Sessions’ firing stirs protests in Richmond, nation
Chip Lauterbach Contributing Writer Quentin Rice Contributing Writer A crowd of about 100 protesters gathered Nov. 8 outside the U.S. Federal District Courthouse in Richmond to express their collective discontent with the firing of U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “If you look through history at other countries, when their leaders decide that they can choose […]
Poetry in the streets: The True Commonwealth’s prime performers
Quentin Rice Contributing Writer Spoken word slam poetry and hip-hop collided at Gallery5 Nov. 1 for The True Commonwealth, a showcase put on by RVA Magazine and Association of Great Minds. The show featured some of Richmond’s premiere hip-hop artists including Michael Millions, Radio B and VCU alumnus Nickelus F. The evening started with Roscoe […]
Not your average family band: QOK has a unique sound and dynamic
Quentin Rice Contributing Writer Talent runs deep in QOK, a pop band comprised of five siblings from northern Virginia. Formerly known as Queens Over Kings, the group incorporates elements of jazz, blues and reggae in their music about carving one’s own path. The siblings — Kristyn, Jerald, Loren, Ingrid and Hallie — played various instruments […]
Beers, beats, banh mi: Mekong Xpress is Richmond’s newest funk band
Quentin Rice Contributing Writer What started as a weekly meeting of musicians at an unassuming Vietnamese restaurant on Broad Street has evolved into Mekong Xpress, an eight-piece funk band whose first album, “Common Knowledge,” comes out Oct. 19. An Mekong, owner of Mekong restaurant who could be deemed the band’s godfather, spent months educating the […]
A review of Spooky Cool’s disorienting debut “Every Thing Ever”
Quentin Rice Contributing Writer Richmond-based psychedelic rock band Spooky Cool released their debut EP titled “Every Thing Ever” — a two-faced, sinister odyssey of anthemic psychedelic rock, experimental time signatures and ghastly vocal harmonies — Aug. 3. It is the band’s first official release after years of live performances. The EP opens with “Strange Rooms,” […]
Shy Lennox delivers unforgettable “Audition”
Quentin Rice Contributing Writer Donning a rain coat and shorts adorned with green sequins, Shy Lennox, backed up by his frequent producer captain pizza, opened his EP release show at Flora with “Afterblunts,” the single that put him on the map with almost 300,000 streams on Spotify. The crowd swayed and sang along to the […]
From “Afterblunts” to “Audition”: VCU student experiments with R&B
Richmond alternative rhythm and blues artist Shy Lennox will release his new album, “Audition,” Sept. 7., featuring his deep voice over smooth synthesizers and slow, clicky percussion, which provide a departure from the genre’s falsetto-dominated landscape. Born in Texas and raised in Woodbridge, Virginia, Lennox cultivated a love for music and vocal performance that became […]
Review: the RVA All Day Block Party
The Broadberry hosted the RVA All Day Block Party on April 28, an all-day music festival featuring performances from local acts such as Dharma Bombs, Night Idea, Angelica Garcia and NO BS! Brass Band. Dharma Bombs opened up the night of music with their first performance in Richmond since December. They played the hits from […]
Local vinyl shop celebrates Record Store Day
This year, vinyl record store Steady Sounds commemorated the 11th annual Record Store Day with special releases, DJ sets and a live performance from Virginia rapper Chance Fischer. Vinyl enthusiasts around the country hop from store to store in the hopes that they’ll score an exclusive release from their favorite artists for Record Store Day. […]
Dharma Bombs are breathing new life into Americana music
The transition from thrash metal to bluegrass was easier for Richmond-based Dharma Bombs lead vocalist Trey Hall than one might imagine. According to Hall, the only difference between the two genres is a major and a minor key. Hall played in a hardcore band with Dharma Bombs mandolin and five-string banjo player Chris Gatens before […]