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Ahead Of Their First Official Tour, Majjin Boo Get Criminal

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Coronavirus has led to the cancellation of their first official tour, but regardless, today, Richmond indie band Majjin Boo is releasing the first video from their Egghunt Records debut, Go Between.

UPDATE, 3/12/20, 3 PM: Due to concerns over coronavirus, Majjin Boo has announced that they will cancel their planned tour. Original article follows:

The melodic tangle of Majjin Boo’s interweaving melodies and complex guitar arrangements has been the most intriguing sound to come out of the Richmond indie scene in the last several years, and we’re not the only ones who’ve noticed — their excellent debut LP, Go Between, was released late last year by Richmond tastemakers Egghunt Records (who previously brought you Lucy Dacus, among others).

Now the talented sextet are preparing to head out on their first real tour — a weeklong jaunt that was previously intended to culminate with a performance at the legendary SXSW… that is, until coronavirus happened. But regardless of the high-profile festival’s cancellation, the group is still planning to regale several east coast and midwestern cities with their enchanting sounds — and before they do, they’re sharing the video for Go Between’s leadoff track, “Criminal,” with RVA Magazine. And we’re passing it along to you now!

Alternating between lovely images of pastoral forest and meadow scenes and some downright weird shots of masked figures that stalk those forests and meadows with unclear yet ominous intent, the video is both beautiful — as befits the accompaniment for such a lovely song — and creepy in an Eyes Wide Shut sort of way. What’s behind that mysterious bunny mask? What’s in that strange building deep in the forest? The ritual that brings the video to an end may shed some light on things… but you’re bound to be left with quite a few questions as well.

But don’t get caught up pondering what it all means; instead, you should head to Poor Boys on Thursday, March 12 (that’s tonight!) to enjoy one last Majjin Boo set before they shove off on their now-unfortunately-abbreviated tour. They’ll be sharing the bill with Egghunt labelmates Clever Girls, who hail from Vermont, as well as Richmond locals Strawberry Moon and Benet. On the whole, it should be delightful. Learn more here, and make sure you’re in the house tonight at Poor Boys, located at 203 N. Lombardy St. At only $5, it’s well worth the price you pay to get in (one we promise doesn’t involve anyone wearing a bunny mask).

Top Photo by Andre Magalhaes

VA Shows You Must See This Week: March 4 – March 10

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FEATURED SHOW
Friday, March 6, 7 PM
RVA Game Jams presents Split/Screen: A Video Games Themed First Friday Art Show, feat. Buzzard Dust, Ages, Gull, Mister Earthbound, Danet Jackson, F1NG3RS @ Gallery 5 – Free!
Sometimes, you guys, the world is just a major letdown. At those times it can be easy to get overwhelmed and feel like taking to your bed, pulling the covers over your head, and not coming out for six months. But take heart — there are still things worth being awake and in the world for. One of those is happening this Friday night, as RVA Game Jams partners up with Gallery 5 to bring us a First Friday art opening with a bit of a twist — it’s entirely focused on video games.

This event is a celebration of indie games in the Richmond area, and will feature playable demos of half a dozen games by local creators, including memorably named examples like Not Safe For Bugs and Deer In The Headlights. You’ll get a chance to check out art and artifacts from the creative process of video game development, as well as the opportunity to play these games yourself. And you’ll get to hear some really great tunes from local musicians while you’re at it!

Between rounds of the playable demos, you’ll enjoy sounds from Buzzard Dust, the fiery blackened thrash group who last released an LP on Richmond’s own Forcefield Records back in 2017. Word has it they’ve got a grip of new material to lay on us, though, so get stoked for that. Plus there’ll be a performance from Ages, the latest project from former Magnus Lush leader Age Shurte and talented members of other rad local groups like Weird Tears and Dumb Waiter. And we’ve still only scratched the surface, as several other area performers, from the almighty Gull to the psych-stoner jams of Mister Earthbound, as well as the video-game inspired electronica of F1NG3RS, are all on tap for the night as well. Let the often-solitary pursuit of video games be an opportunity for connecting with the world, and head over to Gallery 5 this Friday night. It’s better than hiding in bed — I promise.

Wednesday, March 4, 7 PM
Mind Shrine, Majjin Boo, Alfred., Castle OG, Shormey @ The Camel – $8 (order tickets HERE)
Mind Shrine may be from Texas, but things will be getting downright tropical, at least in a musical sense, at The Camel tonight when this catchy quartet brings their remarkable sound to town. On their recent self-titled EP, Houston’s Mind Shrine create a warmly glowing pop sound with roots in both smooth 70s AM radio sounds and the music of Brazilian leading lights like Caetono Veloso and Os Mutantes, but fed through an undeniable 21st century indie filter, resulting in pure indie-pop gold. You’re going to want to dive into the warm, sunny sounds this band produces, and the Camel’s giving you the perfect opportunity tonight.

The evening will also present a set from Majjin Boo, who released my favorite Richmond music of 2019 and still have a very secure place in my heart two months into the new year. If you’re not on their wavelength yet, now’s the time. You’ll also have the chance to catch excellent musicians Alfred and Shormey just before they leave town together on a pre-SXSW tour that will culminate with them performing at that legendary Austin, Texas music fest later this month. And of course, Castle OG will round out the bill with some rad local indie sounds. You’re not going to want to miss a minute of this one — so make sure you don’t.

Thursday, March 5, 9 PM
Triumvir Foul, Human Agony, Antichrist Siege Machine, Predation @ Wonderland – $10
That place on the spectrum of musical genre where death metal meets filthy lo-fi noise is a fascinating one for me personally, as it reflects a lot of the turmoil I find myself dealing with on a daily basis. If you, like me, are someone who has your fair share of mental struggles, you might find yourself connecting with Triumvir Foul, the Portland-based death-black-thrash group whose 2019 EP, Urine Of Abomination, covers old-school Autopsy-style death brutality with a rumbling haze of foreboding terror. In other words, it’s fucking awesome. And you’re going to want to see how it translates live.

Meanwhile, Triumvir Foul’s Invictus Productions labelmates, Human Agony, hail from across the northern border in Vancouver and bring a more grinding speed-metal assault on their most recent LP, Putrescence of Calvary, with just as much of the ominous lo-fi grit as Triumvir Foul has to offer. These two groups should make a great team — and locals Antichrist Siege Machine are the perfect complement, bringing the sort of unrelenting death metal rage they displayed on 2019’s Schism Perpetration to the Wonderland stage this Thursday night. They’ll be accompanied by mysterious noise project Predation, who I hear has something to do with Division Of Mind, but that’s all I can tell you. Assuage your inner turmoil with some outer turmoil at this show. You’ll thank me later.

Friday, March 6, 10 PM
Ant The Symbol’s City Dawgz Takeover, feat. Sneeze, Reppa Ton, Rah Scrilla, Ben FM, PT, DJ Elliot Ness @ City Dogs – Free!
Ant The Symbol’s always up to some interesting things, and in 2020, that definitely has not changed. 2019 saw the veteran RVA hip hop producer release The What?!, a dozen tracks featuring a who’s who of the city’s best MCs dropping rhymes overtop of Ant’s always-killer productions. Now in 2020, he’s surprised us all with a follow-up, Holyfield, featuring new versions of all of the songs from The What?! along with a few entirely new tracks. From my initial lessons, I’d guess he took the vocal tracks from The What?! and laid them over new productions; and since Ant’s productions are always the stars of the show, that makes it damn close to an entirely new album only a few months removed from the last one. That’s something worth throwing a party for.

So that’s what Ant The Symbol will be doing this Friday night at City Dogs, as he enlivens this hot dog shop with a variety of leading MCs from around the city, almost all of whom (with the exception of Sneeze) appear on Holyfield, The What?!, or both. DJ Elliot Ness is providing the music, and rappers who should need no introduction to Richmond hip hop heads, such as Reppa Ton, Rah Scrilla, Ben FM, and PT will contribute the rhymes. This leaves Ant The Symbol to hawk copies of the new Holyfield CD, contribute the tracks that Elliot Ness spins, and hang out with his many talented friends. Come chill with Ant The Symbol this Friday night, hear some great rhymes and dope beats, grab a copy of the new CD, and have a couple chili dogs while you’re at it. You won’t regret it.

Saturday, March 7, 8 PM
Addy, Spooky Cool, Young Scum, Castle OG @ Gallery 5 – $7 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
It still feels to me like Addy are a relatively new band on the Richmond scene. Therefore it’s kind of wild to note that they are just about to release their first LP on emo heavy-hitters Topshelf Records — but I’m definitely happy for them, and to see them representing Richmond so well. At Gallery 5 this Saturday night, they’ll be celebrating their debut full-length, Eclipse, which finds the group, originally a minimalist solo project of leader Adam Watkins, moving toward more of a group identity as their current four-piece lineup becomes the focus of their recorded sound.

On Eclipse‘s early singles, we hear Addy embracing a warm, laid-back version of the indie sound, one that definitely pulls in a little Southern flavor to spice things up country-style. There’s an undeniable charm to this band’s aural presence, and that’s sure to translate with ease to the live environment created at Gallery 5 Saturday night. Addy will be accompanied on this joyful musical evening by a few other great Richmond indie groups, including Young Scum, Spooky Cool, and Castle OG, but their new LP is what the evening is all about, so bring a few extra bucks to pick up a copy for yourself, and enjoy a pleasant evening enveloped by the wonderful sounds of Richmond, Virginia.

Sunday, March 8, 7 PM
Lance Bangs, The Firnats, You’re Jovian, Magic Wand @ The Camel – $8 (order tickets HERE)
The Citrus City Sunday residency at the Camel is such a boon to Richmond music, I swear — every time it rolls around, we get a wonderful mix of mainstays from one of Richmond’s leading indie labels and new sounds you might not expect but are always a pleasant surprise. This time around, we’re getting a little more of the known quantities than the unknown delights, but it’s very hard to complain when the known quantity at the top of the bill is Lance Bangs, the slacker-rock trio who’ve slipped into a quieter presence on the Richmond scene recently but still have a ton of excellent tunes to brighten your Sunday evening with. If it’s been a while since you’ve caught these guys live, remember what it was you dug about them so much to begin with this Sunday night at the Camel.

And make sure you show up on time for the other musical delights Citrus City has to offer this evening — rest assured, they are plentiful. The Firnats, who are currently working towards the release of a new album sometime this year, have been described to me as 50s doo-wop and 90s grunge, and as crazy as that sounds, it’s pretty much dead-on — and a very enjoyable listen that will appeal to the indie kids and Future Islands fans out there. You’re Jovian’s Norfolk-based shoegaze sound has been an underrated fave of mine for years, and I’m glad to see them making it up to Richmond more lately. If you don’t know the deal, find out on Sunday — you won’t be sorry. Melodic punk-grunge newbies Magic Wand will kick this evening off with a shot of much-needed energy. Come out to this one — it’ll be a blast.

Monday, March 9, 7:30 PM
Michale Graves, JJ Speaks @ Another Round Bar & Grill – $10 in advance/$15 at the door (order tickets HERE)
How you feel about this event is sure to depend to some extent on what the 90s were like for you. Back then, Glenn Danzig’s original punk band, The Misfits, had a revival in which brothers Jerry Only (bass) and Doyle (guitar) revived the long-dormant project with a new vocalist and some new material. Michale Graves was that new vocalist, and while people who’d grown up with the original Danzig-fronted Misfits were often dismissive of late-90s Graves-fronted releases like American Psycho, those records accumulated a strong following amongst the younger set — many of whom, thirtysomethings today — no doubt hold warm memories of Michale Graves-era Misfits in their hearts.

For those kids — and really, for any of us willing to give an aging punk rocker’s solo project a chance — this acoustic evening with Michale Graves at Another Round should be a treat. His acoustic performances find him bringing new power both to late-90s Misfits songs he wrote and material from his many solo albums since he left that group, all by himself with just an acoustic guitar and his strong, powerful voice. If you have a soft spot for “Dig Up Her Bones” or “Die Monster Die,” you’ll hear them in a whole new way this Monday night at Another Round. You won’t want to miss that.

Tuesday, March 10, 8 PM
Robbie Fulks, Jenny Scheinman @ The Tin Pan – $20 (order tickets HERE)
Based solely on talent, Robbie Fulks should be an outright legend in the country world. However, he’s never completely gotten his due in Nashville circles, partly because he has never been willing to play along with the way the country music industry works. For evidence of that fact, look no further than his classic tune about Music City, the memorably titled “Fuck This Town.” Thankfully, his cult following his given him a viable career over the last few decades, and he’s been able to follow his muse in a variety of fruitful directions.

Fulks’ latest move is one that shows why you should expect the unexpected from this talented songwriter — last year, he self-released a vinyl-only double LP called 16, which is a track-for-track reinterpretation of the long-maligned late-70s Bob Dylan album, Street Legal. That might sound like a recipe for disaster, but Fulks and his band find gold amid the critically-reviled nadir of Dylan’s career. They’ll surely demonstrate this with their Tuesday night show at the Tin Pan; whether Fulks does a whole bunch of Dylan tunes or sticks to his own delightful catalog, this is a musical evening that’s sure to delight all comers.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Friday, March 6, 9 PM
VV, Community Witch, Dysphonia, LEYA @ Taphouse Grill (Norfolk) – $5
Whether you’re a Richmond reader facing the prospect of an hour-plus drive to catch this show by a local favorite or a Tidewater denizen wondering what this RVA band has to offer, I can’t help but encourage you all to make your way to the Taphouse Grill this Friday night to catch VV. This Richmond postpunk foursome brings a harsh undercurrent of horror to their rumbling, dissonant sound on III, the EP they released in January that constitutes their first new material in over two years. If you didn’t catch up with VV a couple years ago when they first arrived on the scene, you should definitely get familiar with what they do now that they’re back in action. This group definitely brings the noise.

They’ll be performing with three homegrown Tidewater musical projects, all of whom bring the outsider punk vibes in plentiful amounts. Community Witch have a charming yet spooky lo-fi rumble to their jangle-punk sound. Dysphonia are hard to find evidence of online, but appear to have a bit more of a jangly indie vibe, one with a bit more melody than the other two groups we’ve discussed so far. And LEYA are just downright odd, but in a riveting manner. So this one is sure to both surprise and enlighten you. Expect the unexpected.

Tuesday, March 10, 7:30 PM
Dead Kennedys, DOA, Demons @ The NorVA (Norfolk) – $22.50 in advance/$27.50 at the door (order tickets HERE)
To all the aging punks out there, I’m sure it seems just as weird to you as it does to me that the Dead Kennedys have been around for longer without frontman, chief songwriter, and punk godfather Jello Biafra on vocals than they ever were with Biafra. But of course, in their post-Biafra incarnation, they’re pretty much a nostalgia act, mainly performing classics from the band’s original early-80s era, and releasing nothing more than a live album or two since they regrouped in the early 00s.

So why go see them? Well, because you certainly won’t ever see them with Biafra on vocals again, and this is the next best thing. Because they’re only gonna play old stuff you already know and love. Because if you can enjoy a DK’s tribute act at a Halloween covers show, you can certainly enjoy one featuring most of the original band. And because Canadian punk legends DOA and Hampton Roads hardcore group Demons are both on the bill as well. The cumulative whole of what this show has to offer is worth appreciating, even if it doesn’t feature Jello Biafra behind the microphone. So enjoy it, and don’t worry too much about the provenance.

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Email me if you’ve got any tips for me about upcoming shows (that take place after the week this column covers -– this week’s column has obviously already been written): [email protected]

Top Photo by Carl Raw on Unsplash

VA Shows You Must See This Week: February 12 – February 18

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FEATURED SHOW
Sunday, February 16, 7 PM
Talk Me Off, Doll Baby, Pedals, Xed Out @ Gallery 5 – $8 (order tickets HERE)
Where music is concerned, Richmond always has a lot going on, and in recent years, that activity has spread across a more widespread spectrum of genres than ever. That’s to be applauded. At the same time, this city would lose something if our longtime status as a hotbed of punk rock ever were to dry up. Therefore the fact that there’s no sign of that happening anytime soon is certainly a great sign for Richmond’s musical health as we head into the roaring(-with-frustration) 20s.

The latest standard bearer for Richmond punk rock is Talk Me Off, a local trio with a knack for expressing the archetypal punk emotions of alienation and frustration through quick, peppy songs with driving beats and scraping guitars paired with an always-strong sense of melody that keeps the whole thing from being just another atonal blurt. Talk Me Off are on the cusp of releasing their debut LP, Cursed, on longtime Richmond punk label Say-10, and whether you love that classic punk sound to the very core of your being or are just looking for a good musical outlet for your frustrations at being alive in Trump’s America in 2020, Talk Me Off are in great position to provide you with your fix.

They’ll be releasing Cursed into the world at Gallery 5 this Sunday night, and you can expect its release to be accompanied by a fiery set of catchy uptempo tunes to get you bouncing. And in addition to Talk Me Off’s celebratory headlining set, you’ll also get some great sounds from an additional trio of Richmond punk bands. These include the twangy, emotional sounds of Doll Baby, the long-running folk-punk talents of Pedals (On Our Pirate Ships… I’m still not sure if the name has officially been shortened or not), and newcomers Xed Out, who feature former members of Smoke Or Fire and The Bled, so you know they’ve got a lot to offer. Be there for this one and appreciate the latest evolution of a storied Richmond tradition.

Wednesday, February 12, 7:30 PM
The Wood Brothers, Kat Wright @ The National – $23 in advance/$26 at door (order tickets HERE)
Where folk music is concerned, things can sometimes get a little predictable. However, the Wood Brothers manage to avoid this issue by bringing quirky influences and a wide-ranging background to bear on the songs they create. Singer-guitarist Oliver Wood consistently comes up with interesting lyrics that avoid cliche, while bassist Chris Wood brings a funky jazz approach into the group, derived from his longtime membership of legendary trio Medeski, Martin & Wood.

The Wood Brothers just released their eighth album, Kingdom In My Mind, a few weeks ago, and as fans have come to expect, it moves across a variety of different genres to dip into everything from folk and jazz to blues and soul. That broad musical sensibility is sure to result in a live performance that takes listeners to a variety of musical places, all of which the Wood Brothers will inhabit with sure-footed talent, and all of which are guaranteed to please you and make your Wednesday night a brighter, happier affair than it otherwise might be. And here in the midst of a listless Virginia winter, who doesn’t need that?

Thursday, February 13, 7 PM
Plastic Nancy, Deli Kings, Toward Space, Majjin Boo @ Poor Boys – $5
It feels like we just got into 2020, so it’s heartening to see what an active year the Richmond music scene is already having. Plastic Nancy and Prsmcat Presents are both good examples; the Majjin Boo/Spooky Cool-affiliated booking company has really ramped up the amount of good music coming out of Poor Boys and given that venue a shot in the arm that will help ensure that it’s a worthy successor to Flora and Balliceaux before it.

And at this Thursday’s latest locally-focused Prsmcat show, Richmond psych ensemble Plastic Nancy are celebrating the release of their latest album, which should certainly lend a candy-colored dayglo atmosphere to the early months of 2020 here in the river city. On Last Of The Electric Flowers, the boys of Plastic Nancy embrace an acid-drenched atmosphere that manages to avoid outright retro nods in favor of a 21st century sensibility that nonetheless captures the greatness of all those spaced-out bands of the late 60s that we know and love. Revel in the all-encompassing mood they create, and enjoy three other immensely talented RVA bands while you’re at it, at Poor Boys this Thursday night. You won’t be sorry.

Friday, February 14, 8 PM
Lightmare, ZunZun, Prabir Trio, Past Palms @ Gallery 5 – $5-7 (order tickets HERE)
I may be married now, but for a long time, Valentine’s Day was a big bummer of a holiday for me, so I know there are probably a lot of people out there just hoping Friday comes and goes as quickly and painlessly as possible. And Gallery 5/Raw Mom Presents’ Rivanna Youngpool knows this too, which is why she’s reviving her tradition of throwing big fun shows on Valentine’s Day for this Friday night shindig. If you were at either of the ridiculous Valentine’s Day shows that took place at Sour Haus back in the day, you know how amazing this evening has the potential to be — especially at Gallery 5, a place that’s much more able to handle the crowd this is likely to draw than the kitchen of our old place in Church Hill ever was.

It’s not just eating candy hearts and spending the evening with friends that’ll get us through this one emotionally unscathed, though — it’s really great music. And Raw Mom Presents has a killer lineup awaiting us this Friday night, topped by DC’s uncategorizable DIY powerhouse, Lightmare. Expect something somewhere between soul, punk, synth-pop, disco, and garage rock from this six-piece combo with creative energy to spare. I have no idea who ZunZun are (googling only turned up a husband-and-wife flute duo from California who I can’t imagine are on this bill), but it’ll certainly be interesting to find out, and we’ll get a set from the Prabir Trio, the latest vehicle to bring us the ever-reliable pop songcraft of Mr. Prabir Mehta. All that plus newcomer Past Palms — plus, I’d be willing to bet there will be sour hearts. I’m calling it now: Gallery 5 is where you need to be for V-Day this year.

Saturday, February 15, 8 PM
Nosebleed, Ugly Muscle, Sweeties, Phantómódel @ Boogaloo’s – Donations requested
Here’s a show that’s an awesome confluence of three things that are already awesome on their own: political action, tattoos, and hardcore punk. This punk-as-fuck gig at Brookland Park’s Boogaloo’s is coordinated with International Tattoo Flash Day, an initiative created by tattoo artists in Santiago, Chile and Atlanta, GA to get as many people as possible tattooed in support of Chilean political prisoners in the wake of a massive government crackdown against citizen protests that began last October. All money raised at the door of this gig will go toward the families of Chilean prisoners, so whether or not you’re into getting a tattoo yourself, you’ll be able to support the cause.

You’ll also be able to hear some excellent sounds from several local hardcore/punk groups, starting with Nosebleed, who’ve recently released a fierce, incendiary EP called Outside Looking In on hardcore powerhouse Triple B Records. Expect this set to be galvanizing in the extreme, and you can expect similar from Ugly Muscle, a slightly more ramshackle and chaotic combo that will nonetheless bring all the furious energy that Nosebleed contains to bear on its own set. Sweeties are much noisier and less melodic than their name would suggest, while Phantómódel, a new incarnation of Thin Pigeon, offer a postpunk sound full of moody energy. This will be a great night for a great cause — you should really be part of it.

Sunday, February 16, 6 PM
Mean Jeans, Brower, The Ar-Kaics, Sports Bar @ Hardywood – Free!
A lot of people credit the Ramones for having invented punk rock, and many of them feel that the music made by those four New York weirdos in leather jackets has never been improved on. Therefore, it can’t be too much of a surprise that, even after the Ramones spent over 20 years cranking out album after album of their stripped-down, razor-sharp, but always incredibly catchy tunes, there are still bands out here trying to find new ways to wring glory out of that classic Ramones sound.

That’s where Mean Jeans comes in. Having existed for over a decade now, this toe-tapping trio released their fifth album of Ramones-worshipping punk ditties, Gigantic Sike, last year on Fat Wreck Chords. And even if you’ve heard every Ramones song a thousand times, that album and this performance by Mean Jeans at Hardywood on Sunday are guaranteed to prove that there’s still magic left in that classic (one-two-three-)formula. The evening will also feature a performance from New York’s Brower, a glam-punk/power-pop solo project sure to keep you smiling. And of course, consistently talented Virginia punk rockers The Ar-Kaics and Sports Bar open this one up with the retro-garage rock and punky power-pop that you’ve respectively come to expect from them. Get stoked for this one.

Monday, February 17, 7 PM
Ceremony, Loud Night, Ghouli @ Gallery 5 – $13 in advance/$15 day of show (order tickets HERE)
A warning only necessary in Virginia: This show does not feature the group called Ceremony from central Virginia. However, a warning for hardcore kids who haven’t checked back with the Cali Ceremony in a while — this show doesn’t exactly feature the band that made Violence Violence in 2006, either. Oh sure, it’s still the same people, but for the past decade or so, they’ve been moving further and further afield from the fast, angry hardcore that made their name.

That’s really obvious on last year’s In The Spirit World Now, Ceremony’s sixth album and first in four years. Singer Ross Farrar long since traded his harsh bark for a Gang Of Four-ish yelp with occasional dips into outright melody, while the guitars and increasingly present synths have moved away from the distorted and atonal in favor of a UK postpunk sound that might remind you of Joy Division or Echo and the Bunnymen, but certainly not the harsh fastcore of Ceremony’s early albums. Nonetheless, there’s still a lot to love here, including a propulsive energy that takes a vastly different form but remains intact from the band’s earliest works, one that makes singles like “Turn Away The Bad Thing” every bit as essential as Rohnert Park once was. If you’re bummed Ceremony shows don’t feature massive pits anymore, you might be tempted to skip this one, but I encourage you to open your mind and give it a shot. This is sure to be a thrilling evening of musical bliss, even if it’s not quite what you once expected from this talented band.

Tuesday, February 18, 7 PM
Flor, Winnetka Bowling League, Castle OG @ The Broadberry – $15-18 (order tickets HERE)
There are some intriguing things happening in the world of guitar-based pop over the past couple of years, and the success of bands like the 1975 is heartening for anyone who was afraid this stuff was going to fall permanently out of the mainstream musical discourse a few years ago. LA’s Flor are in a prime position to benefit from this resurgence, as on their 2019 album Ley Lines, they dabble in a similar sort of delicate, bouncy pop as that of the 1975 — one that always focuses on the sounds created by the band’s guitars and voices, even though it’s never particularly harsh or loud.

Perhaps we’ve finally gotten far enough past Nirvana for the distorted paradigm they created to lose its lengthy period of ubiquity, and I know there’ll be some out there who are bummed out to think of that, but when bands like Flor are out here on tracks like “Slow Motion” showing how much can still be done with an approach that focuses on playful melodies and delicacy rather than noise, it’s hard to see it as all that tragic. See what sort of magic Flor is able to weave in the live environment at The Broadberry this Tuesday night, and learn to embrace the non-crunchy guitar wave.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Friday, February 14, 8 PM
Witchbaby @ Blue Moon Diner (Charlottesville) – Free!
An alternate approach to Valentine’s Day is available this Friday night in Charlottesville, and it’s being brought to you by Witchbaby, the mother-daughter combo of Catherine Monnes and Sally Rose. You may know Rose for her role at the heart of C-ville’s own Shagwuf, and both are members of the Sally Rose Band, which features a song in its repertoire entitled “Witchbaby” — so it all comes full circle. This stripped-down duo finds Monnes’ cello and electric violin joining with Rose’s guitar and both members’ voices to create a more intimate version of the psychedelic folk-rock the full-scale Sally Rose Band brings to you so consistently.

This Valentine’s Day appearance by Witchbaby at Charlottesville’s Blue Moon Diner is a free gathering offering a welcome space for all — whether lovers or lonely hearts — to spend a holiday that is often fraught and difficult on an emotional level. If you’re looking for your V-Day to be a quiet, pressure-free evening, Witchbaby’s soothing musical presence is sure to help you attain what you seek. And who knows, you might make a friend, or at least find a new musical love.

Saturday, February 15, 7:30 PM
Amanda Shires, LA Edwards @ The Jefferson Theater (Charlottesville) – $25 (order tickets HERE)
There are a few different reasons you might be aware of singer/fiddler Amanda Shires; her frequent collaborations with her husband Jason Isbell and his band the 400 Unit is one of them. Another is her role in The Highwomen, an all-female take on the classic outlaw-country supergroup The Highwaymen featuring Shires, Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, and Natalie Hemby.

However, it would be a bad idea to let her collaborations with other talented songwriters steal the spotlight from Shires’ own work as a bandleader, most recently showed off on 2018’s To The Sunset. On that album, her songwriting skills shine through in her evocative lyrics, even as the fuller sound her band on the album (which features Jason Isbell himself, returning the favor) takes her folk-country sound to a new level that, yes it’s true, outright rocks. You’ll be able to see her rock these tunes out for yourself at The Jefferson this Saturday night, but only because they moved this show up from The Southern after it sold out in a heartbeat. So yeah, get with the program if you haven’t already. Go see Amanda Shires.

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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]

VA Shows You Must See This Week: January 22 – January 28

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FEATURED SHOW
Prsmcat Birthday Bash Minifest
Friday, January 24, 8 PM
Spooky Cool (Photo by Joey Wharton), Deau Eyes, Kate Bollinger, SHE
Saturday, January 25, 8 PM
Sleepwalkers, Majjin Boo, Castle OG, Hollywood Cemetery
@Poor Boys – $12 in advance/$15 at door/$20 two-day pass (order tickets HERE)
It’s my birthday today; I am 44 years old, which means I’d only be considered “young” if I was running for President. But Prsmcat Presents is definitely younger — the up-and-coming RVA show booking concern is less than a year old at this point. Therefore, the Prsmcat Birthday Bash Minifest happening this weekend at Poor Boys is not actually a celebration for the booking group’s birthday but that of Prsmcat leader and Majjin Boo guitarist Zavi Yueske, who is… (checks notes) 16 years younger than me. Wow.

Let me stop worrying about how old I’m getting and move on by saying: Happy birthday, Zavi! His birthday gift is for the entire city’s music scene, as he’ll celebrate with this two-night, eight-band extravaganza of talented musicians from around Richmond and the central Virginia region. On Friday night, we get the double-dose of Richmond indie melodicism that is Spooky Cool and Deau Eyes. Both of these groups have exercised a “less-is-more” philosophy where recordings are concerned, which means you’ll surely hear some unrecorded tunes during both sets, and that’s a lovely thing from two world-class talents like these. Friday night will also feature Charlottesville singer-songwriter Kate Bollinger, whose laid-back, tuneful approach should pair well with the others on the bill.

Then Saturday night, Zavi gets to strut his stuff with Majjin Boo — who, in case I haven’t made it clear in this column before now, released the Richmond records I loved the most last year, the “Tension Rod”/”One Wing” single and Egghunt Records full-length Go Between. These guys are essential listening and will surely remain so going forward in 2020. They share Saturday night’s bill with fellow Richmond mainstays Sleepwalkers, who you should all know and love by now, as well as smooth-sounding indie mainstays Castle OG and difficult-to-google newcomers Hollywood Cemetery. Celebrate the wonderfulness Zavi Yueske brings into the world while enjoying that very wonderfulness all weekend at Poor Boys!

Wednesday, January 22, 7 PM
The Adicts, No-Heads, Talk Me Off @ The Broadberry – $25 (order tickets HERE)
If you’ve paid attention to UK punk anytime in the last four decades, you’re sure to have heard of the Adicts. This catchy melodic punk band styled themselves after the droogs of Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, and have been cutting a memorable figure in the world of punk since they broke out with 1981 debut LP Songs Of Praise. Their singalong choruses are infectious enough that they’ve had chart hits in the UK with tunes like “Viva La Revolution” and “Bad Boy” — songs you’re sure to remember if you’ve heard them even once.

The Adicts’ heyday was in the 80s, but they’ve never really stopped recording and touring; they’ll be coming through RVA in support of their 11th album, And It Was So!, released by Nuclear Blast in 2017. The group’s core members have stayed the same throughout the past four decades, and their entertaining costumed live performances are still a fun, active spectacle. If you’ve never caught the Adicts live before, this is the perfect time to do it, and wear your best Malcolm McDowell eye makeup while you’re at it.

Thursday, January 23, 8 PM
Kai Orion, Kill The Druid @ Garden Grove Brewing – Free!
Every musician is creative, but it’s rare to find a musician out there who dismantles every assumption about musical orthodoxy with each new song they create. However, that is exactly how Kai Orion creates. The DC-based songwriter plays over a dozen instruments on his latest album, Start To End, some of which can only be described as “instruments” (vacuum cleaner, lawnmower, wine glasses, etc). He often works by himself, creating thickly layered compositions through use of a microphone, a loop creator, and a menagerie of voices, instruments, and random objects he has at hand.

The result is a collection of catchy and enjoyable tunes on his records, and a fascinating spectacle to behold in a live environment. At Garden Grove Brewing this Thursday night, you’re sure to see Orion create songs out of all sorts of random sounds, and you’re sure to be impressed how beautiful the end result is — especially with his Peter Gabriel-ish vocal chords unleashed overtop. Richmond post-rockers Kill The Druid will open this one up with an instrument-switching set that’s sure to both set the stage for Orion and remain much closer to a conventional rock show. The whole evening is sure to be a blast.

Friday, January 24, 9 PM
Fat Spirit, You’re Jovian, Alison Blue @ Fuzzy Cactus – $5
Fat Spirit have settled into a solid role as utility players in the Richmond alt-rock scene. They haven’t released any new material since 2017’s Nihilist Blues, but they continue bringing their raucous, exuberant performances to local venues on a regular basis, keeping the spirit of the slacker-rock 90s alive and evoking the spirits of Pavement and Dinosaur Jr. with their loud, guitar-driven tunes. You know what you’re getting with Fat Spirit these days, but that’s certainly not a strike against a band who always delivers a rockin’ good time.

They’re joined on this occasion by Hampton Roads residents You’re Jovian, who have a solid dose of the 90s embedded in their sound as well. On 2019’s Singles, this group shows themselves as occupying a similar territory to that of Fat Spirit, though Elliott Malvas’s more ethereal vocals definitely push the needle away from grunge and toward shoegaze — in the original Ride/Swervedriver/JAMC sense, rather than the MBV-plus-postrock context its taken on in the past decade. Putting these two groups together on a single bill makes for a great evening, especially if you’re the sort of guitar lover who can’t get enough of that sweet, sweet fuzz. Youthful VA Beach shoegazing fuzz-lovers Alison Blue will kick the whole thing off with a further dose of what you’ve been looking for, so don’t miss a minute of this one.

Saturday, January 25, 9 PM
DJ Williams’ Shots Fired @ Fuzzy Cactus – $15 (order tickets HERE)
Saturday night, and it’s right back to Fuzzy Cactus, this time for a homecoming show by one of Richmond’s favorite sons, DJ Williams. Around town, he’s known for his time fronting the DJ Williams Projekt, but this talented, blues-inclined guitarist has achieved more widespread fame beyond these shores in recent years with his work in Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe. He’s also put together an all-star cast of sidemen for a new group called DJ Williams’ Shots Fired, who released a mostly-live LP called Live From Over Where back in 2018.

The funky, bluesy, Southern-tinged rock n’ roll that group shows off on their debut LP is exactly what they’ll bring to Brookland Park Boulevard when they show up at Fuzzy Cactus this Saturday night. I can’t tell you for sure who will be firing the shots behind Williams during this performance, but the group has included Williams’ fellow Tiny Universe members, as well as musicians from Dave Matthews Band, Slightly Stoopid, and Lenny Kravitz and Dr. John’s respective backing bands. Rest assured, no matter who DJ Williams brings with him on this jaunt, they’ll be talents equal to the kind of firepower he lays down. And as anyone who’s been paying attention around here for a while knows, that’s some serious six-string pyrotechnics.

Sunday, January 26, 6 PM
RVA Rap Elite Season 3 Premiere, feat. BASIC, Easalio, Tr3demark, Bravo vs. Chance Fischer, Team 804 Cypher (Vintage A, Henny LO, Habeeb, Tone Redd, Yung Sums) vs. Team 757 Cypher (BASIC, Will Jung, Amir Driver, Illien Rosewell, Eastcoast Mikey), Music by Hip Hop Henry & Melodic, plus Open Cypher @ The Dark Room – $10
Hip hop shows take research, y’all. For one thing, there are always a ton of people on the show (indeed, the Open Cypher on this bill will feature another 20-plus rappers I decided not to even attempt to list). For another, there are never any website links listed for any of them. And sometimes, you have to do some digging just to even get a list of who’s on the show. But I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining; the fact is, it’s all worth it when you encounter a show like this, full of a murderer’s row of talented MCs battling it out for lyrical supremacy.

There’s been a renaissance of battle rap on the Richmond scene over the past year or two, and RVA Rap Elite has been right at the heart of it, so it’s no surprise to see what a stacked lineup they’re bringing for the premiere edition of their third season. Personally, I’m most excited for the throwdown between world-class lyricists Chance Fischer and Bravo, but the Team 804 vs. Team 757 cypher battle promises some serious fireworks as well. And really, the overall atmosphere is the best part of all this; when RVA Rap Elite is happening, everyone wants to bring their A game, and the results are sure to delight any true hip hop head. So end your weekend at the place The Cheats Movement says is “making its claim to be the [hip hop] venue of choice” — The Dark Room at the Hofheimer.

Monday, January 27, 9 PM
Dark Thoughts, Sensual World, Ugly Muscle @ Fuzzy Cactus – $8
Dark Thoughts is the sort of band name that might lead you to expect a sound resembling that of Christian Death, or TSOL — punk, but a decidedly gothic take on punk. However, as the band’s fans well know, Philadelphia’s Dark Thoughts are made of much catchier stuff than those classic LA death-rockers. Their new LP, Must Be Nice, came out last month on Stupid Bag Records and is loaded with tracks that split the difference between snotty Dead Boys-style rockers and the Ramones at their most clumsily lovelorn.

Dark Thoughts play classic punk for classic punks, and since it’s the middle of a freezing January here in Richmond, you officially have no excuse for not breaking out your leather jacket for this shindig. You’ll get a bonus as well, in the form of two great local punk bands filling out this bill with their own excellent sounds. Sensual World brings a sort of forlorn jangle to their downbeat rumble, almost Gun Club-ish in execution; Ugly Muscle strip down their sound into a pounding, minimalist attack fueled by atonal synths and screaming. The whole thing is sure to delight any among you who appreciate the articulate aggression that punk rock is all about.

Tuesday, January 28, 6 PM
Shadow Of Intent, Signs Of The Swarm, Inferi, Brand of Sacrifice, Seraph @ The Canal Club – $15 (order tickets HERE)
It’s been 50 years since Black Sabbath’s debut album acted as the starting gun for the metal genre. Bands have progressed in all sorts of far-flung directions from that initial ground zero in the intervening half-century, and it’s difficult to find any band still playing a pure form of metal that would have been recognizable to Ozzy Osbourne in 1970. Nonetheless, there are a lot of outstanding musicians at work in the genre, producing milestones that may very well appear equally seminal once they’re 50 years in the rearview.

Shadow Of Intent’s 2019 LP Melancholy may or may not be one of those (though MetalSucks certainly likes it), but no matter how you slice it, the New England quartet definitely gave us a memorable slab of truly redoubtable heaviness when they released their third album last year. It’s both the deepest, darkest death metal and a particularly impressive display of musical omnivorousness, integrating orchestral melodies and gothic lyrical themes into their always-brutal sound in a manner that allows room to breathe while still pummelling listeners with a wonderfully aggressive efficiency. Seeing all of this brought to life on the Canal Club stage is sure to inspire a veritable forest of banging heads. Join the raging sea this Tuesday night, and celebrate the ongoing bounty that is the music of metal.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Thursday, January 23, 6:30 PM
Blackalicious, Black Liquid, Waasi, Grayling Skyy, DJ Almighty @ The Southern Cafe (Charlottesville) – $25 (order tickets HERE)
Hip hop has always been a genre that focuses on skills, but there are some hip hop artists that stand out even in a crowded sea of fantastic MCs and DJs. Blackalicious, the duo consisting of rapper Gift Of Gab and producer Chief Xcel, is one of those, and has been for the past two decades. They haven’t exactly been prolific in that time; they’ve only released three LPs since 1999 debut Nia. However, regardless of how long they take to bring out new material, it’s impossible to deny that Blackalicious continues to make some of the most challenging, intricate, and talent-loaded music in the hip hop world.

The current Blackalicious tour is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Nia‘s release, so you can certainly expect a set list that leans heavily on that initial statement of purpose. Nia dropped right in the midst of the bling area and showed an entirely different worldview in the way Chief Xcel’s beats created mellow, soulful landscapes for Gift Of Gab’s witty lyrics about life and love. Blackalicious has remained on their own wavelength ever since, and if you’ve kept up with their less-than-prolific release schedule, you know that anything they want to bring us is more than worth the wait. That said, who knows when they might be back to VA after this? Get to their gig at The Southern this weekend while the getting’s good.

Saturday, January 25, 7 PM
Black Mass//Un-Baptism, feat. Xeukatre, Serpentshrine, Athame @ Pourhouse of Norfolk – Free!
Black metal is a notoriously intense genre, and while keeping it real did go wrong for a while in the mid-90s when the scene’s leading lights were killing each other and destroying thousand-year-old architecture, you have to admire the people who make this music’s commitment to the evocation of evil. That’s why I can’t help but be impressed to see three black metal bands from the MD/VA area teaming up with Satanic Norfolk this Saturday night for an honest-to-Lucifer black mass at Pourhouse of Norfolk.

Norfolk’s Serpentshrine, who occupy the middle slot on this bill, are musical advocates for Satan themselves, and the trio cranks out some old-style gritty riffage on latest EP Occultum Exordium. You Bathory fans out there will get a big kick out of these guys. Meanwhile, Baltimore’s Xeukatre kick out some guttural lo-fi roars and classic tremolo-picked riffs on their split with Hagerstown’s Athame, who round out both that split and this triple bill with the fastest and filthiest take on black metal of these three bands, Transilvanian Hunger-style. But of course the big event is the black mass; how intense is that gonna be? There’s only one way to find out, and that’s to show up. Bring your own blood.

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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

Honeyed Words: Weekend Playlist by Majjin Boo

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

This week, we’re celebrating the release of Majjin Boo’s debut LP, Go Between, last month on Egghunt Records by reposting the playlist they made for us back in the spring. At the time, they were briefly using the name Cardinal, but they have returned to their original name for Go Between, a collection of excellent melodic math-rock tunes created over their first few years as a band. If you haven’t yet obtained a copy, we highly encourage you to do so — cassette and digital copies are available at Egghunt’s Bandcamp.

You can pair it with Majjin Boo’s playlist, which brings together a variety of inspiring indie, punk, math-rock, and emo sounds, and goes quite a ways beyond these narrow genre confines as well. The combination of this playlist with the seven tracks on Go Between will create the perfect start to your weekend.

Let it flow, Virginia.

Open this playlist from mobile in your Spotify app HERE.

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

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