @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
This one is gonna be weird — but in the best possible way. Orville Peck is, in the simplest of terms, a country singer, but from the face-hiding fringed mask he wears during his performances to the effect-laden electric guitar he plays, he’s certainly an unusual one. I’ve heard him compared to shoegaze bands, but on his brand new Sub Pop LP, Pony, I hear a lot of other sounds at work — Roy Orbison’s spooky, ambient ballads; the apocalyptic pop of Lana Del Rey; even the occasional touch of Lee Hazlewood or Scott Walker.

So yeah, don’t show up if you’re expecting a singer who’ll effortlessly channel Merle Haggard, but DO show up if you like music that is both intriguing and challenging, music that both calls to mind references from across the rich history of recorded music and doesn’t sound much like anything that’s come before. And of course, you’ll get an opening set from Holy Roller, who’ve changed their name in the recent past but are still cranking out the same killer rock n’ roll sounds, with just a hint of twang. Plus, there’s the lush, downcast pop of LIZA and the Heart-takers to kick it all off, so you’re certainly in good hands with this one.

Monday, April 29, 9 PM
Those Far Out Arrows, Plastic Nancy, Thin Pigeon, So Badly @ The Camel – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Let’s all admit it, because we know it’s true: Mondays usually suck. I know, I know, there are a few of you restaurant workers out there who get Monday off every week, but for the rest of us, it’s soul-crushing. Nothing worse than staring down a week of work with no relief in sight. That’s why it’s always such a relief to find a good show happening on what’s typically considered by the music industry to be an “off” night — it brightens up the dullest day of most people’s weeks.

Those Far Out Arrows are coming to Richmond to brighten up your Monday, and they’ll do it with aplomb, if their latest album, Part Time Lizards, is any indication. If you dig upbeat rock n’ roll with a garage-punk flavor and a Southern-fried twang, these Nebraskans will thrill you with their Natural Child-ish vibes. Plus there are some rad Virginia bands on the bill to further add cheer to your work week — energetic garage noise from Plastic Nancy, postpunk queer-core from Thin Pigeon, and fuzzy indie punk from Fredericksburg’s So Badly. This one’s gonna put a smile on your face — and by the time it starts, you’re gonna need it.

Tuesday, April 30, 7 PM
Weedeater, ASG, Druglord, The Astral Void @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $17 in advance/$20 at the door (order tickets HERE)
I put forth the proposition (that you can petition the Lord with prayer… wait, no, what was I saying? Oh right) in a recent show column that where shows that used to go to Strange Matter are concerned, Wonderland has picked up the heavier end of the spectrum, while Capital Ale House’s downtown music hall has grabbed the lighter, more indie-fied side of things. And now here comes this Weedeater gig at Capital Ale House to shoot my theory all to shit. Look, I’m just glad this show still has a home in town, so I’m certainly not complaining.

And you won’t be complaining either, because the (ahem) Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House is a great space in which to see a show, and North Carolina’s own Weedeater is a great band to see — there or anywhere. They deal in a particularly fun brand of sludgy stoner metal, with the emphasis on “stoned” — copping some of that sticky green before this show is recommended if you, you know, engage in that sort of thing. Weedeater’s been quiet on the studio front for a while, having last released an album four years ago, but losing one drummer to health problems and another to a sudden passing, they’ve rejuvenated themselves with frontman Dixie Dave’s former Buzzoven bandmate, Ramzi Ateyeh, holding down the kit. So all is well and rest assured, you’re gonna get your head rocked at this one. Fellow North Carolinians ASG join this stoner carnival with some Camaro-rattling riffs of their own, and local openers Druglord and The Astral Void will do more than enough to get you warmed up and in the properly stoney frame of mind. I’m not talking about the mayor, either.

Elsewhere around the state:

Friday, April 26, 7 PM
The Happy Fits, Early Eyes, Kid Brother @ Charlie’s American Cafe (Norfolk) – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I am not a Spotify user. I don’t know if that’s something I should be ashamed or proud to admit, but regardless, it’s just the truth. The Happy Fits are a band who owe their success to Spotify — a song from their first EP was featured on a “Fresh Finds” playlist back in 2016 — and therefore it’s entirely possible you’re already familiar with this youthful New York trio. For me, they were a totally new discovery as of earlier this week, when their name jumped out at me from a long list of shows I was considering for potential inclusion in this column. “Wow, what’s the deal with these guys?” I thought. “Are they the opposite of the Misfits, or something like that?”

Well, no, not really. Their driving sound is more akin to the early Black Keys (you know, back when they were still an excellent garage band rather than the mediocre hitmakers your aunt loves now), only with more of an acoustic, raw, in-the-room feel. 2018 debut full-length Concentrate is a rollicking blast of pure rock n’ roll fun, with some outstanding melodic chops thrown in to make everything brighter, catchier, and overall better. In the studio, this band has the virtue of capturing what sure sounds like the sound they’d make playing right there in the room with you, so having heard their recordings, I feel extremely confident in advising you to go see The Happy Fits when they come to Charlie’s American Cafe this Friday night. You’re sure to wear a smile throughout the night — even on the long drive home.

Saturday, April 27, 8 PM
Guerilla Toss, Toxic Moxie, The Dawn Drapes @ The Southern Cafe (Charlottesville) – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Guerilla Toss (shut up, spellcheck, that’s how they spell it) have been around for nearly a decade now, and they’ve remained fascinating and fun the entire time. Early days saw them getting pretty wacky and noisy, but still managing to pound out an invigorating groove at all times. As they metamorphosed over the years into the fully formed band they are today, the funk, dance, and electro elements rose to the surface, slowly overtaking the noise and allowing the group to become the effortless dance machine they are on last year’s Twisted Crystal LP.

These days, Kassie Carlson screams quite a bit less, and the guitars are way less atonal — Guerilla Toss have kinda evolved into a sort of electro-funk version of punk rock, in a manner that will appeal both to fans of early 80s NYC groups like Liquid Liquid and tapped-in young Virginians who are rightfully hyped on … Richmond’s own Toxic Moxie, who coincidentally just happen to be traveling up I-64 from RVA to open up this killer bill. The results are sure to be uproarious, and keep your feet moving and your body shaking throughout the night. I know, there’s a whole lot going on Saturday night — I already told you about a couple of things, in fact. So it’s really up to you whether Charlottesville is the place you most want to be. But let me tell ya, if you are already up that way, or happen to land there Saturday night, you’re guaranteed a good time with Guerilla Toss and Toxic Moxie at The Southern. So hey, tell ’em we sent ya.

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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]

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Holy Roller Rocks and Rolls Richmond With New Album

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A new name to us, a new band to them. Holy Roller’s combination of soul, rock, country, and Americana sounds will leave you feeling a mix of emotions as you tune into their new self-titled album — a debut, of sorts.

“This group is fundamentally different than what Big Mama Shakes was,” said Ole Greasy (aka Brass Mack, aka Bryce Doyle), the band’s keyboardist. Although three of the five members date back to the group’s previous name, Holy Roller is, dynamically and musically, a totally different band in the eyes of the members — hence the name change.

On Saturday, February 16th, Holy Roller hit the scene at The Camel, accompanied by guests Super Doppler and Woody Woodworth & The Piners. The show was to celebrate the release of the brand new self-titled Holy Roller album, and the vibe was definitely celebratory. The venue was packed out with both old and new fans, who sang along and cheered the members on through every song, whether it dealt with heartache, loss, love, or home.

Holy Roller originally planned their debut under the current name as a conceptual piece, but during the creation process, it morphed into a storytelling folk/R&B album. The band’s vocalist and guitarist, Brady Heck, described the theme as coming of age, comparing the album to films like The Goonies and Stand by Me. “It has repeating themes, like growing up and homesickness,” said Heck. Sure enough, listening to Holy Roller’s music almost feels like you’re hearing a soundtrack to your favorite childhood movies, with a little more of a modern twist.

One month after the date of the release show finds the band performing locally once again, opening up for YARN at The Broadberry on March 16th. Then in June, they’ll be traveling to West Virginia for the Mountain Music Fest that occurs at the ACE Adventure Resort every summer.

One thing you can be sure of: this quintet’s going to keep on rolling. Catch them if you can.

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Southern Nights: Weekend Playlist by Holy Roller

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Every single Friday evening, RVA Mag brings you a splendiferously outstanding playlist curated by influential artists, musicians, and institutions.

This week we’re turning the spotlight on Richmond’s own Holy Roller, who’ll be celebrating the release of their self-titled debut album this Saturday night at The Camel. Having previously made somewhat of a name for themselves around town as Big Mama Shakes, they’ve returned with a new name and a slightly redone lineup, but still the same great soulful alt-rock Americana sound.

Their playlist is a treat for the exact same sort of music fan who’s going to love Holy Roller themselves, bringing us some excellent sounds drawing from American traditions like blues, folk, and good ol’ rock n’ roll, while still keeping one foot planted firmly in the 21st century. Groove to this one all day tomorrow, then head to the Camel to celebrate their brand new album — more info on that show here.

Keep it light, Virginia.