Prolific RVA record label Worthless Junk, who have previously released albums by such RVA music scene luminaries as Black Girls, No BS! Brass Band, The Trillions, White Laces, and quite a few others, are currently engaged in an ambitious effort to release vinyl LPs by three different RVA bands--Cheyenne, Shy Low, and Way Shape Or Form--at the same time. In order to generate the funds necessary to pay for three vinyl releases at once, they've turned to the crowdfunding site Kickstarter. The deadline for their Kickstarter project is this Friday at 11 AM, so you've still got a few days left in which to get involved. Pledges of as little as $11 can score you a vinyl copy of any one of the three albums on offer here, while a pledge of $45 gets you all three vinyl albums, as well as a poster from the record release show; buttons, stickers, pins, and other Worthless Junk swag; plus a special bonus vinyl LP from Worthless Junk's back catalog. The prices are lower than you'd pay in stores for these albums, and the bonus items on offer make this a deal that can't be beat! Now here's a little more info about each of these bands/albums:
Cheyenne are a young Richmond band featuring members of several other young Richmond bands, including Springtime, Jabroni, Midair, and more. Worthless Junk will be releasing their debut full-length, Secrets Of The Cheyenne. Cheyenne is part of the complex yet fundamentally catchy subgenre of melodic, emotional punk that's been coming out of the underground scene in the last few years--think Algernon Cadwallader, Grown Ups, Snowing, and more. They push this sound forward with a strong offering of driving rhythms topped by intertwining single-note guitar parts, which often resolve into catchy singalong choruses with a wistful, bittersweet undertone. Get a preview of their debut full-length by streaming Secrets Of The Cheyenne from their Bandcamp page.
Shy, Low is a quartet who formed a few years ago after the breakup of Vessel, a metalcore band all four members had also been a part of. Making an abrupt turn away from the volume and screamed vocals that marked that group's sound, Shy, Low instead began experimenting with the instrumental textures of post-rock, constructing lengthy abstract musical narratives in the manner of groups like Mogwai and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Worthless Junk will be releasing their second full-length, Binary Opposition, and you can get a brief preview of what that album has to offer by watching the teaser video above. Alternately, check out Shy, Low's self-titled debut at their Bandcamp page.
Way, Shape, Or Form began as the solo project of Troy Gatrell, and still exists as such on studio recordings. However, since Gatrell can't play all of the instruments at once during live performances, he's joined by a trio of other musicians that features members from Cheyenne (of which Gatrell is also a member), Night Idea, and Houdan The Mystic. Worthless Junk will be releasing Way, Shape, Or Form's second full-length LP, Person, Place, Or Thing, on which Gatrell incorporates jazzy guitars, electronic textures, and subtle, reverberating pop melodies into a mellow but pleasing cocktail of dark night-time moods. (Most of) Person, Place, Or Thing is available for streaming on Way, Shape, Or Form's Bandcamp page, or check out a live performance of the album's opening track, "Option House," in the video above.
Worthless Junk is still about $500 short of their monetary goal in order to get this project funded, but with almost three days left before the deadline arrives, there's still plenty of time for you to head over to Kickstarter, make a contribution, and get a vinyl copy of one, or all three, of these excellent local albums for your very own.