We really tried but we are not going to make Art Basel this year in Miami. Here is some art. There is going to be a ton of it down in Florida this weekend. Kinda bummed.

FriendsWithYou, The Devil, 2010, Cel-vinyl on wood panel, 48 x 72 inches

Installation View, 2010

Ryan Sullivan, October 25, 2009 - April 1, 2010 (detail), 2010, Oil and enamel on canvas, 59 by 45 inches

main image: David Benjamin Sherry, How Could I Have Ever Lost You, 2010, Traditional color print with frame, 50 x 65 inches

Check out www.oh-wow.com

Got to love this. Thanks Dray.

I met Jeff Staple at Jackson Ward. The nearly two-hour talk we had, over coffee and tea at Ettamae’s, was an incredibly inspiring experience. If you had told me over the summer that in a few months Jeff would be flying into Richmond from New York late Sunday night, that he’d be eating his first Richmond meal at New York Fried Chicken around midnight, and that I’d be having a sit down conversation with him two blocks from my apartment the following morning; I would have laughed in your face, especially from the New York Fried Chicken bit.

But yet, that all happened thanks to the VCU Student Hip Hop Organization (SHHO), a group of VCU students and alumni whose aim is simple: higher learning through hip-hop. SHHO collaborated with the VCU Brandcenter to bring Jeff Staple to Richmond for a lecture, held on September 13th. I’ve been to several of the VCU Brandcenter guest lectures and this was one of the most packed and diverse crowds I’ve seen. For those who don’t know, Jeff Staple (otherwise known as Jeff Ng) is a hugely influential figure in the worlds of communication design, hip-hop, sneaker culture, streetwear culture, and fashion in general. He is the founder of Staple Design, Staple Clothing, and NYC retail spaces, Reed Space & Reed Annex. He is the man behind the now legendary chaos of the Nike Pigeon Dunk and other collaborations with Nike, New Balance, Oakley, Lomo, Mountain Dew, Airwalk, Starter, Penfield, Kid Robot, Burton Snowboards, among others.

Preview: A Conversation with Jeff Staple from SHHO on Vimeo.

The man is both a veteran and a tastemaker of streetwear culture. His work defines and evolves the game all at once. In an industry full of shallow tee shirt graphics and nonsensical collaborations, Jeff Staple is an established standout. It would be easy to go on and on about his influence but I will choose not to preach. Instead, a word to the wise: Let the wise speak.

NEIL: Could you tell us the reason behind the names Staple Design and Reed Space?

JEFF: When I started making simple t-shirt graphics out of school, I wasn’t even really trying to start a company. I was just wearing one of my shirts when I walked into a store (Triple 5 Soul) and the guy that was working the store wanted to buy my shirts. But I didn’t have a brand at that point. I just had to think of a brand like right there on the spot. So I came up with Staple and that dude named me Jeff Staple. This was back in ‘96/97, and I was so dissatisfied with what hip hop fashion had to offer. I loved hip hop music and I loved the lifestyle, but the clothing was so cornball that I couldn’t be caught dead in it. This was like when Ecko was really popping off, and Sean John was just coming out and I was like, “Man, this is so much loud, meaningless yelling.” To me, the best parts of fashion were what laid underneath. Not the bling factor. So I just wanted to take hip hop back to the staple foundation, you know, the roots--the essential material that you can’t live without. That is what a staple is. Staple Design is like the design that requires the raw, basic, essential elements and that’s it. No added bullshit on top. And I went with that.

Reed Space is named after my high school art teacher, Michael Reed, who was really the first teacher that not only taught me about art and being creative, but also about communication--being able to convey messages and thoughts and ideas in a positive light. Designing and teaching are basically transferring messages from one person to another. He was incredible at that. He taught you without you feeling like you were being taught. He made you thirsty, which was dope. He passed away while he was teaching me and it had a huge effect on me. The one teacher that I really loved was taken in midyear, and that really hit me hard. That was in ’93, and I didn’t start Reed Space until 2002. So [for] nine years, I kept him in my mind, and when I decided to open my store, I named it after Michael Reed.

NEIL:How long did he teach you for?

JEFF: One year. Not even--half a year. Let me give you an example of what he did. I had just got a car back then, and it was a Honda Civic Hatchback. I bought these ill speakers that you put into the trunk. I was really happy, but then there’s the back seat and the hatchback in the rear and I couldn’t hear anything because there’s no way for the sound to escape. So I was telling Mr. Reed about this and he was like, “You should just take the lid off, cut holes in it, and ventilate it.” I was saying, “That’s nice, but I don’t know how to do any of that shit.” And he was like, “After class, let’s do it, you and I.” So after class we went into the workshop, the wood cutting shop. He got a hacksaw and was teaching me how to do it the whole time. We jury-rigged this really nice aerated mesh grill, all handmade by me and him, all after school hours. He didn’t have to do that shit.

NEIL: I’ve never had a teacher like that.

JEFF: Exactly. It was so dope that he took the time out. I always remember that. To me, it’s important to take time out, lend an extra hand. Whether it’s for one person or two hundred people, or a thousand people. The more people I could touch, it just adds to the world, you know? Just trying to carry on what Mr. Reed taught me.

NEIL: How was it growing up in Jersey? How important of an influence was New York City?

JEFF: Well, Jersey is a small state. Where I came from, Monouth County in New Jersey, is just rural, suburbia. It’s small. And I think, from a very young age, I needed to get out of New Jersey. I appreciate where I came from, but I knew that the speed of New Jersey wasn’t for me. I was coming into New York every weekend. My parents worked in the city and from a young age, like ten years old, they’d be like, “All right, we gotta work, so just walk in the city. Don’t go above 23rd Street.” They just threw me out there by myself.

NEIL: How old were you?

JEFF: Like less than thirteen. Maybe twelve or eleven years old.

NEIL: Must have had some crazy shit happen to you.

JEFF: Yeah, man. It was great! (laughs) I got conned so many times, but that’s how you learn. Like hey, little guy, want some sunglasses? And three card monte, like, “You got ten dollars, little kid? Come on, you can see where the ball is, right?” But that’s how you learned. You get conned. So I just felt, from a really early age, like the speed of New Jersey was not fast enough for me. I knew I was going to NYU before entering high school. Like there’s no question about it, you know? I applied for early admission.

I also always knew that there’s a big difference between people who were born and raised in a big metropolitan city versus those people who were born in the outskirts, suburbs, small cities, then moved into the city. Not to stereotype and pigeonhole everybody, but I think if you’re born and raised in New York, you feel like you’re privileged.

NEIL: Like assholes?

JEFF: *Laughs* I don’t know if they’re assholes, but more like, “Yo, I was born and raised in New York, I deserve to be here by default.” Outsiders are just hungrier. A person from the outside is more humble, hardworking, diligent. It’s a broad stroke, but I’ve found that to be very true in every city that I’ve been to. I’m very appreciative of the fact that I came from a small town, and I think I still have small town sensibilities deep down, even though I’ve seen the world.

NEIL: You’re quite the jetsetter. What do you think the importance of traveling is?

JEFF: The most important thing about traveling is to understand that the world is bigger than the place that you occupy. I could see how if you come from a certain area, the problems of that area and the obstacles in that area, and even the accomplishments, both good and bad, are your whole world. If you have a problem, it’s like, “Aw man. Fuck this town.” Or if something dope happens, it’s like, “Yeah, I’m the king of this town.” But then you got sorta zoom out a little bit and realize, like on Google Maps. You could just zoom out one click, and you’re meaningless. You know, maybe if you’re like a true baller, than you zoom out five clicks and people still care about you. But eventually, I don’t care who you are, you could be like Lady Gaga or Kanye West, you’re gonna zoom out to the point where people don’t give a shit about you. Travel reminds you of that. You go to a place and go, “Wow, everything I’ve done means nothing here. Everything I’ve accomplished, people don’t give a shit.” And conversely, every stressful thing that hinders me in New York or wherever you’re from, doesn’t hinder me here. You need to travel in order to open yourself up to think on a global level. It’s not just about me sitting here doing this or that. It’s really how it could affect or potentially affect the whole entire world.

NEIL: What do you think of the current state of streetwear culture? And what do you think about the use of that term to describe this culture anyway? It’s kind of an odd term.

JEFF: It is an odd term, but whatever, I’m not ashamed of it. People use it a lot, but it’s just a broad term so I don’t really mind it. In terms of where it’s going right now, I think it’s been in a weird spot for a while. We’re fortunate enough to live on the cusp of the culture. So when shit starts to look good, we’re generally the first ones to feel it. And then there’s mainstream that’s in the middle--they feel it later. When sneaker culture, for example, began to feel wack and corny, and it started to not be in a good place, we felt that. Me and the people I work with were probably sick of Dunks like five years ago. And maybe now, like a year ago, the mainstream is finally starting to be sick of Dunks. There’s such a delay, it’s almost like it’s back around. Like we were sick of camo, and then two or three years later, the mainstream was sick of camo. But now that the mainstream’s sick of camo, we’re kind of cool with camo again. You know? *Laughs* And then it looks like we’re behind. We’ve sort of lapped them, and they’re like, “oh this guy’s trying to bring back…” No. We already did a lap. We’ve already been there. So I think it’s in a weird place right now but I also think that the movement that replaced street culture is Americana. Plaid shirts, chambray shirts, right? That’s it. If you open a store now, it’s gotta have a dead moose head on the wall, you need old wood, a burning fireplace, that’s the look right now. That will pass, and what’s going to replace it is the rejection of Americana, which is street culture again. Like in your face revolutionary statements, maybe mixed with an infusion of Americana. The reason people like Americana is the craftsmanship, and the time that was put into it. It’s also a rejection of things made overseas, in China and stuff. So I think what you’ll see is the mentality of street culture mixed with the craftsmanship of Americana. Maybe you won’t see street culture the way it was, like a kid silkscreening a shirt in his bath tub. Maybe now it’ll be a 100% whole cotton shirt made in America that an artist in Vermont silk screened, but with like a dope graphic or message. I think that’ll be really good.

People ask me, “Isn’t streetwear dead?” I think it’s just evolving. I think like, Kanye, love him or hate him, is a great example. You could say hip hop is dead [according to] a definition that you have of hip hop, and you don’t think he is a hip hop artist, but he is a hip-hop artist--an evolution of the hip hop artist. I think that’s what’s happening with streetwear right now. What you think of streetwear as, like all-over print guns on a shirt, that might be dead. But I have a friend who really hates on streetwear, cause he’s all into Americana and he’s always like, “How are you surviving? Street culture is dead.” And I’m like, “You realize that everything I’m wearing is street culture, right? You don’t make that connection?”

NEIL: What do you think are the best forms of communication today, in terms of reaching the consumer?

JEFF: Twitter. I think Twitter is amazing. It’s kind of sad though. The reason why it’s so effective is because it’s so easy and so quick. And if you’ve been on this Earth long enough, you’ll know that anything that’s easy and quick is never really that good. It’s like sex, or fried chicken. *Laughs* But in terms of being able to communicate, it’s so powerful. I thought when I had a blog it was powerful, but Twitter blows blogging out of the water in terms of accessibility and touching people right away. Then again, it’s just about communicating, it’s not about authenticity or accuracy. All these things go out the window. When you go out in the Wild West of blogging and twittering, almost anything goes. I just started following Dave Chappelle today and I don’t even know if it’s really Dave Chappelle. It could be a girl in her panties in her bed just pretending to be Dave Chappelle. I have no idea. So validity is very very dicey in this new age world, but it’s also very quick and accessible.

NEIL: I feel like there’s duality here. I mean, why did you start a print magazine like Reed Pages?

JEFF: I’m really passionate about magazines, so I want to try to make a magazine you know? People want to be able to touch something. It’s an experience. People want to cherish something and put it on their bookshelf and access it. It’s not like you can’t access an old Hypebeast post months later or something. You can. You just do a search. But there’s just something about the process. Anything of a digital nature is strictly junk food. It’s the difference between eating a Peter Luger prime rib steak and Doritos. Have you ever looked at a blog or Facebook for too long, so that it feels like you’ve eaten a huge bag of chips by yourself? (laughs) You feel sick, whereas if you’ve eaten a dope steak, you just feel like, “Ahhh.” You’re in heaven. And that’s what I want Reed Pages to exist as.

NEIL: There’s this advertising book called the Brand Gap that you may have heard of. They define a brand as what people think about you, not what you say about the brand. It’s their gut feeling of the brand that defines what the brand is. For the Jeff Staple experience, what do you want people’s gut feeling to be?

JEFF: Fuck. I just want them to have an opinion. I don’t care what the feeling is. I think a lot of brands spend too much time and money in trying to steer their consumers into feeling a certain way. “I want you to feel safe when you think about my brand. I want you to feel rebellious.” I just want you to think about my brand. Maybe it’s naïve of me to say, but I just feel honored when anyone thinks about what I’ve created. Whenever I see someone hold a Reed Space shopping bag I’m like, “Holy shit, that dude spent money at my store. That’s dope.” It’s still wild that that shit happens. So love it or hate it, I just want you to have an opinion. Like, I love haters. I think haters are some of my biggest source of inspiration. We just recently did an Oakley collection, a six piece collection. The last one to come out was the Frogskin, which was pigeon inspired. I saw some guy saying, “Man, can’t Staple do anything other than those stupid fucking pigeons?” OK, this dude’s obviously an idiot, but also, I’m not doing a very good job at explaining what my company does. Because obviously we do a lot more than pigeons. With this kid, whatever rock he’s living under, I need to get to that rock. That is the inspiration that drives me.

NEIL: When it’s all said and done, how do you want to be remembered by other people?

JEFF: I think this is where my Asian blood kicks in. I just want to be remembered for being a hard working person, that’s it. I just put in my hours and did what I could.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks to the Student Hip-Hop Organization, the VCU Brandcenter, and of course Jeff Staple.

To see more of Jeff’s work and to purchase product.
www.stapledesign.com
www.reedspace.com

For the full length video interview www.theshho.com

by Neil Lopez (www.thisisforyoumom.com)
Interview and Lecture Photos by Duy Nguyen (www.acollegeproject.com)

It's that time of year again where it is expected that we give more to our community. However, its business as usual at our local food bank. The people you'll find inside truly love their work and live off of the gratitude of those they've touched.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH ON RVA TV

Please volunteer with us!! CVFB.ORG

CLICK HERE TO WATCH ON RVA TV

Directed by Andrew Volpe
Edited by Brian Tyree
www.splitsignalfilms.com

The Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery has succumbed to pressure from conservative politicians and the Catholic League and have removed David Wojnarowicz’s video ‘A Fire In My Belly’ from their current exhibit ‘Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture’, which is scheduled to run through the Christmas season. The exhibit’s curator David C. Ward describes the video as:

CLICK HERE TO WATCH ON RVA TV

"An example of political engagement in artistic form with the AIDS epidemic by an artist deeply concerned with the exploration of our response to that medical and societal calamity. That it is violent, disturbing, and hallucinatory precisely replicates the impact of the disease itself on people and a society that could barely comprehend its magnitude.”

Incoming House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., called the video and exhibit an “Outrageous use of taxpayer money and an obvious attempt to offend Christians during the Christmas season.”

House Republican leader John Boehner, describing the widely praised exhibit a “mistake,” wants it canceled.

Boehner spokesman Kevin Smith said, “Smithsonian officials should either acknowledge the mistake and correct it, or be prepared to face tough scrutiny beginning in January when the new majority in the House moves [in].”

The Smithsonian pulled ‘A Fire In My Belly’ yesterday, one day before World AIDS Day.

This is the offending video, featuring Diamanda Galas. Watch it while you’re still free to do so.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH ON RVA TV

Richmond melodic/emotional punk rockers The Riot Before have released a new video for "Backstage Rooms," from their latest album Rebellion (Paper And Plastick). It's an excellent midtempo tune with a yearning, emotional chorus that should appeal to fans of Against Me and Jawbreaker. The video, directed by Lucas Krost, was shot right here in Richmond. It does a great job of capturing the vibe of Richmond house shows, and you'll probably spot at least a couple of people you know over the course of the video. Check it out!

April Winchell

Oh yes, April Winchell. How I love her so. If it were not for her, I would never have heard the Kentucky Fried Chicken Employee Training Tapes from the 70’s, Barry White cussing his way through an ill-fated recording session, a bevy of truly terrifying Christian recordings, or the lost (for good reason) Prince-produced Kim Basinger solo record. This writer/actor/prankster’s appetite for posting the wondrously absurd in myriad room-clearing forms and guises is a delight for anyone who appreciates devious intentions. Her site is the pinnacle of audio vandalism. How else do you explain posts under the banners of “Completely Fucking Awful”, “You Probably Weren’t Supposed to Hear This,” or “Celebrities That Insist on Singing”? If there is a downside to her site it is the shitty bit-rates of the MP3’s, but do you really need to hear post-sweathog, pre-Xenu John Travolta’s stomach churning “Razzmatazz” in stunning clarity to know that it sucks in ways mere mortals can only dream of? I think not. The site hasn’t been updated in a while, but there is a bounty of god-awful goodness to keep you thoroughly amused until the posting urge strikes her again.


Bum Rocks

Some blogs like to get all wordy and in-depth with their musical offerings, but not Bum Rocks. It is a no-frills affair, with daily posts exploring danceable realms. It has recently submitted for your web-based consideration the meditative, slightly soulful drum machine driven trance of Barton Smith, the folky R &B of Ted Lucas, and the Bollywood-inspired soundtrack experiments of keyboardist and founding member of British progressive rock band Camel, Peter Bardens. MP3s hang around for a limited time, so daily visits are in order if you don’t want to miss anything.

Flux Blog

If you are interested in hearing the here and now of music making, Flux Blog is the place to go. The first time I heard Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” was on this site about 3 months before it was officially released, so you can taste what is coming down the musical pike before the rest of the world downloads it on iTunes. It is a good (Kings Go Forth, “High On Your Love”/ Gil Scott-Heron, “New York Is Killin’ Me”/Electric Six, “After Hours”), bad (The National, “Bloodbuzz Ohio”/ Taylor Swift “Mine”/ Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris,“Baby”) and ugly (My Chemical Romance, “Planatary (GO!)”/Russian Futurists, “Hoeing Seeds Sowing Seeds”) type of affair, but you always have to weed through a lot of shit to get to the good stuff. This is the place to make the thoroughly subjective decision as to what currently is melodic worthiness with informed opinion. They post rare cuts as well, recently offering a live rendition of LCD Soundsystem’s minimal post-punk workout, “Pow Pow,” that has a vitality lost on the official studio recording.

Turtle Services

If there was any musical era in 20th century America that I wish I could go back and witness firsthand, it would the 1910s and 1920s. It was a raucous time of illegal (though plentiful) booze, easy women, and crazed dancing that spawned almost an entire century of great American musical innovation. Melodically, everything we take for granted today started during the post industrial revolution era of entertainment. Turtle Services provides a great service by posting nearly-forgotten gems of pre- and post-World War One festivity from original 78 vinyl sources. These include Billy Jones & Ernest Hare’s suggestive tale from 1921, “Down At The Old Swimming Hole;" Billy Murray’s sweet pre-big band romp “Take Your Girlie To The Movies;” and 1916’s ode to playful cunning, by Arthur Collins & Byron Harlan, “The Kid Is Clever;” to name just a few. If it weren’t for the web, you’d probably never hear this music outside the presence of an obsessive music collector. Even then, it is doubtful that any one person would have this extremely rare bounty of turn of the century music in a single collection.

Nitro-Retro!

The labor of love of Richmond resident and garage music aficionado (and all-around good guy) Matt Brown, Nitro-Retro! showcases his passion for underground 60’s and 70’s rock and roll, bubblegum pop, swanky bossa nova, Angolan soul, funk, reggae and whatever else strikes his fancy. His musical offerings are always on point for those seeking sweaty human rawness in their audio stimulations, from Sonny & The Sunliners swinging Chicano soul stomper “No One Else Will Do,” to the blissful 70’s reggae of Derrick Harriot’s infectious “Let Me Down Easy,” to the no frills rock of The Misunderstood, Les Sauterelles, The Outsiders and many others. A great place to fill up the hard drive, Nitro-Retro! is groovy in ways that are not repulsive.

Chris Bopst
December 1st 2010

12/2 Lazer Sword, Audio Ammo DJs (DJ Doddie of AA pictured atop) @ Canal Club 10pm.

12/2 Dikki Du & the Zydeco Krewe @ The Camel 7pm.

12/2 Former Champions @ City Dogs (The Fan) 10pm. free.

12/3 Herschel Stratego, The Diamond Center (pictured above--playing a special acoustic show), Climbers @ Sprout 9pm. free.

12/3 Josati, Ghost Payne, Psy Matix @ City Dogs (The Fan) 10pm.

12/3 The Slack Family (Reunion Christmas Show) @ Shenanigans 9pm.

12/3 A Loss For Words, Lions Lions, Such Gold, Broadside, In Courage @ The Canal Club 6pm. all ages.

12/3 Cherry Bomb DJs pres. RVyAy! Winter 2010 to benefit ART 180 feat. DJ Sets by: Sara (Cherry Bomb), Willie (Cherry Bomb), DJ Futch Cassidy, DJ Support Hoes @ Gallery 5 7pm.

12/4 The Flying Brick Library Benefit feat. Tim Barry, Julie Karr, Josh Small, Rameysaurus @ Books, Bikes, & Beyond Thrift (7 W. Broad St.) 7pm.

12/4 Sourvein (pictured above), Druglord, Fire Faithful, Gritter @ Alley Katz 10pm.

12/4 New Orleans Habitat Benefit feat. Dirty Banners, Chipp Corderman (pictured above), The Cold Cut Trio, The Jill Montoro Outfit @ Emilios (The Fan) 10pm.

12/4 Meschiya Lake & the Little Big Horns (pic/show poster just above) @ Balliceaux 10pm.

12/4 The Whiskey Rebellion, Adam Eubank (pictured above), The Flesh Mountain Boys, and a special guest @ The National 7pm.

12/5 Hex Machine (pictured above, photo by Nick Kessler), Orphan, Lorem Ipsum @ Strange Matter 10pm.

12/5 Bonnie Prince Billy (pictured above), The Babblers, The Cairo Gang @ The National 7pm.

12/5 Moshe Dayan, Madrone, Lydia Can't Breathe, Dream Atlantic (pictured above), Comrades @ Alley Katz 7pm. all ages.

Written by John Lewis Morgan/originally appeared at onewayrichmond.com

My Chemical Romance - Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (Reprise)

My Chemical Romance has parted ways with the monochromatic, dark parade and are now neon-colored outlaws on their fourth studio album Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys. Danger Days is part of an entire epic adventure set in 2019. The Killjoys are a revolutionary gang, fearlessly fighting an evil corporation that has banned art and color. Seem like a lot to swallow? Wait until you hear what the Killjoys have to say. Singer Gerard Way stated in an interview that the title Danger Days refers to its four-year creation period: “What it takes to make an album like we do… it’s a very dangerous time you end up living in.”

Who better to welcome us to that time that Dr. Death Defying, a pirate radio DJ that broadcasts for the cause? Dr. Death Defying’s introduction makes it clear Danger Days isn’t just a collection of songs. My Chemical Romance has produced a conceptual album, focusing as much attention on the creation of the story as the music behind it. Their music videos are short films documenting the Killjoys’ adventures. Like recent My Chemical Romance albums, this release is part of a bigger picture, and tracks should not be taken at their musical "face value."

"Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)" immediately pulls listeners into their vigilante lifestyle: screaming sing-a-longs praising love, drugs and anarchy. It was the first song written for Danger Days and served as inspiration for the entire album. Its high energy is felt immediately, and has plenty of My Chemical Romance's distinctive passion. It’s also over-the-top, but fans shouldn’t expect anything less from the group by now. "Bulletproof Heart" and "The Only Hope For Me Is You" are more of the same; sweepingly epic tracks packed with guitars churning classic rock chords, Way’s soaring vocals and hooks that stay in your head for days.

"S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W" is one of the few ballads on the album, and a welcomed break (escape) from the dizzying story (danger), despite the ostentatious name. "Summertime" is similar; its strumming acoustic guitars, synthesizer, and childlike lyrics cement this track as the poppiest on the album. It’s a departure for the band that released the punk-infused debut I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, but it somehow flows nicely in the dramatic narrative.

Several tracks are chapters in the Killjoy book and may not meet the high musical standards of long-time fans. "SING" has powerful lyrics but a lackluster chorus that fails to inspire the masses. The music video, however, brings the song to life as a fitting soundtrack for a daring rescue (albeit with guns that look like toys). "Party Poison" and "DESTROYA" are similarly important songs that may not be appreciated unless viewed as part of the album’s narrative.

Guitarist Frank Iero released a statement upon the album’s release, announcing that Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys is “the soundtrack to raging against the death of the creative spark.” Each integral track on the album champions freedom of expression in true My Chemical Romance fashion; apocalyptic lyrics, orchestral choruses, and Way wailing as the Killjoys fight against the uninspired. Fear not, Iero. Danger Days is packed with enough creativity to bring the most hopeless artist back to life.

Saturday, December 11 brings Ghost Of Pop 6 to Gallery 5 (200 W. Marshall St). This year's edition will feature performances by Young Adult Fiction, Orioles, Rocktopussy, The Trillions, Fuzzy Baby, Prabir/Goldrush, and David Shultz and the Skyline, all for only $5. This show is a perfect opportunity to familiarize yourself with all the great things happening in the Richmond independent pop music scene, or to check out the latest work of some old favorites.

As the day of the show draws closer, we'll be running a series of interviews with the artists who will be performing at this year's Ghost Of Pop. And what better way would there be to start off this series than by interviewing Prabir Mehta, the creator and founder of the Ghost Of Pop events? Prabir was a fixture on the local scene for years with his group The Substitutes, but that group played their final show at last year's Ghost Of Pop. This year, Prabir returns with a new group, Goldrush. We talked to him about this new band, as well as the ideas and inspiration behind Ghost Of Pop, and what the term "pop" means to him.

RVA: Where did the Ghost Of Pop come from?
PRABIR: The idea of Ghost Of Pop came from a holiday type event I wanted to put on six years ago. One of my favorite bands that was playing around town back then was The Rip Off, a 60s garage cover band. I wanted to do something around the holiday season to bring all of the local rock and pop bands together and wanted some 'Ghost of Holiday past' type of vibe to the event. I was just playing around with phrases and ideas and thought that the Ghost Of Pop would be a fun way to sum up the idea into a simple expression. Since then I've been trying to stick to the idea of fusing local music and the idea of the 'past' together into an annual event. The Rip Off were a great way to start that because it was a band of local musicians playing songs from the past (60's garage rock).
Since then other 'past' related things have helped fill out the rosters. For example, one year Heath Haynes and the Cryin' Shames played. They were a blast from the past. Heath had been playing around town for sometime, but that year had moved to Nashville, TN. I thought bringing Heath back would be a good way to fuse the "past" into the event. Another year The Sweater Band headlined. This is a Weezer cover band, but again the classic hits were all from our collective pop-culture past. Last year was the final show of Prabir and The Substitutes, ushering that band/idea/group/songs into the halls of Richmond Rock and Roll Past. So the idea has always been to fuse some sort of nostalgic element into the night. This year we're doing a couple of things. Jason Horst is putting together a group called Rocktopussy, a band that plays only James Bond theme songs! That little trip down pop-culture nostalgia is an important part of the night.
The focus, however, is not strictly on the past. Ghost of Pop has always been some of my favorite bands that play around town and the ones that are going to be bringing new songs and ideas to Richmond, VA for years to follow. Some of my favorite new bands such as The Trillions and Fuzzybaby will be playing this year also. So, the basic idea behind Ghost Of Pop is to have a swirl of nostalgia, new ideas, pop music, rock music, and of course keep it all homegrown. We have a lot of talent in this town and its nice to be able to put on one of the many events around town to showcase this talent.

RVA: So "pop" music isn’t the focus?
PRABIR: "Pop" is a pretty vague term. I think the idea behind using the word "pop" was to allow for the types of music I associate with to have a night to be celebrated. Richmond has such a large variety of original music being produced within city limits. Six years ago when I was considering the idea of a "pop"-night I noticed that the hardcore, jazz, country, and jam scenes were being very well represented. I just wanted to contribute something for the music that I could relate to the most. Plus, at some point acts such as the Beatles and Ozzy Osborne have both been lumped into the "pop" category.
Popular music, more often than not, has inspired so many musicians at a young age. If we were to deconstruct a pop song and boil it down to its basic components we would probably see the skeleton of that song is similar to another stripped down song, but in reality the two songs could be as different as a Michael Jackson song and a Metallica tune. I guess for me "pop" is something that is based in a hook of some sort with some other flashy stuff around it to make it unique. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, but the opening to Beethoven's 5th is just as "pop" as the opening chord to "Hard Day's Night." They are way different as far as pieces go but they both have a flow to them and are filled with iconic parts that make them their own thing. Similarly, I feel like a lot of great bands in Richmond have their own version of this. "The Experts" by The Trillions has a fantastically catchy hook just like "Free" by David Shultz and The Skyline. Both songs are pretty different but kind of follow that same skeleton of "pop" music that was ingrained into us from when we first started understanding sounds. So yeah, it's a lot of rock and roll, some folk, some quirky acoustic stuff, but in my head its really all pop.

RVA: Are you excited about the lineup this year?
PRABIR: Words can not express how pumped I am to see the bands, play with my new group, and be surrounded by the people that have helped make Richmond, VA a wonderful place to live, work, and play.

RVA: You are now Prabir and The Goldrush. How is this band different than the Substitutes?
PRABIR: Again, the songs kind of follow that skeleton that I was mentioning earlier but the content of the songs are a little different. My time with the Substitutes was nothing but amazing. I'm so lucky that I had the opportunity to write, record, and tour with some of my best friends for so many years. This new lineup is a little weirder, I would say. We are not recording or touring as much, so we have time to devote to really working on taking songs and pushing them as far as they can go. Treesa, Matt, and Gregg had seen me play with the Substitutes before, so they knew what they were getting into. Likewise, I had seen them play and knew what they were capable of doing so putting this band together and starting the songwriting process was nothing but a total joy. Having classically trained musicians get their hands over my pop songs is great. I've always wanted to do something where the traditional idea of a song or a hook or a refrain can be taken and layered with lots of sonic emotional weight. Treesa and Matt Gold are both very competent and educated musicians so I totally trust that what they will bring to the song will always be beautiful and stylistically appropriate. Gregg and I kind of reinforce the foundation or the groove of the song while the Golds go crazy with the layering. Like I said, the ideas of the songs are still very rooted in pop and rock but the execution is a little different because of the new types of layers that are being added to these songs. In addition to that, playing with new people is always different, a lesson Eddie Van Halen has learned all too well I'm sure.

RVA: Do you have a record coming out anytime soon?
PRABIR: We just tracked a song called "It's Too Late," and we're going to be dusting off our other favorite recording studio songs and taking them in to get tracked around early 2011, I hope. We'd love to have an album out by spring, but there are some other fun factors we need to consider before we can push record (i.e. time and money). My hope is we'll be tracking in early 2011 and then have something to show for it by spring. We have more than an album's worth of material, we just need to line up some things and get moving! I'm excited to get back into the mix of things again.

RVA: You play all over town; do you have any regular gigs right now?
PRABIR: I have never really kept a regular gig, but I'm interested in something that could allow for us to have a new idea to present once a month or something. A few years ago, They Might Be Giants played five shows in five weeks in New York. Each week, they did something totally different. I've always been interested in that type of thing. There are some talks of working out a few different set ideas with regards to various topics (sex, drugs, religion, music, etc) and getting a monthly gig somewhere, but as of now I've been doing one offs when I can.
Last year when I played my last show with the Substitutes I decided to take a year off from the hustle. I'm glad I did. This time off has allowed me to have some fun, play with tons of new people, and work on some music that I normally would not have allowed myself time for. In this past year, I've started playing with the Goldrush and Long Arms. Both bands play out, so I'm lucky to be playing with such great people, but the idea of a regular gig would have been scary for me to take on this year. Now that I've had a chance to relax, chill out, and get re-grounded I feel like maybe this is something I could take on in 2011. Maybe the squirrels need a house band? That'd be nuts. Yes, I just went there.

RVA: Any last words or shout outs?
PRABIR: Always! I'd like to thank Gandhi for...no. I'm just really excited about this year. All the bands are wonderful, the winter holidays are upon us, it’s getting cold outside; sweaters, jackets, and scarves are back in full swing. What could be better than coming into a nice warm packed cozy Gallery 5 to see some of the area's best talents do what they do best? Nothing could be better for me. I'm excited about the show and am really proud to live in a city that can support this type of event for six years now! Good job Richmond!

WHAT: Ghost Of Pop 6: All Richmond Music Fest!
WHERE: Gallery 5 200 W Marshall St
WHEN: Saturday, December 11, 8PM
ADMISSION: $5

Richmond's skull guy Noah Scalin is at it again with his new book 365. 365 A Daily Creativity Journal: Make Something Every Day and Change Your Life! is Noah's attempt at getting everyone on the self motivated mission to create something with a common theme everyday for an entire year. The book offers plenty of prompts to get the brain juices flowing, shows examples of what other 365ers have come up with and also pushes you to master new techniques that can be incorporated into your own projects. Check out what other brave souls who have embarked on the 365 creative journey are up to at www.MakeSomething365.com.

Noah will be doing a couple events to celebrate the release of his new book at Chop Suey on December 15th from 6-8pm and Quirk Gallery on December 18th from noon-3pm.

Girl Talk - All Day (Illegal Art)

May 2, 2008 was a special day for me. The events that occurred that evening set into motion something I could never have prepared for. That night at the now-defunct Toads Place (currently the Hat Factory) was the first time I had seen Girl Talk live, and there was no going back. I had heard of Gregg Gillis and his DJ pseudonym a few weeks earlier, when I was sent a track that he had created. Not being an avid party-goer or even dabbling in anything other than rock and roll and indie music at the time, Girl Talk was able to provide me, an inexperienced user, with an easy transition into electronic music. His cult-classic song sampling, mixed with driving electronic undertones, made me want to move. I was hooked from the start, quickly indulging myself in anything I could find. Having expanded my electronic music knowledge 100 times over since then, I would not now consider Girl Talk an electronic musician. Rather, he is a musician who has mastered the art of sampling, and has the ear to blend these samples into new works of art that leave him in a league of his own.

All Day, his latest album, was released for free on November 15, much to everyone's surprise. Sources knew he was at work on a follow up to the critically acclaimed Feed The Animals (2008), yet no one knew to what extent it was being worked on. I woke up the morning of the 15th to find that pretty much every site I check regularly had some sort of reference to “the new Girl Talk CD IS OUT!!! WOW.” A quick Twitter check revealed that he had indeed released his 2-years-in-the-making follow up album. I was able to download the files, for free, in the early hours of the morning. Having been in class for several hours afterwards, I arrived home to see that Girl Talk was STILL making news everywhere. Twitter was flooded with Girl Talk references, Facebook users could not shut their mouths about the album, and it seemed the internet as a whole was crumbling around Gregg Gillis’ feet. At that point, the links on the Illegal Art website were either broken or inaccessible (they are working again as of now--see link at the top of this review). Later that day, a post on his twitter account revealed that his new album was the #1 US Search on Google for that day.

All Day is his most mature and complex album to date, not to mention the most lengthy. Coming in at 71 minutes and featuring 12 songs with over 370 samples, the high number of samples made me think of a few other notable musicians that were masters of sampling, DJ Shadow and the Avalanches--both of whom had to have inspired Girl Talk at some point or another. From the second I pressed play, I knew what I would be hearing. I knew that this album would have overplayed vocal hooks from Top 40 charts mixed with some classic rock samples and even some random indie favorites hidden inside. However, a few tracks in, I noticed a more mature element to this album. While there were indeed vocal hooks that I would deem overplayed, they were being combined with more notable song choices, such as Aphex Twin’s "Windowlicker," and "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" by Genesis. Who would have thought that layering James Brown's "Funky Drummer," The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Nasty Boy," and Ke$ha’s "Tik Tok" (as occurs on Track 6, "On and On") could produce such excitement? The surprises are endless. I could imagine listening to this album around a bunch of new people and trying to figure out various samples--which could then be checked on the All Day Wikipedia article. The album is a step in the right direction for Girl Talk, who must have had a hard time trying to follow up Feed The Animals. All Day shows a more production-heavy element that was not as prominent on his other records, which just goes to show you how dedicated a producer Gregg Gillis is.

We are fortunate to have several upcoming shows in the immediate area that Girl Talk has already booked: Friday, January 28th at the NorVa in Norfolk, and January 29th right here in Richmond at the National. I would encourage you now to clear your calendar for one of these dates, as these live shows not only sell out quick, but will leave you questioning as to how you ever partied before then.

Most of us, around the age of 13 or 14, were told to trade our dreams of being a professional athlete or rock star in exchange for a significantly less appealing deal called reality (frankly, I think most of us got shafted). This, however, was not the case for Sam Adams and Jae Griff, two up-and-coming artists in the Hip-Hop industry.

I added Sam on Facebook after hearing his remix to Asher Roth’s biggest hit, “I Love College”--which transformed the track into “I Hate College.” A year later, Sam’s album, Boston’s Boy, debuted as the #1 rap album on iTunes, featuring his most successful track, the self-produced “Driving Me Crazy.” Although a relative unknown, Jae Griff holds the poise of a veteran to the game. His production features influences from J. Dilla to The Neptunes, and he has a classic lyrical flow with a new school edge. Victim of the stifling hip-hop scene of Charlottesville, Virginia, Griff is packing his bags and moving out to Los Angeles with his recently finished album, N.L.G.S.: Nerds Love Gangster Shit.

Recently, I sat down with the two to discuss how one can climb to the top and stay in a relevant position in a fiercely competitive industry.

Joseph: Sam, A year ago, I added you on Facebook because I liked “I Hate College,” and now you're playing at a coliseum a couple miles from my college, versus Griff, who is about to move out to California to build his foundation as an artist. How exactly have you gotten to the prominent location you are?

Sam Adams: I owe it a lot to everyone else’s hard work besides mine. There’s a lot of people that do shit behind the scenes that people don’t know, like my manager Mikey and my other manager Alex. They do so much. My day compared to their day is easy as hell. All I've got to do is my hour long set or whatever, which is the best part. But to get in a position where you can be a heavy hitter and you can influence people, you have to have a swag and you have to have it in your music. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the fact I can make hit records. And the live aspect too--like, I love doing live shit. But in terms of being in a prominent position, it takes both normal shit, like marketing and all that, but also, [taking] everything viral. If it wasn’t for the internet, obviously I wouldn’t be here. That was the thing about underground hip-hop in Boston; you can’t get your music out if you don’t have a label or someone that’s spreading your shit around. I know there were thousands of people that heard my shit but were never like, “Alright, this kids gonna blow and be the next big thing." And that’s just some basic shit, you just got to lay your foundation. If you lay the foundation strong and you have good music then what follows is your fan base.

Joseph: Griff, talk to me a little bit about your upcoming album, N.L.G.S.

Jae Griff: N.L.G.S. is Nerds Love Gangster Shit. The reason I named it that is because I’d like to break down the barrier of the typical artist. I don’t want to be stuck in one box. Sometimes I make gangster stuff, sometimes I want to make love stuff or nerd stuff. It’s all about putting yourself out there; you have people who aren’t from the streets but only listen to gangster music and some people who are gangsters who only listen to R and B. Why limit yourself to one market, you know?

Joseph: Definitely. What’s going on with this new independent label you’re signing to, and what are your future projects in moving to California and everything?

Jae Griff: The label I’m about to sign to is called Uncommonwealth, they’re based out of Roanoke. My man Wes hit me up on Skype and we’ve been talking ever since. [He told me] "I need to bring you over to the team, you’re a great producer, great rapper, and you’re bringing something a lot different to the table. You’ve been doing everything by yourself and I just want to have a backing behind you." With that, if I sign the deal and move out to California, I’m planning on making some new music out there. I have a couple artists I’m planning on working with out there already, so it’s all about building from now.

Joseph: Word. So what artists are you planning on working with?

Jae Griff: I’ve been working with Krazy Race (West Coast Artist). The guy is really talented; over the summer he put up this contest for remixes. I did three remixes for him and two of them made the album. From then on I’ve just been building with him. I just hit him up on Twitter and he told me as soon I touch down to give him a call because he’s got something for me, so I’m pretty excited for that.

Joseph: That’s cool man. So what music are you planning on doing out there?

Jae Griff: Mostly underground Hip-Hop, I’ve been producing that shit for over six years. So when I get out there, I just want a different vibe, so I’m planning on crossing over to club shit, dubstep, some west coast shit.

Sam Adams: And you’ve got to. I was talking to J.Dilla’s old manager and he was like, “where do you see yourself in a year or two?” And I was like, I want to be hip-hop. Because I mean, even if it is a pop record, it still has a hip-hop element to it. But it goes both ways, like, who were the Black Eyed Peas before Justin Timberlake? They were definitely respected, but they weren’t selling out arenas and starting new trends with new house tunes. Pop….Drake! Pop….Weezy! What’s the first song that really blew from Weezy’s album? Lolli…pop! As dreaded as people [label it] “Oh, I don’t want to be a pop star.” Yo, I’ll be a full-fledged pop star, because there’s so many lanes, so many things you can do. It’s like “Ok. I have a big ass pop up, aka: every song on the radio has a big pop up." Eminem’s whole record has big pop ups. So it’s like, where do you draw the line? When you break it down, pop is making the most money, with Lady GaGa and all that other shit going on. I feel like people shoot it down like pop is almost a precursor from autotune. You don’t need autotune to make a pop record. Like that DeadMau5 song, that’s an electronic bang, that “Some Chords” shit. We went in on it, made it a hip hop track. It doesn’t sound like some original boom-bap shit, but that’s that underground. And eventually, when you’re producing and shit it’s like [To Griff] You probably produce every day, right?

Jae Griff: Yeah, I try to do some producing every day, I do club shit. I do a lot of sampling. And when I’m not sampling, I play around with synths and play around with heavy bass shit. And that all sounds good, but I’m like “Why don’t I go back to my foundation and start from scratch?”

Sam Adams: For sure, that’s the thing. And there are so many ways you can go sometimes it can confuse yourself. For me, doing this last mixtape [Party Records Mixtape] was like “Alright, I need to stay centered because it can go anywhere creatively.” You’ve got to have a foundation, but always be ready to venture off.

Joseph: So this ability to expand is the key to staying relevant?

Sam Adams: Well, I haven’t done much production since Boston's Boy, but in terms of staying relevant, its dependent on your lyrics and what your material is. You’ve got to have beats that are ill, that people can play in cars and clubs. For me, it’s all about the beat that everyone can listen to. That’s how I write. I don’t write verses and then match them up. Staying relevant--if you can answer that, then it’s like the sports almanac in Back to the Future. Everyone wants that. It depends; there are people that everyone thinks are going to be relevant for years that fall off. I am learning my lesson about how to stay relevant while doing my own thing now.

Joseph: Cool. And finally, what are your future plans, are you planning on collaborating with any dubstep DJ’s or anything?

Sam Adams: Yeah, I’m planning on inking a deal sometime soon, which will change a lot because I will have a catalog of people I want to work with. Plus, when you’re signed everything becomes easier. They’re paying everyone else. But in terms of future shit, I want to work with Rusko, Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, all of the above, really. I want to start producing some dubstep. Also, I want to get some beautiful voices on the next album. In terms of other artists, I got millions I’m trying to collab with. It just depends on if it’s going to work. The next record probably won’t come out for another year. We’ll probably come out with some shit here and there, but there’s enough stuff out now. But that’s what’s on the agenda.

In speaking with Griff and Sam, it seems as though one element defines their drive as artists. Passion is the underlying factor that leads them to push past those crushing talks of “reality” and make music their day to day. Whether it be Sam, with a number one Hip-hop album on iTunes, or Griff, a scholar and voice in the underground Hip-Hop scene, their drive is what causes them to address and understand the practical business elements of making their voices heard. No musician stays relevant by only making music for the benefit of money and girls (although it is a nice perk). They stay relevant because they have something people still want to hear. Sam is a prominent example of this--although he makes what some may consider “pop” music, it is relevant to his listeners and true to himself, which is all anyone can really ask. Eventually, as the musician grows, so do the listeners, and the relationship between the two grows stronger. The reason we admire these musicians, and stay close to their words through time, is not because of their lavish lifestyles and benefits they express, but rather their passion as to their purpose in life, a position they’ve held strong despite societies opposition to what is considered “reality”. Griff and Sam show that no matter what stage of stardom they’re in, what content they display, or what message they convey, their dreams are only one small step from reality.

12/6 Elf-kickers and Dumbchargers: A Salty Salute to Guided by Voices – local bands performing GBV songs - feat. The Trillions, Paul Ivey vs. The Board of Education, The Snowy Owls, Climbers, Herschel Stratego, Adah (poster above) @ The Camel 8pm. free.

12/6 Caves Caverns, Taco Leg (pictured above), Trass @ Strange Matter 10pm.

12/6 Braveyoung (pictured above), Comrades, Vessel, Fixtures @ Canal Club 6pm. all ages.

12/7 Galaxy Dynamite, Herbal Circle (pictured above) @ Element Lounge 9pm.

12/7 Jazz with SCUO, Jason Scott Quintet (Jason Scott pictured just above) @ The Camel 8pm.

12/7 Jazz with UTV Chamber (pictured just above) @ Balliceaux 9:30pm.

12/8 The Influence (pictured just above), The Fastermores, Jason Manfredi @ The Triple 10pm.

12/8 Irish Tenors (pictured above) @ The Landmark Theater (The Mosque) @ 7pm.

12/8 Ted Leo & the Pharmacists (pictured above), Heks Orkest (pictured below) @ Strange Matter 7pm. all ages.

Written by John Lewis Morgan/originally appeared at onewayrichmond.com

Director Eric Miller has graced us with another amazing short film! His offbeat sense of directing & editing has brought forth a new genre Psychotronic. We interviewed Eric when he was working on his last film Marked of the Damned that you can see here.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH TASTE THE BLOOD OF FRANKENSTEIN

Set in an amplified world, this, the tragic story of Victor Frankenstein, is the handy work of his misshapen butler Igor. A madman bent on revenge who wants to kill Victor’s best friend Jennings. Jennings, by theway, is a ware-wolf. But before Igor can carry out his plan he must become Victor Frankenstein…

Everyone says it because it’s true: The holiday season is stressful. Why? Because it’s the time of year when you’re supposed to spend a lot of money and spend time with the ones you love. Unfortunately, everyone is broke and their families are annoying. But cojelo con takeiteasy, ol’ CT is here to wipe that cooling salve on your burning head with some… End of the Year Relaxation Jams.

1. William DeVaughn – Be Thankful for What You Got
I love when drummers hit a tom at the same time as the snare for a thick, mellow sound. Willie Mitchell had his drummers do that on a lot of Hi Records stuff like Al Green, O.V. Wright and Anne Peebles. Anyway, this song just floats, the lyrics are a positive message, and it reminds me of spring because I listened to it three times in a row a couple birthdays ago, in late March--when days start staying sunny longer, birds sing, and the air is alive.

2. Bobby Caldwell – What You Won’t Do for Love
When Caldwell first came out in the late ‘70s, his promo shots only showed him in silhouette, because he’s white, and his record label was trying to sell him to a black audience. It’s interesting how, in the space of a quarter of a century, popular music went from Chuck Berry whitening his face on tour posters so he could play country bars, to Bobby Caldwell’s silhouette. I place Caldwell in that weird gray area between soft rock and soul, where it’s smooth music with a thick rhythm section. Sort of like late ‘70s Steely Dan or that Michael McDonald song that Nate Dogg and Warren G sampled for “Regulate.”

3. Hang Glider – Ako
This sounds like L.A. to me--sunny and opulent, but melancholy. It’s an updated version of the reflective drives that Phillip Marlowe would take into the ritzy hills above Los Angeles in Raymond Chandler novels. But this is more like Robert Altman’s swingin’, sun-drenched version of The Long Goodbye than the hard-nosed Humphrey Bogartisms of the original The Big Sleep.

4. Brenda Ray – Star Light
A white woman from the UK travels to Jamaica and whispers over music by premier reggae musicians. It sounds like a joke that a leftist would make about liberals. The resulting album is the ultimate example of Recently Divorced New Age Mom Vacation Music. I assume that new age vacations are relaxing because they must involve yoga, easily digestible foods, soft drugs and thinking “If Brett could only see me now,” while having sex with sinewy kinda-ethnic-but-nonthreatening dudes. This still sounds like a joke that a leftist would make about liberals, but I like it.

5. Fleetwood Mac – Sara
The musical equivalent of a wine cooler. Mmm, wine. Another example of soft rock with a bumpin’ rhythm section. I need to hit a few thrift stores until I find a dollar copy of the Tusk double LP.

6. Paul McCartney – Heart of the Country
From his early, pre-corny solo album Ram. I like when he scats along with the guitar break. Cute video, too. Makes me want to move somewhere rural with the one I love and drink tea and smoke tea and create stuff. And, oh yeah, be obscenely rich because I was in one of the most popular music groups of all time.

7. Mississippi John Hurt – Let the Mermaids Flirt with Me
I love his fingerpicking and how every one of his songs sounds like a lullaby. This one could also go on an Alternative Funerals playlist with The Pogues’ “If I Should Fall from Grace with God.”

8. Mount Kimbie – Before I Move Off
Mount Kimbie are a British duo who make electronic music that samples organic found sounds. I throw on their album Crooks and Lovers every time my nerves are jangling and I’m riding the train home--so, like, once a week. I suspect that as I evaluate what I listened to most this year, Mount Kimbie will be towards the top of the pile. This comment from YouTube user mollywoodTM says it all, dude: “this is sooo fuckin sick. love how chill it is, seriously.”

9. Curren$y – King Kong
The beat on this song is like a black hole. It sounds like you’re floating in space and Curren$y’s voice is just whipping past you, spitting some of his most urgent flows. It’s an interesting song to hear out of context of his really good Pilot Talk album, because on the record, this song comes right after the lumbering timpani drums of “Audio Dope II,” which creates a great contrast between the biggest and most minimal songs on the album. Alone, it’s a little feverish and, since we’re going with relaxation, let’s take the hook, “King Kong ain’t got shit on me,” as motivational.

10. A Tribe Called Quest - Electric Relaxation
This beat out “Jazzy Belle” by Outkast because, even though that song is like a pillow, “Electric Relaxation” has “relaxation” in the title, and it’s about fucking. And what’s more relaxing than fucking? This song has a great video with black and white footage of early ‘90s New York, but the audio is the song’s clean version, and it messes up the classic opening line. They’re fat-ass thighs, not fat-[pause] thighs. For the longest time, I was in the small camp of people who like A Tribe Called Quest’s Low End Theory better than Midnight Marauders, because Low End was the first Tribe album I heard and Marauders reminds me of this scary dude on my bus in ninth grade who thought “Award Tour” was called “World Tour.” He was far too gully to be corrected. Also, while Marauders is the polished hit, it wouldn’t exist without the innovations that took place during Low End, so Low End has the thrill of discovery. Now, years later, I bump Marauders more often, but I suppose that’s because I’m aged and complacent and just want the hits.

11. BONUS: Cooley High Dance Line
If this doesn’t cheer you up, then call a shrink. Found this while looking for the dance party scene in Cooley High, so I could brush up on dance moves before attending an ill-fated mod soul night. It’s probably for the better that I stood in line outside of the club for a while instead of going in, because the people inside might not have been ready for my version of the coochie shake. Think about this: These are the kids of the people in the dance lines on “Soul Train.” Aaand… their kids are keeping Soulja Boy in business.

Written by Chris "C.T." Terry/ctwashere.tumblr.com

Reference Art Gallery is please to announce a show featuring works by their parents. Although the majority of them have little to no experience in art, they are thankful for them to be willing to participate in this exhibition.

What: Still Together After All These Years
Where: Reference Art Gallery, 216 E. Main St.
When: Dec 11th, 7pm to 11pm

Filmed on location in Richmond, Miami and LA, local filmmakers Alex Germanotta and Shahan Jafri came through and blessed the Clipse with this jewel.

CLICK HERE

Simian Mobile Disco – Delicacies (Delicacies)

Part of what drew me to UK duo Simian Mobile Disco, who formed in 2005, was the support they were getting from acts worldwide. Their early single "Hustler," with remixes from heavy hitters A-Trak, Armand van Helden, and Jesse Rose, propelled the tune and the duo into being club favorites. The catchy vocals and highly skilled production efforts on their first two studio albums allowed for the listener to be easily hooked. However, their third studio album surprises listeners with a drastic turn from their highly regarded 2009 album, Temporary Pleasure.

In an endeavor not common in the catalogue of successful musicians, Simian Mobile Disco have decided to drop the accessible style of their first two albums, and to expand on their techno-heavy roots. With extended song times, the deletion of all vocals, and doubling up on their techno roots, Delicacies is a pretty radical step for the average listener. Those who don't dabble in the “harder to listen” electronic genres might find it rather difficult to listen to.

I heard the first songs released from Delicacies before Simian Mobile Disco were set to play at the U Street Music Hall in DC a few weeks ago. Those songs--"Aspic," "Nerve Salad," "Casu Marzu," and "1000 Year Egg"--were all good, but I was unsure how their live performance would hold up. The performance of the tunes from Delicacies made me realize that they had the right idea in mind when they were creating these tunes. It's clear that this is a record meant for the club scene. While there are no vocal hooks to get you singing along to every tune, there are very calculated synth loops and bass lines that are aimed to keep your feet moving.

Simian Mobile Disco proves that it does not take catchy vocal hooks and pop-influenced production to make an album that listeners of all backgrounds can enjoy. While I’m sure they have lost fans who were expecting a Temporary Pleasure (Part 2) of sorts, they gained respect and admiration from a lot more. They are staying true to themselves, and that is important. Delicacies, an album based around unusual foods they have sampled across the world, is a record for the die-hard electronic listener, the club rat who doesn’t know the name of the song he’s dancing to, and even the girl who enjoys listening to bass-lines in the comfort of her own home. All in all, Simian Mobile Disco took a risk in the creation of their latest album and it was one that you can’t help but appreciate them for.

Conditions, Life On Repeat, Safety Word Orange, Mayfair, The Greater The Risk, and Cadeline
Friday, November 26 at The Canal Club

These all-ages Canal Club shows are going to be the death of me. I understand they've gotta start early in order to get them done by the time the underage kids have to leave the show, but it seems like I'm always stuck at work until at least an hour after the doors open. This time I couldn't get to the show until over two hours after everything started, and then I had to do some frantic scrambling for a parking space, before bolting through the doors of the Canal Club and quickly up the stairs to the big room where the show was happening. Regardless of how fast I tried to get there, I still managed to miss the first two groups on the bill. My apologies to Cadeline and The Greater The Risk. I'll catch you guys soon, I promise.

When I hit the top of the stairs, Mayfair had just started playing. Mayfair is the latest project featuring the vocal talents of Race The Sun's Daniel Long, and as I've always been into Race The Sun, I was looking forward to seeing his new band. The studio recordings I've heard on the internet had a bit more studio gloss than I really like, but live, that wasn't a problem, as the band's rhythm section did a great job of giving the songs the propulsive punch that they needed. Overtop of these chunky, driving rhythms, lead guitarist Zack Reichert mostly focused on ringing single-note melodies. Sometimes pop-punk bands overuse parts like this, but despite the fact that Reichert played single notes far more often than he played chords, the lead parts he laid down never got annoying. Instead, they mixed perfectly with Daniel Long's high, clear vocal melodies, which avoided the pop-punk touches of his previous work with Race The Sun in favor of a more melancholy style that reminded me of Jimmy Eat World circa Clarity. Like that band, Mayfair worked through a variety of moods, with Daniel sometimes playing an acoustic guitar during quieter moments. Also like Jimmy Eat World, Mayfair showed a striking ability to construct their songs for maximum emotional impact. Their songwriting is straightforward enough to work very well as conventional pop music, but nonetheless it is clear that Mayfair have above-average songwriting talent, as well as the necessary musicianship to play those songs perfectly in a live setting. This was one of their first shows, too, so they're only going to get better from here.

Safety Word Orange played next, and were the only band of the evening who didn't do much for me. They were extremely well-rehearsed, and played their songs tightly and well, but the songs themselves just weren't very original. I couldn't point at one particular group they were ripping off, but their songs managed to echo every popular pop-punk group of the past five years at one point or another. Unoriginality can be offset in some cases by significant talent; if a band writes songs that are better than any of the groups they draw from, it doesn't matter that they wear their influences on their sleeve. However, Safety Word Orange didn't have the talent necessary to overcome their derivative songwriting, so all they were left with was a competent stage show. It wasn't enough to impress me, and what's more, their performance was filled with the sort of pandering arena-ready stage moves that are my least-favorite part of modern pop-punk. "They pose hard," I posted to my twitter account midset, and I stand behind that comment. When pop-punk bands come across like boy bands in a live setting, I am guaranteed to be turned off.

I was much happier with the band that played next. Life On Repeat reminded me at points of early Thrice, in that they managed to play pop-punk with a severe metal edge. However, where Thrice's most metal moments resembled 80s power-metal bands like Iron Maiden, Life On Repeat's heaviest moments were closer to metallic hardcore. With the addition of screamed vocals, their music would have strongly resembled the melodic, emotional metalcore of Shai Hulud or Misery Signals. But as it was, their vocalist always sang cleanly and melodically, and the amazingly catchy choruses of the songs added the hooks that kept the band grounded in the pop-punk genre. Their fusion of the two genres was excellent, though, and seemed likely to please fans of both styles. Their performance was geared to win over everyone in attendance, too--forsaking the poses that had turned me off in the previous band's set, Life On Repeat instead focused on energy, bouncing across the stage and tossing their long hair around as they played. They sounded excellent and were a lot of fun to watch.

But the best was still to come. Back when I discovered Conditions earlier this year, I found myself wondering why I hadn't heard of them before, and whether they might not have as big a following in their hometown as they did elsewhere. The set at the Canal Club showed me that I was wrong about that--not only was there a crowd of somewhere around 800 people packed into the upstairs room by the time Conditions hit the stage, all of them went nuts as soon as the headlining band appeared. The overall vehemence of the crowd's reaction to Conditions' music was a strong indication of how much the Richmond scene loves what they do. It was easy to understand why as the set proceeded--their already excellent songs were given new life in the live setting.

The messages in their lyrics were underscored by the way Conditions put every ounce of passion they had into the performance. It was clear that they meant everything they said, and felt it was important to get these ideas across to the audience. It seemed like everyone in the place knew the words, and kids were eager to get up front and sing along. In fact, considering the melodic sound of Conditions' music, I was surprised at how intense the action in the crowd was. There was a little bit of hardcore-style "kickboxing" going on, but most of the kids were just shoving and smashing into one another. Unfortunately, the enthusiasm boiled over into outright aggression at points, and once the band had to stop playing and tell some kids in the front row to stop fighting. Things calmed down after that, though, and they brought the show to a strong conclusion with an excellent and highly necessary encore, only stopping when the show was required by law to end.

The crowd's energy level had remained at fever pitch throughout the set, and when Conditions finished playing, I was drained. Despite the cold air of the late November night, I didn't feel the chill--I was still sweating from the intensity of the performance I'd just seen. With the strength of their live show, Conditions proved--as if there was any doubt--that they're one of the best bands in Richmond today. I can't wait to see them again.