Best EPs of 2012 in RVA

Richmond saw many EPs released this year, and we decided to divide the EPs from the full-lengths in order to give as many folks accolades as we could.

The criteria for chosen EPs:

- up to nine (9) songs and/or twenty (20) minutes of music
- excellent quality of engineering
- surpasses other EPs in similar genre
- superior song construction
- degree of accessibility to audience
- personal taste (it’s true!)

Here we go:

photo by Chandler Moulton/Magazine 33

25. The Vendors - The Lake

This honky tonk/alt-country jaunt was written by frontman James West and recorded by the incredible Bryan Walthall at Sound of Music Studios.

24. Lucy Dacus - Girls Back Home

This female-fronted acoustic folk album feels dreamy and introspective. Engineered by Collin Pastore, this EP features Jacob Blizard (Parlor Shakedown) on ukulele and guitar.

23. Seraph - What It Takes to Kill a God

This metalcore album kills it with Mike McIlyar’s death metal vocals.

22. Ohbliv - Sunsets

Beatmaker Ohbliv released a bunch of material this year, but this EP stood out with its catchy samples.

21. The Blackout Shift - Fuel for Your Rock Tank

Old-school Metallica sounds and bad boys make this EP “smell like reefer and sound like rock and roll.”

20. Heavy Midgets/Tungs - Sisters Split

The Sisters Split is frenetic psych punk that allows us to award two bands the number 20 spot.

19. Little Smoke - On Holidays EP

Formerly Space Monster, Kenny Hamilton’s Little Smoke is a new band formed in 2012. On Holidays EP is a hazy, druggy venture during the summer.

photo by Sheree @ Bauhaus

18. Herro Sugar - Smoking General Kills Sturgeon

The guys in Herro Sugar are fans of word play and quirky pop rock.

photo by Joe Opyt

17. Damaged Andy - Psychosis

Dude has major flow skills and hella beats produced by Just Plain Ant.

photo by Ben Harsel

16. Starfish Prime - Repetitions of a Great Experiment

Three dudes have been jamming for years, and this math rock album exhibits how tuned in they are.

photo by Sounds of RVA

15. Sacred Teachers - Demo 2012

This live recording gives a glimpse into what a live show might consist of. In the meantime, “Cowboy Stripper” really howls.

photo by PJ Sykes/courtesy of Live at Ipanema

14. Zac Hryciak & the Jungle Beat - It’s Not a Big Deal

Modesty in album titling gives this percussive-heavy chamber pop EP a slight advantage.

13. The Banduras - River City

This psych-rock outfit is the cure for the common classic rock.

12. The Richmanian Ramblers - World, Sister World

Take the polka/Klezmer-friendly music of Russia and combine with several notable musicians in the city (Antonia Vassar, Nate Mathews, Clifton McDaniel, et al.), and you’ve got this EP.

11. Kurtloader - RFTRX

This power pop trio brings back hair metal with RFTRX, recorded at Minimum Wage Studios.

10. Lightfields - Something Else

This psych rock band combines saxophone and guitars for a sound slightly like Brian Jonestown Massacre mixed with Morphine.

Second #10. Black Girls - Hell Dragon

Looks like we forgot this important album, because it was released all the way back in January.

photo by Sounds of RVA

9. Cole Sullivan - White Overtone Wind

He had us at throat singing, the first tones of the album. The gentle and intricate acoustic guitar is all the accompaniment Sullivan needs for his enchanting croonerisms.