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VA Shows You Must See This Week: October 23 – October 29

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FEATURED SHOW
Friday, October 25, 8 PM
Majjin Boo, Gold Connections, Castle OG, Antiphons, HotSpit @ The Camel – $5
Mathy, melodic indie rock is a sound that’s in vogue right now, and if you’re anything like me, you might find yourself mostly thinking “Yeah, this stuff is cool,” then going months without giving it another thought. However, Richmond’s own Majjin Boo blows all that faint-praise damnation into a million pieces.

I’ve liked Majjin Boo since their earliest demos, circa 2016 when they were just a quartet, but my esteem rose to a whole new level with the two-song single, “Tension Rod/One Wing,” that they released earlier this year after growing to a six-piece. Out of every new release I’ve heard this year, I’ve probably played those two songs most often. Not just out of Richmond bands, either — I love the new Jamila Woods, Bob Mould, and Mannequin Pussy records, but Majjin Boo has them all beat.

That’s why I am stoked as fuck about the fact that their debut full-length, Go Between, comes out next week on Egghunt Records. And that’s why I’m imploring you to go to The Camel this Friday night and catch their record release show. Complex yet glittering guitar melodies are only the beginning with this band — the dual-vocal harmonies, the dynamic and energetic drumming, and the whole band’s incredible ability to perfectly layer their instruments so six different people combine into one beautiful, seamless whole… well, suffice it to say, this is why Majjin Boo aren’t just another mathy indie band. The bandwagon’s pulling up Friday night at The Camel — jump on it now while the getting’s good.

Wednesday, October 23, 9 PM
Carnivora, Future Projektor, Cut The Architect’s Hand @ Wonderland – $7
Straight out of Salem, Massachusetts, some brutal, witchy metal is coming at you tonight in Shockoe Bottom. Carnivora is a band that’s been around for most of a decade. However, the recently released “Bogdweller” single is their first new material in over four years, and it finds the band heading into some new musical territory, thanks in part to the addition of Haydee Irizarry on vocals. Irizarry is capable of unleashing some gorgeous clean vocals, but for most of this song, she growls with terrifying low-end aggression over riffing that’s heavier than anything Carnivora have done before.

Remarkably, that makes this new single both heavier and more melodic than anything this Massachusetts band has done before. And it’s just one song! Imagine how much more awesomeness they have in store for us. Well, if you make it out to Wonderland tonight, you won’t have to. And you’ll get a bonus in the bargain; Future Projektor is a brand new power trio who bring back the early 90s days when heavy, complex instrumental bands (Breadwinner, Alter Natives, etc) ruled the roost around here. They feature members of Kepone, Gritter, and Honor Role as well, so the lineage is definitely there. Local heavy mainstays Cut The Architect’s Hand will kick this evening off with a solid dose of pounding midtempo grooves. Be there.

Thursday, October 24, 8 PM
Cyber Twin, Trash Boy, Deer Eat Birds @ Bingo Beer Co – Free!
There are a bunch of bands running around Virginia these days with “Twin” in their names, so I can understand why Cyber Twin might confuse you. But to clear things up, this is not Silver Twin, Twin Drugs, Glass Twin, or Two Cars (OK, that last one doesn’t really count) — it’s Cyber Twin, a Harrisonburg-based trio with a delightful resemblance to early Green Day showing through on debut EP Wire. Before they wrote the graduation song or the rock opera, Green Day were just a snotty power-pop band with messy hair, and Cyber Twin are pretty much the same thing, a quarter-century later. What’s not to love about that?

This show also features Philadelphia quartet Trash Boy, who have a ton of fun and make some really great catchy punk noise on their new LP, Who Will Take The Trash Out When We’re Gone? Their anthems for the alienated working class — “Job Interview,” “Piss On Their Graves,” and “Perfect Teeth” notable among them — are great things to hear and sing along with on a Thursday night when you’re just struggling to get through the week. The fact that this show is free will help you make it until payday without dying of boredom, and Deer Eat Birds will get things started with some great rock sounds to ensure that the second you walk in, you’ll have a smile on your face.

Friday, October 25, 8 PM
Camp Howard, Night Idea, Alfred @ Gallery 5 – $10 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Damn — almost any other week, a Camp Howard record release show would have scored the feature slot. The fact that Majjin Boo put out my favorite record of the year thus far got them the nod, but it’s by a narrower margin than you might think. Camp Howard’s phenomenally structured indie-pop gems have stood head and shoulders above the average here in Richmond for years now, and their new LP, Cañón, is a stunning collection of their best material — now available on local powerhouse Citrus City Records, natch.

So what I’m saying is, you might end up choosing to hit up this Camp Howard record release show at Gallery 5 rather than the Majjin Boo record release show at the Camel, and if you were to do so, I wouldn’t have a single problem with that decision. These boys are moving in a downright Beatlesque direction on some of the new LP’s material, and that’s sure to light Gallery 5 with brilliant rays of sunshine pop this Friday night. With math-rock veterans Night Idea and unorthodox hip hop genius Alfred also on the bill, this show is sure to be a delight. If you’re not at the Majjin Boo show, you damn well better be at this one.

Saturday, October 26, 8 PM
Emily Easterly, Prabir Trio, Kevin Ganley @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $8 (order tickets HERE)
You might know Emily Easterly as a local musician, if you’ve been around Richmond long enough. Back in 2001, when she was still a high school student, she released her first LP, Assembling Emily, by herself here in Richmond. Education took her to Miami later that year, and she’s been living in Brooklyn for the past decade or so, but whether you classify her as a local musician or not, she’s continued to make memorable sounds that whole time, and her first Richmond show in quite a while is certainly worth checking out, even if you’re young enough not to remember the days when she was making records here (and I know some of you are, which makes me feel a million years old).

Easterly’s most recent release is a 2018 single, “Yellow Leaves,” but she’s right on the cusp of releasing her fifth LP — and first full-length release in a decade — The Blems. In fact, it should be out the day before this show happens, so keep an eye out for copies at the merch table. But first, make sure you focus your full attention on the stage when Easterly is playing, because her riveting, dramatic take on alternative rock is positively gripping, with a dark, foreboding instrumental undercurrent that adds depth to her memorable vocal melodies. Easterly will be joined on this bill by Prabir Trio, featuring the talents of another early-00s Richmond singer-songwriter who’s remained local; and Kevin Ganley, a younger performer most familiar to local audiences as a member of HotSpit. This is going to be a wonderful-sounding night throughout. Be a part of it.

Sunday, October 27, 6 PM
Knocked Loose, Stick To Your Guns, Rotting Out, Candy, SeeYouSpaceCowboy @ The Canal Club – $22.50 (order tickets HERE)
It’s a heavy night of hardcore at The Canal Club, and it’s getting kicked off early so all the energetic teens who love to stagedive and mosh it up can do their thing in the pit. If you’re solidly middle-aged like me, you might want to stand back from this one a bit, since Kentucky’s Knocked Loose bring some serious pit-heaving rage on their latest LP, A Different Shade Of Blue. The vocals have enough of a raw edge to keep this band from descending into outright tough-guy monotony, instead introducing notes of apocalyptic anxiety into their incredibly brutal metallic hardcore pound.

So yeah, basically, you’re moshing. Or maybe headbanging towards the back of the room, depending on how well your hips are holding up these days. And Knocked Loose are bringing quite a few heavy hitters along on this jam-packed bill, so you can expect to be rocking out throughout the night. Veteran hardcore acts Stick To Your Guns and Rotting Out are also performing at The Canal Club this night. Local chaotic hardcore juggernaut Candy are on the bill too, and you can expect them to blow your mind with their noisy, aggressive attack. Plus, fresh off their first LP of all-new material, The Correlation Between Entrance and Exit Wounds, SeeYouSpaceCowboy rounds out this bill with a set of heavy-as-fuck chaotic sasscore that’s sure to get you revved up from moment one. This show’s gonna be mega.

Monday, October 28, 7 PM
Blacker Face, Spowder, Brain Drain, Tavishi @ Poor Boys – $5
Poor Boys, the venue formerly known as Flora, Balliceaux, and — if your memory stretches that far back — the original Bogart’s, has (re)opened their back room, and great sounds have returned to it once again. Let’s all rejoice with this challenging Monday night bill, topped off by Blacker Face. This multi-racial quintet has taken some heat for choosing such a name while also having white members, but co-founder and vocalist Jolene Whatevr has made it clear that she intentionally chose to combine the name and the racial makeup of the lineup, specifically to challenge the biases of their audience — especially the white members of that audience.

If you’re ready for that challenge, you better be ready for a musical challenge as well, because once you get used to how Blacker Face’s members look, you’ll be confronted with their fascinating musical mixture of jazz, postpunk, soul, and experimental music. On their latest LP, Distinctive Juju, the band throws clashing moods into the same songs, alternating between dissonant heaviness and soulful beauty and sometimes even layering them overtop one another. It’s not predictable or easily categorizeable, but Blacker Face definitely is an invigorating listen that is sure to be twice as eye-opening in the live environment. This is one performance you owe it to yourself to catch — even if it does take a few minutes for you to wrap your head around what Blacker Face is doing, the result is sure to be rewarding, and to provoke thought. And, speaking as a white person, I will say that we in particular always need more provocation to use our brains.

Tuesday, October 29, 7 PM
Wine Lips, She, Captain Scrunchie @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
I’m inclined to have warm feelings toward Toronto’s Wine Lips, and not because I drink wine, or any other alcohol — you know by now that I don’t. It’s because “Wine Lips” is the name of a song by my favorite outlaw country singer, Lydia Loveless. However, this Canadian trio didn’t go along at all with my expectations before hearing them. Rather than even a touch of country, they bash out some energetic, catchy garage punk with a strong helping of rock n’ roll majesty mixed in. If you dig the more recent work of Ty Segall or Thee Oh Sees, Wine Lips are sure to connect with you.

They’re joined on this Tuesday night Camel bill by She, a group led by Liza Grishaeva and, indeed, formerly known as LIZA. It seems Grishaeva is pivoting towards a band identity rather than a solo project, but that doesn’t diminish the massive atmospheres and mournful ambience of the songs She has released thus far. Perhaps there’ll be a thicker sound backing them this time around? We’ll only know for sure once Tuesday night rolls around. This event will be rounded out by a performance from Captain Scrunchie, whose girls-in-the-garage aesthetic results in some very pleasing tuneage on their recently-released demo. Get ready to rock at this one.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Saturday, October 26, 5 PM
LAVA Halloween Extravaganza, feat. Black Sabbath, The Strokes, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty And the Heartbreakers, System of a Down, Pavement @ Toast (Norfolk) – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
OK, so it’s almost Halloween, and you can’t be but so surprised to see shows like this popping up. Musicians love to learn sets of material by bands they love and play shows “in costume” as those other bands on Halloween, and if you’re a music fan, chances are you get a big kick out of it too. Therefore, this LAVA Extravaganza should bring you some delight, as a variety of Hampton Roads-area musicians come together to present the music of their faves on a fun Saturday evening at Toast.

A couple of these sets bring us a single band interpreting their favorites, and these are always pretty intriguing. For example, a Black Sabbath set by progressive soul band Paper Aliens and a System Of A Down set by indie-rockers Berries both inspire questions along the lines of “What’s THAT gonna be like?” Meanwhile, members of Tidewater-area notables like You’re Jovian, Mas Y Mas, LADADA, Mae, The Last Bison, Pet Name, Cupid McCoy, and more will join together to bring us sets of material by The Strokes, Pavement, Tom Petty, and Fleetwood Mac. All of this should be quite enjoyable, and to top all that off, there’s a costume contest too! What’s not to love about this one? So come on, all you Halloween heads! Get in the car this Saturday afternoon and get there.

Sunday, October 27, 6 PM
Taking Meds, Infant Island, Smallhands, Dozing @ The Recreation Center (Fredericksburg) – $5
Taking Meds is the sort of band name that lets you know where you stand right away. Nobody who’s in a super great place in life names their band Taking Meds. And sure enough, their most recent LP, I Hate Me, New York’s Taking Meds give us a collection of melancholy melodies with a powerful underlying crunch that’s sure to evoke memories of Dear You-era Jawbreaker or the last couple of Wonder Years LPs. It’s music for people who are getting older and still not quite finding the place in life where they fit. If you’ve ever felt that way, even for a moment, you’re sure to connect with what Taking Meds is bringing to Fredericksburg this Sunday evening.

They’ll be joined by a few Fredericksburg locals who do a lot to make clear that there is a real honest-to-god scene in that small city halfway between Richmond and DC. Infant Island’s energetic screamo has been buoyed considerably over the past couple years by the band members’ go-getter nature, and their contribution to a recent 4-way split EP shows that they’re only getting better as they go. Expect some serious emotional-musical fireworks from this performance. Fellow Fredericksburghers Smallhands have a hazy yet metallic approach that might make you reach for the term “blackgaze,” but gimmicky terms like that never really convey the full impact of bands like this one, so expect something quite a bit more expansive than that subgenre tag might evoke. The show will be rounded out by the first performance from Richmond melodic hardcore crew Dozing. Overall, this one should be well worth the single hour’s drive north. Make it happen.

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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

The Secrets Of Infant Island’s Touring Success

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Fresh off a week-long tour of Canada and the northeastern US, Infant Island bring us some tips to help you and your band successfully pull off a DIY tour.

Touring in a band is never easy — especially when you’re doing the whole thing yourself, from planning and booking the shows to playing them. And yet, something about being stuck in a hot, crowded van and playing music with the same people for extended periods of time is totally intoxicating, so much so that it drives many of us to do it over and over again.

Last month, my band, Infant Island, embarked on a week-long trek up to Canada and back. It was our second trip to the great frozen north. Here are some nuggets of wisdom that hopefully will help you, should you choose to do something similar — one from each day of tour.

Infant Island in Montreal, QC (Photo by Yannick Tango)

Day 1, Pittsburgh, PA: Supporting local business is good practice at home, but on tour, Guitar Center is your friend.

I’m not being paid to write this, but God is the ‘ol Guitar Center a boon. As soon as the show was over in Pittsburgh, we realized that something horrible had transpired — the dangers of letting other bands borrow our kit had been realized; the head on bass drum we had brought with us had been smashed.

The next morning, we woke up and tried to find a store that sold drum heads while sitting at breakfast, calling every music store in our vicinity. All of them were either closed or had previously sold drums but decided to move on. So, after a fruitless search for non-corporate gear stores, we ended up making the first of this tour’s multiple treks to Guitar Center. Each time we had to replace something different, and they faithfully had all of it in stock. Kick drum head, snare head, china cymbal, cymbal stands — they might as well call it “Drum Center.”

Photo by Yannick Tango

Day 2, Elyria, OH: Bring your own sleeping situation (or get good at sleeping in uncomfortable places).

Day two of tour we hit northern Ohio to play a festival. Afterwards, we headed back to the promoter’s house, along with three other bands. This is where we’d all crash — all fifteen of us. Now, I’m thankful for any hospitality we get on tour, so by no means is this anyone’s fault but my own, but it takes some skill to score a spot on a couch when there are more than a dozen other people vying for the same spot.

I’m the perpetual light packer; I brought neither a pillow nor a sleeping bag with me on tour. So when I got stuck on the unfinished hardwood floor, I wasn’t thrilled. This brings us to the lesson at hand: if you want to be comfortable, you have to bring your own bedding.

Alternatively, you can get good at sleeping on floors – our vocalist, Daniel, has what I can only imagine is Stockholm syndrome about sleeping on wood floors. He’s developed a taste for them, and claims the floor wherever we stay. He swears it feels better than any alternative. I must admit, I’m skeptical.

Photo by Yannick Tango

Day 3, Chicago, IL: Cherish your showers, and be prepared to take alternative measures to achieve cleanliness.

Some may find this fact disturbing, even grotesque, while others will recognize it as par for the course: On tour, showers are few and far between. This particular run was a shining example of that, as Chicago was the only place over the whole week we were away where we were afforded the opportunity to shower. Keep in mind that this tour took place in late July, the dead of summer, and that temperatures outside reached over 90 degrees almost every day.

On top of this, most DIY venues have only somewhat functional air conditioning. What I’m getting at is that the amount of sweat and grime which built up across each day was unprecedented. If cleanliness is next to godliness, then it was in Chicago that I was saved. I must’ve shed a pound or two of dirt in that claw-foot tub… only to gain it all back over the next four days.

Some methods to mitigate the effects of insufficient showering on tour include: multiple layers of deodorant (both stick and spray), dry shampoo, and air fresheners. Consider investing in one, if not all, of these items before embarking.

Photo by Raf Santos

Day 4, Lansing, MI: Eat well, and respect your bowels.

More horror stories from biology: in Lansing, located in ICP’s home state of Michigan, we were challenged by a local Juggalo to shotgun Faygo. Naturally, we obliged — if only for the novelty. This was a mistake. No more than two hours after each of us consumed two or more cans of the clown-liquid did we start to feel its effects: its slow, carbonated poison seeping through our guts. “Tour Tummy” was upon us, as it would be for the remainder of our trip, featuring symptoms straight out of Oregon Trail. Eat and drink nutritionally fulfilling foods on tour, lest ye suffer the same fate.

Photo by Yannick Tango

Day 5, Toronto, ON: Consider bringing smaller gear.

While stacks of guitar cabinets and stands upon stands of giant cymbals certainly create an aesthetically powerful image, if you’re not prepared to carry all of that gear up and down multiple flights of stairs each night, bring something a little smaller. More often than not, house shows take place in basements down a precarious flight of stairs, while bar venues are often at the top of one! Pick your poison, but both will have adverse effects on your physical wellbeing later on in life.

Treat your body with some respect, and remember that it’s the only piece of gear that you can’t replace. The other option is to go to the gym more often, but who am I kidding with that one? You don’t have money for a gym membership — like me, you spent all your money on music gear. And rest assured, your vocalist who does go to the gym ain’t carrying shit!

Photo by Raf Santos

Day 6, Montréal, QC: Know your limits.

This night was a prime example of an absolute mess which could have been avoided entirely. First, when we arrived in Montréal, a member of our touring party decided it was a good idea to buy a fourth of legal weed from a dispensary, less than 18 hours before we would be returning to the United States. This person was determined to consume the entire amount before we crossed back over the border, and successfully did so. However, it was at the expense of their coherence for a good 16 hours. This is a good example of ignoring a physical limit.

Following a great show, we loaded out our gear and were then invited to karaoke at a venue a brisk walk from where we were staying. We, the deliriously tired touring band, went for it without much hesitation, despite how drained we all were. This was blatantly ignoring a social limit.

After six days of tour, it’s a good idea to get a little space from other people. A crowded French-Canadian karaoke bar located a 30-minute walk from your van is not the best idea at 1 AM — especially when you have to be up at 7 AM.

Photo by Raf Santos

Day 7, Philadelphia, PA: Don’t switch between night and day driving.

Driving ten hours to play a show, then driving six more after the show is a bad idea, no matter how much you want to get home. Pick one time of day to drive, and stick to it. Falling asleep at the wheel is a real concern, and it happens to the best of us. So, if not for yourself, drive safely for the sake of your gear — who knows if you’ll ever find your boutique one-off bass for that price again.

Take care of yourself and your gear on tour. Remember that your space is not your own when you’re on the road — you share it with the people who come to see your band every night, the promoters who put you up, and (most importantly) your bandmates, who you spend every waking moment with. Respecting yourself is respecting everyone else; never forget it.

Top Photo: Infant Island in Toronto, by Raf Santos

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Sickle Moon Blues: Weekend Playlist By Infant Island

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

This time around, we’ve got one from Infant Island, the Fredericksburg-based screamo band who is working hard to carry the torch for Virginia screamo far beyond the Commonwealth. In fact, they just released a 4-way split EP with three bands from various points across North America — New Jersey’s Massa Nera, Illinois’s Frail Body, and Montreal’s dianacrawls. You can grab that EP in vinyl, cassette, or digital form at Infant Island’s Bandcamp.

The band will be headed out on tour in July, and will next play Richmond in August. But until they return to our fair city, they’ve brought us a jam-packed playlist that mixes the past, present, and future of screamo and metallic hardcore into a wide variety of sounds from outside their genre — ranging from quiet folk ballads to soaring post-rock anthems. It’s quite the journey, and is sure to spice up your weekend.

Let it rip, Virginia.

Open this playlist from mobile in your Spotify app HERE.

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Hidden Sound Collective’s Devotion To Hip Hop Culture Keeps Its Members Going

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It’s no secret that Richmond has a prolific crop of hip-hop artists working to build on and expand elements of the genre – from scene stalwart McKinley Dixon’s full band jazz-rap, to Alfred’s sample-heavy, forthcoming Topshelf Records debut. The hard work and influence of these local heavyweights hasn’t just raken Richmond by storm, but seemingly the whole state – one need only travel an hour north on I-95 to Fredericksburg to see how this cultural movement is spreading.

Hidden Sound Collective is a new hip-hop collective based in Fredericksburg, named after the ninja villages of Naruto, which recently started hosting shows as well as releasing music under their own imprint.

“We found ourselves all hanging out all the time, making music together. Ya know?” said Kyle Guerra, beatmaker and core member of the collective. “We were all talking about how Kwamé [Pope], and his brother OC, have been a part of multiple groups and nothing ever really worked out. And nobody was actually productive… It all kinda started with me bein’ like, ‘Y’all don’t do anything, let’s do something. We can start like this.’”

“The whole thing was to really make a group that was truly for the culture of hip hop,” said rapper and Hidden Sound collaborator Dominique “Kwamé” Pope (who goes by Kwallah, the God when performing). “Just based around more local artists and local talent having a light to break and shine through [with].”

The collective recently put out its first official release, Kwallah, the God’s debut album $TRE$$ – a combination of classic hip-hop instrumentation with dark samples and contemporary sensibilities and flows. “The process for recording it was blood, sweat, tears and a lot of pain,” said Pope of the recording and production process. “It’s about going through a lot of transitional states and changes in my life. The only way I’ve really been able to think about things is through music. That’s how $TRE$$ was created, — just the personal problems of a young kid trying to figure stuff out.”

Pope’s been putting this one together for quite a while. “Believe it or not, the project is almost two years old,” he said. “I started working on [it] in almost 2017, and it’s just now coming out. So it took me a while to get through – but I had two years worth of stress.” The tape is almost entirely self-produced by Pope, adding to the level of self-sufficiency shown by the collective.

“It’s been very broken,” said Pope of the hip-hop scene in Fredericksburg. “There’s like 90 groups out here secretly, and out of the 90, maybe seven of them are actually doing something. It’s been a very fragile, broken piece of glass, and I guess Hidden Sound Collective is trying to it put back together.”

To Pope and Guerra, the problem is that people see making music as a competition to reach the best possible position. “Everybody wants to be on top,” said Pope. “Everyone thinks that there’s only one seat at the top, when in reality, ‘the top’ is an endless metaphor. It’s not straight up, it’s on a flat plane.”

Guerra concurred, mentioning that the collective’s members “would keep talking about how the other people trying to do hip-hop just weren’t doing it right, and how it was all just their internet presence. Everything looked really fake, and just for money.”

For Hidden Sound Collective, it is definitely not about money. “We make music because we have to, because it helps us through things,” Guerra said. “We’re not trying to get paid off of it.”

For Guerra, coming from a background in the DIY hardcore/punk scene — he plays bass in Fredericksburg screamo band Infant Island — the weirdest part of the hip hop scene was the lack of community support and encouragement between its members. “Nobody’s actually helping each other out,” Guerra reflected. “There’s no community.”

Guerra sees the lack of community reflected in the way a lot of Fredericksburg hip hop shows are organized. “These shows aren’t even fun to go to. They have the façade of being poppin’ shows, but they have like 12 performers a show, and every performer has to pay to play. They [each] get on stage, play like two songs, and then it’s the next person.”

Pope doesn’t even think anyone involved with the scene is happy with the situation — it’s just all they know. “Everyone’s hating, everyone’s upset. You get a show and don’t put someone on the ticket, and it’s a problem,” he said. “That’s what we try and avoid, by just doing it with the people that we want to do it with, because they’re friends and family – and they have the vision of doing it more for the culture, rather than for the clout or money or any of that.”

Hidden Sounds Collective hope their work can present the Fredericksburg hip hop scene with a viable alternative. “I’m trying to actually help people put their shit out, show the community what they’re doing, and help that flourish, instead of making money off those people,” said Guerra. “That’s just detrimental to the artists, if you ask them to pay money to be able to [play a show]. Then you’re just leeching off of your community – we’re trying to do the exact opposite of that.”

Hidden Sound Collective has multiple releases planned for 2019, as well as a variety of other projects and shows. “We’ve got about four different projects that will be done before the end of the year,” said Pope.

Guerra proceeded to rattle off a list of upcoming planned releases — a new mixtape featuring Pope’s rapping and Guerra’s production, a mixtape by collaborator Phwaygo Dharma, a beat tape of his own that he plans to surprise everyone with, and a whole bunch of shows, including a winter tour. It’s clear that these guys are staying productive. But for them, it’s just business as usual.

“We’re just going to keep trying to book shows and bring outside people to Fredericksburg,” Guerra said. “Those are the plans for this year — just trying to learn how to run a label better.”

You can find Hidden Sound Collective on Facebook, Instagram, and Bandcamp. Top Photo: Kyle Guerra in producer mode.

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: April 10 – April 16

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FEATURED SHOW
Friday, April 12, 9 PM
Horsewhip, Infant Island, Eliza Battle @ Wonderland – $5
The loss of Strange Matter at the end of 2018 was, as everyone reading this knows firsthand, a devastating blow to the Richmond music scene. We were really feeling its departure in January of this year, when it became a real struggle some nights to find a place where good bands were playing. Thankfully, though, the Richmond scene has shown its longtime resilience in the face of setbacks; these days, we’re starting to see a new normal establish itself. Indie bands that would previously have played Strange Matter have a number of potential alternative destinations — The Camel and Capital Ale House’s Richmond Music Hall among them. As for the heavy bands, they’ve got Wonderland.

Wonderland’s always been a good spot to see a punk or metal show on a Saturday night, but it seems of late that their stage is seeing a good bit more use, and by more high-profile bands, than ever before. That’s certainly a positive development, especially when it gives bands like Horsewhip an opportunity to play in town. These Florida-based hardcore veterans released an absolutely pulverizing self-titled mini-LP last year, and they’re set to bring the noise to Shockoe Bottom this Friday night.

The group’s lineup is packed full of multi-decade DIY hardcore vets, featuring members of Early Grace, Reversal Of Man, Order of Importance, and the Sutek Conspiracy — and if you weren’t around in 1999 to hear the sounds they were cranking out at the time, rest assured they’ve lost not an ounce of power as they’ve aged. Their self-titled debut brings all the hectic chaos of prime 90s chaotic hardcore bands like, well, the ones they used to be in, as well as packing a heavy-as-fuck wallop that draws strength from bands like His Hero Is Gone and From Ashes Rise. Joined by a couple of Virginia bands representing the new generation of a similarly heavy, chaotic, and noisy hardcore sound — Infant Island and Eliza Battle, to be specific — Horsewhip is set to terrorize Shockoe Bottom this Friday night with some essential high-volume rage. Bring your earplugs.

Wednesday, April 10, 7 PM
Life In Vacuum, Ostraca, Manzara @ The Camel – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
One night of chaos deserves another, so let’s move forward in the show column as we move backwards in time from Friday night to tonight, when Canadian trio Life In Vacuum rolls into town and sets up shop at The Camel. This group might not have Horsewhip’s sheer heaviness to draw on, but their chaotic energy more than makes up for it; last year’s All You Can Quit finds the group drawing on frenetic influences from multiple decades. I hear everything from Angel Hair to Single Mothers in this band’s sound, and all of it sounds great when they do it.

So yeah, get ready for some manic chaos with a quirky, mathematical feel when Life In Vacuum take the stage, and stay stoked for the local openers. Though, having said that, I should admit that at least in my heart, Ostraca are headliners in their own right. And considering the sheer power of their dark, heavy take on chaotic hardcore, as displayed most recently on their third LP, 2018’s Enemy, they should be headliners in your heart too. They will pair well with Life In Vacuum’s less heavy but just as chaotic approach, and the opening set by local psychedelic postpunk gloom merchants Manzara will get things started off on the perfect note. This one’s gonna rule.

Thursday, April 11, 7:30 PM
The Bones Of JR Jones, Angelica Garcia, Erin Lunsford @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $10 (order tickets HERE)
This one’s gonna be fun, because The Bones Of JR Jones is an honest-to-god one-man band, and I always enjoy those. JR Linaberry sits behind a highly abbreviated drum kit he plays with foot pedals, singing and playing rootsy countrified rock n’ roll on a hollow-body guitar. The results sometimes appeal in a similar way to gutbucket roots-rockers like Hasil Adkins and Scott H. Biram, but there’s an undeniable tinge of heartfelt emotion and sincerity that comes through in the group’s more melodic moments.

The overall feel is somewhere between high-lonesome country and noisy garage rock, and that’s definitely a good place to be. 2018’s Ones To Keep Close LP showed Linaberry’s talented songwriting capability, but you won’t get the full feel of what The Bones Of JR Jones are about unless you go see them live, in all their foot-stomping one-man glory. Local songwriting excellence will come to us in the form of talented openers Angelica Garcia and Erin Lunsford. This one will be glorious.

Friday, April 12, 9 PM
Suppression, Hewolf, Destruct @ Bandito’s – Free!
It’s always great to see local veterans at the top of their game show off their prowess in an intimate venue, and we’ll get multiple chances to see that exact thing go down at Bandito’s this Friday night. Suppression’s coming close to three decades of existence, and their sound has mutated multiple times over the course of that lengthy history; their recent revival as a hyperspeed powerhouse of lo-fi grind, as captured on last year’s Placebo Reality LP, has been a real blast to watch and enjoy. When they start tearing it up at Bandito’s this Friday night, there’s no telling what chaos will result from the wave of sonic destruction they unleash. The prospect is thrilling.

But what’s really fun about this night is that it offers us a bonus chance to see what some multi-decade scene stalwarts are up to these days. In this case I am talking about Hewolf, a new trio with a grunge kick and some killer riffage to dispense. Out-of-towners might not completely know what’s up, but longtime local showgoers will know exactly what I mean when I say this band brings together members of Alabama Thunderpussy, Darkest Hour, and the almighty Crackhead to dish out some Slianglaos-style heavyosity. It’s gonna be fun as hell, in a Headbangers Ball-flashback sense, so get ready to throw some devil horns. Destruct starts the evening off with some blown-out Negative Approach-meets-Discharge old-school hardcore punk to get your juices flowing. Grab some tacos and settle in for a long night of awesomeness.

Saturday, April 13, 7 PM
The Machinist, Filth, Alukah, Black Matter Device @ McCormack’s – $12
It’s a heavy week in Richmond, y’all. And Saturday night might just be the heaviest of them all, as New York deathcore crew The Machinist rolls through town on a tour celebrating the release of their debut album, Confidimus In Morte (which apparently translates to “In Death We Trust” — love it). Opening single “No Peace” shows not just how heavy this band can make their breakdowns, but also their extensive rage, as huge chugging riff monsters meet with more melodic, progressive interludes, all topped with vocalist Amanda Gjelaj’s incredibly powerful roars.

The Machinist certainly aren’t just here to sound spooky, either, as their lyrics tackle weighty political topics and don’t hesitate for a second to confront the powers that be who keep us all in chains. Their music is a defiant roar in the face of trying times, and that’s always a huge plus. The Machinist are joined on this tour by Filth — not the Northern California crust-punk group a lot of us may be thinking of right now, but the North Carolina death metal group whose guttural vocals and sludgy tempos add up to a more straight-up take on deathcore than that of The Machinist. One thing’s for sure though — both of these bands are extremely heavy. Like, atomic-weight-of-plutonium heavy. Wear your radiation suits for this one.

Sunday, April 14, 7:30 PM
Papadosio, Cycles @ The National – $15 in advance/$20 at the door (order tickets HERE)
I will go ahead and admit I don’t typically pay much attention to the scene from which Papadosio hails, a scene the proponents of which twist themselves into rhetorical pretzels to avoid calling “jam-tronica.” It’s not exactly a term that invites curiosity from wary outsiders, of which I’ve certainly been one at many points. However, once I checked out the latest LP from Papadosio, 2018’s Content Coma, I found myself surprisingly intrigued. It seems that perhaps I have sold this band short.

What I found when I listened to their music, the sound they will present onstage at the National this Sunday night, was a band with almost none of the post-Phish “jam” tendencies I feared. Instead, they tend towards a proggy vibe with a lot of spaced-out ambient melodies. At its more digital moments, Content Coma has an atmospheric feel; when things kick in, they get downright epic. I hear moments reminiscent of everything from Yes and Soft Machine to Tangerine Dream and Tame Impala. And thankfully, it never makes me think of Disco Biscuits. So yeah, if you’re bored Sunday night, you should head over to the National and groove with Papadosio. It’ll do you no harm.

Monday, April 15, 9 PM
Allison Shearer (photo by Drew Bordeaux), Weekend Plans, Calvin Presents @ The Camel – $7 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It seems not a week goes by lately without me writing about live jazz in the show column, and I for one am stoked about that! Let’s keep the ball rolling this week, shall we? Alison Shearer is coming to the Camel this Monday night with her quintet in tow. This New York saxophonist has both jazz and hip hop cred due to her founding membership in PitchBlak Brass Band, who worked with everyone from Pharoahe Monch to Snarky Puppy during her tenure with the group.

These days, she’s heading up her own quintet, which mixes together the rockin’ jazz sound of fusion and the groovy bounce of hip hop. Their instrumental tunes are sure to get you moving and shaking on the Camel’s dance floor. What’s more, they’ll be in good company! Local brass-heavy ensemble Weekend Plans have a good bit of hip hop sound in their jazzy mix as well, having done Slick Rick covers during past Camel sets. Maybe we’ll get more of that this time around? We’ll certainly get some soulful keyboard-driven jazz tunes from Calvin Presents to start off the evening, and that’s sure to be wonderful. Give the grey start of the work week a delightful splash of color with this one.

Tuesday, April 16, 7 PM
Plini, Mestis, Dave Mackay @ The Canal Club – $18 in advance/$20 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Remember the Generation Axe tour that came through town back in December? It packed practically all the legendary shredders of the 80s and 90s — Malmsteen, Bettencourt, Vai, etc — onto one single stage for a night of metallic fingertap gymnastics. I bring this up now because the arrival of Plini in Richmond could easily be heralded as the new generation of axe.

The man’s playing is not just skillful in the manner of too many guitar-store showoffs — million-note runs going nowhere in particular over generic backing beats. Instead, on releases like his latest EP, Sunhead, Plini shows that he’s actually got riffs and songs to make his guitar instrumentals not just worth admiring but worth listening to. Best of all, his tunes aren’t just triumphant, in the Iron Maiden-ish power-metal sense, but downright jubilant. If you never thought a performance by an instrumental guitar shredder could lift your mood and make you smile, you should definitely go to the Canal Club Tuesday night and check out what Plini has to offer. Your therapist will definitely thank you for it.

Bonus Hampton Roads Pick:

Saturday, April 13, 7 PM
Pet Name, Jim Shorts, Shake Your Baby, Mas Y Mas @ Toast – $8 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
For indie/alt-rock/power-pop types, the name to watch in the Virginia Beach area is LAVA. They book a lot of other shows too, but it seems like this particular conglomerate gives particular shine to groups playing jangly, melodic sounds with a quirky feel. That’s certainly what you’ll get at this show over at Toast Saturday night. Headed up by Norfolk locals Pet Name, this bill is chock-full of charmingly amateur-sounding indie tuneage.

Pet Name’s self-titled EP from last year lets you know that, while you can’t expect major volume or heaviness from this crew of popsters, you can expect catchy tunes delivered with a winsome charm that’s sure to win you over. Meanwhile, Maryland’s Jim Shorts, who’ll be in town on a solo jaunt by frontman David Haynes (who has recorded a fair amount of the group’s tunes on his own anyway), bring a bit more of a Weezer-ish alt-rock kick to their powerful pop sounds. How that’ll translate when brought to life by just one guy isn’t entirely clear, but we do know that he’s got some incredibly well-written and memorable tunes to work with. Expecting great things is a safe move. Punk rockers Shake Your Baby (not actually a good tip, like, at all) and energetic indie kids Mas Y Mas open this one up. Get ready to smile!

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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

For Infant Island, Screamo Is All About Friends

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The Fredericksburg screamo band has built quite a buzz recently, but for Infant Island, music is still mainly a way to connect with like-minded souls.

“Friends are fans. Fans are friends,” said Infant Island’s drummer, Austin O’Rourke.

“Fans are friends, not food,” chimed in the band’s guitarist, Alex Rudenshiold.

The Fredericksburg-based screamo band – whose name is an homage to the 1961 Japanese kaiju (monster) film Mothra – was on their way to a show in a Richmond basement, and I was tagging along. Despite Infant Island receiving recent coverage in publications like Vice and The Washington Post, the band remains charmingly humble and connected to their fan base.

“It’s weird to think that we have fans, honestly,” Rudenshiold said. “I know somewhere internally that we do. There are people who really like our music, which is wild.”

Rudenshiold and O’Rourke emphasized the community dynamic of the local music scene.

“If you like our music, that’s cool, but I’d prefer that you like us as people as well,” Rudenshiold said. “We try to talk to people as much as possible, and get to know them.”

“Fans and friends are kind of synonymous,” O’Rourke added. “For me at least, just being in a music project like this, that exists in a physical way, is such a good therapeutic thing for me as a human. This is my friend group. This is being social for me.”

One of Infant Island’s fan-friends is Emily Harrah, who has been following the band since this summer when they dropped their self-titled first album.

“Infant Island’s music to me is a catharsis; it helps me drown any negativity and gives me something to cling on to and empathize with,” she said. “Because of its loud, chaotic nature, it’s easy to put on their music, turn up the volume, and envelope myself in nothing but the soundscapes they create. It’s raw, unfiltered, passionate punk music that knows how to balance out brutality with beauty, and that’s exactly how I like it.”

Rudenshiold said that the close relationship with fans has made the band’s recent high-profile acclamation all the more heartwarming.

“People are so supportive in our community and our scene,” he said. “Not that they wouldn’t be if they didn’t know us, but it’s so nice to have people personally cheering  you on.”

Although Virginia has been lauded as a mecca for hardcore music, Infant Island is technically Fredericksburg’s only screamo band. O’Rourke said the term “screamo” is often misused.

“You have people who will call any derivative of metal or rock and roll screamo, when it’s its own genre,” he said. “Screamo also is a genre, just like grindcore, just like black metal, just like death metal and math core.”

Infant Island: Kyle Guerra, Daniel Kost, Austin O’Rourke, and Alexander Rudenshoild

The Fredericksburg music scene is incredibly tight-knit, according to O’Rourke and Rudenshiold.

“I’ve noticed all [of Fredericksburg’s] music tends to stem from the same place, of both comfort and discomfort in the world,” O’Rourke said. “When it comes to the shoegaze in the area, or the screamo in the area, or even the neoclassical in the area, to me it all has the same seed of thought, but it’s just different ways of expressing it.”

Fredericksburg, Rudenshiold agreed, has a distinct sound and musical lineage.

“I feel like we fit very comfortably into that, even though we’re the only band of our specific genre from around the area really,” he said. “Because there’s very few of each kind of band in Fredericksburg, we all have this kind of community. I think it’s a really good community of people who believe in Do It Yourself (DIY) music and that ethos.”

The group’s Richmond house show was on a Friday in February and featured Black Matter Device, a math core band also from Fredericksburg. Infant Island also played a benefit show in DC the next day with popular punk band Anti-Flag and post-hardcore quartet NØ MAN, featuring former members of well-known DC screamo band Majority Rule.

“The show [Friday] is awesome because it’s with our friends,” O’Rourke said. “It feels like a nice comfortable spot where you show your family your art, and they’re like ‘oh this is great.’ But [Saturday’s show], it’s with everyone’s childhood idols. It’s going to be pretty bizarre.”

Infant Island in DC. Photo by Danilandia

According to O’Rourke, the band’s next goals are to “finish [the second] album, go on tour [and] survive both of those things.”

“Honestly, Alex is like, superhuman, in that he’s always on to the next thing,” O’Rourke said. “So he’s already started writing the third album. Meanwhile, I’m still trying to finish writing this album. I’m glad – I think I represent somebody who could stay in one thing forever. I could easily work on this album for years.”

“I’m really excited to be playing new material in general,” Rudenshiold said. “All the songs we’re playing tonight are on a new record we just recorded. It’s not super-announced yet, but it’s coming.”

The band’s first album was two and a half years in the making. Their second record is a marked change from that.

“These songs songs are so fun to play,” Rudenshiold said. “They’re a little more complicated, a little more technical than our old material, which is more fun for me to play.”

“The new songs they’ve been playing live recently have been quite a bit more aggressive than the songs from their self-titled album, which has me very, very excited,” Harrah said. “I love seeing bands improving on their formula in a way that helps keep a signature sound but never makes things boring or repetitive.”

Infant Island’s tour diet.

At Friday’s show, the mosh pit was more intense than anyone in Infant Island had seen during their set.

“It’s really fun because the energy we put into it, you can see it literally get digested by the audience and they throw it back at us,” O’Rourke said. “It’s really cool. I probably could have worded that much much more normally.”

“I know for a fact that Infand Island are, without a doubt, not only some of the nicest, supportive, and loving people in the local punk scene, but absolutely one of the best punk acts in Virginia,” Harrah said. “I’m so proud of Daniel, Alex, Kyle, and Austin, and I can’t thank them enough for doing what they do, and being in my life.”

Top Photo by Danilandia

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