Sounds of RVA @soundsofrva-blog - Tumblr Blog

The time has come for Sounds of RVA to say farewell. After 5 1/2 years of covering the local scene, I’m a little burned out. The scene is burgeoning and blossoming, and I couldn’t be more stoked. This end of the blog has been coming for some time, as it has been harder and harder to summon enough time, energy, and creativity to put everything into this project that it needs.

I started this blog to help get the word out about the smaller guys of the RVA music scene. Bands who had so much talent were barely being noticed, and I wanted to do something to change that.

I have met so many awesome people through this vehicle, and I have had so many cool experiences because of Sounds of RVA. I apologize for the e-mails and messages I couldn’t get back to, and I apologize to the bands I may have unintentionally slighted by not writing up your release or show.

I want to thank all the readers, bands & musicians, photographers, promoters, booking agents, venues, other music journalists, and any others who have made this project so rewarding. Thank you so much to the Richmond music scene for your support over the years. Now I am devoting my time to contributing to the scene in a different way.

Thank you, and good night!

Sarah Moore-Lindsey

#RIP Sounds of RVA #RVA music scene #diy #end of a blog #thank you!#and good night

Roper & Furley - “Please Stay Tonight”

From bands like Alabama Thunderpussy, El Presidente, and Fire Faithful comes the killer desert rock of Roper & Furley. Probably referring to the switching of actors as the landlord in Three’s Company, Roper & Furley has released a few singles (on SoundCloud) to show us what the big deal is.

“Please Stay Tonight” winds up in its introduction as guitar and bass tease their starting the lick, drums steady. The hellish swagger they eventually break into is sinister. “You’re such a good girl/Your mama loves you/But even she can’t help you tonight.”

“Edible Jester” was posted about a week ago, and it’s got a heavy Sabbathian crunch and smooth, Josh Homme-ian vocal delivery. It’s got a hypnotic buzz about it, and then it just gets heavier before dialing it back down. These guys know how to utilize dynamics right.

Catch Roper & Furley TONIGHT (5/3) @ Strange Matter opening for Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires (Alabama honky tonk on SubPop) with No Ice (NY heavy Americana). 9:00 pm, $8.

#Roper & Furley #RVA #desert #psych #stoner #rock #heavy #ATP #doom

Book of Wyrms will start at 10:15 for those stragglers who also want to watch the Game of Thrones episode.

and it’s FREE!

#Various Eggs #Book of Wyrms #Bandito's #RVA #psychedelic #live music #free

Lance Bangs - “Lance bangs #1 single released on 4/20″ (”Last Week She Bled”)

Lance Bangs (the band formerly known as Collin Thibodeauxx) released a track last week on 4/20 and the internet went wild. The trio recorded a dreamy grunge rock song complete with psychedelic distortion. The tune begins with a little warm-up moment and an immediate “Last Week She Bled,” which we’re taking to be the song title. The quirky love song is endearing, bewitching, and catchy. You can read the lyrics on their bandcamp. The tune is lo-fi, grungy, and twee all rolled into one.

Lance Bangs is part of Citrus City Records, an awesome local cassette label run by Manny Lemus. Other bands on the label include Camp Howard, Max Gardener, Born Idiot, Home Clouds, Teen Brains, Good Try, and a bunch more.

Catch Lance Bangs at any of the following:

This Saturday, 4/30 @ WXTJ Hates Foxfield Fest (hahaha) (Charlottesville) with New Boss, Julia Pox, Bug Lady, Cold Beaches, Witch Boots, and How Come Sky?

5/10 @ Strange Matter with Peach Kelli Pop, The Milkstains, & Deer Eat Birds (former Motel Fire)

5/14 @ Sound of Music with Vundabar, Antiphons, and Camp Howard

5/28 @ The Camel with Camp Howard and Spooky Cool

#Lance Bangs #Collin Thibodeauxx #RVA #rock #punk #grunge #lo-fi

De'John Linward - Numbers.

Catch the newness Numbers. by De’John Linward and get ready for his name to be household. The chill-ass hip hop album features some respectable producers like Leahm Brodie, Escxpe, L. David, Al-Malikah, plus Linward himself, approaching some heavy lyrical content and enlightening melodies.

The first track, “a.love.story.” is my new summertime go-to. With some opening moody synth and laid-back banter, the introduction hits soft and sweet. But this is just the calm before the storm. “I can feel it....” Then the verse starts with, “You think that you (you) can be my only one/my only sun/ my girl/ my fucking world...” It just rolls off the tongue and titillates the brain segment associated with dope ass rhyme appreciation. I love his delivery and what he does with seemingly so little.

Check out “.dreams” - Escxpe produced this track, and the cosmic elevator sample they use is hypnotic. “They say sleep is the cousin of death.” You will get hooked on Linward’s words and poetic cadence. Keep listening for “same.shit (555)” which feels a little screwed as it’s slow but a heavy roll. It feels like walking through some purple sludge, slowed down and tripped out.

#De'John Linward #Leahm Brodie #Escxpe #L. David #Al-Malikah #RVA #hip hop

flyer by Jonathan Dodd

#Imaginary Sons #Album Release #Toxic Moxie #Venus Guytrap #Headless Mantis #Eayes #Jet Trails Media #The Camel #Bossy Lil Thing Records

The Blue Sky Disaster - “Dealing With A Handful of Wires”

The Blue Sky Disaster has recorded some pretty heavy and gorgeous tracks, including “Dealing with a Handful of Wires,” which is very descriptive of the mathy heavy goth rock. One can envision being in such a situation with this sort of soundtrack involved, and there would be industrial atmosphere everywhere and a time constraint.

The band is a project by Ian Patrick Buss (October Wolves) and you can check out more songs from the sessions at his soundcloud.

#The Blue Sky Disaster #RVA #metal #progressive #industrial #post-rock #math rock #post-punk #experimental #instrumental

Majjin Boo - Demo 2016

Get your ears ready for the heady vibes of summery/breezy math rock of Majjin Boo. The band just released a three song demo of emotic proportions. Yes, I made up the word “emotic” because emotive just doesn’t hit it. Sink your teeth into the first track, “Criminal,” and get escorted to a really psychedelic and chaotic deserted island. Band members include Zavi Harman (Loxodonta), who also engineered Strumpet’s Magnolia EP. The band loves cats, too, as evidenced by the below logo:

art by Jack Oliver

#Majjin Boo #RVA #emo #math #rock #pop #progressive #prog #Zavi

Prince - “Nothing Compares 2 U”

RIP Prince, you left us way too soon. My favorite song, “7,” isn’t on YouTube yet, so we are going with this awesome crowd-surfing-Prince version of “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Prince’s influence spread so far and wide that it has made music what it is today. Despite personal problems and perhaps what may come out about his death in the future, Prince was a force of nature whose music and performance art will live forever.

#RIP Prince