By Editing Department, Regional Editor and Author: Robin Marschak   Sun, Nov 01, 2009

The Atkinsons.  The name caught my attention immediately.  Was it the name of one of the musicians?  No.  That would have been too easy.  The origin of the name was much more interesting than that.  About six years ago two friends, Dickie Wood and Jeff Williams, decided to put together a band.  They had met at an open-mic that they both frequented, so they wanted a name that had something to do with that.  In their search for the right name, they came across Gary Atkinson, another musician who frequented the open-mic.  When they heard his surname they knew it was the one they wanted.  And thus the Atkinsons were born.

I decided to see them at Cafe Diem, where they play the second Saturday of every month, except for this month as they will be playing the Capital Ale House Emmyfest II benefit for the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation.  As I walked into the bar, sorry cafe, I realized this was going to be a very intimate concert.  The stage was set up in the back, facing straight into a row of booths along the north wall.  The space was barely large enough to fit the six member band, but somehow they crammed themselves in.  I was disappointed to find that the fiddle player, Mike Ferry, was not going to be there.  I love fiddle music.  But all was not lost.  Dan Sessler of The Dirty Truth was filling in as a guest guitarist. 

As they started to play I immediately noticed Dickie's voice.  It had an interesting nasal quality that, while being a bit more lyrical, reminded me of Patterson Hood of Drive By Truckers fame.  In fact the Atkinsons are very reminiscent of the Drive By Truckers.  They have a very similar feel to them, although their sound is a bit more rootsy.  While they are very much a rock and roll band, the combination of Dickie's voice, Jeff's mandolin, and Mike's fiddle make for a strong sense of the south.  A sense that this music is connected to the area in which it was made.

The band continued to play an interesting mix of original tunes and well known covers for what seemed like all too short of a time.  But before I knew it they were done with their first set and stepping out to mingle with the crowd.  It was close to midnight, but the crowd was loving them and so was I.  After a brief break, they were back at it, pumping out some very raw and heartfelt songs.  The second set consisted of more covers than the first, but after all you gotta give the crowd  some songs to which they can sing along.  Especially when its past midnight, on a Saturday, and the beer is flowing heavily.  That's not to say the originals that they did play were not excellent.  'Caroline' particularly stood out as a showcase of Dickie's haunting use of his voice.  Kris Krull's drumming was another outstanding aspect to their music that I noticed in the second set.  He has a very cymbal heavy style, that complimented the mandolin perfectly.

Not only were the originals outstanding, but they took the covers and really made them their own.  Playing them in their own Atkinsons style.  Two of these that stood out were their cover of Old Crow Medicine show's version of 'Wagon Wheel' and Neil Young's 'Ohio.'  Played back to back they really showcased the Atkinson's ability to take songs of very different genres and make them distinctively their own.

All in all it was a great night of great music.  On top of that they gave me a copy of their CD, American Gothic, so that I can continue listening to their amazing music even when I can't make it to their concerts in the future.  Although I will be trying my best to make it to as many of their shows as I can.  They are a band that are not to be missed.  When I first sat down to listen to the CD, I was again amazed at the quality of the song 'Caroline.'  This time with the fiddle part, which exponentially improves the listening experience.  There is something about the twang of the fiddle that really makes this song hit home to me.

For an 'amateur' band, these six musicians are the real deal.  Despite most of them having children to take care of and all of them having full time jobs they still manage to perform frequently and write lots of original material.  They told me they are almost ready to start recording a second album, and the October 10th show that I attended was the tail end of a blistering month and a half of playing at least one show every weekend.  In fact the Saturday show I went to was their second that day.  If you aren't already in love with the Atkinsons, and I'm betting quite a few of you are, then you will be as soon as you see them perform.  This is a feel good, roots rocking, americana, hellofa good time.  So don't miss out!

Visit The Atkinsons online:  The Atkinsons on Myspace

TheAtkinsons.us

By   Sun, Nov 01, 2009

I would like to thank Magazine33 for the wonderful chance to share my story with your readers.  I’m honored and blessed to introduce LUNA C. This band is a group of hard working musical geniuses.  Out of Virginia Beach, alternative, gothic and rock forms LUNA C.  What a great pleasure to meet and chat with Brittany Wilkerson -- lead singer, bass player, and future songwriter.  The soulful voice of Britt!  Our angel, pain, passion flows with every note.

     Wake up from this coma
     Open my eyes and let you go

With this verse one feels its strength and power…Ms. Wilkerson is an amazing woman and a very talented tortured soul. The only place she can rest is on the stage. That’s where she belongs that’s where she’ll be. Britt’s passion for music cannot be replaced. We shared secrets but as writer to artist I will respect her privacy…  We met in Williamsburg Virginia; we both are artists on different paths that crossed in life…

CATINA: What’s your name?
BRITT:  Brittany.  
CATINA: I like Britt.
What do you do???
BRITT: I sing in a band.
CATINA: What’s the name?  
BRITT: LUNA C.
CATINA: My friends call me CAT
BRITT: What you do???
CAT: I paint from my dreams, artist of a different kind. 
BRITT: I draw too…
CAT: I would love to see your work.
BRITT: I do not paint like you…
CAT: I’m not a singer…
Sing something Fall Me Down pours out of.
BRITT: FALL DOWN FALL DOWN ON ME I’M NOT STRONG AS YOU ARE FALL DOWN ON ME….something like that …I’m thinking damn I need to open a label.  So this band has inspired me too think about music. Back from break….
CAT: So you love music then fight for it…
BRITT: I get kicked out of my band a lot.
CAT: Then grow up and talk about your problems to people who     care about you.
CAT: The band??
BRITT: THE GUYS I LOVE THEM…DAN BRENNAN DON CAMPELL AND BRIAN MALBONE

CAT: Tell them you’re sorry…
BRITT: I need   
CAT: Not love
BRITT: No money
CAT: I hate money
BRITT: You only like me because I sing.
CAT: You think that’s the only reason
BRITT: People like me just because I sing
CAT: You do not use it I would
CAT: So you want too tell the readers how we met???
BRITT: NO
CAT: Why not...I do not care…
BRITT: I have to protect the band
CAT: THEN LET THE BAND PROTECT YOU   CAT/YOU DONE ENOUGH PAIN HUH???  
BRITT: I KNOW YOU; YOU SIT AROUND JUDGE PEOPLE...
CAT: NO ONLY GOD CAN…
BRITT: ONLY YOU CAN CARE ABOUT YOURSELF   
CAT: I DO CARE.
BRITT: YOU NEVER HURT ME…I DO WANT to SING THAT’S ALL I KNOW  
CAT: WHAT’S STOPPING YOU…
BRITT: ME something happened to me in my childhood and I’m chained down with pain and fear…
CAT: I WROTE A BOOK READ IT BRITT ABOUT THE BATTLE WITHIN IT WILL HELP YOU I PROMISE…. ABOUT MY CRAZY CHILDHOOD….

The burning question, will LUNA C make it? Well, I believe they can if they fight harder for each other...ever give up…this is for your fans to come…THIS BAND ROCKS!!!FUTURE ROCK STARS!!!! MAGAZINE33 REPORT CATINA MIRANDA OUT…

By Catina Miranda.

By   Sun, Nov 01, 2009

By Megan Rickman.

The first time I heard Soulful Jones it was on a MySpace page for a poetry venue I was going to which would later become my grounds for cultivation, Slam Richmond. The first real Slam in Richmond, SR has sent teams to the last three National Poetry Competitions, Took third last year at the Regional poetry competition Southern Fried, and consistently introduced the city of Richmond to poets capable of changing the world. Marshall “Soulful” Jones is one of those poets. When I heard his poem “Mother’s Day” I was 3 months pregnant, alone, and more scared than I had ever been. I was questioning would I be able to raise a man in this world on my own. His poem addresses just that, speaking to his mother’s ability to step up and take both roles. I listened to this poem over and over, and waited patiently for his show at Slam Richmond. The first time I saw him touch the stage I immediately knew Soulful was one of those rare artists who possesses the ability to transcend from Performer to Pastor, an artist able to effect change with his words. That being said, I won’t waste your time this month with a fluffy article. This month we’ll jump right into the interview.
Soulful will be coming to do a mini tour in Virginia in the month of November, so this month, Magazine33 sat down with him to talk poetry, politics, and inner peace.

33: Who is Marshall “Soulful” Jones?
Soulful: “Wow, who is he? I would begin to answer that what he is, a producer, writer, singer/songwriter, poet emcee...I guess I could say that the “what’s” and the “who’s” are together. I feel like myself, outside of my music and my craft, is me, whatever comes from in there, whatever I bring out is who I am on the inside. The energy that’s transcribed through me is who I am, and that’s something that is constantly evolving and changing as I go deeper into what’s going on inside me. I could never answer that question the same twice, who I am now, is an explorative, introspective individual, looking to find his place and purpose in the world through his craft.”

33: You transcend very easily between poetry and music, finding success in each. If today someone held a gun to your head and asked you to choose what would it be? Poetry or Music?
Soulful: “Poetry or Music? The thing about it is that for the person holding the gun, it would be a trick question, and me, being clever enough to know music is poetry, technically, could chose poetry and I could still do both. Poetry is not this box. Take a lot of Shakespeare’s work, being that it’s written in iambic pentameter, is very lyrical. If I write a song, it’s a poem. I just happen to be singing it. If I compose music, it’s still using the vibrations of my voice. The ebbs and flows can be considered poetry because it is all about the intent. Beowulf is a long ass story but it is an epic poem. The Odyssey is a long ass story but it is an epic poem. It’s a matter of intent behind whatever it is that you consider poetry. I don’t think Stevie Wonder thinks of himself as any less of a poet than he thinks of himself as a musician because they both are intertwined. They both coexist with each other.”

33: Your poem “Redemption” deals with suicidal ideations. At the risk of sounding cliché, did poetry save your life?
Soulful: “You know... Yes, and I don’t consider it cliché at all. It’s not just that poetry saved my life, it gave me a new one. I was at a spiritual retreat and the person I was speaking with was saying that when people have these near death experiences like a car accident where they should have died, that there is an alternate reality where they did die. So there is a part of me that believes that off the Brooklyn Bridge I did jump, so the part of me that’s still alive now is post that, in this reality here. The poets that were poets the day I saw them gave me a reason, a new purpose and a new place to express a new hope, so I don’t think its cliché at all. There are so many people who have seen spoken word as some sort of redemption for them and at the root of spoken word is undivided attention, which most people don’t get. You never know how those three minutes of un-judged speaking can affect anybody. We live in a world where people are just trying to get a word in edgewise, I had the opportunity to just talk and flush it out and I’ve flushed out so much. Stuff I just used to yearn for people to talk to about but in a more poisonous way, ‘cause then, I just wanted to heap my problems on them. With spoken word it’s the opportunity to transform it into something beautiful. It’s not just oh-look-at-what-happened-to-me, but all these things happened to me and I’m still alive. So if I can be here, I just hope that I can have that same effect on someone else, that I was a poet and I was brave enough to stand on stage and talk about it, maybe they could be brave enough to go and talk to a friend or family member.”

33: You are often praised by the feminist community for the portrayal of women in your work.  Even in the raunchiest of erotic poem, you manage to pay respect to women. Where did this rich appreciation come from?
Soulful: “There are a few things. Watching my mom go through the things she went through, I never wanted to put anyone else through that, even though me and my mom have had a crazy relationship, that’s my Mom, and it began there. Also, as a sexual being, I believe that sensuality is a matter of divinity between both partners. God made equal so it is about the engaging in that, and really focusing on the pleasing and exalting of women. If all the women were to close their vaginas and say they weren’t having babies anymore there goes the human race, and I think that that is something that is not considered. Like what are we gonna do? Chain them down and make them have children? At the end of the day, there is so much power in women, so much energy, so much that I still don’t even know and I don’t claim to understand it or to fully comprehend it, but I do know that there is something about women’s energy, and finding that energy within myself gives me the power to be who I am now. It is a constantly evolving understanding. Women’s role in society helps a man become a man, because that helps him define himself in his manhood.”

33: Speaking of powerful women, you came up through a very thick scene in New York City, battling through a generation of phenomenal poets to come out of The Nuyorician and Urbana scene. What is it about Soulful Jones that makes you stand out?
Soulful: “I think for myself, I have always looked at who do best at whatever I am trying to do and I watch them. I compare it to Bruce Lee. He studied many different fighting styles...boxing, fencing...his punch is designed from fencing. In fencing, you keep the sword out straight to keep your opponent as far away from you as possible. His footwork and constant moving came from boxing. I saw a lot of amazing people. I can run down a smorgasbord of talented individuals, and I watched what they do. How they use their energy to get their point across, how they put together their punch lines, where they pause, where they move, and then I applied, adapted, and added my own personality. So that is what stands out, who I am. I think it’s been my subliminal pro and con. I’m always on, but this is who I am, and as I continue to be myself, I continue to set myself apart.”
 
33: You preformed for the former President of the United States, George W. Bush, at the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation. What emotions did you go through before you took the mic?
Soulful: “First, I was freakin’ exhausted. I’d took the bus down to DC at midnight, got there at like four thirty in the morning, slept for maybe like a half an hour. So I was done. Second, I was nervous as all hell, but I will go as far as to say I am always nervous before every performance. Yes, this is my little secret. Marshall “Soulful” Jones is always nervous before a performance. But I think the day you stop being nervous you go down, because then you have no energy. I call it pre-performance adrenaline, stirring up, getting prepared to go out and speak. So I go out and it’s like easily six hundred people, maybe seven, and I was like “Okay,” and once I started, any nervous feelings I had were gone. As far as it being for Bush, politically I have a thousand opinions about his policies, but I wasn’t doing a poem for him, it was commemorating Leon Sullivan, and commemorating his work, just because he was there, there was like no feelings for him as a president, the biggest feeling I had that day was the gratitude for that experience.”
   
33: You will be hitting the Virginia/DC area in November. Tell us a little about those shows and what someone can expect when coming out to see a Soulful Jones set?
Soulful: “Well, what I always like to do is break down and build up. I have a very set feature to accomplish that. I am working on some new projects, so there will be some surprises here and there but for the most part, just a lot of fun. I love to touch on a range of emotions if I can, make people feel. I never want to be considered a type poet, a “fill in the blank” poet, an erotic poet, a socially political poet, or a comedic poet. I never wanted a box. So don’t come expecting a box. Just come expecting to feel. And if you can just close your eyes, I am going to start doing that for certain shows, for certain pieces, because I try to write my poems so you can use your imagination. I don’t have to do much on stage. I like to do stuff on stage, and be the imagination up there, but I want people to experience and feel the experience of the poem and know that I go through these things too. I’m human. So just come expecting me, expect Marshall Jones. Expect the unexpected, but expect nothing. Come in with an empty cup, and know that when you leave it will be full with something.”

33: So where can the people find more Marshall “Soulful” Jones?
Soulful: “You can find me in a few places and those places are starting to grow. I do production work. You can find me on Oveious Maximus’ new track, “Tomorrow Wonder.” Shanelle Gabrielle also has a new project that’s coming up, and it’s fire. You can find me online...Facebook, Myspace, Reverb Nation: /IamMarshallJones (the slash is the same for all three, but Reverb Nation is really where I am focusing a lot of my attention, and Twitter is the next MJ). A lot of people think like oh he’s trying to be the next Michael Jackson but no, I’m thinking Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Michael Jackson...just those initials have blessed many individuals, and I’m very thankful they’re mine ‘cause I plan on honoring them to the fullest, and I do tweet enough to warrant being followed, so come check me out. Follow me, find out where I am. Coming soon to a planet near you.”

33: Okay Soulful, well thank you for sitting down with us for this interview, any last words you’d like to leave the readers with?
Soulful: “It would summarize everything I was talking about earlier, be the box that you think outside of, so that every thought is an out of body experience.”

Marshall Soulful Jones will be at the following locations throughout the VA area over the next month:
11/16 - Busboys and Poets, Arlington, VA   BusboysAndPoets.com
11/17 - Busboys  and Poets, Washington DC, VA  BusboysAndPoets.com
11/20 - Touch Ov Soul Poetry, Richmond, VA   14th N 18th St  8p.m.
12/18 - Hampton University, Hampton, VA
For full Press Kit and Schedule:  ReverbNation.com/iammarshalljones

By   Sun, Nov 01, 2009

By Derek Shelton.

Richmond’s melodic punk/hardcore band This Black Box is on tour in the Northeast region of the US.  This is the first Indie Road article from The Well’s Derek Shelton (Magazine33), and is intended to entertain as well as give a glimpse into the lives of road hungry, smaller level touring bands.

We arrived at our practice space on a dreary, unseasonably cold October Friday to load up the gear around 10:30 a.m.  We arrived at our show in Blackwood, New Jersey at 7:30 that night.  The intermittence was a fun-filled adventure through pounding rain storms, intense traffic jams, cold temperatures, and steadily increasing road rage.  This drive was the first endurance test of the weekend.

Yellow Bear (our 1986 beauty of a Chevy van) arrived at the Savage Rock School (yes, a B-rate NJ rock school) just as the first band was starting their set.  I would like to point out that this venue was a former dentist’s office, adding to the ambiance and obscurity of the show.  From a glance around the room it was abundantly clear at this point that this was going to be an interesting first show of the tour.  The sparse ‘mall-core’ crowd consisted of about a dozen or so high-schoolers rocking out to Exit 34, a NJ pop-punk band in the vain of Blink 182.  Honestly the band wasn’t bad, and god knows they showed us up that night.  As I stared at the clean cut kids with thousands of dollars in equipment on stage, including full wireless guitar and bass setups, I realized that you couldn’t get more cliché suburban New Jersey pop-punk than this, and I loved it.  After they wrapped things up, we took to the stage with a quick setup, and started what would become the worst show of our lives.

About halfway through the first song I realized my guitar was making not a drip of noise.  I played it off for a minute, and quickly began checking cords as our two song rock block continued into “The Starving Time.”  Half the song had gone by when I affirmed that this was not a cord mishap, that the amp was actually the cause of the problem.  I can only imagine how much these kids thought we sucked at this point; two songs of fumbling around, playing poorly, with little to no vocals.  The guitar player of Saint Brazil, the last band stepped up and offered me a guitar head.  I plugged it up, tuned up the Fender, and after a brief hiatus entered the third song.  We were already so angry with ourselves and the situation, and things just kept going downhill.  Because of the delay we cut two songs from the set and re-entered with a longtime favorite of ours, “Against the Odds.”  Fifteen seconds later half of Patrick’s drums fell on top of me, as an array of kids scrambled on stage to help out.  As I listened to Patrick’s enraged screams I took comfort in the fact that he was still pounding the snare drum in a fury that clearly must have left multiple Jersey kids deaf for two days.  After this mockery of a start we played three more songs back to back to back, sloppily I might add, and wrapped things up as soon as we could.  We packed up the van, penniless, and headed to the store for a 30-pack, thinking for sure we would be freezing our asses off sleeping in the van all night.  New Jersey 1, This Black Box 0.

As the reality of attempting sleep in Yellow Bear became clear, we scrambled to find somewhere to crash.  My friend Alex saved the day, putting us in contact with Jeremy, a super cool dude who plays in Philadelphia’s Band Name.  We jetted over to downtown Philly to crash at Big Mama’s Warehouse, a converted communal warehouse living arrangement, print shop, and recording studio, among various other uses.  Everyone who lived there was entirely too nice to us, and we couldn’t have been more appreciative to be able to stay with those guys.  Kudos!

As we dusted the cobwebs off our eyes Saturday morning we knew that things could not get any worse.  We were headed to Brooklyn to play at The Lonestar Bar, a western themed watering hole on 5th Street and 77th.  This was another benefit show, which while we fully support and endorse, meant another show with zero income.  This fact can aggravate even the most charitable band when you have to pay over thirty dollars in tolls just to enter and exit the borough you are about to rock.  We arrived early and checked in with Big Tony (but don’t call him big), an authentic Brooklyn neighborhood celebrity.  We had about six hours to kill before our set, so we hit the subway to check out Coney Island in the rain, and to find a slice of real Brooklyn pizza.  After affirming that Coney Island was as carnival-like, bizarre, and greasy as I could ever have imagined, we hauled back to the venue, pounded some coffee and overpriced PBR, and were ready to play. 

There were two bands before us, and two after us on the night’s bill.  The first band was a 60s style rock and roll band with members, well, in their 60s.  We are a melodic punk/hardcore band; we were confused at this lineup to say the least.  The band wasn’t even bad, just, out of place.  The second band was a slight improvement genre wise to say it kindly, meshing bad pop-punk and radio rock into a scramble that neither respective genre wanted anything to do with.  We had no expectations of this crowd liking us as we crammed our gear into the low lit barroom corner, and frankly we didn’t care.  Maybe it was the cheap pizza in our stomachs or the $12 pitchers of PBR, or more likely the disdain for the last night’s mockery in New Jersey, but these ingredients all flowed together to fuel one of our band’s best performances to date.  We killed that Brooklyn show, hands down.  We played our eight song set furiously yet smoothly, as the crowd became increasingly interested at whatever it was we were doing up there.  Sure, some of the older crowd headed for the door, but the rest of the show goers seemed to give a shit, which is an amazing thing for band morale.  The set continued smoothly, and a few people even sang along to our cover of Alkaline Trio’s “Armageddon.”  Hell, a Brooklyn dude even bought us some beer.  When we finished the last song we dripped sweat and high fived, realizing we had well made up for last night’s embarrassments.  The last band of the evening, Never Say Die, was a really cool hardcore/pop-punk band that was actually playing a reunion show that night.  We finally felt like we were at a punk show as the flannel-clad brigade rocked hard and complimented us on our performance.  This show ended up being so much fun despite the obscurity of the lineup.  This was yet another reason why I love what we do; you can end up having a great time despite the oddball circumstances of the shows and lineups.  After we sold a few cds and cleared our over inflated bar tabs we headed back to Philly to yet again sleep at the warehouse, our oasis in the desert of the northeast.

We crashed hard when we arrived at the spot, half-drunk and exhausted.  Around 11 we awoke to find Jeremy cooking us a “Band Name Breakfast”, one of the rare highlights of being a guest at Big Mama’s Warehouse.  Jeremy went out of his way to cook us all delicious Huevos Rancheros, even deep frying the tortillas for crispiness….what a guy!  After breakfast, in appreciation for the food and lodging, we did all the dishes in the warehouse, a sizeable feat considering over a dozen people live there.  Patrick kicked our bassist Chris off the washing stand after a poor performance, reassigning him to the dry and restock position.  After a crucial skate fest in the warehouse we said our thanks and goodbyes, and “did Philly.” 

I was hell bent on running the art museum steps, Rocky-style, so we headed there first thing.  Forty-five minutes later we were parked and performing Philly’s most cliché-tourist exercise known to man.  We snapped some photos, found out we couldn’t afford the museum, and headed back outside to dismal cloudiness.  The weather proved to be against us once again, leaving us cold, wet, and ready for cheese steaks after little time roaming around.  Battling all odds of finding parking in downtown Philly, we headed to Gianna’s for an authentic cheese steak (and vegan Philly’s!).  Fifteen minutes later we were in bliss, stuffed from some of the best food I’ve had in quite some time.  Gianna’s was the 821 of Richmond, packed full of punks, crusty kids, and authentically good people all around.  You could smell the crust punk creeping from the dank walls.  Fighting all urges to lay sedated in Gianna’s booths for hours, we mustered the courage and replenished energy to leave and head for the show.

Sunday’s show, the last of the tour, was at the Black Sheep House in south Philly.  We arrived early and found several bands already loading in.  We went in search of coffee and beer, were ripped off by Philadelphia’s take-away beer policies (we bought 7 PBRs for $10), and returned to the show to hear sounds coming from the basement.  Mazz, the promoter, informed us we would be playing last, which I wasn’t too excited about, but I was in no position to complain about his booking policies; he was cool enough to hook us up with the show and we appreciated it.  The first three bands were heavy, almost doom-punk/thrash with rigid, screamy vocals, twelve minute sets, and loud crunchy guitars.  I liked the sets, but I knew we were slightly out of place on the lineup.  The fourth band, Mean Streets, was more our style, with kind of a classic melodic punk feel, and catchier vocals and songwriting.  They played a fun set and bridged the gap between genres, making us feel a bit more at home.  As we setup I had already come to terms with the fact that the majority of the crowd and even bands had left, a disappointment for sure.  When bands leave shows early and don’t even watch the touring bands it can make you extremely agitated and pissed off.  It is just a completely rude and jerk move to say the least.  We setup quickly and played a fast, hard set, spilling our guts out to the few kids still in attendance.  It was kind of a bummer to see such a small crowd still around, but the show goers who were still in attendance were uplifting and positive to our sound.  We hung around for a few minutes, sold a cd or two, got paid by Mazz, and hauled five hours home to Richmond.

This weekend was an endurance test for sure, but I think that’s what being in a band is…who is going to give up, and who is in it for the long haul.  I am glad to say that despite the burdens, we are in this for the long haul.  That being said, two non-paying shows, equipment mishaps, terrible weather, and poor attendances are weight on the backs of touring bands.  It was a tough weekend, but we had so much fun, and met so many awesome people.  That is what touring is all about at this stage of the game; playing your heart out, making friends, and seeing new places.  We lost some money, had one bad show, and played a few shows for no one, but it didn’t matter, because we had a great time.  I don’t regret it for a second, and wish I was going on the road this weekend.  I can only imagine how much fun we are going to have on our two week winter tour; I’m ready to load up the van and turn up the metal!

-Derek

Check out This Black Box on myspace @ www.myspace.com/thisblackbox

By Author: Ratso   Sun, Nov 01, 2009

When I arrived at the show I was pretty drunk and very pissed off, so I started looking for a guy to pick a fight with.  But most of the guys there looked pretty tough, so I started looking at the girls, but most of them looked pretty tough too, so I decided to just shut up and enjoy the show.

The first band up was Hold Tight!, a pretty typical pop-punk band; simple, short songs, with the instruments turned up way too loud so that the vocals are just an unintelligible mush.   Nothing too special, but not that bad either.  This was their first show, so I could see them getting good, but they aren’t there yet.

Next up was Drunk Hugs.  They were another local pop-punk band playing their first show, but this one has Matt Seymour from Pedals On Our Pirate Ships.  He’s a really fantastic front man, and he really made this band for me. Musically, they didn’t do much for me: they just fell into that sea of mediocre pop-punk bands that simply don’t impress me, but Seymour has incredible stage presence.  The way he jumps and dances all over the stage and into the audience really makes them worth seeing.

Around this point, I stumbled out of The Camel and over to the Citgo across the street to buy more beer.  When I got back the next band hadn’t started yet, so I wandered around outside until I found that the Post Office next door had left their gate unlocked, so I walked in there, and began inspecting the mail trucks.  Slowly, I began to develop a plan:
I will steal a mail truck.  I will steal a mail truck, drive through the gates, down Broad Street, and from there I’ll travel all over the country on a mail delivering spree, delivering everyone’s mail to their neighbor to the right!  In order to get the mail returned to its owners, everyone will be forced to talk to their neighbors on either side!  Community will be fostered!  Dialogue exchanged!  As communication increases, violence will drop, and as these feeling of harmony spread across the world, war will end!  Peace!  Love!  All that hippy bullshit!  Go America!  Sure, they’ll arrest me eventually. But by that point, I’ll already have planted the seeds.  In no time at all, they’ll recognize I’m a political prisoner, let me out of jail, and give me a Nobel Peace Prize!  I’ll be just like Nelson Mandella!

Unfortunately, none of the drivers had left their keys in the ignition, and I don’t know how to hot wire a car…so I went back to the show.
 
Finally it was time for Folk The System from Virginia Beach, the band I’d come to see.  The lead singer announced their name and the fact that they were starting, and then declared that that would be the last time they used the microphone that night.  They then quickly burst into song.  FTS is two guys with acoustic guitars and another with an upright bass, playing blisteringly fast folk-punk songs about revolution and love, topics which I adore.  They reminded me a lot of Andrew Jackson Jihad, but with early Defiance, Ohio style vocals.  I love both those bands, so FTS really blew me away.  I can’t say with complete certainty which songs they played because I only have their first EP, but I believe they played most of it.  My one complaint is that because they refused to use mics it was pretty difficult to hear the vocals.  I was standing right in front, but so many people were talking loudly throughout their set, that I still had trouble hearing them.
 
After their set, I chugged a few beers I didn’t need in the alley, and unsuccessfully tried to work up the confidence to hit on that hot girl from my class (who’d have guessed she’s secretly a punk?!) before St. Gods came on. 
   
I’m hesitant to describe St. Gods as a punk band; they certainly have a lot of punk influence, but they sound like an indie band at heart.  It’s like someone re-mixed Modest Mouse and added a lot of distortion.  I mean that in the best possible way; I love Modest Mouse, and I love distortion, and they were definitely a great band to end on.  They ended the show on a really great note, and I loved the contrast between the all acoustic FTS and St. Gods’ electric-with lots of effects style.  St. Gods is definitely a band that’s worth seeing/listening to if you get the chance.

By Photographer and Staff Coordinator: Megan Wagner   Sun, Nov 01, 2009

I want to preface this by stating plainly and clearly, I am neither a writer nor a music critic. The many talents of the writer who initially covered this show were nothing against the aliens who abducted him and systematically dismantled his brain. Now the task of reporting on this show falls to me, the photographer, so I will do so to the best of my abilities.

When I arrived, Mo Karnage, the show’s organizer, was requesting X’s for her hands, despite being over 21. This vegan anarchist straightedge punk, with her vegetable-guzzling truck parked across the street, is someone who stands out in any crowd. Active in Food Not Bombs and The Really Really Free Market, on this night Mo’s exuberant energy was honed on everything running smoothly for this Zine benefit. While another Zinefest organizer, Nicole Miesnik, manned the goodies table cluttered with buttons, mystery bags, zines, and other treats for sale, Mo was buzzing around The Camel excitedly before the show began.

The first band up was Joy Deemster, two chicks with acoustic guitars that they traded back and forth between songs. They were quaint and weird, and had me giggling more than once at their humor-sprinkled lyrics with just a dash of heartfelt soul-searching. I was most intrigued by the post-it covered, glitter coated guitar that shimmered in the stage lights.

Next up was Folk the System from VA Beach. I got a good punch in the arm from a friend who arrived in the middle of their set saying, “You didn’t tell me they were playing! I love these guys!” It felt like story-time in kindergarten as we sat with our legs sprawled out almost to the feet of the band who serenaded us without a piece of electronic equipment. They also kept up some witty repartee with the audience between songs. I wanted to clap with glee when one guitarist finally picked up the toy xylophone for their last song and tinked out a few notes. Nothing gets me going like novelty instruments.

Switching gears completely, Zebu was a far cry from the swaying, folksy acoustic tunes the night had presented thus far. Consisting of a guitarist (electric) and a drummer playing a three piece set, the two Massachusetts natives thrashed around stage belting fast riffs that far superseded the energy of Mo hopped up on generic Redbull. The guitarist gave up singing halfway through the set because no one could hear him anyway, and the sound was so intense it had my stomach acid crawling up my throat. I must have burped an average of three times per song.

Finally it was time for the big Richmond craze, Pedals On Our Pirate Ships, aka POOPS. It was a standard POOPS performance, and even had a surfer joke for the benefit of the VA Beach kids. I won’t attempt to write it, because it just won’t work in type. As usual, the whole band couldn't stop smiling, and I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of the oddly inquisitive faces of the drummer, Louis.

All and all it was a classic good Richmond folk-punk show. The show raised around $120 for the Zinefest, which is at Gallery 5 during November’s First Friday.

By   Thu, Oct 01, 2009

Music has not always been the focus of Matt aka Fundamental.  "I created the name from Common, because it was simple like his name. And also from my old basketball coach who cut me because I had no fundamentals, and that just always stuck in my mind to work harder."  Nowadays you can find him fundamentally dissecting beats with some of the hottest lyrics an eighteen year old should be spitting. And oh yeah - did I mention that he doesn't use any curse words in his rhymes?

Coming from where he has come from you would expect every other word on his tracks to have any four-letter word you could think of. But it doesn't because he has a purpose and a deep devotion to become one of the best this game has ever seen.

Born on the Northside of Richmond, this young mastermind has been blessed with a gift that only a few in this game can truly say they were given this game since birth. But this young man almost didn't get a chance to show the God given talent that he has been blessed with, and like every artist, he went and did some soul searching to tap into that wisdom.

"Growing up I was getting into fights, and running with the wrong crowd. The last fight I got in, got me shipped to the country.” Had it not been for that beef with another cat, Fundamental may have never received the gift that he was blessed with. "During that time I focused on me, and I learned that music was my love. So goodbye fights, hello music. I decided at a young age that I didn't want to get into trouble no more.” This was a good choice, considering that "a lot of my friends are just doing them, nothing much.” So he set out to begin his search to find his way into the game.

"At first there was a lot of doubters, and now people are supporting me.” That kind of strong commitment comes from a home life that includes his loving grandparents that believe in him and support him as long as he is doing right. Fundamental will be the first to tell you: "I am not a G.” And he isn't. He is an 18 year old lyricist who idolizes "Kanye West, Common, Lupe Fiasco" and at the end of his reign wants "respect from KRS-ONE.”

And the funny thing is you can hear a little bit of them in every rhyme he spits. As this is evident on his track I See My Generation. A track that one can truly mention in the same conversation as the tracks of the big boys. To understand his music and to speak with Fundamental is to see this young man who says his relationship with his mother and father as " my relationship with my mother, umm...." and his father "calls and try to give me advice" is to know that his love and passion for his music and grandparents are his reasons he is so passionate about music. "I want people to know that I make good music. I don't want to be a one hit wonder.” From the sounds of the way he spits, its reason to believe he will be around for a long time. For Fundamental, the path that he is taking now to get to where he is trying to go has widened for him due to his hard work and 'go get it' attitude.

And he thanks it all back to that time in his life in which he could have gone either way. By choosing his music, he says that he chose “my heart, my love”. Fundamental is well above the learning curve due to his ability to write his own music and can go into a studio and lay down a track in under "20mins”.

To hear this 18 year old speak, you would think you were talking to an adult almost 20 years senior to his age. "When its all said and done I want people to know I was focused, I am a human being doing something that I love and I kept it clean.”

In my opinion he is truly on that road of redemption that he is seeking, and he is going to make it in this game. The support his gets from his grandparents who also see specialness in this remarkable young MC is inspiring. This young man, who in my breath one day I feel that I can speak of him with the likes of his idols because they will be on equal ground. That this young man will attain the status of (one day) becoming a legend........

This kid is well on his way............

Fundamental on Myspace

By Editing Department, Regional Editor and Author: Robin Marschak   Sun, Nov 01, 2009

We showed up fashionably late, and to my surprise the show, which was supposed to start at 8:00, was in full swing by 8:20.  For anyone who is not familiar with musical events this is an extraordinary achievement.  The Westhampton Citybillies were up first, and as we entered the bar I got the impression that they were an acoustic folk rock group.  They even had a rare acoustic bass guitar.  This impression changed quickly as they broke out the electric guitars and started rocking out with some admirable originals mixed in with some classic hard rocking songs.  Between bands soloist Vinni Vola kept things going with an interesting take on the solo guitarist, the solo electric guitarist.  Of all the performers I have to admit that I was most impressed by Vinni's skils with the electric guitar.  Up next was the Wendy Pace Project, a two guitar and drum trio with a somewhat psychedelic sound.  Wendy Pace has a hauntingly wavering voice that is reminiscent of Grace Slick.  Unfortunately if was clear to me that they had not been playing together for very long.  Despite all three members being very skilled musicians, they just didn't click together the way bands who have been together a long time do.  After some more wonderful solo guitar by Vinni Vola, the final band was up.  59H2O was the only band playing that night that had previous Battle of the Bands

experience, and it showed.  They performed like a well oiled machine, churning out hard rock and metal songs like they were born doing it.  On top of that they really put on a performance, showing that they are not just great musicians, but also great entertainers.

By Author: Michael King   Sun, Nov 01, 2009

In honor of Sound of Music’s fifteenth year anniversary, I sat down with co-owner/engineer John Morand to ask him questions about the studio’s beginnings, philosophy, memories, music, and plans for its upcoming celebration.

Sound of Music Recording Studios has been serving Richmond’s music community and beyond since 1994. Avail, Cracker, Denali, GWAR, Hanson, Sparklehorse, and Strike Anywhere, are just a few clients from its lengthy roster. In honor of Sound of Music’s fifteenth year anniversary, I sat down with co-owner/engineer John Morand to ask him questions about the studio’s beginnings, philosophy, memories, music, and plans for its upcoming celebration.

How did Sound of Music (SOM) get started? When did it open for business?
JM: “In 1993, David Lowery and I were renting space and making records at Turpentine Mill Studios. After the success of Cracker’s second record, Kerosene Hat, David bought recording space and we opened Sound of Music in 1994. We had one studio above Metro Sound and Music and the other nearby. In 1997, we moved both studios to our current location.”

Who were some of SOM’s first clients?
JM: “FSK, Sparklehorse, Inquisition, Four Walls Falling, and The Technical Jed were some of our first clients. After we opened, there was a momentum in Richmond’s music scene that helped bring in business.”

Why do musicians choose to record at SOM?
JM: “Musicians want to work with engineers who know how to make records. They want to record at studio that will work within their budget and timeframe. They have access to a wide range of vintage gear, instruments, and a variety room sizes to capture desired sounds. The studio environment is also important. We want our clients to feel relaxed and at home while they work and create. There’s nothing worse than recording in a studio that feels like a spaceship... a place where everything is so nice, clients feel guilty if they bring dirt in or accidentally spill a drink. We also provide in-house musicians to assist clients when needed.”

What are five essentials for a great recording?
JM: “A quality song, a thoughtful arrangement, a good groove, a wide frequency range and a wide dynamic range are essential for a great recording.”

What are a few of your unusual recording techniques?
JM: “I’ll set up two amplifiers across from each other and spin a microphone over my head like a lasso while recording guitars. It creates an effect similar to a Leslie speaker. I’ve had a singer record vocals through a walkie-talkie as he walked through a convenient store.”

Numerous bands have recorded at SOM. What are your most memorable recording sessions?
JM: “Recording Gutterball’s record Hazel. The supergroup came together, wrote and recorded the album live in three days. The amount of talent in the room was unbelievable. Working on Hanson’s demos was quite an experience. It was strange working with such young and talented kids! They were so green and had yet to experience the disappointment that comes along in music business. The demos helped them get signed to Mercury/Universal.”

What music should we be on the lookout for?
JM: “Dark Sea Dream, an experimental metal band from DC. Richmond folk artist, Jonathan Vassar. Matt Tracy’s compositions for an upcoming play based off of The Martian Chronicals. Hip-hop artist, Infamous. Neo-folk singer/songwriter, Neeka. David Lowery’s upcoming solo album. Carbon Leaf’s new record. Louisiana Territory, an indie rock band from Richmond.

SOM is celebrating its fifteenth year anniversary this quarter. Any plans for a party?
JM: “In honor of our fifteenth year, we opened a record store on October 9.  The store is open during First Fridays and carries local releases from Richmond bands and labels.  We want to promote awareness of Richmond’s music scene and bring back the record store experience. We’re going to have CD release parties on November 20 and 21 featuring Blue Line Highway, Hugo Haggie, Ki:Theory, Maki, and Marionette. An album release party for Anduin is in the works as well as a screening of the SOM documentary that was shot last year. Next month, we’re going to have a fun Christmas party and release a compilation of SOM’s songs over the past fifteen years in business. ”

Thanks, John!

For more information about John Morand and Sound of Music, visit SoundofMusic.org.

By Editing Department, Regional Editor and Author: Robin Marschak   Sun, Nov 01, 2009

The weekend of October 9th through 11th was a big one for me.  Not only was I going to the biggest free musical event in Richmond, but I was expected to write a coherent article about it.  I knew from the start that this would be an intense weekend.  Well over 20 artists playing on 7 stages for more than 77 hours of live music.  How could one writer cover this much music, you might ask.  It is not actually possible.  But I will do my best.

After weeks of anticipation, Friday October 9th was finally here.  Fortunately for me I live in Oregon Hill, a mere 5 minute walk from Brown's Island and the Tredegar Iron Works, where the festival was being held.  I got there before any of the music had started and immediately began scoping out the area, trying to figure out how I was going to make it to see as many of the artists as humanly possible.  As I wandered around I realized that this was going to be amazing, even beyond my wildest dreams.  I had forgotten that music is not the only aspect of folk tradition.  There were stands selling all kinds of folk crafts, along with more delicious food than you could eat in a month of Sundays.  I was in love with this festival, and that was before the first band had even begun to play.

There is no way I can mention all of the bands and artists that performed at the festival, but you can find a list of most of them along with descriptions on the website, RichmondFolkFestival.org.  There are two bands that are not listed among the performers on the website, but that I would like to mention as they are local bands, and this magazine focuses on local music.

The first of these is the No BS Brass Band, a Richmond based band that truly lives up to its name.  There is nothing BS about this band.  They take the form of a New Orleans style brass band, but play their own distinctive music.  On Saturday evening a large crowd had gathered at the Dominion Stage to honor the late Gary Gerloff and Francesca Parch.  Both of whom did wonders as volunteers at the festival in previous years.  This was the starting location of a small parade led by the No BS Brass Band in honor of them.  The band marched down the hill and across the bridge to Brown's Island where they stopped and played a song to the joy of the throng of people who crowded around them.  They ended this energetic, but all too short, parade by romping back across the bridge to Tredegar Iron Works.

The other local band that played at the festival was south-side's own Richmond Indigenous Gourd Orchestra.  This groups is one of the most unique bands I have seen in some time.  They play their own original brand of music on instruments that they made themselves from gourds grown in their own backyards.  Many of the instruments are inspired by, or even taken directly from, folk traditions from around the world.  Not only is this an interesting group because of their unusual instruments, but they are enthralling performers.  Despite only playing at the out of the way Genworth Parawing, they packed the tent and had five or six rows of standing room only spilling out from the meager seating area.

The Folk Festival is most definitely a bastion of music from around the world.  Not only did they feature bands from the Virginia area and all over the United States, but there were also artists from Tuva, India, East Africa, and Puerto Rico.  This is an event that you do not want to miss in the future, so mark your calendars for the second weekend in October 2010 and I'll see ya there.

By Author and VP: Ben Cokeley   Sun, Nov 01, 2009

Let's get right to it. When I noticed Roxy Music listed as one of Red Satellites’ influences, my interest jolted like a pea in a drum. Roxy Music remains one of my all-time favorite bands. I particularly dig their material from the early 70’s when Brian Eno was on board contributing to their unique style that influenced generations to come. Needless to say, they have become a fixture within my everyday album rotation and I don’t come across many young people that are familiar with their music, let alone influenced by it as well. Therefore, I felt Red Satellites had something to offer my personal tastes. Additionally being influenced by Elton John, David Bowie, The Smiths, and Suede, their taste in music was taunting me, and I couldn’t wait to pick their brains.

I checked out some recordings on their MySpace page. “Dancing” played first and I immediately saw the connection to those influences. Suede quickly came to mind. Kevin Hivick’s vocal style replicates that of Brett Anderson’s directly. I mean, it’s dead on. High-pitched and theatrical, Kevin adopts his very persona. The track also exudes a presence that embodies Elton John’s grand fasad circa the “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” days. The piano fades low and high with relevance like the sound of a train gliding in and out of a tunnel. It’s a powerful tune; a series of sentimental waves that grip you from the opening note and refuse to let you go. There’s never a dull moment and I began to wonder if their live set would produce the same effect.

I arrived at The Camel once again [unintentionally becoming a regular], anxiously awaiting their performance. Of course I was early as usual, PBR in hand, sitting at the bar fiddling with my tape recorder, schmoozing with strangers and waiting for some enchanting rock & roll to sweep me off my feet. I noticed from the corner of my eye, five very young looking men all dressed in black and white and with the complexion of porcelain. There can’t be more than a hundred years in age between the five of them. One guy donned a black feather boa around his neck. Another wore a green scarf and black vest over his white button-down. I introduced myself to Kevin and Daniel Hivick, the brothers who founded the band. Kevin, as I mentioned earlier, is lead vocalist and Daniel plays keyboard. Then I met Chris Ambler, the happy-go-lucky bassist, Drew “Talla-sassy” Carroll, the shaggy-haired guitarist who touts recording engineering experience and savvy, and Brenning Greenfield, known for allegedly playing the drums like Keith Moon. We’ll see about that. In any event, they appeared as I imagined them to, a dapper reflection of their vintage sound.

They took the stage earlier than expected and galloped through a ten song set with much vigor and character. Upbeat songs like “Wings” and “Saturday Night” immediately introduced the audience to their artistic style. “Touch Me Elizabeth” highlighted Drew’s stellar guitarwork [which ultimately was the keystone to the performance] and exposed the full “romantic” nature of their music. “Raphael (Or A Trip To Cathay)” sounded like The Beatles and David Bowie on the phone together—a good call.

They quickly transitioned from one number to the next, keeping the momentum uninterrupted. Several times, Kevin asked to have his monitor turned up, and was unfortunately not getting the result he desired. Song after song, lyrics were drowned out, and it really put a negative spin on the overall performance.

Nevertheless, Kevin’s mod showmanship bridged the gap and the band remained on task. Brenning’s freelance style on drums with Daniel’s impressive buildup on keys made songs like “Pop Star” and “Turn Me On” big hits with the crowd. “Dancing” closed out the show. Dance floor alive, the audience was teased by the tenacious, short-lived set.

Red Satellites have a firm hold on the genre they admire, mirroring the Brit-pop sensations of UK past. Their debonair swagger appropriately matches their talent, but the similar formula utilized in each song became redundant. Why not give Chris a few moments  alone with his bass. And where’s the Keith Moon drum solo? A little salt and pepper might be what this band needs most, but all in all, they are the right dish.

THE INTERVIEW

33: What genre do you consider yourselves?
KEVIN: Brit-pop maybe? Or maybe Art-pop?

33: Would you consider it glam rock?
DREW: I think that the recordings we have on the [MySpace] page evoke that more than the performances do.
CHRIS: I feel like there’s a post-punk type of feel at the same time, just trying to keep everything energetic.

33: Your listed influences include Bowie and Roxy Music. How much of that influence are you replicating? What makes you original?
DREW: I think we all bring something different. Not everyone necessarily grew up with those bands. Everyone’s got their own little flair and style. It’s more of the performers shaping it rather than a certain idea.

33: People say your music sounds like David Bowie during the Ziggy Stardust days. How much of that is intentional?
KEVIN: I like that stuff a lot, but probably my favorite band is a band more people should listen to called Suede, an early nineties Brit-pop band that has probably two of the best albums ever, maybe the best album ever from start to finish [their self-titled album, Suede]. And The Smiths, which has a more romantic feel to it. I don’t think our songs are as abrasive as a Ziggy Stardust song. I think there’s a more romantic, grand sweeping kind of sound to them. And my vocals come out much like a lot of other singers that I listen to such as Billy Mackenzie of The Associates, Bryan Ferry, and Jobriath. Brett Anderson is my biggest vocal influence. My favorite performer is probably Steve Marriott from Small Faces. I love the whole mod, getting up on stage and being completely hyped up…

33: Copious amounts of booze can help with that.
KEVIN: Well mods don’t drink, they have to live a clean lifestyle. They only do drugs that are clean.

33: What got you guys playing together?
KEVIN: Well me and Daniel, we’re brothers. We’ve been playing together for years. Doing, like, Elton John covers and stuff like that. So me and Daniel started a band last year and were looking to get a better lineup and that’s when  Brenning stepped in…
BRENNING: I was originally playing with my ex-girlfriend in an alternative country group. [ all laugh] I didn’t really get to do what I wanted to do on the drums in that sort of genre so I was looking around, trying to find something else, and I found Red Satellites looking for a drummer. I auditioned, got the gig, and then broke up with my girlfriend and left the band.

33: Perfect timing.
BRENNING: Yeah it worked out pretty well.
KEVIN: Right when he started playing, he would come over and we all got along really well. We would hang out after shows and party together and became a really, really cohesive unit.
CHRIS: I wasn’t even in the band at that point. I heard them practice from upstairs. And I’ve seen Chick Tragic, Brenning’s band before, and instead of him sticking within, being a subtle backbeat, he could…
KEVIN: He’s like the next Keith Moon.

33: Those are some pretty big shoes to fill.
DREW: And those are other people’s words.
KEVIN: He’s damn good.

33: Does his personality match as well?
BRENNING: I’ve been called a wild man.
KEVIN: Sources have reported that he is a local wild man.
DREW: Hopefully we can still stay at Holiday Inn. We’re no longer allowed at the Omni Hotel.

33: That’s too bad, there’s a nice Omni down the road.
KEVIN: Oh, and Chris and I played in a band two years ago that didn’t really go anywhere, it was like garage. So we’ve been friends since, and he learned how to play bass, he was a guitarist before. That’s when he came in to play bass for us.
CHRIS: And then Drew found us, really. He graduated from FSU.
KEVIN: He was working as a recording engineer for the Drive-by Truckers.
DREW: Well, I was an intern while they recorded their new record.

33: What exactly did you do for the Truckers?
DREW: I helped with the placement of the mics, or whatever they needed help with. I would go pick up lunch, you know? Got to hang out with them.
KEVIN: Drew adds a lot to our sound. He has this “Tallahassee Sass” as we like to call it. He signs his songs with solos that are really sassy. [laughs]
CHRIS: Now that Drew is around, I’ve gotten a little experience with [mics] and stuff like that. But Drew’s got his shit together obviously. So that’s why we can play in the basement and actually get some good-sounding tracks.
KEVIN: Our new single, “Dancing”, we recorded in a live format and then he took it home, he’s got a pretty good setup with Pro Tools and everything.

33: Do you guys practice often?
KEVIN: We play 3 times a week usually. We owe Brenning gas money because he comes up from Richmond 3 times a week to practice. Me and Drew have also started doing song writing sessions. Up until now, I always wrote by myself. And once I met Drew and started playing with him, he’s an awesome songwriter so we’ve been able to get together and start doing some stuff. We might write 50 songs by December. That’s our goal.

33: Where can we see you guys play?
KEVIN: Really all over the place. We play pretty much everywhere in Charlottesville. We’re down here at The Camel, we play at The Triple, we play in New York City a lot, too. And Washington, D.C., we were just at the Red & Black up there. I think The Camel, here in Richmond, is a place where we’ll be back again. We’re going to do some house shows here, too. We have one on the 30th. Brenning is our Richmond connection.

If they are able to reach their goal of writing 50 songs by December, then we have much to look forward to. Check out some of their recordings at MySpace.com/RedSatellitesBand, and remember kids, clean drugs only.

By   Mon, Nov 02, 2009

After waiting on two good friends from out of town to arrive at my house, I headed to the Clubhouse, a DIY super-secret RVA show spot, around nine o’clock to find a thin crowd steadily forming in the grunged-out venue.  High-fives were shared between friends while waiting on the first band to play, and I cracked a fresh Natural Ice that I had scraped out of the caverns of my fridge.  Shows at the Clubhouse just get keep getting better and better, and tonight would be no different.  The graffiti covered walls, sticky black floors, and cigarette stained couches are the perfect backdrop for a punk rock show of last night’s caliber.

Our New Nation, one of Richmond’s premier pop-punk outfits, took to the floor right at ten o’clock to open the night’s show.  What we experienced set the bar for Tuesday’s performances.  In a Ramones-eque fury ONN pumped out roughly six super catchy pop-punk jams in just under ten minutes, hardly stopping to grab a quick breath or chug of water.  As the set continued more and more show goers became interested in the tunes, gauged by the increasing number of head nods noted around the room.  Standing directly behind ONN’s guitarist Zach, Brandon, the drummer of Teenage Bottlerocket, stood attentively with the expression “this rocks” painted across his clean cut, Ray-Ban wearing face.  After finishing the fast paced original set, Our New Nation played three sing along covers back to back to back, resulting in mic grabs, loud shouts, and intense bro-down moments across the room.  A highlight for me was their cover of the Ergs classic “Most Violent Rap Group,” a quintessential fist pumping pop-punk sing along.  Our New Nation is gaining success in the growing pop-punk scene in Richmond, bringing throwback to greats like the Pink Razors.  With performances this good on big name shows, ONN is surely slated to become a more recognized name in Richmond punk.

Next up on the lineup was Petersburg glam punks, The Blackheart Saints, a sunglass bearing, leather jacket wearing four-piece.  In true pop-punk fashion the Saints pumped out around five or six songs just shy of about twelve minutes.  While the set was quick and to the point, the crowd wasn’t too involved in the performance, trading head nods for stagnant drabs off of their warming beers.  The southern style twang on vocals mixed with repetitive guitar solos and forced riffs just wasn’t doing it for me at this point in the show.  Perhaps if the group had opened before Our New Nation they would have gained a higher level of crowd support, as the bar seemed to be set a bit too high.  All things being said, the band played fast and well, it just didn’t seem to be my, or much of the crowd’s brand of pop-punk.

Following the last local band’s performance, Reno Nevada trio Cobra Skulls took to the stage.  Cobra Skulls have been gaining success in the underground punk scene for quite some time, and just released their second critically acclaimed full-length last month.  From the first song “The Cobra and The Man Whore” the band seemed completely energetic and passionate about the performance, clearly drawing inspiration from members of the crowd shouting back the lyrics in their faces.  Within the next five songs the Skulls played three more of my favorite cuts, “Faith is a Cobra”, “Cobra Skullifornia”, and “Back to the Youth”, a new track off their full-length ‘American Rubicon’.  With each song more of the crowd became attentive, from head nods, to fist pumps, to an occasional energized jump.  Considering the quality of the performance I was surprised that everyone in the room wasn’t as stoked on the set as the Skulls’ die hard fans were.  Cobra Skulls continue to find an original sound, roughly described as a mix of straight-up punk, folk-punk, and rockabilly/reggae influences.  It is always refreshing to see a road hungry, original band get a decent following in Richmond.  You could tell from their fervent expressions that they loved playing every chord despite the entire room not exploding with each new track.  After belting out several more sing alongs from the albums ‘Sitting Army’ and ‘American Rubicon’, the Skulls finished with “Hasta Los Cobra Skulls Siempre!” and made way for the final performance of the night.

The headliner of the show was Laramie Wyoming’s Teenage Bottlerocket, in my opinion of the best bands in pop-punk history.  With catchy songs about girls, breakups, denials, Rambo movies, and aspirations to become bigger than Kiss, these guys are the definition of modern pop-punk.  As soon as Cobra Skulls had moved their equipment out, Bottlerocket loaded in quickly to satisfy the attentive crowd’s cheers.  Setting up on the floor instead of the stage was a gutsy yet appreciated move by the group, constantly risking taking an accidental microphone to the teeth from the enthralled crowd.  TBR opened the set with their new single “Skate or Die” off of their brand new album ‘They Came from the Shadows’ on Fat Wreck Chords.  The band quickly followed with “Radio”, a cut from their first album as a solidified lineup entitled ‘Total’ on Red Scare Records.  From the first drum beat the crowd was falling over top of each other, shouting every lyric at the top of their lungs.  This trend would continue for the rest of the set, as at least half of the room seemed to know the majority of Bottlerocket’s lyrics.  The set consisted of about sixty minutes of pop-punk bliss, ranging the entire catalog of the band’s best material.  Highlights for me included “Blood Bath at Burger King”, “Repeat Offender”, “Stupid Games”, “Skate or Die”, and “In The Basement”.  In true Ramones-core fashion they belted these songs out back to back in at least four song rock blocks, with just enough time in between tracks to shout 1-2-3-4! or click in the drums.  From a first hand account, standing just feet in front of the drummer, I couldn’t believe the intense speed in which he played the high-hat.  I have seen at least 300 bands in my life and have never seen anyone come close to his pace.  Throw in the four song blocks and the fact that the band plays only lighting fast down strokes on guitar, and it is easy to see that they are one of the fasted playing, literally hardest working bands to date.  The crowd continued to soak up every cut TBR threw at them, always pining for more, screaming out song titles in the rare intermittences between tracks.  As the clock ticked close to one o’clock the sweat soaked pop-punk legends wrapped things up with “Rebound” and called it quits.  I had ridiculously high expectations for the show and Bottlerocket hands down delivered.  This show ruled; period.

By Derek Shelton.

By   Sun, Nov 01, 2009

It's not every day that I hear a tight really band led by a pair of really solid vocalists, and rarer still that both vocalists are female. That's part of what made seeing Sister Sweet such a treat for me – I  love well done vocal harmony, but it's so rare nowadays. I was delighted to see a band fronted by two lovely ladies who can complement each other so smoothly on their microphones.

And they do work well together. Jessica Salomonsky and Tina Marie have been playing together for over 15 years, and the experience really shows. There were no gaps or uncertain pauses in the music; all the harmonies flowed smooth and free and naturally. It was the first thing I noticed about their show. The obvious temptation is to compare them to the Indigo Girls, but the band would deny that influence. They've been compared to the Indigo Girls before, and they say that it's just because pairs of strong female vocalists are so few and far between. Tina and Jessica play off each other's talents and each other's stage presence very well. It gave me a strong first impression of the band: they're good musicians, they're experienced, and they're having a blast up there.

The second thing I noticed about Sister Sweet is that a person could dance to all of their songs. In our present era of hipsters cross-armed at shows and experimental guitar tones whining over atmospheric drums, it was wonderful to feel that good old involuntary tap start up in my right foot and keep spreading. I talked to their drummer, Mark Henderson, to see what his secret was. He considers himself influenced, to equal degrees, by Jazz improv drumming and the Grateful Dead. It shows. I don't think he repeated a single beat all night, but he kept things danceable. In my book, this is the hallmark of a truly talented percussionist.

Percussion being only half the rhythm in a song, I had to ask their bass player, Tom Crosby, about his story. This guy is amazing – it's like he walked out of the Blue Brothers or something. He got his start playing blues in Nashville, learning by the seat of his pants, getting yelled at to play country in a bar shaped like a barn, the works. And he's kept playing out and getting better his whole life. He and Mark never play the same show twice, he told me. These two have mastered the fine line between keeping a song interesting and making it messy. Between them, they provide an intricate and truly solid foundation for the haunting harmonies of Sister Sweet.

I asked about the dynamics of the band. How do you take a jam band's rhythm section and two singer/songwriters and weld it into a great show? They told me that either Jessica or Tina will write a song, and when it's about 90% done, they'll bring it to the rest of the band, and everyone contributes their own flair to it. “We wanted a rhythm section that was better than we were,” Jessica told me. I'm not going to pass judgment on who in this talented group is better, but I will say that their diversity of background and talent has really paid off – they're tight as a snare drum, and they continue to learn and grow from internal pressure. It's good to see such hard working musicians.

“So how do write your songs?” I asked them. “It's kind of like vomiting,” Tina told me, “it's something that just turns and turns and then vroop!” Both Jessica and Tina agreed that their songwriting came at its own time. “It's like I'm reading someone else's book,” Jessica said, talking about hearing one of her songs performed. “It's a big fat catharsis,” Tina went on to add. Whatever it is, it makes for a great show.

Sister Sweet had a couple guest performers the night I saw them. Van Gullman, Jessica's brother, played banjo with them, and John Leedes, the lead guitarist of Blue Line Highway, who opened when I saw them,  sat in on electric guitar. It was well done. They managed to incorporate the two new musicians without muddying their sound in the slightest, which is no easy thing to do. Sister Sweet asked me to give a shout out to Blue Line Highway. I really enjoyed both bands' performance, and I'll definitely be checking out Blue Line Highway soon.

I admire Sister Sweet for the mutual respect they have. No one in the band ever says, “I'm the show. It's all me,” or anything of the sort. The girls wanted a rhythm section that would really support and even push them, and the guys know that they're working with a couple of very talented women. Mark told me that their harmonies are the heart and soul of Sister Sweet. I don't know if I'd locate their heart quite that narrowly – everyone added a lot to the show I saw – but I would definitely recommend that you check them out.

By Will Murphy.

By Author: Meredith Ripple   Sun, Nov 01, 2009

It’s early Thursday night, and The Canal Club is already buzzing with activity. Drummer for Former Champions Geoff Bakel is getting set up to soundcheck and bassist David Ashby and keyboardist Ben “Wolf” are working their way around the venue greeting people and picking up beers from the bar. Matt Walton is in the back of the venue talking to members of Basshound, scheduled to play the second set of the show. The Canal Club is a venue that makes me think of bars my grandfather must have gone to back in the forties (minus the multicolored lights and giant soundboard). It’s only 9 p.m. and the air is already hazy and heavy with smoke. These bars and venues are my favorite. Like Cary St. Café, The Camel and Bogart’s when it was still on Lombardy. Where you and I find the kind of music that’s genuine. Not platinum hits borne out of Hollywood and pumped through speakers throughout the room. Where you can tell the people on stage in front of you love playing for a great crowd. Good music, raw and honest.

It’s why I was so excited to see the Champs setting up on stage. When you see them, you get real music. Addictive rhythm-driven melodies that have effort and work behind them, music that’s constantly adapting and progressing. The first question I asked them when we sat down with a few drinks is the same question I ask any band first, “Who, or what, are you primary influences?” I was thrilled by their unanimous and resounding answer:

Jazz!

I had been expecting a well-recognized band or artist, but I was excited by how much this made sense given their personal definition of their style. “It’s improv,” Walton says without hesitation. Ashby, Bakel and Wolf all agree, adding that each band member brings different tastes to the group: electronica, rock, hip-hop and world music for a style I took to calling Influenced Improv.

And it’s a style these four do wonderfully. There’s a unique kind of “telepathy” that bands seem to experience on stage. It’s a phenomenon I can never truly understand – the ability of good musicians like The Champs to communicate with the most subtle (to me undetectable) audio cues. Almost a kind of innate language, which Ashby brought up, and which is eventually reflected in the band’s main goal (which I’ll get to if I can ever stop talking about how awesome these guys are…). While we were discussing different musical tastes each individual brings, we talked about world music, a noticeable influence even to an untrained ear like mine. Ashby mentioned that one of the best things about knowing and playing music is that it’s a language shared across cultures. It’s everywhere. It’s a way of communicating to one another, and even without a shared spoken language, it can be perpetually appreciated. It reaches across the room, across the bar and across continents and oceans.

A big part of the band’s appreciation for the natural language of music stems from their extensive experience and formal training. Bakel and Walton have known each other for years and played in a very traditional jazz band called (surprise!) Former Champions. However, don’t think for a second that the Champs we know and love today are the same band. In fact, I was expressly forbid from even bringing up the first band (sorry guys…), but I think it’s an important step in recognizing how much the current members value positive progression in their playing. Eventually Walton went on to school and met Wolf and Ashby and introduced them to Bakel. The four discovered that their diverse tastes and distinct skills and personalities created a creative dynamic they wanted to work with. Though Bakel does not have the formal jazz training the other three do, he cannot be considered a sub par player. His extensive experience and skill allows him to not only hold his own with the others, but also stand out as a crucial factor in The Champ’s sound. While he builds the structural backbone of the band’s sound, his beats are also just as clear and cutting as the notes from the guitars and keys. He doesn’t take a backseat to the sound, but rather addresses the rhythms with a controlled energy that allows the rest of the sound to thrive.

At this point, I hope you remember the Champs appearance at the Magazine33 Launch Party at Emilio’s. (If you couldn’t make it, check out Ben Cokeley’s article on the event #.) I say this because before I continue, there’s one thing I need to address about them that’s critical to understanding why they draw such a strong following. Simply put, these guys are just damn good fun. They play a weekly gig at Cary St. Café on Tuesday nights where, before cold weather started creeping up on us, the floor was packed with some of the craziest (and most fun) people I’ve ever met. The Champs melodies are addictive, and I’ve found myself with one stuck in my head many Wednesday mornings. Usually the song Walton announces by saying, “And this one’s about smokin’ hash on a train.” It has a thumping rhythm that showcases Ashby’s aggressively energetic beats. While talking to him at the bar before The Canal Club show, I wasn’t too surprised to learn that he’s very much into world and older hip-hop music. It shows in the deep grooves he cuts into the rhythm and melodies of the band, speaking well to Wolf’s keys and Walton’s guitar work.

Like many jam bands, it’s hard not to move to the music. While the rhythm keeps driving, Walton and Wolf layer and build the rich melodies. They work incredibly well together vocally as well as between the guitar and the keys. Wolf’s playing is vibrant, but not overpowering. While he doesn’t always carry the brunt of the melody, his precise and notes add striking touches of color to The Champs multifaceted playing. His vocals work similarly. They’re not in-your-face, but they add a layer that deepens the sound the band is so well known for.

So what IS so in-your-face about this group? It’s gotta be Walton’s superb guitar work. I’m not saying that he’s shredding 100% of the time. Instead he perfectly balances a conservative approach (often while singing) with carefully chosen aggressive playing moments. So when he does get down, you know it, you feel it and you love it. You’re not completely played out after endless crazy riffs that leave your head spinning. Instead, you appreciate the intricacy of each member’s unique abilities and skills within the phenomenal melodies Walton creates on the guitar.

In addition to their “let’s have a damn good time” attitude (Tall and Mean Tuesdays people!), they have a pretty awesome agenda and plan. At the end of the interview, as more and more people were pouring into The Canal Club, I asked them, “What image or feeling do you want your music to achieve with your audience?” They thought about it for only a second and said: Unity. A harmonious feeling among the audience, a general vibe that everyone feels. They say it doesn’t happen often, but the moments it does are incredibly awesome. Hopefully it works, but if it doesn’t they’ll have a great time trying. It echoes back to Ashby’s idea of language being able to cross borders through music. It doesn’t always operate perfectly, but when it does, it’s one of those great things to look forward to.

Speaking of things to look forward to – start getting excited about an album in early 2010! They’re doing their own recording, maintaining that it can be difficult to work with outside help when you own your music as much as these guys do. Not that it can’t be done, but the four of them agreed that they hit a lot of personal hurdles and preferred to do their recording themselves. They also have plans to tour in the future. At the moment, they’re concentrating on playing locally and regionally, but eventually (after saving some money) they plan to hit some cities outside the region in upcoming years.

As the Champs really started digging into their set, more and more people poured into The Canal Club. Crazyredbeard (who I haven’t had a chance to talk about, but I’ll hopefully be covering his work soon – check out his work in the link below) was hard at work on another Champ’s live painting. As Walton belted out the lyrics to the song I only know as “smoking hash on a train” one of his paintings went up on stage and several hoopers twirled in a trippy, but soft display of color and light. If there’s one thing I can tell you about this dynamic group, it’s that they’re a definitely cannot-miss in Richmond. Like LarJar Trio (who I covered last month here), they play a FREE weekly set. Tall and Mean Tuesdays, 21 and up. Stop by, do some dancin’ and have a great time. It’s worth every minute.

Some things to check out:

Myspace.com/FormerChampions

Former Champions Facebook

By Author: Sadie Powers   Sun, Nov 01, 2009

‘You need to shut up now. This is my favorite song of theirs,’ says my stylist, Jamie. She’s cutting my hair in her living room, or office, or whatever that twenty-something room that’s got a computer, desk, chair, vacuum cleaner.

She’s set up her laptop on the desk, the Gills and Wings Myspace page open.
    ‘Bring it on,’ I say.
    “Shhh! No talking!’
    I don’t argue. She’s holding a razor.

Gills and Wings is one of those Richmond bands that I’d been meaning to check out based on their name alone. Gills and Wings. It’s just the right level of pretentious, with a slight hint of the prolific, without the potential for alienation. It’s a name that sounds like you should have heard of them, or heard them, or bought their EP. Gills and Wings. It would make a great Sailor Jerry-style tattoo.

Not ones to disappoint, Gills and Wings’ music lives up to the expectations of its name. Someone once described their sound as ‘Keen meets Muse meets Rufus Wainwright.’ My knowledge of Rufus Wainwright is limited to his appearance on the Leonard Cohen documentary Last Year’s Man, his cover of ‘Across the Universe,’ and the sad, sad knowledge my cousin’s ambition is to be his fag-hag. Muse is currently opening for U2, right? And which came first: the band Keen, or the footwear of the same name. Hmmm…must wikipedia this.

I had liked what I’d heard at Jamie’s. In my terms: Ra Ra Riot meets Coldplay meets unknown pop-something. Maybe this is Keen, maybe this is Muse. You fill in the blank.

So, by now you’ve checked out Gills and Wings’ Myspace page. If you haven’t, you should. Because in case you’re wondering, Gills and Wings sounds just like that live, with more energy. They’re that tight musically.  They should be; singer Danny Reyes and keyboardist Santiago de la Fuente studied music together at the New World School of the Arts. Guitarist Alex McCallum performed on Jason Mraz’s (yes, that Jason Mraz) first album. Matt Hulcher really impressed me as a bass player, and that’s saying a lot. He also had a pedal board and didn’t overdue the Big Muff, which made me giddy. Andy Hackett’s kit had eight cymbals, and you’re goddamn right that I watched to make sure he used all of them (He did. Along with his two floor toms).

I met up with them after the show, where we commandeered another band’s dressing room and abstained from drinking their Bushmills, before being kicked out and taking up residence in the hot tub room. What ensued? Wouldn’t you like to know.

33: This is really contrived, and I’m sorry, but where did your name come from?
Alex:  The name Gills & Wings is in reference to transformation. It comes from a song, actually the first song that we ever heard from Danny and Santi, and it was a line in the song. The whole song is about supernatural strength and kind of based off the Ubermensch theory of going beyond human. And we liked the name because it felt like it meant that’s how music is, when people hear it, they get to go beyond their normal lives and transform into whatever they like.
Danny: Singing in the shower, plus a thousand.

33: How did you guys get together, and what made you decide to move to Richmond?
Santi: Danny and I started singing in choir together, I think it was in tenth grade. We were friends for a couple of years, and for our graduation party we wrote a song together. And then we went on for about two years writing songs together. We recorded a couple of songs to send to Alex. Alex had worked with Jason Mraz.
Alex: I played guitar on his debut album.

33: Yeah, I read that. I wasn’t sure if I should bring it up.
Santi: I know, I know! We shouldn’t say it, but that’s the reason that we moved here, to be honest with you. We really like Jason Mraz, and we were really young, so we were really impressed that someone worked with Jason Mraz.
We started doing this long distance thing through the internet, and Danny and I came up for four days, and we worked with the band, 14 hours straight, just trying to put a sound together. Went back down to Miami, and Alex came down for a week. We worked on music for about a week straight, and he invited us to move into his house here in Richmond and work on some songs, put a band together. And two years passed, and we’re still here.
Matt: I started calling Alex obsessively because I heard all this buzz about this new band. I hadn’t heard any of the stuff yet but wondered if he had a bassist for the new band. Alex called me and was like, ‘Hey, I’ve got this great thing going on, but I can’t talk too much about it.’ And that went back and forth for a while…
Alex: Yeah, Matt kept calling on the days, every day that we were like, ‘Maybe we should get a bass player.’ And Andy had been with us since the beginning.

33: Who are some of your influences, not just bands, but individual musicians?
Danny: For singing I listen to Ella Fitzgerald, I listened to Rufus Wainwright for a little bit. The Beatles, obviously. A little bit of classical music.
Matt: As a bass player,  I look up to Michael Manring. He’s a great fretless bass player that I love. As far as bands, Dinosaur Jr. is my favorite band of all time, and Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side Of the Moon’ is my favorite album.
Alex: Always a fan of people like Radiohead, obsessive a little here and there, Greenwood…

33: Are you more of the Jonny Greenwood camp or the Ed O’Brien camp?
Alex: Definitely Greenwood. But I think that Greenwood gets credit for anything good. I feel bad, because I think Ed O’Brien probably does a lot of great stuff. I think Thom Yorke is playing a lot of the guitar stuff, that Greenwood gets credit for, too.
Santi:  I like Radiohead  a lot. Jeff Buckley, St. Vincent. I listen to some Phoenix for dance music. I like Tiesto, I like electronic sounds, hip hop, Coldplay, John Mayer. I like bands, because bands have a refined sound. I like something that’s taken years of development as a whole to have a specific sound.
Andy: I was going to pass on this one. Can I pass? Can I have one pass?

33: Sure, but you only get one. And here’s the second question that you get to avoid deftly: Andy, I read that you and Alex collaborated on a score to an independent film. What was the name of the film, what was your experience like, and are you interested in doing more soundtrack work in the future?
Andy: It was called ‘Solitude,’ and it was kind of a low budget, indie thing. It was definitely our first foray into making music like that. We did a good bit of exploration, felt our way around in the dark, and ended up with interesting things. It was definitely a different way to work, composing songs for images. But in a way it was enlightening as well, because I think you get to exercise a different part of your brain putting sound to picture.
Alex: We’ve kind of been exploring a project that involves film and playing to that film.
Andy: We’re definitely available for soundtrack work.

33: I also read that your song ‘Circus’ was featured in an episode of ‘The Real World: Brooklyn.’ How did that happen?
Alex: We had a friend who works for TV, and he told us who to send it to. And we submitted it and didn’t think anything would happen, and a couple of months later they called and wanted to use one of the songs.  They picked the song that none of us thought they would use. That’s how it always works, right?

33: This is for Danny: I heard you were gay. How would you react if a record exec told you to play it straight?
Danny: I probably wouldn’t do it.
Alex: We’d tell them to fuck off.
Matt: Yeah.
Andy: Nor would any of us do it.
Danny: That would involve changing the lyrics. It would be incongruous with our sound. Not that it’s all of who you are, but so many songs are love songs. It’s got a lot to do with different kinds of experiences you have growing up, how you see things, are your biggest inspirations for music. It determines what you’re going to sound like.

33: If you get signed, what’s the first impractical thing you’d drop a huge chunk of change into?
Danny: I’d get gold stocks.
33: That’s not really impractical.
Matt: A beagle-basset mix.

33: That’s not that hard. You can get those on Craigslist for, like, 50 bucks.
Matt: I have one. I want another one.
Santi: A car with A/C.
Alex: An elephant.

33: Yes, of course, but what kind of elephant?
Alex: A white one, and I’d make him hang out in the room.
Andy: I’d build a home in a cave. In an undisclosed location. It’s gonna be really deluxe in the cave.

33: What are your immediate plans for the future?
Matt: Our biggest plans right now are to take this show on the road.
Andy: Do you want to mention the thing? We’re going to trying to work on kind of a multimedia project that’s going to involve our songs, video directed by Nathan Burns, the guy who did our electronic press kit. We can’t set a date on that, but we hope to work on it in the near future.

33: What’s the one song you wish you’d written?
Andy: These are hard!
Alex: The National Anthem. Happy Birthday.
Matt: ‘Comfortably Numb’ by Pink Floyd. I wish I’d written that. That’s a great song.
Alex: You mean, like, a serious answer? I feel that way about a lot of them.  Maybe that Wagner piece. Where would our cartoons be without him?
Andy: ‘In My Life,’ the Beatles. I think that’s a great song.
Danny: This is one of the songs, ‘I Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good,’ sung by Ella Fitzgerald.

Gills and Wings is available for soundtrack work and anything else that would involve exchanging sound waves for cold, hard cash. If you’re in the mood to sway and say, ‘Wow, these guys are really good,’ they’ll be playing 17 November at the Canal Club.  Show starts at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $13 in advance, $15 at the door. See them while they’re still this cheap.
And if you want an awesome haircut, check out Jamie Levine. Her Facebook page is currently awaiting your friend request.

Gills and Wings

Gills and Wings on Myspace

Gills and Wings on Facebook

Jamie's Facebook Page

By Editing Department, Regional Editor and Author: Robin Marschak   Sun, Nov 01, 2009

To be honest, I have nothing bad to say about the Big Boss Combo.  The lighting wasn't the best, but what can you expect at the barroom of a local brewery.  It was Legend Brewing Company's weekly Friday night concert, and the place was packed.  When I first arrived I had to skulk around like a shiftless drifter for five or ten minutes until a table opened up in a spot where I could see the band.  Although on this particular night, any place that had a roof and heating could have attracted a full capacity crowd.  There was a steady drizzle outside, and it was cold enough to make anyone want to stay inside.

All of this was forgotten, though, when the band began to play.  They started out with an instrumental, that both served as a warm-up and got my toes tapping.  From there they launched into a lively set, playing both classic bluegrass tunes and several covers of songs from a myriad of other genres ranging from reggae to western swing.  But as Malcolm Pulley, the banjo player and brains of the operation, told me before they started, all of the songs they played would "be in a bluegrass style, can't help it when you've got a banjo and a fiddle and a mandolin."  This proved wonderfully true throughout the whole show.

As the night progressed, an intricate story unfolded in which all of the band members took on alter egos, transforming into the Johnson brothers, from Limber, West Virginia: Rusty the banjo player (Malcolm Pulley), Slim the fiddler (Jim Skelding), Harry on the mandolin (Chris Fuller), Tiny the guitarist (Danny Hughes), and Big Red on the big old upright bass (Bill Lux).  Between every song one of brothers would recount a story of happenings back home.  These ranged from a brief advertisement for Sal Manila's Restaurant in downtown Limber, to accounts of Slim's small parts in the porn industry while out in California, to informing the crowd that Big Red had just been in for an IQ test, but not to worry, it came back negative.

All of this cheesy banter could not hide the excellent music that these 'brothers' were performing.  In classic bluegrass tradition all of them took turns soloing and four of the five sang lead vocals for at least one song.  For a song like '(Ghost) Riders in the Sky' Big Red's deep bass voice was perfect, while on many of the more traditional bluegrass tunes Harry's higher mountain drawl sounded great with his mandolin. 

All too soon the show was wrapping up, and the Johnson brothers were bidding the crowd farewell, before having to head back to the Upscale Aluminum Acres Trailer Park and Campground in Limber, West Virginia.  But despite the show being over my toes would not stop tapping and I had a reckless enthusiasm as I made the two mile trek back home, that was completely inappropriate for the cold, drizzly and altogether miserably dreary weather outside.  That is the power of the Big Boss Combo.

By   Sun, Nov 01, 2009

In the late sixties and seventies, James Fortune took more than 20,000 pictures of The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop, and many others, both onstage and off. His work has graced the cover of Jimmy Page’s solo CD  “How The West Was Won,” Led Zeppelin’s “Mothership” CD, and a recent Who documentary. Eighteen prints are displayed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and countless coffee-table books contain his pictures, including the latest one about The Doors.

One of Fortune’s best-known images is Robert Plant holding a dove that had just landed in his hands, framed by a massive crowd at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco. This became one of the most famous rock posters ever, Led Zeppelin was breaking the Beatle’s record for attendance at one concert, and a print now hangs in Plant’s home in England.

Fortune’s career began when he filmed the LA riots on Sunset Boulevard in 1966, and a picture of protesters on the roof of a bus was in publications around the world. But the first rock star shoot was in May 1967, when Fortune contacted record companies from his college newspaper, and gotten results.

“To my surprise, Elektra Records called back asking me if I could photograph one of their new bands, The Doors, at a recording session. When we arrived at Sunset Sound, we found Jim Morrison leaning against a wall staring at us, so we said hello, and entered the studio, and introduced ourselves to Paul Rothchild, their producer. As we sat down in the control room, we heard them playing back the instrumental of “I Can See Your Face In My Mind.”

Later in the session, vocals were added, relates Fortune. “Morrison wanted the lights turned down low as he sang.”  The band finished, and Fortune took more pictures outside.

“Rothchild called for a break, and we went out on Sunset Boulevard, and I got a few photos of the band. I also photographed them at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, and in the back of a limousine, which is the one of Morrison with a hat pulled down.”

Fortune went into the Navy from 1968 to 1969 as a combat photographer, and after returning, he got a job taking pictures for the National Association for Record Merchandising, the largest of the recording industry trade associations.  For the next seven years, he photographed bands at the many events held by N.A.R.M, resulting in many of his best shots.

In 1973, a call came from Led Zeppelin’s publicist, and Fortune was asked to meet the band at the Continental Hyatt House on Sunset Boulevard. They always stayed at the Hyatt, which was jokingly called the “Continental Riot House,” because of all the wild parties. It was a familiar place to Fortune.

“The rumors you hear about Led Zeppelin’s parties there are all true, from Harley rides down hallways to staged drugged-out orgies, not to mention the secret affair between Jimmy Page and his 14-year old model Lori Maddox. Too bad there are not more photos of what went down there.”

When arriving at the suite, the band was too drunk to cooperate with the photo taking. So their large and beefy road manager Peter Grant bodily picked them up, and put them in a chair that would be best for the picture.

“I wanted a close shot that would be good for the newspapers, because there were already a lot of pictures out there with wide angles. The chair in the corner looked good for that purpose.”

In 1974, Fortune teamed up with Bob Yamasaki and One Stop Posters in Los Angeles. Over the next five years, they published ten rock and roll posters that sold over 700,000 copies.

Fortune took pictures of Paul McCartney and his family on several occasions in Los Angeles in 1975, and tells the story.

“I walked into the pool area where McCartney and his family were sitting. Then Paul came out of the pool, and held a white towel against his body in a great imitation of Gypsy Rose Lee, so I snapped a picture. As we hung around the pool, Paul’s little girl climbed out and said, “my feets are hot, my feets are hot.” I set down my camera and carried her over to Paul’s wife, Linda, who thanked me. I finished taking a number of photos there, and then I was asked to come back the next day to the Beverly Hills Hotel, and then again for another visit.”

The former Beatle ordered a half-dozen 11 x 14 prints from the sessions, according to Fortune, and was a pleasure to work with.

Michael O’Sullivan of the Washington Post wrote in 2005 about an exhibition of Fortune’s pictures, calling him a “prolific chronicler of rock royalty.” Some of the pictures he described included Keith Moon “cavorting with what appear to be topless groupies,” and a portrait of a “buff, bleeding, and not-yet-wizened Iggy Pop” after a performance at the Whisky a Go-Go in LA.

In that picture, Iggy was flipping the bird, and this classic takes its place along with rock’s most stunning and violent images, such as Jimi Hendrix setting fire to his guitar at Monterey Pop Festival and The Who smashing amps and drums.

But the prize for strangeness among the images, according to O’Sullivan, “must surely go to the artist’s photograph of odd-threesome Linda Lovelace of “Deep Throat” fame; Moon (yes, him again); and Micky Dolenz of the Monkees. Man, wouldn’t you love to hear the story behind that night?”

In 2008, Peter Skinner of Rangerfinder magazine wrote a feature story on Fortune in their July issue, and stated he was “one of the most important photographers to document the halcyon years of rock.” He went on to say “the connection, the intimacy and rapport that exude from Fortune's images illustrate the close, even personal relationship and trust between subject and photographer. "

In addition to invitations to some very exclusive events at galleries and openings involving his work, the job still has its perks. Recently, Fortune received at his home in Virginia a package with prints of an Eric Clapton photograph to sign, and there were Clapton’s signatures. “It was great to see that signature and add mine, and ship them out,” said Fortune.

By   Sun, Nov 01, 2009

Los Angeles based Maia Sharp backed with vocals and guitar by sidekick Linda Thompson put on an inspired and compelling performance at Bel Rio Thursday, Oct. 15. Playing songs from her 2005 album “Fine Upstanding Citizen” and recently released disc “Echo,” and ending the first set with “Red Dress” from the earlier album. At the break I introduced myself as a fan since coming across her album in a bookshop where I worked several years ago. I asked about the guitars: a Taylor 514 which she described as durable and stable, and Linda’s 1965 Gibson as temperamental but a very sweet one that complements her Fender Stratocaster. Maia also played a soprano saxophone which was her first instrument, as well as an electric piano.

She asked about other venues here and I mentioned the recently reopened Southern, which I described as strictly a listening room where the performance hall could be closed off from the bar portion with two sets of double doors. I recalled the old Starr Hill venue where certain acoustic shows were designated as “Listening Room" shows with no smoking and where talking was asked to be kept to a minimum. I asked her if they were used to playing where there was a lot of talking such as there was that evening and she replied that they were not; that this was the exception. I thanked her, returned to our table thinking about it and presently walked over to my laptop bag to get a small notebook. On each of five pages I wrote:
“If you would not talk then the musicians wouldn’t have to compensate by playing louder.
They said they are not used to having to do so.”

A few minutes into the second set I tore the notes out, walked over and handed one to someone at each of five tables. Returning to my table the hubbub in the room was noticeably absent. In a few minutes one of the bartenders brought me a few of the notes and told me I couldn’t hand out notes like that; that it was “rude.” I could only agree that such a request did not have to be written. It was just more efficient than pausing at each table tactfully to ask that they be considerate and not talk during the show. Though how very ironic to refer to as rude a note written to address behavior incomparably more rude. A few minutes later one of the co-owners came over and said something to the same effect. I could do little except say that I understood.

However the management had not perceived or managed what was for those at my table who had come for the show more or less intolerable. Clearly I had the choice of either taking charge or enduring the distraction, knowing full well that those in charge would do no such thing. My simple act if not ideal was 80% effective and we were able to hear the rest of the show without the commotion. Whatever slight loss of face was felt by the staff was however accompanied by a noticeably quieter room.
The food, service, and ambience of the place are excellent. But at these rare acoustic shows of first rate talent held there just a couple of times a year — some of the patrons have no inkling of how thoughtless or crass it is to converse and guffaw as if there were no one else, and at some places simply would be urged to pay their tabs and be shown the door if they were not there for the show. After the last song I walked up and got her new album “Echo” and asked her and Linda simply to sign it on the back.
There’s a very good music player on her website where one can listen to both whole albums:

-- By Robert Power

By Author: Meredith Ripple   Sun, Nov 01, 2009

In recent weeks, I’ve found myself in a deluge of CDs and new music. I’ve been meeting new bands at shows and inevitably I hear “Hold on, I think I have a copy of our newest release in my car” or “Check out our website and download some music!” During this musical inundation, there’s one band that hasn’t left my playlist since I picked up their EP in the middle of October. And that would be Caught in the Rift.

I first discovered this 6-man group accidentally (sort of) while covering Battle of the Bands at Babe’s of Carytown. I was hooked. When guitarist Doug Fisher invited me up to see their 3-set show at Cary St. Café and gave me a copy of the EP, I was addicted. When I got to the bar, this jam-rock-funk (you have to say that quickly, by the way. And three times. One, two, three, Go!) group was just starting to set up and soundcheck. I was pleased to remember not only how skilled guitarists Doug Fisher, Holt Nicholas and Scott Gerry are, but also the dual percussionists Kevin Condrey and Kevin Shaw. Plus, I love it when bands add a brass element in the mix, and Steve Tuzeneu adds that extra touch on the sax that really makes Caught in the Rift an utterly unique experience.

When I first wrote about them last month, I didn’t begin to graze the surface of what makes this band such a fun act to catch. There wasn’t much space in the Battle of the Bands article to elaborate on the “versatile and organic” melodies I credited them with. I’m incredibly excited to be able to do that just a month after I first wrote those words. One thing I love to discuss when talking to others about them is how incredibly human their music is. The lyrics are relatable and down-to earth, but you couldn’t ever call them simple. They’re accessible, and encompassing, for all walks of life. When Doug Fisher croons out “25^th street keeps callin’ my name” I believed most everyone in the venue could relate in their own unique way. There’s also a certain presence an acoustic guitar and hand-drums bring. You can feel that there’s a person on the other side of the music. It doesn’t feel like there’s an amp or effects pedal between you and the artist. There is no gatekeeper blocking you, affecting what they deliver, and what you hear. It’s just you and the music.

Their rich lyrics and dynamically layered rhythms and melodies speak to their variety of influences, from Pearl Jam and Phish to older jazz and soul. Like me, they agree that Eddie Vedder is a personal hero. (How can you not love a guy who swills white wine from the bottle on stage?) This reach of influence reflects the versatility that they impressed upon me last month, even during such a brief set. The six guys switch effortlessly from warm, softer songs where Doug Fisher’s and Holt Nicholas’ voices reach out across the room to strikingly edgy ones with sharp guitar work and gravelly, grating vocals.

It’s why one of my favorite things about this group is their style. It’s abrupt and in your face in the best way possible. Songs are lovely in composition and edgy in their execution. They’ll remind you of a time when rock music meant quality guitar and drum work and a great show. These guys go out there to have fun, and it’s easy to see. They really enjoy their music, and they genuinely want their audience to have a great time. When I asked them what feeling they want to convey with their music, I got a resounding “Fuck yeaaa!” from Scott Gerry and Kevin Condrey, which definitely turned some heads in the room. And this feeling is echoed in the types of venues they prefer. When I asked them about it, they all agreed that it didn’t matter what club or bar they played, as long as they had a “good, music-loving crowd” in front of them.

If there was only one thing I could share with you about Caught in the Rift, it would be that you have to see them to get the full experience. While their EP is phenomenal (as I said, it hasn’t left my playlist in weeks), it’s truly the live show that gets you. Incredibly dynamic and lively, Doug Fisher and Holt Nicholas’ vocals take on another life on stage. They develope an organic feeling echoed by the acoustic guitar, Steve Tuzeneu’s sax and Kevin Condrey’s hand drums. All driven home by the clean rhythms Kevin Shaw and Scott Gerry build. It’s a show you don’t want to miss. I asked them what they’d want to tell people if they were writing this article. Holt Nicholas answered it perfectly: “come out and have a great time.” And of course this was followed by “and pick up a copy of our EP!” Normally I don’t want to push merchandise in this column, but this EP is worth it.

Check them out November 5^th at Babe’s for the second round of Battle of the Bands. Or if you miss that, they’re playing at The Canal Club on December 18^th. Come out and discover them for yourselves. I’ll see you there.

While you’re waiting for their next show, check out this stuff:

Caught in the Rift on Myspace (music, music, music!!)

Their JamBase profile, complete with upcoming shows

Facebook! More pictures of shows

SnakeOil Recording, Dan-O partnered with them on their EP