Scene Recap: Bri Luv, Something Indie Water, Sound Of Richmond
Countless great outlets, organizations, and individuals cover the music scene in Richmond, so many that it might be hard to keep up to date on all of them. We’ll try and collect some great articles, coverage, and news bits we’ve read each week here at The Auricular.
• Big event weekend! Porchella is happening tomorrow after a rain delay last weekend, and WRIR is also celebrating another year in existence over at Hardywood. I’ll be at both events, catching some good punk and hip-hop on Fauquier Avenue before heading over to the brewery to catch more great music. Would love to hit Gallery5 afterwards to see Rough Age and Fairweather, but that’s going to be a last-minute decision. Outside the city, Something In The Water is going down this weekend over in Virginia Beach as is the less commercial Something Indie Water, which is more in line with our coverage and interests here. It’s organized by local musician and entrepreneur Will Heck / OG ILLA and his outlets/businesses theMSQshop and CNTR. Check it out if you’re so inclined — the line-up is incredible! (Event link here.)
• Speaking of Something Indie Water, Style Weekly ran this great piece by Davy Jones who talked with Will Heck about the goals of the event and its genesis. Check it out. (Article link here.)
• The latest Sound Check column by Andrew Bonieskie at RVA Magazine covers Of Good Nature, Wheeland Brothers, Drook, and Honest Debts so dive in! (Article link here.)
• “Keeping the music alive is not just about the music.” If you want to understand that great statement, make sure to read Peter McElhinney’s piece over at Style Weekly which looks at an upcoming jazz concert at VSU. (Article link here.)
• We’ll be rolling out some new stuff here soon, the first of which will be an “On This Day…” section of the website. We’ve been doing some Instagram stories each morning for the past month, calling out key releases from the past as well as important local milestones. The section on the site will be a little bit more fleshed out, but will also only show you the day in question. Part of the reason is so we can keep you coming back each day. The other reason is… this way we don’t have to do 365 days of work at once. Come back here Monday and see for yourself what it looks like!
• Sun V Set was this week’s guest on Shockoe Sessions Live! and you should make the time to experience this one. I caught a solo set of lead singer Linnea Morgan at Spacebomb a while ago and she was absolutely enchanting. With a full band behind her, that harmonic mystique is amplified into this baroque folk sound that transports you to a scenic meadow where all of the melody and rhythm of nature is artistically revealed. So much to say, but you should just hear it for yourself. And make sure to catch next Tuesday’s guest too — Cassidy Snider! (YouTube link here.)
• The team behind Shockoe Sessions also made a big announcement this week. They’ll be unveiling a new streaming service focused on Richmond music soon called The Sound Of Richmond. Available to local businesses on a subscription basis, this homegrown alternative to the monopolistic streaming services will hyperfocus on Richmond musicians to help soundtrack the city with the diverse sounds of our local scene. Lots to unpack here so make sure to head over to Shockoe Records’ website for more information as they continue to roll it out. (Website link here.)
• Hey! I managed to do another roundup column this week, listing and describing all the new music coming out of the city. This week’s list covered 32 albums and 64 singles from Richmond, covering everything from neo-soul to doom metal (with a slight uptick in electronic music, specifically house and dub). Check back next week for more! (Article link here.)
• I mentioned the big event weekend at the beginning of this column, but in case you’re looking for something else, make sure to check out Restless RVA, who always have you covered with tasting menus of local shows for Friday through Saturday (Thursdays most weeks too). (Instagram link here.) If you want to plan ahead though, you can read our show column here by the sensational Marilyn Drew Necci, which picks out eight notable shows every week for you to learn about. (Article link here.) Pick whatever you want — just make sure to see some live music soon!
• Time to end this column out on a local song. Here’s an R&B track from several years back that always seems to make its way back into my personal rotation: “Tired.” Released all the way back in 2015 (a simpler time for all of us), I believe this was the debut single for Bri Luv, a passionate singer with an impressive register that will just blow you away. “Tired” relays an aching deliberation through a yearning melody over a tender arrangement. That chorus… phew. I absolutely adore that chorus. The chord pattern is so unique and the way it twists and turns around speaks to the agonizing theme of the lyrics. The way it all comes together on the line “Are you the man I need” gives me goosebumps. This is brilliant R&B music right here. Bri Luv released an EP later that year with this track smack-dab in the middle, with four other wonderful songs. But there’s just something about “Tired” that sticks in my head after all these years. So check it out for yourself below and seek out more if you dig it as much as I do. I’ll catch you all next week with some more relevant news and good music.
