Showing posts with label Richmond. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Richmond. Show all posts

October 1, 2013

Positive No - Via Florum

Sadly my writing time here has diminished as my band gets busier. The good news is however I have new music to share rather than just words and or pictures.

I give you two years of work, available now via all the usual digital music sites.

June 20, 2013

FIRST ANNUAL FALL LINE FEST : RVA

Well gang, here it is! We will have more bands and events to announce in the upcoming weeks. I am honored to be a part of this and can't wait to see this fest grow in the years to come.

Our event is set up around the general stretch that the First Fridays Art Walk takes place (about a one mile area). We are hoping however that the Richmond community will take this special weekend to throw their own shindigs, sales, cook special menus, craft special beers. You know know, snazz things up for a few days in the name of great music, art, food, drink, and fashion. Below is our official press release.





RICHMOND, VIRGINIA  September 6th & 7th, 2013
40+ Bands across Four Venues plus Food and Arts Events


The first annual FALL LINE FEST will be taking place in Richmond, Virginia on  September 6th and 7th, 2013 , sponsored by Venture Richmond, Taste The Local, and Need Supply Co.  Featuring 40+ bands across four venues on two nights, as well as various events at nationally recognized restaurants and art galleries, FALL LINE FEST plans to bring attention to the increasingly impressive cultural offerings of Richmond.
Born out of a shared love of their city, the organizers of FALL LINE FEST first and foremost set out to showcase many of the aspects that make Richmond great.  With a focus on music, art, and food, the event will balance national / regional talent alongside the best and brightest hometown favorites, all presented within a walkable portion of the downtown area.  A list of confirmed acts performing at FALL LINE FEST is below, with additional musicians to be announced soon.
While not being presented by a large production company, FALL LINE FEST is driven by a  volunteer team combining years of experience and know-how to create what will surely be an extraordinary first year for the annual festival.
Weekend passes for FALL LINE FEST will be $20 in advance and are on sale now via the festival website.  A limited number of VIP passes are also available now for $55, granting special privileges and perks.

FALL LINE FEST WEBSITE:
http://www.FallLineFest.com

MUSICAL LINE-UP:
Big Freedia
Neon Indian (DJ set)
Cold Cave
No BS! Brass Band
Helado Negro
Hop Along
Inter Arma
Josh Small
Dads
Cruiser
The Southern Belles
Photosynthesizers
Earthling
White Laces
Suburban Living
Alison Self
Ohbliv
DJ Mikematic
Doe the Paperboy
The Snowy Owls
Springtime
Dead Fame
Hold Tight!
Better Off
Black Liquid
Positive No
Ms. Proper
Houdan the Mystic

PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS / GALLERIES / VENUES:
1708 Gallery
6 Studio / Gallery
ADA Gallery
Candela Books & Gallery
Gallery 5
Ipanema
Pasture
Quirk
Rappahannock
Saison
Strange Matter
The Camel
The Hippodrome

May 10, 2013

Positive No : Powers of Ten : New Song Alert!



You can read more about the song here.

"Powers of Ten" will be a part of a 5 song EP we are in the middle of recording with J Robbins at his studio Magpie Cage. This 12" record / digital long player will be available through my record label Little Black Cloud later this summer.


September 13, 2012

September 13th, 2012 : Cause & Effect : Rick Froberg

It is really a misconception to title this Cause & Effect as such because you can't really do a radio based on Rick Froberg without including his longtime creative partner in crime John Reis and all of their many off shoot bands too. Between these two guitar legends, the history of music is forever changed. Their joint bands were Pitchfork (and no, nothing to do with that damn music website), Drive like Jehu, and Hot Snakes.

In the early '90s there was a thing called emo (not the acoustic, whiny 3rd generation drivel also called emo) that in its first generation phase was based off of nearly exclusively Washington, DC's Rites of Spring but the musicians who were inspired by them helped to carve the way for whole new sub genres (post 1990). The writing style of Froberg and Reis (not wholly unlike the opposite coast band Fugazi) were offering new twists on energy / angst driven guitar Rock sometimes called post hardcore. Then the youngsters and regional bands influenced by these musicians went on to further build on this music by creating a whole host of even deeper, wildly popular sub genres like math metal and screamo.

These genres continue to develop and morph today into new things but at their core is energy. Anger. Emotion. Guitars. Occasional to non-stop screaming. Youthful lashing out. I think that last one is a key - youth. I believe the music of all of the bands listed above are still popular if not have even larger cult followings today because that anger, energy, and emotion is a part of roller coaster of growing up. It doesn't matter what decade the music comes from, that cloud of dust kicked up by Rick and John in guitar form is the audio version of pent of frustrations felt in our younger years. Then, for those of us who grew up worshiping these bands, their bands hold a permanent sentimental value to us. They didn't just give our youth a voice in the moment, they now represent a meaningful page from our past. For those deeply inspired by their music, they like me, joined bands and tried to create songs that would hopefully be as meaningful to others as theirs was to us. And so the cycle goes.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IMPORTANT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For those of you who don't know. This will be the last month I will be doing my radio show. I have a total of three Cause & Effects left before I retire and I wanted to pick my last shows wisely (one is the fund drive show). I picked Rick Froberg because he has played in bands that have been a huge soundtrack to the past twenty years of my life not to mention many of my friends and past / present band members. I want to share with listeners a very important person to my musical DNA and someone I consider to have played a very important role in advancing DIY punk and hardcore.

Don't know who any of these bands and people I mentioned are? Then even more of a reason to tune in from 7PM to 9PM to learn all about a handful of key players in the American punk and hardcore timeline.  Tune into WRIR which is 97.3 on the FM dial for Richmond,VA locals or stream us live here.

PS: JJ will continue doing the show and I will occasionally step in for guest spots. This isn't the end of Cause & Effect, I promise! More importantly, if you are a local who might want to help JJ carry on the C&E tradition, please drop me a line at lightningsgirlblog@gmail.com or drop us a line on our Facebook page.

September 9, 2012

No Richmond DJ Set

Here is a list of songs I played at Balliceaux last night : post punk, new wave, angular indie rock, power pop, blah blah blah. (And a guilty pleasure or two). I only play vinyl and mostly singles.

No Richmond is a monthly post punk (and the family tree of genres) dance party that takes place in Richmond, VA. There is rotating cast of DJs that step in each time and the first half of the night usually highlights lesser known music. The second half of the night usually contains the more obvious crowd pleasing hits. I have learned the hard way that people after a few drinks seem to really like ONLY hearing songs they know and can sing along to.  


Can't Keep Away - Sector 27   
Riding the Times - Thirst      
Never Say Never  - Romeo Void    
Strobe Light - The B-52's
Calculator - The Rogers Sisters
Ain't you - Kleenex  

Pogo Pogo - Plastic Bertrand  
Fashion- David Bowie    
Kick In The Eye - Bauhaus   
Shack Up - A Certain Ratio
House Of Jealous Lovers - The Rapture
Shoot You Down - APB     

Jukebox - The Flirts
Its Not Me Talking - A Flock of Seagulls
Do You Dream In Colour - Bill Nelson  

I Travel - Simple Minds  
Going Left Right - Department S   
Computer Games - Mi-Sex  
(Get A) Grip (On Yourself) - The Stranglers 
Should I Stay or Should I Go - The Clash
Shake Appeal - Iggy And The Stooges    

Wolf Like Me - TV On The Radio    
Pretty In Pink - Psychedelic Furs    
Hanging On The Telephone - The Nerves  

Here are few of the songs to check out for an at home or in your work cubical private dance party.










July 12, 2012

Missed Dntel's Cause & Effect?

Download the whole show that the artist Jimmy Tamborello helped JJ to curate HERE! I unfortunately hit record a few minutes into JJ setting up the show, but grabbed 98% of it your listening pleasure.

June 21, 2012

June 21st, 2012 : Cause & Effect : Jonathan Richman

Forgive the late post. I normally have these posts ready by 9AM but I am still not 100% accustomed to this whole working full time again thing. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't be any more excited to be gainfully employed at last but finding the time to do all the things I want / used to do has been tough.

So without further ado I bring you the details for tonight's Cause & Effect. Jonathan Richman played here in Richmond, VA last Thursday and I thought if there was a time to do a show on him, this would be it! Starting at 7PM I will play some examples of his earliest influences and then we will work our way into his early adulthood years when the Modern Lovers were just sprouting.

The second half of the Cause & Effect from 8-9PM will examine the off-shoot bands to the Modern Lovers (of which there are plenty), his solo material, and lastly the bands and sub-genres of alternative music that have followed in his footsteps.

Cause and Effect can be heard only on WRIR on Thursdays from 7PM to 9PM, 97.3FM for locals
Stream the show live via this site.
Follow us Facebook here.











May 31, 2012

Ladies First

Let me get this out of the way first. I hate that my gender has anything to do with people's interest in the kind of music I make. In a perfect world people people wouldn't care if I had girl parts or not and they would focus on the kind of music I make rather than credit or discredit me in some way because I am of the female persuasion.

The reality however is that in the 20 years I have been in bands, gender is still a big deal. Journalists and music fans alike STILL say and write absolutely unfair and obnoxious things that they would never say about a male artist. (for instance Adele whose voice is infinitely more interesting than what size clothing she might wear and yet people still talk about her weight when if she was a man, body shape would NEVER be mentioned) And so, even if I don't want to be treated differently as a female musician, I always have been and feel like I probably always will be.*

It is because of this first hand experience of being treated differently (and in fairness not always unfairly) that I have an extra sentimental feeling attached to other female musicians and their art. We as woman often have to brave sexism within our own creative community (from men and other women!) so by putting ourselves out there in the way that we do, we are almost like silent partners.

I realize this makes me hypocrite because female musicians are selfishly more important to me when I just stated than I would rather the world not focus on gender and let us just be humans. Female musicians have to be brave and strong in ways that men will never have to face within their scenes. Knowing intimately the hardships female artists face makes me look to them and their music to fuel my art. Whenever I have ever felt frustrated because I can't just be a musician, I have to also represent my gender and be judged in a unique way because I am a woman, all I need to do is listen to any of the other artists I love who happen to also be female, and I feel re-inspired.

I can't be sure I own more music by women than other music fans but I can say that these records mean a great deal to me and whenever I have the opportunity to share my personal collection of records featuring woman, I am honored and happy to do so. DJing these records gives me the opportunity to share something  that has helped shape and inspire me as much as my family and friends.

I will be playing all vinyl and nothing but female artists during my Gallery 5 First Friday set (6/1/12 - 7PM @ Gallery 5 in Richmond, VA). You can read more about the event here. 

Here are just some of the woman who wow me and whose records I plan on bringing:


































* Examples of the sort of thing I have been told as a girl in a band. "So who in the band are you fucking?" "Show me your tits" (yes people really do yell that), "I hate all bands with a girl singer, no offense though." "You must be a lesbian (faggot, dyke....add your own slur here)" "All girl musicians suck."

I have also watched droves of people leave a venue when they see a girl (AKA me) take the stage only to return after a few songs when they realized my old band Dahlia Seed wasn't "pussy shit" as so many hardcore dudes assumed we were. Some of these guys would actually walk up to me after our shows and say "You were pretty good for a girl singer" and expect me to take that as a compliment.

Me circa 1996, final show.



January 19, 2012

Old Band Related Photos From My Personal Collection

Hot Water Music + Strike Anywhere.

This is Bob Schick (Honor Role / Coral / Dynamic Truths) and photographer Chrissy Piper in 2000. (Hollywood Cemetery)
























Chrissy shooting Hot Water Music in Oregon Hill, RVA, 2000.

















Hot Water Music under a train trestle in RVA, 2000.

















Thomas Barnett of Strike Anywhere hanging out with Hot Water Music on their photo shoot in RVA, 2000.



Chuck R looking over Hot Water Music pictures.


November 4, 2011

Canary oh Canary : Last Night in Sunway Knolls EP


Artist: Canary oh Canary
Title: Last Night in Sunway Knolls
Hometown: Richmond, VA
Label:  Self Released
Street Date: Out Now
RIYL: Deathrock, Television, early Cure, atmosphere bathed in reverb, memories that may or may not be yours
Righter Magnitude Rating Scale: Strong leaning towards major








Besides a band I once released on my label, or maybe someone relating back to my radio show, I don't write about local bands, well ever. It isn't to say there isn't a lot of interesting music to be found in my backyard but there hasn't been an artist or band I was so excited about that I felt the need to write about them.

Bands with three people tend to fall on one of two sides of the coin. They either desperately try to make up for having less people by adding pedals, extra amps, and absurd levels of attitude to sound like 100 people OR they fall incredibly short of sounding much like anything and like cheap beer, they don't pack much of a remarkable punch. Canary oh Canary doesn't rest flatly on either side. They spookily stand upright on its edge in perfect sonic balance. How do they do that?

The secret is no one band member over steps their boundaries. Not one of them over plays or drowns the other band mates out. Josie Davis plays bass. Michael Harl plays guitar and sings. Noell Alexander drums. They neatly take on specific rolls showing perfect restraint and leaving the perfect amount of space for the two members to fill.

There are two skills very few bands have, the first of which is playing economically. By this I mean they aren't scared of the space between notes and drum hits. They use these pauses to their advantage. Canary oh Canary's use of space is dramatic and often haunting but because so few musicians are capable of giving each member plenty of room to work in, you don't hear it often enough. This is the first thing that jumped out on me when I heard Canary oh Canary and saw them live. They are masters at decorating space by dabbing it with starry tones, notes and beats.

I also stand in awe of CoC's ability to listen to each other. You can truly tell when band members respect one another's roll within the group. So often musicians do battle in a studio or on stage and the result is a pissing contest that spills out to floor and stays there. Stagnant and flat. Then there are bands like Yo La Tengo who clearly have learned how to communicate with each other through their instruments. They have interesting, often gorgeous conversations on stage, and each member plays an important part of that engaging exchange. This is where Canary Oh Canary also captures my ear. They are perfectly organized and in sync with each other as they play. I want to hear what they have to say and can't wait to hear where each song will go.

Every song on this EP makes a distinct point, moving like chapters in a story that takes place under the cover of darkness. And the exciting part is you never quite know what all this lack of light will bring. Horror could lurk around the corner but so could a magnificent dream or ???

That is the beauty of empty, dark space; anything is possible.

The best band in Richmond right now is Canary of Canary. Do yourself a favor and go see them play live tomorrow night, November 5th at Strange Matter in RVA.

September 17, 2011

Final Notes on the Bob Schick Show Are Now Posted!

I added them to my last post so everything (download links, set list link, and additional song info) would be all in one place. Go here to read them.

September 16, 2011

WRIR Fun(d) Drive Starts Today and Why You Should Care

It is that time of year again and our incredible local radio station needs your donations to help keep us going. We are 100% funded by our community and run 100% by volunteers like me.

Here are my top 10 reason why WRIR  is worth your donation:

1) Our quality of daytime programming like Democracy Now! and locally produced talk programs that spotlight local issues. It is just as important to know what is happening in your backyard as it is the rest of the world. We are THE go to place for what is happening in Richmond, VA - in real time. We are the mirror to our diverse and wonderful community. The more you listen to WRIR, the more you know your city. KNOW YOUR CITY! KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS! The more you know, the more there is to love.

2) Passionate, thoughtful music DJs bringing shows that can't be heard anywhere else on the planet. Our local talent pool simply blows my mind. I thought I knew a lot about music but then I talk to somebody like Buzzy and realize that I don't. Something you might not know about us too - WRIR has a small music library and while we do get some free records now and then, the bulk of the music you hear is stuff the DJs are pulling from their private collections. We all get to reap the benefits of these music obsessed people who spend hours working on their shows and who spend unspeakable amounts of money out of their pockets on music for their shows. The money people donated to the station NEVER goes to the staff who do shows. Your donation goes to paying WRIR's rent, keeping our equipment up to date and in working order, and keeping the lights on.

3) WRIR gives listeners something special and unique every day of the year. You know how when you listen to a mainstream radio station you hear the same crap over and over again? No two hours are the same at our station. We pride ourselves in bringing you the paths less traveled every hour of every day of every year.

4) We bring a service to the community by offering free public service announcements for not-for-profit community events and never run the risk of morphing into a Clear Channel entity. DIY FOR LIFE!

5) Our station staffed by regular folks just like you, all 150 + of whom donate their time. Yup, we really work for FREE.

6) WRIR has a webstream that lets you listen even if you're out of antenna range. This allows our small station to be heard all over the planet in real time. Plus many DJs offer listeners the gift of free podcasts of their shows so if you missed them at the regular time, you still have a chance to hear them. Do big stations cater to their listeners like this? Heck no. WRIR treats their listeners like family because you are. You are our neighbors.

7) We support local music, giving people all over the world the opportunity to hear music that would otherwise go unheard. We don't only just play their records on air, we interview them, AND the best part, now have a live room so they can perform live in our studio. We bring you one of a kind performances and without WRIR as a platform to make this happen, many of these bands and artists would go unheard. Where venues come and go - we are here to stay....but only with your help!

8) Our volunteers are active people outside the radio station. We aren't just hiding in the bubble of the radio station a few times a week. We go to your shows, shop and support your businesses, and are meaningful participants in the community that expand beyond radio. Speaking from personal experience being a part of a station has reminded me just how big, interesting, and dynamic Richmond can be and WRIR has inspired me to get out more and explore all that our city has to offer.

9) There are no robots picking and playing music. We are humans creating programming for our community. No robots. NO ROBOTS. I AM NOT A NUMBER! ! ! And commercial radio wouldn't quote The Prisoner either.

10) Surprises. Anyone who listens to WRIR on a regular basis knows what I am talking about. There is always something interesting to learn; be it news or music. I am in awe of things my brain is fed thanks to the hard work of the volunteers at the station and am a better person for all the things I learn from the programming. We all work for the station for free yet the quality never suffers. We are fueled by our passion to bring you the best of the best. Sure we aren't perfect, but that is part of our charm too. Imperfect moments on air keep things interesting and remind me that real humans are making this magic happen ever day.

Please consider helping us out by calling 804-622-9747 or visiting us at 1621-B West Broad Street during the drive, or by clicking here to donate online.

Thank you for listening to and supporting WRIR 97.3 FM Richmond Independent Radio, radio for the rest of us!

And for you Spinal Tap friends here is your ELEVEN. Me. I was born and raised on some of the best radio on the planet (WFMU) and that means my standard for quality programming is platinum. You won't hear my show anywhere else but on WRIR is it and if you aren't familiar with my show, allow me to recap what I spend up to 20 hours a week working on!
We trace the roots of a band or artists every week on Thursdays from 7PM to 9PM. Check out this list of bands we have covered so far! I don't pat myself on the back ever but when I look over this list of old shows, I feel pretty darn proud - so many great ones!
Some of the Bands Featured Since 2009 to Date:

2011

Converge *
Iron & Wine
Radiohead
Wanda Jackson
Couples Who Rock
Tim Hecker
Greg Dulli / Twilight Singers
Neil Young
Bill Callahan / Smog
Flaming Lips
Alex of Grave Mistake Records*
Low
Lucinda Williams
Rosebuds
Beck
Siouxsie and the Banshees
Marvin Gaye
Archers of Loaf*
Drive By Truckers*
The Year Punk Broke
80's + 90's music from skate videos
Spiritualized
Radiohead
PIAS Fire
Super Furry Animals
Cave In*
Sunshine Pop
Long Arms*

They Might Be Giants
Bob Schick of Honor Role / Coral / Dynamic Truths*
Prince
Jawbreaker *
Sufjan Stevens
Vaselines
Eels
Matador 21
Silkworm / Bottomless Pit *
Arcade Fire
REM
Beastie Boys Samples
LCD Soundsystem
Bjork
Isis*
Devo
Liars
Sunno))) *
New Pornographers
Aphex Twin
Smashing Pumpkins
Cass McCombs
The Besnard Lakes
The National
Alex Chilton
Record Store Day Exclusives
Les Savy Fav
The Liars
The Replacements
Pavement
Beach House
Four Tet
Air (record label input)
Spoon
No Age
Jay Reatard
Sub Pops Owner Jonathan Poneman *
Richard + Linda Thompson
This One's for the Ladies (less known women in music from the past 60 years)
Built To Spill
Holiday season Songs (Non-Traditional)
Cocteau Twins
Never Heard of Them (under the radar new bands we like)
A Place to Bury Strangers
Kings of Convenience
Pixies
Serge Gainsbourg
Scott Walker
Cramps (Songs they taught us)
Os Mutantes
Daniel Johnston
Interpol
Wilco
Math Rock (History of)
Phospherescent
Sigur Ros (By Magic Bullet Records Owner / mega fan)
The Fall
Merge Records Catalog (Birthday show / label turned 20)
White Stripes
Siren Fest Recap
Welcome
Cut Copy
Lemonheads
Deerhunter
Camera Obscura
Grizzly Bear
Of Montreal
Blonde Redhead
Coachella Review
Mini Cause & Effects (for newer bands)
Black Keys
Stereolab
Macrock In Review
Mates of State
SXSW
Doves
Chad VanGaalen (Label Input)
Ruby Suns*
M Ward
Broadcast
Broken Social Scene
Love Is All
TV On the Radio
Animal Collective

* Artist Input

September 11, 2011

Missed My Interview with Bob Schick of Honor Role?

Fret no more, you can download the whole two hours right here.

The tracklisting for the show can be found here.

Here is another download. It is a continuous mix of the songs we didn't have time to play. There is about 30 minutes of music total and Bob promises to write up a few notes about why he picked these songs as being highly influential to him.

Fiction Romance    4:34    Buzzcocks    Operator's Manual           
Not Superstitious    4:19    Leatherface    Mush
I Just Want To Have Something To Do    2:42    Ramones    Road To Ruin
Poison    2:56    Motörhead -    Bomber           
Psychedelic Warlords    4:54    Hawkwind    Spirit of the Age - An Anthology 1976-1984           
Perspective    3:29    Peter Gabriel    Peter Gabriel 2: Scratch (Remastered)   
Tam Lin    7:12    Fairport Convention    Liege And Lief   
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight    3:09    Richard+ Linda Thompson    The Best Of Richard And Linda Thompson

And here is a note from Bob Schick himself about this last batch of songs.


Motorhead "Poison" is an early song with a ferocious vocal & a couple of interesting lyrics about drug damage & Lemmy's feeling for his father.
 
Hawkwind 'Psychedelic Warlords" My all time favorite badass band. More unhinged than Motorhead & it oozes menace.
Peter Gabriel "Perspective" This is a record I heard in the record store one morning in 1978 & was like nothing I'd heard before. I found it really intriguing(sp?) I took it home & listened to it over & over. At the time I was mostly listening to Rush, U.F.O., Aerosmith & some Beatles. It is a varied  record  & along with his third album always impresses me with its emotional depth. I love those two albums & am still moved by his empathy. I have respect for  him both as a performer & for his record label Realworld.

Fairport Convention "Tam Lin" I love the way Richard Thompson's guitar uses dissonance in the midst of very pretty folk music & Sandy Denny's lilting voice. A great combination of elements that maybe shouldn't go together but create a cohesive & stunning whole.
Richard & Linda Thompson "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight" Again Richard's guitar is fantastic, Linda's voice is so pure & the brass band helps create a perfect atmosphere. The lyrics are excellent as well. They paint such a vivid picture, you can almost see it. I've loved their music ever since I first heard it when Petey played it at Plan 9 nearly 30 years ago. How it fits in with my singing, I can't say for certain, but I know I've tried to create an atmosphere that can bring the songs to life.
        In conclusion, I want to thank Tracy & Kenny for putting this show together. I've had a wonderful time. I am also aware that I would not have had a chance to be on the show if it wasn't for each of the members of all the bands I was lucky enough to be part of. Thanks guys. If you know me, I hope you think of me who doesn't like to talk about myself, in general I try to be modest. Listening to me or reading these notes, I would like you to know that I do not think of myself as being talented or special, I just do what I do. But Since Tracy asked me, I'm privilaged to talk about music that has moved me. My hope is that it might impress someone that may have heard a band that they wish to investigate further. Or even just bring back memories.
                               Take Care,
                                    Bob Schick

September 7, 2011

September 8th, 2011 : Cause & Effect : Bob Shick of Honor Role / Coral / Dynamic Truths /


Initially I had planned this blog post to say just say this.

"10 years ago I moved to Richmond, VA and what better way to celebrate than to have my favorite RVA vocalist of all time doing a Cause & Effect show with me!

Bob Schick, singer of the legendary band Honor Role / Coral / Dynamic Truths will be my guest for the full two hours of Cause & Effect. We will be playing the music that changed his life, his favorite tracks from the bands he has played in, and talking about his life as both an artist and a music fan.

Tune in and help me celebrate not only Richmond but one of the finest artists to have come out of this city.

WRIR - Thursday 7PM to 9PM EST- Sept 8th, 2011, 97.3 on your dial for locals and go to WRIR to stream the show live."


But then I got hit by a car last week as I was trying to cross the street and my whole life changed. The good news is I am still here to do a radio show and now Bob and I have even more to celebrate as he too is a survivor on a whole different level. (More about that on air)

I could be wrong but I don't think Bob Schick has been interviewed on a radio station in a decade - maybe longer? Because none of the bands he was in are active today he hasn't done many interviews in a long period time either so this two hour radio show is truly a special occasion. We have a lot to talk about, much ground to cover between his bands and the music he picked for the show. Ryan Adams, Bob Nastanovich from Pavement, Mac from Superchunk, and Mr. Rocket from the Crypt himself John Reis are just a small sample of the creative giants who all worship the bands of Bob Schick, did you know that? Well, it is true and what better way to find out why than to spend two hours listening to Cause & Effect.

We are blessed with a local radio station and a city that offers a platform to share his story as a gifted artist (cult legend!), husband, and father, not to mention his impeccable taste in music. Bob isn't just a musician he is a musicologist in his own right (and a wickedly opinionated one at that). This is a show not to be missed and I hope when WRIR has our fund drive in a few weeks and you have to ask yourself during these tough financial times if donating to the station is worth it, you will think of the special programming we bring the community, one of a kind shows and listening experiences like this one.

And for those of you who think you know Bob - I think there will be plenty of surprises for you to. (okay maybe not you Trinko....but for everyone else ;) His song choices I think will shock a lot of you!I personally can't wait to understand how Fairport Convention and Son House fit in.

Wait until the 36 second mark! This was said in front of a large theater of people at Matador 21 in Las Vegas last year by Bob from Pavement.











August 11, 2011

August 11th, 2011 : Cause & Effect : Music in Skate Videos

Tune in from 7PM to 9PM tonight to hear my special guest Kenny Close (RVA local / DIY musicologist / long time skater ) play us two hours of music from skate videos in the '80s + '90s as well as school us on the intrinsic relationship between music and skate videos. You can stream the show live on the WRIR website or locals can listen in at 97.3 FM on your dial. I will let Kenny take over the post from here and offer a little more insight about what to expect from the show tonight.

Set list from the show is here .
Download the full show here.
********************


Tonight we will go on a journey through two decades of music and skate films. The show will begin with the origins of songs placed in early skate videos. Our trip will flow chronologically through the '80s into the late '90s and touch on what was happening at the time in the skateboarding industry and how certain songs where picked.





The songs h ave been collected from personal memories, recommendations, and opinions from various skate rs up and down the east coast. While most of us are now into our 30s and 40s, we fondly rememb er how these songs impacted our musical tastes growing up and intro duced us to new artists and genres of music.





Have you ever wondered why it was so hard to track down songs from the early Powell Peralta videos? Why on earth did we jump from punk to hip hop? How could a little skate company afford to pay music licensing fees for an Aerosmith song? Tune into the show tonight to find out!















July 15, 2011

Long Arms Live on WRIR

Missed the radio show last night? Download the whole thing here. A huge thank you to the band for helping me pull off one of the most complex shows (timing / organizing wise) and making the whole night run as smooth as glass.

July 14, 2011

July 14th, 2011 : Cause & Effect : Long Arms

Tune in tonight to WRIR ( 97.3 fm for locals) from 7pm to 9pm to hear Richmond band Long Arms live on the air. They will be performing two short sets during the show PLUS each of the 6 band members have picked three songs that have inspired them to play music to create mini Cause & Effect sets. I have never had a band live on Cause & Effect so this is an exciting first for me!

Tonight's radio show is timed to celebrate two things. Long Arms has a brand new split single coming out featuring their song "Crazy Bet" and their record release party is happening this Saturday at the Camel. For details about this show, go here. 

See the listening party invite for tonight's radio show here.
Check out the band's Facebook page here.

PS: I sang a duet on their debut record and we will be performing that song on air tonight. I have never sung at the station on air so this will be a fun first for me tonight too. I don't sing live much these days so it will be an extra fun change of pace for me too.

June 16, 2011

Drive-By-Truckers Cause & Effect Download

Better late than never!
The first 30 minutes of my radio show vanished do to technical troubles (too many listeners streaming the show bumped my recording connection off line.) but  I have managed to rescue the rest of it and for your listening pleasure added a few bonus tracks that we ran out of time for on air. Download it here. I have edited my show down to remove PSAs and underwriting so it is all quality Jay / Truckers time.
This means you will have more than half of the radio show to enjoy as well as these bonus songs; material Jay and his trusted circle of friends who are also experts on the Truckers hand picked as bands influenced by the DBTs :
  1. "Hurricane J" - Hold Steady  
  2. "Last Night in Town" - Lucero
  3. "Down Low" Dexateens"
  4. "Sorry Dreams" - Horsehead
My apologies for not being able to deliver the whole radio for your listening pleasure. Never in the history of doing my radio show at WRIR have we had so many listeners on-line that we overwhelmed our server at the station to the point it shut down - no less multiple times. WOW.

June 9, 2011

Quick Update on the Drive-By-Truckers Show

The good news is we broke a show record for having the most people tuned into the show at one time - THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN ! ! ! The bad news is that it overwhelmed our radio station's server and in turn I lost the stream I was recording the show off of to put into a podcast type deal. Please let me know if you recorded the show as I would LOVE to get a copy of it in MP3 form so I can post it / share it with the folks who missed this very special edition of Cause & Effect. 

Tomorrow I will also post a mix of the songs we didn't have time to air too. Thanks again to those who tuned in and a BIG thanks to all those who helped Jay put this show together, especially Patterson Hood. 

Here is the link to tonight's set list and here are the notes I promised to share that Patterson wrote about some of his influences. 

Bruce springsteen -
as you know I saw The Boss on Feb 13 1981 in Starkville MS and it is still my all time favorite concert.

That was The River and as we all know I Iove a good story song so lets play a GREAT one. TITLE CUT. (THE RIVER)
The Band
Push comes to shove, my all time favorite band. First heard them (knowingly) when they played Saturday Night Live right before The LAst Waltz, It was 3 nights before the 76 election and they ended the evening by playing Georgia On My Mind. Jimmy Carter was elected President that tuesday. My all time fave Band song is THE NIGHT THEY DROVE OLD DIXIE DOWN for more reasons than I have time to list.
Clash
When I was in High School my alarm would go off at exactly 6:25 for me to go to school. I had an old GE clock radio and loved in the county and the only station I could pick up was WQLT, which was our crappy top 40 station and they were always playing something I hated, except for about 2 weeks straight in 1980 they would be playing TRAIN IN VAIN which is still one of my all time favorite songs.
Tom Petty
The name of my very first band was Breakdown (1979) named after the TPHB song. I've ALWAYS Loved Tom Petty, but my favorite song of his is SOUTHERN ACCENTS. The piano against Jack Neitzes' string arrangement is absolute perfection.
R.E.M.
Still my all time favorite Southern Rock Band and Athens GA Band. I fell in love with REM when Chronic Town was still their only record and have loved them ever since. This increased tenfold in 1984 (Reckoning Tour) when this really great friend of mine took my broke butt to Oxford MS to see them for my first time. That friend was of course Jay Leavitt. I played an REM tribute in Athens for their favorIte charity and they all came. I had to sing this song in front of them. It's still one of my faves. DON'T GO BACK TO ROCKVILLE.
Replacements
Their album Tim literally inspired me to drop out of school and form Adam's House Cat with Mike Cooley back in 1985. The rest as they say is... insanity. HERE COMES A REGULAR. A few years later I saw them open for Tom Petty the night Tom fired them on stage and kicked them off the tour in Nashville TN. They deserved it. It was a glorious night of Rock and Roll though.
Todd Rundgren
Push comes to shove, my favorite album of all time is Something/Anything?. My favorite song on that album is HELLO ITS ME. I keep saying I want to someday write one of those 33 1/3 books about that one but I bet someone beats me to it.



If you were to add one more, I'd think Curtis Mayfield's FREDDIE'S DEAD.

I just absolutely love that song and always have. it IS a huge influence writing wise, especially it's circular structure and use of a move as an influence. In this case, he took a minor character and wrote a song about him so great that it made him a major part of the story even though he's actually barely mentioned in the actual movie. Brilliant.


- Patterson

June 9, 2011 : Cause & Effect : Drive-By-Truckers

Tonight from 7PM to 9PM and only on WRIR (97.3FM on your dial in RVA or stream live at www.wrir.org), there will be a shift in Caue & Effect's normal format to accommodate my special on air guest Jay Leavitt.

He is a close friend of Patterson Hood from the Drive-By-Truckers (as well as the whole band) and he and Patterson have cooked up a terrific show. I will surrender the mic over to Jay for the evening and just let him do his thing.

Much like the music of the Truckers, tonight will be two hours of storytelling. Jay will be offering up the story of this band using music by the band's influences, off-shoot projects, the band's catalog (rare live tracks too!), musical peers, and the bands who have been influenced by the Truckers. All of this will be narrated by Jay live and for a final touch of awesomeness, I will be posting Patterson's notes about the songs here as well as on the WRIR blog post with the tracklisting as well.

Jay is a gifted and engaging speaker who will be able to share the story of the Truckers in a way that no one else could come close to. If you are a fan of the Drive-By-Truckers, you will not want to miss this very personal and touching account of the band and their ties to Richmond, VA.

The Facebook invite about the show is here.

The Truckers are playing in RVA tomorrow night and for information you can go here.









This took place in the alley next to the record store Jay owns, Deep Groove Records