Close Talker - “Mop Water”
Stay Sweet Records is about to release Close Talker’s new self-titled debut LP, and they let us take a sneak listen to this track called “Mop Water.” Melodic and Weezer-era punk goodness fill this track, and the off-kilter harmonies sound wonderfully sour. We can’t wait for the rest of the album!
Lightfields - “Goo Goo Muck” (The Cramps cover)
Lightfields has released a fun cover song that they recorded way back in 2009. These guys know how to do it up! This track was engineered at Sound of Music Studios four drummers ago.
Don’t miss Lightfields’ next show, 6/7 @ Gallery 5 with Paul Ivey, Isle of Rhodes, and Robes of Alchemy (ex-Sacred Teachers, Invisible Friends).
Bad Magic - koritfw
The duo Bad Magic, featuring the enchanting Julie Karr as well as Jimmy Held (White Laces), has released an album with tracks engineered by Allen Bergendahl (Scott’s Addition Sound). Known for her intimate acoustic performances, Karr takes things to the next level with electric garage rock. Held plays drums, and his rhythms are nasty. Karr’s lusty alto belts out the dark melodies, and we don’t even miss the bass. Held actually plays bass on the last track, “Cool Hand,” but it’s so soft and low on the neck that it barely counts. Other tracks like “Sympathy Card” have riffs designed around a lower-end guitar, but for the most part, it’s treble and percussion all the way.
The coolest part of this album is the singability. Karr’s catchy airs will get you to sing along, even if you’re not a vocalist. “You got the cruelest heart/You don’t even know,” she cries in “Cruelest Heart.” She’s got this gospel quality as well, which sort of floods every song with this intense spiritual sense. Well done, guys.
photo by PJ Sykes Photography
Tim Barry - “Idle Idylist”
Catch a glimpse of Tim Barry’s personal, early recordings in new album Laurel St. Demos and Live at Munford released through Chunksaah Records. In 2004-2005 Tim Barry recorded a few tracks that essentially began his solo career of traveling and songwriting. Then in 2008, Barry played for a group of second graders at Mary Munford Elementary School. These tracks have been previously released through Suburban Home Records but the albums have since gone out of print. I’m assuming this particular track is part of the Laurel St portion since the f-bomb is dropped a few times. I keep thinking my mom would love Tim Barry but forget that cursing offends people.
Anyway, you can pre-order the album here.
4 notes -
2 months ago
- Tagged Mean Jeans Portland punk rock The Nile RVA 4/18 The Shirks Big No Hollywood
Mean Jeans - On Mars
Portland’s Mean Jeans will be gracing RVA with their presence soon (4/18 @ The Nile), and if you don’t know, now you know. We have missed at least two of the band’s visits to fist city (one was on a Monday, and we’re still kicking ourselves), so this is a MUST.
If you don’t have Are You Serious? in your partying life, I feel sorry for you.
To Recap:
Mean Jeans @ The Nile, 4/18 with Hollywood (Baltimore punx), The Shirks (DC) and Big No (RVA). Exactly one week away!
Stay tuned to our column at RVA Mag on Tuesday for some in-depth Mean Jeans!
photo by Marc Gaetner
Hot Dolphin - Hotter Dolphiner
Our buds in Hot Dolphin have just released a tape of 4 cuts, and they are currently on tour to promote it. We Richmonders can get our grubby paws on the clear hot pink beauties on 4/14 @ Banditos with Faux Ferocious and Nervous Ticks.
Heavy distortion fills these tracks, and the garage rock gets bawdy and unapologetic. Striking syncopated drumbeats (Tim Falen) provide a great canvas for Lindsey Spurrier’s processed noise vocals on “Animal.” From the count-off on “In Between,” the track is heavy and Ramones-y. The guitar solo (Robert Barrow) is sloppy, bent, and perfect while the bass-line (Alison Hancock, married to Barrow) is an ever-present beacon.
If you’re in these cities, you need to check out these guys:
4/8 - Nashville, TN @ Springwater w/ Ttotals
https://www.facebook.com/events/508030449234935/
4/9 - Memphis, TN @ The Lamplighter w/ Concord America, & The Sheiks
http://www.facebook.com/events/157456244416573/
4/10 - Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn w/ Concord America, & The Illiterates
https://www.facebook.com/events/483480448372332/
4/11 - Athens, GA @ Max Canada w/ Shehehe
https://www.facebook.com/events/153527678145632/
4/14 - Richmond, VA @ Banditos w/ Faux Ferocious, & The Nervous Ticks
http://www.facebook.com/events/108413846020707/
photos by Mike Rutz
Men’s Room - 2013 (recorded by Bob Quirk)
Men’s Room (Human Smoke, Body Cop, Little Master) consists of dudes who work the door at Strange Matter, and they just released a demo for 2013. The band includes Ian Mills and Josh Viles.
“Runaway World” kicks off the EP with loud and heavy rock. The guitars rip and drums splice and crash. “Young Lungs” is the lengthiest track on the demo, and its heartbeat rhythm settles in your soul.
They are currently on tour and will be back in Richmond 4/8 @ The Compound with Inter Arma and Heavy Midgets. Other dates include:
4/5 Fort Wayne @ 1624 N. Harrison St. w/Inter Arma
4/6 Columbus @ a house w/Inter Arma
4/7 Huntington @ Funkytown w/Inter Arma, Reptile Zoo
Conditions - “Open Eyes”
Oh, hey, Conditions is a pretty huge band from RVA whose new album, Full of War, came out yesterday. This is the first official video from the album and is NSFW. The song itself is anthemic and epic.
Conditions is currently on tour and won’t be back to their hometown until 4/26 @ Canal Club for their official CD release show. There are a bunch of other bands on the bill like: Broadside, Life on Repeat, This or the Apocalypse, Honour Crest, My Enemies and I, and Under City Skylines. 5 pm, all ages, $5, smoke-free.
The Nervous Ticks - A Loathe Supreme
Everybody’s favorite anxious freak punks The Nervous Ticks are back with a new five-song EP. There are 50 cassettes made for a brief set of dates in February and March. The play on Coltrane’s A Love Supreme is pretty perfect for these noisy garage gems. The album was recorded by Brent Delventhal (Warren Hixson) on a Tascam 424 for that extra lo-fi finish.
