Scene Recap: Those Manic Seas, Scott Elmquist, Dust~
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.
• Photojournalist Scott Elmquist has been honored with a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by the Virginia chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. As the senior photographer for Style Weekly, Elmquist’s impressive career has chronicled Richmond’s evolving landscape and social climate. Along the way, he’s also captured countless local musicians through his lens, from the melodic powerhouse Deau Eyes to the ambient artisan Gregory Darden. A heartfelt congratulations to Scott for this well-deserved recognition, and immense gratitude for his invaluable contributions! (Article link here.)
• Sad news to report on: Tracy Wilson announced Turntable Report and Courtesy Desk will be closing later this year. While it’s unfortunate, I have no doubt this won’t be the last we hear from Tracy Wilson so make sure to follow her accounts on social media to catch what comes next! (Instagram link here.)
• Also sad news to electronica fans: Kabana Rooftop will be closing at the end of the year.
• Good news for electronica fans though: drum’n’nass producer Dust~ announced today that he signed to Interscope Records!
• DJ Harrison continues to terrorize my wallet with a new vinyl pressing of his 2010 holiday record, A DJ Harrison Xmas. Join me in self-imposed poverty, won’t you? (Order link here.)
• Speaking of DJ Harrison, Butcher Brown put out a new single “Montrose Forest” alongside Nicholas Payton at the beginning of the month. The output never stops from BB world. (Spotify link here.)
• Speaking of new releases, the seven days have been absolutely packed. The Hard Season dropped a powerful new record honoring the incredible talent of Garrett Berneche, a gifted guitarist gone too soon. Jame Moorfield is back with a new track, “Reflect On Me,” that’s out alongside some killer remixes. For instrumental hip-hop lovers, Ohbliv unveiled LewseJoints 15, and Swellthy delivered Very Swellthy via LA$$O RECORDS. Meanwhile, Shera Shi’s third single, “See How It Feels,” has been a mainstay on repeat–look out for a review next week! Erin & The Wildfire just released a new song today, and it’s an absolute scorcher (pun intended)–another must-review track. Destructo Disk also dropped their new EP, It’s Really About the Friends We Made Along the Way, and it’s definitely worth checking out. Also from Sockhead Records comes the latest single from Tentative Decisions (and they also announced their album coming next month). Lucid Evolution also dropped “Divison,” their seventh single from 2024. Over in the hip-hop world, Ty Sorrell and King Kaiju teamed up for two excellent new tracks, “Return to Forever” and “Beautiful Anguish,” while Skinnyy Hendrixx dropped his latest EP. Weekend Plans dropped a fun new single, “Laundry,” today–keep an eye out for a video soon. And as the season of holiday singles kicks off, Deau Eyes leads the charge with a nostalgic new track that tugs at childhood memories. The single is part of Shockoe Records’ latest Christmas compilation, available on CD now at Plan 9 Music. Stream “when we were the kids” on Spotify, and don’t forget to snag a copy of the Shockoe CD!
• Alex Lee Ratner also has a new song out, “Wasted Day,” and he was also on the newest River City Sounds, episode 104 from the past Monday. Be sure to carve out some time this weekend to dive into both! (Spotify link here.)
• I’m a simple guy. I see positive things said about Hotspit and I tell everyone to go check it out. So, here’s your cue–go read Griffin Smalley’s latest Sound Check column over at RVA Magazine. Plenty of other amazing local bands get their well-deserved spotlight too, but hey–I’m a sucker for Hotspit! (Article link here.)
• Davy Jones spoke with jazz legend Bill Frisell for Style Weekly before his trio played The Tin Pan this past Wednesday. I have slept on his new record, Orchestras, despite its stellar album cover and multiple friends singing its praises. While I’d love to tell you to give it a spin, I’ll focus my recommendation on this article instead–it will give you far greater incentive than my words ever would. (Article link here.)
• More Richmond writing to keep track of: Ruby Carmela has launched Rambling Reject RVA on Substack, with the first entry being about Loud Night’s 2020 record Mindnumbing Pleasure. Run, don’t walk, to the subscribe button. (Substack link here.)
• I mentioned the launch of Anyfolk last week and they have announced their first date: December 11th at the Ardent Barrel Room! (Instagram link here.)
• Sweet Touch filled In Your Ear Studios with bubbles and electronica on Tuesday for Shockoe Sessions Live! Absolutely loved watching their set—it was a vibe from start to finish. Looking ahead, In Your Ear has another massive show lined up for this Tuesday: OffKey Ent and The Eye Of Life. I caught them live last year and covered their single and video for “PEACEOFMIND,” and trust me, this performance won’t disappoint. Be sure to check out Sweet Touch’s performance and then make plans to tune in for OffKey! (YouTube link here.)
• Speaking of Sweet Touch, they kicked off another busy week here at The Auricular. We premiered their punchy and sultry new track, “Coffee King,” on Monday, as well as Bucko’s new starry-eyed track, “Riding Mower,” and War And Whisky’s personal tribute to a family member, “Hey, Thanks.” We also ran reviews of new music from |elevens| and Terror Cell, the latter coming to us from contributor Sam Atkinson. On top of that, there were also features on new videos from Drook and Fly Anakin, two artists that are definitely cream of the crop when it comes to Richmond music. We’ve got some more in store for you next before Thanksgiving so stay tuned!
• We’re also running a giveaway right now for the Deluxe Edition of Andrew Cothern’s RVA Playlist which came out recently. You can enter to win over on Instagram and the winner will be announced on Monday at noon. You can also learn more about the book and Cothern by checking out this article from earlier today. (Article link here.)
• This past Wednesday brought another memorable Plan 9 showcase, featuring the talented Sravani Kameswari. It was such a special night, filled with her signature mix of heartfelt emotion and playful charm–whether through a cheeky interlude in Indian or an unexpected kazoo solo. Sravani also treated us to some exciting news: her next single, “Leave Me Behind,” drops next Friday! Looking ahead, the Plan 9 series continues with Ryan Irby on December 11th for what promises to be a festive holiday performance. Don’t miss it! (Plan 9 link here.)
• I’m not in the habit of using the space to talk about new show announcements, mostly because the column would grow by 50%. However… Gallery5 just announced this killer show on December 29th featuring Human Worm, The Glares, Oh Devil, and Ultra Bleach. The show will also serve as a benefit for the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project, which everyone here at The Auricular is a huge supporter. Definitely save the date and kudos to the band, RRFP, Gallery5, and Madi Thompson / Weird World booking for putting it together. (Show flyer here.)
• On the subject of live music, just a reminder that Marilyn Drew Necci always has the best run-down of shows you should check out. Her latest column from Wednesday covered a benefit for the Gaza Soup Kitchen taking place tonight at Studio Two Three, but there are seven other concert rundowns she’s included, specifically a Cobra Caban show on Saturday that you should check out. (Article link here.)
• Drew’s not the only one putting in the work to promote live music. RestlessRVA and SoundtrackRVA are both doing their part, with Restless keeping you updated on the day-to-day of the weekend’s events, while SoundtrackRVA drops their concert roundup every Wednesday for the week ahead. If you’re not following these accounts yet, you’re really missing out. They’re an essential resource for anyone who wants to stay in the know about Richmond’s live music scene.
• I spent the week racking my brain, trying to figure out what song would close this column, and then my Thursday commute provided the perfect answer: “Headache/Heartache” by Those Manic Seas. I’ve always been a huge fan of this band—back in late 2014, I had the chance to spend some time with them for an article in RVA Magazine, hanging out at their rehearsal space and even at Sound Of Music as they worked on the mix of their upcoming album Telegenic. The reason I was so eager to spend time with them? “Headache/Heartache,” a track that, in hindsight, really stands out as one of the absolute gems from Richmond’s early 2010s music scene. Vivid yet trenchant, frenzied but focused, the song perfectly encapsulates the malaise of November’s news cycle. A particular lyric still resonates—one that feels eerily reflective of the electoral mood that gripped over half the country a few weeks ago: “You hate to love, but love to hate.” If you missed the chance to see Those Manic Seas perform live, with their towering, CRT-strewn frontman Kilroy, don’t worry! I’ve got the music video below for you, shot by Joey Schihl, Trevor Smithson, and Eric Carlson. Give it a listen–hopefully, it’ll serve as the musical ibuprofen we all need right now.