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VA Shows You Must See This Week: August 14 – August 20

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FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, August 18, 7 PM
The Mob, Serqet, Benderheads @ Gallery 5 – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Classic UK punk takes many forms. Defiant yet melodic bands like the Sex Pistols and The Clash are the most popular one, and made a huge imprint on the music scene for the next several decades. There’s also the rawer, angrier, melody-free political hardcore of bands like Discharge and Antisect, which led to long-running subgenres like crust and d-beat. But there’s another entire world of classic UK punk, one that is sometimes known as peace punk, or anarcho-punk, but is much harder to describe musically. It’s from that world that Somerset, England’s The Mob was born.

Associated with the loose-knit circle around anarchist punk band/label/collective Crass, The Mob were one of quite a few bands in that world who created their own original sound. Their most famous single, “No Doves Fly Here,” is almost gothic in its dirge-like gloomy sound, stretching on for nearly seven minutes and fully capturing the post-apocalyptic horror of war’s devastated aftermath. However, it’s their 1983 LP, Let The Tribe Increase, that is the peak expression of The Mob’s ominously gothic punk mood, one that connects them both to legendary 80s UK acts like Amebix and Zounds and modern Danish groups like Iceage and Lower.

The Mob disbanded in the mid-80s, but they’ve been back together in their original lineup for almost a decade now. However, this is the first time they’ve ever made it to Richmond, and you’d definitely be best advised to join with the punks who’ve been waiting to see them for the last four decades by heading to Gallery 5 this Sunday night. They’ll be joined by two Richmond punk powerhouses; their kindred spirits in postpunk crew Serqet and hardcore maniacs Benderheads. No matter how long you’ve been waiting, it’ll be worth it.

Wednesday, August 14, 9 PM
Skizophrenia, Vaaska, Under Attack, Destruct @ Mojo’s – $8-$10 donation
Japanese punk is definitely its own thing. It was born of influences carried across the oceans from the US and UK, but the effect of Japanese culture was formidable, and led to a completely different spin on hardcore punk — one that has spawned a rich cultural history over the past several decades. Skizophrenia are part of that history, and their output over the past decade and a half has made up for its relative sparseness with a fiery attack that stands as unique even within the sui generis world of Japanese punk. Which is why you should definitely make it out to Mojo’s to see them tonight.

Their raw, speedy sound manages to communicate energetic rage while not taking on any sort of heaviness or macho aggression. Instead, Skizophrenia plays a form of Japanese punk that is both melodic and fun, even as it retains the noisy, frantic elements that are so endemic to the punk rock of their native country. They’re coming through Richmond tonight in the company of Vaaska, a Texas band with whom they shared a split EP, and whose Spanish-Scandinavian crust-punk hybrid is fast and scorching in its own right. Richmond punk supergroup Under Attack and noise-core newcomers Destruct round out a bill that’s guaranteed to blow your mind.

Thursday, August 15, 9 PM
Frankie & the Witch Fingers, Weird Tears, Deli Kings @ Wonderland – $10
Frankie & the Witch Fingers sounds a lot more like a band from decades past than it does like the name of a modern band, but don’t let their throwback band name throw you off — this group has a very up-to-date take on the many genres they dip into over the course of their latest LP, ZAM, which was released back in March. Over its one-hour running time, you’ll catch everything from Blue Cheer-style proto-metal to guitar-driven acid funk to straight up rock n’ roll — all with a strong tendency toward psychedelia.

This group has had a prolific history thus far, releasing five LPs in the past seven years, and the creative energy it takes to churn out killer sounds at that kind of pace absolutely shows through in their frenetic live performances. When they hit the Wonderland stage tomorrow night, you’re going to have a lot of trouble standing still. And why would you want to? Dance the night away! You’ll also be able to enjoy the rock n’ roll sounds of Weird Tears and the psychedelic heavy-osity of Deli Kings as part of this evening, and that’s always a lovely bonus. What are you waiting for? Set the controls for Shockoe Bottom.

Friday, August 16, 8 PM
Volk, Mackenzie Roark, Toward Space @ Garden Grove Brewing – Free!
“Cowpunk” was a term you heard for a while in the 80s. It was applied to everyone from The Meat Puppets to Lone Justice back then, and while as a Southern girl myself I certainly got excited about this subgenre’s potential when I first heard about it, I was usually disappointed to find that the bands lumped into it were far more country than punk. 30 years later, though, Nashville’s Volk have come along to give me what I wanted from all those bands back then.

On their latest EP, Average American Band, this wild n’ crazy two-piece inverts the usual cowpunk formula and injects some of the rawest, most fire-spitting moments of the Bloodshot Records scene into a sound that’s got a lot more to do with the White Stripes and the Gun Club than anything you’d hear on an alt-country Pandora playlist. I love it, and you should too, especially if you love to get wild and crazy to the out-of-control garage rock sounds of local trio Toward Space, who are, by an amazing coincidence, also on this show! Singer/bandleader Mackenzie Roark is also on this bill, to inject just enough of that lovelorn country balladry into the evening for you honky-tonkers out there.

Saturday, August 17, 7:30 PM
Mannequin Pussy, Empath, T-Rextasy @ The Camel – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Damn, talk about taking things to the next level. Like a lot of Richmonders, I already liked Philadelphia’s Mannequin Pussy quite a bit; their frequent visits to the city over the past five years or so have seen them rise up from the basement and win the hearts of punk rockers all over town. But their latest LP, Patience, not only sees them signing to Epitaph Records but also finds them creating the strongest, most assured music of their career thus far.

On Patience, they’ve found a way to both crank up the bile-spitting punk intensity and delve into the kind of heart-wrenching melodies that make brilliant breakup songs like “Drunk II” and “Fear/+/Desire” into instant classics. It’s as if Live Through This-era Hole had collaborated with White Lung. So yeah, it’s awesome, and hearing it communicated at top volume as one of Mannequin Pussy’s incredible live performances is only gonna make the whole thing hit that much harder. They come to The Camel accompanied by upstart Philadelphia psych-punk band Empath and Brooklyn alt-poppers T-Rextasy, both of whom will up the ante on what’s already guaranteed to be an outstanding night of music. Don’t blow this one.

Sunday, August 18, 9 PM
Insect Surfers, Atomic Mosquitos, Armistead’s Army @ The Camel – $7 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It’s hard to stand out in the genre of instrumental surf rock, a land where many people seem most interested in slavish imitations of the legendary greats — Dick Dale, The Ventures, maybe Man Or Astro-Man for the more modern heads. But there are still quite a few bands out there in the surf world proudly walking their own path, and the Insect Surfers are definitely one of them. Getting their start fully 40 years ago, this group loves to refer to themselves as “Planet Earth’s longest-running modern surf band,” and show off the exact sort of interstellar sensibility that motto brings to mind on their many ripping tunes.

The Insect Surfers were directly influenced by the manic instrumental surf-guitar groups of the early 60s, but they took just as much inspiration from the early days of punk rock, which was getting started all around them in their own formative years. If you listen close, you can also hear a bit of the space-faring psychedelia of trippy early 70s groups like Hawkwind and 60s spaghetti western soundtracks mixed into recent material like 2017’s Datura Moon. All of this will add up to a night of awesomeness when these guys pull into The Camel; we guarantee that their tunes will keep you dancing all night long, just like those beach-blanket babes of yore.

Monday, August 19, 9 PM
Bermuda Triangles, No Question, Lipid, Archbishop @ Cary Street Cafe – $10
There are a lot of panicked rumors going on, but have no fear — things are still going strong over at Cary Street Cafe! And there’s no better proof than this latest edition of Slimehole’s weekly “Heavy Mondays.” For starters, it’s bringing us a killer set from borderline-indescribable percussion-focused trio Bermuda Triangles, who’ve been blasting Richmond with their unique form of postpunk space-dance jazz-funk for years now. These guys create the best bizarro-boogie soundtrack happening in Richmond right now, and you won’t want to miss this opportunity to get weird with it.

Plus, they’re playing in the company of Wisconsin noisemongers No Question, who blast out some dirty, grungy rage at hyperspeed on their 2018 self-titled EP. They’re prepared to do the same thing, live and in your face, at this gig, and you should definitely come prepared to be blown away. Local punk freaks Lipid are on the bill as well, which is always enjoyable, and this show will open with the debut performance by Archbishop, the latest assemblage of maniacs from past RVA terrors like Olde Shame, The Skin, and Memory Loss. There’s nothing about this one that’s not gonna rule.

Tuesday, August 20, 9 PM
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, Annabelle Chairlegs, DJ Chrissie @ Fuzzy Cactus – $15 in advance/$18 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Of course we were all terrified about the future of Richmond live music last year when Strange Matter closed, but as has long been said, crisis creates opportunity, and as this city has warmed up over the course of 2019, we’ve seen more and more live music venues popping up all over! Fuzzy Cactus is the latest example, coming to Brookland Park Boulevard this weekend with some delicious fried chicken and a stage that’ll be full of rock n’ roll sounds on a weekly basis.

The first big show they’re bringing in takes place only a few days after they open up, as Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears pull into town. This Texas ensemble is based around the wild vocals and raging guitars of frontman Lewis, who’s sure to remind you of both Little Richard and James Brown. But it’s the extended ensemble he tours with, complete with horn section, that makes his performances hit so hard — somewhere between BB King and King Khan & the Shrines. They’ll christen the stage of the Fuzzy Cactus in outstanding fashion, and kick off the Brookland Park reign of what’s sure to be yet another great live music venue for Richmond to cherish.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Wednesday, August 14, 5:30 PM
Knotfest Roadshow, feat. Slipknot, Gojira, Volbeat, Behemoth @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater (Virginia Beach) – $41-$250 (order tickets HERE)
Maybe this is just me, but I gotta tell y’all — I find it really hard to feel anything other than love for Slipknot. This crew of Iowa metal misfits with as many members as your average brass band blew everyone’s mind when they showed up in the late 90s with their crazy masks, abundance of percussion, and overflowing amounts of adolescent fury. From there, they just got heavier, shaking off their early nu-metal tinges in favor of brutal, anthemic breakdowns and even the occasional blastbeat. Since losing founding bassist Paul Gray back in 2010, they’ve struggled a bit, ultimately firing a couple of other longtime members in pursuit of the return to fighting form that is this year’s We Are Not Your Kind.

It’s that album they’re celebrating with this summer’s Knotfest Roadshow, and they’ll be bringing their patented brand of masked insanity to the Veterans United stage in VA Beach as part of that. Expect headbangs aplenty as they break out classics like “Disasterpiece,” “Spit It Out,” and “Duality” alongside some excellent tuneage from their new LP. Plus, they’ve got a murderer’s row of metallic excellence along as support, including French death-metallers Gojira, bizarre Danish metalbilly group Volbeat, and legendary Polish thrashers Behemoth. This one will be an absolute feast for anyone who loves metal — and trust me, once they hit the stage, Slipknot’s antics are sure to command your undivided attention.

Saturday, August 17, 5 PM
Suburban Living, Ladada, The Evening Attraction @ Smartmouth Brewing – Free!
Philadelphia indie-gaze crew Suburban Living had a pretty strong buzz a few years ago, but they’ve largely been quite on the release front for the past few years, so it’s a relief to see them rolling through the Commonwealth once again! This Saturday night finds them topping the bill at Smartmouth Brewing’s Norfolk warehouse, which has been throwing a series of free early-evening shows over the past several months. This summer-ending rocker is the last one on the schedule that we know of, so if you haven’t gone and checked the place out, now’s the time!

And of course it will be great to hear the sounds of Suburban Living, whose dreampop deliciousness was showed off to perfect effect on 2016’s Almost Paradise. Will they have some newer material to show off? Well, one never knows — but it’s certainly something to keep an eye out for. The same is true of the support set by Norfolk’s own Ladada, who’ve been at the top of the heap where Tidewater indie is concerned for a while now. And as a bonus, you’ll get a set from Chicago rock n’ rollers The Evening Attraction to kick things off with a bang. This is going to be a blast — gas up the whip.

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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

Top Photo by Beau Patrick Coulon, via Facebook

VA Shows You Must See This Week: June 26 – July 2

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

FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, June 30, 10 PM
Sea Of Storms (Photo by Jake Cunningham), Doll Baby, Sharpening @ Bandito’s – Free!
It’s been a long time since we got new material from Sea Of Storms, but the wait is finally over. Since 2015 when they released their debut album, Dead Weight, Sea Of Storms added second guitarist Nick Bergheimer, and this weekend they’ll release their first album as a four-piece, Saddest Faction. It’s time to celebrate, and you’ll get the perfect chance to this Sunday night with a free Saddest Faction release party at Bandito’s — so get stoked!

Saddest Faction has been painstakingly crafted by the band over the past two years, and the results are proof that good things come to those who wait. While each of the album’s two sides ends with a longer, slower tune, the majority of the songs here are infused with an increased dose of upbeat energy than could be found on their debut album, harking back to former projects like Mouthbreather, Landmines, and Race The Sun. The result is a good mix of Sea Of Storms’ established emotional feel and jolting punk exuberance.

Whether you’re a longtime Sea Of Storms fan or a curious potential convert, this Sunday night’s Bandito’s gig has a lot to offer you. Not only will you get to see the band bring their brand new album to life before your very eyes, you’ll also get a chance to pick up a copy on cassette, so that next week, you can pop out that cassette adapter you bought online and finally use your car’s tape player for its intended purpose. The show will also feature emotionally driven indie-punk local heroes Doll Baby, along with Sharpening — a brand-new project with a significant RVA punk pedigree. Plus, the show is free, so you can use your admission cash to get some excellent tacos at the bar before the show starts. You really can’t ask for more.

Wednesday, June 26, 9 PM
Cuzco (Photo by Hannah Johnson), Catholics, Colder Planets @ Wonderland – $10
Wonderland may be on East Main Street, but tonight at Shockoe Bottom’s punkest bar, you might feel like you took a wrong turn down Sesame Street, because this show is clearly brought to us by the letter C. Cuzco and Catholics are two Carolina bands — from Charlotte and Charleston, respectively — and they’re receiving local support from Colder Planets. I can’t imagine this was mere coincidence, and I have to wonder whether the promoters responsible for this show had Ernie and Bert as silent partners.

Regardless of your alphabetical preferences, though, if you’re a fan of the complex guitar melodies and intricate structures of modern math-rock, you’re going to want to make it out to this one. Both groups largely eschew vocals, instead relying on their talented song construction to keep a listener interested. They succeed with flying colors, too, as on their latest LP, Sketchbook, Cuzco finds gold by delving into progressive, post-rock songwriting techniques, while Catholics experiment with elements of jazz and European folk music within their guitar-driven melodic template. It’s all quite lovely, and certainly a great way to spend your Wednesday evening. You can leave your Combat boots home for this one, but be sure to bring your Cash.

Thursday, June 27, 7 PM
Lamar Costello & the Dazed Saints, Slogame, Billy Capricorn @ Gallery 5 – $6
Look, I’m gonna admit it to you right now — the fix is in on this one. Lamar Costello is not only a friend of mine, but a former bandmate — a few years ago, he and I played together in a goofy punk band called Sports Bra, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you that Lamar’s creative guitar riffing wasn’t crucial to our sound. So of course I’m stoked to see him coming back around with a new project, and I can’t help but assume that Rivanna Youngpool, who books shows at Gallery 5 these days, feels the same way. After all, she was in Sports Bra too.

So what exactly can we expect from Lamar and his Dazed Saints? That’s not entirely clear, as at this point he has no music online. However, from the catchy punk guitar riffs he contributed to our old band to his past experiments in bedroom indie, hip hop, and electronic sounds, it’s become clear over the years that he’s equally talented in a variety of genres, and therefore I have full confidence that whatever he and his band bring to the stage is going to be amazing. With the addition of off-kilter popsters Slogame and hypnotic beatmaker Billy Capricorn to the bill, this one is sure to be a banger. Don’t miss it! Seriously, don’t.

Friday, June 28, 7 PM
Krimewatch, Asylum, Haircut, Lipid @ Studio Two Three – $10
If you’re going to Studio Two Three this Friday night, be sure to wear the combat boots I told you to leave home a couple days ago. Because with Krimewatch coming into town, the stage is set for some serious hardcore-punk mayhem. This New York quartet released a self-titled debut full-length last year on Lockin’ Out Records, which lets you know they’re tough. However, their speedy, straightforward riffs are clearly pulling from an old-school tradition that harks back to a time when dividing lines between circle-pit hardcore and angry political punk were less clear, and less important.

Whether you find yourself on the hardcore or the punk side of that line, you’re going to want to be there when Krimewatch tears Studio Two Three a new one (hopefully not literally — there’s some expensive equipment in that place). They embody the sort of intersectional political consciousness that marks the best of today’s punk movement, and just as importantly, they rock hard as fuck. With local powerhouses Asylum, Haircut, and Lipid on the bill as well, this is going to be the sort of rager that we don’t see enough of here in RVA. Make sure you’re part of it.

Saturday, June 29, 9 PM
Tied To A Bear (Photo by Adam Parshall), Save Ends, Big No @ Wonderland – $10
Back once again to Shockoe Bottom, though this time there are neither complex interlocking guitar melodies nor Sesame Street-style single-letter sponsorships. There’s just a whole lot of catchy, emotionally-driven punk rock from two Boston bands. The first of those, Tied To A Bear (which sounds like a precarious situation), has some Richmond connections that are sure to generate some intrigue; specifically, former Landmines vocalist Paul Picillo is playing guitar and singing in this band. As any fan of that late, great Richmond band will be delighted to hear, Tied To A Bear carry on with the same sort of melodic intensity and punk fire that made Landmines such a memorable band.

Their tourmates, Save Ends, don’t have RVA roots to draw on, but don’t worry about them — their excellent combination of raw emotion and polished pop melodies will be more than enough for them to grab the attention of everyone in attendance. 2017 LP A Book About Bad Luck is an absolute classic I’m just discovering now, and I have no idea how I made it through the last two years without it in my life. Head out to this show and discover for yourself just how excellent both of these Boston-based bands are — and while you’re at it, rediscover the excellence of Richmond psychedelic powerhouse Big No, who will provide local support for our visiting Bostonian friends.

Sunday, June 30, 8 PM
Williamsfest 2019, feat. Craig Perry/Gnarcave, Benderheads, Weird Tears, Nightcreature, Horse Culture, MSD @ En Su Boca – Donations requested
It’s been over a year since Richmond musician Kyle Trax passed away, and his many friends within the RVA music scene continue to mourn his loss. This Sunday, a year after the first Williamsfest rocked En Su Boca in his honor, they’re getting together once again to rock out in Kyle’s memory, and raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. It’s a bit scaled-down from last year — indoors, and only six bands instead of the dozen or so that performed last year — but it’s no less essential if you were a friend of Kyle’s, a fan of his bands (Cherry Pits, Benderheads, and others), or even if you just love Richmond music and recognize the importance of those who make it, in all of our lives.

There’ll be a bunch of great music at this event — sets from Kyle’s former punk band, Benderheads, and his former black metal band, Gnarcave, will take place, with friends standing in Kyle’s stead on drums, of course. There’ll also be a set from Weird Tears, a melodic punk group featuring former Cherry Pits frontman Chris Jordan and a formidable group of Richmond rockers backing him up. The bill will be rounded out in fine fashion by punk rock maniacs Nightcreature, raging grinders MSD, and sludge-punkers Horse Culture, and all donations go to the cause of juvenile diabetes research, so you’re definitely going to want to be there to support the cause, remember a great musician and friend, and rock the night away.

Monday, July 1, 6 PM
Off Road Minivan, Blis, Benet @ The Canal Club – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It’s been over two decades since the sound came onto my radar, and I still show no signs of ceasing to love emo music, y’all. At this point, it’s fair to assume that I am an emo lifer. That said, I wouldn’t just recommend that you go see just any old emo band — there are plenty of mediocre examples of the genre out there. Thankfully, New York’s Off Road Minivan is not one of these, by any stretch. On their new EP, Spiral Gaze, they demonstrate massive talent, both mining influences to excellent effect and adding new elements that make them stand out from all who have come before.

Specifically, I hear elements of fellow New Yorkers Moving Mountains in their driving, powerful riffs, recent work from Have Mercy in their melodic songcraft, prime Hopesfall in their ringing lead guitars, and something entirely new in the approach of vocalist Ryan O’Leary, who brings elements to his vocals that are soulful without bearing any overt resemblance to the new breed of R&B-influenced emo vocalists like Tyler Carter. Off Road Minivan have a powerful sound to offer, and in a relatively crowded field, it has no trouble establishing itself at the top. Tourmates Blis, who hail from Atlanta, have a more dynamic approach to the same genre, with a bit of a heavier undertone, making this an adept pairing of two bands that are far from alike, but nonetheless hit a lot of the same high points. Whether you’re an emo lifer like me, or just need a change of pace for a Monday night, you really can’t go wrong with this one.

Tuesday, July 2, 7 PM
Kaycie Satterfield, Sarah Jordan, Kenneka Cook, Rebekah Rafferty and The Wakes @ Gallery 5 – $6
This is sure to be a treat! Kaycie Satterfield, an excellent guitarist and songwriter with a beautiful voice, is coming through town to liven up a Tuesday night in Richmond, and we are all the beneficiaries. Satterfield just released her latest EP, Women’s Fiction, which not only shows off her jazzy vocal approach and songwriting approach grounded in the fundamentals of old-time western swing, but also focuses on the ways existing as a 21st century woman puts her into a lot of contradictory positions and requires a lot of emotional struggles. Damn, I know that feel.

Satterfield’s forthright approach to such issues makes it eminently appropriate for her to tour with Sarah Jordan, a Nashville-via-Brooklyn singer-songwriter whose latest LP, Dressed In The Dark, shows a similar sort of inclination toward jazz, with some retro-soul elements as well. Both of these singer-songwriters have a lot to offer, and it’s wonderful to see them teaming up with a couple of Richmond’s best singer-songwriters, both of whom also happen to be women: loop-station soul songstress Kenneka Cook and haunting alt-rock diva Rebekah Rafferty (along with her band, The Wakes). This is going to be a lovely evening from start to finish — I encourage you to partake.

Elsewhere Around the State:

Thursday, June 27, 8 PM
Broke Body, Wineteeth, Magister Ludi @ Little Grill Collective – $5-10 donations
We’ve spent a lot of time over the past several months covering the musical goings-on in Hampton Roads, but recent weeks have helped me realize that things are just as active an equal distance from Richmond in the opposite direction. Which is to say: if you’re up for traveling short distances within the state to see excellent musical performances, Harrisonburg is just as strong a bet as Norfolk. Take, for example, this show at H-burg’s Little Grill Collective tomorrow night. It’s headlined by Broke Body, a Philadelphia band with a psychedelic postpunk sound that gets downright scary at times, while displaying a subtle but pervasive melodic sense at others.

On this bill, they join up with Harrisonburg’s Wineteeth, who bash out some rudimentary punk tunes with a surprising knack for catchy riffs that get your feet moving. The whole thing opens up with a set by Harrisonburg newcomers Magister Ludi, who’ve only been around for a few months but have quickly established themselves as having one of the weirdest, most confusing internet presences in the state. So what do they sound like? Who knows? Finding out will be interesting enough to make their set worth your time.

Friday, June 28, 6:30 PM
Irae, Violated Right, Cancer Priest, World Below, Split Wrist, Close Quarters @ West Beach Tavern – $10 (order tickets HERE)
Meanwhile, back in good ol’ Hampton Roads, things, as they often do down there, are getting very heavy. This show features four different touring bands, all of which hail from different places and have different approaches, but all of which will also crush your skull with their raw power — in the best way possible, of course. DC’s Irae are at the top of the list, and their 2018 LP, Spirit, mixes a variety of spiritual themes together into a cocktail of unrelenting metallic heaviness that’s sure to send you flying across the room. Again, in a good way.

They’ll be joined on this one by Florida’s Violated Right, who take more of a straight-up hardcore approach, but are nonetheless heavy as fuck, so don’t be mistaken. Then there’s Delaware’s Cancer Priest, who have a decidedly metallic sound but are clearly rooted in hardcore, as their 2018 EP Worldwide Cemetery proves. And of course, there’s Philadelphia’s World Below, who bring in plenty of that blackened thrash spookiness in their pursuit of maximum intensity. With VB locals Split Wrist and Close Quarters rounding this one out, it’s sure to be an evening of absolute brutality over at West Beach Tavern. Well worth whatever drive you have to make.

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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 40 Most Essential RVA Albums Of 2018 (Part 1)

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Richmond’s always been a great city for music, and that didn’t change one iota in 2018. If anything, it became a bit overwhelming — indeed, even the most comprehensively-minded local music nerd was likely to overlook a few things. While putting this list together, I found a few that I overlooked myself — and I’m sure you will as well.

This list features our best shot at the most essential and noteworthy albums that our city birthed this year, from any and all genres. Since so many different genres and scenes are thriving in this town, we had to include 40 just to feel like we weren’t leaving anything crucial out. And let’s be real — we probably still didn’t catch everything. The best advice we could possibly give you about following this town’s vibrant musical community is this: always dig deeper. Your new favorite record might be right around the corner.

These 40 albums are a good place to start. Today, we’re presenting the first 20 — in alphabetical order by artist name, so it doesn’t seem like we’re playing favorites. We’ll have the other 20 for you tomorrow. Happy listening!

Ant The Symbol – The Motions (Gritty City)
Over the past decade or so, Ant The Symbol has consistently remained one of the most talented producers in Richmond hip hop. His layered beats are jazzy, funky, and have a lot of emotion built into them, and it’s always interesting to see what rappers do with them. The Motions is full of classic grooves that both present a smorgasbord of Richmond MCs in the best possible light and make clear that, as always, Ant’s beats are the star of the show.

The Ar-Kaics – In This Time (Daptone)
This retro-garage heads return to the spotlight after a year or two of woodshedding with a new LP that is a must for the Nehru-jacketed 60s nerds who sleep with the Nuggets box sets under their pillow. That can’t be comfortable, so maybe this 21st century slab of meat-and-potatoes rock n’ roll can help y’all sleep better. Then again, these songs are so full of fun, snotty energy, there’s no way you’re gonna sleep at all with this record on the turntable. Just get up and dance.

Bad Magic – What’s Wrong With My Eyes (badmagic.bandcamp.com)
This union of three talented RVA music veterans (Julie Karr, Tim Falen, Jimmy Held) produces music that seems to split the difference between their various musical backgrounds (in everything from folk to grunge to post-hardcore) and bring us the best possible distillation of heartfelt, driving, melodic rock music. Vaguely psychedelic and obviously descended from punk rock in at least a spiritual fashion, this album gives us a glimpse at what ruled the university-station airwaves before Nirvana came along.

Saw Black – Water Tower (Crystal Pistol)
This supremely laid-back album comes to us from one of RVA’s foremost purveyors of country-Americana slackness, and has some downright beautiful moments that’ll shine bright for fans of artists like Sturgill Simpson or the Drive-By Truckers. You could probably also play it for your uncle who thinks music has sucked since Garth Brooks, or to expand the horizons of your little cousin who only knows about bro-country. But really, you should probably play it while you’re relaxing on the front porch on a Saturday afternoon with a cold beverage in your hand. That’s when it sounds best.

Scott Clark – ToNow (Clean Feed)
Drummer Scott Clark is a leader in the mostly-overlooked world of RVA jazz, and with his recent work, he’s made quite an impression beyond our city’s borders as well. Clark’s been tapping into his Native American heritage for his recent full-length works, and that continues with ToNow. This album is a contribution to the ongoing protest movement in Standing Rock, in the form of a musical clarion call, an ambient yet intense musical exploration featuring some of the leading lights in Richmond’s jazz scene. Immerse yourself.

Kenneka Cook – Moonchild (American Paradox)
2018 was Kenneka Cook’s year. This singer with the powerful, hypnotic voice put the entirety of Richmond under her spell, and Moonchild was the way she did it. The songs on this album move back and forth between soulful, jazzy R&B ensemble pieces featuring a bevy of talented local backing musicians and intriguing solo pieces constructed from electronic beats, synth hums, and massive stacks of multi-layered vocal loops, all constructed by Cook herself with electronic sequencing tools. It’s hard to say which of these two aspects of her music are more pleasing — in the end, it’s probably the combination of the two that gets best results.

Cruelsifix – Dark Snake (cruelsifix.bandcamp.com)
RVA metal is alive, well, and raging as ever. Cruelsifix finds some leading lights from the local scene coming together to fill their downtime with yet another rip-roaring contribution to the local metal landscape. They made their mark this year with a six-song debut EP that shows off their thrashing blackened death metal sound, and, with song titles like “Rabid Christ” and “Satan Earth Fuck,” makes clear that they aren’t just kidding around with the whole evil-as-hell-name move. Bang your head.

Lucy Dacus – Historian (Matador)
Certainly the RVA album of 2018 that got the most attention outside RVA, singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus has gone from house show sensation to international bright young thing in the space of two years, and has given us all yet another reason to be proud of our hometown. Dacus’s gorgeous, heartfelt tunes — which pair her smooth, beautiful voice with powerful melodies driven by a surprisingly tough rhythm section — took a leap beyond her already-assured debut album on Historian. Kudos to her.

McKinley Dixon – The Importance Of Self Belief (Citrus City)
In a city with a variety of different hip hop movements taking place, McKinley Dixon exists in a class by himself. He simultaneously brings a multitude of talented friends of various musical backgrounds together to take his music to a higher plane, and remains committed to first principles: those being strong rhymes, powerful beats, and most importantly something real to say. Even as he’s telling hard truths about oppression and struggles, he’s also uplifting your spirit with positive messages — look no further than the title track.

Fly Anakin & Ohbliv – Backyard Boogie (Mutant Academy)
Fly Anakin has been on fire lately, working hard to get himself and his crew, Mutant Academy, established in RVA and beyond. You can hear how much energy he’s bringing to the struggle in the hyperkinetic rhymes he spits on this album, which zap your ears with their sharpness even as they leave Anakin himself gasping for breath. Celebrated production legend Ohbliv contributes all of the production here, bringing a unified feel and a deep mood to Backyard Boogie, and providing a much-needed contrast with Fly Anakin’s manic intensity.

Gumming – Human Values (gumming.bandcamp.com)
The name of this group always makes me think of nursing home residents mashing down soft foods without benefit of dentures, but if you turn your back, rest assured, Gumming will show you just how much bite they’ve got. Human Values is a wall of angry noise that splits the difference between experimental psychedelic weirdness and pure punk rage, like the Butthole Surfers if they were fronted by X-Ray Spex’s Poly Styrene. Oh values, up yours.

Cole Hicks – May Day (colehicksva.bandcamp.com)
No one really wants to talk about this, but the fact is that hip hop tends to be a very masculine genre. It’s rare to hear a female MC spitting rhymes at all, let alone one that can stand toe-to-toe with the best in the game. On May Day, Richmond’s Cole Hicks adds her name to that list, contributing one of the best albums to come out of the genre in RVA this year and landing a top spot in what was already a banner year for Richmond hip hop albums. The beats hit hard, her rhymes hit harder, and her lyrical flow is unmatched, so quit tripping and start bumping May Day now.

Andy Jenkins – Sweet Bunch (Spacebomb)
Kinda country, kinda indie, and very Southern — that’s local singer-songwriter Andy Jenkins in a nutshell. The latest overnight sensation from the world of Spacebomb Records, Jenkins’s debut full-length, Sweet Bunch, has a laid-back, smoothly rolling feel that’ll put you in the frame of mind to rock contentedly in a porch swing as the lazy river rolls by. Some moments hit upon a sort of pastoral Van Morrison-ish feel, while others bust out the sunbaked twang of the Bakersfield sound. All of it is easy to enjoy.

Large Margin – Large Margin (largemargin.bandcamp.com)
Anyone who caught Brief Lives when they were around is bound to have thought the same thing I did — “that guitarist really goes off!” Brief Lives is gone, but the guitarist in question, Chris Compton, has moved on to becoming the frontman for Large Margin, joining up with a variety of local post-hardcore luminaries to exhume the spirit of Fugazi’s classic early 90s work and infuse it with a massive amount of frantic energy and 21st century political fury. One listen to this LP and you’ll want to rock out as hard as Compton does onstage.

Lipid – Freak Beat (Vinyl Conflict)
The growth of out-and-proud LGBTQ hardcore punk in this town has been one of the best things about 2018, not just for “representation” but also because it’s brought us a lot of great music from voices we weren’t necessarily hearing before. Lipid is probably the closest to old-school punk of this new crop of RVA queer-power bands, with a sound that mixes the sarcastic punk snarls of the Dead Kennedys with the sort of burly stuff that was coming out of NYC a while back — think Crazy Spirit, or The Men before they became a dad-rock bar band.

Love Roses/The Donalds – split (Tired & Pissed)
These two local punk bands are mainstays of the Shockoe Bottom punk scene that orbits around Wonderland, McCormack’s, and other venues the downtown hipsters aren’t necessarily clued into. They’ve both got a ton of anger to work through, mostly at the pathetic state of the USA today, and they do so with rage, melody, and humor. The Donalds are more midtempo, Love Roses more melodic, but both bands are a ton of fun.

Manatree – Engines (manatree.bandcamp.com)
This band of teenagers has really matured on their latest album, which reflects the stripped-down sound Manatree’s increasingly taken on as the lineup shrinks. Frontman Jack Mayock’s considerable talent on guitar and keyboards gets a lot of room to show itself on Engines, as does the sort of growth he’s done as a vocalist since his high school days. Manatree’s math-rock roots are still clear on this album, but as a band, they’re getting weirder, more cerebral, and more fascinating. I guess this is growing up.

Michael Millions – Hard To Be King (Purple Republic)
Dropping back on January 2, this LP acted as the starting gunshot for an amazing year of RVA music. Michael Millions brought the realness from the opening moments of this one, working with some of the most talented hip hop producers in town to create the perfect instrumental tracks for his powerful lyrics and rock-solid flow. And Millions clearly had a lot to say, filling all of these tracks with powerful declarations of what it’s like to be a working class African-American man in the neighborhoods of Richmond that the Scott’s Addition hipsters don’t even know exist. You can’t afford not to listen to this one.

Nickelus F – Stuck (AGM)
From one AGM heavyweight to another. This year saw incredible statements of purpose and power from all of that formidable crew’s leading lights, and Nickelus F’s Stuck was the hardest-hitting of them all. It’s only fair, considering how long he’s been working to advance his sound; that said, we’re all reaping the benefits, because Stuck proves that after a decade and a half of steady grinding, Sweet Petey is better than ever. If you didn’t catch him on tour with Lil Ugly Mane, you need to at least grab this. It’ll twist your head around.

Ostraca – Enemy (Skeletal Lightning)
People are starting to notice Richmond’s thriving screamo scene; Noisey even wrote about it this summer. If you’re not hip, Ostraca is the first name you need to get familiar with. This scorching trio has been honing their sound for over a decade, arriving on their third album at the strongest and most assured collection of material they’ve brought into the world yet. From harsh screams over furious lightning-speed metallic rage to long, slowly-building post-rock epics, Enemy displays the full range of Ostraca’s considerable talents. Dig in, and remember — there’s plenty more where that came from.

That’s the first half of the list — tune in tomorrow for the rest!

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: September 26 – October 2

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FEATURED SHOW
Friday, September 28, 8 PM
MDC, The Elected Officials, Cult Of Frost, Lipid, The Alex Jonestown Massacre @ Strange Matter – $12 (order tickets HERE)
I grew up going to punk and metal shows, losing my mind over harsh music with provocative lyrics. I grew up with radical left-wing politics, which are even farther outside the mainstream than they were when I was a teenager, being treated as perfectly normal ways of seeing the world (and to be honest, I still think they are). Therefore, when I see that a band whose nominal acronym has meant (many things, but most often) “Millions Of Dead Cops” is coming to town, all I think is “Oh wow, classic punk band with tremendous career gracing us all with their presence! FEATURED.”

So maybe this isn’t the most family-friendly pick. For those of you who that bugs, I’d recommend scrolling down to the Steely Dan blurb below. For the cool kids among you who stuck around, though, let me explain why MDC are both outstanding and important. Their 1980 debut single, “John Wayne Was A Nazi,” was a groundbreaking early example of re-examining the myths of pop culture to expose the racism, misogyny, and xenophobia lurking at their heart. Their 1982 debut LP, Millions Of Dead Cops, brought us the classic left-wing protest slogan, “No War! No KKK! No Fascist USA!” And it isn’t just their earliest material that deserves celebration; by their 1987 third LP, This Blood’s For You, they had become “Millions Of Damn Christians,” and were infusing their classic speedy hardcore with complex song structures and mind-bending riffs that they still delivered at a million miles an hour.

They’re still relevant today, too. In 2016, they rerecorded their classic tune “Born To Die” as an anti-Trump anthem (chanting “No Trump! No KKK! No Fascist USA!”), then followed that with their first album in over a decade (this time under the name “Millions of Deceived Citizens”), Mein Trumpf, which showed that the hardcore veterans (who still feature three of their four original members) are as fired-up, pissed-off, and full of raging punk tunes as ever. They’ll be joined by fellow politically-informed Texas punk rippers The Elected Officials, as well as Ohio’s Cult Of Frost, who are, of all things, a Celtic Frost tribute act who only play the Hellhammer demos and the first three albums (aw, Monotheist though…). Local freakers Lipid and The Alex Jonestown Massacre will get this started in fine fashion so you can circle-pit all night. No Trump! No KKK! No Fascist USA!

Wednesday, September 26, 8 PM
1476, Paint Store, Desert Altar, Vulcanite @ Strange Matter – $8 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
As a relatively old lady who was born exactly 500 years after the year Salem, Massachusetts band 1476 named themselves after, I’m a little fuzzy on what was actually going on that year, but if you check Wikipedia, you’ll find that notorious Romanian prince Vlad The Impaler was killed that year, and I think that gives you somewhat of an idea. This band pulls from all sorts of dark, mysterious genres of guitar-based music, from ambient folk and moody progressive rock to hardcore punk and black metal.

On their 2017 album, Our Season Draws Near, they create a foreboding musical atmosphere highlighted by passionate vocals and intricate multilayered guitar riffing, all driven by a ferocious rhythm section. They’re sure to take you on a dark journey of the mind when they hit Strange Matter’s stage tonight, and they’ll be aided in their mission by a trio of local bands who all capture a different aspect of 1476’s multi-genre melange: Paint Store, whose technical instrumental metal sound summons memories of long-gone Richmond legends Breadwinner, for one. For another, Desert Altar, who take a fascinating and fun approach to the whole retro-doom thing. And then there’s the groovy sludge of Vulcanite, starting this night off right. Get into it.

Thursday, September 27, 7 PM
Low Cut Connie, Ruby Boots @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $15 (order tickets HERE)
When you think of rock n’ roll these days, the piano is not the first instrument you think of. However, we’d be fools to ignore the legacy this instrument has in the history of the music: founding figures like Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis used their pianos to generate firestorms of rockin’ energy that set the dancehalls and roadhouses of the mid-50s American South on fire. And now, 60 years later, Low Cut Connie frontman Adam Weiner is coming to Richmond to do it all over again.

Low Cut Connie have a hellacious reputation for killer live shows, and in an NPR interview earlier this year, Weiner talked about his onstage activity, and how he can’t stand to sit still in front of his piano when there’s a crowd to interact with. It’s the fact that he’s able to mix it up, getting sweaty and wild onstage every night, while continuing to crank out the old-school country-tinged rock n’ roll sound of Low Cut Connie — as displayed on new LP Dirty Pictures (Part 2) — with flawless aplomb that makes this group an absolutely unmissable live act.  Bloodshot recording artist Ruby Boots, who’s got a raging femme energy and a powerful country-punk sound, kicks things off in a manner worth arriving early for. So you know what to do — get down to Capital Ale House tomorrow night and see it all for yourself!

Friday, September 28, 6 PM
Come Clean, Sharp Sleeves, Nine Line, We Call This Courage @ Cornerstone Cigar Bar – Free!
I may write a weekly column about music, but y’all, I’ve never claimed to be the coolest girl in the world. I just know what I like. Honestly, that’s a whole lot of stuff, and sometimes it’s stuff that no one else seems to pick up on. About a decade back, the thing I was into that no one else (or at least, no one else over 25) was picking up on was “easycore,” a genre that mixed the chunky guitars of melodic hardcore with the catchiness and emotional tone of pop-punk. A whole bunch of bands were doing this par excellence circa 2010 — Four Year Strong, Fireworks, Set Your Goals — but they all either changed their sound or broke up, and it’s been years now since I heard a really good example of the sound. I miss it.

That’s why I’m stoked to hear about North Carolina’s Come Clean coming to town. Their new EP, From Down The Street, isn’t quite out yet, but their 2016 debut, Won’t Wait, hits all the same pleasure centers for me as classic New Found Glory and first-LP Saves The Day did, and I can never get enough of stuff like that. They’ll be coming to the Cornerstone Cigar Bar (really? I hope they don’t allow smoking in the show room) in the company of Sharp Sleeves, who hail from Blacksburg and have a bit of a Florida tinge (a la Hot Water Music) to their pop-punk. With the addition of RVA locals Nine Line and We Call This Courage, you’re looking at a stacked bill of mid-Atlantic pop-punk excellence. Best of all, this show is free! That might even be worth braving a bit of cigar smoke for (be ready to wash everything you wore immediately afterwards though).

Saturday, September 29, 8 PM
Centerfolds, Something More, Nominee, House & Home @ Strange Matter – $10 in advance/$12 day of show (order tickets HERE)
One good pop-punk show deserves another, right? And this time, the headliners are local. Centerfolds have a bit of an easycore connection, as some members of Centerfolds used to play music with members of RVA’s leading easycore export, Broadside. However, since their 2017 LP, Bad Heaven, they’ve definitely moved in a more angst-ridden emotional direction — the desperation in their vocals and the minor-chord moods of the guitars are sure to make this band a fave for anyone who stays up late blasting Real Friends and Knuckle Puck records with the lights off (yes, that has definitely been me at times).

Now, if you were paying attention to this column last year around this time, you probably noticed the Common Grounds fest, an eight-band pop-punk package show that featured not only Centerfolds but also the other two headliners on this bill, Baltimore’s Something More and RVA’s own Nominee. I have never hidden the fact that I love Nominee — last year’s Drag Me Out EP was a big personal fave — and Something More have won me over with excellent tunes like “Brentwood Park” (from their split with Carry The Banner) and “All My Best Friends Are Dogs” (from their Dogs EP). Local newcomers House & Home kick this one off, and it’s gonna rule. Get stoked.

Sunday, September 30, 8 PM
Ocean Heights, Venus Milo, Cupid McCoy, Solace Sovay, Missangelbird @ The Camel – $10 (order tickets HERE)
A decade after we first learned that Beyonce was a Grizzly Bear fan, the ever-increasing cross-pollination between the worlds of indie and r&b is a well-established reality. However, there’s still a lot of new territory to explore in the intersections between the two genres, and New Jersey’s Ocean Heights are one of the first groups to start mapping that interstitial space out. The results they’ve generated, showcased most prominently on recent single “No Waves,” are both fascinatingly unpredictable and pleasing in the extreme.

Mixing the sort of jangly guitar that early 80s UK bands like Orange Juice and Tears For Fears were drawing from 70s R&B records anyway with a smooth soul vocal and electronic sound results in some incredibly delicious tunes, the sort of thing that will appeal to anyone who ever wished Chromeo were more sincere, or Mac DeMarco had a bit more funk to his sound. A whole bunch of local groups on a similar tip, including up-and-coming standouts Cupid McCoy, the excellently-named Missangelbird, and the dirty-faced, angel-voiced boys of Venus Milo, are also on the bill. Solace Sovay, who are a bit closer to the indie-shoegaze side of things, will make an appearance to start things out and get the atmosphere in The Camel perfectly aligned for a night of musical deliciousness.

Monday, October 1, 7:30 PM
Steely Dan @ Altria Theater – $49.50 – $149.50 (order tickets HERE)
Would you believe that one of the highest-selling, most-played artists of the 70s and 80s, one of the best-produced and most polished-sounding bands of all time, were also a celebration of decadence with a name derived from a sex toy in William Burroughs’ Naked Lunch? Well, it’s true; not only is that really where Steely Dan’s name comes from, singer Donald Fagen loved to write lyrics glorifying debauched behavior, from giving your phone number to a woman marrying one of your friends in case the relationship doesn’t work out (“Rikki Don’t Lose That Number”) to gratuitous drunk driving (“Deacon Blues”) to getting ratted out by a friend and busted for drugs at Bard College (“My Old School”). So much for your family-friendly alternate show pick, huh?

After the 2017 death of founding guitarist Walter Becker, Steely Dan aren’t quite the same as they once were, but singer-keyboardist Donald Fagen is still holding it down behind the mic, and anyone who ever listened to their records knows that the best element of Steely Dan’s many classic progressive rock albums is the top-notch work from hired-gun studio musicians under Fagen and Becker’s direction. Rest assured the backing band will be a thousand percent on point at this show, and Fagen will sing just as wonderfully as ever about major dudes and Haitian divorces; it’ll be totally worth the $50 second-balcony tickets. Get yours now.

Tuesday, October 2, 7 PM
Death Bells, Narrow Head, True Body, Serqet @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $10 (order tickets HERE)
I love the way the hardcore kids who are hitting their late 20s these days are all going full-on goth. Something about having that sort of musical background makes bands do a really good job at the whole dark, moody postpunk thing — witness Iceage, Ceremony (the CA one, not the VA one that’s been goth the whole time), and quite a few other bands. Death Bells, who started out in Australia but are located in Cali these days, have a similar thing going on.

Their most recent single, “Echoes,” uses wire-tight guitar leads and foreboding synths to create an atmosphere that is then infused with a dark, spectral energy by their rumbling rhythm section and the powerful, hypnotic voice of frontman Will Canning. For a band that had already hit a high-water mark with 2017 debut LP Standing At The Edge Of The World, it’s a pleasantly surprising ascension to new heights. That’s certainly something you’ll want to experience, as is the set that you’ll get from Death Bells tourmates Narrow Head, who are tapping into that same sort of super-loud shoegaze sound that Jesu and Nothing have done so well with. Norfolk post-punkers True Body and RVA goth-peacepunk band Serqet round out this incredible bill, taking place within the refined halls of Capital Ale House. How strangely appropriate.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Friday, September 28, 7:30 PM
Meg Myers, Adam Jones @ The NorVA – $18 in advance/$22 at the door (order tickets HERE)
Meg Myers is a new discovery for me, but I really dig her. Her latest album, Take Me To The Disco, has a variety of different sounds going on at once, to the point that it’s hard to know what genre it is or how to even describe it. The best I can tell you is that it should appeal to fans of everything from Bat For Lashes to Garbage to Florence And The Machine; it has that sort of dark postpunk appeal while also incorporating a strong electronically-based pop songwriting sense.

Despite the use of the word “disco” in the title of her latest record, there’s no dance music here — you’re more likely to find crunchy guitars running up against programmed beats, like the best of the post-Nirvana 90s meeting the progressive alt sounds of the 21st century. It is at times tough to categorize, but it’s just as tough to dislike — Meg Myers is a talented lady with a ton of emotional intensity injected into her music, and you’re sure to feel the effects, especially when it’s all happening right in front of you in a live environment.

Saturday, September 29, 7 PM
Super Whatevr, Beach Goons, Dube, Morningside, Party Wave @ 37th and Zen – $12 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
I’ve seen a lot of different ways to render the word “whatever” over the years, from people making a “W” with their fingers to a fad amongst my friends back at the dawn of the current millennium to say “whatev” or even “whatev2k” (boy, that’s aged poorly). I’ve never seen “whatevr” before, but in this time of dropping vowels to look cool, I’m not surprised — just kind of amazed that Super Whatevr don’t write their name in all caps. But I’m actually glad they don’t, because this California alt-rock band have a much more fun and creative sound than I’d expect from any band pulling the MGMT move in 2018.

Their new album, Never Nothing, is full of catchy choruses and bouncy rhythms, mixing a bit of the ol’ emo revival with that disco-fied garage rock thing that a bunch of bands used to make hay while the sun was shining around the turn of the millennium — think the Strokes, Franz Ferdinand, etc. Why am I talking so much about the Y2K era? Maybe this band put me in the mood — but considering how great music was back then, it’s certainly not a bad thing. They’re joined by fellow Californian rock revivalists Beach Goons, who are capable of evoking everything from mid-60s garage raunch to late 50s teenage-queen balladry. Canadian group Dube will also be on the bill, bringing a similarly fun brand of loud-guitar rock n’ roll. If you wanna dance, this show is really where you’re gonna want to be this Saturday. These groups will get you moving.

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

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

VA Shows You Must See This Week: August 15 – August 21

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FEATURED SHOW
Thursday, August 16, 8 PM
Big Freedia, Jafar Flowers, Sofia Lakis, DJ Skrt Skrt @ The Broadberry – $20 in advance/$22 day of show (order tickets HERE)
The Queen Of Bounce is back! Big Freedia is one of the foremost practitioners of the New Orleans-based style of music known as bounce, and she’s brought the sound worldwide with an LGBTQ-centered presentation and a collection of nuclear-powered dance floor bangers. She had a big moment here in RVA several years ago, getting huge crowds of people dancing everywhere in town, from The Hat Factory to Hadad’s Lake. It’s been a couple of years since Freedia has hit town, but she’s here to get booties shaking once again tomorrow night at The Broadberry. And if you’re not ready for the dance explosion that will take place once she hits the stage, you better start limbering up now.

It’s been four years since Freedia’s 2014 LP, Just Be Free, entered the world, and she’s been busy with a variety of projects, from a book and a Christmas album to working with Beyonce on “Formation,” but she’s back with 3rd Ward Bounce, a brand new EP that is her first major-label release. Her sound is still the sort of nonstop parade of banging beats that it’s always been, but new singles like “Rent” introduce a bit more dynamics into the mix — it no longer has quite the same sensory-overload quality of groundbreaking early singles like “Y’all Get Back Now.” But if you think Freedia’s music is going to be a less powerful inducement to getting on the floor and shaking that azz, you’ve got another think coming.

So get out your dancing shoes and get ready to lose control at the Broadberry tomorrow night. And get there on time, because the festivities will start well before Big Freedia takes the stage. The DJs of Ice Cream Support Group will be on hand to open things up; back-to-back sets from DJ Skrt Skrt, Sofia Lakis, and Jafar Flowers will get the party turned up to the maximum velocity, and do a great job of representing Richmond’s POC and LGBTQ communities in the bargain. This one’s gonna be epic; whether you’ve caught Big Freedia in the past or this is your first time encountering the reigning diva of bounce, you need to be at The Broadberry for this one.

Wednesday, August 15, 8 PM
Band Of Horses, Bonny Doon @ The National – $27.50 in advance/$33 at the door (order tickets HERE)
I admit it — I’ve always had a soft spot for Band Of Horses. Their melodic indie sound, which mingles dashes of alt-country twang and folk atmosphere into a mix of incredibly tuneful choruses and subtly infectious guitar melodies, has always had the ability to connect on that same gorgeously emotional level that the best work of Wilco and My Morning Jacket hits. They’ve had a variety of lineup shifts since their excellent 2006 debut LP, Everything All The Time, but leader Ben Bridwell has kept things together smoothly throughout that time, and continued to explore intriguing new facets of the group’s sound on each new release.

Their latest LP, Why Are You OK, saw the band (of horses) get together with Grandaddy leader Jason Lytle to add a few more electronic ingredients to their sound, with fabulous results. But really, it’s just more of what we’ve come to expect; from recent singles like “Casual Party” to the old-school favorites like “Funeral,” Band Of Horses have plenty of excellent songs at their disposal. And now they come to The National to present fans who’ve stuck with them over the past decade with a collection of gorgeous tunes that are sure to put a smile on anyone’s face — even if you’re just discovering them now. Don’t miss the boat.

Thursday, August 16, 8 PM
Enemy Soil, Suppression, Ampallang Infection, Disintegration @ Strange Matter – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Here’s a huge treat for grindcore lovers past, present, and future. Enemy Soil, one of the most brutal and prolific bands of the 90s grind/power-violence heyday, have returned to action once again. Founder and only constant member Richard Johnson, affectionately known as “the grindfather,” is taking some time away from his current project, Drugs Of Faith, to resurrect the band that originally brought him fame. And while Enemy Soil spent a considerable portion of their career existing as a drum-machine backed mostly-solo project, this reunion brings back several original members of the group to restore the full-band lineup that (in my humble opinion, at least) was responsible for their best stuff.

And see, this is where you should really get stoked. Because this lineup features some real heavyweights, including longtime Enemy Soil bassist Russ Mason, also of Reeking Cross; drummer Adam Perry, who longtime Richmonders will remember from his tenure with chaos masters PCP Roadblock; and vocalist JR Hayes of Pig Destroyer. From lightspeed grind slaughteramas to brutally heavy breakdowns, this group has it all, and this lineup is the perfect one to bring their outstanding sound to light once again. 90s grind survivors and certified hometown weirdos Suppression will join Enemy Soil on this gig to make it a double dose of legendary VA blastbeat insanity. Plus, we’ll get sets from DC drum-machine grind maniacs Ampallang Infection (um, ouch) and RVA thrash-grinders Disintegration, just to sweeten the pot. Outstanding.

Friday, August 17, 6 PM
Sports Bar, New Lions, Magnus Lush, Naked Pictures @ Hardywood – Free!
Ah, Sports Bar. You’ve gotta love these guys, no matter how slack they are. And make no mistake, Sports Bar are slackers. They’ve released three songs in the past four years. They’re still using a 2010 quote from this magazine in their promo material, even though we’ve written about them several times since then. They don’t even play shows very often anymore — this Friday’s Hardywood appearance is their first Richmond show since early spring. But all of that is 100 percent OK, because when they do get material out, it’s invariably outstanding. From “Get Da Body” to “I Was Going To Shave My Beard, But I Took A Nap Instead” to “Big Mac Yeah” to “Roll High, Lie Well (Kuriki),” their catalog is full of catchy classics that’ll stick in your head for weeks after you hear them.

And they’ve got a whole lot more of them for you in the coming months. Eight years after getting together, Sports Bar is finally about to release their debut LP, and while it doesn’t officially come out until October, the word is they have copies. Will you be able to score one for yourself at this show? I have no idea — but I do think it’s pretty highly likely you’ll at least hear a few tunes from it during Sports Bar’s set. And that’s worth coming out for right there — especially since this show, part of Hardywood’s ongoing “Fresh Can Friday” series, is absolutely free! You’ll get sets from excellent RVA bands New Lions, Magnus Lush, and Naked Pictures as well, so you really don’t have any reason not to go. Show up ready to sing along — you’ll have plenty of opportunities.

Saturday, August 18, 8 PM
Lazer/Wulf, Backwoods Payback, Dumb Waiter, The Bronzed Chorus @ Strange Matter – $8 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
This show promises to be a festival of the senses for those of you who appreciate serious musical craftmanship, but also like it heavy and energetic as hell. Lazer/Wulf, an Atlanta band that reincarnates the classic spirit of RVA’s own (mostly) instrumental math gods, Breadwinner, and mingles that complex crunch with the shred-tastic power of Coalesce or the Dillinger Escape Plan, are coming to town to bowl us all over — and simultaneously inspire us to marvel at the complexity of their instrumentation and arrangements. Indeed, their 2014 LP, The Beast Of Left And Right, was “written as a musical palindrome,” with songs at the beginning of the album constructed as musical mirror images of songs at the end.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: How the hell does that work? Honestly, you don’t have to worry about it. Regardless of the multi-layered elements of their song structures, it’s simplicity itself to just let yourself be rocked like crazy by the pulverizingly heavy riffs this band dispenses. And they’ll be joined on this bill by the equally heavy (though far less instrumental) PA sludge-rock group Backwoods Payback, who recently drafted Erik Larson (Alabama Thunderpussy/Avail/Parasytic) to hold down the drum kit, as well as releasing an excellent new LP, Future Slum, earlier this month. If you don’t know this band, you’ll need to check it out. The bill is rounded out by instrumental tech-math wildmen The Bronzed Chorus and local jazz-thrash freaks Dumb Waiter, and you can expect to get a massive kick out of all involved. It may have nothing to do with lawnmowers, but this one’s gonna be fun regardless.

Sunday, August 19, 9 PM
Captive, The Concussion Theory, Curtana, Dr. No @ The Camel – $7 (order tickets HERE)
The emo scene in this town is kind of a well-kept secret, and if you ask me, that’s a real shame. We can all help shed more light on some of the excellent bands plumbing the depths of this genre Sunday by heading out to The Camel, though. Captive might not strictly count as emo, at least by their own definition, and their ability to bust out some nearly prog-metal breakdowns — as demonstrated on 2016 concept album A Lost Dream; The Dreamer Lost — shows that if nothing else, they’re stretching the limits of the genre. But the way they always return to emotionally-resonant melodic choruses with a subtle underlying crunch, a la Moving Mountains or Hopesfall, shows where their roots lie.

Therefore, it makes a ton of sense to see them sharing a bill with The Concussion Theory, who’ve been making melodic yet passionate music here in Richmond for about half a decade now. Recently released EP Lament shows that they’ve only improved over the course of that time, as songs like “Simile Of Light” create the perfect mixture of driving rock riffs and emotionally-driven melodic choruses. They’re in completely different scenes, but these guys would probably appeal strongly to fans of fellow Richmonders Sea Of Storms (have these two bands really never played together?), and if you’re one of those, you should definitely make your way to the show this Sunday night. This all-local bill is rounded out by progressive instrumental guitar-slingers Curtana and Deftones-style metallic post-hardcore rockers Dr. No. Get familiar with it.

Monday, August 20, 7 PM
Antiphons, Treadles, Jupiter Styles, missangelbird @ The Camel – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Keeping up with the indie scene in this town is a full-time job, but it’s a really FUN full-time job, and you’re sure to have a blast at the Camel this Monday night when Antiphons headlines a group of indie bands from both within and outside of RVA. Antiphons themselves are taking solo form on this show; recent facebook posts indicate that the full-band version is still getting up to speed after some lineup changes, which means leader Brian Dove will be going this one alone. Tunes like “Benadryl” and “Human Bruise” are sure to reveal entirely new dimensions in the solo format, and maybe we’ll even get a stripped-down preview of some new material. We can hope.

New Orleans’ Treadles add a powerful inducement for attendance to this show on their own behalf. This quartet’s latest EP, Bees Are Thieves Too, shows that they’ve grown ably from their origins as a solo project into an excellent example of a complicatedly melodic indie rock band with a ton of tricks up their sleeves. They’re joined on this tour by Chicago’s Jupiter Styles, who have a bit more of an alt-garage slacker rock sound, full of wry irony and melodic sincerity. Both bands have an infectious spirit that’s sure to have you bopping along. Local opener missangelbird will kick things off with another solo set full of jangly-rockin’ indie tunes. The whole thing’s gonna be a blast.

Tuesday, August 21, 11 PM
The Impalers, Iron Reagan, Lipid @ En Su Boca – $8
Oh my goodness, all you hardcore punks and punked-out hardcore kids better get out your boots for this one, because the Impalers are gonna inspire a powerful urge within you to put down the tacos and start the pit. That’s my way of saying… get the munchies out of the way early at this one. It shouldn’t be hard, since this rager of a gig doesn’t even get going til 11 PM, but I want to make sure to emphasize the point, because The Impalers’ 2017 LP, Cellar Dweller, is such a nonstop blast of outta-control USHC/punk n’ roll riffs that once it gets going, you’ll have to either jump on the ride or get the hell out of the way. We humbly suggest the former.

You’ll have to be careful to have some energy left for the Impalers set, too, because with Iron Reagan going on right before them, the velocity’s sure to be high. Their last LP, Crossover Ministry, demonstrated that this project of Municipal Waste, Cannabis Corpse, and Suppression members has retained its masterful ability to bust out the exact sort of incredible mid-80s thrash-core that made the original wave of DRI and Suicidal Tendencies fans want to flip their hat-brims up and scribble slogans onto the underside. “IRON REAGAN” will fit under their with ease; grab your sharpie. This show will open up with a set from relative newcomers Lipid, who just released an EP full of snarky hardcore punk rage on Vinyl Conflict and are ready to drag the classic Dead Kennedys sound into the 21st century and kick off this show in proper fashion. Make sure you’re ready; this one’s gonna get nuts in a hurry.

Bonus Hampton Roads Picks:

Thursday, August 16, 8 PM
Ensepulcher, Organ Trail, Redundant Protoplasm, Kryptcest @ Riffhouse Pub – $5
As if there isn’t enough happening in Richmond on Thursday night, there’s also this incredible show happening just down the highway at Chesapeake’s Riffhouse Pub. It’s an appropriate name for a venue that will host Fresno, CA death metal trio Ensepulcher, a crew of no-frills headbangers who keep the classic sound alive in fine fashion on their debut EP, No Sanctity In Death. Subsonic guttural vocals join rumbling drums and downtuned axes cranking out classic Florida-style riffs that is eminently appropriate from members of Fiend and Acephalix. If the sounds of Autopsy, Dismember, and Left Hand Path-era Entombed are music to your ears, you’ll need to gas up the hatchback for this one.

PA’s Organ Trail are also on this bill, and anyone who caught them at the Tired & Pissed showcase last week will know that they’re the kind of band who’ll fit perfectly on this bill. Not quite as full of low-end as Ensepulcher, this band’s sound is nonetheless deep, dark and brutal; what’s more, it’s got the sort of gore-drenched over-the-top lyrical madness going on that makes Exhumed such a fun listen. This one’s appointment listening, for sure. The bill also features Redundant Protoplasm, whose name reminds me of Ren chastising Stimpy and whose song titles remind me of early Carcass’s medical-textbook examinations. Sonically, these guys are pure lo-fi death-grind, while fellow VA Beach group Kryptcest are pure low-end brutality. This one will be loud.

Monday, August 20, 8 PM
Pusha T, Valee @ The NorVA – $37.50 in advance/$43 at the door (order tickets HERE)
It’s not like I need to tell you who Pusha T is. Even if you’re not aware of hip hop at all, his beef with Drake this year has been at the forefront of pop culture news, and you’re sure to have heard. But if you actually pay attention to hip hop, you know that this beef is way, way down the list of reasons why you should hit The NorVA on Monday to see Tidewater native Pusha T headlining a show in his old stomping grounds. For one thing, there’s the legacy of amazing material left behind by the Clipse, the groundbreaking duo that originally brought Pusha and his brother, No Malice, to fame.

Since the Clipse dissolved, though, Pusha’s continued to make incredible music, most recently on Daytona, which was produced by Kanye West as part of his five-part “Wyoming Sessions” earlier this year. From LP tracks like the excellent “If You Know, You Know” and spooky-sounding single “What Would Meek Do” to the fiery Drake-diss single “The Story Of Adidon,” Push’s lyrical style can’t be touched right now, and the top-quality production provided by Kanye and others results in some of the best hip hop being made right now. And it’s out of Virginia — so what better place to see it brought to life onstage? This show’s gonna be off the hook. Make sure you’re part of it.

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

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: July 4 – July 10

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FEATURED SHOW
Saturday, July 7, 7 PM
Dumb Waiter, Piranha Rama, Naked Pictures @ Champion RVA – $6
Happy birthday, America! Or what’s left of it. Things are kinda going to hell out in the world, what with the guy running against Tim Kaine for a VA Senate seat having ties to white nationalists, Trump getting a chance to push the Supreme Court even farther right, and the steady erosion of civil rights for marginalized groups from African-Americans to the LGBTQ community. But you’ve heard enough about all that elsewhere on RVA Mag lately, right? It’s a holiday; those of us lucky enough to get a mid-week respite from work just want to eat some burgers, watch some fireworks, and forget all the world’s garbage for a day. So let’s ignore the country as a whole for the rest of this column, and focus on the rocking we’re gonna do for the rest of the week!

It’s been a long time — over two years, in fact — but Dumb Waiter has finally given us another dope beat to step to. Their third album, Heck, just came out this week, and they’re celebrating its release Saturday at Champion Brewing. Heck is a brief but wild affair, made up of three songs also named after the sorts of exclamations people say when they’re trying not to curse. Dumb Waiter’s unpredictable instrumental sound has taken a turn on this new release, moving away from the metallic underpinnings of their early efforts to focus on a more atmospheric sound that incorporates progressive rock and technical jazz-fusion licks into something entirely this band’s own.

As with their previous releases, Dumb Waiter’s latest record remains a challenging, complex listen that deserves its fair share of headphone time. However, these riffs can also do a great job of getting crowds excited and moving in a live environment, and that’s sure to happen at Champion Saturday night. With buzzworthy new garage-rockers Piranha Rama on the bill, as well as hard-hitting post-hardcore band Naked Pictures, the joint will be jumping even before Dumb Waiter comes on. When they hit you with their new jams, the whole evening will be taken to another level. Strap in — you may not know quite where they’re taking you, but you’re sure to enjoy the ride.

Thursday, July 5, 8 PM
Trouble Boys, BBQT, Bad Magic, Nightcreature @ Strange Matter – $8 (order tickets HERE)
Going back to work on Thursday after having Wednesday off to watch fireworks will be a hell of a comedown, but you shouldn’t let it ruin your week, especially when that evening has a heavy dose of rock n’ roll in store for you. Austin rock n’ rollers Trouble Boys may or may not have anything to do with that Replacements bio that came out a few years ago; if they do take any influence from the ‘mats, it comes from the early, noisy stuff like Stink, but Trouble Boys mix the early Replacements’ ragged-but-right take on pedal-to-the-metal punk with a garage-infused punk n’ roll swagger that mixes AC/DC with the Dictators. And who can complain about that?

Trouble Boys will roll into town accompanied by BBQT, another Austin rock n’ roll crew. These rockers have a brand new album, Let’s Go!, to bring to your waiting ears, and it is if anything even better than the classic Rancid album you usually associate with that title. The rollicking, string-bending riffs and sassy vocals are enough to bring images of The Runaways and Sheer Mag to mind, and all you rock n’ rollers are gonna dance all night to these catchy, bouncy jams. Local support comes to us from talented vets Bad Magic and newcoming locals Nightcreature, who bring us wild n’ crazy rockin’ from the maniacs who brought us The You Go Girls and the Milkstains. Awesome.

Friday, July 6, 8 PM
Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Shamir @ The National – $17.50 in advance/$20.50 day of show (order tickets HERE)
Unknown Mortal Orchestra will take the stage at The National this Friday night, and it’s fascinating to contemplate the possibilities of this group’s claustrophobic psychedelia unleashed in a full-scale venue like this one. While their dense, noisy sound has clearly reached its apotheosis on new LP Sex And Food, released a few months ago, a whole different dimension of that sound is sure to be opened up once the band journeys up from the basement where their sound finds its home and lets it all bounce off the high, vaulted ceilings of the National.

Regardless of what happens when they kick off their set this Friday night, though, it’s sure to be an unforgettable experience for their many fans in attendance. After all, frontman Ruban Neilson’s soulful vocals and wild guitars mingle intriguingly with synth sounds on this album to create a vast new palette of sound within their still-quite-cramped sonic atmospheres. The melodies that come to the fore are just as sure to hook directly into your brain in a live environment as they do when you listen alone in the dark through headphones (OK, maybe that’s just me). And the best part is that it’ll be a huge communal trip, on which Neilson and co. will take the whole city. The fact that uncategorizable vocal virtuoso Shamir is opening the show only sweetens the pot. Get your ticket and take this ride. You won’t regret it.

Saturday, July 7, 9 PM
Sammi Lanzetta, LeAnna Eden and the Garden Of, Deau Eyes @ The Camel – $8 in advance/$10 at the door (order tickets HERE)
If it’s been a while since you caught up with Sammi Lanzetta, it may be time to check back in. This exuberant young singer-songwriter hasn’t slowed down since the release last fall of her EP, For Avery, which remains an excellent display of power-pop hooks, catchy guitar leads, and Lanzetta’s excellent voice. She and her backing band are a consistent source of musical excellence, one you should let into your life on a regular basis if you want to preserve your emotional health.

And there’s an even better reason to check out this particular show — the fact that Lanzetta and co. are paired with the excellently named North Carolina group LeAnna Eden and The Garden Of (the acronym is even good — LETGO). This band evolved out of frontwoman Eden finding herself stranded in Charlotte on a long-term basis, but has a powerful, celebratory vibe on their 2017 self-titled EP. That vibe arises from the powerful combo of Eden’s incredible voice and erudite lyricism, and the heavy guitars that give this band its memorable punch. You’ll get rocked by this Charlotte crew when they roll through town, and both Lanzetta and catchy power-pop crew Deau Eyes (who still only have one song out, but we won’t hold that against them) will provide excellent local support. Don’t skip out on this one.

Sunday, July 8, 6 PM
Exmortus, The Absence, Hatchet, Blackwater Reserve, Caustik @ The Canal Club – $13 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
We’re over halfway through the column now, and I know there’s at least a portion of my readership that are starting to get antsy. “Where’s the metal?” I hear you muttering. “I need something to bang my head to!” Don’t worry, people — I got you. And so does The Canal Club, with this killer Sunday evening show bringing a strong dose of metal power to your waiting ears. Exmortus have been around for a while now, but this Cali metal band just released their fifth album full of lock-tight death metal rage and songs about eternal battle, The Sound Of Steel, and any of y’all who wish Marduk or early Cryptopsy were a little less in love with blast beats should definitely get down with it.

These guys will slay all comers at the Canal Club Sunday night, but they’re just the beginning of what this jam-packed bill has to offer. Floridian shredders The Absence draw from a lengthy legacy of death metal mastery from their home state, and do their best to live up to that powerful tradition not by aping the legends of Morrisound past but by putting their own spin on thrashing, technical death rage. They do this most effectively, especially on new album A Gift For The Obsessed, by integrating the melodic Scandinavian touches of Gothenburg legends like At The Gates and In Flames into their powerful riff-o-rama. To top it off, we’ve also got San Francisco thrashers Hatchet on the bill, and these guys just straight-up rip it to shreds, with some distinct resemblances to local legends Battlemaster, along with some strong Exodus vibes as well (that’s that Bay Area style). Add in openers Blackwater Reserve and Caustik and you’ve got enough metal to carry you through the entire month! Just what the doctor ordered, right?

Monday, July 9, 8 PM
Appalachian Terror Unit, Amara, Destruct, Lipid @ Strange Matter – $8 (order tickets HERE)
For those of us who know all too well the conflicted legacy of growing up in the American South, where there are amazing people and beautiful landscapes rooted within a history of economic oppression and unjust wars, a band like Appalachian Terror Unit is sure to hit very close to home. This long-running crust-punk quartet comes from the heart of West Virginia coal country, and have long turned their breakneck punk rage on the negative elements of the South that have kept the wonderful aspects of this region from rising to the top.

From environmental devastation to racial oppression and the patriarchal rape culture we’re all trying to live through, Appalachian Terror Unit focus their fury on the things that keep us down, and I for one am here for it. They haven’t released any substantial new work since their 2015 LP We Don’t Need Them, but a band like this doesn’t need to be incredibly prolific to get the message across. All you black-clad politically-informed punks need to come hear what Appalachian Terror Unit are bringing to you this Monday night at Strange Matter, regardless of whether you like to circle pit, raise your fist, or just absorb the ideas this group is presenting to you. You’re sure to get a lot out of it, most definitely including some filthy n’ furious hardcore-punk riffs.

Tuesday, July 10, 8 PM
Kee Avil, Black Plastic, Lounge Lizzard, Ashes @ Strange Matter – $7
And now for something completely different. Kee Avil is a strange but hypnotic musical project from Montreal that brings solo voice and guitar into a new environment through use of samples, electronics, and improvisation. They released a self-titled EP earlier this year, and while some of it definitely sounds like the thing you’d expect from a person singing quietly and playing an electric guitar, other sections completely upend those expectations with jarring noise and unpredictable looping electronic sounds. I can’t tell you exactly what to expect from the live version of Kee Avil, but I can tell you that it won’t be predictable.

As for Black Plastic, I’m finally beginning to figure some things out about this local band, who’ve remained a mystery to me when writing these columns for quite a while. The fact that they used to be called Fall Seattle, and an earlier lineup released an entire LP of slightly shoegazey pop under that name, helps me understand what this band who’s only had one song on bandcamp for the past year are really about. One thing’s for sure — these guys have an adeptness with a pop melody that must be experienced. Other local groups joining them on this bill include Lounge Lizzard, another new group with no real recordings out there; this one features members of Toxic Moxie, Cremains, The Donalds, and Pissing Contest, though, so you have that to go on. Local stalwarts Ashes will open things up with their brand of noisy indie pop goodness. It’s a sure-fire recipe for a winning show. Get yourself a taste.

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Email me if you’ve got any tips for me about upcoming shows (that take place after the week this column covers–this week’s column has obviously already been written): [email protected] [and yeah, in case you’re wondering, more awesomeness from my cracked and bleeding fingertips is available at GayRVA — come say hey.]

Top photo by Craig Zirpolo

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond