Rusko and Smash Gordon
Saturday, October 23 at The Canal Club

When it was first announced that dubstep artist Rusko was playing a show at Richmond's Canal Club, many people didn't take a second look. However, seemingly between the time of the announcement and the day of the show, Rusko blew up in both the Richmond and national music scenes. More and more people were grabbing ahold of the dubstep coat-tails and riding them wherever they went. This past Saturday, they brought them to the corner of 17th and Cary Street.

The first thing I noticed upon arrival was the line, which seemed to be 3 blocks long and 20 people thick. Talking amongst others around me revealed that Rusko had drew people to Richmond from all parts of Virginia. After some careful line maneuvering, I entered the club about 45 minutes later. At first I was puzzled, as I saw no DJ's and only heard very faint music. Walking through the doorway upstairs, though, helped reassure me that tonight was going to be a memorable one.

Smash Gordon was on deck when I walked in and the crowd was already going nuts. The low ceilings and large open space led me to envision a time when parties like this had to be held in secret. A small but effective security staff combined with a large bar helped bring the intensity inside to a new high. People were running around, jumping on each other and everything. Funnily enough, Rusko was not even anywhere in sight yet.

After a beautifully crafted set by Smash Gordon, people were ready to see the man they came for. As Rusko walked onstage with a bottle of Grey Goose that had clearly been worked on a bit, you could feel the anticipation levels in the room rise. And then it happened. The first track started and the bass hit. When it combined with the awesome club lighting, senses were sent into overdrive. This was unlike any Rusko performance I had seen before.

This was the longest set I had ever seen Rusko play, and he played every song a fan could ask for. Somehow, he kept going strong until approximately 3:30 AM, when it became evident that playing any longer would leave some people with a stack of fines--or maybe that the crowd just couldn't take it anymore.

The evening was one of the craziest electronic concert experiences I have had. I was not the only one with this opinion, as Twitter revealed that afterwards, Rusko posted a comment that described the evening perfectly. He said, "Ay ay ay been a min since we had a ruckus in the rave!!! Pure squashup sweat and ringing ears. Richmond got DOWN." Who knew that an artist who has performed in NYC, Miami, and Los Angeles could then find out that the craziest crowds of them all are right here in Richmond.

Night Birds - Midnight Movies (No Way)

Night Birds' new EP is less raw than their demo, less surf-y than their first EP, and probably the best recording they’ve released so far. This EP is chock full of surf-rock inspired guitar riffs underneath punchy, snotty vocals in the vein of 80s California punk. Its lyrical content pays a lot of tribute to the 80s B-Horror circuit, which the band describes as being “the punk rock of films.” Night Birds are certainly not the first band in punk rock to display affection for B-Movie culture, with particular respect to the horror side of things. With many of those bands, however, I feel like the band relies too much on their gimmick to be taken seriously. This is not the case with Night Birds. The movies, the gore--the shtick, if you will--are secondary to the music, which is fast, catchy, and draws from varied enough influences to keep it interesting at all times. It’s the lovechild of a wild one-night stand between Jello Biafra and Dick Dale, with Lloyd Kaufman sneaking his way into the bed in the middle of the night. Freaky stuff. This is great work from a very promising band.

You can catch Night Birds live at Gallery 5 on Tuesday, October 26th at Shitty Halloween with No Friends, Dead to Me, Southside Stranglers, and Grown Ass Men.

Ever been hanging out at a friend's place when a song comes on their stereo that makes you sit forward suddenly? It's not that there's anything particularly startling about that song, but rather, you realize as you glance around nonchalantly to see if anyone noticed your breach of cool, you had it set as your ringtone for a while. You associate these sounds with an instantaneous call to action, they have preceded important events and conversations. This is the effect the word "Halloweek" has on its veteran revelers. Richmond is a Halloween town, given to morbid fantasies and the haunted nuances of graveyards and cobblestone alleys, to costumed parties, legendary throwdowns, and ritualistic excess. We can't get enough of a good thing, and we're *really* good at Halloween. It would follow then, as surely as mimosas at brunch follow a hangover, that we would not be content to allow the celebration to pass within the standard duration of lesser holidays such as New Year's Eve, Labor Day, or Thanksgiving. And all we had to do was trade in an "n" for a "k". The point, is that it's our time of year again, Richmond. Time to shine like a PBR logo carved out of a pumpkin. This is your guide to shining. Because all work and no play...

Tuesday the 26th

It's SCARY-OKE karaoke at Sticky Rice! You can pretty much get the idea from the title, AND you can make all sorts of tasteless jokes about how "scary" it will be to hear your friends try to sing. Or not. 10pm

And Shitty Halloween!

Wednesday the 27th

Ever wondered who would win at Rock, Paper, Scissors: Darth Vader, or The Dude? We're not guaranteeing this particular match, but you shouldn't rule it out.
Katra Gala presents The Return of Rock, Paper, Scissors at Bellytimber Tavern. There are costumes involved. Craziness is advertised. That's like... permission. 10pm

The daring, devilish, and demonic duo Deanna Danger & Deepa de Jour have cooked up something very special in their cauldron for you Bon Bon Burlesque fans this month THE HORROR HOUSE OF WONDER!!! A two-night cult horror movie extravaganza! Featuring two different horror movies on two different nights, with two different casts! 8pm Wonderland (Wed&Thursday)

Our Friends at EQ are proud to present their First Annual FREAKQUENCY Halloween Party at THE FEAR FACTORY (aka The Hat Factory, 140 Virginia St, Downtown Richmond) featuring the music of THE POLISH AMBASSADOR, Silo Effect's DJ CHENCHILLA and red-hot newcomer GHOST PAYNE along with an indoor Haunted House, Costume Contest, drink specials and more Halloween-themed surprises than you can shake a bat at! 9pm

Thursday the 28th

The Taint VHS Release / Halloween Screening! At Gallery 5 - screening of the local funny horror film by Drew Bolduc. Come get pumped for Halloween with The Taint. It will be totally fun!

Did you hear that? That was the sound of every beer geek in the city gasping and scrambling to rearrange their schedules. Mekong's HALLOBEER costume party is on Thursday the 28th. The New Belgians are playing, there will be amazing beer and Pho King! Mekong is for beer lovers. HALLOBEER is for... wait... yeah, beer lovers!! 8pm Mekong

At Empire hosts a Zombie Prom Dance Party. What you have to do to be named prom king and queen at a zombie prom, we don't know. The mind reels. Come out and zombie dance in your most wicked. 10pm

Friday the 29th

Friday, right around the time you start to feel alive again (10pm), is The Return of the Raging Dead at New York Deli, presented by Audio Ammo and RVA Magazine. DJs Doddie and Long make their triumphant return, and they're giving out swag from West Coast Kix and Need Supply Co. Baller.

Saturday the 30th "All Hallows eve"

6th Annual Zombie Walk in Carytown. Richmond loves to bring the apocalypse early with our gathering of stumbling, drooling, and bloody zombies parading through carytown. Its always fun to see the people that have no clue whats going on running for there lives. This year, the pre-walk meet up spot will be at Byrd Park (Boat Lake) There we will collect fundraiser donations, judge the costume contests and go over the rules for the actual event in Carytown. 12pm-4pm. Byrd Park/Ellwoods

Saturday, the day the rest of the world is likely to start celebrating Halloween, is RVA Magazine Official Halloween Party " MASSACRE-ADE BALL" at The Hat Factory with Cobra Krames, PLF's Reinhold and Mr. Jennings, Audio Ammo's Bobby La Beat, and MC/Ringmaster Parker Galore. If there were a way to write out the guttural noises this should be eliciting right now, you'd be reading it. This is madness. And over $700 dollars for the costume contest. Why would you miss this? Bring your best! 9pm. Hat Factory

Also at 10 is HALLEAUX-Ween at Balliceaux, featuring the notorious dancemaker Mikemetic Kemetic and a costume contest worth $300. Classy stuff, to be sure. We're trying to figure out how to pull of "mummy chic".

Sunday the 31st "Halloween"

Sprout is hosting a Zombie Brunch for all you ghouls to feast well before venturing out for more. There will be a flesh-inspired menu and Zombie dress is encouraged for the costume contest with prizes! Feeding starts at 11am til 4pm. Sprout

Richmond's Fifth Annual Halloween Parade! A Funeral March for the Dead with all Saints Theatre! Sunday, Halloween night. 7pm...meet at monroe park ready to carry puppets and be rowdy! need bicycles to block traffic!

Finally, Halloween night (you know, the *actual* holiday) goes out with an explosion of zombified limbs and howling spirits. The Sticky Rice Halloween Bash kicks off with plenty of freaks, food, and fermented beverages, photo shoots!!, and swag and prizes (from West Coast Kix and Need Supply Co.) and shameless indulgence for all. 10pm Sticky Rice

Weezie-ween with DJ Bobby Rock and a cash prize costume contest insures there will be a steady procession of the un-dead staggering between Carytown and Strawberry Street. Weezie's in Carytown. 9pm

This is your week, Richmond. Let's make some stories to tell around the fire next year.

LINKS to event pages:
6th Annual Richmond Zombie Walk
Sprout
Parade
Return of the Raging Dead
Burlesque
The taint
Turbo P - RVAlution
Masquerade ball

Make sure to check out Hat Factory's Fear Factorys Events HERE

In this episode the guys got the very cute Sara and her Aunt, also named Sara on the show. They make sex dolls for Private Island Beauties and they came on to talk about being Persian and making sexdolls. The dolls were creepy, the girls were hot, and the bobble gods TRIED to make the best of it. Lots of laughs, raunchy humor, and sexy talk. They even try to get the ladies to demonstrate... but you'll just have to listen.

CLICK HERE FOR BOBBLEHEADS

Tim Barry and Josh Small
Saturday October 16 at The Camel

There's a man from North Carolina on stage at The Camel with Tim Barry and Josh Small. He's not singing or playing an instrument. He wasn't on the bill. What he is doing is proposing to his girlfriend. She says yes and everyone cheers. The multicolor refraction of stage lights gleam faintly off the raised glasses that sprout up from the crowd.

For all the hallowed dominions of memory and regional identity presided over by Tim Barry's music, nothing serves as quite so potent a demonstration of the vast and passionate influence the stuff has had--on his fans, our city, and the Southern folk/punk movement as a whole--as this simple, unexpected experience. It's not a stretch to assert the distinctly Richmond quality of Barry's songwriting: the guy names all of his albums after parts of this town. His Local Hero status is indisputable. It makes sense, then, that the people here would cultivate a deep connection to his music; there's just something about all of us in these songs. That said, this wasn't a Richmonder proposing on stage. I'd like to think that this is an indication of the universality of the Richmond spirit, but I don't want to downplay the significance of Tim Barry's capacity to capture that spirit.

Richmond is a punk town that got a little older and started listening to the mountains. A place of unfulfilled, left-leaning, partially subdued counterculturists still clutching the dream of revolution like the beer cans that take their place. And that's pretty much who Barry is, too, though I suspect he's been listening to the mountains all along. It may be logical to conclude that there is some sad resignation endemic to this condition, an overriding sense of hopelessness in drunken odes to the failed trials of creating a more just world. What I really hear in it, though, is the undying, immutable voice of justice; the melodies of its eventual triumph over the forces of tyranny and dispassionate living. Tim Barry is a monument to the creative potential of humanity, the artistic potential of our city, and the dormant if easily roused radical within.

His show was a chorus of camaraderie, a community of musical reflection--part drunken bar scene, part family reunion. It's not in Barry's nature to over-saturate his hometown with performances, and as such, you're not likely to see him on a bill for a while. He'll be back, though; he always comes back. And when he does, it will be worth the wait.

The mysterious TURBO P makes his debut at RVALUTION tonight at the FEAR FACTORY aka Hat Factory. He hails from the far reaches of VA and has come riding a dark horse to bring the electronic vibe you have come to love at RVALUTION!

Check the FACEBOOK EVENT HERE for the full story and peep this pretty picture.

Make sure to buy your tickets HERE in advance using the promo code "RVA" for the VIP discount. The code can be used when you get to the club too.

Tickets $6 over 21. $8 under

This is a special time of year for many music enthusiasts around the country. Thousands of people are making their annual pilgrimage to Gainesville, Florida for this year’s Fest. Being one of the last major stops between DC and Atlanta has placed Richmond in the enviable position of being a major tour stop, as bands work their way down I-95 to the year’s biggest underground music event.

The two weeks on either side of The Fest are a busy time in Richmond, with many of our own bands playing kickoff shows as they begin their tours to Gainesville. But on any given night of the week you are likely to find one or two shows around town featuring five to six touring bands playing without local support. This is a golden opportunity for music lovers to see old friends, find new bands, and settle in for the long winter ahead, a time when shows tend to slow down from the summertime frenzy. I’d like to think of the weeks around The Fest as a pleasant aftershock to the thunderous quake that is Best Friends’ Day (or, if you are attending The Fest, a precursor to more destruction). The bands roll in and out and the best you can do is hold on tight and try to take it all in.

Great bands have already come and gone this week: Iron Chic, Sister Kisser, Static Radio, The Arteries, Spraynard, Break the Habit, 1994!, Big Kids, Calvinball, Arms Aloft, and The Transgressions have all played in the last two days. If you missed any of these great shows, tonight is a good chance to start making up for it.

Cheap Girls, Laura Stevenson and the Cans, and others will be playing a matinee show at the Tight House (ask a friend if you need to know where that is. These kids would prefer not to deal with the police). After that, head over to Gallery 5 for Shitty Halloween with Night Birds, No Friends (top image), Dead to Me, Southside Stranglers, and Grown Ass Men.(ed. note - this happened last night)

Tomorrow night is Strike Anywhere, A Wilhelm Scream, The Flatliners, and Mouthbreather at Strange Matter. Obviously, this is not a show you want to miss. Strike Anywhere don’t play venues as small as Strange Matter often, and a chance to see them do so in their hometown is not one to be passed up. Get there early, because there’s no way this show won’t sell out.

On the other side of the Fest is a slurry of house shows for your enjoyment. On November 2nd at the Tight House, you’ll be able to see 90s influenced alt rock from Buffalo’s Failures’ Union with their English friends Bedford Falls. That show also features New York’s Big Eyes, who keep things in the 90s vein, though with more of a dirty pop punk vibe than Failures’ Union or Bedford Falls. Locals The Two Funerals and Little Master round up this very enticing line-up.

Two days later, on November 4th at The Library (once again, ask a friend) you’ll be able to see Grown Ups (check them out if you missed them earlier this week!), Philadelphia emo group Boyfriends, Unfun, and new Richmond band Sports Bar. Lots of great stuff that is a little bit under the normal radar on this show.

The next night (November 5th, for those keeping track) you can head back to the Tight House for a solid lineup of East Coast punk rock, featuring Timeshares from New York, and familiar faces The Measure [sa] from New Jersey. Timeshares have made several stops in Richmond, if you haven’t seen them under this name you may remember a band called the Knockdown – this is the same group with a new name. The Measure have a new record out and their infectious New Brunswick pop-punk is too good to miss. Worn in Red provide local support, and Richmond ex-pats Sexy Crimes will also join the fun. Go see some old friends and make some new ones.

Do you see what I’m getting at? FUN SHIT is happening in this city nearly every night for the next two weeks. Despite my best efforts to include everything, I’m sure there are plenty of other great shows happening in this time that I’m not remembering right now. Get out of your house, get involved, have fun, see some great music, and take care of one another. This is a time for decadent bar tabs, all night sing-a-longs, bad decisions, and all night porch sessions with old friends. This is what music fans live for. This should be fun.

It seems likely that many music fans are only familiar with Ryan Parrish's work as drummer for metal band Darkest Hour. However, while the precision and intensity with which he plays provide a solid backbone for that band’s brand of melodic metal, Parrish involves himself with a substantially wider variety of musical endeavors than might be expected of a heavy metal drummer. His solo ambient project, Years, trades equally in pastoral Brian Eno-style ambience and darker, more unsettling material. His work with avant-garde collective Rope Cosmetology blends the propulsive rhythmic qualities of krautrock with the careening dissonance of free jazz. As drummer for Suppression, he has helped that band shift focus from their early incarnation as a noise-influenced power violence band to something more akin to Ruins or early Butthole Surfers. I thought I had my work cut out for me asking about these bands, but it turns out that he had even more up his sleeve, leaving me wondering how the guy finds time to eat or sleep. We began by discussing Years, whose new double CD collection, Semblance, comes out on Magic Bullet Records next month.

RVA: So what was the initial inspiration for Years? Was it a reaction to the louder, harsher music for which you’re better known?

RP: I don’t know. I guess I’ve been doing shit like that for so long under the radar. I finally found a collection of songs I was pretty into and someone else liked, which was weird. Most of the Years stuff is more atmospheric and experimental. This stuff just came off as more soundtrack-ish. I don’t know how that happened, it just kinda did. Some of those songs on there are six years old, just things I’d been working on and tinkering around with for so long. I guess it’s always been there, I just never really had a chance to express it publicly.

RVA: What’s the process you go through for creating the Years material? Do you have any training on instruments other than drums, or is it just an intuitive process?

RP: I have absolutely no idea if it’s working musically or not. I just hear it all in my head and I try to transpose what’s in my head onto actual music. So no, I have absolutely no training in music whatsoever. Which is probably why I shouldn’t be releasing music like this.

RVA: Well, some of the best music has been made by the least-trained musicians. Are these songs something that you could pull off live or is Years going to remain a studio entity?

RP: Some of it I could pull off live, some of it there’s absolutely no way. It all just depends. There’s a couple tracks I could do live but even then it would be weird. A lot of the stuff on there is improvised, so if I were to do it live it would never be the same as what you hear on the record. I guess the basic theme of the song would be there, but whatever layers on top would be whatever I came up with right there.

RVA: What sort of instrumentation do you use?

RP: Keyboards, some drum tracks. Most of it’s synth and computer sounds, because I don’t have access to very much else. I run shit through a lot of different pedals and tweak it so you can’t really tell what it is anyways. Most of it, I’d say like eighty percent of it, was written on my computer.

RVA: The name Years itself seems fairly broad and open-ended, characteristics shared by the music itself. Was the name intended to reflect the sonic openness of everything?

RP: I think I called it that... That’s a good way to put it actually. A lot of times music gets condensed into a category. And then, when you say “remember back in the 80s?” or “remember back in the 90s” or remembering the years of all these bands and subgenres and shit. You get to the point where you realize that music is still just music no matter what year it comes out in, there were just forms of music that caught your eye at particular moments. I feel like with Years, why I call it that, is because I don’t really want people to look back and say “hey, remember that Years record from the 90s?” I want every release to sound like a collective balance of what I can do. Does that make any sense?

RVA: Yeah, it makes sense.

RP: I don’t want to date anything.

RVA: Right, when you don’t have it tied to a specific time and place, it reduces the emphasis on things like nostalgia. Cheap emotional ploys like that.

RP: Makes sense.

RVA: And it seems like the best way to do that is by consciously trying to resist creating something that’s going to be looked back on nostalgically or wistfully as belonging to a specific time and place.

RP: I guess I’m a product of the 70s because that’s when I was born, but at the same time I don’t feel myself being a thirty-three year old man, so I don’t want to date myself because I don’t feel that way. I’ve been here for thirty-three years, but I don’t feel thirty-three years old. I don’t know if that makes any sense either. I just kind of want the music to envelope time itself and not a time frame-–not a certain time, just time.

RVA: There are a lot of people who would claim to make so-called “timeless music” or whatever and miss the mark. It can work well when it’s done right, but that’s a high bar to hurdle.

RP: Yeah, I just want people to hear it in ten years and say “yeah that sounds great” not “that reminds me of 2010.”

RVA: One of the terms you used to describe the music was “soundtrack-ish.” Were there any inspirations from which you drew that are non-musical-–cinematic or otherwise?

RP: Yeah, for every song I had almost a scene in my head when creating it. If I want either a somber experience or more of a joyful appeal-–every time I was writing a song I had a certain emotion as far as what I could see two characters, or even one character, having to tackle, or to confront, or to overcome. Which is kind of strange when you write music. That’s why, for everything I do, I take a basic idea and build on it and layer it so you can feel the progression of a character’s strife or what they have to overcome.

RVA: Do any of the scenes you come up with in your head prior to composing the music work independently or is there more of a cohesive narrative between sections?

RP: My initial idea is to have them work together but they tend to stray. I don’t know if you noticed, but the first track of the first disc is actually embedded in the last track of the second disc. I don’t know, I feel like it is all one soundtrack, if you want to put it that way. It’s all one thought, but I tend to stray a little bit as I go. There are some tracks on there that don’t really fit the mold of what I’m doing. Overall, yes, I do have the thought of having them all connect. If it actually comes out that way, I don’t know. I feel like the first disc is different from the second disc but they have so many of the same elements. Disc one is more joyous. Or not really joyous, that’s not really the right word, but more of an uplifting disc.

RVA: The other half of the Years material, the stuff you characterized as being more experimental than “soundtrack-ish,” do you approach that with the same conceptual approach?

RP: I start off everything trying to take a basic idea and build on it, and either it’ll go in a more musical direction or it’ll go into a more experimental direction. It just depends on how I hear it. Usually what will happen is that I’ll start an idea, build on it, and if I start to feel like it’s getting too hokey or even if it feels like it’s not talking back to me, then I’ll just start to fuck with it and really tweak it and change it and that’s when it becomes more experimental.

RVA: Is that sort of approach a little more familiar, considering much of your musical background consists of harsher, more dissonant music?

RP: Absolutely. I won’t sit here and tell you that I sit here and focus on not being experimental. But a lot of times I have to step off what I’m doing to make sure I don’t get too out there. Especially when I have an idea that I want to come through. Otherwise, I’ll just end up burying it altogether. But yeah, I would say a lot of my experimental ideas come out of that.

RVA: Especially if you’ve worked with heavier music for a while, it can seem weird to do gentler material. You can almost feel naked without the big amps to hide behind.

RP: Like they say, you have the left and right side of your brain. For me, the heavier and more musical side is straightforward to the left of my brain, but the right side still needs to be used. It’s really nice to have that outlet, it’s a really great escape and I’m enjoying myself. That’s why I’m doing so much other stuff.

RVA: And speaking of your more dissonant side, the work you’ve done with Rope Cosmetology seems pretty--even by the standards of a lot of the bands you’ve been in-–abrasive.

RP: Yeah, I’m really into this ensemble.

RVA: How did it come about?

RP: This is the best part. I know a guy named Balazs Pandi, he’s from Hungary. He does a lot of stuff on his own-–very experimental. He does stuff with Venetian Snares, Merzbow, stuff like that. Very busy man. Anyways, he and I had been in contact for years and he was starting a project with Tom Smith, the singer of To Live And Shave In L.A., and contacted me to see if I wanted to be in this ensemble they were doing. It was us three, then there was a saxophonist and trumpeter by the name of Feri Kovacs, and a bass player by the name of Tim Lane Seaton from California. So how it started was through e-mail, of course. We’re an internet band. So we started e-mailing each other ideas and we put out a full release that was all done through the internet. Then I flew to Europe, because Tom lives in Germany, and met with everyone. We all got together and composed for ten straight days. Then we played two shows, one in Paris and one in Hanover. We had so much material at that point that we released on Karl Schmidt Verlag Records, Tom’s label. It’s hard to describe the stuff. It’s like free jazz, experimental, improv. Everything has a focus and a meaning, but we all go with it.

RVA: That’s one thing I noticed when listening to it. A lot of it had a really strong contrast between the dissonant, free-flowing improvised approach and the stronger, steadier rhythmic drive less characteristic of free-improvised music. How much was composed versus improvised?

RP: I would play a drum beat and then everyone would go in with me. Then when we found something we were into, we would just repeat that idea and stick with a certain rhythm. We had little cues to change, but it was all whenever any of us felt like giving the cue. That’s why I’d say improv, because nobody know when we would get the cue to change. Either vocally, drum-wise, bass guitar-wise-–whenever we felt the need to move in the song, we would. So it is constantly turning. It’s weird to say it, because we were writing songs but we weren’t writing songs. I mean, Tom did write vocals, he wrote lyrics that he sings the same every time. But when he sings them depends on when the band decides to change the mood. That’s why I like it so much: you’re just going for it.

RVA: It seems like a very organic approach to it.

RP: It is.

RVA: Is there any degree of difficulty to working intercontinentally?

RP: Yes. People tend to disappear sometimes, because life goes on and they’re six hours ahead of us in Europe and Tim the bass player is four hours behind. So the time changes are crazy and it’s hard to get things together. But once we actually all are focused and start sending material back and forth, stuff tends to get done pretty quickly.

RVA: How active a project would you consider Rope Cosmetology?

RP: After we played together for two weeks and did the two shows, we corresponded through the mail. But we’ve got three releases on the brink of release. We’ve got one coming out on 905 Tapes.

RVA: Oh, Mike Haley’s label. That’s cool.

RP: One of our first releases was more experimental, more electronic. There were drums, saxophone, and vocals on it, but it was more electronic. And we’ve got another one of those that we’ve all been doing for the past month or so, that should be released this year at some point. So no, it’s not active compared with a real band. We don’t ever really get together and it takes eight to nine months to really get anything done, but I enjoy it quite a bit.

RVA: Have you gotten any negative or ambivalent reactions from people who are better acquainted with your work in Darkest Hour?

RP: Absolutely. A lot of people don’t understand. And I don’t expect everybody to. The split that we did, I would take that on tour for a while and people would pick it up and ask about it and I would tell them as best I could what it was. And they would take it home and I would get e-mails complaining that there weren’t any drums on it. And I told them that there were no drums, that it was experimental and ambient or whatever, but it’s hard to explain to a lot of metalheads what that means.

RVA: Yeah, a lot of metalheads’ exposure to “experimental music” extends about as far as Isis or something that might be weird by normal metal standards but doesn’t exactly break a lot of ground.

RP: Yeah, exactly. Like Earth or Burzum or something. I mean, I don’t get hate mail or anything but a lot of people don’t really understand why there’s no drums in it. That’s the complaint I hear the most. Honestly, I can’t play anything but drums really well but I do have a knack for trying. Can’t repress that. Sorry. Can’t play drums all the time.

RVA: Do you have any other musical curveballs people might not expect?

RP: I actually just played on the new Smoke Or Fire album that’s coming out in October. I think it’s called The Speakeasy but I’m not sure [EDITOR'S NOTE: That is the correct title]. I went to Chicago and recorded that this summer. And I’m also working with this band out of New York called Ghastly City Sleep.

RVA: I just interviewed them a few months ago. Interesting band.

RP: Oh cool, I just joined that band. We just did a tour, and we’re touring the whole country in October. Also very different, because it’s way left-field. Still playing drums, but for that band there’s a lot of backing tracks and things that I have to be more aware of. As far as my surroundings, I have to focus more on what’s happening all around me. With Darkest Hour, I’m back there and I’m just gonna pummel-–I’m gonna play fast, hit hard. I’m not saying Darkest Hour is boring in that sense, it’s just with Ghastly City Sleep there’s more I need to be aware of.

RVA: Is your involvement with that going to be more long-term or temporary?

RP: I think it’s going to be more long term. I think we’re going to start writing in the winter, maybe early spring. I’m excited about it. Those guys have been old friends for a long time, so it’s nice to be back in the saddle, so to speak.

RVA: What about your work with Suppression?

RP: We just put out an album called Alliance of Concerned Men on Magic Bullet Records. Jason Hodges, very brilliant bassist. That band’s a lot of fun. Very rhythmic, very strange.

RVA: And let me just interject that I’m personally really glad that band is still around. When I was 14 years old growing up in Roanoke, punk rock seemed like this alien entity that happened everywhere else. But when I found a Suppression record, it was mind-blowing to realize that there were people making music as intense and as unconventional as that in my own back yard.

RP: Yeah, he’s been doing it for a long time. Since the early 90s. He’s a brilliant dude. He’s got a lot going on too, musically. Amoeba Men, Bermuda Triangles, Mutwawa. Very musically creative man. CNP Records, all that stuff. It’s a pleasure playing music with him. Suppression is so much fun to be a part of. Keeps me on my toes.

RVA: Any other thoughts on your projects?

RP: If you play music and you have an intuition that you need to do something besides what you’re currently doing, I say follow it because you never know where it’s going to take you. It’s what I did, it’s exactly where Years came from. I never thought I could compose music on my own. And I’m not saying I do a great job at it, but at least I’m expressing it somehow and getting it out of me. I think it’s important that if you feel there’s a part of you that wants to express something to embrace it, to go for it. Helped me out a lot. Helps the brain stay balanced.

I would like to think this album cover of hip hop originator and superfly pimp Blow Fly would sum up everything it means to be at the ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS tournament tonight at BellyTimber Tavern. The adoring fan or hopefully fans, the rubber chicken as a symbol of strength and wisdom and the floating action, which could happen with enough tequilla, this images says it all. Do we encourage this kind of bizarre scene? Hell yes! Do we encourage you to bring RPS groupies? Affirmative! Do we want you to win? Absolutely!

Here are a few vids to get you pumped and in the right mindset. Signup starts at 8pm. Lets GO!

DISCLAMIER : This is you versus the other guy but playing Rock, Paper, Scissors instead of the stabby action.

If you need more, check below the break!

The reunited Swans playing their song "I Crawled" in Dublin last week. This version turns the pounding noise of the original into a foreboding, atmospheric epic, going just as far beyond the live version on 1997's Swans Are Dead as that version went beyond the studio original. And though I know plenty of people have plenty of love for former Swans female vocalist Jarboe, she'll never be as awesome as Michael Gira is on this recording. I'm hoping the current Swans lineup also release a double live LP at some point. I want an entire album's worth of this.

The choice is pretty easy for us, we are doing both.

At HALLOBEER, the Pho King will be making his yearly appearance at Mekong tonight to catch the New Belgians and of course, drink from the wide selection of exotic beer that An has collected.

Its exactly the relaxed, kick back affair that you needed after work with some of the best people in the city. Psst.... and for everyone that didn't know, beer is the answer!

While yours truly will revisit the awkward "wonder years" of my youth and be at Empire's Zombie Prom in light blue jacket and massive head wound. Follow the bloody trail to makeup artist Beth Gorley, who is on hand to make your face even scarier than it already is.

Soooo, what are you waiting for right? Get dressed and we will see you out there (way out there) and dont sweat the small stuff, we've got you you covered.

Metric with Lubec
Monday, October 25 at The National

In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I was not the writer originally assigned to cover this show. That writer got stuck working a late shift, and I was the only other writer available on such short notice. Before going to this show, I knew very little about Metric. In fact, I had only heard one of their songs. I knew that they had connections to the Broken Social Scene family of bands (Metric members Emily Haines and James Shaw play in the 20-plus-member Canadian supergroup, along with members of Do Make Say Think, Stars, Feist, and more), that they had a charismatic female vocalist, and that they mixed electronic touches with conventional rock instrumentation. I didn't know whether I liked them or not.

We arrived at The National while local openers Lubec were playing. I've been impressed by their recent studio work, but this was my first time seeing them live. The venue was not sold out, but definitely was more than half full, so Lubec got the opportunity to play for hundreds of local kids who might never have heard them otherwise. They made good use of it, playing their distorted pop songs with fervor and grace and winning over the entire crowd. I had been curious as to what sort of crowd Metric would draw, and looking around upon arrival at the National, I saw a lot of hands marked with the X's that mean "under 21." Teenagers, being at a point in their lives when they want to attract attention, are natural-born hecklers. No doubt they will someday look back at the things they did at concerts at this age and feel a vague sense of embarrassment. However, at their current ages, opportunities for heckling seem like their time to shine. So when Lubec would finish a song, it would only take a few seconds for the clapping to die down and the heckles to spring forth. They weren't malevolent heckles, either; as I said, Lubec won the crowd over quickly, and they took the jests of the crowd in stride, retorting to the heckles and poking fun at themselves when they made mistakes or took too long to tune. Their set was fun, and I saw nothing I didn't like from it. One can only hope that they made a few new fans, and that next time they play at some smaller local venue, some of the kids from the Metric show will come out and heckle them some more.

Once Lubec was finished, I headed toward the front of the stage. I ended up surrounded by the sort of awkward, hyperactive kids that are still too young to know how to act "cool." When the bands were playing, they danced with wild abandon, unconcerned with how they looked or what people around them thought of them. Now, while waiting for Metric to take the stage, they chattered excitedly amongst themselves, giving off waves of raw anticipation. I love being around these kinds of kids. I'm much more comfortable with their wide-eyed appreciation of everything they encounter at shows like this than I am with the standard jaded cynicism of people my own age. The evening's environment reminded me of all-ages shows I'd gone to back when I'd been a teenager myself. For me, though, those shows had been punk shows at much smaller local venues. There was an essential difference between the shows at which I came of age and this Metric show. No matter how alternative a band that plays at the National may be, shows at the National are rock shows, with their essential separation between bands and audience. That separation helps strengthen the impression that people in bands are somehow more interesting, more real, than the average person. This is the central tenet of celebrity culture in the 21st century: being famous makes you a higher class of human. It's an idea that's become so universally embraced that even reality show stars who are famous only for being ridiculous (i.e. the cast of Jersey Shore) develop an air of entitlement about themselves almost immediately.

Now, I'm no cultural snob; I don't think that there's anything wrong with young kids getting into more commercially-focused indie music instead of punk. But what I worry about is the cultural values that the modern indie scene passes on to them. Indie rock in the 90s was culturally closer to punk rock than it was to mainstream culture, but in the post-OC world, indie has gone mainstream. Such a thing can hardly be blamed on Metric specifically, and I'm not trying to make this their fault--it's the state of the genre, and I recognize that. But I can't pretend that I am into it. Encountering this dynamic at a Nickelback show is disappointing, but hardly surprising. However, I found it a bit jarring that Metric's performance seemed designed to remind the audience that these people are rock stars, that they are not like you. The way the band looked further emphasized this difference--nobody in the crowd looked anything like the performers onstage. The three male members wore rumpled dress shirts, vests and ties, getting the "sleazy rock dude" look down cold. Emily Haines, in turn, had the "frontwoman as emaciated model" look, her impossibly skinny frame draped in an off-the-shoulder gold lamé top and shiny stretch pants. As she danced and strutted around the stage, her thin blonde hair was constantly in her face, adding to the disheveled beauty queen look.

But before I go on, let me make something clear--no matter how it might seem so far, this is not a bad review. I might have had some weird political issues with the arena-rock conventions being unthinkingly played out onstage (and, to tell the truth, I kind of always do, even if I don't always say so), but those issues were unable to withstand the blast of awesomeness that was Metric's set. Like I said, I'd heard one Metric song before coming to this show, and that song, "Dead Disco," is seven years old. I didn't expect to hear it at all, and was pleasantly surprised when it showed up second-to-last in the main set. But before that, it was just one long wash of songs I didn't know. And they were all amazing. Metric's live sound is louder and more dominated by guitars and distortion than their studio recordings are, but they have the same fundamental feel. They remind me of bands that came out of the UK in the early 90s, at the same time that the alternative/grunge revolution was happening in the United States. It's hard to pin down exactly which of those bands that they remind me of, since they aren't really nailing the sound of any one in particular. I hear bits and pieces of Catherine Wheel, Curve, later Jesus And Mary Chain, and even Cocteau Twins, but chopped up into component parts and rearranged so completely that to say that Metric "sounds like" any of those bands would be a lie. Then there are the other influences that complicate the mix even further; for example, the drummer's willingness to underpin fundamentally rocking riffs with straight-up dance beats. And soaring and swirling overtop of it all are Emily Haines's keyboard lines, which play the same role in the band as lead guitar parts would, only sounding a lot less generic than any guitar ever could.

In the live environment, though, Haines kept her keyboard playing to a minimum, spending much more time in frontwoman mode. Her energy never flagged throughout the hour-plus set, and she stalked the edge of the stage, reaching out to the crowd and grabbing their full attention with her hypnotic gaze. She held the entire room under her sway by the end of the set, needing only to gesture in one direction or another to cause huge sections of the room to freak out. The main set ended with Metric's most recent single, "Stadium Live," which was tailor-made for crowd participation. Between the reverb on Haines's microphone and the fact that my hearing has degraded from years of loud rock shows, I couldn't make out what she was saying as she led the crowd in call-and-response chants, but the effect it had on the audience was obvious. When the band abandoned the stage before the encore, the place went ballistic, and even if encores hadn't been de rigeur at every rock show for the last 20 years, the enthusiastic crowd at the National would have demanded that Metric come back out and play a few more.

Their two-song encore started out with the loudest song of the night--the frantic, pounding "Black Sheep," recently given a higher profile by its inclusion in the film version of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (performed in the film by fictional band The Clash At Demonhead, whose singer was apparently modeled after Emily Haines). After blowing the place apart--and destroying at least my eardrums--with "Black Sheep," Metric did a 180-degree switch, with the rhythm section leaving the stage and guitarist James Shaw switching to an acoustic guitar. Shaw and Haines ended the show with a sweet, heartfelt acoustic version of "Gimme Sympathy," from their most recent album, Fantasies. The change in mood was significant, but it worked incredibly well, and the song clearly had significant emotional relevance for the majority of the crowd. At the end of the song, Haines sang a few notes of the song's synth melody, which hadn't been part of the bare-bones acoustic arrangement, and was almost immediately drowned out by the crowd singing it right back to her. It was a beautiful thing. It made me wish that I had gone into the show knowing more of Metric's music, so I could be part of it, rather than just an observer. This tender, intimate moment at the close of the set seemed like a true connection between crowd and audience, one that no amount of stage barriers and rock show atmosphere could ever prevent or take away. Despite all of my initial misgivings, it's that connection that formed my final impression of Metric as a band. I went into this show not knowing whether I liked them or not. I know now. Next time they come to Richmond, you can expect to see me there.

Over the past decade or so, Robert Smith of The Cure has done some pretty surprising collaborations. He's contributed vocals to tracks by Blink 182, Billy Corgan, and Junior Jack, among others. His contribution to a new single by controversial Canadian electronic group Crystal Castles is actually somewhat conventional by Smith's recent collaborative standards, and is very much worth a listen. The version of "Not In Love" that appeared on Crystal Castles II, released earlier this year, featured nearly inaudible vocals that put the emphasis on the song's music. However, the just-released single version adds a new vocal track by Robert Smith, placing his voice much higher in the mix. In so doing, it changes the song from a typical dreamy-sounding Crystal Castles track to something a lot closer to an electronic pop song. The off-kilter style that pervades Crystal Castles' usual work is not something that can be de-emphasized, though; the high, spiking synth notes that project through the song's chorus like shards of audio glass are still quite striking. In fact, it's precisely this unusual juxtaposition--Smith's indelibly New Wave-identified vocals mixed with the jagged edges of Crystal Castles' somewhat abrasive sound--that makes "Not In Love" work so well. In fact, I'd argue that the version with Smith's vocals is significantly better than the version that appears on the album, and stands out where the album version blends in amongst the songs surrounding it.

"Not In Love" is not a Crystal Castles original; it's a cover of a 1983 single by the Canadian group Platinum Blonde. Platinum Blonde had around a dozen top 40 hits in the mid-80s in Canada, but are not very well remembered outside of that country. Due to notorious Canadian laws designed to boost domestic culture, there are many groups, dating especially from the 80s and early 90s, that were quite popular within that country but unheard-of outside its borders. Platinum Blonde is but one of these, and as 80s New Wave groups go, they are not the greatest. It really just sounds like one of the wimpy pseudo-hard rock tunes of the era, only drenched in even more synth than usual. If anything, they are most reminiscent of Gene Loves Jezebel, though whether that band is any better remembered today than Platinum Blonde themselves is an open question. These days, when we hear the phrase "80s New Wave," we expect something more like New Order or The Human League, and where that sound is concerned, Crystal Castles come much closer to the mark 25-plus years later than Platinum Blonde ever did. For that reason, their cover of "Not In Love," especially the version with Robert Smith on vocals, seems to improve significantly upon the original.

As mentioned earlier, this Crystal Castles track is only the latest of surprising collaborative efforts in which Robert Smith has participated over the past decade or so. More about some of these collaborations after the jump.

The first, and perhaps still the weirdest, was with Blink 182 back in 2003, singing lead on their song "All Of This." It's a great song, but what really makes it weird is the fact that it sounds more like The Cure than does the self-titled album The Cure themselves released that same year. I'd argue that it's the best song The Cure have done since Wish (1992), but I can't, because it isn't The Cure at all, really.

Later that same year, Smith sang on a house track by Junior Jack called "Da Hype." Once again, Smith's vocals were eminently appropriate in a context you'd never expect. Junior Jack's backing track sounded nothing like anything The Cure had ever done, even at their most synthed-out, but nonetheless, the combination worked.

In 2005, Smith worked with Billy Corgan on a cover of the Bee Gees song "To Love Somebody," which appeared on Corgan's solo album The Future Embrace. Smith only contributed backing vocals to this track, with Corgan's voice dominating the mix, but the dreary, gloomy synthesizer washes that make up the song's instrumental sound have The Cure written all over them, harking back to the funereal atmosphere of early 80s albums like Faith and Pornography.

Considering all of these collaborations as a whole, what seems clearest is the wide sphere of influence Smith and The Cure's long-running career has encompassed. From grunge superstars to snotty young pop-punkers to electronic and house musicians, artists from many different genres are equally eager to work with Smith, and all of them seem to create music over which his voice is equally appropriate. This speaks not only to the diverse genres over which Smith's work has been influential, but also to the essential range and quality of his talent.

Last night was filled with dancing zombies and pumpkin brew and there was much rejoicing. Check the pics HERE from Empire's ZOMBIE PROM.

Tonight we get serious with the RVA & Audio Ammo's Return Of The Raging Dead at NY Deli and we are calling it right now - this could be the party of year. Doddie and Long bring their club trax back to set the Deli ablaze. Thank you to our sponsors West Coast Kix and Need Supply Co.

We have been working hard with the Hat Factory to make Saturday night's MASSACRE-ADE the best Halloween party in Richmond. This is RVA Magazine's official party and we are going to bring it. Horror/psychedelic inspired videos by Todd Raviotta, MC Parker Galore on the mic, Kiki the creepy Mannequin, Reinhold & Mr. Jennings of PLF, Audio Ammo's Bobby LaBeat and of course, Cobra Krames of Goldwhistle fame - all under one roof. Oh yeah, on top of all that nonsense - we are giving away over $700 in prizes for our favorites costumes.

And finally (if we survive) on HALLOWEEN, we have the double whammy STICKY HALLOWEEN BASH and WEEZIE-WEEN. Both are giving prizes for best costume but one has local legend DJ Bobby Rock and the other has The Paparazzi Photo Wall. Both will get you dancing. Both are going to be amazing.

That's it. We are in it to win it. Hope to see out there.

We've talked about it enough. See you tonight!

Die Antwoord
October 27 at 9:30 Club

Seeing Die Antwoord perform puts one at a loss for words. Listening to their studio recordings does what happens during their live performances no justice. Last Wednesday night at the 9:30 Club in Washington DC, this South African rap-rave group gave their fans a performance which explained why they were able to go in one short year from no-names in the US music market to performing in DC to a packed crowd. At any given time during the performance, you might catch sight of several unusual combinations of sight and sound. You might see the projector displaying distorted images of an orgy of breasts, butts, and too many limbs to count. Or you could see closeup images of the apparently self-inflicted tattoos of Ninja, one of the two MCs in the group. The image and voice of the other MC in the group, Yo-Landi Vi$$er, is hard to forget. Her unusual look combined with the ability to rap at pitches that shouldn't be possible for someone her age make it obvious why Die Antwoord is gaining popularity at an alarmingly fast rate. The shock factor this group is known for helps give them an edge in the music scene today.

It's hard to imagine that less than a year ago, this unusual act played their first US show at the Coachella Music Festival in California. Since then, they've signed to Interscope Records, who asked them to re-record their self-released album $O$, wishing to release a better quality recording then the original self recorded version. They have embarked on a massive US tour and even enlisted the help of notorious producer Diplo to rocket them into the spotlight. Their performance at the 9:30 Club was filled with the screaming obscenities; vulgur gestures; and comedic, almost awkward moments that we all came for. At one moment during the concert, having been singing an almost illegible South African slang, Ninja relayed to the audience the meaning of the unusual pairing of words. "Jou ma se poes in 'n fishpaste jar." This phrase, we learned, means, "Your mother's private parts in a fish paste jar," apparently a common insult said in South Africa when someone is "pissing you off, like a rock in your shoe." During the song "Rich Bitch," Yo-Landi Vi$$er sported a gold spandex bottom and short-cut shirt, singing vulgar lyrics and teasing the first few rows in the crowd with her newly spandexed rear end. The over-the-top crude gestures do not stop there. Ninja had a wardrobe change before the song "Zef Side," which featured him wearing iconic Dark Side of the Moon boxers and performing pelvic thrusts which left very little to the imagination.

Die Antwoord definitely put on a performance unlike no other, yet the often unintillegible lyrics and high-pitched squealing from Yo-Landi became a significant setback in my eyes. After screaming "FUCK YOU" to the crowd and letting out a squeal that caused many people around me to plug their ears, Yo-Landi left with the positive words "be happy." This show was an experience, to say the least. But would I go to their next show, given the opportunity? Let’s just say that I’ve reached my Die Antwoord limit for now.

Forgetters - Self-titled double 7 inch (Midheaven)

This four-song EP is the debut recording by Forgetters, a Brooklyn trio whose nascent sound combines melodic punk, moody indie rock and literate lyrics.

Though barely a year old, Forgetters are receiving a lot of attention because of the members' former projects. Drummer Kevin Mahon banged buckets in Against Me!’s original lineup, bassist Caroline Paquita was in Gainesville band Bitchin', and singer/guitarist Blake Schwarzenbach fronted Jets to Brazil and, more importantly, the legendary 1990s punk band Jawbreaker.

Discussing Jawbreaker is necessary because they provide the context in which almost everyone will first listen to Forgetters. Jawbreaker was a lot of people's favorite band, myself included. During a career that spanned roughly the first half of the 1990s, they honed their sound, evolving from terrific but somewhat predictable East Bay-style punk to biting alternative rock, with a rare combination of pop instinct, intelligent and self-aware lyrics, and huge, crashing production. After their breakup, Schwarzenbach fronted the less-exciting indie rock band Jets to Brazil, then dropped out of music for half a decade.

This is Forgetters’ first release. At best, it sounds like the high points of Jawbreaker’s last two albums. The personal lyrics and gritty fidelity recall the emotional urgency of 24 Hour Revenge Therapy, yet feature the mature musicianship of Dear You, with experimental urges sewn in instead of tacked on at the end. It’s remarkable how much these songs do not sound like a rehash. They sound like someone who has been away for a while, but has come home with a new perspective.

The thirteen minutes of music are spread across two seven-inch records, one song on each side. Staying near your stereo so you can flip sides every three minutes requires commitment. Thankfully, it is worth the trouble.

When I saw Forgetters in Chicago this fall, they kicked it off with the record’s first song, “Vampire Lessons.” It’s a classic opener with the vocals coming in at once. The song is salty punk with a choppy disco beat on the hook, which goes “Vampire lessons starting now/I need a companion to stalk the night.” Blake is still wistful and lonely, and the song sounds like the Psychedelic Furs recorded in a trashcan (not to dis talented producer Jeremy Scott). Total win.

Second is a slower song, “Too Small to Fail.” Great rhythm section here. I’m a fan of Mahon’s compact, punchy style of drumming. The music ebbs and flows, surging on hooks and bridges. In a recent interview, Schwarzenbach discussed his political awakening, and it’s made its way into his lyrics. “Love as war” metaphors have been beaten into the ground, but Schwarzenbach blurs the line between the two, making the personal political when he sings, “The trace affects of these foreign wars/I’m not sitting it out, I’m still in shock/And this cold old orbit never fails/As the city sleeps, we fly into the night.”

The Bob Mould-esque “Not Funny” starts off sounding like a clumsy misstep, with guitar and vocals distanced from the drums and bass. Luckily, it gathers steam when the guitar line opens up on the second verse, followed by a supremely catchy chorus. I nominate this as a candidate for a tighter rerecording on the full-length. As it stands, “Not Funny” serves as a reminder that, despite veteran members, Forgetters are a new band, and this is their first recording.

The record ends with the romantic anthem, “The Night Accelerates.” The slower-by-punk-standards tempo feels like energy gathering in your blood as you drink beer on a roof, watching the sun set over a cityscape. Lyrics like, “I ought to charge you by the hour for all the time I think on you” are classic examples of the punk heartache that Schwarzenbach should have patented in 1993.

If you are worried about his motivations in returning to a fully underground scene, consider this quote from an interview with Gabe Meline from City Sound Inertia: “It was a pretty natural progression, and I think I have some indie damage from the Jets where I just never want to be in a rock club with someone from the local free weekly being disinterested and asking questions.”

Or, as he sings in the last song, “In here I try to change my life/I hit the same wall every time.”

It’s lines like that that critics like me will turn ourselves inside out interpreting. But it doesn’t matter if those lyrics are about the singer’s music career, because anyone navigating maturity can relate to them. Loose playing and a demo-quality recording remind the listener that Forgetters are new, but there’s no denying that they’re very good, and that they are the rare “former members of” group that lives up to the standard set by their old bands. The Blake is back.

Click here to stream “The Night Accelerates” on my Tumblr.

Troy Medlin (or simply T.Roy) is no stranger to the East Coast and Dirty South heavy metal scenes. As far back as 1993, T.Roy was fronting influential sludge metal outfit Sourvein, who came together under the banner of "old gear, dirtweed, [and] the love of Black Flag/Black Sabbath/Robert Johnson/filth/doom." From 1996 through 1998, he was the touring sample man for Richmond, VA's own legendary sludge metal pioneers Buzzov-en. Yes, Mr. Medlin has earned his street cred.

Between tours in the late 90's, T.Roy earned his income and satisfied his boredom by booking bands at the Dixie Tavern in New Orleans, where he met and became fast friends with metal gods like High on Fire. Soon after, in 2000, Sourvein intended to release their debut album, Salvation, on Frank Kozik's label, Man's Ruin. Unfortunately, though, the label folded, and the record was instead released by the Game Two label. After relocating several times (living at one time or another in New York, New Orleans, Texas, Los Angeles, and North Carolina), Sourvein released their second album, Will To Mangle (2002), on Southern Lord. Things were looking up.

However, by 2003 Sourvein's future seemed as murky as the ever-present swamp water. With only a few releases to their name, and in light of the departure of his former fiancée and Sourvein co-founder Liz Buckingham (ex-13, currently in Electric Wizard), T.Roy had a lot of thinking to do. Would he disband Sourvein completely, or regroup? The answer was an easy one, as it would be for any lifer: Regroup, motherfuckers!

Seven years, several split records (two with Church of Misery, and one each with Rabies Caste, Blood Island Raiders, Weedeater, Hogjaw, and Thee Plague of Gentleman), three EPs (Emerald Vulture, Ghetto Angel, Imperial Bastard), a new project (Hail!Hornet--more about them below), a track on the EYEHATEGOD tribute album For The Sick, and a new Sourvein album (Black Fangs, on Candlelight Records), T.Roy has every reason to give a shiny, gold-toothed smile and lift his freshly cracked 40oz. in the air.

RVA: Hail!Hornet, your second band, is a Who's Who of American underground heavy metal players: Erik Larson (ex-Alabama Thunderpussy, Birds of Prey, Parasytic, Might Could), "Dixie" Dave Collins (Weedeater, Buzzov-en), and Vince Burke (Beaten Back to Pure). Many people would sell their first born to share a stage with these guys. Who are some musicians that you'd kill to jam with?

T.ROY: Yep, them dudes are good players! Um, jam with Lemmy (Motorhead), haha. I have before, as he produced our demo. Matt Pike (ex-Sleep, High On Fire)--I'd like to sing on some of his riffs. I'd like to front Doom (UK crust punk). Mark Morton (Lamb of God)--I'd like to scream on his breakdowns. Scott Kelly (Neurosis, Shrinebuilder) for sure. So many, really. I like jammin'.

RVA: Cape Fear, NC is where you are from and currently reside, but you've also shacked up in New Orleans, New York, and for a while in Jackson Ward, here in Richmond. Were there any particular reasons for returning to your roots or was it as simple as being homesick?

T.ROY: Yeah, I was in RVA to rehearse and record. Simple as that. I lived in Brookland Park for four months--big ups, Charlie O--and Jackson Ward for a month. A couple of friends of mine moved there with me. I returned home for the ocean I grew up on, and family, and, well, being homesick.

RVA: Vince Burke has recorded the debut for Hail!Hornet, the new Hail!Hornet album, Weedeater's God Luck & Goodspeed, and several Sourvein releases at Sniper Studios in Moyock, NC. He seems to be your go-to guy. What is it about Vince that keeps you coming back? Who would be a second choice if Vince were unavailable?

T.ROY: We did all the EPs and our newest LP (Black Fangs) with him. Vince is mean on the controls and the mix, bro. You'll be hearing his name more in the future. He's got a good ear and gets what our sound is! And he's helped us out in many ways. We'll always record with Vince. If he wasn't available then we'd come back the next time. Sniper Studios is a cool spot and Vince knows his shit. Hit him up if you want it to crush.

RVA: Ghetto Sludge/Blues Doom has been your sound of choice since the 90's, with Buzzov-en, Sourvein, and more recently Hail!Hornet. You are also an avid fan of gangsta rap. Is there any genre of music you'd like to toy with, or is metal pretty much where your heart is?

T.ROY: Yeah, I like down South stuff. I used to work with Lil' Wayne's uncle Tab at Lucy's, in the CBD (Central Business District) in New Orleans, in '99. His son Turk was in the Cash Money Hot Boys so I heard all that fresh and it sunk in. I love Wu-Tang as well. I've done a few different things and I'll explore more I'm sure, but for now it's doom, bro.

RVA: Randy Blythe from Lamb of God guests on the new Sourvein record. Did he pen his own lyrics or were they yours?

T.ROY: Randy's a good, old, friend of mine. He's from Cape Fear, his brother Mark B. tour-managed us, so I asked him to scream with me, because he does "Black Zorlac" and "Emerald Vulture" with us when we see him, and I've been told by many our voices mix really well. I came up with a working title, "Yonder," and he liked it so it stayed. He wrote his own lyrics of course, I'd never let anyone write mine. He used a crazy night we had together for the subject. We drove from Haddad's Lake after Best Friends' Day '09 to the Fan with no brakes and one headlight and I had lost my shoes. Wild ride. Good times.

RVA: What is your inspiration for lyrics?

T.ROY: The streets. Day to day abuse. Reality, struggle, being broke, ya know. The pain inside from the loss of loved ones and friends to drugs. On the other hand it's about the fast lane, sex, and the wildest party ever! Down to songs about Sharon Tate. And on the new one, Black Fangs, we explore vampires and all kinds who suck you dry! But the immortals have black blood and it is sour to the vampires. Dark poems of thoughts and life lived city to city.

RVA: Is Black Fangs the final installment for the EP trilogy which began with Emerald Vulture and Ghetto Angel? How does Black Fangs differ from the two?

T.ROY: No. Imperial Bastard was the third installment. It's out now on Candlelight Records. The trilogy is a study of good, bad, and ugly. The good was Imperial Bastard, the bad was Emerald Vulture, and the ever ugly Ghetto Angel. We went in and recorded what came out each time, with nothing written. It don't get more real that that! Well, Black Fangs is a little different than all the EP's. It's more riffy with lots of vibe and hooks. I moved into an old boarding house at the beach and wrote all my parts. Every kind of person you can think of would be around there. A lot of sad stories and fallen dreams. It really opened my eyes to what I had to do, because they don't have a tour coming up. Everything wasn't OK! It humbled me. I lived out the lyrics to this record. It's written from the bottom of the bottom of my heart.

RVA: What is the title of the new Hail!Hornet record? When is it going to be available in stores or digital download? How does it differ from the debut?

T.ROY: The new Hail!Hornet record is called Disperse the Curse and it's coming out on Relapse Records. It's something an old friend would say. It has lots of meanings, really. They will have it all up. This record is killer. It's faster in parts and way more heavy. It's mean. Larson wrecks the drums and Dixie pummels the bass and Burke did a stellar job. It's a beast, Make sure y'all check it out.

RVA: Any music been ruling your world?

T.ROY: Witchcraft. Nachtmystium. Church of Misery. Doom. Ramesses. Saviours. Pentagram. Shrinebuilder. Free. Curtis Mayfield. Charlie Parker. Samhain. Coffins. Peter Tosh. Off! Darkthrone's Hate Them. Waka Flocka Flame. I like a lot of music.

RVA: Shrinebuilder is the tits, man. "Solar Benediction" off that record has been my shit for a while. I'm no longer allowed to play it in the car because i keep it on repeat. How's the new Nachtmystium?

T.ROY: Shrine rules. The new Nacht rules as well.

RVA: Werd!

Chad Hugo of hip-hop super group N*E*R*D is coming to town with Kid Icarus to spin at the Paradise Lounge. Sounds like a dope show presented by SlapDash's Octavion Xcellence and KULTURE.

For full info check the facebook event post HERE.