• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

RVA Mag

Richmond, VA Culture & Politics Since 2005

Menu RVA Mag Logo
  • community
  • MUSIC
  • ART
  • EAT DRINK
  • GAYRVA
  • POLITICS
  • PHOTO
  • EVENTS
  • MAGAZINE
RVA Mag Logo
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contributors
  • Sponsors

VA’s Can’t-See Shows This Week: March 18 – March 24

Marilyn Drew Necci | March 18, 2020

Topics: .gif From God, Andrew Alli & Josh Small, Antiphons, avail, Benjamin Shepherd, Bio Ritmo, black girls, Brewer's Cafe, Clair Morgan, Dave Watkins, Division Of Mind, Doll Baby, Dumb Waiter, Good Day RVA, Houdan The Mystic, Lamb Of God, Lobo Marino, McKinley Dixon and Friends, Navi, Nelly Kate, New Lions, Nickelus F, No BS! Brass Band, Ohbliv, Palm Palm, Rikki Shay, River City Roll, shows you must see, Spooky Cool, Sports Bar, The Broadberry, The Trillions, The Wimps, White Laces, Windhand, Wonderland

Hey there, folks, it’s that time of the week when we normally let you know all the best goings-on in the live music scene here in Richmond and around the state for the next week! As you may have realized, though, the current COVID-19 outbreak and the many social and legal restrictions placed on large gatherings have almost entirely shut down the live music scene here in Virginia. There may be a few things still going on, but we wouldn’t feel very responsible advocating for you to go see them. What’s a show-loving girl to do?

Well, for this week’s column, I decided to have compassion for those of you who have either joined me in the wonderful world of working at home (welcome to the club — isn’t it fun doing your job in your pajamas?) or, more unfortunately, found yourselves without any work while your place of business is temporarily shut down. I may not be able to send you to any clubs to see awesome bands light up your evening with their killer sounds… but I can offer you ten great performances by Richmond bands, all available for your viewing pleasure right here on the internet. You can space them out one (or two) per day as with the usual column, or binge them all tonight — the choice is yours! Crank the volume on your headphones for this one.

Lamb Of God at Hellfest Open Air, Clisson, France, June 23, 2019

We’ll start with what we all certainly hope is a preview of coming attractions — a full set by Lamb Of God, complete with multiple cameras and top-quality audio. Richmond’s veteran metal faves are planning as of now to release their latest LP, Lamb Of God, on May 8, and follow it up with a full US tour, featuring June dates at Jiffy Lube Live in NoVA and Veterans United Amphitheater in Virginia Beach. Will all that still happen in light of COVID-19? We can hope… and in the meantime, we can take comfort in this one-hour preview of what Lamb Of God’s latest lineup, now featuring former Prong drummer Art Cruz in place of retiring OG Chris Adler, has in store for us.

Division Of Mind at FYA Fest, Tampa, Florida, Jan 5, 2020

Taking things to a bit more of an underground level, here we have a room-destroying performance by Richmond hardcore ragers Division Of Mind, at Florida’s FYA Fest back at the beginning of this year. Guttural vocals, chugging guitars, brutal breakdowns, and an equally brutal mosh pit are what this video is all about. Better yet, despite the circumstances, it still features multiple camera angles and a great sound mix. Division Of Mind don’t have a social media presence (right on, I wish I didn’t), so I don’t know what’s up with them at this moment, but I’m sure they’d appreciate you grabbing a copy of their recent self-titled LP on Triple B Records if you haven’t already.

No BS! Brass Band at The Broadberry, April 17, 2014

Let’s take things in a more upbeat direction, shall we? This six-year-old live performance by No BS! Brass Band isn’t the most recent live footage online by this group, but there’s no substitute for seeing this Richmond favorite right here at home. And since at this moment, we have no way of knowing whether their gig planned for April 3 at The Broadberry is still going to happen or not, we may as well enjoy their music from home right now. Push the coffee table back and dance, y’all. And consider buying some merch from them, if you have the scratch — they will really appreciate the support. (Needless to say, that goes for all the bands on this list.)

Avail at House Of Independents, Asbury Park, New Jersey, September 5, 2019

Did you miss all the Avail reunion sets last year? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. And if you’re not planning to head to Punk Rock Bowling or Furnace Fest later this year, you might especially appreciate this audience recording of their set in Asbury Park last summer. This is one of the few videos I’ve picked that doesn’t have pro audio, so the sound isn’t perfect, but what is perfect is that evocation of what it felt like to be crammed up against the stage (always my favorite spot), singing along and avoiding the moshers… and the sweat flying off Beau Beau’s head. We can’t be there now, but it’s a lovely reminder.

Nickelus F and Ohbliv at Brewer’s Cafe, November 27, 2019

Want to chill with some fine hip hop? Check this Brewer’s Cafe session from last fall, featuring two of Richmond hip hop’s leading lights of the 21st century. Nickelus F is on the mic, spitting some of the best rhymes you’ll find anywhere in the world, while Ohbliv keeps the beats flowing on the decks. They’re behind the Brewer’s counter, and they aren’t serving up any hot drinks, but Brewer’s Cafe is still open for carryout and delivery today, and both Sweet Petey and Ohbliv have plenty of great tunes available over on Bandcamp for your listening pleasure (links above). They’d all appreciate your business during this trying time, I can assure you.

Palm Palm at River City Roll, September 1, 2019

If you know how awesome J. Roddy Walston & The Business were as a live act, you really need to catch Palm Palm, Walston’s new band with members of The Trillions, The Southern Belles, and the Milkstains. These folks had the misfortune of having their spring tour fall apart while they were on it earlier this month; they had to skip the last half of their dates and head home because all the other shows were cancelled. Fortunately for us, their set from last summer at River City Roll is online in its entirety, featuring high-quality audio and a very active single camera capturing the event from all kinds of angles. If you dig this, hit up Palm Palm online to support them by buying a t-shirt. After losing quite a few tour dates, they sure could use the help.

Windhand at Elsewhere, Brooklyn, NY, November 2, 2018

Windhand is another Richmond band who had a tour fall apart on them this month; indeed, this very night, they were supposed to be in Harrisonburg playing The Golden Pony. Now that show, and the rest of their March tour dates, are cancelled, and the only place we can see them is on YouTube. Luckily for us, this incredible live performance was captured by Revolver Magazine in high-quality audio by multiple cameras back in 2018, and we can enjoy it to our heart’s content now. With their tour having been cancelled, Windhand have been selling leftover tour merch on their BigCartel page — go grab some records and t-shirts if you’ve got the scratch.

.gif From God at Wonderland, July 5, 2019

Here’s what will doubtless be the messiest live video you’ll see this week — .gif From God laying waste to Wonderland last summer, in their inimitable fashion. This video is washed out and chaotic, full of flying hair and overdriven guitar chugs, and if you don’t know these songs going in, you might at times struggle to make out what’s going on. But that’s what .gif From God are all about, and if you ask me, it’s part of their charm — a delightful wall of chaos. No word as yet on the status of .gif From God’s April tour, but if you don’t have a copy of their latest LP, approximation_of_a_human, now is absolutely the time to get one. And if you do, you should donate to their Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project fundraising team — a good cause is still a good cause, even during a quarantine.

Bio Ritmo at Rio Loco Festival, Toulouse, France, June 19, 2015

And now for something completely different — a high-energy salsa infusion from long-running local band/party machine Bio Ritmo. This was filmed several years ago and far from home, but don’t get it twisted — this impeccably-documented performance is still muy caliente and well worth your time. Bio Ritmo haven’t performed locally since back around Christmas and don’t have anything in particular coming up, so why not stock up on their impressive back catalog over at their Bandcamp? Guaranteed to heat up your living room even if your space heater’s broken.

Good Day RVA Live Sessions Playlist, feat. Benjamin Shepherd, McKinley Dixon and Friends, Sports Bar, Doll Baby, The Wimps, Spooky Cool, Antiphons, Dumb Waiter, Clair Morgan aka New Lions, Dave Watkins, Lobo Marino, Navi, The Trillions, Andrew Alli & Josh Small, White Laces, Nelly Kate, Houdan The Mystic, Black Girls aka Rikki Shay

Who’s up for a lightning round? Good Day RVA have got the mother of all live sessions for you here with a mega-playlist featuring all of the sessions they’ve filmed over their entire career, which has been going on for… damn near 10 years now. Wow, time flies, huh? These videos feature a who’s who of Richmond’s best musicians, captured at various evocative sites around Richmond and ensuring that the city itself is just as much of their videos as the excellent bands involved. Maybe you’ve missed some of these over the years and need a reminder, or maybe you saw them all when they came out and would just enjoy a playlist full of great Richmond sights and sounds with which to warm your heart while you’re stuck in the house. Either way, this will go down smooth and warm your heart and soul. Guaranteed.

Must-See Shows will be back next week. Whether we return with actual live shows around town, or more video picks to get us through another week of quarantine, only time will tell… but I’m not getting my hopes up. See you then!

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

Marilyn Drew Necci | June 12, 2019

Topics: Bandito's, Black Liver, Cary Street Cafe, CB/BJ, Copperhead, Crab Action, Crystal Spiders, DJ Harrison, Donnie Dale, Earth, Eliza Battle, Florida Man, gallery 5, Gardener, Griffin, Have Mercy, Helms Alee, Modern Chemistry, Nat Digga, New Boss, Ohbliv, Omen Stones, Ostraca, Overo, Prayer Group, Savage Kenny, shows you must see, Space Cubs, The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative, The Camel, The Canal Club, The Dangerous Summer, The Dark Room, The Golden Pony, The Muckrakers, The National, Todd Rundgren, Wonderland, Woodsy Pride, Zolephants, Zooanzoo

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, June 14, 7 PM
Earth (Photo by Sam Gehrke), Helms Alee @ Gallery 5 – $16 (order tickets HERE)

It’s hard to believe that Earth have been cranking out their pulverizing minimalist drone epics for nearly 30 years now. But it’s true, and despite the band’s incredibly slow pace, bandleader and only constant member Dylan Carlson has never fallen behind when it comes to glacial heaviness. Earth’s early works were a crucial influence on doom-drone cult heroes Sunn 0))); beginning with their fourth album, 2005’s Hex, they became a prime mover in the push to find a bridge between the most apocalyptic end of metal and the sweeping melancholy of American folk and country music.

It’s now been five years since Primitive And Deadly, the group’s eighth album and first in over 20 years to feature vocals. Now they’ve returned with Full Upon Her Burning Lips, released only two weeks ago by a stripped-down lineup that finds only Carlson and drummer Adrienne Davies remaining from the four-to-five-member lineups that made their last five albums. The sound has been stripped down, too; while still retaining some of the folk and country flavors that differentiated their more recent albums from their early drone-uber-alles efforts, Full Upon Her Burning Lips finds Earth focusing once again on the almighty riff. Songs are long, slow, and repetitive, but rather than being boring, they are transcendent, placing you in the kind of hypnagogic headspace so awesomely attained by the legendary Earth 2.

Expect all of that and more when Earth hits the Gallery 5 stage, amps cranked to the maximum. No matter what stage of Earth’s evolution pleases you the most, their current incarnation will have plenty to offer you. And with Seattle psychedelic rangers Helms Alee on the bill, you’ll get a special bonus headtrip that’s worth the price of admission in itself. The group’s epic post-metal sound attains new heights on their latest LP, Noctiluca, and their set will act as the perfect appetizer for Earth’s full serving of epic riff triumph.

Wednesday, June 12, 9 PM
Space Cubs (Photo by Jonathan Sherman), Zooanzoo, Gardener, Donnie Dale @ The Camel – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)

Things are sure to get interesting tonight at The Camel, as the city will be graced by a visit from Space Cubs. Actually hailing from right here on Earth, this group comes to us from Buffalo and features a strange mix of strong riffage, programmed electronics, and outright weirdness, all driven by the unforgettable vocal presence of frontwoman Suzanne Bonifacio. Sometimes the songs are dancefloor calls to action, sometimes they’re ambient mind-expanders, sometimes they’re completely indescribable. But they’re always awesome.

Space Cubs are accompanied on this trip to the ol’ RVA by Zooanzoo, a Harrisonburg-based project with a similarly indescribable gender-hopping sound. Last year’s Neck Out is a beat-heavy mixtape from outer space, moving from jazz to ambient techno to bedroom-pop and boom-bap beats all in the space of a single song. What form this will take onstage is certainly open to question, but it’s sure to be captivating. Gardener, the solo project of experimental musician Dash Lewis, and Donnie Dale, a moody electronic project with a great deal of soul, will open things up. Get there.

Thursday, June 13, 9 PM
Florida Man, Prayer Group, Copperhead @ Wonderland – $10

We all know about Florida Man — the descriptor generally attached to a person in the news who has done something totally insane and often hilarious. From throwing an alligator through a drive-thru window to wearing a “Fuck The Police” shirt to court, Florida Man is always up to something. It’s that zany anti-social spirit that the band Florida Man — who actually come from South Carolina — conjure up on their latest LP, Tropical Depression.

While it’s easy to come up with adjectives to describe this band’s music — loud, fast, intense — it’s much harder to slot it into a pre-existing genre. Maybe it’s punk, maybe it’s metal, maybe it’s noise-rock or grunge… the truth is, it’s probably a little bit of all those, along with quite a few more. But it’s sure to get you moving and rock you hard when Florida Man rolls into Shockoe Bottom’s punkest club, Wonderland, and that’s what really counts, isn’t it? (Yes.) Florida Man will be joined by Richmond noise-metallers Prayer Group and Copperhead to make this a truly powerful bill that you won’t want to miss out on.

Friday, June 14, 9 PM
Ohbliv, DJ Harrison, Nat Digga, Floppy Sisk @ The Dark Room – $10

Forget what you’ve heard about love and money — beats make the world go round. How would you get out of bed in the morning, or walk down the street to your job, without a good beat? When the world is difficult, beats keep your head up and help you to move ahead. And that’s why, after a long hard week, you just might need a good healthy serving of beats. Never fear, because that’s what you’re going to get at The Dark Room Friday night. Four talented producers at the top of their class both in this city and in the world as a whole will drop a series of deep, hard, head-nodding beats upon you, and you will enjoy every second of it.

The big name here is, of course, Ohbliv, who followed up his immortalization in a Nils Westergard mural with two full-length albums of stone-cold classics so far this year — Soulphonic in January, and Give Thanks last month. An artist this prolific is sure to have some surprises up his sleeve — don’t miss out. He’s joined by the equally formidable DJ Harrison, who in addition to his plentiful work with a variety of jazz ensembles around town, is always giving us beats to move to, most recently with last winter’s IndieGiver. Nat Digga (I see what you did there), formerly known around town as Sound Genesius, remains a mysterious and powerful beatmaker who is decidedly underrated by the city at large. Floppy Sisk, the production alter ego of local jazz musician Griffin Sisk, starts the whole thing up. Come to the Dark Room and let the vibes overtake you.

Saturday, June 15, 6 PM
The Dangerous Summer, Have Mercy, Modern Chemistry, Black Liver @ The Canal Club – $15 (order tickets HERE)

Summer can indeed be dangerous — last summer, Maryland emo band The Dangerous Summer ended a tour by having all of their equipment stolen from their van. But they didn’t let it slow them down; they just made a video about it and carried on. Then they headed home, put together their next album, and got ready to tour again. The group’s fifth album, Mother Nature, comes out this Friday — coincidentally, the day before they come to Richmond and rock the Canal Club. And if you’re as big a fan of moving, powerful, melodic rock music (think Manchester Orchestra) as I am, then you’re definitely going to want to be there.

Fellow Marylanders Have Mercy have a new album coming this summer too — it’s called The Love Life and will be out in August. For now, only one song has been released, but “Clair” shows that the emotionally powerful lyrics and sure-footed melodies of their 2017 comeback, Make The Best Of It, have held true, and that the reconstituted group (only frontman Brian Swindle remains from the lineup that made their first two albums) is moving forward stronger than ever. Either one of these bands on their own would certainly reach must-see levels, but this double-shot of emo power? Absolutely unmissable. Plan accordingly.

Sunday, June 16, 9 PM
Omen Stones, Crystal Spiders, CB/BJ @ Bandito’s – Free!

These days we talk about a ton of different genres that make the Richmond music scene as powerful and outstanding as it is, from jazz and hip hop to indie and Americana. But the genre that first put Richmond on the map is definitely metal, and in 2019, the city’s metal scene remains as rich (no pun intended) as ever. Case in point: Omen Stones, a new trio of Richmond heavy hitters who’ve come together to crank out some powerful grooves in predictably mindblowing fashion.

Omen Stones brings together Tommy Hamilton (Druglord), Erik Larson (Avail/Alabama Thunderpussy), and Ed Fierro (Desert Altar/Tel) into a unit that’s even greater than the sum of its parts. On their recent self-titled EP, this group crafts its formidable stoner-metal lineage into a collection of memorable anthems that forgo doom-metal’s sludgy tempos in favor of some serious Camaro-rattling riffage. Fans of Red Fang, Kyuss, and yes, any of these talented musicians’ former groups certainly need to be on the lookout. And what better place to do it than Bandito’s, where the admission is always free, the sound is always great, and the nachos are always delicious? I sure can’t think of any. Enjoy sets from NC fuzz-jammers Crystal Spiders and local riff titans CB/BJ in the bargain — you won’t regret a second of it.

Monday, June 17, 9 PM
Overo, Ostraca, Eliza Battle @ Cary Street Cafe – $10

It’s always fun to see completely unexpected sounds invade the hippie sanctum that is Cary Street Cafe. No offense to the Deadheads amongst you, but if you ask me, variety, not cannabis, is definitely the spice of life. So shake it up this Monday night, and check out Overo, a new emo-core outfit hailing from Houston, TX, and featuring former members of Football, etc and Perfect Future. No American football-themed song titles this time around (more’s the pity), but the group’s two-song debut single show them moving smoothly and nimbly between driving screamo crescendos and gorgeous melodies. This is definitely a band to watch in 2019, and you can start doing so in just a few short days.

They’ll be joined by Richmond’s foremost practicioners of gloomy metallic screamo, Ostraca — who, coincidentally enough, also feature former members of Perfect Future. Having brought us three full-length albums in the past four years, Ostraca is on a prolific pace, but their music has remained top-notch throughout, and chances are they’ll blow you away with at least one or two new songs at this show. Dark hardcore up-and-comers Eliza Battle will kick this one off with some powerful fury to get you in the mood. Every minute of this will rule — even if none of these bands have dancing-bear stickers on their amps.

Tuesday, June 18, 7:30 PM
Todd Rundgren @ The National – $25 – $43 (order tickets
HERE)
For at least half a century now, Todd Rundgren has been one of pop music’s most aggressively original talents. And even now, at 70 years of age, he shows no signs of slowing down. His most recent album, 2017’s White Knight, focused on the sort of electro-synth stylings that are much more common to artists half a century younger than he is, and brought in a variety of celebrity guest vocalists, including everyone from Trent Reznor to Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen to Swedish pop legend Robyn.

But there’s far more than Rundgren’s latest album to recommend seeing him live. His back catalog includes everything from his classic 1972 pop breakthrough, Something/Anything?, to his decade fronting prog-rockers Utopia, to his mid-90s “interactive albums,” which still stand as unique and unreplicated experiments in the possibilities inherent in digital music. While Rundgren has rarely been at the top of the pop charts, he’s built up a strong and loyal cult over his 50-plus year career. Come to the National this Tuesday night and find out why. Expect to have your mind blown in the bargain.

Elsewhere Around the State:

Thursday, June 13, 6 PM
New Boss, The Zolephants, Woodsy Pride @ The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative – $?

Back when I was in high school and lived in the country outside Charlottesville, I knew what was going on with the music scene in that city. But I graduated and left the area over 25 years ago, so my recent attempts to catch up with things in my former sorta-hometown have been quite illuminating. One fascinating discovery has been New Boss, the local headliners atop this particular bill. On their most recent release, 2018 EP No Breeze, I hear a technicolor spectrum of psychedelic pop, one that pulls from sources like XTC, Guided By Voices, and Of Montreal, as well as the members’ own history in the DIY music scene. It’s a fascinating sound, one that is certainly worth delving more deeply into.

We’ll all get that chance this Thursday night, as New Boss share the bill with some upstate friends with a similar delightfully off-kilter musical vision. The Zolephants are tough to pin down, though it’s certainly fair to point to a fair bit of surf guitar in their mostly-instrumental soundscapes. But The Zolephants aren’t just a post-Y2K take on Man or Astro-Man? — their use of analog synths bring quite a few unusual sounds into the mix, and make the whole thing a lot more fun. They’re accompanied on their trip through C-Ville by Woodsy Pride, a rootsy yet experimental folk-rock project that won’t completely make sense until you hear them. So I recommend you head over to The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative and do just that.

Saturday, June 15, 8 PM
The Muckrakers, Crab Action, Savage Kenny @ The Golden Pony – $7

Here at RVA Magazine, we don’t often get the chance to engage in proper muckraking — there just isn’t too much shadowy intrigue to dig up when you’re on the arts and culture beat. However, in its own way, the arrival of punk rockers The Muckrakers at Harrisonburg’s The Golden Pony this Saturday night is a huge scoop for all of the music fans on our staff — and in our readership.

The Muckrakers originate from New York, and take the original punk rock credo of being yourself and playing the music you want to hear quite seriously. On 2018 EP The Album’s Off, their sound is fast and furious, simultaneously full of pop-punk melody and metallic hardcore intensity. The result sounds like what you’d get if Bad Religion and Iron Reagan made a record together — and if that sounds awesome to you, then you’re on our wavelength for sure. Head out to the Golden Pony this Saturday night and do some headbanging muckraking of your own. You heard it here first!

—-

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

Richmond Hip Hop Heats Up

Hip Hop Henry | January 10, 2019

Topics: Fly Anakin, Henny LO, hip hop, Mutant Academy, nils westergard, Ohbliv, Richmond scene, RVA 35

*This article originally appeared in RVA Mag #35, on the streets now at all your favorite spots.

The Richmond hip hop scene has been one of the nation’s best kept secrets for a while now — but between its growing online presence and impactful releases of the past year, the secret is out. From Face Melt Fridays (the always-steady showcase of up-and-coming talent) to the Cheats Movement’s packed showcase at the VMFA, local hip hop events are attracting attention from eyes plenty outside the 804.

Part of the reason for Richmond hip hop’s most successful year in a long time: Local artists aren’t waiting for people to come to them. AGM and Gritty City’s crews have both done national tours this year, and artists like Noah-O and Versace Chachi headed overseas.

In fact, the increase in activity has even led some former Richmond residents to move back. “I didn’t leave because I was tryna get hot. I left for school,” says Mutant Academy’s Henny LO. “I came back to get hot.”

Scene mainstay Ohbliv has had a particularly hot year. Always mentioned in circles throughout the beatmaker/production community, his profile was raised this year with Retrospective, a best-of collection released by Brooklyn’s Paxico Records and distributed by indie heavyweights Fat Beats. For Ohbliv, the proposal was a total surprise. “I wasn’t even expecting it,” he says when I visit him at his home on the Southside.

The project apparently had its genesis when Paxico heard that Chris Hund got a job at Fat Beats. “I had already been working with Fat Beats,” Ohbliv relates. He and Hund had also been talking for a while about an Ohbliv release on Paxico. “So [Chris] is like, ‘I’ve been going through your joints — yo, I think you should put out a greatest hits.’”

While Ohbliv never planned for a retrospective, he definitely sees a need. “The era’s changing, there’s a whole new generation of kids doing this shit now — they kind of need to know,” he says. “So, yeah, it just made sense to drop this now.”

Along with a retrospective album, Ohbliv was immortalized here in the city with a mural by Nils Westergard, which surprised a lot of people. Ohbliv gives the backstory of how it all came to be.

“Initially, we were going to do a video,” he says. “Then he was just like, ‘Yo, what do you think of getting your mural?’ I was like, ‘Okay.’ What am I gonna say?” He laughs.

He gives all the credit for the mural to Westergard. “It’s just a testament to his artistry,” says Ohbliv. “I just see myself as a subject for his artistry. And if my music or, you know, our music inspired that artistry, then I’m grateful for that.”

“Our music” is a reference to himself and Fly Anakin, the local rapper and Mutant Academy member who shares the mural with Ohbliv. The two collaborated this year for Fly Anakin’s debut solo album, Backyard Boogie, which was produced entirely by Ohbliv. I met up with Anakin and Henny LO, the creators of Mutant Academy, to get the whole story.

“It started with myself and Anakin, and then it just expanded,” Henny LO explains. “We’ve still got the same members for the most part, minus Koncept [Jack$on] — shout out to him — but initially it just started as just some shit that we just loved to do, and us wanting to really do it and be nice, for real. And the next thing you know, it caught on.”

Beginning with two high school friends, the Mutant Academy team has ballooned to members up and down the East Coast. It includes rappers, producers, and video directors, and they do virtually everything in-house.

“People don’t like that shit,” says Fly Anakin. “I be telling [people] no all the time and they hate it.” Henny LO quickly chimed in. “If we step outside, it’s because we really love you.”

“Exactly,” says Fly Anakin. “I’m a fan of some people, but it’s like people that aren’t on my radar. If I don’t know about you, if I didn’t seek you out, I’m not about to just go ahead and overly exert myself to people that I don’t know. [People] are strangers until they prove otherwise: It’s a reason why we move the way we move.”

The Mutant Academy team has gotten a lot of love from a variety of hip hop luminaries this year. Detroit production legend, DJ House Shoes, DJ’d for Fly Anakin on his trip to LA, with fellow mutants Big Kahuna OG & Gray Matter. But the year has had both ups and downs — what should have been an opening spot for Roc Marciano in Washington D.C. was cancelled when the promoter failed to pay Roc. They’ve learned from all of it.

“That trip just showed [people], like: We can do anything we want to do, easily,” says Fly Anakin, laughing. “We just gotta do the shit. That’s all it took. People showed extra love — that was the first time I ever seen people lined up to buy merch from me. It was a paid show, but I realized, having merch and shit… you can make any show a paid show at any time. I look at that way more seriously now.”

Mutant Academy has always taken their music seriously, paying close attention to the way they drop projects — from EPs to instrumental collections, to full-length albums. I mentioned their song lengths increasing over time, and they let me know it was all part of the plan.

“We’ve been training for years,” Henny LO says. “[We] learned how to write songs off of one minute beats — Dilla, [MF] Doom. [We] ain’t had no producer. It was just me and him.”

The plan eventually led to Fly Anakin’s surprise solo debut, even though he’s not entirely sure he was ready. “I was like, ‘I’m gonna make EPs, because I’m not about to do an album right now.’ I told myself I wouldn’t drop an album until I felt like I was where I need to be,” Fly Anakin says. “In a sense, Backyard Boogie was premature. I shouldn’t have did that yet. But it happened, you know?”

I mention that their work has given them recognition in the “underground,” but before I even finish the sentence, Henny LO interjects. “Is that even a thing anymore?” Everyone laughs, but Fly Anakin gives a serious response.

“The reason I can accept it is because only a certain type person knows about us. It’s only a certain type of person that knows about the music that we enjoy, that we came up on,” he says.

“Not everybody’s that type of person.”

He recognizes that only the “underground” type of person knows Mutant Academy right now, but he doesn’t regard the label as a limit on their potential. “[We’re] only underground because we aren’t signed.”

Henny LO agrees. “I’m an artist. As an artist, I don’t give a fuck about no underground or mainstream.”

Mutant Academy isn’t leaving town to chase success, though. “I don’t feel like you should have to move away to get what you need to get out of this shit,” Fly Anakin says. “We was in Broad Rock and we started doing this shit, like some real Southside shit. We still in Southside. We ain’t leave.”

Mutant Academy are feeling positive about the future of RVA hip hop. So is Ohbliv. “Onward and upward. I mean, for real,” he says. “As everything gets fine-tuned and continues on the trajectory, there’s a lot of good stuff out there to keep you sharp, which is great.”

The talent has always been there, Ohbliv says, but the city’s finally ready to embrace it. “For a while, it was a lot of people playing around with it. There was a time when there was a lot of new rappers coming out locally,” he says. “I feel like now it’s kinda settled, the infrastructure has gotten a little better, elevating and giving platforms to the people that deserve it.”

His advice for the residents of Richmond, rappers or not, is entirely positive. “Just keep doing it. Keep doing your thing. That’s one thing that my mom used to always tell me,” he says.

“Whatever positive things you’re doing, just keep doing that, and more positive things will happen. That goes with anything — music, or whatever field or career you’re in. Recognize the positive things that enact, and accentuate those things.”

“I feel like if everybody did that in the city, it would just keep growing.”

Photos by Nils Westergard

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

The 40 Most Essential RVA Albums Of 2018 (Part 1)

Marilyn Drew Necci | December 31, 2018

Topics: 2018 in Review, Andy Jenkins, Ant The Symbol, Bad Magic, Cole Hicks, Cruelsifix, Essential Albums of 2018, Fly Anakin, Gumming, Kenneka Cook, Large Margin, Lipid, Love Roses, Lucy Dacus, Manatree, McKinley Dixon, Michael Millions, Nickelus F, Ohbliv, Ostraca, Saw Black, Scott Clark, The Ar-Kaics, The Donalds

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

The Best of Ohbliv

Daniel Berti | September 21, 2018

Topics: beats, Fly Anakin, hip hop, Nickelus F, Ohbliv, RVA hip hop, rva musc

Ohbliv’s “Retrospective” is an authoritative collection of the Richmond beatmaker’s best instrumental tracks. The record was curated by Ohbliv and Paxico records owner/operator Chris Hund, who selected the standout songs from his monolithic discography.

Hund said that he was introduced to Ohbliv’s music years ago by Paxico co-runner Josh Hey.

“Something about his music seemed intensely personal and authentic, which is increasingly rare,” says Hund. “As a curator for Paxico I put out things I believe the world needs, and I have no doubt the world needs Ohbliv retrospective. No one can create a groove like Ohbliv, period. He’s on a spiritual level.”

Ohbliv has released countless beat tapes and records since he started putting out music in 2009, and has been influential both nationally and in Richmond’s emerging hip-hop scene. According to Ohbliv, he started making pause tapes when he was in high school in the late 90s using records from his father’s collection, mostly jazz, soul and R&B deep cuts.

“The records in his collection were ridiculous,” he said. “I basically built off of his collection.”

Ohbliv’s first proper release, “Rugged Tranquility,” set the tone for his future output, borrowing heavily from ’70s and ’80s soul, funk, and R&B artists like Johnny “Guitar” Watson and Junie Morrison to make hypnotic instrumental tracks.

Since then, he’s released over 20 tapes and records and has collaborated with a growing list of performers in the Richmond area including Nickelus F, Fly Anakin, Michael Millions, and Radio B. In 2018 alone he released two beat-tapes, “Ohblends II” and “Ohblends Vol. 3,” two collaborative albums, and a full-length remix record, “Southern Blend.”

Many Richmond hip-hop artists credit Ohbliv with bringing the community out of a period of stagnation in the late 2000s. Nickelus F, a veteran of the Richmond scene, collaborated with Ohbliv for the “Yellow Gold” mixtape in 2011, and “Yellow Gold 2“ in 2013.

“He’s an architect of an entire sound and wave,” said F. “At a time when everything sounded clean and digitized he had dirt under his nails digging through dusty crates of records, chopping by hand and making pause tapes. He Marty McFly’d the internet and came back to the future with the essence of true hip-hop.”

Ohbliv has also been involved with several projects with up-and-coming Richmond hip-hop crew Mutant Academy. Earlier this year, he produced the full-length record “Backyard Boogie” with Mutant Academy’s Fly Anakin, who has begun to receive national attention in recent years.

“He single-handedly changed underground hip-hop with that Southside groovy shit. He’s the reason a lot of us in this community are even known. Everybody and they mama made an Ohbliv type beat,” says Anakin.  

Although “Retrospective” is a best-of collection, Ohbliv has no plans to slow down his musical output. “I’m always recording,” he said. “I have three or four albums already done. It’s all about timing for me though as to when I’ll release them.”

The “Retrospective” anthology is a testimony to Ohbliv’s production capabilities, but also to the perfection of his process over the years.

“It’s the refinement of a style,” he said. “Same old process though: find a sample, chop it up, add some drums, flip it, mix it… Boom.”

Cover Photo by Marc Cheatham of The Cheats Movement. 

 

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

 

RVA #33: Record Reviews

RVA Staff | August 15, 2018

Topics: Andy Jenkins, Citrus City Records, Crystal Pistol Records, Egg Hunt Records, Fly Anakin, Gold Connections, McKinley Dixon, Natalie Prass, Nickelus F, Ohbliv, Park Sparrows, Saw Black, Spacebomb, Spacebomb House Band

These blurbs originally appeared in RVA #33 Summer 2018. You can check out the issue here, or pick it up around Richmond now. 

Natalie Prass

“The Future And The Past”

(ATO)

In the three years since Natalie Prass made her debut on Spacebomb Records, she’s been evolving as an artist — and that evolution is clear from the very first listen to sophomore LP The Future And The Past. Having made her mark with the lush analog sounds of the Spacebomb house band backing her up, her new album finds her exploring some decidedly digital sounds. It is full of deep grooves that rely on R&B-style synths and an incredibly funky bass sound that could come straight off a Cameo or Gap Band album from the dawn of the 80s. With Prass’s vocals added into the mix, there’s a decided Janet Jackson vibe that creeps in, and I for one am not complaining. Prass’s frustration with the election of Donald Trump and the corresponding threats to women’s rights comes through powerfully in tracks like female-autonomy anthem “Ain’t Nobody” and ladies-first singalong “Sisters.” Add the unforgettable jam of a first single, “Short Court Style,” and powerful ballad “Lost,” and you get an album chock full of instant classics. It might not be quite what we expected from Prass, but it is certainly welcome. (MN)

Andy Jenkins

“Sweet Bunch”

(Spacebomb)

The veteran Spacebomb collaborator makes his full-length debut in impressive fashion, with meditative, nuanced writing that calls to mind the finest singer-songwriters. Throughout, you’ll find masterful performances from the Spacebomb house band and multi-instrumentalist Phil Cook, as well as natural imagery that makes Sweet Bunch the perfect soundtrack for time spent down by the James this summer. (DJ)

Fly Anakin & Ohbliv

“Backyard Boogie”

(Mutant Academy Worldwide)

On what is actually Anakin’s first solo full-length, the young spitter goes from beginning to end over stellar production from Ohbliv. Beats and non-stop rhymes are the recipe, as Anakin mostly goes for himself throughout this project — which definitely deserves all of your attention.  (HH)

Gold Connections

“Popular Fiction”

(EggHunt)

Building on the momentum of Gold Connections’ 2017 self-titled EP, Will Marsh returns with an EggHunt Records-backed full-length that shines over a span from cathartic sing-alongs — like the final sequence of opening track “Icarus” — to balanced production that’s remarkable in how great it sounds at both loud and quiet moments. A rewarding listen from beginning to end. (DJ)

McKinley Dixon

“The Importance Of Self-Belief”

(Citrus City)

This angry young MC has been making waves around RVA; on his new album, he brings his live band into the studio for a more organic musical feel, making this release a quantum leap for an already-standout artist. His politically-informed lyrics hit harder than ever on tracks like “Circle The Block,” “Black Boy Flies,” and the title track. Essential listening. (MN)

Nickelus F

“Stuck”

(AGM Imperial)

Fresh from receiving his degree at VCU, Petey returns with his long awaited new project, Stuck. The self-produced banger of an album is full of introspective rhymes that still make you bounce. After a few listens, you’ll start to realize why this city has a mural depicting this RVA hip hop legend. (HH)

Park Sparrows

“More Peace”

(OVOLR/Debackle)

Old punks never die — they just get introspective. This EP from a veteran crew featuring members of Strike Anywhere and Landmines hits hard, mingling hardcore-punk rage with an undercurrent of melody and irreverent wit. “Maps” is the pensive singalong anthem; “Wig Out At Mojo’s” the inside-joke rager that only the old guys will get. The whole thing is great. (MN)

Saw Black

“Water Tower”

(Crystal Pistol)

One of the paradoxes of the creative life is that strength lies in vulnerability; Water Tower shows Saw Black’s intuitive mastery in this area. It’s incredibly strong, with evocative melodies and lyrics, yet the tone and vocal delivery feel strikingly raw. As “Mama Knows” puts it, “You hold your secrets close to your chest / I tell everyone.” We’re lucky he does. (DJ)

Spacebomb House Band

“Library Music I: No Space High Enough”

(Spacebomb)

Beat tapes aren’t just for producers anymore. This cassette release finds the Spacebomb House Band stretching out, crafting instrumental grooves perfect for film soundtracks and chilled-out evenings. From effect-laden funk to experiments in dub reggae and soul jazz, this talented crew of studio musicians stays in the pocket and delivers the goods. MCs seeking beats, take note. (MN)

Reviews By: Reviews by Hip Hop Henry (HH), Davy Jones (DJ), Marilyn Drew Necci (MN)

 

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • ⟩

sidebar

sidebar-alt

Copyright © 2021 · RVA Magazine on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Close

    Event Details

    Please fill out the form below to suggest an event to us. We will get back to you with further information.


    OR Free Event

    CONTACT: [email protected]