END YEAR PREPARE NEW SONGS FOR JAMCAMP MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL

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INTERVIEW BY JOE FITZPATRICK

PHOTOS BY ARIE MORTON AND RON AKINS

Though post-rock isn’t typically found in the commonwealth, the members of END YEAR are bringing their somber instrumental rock to the masses this June at the JamCamp Music and Arts Festival, which will feature musicians of all types from Virginia, Washington, D.C. and the surrounding areas. Fitting nicely in the festivals diverse lineup is END YEAR, whose members are currently split between Richmond and Manassas, Va. Their lineup includes James Wells and Ryad Chaoui, drummer Evan Frolov, and bassist Mike Collier. Last year, the band released their debut EP Kursk, and they are currently writing on new emotive tunes to premiere this summer.

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THE FLAVOR PROJECT REMIX MUSICAL INGREDIENTS ON UPCOMING ALBUM, FRIJOLES NEGROS REFRIED

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INTERVIEW BY JOE FITZPATRICK

PHOTOS BY JASON BALL AND CRAIG ZIRPOLO

Food is not defined by the end product but rather by the ingredients it takes to make something special. With a dash of funk, a cup of hip-hop, a few teaspoons of neo-soul, and some Latin flair, THE FLAVOR PROJECT from Richmond, Va. have some fresh grooves cooking. Formed by bassist/vocalist Gabriel Santamaria, THE FLAVOR PROJECT released their debut album Frijoles Negros in 2014, and they have taken their multicultural recipe to new temperatures, performing at local music festivals with some of the top names in their genres.

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CINEMA HEARTS REFLECT ON LONGING, FRIENDSHIP, AND LOVE ON DEBUT EP

Shauna Crowley Leave a Comment

INTERVIEW BY SHAUNA CROWLEY

PHOTOS BY WALTER MARTINEZ AND ALEXIS JENKINS

Led by siblings Caroline and Erich Weinroth, CINEMA HEARTS bring the prime of the 1950s and 60s alive with their homegrown EP I’ll Always Be Around, which Caroline also made the album art and packaging for. Though they hail from Northern Virginia, the band’s home is more specifically in Caroline’s bedroom, where she wrote all of the songs. Many of the songs are of longing, lust, love and growing up in suburbia in a dreamy pop sound. Ms. Weinroth discussed with us how her band stands out amongst the predominant genres of Northern Virginia as a band that fans both old and young can enjoy.

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ALBUM REVIEW: PUSHIN’ MONGO BY CENTERFOLDS

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Pushin’ Mongo by CENTERFOLDS

https://centerfoldsva.bandcamp.com

ALBUM REVIEW BY MATT WALKER

CENTERFOLDS, one of the premiere bands in the crop of pop punk acts hailing from Richmond, Va., will release their latest EP Pushin’ Mongo on May 7, 2015. Continuing to prove that pop punk is truly not dead, CENTERFOLDS has maintained the sound that any NEW FOUND GLORY nut longs for. They continue that sound on Pushin’ Mongo, which I have been listening to for the past two hours straight.

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ERIN AND THE WILDFIRE RECORD THREE-SONG EP AND PREPARE FOR FLOYDFEST 14

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INTERVIEW BY JOE FITZPATRICK

PHOTOS BY ROB PATTERSON AND PROVIDED BY ERIN LUNSFORD

Though their music will not actually ignite a flame, ERIN AND THE WILDFIRE will certainly make you feel the need to burn up the dance floor and sing your heart out. Based out of Charlottesville, Va., the band, which started in a student club at University of Virginia (UVA), was formed by the president and leading lady of the group — vocalist, guitarist, and banjo player Erin Lunsford.

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VIRGINIA BEACH METAL BAND LIFEWALKER WINS BATTLE OF THE BANDS TO PERFORM AT FM99 LUNATIC LUAU 15 AND PROVIDE DETAILS ABOUT THEIR DEBUT ALBUM

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INTERVIEW BY JOE FITZPATRICK

PHOTOS AND VIDEO BY DIGITAL THUNDERDOME AND PROVIDED BY WNOR FM99

Once known as WITNESS FOR HOPE, which was formerly led by vocalist Benjamin Green, LIFEWALKER has risen from the metaphorical ashes of that band and given the remaining members a new voice and the opportunity to pursue a heavier musical direction. Since discovering vocalist Stephen Dodge, the band has quickly regained momentum.

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UNDERDOG CHAMPS COMBINES MULTIPLE GENRES TO FORM MELODIC POP PUNK “SUPER BAND” WITH PLANS FOR A THREE-SONG EP TO BE RELEASED LATER THIS YEAR

Joe Fitzpatrick Leave a Comment

INTERVIEW BY JOE FITAPATRICK

PHOTOS BY TYLER MAZZA AND AGNES OWUSU

VIDEO BY JOEY CATHEY

Formed by current and former members of some of Northern Virginia’s top bands, UNDERDOG CHAMPS are one of the latest pop punk bands that have “posi-jumped” into the growing scene in the DMV area. Initially, the band began as a solo project of lead vocalist Mark “Blackhawk” Bradley. With support from guitarist and backing vocalist Nick Jones, as well as guitarist Tyler Mazza, bassist Justin Mason, and drummer Josh Bailey, the band has expanded to be something new entirely, combining each band member’s past experiences in indie rock, metalcore, pop punk, and alternative music genres to form one cohesive sound.

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BAD KOREA HELP BRING SKATE PUNK BACK TO VIRGINIA BEACH WITH A BLAST FROM THE PAST ON DEBUT ALBUM, II

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INTERVIEW BY SHAUNA CROWLEY

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY RYAN LOFTIS

Built on the premise of being a band that should have existed in the 90s and listened to by an older brother, BAD KOREA out of Virginia Beach is a blast from the past. They are not trying to be the band to make a bunch of money from their music; however, they do want to be a band to have fun and recreate what they felt going to concerts. They want to be able to keep the fun of punk rock alive and not judge others while doing such. BAD KOREA has released Mean Gesus and II, both of which are currently available for download. We spoke with the “bad Korean” himself Keith Baillargeon (guitarist/vocalist) about the origins of the bands identity, the response to their debut album II, and their humble goal for the success of this band — don’t be assholes.

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GOLDEN AGE REVIEW OFFERS A “FRESH PERSPECTIVE” ON MUSIC JOURNALISM

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INTERVIEW BY JOE FITZPATRICK

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY KNIAL SAUNDERS

The Dominion Collective staff greatly values our contributors for all of the hard work they do for us, as well as in their own individual projects. In addition to writing for us, our former intern Knial Saunders runs his own music blog, Golden Age Review, which spotlights bands and musicians from around the world that Saunders finds captivating, in addition to sharing photos and YouTube videos of such artists. We discussed with Saunders his selection process for the musicians featured on his website, his perspective on music journalism, and his goals to accomplish within the next five years.

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DIY SINGER/SONGWRITER OKLAHOMA CAR CRASH RECORDING NEW ALBUM WITH LONGTIME FRIEND AND MUSICAL PARTNER WITH PLANS FOR ALBUM RELEASE TOUR THIS SUMMER

Matt Walker Leave a Comment

INTERVIEW BY MATT WALKER

PHOTOS BY HEATHER MCPHERSON, NAT BROWN, AND DAKOTA FLOYD

Nat Brown — also known as OKLAHOMA CAR CRASH (OKCC) — is all about DIY, from self-booked tours to more than five self-released EPs. He was even doing-it-all music wise, that is until his recent announcement of a new permanent member. While not on tour or visiting his favorite coffee shop, he is writing and recording new music, most of which for OKCC’s next release sometime this summer. We recently had a chance to get an idea of exactly what Brown was up to, as well as find out about the future of OKCC.

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