RICHMOND’S BOMBSHELL ON THE VERGE OF RELEASING EXPLOSIVE DEBUT ALBUM

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INTERVIEW BY MATT WALKER

PHOTOS BY JENNIFER LOTTIE

On April 30, 2015, one of Richmond’s latest bands riding the pop punk party wave dropped their debut single on the scene. Collectively known as BOMBSHELL, their sound on “You Wanted Honesty” is as explosive with energy as their name implies. Individually, they are comprised of vocalist Gregory, guitarists Rory and Hugo, and drummer Jacob. They are on the verge of releasing their debut album, and they will be performing at The National on July 11. We spoke with Gregory and Hugo about how their band fits into the growing pop punk scene in Virginia.

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SICMAN OF VIRGINIA RELEASE DEBUT EP ON CASSETTE TAPES

Joe Fitzpatrick Leave a Comment

INTERVIEW BY JOE FITZPATRICK

PHOTOS BY BETA KLEIN AND E.B. HALL

For the past 12 years, friends and Virginia Beach residents Matt Holloman and Joe Welch have been creating songs together under the moniker SICMAN OF VIRGINIA. Described as “heavy mellow music for the common man,” their music combines influences ranging from funk to punk, as well as everything in between. With the addition of bassist Scott Griffin, the band has rounded out their sound, and have released their most recent album Mourning Sickness, which features some high-profile support. To learn about this album, as well as the details on the rerelease of their debut EP, we caught up with Holloman and Welch to get a cut of the cheese.

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RACHEL KLINE TAKES MINIMAL, INTIMATE APPROACH TO SONGWRITING ON UPCOMING ALBUM

Joe Fitzpatrick Leave a Comment

INTERVIEW BY JOE FITZPATRICK

PHOTOS BY KAYLA SOTEBEER, AVNI KACKER, RON AKINS, AND CASSIE CURRY

After observing Kirsten Dunst’s character in Elizabethtown, film critic Nathan Rabin coined the term “The Manic Pixie Dream Girl.” According to his AV Club article, he explained, “The Manic Pixie Dream Girl exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures. The Manic Pixie Dream Girl is an all-or-nothing-proposition.”

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SHINE CRAFT VESSEL CO. ENHANCES THE CRAFT BEER MARKET THROUGH COLLABORATION

Joe Fitzpatrick Leave a Comment

INTERVIEW BY JOE FITZPATRICK

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY JORDAN CHILDS

Founded in early 2014 by Jordan Childs, Shine Craft Vessel Co. embraced the rise of the craft beverage industry in the U.S. with aspirations to diversify the market in more ways than brewing beer or cider. According to the company’s website, Childs started this journey to make “something that dramatically differentiated itself from the standard glass growlers and brought beauty to a product category that was lacking.” Since then, his Richmond-based company has grown exponentially through social media exposure and the help of investors interested in making Shine a household name, at least in homes that choose craft beer.

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ALCHEMY NFK AND WORK RELEASE ENHANCE THE NEON DISTRICT IN THE CITY OF NORFOLK

Joe Fitzpatrick Leave a Comment

INTERVIEW BY JOE FITZPATRICK

PHOTOS BY RICH-JOSEPH FACUN, HYUNSOO LEO KIM, AND CHARLES RASPUTIN

As early as 2007, Charles “Rasputin” Burnell and his partner Careyann Weinberg, as well as many other like-minded individuals, have had a vision for the arts community in Norfolk, Va. to not only be accepted and decriminalized, but to be embraced with open arms. Since founding Alchemy NFK, they have been instrumental in helping to bridge the gap between musicians, artists, designers, and everyone in between and their environment through active involvement, volunteerism, and social interaction.

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OUT ON THE WEEKEND RELEASE EP AS NEWLY FORMED TRIO

Shauna Crowley Leave a Comment


INTERVIEW BY SHAUNA CROWLEY

PHOTOS BY EVE ROGERS

OUT ON THE WEEKEND, a trio from Harrisonburg, Va., is not your typical garage band. They aren’t in it to play shows, but rather to write songs. They just released their first EP So It Goes on May 5, 2015. The riffs on So It Goes combine indie rock with something that came out of someone’s basement. The lyrics provide a rollercoaster for the listeners, as the band paints a picture of where to go next. Each song transitions into the next without missing a beat, each with their own unique sound. So It Goes tells a story from not knowing where to go, to not giving up, to changes in relationships. OUT ON THE WEEKEND combines guitar riffs with soothing melodies. We caught up with lead vocalist and guitarist Nathan Scholz to discuss the band’s love for Neil Young and quality song writing.

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L I V CLOTHING CO. SPONSORS JAMCAMP MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL

Joe Fitzpatrick Leave a Comment

INTERVIEW BY JOE FITZPATRICK

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY PATRICK MIRZAYAN

Based on living young, wild, and free, L I V Clothing Co., which was founded by friends Jonathan Kelly and Patrick Mirzayan, is on the verge of taking the Northern Virginia market by storm. Currently, the brand is working with PLR Music as a sponsor for their upcoming music festival JamCamp Music and Arts Festival, which will be held June 5-7 at Bull Run Regional Park in Centreville, Va. In addition to L I V, the festival will feature a wide variety of bands, breweries, rappers, DJs, and artists — not to mention us. But we got to know Mirzayan and his brand a little better, as well as get the inside scoop on what they are planning for JamCamp.

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TURNOVER PLANS FOR SUMMER TOUR FOLLOWING THE RELEASE OF PERIPHERAL VISION

Joe Fitzpatrick Leave a Comment

INTERVIEW BY JOE FITZPATRICK

PHOTOS AND VIDEO BY MANNY MARES, IAN HURDLE, DEMI CAMBRIDGE, AND ROB SOUCY

Though Peripheral Vision was not officially released for purchase until May 4, 2014, the latest album from TURNOVER has been blasting throughout the Internet streaming on Soundcloud and YouTube since early March when the band released their first single, “Cutting My Fingers Off” and subsequent releases to promote the album. Though it is doubtful the songs on this album will inspire self-mutilation, the band’s move from pop punk champions to indie rock/shoegaze newcomers is a welcome change to the band’s discography.

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WASHINGTON, D.C.’S IN YOUR MEMORY RELEASE DATES FOR “HOW I MET YOUR GIRLFRIEND TOUR”

Joe Fitzpatrick Leave a Comment

PHOTOS BY NICHOLAS KARLIN

Based out of Washington, D.C., IN YOUR MEMORY is a post-hardcore band with a “jazz-netic” twist to the genre, leaning on their punk rock influences. Formed in 2012, the band made its debut in 2013 with their self-titled EP, In Your Memory. During these past few years, the band has made some style changes and lineup adjustments that finally solidified their membership in 2014 with a roster consisting of singer Omar Veras, guitarists Casey Allen and Alex Scott, drummer Jonathan Shephard and bassists Troy Humphrey.

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ARCHERS HOPE RELEASE DEBUT ALBUM, BROKEN ANCHOR

Joe Fitzpatrick Leave a Comment

INTERVIEW BY JOE FITZPATRICK

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY COREY PAVLOSKY

On May 8, 2015, ARCHERS HOPE from Williamsburg, Va. released their debut album Broken Anchor, which features 12 tracks packed with emotion and angst both on the surface, as well as in more subtle ways through the lyrics. Led by guitarists/vocalists Drew Mcelroy and Corey Pavlosky , the band is filled out by drummer Ben Wahls and bassist John Schuzler. Since forming in 2012, the band has developed a substantial fan base and are looking forward to what the future holds for their band.

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