We've been stoked about NYC's White Hills for a while--first turned onto them when our esteemed colleague Ryan Muldoon of Revolt Of The Apes interviewed them back at the beginning of last year, we were in turn blown away by their latest full-length album, the evocatively titled Frying On This Rock, when it came out on Thrill Jockey back in the spring. The opening track and first single, "Pads Of Light," knocked us out with its eyeball-searing video and blazing Blue Cheer-style psychedelic wah-wah guitar solo, but that's just the tip of the iceberg--the album as a whole has a far more devastating epic-acid-trip feel, with two of its five songs combining to reach over 25 minutes in length. Now that we've spent an entire summer frying on this particular third rock from the sun--did White Hills know what the upcoming months had in store for us back when they named their latest album?--all of Richmond has been breathing a sigh of relief at the approach of the recent cooler post-Labor Day temperatures. Perhaps it's fitting that this end-of-season cooling off period sees White Hills finally arrive here in town to take the stage at Strange Matter.
Yes, fresh off their performance at this weekend's Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh, NC, White Hills will be stopping by Richmond on their way back to New York to demolish us all with their towering walls of blistering psychedelic sound. Assuming Strange Matter is still standing after Sunn O)))'s once-in-a-lifetime appearance there the night before, White Hills will be fully prepared to test the foundations once again, regaling us with extended psychedelic jams from their extensive catalogue. And that's not all the evening has to offer, either! A far different kind of mind expansion will occur that night thanks to an equally rare appearance by legendary Richmond/Nashville singer-songwriter James Wallace and his backing group, the Naked Light, the always shifting lineup of which has included members of Fight The Big Bull and other great local groups. We loved last year's debut release, More Strange News From Another Star (Shannon even made it his #1 local album of 2011), and expect Wallace and co.'s off-kilter, psychedelically-enhanced folk-pop to make the perfect counterpoint to White Hills's gorgeous noise.
Also on the bill will be Canadian "psychedelic surf" group Odonis Odonis and local improvisational space rangers Caves Caverns--we're expecting lots of mind expansion from these two groups as well. With soundscapes by Revolt Of The Apes head honcho Ryan Muldoon himself, we can expect the vibe in Strange Matter to be decidedly trippy from the moment the doors open at 8 PM. We'll see you there for round two of an extremely far-out psychedelic weekend here in RVA. Don't miss it!
WHAT: White Hills At Strange Matter!
WHO: White Hills, James Wallace & The Naked Light, Odonis Odonis, Caves Caverns; featuring Soundscapes by Revolt Of The Apes
WHERE: Strange Matter, 929 W. Grace St.
WHEN: Saturday, September 8, 8 PM
ADMISSION: $8 in advance, $10 at the door. Advance tickets available here: whitehills.eventbrite.com