Richmond

No BS! Brass Band/Black Girls

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No BS! Brass Band VS Black Girls

No BS! Brass Band VS Black Girls

The Artists: No BS! Brass Band and Black Girls. The Album: No BS! Brass Band VS Black Girls. The Store: The Interweb. The Price: $6.

I have my friends Josh and Caitlin to thank for No BS! Brass Band. They’d seen No BS! perform a number of times, and it was clear when they talked about the group that something special was going on. Seeing that type of enthusiasm in friends is always a sign of good things to come, and when I finally got to see No BS! at the Camel this past winter, I had an incredible time. Their sound is big and inviting, and in between their powerful and intricately arranged original songs, they covered “Thriller” and “Take On Me,” both of which were ridiculously fun. Every time I’ve seen them since, I’ve felt that same sense of fun, so I was bummed that I couldn’t make it to either night of the two-part Balliceaux release party for the new split 7″ record they just released with fellow Richmond band Black Girls. When I found out about this limited-pressing record, entitled No BS! Brass Band VS Black Girls, I got really excited and bought a copy off the label’s website, thinking they might run out quickly, MAYBE EVEN DURING THE RELEASE PARTY (I do the same thing with movies I’m jazzed up about — I always think they’re going to be totally crowded, so I rush through the popcorn buying process to make sure I get connecting seats). My copy came in the mail this weekend, and I’d never heard Black Girls’ music, but their song “Broadway” gave an outstanding first impression, sounding sophisticated and full — the word “jaunty” also comes to mind, but do people really use that word? — with No BS! providing backup firepower. On the other side, No BS! contributes a fantastic new version of “Ain’t Even Gonna Call Ya,” one of my favorites to see live. Check out a live version of the song below, and if you’re vinyl-inclined, order your copy of the split 7” here.

Hoax Hunters

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Yesterday, I wrote about a few of the many reasons to see live music. There’s one example I left out because I had today’s post in mind, and in the age of the interweb, it’s an extremely rare one: music that’s exclusively available in live form. In late May, Hoax Hunters performed their first set as a band under the name the Blood Vowels. I couldn’t make this inaugural show, but this past Friday (YES, the same night as the Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings show — Mrs. You Hear That?!? is a trouper!), which was just a few days after the name change was made Twitter-official but before any of their music had made its way online, the Richmond-based band performed their second show at Strange Matter. It was such a gift to walk into the venue completely free of preconceptions, filled with the excitement of knowing I was about to hear music that, at the time, wasn’t within Google’s beneficently creepy purview. Hoax Hunters rewarded me with six explosive and exhilarating rock songs that resonated right away, leaving an uncommonly gripping first impression. Three of the tunes from Friday’s show have been posted on the band’s ReverbNation page, including my favorite of the night, “Mantooth.” The track highlights how well-crafted their songs are, mixing power and subtlety in a way that shows real care and creativity. Check it out here, and be sure to check the band out at their next show, on August 4 at Sprout with White Laces, Fossil Eyes and Grandfather.

Drive-By Truckers

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“Do you believe in rock & roll?”

This famous line from Don McLean’s “American Pie” has always seemed meaningful to me, even though its meaning must be very different for me than for someone who was alive on February 3, in 1959. Having been born in 1983, I missed the advent of rock & roll, and never had to fight for its legitimacy. I never had to hide a Buddy Holly record from my parents, nor has anyone told me, with a straight face, that anything I listen to is “the devil’s music.” But to me, believing in rock & roll is not passive at all. It means learning about the bands that made the genre a cultural mainstay, and looking for echoes of those bands in today’s music. It means not taking music for granted. It means screaming like a crazy person when you’re at a Wilco show and Jeff Tweedy wonders aloud if you “still love rock & roll.” With that spirit in mind, I headed to Brown’s Island in Richmond this past Friday to see Drive-By Truckers for the very first time. It was the band’s 15th anniversary show, marking 15 years to the day since they recorded their first demo, and what struck me was how the band personifies their genre so completely. Confident, powerful and captivating, the Truckers put on a two-plus hour demonstration of what three guitars, bass, keys and drums can do when applied correctly. Surrounded by fans who knew every lyric, I had the good fortune of recording “Let There Be Rock,” a song that states directly a truth that the band itself embodies: rock & roll has the power to lift us up, as long as we keep believing in it. Check out the video of “Let There Be Rock” above, and a studio recording of the song below, which can be found on their Southern Rock Opera album.

 

Ben Kweller

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Changing Horses

I’ve been rooting for Ben Kweller for 14 years. In 1997, my dad showed me a New Yorker article featuring Radish, a band Kweller fronted as a teenager. He was just 15 then. Radish’s success didn’t last, but I never forgot the picture from that article. Nor did I forget the feeling, as a 13-year-old learning to play guitar, that my own rock stardom could be right around the corner. I kept checking in on Kweller, enjoying solo albums Sha Sha and On My Way, but was blown away when I saw him perform at the National on November 12, 2008. It was a new Ben Kweller, reborn as an alt-country act, getting ready to release the aptly titled Changing Horses. It was spectacular. “Fight” and “Sawdust Man” became instant favorites that night, and I was filled with satisfaction seeing a musician I’d been rooting for sound so great.

Josh Small

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Juke

Important Life Lesson, Part II: Yesterday, I made a case for going early to concerts, because you never know what the opening act gods will send your way. This goes double for Justin Townes Earle shows. First it was Joe Pug at the Southern, and then Friday at the Camel, I found out about Richmond local Josh Small. Within moments of starting his opening set, his passionate singing and foot-stomping steel guitar playing made it feel like we were all sitting on the back porch of a cabin deep in the woods, soaking in his intricate and energetic brand of southern-influenced folk. I picked up both his albums (sound familiar?), and am so happy I did. His most recent is called Juke and features the same passion I saw live, but with the added bonus of eclectic instrumentation.