Eels, with Jesca Hoop and Trish Dunn

When it comes to Eels, I figure we all experienced similar introductions--it was the mid-nineties, and they had an exceptionally memorable music video for their tune “Novocaine (For The Soul).” As I would soon discover, this single was incredibly misleading. The musical potential and phases of Eels were barely represented. I realized this while helping a friend move--Eels with Strings: Live at Town Hall served as our soundtrack. Throughout this release, songs spanning their entire catalog were given a new life in terms of presentation. Eels mastermind Mark Oliver Everett gracefully engaged and challenged audiences by demolishing any preconceived notions they may have had regarding his creative output. I entered the Eels show at the National this past Thursday with these ideas in mind.

The show began with a ventriloquist act by Trish Dunn. At first, I was completely thrown off. Upon further investigation, it appears that Eels have been seeking out local ventriloquists to open their shows. It was fairly bizarre to see this type of act in a venue such as the National. It’s hard to gauge her ten-minute set. Perhaps the set would have been more effective in a tinier, more intimate setting. She rotated between two characters and had a confident rapport with the audience members at the barrier.

Jesca Hoop was the next act. Singer-songwriters are always a tough call. It would be nice to believe that we haven’t developed preconceived notions about singer-songwriters, but we all know that’s not completely accurate. It can be incredibly difficult for a performer to establish themselves as something unique or different when lumped in with the bulk of the performers classified similarly. Thankfully, Hoop was a wonderful relief, her music finding a home among like-minded artists such as Joanna Newsom or Tom Waits (who, incidentally, acted as a mentor to Hoop when she worked for him as a nanny). There was a beautiful flow to her music that incorporated a wonderful vocal dynamic. There was also a jangle to her guitar playing that felt right at home with the high and low vocal registers she comfortably achieved. Hoop’s songs were full of wildly imaginative takes on overdone subject matter that, in her hands, felt refreshing and charming.

Prior to the Eels show, I was aware that the Everett had released three full-lengths within the past year and a half. The set for the evening’s performance was certainly a celebration of this fact. Everett took the stage with just an electric guitar and went straight into a selection of newer songs. There was a haunting feel to this presentation of their recent output that appealed to me greatly. For the rest of the set, Everett was accompanied by a technically proficient backing band. Yet their attire stood out next to Everett’s one-piece white jumpsuit, glorious beard, snazzy shades and bandanna. As I mentioned before, Eels are not a band that can be confined to a specific genre. On this night, Eels were a classic rock/soul outfit, which was entertaining but not quite what I desired from their set.

The best moments of the set were those when the sentiments expressed in Everett's lyrics were the foundation of the performance, as layers upon layers of gentle musical nuance made it easy to delve into the stories the lyrics told. They were effective and didn’t feel contrived. There were many moments where this wasn’t the case, though. It seemed like the harder Everett tried to put across a certain image, the more awkward and less effective the performance was. A particularly awkward moment of the set came when the group went into one of the rockier numbers and Everett stood with his guitar blaring gloriously in overdrive. As it continued to do so, I couldn’t help but laugh, as it felt like the wall of noise might never end. The sound grew louder and louder until its sudden, abrupt ending. The backing band picked up the pieces instantly, which was a testament to their professionalism.

My biggest gripe with the whole show was the way the group felt removed from the audience. Everett only addressed the audience a few times and his comments felt rehearsed. Everyone in the audience, including me, still had a great time, but the infrequent and overly rehearsed nature of the crowd interaction really hurt the show’s momentum. I think it can be agreed that Everett is a very bizarre, interesting personality. I was hoping to see some of this reveal itself in the performance that evening, but I felt as if that never happened.

All in all, the show was perfectly adequate. Perhaps if I were better acquainted with their most recent trilogy of records, this show would have had a greater impact on me. I wouldn’t mind seeing Eels again, but I’d rather go in knowing that the set would celebrate the group’s entire catalog and not just be an overly structured paint-by-numbers set of recent material. Although it was entertaining, I left the show wanting something more than what I’d gotten.

Shpongle Live TONIGHT!!! - At The Canal Club

Shpongle is a downtempo/ambient Psychedelic trance (or Psybient) project from the United Kingdom. The core members are Simon Posford (aka Hallucinogen) and Raja Ram (one third of The Infinity Project), but they often collaborate with other artists. Their sound has sampled Eastern ethnic instruments and Western contemporary synthesizer-based psychedelic music. Posford is responsible for the synth and studio work while Raja Ram contributes with flute arrangements. The project was formed in 1996 after the pair viewed a solar eclipse in India. The two went into the studio and attempted to duplicate the experience in sonic form, and the result was a 20-minute track, "...And the Day Turned to Night," which was featured on Shpongle's first album "Are You Shpongled?" and the Twisted label compilation Eclipse - A Journey Of Permanence & Impermanence.

Shpongle is not a dictionary recognized word; in an interview taking place in Russia, Raja Ram stated that Shpongle is an umbrella term for feeling positive and euphoric emotions.

Shpongle's first track, "Vapour Rumours", was released on TIP Records' Infinite Excursions compilation in 1996.[2] Their debut album, Are You Shpongled?, was released 1998 on Twisted Records. Their latest album Ineffable Mysteries from Shpongleland was released on November 28, 2009

Dont miss this chance to see this amazing artist live!

Spongle with Malah & Mr. Jennings (PLF)
Today at 9:00pm - Tomorrow at 2:00am
The Canal Club (http://www.thecanalclub.com)
1545 East Cary Street
Richmond, VA

Facebook Event Page:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=120966147954143&ref=ts

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http://www.myspace.com/therealshpongle
www.twistedmusic.com
www.coastiicoastent.com

Mutant Supremacy - Infinite Suffering (Self-released)
Any band named after an X-Men reference is OK by me. This is classic death metal in the vein of early Morbid Angel. Drums and lead guitars stand out as particularly excellent, as do the unusually dynamic vocals. Eight tracks of unrestrained blazing fury in 30 minutes. A must-have.

Led To Sea - Into The Darkening Sky (Eleven)
Clanking-bicycle production, pizzicato string plucking, and an extremely talented string section are the disparate elements forming this surprisingly cohesive record, which incorporates Eastern European and psychedelic strains of folk music into an off-kilter but pleasant whole. The songs contain few vocal parts, but what singing appears is excellent.

Infernaeon - Genesis To Nemesis (Prosthetic)
The keyboards and neo-classical black metal riffing on this record make me think of Cradle Of Filth, but Infernaeon are a lot tougher than COF, with deep, growling vocals, chugging rhythm guitars, and a thick-sounding rhythm section that keeps the keyboards from making things too wimpy. Original, enjoyable brutality.

Great video by Joey Tran for the now defunct Prabir and The Substitutes. A song that I am sure everyone at one time or another can relate to.

Trapped within vectors, the ladies that occupy the world of MILK are either bored, tortured or in dealing with something fantastical. A blend of modern day graphic design and an updated inspiration from Art Nouveau (see Mucha), MILK takes a traditional fantasy feel and gives it a futuristic edge.

More work from MILK can be found HERE.
Good interview with her HERE.

Steez Promo and Euphoric Productions Presents:
DUB NATION RICHMOND VOLUME 2.0...YES I GOT MY SWAGGA BACK!

A very Special night that is going to feature some of the Biggest names in Dubstep:

DATSIK - BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

VASKI - MINNEAPOLIS, MN

SMASH GORDON - BMORE, MD

ALONG WITH: SHUGADADDE, HOTPOCK3TZ, XPHOURIAH, REINHOLD, & THOMAS KIMSEY.

DATSIK
If you don’t know Datsik by now, you best be learning. Datsik has been taking the dubstep scene by storm, blowing up dance floors around the globe with his original style of hip-hop future-tech bangers. In 2009 alone, Datsik had over 7 number one releases on Beatport, and vinyl sales through the roof on many other sites such as Chemical Records, Red-Eye and Juno. Aside from that, he has also done remixes for some of the biggest names in the scene such as the Crystal Method, Freestylers, Bassnectar, Noisia, Diplo, the Wu-tang Clan, and Apex from the critically acclaimed Lifted Music label; not to mention countless collaborations with some of the hottest producers in the scene. With multiple anthems under his belt, countless plays from some of the biggest DJ’s, and an endless perseverance to reach that next step, Datsik has proven himself to be one of the best dubstep producers around.
http://www.myspace.com/djdatsik

VASKI
When DJ/Producer Vaski sent his demo to rottun manager Excision, he had no idea of the journey that he was beginning. With his first two tracks storming the beatport top ten charts, Vaski hit the studio, returning to his Electro House production roots for the massive Terror Dome EP, featuring the self-titled track as well as the hit single "You Wouldn't Understand," Peaking again in the top ten of dubstep on beatport. Vaski's productions and local DJ sets began to gain attention of international promoters and DJ'st. Vaski spent the next season DJing at many Twin Cities venues, playing at the famed First Ave, Dinkytowner, and The Loft all the while working on his next work. World on Fire EP shook not only the beatport charts but the entire dubstep community. All five tracks peaked in the top 25 in dubstep on beatport, two tracks in the top ten, and the famous "Get Down" claiming its rightful place as a number one hit. This massive release rocketed Vaski to where he is today: smashing through his international tour, gaining rapid popularity for his unconventional stage presence, and continuously producing ridiculous and catchy bass lines. On the horizon for Vaski is the continuation of his tour, and his biggest production to date.
http://www.myspace.com/vaski

SMASH GORDAN
It's pretty amazing that Baltimore Native Steven "SMASH" Gordon is able to find time to DJ- After all, his days are already spent running one of the most successful promotional companies in electronic music- Steez Promo, as well as being a partner in the ever-expanding worldwide bass handler, Circle Management. If that wasn't enough, Steve also recently joined with long-time friend Damian Higgins, (Also known as Drum n' Bass Legend Dieselboy) to form subHUMAN, a bass driven label repping bass masters such as Dieselboy, Muffler, Numbernin6, Bare, and the man himself, Mr. Smash Gordon. This label will certainly be one to watch over the next coming months and years- but you won't have to look very hard to find subHUMAN- just check the top of the dubstep charts.

Yet even after all of this rapid activity, Mr. Gordon still finds time to step into his alter ego, Smash Gordon, to wreck the decks and clubs nationwide- and with his new "SMASH YOUR FUCKING FACE" mix, he's done just that. You'll hear the best Dubstep, Electro, Drum n' Bass, and even Baltimore Club Music this side of the UK during these 78 absolutely filthy minutes- bringing true meaning to the term "multi-genre". Filled with club bangers, classics, and the tunes you wish you'd already heard and shared with everyone you know, check out this links below to see his blog and get his mix.

http://www.getyoursmashon.com/
http://www.myspace.com/smashgordonthump

TONIGHT! OCT 1st
ELEMENT LOUNGE
119 N 18TH ST
RICHMOND VA 23223

10-4AM
18+
$12 ADVANCE TIX (LINK BELOW)
http://www.missiontix.com/events/product/9513/dub-nation---datsik---rich...

Video's -

The Gaslight Anthem, with Fake Problems and Bridge And Tunnel
Monday, September 27 at The National

I got to this show late because I had class, so I missed Bridge and Tunnel. This was a huge disappointment for me, even though I'd seen them many times before. They are a hard working, remarkably talented band and it's good to see that it is paying off for them in terms of getting to do some bigger tours--in addition to this tour with Gaslight Anthem, they recently did some dates with Propagandhi.

The other opening act was Gainesville, Florida's Fake Problems. I've also seen this band live before, at the now defunct Artist Underground Cafe. They didn't impress me then, and their transition to a larger venue didn't do much to improve my impression this time around. They write boring, Against Me!-inspired rock songs (surprise, surprise, Gainesville), and though the singer has a somewhat flashy demeanor on stage, it comes off as more annoying than as a redemptive factor.

The Gaslight Anthem plays a classic style of rock n' roll that draws a lot of comparisons to Bruce Springsteen and the Clash. Their image suits these comparisons--tattoos, white t-shirts, jeans, and slicked back hair go well with songs about cars, remembering Hank Williams, and the streets of New York. Though there wasn't a threat of the show selling out, the crowd was large enough to provide a good energy. That being said, there are very few bands that most people want to watch for a full two hours, and Gaslight Anthem used up that entire time slot. They simply played too long, and it killed it for a lot of people, including me. I'm a big fun of this band's songs, and they have a good live show. Front man Brian Fallon is genuine, and a bit of nervous talker. His interactions with the crowd would be more endearing in a smaller venue, but while the size of the National made his banter seem a bit awkward at times, I believe that his candor is an asset to the band.

This was the first show I've been to at the National where the quality of the sound left a lot to be desired. Uneven vocal levels and piercing feedback were an issue throughout the night, and it interrupted the flow of Gaslight Anthem's set more than once. That said, I don't think they can really blame anything but the length of their set for a less than riveting overall effect. I'd love to see them again--if they kept the set time down and played a venue that fit their draw a little better. Brian Fallon expressed a fondness for Richmond basements and bars such as Empire. I'm not suggesting they try any basement shows any time soon, but maybe bringing it down to a more intimate level could be a positive thing for this very talented band.

Klaus Schulze - La Vie Electronique, Vols. 3 and 4 (SPV)

A couple of years ago, I read a book called Krautrocksampler, by psychedelic postpunk genius and mercurial wunderkind Julian Cope. It's out of print and goes for multiple hundreds of dollars on the collector market, but pdf files of its text circulate on the internet, so I was able to read it without dropping the necessary cash for a hard copy. I knew about the most famous Krautrock groups--Can, Faust, Neu, early Kraftwerk--before ever checking out the book, but what I learned from Krautrocksampler was enough to teach me how little I'd previously known. Krautrock was a German genre that evolved at the dawn of the 70s, out of simultaneous interest in primitive, unrestrained rock n' roll; and in the endless, droning grooves of late 60s psychedelia. From these twin fascinations, a variety of figures in the German music scene all worked together to create a genre based around rhythmic repetition, mind-numbingly simple riffs, atonal freakouts, and huge ambient spaces. The music those pioneering artists created was viewed as extreme and had only a tiny cult audience at the time of its creation, but has become far more influential in the ensuing decades, as the cutting edge of musical creativity has caught up with the ideas of the most visionary Krautrock pioneers. Klaus Schulze was one of those pioneers, and it was from the pages of Krautrocksampler that I first learned his name.

Klaus Schulze was an influential and important figure on the Krautrock scene of the early 70s. An easy way to explain the music collected on La Vie Electronique to people who've never heard of Schulze is to mention that he was a founding member of the synthesizer-dominated prog-rock group Tangerine Dream. And this is true--he played drums on their first album. But it is also misleading, as Tangerine Dream, at the time of Schulze's membership, had not found the sound that is most readily identified with them. That sound can be most famously heard on the soundtracks to a variety of 80s-era horror and fantasy films, such as Near Dark, Legend, and Firestarter. However, when Schulze played with Tangerine Dream, they were still closely associated with Krautrock, mixing tape collage and found sound with the more standard repetitive drone grooves of that genre. Schulze's next group, Ash Ra Tempel, was even more of a standard Krautrock group, generally writing primitive, repetitive rock n' roll songs that took up entire sides of albums. Eventually, though, Schulze came to a similar point in his musical evolution as that which Tangerine Dream reached, and he moved away from playing drums in favor of focusing on the synthesizer. It is this period of his career, the first few years after he became a solo artist, that the third and fourth volumes in the La Vie Electronique series are concentrated on.

Initially knowing only that I'd be writing a review of the latest Klaus Schulze release, I was a bit taken aback to realize that his label had sent me two different triple-CD releases. Even more daunting was the realization that these volumes, lengthy in and of themselves, were being issued in an attempt to break down Schulze's 50-CD Ultimate Edition box set into more easily purchased and digested fragments. Based on simple mathematical extrapolation, I imagine that the series will extend to at least 16 volumes. However, one assumes that only a Schulze superfan would feel the pressing need to own them all. At this point, I've had Volumes 3 and 4 in my possession for a few weeks, and still feel like I've only just begun to absorb them. The pieces contained on these albums are long and ambient, and each disc is loaded with as much music as it can hold. There are generally two to three pieces on each disc, and while a few are brief enough to clock in at less than ten minutes, the average length of the pieces is 30 to 50 minutes. So, there's a lot here to get your head around.

Many musicians whose work was considered part of the Krautrock genre bristled at that appellation, which they found xenophobic and belittling. The preferred term amongst these musicians was kosmische musik, and this term evolved into a separate genre of its own, distinguishing between groups whose music was still primarily rock-based, focused on the repetitive rhythms often referred to as motorik; and groups who focused on ambient, spaced-out sounds, predominantly generated by synthesizers. While Klaus Schulze's original claim to fame was decidedly on the motorik end of things, it is clear from listening to La Vie Electronique that he ultimately moved into the realm of kosmiche. There is a modicum of percussion on these discs, but it appears only rarely, and when it does, is usually just a prerecorded backing track that Schulze performed in a studio at some earlier date. The main focus here is definitely synthesizers, and since these recordings all date from the mid-70s, these are the old, analog synthesizers, with their complicated methods of operation and unpredictable sound palettes. Schulze brings all sorts of different sounds from these synthesizers, and spends long stretches of time exploring various tangents of the sound they present to him. The ambient humming that provides a foundation for the majority of his work might be seen as mind-numbingly boring by some listeners, and so be it. This music is not for everyone. However, for those who find ambience, repetition, and drone to be interesting approaches to music, there are vast depths to be plumbed herein. Schulze often spends so long on a single chord that something as minor as a chord change can seem like a major shift in mood. Meanwhile, the high, soaring melodies that he picks out overtop of these humming drones create pictures in one's mind, the sounds translating into vast, astral vistas. If Krautrock's endlessly repeating motorik rhythms are the sound of car tires on a German autobahn, then Schulze's cosmic soundscapes are just as surely the glowing buzz of starship engines. Ladies and gentlemen, we are floating in space.

There's a great deal of variety to be found on these lengthy compilations. The first disc of Volume 4, a continuous 74-minute performance entitled "Just An Old-Fashioned Schulze Track," spends considerable time towards the beginning of its duration on a rhythmic, uptempo movement that, indeed, seems closer to Schulze's Krautrock roots than to the spacefaring kosmische musik that is more common on these compilations. An hour later, though, as the disc draws to a close, it is strange to recall that speedy, droning segment, as Schulze has by then brought things around to a long segment of simultaneously droning and frenetic keyboard melodies. During this later section, his high, quickly-played leads do battle with a staticky assault of equally high-pitched buzzing sounds. The overall impression is of solar flares playing havoc with spacecraft transmissions, and of tiny asteroids falling into the sun and burning up. "Alles Ist Gut," the opening track on Volume 3, has no percussion but is based around a persistently repeating two-note pulse that reconfigures the autobahn-associated motorik beat for interstellar travel. Later on that same disc, "Der Blaue Glaube" features pinging noises that resemble the ones in Pink Floyd's 23-minute 1971 epic, "Echoes." In fact, it sometimes seems like Schulze is using Pink Floyd's music as jumping-off point, taking the furthest reaches of their sonic explorations circa 1969, and soaring across the galaxy with them. Don't expect him to arrive at anything anywhere near as coherent as Dark Side Of The Moon, though. That's middle-of-the-road musical mainstream compared to Schulze's work here.

Ultimately, this is music that will only appeal to a certain audience. That audience will probably cohere out of a wide variety of different demographics, from fans of ambient electronic music to psychedelic headtrippers to kids who cut their teeth on Aphex Twin and Radiohead but now seek something a bit more challenging. All of these groups, and potentially many more, will find something to appeal to them buried somewhere in La Vie Electronique. And for those who find direct engagement tiresome, it can act as pleasant background music, even at high volumes. This is yet another way that Schulze's solo work resembles the most famous work of his former group, Tangerine Dream; it would clearly serve very well as the background score for a movie, especially one with fantastical subject matter. If you want to focus intently on what's contained in these volumes, there is plenty to explore. But there's always the option of relaxing and letting all of it wash over you. Schulze's work serves that purpose very well.

The Harding Street Assembly Lab
2010 - Harding Street HQ in Lynchburg, VA

The Harding Street Assembly Lab is a year old record label based in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Lynchburg, VA. The label was founded by Joanna and Nathan McGlothlin to put a name to the artwork and recordings made at monthly gatherings they hosted at their Harding Street house in 2004 and 2005. Guests were invited to bring food and thought to share with friends and strangers and after eating they were encouraged to made artwork or play music. Several public performances were later made under the moniker the BEAT! by various lineups formed at the gatherings. It wasn't until 2009 that the McGlothlins decided to resurrect the name and form an official entity to release music.

HSAL has six active artists attached to the label.

The Late Virginia Summers (TLVS) is the label's flagship and has gone through many incarnations over the years. Starting off as a solo recording project then later a full on ensemble of rotating musicians the group has now settled into the familiar two piece guitar/drum drone/experimental/rock outfit of Joe Morgan and Nathan McGlothlin.

Goodwill Falcon is the solo bedroom recording project by Carter Mahnke who resides in Williamsburg, VA. Carter and Nathan traded songs and remixes through a Starflyer 59 message board for years before meeting in person.

Herizon is Tim Condon who makes experimental folk music. He has scored his brothers short films and used to play in a rowdy country band with Nathan called The National Feather.

White Laces is Landis Wine who formerly fronted Richmond's Cinemasophia. Other than a name change, Landis has picked up right where his former band left off producing complex indie pop tunes.

ALASKA are the newest band signed to the label. They are currently recording their debut full length due out on HSAL this fall.

Virgineola picks up where TLVS branched off a few years back with an ensemble of musicians led by Nathan McGlothlin. They recently scored and performed music for Endstation Theatre's production of "Hamlet"

Locally you can find HSAL vinyl releases at Deep Groove or Steady Sounds (coming soon).
Harding Street Assembly Lab
FOUND: Mixed media art by Joanna of HSAL
download the BEAT! for free

more IN THE BLACK & WHITE

If you were here or not - either way - you have to check out the videos from the other night shot by Bryan Woodland. Ever seen anything like this? Its like the Ramones meets drunken Power Rangers.

BTW, does anyone out there have any pics from the show? We can add them to this post.

Over the past decade, MC Homeless has been carving out his path through indie hip-hop with a relentless touring schedule and countless collaborations. He is on the verge of releasing his sophomore LP ‘27’ on Milled Pavement records and he is kicking as hard as ever. Perhaps it is the confidence of a blooming career in rap music, but this man will certainly be arriving in Richmond with true cojones and gusto, prepared to battle local mainstay Swerve 36 on stage. Here is what MC Homeless had to say about life as a rap artist and the impending cage match.

Isaac: You’re from Ohio and have lived in North Carolina and L.A., but what do you know about Richmond, VA?
MC Homeless: Richmond, Virginia is one of my favorite cities. I like the culture. I've done a handful of shows and most of them have been pretty good. Nara Sushi was one of my favorite places to play for a while.

Isaac: Tell me about your most recent tour with P.T. Burnem. How is the hip-hop scene doing in Europe?
MC Homeless: P.T. Burnem and I recently completed a 27 day tour of Europe. We played in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, France and Romania. There is a ton of crappy rappers in Europe and a small pocket of really great talent. It’s the same as the States. You have to sift through the bullshit. People seem eager to hear new and independent-minded rap music though. Many people who come to our shows in Europe and the U.S. come from the punk rock and DIY scene but they are open minded and looking for something new. We don’t just stand there, grab our dicks and rhyme about how cool we are on a stage. We interact with the audience and bleed for them. I prefer no stage, actually.

Isaac: Belarus?
MC Homeless: Yeah, Burnem and I were the first indie rappers from the U.S. to play Belarus, which is actually the last remaining dictatorship in Europe. It’s a former Soviet nation in shambles, but the kids are really great.

Isaac: Your new record ‘27’ is about to drop in November. How does it compare to your earlier works?
MC Homeless: 27 is way better! Trapped under an Ohio Sky was more like a collection of music than an actual album. 27 is more concise and has a feel to it that sticks for all ten songs. I think my raps are better too. My 12 inch was pretty much the bridge between my first full length and this one.

Isaac: What is your experience like battling emcees?
MC Homeless: I used to love battling just to shatter rappers egos. I once beat thirteen rappers in a row. These days I’d rather live in reality and make music that means something to me. Battling is corny. Most of it is bullshit. The audience cheers for their friends. People come with standup comedy punch lines and think that’s rapping. If people really want to see a battle, take two emcees out of a venue and put them in a private setting then let them rap it out for at least thirty minutes straight. The corny, premeditated punch lines will fade and it will be obvious who the better rapper is.

Isaac: How do you plan to defeat Swerve 36 on the 10th?
MC Homeless: With a Johnny Cage fatality.

Swerve 36 is a Richmond hip-hop artist who does it all. Whether it’s DJing, freestyling, promoting a show or putting out records, he’s probably up to something. No other artist here has been doing it consistently and for so long in Richmond. On October 10th, he will put reputation and resumé on the line when he faces off against MC Homeless.

Isaac: How did you get introduced to hip-hop?
Swerve 36: A long time ago in a land far away.

Isaac: What’s good in Richmond, VA? What have you been up to in 2010?
Swerve 36: Family life and Nascar. I’ve been working on a project called ‘Legend’ with a lot of local entertainers produced entirely by Chadrach from the Divine Profitz.

Isaac: You’ve played a lot of shows. What’s the most memorable?
Swerve 36: Opening for the Roots, warm crowd, 1000 people enjoying my pain.

Isaac: When’s the last time you battled another rapper? What happened?
Swerve 36: Been awhile. I don’t remember. Other people seem to remember better than I do.

Isaac: How do you plan to defeat MC Homeless on the 10th?
Swerve 36: With an abundance of abusive, hurtful comments sprinkled with dick jokes.

On the 10th day of the 10th month of 2010, two generations of rap music will battle on the stage of Strange Matter for the title of better emcee. It’s MC Homeless vs. Swerve 36, and quite frankly, they sort of don’t like each other.

Both rappers come armed with veteran-level experience and some serious freestyling skills. However, they do flex different styles of rap. It’s anyone’s match and it will ultimately be left up to the crowd to decide who walks away with the free bar tab and bragging rights.

So come on out to Strange Matter on Sunday, October 10th and decide for yourself. Also not to be missed will be performances by local heavyweights Luggage and Swordplay plus touring artist Dropjaw and DJ MIR spinning all night.

Doors open at 10pm. Only $5 to see the slaughter.
WHAT: Classic Acts and Battle Raps
WHEN: Sunday October 10th 2010. Doors open at 10.
WHERE: Strange Matter 929 W. Grace St.
WHO: A featured battle between MC Homeless and Swerve 36 plus performances by Luggage, Dropjaw and Swordplay with DJ Mir spinning all night.
COST: $5

A photo set from the sold out Shplongle set at the Canal Club. Have no idea who Shplongle is? CLICK HERE. Also, for those that were there Mr. Jennings of PLF killed it and we have his podcast from the night coming up later today. BIG UPS to Mike and Jesse at EQ Productions for another great night of music in the RVA.

Photos taken by Todd Raviotta of Natural Science
www.rviral.tumblr.com
www.facebook.com/todd.raviotta
www.vimeo.com/user2477893/videos
www.naturalscience.posterous.com

"This is *just* a mixtape -- the mixing here is really basic.. I wasnt able to do as much as I would have liked to on the creative side but I thought it would be nice to give people a taste of the styles they might hear at Bollywood Night. There are some fun surprises in these two sets. There are two Bollywood Nights coming up this month: Bollywood Night at Cous Cous on Oct 9th and Bollywood Night at Hat Factory on Oct 23." (Yes, it actually was recorded to a cassette tape) - DJ Carlito

CLICK HERE FOR BOLLYWOOD

If you haven't been to Carlito's Bollywood Night at Cous Cous and coming to the Hat Factory for the first later this month, than you're missing out. Bollywood Night has earned the reputation as one of the most fun albeit silly dance nights in RVA. Hundreds of people singing, dancing, and chanting to the Bollywood hits for hours. Doesn't sound like your thing? Did I mention the amount of beautiful Indian girls and their handsome guy friends. Something for everyone.

Check out the facebook fan page HERE.

Hurtbird - Nature Vs. City (Self-released)
With a fundamentally indie instrumental sound somewhere between MGMT, Arcade Fire, and Radiohead, Hurtbird surprises by featuring a hip-hop MC as lead vocalist, with more typically indie vocals only on the choruses. Likely antecedents for their sound include Astronautalis and Buck 65. Though not overly impressive, it's a decent novelty.

Shy Child - Liquid Love (Gigantic)
Shy Child blend tropes from new wave and the spacier end of R&B circa 1983 into a horrendously dated electro/funk crossover. It's embarrassing to listen to, and if clubs full of Williamsburg hipsters really do dance to this, it just proves the whole irony thing has gone too far.

Warm Ghost - Claws Overhead (Geographic North)
The appropriately named Warm Ghost drown their synth melodies in a lush haze of lo-fi tape muffle. Everything sounds both warm and fuzzy, with no rough edges. A bit more song-based than the standard witch house group, they nonetheless have some claim on that genre tag. An enjoyable listen.

An Mekong, DJ Reinhold, and the Velvet Nines were all on hand for a celebration with 2 coolers and a barrel of delectable brew from around the globe. The show started off nearly normal, while Jamie from the Velvet Nines played a few live songs, and An added his personality to the show. An really held it down for us, and kept the show from coming completely apart at the seams. Plenty of delicious beer kept everyone jolly, but brew leads to mayhem as the show turned into chaos by the second hour and Jenna from Down Beat Switch ended up in the toilet, literally.

CLICK HERE FOR GODS OF THE BOBBLEHEADS

The 4th Annual Richmond Zine Fest will be held on October 16th at the GCCR and will feature local and national zinesters tabling, selling, and trading their independent, small press publications. The all day event will have workshops on how to make and distribute zines as well as being catered by Lamplighter Roasting Company. Check out The Richmond Zine Fest site for more info.

WHAT: 4th Annual Richmond Zine Fest
WHEN: Saturday October 16th 2010. 11am-5pm
WHERE: Gay Community Center of Richmond 1407 Sherwood Ave
FREE ADMISSION

Autumn is a musical season. We don't know why, but certain melodies, sounds, and songs just seem to stick to fall memories the way orange leaves attach themselves to the bricks on Monument after a rain. As such, we are in the musical memory manufacturing business this month, and we're just as excited looking at our calendar as a kid in a vampire costume with a pillow case full of candy. October kicks off with a double dose of No BS Brass Band celebrating the release of their new EP, and doesn't slow down. The Daniel Johnston-trained PALEFACE (once roommate of, and enormous influence on Beck) momentously returns to our stage on the 6th. On the 9th we're proud to host a Triple Stamp Records showcase, featuring local acoustic legends Homemade Knives, Ophelia, Anousheh Khalili, and Mermaid Skeleton (not to be confused with Meade Skelton). On 10/10/10 local producer Just Plain Ant (who recently worked with Chuck D of Public Enemy) releases his new album. We've got a fundraiser for the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America with an all-star lineup of music and comedy, Tim Barry with Josh Small and Pedals On Our Pirate Ships (POOPS), the WRIR MONSTER MASQUERADE, a Halloween Ho-Down with Jackass Flats, and a Halloween night party with the James Brown inspired The Big Payback and Caulit Anything. In between, our FREE bluegrass happy hour, Beers and Banjos is in full swing from 6-8pm every Friday, and more jazz, folk, hip hop, punk rock, jam bands, and indie music than we can brag about in a press release. We're like a jack-o-lantern: it's almost scary how hot we are this month. - The Camel

10/1: Beers And Banjos (bluegrass) 6pm. FREE
10/1: No BS Brass Band CD release! (brass band/ funk/ awesome) 9:30pm
10/2: No BS Brass Band CD release! (brass band/ funk/ awesome) 9:30pm
10/3: The Flail (jazz)/ TBA 10pm
10/4: Sleaze (hip hop)
10/5: Steve Kessler and The Extremes 9pm
10/6: PALEFACE (acoustic/ folk/ folk rock)/ Russell Lacy (blues/ folk/ rock)/ Matt Blanton (acoustic/ indie/ rock) 8pm. $5
10/7: The Congress (rock/ Americana/ soul) People's Blues of Richmond (blues/ rock) $8 21+, $10 under 21
10/8: Beers and Banjos (bluegrass) 6pm. FREE
10/8: Starfucking Hipsters (punk/ metal/ ska)/ Landmines (hardcore/ punk/ rock)/ TBA

10/9: Triple Stamp Records Presents: Homemade Knives (indie/ acoustic/ folk)/ Ophelia (indie/ folk/ rock)/ Anousheh Khalili (indie/ folk/ acoustic)/ Mermaid Skeleton (folk/ pop/ 2-step) 8pm. $5
10/10: Slapdash Presents: Just Plain Ant CD Release!

10/11: The Scott Clark 4tet (jazz)
10/12: Jeremiah Clark (Americana/ folk/ rock)/ Andy Moore (folk rock/ acoustic) 8pm. $5
10/13: Zac Hryciak and the Jungle Beat (classical/ pop/ rock)/ Dark Dark Dark (other)/ Liza Kate (folk/ acoustic/ indie) 9pm. $5
10/14: If You've Got The Guts: A fundraiser for The Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America with music by River City Band, Lydia Ooghe, Jonathan Vassar, and David Shultz and the Skyline. In between... music you will get to enjoy some improv comedy courtesy of The Richmond Comedy Coalition. All hosted by Joe Hafkey! $5. 7pm
10/15: Beers and Banjos (bluegrass) FREE 6pm
10/15: Silo Effect (trance/ funk/ live electronic) $5.
10/16: Tim Barry (rock/ other)/ Josh Small (soul/ nu-jazz/ folk)/ Pedals On Our Pirate Ships (punk/ folk/ acoustic) 9pm. $8 in advance, $10 at door.
10/17: Death On Two Wheels (indie/ rock)/ Glass Covers $8. 7pm
10/18: Nick Coward and The Last Battle (folk/ indie)/ Zoe Boekbinder (pop/ folk/ blues)

10/19: Brian Jones Jazz $5. 9pm
10/20: VCU Jazz 8pm
10/20: Comedy at The Camel 10pm
10/21: The Hotseats (bluegrass/ crunk/ blues), Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three (old-time/Americana)/ JP Harris and The Tough Choices (country) 8pm Price TBA

10/22: Beers and Banjos (bluegrass) FREE 6pm
10/22: WRIR MONSTER MASQUERADE!
10/23: The Riot Before (punk rock), O Pioneers!!! (hardcore/ soul/ folk rock), Junior Battles (rock), Red City Radio (rock), This is Your Life (melodic hardcore) $7 8pm
10/24: Rocky Votolato (folk/indie/punk) /Ha Ha TONKA (foot stompin' indie rock) $12 in advance $14 at the door

10/25: 1994! (thrash/black metal)/BIG KIDS(punk)/ SPRAYNARD (punk/indie)/BREAK THE HABIT (pop punk)/ARMS ALOFT (punk)/ CALVINBALL (punk) FREE!!!!
10/26: Imperial~Order (metal/ thrash), Low On Sanity (industrial/ gothic/ metal), and Templteka (progressive metal) $5. 8pm
10/28: Noah O Presents The Rebirth (hip hop) 10pm
10/29: Beers and Banjos (bluegrass) FREE 6pm
10/29: Dj Williams Projekt (soul/ funk/ rock) with PBR (Peoples Blues Of Richmond) (blues/ rock) 9pm

10/30: New Kent High School Class of 2000 Reunion 8pm
10/30: Jackass Flats Halloween Ho-Down (Americana/ bluegrass/ rockabilly) 11pm

10/31: The Big Payback (James Brown inspirations) Halloween Party with Caulit Anything (rock/ experimental) 8pm

Baltimore based GAIA has been making himself known throughout the East Coast with his illustration heavy, nature inspired street art pieces. He is prolific and is constantly creating. Recently, his travels have taken him out to Korea for a series called Gaia In Korea (video below) and the stuff is amazing. For more of his art, you can check out more at his site gaiastreetart.com or his flickr www.flickr.com/photos/gaiastreetart.

This video is meant to bring a focus on the plight of the homeless. Check the description on the video to find out more. On a less serious note, this is f**king entertaining!!

Nick Coward And The Last Battle - Kings EP (nickcowardandthelastbattle.bandcamp.com)

Nick Coward is an incredibly smart songwriter. Through examination of his songwriting decisions as well as his remarkable lyrical content, the talent involved in his work becomes quite clear. That is probably what makes his new EP, Kings, a satisfying release by one of Richmond’s more promising acts.

Each song presents itself as a portion of a greater story that is played out over the course of this recording. Coward is at his best when a strong melody is incorporated alongside intelligent lyrical observations. With both components in play, it allows his orchestra, The Last Battle, to instill a vigor and pulse into each phrase and beat. The final product is an octalogy complete with bookends, drama and reflection that engage the listener on all fronts.

After the release of the modest Ghosts EP, it was difficult to assume the direction the group would take. From our current perspective, Kings makes sense as a followup. If you take into account Coward's previous band, Belles, which featured Coward at the helm along with some of his current Last Battle cohorts, the louder rock moments on Kings make perfect sense. That may be why they are so effective. Nick Coward and the Last Battle are able to encompass what made Belles so enthralling, incorporating those elements into this release without sacrificing any of the integrity of their current project along the way. What we are left with is a strong EP that should only encourage and inspire their peers, as well as winning over new legions of fans inside and outside of our fair city.