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Meet Me At The Movies: Weekend Playlist by Fuzzy Cactus

RVA Staff | September 20, 2019

Topics: alternative, Fuzzy Cactus, hip hop, indie, local music, metal, music, Playlist, rock, rva magazine weekend playlist, rvamag playlist, venue, venue playlist, Weekend Playlist

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

This time around we’re bringing you a playlist curated with love by the staff of Richmond’s best new music venue 2k19 (that’s right, we’re calling it now): Fuzzy Cactus. They’ve been open for something like a month and a half and have already put on a ton of essential live shows, with a whole lot more coming in the near future. Indeed, this weekend alone features tonight’s performances by local electro/alt-rockers Opin and RVA-via-NYC experimental musician Ghost Piss, tomorrow’s Surf N’ Turf dance party featuring DJ Devolved and DJ Dogpants spinning tunes all night long, and Sunday’s appearance by raging Catalonian punks Irreal and local maniacs Benderheads.

There’s a lot more where that came from too, so stay tuned to Fuzzy Cactus’s facebook page for updates, and while you’re getting ready to head out to the show tonight, rock to this excellent playlist from the Fuzzy Cactus staff! It’s got a ton of no-frills rock n’ roll to keep your feet moving and get you ready to rage all night long, plus some awesome local artists to remind you that, while this place is still brand new, their knowledge of Richmond music is deep.

Get rockin’, Virginia.

Open this playlist from mobile in your Spotify app HERE.

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Devil In My Veins: Weekend Playlist by BlackLiq

RVA Staff | August 23, 2019

Topics: black liq, black liquid, hip hop, local artists, metal, music, Playlist, rap, rock, rva magazine weekend playlist, Weekend Playlist

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

This week’s comes to us from BlackLiq, a man who has been making his mark on this city’s hip hop scene for a decade, both with his extensive back catalog of albums, mixtapes, and live freestyles, but also with his hip hop-oriented local radio shows, on which he brings the best of Richmond’s vibrant hip hop scene to a wider audience. Recent releases include a video for his latest state-of-the-city address, “RVA,” and Now Vol. 7, a new compilation of freestyles recorded live on air at WRIR as part of his Saturday night radio show, Hip Hop For The Rest Of Us.

Liq’s got plenty of hip hop for us all on this playlist of bangers, from classic artists like Ice-T, 2Pac, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard to gone-too-soon Richmond legend The Honorable Sleaze, plus his favorite guilty pleasure, Gucci Mane. Along the way you’ll get occasional dips into metal, funk, and classic rock, but this mix is mostly about the boom-bap — which is perfect for a sunny summer weekend in August.

Go hard, Virginia.

Open this playlist from mobile in your Spotify app HERE.

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Exploring The Musical Cosmos With Unmaker

Marilyn Drew Necci | August 16, 2019

Topics: Firmament, metal, postpunk, rva 37, Unmaker

*This article originally appeared in RVA Mag #37, on the streets now at all your favorite spots.

Unmaker is a tough band to pin down. This up-and-coming Richmond quartet draws from many influences — from gothic postpunk and progressive rock to experimental electronic music. With a background primarily in metal and punk, they were brought together by mutual frustration with the limitations of those sounds. 

“We wanted to have a different outlet,” says guitarist Jim Reed. “We were in metal and punk bands, so we wanted an outlet that was exploring other sonic textures and territories.” 

“I wanted something that I hadn’t done before,” agrees vocalist Aaron Mitchell. “I remember that,” Reed chimes in. “We were talking at the bar and you were like, ‘Dude, I want to be in a band where I actually sing, but no one wants me to. They just want me to scream and yell. That really bums me out.’” 

Unmaker: Aaron Mitchell, Jim Reed, Brandon Whitaker, and Chris Compton. Photo by Joey Wharton

The cure for Mitchell’s blues involved further exploration into musical styles that both he and Reed liked. “One of the early things we touched upon was [film] scores and electronic music,” Reed says. He and Mitchell list a variety of other influences they brought into the mix for Unmaker, including German Krautrock of the 70s, postpunk of the early 80s, and the experimental post-metal band Beastmilk. 

With all influences in mind, the two decided to put a band together, and before long had recruited bassist Kent Jung and drummer Brandon Whitaker. They made a conscious decision to remain open musically. “We’ve always been open to exploring any influence that somebody wants to bring to the table,” says Whitaker. “That’s something I really enjoy about this band.” 

Despite the wide variety of influences that went into the mix, Unmaker established a distinct sound early on — one that is difficult to categorize, but all the more arresting as a result. Mitchell’s vocals are a particular standout element, embodying a strong, melodic urgency that is deepened by the interplay with Reed’s guitar leads. The band has a foreboding feel, but retains a powerful, energetic approach to rhythm and song structures, further accentuating Mitchell’s dramatic vocal phrasing. 

Lyrically, Unmaker is every bit as socio-politically motivated as the average punk or metal band, but their approach is more metaphorical, mixing science fiction into veiled commentary about current events. “Children Of The Clouds” paints a romantic picture of nomadic tribes traveling through the desert, but as Mitchell explains, the song is about a very real issue. “A lot of nomadic tribes have been almost completely wiped out because of the strife in certain areas, especially in the Sahara.” 

“Used Future” gives a dark take on the progress our culture has made over the past several decades. “I think back to what I thought the future was going to look like now, as a kid growing up in the 80s, and what it actually looks like,” says Reed. “[It’s] an ad-hoc situation of the past and present. There’s futuristic stuff like our phones, but then we’re [living] in hundred-year old buildings.” 

“Through The Firmament” draws inspiration from a formative experience Mitchell had as an adolescent. “I grew up in the northern part of Michigan, and I would sneak out of my house at night to go watch the Northern Lights,” he explains. “One night, the Northern Lights had basically encompassed the entire sky, and I had the most dreadful existential moment. I feel like that’s when I lost my childhood. It was a beautiful moment but also really scary and terrifying — realizing how very, very small we are in the universe.” 

Early on, the band made the decision to make synthesizers a factor in the Unmaker sound. While synth sounds have always been stigmatized in the heavier genres its members came from, none of them bought into that idea. “Certain things were just not open, especially in the metal world,” Reed says. “If there were any keyboards, it’s not metal. [But] I never held that kind of bias.” Mitchell agrees. “I’ve always loved electronic music, and tried to incorporate it as much as I can.” 

Photo by Shane Gardner

While Unmaker has worked with a variety of synthesizer players over their time as a band, none has become a permanent member. On their 2018 debut album, Firmament, producer Ricky Olson played most of the synth parts. “We were really happy with the way the record sounded,” says Whitaker, “but we knew that we needed to get out and play shows. And it’s like, are we gonna try to put another person in here?” 

Currently, Unmaker uses sequencers to trigger pre-recorded synth parts when they perform. Their decision to move forward without a permanent synth player is understandable in light of their struggles to find the right lineup to achieve their vision. After Firmament, Jung left, and was replaced by Chris Compton. As far as the band is concerned, the addition of Compton was a big step up. “Chris brings a lot to the table,” says Whitaker. “He has such a powerful presence that you can tell there’s a difference to the presentation, and how rocking it is. It has a different energy.” 

With Compton in the band, it’s as if a whole new phase of Unmaker has begun. Since finishing their debut album less than a year ago, they’ve already come close to completing another album’s worth of material. “It’s a fresh start,” says Mitchell. “The foundation is still there, [but] even the songs I’m writing are a little different, more serious.” 

As a veteran band with years of experience in the music scene under their belts, the members of Unmaker try to keep their goals realistic. “Just being in the band and achieving the things that we achieve is honestly good enough for me,” says Whitaker. They remain committed, and plan for more in the future — not just a new album, but tours, videos, and any other opportunities that come along. “We’re going to try to just keep going at our own pace and figure it out,” says Reed. Watch this space.

Top Photo by Shane Gardner

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

RVA #37 Is On The Streets Now!

RVA Staff | August 15, 2019

Topics: art, avail, Culture, entertainment, gayrva, graffiti, lee county, metal, music, nat geo, nat geo photographer, National Geographic, new magazine, News, photography, politics, print issue, print magazine, punk, richmond art, rva 37, RVA Magazine, rva37, skateboarding, Southwest virginia, street art, trevor frost, Unmaker, washington skate

Summer is alive in the River City, and the latest issue of RVA Magazine is here with it to tell the stories of arts, music, politics, and culture across Virginia.

It’s August, it’s hot, and it’s only going to get hotter here in the River City with the arrival on the streets of RVA Magazine #37, our Summer 2019 issue! This one’s bursting all around, with plenty of art, music, news, politics, and more. From the far corners of the Commonwealth to right here in Rich! Mond! Vee! Ay!, RVA Magazine is on point with the coverage of Virginia’s street-level culture that you’ve known and loved for the past 14 years.

The biggest news of the summer here in Richmond was the reunion of Avail, the band who defined Richmond’s music scene in the 90s and helped put the river city on the musical map throughout the country and beyond. After 12 years away from the stage, they brought a hotly-anticipated two-night stand to the National and blew fans’ minds all over again. In the run-up to that memorable weekend of rock, we had an exclusive conversation about their reunion with vocalist Tim Barry, and you’ll find it all in this issue of RVA Magazine!

PHOTO: Ken Penn

We’re also bringing you an in-depth profile of Trevor Frost, a photographer and Richmond native whose work with National Geographic and other world-renowned publications has taken him to every corner of the globe. You’ll learn what Frost has seen and discovered in his voyages, and why he keeps coming back to Richmond every time.

Photo of Trevor Frost by Melissa Lesh

We don’t just focus on Richmond, though — our reporting takes us to the farthest reaches of the Commonwealth this issue, where we learn about Tennessee-adjacent Lee County’s attempts to create a policy based on comments from political leaders about arming teachers to prevent school shootings. Why does this rural county at the very tip of Virginia’s panhandle think such a policy is a good idea? And how do they intend to put it into practice? We’ll give you a deeper look.

Photo by John Donegan

We’ve got a lot more in store for you in this issue as well, from a GayRVA report on the recently-released documentary capturing and honoring the life of legendary Richmond cult figure Dirtwoman to an exclusive conversation with up and coming postpunk band Unmaker. We’ll also learn about the hip hop and skateboarding connection with Richmond’s own Washington Avenue Skateboards, and take a closer look at the history of the city’s underground graffiti scene — a major influence on the mural boom RVA is undergoing today.

All of that is in store for you when you grab your very own copy of RVA #37, available in all your favorite local businesses around town. Get yours now… they’re going fast!

Check out the digital version on Issuu here.

Don’t Pretend: Weekend Playlist by Mark Osborne of Slimehole

RVA Staff | August 2, 2019

Topics: hip hop, local artists, local booking, local music, Mark Osborne, metal, music, Playlist, punk, richmond shows, rock, rva magazine weekend playlist, RVA shows, shows, Slimehole, strange matter

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

This week, our featured playlist comes from Slimehole founder Mark Osborne, who started his event promotion/tour booking/music consulting business a few years back when he was the talent buyer at the late, lamented Strange Matter. These days, he’s responsible for bringing to Richmond many of the best live music events this city sees on a week-to-week basis, at venues large and small, from the Broadberry to Wonderland and everything in-between. If you want to hear about good live music every single week, make sure you’re keeping up with Slimehole.

On this dreary summer weekend, Osborne has brought us a playlist that runs the gamut — everything from horror movie soundtracks to hard-hitting hip hop, from moody postpunk to raging metal, and more. All of it’s here, and it’s sure to brighten up your weekend.

Embrace the slime, Virginia.

Open this playlist from mobile in your Spotify app HERE.

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Boogie Down Delta: Weekend Playlist by Reinhold

RVA Staff | July 25, 2019

Topics: hip hop, John Reinhold, metal, music, Playlist, punk, rap, rock, rva magazine weekend playlist, Weekend Playlist

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

This week, we’ve got a homegrown celebration of Richmond’s musical legacy, put together by Reinhold, a celebrated local DJ who also happens to be our fearless leader here at RVA Magazine. His work with Party Liberation Front and his legendary annual Wintry Mix have made him the toast of the city’s electronic scene, but he’s branching quite a bit farther out with this mix for a perfect Richmond summer weekend.

Reinhold made this mix for long days by the James River, and all the bonfire parties for these Southern, swampy nights. It focuses heavily on Richmond artists, featuring everything from Lamb Of God’s celebrated metal rage to the off-kilter indie pop of Sparklehorse and the drum n’ bass beats of Will Miles. For the full spectrum of music from right here in the River City, look no further than this killer mix.

It’s Boogie Down Delta time, where we pass the whisky to the right.  RVA all day, y’all.  

Dig deep, Virginia!

Open this playlist from mobile in your Spotify app HERE.

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

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