RVA Mag

Richmond, VA Culture & Politics Since 2005

Menu

RVA #32: Record Reviews

|

Topics: , , , , , , ,

These reviews were originally printed in RVA #32 Spring 2018, you can check out the issue HERE or pick it up around Richmond now. 

Windhand/Satan’s Satyrs

Split

(Relapse Records)

In a world that focuses on stardom, split albums are a decidedly underground phenomenon. Instead of elevating a particular artist above all others, they emphasize the community that exists within particular scenes. This split sees two Virginia bands participating in what’s become a strong tradition in the world of metal, and coming up with very different results. Windhand’s first release in three years gives us the first taste of the band’s new slimmed-down single-guitar lineup. However, those who fear a corresponding loss in sonic power can lay those fears to rest — Windhand’s sludgy riffs still pack a hell of a wallop, and pair perfectly with singer Dorthia Cottrell’s witchy tones. They may have given us a bit too much of a good thing, though. At 14 minutes, the second of their two tracks, “Three Sisters,” is several minutes longer than Satan’s Satyrs’ entire side. While the spooky organ textures are an excellent touch, the song’s sludgy, repetitive riffs don’t quite justify its length. NoVA shredders Satan’s Satyrs start out well on the other side with a couple of killer biker-metal tunes Fu Manchu wishes they could’ve written. But they wear out their own welcome with the over-the-top goof “Ain’t That Lovin’ You, Baby,” which ends their side by reminding us all of the stupidest songs on early 70s proto-metal albums. Rattle your windows with this one — just be prepared to reach for the skip button a couple of times. (MN)

Kenneka Cook

Moonchild

(American Paradox)

With Moonchild, Kenneka Cook has taken an impressive step forward, bridging the sonic space between her start as a solo performer and a fuller sound bringing in contributions from some of the city’s finest players. Beat-driven moments combine with traditional jazz instrumentation under a single, cosmic vision, firmly establishing Cook’s voice as one of the most promising in recent memory. (DJ)

Lucy Dacus

Historian

(Matador)

Historian is Dacus’ second consecutive triumph of directness, insight, and vocal excellence. Throughout, she explores change, strained relationships, and the friction between emotional and physical spaces: being told to stay indoors, a small town’s charm wearing off, disassociating the body and the self. Several tracks boil over, with arrangements that, together with Dacus’ singing, pack a powerful cathartic punch. (DJ)

Downhaul

Where We Started

Imagine Peripheral Vision-era Turnover meets Man Overboard — good to some, bad to others. Personally, I couldn’t help but bounce my head while listening to it. The soothing yet intricate instrumentals make for accessible music that offers a twist on beloved classic genres while also making the band distinguishable and refreshing. (SR)

Exebelle

After All This Time

Released in December after a six-year gestation period, After All This Time plays like a true double album, with 19 tracks and an hour and a half of guitars and twang. The album’s beauty lies in that sprawl — in the extended song running times, the stylistic variation, and how multiple songwriters and singers have opportunities to take center stage. (DJ)

Joey Gallo, Cole Hicks & J Clyde

Golden Chariots

(Rosebrook Ent.)

A surprise project from 2 of RVA’s finest along with Hampton Roads beatsmith J Clyde. Over legendary Better Beat Bureau member Clyde’s tracks, Gallo’s always-consistent flow is complemented by Cole Hicks’ equal lyricism. This is a must-listen for any hip hop head. (HH)

Iron Reagan/Gatecreeper

Split

(Relapse Records)


RVA thrash masters Iron Reagan follow up their 2017 third LP with five songs that slightly lower their speed in favor of structural complexity and more traditionally metallic touches than they’ve previously displayed. Arizona’s Gatecreeper brings us some rumbling death riffage, forsaking Iron Reagans’ sense of humor in favor of a grimly intense low-end attack. File under: 21st-century crossover. (MN)

Michael Millions

Hard To Be King

(Purple Republic)

Michael Millions comes through with an outstanding project that takes you through the South Side, with production and lyrical content to match any mood you may be in during the day. This early contender for record of the year is an experience that we all need to take notice of. (HH)

We Call This Courage

We Call This Courage

Richmond bred another pop-punk band. They speak of relatable feelings and situations based on their lyrics — but sadly, their sound does not hold up through the entire album. I found myself becoming quickly bored by a musical style that I have heard from many bands before. (SR)

Reviews By: Hip Hop Henry (HH), Davy Jones (DJ), Marilyn Drew Necci (MN), and Samantha Rinchetti (SR)

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Radio B Drops New Album, ‘Jesus Never Wore A Suit’

|

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

Tired with the glorification of mumble rap? Well if you are like me and grew up listening to godfathers like Jay Z, Nas, and more, this empowering new album may just be right up your alley.

Up-and-coming Richmond rapper Radio B released his 16-track concept album, Jesus Never Wore a Suit (JWNAS) early last month with producer JL Hodges (formerly of Richmond band Avers) in collaboration with Purple Republic, a local audio production company.  

With his latest release, Radio B, whose real name is Greg Carden II, aims to address social and political issues, as well as his viewpoints on religion and how the trust in God’s plan will create a more positive outlook on life given harsh societal conditions. Carden also speaks up for victims of oppression, and urges the community to stop the violence among one another.

“I am honest to my music almost to a fault because I am a very introspective type of artist which means whatever is going on in my life at that moment in time is what you are going to hear, as transparent as possible,” said Carden.

I find this sense of individuality incredibly inspiring especially nowadays considering the fact that aspiring rappers are almost scared to address these kinds of topics in their music because they try to appeal to everyone and not get bashed as they attempt to make a name for themselves. Because he is venting and not simply making party tracks, that same substance is exactly what builds cult followings from people who listen due to the depth of inspiration that the rapper has to offer rather than the sound of a beat.

“We are constantly taking things in and being receptive to the world around us. Everything you experience in life is either good for you or bad for you and I want people to take my music and live with it without it poisoning them. I aim to be respected by my peers and inspire other rappers to either get better or give up,” said Carden.

Carden has carved out a serious name for himself in the Richmond rap scene, pioneering the regular RVA Lyricist Lounge, around town and creating platforms for emerging emcees like Virginia’s rap battle league The Southpaw Battle Coalition to help propel local artists’ careers.

Fly Anakin, Radio B, and Nickelus F at a recent RVA Lyricist Lounge

For this release, Carden recruited a cadre of Richmond’s finest acts from rappers to singers, with features from Fly Anakin, Breeze the Poet, Angelica Baylor, DJ skip, Easalio, Henny L.O., Sam Reed, Nickelus F, and Michael Millions who appears on the song “Grace.” Millions, along with Nickelus F, grew up with Carden on Richmond’s Southside.

“{He’s] one of the best lyrical geniuses in the city with a tremendous work ethic,” Millions said of Radio B. 

Instead of some party tracks and mindless bangers, this project is designed to challenge the way listeners think about the world around them. 

“It doesn’t always appeal to everyone nor is it designed to, but sometimes we just need more music like that. Music doesn’t evoke thinking like it used to anymore, that type of artwork is now limited in a mumble rap dominated industry,” said Millions.

Image may contain: one or more people, people on stage, people playing musical instruments, people sitting, night and indoor
Photo Credit: Fisher C. Reaves

After listening to the album a couple of times, I see it more as a story, with every track resembling a different chapter rather than a compilation of individual bangers. “Cursing in Church” and “Village Proverbs” are some of the stand-out tracks given their poetic transitions, and if you ask me, “God Lives” and “Once or Twice” will be on the radio any minute.

As for the group’s creative processes, their chemistry most simply stems from similar visions, according to Hodges. “The listening sessions and sampling of songs didn’t feel like work at all which made us realize that we were doing it right,” he said.

This was the producer’s first time working solely on hip hop. Since leaving Avers, Hodges has since been running Overcoast, a company specializing in music and sound primarily for commercials and other forms of media with studios in Richmond and London.

Using Cubase as his production software, Jesus Never Wore a Suit was Hodges’ first album that he produced using samples. With this project, Hodges said he wanted to “force people to have an opinion and evoke feeling and emotion through a mix of different energies.”

“It could have easily taken just a month to churn out if we wanted, but it would not have been thought-provoking nor multilayered. We are not just rapping on a beat, we are storytelling,” he said.

It didn’t surprise me at all that Carden was a New York native after listening to him rap. His rhyme scheme reminds me of the old Pro Era cyphers that we all know and love.

Personally, I always find it refreshing to see artists who stick to their roots and deliver thought-provoking poetry which is exactly what we are seeing with Radio B.

He will be leading a lecture on his album as a keynote speaker for Virginia Union University on April 12, and you can catch him at the next RVA Lyricist Lounge event May 26 at Strange Matter. His pride for his city is incomparable and his plans to bring it into the spotlight are just getting started.

 

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

 

 

Hard To Be King: Michael Millions Looms Large In Richmond

|

Topics: , , ,

Richmond rap artist Michael Millions released his third studio album, “Hard to be King”, this January. His latest work, a follow up to his 2015 album “Beautiful”, reflects his hometown and draws on local talent and sounds, marrying the sounds of jazz and psychedelic rap to his classic style.

“One thing that most people need to know is, I designed this album for Richmond,” Millions said. “[T]he sounds we chose to use, the samples we used, and the instruments we chose to swap out. It’s really derived from the music that was created here.”

He credits the familiar sound with building instant local appeal. “I think people from here identify with it immediately. I don’t know if it’s just the sound or I’m telling stories, or maybe I’m speaking from the blue collar perspective of being hardworking and being from a city that [isn’t really],” he said.

Millions sampled from another Richmond-native, D’Angelo, and said he even got a note praising the album after its release.

“We actually used two samples on the album. The record called, ‘Black Sugar’ that features Nickelus F is a D’Angelo sample, and ‘Water’ is a D’angelo sample. And we also got clearance on using his vocals,” he said. “He reached out to me after the album came out, and pretty much said the album was really good and gave me a good blessing on the album.”

“Hard To Be King” Album Cover

The sound and the creative process for “Hard to be King” represent an evolution from “Beautiful”, following Millions own transformation.

“When I started to want to be an emcee, I wanted to be an emcee. And as time progressed, I wanted to be a rapper. And now I’m more of an artist. There’s layers to this,” he said. “Then there’s another layer, where a songwriter, the rapper becomes a poet, and he’s more meticulous about the words he’s saying, the music has more intent. It’s more musical. It’s more about, we know you can rap, we know you can put words together, but can you make people feel when they’re done listening to your records. That’s another layer. That’s artistry, I think, and I think this album is me in 100% purest art form.”

In a city with a thriving battle rap scene, Millions is keenly interested in doing a live hip hop album, and structured many of his songs to work for live performance.

“People identify with live instrumentation. That’s what Richmond identifies with. The problem is, we create these albums as rappers that we can’t transfer to, play live because they have these different sounds,” he said. “I play with live instruments and it’s always a struggle to, not a struggle but you can’t play the record exact because they’re different sounds. If you go back to the basics of just sounds, then when we play a show with live instrumentation then it sounds like the record. And I wanted that type of consistency in my sound. I wanted it to be live, I wanted it to be for real.”

In addition to a live album, he’s also planning to create music for skating video, and hopes to work with some of the performers he admires the most.

“I’d rather just talk to Black Thought about music than to get music with him, but Nas I’d want [to do] the record,” he said. “Nas, I really respect him as a poet. There are not many rap poets, and I want to be listed as one of them.”

Millions has worked and travelled all over the country. Although he’s been elsewhere, something keeps bringing him back to the River City.

“I honestly like Richmond. We’ve been mad places, and maybe it’s because I’m from here. I lived in Norfolk for a period of time. There’s something about Richmond. Richmond is sweet,” he said.

Part of the appeal is his sense that Richmond is just about to make it on the national stage.

“I think it’s that thing of being in a place that hasn’t been discovered yet. Richmond is actually really cool, compared to a lot of cities in the country, but it’s just under the cusp of you either know about it or you don’t. People aren’t leaving because they know it’s cool here,” he said.
“Everyone’s doing something cool, especially when you’re in the creative space, you find out everything that’s going on.”

“Hard to be King” is a multi-layered album, with a complex progression of sounds, voices, and themes. Millions hoped that fans would take away one final message from the work.

“I think I want people to really listen to this album and understand that your life is okay. If the sun came up, if you walked to the bathroom this morning and didn’t have any aches and pains, you’re alright,” he said. “Smile more, and be blessed and be happy about the small moments we have.”

“Hard to be King” is available for purchase at Bandcamp and streaming on SoundCloud.

Photo Essay: Strange Matter’s RVA Lyricist Lounge (Episode 1)

|

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

New life is being breathed into Richmond’s rap community with the introduction of the RVA Lyricist Lounge, hosted by Radio B.  The monthly event is meant to be a platform for local rappers and emcees to showcase their lyrical talent on stage and against each other in battles. 

Taking inspiration from the classic nature of hip-hop and rap cyphers, RVA Lyricist Lounge aims to reignite that spark of what makes hip-hop so precious.

Last Friday, the rap showcase went into full effect at Strange Matter for its first event known as RVA Lyricist Lounge Episode 1. And many crews and well-known local hip-hop artists were in the building. 

Basement Chemistry vs T.R.I.G

The night set off with a rap battle between two of the Southpaw members T.R.I.G and Basement Chemistry. The vicious back and forth roasts between two guys who knew each other well enough to cause hilarity that it could be a battle in 8 Mile. It was all love at the end of the day as they were just two guys having fun and hugged it out when it was all over.

Shortly following the cyphers, were some of the city’s heavy hitters. It was divided into sets starting with the solo artists such as Lithium God, Chance Fisher, and Noah-O. Meanwhile, Robalu Gibsun was on the scene doing live sketches at a neck-breaking pace of every artist that performed on the stage.

Robalu Gibsun Sketches Live as Emcees Battle

The few sets were organized by the groups starting with the infamous Gritty City, whose bars that lived up to their name. Mutant Academy went in and AGM/Southpaw killed it with Radio B himself kicking off their set.

Johnny Ciggs of the Gritty City Crew

The final performance of the night was Michael Millions, who performed songs off his newest album Hard to Be King. Featuring songs like “All Love”, the “Ali” rapper let Richmond know what it means to be King.

Though that wasn’t all that was in store for the night, the opening cyphers were held after Millions’ performance and locals who weren’t on the lineup and those who just wanted to spit for fun got a chance to step up to the mic. Copies of Millions’ new album were sold at the venue along with gear featuring the Lyricist Lounge logo — as seen being worn by Radio B and a few others in attendance.

Michael Millions

This is just the beginning of what Radio B hopes to be a long-running monthly event, setting stepping stones for both inspiring artists and local rappers to have a platform and for everyone to just vibe and have a good time.

RVA Lyricist Lounge is a much-needed addition to the hip-hop scene in Richmond and Strange Matter specifically as it is the perfect home to showcase local talent which follows in the footsteps of Richmond artist Black Liquid’s Facemelt Fridays. Radio B doesn’t plan on having Strange Matter as the only location for the rap showcase, but the venue will be the location for a majority of the Lyricist Lounge Episodes. Until next time, check out some of RVA Mag’s best photos the night: 

Fly Anakin, Radio B, and Nickelus F
Noah-O
Radio B
Justin Sexton
Basement Chemistry
Easalio
The Lounge Crowd
https://www.youtube.com/user/VAsPhynest
BCMusic1st
Michael Millions

*Photos by Malik Hall

RVA Lyricist Lounge, Vol. 1, hosted by Radio B, feat. Michael Millions, AGM/Southpaw, Mutant Academy, Gritty City, Noah O, Joey Gallo, Born Unique, Intalek, Easalio, Chance Fischer, Cane, Cole Hicks, J Slim, Nu3ra Ness, Misterelle, Reppa Ton, RezonDaDawn, and more @ Strange Matter – $10

|

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

Radio B has been a prime mover on the Richmond hip hop scene for a while now, and his efforts not only to make great music but to help cultivate the culture and push the genre forward locally have been the reasons. With 2018 just getting started, he’s wasting no time, bringing the first installment of a planned monthly event, RVA Lyricist Lounge, to Strange Matter this Friday. With this event, Radio B and his compatriots hope to “be the catalyst for better writers and emcees in Richmond and all over the world” by emphasizing lyricism and making bars, flows, and wordplay important within the local scene. Sounds like a worthy goal. Are you in?

Well, for those on the fence, there’s a powerful inducement to make it out to the premiere of this new series right at the top of the bill. Michael Millions, who has been one of local hip hop’s leading lights, just dropped Hard To Be King, a new album that’s getting everyone talking. Word on the street is that this guy’s poised to blow up, so now’s the time to get in on the ground floor and catch him live in an intimate setting. Plus, there’ll be a limited physical release of Millions’ 2016 collaboration with Radio B, Tenthsndhrs, available at the show for the first time.

This is just the beginning of what is going on at this show, and we don’t have too much space, so let’s lay it down real quick: cyphers from hot local crews AGM/Southpaw, Mutant Academy, and Gritty City, as well as more cyphers featuring a variety of local and regional lyrical talent–a list is above, and I know you know at least some of those names. Southpaw Battle Coalition, who’ve been making battles a threat again locally, will be sponsoring a tryout battle between up-and-comers TRIG and Basement Chemistry. And there are 15 cypher slots available on a first-come-first-serve basis so you young unknowns can grab the mic and let the people know. The whole thing will be aired on the RVA Lyricist Lounge YouTube channel, but it’s just not the same when you’re not there in person. You know what to do.

RVA Shows You Must See This Week: 1/10-1/16

|

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

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, January 12, 7 PM
RVA Lyricist Lounge, Vol. 1, hosted by Radio B, feat. Michael Millions, AGM/Southpaw, Mutant Academy, Gritty City, Noah O, Joey Gallo, Born Unique, Intalek, Easalio, Chance Fischer, Cane, Cole Hicks, J Slim, Nu3ra Ness, Misterelle, Reppa Ton, RezonDaDawn, and more @ Strange Matter – $10
Radio B has been a prime mover on the Richmond hip hop scene for a while now, and his efforts not only to make great music but to help cultivate the culture and push the genre forward locally have been the reasons. With 2018 just getting started, he’s wasting no time, bringing the first installment of a planned monthly event, RVA Lyricist Lounge, to Strange Matter this Friday. With this event, Radio B and his compatriots hope to “be the catalyst for better writers and emcees in Richmond and all over the world” by emphasizing lyricism and making bars, flows, and wordplay important within the local scene. Sounds like a worthy goal. Are you in?

Well, for those on the fence, there’s a powerful inducement to make it out to the premiere of this new series right at the top of the bill. Michael Millions, who has been one of local hip hop’s leading lights, just dropped Hard To Be King, a new album that’s getting everyone talking. Word on the street is that this guy’s poised to blow up, so now’s the time to get in on the ground floor and catch him live in an intimate setting. Plus, there’ll be a limited physical release of Millions’ 2016 collaboration with Radio B, Tenthsndhrs, available at the show for the first time.

This is just the beginning of what is going on at this show, and we don’t have too much space, so let’s lay it down real quick: cyphers from hot local crews AGM/Southpaw, Mutant Academy, and Gritty City, as well as more cyphers featuring a variety of local and regional lyrical talent–a list is above, and I know you know at least some of those names. Southpaw Battle Coalition, who’ve been making battles a threat again locally, will be sponsoring a tryout battle between up-and-comers TRIG and Basement Chemistry. And there are 15 cypher slots available on a first-come-first-serve basis so you young unknowns can grab the mic and let the people know. The whole thing will be aired on the RVA Lyricist Lounge YouTube channel, but it’s just not the same when you’re not there in person. You know what to do.

Wednesday, January 10, 8 PM
True Widow, Hex Machine, Twin Drugs @ The Camel – $12 (order tickets HERE)
Veteran Dallas act True Widow returns to RVA for what has to be at least their seventh time or so playing here. This is their first time playing The Camel, which is at least somewhat noteworthy, but more important is the hazy, heavy sound they’re bringing with them. You might hear True Widow described as shoegaze in certain circles, but this description will in no way prepare you for the volume and power of their three-piece attack, which to my mind lands closer to doom metal. However, the melodic, psychedelic streak running through this band’s material, especially their most recent album, 2016’s Avvolgere, leavens their more crushing moments with a beautiful undertone that will keep you smiling even as they bowl you over.

They’ll be joined on this bill by local noise-rock trio Hex Machine, who’ve been mostly inactive since the release of their 2013 album Fixator, mainly because singer/guitarist Trevor Thomas and drummer Douglas Andrae have been holding it down as the latest rhythm section for celebrated noise legends Today Is The Day since 2015. However, they’ve brought in Antelope King’s Alex Ricart on bass and returned to action over the last few months, firing on all cylinders and with some new material in the works. Theirs is a welcome return, and their presence on this bill is equally welcome. Fuzzy newcomers Twin Drugs will kick the whole thing off and get you in the mood for the serious amplifier volume that awaits.

Thursday, January 11, 8 PM
Aerica Lauren, OwlRare, On The Water, Julie Storey @ Sound Of Music Studios – $6
It’s a night of quiet beauty at Sound Of Music, with headliners that seem to share a similar vibe even as they take completely different approaches to their music. Prolific songwriter Aerica Lauren a prolific songwriter keeps it raw and real with acoustic instrumentation and some memorable, affecting lyrics. The intricate beauty of her softly plucked strings intertwines with her strong, clear voice and sends you drifting away on the breeze. OwlRare has a darker, moodier vibe on first listen, but this solo performer’s deep, emotionally vulnerable vocal tones and unadorned acoustic guitar strums are equally likely to transport you to some secret place deep inside your mind. Both must be heard to be believed.

Philadelphia’s On The Water are not a solo project, but despite bringing together multiple members, this group operates in a quiet, ambient space constructed as much out of the space between notes played on several instruments as by the chords being struck–though they’re not afraid to hit hard and crank up the volume when the occasion merits it. Finally, this show will also feature Doll Baby frontwoman Julie Storey playing a solo set–and the word is that this will be her last time doing so. Therefore you’d be very well-advised to arrive on time.

Friday, January 12, 8 PM
Post Nothing, Crushed!?, Deadball @ McCormack’s – $5
I know we all get used to thinking of Between 2 Beers Productions as the go-to people for metal in this town, but they’ve got broader horizons than you might think, as this Friday night Shockoe Bottom bill will make clear. California’s Post Nothing and New Mexico’s Crushed!? are coming through with a killer tour package, and while it’s certainly awesome, there’s not really anything metal about it. Post Nothing have a raging sound that is both indebted to hardcore and pushing completely beyond that genre’s borders. It’s really tempting to call this band “post-hardcore,” in fact, but based on their name I have a feeling they’d be a little frustrated about that, so I’ll just say that their hard-rocking riffs remind me of bands like Xerxes and Refused and leave it at that.

As for Crushed!?, (love that little confluence of punctuation marks) they have a bit more of an emotional focus, as is made clear on 2017 EP Giant Robots And Existentialism. The same sort of hardcore influence lies beneath their driving, melodic riffs as one can hear from Post Nothing, but they take it in an introspective rather than forceful direction, bringing to mind bands like Hot Water Music or local heroes Sea Of Storms. Local openers Deadball are a loud n’ proud punk rock band with no frills on offer–slightly different than what you might expect from the local openers on a show like this, but sure to be plenty of fun nonetheless. You really can’t lose with this one, metal or no metal.

Saturday, January 13, 8 PM
When Particles Collide, Glass Twin, School of Rock Short Pump, School Of Rock Midlothian @ The Camel – $7 (order tickets HERE)
This will be an entertaining and unusual night at the Camel, that’s for sure. It all starts with When Particles Collide, a bouncy duo with an elastic sound that calls to mind everything from Blondie and Devo to Cheap Trick and oldies radio. They’ve been on a crowdfunded tour since last May, and their Patreon-like subscription service (fans can contribute amounts equivalent to tanks of gas, hotel rooms, meals, and more, on a monthly automatic-donation basis) has kept them rolling thus far, and they hope to keep things going til at least next summer.

See how it’s going and get rocked in the bargain by coming out to The Camel this Saturday night–and while you’re at it, you’ll not only get a great set from capable local indie vets Glass Twin; you’ll also get to see performances by student groups from two different local branches of the School Of Rock. That’s right, the program for middle schoolers that Jack Black started in the Richard Linklater movie is based on a real thing. So this night will give you a chance to check out some hard-rocking kids strutting their stuff and showing what they’ve learned. That alone is probably worth the price of admission, and you get two excellent adult bands in the bargain. Why not?

Sunday, January 14, 6 PM
Iron Reagan, Despise You, Cemetery Piss, Left Cross @ Champion RVA – Free for 21+, $10 for under 21
It’s not quite a beer bash at the moon tower, but this sure does look like a wild, excellent party that’ll hark back to days of yore for many of us who still love to thrash despite not being as young as we once were. Iron Reagan, once a young upstart of a Municipal Waste side project, are now on their third album, and have become just as venerable a crossover thrash institution as the Waste themselves. In preparation for their upcoming split with Gatecreeper, they’re out on tour once again, and in celebration of Champion’s one-year anniversary of opening their Richmond location, this rock n’ roll brewery will be bringing Iron Reagan to their stage for a night of metal thrashing madness!

Iron Reagan’s partner on this tour is Los Angeles band Despise You, a pioneering grind-crust ripper of a band that made a big noise back in the 90s and returned to action more powerful than ever a little less than a decade ago. This will be their second time hitting Richmond since the reformation, but the first time was over six years ago, so surely a lot of us have built up a big time thirst to see them rip it up once again. Baltimore rippers Cemetery Piss and local old-school death-thrash revivalists Left Cross will round out the lineup with plenty more awesomeness, and–if you’re over 21–the whole thing is free! I’m sure the $10 admission for those under 21 is to offset lost beer sales, but honestly, it’s pretty steep, especially since 40-something straight edge kids like myself can beat the system by neither paying admission nor buying beer! Oops, I did it again!

Monday, January 15, 8 PM
Anneliese, Donnie Dale, Kenneka Cook, Tara Dillard @ Strange Matter – $5
It’s time for another edition of Strange Matter’s excellent Locals Only series. This week’s curator, Anneliese Grant, sings in The Folly, a local folk-rock combo who’ve been very active around town for the last couple of years. However, she’s been making a name for herself as a solo artist lately too, with the release last summer of her Out To Graze EP. The soulful pop bounce of the tracks on this EP have a totally different flavor than her work in The Folly, but that knack with a melody shines through in both venues, so anyone who gets down with one project should enjoy both.

Anneliese isn’t the only member of the Folly who made it onto this bill, with fiddler Tara Dillard taking an opening slot to roll out a set of her solo tunes. Inbetween her kickoff set and Anneliese’s big closer will be two other intriguing performances. One will come from Donnie Dale, a local singer and producer who has previously recorded and performed under the name MNLV, and apparently has a whole new approach to lay on us. The other is from Kenneka Cook, who’s been getting a ton of attention lately as she prepares to release her debut album, Moonchild. This soul-jazz singer has a distinctive style that’s already won many listeners over, and if you’re not among that number, this night is sure to convert you.

Tuesday, January 16, 8 PM
Rosedale, Halfcast, Silver Twin, In The Water @ Strange Matter – $8 in advance/$10 day of show (order tickets HERE)
If you thought you would get through a whole week of my column without me talking about emo, well, you’ve got another think coming. Not that Rosedale would necessarily identify as emo–this 15 year veteran project hailing from Canada is actually the work of one man, Mike Liorti, who according to facebook would call Rosedale a “progressive power pop” group. But I know emo when I hear it, and considering that this Canadian guitar-slinger alternates between playing with a full band and touring with a solo setup that he brings to life all by himself, it seems to me that this group could easily be called Canada’s answer to Into It. Over It.

Of course, Rosedale busts out a lot more synths on a typical release than Evan Thomas Weiss would, and ultimately seems to draw more from the softer side of the genre–they’re more Spill Canvas than Pianos Become The Teeth, that’s for sure. But one listen to recent EP Again is enough to convince me that, regardless of genre, Rosedale is well worth catching live. The fact that they’re joined by some killer local rockers like Halfcast and Silver Twin, along with new local group In The Water, is enough to let us all know that this will be an excellent show from beginning to end. Don’t miss out, y’all–after all, what else have you got going on on a Tuesday night?

—-

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] [yes, my email is through GayRVA, don’t get weird about it]