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RVATRACK Drops Illiterate Light’s ‘Better Than I Used To’

Amy David | June 1, 2018

Topics: Illiterate Light, rva music, RVATRACK

Update: RVATRACK announced the studio recording release of “Better Than I Used To,” available now on Spotify.

RVATRACK is back again with a video this month for our eyes, ears, and souls. The local film collective recently premiered a live music video for Illiterate Light’s “Better Than I Used To.” Only coming together in 2015, the Harrisonburg alt-psych duo has built up quite the name for themselves with their energetic live shows, touring up and down the East Coast, and three solid EPs under their belts showcasing gritty guitar sounds from Jeff Gorman and smooth, hazy vocals from drummer/vocalist Jake Cochran.

Their most recent EP, Ego Flora I, came out last August, but the track “Better Than I Used To” doesn’t appear on that, or any of the older records. It’s a song Gorman said the band has been sitting on for quite some time.

“‘Better Than I Used To came about in early 2016 but sat on the back burner for 12 to 18 months because we were touring a lot and didn’t have time to work on new material,” he said. Gorman added they’ve been toiling away with Adrian Olsen and Charlie Glenn over at Montrose Studios for the past six months on a new album, slated to come out later this year, hopefully with this track featured.

All the usual suspects were involved with making the video for “Better Than I Used To” including Scott Lane, Daniel Bagbey, and Gabrielle Silvers. And although the duo’s hometown is in Harrisonburg, Gorman said they were stoked to get to work with the local collective to premiere this single.

“We’re really happy to debut this song with RVATrack since so much of our music has been influenced by the Richmond scene,” he said.

Cover art courtesy Illiterate Light

You can catch Illiterate Light on June 22 at Strange Matter alongside Richmond’s Blush Face, ADDY, and jazzy group CGI Jesus. 8 PM Doors, 9 PM Showtime. $5 in advance and $7 at the door. In the meantime, let their sweet sounds ease you into this sunny weekend.

Photo By: Joey Wharton Photography

 

 

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

A New Vision in Cosmic Jazz: Kenneka Cook and Moonchild

Davy Jones | April 23, 2018

Topics: American Paradox, funk, jazz, Kenneka Cook, Mikrowaves, rva music, RVATRACK, Sid Kingsley, soul, The Congress

A debut album is a singular act of creation, ushering in a brand new version of the universe. A blank slate. A new map, with contours distinct from all the cartography that came before.

With her debut full-length, Moonchild, Richmond jazz vocalist Kenneka Cook has projected a heartening vision of the world — one in which people, genres, and techniques come together in a spirit of connectedness. I had the good fortune to explore her vision when I sat down with her at Pop’s Market on East Grace Street recently.

Moonchild was released on February 23 by American Paradox Records, the fledgling imprint run by Scott Lane of standout rock outfit The Congress. Cook and Lane first met after one of her performances. “There’s a series called REC Room at the Camel,” Cook said. “Scott was in the audience.” Lane was so impressed he wanted to sign her. “Next thing I know, I’m making a record.”

So what brought a jazz singer to REC Room — a showcase for beatmakers organized by the Richmond Electronic Collective? The answer is a surprise, given the full-band arrangements employed on Moonchild, but Cook got her start with looping, a more individualistic technique.

Using just her versatile voice and the Vox Lil’ Looper, a pedal that allows her to create sampled vocal arrangements on the fly, Cook honed her skills performing solo at venues like Emilio’s, Cary Street Café, and Gallery5.

“It started off at Emilio’s,” Cook remembered, “at their open mic. I started going there, and I met a few people in the house band at Emilio’s. From there, it just kind of snowballed into me really getting into the Richmond music scene.”

Though she was performing alone, Cook ensured the experience was far from solipsistic. “It’s hard when you’re standing up there by yourself. It can be intimidating with all those people staring at you. So I [asked], ‘How can I connect with them?’ And so in between songs, [I’d] talk to them. ‘Hey, what’s up? I see you right there. That shirt’s cute.’”

Among the connections she made during that time, that initial conversation with Scott Lane proved to be especially fateful. Following a “stem to stern” model of production, American Paradox artists work with Lane at every step of the album cycle, including recording in his Jackson Ward home. The location inspired Cook.

“That house is over 100 years old,” she said. “I love stuff like that. I think it’s really cool to be able to record in a place that has so much history. It’s on the same block as the Maggie L. Walker Museum, so it’s cool to add more history on history that’s already been made on that block.”

Cook also appreciated Lane’s easygoing style as a producer. ”He’s a real laid back guy, and that makes it easy for everybody.” Easy and tightly-knit, as much of the recording was done in close collaboration — including the vocals. “I would be right beside Scott, recording, and he would be doing whatever on the computer. No crazy sound booth or anything.”

Remarkably, this easy-going, collaborative environment was also established when it came time to record the band. “Everybody was kind of together in one room,” Cook remembered. “[Lane] has this baby grand in the front, and a drum set, so everything was put together.” According to Cook, it’s essentially the same setup as is depicted in the live performance of Moonchild track “Brings Me Back (111)” recorded by videography collective RVATRACK, for which Lane runs audio and acts as project manager.

Whether it’s the physical space, Lane’s approach, or a shared commitment to making good organic music, the community that’s grown around American Paradox Records is as tightly knit as the recording process. A key figure in that ecosystem is Sid Kingsley, the singer, and pianist whose soulful Americana album, Good Way Home, provided an outstanding proof of concept for the label’s in-house methodology last year. It’s Kingsley’s saxophone work you hear in the version of “Brings Me Back (111)” on Moonchild.

“We go to each other’s shows,” Cook said of her labelmates. “We support each other. I feel like it’s a [microcosm] of Richmond, because the Richmond music community is really supportive of each other.”

Moonchild draws expertly from that broader pool of Richmond musicians, with a list of contributors that includes local renaissance man Kelli Strawbridge (who also plays with Cook in the band Mikrowaves), No BS! Brass Band mainstay Marcus Tenney, and multitalented Butcher Brown keyboardist Devonne Harris. “They [made] it easy because they’re so talented,” Cook said. “I was very open to any suggestions they had because what I do is so minimalist. I wanted to have their input [on] anything they heard or thought would sound cool if we tried it. To have those people want to suggest stuff anyway is a blessing in itself.”

Harris played on two songs: “My Universe” and “The Practice.” “He did keys on both tracks, [on] the baby grand in the living room,” Cook said. “He plays everything like he’s a pro at it. He makes it look so easy… It’s funny, because he does this thing: We’ll teach him the song, he’ll do an amazing job, and we’ll [say] ‘That was great!’ He’ll say ‘Oh no, that wasn’t it…’ and we’re [saying] ‘No, that was it!’”

As greatly as Moonchild benefits from the various players it features, the album still feels like a vision that’s distinctively Cook’s — starting with the title.

“I like the moon,” Cook explained. “I’ve always liked space, and I always had weird theories about space and all that stuff as a kid, which any kid probably has. But as I got older, not only the scientific knowledge about space, but also the metaphysical and spiritual sense of the moon the Sun and all that — it made sense. The moon’s connection with the feminine and feminine energy — it’s a reminder to embrace my feminine side.”

During the recording process, she looked for ways to infuse music with her love for the cosmos, which reaches all the way back to childhood evenings spent stargazing with siblings and cousins. “I wanted ‘Moonchild’ to be somewhat mysterious,” Cook said. “I wanted it to be very spacey, and space is a mystery within itself. No matter how much we learn about space, it’s going to always be a mystery, because we’ll never learn everything. I wanted that feel in that track, definitely.”

Cook also sought to provide a sense of balance that married her sample-driven solo performance style with the love of jazz that kicked into high gear when she first heard Billie Holiday sing — a love she’s nurtured by frequenting record stores like Deep Groove, Plan 9, and Steady Sounds, surrounding herself with other legendary voices like Ella Fitzgerald’s and Betty Carter’s.

“I knew for a fact I wanted [the album] to be full band songs and looper-esque songs,” Cook affirmed, “but I [also] knew I wanted to show my diverse taste in music. Jazz is my baby; that’s my heart. [But] I wanted to show I have other interests in music… I wanted to make sure I got a little of everything out there, without it being utterly ridiculous.”

Cook covered Vampire Weekend’s “The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance” as an outlet for her more electronic instincts. “I wanted the Vampire Weekend one to be closer to how it is when I loop it,” she mentioned. “We were thinking, ‘How can we make this sound fun [and] different?’ It has that Mark Mothersbaugh sound to it. Just a piece of my childhood just thrown in there a little bit.”

Conversely, “The Practice” was always destined to be more built-out. “I knew I wanted a traditional sounding jazz song on the record.” The track got an early signal boost in mid-January thanks to Bandcamp’s music discovery show Bandcamp Weekly, which aired the song alongside two others from Moonchild and an interview with Cook. Her photo even spent time on the site’s front page. I asked about how she’s enjoyed the process of promoting the album and engaging with music media.

“I don’t like to talk,” she confessed. “I’m a very quiet, to-myself person, so to be able to express myself through words is kind of nerve-wracking. But it is exciting, because people want to know how this happened.”

Her reticence gets a symbolic nod in the cover art, which features photography by Joey Wharton and lettering by illustrator Leslie Herman. “Because I don’t like talking, I [thought], ‘Let me show who I am the best way possible.’ Looping, even though it is a powerful tool, I feel like it’s minimalist, so I [thought], ‘How do I express that visually?’ So if you notice, my album cover is just this much of me [from the top of the nose up], and then simple lettering that has the moon phases in the O’s. It’s simple, but you can get a lot out of it.”

Cook may not be a big talker, but she’s confident in her work, especially as the number of glowing reviews has grown. “The more positive feedback I’m getting, it’s a little less nerve-wracking.” She has one group of supporters, in particular, that’s provided constant encouragement: Her five sisters.

“I come from a big family,” Cook said. “We’re close. We still are close. We always had each other’s backs. We’re all different, but we’re always supportive of each other… I feel like they promote [Moonchild] more than I do sometimes. I’m being dead serious. I’ll [get] calls from their friends [saying], ‘The album’s amazing. Your sister’s been sharing it around the office.’ So they’re really excited about it.”

Cook grew up in Chesterfield, singing in her church and school choirs, and soaking in the wave of soul music that redefined the genre-leading into the 21st Century. “We had a stereo in our living room,” Cook said, “and every weekend, there was cleaning day.” So she would put on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill or Erykah Badu’s Baduizm and clean up. It was the kind of sustained, passive listening that plants deep roots, and the impact continues to grow. “Even if I [wasn’t] paying attention to it, it [was] being put into my head. Not forcibly or anything; it was good music. It’s part of our memories. And I go back and listen to it now, and I actually know what they’re talking about. Erykah Badu performed at the [2017] Richmond Jazz Festival, and she said something about waiting for you all to grow up. And I [thought], yes, that makes so much sense!”

Family turned out to be a recurring theme during our conversation, whether she was describing her sisters’ enthusiasm, the virtues of the American Paradox community, or experiences singing in ensemble groups like Mikrowaves and Piranha Rama.

“Playing in other bands — it’s fun,” Cook said. “It’s like a little family. Especially Mikrowaves. I love hanging out with Mikrowaves. I’m guaranteed to laugh with Mikrowaves. To have fun with it — I learned that from Piranha Rama and Mikrowaves. Just make a little family. Because if you guys aren’t connecting in some way, it’s not going to come out the way you want it to.”

It’s an approach she’s hoping to take on the road. When asked what she hoped the release Moonchild would lead to–what her metric for success might be–her answer was clear and decisive. “Touring. That’s the number one thing. I’ve never really gotten to tour before, so to be able to go outside of Richmond and show myself would be cool.”

As for adjusting to her role fronting a bigger group, Cook described engagement as key, regardless of whether she’s looping solo or leading a band. “I love them both for different reasons,” she said. “I feel like when I’m up there by myself, I’m more interactive with the crowd, which is always fun. But when I’m up there with [the band], it’s less of a burden — not mentally freaking out, [thinking] ‘OK, what’s next?’ I can relax a little and interact with the people in the band with me.”

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

The beauty of Kenneka Cook is how she’s rooted her musical brilliance in human connection, through her literal and metaphorical families and her relationship with the audience. That beauty is affirmed via Moonchild, and Cook is poised to project that truth widely as songs from the album fill living rooms and venues in Richmond and beyond.

 

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

RVA Track Premieres Erin and The Wildfire’s ‘Great Love’

Amy David | March 26, 2018

Topics: Erin & The Wildfire, RVATRACK, VA music

I have loved Erin & The Wildfire ever since I first had the chance to interview the Charlottesville-based band after hearing them play one night in 2015 at Cary St. Cafe. Lead singer Erin Lunsford has been captivating crowds with her sultry, wide-range vocals, along with the original crew, made up of UVA grads Matt Wood (bassist), Ryan Lipps, (guitarist) and drummer Nick Quillen, who have grown their fanbase at local and regional shows, and Virginia festivals with their folksy/funk tunes and unique spins on classics like “Stayin’ Alive” and “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.”

In September, RVA Magazine caught up with the band right before they dropped their first full-length album, Thirst. On this record, we see Erin & the Wildfire switch up their sound to a more soulful, R&B vibe, And with the addition of newer members Garen Dorsey on horns and Austin Patterson on the trumpet, that jazzy/blues really comes alive.

Most recently, the band was in the studio with local film collective RVA Track to record a live music video for the song, “Great Love” off the latest album. Lunsford’s sweet, but powerful pipes have the ability to give you the chills when she hits those high notes on this one.  Combined with the harmonizing vocals from the rest of the band on this bluesy love ballad, its enough to send anyone back to a time to remember that former flame, or passionate lover that got away.

Lunsford told RVA Mag last year that much of Thirst is about unrequited love and personal experiences and relationships she’s been through.

“There’s one person in particular that several of the songs are about,” she said. “And a couple other random dudes that I dated sprinkled in. “’Great Love’ was the amalgamation of all of those experiences, it’s not actually a surrender, but its kind of close. Understanding what the realization of what I’m looking for and what I’m willing to give up and what I’m not willing to give up.”

If you haven’t had a chance to listen to this album yet, check it out below because you’re in for a treat.

The audio for the “Great Love” video is by Scott Lane, and the video was filmed and edited by Daniel Bagbey, along with Joey Wharton and Gabrielle Silvers. And be sure to catch Erin & The Wildfire at Floydfest July 25-29 and at Lockn in Arrington, Va. in August.

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Minor Poet premieres new single, “Judith Beheading Holofernes” via RVATRACK

Jo Rozycki | August 1, 2017

Topics: Minor Poet, RVA music videos, RVATRACK, strange matter

With his killer guitar chops and smooth voice, RVA’s Minor Poet is given the center stage by local film collective RVATRACK in a new music video for the band’s single, “Judith Beheading Holofernes.” Featuring the new single from the band’s most recent album from Egghunt Records, And How!, Minor Poet’s toe-tapping drum beats, light electric guitar, and backup keys all support the leading vocals, harmonies, and singable lyrics.

Photo by Joey Wharton Photography

Andrew Carter, the frontman for the band, starts off with chucks of chords off his electric guitar, setting the mood for this grooving single. The thumping bassline sends the band into a good funk as Carter’s lyrics fill the room. The band’s vibe, grooving along with one another as well as uplifting Carter’s lyrics, harken to a summer drive through Richmond with the windows rolled down. After shredding on a guitar solo with the bass driving behind it and the drums crashing down on cymbals and bass drum, Carter falls to the floor in exhaustion and finishes with a strum by his bassist. It’s a rollercoaster of a video that ends with fading feedback from the booming speakers.

The perfectly balanced audio by Scott Lane allows the listener to appreciate every piece within the band as well as the visual-inducing lyrics. Camera work by Craig Zirpolo, Daniel Bagby, Gabrielle Silvers, and Joey Wharton not only highlight each and every band member, but also fit seamlessly with the band’s general vibe, complete with smooth transitions, arcing pans, and even have fun with the angles once Carter begins his guitar solo. Editing by Daniel Bagby largely contributes to this excellent camera work.

A video like this for Minor Poet brings anticipation for future summer blasts. Not only does the instrumentation fit the Richmond vibe of long days, longer nights, and fun beats, but Carter’s vocals and surrounding harmonies puts the mind and ear at ease with his mellow sound, mixed with killer guitar solos.

Catch Minor Poet for their LP release show at Strange Matter on August 26 alongside Spooky Cool, Sammi Lanzetta, and Blush Face. Get the details here.

RVA’s rap/jazz artist McKinley Dixon drops new video, ‘Circle the Block’ via RVATrack

Jo Rozycki | July 11, 2017

Topics: hip hop, jazz, McKinley Dixon, police brutality, rap, RVATRACK, Scott Lane, The Camel, The Congress

Local rap/jazz artist McKinley Dixon is at it again with his blend of a jazz quartet and his rhythmic rap lyrics in his new music video by local film collective RVATrack, “Circle The Block,” following his most recent album, Who Taught you To Hate Yourself?.

Photo by Stephen Gwaltney Photography

With his previous album highlighting the perspective of a young Black man who witnesses a drive-by shooting, Dixon continues his efforts to shed light on police brutality, racism, and other struggles a young Black man faces in today’s world. Through his emotionally-charged lyrics, packed with a truthful punch, “Circle The Block” adds another layer to this conversation through lines about targeting by police, unnecessary use of force, and, quite literally, circling the block for potential suspects.

The track is off a forthcoming album, titled The Importance of Self Belief, due out sometime in August.

Within the first couple lines of the song, Dixon calls out the unnecessary force used frequently on young Black men when they’re walking down the street: “I don’t mean to resist/So, officer, why your foot on my neck and my wrist?”

When he posted the video on his Facebook page, Dixon added “Stop killin’ my trans fam, for real,” adding recognition of the high number of homicides of trans women of color.

Frankly, the surprising mixture of coffeehouse-jazz and hip-hop wordsmithing works perfectly for Dixon’s style and messages. Shot in Scott Lane’s (The Congress) in home studio in Jackson Ward, Dixon can be seen passionately spitting his verses while his fellow musicians churn out beats and licks on drums, electric guitar, upright bass, and keyboard, even giving the latter two instruments lengthy solos.

The audio was mixed by Scott Lane. Camera work by Craig Zirpolo, Daniel Bagby, Gabrielle Silvers, and Joey Wharton. Editing by Daniel Bagbey gave for a smooth finish between cuts and final fade.

McKinley Dixon’s energy and relevant, contemporary lyrics on racial struggles for young Black men, specifically their conflict with police brutality, is given a breath of fresh air with his accompanying jazz quartet. His music video gives comfortable scenery for a tense topic. Hopefully, future tracks and videos will follow to give us more of a taste of Dixon’s talent.

Catch McKinley Dixon, alongside Pressure Fit, Brunswick, and CGI Jesus at The Camel Thurs. July 20. Details here.

Film collective RVATRACK aims to spotlight local musicians with live music video series

Kathy Mendes | April 10, 2017

Topics: angelica garcia, Camp Howard, music, rva music, RVA music videos, RVATRACK, Sid Kingsley, The Congress

We’re all aware of the bustling and ever-growing Richmond music scene, regardless of who you are or what you play. And it’s a scene that’s largely self-made – made possible by a unique sense of community that relies on helping each other out when it comes to getting your name and music out there. That’s what the new local music and film collective RVATRACK sets out to do most of all: uplift the music scene by providing local musicians with high quality music videos to add to their repertoires.

RVATRACK founder Scott Lane knows how important a tool a quality music video can be. A musician himself (The Congress) and founder of new local record label American Paradox, he was familiar with the Richmond music scene, but had moved across the country to Colorado for a spell. When he returned, the music scene was blowing up, and he was inspired to have a hand in its growth.

“I wanted to come back and play my part in helping the city. I wanted to be a tiny puzzle piece in sort of the legitimization of the music culture here and the infrastructure,” Lane said. “I want to put Richmond’s best foot forward and showcase some of these folks who I think are doing great things.”

The video collective has emphasized community from the beginning; it was founded by Lane and editor/marketing manager Daniel Bagby who met over a Thanksgiving meal. They shared similar ideas about content creation and Richmond’s music scene and got to work right away.

RVATRACK was born in January of 2017, so while a fairly new project, the high quality of the video and sound for the two videos currently out show the founder’s dedication and skill.

For RVATRACK, putting Richmond’s best foot forward involves relying on the donated time of everyone on the team, which consists of Lane, Bagbey, and camera operators Gabrielle Silvers, and fellow RVA Mag contributors, Craig Zirpolo and Joey Wharton (who you might recognize from RVAMag and other local film collective, Good Day RVA).

They’re a group of skilled, professional videographers who do it out of love for the scene. That’s what sets them apart from other art and film collectives in the city; it’s all completely volunteer-based, and they’re planning to release videos on a more frequent, monthly basis.

“It’s our way of contributing to the community,” said Lane.

For now, the setting of the videos is simple and unchanging. They take place in Lane’s home in Jackson Ward that gives them that warm yet historical atmosphere that’s classic Richmond. When you watch these videos it’s almost like peering into a friend’s home, but instead of old couches and tons of roomates, it’s a makeshift professional studio. And the band only records one song. What that song will be is decided during a collective conversation between the band and the team, but is ultimately left up to the musicians to decide. Then the recording begins.

“Basically what we do is have a band come and set up, do only one song, and we do a multi-camera, 100 percent live take of it and I have a whole studio setup and tracking it, giving it good treatment, mixing it. And then we put it out,” said Lane. He makes it sound easy, but it’s an impressive result of the group’s hard work and professional backgrounds.

For their latest video, the collective got in contact with local indie band Camp Howard who recorded their song “Mismo” with the collecive. The result was a clean, crisp, and live recording of their new track.

RVATRACK has also put out the video “Good Way Home” for local singer/songwriter Sid Kingsley in February.

As for the future, Lane hopes to continue dropping videos each month, as well as opening up the floor to include touring bands that have ties to Richmond. The collective plans on releasing a video this month with well-known local singer songwriter Angelica Garcia, whose debut album, Medicine for the Birds, has been doing particularly well.

“She’s somebody who is touring heavily and has a record that’s doing well, I love her music,” said Lane. “It just seemed obvious.”

And according to Lane, they also hope to diversify the scope of RVATRACK in terms of scenes and genres. After all, there’s definitely more to it than DIY indie/punk/rock bands.

“I want to represent some of those bands. I want to make sure to diversify the pool we’re pulling from,” he said. “I think that’s gonna be both challenging and most rewarding part about doing this – learning about all the different scenes.”

Overall, RVATRACK hopes to continue contributing to and doing their part for Richmond’s art and music scene. According to Lane, they’re really just a group of volunteers hoping to help people out.

“The goal is really simple: elevate the scene. Hopefully these videos get seen from people who aren’t just from Richmond and people who have an outside eye on what’s going on here in the city,” said Lane. “The big goal is to bring attention to Richmond, because in my opinion, Richmond literally has the greatest talent per capita in the country of any place. I think there’s more talent here than anywhere and I want everyone in the country to know that.”

Keep an eye out for RVATRACK’s next video with Angelica Garcia dropping April 17 and keep checking back for more – RVATRACK has some treats in store for the coming months.

Photo credit: Craig Zirpolo

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