Scene Recap: UN Record Fair, Bandcamp, Positive No

Published March 3, 2023

There are countless great outlets, organizations, and individuals covering 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.

• Missed last week due to some germs going around the household. Richmond music never disappoints, but the weather sure does this time of year. Anyway, let’s get to it. Lot of ground to cover.

• It’s Bandcamp Friday! Make sure to pick out some local artists to support today so they can get 100% of the proceeds. If you need some suggestions, we have a very long and handy list to share. It’s randomized too so you’ll see some new names on top each time you refresh. (Article link here.)

• The UN Record Fair is happening this Saturday at Afterglow Coffee from 11 AM to 4 PM. Tons and tons of great vendors and local artists will be at this event so make sure to check it out even if you don’t want to pick up some vinyl. Huge kudos to Tracy Wilson and Courtesy Desk for helping to organize this event. I’ll be there sometime early, walking around with a younger supporter of local music. Hoping to catch Bunnycaper’s DJ set and find some more records to add to my local collection. (Event link here.)

• I was on Tay’s Green Life podcast a little while ago, chatting up the Newlin Music Prize and The Auricular with Taylor Moody. Shameless plug, of course, but I’ll mention more about Tay’s Green Life below. (YouTube link here.)

• This article on Ms. Jaylin Brown over at Style Weekly is fantastic. Davy Jones knocked it out of the park on this one. This article gets my highest recommendation, and you should all check out her music after reading it. Newlin Music Prize nominated music, I might add. Make sure to catch her live in town before she heads to Berklee campus in Spain for grad school! (Article link here.)

• Speaking of Newlin Music Prize, here’s a reminder the fan vote is open for two more weeks! Cast your ballot today on your favorite Richmond records from 2022! (Newlin link here.)

• This one was pretty interesting too. Peter McElhinney had an article for Style Weekly detailing The Breeze going through the archives of Richmond musician Page Wilson’s Kitchen Sessions in order to air them starting tomorrow. The interviews and conversations with roots musicians aired from the ’90s until early 2000s on WCVE as part of The Out O’ the Blue Radio Revue. Definitely something to check out if you’re into the history of Richmond music. (Article link here.)

• Style Weekly is accepting nominations for Top 40 under 40 for one more week. Tons of great people in the music scene that deserve this honor! Fill out a form now! (Form & article link here.)

• Vy Truong’s latest “Producer Of The Week” feature over at theMSQshop highlighted the work of Chesterfield artist Rva.Marlon, who you may also know as a drummer in several bands (The Black Awakening Choir, CAS, Tune GG, Hazelgrove). Fun read. These “Producer Of The Week” articles are a really good way to shine a spotlight on those guys behind-the-scenes making big waves. (Article link here.)

• The Rap Class recently debuted on The Mattison Network, featuring local hip-hop artists. I love the concept and intention behind this project so much. In fact, I’ve got so much to say about this great series, so stay tuned next week for more, but until then, you can (and should!) watch the first two episodes over on their YouTube page. (YouTube link here.)

• Tay’s Green Life is quickly becoming one of my favorite local podcasts. Taylor recently spoke with Sam Machin from UK act Arcaeon as well as local musicians Anna Leonard and Mary Bridgman. The Arcaeon interview was great, but you know this publication covers local music, so I’m going to highly suggest you make time to listen to Anna and Mary chatting it up with Taylor. (YouTube link here.)

• River City Sounds had two fantastic episodes recently with Wrong Worshippers and Alex J. Dimas (more on her below). You should have subscribed to this podcast by now, but if not, do so now. Great conversations. Great performances. Great stuff. (Spotify link here.)

• Rounding out local podcasts, I have so much to say about the most recent Shockoe Sessions Live. This past Tuesday’s performer was Eliturite, a sprightly and dynamic hip-hop performer you may recognize as one of the founders of HearRVA (Instagram link). You can call him Eliturite (you pronounce it “illiterate”) or Elijah, but after that performance, I’m sure he’s also answering to the name “Fire” for the next few weeks. He’s close to dropping his latest album, which documents him finding a station in life, and Tuesday’s performance was a good taste of what’s in store for us on that record. I don’t think it will be a surprise to hear that this performance was a communal effort, with several members of the local music scene popping up to lend a hand and add to the musical festivities. It’s hard to rank the Shockoe Session episodes at this point, but this might be the only one that left me smiling from the opening moment to the finale. Go check it out. Also, don’t miss the next Shockoe Sessions, which is a four artist line-up called “Quatres Femmes” to celebrate International Women’s Day. Sophie Colette, Alex J. Dimas, Tess Fisher, and Kailey Conner make up this impressive line-up. Watch online or go in person! (YouTube link here.)

• Running long again for this column here, but I wanted to give our usual shout-out to RestlessRVA (Instagram link), who will have the hook-up on all local performances and concerts this weekend. For a deeper dive throughout the week, Marilyn Drew Necci has you covered with her weekly RVA Must See Shows column. (Article link here.)

• Time to close this column out with a local song. For this week, I thought we’d celebrate Tracy Wilson a little more. Not only did she put in a lot of work to organize tomorrow’s UN Record Fair, but she also just announced a new musical project Outer World, which I can’t wait to hear. Her last project was the beloved local band Positive No which put out several records over the years with tons of great songs worth talking about. But we’re just going to pick one, and for that, let’s rewind to 2014 for “Automatic Cars.” This song was part of NC label Negative Fun’s Singles Club from back then, which I believe had some other Richmond bands like Hot Dolphin on it. It’s tense. It’s punchy. It’s buzzy. Above all, it’s knotty with some striking twists and turns that show why Positive No was and is so memorable. Check it out below, and guess what? It’s available on Bandcamp still! As is the rest of the catalog. Maybe consider purchasing some of it today for Bandcamp Friday and put a little extra in Tracy’s pocket before tomorrow’s UN Record Fair. Sounds like a good idea to me.