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10 years of RVA Magazine 2005-2015
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RVA MAGAZINE 23 | WINTER 2015
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RVA #23 WINTER 2015
2005-2015:10 YEARS OF RVA
WWW.RVAMAG.COM
R. Anthony Harris + Jeremy Parker FOUNDERS
Inkwell Ventures PUBLISHER
John Reinhold PRESIDENT
Drew Necci EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Brad Kutner, Amy David RVAMAG.COM & GAYRVA.COM
Major Major CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Drew Snyder ASST. DESIGNER
John Reinhold, Alyse Whitcomb ADVERTISING
WRITERS
Drew Necci, Shannon Cleary, Doug Nunnally, Kyle Shearin, John
Reinhold, Cody Endres, Tim Wellington, Angie Huckstep,
Mickeal Broth, Emilie Von Unwerth, Joseph Genest, Kristina Headrick
PHOTOGRAPHY
Todd Raviotta, Jay Paul, Patrick Biedrycki, Travis Shinn, Shawn
Brackbill, William Cherry, Craig Zirpolo, Mike Edmunds, Lucy Dacus,
Isaiah Carter, Greg Bethman, Casey Collins
COLLAGE
Joey Wharton + Craig Zirpolo
INTERNS
Trina Zongker, Taneasha White, Matthew Chaney, Matthew S. Sporn
e: [email protected] GENERAL INFORMATION
e: [email protected] EDITORIAL INFORMATION
e: [email protected] DISTRIBUTION
ADVERTISING
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SUBMISSION POLICY RVA Magazine welcomes submissions but
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to [email protected]. All submissions become property of Inkwell
Design LLC. The entire content is a copyright of Inkwell Design LLC and
cannot be reproduced in whole or in part without written authorization of
the publisher.
ONLINE Every issue of RVA Magazine can be viewed in its
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SUBSCRIPTION
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HEADS UP!
The advertising and articles appearing within this publication reflect
the opinion and attitudes of their respective authors and not necessarily
those of the publisher or editors. Reproduction in whole or part without
prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. RVA
Magazine is published quarterly. Images are subject to being altered from
their original format. All material within this magazine is protected. RVA
Magazine is a registered trademark of Inkwell Ventures.
RVA Magazine is printed locally by Conquest Graphics.
cover by R. Anthony Harris
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Carytown
Ellwoood Thompson’s,Plan 9 Records,
Agee’s Bicycles, New York Deli,
Don’t Look Back, Chop Suey Books,
Goatacodo @ Carytown Bikes
Carytown Burgers & Fries, Heroes & Ghosts,
Weezie’s Kitchen, Need Supply Co., World
of Mirth, Bits N Pixels, Tobacco Club & Gifts,
Venue Skateboards, Avail Vapor, World of
Mirth, Amy Black Tattoo, Mongrel
Loose Screw Tattoo, Sacred Waters
Broad Street Arts District
Gallery 5, 1708 Gallery, Turnstyle
Velocity Comics, Utmost, Round Two,
Steady Sounds/Bare Bones Vintage, Lift
Coffee Quirk Hotel, Bombshell, Cultured
Swine, Saison & Market, J Kogi, Gwar Bar,
Downtown & Church Hill
Pasture, Barcode, Tobacco Company,
Bottom’s Up, Kulture, Alamo BBQ,
Legends Brewery, Plant Zero Cafe, Cha
Cha’s Cantina, Urban Farmhouse,
Manchester Market, Union Market, Frame
Nation, Vinyl Conflict Triple Crossing
Brewing Company, 7 Hills Brewing
Company, Belle & James, Pine Street
Barber Shop, Razors Of Richmond,
Parlor Salon
VCU Area
ALB Tech, Strange Matter, Lamplighter
VCU, Kulture, 821 Cafe, Fan Guitar &
Ukulele, Ipanema, The Village, Mojo’s,
Rumors, Wavy Kickz, Monument
Shoryuken, Refuge For Men, River City
Tattoo Co., Lucky 13 Tattoo,
Salvation Tattoo, 821, Little Mexico,
Harrison Street Coffee
Museum District
Black Hand Coffee, Belmont Pizzeria,
Cleveland Market, Katie Blue Salon,
Red Salon Organics Banditos,
Calientes, Buddy’s, Patterson Market
Chiocca’s, VMFA, The Franklin Inn
The Fan
Bellytimber, Commerical Taphouse,
FW Sullivan’s, Lady Nawlins, Foo Dog,
Cask Cafe, Harvest Market, Star-lite
Lounge, Fan Noodle Bar, Deep Grooves,
Capitol Mac, Katra Gala, Sticky Rice, Sticky
ToGo, Joe’s Inn, Strawberry Street Market,
Little Mexico, The Camel, Lamplighter,
Balliceaux, Helen’s, Metro Grill, Yesterday’s
Heroes, My Noodle, Continental Divide,
Savory Grain, McCormack’s Whiskey Grill,
High Point Barbershop, Sabai, Main Street
Barber & Mercantile, Blackbird Salon,
Rostov’s Coffee & Tea
WEST END
NIssan Of Richmond, Su Casa,
Mekong, Taboo, The Answer,
Guitar Center, RVA Vapes,
Bombshell, River City Tattoo Co.
Scott’s Addition
NIssan Of Richmond, Su Casa, Mekong,
Taboo, The Answer, Modlin Center, Guitar
Center, RVA Vapes, Bombshell, Libby
Market, Corks & Kegs, The Grill
NORTHSIDE
The MIll, Stir Crazy Cafe, Dots Back
Inn, Once Upon a Vine, Final Gravity,
Carytown Burgers & Fries, Roy’s Big Burger
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DON’T
SLEEP
Follow us @RVAmag
Top: Chance the Rapper at The National
Middle: Red Bull Backyard Jam at Lost Bowl
Bottom: Beetleguese, Freda & Tricky Dick
- Halloweek Night
Middle Right: UCI Bike Race @clifford007
Bottom Right: @thattallchick birthday pileup
Opposite Page Top: RVA at #RVANYE,
Portrait House Last Dayz, & Drake Plate RVA
Opposite Page 2nd Row - Sully’s Hello richmond by
Charles Berger, Rodin VMFA, Neil Hamburger with
Herschel Stratego by @ littlelindsey
Opposite Page 3rd Row: Inlight at VMFA
Opposite Page Bottom Row: Continental Divide
Halloweek, Fat Dragon Anniversary by @weirdsailboat,
Happy Bday Balloons
If you would like your photo work featured in the
Don’t Sleep section -- tag us on Instagram @rvamag
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RVA
RVA MAGAZINE
MAGAZINE 23
23 || WINTER
WINTER 2015
2015
1010 years
years of
of RVA
RVA Magazine
Magazine 2005-2015
2005-2015
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THE VERY BEST IN MUSIC, THEATRE, DANCE, + VISUAL ARTS
THE BAND OF THE
ROYAL MARINES
+ The Pipes, Drums and
Highland Dancers of
the Scots Guard
THU, JANUARY 21, 2016 | 7:30PM
Carpenter Theatre (600 E. Grace St.)
GET TICKETS AT ETIX.COM
RICOCHET, A
CIRCUS OF TWO
Smoke and Mirrors
FRI. JANUARY 22, 2016 | 7:30PM
SAT. JANUARY 23, 2016 | 7:30PM
Modlin Center for the Arts • Alice Jepson Theatre
Recommended for adults, contains adult themes
VCUarts + the Modlin Center for the Arts Present:
CULTURAL INTIMACY
IN MOTION
Flash + Torobaka
Flash
SUN. FEBRUARY 21, 2016 | 7:30PM
MON. FEBRUARY 22, 2016 | 7:30PM
Grace Street Theatre (934 W. Grace Street)
Artist Panel Discussion
TUE. FEBRUARY 23, 2016 | 7:30PM
Grace Street Theatre (934 W. Grace Street)
Torobaka
WED. FEBRUARY 24, 2016 | 7:30PM
Carpenter Theatre (600 E. Grace St.)
GET TICKETS AT ETIX.COM
MODLIN.RICHMOND.EDU | (804) 289-8980 |
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND
MODLIN
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CENTER
FOR THE ARTS
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RVA On Tap
Ellwood Thompson’s
Roll Out Taps
For Growler Fills
As if Ellwood Thompson’s beer selection
wasn’t already good enough, customers now
have even more options to choose from, in
the form of three taps, available both for
growler fills and draft pours for those dining
in. The focus for Ellwood’s draft list is on the
local — anything that is brewed within 100
miles of the store is fair game. Soon enough,
limited edition Ellwood Thompson’sbranded Shine Craft Vessel growlers will be
available. In the future, Ellwood’s is looking
to create unique, collaborative brews with
local brewers, which will be available only at
The Beet Café.
THE LATEST IN Richmond BREW NEWS by Cody Endres
CHECK RVAMAG.com/rvaontap for your daily pint
Lakeside
Nanobrewery Final
Gravity Has Some
Fine Choices
Available
A scarce few months after opening, Final
Gravity already has an incredibly diverse
lineup of beers available. Malty offerings
vary from something as light as Firestation
5 Amber to something as intense as Irish
Goodbye Imperial Stout (made with VAgrown and malted barley). Saison De Meyer
and Big Payback (a Belgian Strong Dark
Ale) cater to Belgian beer lovers. Hopheads
aren’t exactly left out, with Venus IPA and
Venus Rising Double IPA in the lineup. Both
are made with Citra and Mosaic hops. In the
works is a pre-prohibition-style American
Pilsner (stronger and hoppier than typical
pilsners) and an American Pale Ale featuring
Galaxy and Citra hops. A spiced Sweet
Potato Brown Ale and Funky Drummer, a
Brown Ale on coffee, are also available.
7 Hills Are
Pouring Plenty of
New Brews
After opening in September at their S. 15th
St location with only guest drafts available,
7 Hills are finally able to pour their own
beers. In terms of year-round offerings,
customers have Belle Isle Blonde (a Belgian
Blonde Ale), Pipeline Pale Ale (an American
Pale), Shiplock IPA, Brown’s Island Brown
Ale, and 42nd Street Stout (a low-alcohol,
dry stout) to choose from. Looking ahead to
the even colder months, 21st Street Strong
Scotch Ale should be debuting in December,
and in January, North Bank Imperial Stout
should be available for slow sipping. Guest
drafts, wine, and spirits are also available.
Strangeways:
No Presents On
Christmas, But
Plenty To Drink
As would befit a brewery that promises
strange beers, Strangeways is not really
making any Christmas beers for Christmas.
However, if one is the mood for something
spiced, Room 237 Biere D’Hiver, their highABV winter warmer, is back on draft. Also
returning, albeit to bottles, is the red wine
barrel-aged English Strong Ale, Virginia
Stingo. In terms of new beers, we have a wild
yeast-fermented Belgian-style Tripel Ale to
look forward to, as well as several barrelaged variants of an Imperial Stout. The Stout
was brewed with chocolate and vanilla,
and the bulk of it is being aged in bourbon
barrels, with other portions of it being aged
in tequila and rye whiskey barrels.
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The place was in really rough shape. There were
trees growing in here. It was an old moving
company; there was people’s furniture still
hanging out here from 15-20 years ago. We ended
up stripping everything down to the bones. Even
the panes of glass--all of these windows were
boarded up or cinder blocked up. Everything got
stripped down and we built it from scratch. We
wanted to keep it original. Having no TV’s in here
is just... we loved hanging out. Hanging around,
drinking a beer in a garage--no TV’s. Also, when
I go out, I hate getting distracted. I hate when
there’s a TV on, because I look at it, and I’ve lost
the conversation.
Ardent
Craft Ales
has lived up there for 15 years or so, and people
said that he was an adventurer. Now it’s one of
the hot neighborhoods. There’s Union Market
now, there’s The Roosevelt, there’s Sub Rosa...
none of that was there. It was just people selling
crack across the street.
Interview by John Reinhold
Introduction by Drew Necci
How did the jump happen from brewing in Church
Hill to actually giving this a go?
During its year and a half of operation, Ardent Craft
Ales has made a big impression on the fast-growing
RVA craft beer scene. Started in a Church Hill garage
as a brewing co-op, Ardent took the leap to fullscale commercial production with the opening of
their brewery space in Scott’s Addition last summer.
Since then, brews like their Honey Ginger and Saison,
as well as seasonals like their Sweet Potato & Sage
Ale, or their Szechuan Peppercorn Saison (discussed
below), have captured the imagination and thrilled
the tastebuds of many an RVA beer drinker. We
caught up with co-founder and head brewer Kevin
O’Leary to talk Church Hill beginnings, why a spirit of
cooperation is important for independent breweries,
and why Ardent’s taproom does not have a TV.
I started home brewing up in New England when I
was 19-20 years old. Got a job at a brewery up in
New England, [at] Cambridge Brewing Company.
Learned the ropes there. Moved to Richmond
because my wife got a job [she] couldn’t refuse
and I had no room to grow. Within two weeks,
I met people in the beer community--which
is really, really tight compared to many other
cities I’ve been to. A bartender, Sean O’Hearn at
Commercial Taphouse, said, “Hey, there’s these
dudes brewing up in Church Hill, you should go
meet them.” I went out, met Tom [Sullivan], met
Paul [Karns], met other people that were involved
in this co-op, and said, “Hey, can I start hanging
out? I’ve got a little professional experience.” I
hadn’t brewed on a small scale in many years, so
it was sort of a learning experience for me, to reteach myself how to brew on a small scale.
Ardent--where did the name come from?
We were toying around with the pre-Prohibition
movement. We started looking at some of
the pre-Prohibition laws, Prohibition laws, and
current ABC laws. It [mentioned] the “regulation
of ardent spirits.” Ardent means passionate, fiery,
spirited. We brewed in a garage up on Church
Hill, and people were saying, “It’s 17 degrees
outside and you’re making beer without heat. It’s
103 degrees out and you’re making beer without
AC. You guys are really passionate about what
you’re doing.”
I lived in Church Hill. I went past Alamo and saw
your crew out there multiple days, and I kept going,
“I need to stop.” I was usually on my way to Alamo
to get food for me and my wife and kid, so I would
always go, “I’ll do it another day,” and I never
stopped. I still kind of kick myself for not stopping
in.
And it’s funny--back in the day, that neighborhood
was a little rough, and people credited us for being
adventurous. My business partner, Tom Sullivan,
We started getting people stopping by on
Sundays, maybe like yourself, and saying, “Are
you guys doing a fish fry?” And we said, “Come
on in, try a beer.” After many people saying, “We
really like this beer, when can I buy it?” We said
we should try to put together a business plan. It
took us a long time and a lot of help from many
many people.
So how did this space come about?
We were driving around before we ever had
capital [or] our final business plan. I don’t think
we can get in trouble now, but... one of the doors
was open and it looked vacant, so we poked our
head in, looked around, and said, “Oh, there’s
potential.” Two years later, we were working with
a developer, looking at numerous properties, and
we said, “What about that place on the corner
of Highpoint and Leigh?” It was vacant for many
many years. We got a key and we were able to
come in and took a look.
What were the original brews you guys took from
making it in the garage and transferred to doing it
on a commercial scale?
When we put together the business plan, we
decided on having a few cores. Those cores
were the Saison; the Honey Ginger, which is
our summer seasonal; The Common; which
[all] got amazing feedback. But slowly people’s
palates are evolving, because there are a lot more
people wanting Saison, wanting IPA’s, etc. IPA
was another one of our cores. When we first did
our hop order, we couldn’t get every single hop
we wanted for an entire year, so we decided to
take a different approach. We said, “Let’s make
the same base beer and use different aroma and
flavor hops.” It’s actually turned out to be pretty
beneficial, because people love variety.
And then we’ve run numerous single beers.
Our Winter beers, our Dark Rye. I have a tough
time with Imperial Stouts if they’re sweet, so we
figured a little bit of rye to add some spiciness
and to dry it out compared to a lot of Imperial
Stouts. I made one batch of pumpkin, [but] I have
a mental allergy to pumpkin beer after making so
much of it up in New England. We’ve also done
some one-off collaborations. We’ve got one on
right now which is a Chestnut Maple Altbier
that we collaborated with our friends over at
Hardywood on.
We’ve got a really great relationship with every
brewery that’s here. We borrow ingredients
from each other if we’re short. We hang at each
other’s facilities. It’s something that I want to see
continue to thrive, because when I was working
up in New England, we were always friendly with
the other breweries, but we never sat down and
brewed together. But back in the 90’s they used
to invite everyone over and say “I’m going to try
something crazy. I’m going to make a Belgian
Tripel. No one’s ever made a Belgian Tripel, come
on in!” It’s fun because we’re all in the same boat.
We’re all doing the same thing. I think that it
needs to happen more.
ardentcraftales.com
instagram.com/ardentcraftales
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PLAYLIST
TRACKS WORTH LISTENING TO
Chance Fischer, “Souffle”
soundcloud.com/chance_fischer
RVA rapper Chance Fischer has dropped a really excellent track with his
new single, “Souffle.” No idea when the album it’s taken from, Wreath, will
actually be out, but honestly I’m happy enough with “Souffle” that it can
take its time--I’ll just be here hitting repeat. The relatively minimal beat from
producer Don Kevo creates a spooky, enveloping atmosphere, over which
Fischer uses his unique cadence to drop some memorable boasts and make
Adam Sandler’s character from The Waterboy sound like a dude you need to
watch out for. --Drew Necci
Beat Awfuls, “You’re Not Gonna Love Me ANYMORE”
Nothing Happens, Jurassic Pop/River Girls
Almost taunting in tone, Beat Awfuls capture a grieving process in the form
of a schoolyard chant. “You’re Not Gonna Love Me” is an earworm, the
kind of track that goes on mental loop to help pass the day. Each instrument
offers a way to cope—sugary, simple percussion keeps the mood lip-bitten
with glassy eyes, while the guitar forces a smile and the bass ruminates.
Velvety chimes accent the group’s cowboy croon; this lo-fi waltz musters
a positive bent, mollifying singer Dave Vicini’s moony declarations into a
triumphant, cathartic resolution. --Angie Huckstep
Кактус (Kaktus), “Uncontrolled”
Cyclone Records
I’m still not over Denmark and Swedish putting out rock music that rivals
American acts, and now Russia is getting close. There’s a weird sense of inner
patriotism that’s attempting to hold me back from praising it, but goddamn
if this is not a melodic tune worthy of constant replays. Thanks to its quirky
staccato guitar line and hard guitar/screaming chorus, the tune straddles
the line between indie and garage music perfectly, making its appeal more
widespread than their mother country probably allows. It might be hard to
stay up to date on this quintet from Ryazan, but with a strong composition
like this, it seems worth it. --Doug Nunnally
David Bowie, “Blackstar”
Blackstar, ISO/Columbia
After the surprise release of The Next Day in 2013 — Bowie’s first studio
album in a decade — listeners had to wonder he would go next musically.
The answer as to his destination has arrived: Bowie’s in space. The song’s
first section recalls the most recent Radiohead album, while the midsection of the song is vintage Bowie--all dramatic balladry and quirky funk.
The final section reprises the melody and lyrics of the first section with a
more straightforward gusto, before everything fades, or otherwise tumbles
into obscurity. The man’s penchant for creating oddities, happily, hasn’t
disappeared. --Cody Endres
Grimes, “Artangels”
Art Angels, 4AD
Grimes’ continued overtures towards pop music resulted in her long-awaited
fourth album containing her most commercially accessible music yet.
Personally, I find myself drawn to the title track, an almost-anachronistic
post-Madchester dance-pop single reminiscent of the sunshine-smile UK
techno-rock hybrids that were all over 120 Minutes in the early 90s--a
reference most of you will not get. The Soup Dragons and Primal Scream
are the closest reference points, but comparisons aren’t important--what
matters is whether you dance. This song all but guarantees that you will.
--Tim Wellington
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STUDIO NEWS
Fun-loving rock n’ rollers Imaginary
Sons are in the process of creating
the follow-up to their party-starting
debut, Let It Beer. The as-yet-untitled
new album’s first single, “Taste The
Waste,” premiered on rvamag.com
a couple of weeks ago, and was
recorded at Sound Of Music Studios
with the help of studio founder John
Morand and Toxic Moxie drummer
Danny Crawford. The band will
continue working with Crawford in
their home studio and a variety of
other locations to lay down more
material throughout December and
beyond. “We’ve been writing nonstop
this year, exploring a lot of new and
different sounds, and we felt like we
needed to get what we’ve done on
tape,” they explained in an email.
“We want to have more music online
to share with people, because that’s
the whole reason we do what we do.”
Look for more music and more fun
from Imaginary Sons in 2016!
Ska-punk veterans Murphy’s Kids
are currently ensconced at The Ward
Recording, located in the heart of the
RVA Arts District, laying down tracks
for what is at least the eighth release
they’ve created over the course of
their 16-year career. Working with
Ward proprietors Bryan Walthall
and Rusty Scott, the band is putting
together an album “all about the
passage of time.” In light of the
fact that the founding members of
Murphy’s Kids were in high school
when they first started the band and
are now thirtysomethings, it makes
sense that the group is taking stock.
But they’re also carrying on some fine
traditions--not just sonically, either.
They’ll be taking a break in recording
on December 19 to throw this year’s
edition of their annual holiday benefit
party, Skalidays, at the Broadberry!
Start your Christmas vacation right by
skanking with the Kids--plus special
guests Mighty Joshua, Neighborhood
Friendly, Major And The Monbacks,
and more. And keep an eye out for
their next album, coming to you
sometime in the new year.
Word has reached us that Everyone
Dies In The End is currently preparing
their follow-up to 2014 debut album
All Things Lead To This. They laid down
five songs and two interludes with
producer Allen Bergendahl at Scott’s
Addition Sound, which were then
mastered by Alan Douches at West
West Side in New Jersey. The band
informs us that the new album will
be a concept album, which “reflects
our progression into a more ambient
and experimental exploration.” This is
the quartet’s first material to feature
new bassist Ashley Small (formerly
of Fixtures and Caretaker), and the
first single from the album will be
out soon, accompanied by a video
directed by Gene Byard. More info
will hopefully be available soon, and
we’ll pass it along as soon as we get
the word.
17
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RVAMAG
READERS’
POLL2015
INTrOByDrew Necci
Favorite local
Noodle Bar
It’s been a few years now since we made the RVA Magazine Readers’ Poll an
annual event, and we’re building up quite a little tradition over here! It’s obvious
our readers enjoy participating, too, as this year’s response numbers were higher
than ever. This year’s poll gave us results on previously polled categories in the
world of food, drink, shopping, and hanging out, as well as some new areas we’d
never asked about before. We’ve learned that some of Richmond’s tastes seem
to change over time, while others remain rock-solid year after year. One thing’s
for sure, though--our audience has some incredibly good taste! So let’s find out
what awesome spots you decided to honor this year. Without further ado, here
are the results of the 2015 RVA Magazine Readers’ Poll:
WIN! Sticky Rice
Favorite local
TACO SPOT
Favorite local
SANDWICH
Favorite local
FOODIE SPOT
WIN! Don’t Look Back
WIN! Kubanaso,
Kuba Kuba
WIN! Lunch & Supper
2NDEn Su Boca
3rD Boka Tako Truck
4th La Milpa
5thAlamo BBQ
20
2NDUSS Roanoke,
The Black Sheep
3rD The Industrial, Coppola’s Deli
4th The Dagwood, Chiocca’s Deli
5th The Banh Mi,
The Naked Onion
2ND
3rD
4th
5th
Mekong
Pho So 1
Foo Dog Shoryuken
2ND Mamma Zu
3rDEdo’s Squid
4thComfort
5th Saison
Favorite local
DONUT SHOP
Favorite local
PIZZA SPOT
Favorite local
Barbecue SPOT
WIN! Sugar Shack Donuts WIN! Belmont Pizzeria
WIN! Alamo BBQ
2ND Country Style Donuts
3rD Duck Donuts
4th Dixie Donuts
5thKrispy Creme
2ND
3rD
4th
5th
2ND
3rD
4th
5th
Favorite local
VEGAN SPOT
Favorite local
THRIFT BOUTIQUE
Favorite local
THRIFT SHORE
WIN! Ipanema Cafe
WIN! Rumors Boutique
WIN!Diversity Thrift
2ND 821 Café
3rD The Daily Kitchen
& Bar
4thGWARbar
5th The Mill on MacArthur
2ND Bygones
3rDAshby_Clementine
4thHalcyon Vintage
5thYesterday’s Heroes
2ND Fan Tastic
Thrift Store
3rDGoodwill
4th Love Of Jesus Thrift
5thCircle Thrift
8 1/2
Mary Angela’s Pizzeria
Mellow Mushroom
Bottoms Up Pizza
Buz and Ned’s
Q Barbeque
Deep Run Roadhouse
The Flying Pig
21
Favorite local
HAIR SALON
Favorite local
MEN’S STORE
Favorite local
FRESH KICKS SPOT
WIN! Bombshell
WIN! Need Supply Co.
WIN! Road Runner 2ND Blackbird Salon
3rDKatie Blue Salon
4th Red Salon Organics
5th Parlor Salon
2ND Ledbury
3rDYesterday’s Heroes
4th Franco’s Fine Clothier
5thUtmost Co.
Favorite local
BARBERSHOP
Favorite local
HEAD SHOP
Favorite LOCAL
MARKET
WIN! High Point Barbershop
WIN! Kulture
WIN! Ellwood
2ND
3rD
4th
5th
22
Refuge For Men
Pine Street
Barber Shop
Main Street
Barber & Mercantile
Razors Of Richmond
2NDKatra Gala
3rDCarytown Tobacco
4thGreenhouse Glass
5th Island Dyes RVA
Running Store
2ND
3rD
4th
5th
Round Two
DTLR
Monument
Lucky Foot
Thompson’s
2ND Strawberry
Street Market
3rD Shields Market
4thUnion Market
5th Nick’s Produce & International
Food Market
Favorite local
BICYCLE SHOP
Favorite local
Moto/Scooter Shop
Favorite local
CRAFT BEER
WIN!Carytown
WIN! Scoot Richmond
WIN! Hardywood Bicycle Company
2ND Velocity Motorcycles
3rDGangster Choppers
4thAtom Bomb Custom
Motorcycles
5th Richmond
Honda House
Favorite local
BREWERY
Favorite local
BAR TO GET A CRAFT BEER
Favorite local
SPOT TO GET WHISKEY
WIN! Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
WIN!Mekong
WIN!McCormack’s 2NDAgee’s Bicycles
3rD Bunnyhop Bike Shop
4th Richmond Re-Cycles Bicycle Shop
5thConte’s Bike
Shop-Carytown
2ND Joe’s Inn
2NDArdent Craft Ales
3rD Portrait House
3rD Legend Brewery Co.
4thCapital Ale House
4th Strangeways Brewing 5th Legend Brewery
5th Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery
Gingerbread Stout
2NDHardywood Singel
3rDArdent Honey Ginger
4th Legend Brown
5th Legend Lager
Whiskey Grill
2ND Penny Lane Pub
3rDComfort
4th Saison
5th The Rogue Gentleman
23
Favorite local
SPOT TO GET TEQUILLA
Favorite local
SPOT TO GET A COCKTAIL
Favorite
local DIVEY BAR
WIN! En Su Boca
WIN! The Roosevelt
WIN! Bamboo Cafe
2ND Don’t Look Back
3rD Bandito’s
Burrito Lounge
4thCasa Del Barco
5thContinental Divide
2ND Balliceaux
3rD Saison
4th Sabai
5thHermitage
2ND Sidewalk Cafe
3rD The Village Cafe
4th Wonderland
5thCary Street Cafe
Favorite local
spot TO GO DANCING
Favorite local
LATE NIGHT HANG OUT
Favorite local
art GALLERY
WIN! Balliceaux
WIN! Sticky Rice
WIN! Gallery 5
2ND
3rD
4th
5th
2ND
3rD
4th
5th
2ND Quirk Gallery
3rD 1708 Gallery
4th Visual Arts Center of Richmond
5thGhostprint Gallery
24
Babe’s of Carytown
Fallout RVA
Sticky Rice
Tobacco Company
The Camel
Bandito’s
Burrito Lounge
Balliceaux
Ipanema Cafe
Favorite local
VENUE FOR LIVE MUSIC
Favorite local
THEATRE COMPANY
Favorite local
THEATRE
WIN! The National
WIN! Richmond
WIN! Byrd Theatre
2ND
3rD
4th
5TH
Strange Matter
Browns Island
The Broadberry
The Camel
Triangle Players
2ND Virginia
Repertory Theatre
3rD TheatreLAB
4thCAT Theatre
5th 5th Wall Theatre
2NDAltria Theater
3rD Firehouse Theatre
4thCoalition Theater
5th TheatreLAB’s
The Basement
Favorite LOCAL
FESTIVAL
Favorite local
TATTOO SHOP
Favorite local
COFFEE SHOP
WIN! The Richmond
WIN! River City
WIN! Lamplighter 2ND Broad Appetit
3rDCarytown Watermelon Festival
4th Shamrock The Block
5thGreek Festival
2ND Lucky 13 tattoo
3rDHeroes & Ghosts Tattoo
4th Salvation Tattoo
5thAmy Black Tattoo
2ND Black Hand Coffee Co.
3rDCrossroads Coffee & Ice Cream
4th Stir Crazy
5th Rostov Coffee & Tea
Folk Festival
Tattoo Co.
Roasting Company
25
26
一䄀唀䜀䠀吀夀Ⰰ
䴀䔀䔀吀一䤀䌀䔀⸀
㌀　㔀圀⸀ 䌀䄀刀夀匀吀⸀
㠀　㐀∠㌀㔀㌀∠㠀㤀㤀㄀
27
Divine
Council
Interview by Joseph Genest
Photos by William Cherry
“You wouldn’t know it, but there’s a park back
there, it’s beautiful. Linco used to swim in there
as a kid,” says Cyrax of Divine Council, pointing
to a nondescript patch of trees. On the surface,
it doesn’t look like much; just a string of woods a
lot like the spots you made the best of near your
childhood home.
Despite their growing fame and fan base, the
group seems unfazed by the weight of it all. In
sitting down with them, I learned why this is
where they feel like they should be--crafting
and developing their work over the past couple
of years (despite the lack of local love) to now
deliver Council Season to the world.
I ask if that was the spot where they used to hide
out while skipping school to smoke weed.
Talk to me a little bit about how Divine Council
was formed.
“Yeah!” Cyrax laughs. As we walk, he points to
other places along our way that a passing eye
wouldn’t think twice of. But to him, these are
memories of youth and mischief, days that aren’t
too far removed from where the 18-year-old MC
finds himself today.
Lord Linco: I mean, I’m always doing my own
thing when it comes to music, but Divine
Council was just an idea at first. And then I
met Cyrax early in 2013 at a birthday party or
something.
Cruising
through
Northside
somewhere
between Richmond International Raceway and
Azalea Avenue, we’re on our way to pick up his
collaborators, Lord Linco and $ilk Money, from the
Southside. Along with Chicago-based producer
ICYTWAT, the three make up Divine Council, a
collective that, despite having not a single member
older than 19, have received some accolades even
household names didn’t attain this early on.
2015 has been a big year for the Council. They’ve
collaborated with one of their idols, Phillybased rapper Asaad, and received shout-outs
from the likes of A$AP Mob, Playboy Carti,
and trendsetter/tastemaker Ian Connor. Their
songs on SoundCloud have amassed as many as
200,000 listens, and two were even included on
the latest playlist from hip hop internet celebrity
40oz Van.
And yet, despite their recent successes online,
they’ve been relatively quiet on the local scene.
Sure, they’ve received recognition on a national
scale that’s unusual for Richmond artists, but it
hasn’t been until the past couple months has the
city started to take notice. Lately, though, they’ve
been paying attention in a big way.
A couple weeks before this interview, I caught their
headlining performance at Strange Matter. I was
curious to see how the local crowd responded now
that they’d gained a little national love, especially
since each member of Divine Council brings their
own unique sound to the group, blending a range
of styles from bounce to cloud-rap.
28
“...N****s outside
of Richmond were
f**KINg with us
before n****s in
Richmond were
f**king with us.
Nobody in Richmond
knew who the f**k
we was. And then
when they knew who
we was, they didn’t
even know we were
from Richmond.
“Wow, you all are in
Richmond. Why?” We
live here n****, this is
our home...”
Needless to say, the show was live--the packed
crowd moshed along to every song. Hell, even
songs that give a relaxed vibe on record, like
Cyrax’s “I Like,” somehow turned into high-energy
hype, with the crowd reciting every word.
Cyrax: I had just met this nigga and we had
just been kicking it all the time and recording,
just chilling. It wasn’t even on some music shit
at first, just some friend shit. The music came
second.
$ilk Money: I was just chilling in my room
writing, but I never laid anything down or had
any intentions of laying anything down. I was
just selling weed, that’s what I love to do. That,
and beating nigga’s asses.
Lord Linco: Yeah, I already knew $ilk for a
minute, I knew $ilk for a long time. It was just
on some homie shit.
Cyrax: Yeah, we all knew of him, but I didn’t
really know him. I knew of him because he
was always showing love and shit. We used to
have these early ass shows back in the day and
that nigga was on stage like he was in Divine
Council, back in 2013.
I’m curious to how you all developed your sound
that’s sort of falling into this new school tier of
trap.
All: Nah, nah nah.
$ilk: Fuck that trap shit. Ain’t shit trap over here.
We don’t make trap music, ain’t no finessin’,
ain’t no ‘I’m going with the sack, ain’t no need
to ask you for your money back.’ Ain’t none of
that shit, you feel me? That trap shit, I’m not
going to say all of it, a lot of it is fabricated.
$ilk: A lot of me and Linco’s shit, we speak
a lot of patois, a lot of patois. People will sit
there and think I’m speaking gibberish, but I’m
speaking a legit language that they don’t have
any knowledge of. Divine Council, we listen to
punk rock, heavy metal...
$ilk: It was just this one week where we were
all at this nigga’s [Cyrax] crib, and everything
just happened at one fucking time. That shit
just happened at one time.
Lord Linco: But the thing about our sound, it’s Lord Linco: Another thing about us is we’re not
the Divine Council sound. If you a smart nigga just some regular ass Richmond niggas. Our
and you know what the Divine Council is, you backgrounds are not in America.
have a clear understanding of what we do.
Cyrax: I’m a Bermudian, these niggas are
$ilk: We be in the room sometimes trying to Jamaican.
figure out a genre to call our shit.
Lord Linco: I used to go back and forth, learnt a
Cyrax: And honestly, all our shit is so different. lot about my people, my roots.
Me and $ilk’s sound is nothing alike, me and
Linco’s sound is nothing alike, but it still comes $ilk: I’m from Richmond, but the majority of
together and makes sense. It’s a mothafuckin’ my people from Louisa. I never even came to
Megazord from Power Rangers, and that the city, for real. Them niggas were in the city,
shit just comes together to make something I was just in the county, that’s where all my
beautiful.
bread was at. Everybody who’s in the county
was coming to me, I was just over there doing
On a national scale, you all have songs that have my thing, selling bud. Them niggas would
100, 200k plus views online. I haven’t really always come to my crib to record and shit, that
seen too many Richmond artists do that yet.
was the HQ.
$ilk: That whole week, we as at his crib, it was
just something new every day.
Cyrax: That nigga A$AP Bari was fucking with
us, then Assad, that nigga Ian Connor.
We ain’t fabricate shit. Trap right now is an
aesthetic; trap is definitely an aesthetic. You
go on Twitter and see the white kids be like
“Oh--so savage. So fucking savage.” Nigga,
you in fucking Oklahoma, bro! See, that’s drill
aesthetic. That trap aesthetic, I don’t know.
Cyrax: It was something new like every day.
$ilk: That nigga [A$AP] Rocky and shit.
Cyrax: ICYTWAT met [A$AP] Rocky.
$ilk: We weren’t doing shit. We were just
watching C-Murder videos and The Matrix and
shit, smoking weed, eating pizza. That whole
time we recorded one song. That was our
vacation, that was our week off.
People would kill to be in a lot of the positions
you’re in, but you all have the approach like
“We don’t really know how it happened, it’s just
people showing love.”
Lord Linco: Well, the thing about us is we’re Cyrax: That’s how shit really developed. 2014 Linco: I mean, the way you’re talking about it, I
not Richmond artists.
didn’t even know it was that serious.
we were just at his crib, making hella music.
$ilk: Some niggas from Richmond want to stay $ilk: I could say that 80%, 75% of the songs
in Richmond.
were from 2014 was at my crib, in my room,
we were just smoking dope. We never really
Lord Linco: Don’t get me wrong, I love my city. fucked with anybody else besides us.
But I don’t want to be that nigga that takes
over Richmond, I want to be worldwide.
When did the change really occur though
between 2014 and now where you’re getting
Cyrax: That was never our goal.
all these different shoutouts and national
prominence?
$ilk: Yeah, because Richmond ain’t even fuck
with us at first.
$ilk: Well, it’s not really that we wanted to stay
where we were at, we were making music for
Lord Linco: We’re just making our own lane, a reason.
and our lane goes way past Richmond.
Lord Linco: The thing is, the whole 2014 was us
$ilk: Niggas outside of Richmond were fucking developing Divine Council.
with us before niggas in Richmond were fucking
with us. Nobody in Richmond knew who the Cyrax: Individuals too, as well as artists. I was
fuck we was. And then when they knew who just releasing singles, just chilling with these
we was, they didn’t even know we were from niggas all the time. We really developed our
Richmond. “Wow, you all are in Richmond. core following, I can say in 2014 that’s when
Why?” We live here nigga, this is our home!
we got our core following because there’s
still people from then that are fucking with us
Let’s back up for a second. How did people heavy.
outside of the city starting fucking with y’all,
and how did you see that traction grow?
$ilk: We were all just really trying to find
ourselves, that’s what it was. And we found
Cyrax: It’s always been like that. The internet, ourselves, quick. We transition sometimes
man. Divine Council loves the internet, yo.
artistically… I wouldn’t even say transition; we
branch out. I don’t try to stay in the same wave
It’s funny, with Richmond, there’s always been or lane.
this struggle of being an ‘East Coast’ city in
terms of sound, but outsiders expect more of a Cyrax: We’re really experimental artists,
southern tone. You all do a really great job of always making new sounds and shit. We’re not
bringing the two together.
trying to aim for just one sound.
It is, these benchmarks are a big deal.
Cyrax: The thing with us, though, is we’re not
even really asking for it.
$ilk: Yeah, niggas be sitting here mad as a
bitch. Niggas on Twitter be like “We’re doing
this without a cosign, we’re doing this without
cosign.” Good for fucking you, bro! You can’t
ask somebody for a cosign. You can’t sit there
and be like “Ay yo, cosign me!” You can’t, that’s
not a cosign, that’s you begging a nigga to fuck
with you. That’s like you sitting there paying
for a feature, paying for a beat, paying for…
you know?
Lord Linco: We don’t do none of that.
$ilk: We don’t do none of that. You can’t sit
there and ask somebody to cosign you. They
either do it or they don’t. They either fuck
with you or they don’t. So, these niggas on
Twitter saying “we do it without a cosign.”
That’s because nobody fucks with you, nigga!
Nobody takes the time to be like, “I fuck with
these niggas so hard, I’m going to let the world
know.” It’s not our fault! Suck my dick. [laughs]
On a local level, do you feel like Richmond will
feel like they’re going regret missing the Divine
Council train?
Cyrax: Yup
$ilk: Absolutely
Cyrax: If you’re speaking about influences, I’m So, who was the first person shouted you out on Lord Linco: Yeah, and that days going to come
influenced by everything. I’m not influenced by a national scale, and when did it happen?
real soon, real soon.
the south or the north--the world made me.
soundcloud.com/divine-council
29
Night Idea and I are strewn across bassist Joey
Anderson’s living room, drinking “bromosas”
- a mixture of shitty beer and shittier orange
juice – licking our collective weekend wounds.
It’s a groggy, overcast October Sunday; the
type of day that suggests good friends and a
slight buzz. What better time to hang with
Night Idea, an indie prog band that has been
making intricate, complex tunes in Richmond
for five years.
Three-quarters of Night Idea have been
playing music together since childhood.
Guitarist/vocalist Carter Burton, drummer
Ethan Johnstone and guitarist/keyboardist
Reid LaPierre grew up just southwest of the
city in Midlothian. It was in middle school that
they started playing in bands together; it was
also in middle school that I myself began my
relationship with these three very sweet, very
music-oriented dudes. Speaking as less of a
music writer and more of a friend, I have had
the pleasure of watching Carter, Ethan, and
Reid perform since we were all 13. That was
12 years ago.
NIGHT
IDEA
Interview by Emilie Von Unwerth
Collage by Joey Wharton + Craig Zirpolo
Reid and Carter, why don’t you agree with
that tag?
Reid: The term prog, to me... people just
think, like, 80s.
Joey: I agree! I was talking about it with (a
friend), and she was just like, “prog?” Some
people just get turned off by that word.
words to fill in the musical gaps. Most of the
time, they’re more about the sound than the
meaning. Although I am no prog expert, Ethan’s
rhythms seem inspired by Yes’s Bill Bruford to
me. Of all the members, Carter comes closest
to playing straight up rock & roll riffs. Reid is
a fan of distortion, and has a pedal board My
Bloody Valentine would envy. And Joey’s bass
lines are half-funk, half-death metal.
Ethan: I think we can all agree that we’d
prefer “Indie Prog” to “Math Rock.” We’re
really trying to avoid the math-rock tag.
In spite of the fact that Night Idea makes no
logical sense, the band works well thanks
to beautiful execution. And it’s easier to
recommend going to see them than it is to
describe their sound, the guys are decidedly
iffy about putting a label on the type of music
they create.
Carter: Yeah. I just say that we’re a rock
band a lot of times. Because it’s simple.
I think a lot of people use the term “math
rock” for anything that’s a little bit more
technically complex and less lyric-driven.
And, I mean, depending on who you talk to,
genres mean very different things.
Ethan: I think often, the style of music is –
not to toot my own horn – it’s derived from
the rhythms a lot of the time. Whatever the
backbone of the music is. We’re not a jazz
band; I’m not playing jazz on drums. I’m
Y’all are so complex. I don’t even know how generally playing stuff that was derived from
to describe you, what genre to put you in. rock music. It just tends to get complex.
What do you think? Is it hard to describe
Carter: It’s just like jazz in the way that it’s
yourselves?
busy. It’s like rock music, but we’re all just
Ethan: Experimental jazz-tinged indie prog… busier.
“I think it honestly really helps because
we’ve been friends for so long. We’re very,
very comfortable with each other on all
levels,” says Ethan. “That comfortability
helps us bring whatever ideas we want to
put forth, and we all understand where it’s
coming from, and know what the person is
trying to get across. It’s not like anything’s
ever awkward at band practice – it just
comes naturally with so much time.”
Oh my god. That just sounds so affected,
though, when you say it like that!
Joey met Carter, Ethan and Reid in 2007 at
Band Fest – an annual show organized by Ethan: I know... I don’t think we all agree,
the Southside Church of the Nazarene that but Joey and I are down with “Indie Prog” featured six bands. At the time, he was playing because it’s a cross between an indie rock
in a metal band called Kevin Beckley. The other vibe with a progressive rock technicality and
three boys were playing the festival with their melodiousness.
former band, Eat the Center.
Part of what makes Night Idea such a unique
and exciting band is that music taste varies
quite extremely from one member to the next.
Each member is part of at least one other
musical endeavor: Carter has a lo-fi poppy
rock project called We Never; Joey is in the
super shreddy black metal-inspired band
Doubtfire; Ethan has a solo project called
Brother Rutherford, a 70s, prog-influenced
“nerdy” guitar project; gear junkie Reid has a
Joey, what drew you to these guys?
Joey: I was like “Yo, these kids are really
sweet.” So I buddied up with Reid, and
slowly, Reid, Ethan, and I started to jam.
Carter was living in Nashville, and Reid was
saying how their bass player at the time
was [done with the band]. And I was like,
“I really wanna play with these weirdos.”
It just sort of happened like that. I guess I
officially joined in 2010
Carter: When we decided that he was the
newest member, we just said, “Let’s start
over again with a new band name.”
Night Idea is a band that doesn’t necessarily
defy genres, but they’re not the type of band
that easily gets a FFO description slapped
onto a show flyer. Their influences range from
Steely Dan to Obituary to King Crimson. The
songs are lyrically simple – Carter writes the
30
recording project called Tiger Lamp; and Reid
and Ethan play together in the math-rocky
Houdan the Mystic;
Your other projects – and there are a lot of
them - are just your way of nerding out with
what you specifically love to play?
Reid: Yeah, (laughs) it’s what we do when
we’re alone.
Ethan: And honestly, if you throw all of our
solo projects’ sounds into a giant vat, that’s
what Night Idea is.
Joey: That’s the difficult thing about Night
Idea, is taking all of [these influences],
and putting them together – and that’s
why identifying [our] genre is just difficult.
Because you can’t really combine those and
make it an easy description.
Do you guys find it difficult to attract fans?
All: Yes.
Reid: It hurts us and it helps us, because we
can be jammy, but we can also have metal
vibes. So someone who likes jam bands can
be like, “Oh I like this band.” And then we’ll
get darker, and later in our set they’ll be
like, “Whoa what the fuck is goin’ on here?”
I know y’all play a decent amount of jammy
festivals.
Reid: We play our lighter stuff at those. It’s
nice to have that eclectic amount of music.
We play with death metal bands sometimes;
we play with jam bands.
Ethan: From a listener’s standpoint, if you do
like us, we probably sound like a relatively
original conglomerate of far-reaching stuff
that people might like. But from a marketing
standpoint, we’re struggling, because most
bands have a specific niche that they fit
into when they’re planning their tours and
their shows. We’re such a mix that it can
be troublesome when you’re tryin’ to fit
somewhere.
Ethan: [Subterranea is] more of dotted lines Let’s talk about the album arrangement for
than solid lines. It’s a tag, a connection a little bit.
between this scene of people making a little
Ethan: One thing that we like about the
bit weirder music in Richmond.
album, is that we thought very hard about
Reid: We just had a lot of friends. Some of how our sound has changed from album
them were in bands, some of them were to album. We wanted a bigger sound to
making music videos for other bands, other it. There are certain songs that are a little
people we recording music. We realized bit heavier, a little darker than we’ve made
we were a big circle of media and we just before. And we put a lot of work into
arranging the album – to flow really well and
slapped a label on it.
to be an interesting developing experience.
Carter: I don’t know if people know what it It starts off very light-hearted, very casual,
is... I don’t know if we know what it is. But and then it progresses to get very dark in
sound. It’s really almost opposite of how it
it’s definitely positive. [laughs]
sounds at the beginning.
Who are some other people you’ve worked
Carter: The A side is the major songs and B
with in the city?
side is the minor ones.
Joey: Bryan Walthall at the Sound of Music
recorded [Night Idea’s 2013 release] Paths. Ethan: It’s really important to me how one
song ends and how another begins, and how
Carter: Ethan Gensurowsky has [a tape they relate to each other.
label called] Hand to Mouth, and he put
And not to say that all bands don’t think
that EP out for us.
about that...
Joey: Dave Watkins just recorded our new
album. And we have songs on it where Ethan: Right, it’s just that our songs are so
Tristan Brennis [of Dumb Waiter] is playing all over the place that arranging them is a
sax; and Zoe Kinney, Linnea Morgan, and bit more [of a puzzle].
Allister Morgan are playing string parts. We
also have an animation video [in the works] Joey: And also, you have to think about,
by Emily Kundrot; Craig Zirpolo filmed a live ok... How is it going to sound if someone
is sitting down listening to a record? How
video for the song “Silver Understanding.”
do we need to arrange [it as a set] if we’re
Night Idea is putting out their first physical playing Gypsy Fest [vs.] if we’re playing
LP, Breathing Cold, sometime between late with Prisoner? How are people going to
winter and early spring 2016. They recorded perceive what we’re doing?
the 8-song, 40-minute album this past
summer with Dave Watkins upstairs at Gallery And I guess that’s what you get from people
5. Unlike Night Idea’s previous releases, who work together well and who have been
Breathing Cold gets dark, almost nightmarish. in a band together for a long time. You have
different personalities who are very good
Where did all these minor-key songs come at different things, and who can take on
from? Why did you guys get heavier on this different aspects of the entire entity that is
the band.
record?
Carter: I think as you get older, your outlook Carter: Yeah, totally. None of us feel like this
on life changes. I think our music is very is a side project, we’re all working together.
honest. I think that as I’ve aged, I’ve just
Ethan: [In terms of songwriting,] Carter
started to feel... darker [laughs].
makes the skeleton, Joey and I make the
Night Idea, who speak about their music with Ethan: For me, there’s a satisfying release muscle, and Reid makes the skin.
modest confidence, is a musician’s band. They I get from playing nastier, darker sounding
tell me that it’s a struggle playing such left-of- music. When it gets out of control, Reid: There’s no brain...
center tunes, especially given that Richmond is something about it makes you want to crawl
out of your skin. It’s a very powerful sound. Joey: ...or internal organs.
grounded in punk.
Joey: I think I brought some sort of influence
with that. It wasn’t something I wanted to
force on the band, but just being genuine
I feel like that’s where the Subterranea friends from the get-go, [we] have had a
Collective comes into play. You’ve got bands level of understanding. And I think Carter
like Way, Shape or Form; Basmati; Shy, Low... – whether intentionally or not – would think
about me when writing a song, think about
Can you speak to that a little bit?
what I like, and put that in effect.
Reid: We really are part of the minority of
bands here that have zero punk influence.
Carter: That’s why we’ve been talking this
whole time – just to get that juicy quote
Night Idea would also like to say RIP Popkins
and RIP Navi. Breathing Cold will be out on
JUJU in early 2016.
nightidea.bandcamp.com
31
32
33
Natalie
Prass
Interview by Kristina Headrick
Photos by Shawn Brackbill
34
If you’ve followed music at all in 2015, you know
Natalie Prass. The singer-songwriter, who cut
her chops in Nashville, moved to Richmond to
collaborate with Spacebomb Records and record
her self-titled debut. Released in early 2015 to
critical acclaim, the album showcases Prass’
angelic vocals amid the backdrop of Spacebomb’s
soulful house band. When rendered live, Prass
reinterprets her unabashed odes to love and
heartbreak, which have a lush, angelic quality on
the LP, into soulful songs with rock-driven guitar
and backbeats.
Having captured the adoration of fans and critics
alike, the Virginia native is helping put Richmond
on the map for something other than its punk and
hardcore cred. From touring with Ryan Adams
to headlining (and selling out) her own shows,
the singer-songwriter has been on the road all
year. In November, she released an EP of live
recordings and covers, which sees her delving into
unexpected territory, covering the likes of Grimes
and Simon & Garfunkel. We caught up with her
recently to discuss making art in Richmond, being
the only girl in the scene, and how R&B influences
her sound.
Since you’ve moved to Richmond I know you’ve
pretty much been on the road. Have you been
able to spend much time there? If so, are there
any local bands or aspects of the regional scene
that influence your music?
Honestly, I haven’t really been able to discover
too many bands and I’m really looking forward
to getting more into what’s happening in
Richmond outside of Spacebomb. I know these
guys are really connected to Spacebomb, but
the Jellowstone crew--they’re doing similar
things, with Butcher Brown. I love them. I’m
really hoping I can work more with them when
I’m home. Their new album that just came out
is just loops, and them playing with these kind
of loops, and I just think that’s so cool. Hoping
I can work with them.
Do you think Richmond is a good place for a
young creative, like a writer or musician?
it--I have so much love for it. But when you’re
an artist... I felt trapped there. The only close
city was Atlanta. In Richmond, you can can
hop on a bus, a train, you have 95. Especially
for creative, artistic people, that’s really
important--to get out of your space, just for
a day. And Richmond’s really cheap. You can’t
deny that. It’s incredible.
For one, I’m wearing my new Janet Jackson
shirt I got five days ago. I got to see Janet
Jackson [from] seven rows back in Chicago. I’m
still flipping out about it, it was unbelievable.
She’s still got it, she’s dancing nonstop. She’s
50! So she’s a huge influence on me. Of course,
all the older R&B ladies: Diana [Ross], Gladys
[Knight], Carole King... I’m always the one to
steer the music to 90s and now R&B.
Congrats on the Side By Side EP. I know you’ve
reworked some of your own songs, and have So that’s more your influence than the
covers by Grimes and Anita Baker; what inspired Spacebomb horns?
your selection for those covers?
Yeah, I’ve always been drawn to the melodies
My grandpa is a huge Anita Baker fan and the and the emotion--I just love romantic love
song “Rapture” has kind of been my theme songs. I always have, it never gets tired to
song for the past couple years. It’s just one that me. I love beat, I love rhythm. It’s just totally
I always will put on. I play music in the green influenced me and my life. I know I can’t go
room to pump me up. In the beginning of our too far with it, I realized what I look like and
tour I was putting on music and everyone was what I sound like--I know my voice and my
like, “Oh shit, this is really good--you should limitations.
cover it!” So we’ve been doing it at shows
and it works really well. I thought I would love You’ve had a really exciting, breakout year.
[recording] it. It’s such a great song; she has What’s been the most pivotal point of 2015 for
you?
such a unique voice and sound.
Well, this is really cheesy, but there was this
really amazing stars-aligned show--the Body
And Soul Festival, [at Ireland’s Ballinlough
Castle in June]. Matt’s band and my band
played on the same stage together. Our bands
played back to back, and that really hit me.
Being in Ireland, and all these people there
to see us! They love Matt there--he’s on his
second album cycle. It’s crazy to see, people
just loved it, [and] were dancing like crazy. I
got teary-eyed watching him. We’ve worked
so hard together and he’s had this vision
for so many years. Just to see it all actually
With Grimes - she’s just the coolest pop star happening, and we’re in Ireland and there’s a
ton of people there. It’s just really beautiful,
ever.
and being there with your friends… we’ve done
Thank you, I hate it when people hate on Grimes. this thing together and it’s really weird to see it
all happening. It’s really great.
I think they’re just jealous.
As for Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sound of
Silence,” all of us from Richmond and
Spacebomb are obsessed with jazz music.
That’s a huge part of us and how we’ve become
who we are as musicians. We love Carmen
McRae, we listen to her all the time. One day
I had her on Spotify all day while I was in my
apartment, and [discovered that] she does this
really great version of “Sound Of Silence.” It’s
super funky. We changed it a little bit, but it’s
definitely inspired by her. We did that in one
take; that music comes so naturally to us.
Exactly! She’s just 100% doing her, she doesn’t
give a shit about anybody else. She produces
her music, writes it all by herself. Are you
kidding me? That’s insane! I’m really excited
for her new record. I read in an interview she
does not like the song [I covered], “REALiTi,”
says she wrote it in two minutes or something.
But to me, when I write a song in two minutes,
that’s when I know that’s a gift from something
else. It came so naturally! Just--wow. I’m so
grateful for that moment. Everybody has their
opinion, but I think it’s a really great song. It
sounds completely different than how she
does it.
Godzilla joins you on stage pretty frequently,
can you tell me more about his… cameos with
you?
[I found him] when I was touring opening for
Ryan Adams in Europe. Ryan and I like to run
around the city as much as we can and go
antique shopping, that’s a big thing we would
do together. He’s a fraud-zilla though; he’s
made in China, a knockoff. He had marionette
puppet [controls] on each hand so I was like, “I
gotta take this guy home.” He started out just
being on the amp, moved onto my Wurlitzer-while I still played that onstage, before it
broke. Then I would pick him up for a little bit,
Yeah, I had friends sort of get sick of Nashville’s Yours Truly ran a pretty epic piece detailing your then put him down. He just started becoming
process and correspondences with Matthew a huge part of the show. Now I’ve retired him
scene.
E. White [yourstru.ly/stories/natalie-prass]. a bit--he’s starting to break. He rocked out a
I went to college there too, was really entwined By “Bird of Prey” there’s this note that says little too hard. But he’s traveled the world. Now
with everything going on there. [I] was there “Waterfalls?” Now every time I hear “Bird Of he lives in my apartment, under a plant. He’s
when I was 20, but it’s changed so much in the Prey” I swear I hear something of TLC in that just very happy now.
past five years. It’s still a great place and I love rollicking beat. You’re really into R&B--who are
some of your favorites?
I really do. It’s a safe space. It’s beautiful.
There’s a lot bubbling there, a lot of creative
minds and really inspiring people. I just feel
like when I’m there, I get really inspired by
my surroundings. I’m really sensitive to my
surroundings. I love all the buildings and the
trees, the river. I’m really enjoying the new
vibe there. Nashville was good for me at the
time--it was so competitive. But it’s changed
so much the past five years.
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“...I’ve always been drawn to the melodies
and the emotion--I just love romantic love
songs. I always have, it never gets tired
to me. I love beat, I love rhythm. It’s just
totally influenced me and my life...”
Any last final advice you’d give to women in
music? It may be the most overdone thinkpiece
fodder, but I want to hear it from your
perspective.
Oh, we can never talk too much on this. The goal
is for it to be... it doesn’t have to be women in
music, it’s just people in music. That’s the goal.
I’m so happy with how far [we’ve come] and
how confident girls are now--they’re coming
in to play music, and all sorts of instruments.
The confidence I see in women, with each
generation it’s getting stronger and stronger. I
grew up in Virginia Beach, and no disrespect
for VA Beach, but there’s just really not much
culture there. My theory is that, maybe since
there’s nothing and you’re starved for it, you
have to create it yourself. Because there’s a lot
of great music and musicians that come out of
the area.
I think I wasn’t myself completely. I’ve always
been very comfortable with just being a
weirdo and I don’t care if I fit in or not, but I
think being surrounded by a lot of boys, I was
ashamed of my femininity and afraid to really
just be a girl. Now I’m not, but I think at the
time I was scared to talk about the music that
I like and wanted to make. I was ashamed of
my lyrics. I was literally the only girl that was
playing in rock bands in Virginia Beach. It was
hardcore and punk and things I didn’t really
want anything to do with. I think now, you’re
a girl and that’s beautiful. Write the music
you want to write, play the music you want
to play. Practice. Get good at your instrument
and just be amazing and fierce. Be the woman
you are. Women are so powerful, we have so
much to give to the world, just do it and don’t
be scared. I was really scared for a long time
and now I don’t give a fuck. I’m happier than
I’ve ever been in my life.
natalieprassmusic.com
37
Darryl
Starr
Interview by Angie Huckstep | Photos by Patrick Biedrycki
Over the past six months, painter/sculptor Darryl Starr has
been preparing for his forthcoming opening, scheduled for
April of 2016. We last saw his work in October of 2014, at
the now-departed Monument City Coffee and Records at
Third and Grace Street. Fifteen-foot ceilings housed ten of
his large, autobiographical abstract canvases (4’x6’, 5’x8’);
a few of his smaller, more sculptural works greeted patrons
from the front window display. Starr has been present in
the Richmond arts community since the early 80s, first as
a VCU student, later an alumnus professor, and always as
a working artist. His curriculum vitae includes teaching at
Pratt Institute, a residency at the Virginia Museum of Fine
Arts, and early membership with 1708 Gallery (part of the
first group admitted after the charter members). Much of
Starr’s oeuvre summons a double take—dirt dumped on a
gallery floor, sculptures made with processed meat... it’s sure
to elicit an over-the-shoulder glance that sticks. He lives for
the double take.
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What experiences and opportunities helped shape
your early career? What got the ball rolling for you?
DS: Rodin, Bernini, Tapies, Ree Morton, Larry Zox,
Schabel, NO TV, and New York City. My fifteen
years in NYC, nine living with painter Larry Zox.
We shared a studio near Union Square. He tutored
me about the harsh, international art world, and
exposed me to the world’s most vibrant art scene.
Artists, parties, openings, bars in New York
were things I had never and would never have
experienced had I stayed in Richmond. Jaded.
These are parts of the industry that VCU and
1708 Gallery never prepped me for... Zox advised
me to trade my sculpture MFA [from] Alfred
University in NY for painting, since 3-D work
took up very valuable cubic feet and studio space.
I taught myself to paint as I transitioned from
everything I knew about form. Shape became my
“...I see a lot of men
my age lament upon
what has or has not
happened in their
past relationships,
so my work here
is like a ‘hindsight
20/20’ exposé,
sexually speaking.
I’m pegging where I
can see how culture
has limited them to
certain societal
ideals of love,
relationships, and
sex, which nine times
out of ten lead to
the failures they
experience...”
focus. I started combining both 2-D and 3-D into
wall works, and then eventually just the canvas.
Somehow I always felt painters stopped the
process too early so I added 3-D elements. Today
I’m always surprised if I make a picture with only
paint.
In his new series, which is untitled as of now, Starr’s
autobiographical bent takes an acidic-yet-sweet
turn. The lot consists of large paintings, sculpture,
and hybrid works that outdo any cocksure imagery
he has used to date. More tongue in cheek. I assure
you, this isn’t just a nasty old man show; although
the viewer is inundated with references of blatant
vulgarity, these proceed in an oxymoronic fashion.
His representations come off as over-sexualized and
exploitative, but Starr uses these devices to make a
satirical point against the way Western culture has
41
situated the female form and mind—a chronology
of the voluptuous as told by our favorite marine vet/
sculpture professor.
DS: I try to capture the argument for or against
the absolutes in life with paint. You might not
believe me, but my paintings are actually healthy
references to women. They are really about
celebrating and glorifying the most fantastic
emotional experiences within my relationships.
The work is NOT an objectification, but a
celebration. It shows the history surrounding this
pattern of representation, hits on my involvement
within it... I do admit I was on it for a little bit, but
ultimately shoves in your face that a 66 yearold artist like myself can stick his head above
regressive culture.
Few men of your demographic and background play
with this idea. What brought you to reflect upon
past and modern sexuality in terms of Western
culture?
DS: I see a lot of men my age lament upon
what has or has not happened in their past
relationships, so my work here is like a ‘hindsight
20/20’ exposé, sexually speaking. I’m pegging
where I can see how culture has limited them to
certain societal ideals of love, relationships, and
sex, which nine times out of ten lead to the failures
they experience.
short fat chick from Willendorf (i.e. Venus of
Willendorf). For me, my sensibility of the erotic
really began at convoy. Three dollars of “funny
money” and a small wait was all you needed
for sex in a war zone. Later down the line, I was
represented by Wilhelmina Models for thirteen
years. I found the sophistication of NYC’s
modeling world, with its simmering sexuality
being sold and bought using modern standards of
beauty, exhausting. Just walking into Wilhelmina
offices, one can feel the sexual energy exuding
from this subset of people. Personally, I always felt
the cheesy modeling factor balanced the glamour.
It did pay extremely well, though. Tradeoffs, like
money (not always money), make the world go
around. Between $3 prostitutes and Park Avenue,
I embraced a personal aesthetic reflected in my
work that wants to dispel beauty, good design,
and marketing. It became important to express
ideas without the components of successful
artwork. I began engaging many references and
images probably regarded as not quite there.
People could tell the work was informed, but not
well manufactured. I was able to dispense the idea
and chase of “nice” work.
From what I’ve seen of the completed and inprocess pieces, Starr continues to extend a
hyper-awareness of plane. Detected in planar
faces, scene-scapes, architectural offerings,
circumferences, and a locked glass casing—
these subtle constructions balance his erotic
Erotica in art is hardly new. It’s as old as the little iconographies. The new work can be seen as an
42
ode to the present shift away from Freudian and
patriarchal absolutes in visual culture, coming
from an individual who matured in the midst of
these ideologies. Starr reflects upon the variability
of personal relationships, and how modernity and
popular culture are now, more than ever, pushing
the status quo. Speaking of repressive constructs
such as sexism or racism, Starr boils it down to,
“keeping open the possibility that it is beautiful
to love all kinds of people in varied but equally
meaningful ways.”
What might distinguish this series, procedurally
and/or thematically, from the rest of your work?
DS: The willingness of women to assist me with
the new work. I’ve never solicited for ideas like this
before.
Could you elaborate on this? And how would you
respond to someone who takes a misogynistic
message away from your work?
DS: First of all, I encourage any sort of attack
because without questions, art is not worth it.
Shock value is cheap, and an easy tool to rely
on. What I am trying to do is circumvent shock
without being modest. The response I’m getting
from women, to give me their underwear, in
supporting the idea of the show—I have never
had women involved like this in my work in such
a supportive manner, both in material and good
wishes. Their feedback is so important. I surveyed
many across a few generations, asked if the
imagery is offensive, and the overall response has
been very positive. I’ve never had the opportunity
to solicit ideas and opinions from women in my
art, or include a feminine mindset in my work to
this degree, if at all. It’s important to really deal
with issues that go beyond myself; my work has
made me evolve in a way, and brings a whole new
element of consideration that is being attributed
to the project.
Do you have any comments on the way different
generations esteem portraits of sexuality?
DS: Up until this point, I had not considered
the ramifications of these ideas regarding
generational perspective, and these works opens
doors for such dialogue. I’d say that millennials
are much more secure with their sexuality. This
generation has tapped into something quicker, a
bypassing of cultural or social hang-ups that, from
my experience, only seem to waste time and/or
incite difficulties within relationships. I have never
before stopped to inject those things into my art,
where before I blindly made my work without
regard for commenting on the cultural and social
morés around me. I think lots of artists have
become isolated that way.
How did you not pick up on these topics as an
educator?
never worked with the big-picture connections of
these cause and effect relationships in my work.
Compartmentalized art ideas have really lost their
value; it’s all the same, but here we are at the
forefront. It’s 2015. If I continue to further consider
audience demographics, I wonder how the work
will change.
Have you come up with any solutions?
DS: As of now, yes. I’m putting together a venue
that depends on factors beyond my world. Money
and legal issues are a hurdle right now. I want to
rent a piece of equipment to use as my gallery.
Parked on Broad Street for a First Friday opening.
Like a “one man band” driving force that excludes
You had mentioned that for your forthcoming censorship, commissions, and certain viewers.
opening, you are going to act as your own gallerist. This way I have total control of the work and
What is the impetus behind bypassing a gallery its presentation. No hoops to jump through, or
technicalities that inhibit the work. I acknowledge
setting?
that such a scenario may allow very few people to
DS: I will start by mentioning that the curation and see my stuff--but the exclusivity is a thrill. Bring
presentation of my last solo exhibit was in a coffee your I.D.
shop, Monument City Coffee and Records, when it
was on Grace. Beautiful, open space… the walls fit What kind of response do you expect from this
the work, which is large. The space had a constant opening?
clientele, as well as people in and out, travelling, so I knew the work would be seen. There were DS: Response to my work has gradually become
couches, tables and a mezzanine—places to less and less supportive. Galleries, especially
comfortably interact with the work, or see it from in Richmond, don’t see my work as viable to
sell, especially to corporations that have a
different vantage points.
specific formula that makes sure nobody can
It has become apparent to me that options to be offended beyond color choices. Considering
exhibit my work, especially locally, are slim to the strikeouts—as with the VMFA fellowship
none. Why would that stop me from making shit? program, and countless other application-based
I work every day, and I still like to poke the public opportunities for reward money—I must be
in the eye. So then comes the question: how can making what I feel is good and challenging art. Do
I get my work in front of viewers? I create my not get me wrong, I have sold a piece or two in my
own gallery, duh! Sadly, BUDGET limits me to a 40 year career, but I think it was more like a mercy
fuck. Guilt, not resonance.
narrower scope.
DS: I just accepted it. I was there to teach. I
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RVARVA
MAGAZINE
MAGAZINE
23 |22WINTER
| FALL 2015
I10will
years
never
of RVA
forget
Magazine
vegas 2005-2015
Mike. - tony
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46
D. Randall
Blythe
By Doug Nunnally
Photo courtesy Adrenaline PR & Travis Shinn
“We didn’t write a concept record. We didn’t hardly a conscious decision on the singer’s
write a prison record. We just made a heavy part, as he very blatantly did “not want to
metal record. That’s what we do.”
make a concept record.” Instead, Blythe
found a common theme in the lyrics he was
It would be only natural to assume a heavy creating for what would become the band’s
metal band would write a prison record after seventh album, and with that discovery, he
their frontman was imprisoned for over a was able to expand upon the ideas and make
month and then put on trial, but as D. Randall the record more about self-imposed mental
Blythe states so clearly, that is far from the imprisonment rather than the physical
case on Lamb Of God’s seventh album, imprisonment he’d dealt with himself. While
out this past July. VII: Sturm und Drang is a wrapping his head around the record’s theme,
noteworthy record in Lamb Of God’s deep and Blythe sought out a phrase to simply state
celebrated catalogue for a number of reasons, what the songs were about; it was this search
but Blythe’s highly publicized manslaughter that lead the band to their latest record’s title.
case and his imprisonment in a Czech jail for
over a month in 2012 is just not one of them. “We were trying to find an English word that
That’s not to say the whole ordeal didn’t have encapsulated this idea and we just couldn’t.
an impact on the album at all. In fact, Blythe It doesn’t exist. But Germans are great at
himself admits to the actual influence of the cramming complex concepts into single
experience on the record very freely.
words like zeitgeist and schadenfreude. My
guitar player speaks German and his mother
“There are two songs on the record that I is from Germany so I thought the Germans
wrote while I was still locked up in prison, but might have something. He came back to me
that’s it. Those are the only two that deal with with ‘Sturm und Drang’ and asked me if I
that specific matter. I didn’t write a prison was familiar with it.” The term was coined
record because I’m not some gangster rapper. to describe an 18th century period in German
Thematically, the album is much more about literature and music. “Being a former VCU
how humans react in stressful situations and English student, I read that period in literature
behave in extreme situations.”
class, so it just instantly fit.”
In this sense, Blythe created a much more
personal record that anybody could relate to
and draw inspiration from, even if the majority
of his fans have never even been to the Czech
Republic--let alone put on trial there. It was
So if it’s not a prison record, what makes VII:
Sturm und Drang a notable record in Lamb
Of God’s catalogue? For starters, it features
the first song in Lamb Of God’s history to
ever have “clean” vocals as opposed to the
47
ending. And unlike ‘Overlord’ where I sang
clean, I didn’t know what I was going to do
here. All I could hear was Chino’s voice, and
I couldn’t figure it out for myself. I just kept
thinking this would be really good for Chino.
One day, I came into our practice space
[during] the pre-production process, and
somebody suggested getting Chino to sing on
“There was no thought process behind it - it this track. They were mind readers, because
was purely physical. [Guitarist] Willie [Adler] all I could think about was how perfect it
was demoing stuff and sent it to me while I would be with Chino. We reached out from
was down at the beach. I’m cruising in my there, and he came in and just killed it. Same
truck and a version of the song ‘Overlord’ with Greg. I really loved it. Those are my two
came on without vocals. I just automatically favorite songs on the record, because I get to
started humming along and singing nonsense sit back and listen to someone else besides
words just to figure out a melody. It happened myself for a change.”
entirely organically, and I thought, ‘Whoa, I
could sing to this.’ It was a surprise to me-- Josh Wilbur returned as producer for the third
not that I could sing, I’ve always known I could straight time, a decision that Blythe admits
sing, but I was surprised that they had finally was so easy the band barely even talked about
written a song that would lend itself to clean it. “I really don’t even remember there being
vocals. We were never adamant about ‘no a discussion about who was going to produce
clean vocals’ or anything. We’ve just always the record,” the singer recalled. “It was
played what we wanted to play, and this time just always going to be Josh, I guess.” That
it happened to be a fairly simple blues riff in subconscious decision paid off, as Wilbur
the beginning. I just didn’t want to scream pushed the band to really write as a group
again instead of separately on their own, as
over that.”
they had done in years past thanks to easyIt’d be easy to think a frontman known for his to-use technological advancements.
decades of heavy vocals would be hesitant to
finally sing clean on a song, but Blythe quickly “Josh really encouraged Willie and Mark
shut down that idea, stating that there was “no [Morton] to write together instead of
[hesitation] at all; not even a little bit.” This demoing so much at home individually,”
admission was hardly born out of arrogance; Blythe said. He admitted that the last few
instead, it came from a place of deep artistry records from the band had quickly become
that really does sum up the reasons so many more collections of “Mark and Willie songs”
than a cohesive Lamb Of God record. This
fans identify so strongly with Lamb Of God.
time though, the two primary songwriters
“I do exactly what I want as an artist, and so wrote collaboratively in the practice space-does the rest of the band. I don’t think about ”like a real band, before the internet took over
how it’s going to be received and worry about the world,” Blythe laughed. The end result
this or that or the other. That would be false. I was a much more organic record for the band,
think our fans respect us because we do what something Blythe found refreshing after all
we want. When you start worrying about what these years.
other people are going to think far in advance,
before you even do anything, then you’re It’s weird to hear Blythe talk about the creation
pandering to your audience, and that’s never of the album in this regard, rather than his
good. I think our fans respect us for doing just past experiences fueling an inner desire for
what we want to do, and I think that’s why vindication, but he bluntly stated once again
that his experiences had very little conscious
we’ve had the success we’ve had.”
impact on the record itself. “I think a lot of
In addition to the first clean vocals in the people are looking for the effect it had on the
band’s history, Lamb Of God’s seventh record way we recorded or wrote the record, due
also features two songs with guest singers on to the legal situation I had,” Blythe mused.
them, making it a record that plays out much “But there was none. We’ve been doing this
differently than the past albums the band has 21 years. It wasn’t an aspect that touched on
put out. On the fourth track, “Embers,” Lamb the recording at all. It didn’t bring us tighter
Of God plays behind the vocals of Deftones’ as a group, and there was absolutely no big
member Chino Moreno, while Greg Puciato Hollywood ‘Aha!’ moment.”
of The Dillinger Escape Plan closes out the
record on the tenth and final track “Torches.” On top of Blythe’s instance that the band not
make a prison record, what also helped keep
“Greg was suggested by our producer. He’s his experiences from dominating Lamb Of
a mutual friend and I was very excited to get God’s new material was his recent memoir
him, but it wasn’t my idea. The vocals from recounting the whole ordeal, entitled Dark
Chino, they had sent me a rough demo of this Days. “I was found not guilty in March of 2013,
song that had this beautiful, spacious, epic and we continued to tour through January
guttural screaming Blythe has become known
for. The six-minute “Overlord” comes just
after the halfway point of the album, and for
those not expecting to hear Blythe’s actual
singing voice, it can be a pleasant surprise
as you make your way through the brooding
sonic identity of the record.
48
of 2014. I then spent the next eight or nine
months writing the book.” The five hundred
page book, released within two weeks of VII:
Sturm Und Drang, is a very open and honest
documentation of what Blythe went through-even if Blythe admits some shortcomings.
“I handled the whole experience the best
I could, you know? I didn’t do everything
perfectly, but I didn’t lose my head, because
panicking is never a good idea in any situation.
When was the last time someone gave you
some advice in a bad situation and it was
to panic? It doesn’t do any good. I just tried
my best to keep a level head and a positive
mental attitude in that situation. Some days I
did just that, and other days weren’t as good.”
Having this memoir come out roughly the
same time as the band’s new album definitely
adds to the misconceptions about the album’s
theme, but Blythe was quick to point out that
the record and book were not being worked on
concurrently. “The day I finished the book and
turned in the manuscript, I came right back
and started working on the record. It was just
one thing at a time.” Still, Blythe admits that
reading the book does provide some clarity
to the concept and emotion of the record,
though it’s not a two way street.
“There are some insights to various things
on the record found within the book, but not
necessarily things that deal with prison. They
deal more with me and my thought processes.
I would definitely recommend reading the
book before listening to the album. Doing it
the other way - I don’t think it works quite the
same. The book would certainly give you a
deeper understanding of the record, though.”
With his memoir completed and released, it’s
abundantly clear that Blythe wants to move
beyond his turbulent past. Due to the close
release of the memoir and new record, though,
it’s virtually inescapable at the moment.
Luckily for Blythe and the rest of Lamb Of
God, they’ve put out a record so solid and bold
that it’s difficult for Blythe’s incarceration to
dominate conversations about the album.
Between the clean vocals, guest singers, and
newly invigorated songwriting, it’s a record
that offers a plethora of lenses through which
to observe the band. Altogether, they’ve put
Lamb Of God in a new light that shows the
Richmond natives still have plenty more to
offer the music world, even after 21 years.
Lamb Of God will begin 2016 with with a
full US tour, featuring support from Anthrax,
Deafheaven, and Power Trip. Catch them on
January 22 at the Constant Convocation Center
in Norfolk. For details, go to lamb-of-god.com/
tourdates.
To purchase Dark Days,
www.randyblythe.net
49
Richmond
music
WNRN
is played daily on
103.1 Fm
ListeneR-suppoRted
independent music Radio
listen online at wnrn.org or
download our apps for iphone and android
50
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51
LOBO
Marino
Interview by Shannon Cleary
Photos by Jay Paul & Todd Raviotta
Lobo Marino are unlike any other act in
Richmond. There’s a persuasive quality
to their approach, enrapturing audiences
on a variety of levels and ensuring that
they remain a beloved local favorite.
Creating in the privacy of a yoga studio,
the duo of Jameson Price and Laney
Sullivan are determined to find the perfect
balance between improvised homilies and
preconceived material. During a typical
set, they confidently run through a prolific
catalog of songs--many of them initially
created in the course of their frequent
journeys across the world.
Lobo Marino’s specific origins can be traced
back to a going-away party for Sullivan and
Price, which took place years ago at Ipanema.
The duo, who were about to embark on a
journey through South America, performed
live together for the first time that night.
Both were active elsewhere in the local
scene at the time--Sullivan in Arise, Sweet
Donkey and Price with Pedals On Our Pirate
Ships--which helped bring them together
as a musical unit. It was travel that truly
solidified the group, though. “The birthing
process of Lobo Marino was pretty much
set [by] our experience in South America.
That’s where we wrote the majority of Keep
Your Head Up,” Price adds.
“...A lot of what drove these
songs was an internalized
thought of how the
interconnectivity of the
universe is this thing that we
are growing towards better
understanding and realizing. It
can be defined in how we relate
to others or how we treat
our surroundings. It’s about
consciousness and how to best
exert a proper control over
that...”
Keep Your Head Up, the group’s 2010 debut,
was the perfect document of a year spent
abroad. As they returned to Richmond, they
were contemplating the best way to recreate
these songs in a live environment. That’s
when they incorporated a third member into
the ensemble. “We reached out to our friend
Nathaniel [Roseberry] about playing with
us, and he was immediately on board,” says
Price. Having Roseberry in the band “gave
Laney and I the confidence we needed to
figure out how Lobo Marino could be more
than just a project of songs written abroad.”
Their first show as a trio was at Bogart’s,
and this typical night at a local bar became
something unique when the group took the
stage. “I remember it being incredibly loud
before we started playing, but something
happened once we started. It felt like
the room took this quick turn and began
listening to us play. One of the bartenders
even came up to us afterwards and told us
that he had never seen anything like that
before,” Sullivan recalls. “There was this
52
initial sensation after that performance that
made us realize that we had to keep doing
what we were doing,” Price adds.
The band quickly began to play every
environment imaginable--house shows,
traditional venues, gallery spaces, and street
corners. Affectionate sentiments toward
the trio began spreading quickly through
town. However, given that the band was
born from a trip abroad, their future plans
soon included extensive travels. “Laney
and I didn’t really have stable work around
Richmond, and that helped encourage us to
just play out of town as much as possible. It
also helped us factor in how we could do so
affordably and live on tour,” Price says. This
dedication to travel also helped refine their
live sound--clocking in more than a hundred
shows a year had a significant influence on
the dynamics of the group. “The great thing
about what Nathaniel brought to the group
at the time was that, whatever he was doing,
it was adding this flair to the song that Laney
and I may have not realized the song could
benefit from,” Price says. “If anything, the
acknowledgment of that nuance is probably
what informed the direction Lobo Marino
would take from that point on.”
The group’s next recording session became
a hallmark for many reasons. Released in
early 2011, The Reincarnation EP was Lobo
Marino’s first collaboration with engineer
Dave Watkins, and became a true showcase
for the auxiliary talents Roseberry brought
to the group. Recorded at the Richmond
Ballet, the two songs on this EP are
exercises in stretching the dynamics of
the band’s songwriting. Both tracks clock
in around seven minutes in length, and
both are ambitious triumphs for the trio.
Watkins’ capture of these recordings was
a key factor in the way Lobo Marino would
approach future recordings. “Dave is just, all
around, the best person we could imagine
working with,” Sullivan says. “We never
have to fashion what we are thinking of
doing around any particular constraints. We
can usually just throw an idea out there and
Dave is already trying to figure out when we
can get started.”
Not long after the release of The Reincarnation
EP, Roseberry departed from the group.
“As our touring schedule started growing,
Nathaniel realized he wouldn’t be able to
manage that,” Price says. “It was totally
something the two of us understood. We are
thankful we got to spend the first two years
of the band with him on board.”
With Roseberry gone, though, this proved to
be an intriguing moment for Lobo Marino.
Up to this point, their songs were planned
around Price playing guitar, Sullivan on
accordion, and a third member filling in
53
the gaps. Now, with another set of songs
almost complete, they were considering
their next logical step. In many ways, this
was the exact challenge they needed to face
in order to create what has since become
the standard setup for a Lobo Marino show.
This began with Sullivan’s acquisition of
a harmonium--a type of organ, popular in
the late 19th century (and to this day in
India) that generates sound with a bellows.
“Once I got the harmonium, that is what
really helped us fill that space with the
necessary bass,” Sullivan explains. “It also
helped me find my voice. When I wrote on
the accordion, the challenge was that it
was higher than I was comfortable singing
with. On the harmonium, the lower register
comfortably suited my voice.”
At this point, Price also diverted his attention
from strictly playing guitar on their songs.
He began using a variety of percussive
tools--everything from an enormous bass
drum to vases to bells strapped to ankles.
Just about anything under the sun was fair
game. These instrumental changes helped
guide the two as they decided to make their
next recording a live album. For the session,
Price and Sullivan were joined by a variety of
musicians over the course of an evening in
the upstairs corridor of Gallery 5. “We were
excited to invite what we consider to be our
close family to one of our favorite spaces
and have them be a part of this experience.
It was also a strong testament to what
our band had transformed into,” Sullivan
says. This collection of songs, released in
2012 and entitled Kite Festival, perfectly
articulated the sound of Lobo Marino up to
that point. Songs like “Celebrate” and “Stay
With Me” examined the delicate intricacies
of their sound; one song relied heavily on
percussion, another on the subtlety of their
lyrical nuances.
The duo’s frequent travels also helped to
create an interim release in 2013 entitled
Fields, which collects field recordings from
various stops in their itinerary. A chronicle of
two three-month trips, one through Puerto
Rico and another through Europe, “Fields
was a documentation of how the different
places we have traveled have influenced
and inspired the way we write songs,” Price
says. “In all of our experiences traveling, we
have always relished the fact that we can fit
on any bill. We can either be the weird band
on the folk bill or the quiet band at the punk
house,” Sullivan adds. “Fields hopefully can
articulate how our environments inspire us
in a variety of ways.”
An even stronger testament to the way their
travels have inspired them can be found on
2014 follow-up City of Light. This release,
recorded in a single day, is a collection of
54
kirtan--sacred Hindu chant music--featuring
one of their most beloved compositions,
“Holy River.” The two spent a month in the
city of Varanasi, India, where they explored
Indian harmonium music and, in many ways,
found a deeper spiritual connection with the
songs they were writing. They also took time
to educate themselves on meditation and
yoga. “City of Light is a definite correlation of
these thoughts, and it also helped us create
a strong connection with the peace found in
meditation,” Sullivan says. “The other side
of the harmonium, which I think lends itself
to that form of exercise, is how it requires air
to be pumped into it while it’s being played.
The fact that the instrument requires that
energy to be exerted plays very much into
the strengths of how it works with this style
of music.” “The best part is that some of
the songs that we perform at a show that
could be considered our loudest end up
being some of our quietest songs once we
incorporate them into an environment like
[a yoga studio],” Price adds.
The culmination of all of their travels and
prior recordings have helped to shape their
most recent release, We Hear The Ocean,
which came out this past summer. “We
Hear The Ocean is probably best explained
as a bridge between Kite Festival and City
of Light,” Price says. “We [combined]
the initial experiences of incorporating
new instruments into the group and the
experiences of educating ourselves about
kirtan, and that inspired this collection of
songs.”
A core theme of We Hear The Ocean is the
belief established in Lobo Marino that all
things are connected, in ways they are still
discovering. “A lot of what drove these
songs was an internalized thought of how
the interconnectivity of the universe is
this thing that we are growing towards
better understanding and realizing. It can
be defined in how we relate to others or
how we treat our surroundings. It’s about
consciousness and how to best exert a
proper control over that,” Sullivan says. “If
you trace back to any of our other records,
whether that’s South America with Keep
Your Head Up or India for City of Light, they
are chronicles of that particular stage in
our lives,” Price adds. “We Hear The Ocean
is definitely an extension of that, but I think
we touch on a few more universal truths and
themes with this release.”
Since the release of We Hear The Ocean,
Lobo Marino have settled down for the time
being. “We spent the greater part of five
years traveling across the globe, and what
we came to realize is that Richmond was our
home,” Price says. “It has a unique spirit to
it that really stands on its own, and there
are too many organizations to mention that
on whether he should bring the guitar, and
I have to almost pull his arm to get him to
pack it. I always want that to be in the mix.
Even if it doesn’t end up being used in the
final version of whichever song, I think that’s
a strong foundation for a lot of our songs.”
we just find to be absolutely remarkable
around town. We are delighted to just take
a moment to be in one place and not in
constant transit.”
While taking a break from their travels,
they’ve
remained
creatively
active.
Collaborating with local video collective
Good Day RVA, the group wrote a song
specifically to protest the proposed Atlantic
Coast Pipeline, which they believe is
against the greater interest of the people of
Richmond. “The song was written to sound
large and in many ways, cinematic. During
the shoot, we had this moment of noticing
that a wind front passing through was
damaging our set. We had to work without
hesitation to get the shots we needed,
and that urgency certainly defined the
energy of that environment,” Sullivan says.
“I think when I listen back to our music,
Fields is probably the closest we’ve come
to resembling something that feels like a
soundtrack to a film,” Price adds. “Definitely
with any of our newer material, I could see
us venturing in that direction.”
The prolific outfit promises that there should
be something on the way in the near future.
“We are constantly writing. I am actually
starting a few songs on guitar, which is a
first for me,” says Sullivan. “Every time we
pack up to go on tour, Jameson will debate
The latest addition to Lobo Marino’s
instrumental palette is a mouth harp, played
by Price on several of their newer songs.
This treasured instrument was acquired
during their travels through Spain. “Laney
was feeling adrift and wanted to head back
to the States,” Price says. “I was determined
to make my way to walk the Camino de
Santiago, a pilgrimage route that passes
from Spain into Portugal.” “Before I left, I
found this bizarre instrument at a street
vendor stand,” Sullivan adds. “I purchased it
immediately and gave it to Jameson.” During
his solo travels, Price practiced the mouth
harp, slowly beginning to understand how it
worked. “I think that is the best way for me
to learn how to play any instrument. Take
an undisciplined approach, work to figure
out how you would write music on that
instrument, and trust your instincts,” Price
says.
Lobo Marino operate on a number of
different levels, simultaneously working
towards a greater understanding of the
world as a whole and a deeper focus on the
mind and spirit. Their challenging music
resists any easy set of expectations one
could bestow upon them. However, their
enthusiasm for artistic endeavors remains
romantically intoxicating, inspiring and
impressing audiences across the world.
“The one thing about Lobo Marino that I will
always adore: whether we are playing a big
stage and they have an enormous PA, or we
are just strolling into a house, we can fit into
any room or space,” Price says. “It has never
been [difficult] to create a connection with
an audience. In many ways, that’s the true
heart and soul of Lobo Marino.”
lobomarinomusic.com
55
I remember about a year and a half ago, I
had probably one of the best times of my life
at a house show--despite it having all of the
ingredients for a terrible time.
livestreams, and other pre-, mid-, and postshow entertainment. It’s this kind of effort that
brings attention to a style of music that can get
overlooked in this city.
It was a Friday night. A friend had told me that
there was this new hip hop collective called
The Satellite Syndicate playing out in Jackson
Ward. Even though it was a long trek by foot,
I decided to check it out. However, it started
to pour rain during my walk over. Then I had a
tough time finding the house, and when I got
there, there were only a few people outside.
This past Thursday I sat down with several of
the Syndicate’s 10 members at their monthly
gig, Unusual Breaks at Ipanema (which this
time featured a set from Ohbliv). Founder
BSTFRND was accompanied by producers
Ozark, ScoopKid, and James Dangle, as well
as rapper Doof and visuals creator/producer
.oldneon (the other members--Sittasines,
Juxtpse, Peyotecoyte, and Big Wave--were out
of town at the time).
Now, on most occasions, I’d probably just
say my hello’s and bounce to meet up with
some friends at the bar, but this time was a
little different. I was intrigued to see what the
Satellite Syndicate, as newcomers to the local
scene who were calling themselves beatmakers,
could do. After all, beyond the mainstays-Ohbliv, Sound Genesius, DJ Harrison--there
aren’t a whole lot of people in the city doing the
more layered, beat-focused style of hip hop,
especially as an entire collective.
We chopped it up over a range of things,
including their origins, why Super Smash
Brothers is arguably the best video game of
all time, and most importantly, why they feel
their efforts are actually starting to make a
difference. And with a wall-to-wall packed
house at Ipanema that night, it’s pretty clear
they’ve taken that inspiration from a party in
Jackson Ward quite a ways.
The Satellite
Syndicate
Interview by Joseph Genest
Photos by Isaiah Carter / Arcani Films
When I walked into the living room, I was
surprised to find a sight I hadn’t seen at a
house show before. The room may not have
been packed, but half the people in attendance
were dancing and socializing. The other half
was working on something related to the
performance. If they weren’t making music,
they were taking photos, or helping out with
the massive projector displaying visuals on
the wall. This revolving crew of individuals was
supporting each other, but more importantly,
having a good time doing it.
A year later, this collaborative spirit has helped
the Syndicate grow. Their grassroots/DIY
efforts to make a splash have helped establish
their own corner of the hip hop scene here in
Richmond. That first show was a collaboration
with local bass music collective Undrside,
and Satellite Syndicate credits that crew and
other artists that have came before them for
important influence. What might be the biggest
reason I (and a lot of others) have taken notice
of their work so far, though, has been what they
bring to the table. It’s more than just a laptop
and an MPC. This group of producers bring
with them an arsenal of visuals, guest rappers,
56
56
Talk to me a little bit on how you guys got
started.
BSTFRND: Well, it was a little over a year ago
now, and I felt a lack [of] beat music, in terms
of the hip hop scene in Richmond. I think it
was after I went to a show with the Undrside
collective that I felt that there needed to be
more of a focus on the hip hop beat scene.
So I put together the Satellite Syndicate. We
threw our first show in the laundry room of this
apartment I used to live in, and then just started
doing a lot of releases in a really DIY fashion.
Keeping things in that manner has [resulted in]
a lot of success so far, so we’re just continuing
forward with that.
You all bring a whole mix of artists beyond just
beatmakers; how did everyone come into the
picture?
BSTFRND: Well, I honestly listened to everyone
in the group’s music really extensively before
the group was even together. I discovered
Chris [Ozark]’s old music. I was familiar with a
collective James used to be in called JPS [Just
Plain Sounds]. Sam [.oldneon] and I were in
RVA
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MAGAZINE
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school together so we knew each other through
mutual friends. I kind of hand-picked the team,
but in reality, I think it couldn’t have been
anyone else. We did have a few bumps along
the way in terms of letting the roster naturally
figure itself out, but now I feel like we have
more than just a team. It’s really like a family.
“...We like to
bring in a lot of
different elements
to our live shows
and set ourselves
apart from a lot
of other people.
Whether it be doing
physical releases on
antiquated formats,
just to hold on to
that nostalgia a
little bit, [or] taking
live performances to
the next level rather
than just being like,
“Ok, let me open up
my laptop and press
play.” We like to
have a really unique
approach to doing
something that
we might think is
simple, but to other
people can be really,
really enjoyable and
amazing...”
Doof: I think the first track I ever did with Satellite
Syndicate was a Sittasines track. That was just
something i picked up off of his SoundCloud or
something. I didn’t even know anybody at that
point. Maybe the following Friday or Saturday,
I went to his show and performed it. After that,
I’ve always been hanging around and eventually
I got in. Anybody who’s really in at this point
has just been around to be considered part of
it. Like, there was a portion where James wasn’t
necessarily in but he was always around.
Eventually everyone just meshed.
James Dangle: Jefferson [BSTFRND] came to
me while I was engineering and running a venue
on Southside called The Shop. Gordy Michael,
who introduced us, was in Just Plain Sounds
with me, Ant [The Symbol], Sleaze, Drano…
a different collective, a different time. That’s
how I got introduced to [BSTFRND]. [Satellite
Syndicate] had rocked like three or four shows,
Ohbliv came through, and it’s kind of been on
the steady since.
Ozark: I’ve been a fan of beat music before I
even came to Richmond, and right around the
time I met Jefferson was when the Syndicate
was forming. I went to the first show and really
enjoyed this kind of stuff, but was falling out of
grace with the acoustic stuff I was doing and
wanted to change something up. So, honestly I
just started hanging out and making beats with
Jefferson, got my own sampler, and just went
from there.
Doof: I have an ex-girlfriend who was really,
heavily into Chris’s music while we were
together. It was pretty hilarious because I met
him and someone was like “Oh yeah? You ever
heard of Inland Ocean?” “That’s him?”
.oldneon: I was around in the beginning, but
wasn’t exactly a member. I was just trying out
the visual things and was doing videography for
awhile. And then I was like “Yo. Why don’t we
try doing live visuals?” It became apparent that,
with the style I was going for, it just made sense
to do it for Satellite Syndicate.
BSTFRND: Before Sam [.oldneon] was even in
it, he did visuals for almost all of the shows.
.oldneon: And not to hop on the bandwagon,
but I got my own SP and started making my
own music. It’s really cool because I’ve been a
fan of hip hop and more boom bap stuff for a
long time.
1010years
yearsof
ofRVA
RVAMagazine
Magazine2005-2015
2005-2015
57
57
58
I think the live elements you all bring in with
the visuals, streams, and photo/video coverage
really take your shows to a higher level.
BSTFRND: Yeah, that’s definitely a crucial
element to the group. We like to bring in a
lot of different elements to our live shows
and set ourselves apart from a lot of other
people. Whether it be doing physical releases
on antiquated formats, just to hold on to
that nostalgia a little bit, [or] taking live
performances to the next level rather than just
being like, “Ok, let me open up my laptop and
press play.” We like to have a really unique
approach to doing something that we might
think is simple, but to other people can be
really, really enjoyable and amazing.
Do you feel like Richmond has been receptive to
your style of music? How do you see beat music
growing on a regional/national level?
BSTFRND: I think the city is accustomed to
it, just because of the accessibility of a band
[compared] to someone standing behind a
machine or sampler. The music we make can
sometimes be really serious or really thought
out, while people are like, “Oh, that’s just
another song, you’re just pressing buttons.”
There’s a lot more that goes to it, so I think
the lack of credit is people not knowing, and
their naivete to the scene. But it’s growing--the
publicity and spread of our name and message.
I think in 35 years we’ll be in a really good
place, if we keep pushing forward and following
through with our plans.
.oldneon: Richmond has a really dirty, gritty,
raw approach. We have a lot of punk, a lot of
noise, and the way we all approach hip hop has
that raw sound to it, that raw essence to it. That
grit, whether it’s visual noise and grain, or if it’s
the noise of a vinyl simulator, or vinyl itself. I
think when people hear that, it’s not that clean
sound in the mainstream people are used to.
What’s it like to kick it with the Satellite
Syndicate? What do you guys do on a day to day
basis?
Doof: Video games.
BSTFRND: We play a lot of video games. Not a
lot, I don’t want to make it sound like that, but
we play a lot of a few games.
James: A lot of Steady Sounds.
BSTFRND: A lot of going to Steady Sounds
and digging for records. We spend a lot of time
talking, I think. A lot of time building internally
with one another. Learning how each one of us
thinks. I know I spend a good bit of time talking
to all these guys, but that’s what’s most
important--just having that type of connection.
.oldneon: I think we all just ingest a lot of
media. We’ll go to Justice [doof]’s and watch
Chappelle Show for six hours straight, or we
go over to Jefferson’s house and listen to new
wax...or even chilling at James’s house and
having a very deep conversation. Trying to
ingest things so we can push it out.
BSTFRND: Also, Smash Brothers 64.
Doof: Smash Brothers 64.
BSTFRND: I think at the end of it all, we try to
collectively embody the artistry behind things
rather than being like, “How much money
can I make off this?” I know [Doof] will get a
beat and be like “Yo, I got this beat from XY
producer.” I’m like “that’s crazy, how’d you do
that?” and he’s like, “I don’t know, I just rapped
on it already and he heard the track.” I’ll listen to
it and be like, “Damn, this is really high quality,
this is very well done.” It sounds like you’d do it
for a paycheck but it’s like…
James: That’s the official spot, right there.
Ozark: I found a Sega Genesis in the trash like 3
months ago, so that’s been the steez.
.oldneon: We’re also going through a Soulcalibur
II phase.
Doof: I’m almost untouchable in Soulcalibur, I
have nobody to shut me up yet.
BSTFRND: Just today I was in the thrift store
and I was like “Let me see if they have any VHS
tapes I can watch later on tonight.”
“...Richmond has a
really dirty, gritty,
raw approach. We
have a lot of punk, a
lot of noise, and the
way we all approach
hip hop has that raw
sound to it, that
raw essence to it...”
.oldneon: Yeah, I bought this man a VCR for his
birthday.
BSTFRND: He did, and at first I was like “What
in the hell? Why did Sam buy me a VHS?”
.oldneon: One of the worst responses to a
birthday gift I’ve ever [gotten].
BSTFRND: I was very offput, like “The fuck,
Sam?” I didn’t expect a VCR. But now I really
fuck with it. There’s just something really
attractive to the nostalgia of a VHS tape, I think
that alone embodies what we think about as
a group. We like to record music to cassette
tapes and listen to older music. And it’s not like
we’re like, “Fuck contemporary stuff, the new
shit is wack.”
I was thinking on the drive over here about how,
when I think of the word syndicate, it reminds
me of syndicated programming, where you’re
taking different TV shows and selling them to
other channels. That’s sort of a cool embodiment
to the whole sampling/live show thing you all
are doing.
Doof: I’m making music out of a cardboard box
right now.
BSTFRND: It’s not about money for us, but I
think we’re all very cognisant that it’s a reality.
I know Chris and I are moving more into
instrumentation and move away from sampling.
But really, sampling is hip hop and if someone
has a problem with that, we’re just going to
keep fighting the never ending sampling battle
that’s been going on.
Awesome. You guys have anything final
thoughts?
Ozark: If not for the lineage in the city, we
wouldn’t be here.
BSTFRND: Brad [Ohbliv] started making music
and paved the way, I think then Devonne [DJ
Harrison] was inspired by Brad, then Xavier
[Sound Genesius] was taught to make beats
inspired by Devonne. And this is just stories
I’ve collected from talking to these guys. I think
it’s their time. Being here in the scene in making
really quality music--that is a huge thing. It’s
really their connection to their scene. Devonne
is in Butcher Brown as well as the Sam Reed
Syndicate. And then Ohbliv has such a wide
reach, so people know his name that come into
the city that are even just slightly in the scene.
Scoopkid: [From] what I’ve seen playing shows
for the past 10 years, Devonne pretty much
runs the scene in Richmond. Even before he and
Reggie linked up [for Jellowstone], everyone
would want Devonne on their shit. “Yo man,
could you play drums on this? Yo. could you
play piano on this?” So, it definitely runs deep.
BSTFRND: I couldn’t have done this without
the people who are involved. Credit belongs to
each and every person in this group, because
there’s stuff that wouldn’t get done without
these guys being like, “Hey, have you done this
yet? Is this happening?” So I’m like “Yes, thank
you, I see how important this is.” Really, it’s just
the positive energy we all have within us, and
that the city gives us.
soundcloud.com/satellitesyndicate
nstagram.com/satellitesyndicate
59
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RVARVA
MAGAZINE
MAGAZINE
23 |22WINTER
| FALL 2015
61
62
RVARVA
MAGAZINE
MAGAZINE
23 |22WINTER
| FALL 2015
“...Genuine and vulnerable
are one and the same,
really,” she says. “The
umbrella is honesty. Being
dishonest is just the worst
because, no one can
resonate with being lied
to--and ultimately, no one
wants to be lied to.”
LUCY
DACUS
Interview by Doug Nunnally
Photos by Craig Zirpolo,
Mike Edmunds & Lucy Dacus
63
Lucy Dacus is probably more intimidating
than any other artist I’ve covered. Not
because of Lucy herself--the 20-year-old
singer-songwriter perfectly exhibits every
quality one craves in a musician: she’s
gracious, witty, earnest, sociable, and so
humble that it makes your admiration soar.
She’s more interested in fervently discussing
Bernie Sanders and carefully planning
your next vacation (which will be to Italy,
apparently) than she is in discussing her
music and what it means to people. But that
music is exactly what’s so intimidating to
write about--because of the unbelievable
talent it contains, as well as its potential to
truly take the music world by storm in a way
few, if any, Richmond artists ever have. It
may be the kiss of death to discuss her music
in this way, but it’s impossible to listen to her
without this thought in my mind. It’s not the
result of high expectations for Dacus; it’s
instead a realization of the intrinsic quality
her music has, and how truly unparalleled
it is, even if she does somewhat fit into the
recent boom of idiosyncratic female singersongwriters.
In my conversation with Dacus, she is more
than happy to gush about the recent rise
of these female performers, from Courtney
Barnett to Lady Lamb. “Really, I’m just
mentioning these artists so you’ll print them,
because they’re just so good and need to be
listened to,” she laughs. Dacus’ style and
sound open her up to all sorts of comparisons
with these artists, and it’s something she’s
reminded of whenever someone experiences
her music for the first time. “I’m always
hearing what artists I sound like. I’ve rarely
heard of most of them, actually. I’ll end up
going home, looking them up, and then I’m
just floored by the comparison. It’s such a
huge compliment.”
Compliments aside, she admits that while
she’s extremely honored to be in the
same breath as those gifted artists, the
comparisons between her music and theirs
isn’t so obvious. “I don’t think we sound like
those artists,” she says. “Really, I just don’t
hear it.” As hard as it is for some people to
admit it, Dacus has little sonic comparison
points with most female musicians currently
making waves. Really, it’s the uniqueness
of these artists that truly links them and
makes these somewhat baffling comparisons
seem valid. Each approaches songwriting
in a completely novel way, with unusually
perceptive lyrics and engaging melodies;
it’s that approach that binds them together,
even if the final products are vastly different.
Stereogum. Its bold lyrical proclamations
candidly showcase her inner desires and
personal shortcomings within a hauntingly
stunning melody. As open and vulnerable as
the song is, there’s a commendable level of
restraint, as her confidently composed voice
keeps the pace of the song as terse as the
lyrics themselves. It’s a powerhouse song for
any musician, let alone someone barely out
of their teens, and it’s in consideration not
only for best Richmond song of 2015, but one
of the premier songs of 2015 overall.
No Burden consists of nine songs that
showcase Dacus’ songwriting and give off
a message of assured independence. “The
longer title for the record would have been
‘You Are No Burden.’ I just wanted to tell
“I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore” serves people they aren’t weighing down anyone
else with themselves. I just think you live
better when you realize you’re not a burden
on anybody.” The theme comes through on
the lead single and other songs the band has
in its live repertoire, which offers clarification
of just how cathartic and gratifying her lyrics
can be.
“...Really, I don’t have
much control over
the songwriting,”
she noted
repeatedly when
trying to explain
her songwriting
process, which
seems like the
polar opposite of
the poised final
product. “I’ll be on
a walk going home,
and this song will
just appear in my life.
I’ll have to quickly
jog home so I can
write it down. Later,
I get to figure out
what it’s about, just
like anybody else
listening to a piece
of music. But that
happens after I’ve
written it...”
as the first single from her debut record,
No Burden, out February 26th on Egghunt
Records. It’s a highly anticipated album, but
Dacus is already looking past it. “I’m already
excited about the second record and the first
one’s not even out,” she exclaims. “It’s not
recorded yet, but it’s all written and laid out,
and I’m excited to get into it.” It’s a weird
declaration with details about her debut
Dacus’ unique style of songwriting is just now leaking out, but it’s understandable
best shown on “I Don’t Wanna Be Funny when you realize that No Burden has been
Anymore.”. Recently released as a single, ready to go for most of 2015. Early this year,
it’s beginning to gain momentum, with Dacus and her band were lucky enough to
prominent coverage on The Fader and spend time in Reba McEntire’s Starstruck
64
Studios in Nashville to record their debut
album. “Yeah, I know it’s weird,” Dacus
laughs. “Our friend Colin was interning there
and he asked if we could come in on this
day that no one was booked and record, so
that he could learn how to use the mics and
boards.”
Anticipation is running high for this record,
though it’s something Dacus herself is
perplexed by. “People have said they’re really
looking forward to it, and it’s just surprising.”
She’s also now coming to grips with the fact
that the album may lead to bigger and better
things. “Egghunt specifically told us we’re
probably going to get picked up by someone,
so we should prepare for it,” she notes. Still,
Dacus is staying grounded. Despite the
possibility of outgrowing Richmond, she’s
much more excited to talk about being a part
of the Egghunt family. “They’re just so great.
They seem to recognize all the good stuff
going on in Richmond and want to help it.
It’s nice to have that Richmond identity, that
people can look at it to see what happening.
I’m really glad to be a part of it.”
As much as Dacus’ songwriting is at the
forefront of the record, she makes clear
that her music isn’t a solo effort. “It’s not
just me. There’s a whole band there too.
I’m with Miles Huffman, Mike Ferster, Jacob
Blizard, and Noma Illmensee too, and their
contributions are just as important as mine.
I can understand why people are just talking
about me, but I wish I could effectively
convey how much the band means to me
and that other people do as much for this as
I do. You wouldn’t be talking to me without
them.” Blizard’s arrangements and the
band’s parts are central to each song, but the
most appealing aspect of Lucy Dacus is still
the songwriting itself, something she takes
full credit for. “The lyrics and melodies are
all me, but once I bring a song to the table,
everyone has ideas on where to take it. It just
so happens that all the songs start off with
me and my notebook.”
The songwriting may be what has everyone
hooked, but it’s not something that Dacus
can fully put into words. “Really, I don’t have
much control over the songwriting,” she
noted repeatedly when trying to explain her
songwriting process, which seems like the
polar opposite of the poised final product.
“I’ll be on a walk going home, and this song
will just appear in my life. I’ll have to quickly
jog home so I can write it down. Later, I get to
figure out what it’s about, just like anybody
else listening to a piece of music. But that
happens after I’ve written it.”
Seemingly appearing out of thin air, the songs
manifest from a melting pot of experiences
and ideas, some of which are initially
documented years before being put into a
song. “I write everything down in notebooks,
and have been doing it for years. Current
thoughts journal, dream journal, spiritual and
philosophy journal--I don’t feel comfortable
not writing everything down. From there, the
verses will just come out randomly. Some
lines I’ve written in old journals--like, I wrote
the singular line for ‘Funny Anymore’ four
years ago and it just became relevant again
when I wrote the song. It has to do with
what’s going on in my head or what’s around
me. But I can’t control it. I can’t just sit down
and write a song. I’ve tried as an exercise,
but they just don’t turn out good. I have to
wait for it to come to me.”
Though she feels she has no control over
them, lyrics are really the only aspect of
her work she takes pride in. “It’s the one
thing I feel like I do right. I don’t really feel
like I know how to play guitar, which is why
I play in open tuning. I don’t know anything
about technique. The one thing I take
ownership of is the lyrics. I think people are
ready to be asked to think and be genuine
in regards to them.” The genuine aspect of
Dacus is perhaps her most notable talking
point, though it goes hand in hand with her
vulnerability. “Genuine and vulnerable are
one and the same, really,” she says. “The
umbrella is honesty. Being dishonest is just
the worst because, no one can resonate with
being lied to--and ultimately, no one wants
to be lied to.”
Still, it’s hard for artists not to put up a
wall that separates themselves from the
audience--something that speaks to our
basic instincts as people. “I just don’t think
people are fundamentally willing to be
vulnerable. But that’s what people ache for
in anything. Not just from their friends, but
the media too.” She recognizes that most
people avoid becoming too vulnerable, but
quickly deflects that line of thinking. “You
can’t get too vulnerable with music, really.
People assume that being vulnerable means
I’m going to tell my secrets or just vent, but
that’s where artistry comes in, and you get to
be subtle or ambiguous. You have to be able
to talk about it in a way that people are still
comfortable with, so it’s not just dumping
your baggage. There’s a certain way to do
it so that it resonates with people. You just
asked me to play with them. So on and so
on; bands kind of adopted me, and gave me
all sorts of opportunities.” It’s this beginning
that allowed Dacus to become accepted by
Becoming an effective communicator is all the different scenes in town and avoid the
certainly not an easy process. Luckily for cliques that can pop up from place to place.
Dacus, her background has helped to guide “If you don’t acknowledge [cliques], and you
her. Growing up in Hanover, Dacus remembers think that you can talk to certain people, or
spending all of her time in musical theater. ask them to play with you, or go to a show
“My mom is a musical theater director so I and tell them great job, people will respond
was in a bunch of productions when I was to it,” she says. “People don’t want to be
younger. I was just used to performing music exclusive.”
really young, and I learned to really project
what was going on.” Her short stint as a This might sound idealistic, but it makes
sense when you learn just how devoted
and passionate Dacus is about the
Richmond music scene. “For Richmond to be
responding well means so much to me. New
York and London could love me, but it’s still
Richmond’s love that means the most to me
because these are the people I’ve respected
for years, and that I’ve seen play so many
shows. Whenever these people compliment
me on the music, my first reaction is always
just shock--because really, I feel the exact
same way towards them. One time, driving
home from Gallery5, I turned on WRIR, and
it was right in the middle of ‘Funny.’ It was
just this indescribable feeling. The fact that
the town I love so much is showing it back to
me is amazing.”
have to become an effective communicator
in a way that’s true to you, but also true to
everyone else.”
“...For Richmond
to be responding
well means so much
to me. New York
and London could
love me, but it’s still
Richmond’s love
that means the most
to me because these
are the people I’ve
respected for years,
and that I’ve seen
play so many shows.
Whenever these
people compliment
me on the music, my
first reaction is
always just shock-because really, I feel
the exact same way
towards them...”
VCU film student really helped cement the
concept of effective communication that
she believes her music requires. “I just love
film,” she says. “It can be all things. Visual
art, audio, sculpture, performance. There’s
technical aspects with the editing, and it can
even incorporate dance and serious writing.
It’s every output in one thing, and that’s
just the coolest thing. You really get to be
able to say what you want in whatever way
possible.”
Dacus’ start in music only began a few
years ago. Just like finding herself in Reba’s
Nashville studio, it was almost a fluke
occurrence. “Lobo Marino asked me to play
some shows with them as an opener, and My
Darling Fury saw one of those shows. They
asked me to open for their shows, and then
Night Idea saw one of those shows and also
As attention and acclaim for her music
continues to rise, Dacus began to seriously
consider music as a viable option for her
life. “I just figured that I should stop telling
myself this is impossible and put some
energy into it.” Dacus admits that musician
Shakey Graves really spurred her decision
to go for it. “He’s the first artist I watched
kind of explode. Watching his path made me
realize that it actually happens to people.
People were telling me forever to do this, but
I didn’t think it really happened. But it can, if
you really take the time and energy and care
about it. That’s what I’m doing.”
2015 has seen Dacus not only record No
Burden, but also complete three extensive
tours across the US and Canada--something
some veteran local bands have never
attempted even once. There’s no sign of
slowing down for the fledgling musician
anytime soon; there are already plans for
2016, including a trip to SXSW, followed by a
lengthy Midwest tour. By that point, No Burden
will be a few weeks old, and the music world
will finally get a taste of what Richmond has
been lucky enough to experience over the
last few years: an exciting young musician
with a strong grasp on what people are
desperate for in their lives, and a truly gifted
voice that can perfectly express it.
soundcloud.com/lucy-dacus
lucydacus.bandcamp.com
65
66
67
TENGREAT
2015RVA
ALBUMS
ByDrew NecciwithassistsfromDoug Nunnally&Shannon Cleary
No matter what we put on a list like this, we’re sure to get a million emails
letting us know what we forgot, or unjustly left out. Therefore, we’re not even
attempting to characterize this list as the “best” music produced here in
Richmond over the past 12 months. Instead, we’re just pointing out some great
sounds from all sorts of different genres that you should be checking out. We
skipped some obvious heavy hitters (you already got the new Lamb Of God
and Matthew E. White records though, didn’t you?) in favor of some sounds
you may have missed over the past year. If you haven’t heard all of these, start
checking them out now. You won’t be sorry.
Diamond Center
Crystals From The Brass Empire
(Funny Not Funny/Egghunt/Steady Sounds)
After making RVA their home for the past five
years, the Diamond Center departed for the
hazy deserts of west Texas this year. However,
their parting gift to our fair city is a brand
new LP that solidifies in vinyl form all of the
ethereal, psychedelic beauty their many local
live shows have dispensed to us over the past
half-decade.
Dr. Millionaire
Kings
Manatree
My First Million
Kings
Manatree
(Imaginary Friends)
(Jellowstone)
(Egghunt)
One of the smartest and most talented emcees
The
in town, Dr. Millionaire is a man of many facets, of
latest
brilliance
Jellowstone
is
from
the
spearheaded
world These fresh-faced teenage indie-rockers have
by
the been playing together since junior high, and
and he shows them all on this 8-song cassette. multitalented genius of Kelli Strawbridge. their self-titled full-length debut bears the fruit
Over blazing beats from Conrizzle, Hovey On his project’s self-titled debut, he brings of five years’ worth of refined jams. Upbeat
Benjamin and others, he shows off his lyrical
the pioneering fuzz-funk of Sly & The Family REM-style alt-rock meets twinkly emo, pop-
prowess, gives his reputation as a ladies’ man Stone’s There’s A Riot Going On into the 21st punk exuberance, and complex instrumental
a boost, and demonstrates a surprising depth century through a filter of prime Prince and interplay on this album full of memorable,
of emotion.
James Brown jams. Get outta your seat and danceable gems.
dance!
68
Nickelus F
Ostraca
Positive No
Triflin’
Deathless
Glossa
(Foundation Media)
(Middle Man/Skeletal Lightning)
(Negative Fun/Little Black Cloud)
Nick F’s first release since 2013’s Ohbliv RVA screamo has done a lot in 2015 to make After years of tantalizing the city with
collab Yellow Gold 2 sees him returning to his itself more widely known in the local scene
passionate
darker, less restrained alter ego, Sweet Petey. and beyond, from the inaugural Swamp Fest in
emotionally-driven indie rock quartet finally
live
performances,
this
Containing mostly self-produced beats and August to powerful releases by Caust, Truman, gave us an LP, and Glossa lives up to every
no features, Triflin’ is an all-encompassing and Swan Of Tuonela. Ostraca’s debut full
expectation that built up during the wait. Tracy
world, in which you’ll find close encounters length towers above them all, though, mixing Wilson’s warm, passionate voice and Kenneth
with police and reflections of RVA in all its powerful metal riffage with epic post-rock
Close’s glittering lead guitars add up to pure
complicated glory.
structures and hardcore rage.
melodic bliss.
Sea Of Storms
Shy Low
Toxic Moxie
Dead Weight
Hiraeth
VHS Box Set
(Self Aware/Tor Johnson)
(Spartan)
(toxicmoxie.bandcamp.com)
On their second full-length album, released
Toxic Moxie’s first full-length release brings
to late this year after much anticipation,
together the trilogy of EPs they’ve released
It’s taken years for the debut LP from this
emotionally-driven
post-hardcore
trio
finally materialize, but these nine songs were
instrumental quartet Shy Low creates powerful
thus far into a compilation of danceable disco-
decidedly worth the wait. The powerful rhythm post-rock cinemascapes. There are certain
punk fury. With Sera Stavroula’s powerful
section gives just the right amount of muscle
obvious touchstones here--Godspeed You
voice at the forefront, this band generates
to these melancholy midtempo tunes featuring Black Emperor, Explosions In The Sky--but
nearly 80 minutes of postpunk grooves with
evocative lyrics, which will thrill fans of Hot this band’s soaring melodies and inspiring
an undeniable electro-funk vibe underpinning
Water Music and Leatherface.
the whole thing. Dance!
crescendos stand on their own.
69
RECORD Reviews
Adele
25
(XL)
This decade’s most anticipated record skillfully
navigates the hazardous minefield left by 21.
Luckily, Adele’s able to tap into area uncovered in
her previous work, as well as explore new sounds
for a record that in no way can be called a misstep
or rehash. That fact alone is its biggest milestone,
regardless of any record it may set. (DN)
Big Grams
Big Grams
(Epic)
This collaboration between trip-hop/dream-pop
duo Phantogram and Outkast alum Big Boi feels
like the teaser leading up to a proper album. This
half-hour project offers up some funkier Big Boicentric songs that join some electro-pop jams with
catchy choruses from Phantogram’s Sarah Barthel.
Features from Run The Jewels and Skrillex round
out this sampler course. (CE)
Drug Church
Hit Your Head
(No Sleep)
Not just Self-Defense Family singer Patrick
Kindlon’s other band, Drug Church does a great
deal to prove their stand-alone merit on this their
second LP. The driving post-hardcore tunes here
hark back to 90s greats like Jawbox and Quicksand,
while Kindlon’s lyrics are witty, bitter, and all too
relatable. A perfect soundtrack for post-millennial
frustration and ennui. (AN)
70
Allison Weiss
New Love
Battles
La Di Da Di
Beach House
Thank Your Lucky Stars
(Sub Pop)
(No Sleep)
As the title implies, New Love’s inspiration
comes from a new relationship the songwriter has
found herself in. Rather than concentrating on
feelings of intense joy, Weiss instead focuses on
the contradictory feelings that arise. Excitement,
apprehension, confidence, and self-doubt interact
with each other on every track, making the album
an honest and accurate portrayal of what new love
is. (DN)
(Warp)
This is Battles’ first completely vocal-free release,
and it’s all the better for it. It features some of their
most joyful, vibrant compositions ever, echoing
the alien yet danceable sonics of 2011’s Gloss Drop.
Instead of simply compensating for a loss, the hardedged grooves and intertwining synthesizer and
guitar loops seem to take on a life of their own. (CE)
Pete Curry
Daggering
Deafheaven
With everything from contemplative anti-love
ballads to punk rock frenzy, Pete Curry has done
a considerable job on this debut release. Songs like
“A Word From Our Sponsors” and “Don’t Ask Me”
are quick examples that show off the diversity of
Advice On Love. Curry is one to watch, due to his
penchant for clever songwriting. (SC)
This RVA experimental supergroup (members of
Lost Tribe, Caves Caverns, Scant, etc) makes a
big splash with their debut cassette, blasting harsh
atonal noise, garbled vocal blurts, and striking
electro/synth stabs into your eardrums with intent
to pulverize. Sick shit--like Twin Infinitives-era
Royal Trux jamming with Pharmakon on Saturn
(ancestral home of Sun Ra, natch). (AN)
After the breakout success of, and traditionalist
backlash towards, 2013’s Sunbather, Deafheaven
takes several steps back. While their first two releases
managed to competently fuse post-rock, black
metal, and post-hardcore, New Bermuda finds
the band seemingly forgetting how to synthesize
influences, while also attempting to reassert any
metal cred they feel that they had — drop-A guitar
chugs included. (CE)
Advice On Love
Bad Mon Rising
(petecurry.bandcamp.com) (Chaotic Noise Productions)
Ron Funches
The Funches of Us
(Comedy Dynamics)
If you weren’t previously familiar with Ron
Funches, you’re welcome. His brand of comedy
dabbles in anecdotes about his relationship with his
son, considerate gang members during flu season,
and the difficulties of passing drug tests for future
employment opportunities. This is yet another great
comedy album in a year that has been full of them.
(SC)
Grimes
Art Angels
(4AD)
If you’ve ever wondered what pop music could be
without outside influence, this is the record for you.
It’s almost defiant how unwavering Grimes’ songs
are; each one flies in the face of what is expected
of a typical pop song. As ridiculous the idea of
“post-pop” is, music like this actually validates the
concept, making you yearn for more. (DN)
This surprise album comes less than two months
after the dream pop duo’s fifth album, Depression
Cherry, and distances itself from that record with
a sound closer to their early releases. While the
album’s completion and release are staggering by
themselves, the record succeeds by pulling together
nine cohesive songs, all building on one another to
make a truly outstanding record. (DN)
New Bermuda
(ANTI-)
Manzara
the hills are aLIVE AT
SOUND OF MUSIC
(manzara.bandcamp.com)
This quick four-song live EP from Manzara is
perfect to hold fans over until a proper full-length
is released. While the band features an impressive
background of prior bands, Manzara is in a league
of their own with their blazing, syncopated entree
into the heavy, intense worlds of rock music. (SC)
Shannon Cleary (SC), Cody Endres (CE), Andrew Necci (AN), Doug Nunnally (DN)
Mgła
Joanna Newsom
No BS! Brass Band
Christian Scott
Despite the defeatist album title, and surprisingly
well-written English lyrics (Mgła is Polish) featuring
an air of despairing nihilism, the music on this
album manages to portray a kind of heavy-hearted
perseverance. Fairly melodious, ascendant black
metal guitar passages, along with varied, but not
showy drumming help create this atmosphere,
while deep, gruff vocals keep things from sounding
too blissful. (CE)
Newsom’s evolved quite a bit in the four years
since her third album. Now more Laurel Canyon
storyteller than out-of-time Appalachian soothsayer,
her complex songwriting skills and layered
arrangements remain intact. The world she
creates within this album’s fantastical headspace is
spellbinding and beautiful. Worth the repeat listens
it’s sure to inspire. (AN)
RVA’s national ambassadors set their ambitions
high on their sixth, and by far their best, record.
Reggie Pace and his remarkable bandmates deliver
an inspiring work of art that beautifully conveys
the complicated feelings around America’s current
social turmoil. With tense arrangements and
anguish bubbling under the surface, this stunning
record defies what you’ve come to expect. (DN)
This New Orleans-based trumpet player’s latest effort
does a rather graceful job of combining jazz and
non-jazz sounds. Although largely rooted in fusion
of the Miles Davis-inspired variety, Scott tastefully
incorporates elements of funky New Orleans-style
jazz, spaced-out electronica, and some world music.
Stellar musicianship and good pacing make this
album a true joy to listen to. (CE)
Travis Scott
Shy, Low
This Kanye-protege’s first commercial album is a
somewhat odd mix in terms of performances —
Scott’s own rapping is somewhat unremarkable,
while his often heavily-effected singing is a very
palatable, if acquired taste. Consistently lush, dark,
and instrumentally-varied production really powers
this release, along with choice features from Juicy J,
2 Chainz, and many others. (CE)
Post-rock isn’t the easiest genre to tackle. That’s
what makes Shy, Low’s Hiraeth such a welcome
release. Over the span of forty-three minutes, the
group displays a keen understanding of how to pull
off intricate sonic landscapes that feel natural in
their movements and earned when the unexpected
moments hit their landings perfectly. (SC)
Wax Idols
Jeremy White
& The Blue Hearts
Exercises in Futility
(No Solace)
Rodeo
(Epic/Grand Hustle)
American Tragic
(Collect Records)
This guitar-driven gothic crew branches out a bit
on their third album, hitting all their previous high
points with darkly catchy tunes like “Lonely You”
and “Seraph,” while exploring the full spectrum of
their sound with detours into industrial aloofness
and Nick Cave-style gothic-Western balladry. Like
a lost mid-80s postpunk classic. (AN)
Divers
(Drag City)
Hiraeth
(Spartan)
Classic American Sins
(blueheartsrva.bandcamp.com)
Richmond’s newest folk rock band debuts with
a powerful collection of modern Americana
that rightfully showcases songwriting first and
foremost. The lyrics are razor sharp and raw with
emotion while being perfectly supported by skilled
musicianship. While the vocals aren’t the focus,
White’s gravelly voice is utterly captivating as it
guides you through what Americana should be in
2015. (DN)
Brass Knuckles
(nobsbrass.com)
Sungazer
Another Face
(sungazerus.bandcamp.com)
On Sungazer’s Another Face, patience is key in
pursuit of the many payoffs this album delivers. The
execution of songs like “Offering II” and “Another
Face” are stellar examples of how well Sungazer
executes their brand of slow, fuzzy, loud rock. For
fans of True Widow. (SC)
Yautja
Songs Of Lament
(Forcefield)
Following up their excellent 2014 debut, Songs Of
Descent, Nashville’s Yautja give us a more focused
blast of their pummeling brutality on this EP.
Tempos vary widely but heaviness is a constant,
and the rage carries full-force across songs both
long and short. Inventive drumming pairs well with
straightforward, head-crushing riffs. Bang your
head. (AN)
Stretch Music
(Ropeadope)
Tennison
Crack Music
(tennison804.bandcamp.com)
Here’s a new RVA hip hop project from the
Jellowstone crew. Tennison combines rapper
Tennishu and producer DJ Harrison to bring us
just under half an hour of tough, powerful rhymes
over smooth, funky beats. It’s a powerful mix of
old-school mic authority and crate-digging golden
age beats, like Rakim rhyming over MF Doom
production. Essential listening. (AN)
Young Thug
Slime Season/Slime Season 2
(hotnewhiphop.com
/youngthugworld)
After dropping the entertaining, sometimes
understated Barter 6 earlier this year, Thug delivers
these two somewhat over-long mixtapes. Each tape
is a mixed bag in terms of quality and new vs.
previously released tracks. The first Slime Season
is rife with bangers and eccentric pop-rap oddities,
while the second tape maintains a more smoothedout, balladic feel. (CE)
71
72
73
photo by Greg Bethman
Michael, goddam dude. I’ve tried to start writing this
thing over and over, but all I really want to do is talk to
you one more time. Ten more times. A thousand more
times.
I want to sit around the campfire talking about music and
tattoos and how stoked we are on so many things. I want
you to explain how all pop music is the same and how
a tattoo is forever, but it doesn’t fucking matter anyway.
I want to go back to that time we got lunch and talked
about suicide and you were able to make me see that
it might just be selfish to expect someone to live with
unending pain and self doubt. You were able to make
that pain, that daily, crippling pain into something I could
understand. You were able to convince me that when
the time came to make that decision, you were doing it
consciously.. with years of consideration and thought.
Well, honestly all I want to do is go back and tell you to
shut the fuck up. I want to tell you how wrong you are and
remind you how many people love you.. how many people
will be utterly devastated by your decision. But that’s not
possible.
photo by MICKAEL BROTH
You made a choice and now we all live with it. I tell
myself I’m fine with it. You did what you had to do, and
found some relief from the sleepless nights and creeping
discomfort. And deep down I do believe that. There’s
nothing all of us ever wanted more for you than to feel
comfortable and loved.
But it doesn’t really make it any easier. I still want you
to be here.. Busting out laughing when Greg says some
dumb shit for the 10 millionth time. Listening to shitty
emo with Brently. Talking serious with Brionna (because
she’s good at that). Looking truly happy when Beth called
to say she was getting off work and coming over. Calling
me up on your day off and convincing me that we should
go drink beers down at the river.
It never clicked until you were gone that you were the first
friend I made after going to jail. I was pretty fucked at the
time.. probably more so than I even realized. But you were
something else.. something completely disconnected
from the shit storm that my life had been thrown into. You
were just a dude who knew about basement shows and
bikes and innocence and.. well, Sparks (lots of Sparks).
You were a dude I wanted to hang out with just to have
a good time. You were my gateway into who I would
become. You were far more than I ever told you.. and so
much more than you believed yourself to be.
I want to end this in some happy way.. Mainly because I
feel like that’s how these things are supposed to go. Like I
should joke you about unapologetically loving the fucking
Gin Blossoms or painting your toenails. But honestly I’m
fucking bummed. I’m bummed that you’re not going to
call me anymore on your days off. Or that Chance can’t
fall asleep on you ever again. Or that you’re not going
the be around to give out the greatest fucking hugs and,
“I love you”’s ever. That’s a lot less love in this world and
that just sucks.
MIchaEl
ramey
The only time I’ve felt like things were right since you’ve
been gone was when Beth said she could feel you at
Staycation Island. She said it was the first time she could
feel you since you left. And she’s right. You’re always
going to be there. And everywhere else you felt at home.
You’re always going to live in your friends’ hearts and on
the skin of thousands of people who are lucky enough
to wear your work. You’ll always be with us. And in my
heart, you’ll always be giving me the best hug I’ve ever
been lucky enough to get.
We apologize for any harm we caused by the misspelling
of Michael Ramey’s name in the last issue and lack
of photo credits. We wanted to make good and give
Michael a proper goodbye in our pages.
- R. Anthony Harris
I love you,
Mickael Broth
74
photo by Casey Collins
75
76

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