Every Friday night, RVA Mag drops one scorcher of a playlist curated by influential artists, musicians, and institutions. This week, as your nocturnal machinations are set into motion, Portugal. The Man brings you a playlist that is as diverse as it is vast: a musical masterpiece of sounds, styles, and solidarity, which is suitable for any dark autumn gathering.
Run wild this weekend, Virginia.
Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond
If there is one stream from the Virginia music ecosystem that needs listening to this week, it is Sunny & Gabe’s new drop, Peace of Cake. Back at it with their first album in five years, the talented duo from the 757 are as on form as they have ever been. Gabe Niles, one of the regions best known producers, and singer Sunny Moonshine have a storied Hampton Roads history, having worked with big name artists and appeared in commercials from Coke and Toyota.
RVA Mag reached out to the duo to talk about the album. “This album is for everyone,” they said before letting us know that there is no intended genre or target audience. “We really want to bring people together with our music, and inspire others to be themselves and not worry about what people are going to think.” They admitted that they are opposites, but that approach is embraced. “Anything goes with us. This is the more easygoing and lighthearted collection of work from the past few years.”
Listeners can take in the atmosphere for that easygoing feeling on songs like “Hadouken,” which is all at once spirited and poignant. The delicate remembrance brings you into a soundscape known only known to Sunny and the layered verses which link her universe together. On “Last December,” DRAM makes an appearance, bringing the track to a ten-minute soulful crescendo that is both ethereal and accessible. It’s a journey into the inner reaches of our musical id, a place where Sunny & Gabe are always willing to journey with you.
Known for his work with DRAM, RBLE, Erykah Badu, and even legendary producer Rick Rubin, Niles remains on the forefront of the scene that makes the 757 one of the country’s best known regions for music. And Peace of Cake puts the lexicon exactly where it should be – a coalescing of everything that is right in the world.
Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond
It was about two years ago when RVA Mag last sat down with The Folly, when the blues/folk/rock band released their debut EP. Since then, they’ve been busy touring and toiling away in the studio on their latest project, Find A Way, which they dropped last month.
Their eclectic mix of folk and bluesy rock has made them a standout. Continuing that effort, lead singers and songwriters Jordan Lette and Anneliese Grant said they wanted to bring in more of the talent and creative contributions of their fellow bandmates. “This one was a lot more interactive, a lot more communal,” Lette said of the album’s creation.
Development on Find A Way started two years after the band’s current lineup had been established. Following the release of their debut EP, bassist Ray Montoro and Johnathan Kirvan bowed out of the band on good terms, with Jonny Powell (Bass, Vibra-slap), Josh Santamaria (Drums), and Jacob Larson (Percussion) joining recurring members Tara Dillard (fiddle) and Gordon Jones (saxophone). Pianist Sid Kingsley and No BS! Brass Band drummer Lance Koehler also contributed to the album.
While The Folly’s makeup in live shows still features shifting roles and numbers from venue to venue, this particular lineup would become a constant over the years; even as The Folly’s rising profile would take the group from a Beatles tribute at the Kimball Theatre in Williamsburg to a Halloween show in New York City. Eventually, the decision was made to ensure this incarnation of the band had a release to call its own.
“We need to have recordings of this group that represents who the band actually is now,” Grant said. “Just make sure we had a project that had our current family on it together.”
Where the band’s first EP had been the marriage of Grant and Lette’s lyrics and vocals to the music created by Lette, the expanded lineup was an integral part of the music from its earliest days. This led to a process of brainstorming and experimentation, fueled by members who had the space and encouragement to bring in their own ideas.
“I’m sure it’ll change the next time, or remain that same way but have a different process, because now everyone wants to bring stuff to the table,” he said.
Yet when it came time to record and produce the album, The Folly hit their first real obstacle. While they managed to book studio time in May at Minimum Wage Recordings, fulfilling a 10-year wish for Lette, the conflicting schedules and work requirements of the various band members made using that time very challenging.
“If you’re gonna invest in that kind of studio time, try to make sure everybody can get off work to be there altogether and all be in it throughout the entire time,” Grant said, reflecting on the experience.
The products of those long hours speak for themselves: eight tracks, spanning nearly an hour of various genres, beginning with the free-wheeling tunes of “So You Go Howl” and ending with the somber and sobering sounds of “Killing Machines.” And while The Folly’s ability to zigzag through their musical influences is still present, it’s matched with an air of improvisation, intimacy and DIY friendliness in the recording. This atmosphere extends to the physical release, including an inner cover that looks more like a family album, and a CD marked with “doodles” of the band by Grant.
For now, the Folly is focused on getting the word out to as many people as possible, using live shows and radio sessions to ensure a wide reach to a potential audience, all the while supporting, and supported by, a local scene as vibrant and communal as the sparks of inspiration behind their latest work.
“We’re here to support the community, and hopefully we’ll get supported as well,” Lette said.
Find A Way is available for streaming and purchase on iTunes or Spotify. Catch them at The Hof with Alice & the Reverie on Sept. 28 at 8:45 pm, and with People’s Blues of Richmond and Disco Risque at the Jefferson Theatre in Charlottesville on Oct. 6.
Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond
Some could argue that Richmond’s art scene is its best-kept secret. To the local Richmonder, the murals that grace the sides of our buildings everywhere might get lost during your daily commute, but to out of towners like Jabari Graham, they established it was the perfect city and environment to host the touring arts and culture event he founded, Art, Beats and Lyrics.
Art, Beats, and Lyrics, opening tonight at the Main Street Station, is a “nationwide cultural experience and exhibition,” according to Graham. The 2001 Jackson State alum founded the exhibition in 2004, hoping to bring his love of art and music together in one. Graham drew an audience of 300 in the first year, but has since partnered with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey and taken his event national, packing stadiums across the country. Art, Beats, and Lyrics has even been credited with bringing acts such as Drake and Kendrick Lamar to Atlanta, Georgia, for the first time.
“I’m good at seeing what people gravitate to and putting it out there for everyone,” said Graham, who got his start in event planning and logistics at UniverseSOUL Circus. After he was laid off, he decided to use his skills to venture off on his own and wrote down an idea that had been brewing in his brain, which became the foundation for his art and music exhibition.
“You can’t be afraid to take a risk on anything. If you can think of it, put it in writing and pitch it to the right people to get funding, or if you have the funding yourself, it’s satisfying to see it come to fruition,” he said.
Although Graham is an Atlanta native, coming to Virginia is almost like coming home; his mother is an alumna of Virginia State University, and he has family in Newport News. In addition, he has been sure to build relationships with local artists who will be showcased Friday night, including Earl Mack, along with other talented artists from around the world. With the relationships he’s building, coupled with the southern hospitality that he has been receiving from movers and shakers in Richmond, Graham is thrilled to bring his show here, especially with the premiere of light boxes that will be showcased for the first time.
“I’m ready to rock and roll, and give people a push to start their own movement as well. Whether it gives them that ‘umph’ to produce more art that can be showcased through events like this, or motivates them to start writing that business proposal they’ve been dreaming of, I’m hoping that this event can encourage that,” he said.
The event is tonight, September 21, at Main Street Station. All art on display will be available for purchase, including originals and prints. Tickets are free, but an RSVP is required.
For a group of musicians who came together by accident, Mekong Xpress have kept fans coming back time and time again. Holding down a weekly residency at The Answer Brewpub since 2013, the lively, eclectic group has entertained crowds with their mix of vintage blues, R&B, and funk, and this month, we will finally get to hear what they’ve been working on these past few years with the release of their debut album, “Common Knowledge.”
“It was a really cool, organic experience, I’ve never had anything creative happen like this,” said bassist/vocalist Todd Herrington. “We’re all in heavy touring bands so any second that we had that we could get together, we put a mark in the studio and recorded some stuff.”
The story of how the band formed isn’t the typical “met in college” or “parent’s garage,” or “house show” tale. Herrington, along with guitarist Andrew Raspisarda, keyboardist Ben White (Cris Jacobs Band), and drummer Kelli Strawbridge (KINGS, Mikrowaves) have An Bui to thank for bringing them together.
After noticing a regularly packed restaurant of musicians on Monday nights, Bui, who owns Mekong and The Answer, suggested the crew start performing at the West Broad Street restaurant.
“The next Monday, the whole back room was set up, we hadn’t played together or anything,” he said. “Some of us knew each other, some of us didn’t. It was a scene. Every Monday night, it was awesome. Everyone would meet there, and then An would teach you about beer, you would be there after hours he would cook for you, the musicians would get to talk about music and hang out.”
Soon, their casual Monday night jam session grew to a full-fledged band, moving over to play The Answer Brewpub a year later with JC Kuhl (sax), Bob Miller (trumpet), Toby Whitaker (trombone), and Hector Barez (percussion), coming on to amplify their sound and round them out as Mekong Xpress and the Get Fresh Horns.
In 2014, the band started writing together and in the fall of that year, they finally headed into the studio at Montrose, working with Adrian Olsen and Alex Spalding on material that would later make up their debut album. Known for their funky, groovy originals as well as covers, this nine-track album is all original material and a soulful collection of songs that was a collaborative process among the group.
The name of the album, also their second single which officially drops Oct. 9, is a personal message to a friend that Herrington said is a favorite among the members.
“We all love ‘Common Knowledge’ and the way it was written, it was this really great creative moment all of us we’re contributing and it was really cool,” he said.
With most members on the road constantly, touring with major acts like Shakira, Foxygen, Blues Traveler, Govt Mule as well as local big names like Bio Ritmo and Matthew E. White., Herrington said Mekong Xpress serves as a fun creative outlet for each of the members even though they can only get together once a week.
“It’s like a release. We can literally never play together other than these Monday nights,” he said.
Mekong Xpress finished up the album this spring and decided to put it out on vinyl through local record label, Egghunt Records. Herrington has known Egghunt founder Adam Henceroth since childhood, and while they’ve released other material on other labels, when it came to their debut, he said he knew he wanted to collaborate with Henceroth.
“Adam and I had always talked about doing something together and when this project happened, I thought it would be fun to work with him,” he said.
To give you a taste of what’s to come, the band has released the first single, “Light On,” an upbeat, feel-good tune that’s got this super trancey 70s vibe to it featuring local producer Dj Harrison.
“It’s a quirky little thing. It’s another example of us writing together and throwing stuff at the wall and messing around with sounds and sections in the studio,” he said.
According to Herrington, much of the album pulls from the 60s and 70s. The song “Games” has an Earth Wind and Fire vibe for all you old school music lovers. But “Common Knowledge” doesn’t stick to any one genre so there’s a little something in there for everybody, no matter what you get down to.
“There’s instrumental stuff, there’s different genres all over. There’s some jazz funk tunes, there’s some classic rock tunes, some R&B stuff,” he said. “There was no plan we would just write, the four of us would just get together and sit in a room and play off each other and however it sounded was fine.”
And while they’ve performed at Cary St. Cafe and other venues around town, The Answer Brewpub is their home, where that chemistry and creativity initially sparked, and Herrington doesn’t see the band changing that up anytime soon.
“We’ll do it as long as he [An] wants us,” he said. “We love being here, it could be a great crowd it could be three people, it doesn’t really matter, we’re here to just make music together.
Mekong Xpress will throw their record release party next Fri., Sept. 28 at The Camel, with performances by Kenneka Cook and Sid Kingsley. The official online release of the album will drop Oct. 19.
Photos By: Joey Wharton Photography
Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond
What started as a pet project to catalog the tours and recording process of Metallica’s first five albums has evolved into a book capturing the narrative of this formative time in the metal behemoth’s history. And this weekend, author Harold Claros-Maldonado will debut and discuss his book, titled, “…And MetallicA For All.”
Claros’ book tells the story of Metallica’s rise, from behind the curtain, where the consequences of unabating grind are hidden from the gallery. Additionally, through interviews with over 20 fans who saw Metallica live in their first 10 years in D.C., Virginia, and Maryland, the book illuminates just what the music meant, and continues to mean today. Through this dual-lens, Claros creates a work of recognition and gratitude–of appreciating the turmoil, out of which spawned an outlet and community, generations strong, for angry kids everywhere.
“Initially, I just wanted to make a little pamphlet for myself,” said Claros. “I’m a history major. I’m obsessed with dates and people’s ages.” However, Claros’ studious attention to the timeline of this decade in Metallica’s history began to flesh out a narrative. It became clear to Claros that the drudgery behind the band’s rise from the garage in California to the cover of Rolling Stone was imperative to understanding the story of Metallica–from the production of certain albums to the personal struggles of the members.
From 1983 to 1993, the band released five albums and toured worldwide for all of them during those years. “In the book, I explain there are a lot of reasons as to why certain albums, maybe sonically, didn’t sound as well produced as others because of this Metallica train going 100 miles per hour forward.”
One of these anecdotes details how Metallica rushed the recording process on their fourth studio album, “…And Justice For All,” so that they could support Van Halen on their 1988 tour. “Then band leaders James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, on the days off, would fly to New York to produce the album and then fly back to continue the tour,” said Claros.
“…And MetallicA For All” also delves into the personal toil experienced by the band. Claros focuses in on the band’s struggle to healthily navigate grief following bassist Cliff Burton’s death after Metalica’s bus crashed during the “Master of Puppets” tour in 1986.
“The book slowly became this sort of Cinderella story of dreams, of expectations, of death,” said, Claros. “How do you deal with death at a young age? [The book] deals a bit with self-medication through trauma, with Cliff Burton’s death, they didn’t go see a therapist, there was no time off. Within a month, there was a replacement and they were back on tour.”
In addition to the inside perspective, “…And MetallicA For All” also brings forth a fan perspective through an unlikely regional lens–stories from the fans that witnessed the west coast champions of metal in our own backyard (or, our greater backyard area, at least).
Throughout the writing process, Claros conducted interviews with fans who saw Metallica in Richmond, DC, Baltimore, and other Mid-Atlantic cities on their constant tour cycle supporting their first five albums.
“I wasn’t interested in telling the side of the fans,” said Claros. “But the more research I did, I found out they played in the DMV [area] for every single tour, so it was almost inevitable to ask the fans about these shows.”
Again, within the process of writing the book, Claros’ vision for it broadened as these interviews with fellow Metallica fans became about more than just the show they attended, but what the band meant to them.
“People hadn’t asked them these questions,” said Claros. “People got pretty open with me–like, there’s some backstory to some of these people that’s some pretty real heavy shit with family and divorce, addiction alcoholism.”
There’s something sublime to be drawn from this unanticipated, yet, organic widening of the book’s scope. In writing about a band as prolific as Metallica, is the full story being told without this fan perspective? Music in general has always been an outlet for a community, but this is especially true for metal and other crude descendants of rock and roll. The intensity of bands like Metallica is a flame stoked by every wide-eyed kid, bursting at the seams with potential energy, looking to flail with unadulterated feeling, free from judgment.
“It’s music for broken kids like us,” Claros said. “It makes us part of a family–it makes us part of a Metallica family.”
Claros said he feels fortunate to be able to share his passion with so many fellow fans. “This is the only band that deserves us as fans, I feel. Just passionate, loyal, always supportive, and they’ve given me nothing but happiness throughout my life,” he said. “Because of that, what better way to show my loyalty than to tell their story?”
To bring the fans’ stories to life, Claros recruited local artists Carlton Nivens, Teo Chu, and Tyler Keylon to illustrate them. “[The stories] are so funny, they’re so vivid,” said Claros. “I have stories of people sneaking backstage and smoking weed with Lars and getting in fights in the mosh pit and all this nutty stuff and it felt like a movie and I wanted an artistic way to show that.”
The free book talk for “…And MetallicA For All” will take place this Sat., Sept 22 at Charm School, located at 311 W. Broad St., from 12-2 PM. A Q&A will follow the talk.
Top Photo: Metallica
