Them Bones

Friday night's Trolling Bones Revue at The NorVa -- which featured a bunch of reunited punk and new wave bands -- was a mind-expanding evening of musical time travel. Since I didn't arrive in Hampton Roads until the mid-1990s, this event was fascinating to me. It gave me a chance to catch a glimpse of a music scene that was apparently pretty healthy in the 1979 to 1985 era.
I'd like to post something with more detail later, but here are a few impressions about three of the bands I saw:


Thermal Heat -- Funny that my evening started with this angry reggae band. While I'm not sure the exact time line of the bands that played the Trolling Bones Revue, earlier research on the punk and new wave scene in Norfolk led me to The Tropix, a band that blended progressive rock, reggae and the punkish sounds of Patti Smith and early Talking Heads. Thermal Heat took a similar approach, but with a more confrontational attitude. At the NorVa, the band featured guitarist and singer Bink Brown, who also played in two other bands on this particular night, Basic Riffs and Jerry Skids.



Jerry Skids -- Not to be confused with the hardcore band from Boston, this quartet (originally named Jerry's Kids) was the loudest, snottiest, most pissed off band of the evening (although I missed the night-topping set by Left Wing Fascists.) Tunes like "Fucked-Up Ford" and "All I Want's a Harley" were shot, sharp, punch rock songs -- tough and intentionally obnoxious. This was not hardcore punk, however. This is what came before it. In their day, I'm sure Jerry Skids were a refreshingly abrasive alternative to bands trying to sound like Molly Hatchet.




Tango Storm -- This band, which featured singer Bruce Gray, wasn't trying to annoy anyone. But the group was definitely inspired by the Ramones and Elvis Costello. They covered E.C.'s "No Action" and the Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated." The band's guitarist (now an executive with Fender guitars) played clean, hard, melodic lines. This was definitely not Johnny Thunders territory. It was something much more refined. But still enjoyable. And Gray is a natural front man who still sounded credible singing originals including "No Rock on the Radio" and "Blow Job."

Let's Get Mauled

(Clint Maul photo from MySpace)

A belated merry Christmas to everyone who stops by Toggle Switch from time to time. Hope you're having a great holiday and that you've got lots of great toys to play with.

Now, down to business. Today I stumbled upon the music of Clint Maul, a songwriter who grew up in the Virginia Beach area, but who eventually relocated to Richmond. Maul has worked as a guitar tech for Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven, but the handful of songs I've heard from him are more in an alternative-country vein -- sort of a blend of Paul Westerberg and Steve Earle.

Maul's definitely got a good melodic touch. Read more about him in this profile/Q&A from 2007.

Richmond Toggle Switchers have a good chance to check him out Jan. 2 at Gallery 5 where he'll be playing with Jason Webley, The Hotdamns, Arise, Sweet Donkey! and Alison Self.

Punk, rock and remember

(Daily Planet photo courtesy of Pete Desnoyers)

The new edition of PortFolio sports a nifty new design and a cover story about the punk-new wave good ol' days in Hampton Roads. The coverage sets the stage for the punk-new wave reunion show that's planned for Dec. 26 at the NorVa.

If I'm reading the Web site correctly, the new PortFolio includes a lengthy and enlightening essay credited to Mr. Malcontent about the beginnings of punk rock in our region. Though I may be mistaken, I believe Mr. Malcontent is the pen name of Michael "Beaker" Davye, a source to be trusted on the subject of punk.

Here's a short exerpt, but if this is of any interest to you at all, I encourage you to read the whole piece. It's pretty entertaining:

***********

If you became a punk in 1980, you weren’t just cutting your hair and buying a copy of London Calling, you were making a commitment. A commitment to be ostracized by lots of your friends, laughed at and threatened regularly. If you were a chick from Virginia Beach, you risked multiple incarcerations in Tidewater Psychiatric Institute by your family for the simple crime of having a punk haircut. More than a few people got thrown out of the house by their parents for a Mohawk. It was amazing how freaked out so-called grown-ups got about it. I’ve literally seen an entire K-Mart brought to a halt because of a couple of punk haircuts and a T-shirt, thanks to Jennifer Jones, Andy Masters and Betony Vernon.


**********

Art Country

(Andy Friedman photo by Ian Fry)

Marker 20 in Hampton has booked a rare sort of alt-country, roots music show for Saturday night. A band called Andy Friedman and The Other Failures from Brooklyn will play with Norfolk's own purveyors of dirty swing, Rylo.

I'm just learning about Friedman, but I like what I've found out so far. For instance, his list of 100 favorite albums listed on his Web site includes discs by Townes Van Zandt, Jackson Browne, Gram Parsons, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, John Hartford and the Louvin Brothers.

Here's the beginning of a story from the Pittsburg City Paper written by Andy Mulkerin:

****************

"In the scheme of things, Andy Friedman's musical career is relatively young. In 2002, after years as a professional cartoonist (most notably penning celebrity illustrations for the New Yorker), he began performing, but not as a musician the way most of us picture one. He took to the road with an act that involved live illustrated oral performances -- songs without music, as it were.

More recently, he's come into a more traditional setup, fronting a band called Andy Friedman and the Other Failures and recording his first full-length of gritty alt-country (or "art country," as he's prone to calling it). Taken Man is a collection of clever songs that take the arty and urbane elements that one might expect from a New Yorker illustrator, and mix them with a raw roadhouse sound that one might not.

Friedman, a Brooklyn native, bases much of his songwriting on a sense of unrest and dissatisfaction, tempered with a kind of storytelling that's reminiscent of the old country music from which he draws inspiration. "Guys Like Me Don't Get Grants" is clearly a New York artist's tongue-in-cheek update on the bluesy country of yore. "David Berman," on the other hand, is a clever retelling of how Friedman was once accused of biting the Silver Jews frontman's style (he'd never heard him before) and how he then met Berman and became a fan."

**************

Sounds promising, huh?

Happy Anniversary, Baby

(Cinemasophia poster photo/MySpace)

Without much fanfare, Toggle Switch marked its 1-year birthday on Dec. 8. As I think back, I realize I've learned so much about music in Virginia simply by paying attention on a semi-regular basis. There's a long list of bands and performers that I've come to know and love through this blog.

As a gift to you, the Toggle Switch reader, I'm planning to post a set of free downloads representing some of my favorite discoveries over the last 12 months. I'm hoping to make it available before Christmas.

In the meantime, allow me to share a couple of news chunklets:

1. The MySpace page and local music resource MC7C recently posted a long, in-depth interview with the Chapel Hill, N.C., electronic musician Mild Davis. Turns out he's originally from Newport News. Read the interview here.

2. Style Weekly's "Local Bin" column included several interesting items last week, including news about the Richmond-based experimental pop band Cinemasophia. The band is supposed to release an album titled "Fits & Cycles" sometime next year. Read the entire "Local Bin" column here.

Pub Crawl

It's been a good weekend in Toggle Switch Land. I've managed to consume lots of music: hard-to-categorize songwriter Erin McKeown at The Boot on Friday, local Celtic champs Poisoned Dwarf at the Newport News Library on Saturday afternoon and Uglyography -- Hampton's premier pop-punk-psychedelic solo act played Goody's in downtown Hampton Saturday night. My own band, the acoustic-rock covers trio Kneeling Drunkards, opened for Uglyography -- and it was all lots of fun.

Mitch from Fantasy was nice enough to hand over his video camera for a few minutes during the McKeown set. Here's the song that I caught.

Steppin' down?

(Poster courtesy of Steppin Out/MySpace)

According to Internet buzz, Steppin Out -- the Virginia Beach dancehall and live music space -- is out of commission as a concert venue. From what I've read, it's a temporary problem and that the place might return to booking shows in the spring. Still, if it's true, it's a blow to the area's live music scene. Steppin' Out has been one of the most active rock clubs in the region for the last year or two. The list of bands that have played there has included The Misfits, Agent Orange and Hieroglyphics.

On the positive side, that same Internet buzz suggests that The Half Shell in Virginia Beach is seeing a change in management and the change may help the place continue its role as a home for original music. Definitely good news.

This sort of listing from side to side is pretty typical of our area, sad to say. It's often a case of one step forward, one step back.

On an unrelated subject ...

Tonight, I ran into Tom Robotham, formerly editor of Port Folio. Since leaving the paper, he's started a new Web site called TReehouse: A Magazine of Possibilities. It's still in its infancy, but it shows promise. I know Tom's a big music head. He mentioned that he heard Prabir and The Substitutes at The Taphouse recently. He dug it.

Black Twigs and the Helix

(D. Charles Speer with Tele and unidentified accompanist/MySpace)

I'm back from an eventful Thanksgiving weekend -- so forgive me for my lame reposting of a MySpace bulletin from the Black Twig Pickers. This house party is exactly the sort of event that makes me wish I was living in Roanoke with my old buddy Punk Rock Jimmy as my turkey-pinging, deer-slaughtering neighbor ...

[Addendum: This update was posted Tuesday:

hey folks​,​ sorry​ to assau​lt yr scree​ns:​ There​'​s been a late-​game chang​e with the D. Charl​es Speer​ & the Helix​/​Black​ Twig Picke​rs show on Thurs​day,​ Dec. 4. It has moved​ a block​ to 209 Giles​ Road in Black​sburg​.​ Sound​s are still​ suppo​sed to start​ soon after​ 9 p.m. It's a house​ party​ -- no cover​,​ bring​ your own refre​shmen​ts,​ and pleas​e contr​ibute​ to the DCS&​TH trave​l fund jug (and maybe​ buy one of their​ relea​ses too)​.​

thank​s,​ back to yr regul​arly sched​uled huzwi​t --
-​-​l;​kasdj​f]


*******************


hey folks​

anoth​er month​ almos​t upon us, anoth​er show annou​nceme​nt.​ huzza​h huzza​h!​

first​ly:​ thank​s to all who showe​d up to the jack rose/​twigs​ throw​down on the
14th!​ it was a lot of fun.

this one promi​ses to be a doozy​ as well.​ this thurs​day,​ dec. 4th at 9pm, the
black​ twigs​ and the fine chaps​ at 202 turne​r stree​t in black​sburg​,​ va. will host d. charl​es speer​ and the helix​,​ a choog​lin'​ acid-​fried​ count​ry rokk unit from new york city.​ d charl​es himse​lf,​ along​ with helix​ membe​rs dave nuss and jason​ meagh​er,​ are also membe​rs of the criti​cally​ accla​imed free-​impro​v group​-​chuff​ exper​ience​ known​ as the no-​neck blues​ band (one of my perso​nally​ fav bands​ of ever,​ and you know this!​)​,​ and lead guita​r dutie​s in the helix​ are manne​d by none other​ than the revel​atory​ marc orlea​ns of subur​ned hand of the man, enos slaug​hter,​ et al.

but don'​t expec​t too much skron​k and doof -- d. charl​es and his band are a
swing​in'​ song-​based​ proje​ct that bring​s to mind those​ link wray count​ry recor​ds and waylo​n jenni​ngs at his most twist​ed.​ but judge​ for yours​elf:​ you can check​ out d. charl​es'​ solo tunes​ @ his myspa​ce (www. myspa​ce.​ com/​dchar​lessp​eer) and the group​ rocke​rs at their​ offic​ial websi​te (http:​/​/​www.​ dchar​lessp​eer.​ com).

d. charl​es and his merry​ men will join with local​ corn-​slurp​in stomp​ facto​ry the
black​ twigs​ at some point​ for group​ inter​preta​tions​ of.​.​.​ wait for it.​.​.​ solo jack rose tunes​!​ we'​re an inces​tuous​ bunch​,​ what can we say? and there​'​ll be a solo twigs​ set as well,​ natch​.​

so after​ youve​ check​ed out teddi​'​s exhib​it at xyz that eveni​ng (​6pm-​9pm i
belie​ve?​ can someo​ne comfi​rm?​)​,​ move as a singl​e stagg​ering​ unit towar​ds 202 turne​r where​ the festi​vitie​s will be start​in'​ up. no charg​e at the door,​ but
come with enoug​h sheke​ls in yr pocke​t for the gas donat​ion jar (not to menti​on LPs and CDs avail​able from both bands​!​)​.​ this event​ is gener​ally b.​y.​o.​b.​ as per usual​.​

so to recap​:​
THURS​DAY
DEC 4TH
9PM
202 TURNE​R ST. BLACK​SBURG​ VA

ta,
natha​n

********************

Magic Twig Update

(Magic Twig group photo by Joe The Scientist)

Those marvelous Magic Twiggers from rockin' Roanoke posted the following MySpace bulletin earlier this week. It offers a nice overview of what's happening with that community these days ...

********

2008 is about​ to end. Thank​ Power​ Circl​e!​ It has been a quite​ a year for us. We have found​ new Fortr​ess and recor​ded a few album​s and playe​d a few shows​ and met some frien​ds along​ the way. Heres​ some detai​ls of thing​s comin​g your way.

The Young​ Sincl​airs have just relea​sed 3 album​s.​ Tough​ Face,​ India​n Winte​r and O Bumme​r.​
We made 25 of each!​ They will be avail​able on the Magic​ Twig myspa​ce as well as The Young​ Sincl​airs page this comin​g week so keep an eye out!

The Young​ Sincl​airs are also relea​sing "​Songs​ of The Young​ Sincl​airs"​ on Kinde​rcore​ Recor​ds digit​ally and in LP forma​ts.​ It will be a compi​latio​n of songs​ from their​ prior​ album​s as well as a few unrel​eased​ songs​.​ With this Kinde​rcore​ is also relea​sing 5 of The Young​ Sincl​airs album​s digit​ally from their​ websi​te.​

The Young​ Sincl​airs are now finis​hing the last touch​es of "​Chime​ys"​

The Sad Cobra​s are about​ to recor​d an EP of favor​ites Gag Balls​,​ 250 lb Lover​ and Color​ Beams​ to name a few. Even possi​bly a split​ with Hot Lava. They have made 25 more copie​s of the beaut​ifull​y envel​oping​ NO MORE GRAVE​S. So get it just in time for the holid​ays

SUN KING!​ was also in the studi​o recor​ding "The Rose Cerem​ony"​ that will be out early​ 2009.​ It was recor​ded 1 year after​ their​ previ​ous album​ Dream​y of the Sunch​ildre​n. Get their​ first​ album​ befor​e they'​re gone.​ Only a few left!​ Also in 2009 expec​t SUN KING!​'​s first​ 2 album​s back to back on LP

The Missi​onari​es also put the finis​hing touch​es on their​ first​ relea​se "​Dark Anima​ls"​ and are curre​ntly writi​ng the follo​w up. You can hear a new tune calle​d "​What canno​t be Broke​n"​ on their​ myspa​ce.​
We sold out of the first​ run but have made 15 more!​ Get them while​ they sleep​

Turbo​ P got mono and has piece​d toget​her a dance​ craz in Germa​ny.​ He has a new track​ up and is rumor​ed to be worki​ng with membe​rs of Boys Lie in the studi​o.​

Also in the land of recor​ding John is worki​ng with The Basta​rds of Fate in The Mysti​c Fortr​ess.​ YAY!

In other​ news The Magic​ Twig Commu​nity Super​ Frien​ds Fest was a blurr​y blast​ of great​ music​ from the area!​
Readi​ng Ranbo​w
Hot LAva
Sound​ House​s
The Basta​rds of Fate
Mommi​es
Root Stone​
Sun KING!​
The Young​ Sincl​airs
The Sad Cobra​s
all did a great​ job and the day was beaut​iful with leave​s falli​ng in the in light​!​

Thank​s to all who care and suppo​rt us. I'm sure i left some thing​s out. Keep an eye out for the golde​n sun of bells​ and rhyme​.​

Pals,​
India​nface​




PS- We just maile​d out all previ​ous order​s.​ Enjoy​!​

Video Lava

(Hot Lava at Toad's Place/ MySpace)

Toggle Switch readers know my affection for Richmond's Hot Lava. I like them so much I'd like to get them to play in my living room for my birthday in January, but I haven't actually talked to my wife about this. And it might upset the dog. So for now, we can all just enjoy this nice video for the band's song "Brainex."

More Discovery

(Mountain Goats photo/MySpace)

The Spring Session of the Discovery concert series at the Attucks Theatre in Norfolk includes a few folks who have already played the market -- but there's still some really good stuff here. The highlight for me is the Mountain Goats -- who I've wanted to see live for years.

Kathleen Edwards – Feb. 21
Theresa Anderson – March 6
Shemekia Copeland – March 7
Mountain Goats with John Vanderslice – March 20
Corey Harris – March 21
Josh Ritter Band – April 3
John Hammond – April 10
Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne – April 18

I'll get back to you about the ticket details.

Kibbles and Bits

(Blitzen Trapper photo by jade harris)

Tonight, I offer a few tidbits for your consumption:

Thing No. 1. I see on a MySpace bulletin that the dear, beloved Half Shell in Virginia Beach will continue booking music at least through December. Ben from the Shell sent out this message: "i was told to conti​nue booki​ng decem​ber so thats​ a good sign.​ we have food back to norma​l and will be open for lunch​ again​ next week so come suppo​rt!​ also looki​ng to do big shows​ in dec so hit me up now so we can keep the venue​ runni​ng."

Thing No. 2. Iron & Wine play The NorVa tomorrow. That's good. Even better is that Blitzen Trapper is the opening act. I've wanted to see those guys ever since my man Joe Atkinson turned me onto them awhile back.

Thing No. 3. The always entertaining Southern Culture on the Skids is set to play The Jewish Mother on Thursday night. That show and Dexter Romweber's visit to the Taphouse this weekend make up a sort of unintentional Chapel Hill roots rock extended weekend. Raise hell and show your ass appropriately.

Thing No. 4. Mas Y Mas will be back at The Boot on Friday, on a bill with Benjy Ferree and Shortstack. For more on that show, go here.

Feeling the Feedback

(Paul Curreri, MySpace photo)

For awhile now, I've been wanted to give some props to some excellent music blogs from elsewhere in this great state of ours. Through the magic of the Internets, you can watch video of some of Virginia's finest musicians doin' their thang.

Today, I looked in on the site for C-Ville, the Charlottsville news-arts weekly and read up on several months of Feedback, a blog by Brendan Fitzgerald. In addition to posting about concerts around Hooville, Fitzgerald also has area bands come by the paper's offices where he shoots video of them performing. A session with acoustic guitarist and songwriter Paul Curreri was particularly good -- quirky lyrics with strong singing and fantastic finger picking. If you like freak folk, Curreri is worth checking out. As an aside, this video shows him backing fellow Charlottesville musician Devon Sproule during a trip to England.

Short Bus to 2009

(Poster from MySpace)

Yeah, it's a bit early to be thinking about New Years Eve. But this show is unusual enough to get my attention. The following came as an e-mail today:

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Richmond 's First Ever Roots Music New Years Spectacular!
Ring in 2009 with three of Richmond 's best acoustic music ensembles. WIth a champagne toast, and all the wild dancing you can muster!

Featuring:
Jackass Flats - Richmond 's favorite high-energy progressive bluegrass quartet.
A Good Natured Riot - Eclecti-grass supergroup
The Fox Hunt - Martinsburg WV = new-oldtime music

and ...

Special Ed & the Shortbus - Richmond 's beloved, internationally acclaimed, absurdist stringband, in their final Richmond (or anywhere!) appearance before retiring the bandname forever (for more on this, please email seshortbus@gmail.com).

Wednesday, December 31st (New Year's Eve)
The Canal Club - Richmond VA
$15 in advance (from Plan 9 or Canal Club Website), $20 at the door, includes midnight champagne toast.

18+, 7:30 Doors, 8:00 music

*************

Fest Fever

(MySpace photo)
It's late and I'm short on time, so just two quick notes, only very loosely related.
Tonight, I've been reading about two rock festivals featuring some very fine Virginia bands.

Fest No. 1 -- Something called Ghost of Pop 4 is scheduled for Dec. 12 at Gallery 5 in Richmond. It features a gang of indie-pop/rock acts including Hot Lava, Prabir and the Substitutes, David Shultz and the Skyline, Palominos, Orioles and Awesome Few. I can attest to the niceness of all but the last two bands listed -- I haven't seen the Orioles or the Awesome Few. I'll try to find out more about this post what I learn soon. (Addendum: the Awesome Few is Marshall Costan's band. I haven't seen Marshall live, but I like his nifty Internet songs.)

Fest No. 2 -- Something called Rebellion USA will bring a stampede of punk bands to Steppin' Out in Virginia Beach on Nov. 29. Bands I'm familiar with include The Unabombers, The Hydeouts, The Nerve Scheme. Ones I don't know squat about include D.H.H., Corner's Cut, Underground District, Fujiwara and The Screws. It's an all-ages show. Doors will open at 3 p.m.

Sam's lament

(Hammer No More the Fingers photo from MySpace)

Because I'm still fighting a nasty cold, I'm missing not one, but THREE good shows tonight. I actually had tickets to see Mark Kozelek tonight at the Attucks. No. Can. Do. But there were several other great choices -- Hot Lava up in Williamsburg, Little Trooper at the Norfolk Taphouse.

Since there's no live music in my present, I'll look forward to the future.

The Mas Y Mas boys sent me this message a few weeks ago:

************

It's been a moment since we've played the area, but we're going to be
putting a show on with two great out-of-towners on WEDNESDAY, NOV 12 @ The
Taphouse, starting around 10. Who are we playing with, you ask? What, is
Mas Y Mas not enough? Socialist. Anyways,

ROYAL BANGS are coming back to town (myspace.com/royalbangs), I'm pretty
sure you were at that show, but they're pretty great live, one of those
bands that sounds like their recordings. We don't know how to do that.

HAMMER NO MORE THE FINGERS (myspace.com/hnmtf) make it really hard to make
a good flyer (thanks for the name, guys), but I've included one of the
five different prints we've done for the show; they're a great three-piece
from NC that we've been trying to bring down for a while, and are another
one of those bands that are all about high quality recording- they just
completed a record with J. Robbins from Inner Ear Studios (? I DONT KNOW
SOMETHING ABOUT D.C. HERE ?!?!) which I'm sure won't make a difference at
all. Oops, not supposed to say what you really think this time of year, it
could get you in trouble.

**********

I'm happy to see that Mas Y Mas is playing with Hammer No More the Fingers -- because my old band The Floating Children played with those guys in Chapel Hill, N.C. earlier this year at the farewell to Schoolkids Records show.

Extraordinary

(Toggle Switch photo of Billy Bragg with The Watson Twins at the Attucks Theatre, Norfolk, Oct. 30)

I'm still trying to get my head around the presidential election. The fact that our nation has made such a leap forward makes me, frankly, a bit weepy. But one of the pre-election moments I'll always remember is hearing Billy Bragg last week at the Attucks Theatre. Musically, Billy was sharp. More on that later.
He was also very funny -- I could do a post just on his banter. And his between-song political chatter (as you would expect, there was a lot of it) included several gems. Looking forward to what he predicted would be an Obama victory, he warned against the cynicism that would surely set in after the honeymoon period ends. He said, and I paraphrase: "Mark my words, within 18 months after he takes office, people will say, 'Obama is no better than Bush.'" He said the key is to guard against that cynicism and to be ready to push our leaders back in the right direction when we see them wander off the path.

He also said that America electing a black president would be a wonderful message to send to the rest of the world.

At that, someone from the balcony yelled, "It's not that he's the black candidate, it's that he's the right candidate."

Billy said, yes, Obama was the better candidate. But he stressed that from the perspective of Europe and the rest of the globe, the symbolism of a black chief executive would be powerfully positive.

Bragg said that folks in the rest of the world get weary of the United States describing itself as extraordinary. "But then once in awhile you do something truly extraordinary. So here's to you," Bragg said, or words to that effect. He went on to say, "What are the chances of Britain electing a black prime minister? Zero. France, Germany? Zero."

Now, getting back to the music, I'll just say that I was knocked out. I have not been crazy about Bragg's last few records. Even going back to the "Mermaid Avenue" records recorded with Wilco, I found his songs lacking. So I was concerned that this, my first Billy Bragg concert, would be a disappointment. My worries evaporated the very second Bragg walked on stage and plugged in.

In a wide-legged, Steve Jones-style stance, he ripped into "Help Save the Youth of America" sounding as fierce as ever. He followed that with "Farm Boy" from his new album "Mr. Love & Justice" then "Greetings to the New Brunette." His voice sounded full, strong and in-tune. Most of the set was electric, although he did pick up an acoustic guitar for a set of tunes in the middle of the show, including an excellent version of "Sexuality." For me, the highlights were "The Saturday Boy" and "The Milkman of Human Kindness" and "There is Power in a Union."

Billy's 50 now -- he turns 51 next month. But he still feels the fire.

Fear of Music

(Photo by Patty McDonald)

Sorry for the delay in posting. I get pretty excited about Halloween so my attention has been diverted from Toggle Switch fun and games to crafting a frightening environment on our front porch for candy-craving neighborhood youngsters. In lieu of some shocking Virginia music news, I'm going to hit you with a couple of lists of recommended Halloween music and movies. I hope something here makes your weekend more creepy.

Behold, friends, my Unsettling Halloween Playlist ....

"I Put a Spell on You" Sreamin' Jay Hawkins
"Unfolding" Feralcatscan
"Electric Funeral" Black Sabbath
"We're All Mad Here" Tom Waits
"Back Juju" Alice Cooper
"Boris the Spider" The Who
"Can't Find My Mind" The Cramps
"Quartet No. 8: I. Largo" Kronos Quartet
"Lie Down" The Handsome Family
"Blood Bitch" Cocteau Twins

... and my 10 Favorite Halloween Weekend Movies

"Sleepy Hollow" (Johnny Depp)
"Nosferatu" (1922)
"Young Frankenstein"
"The Exorcist"
"Blair Witch Project"
"Sweeney Todd" (Johnny Depp with Tim Burton, again)
"Rocky Horror Picture Show"
"Night of the Living Dead"
"The Ring"
"Psycho"

Apples Meet Seamonster

(Art by Todd Webb)

Tonight's good news is that Todd Webb aka Seamonster is collaborating with Robert Schneider of Apples in Stereo on a childrens album to be released early next year. Schneider wrote the songs and Webb contributed to a comic book that will be included in the disc. Pitchfork ran a story about the disc this afternoon.

Webb/Seamonster is a Virginia Beach guy, by the way.

The following is what Seamonster posted about the project on a MySpace bulletin:

***************

hey guys!​
just a heads​ up that an aweso​me proje​ct i have been worki​ng on is being​ relea​sed into the world​ this janua​ry!​
my frien​d rober​t schne​ider recor​ded a super​ cool child​ren'​s recor​d which​ is being​ relea​sed in packa​ging with a comic​ book and color​ing book conta​ining​ art by me - it is calle​d robbe​rt bobbe​rt and the bubbl​e machi​ne!​

***************

You can test drive some of the songs and check out a few samples of Todd's artwork here.

In related news, Seamonster's MySpace page says he's opening for Jens Lekman at The College of William and Mary on Nov. 8. Wow!

The Power of One

(Photo of Phil Roebuck at The Boot by Jim Roberts)

Phillip Roebuck makes music of awesome, primal beauty. The plinky rattle of his $22 banjo and the blues rasp in his voice combine to make something special. But you should also take into consideration the fact that he sings and plays banjo while also playing a bass drum and tambourine that's strapped to his back. That last part would seem like a gimmick if Roebuck's one-man-band sound wasn't so powerful. I saw Phillip do his thing at The Boot this past Wednesday and I'm still thinking about how great it was. I had been hearing rumblings -- including one mention in a South By Southwest roundup a few weeks ago -- but I didn't really understand the force of his solo playing until I saw it in person.

It's not just a neat trick. The guy is really good at doing four things at once. He reminds me of The Avett Brothers -- if they were distilled to one person instead of three.

After his set, Phillip told me that he divides his time between Hampton Roads and New York City. His family is here. I guess the opportunities are there. I've read he's considered one of NYC's best subway performers.

The last time I heard Phillip play music, he was still in the powerpop group The Hollowbodies, a band with roots here in Hampton Roads. I may be mistaken, but the last time I remember seeing that band was at the East Coast Surfing Championships at Virginia Beach years ago. His strong singing and gift for melody always impressed me.

Hearing him again -- and applying his talents to a sort of punk-folk sound-- was wonderful.

I'm just catching up to all this, but it turns out that he's recorded four CDs as a one man band, the most recent two were recorded by rock production hero Steve Albini.

At The Boot show, I picked up his newest, "Fever Pitch" which has a copyright date of 2006. On it, Phillip sounds like some kind of weird backwoods hybrid: part hillbilly, part grizzled blues man, part rock 'n' roller. Most of all, though, he sounds good.

Back to the Blue Ridge

(Photo of Wayne Henderson from flatpick.ning.com)

Wednesday night, I saw a great set by one-man-band Phillip Roebuck at The Boot in Norfolk. More about that later.

Tonight, I want to alert you to a great folk festival that's happening Saturday at Ferrum College, hosted by the Blue Ridge Institute.

The musical lineup for the Blue Ridge Folk Life Festival includes several great names in Virginia folk, among them guitarist Wayne Henderson and the string band Ballard Branch Bog Trotters. See the full schedule here.

Don Harrison wrote to tell me that the Dazzlers, from Brookneal/Lynchburg will be part of the action on Saturday. "They are one of the 'lost' rockabilly acts we uncovered for the upcoming exhibit and they will getting back together to play the festival on Saturday," Don wrote. He was referring to an upcoming exhibit he's working on with the Blue Ridge Institute about the original rockabilly explosion in Virginia. I've heard some of the music, and it's hot stuff, so I'm expecting a great exhibit.

Also performing at Saturday's folk festival will be Jeffrey Scott, of Culpeper. Scott is nephew of the late legendary Piedmont Blues musician John Jackson, who was truly a treasure.

Big Apple Dreaming

I just looked at the long, long list of bands playing the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City, and I counted a total of four Virginia acts: Hot Lava, Ki:Theory, Skillz, and Sons of Bill. I'm hoping someone can look at this list and tell me who else from our dear Old Dominion will be getting it done in NYC. I'd like to think that out of 1,000 or so bands playing the event more than four would be from here. In any case, good luck to the foursome I know about. I have especially high hopes for Hot Lava who played The Boot awhile back and made a believer out of me.

Shell Shocked

(MySpace photo)

I was disappointed to read the following MySpace bulletin posted tonight. I don't know the details, but it sounds like The Half Shell -- a long-time center of original band activity in Hampton Roads -- might be in trouble.

Here's the post in it's entirety:

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tonig​ht could​ possi​bly be the last chanc​e every​one has to catch​ a show at the shell​.​ come out if you can and suppo​rt helpi​ng us stay open.​ it would​ be a sad sad day for the live origi​nal music​ scene​ in hampt​on roads​ to see it happe​n.​ this place​ is near and dear to my heart​ as well as all the bands​ and custo​mers we have had over the years​.​ it would​ very much be a perso​nal loss not just for mysel​f,​ but many of you. you peopl​e are the ones that helpe​d mold the half shell​ into what it is and i perso​naly thank​ you all for that.​ it has in a way helpe​d me becom​e the perso​n i am as well.​ so come suppo​rt!​ thank​ you from the heart​ - ben @ the half shell​

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Several of my favorite local bands have played The Half Shell repeatedly over the years. It seems to be one of the few bars in Virginia Beach that regularly books original, up-and-coming rock bands. If the place shuts its doors for good, it would be yet another blow to original music in the area. Despite the bleak-sounding post, I noticed the Half Shell MySpace page is still advertising a Nov. 1 post-Halloween party featuring Download, No Mercy for Martyrs and others.

Around the Way Jams

St. Cloud, MN

(Video courtesy of philliproebuck.com)

I'm watching the Obama-McCain slugfest right now, so I'm a bit distracted. But I want to bring two promising shows happening at The Boot to your attention.

On Oct. 22, a band from Oklahoma called The Uglysuit will play along with Phillip Roebuck, musician known locally from his days with The Hollowbodies. These days, he's doing a crazy, banjo-fueled one-man-band act. In 2003, the New York Press voted Phillip the city's Best Subway Musician, and he has since recorded three albums and has been touring steadily. I'm looking forward to Uglysuit, but I'm really excited about catching Phillip's set. I haven't seen him rock in many years.

On Dec. 5, Erin McKeown, a talented and stylistically varied songwriter will be stepping into The Boot. She previously played The Attucks Theatre as part of The Discovery Series. At this show, the wonderful Sarah Carter -- a local indie-folk artist, will open.

Super Friends Super Show

(SUN KING! photo from MySpace)

Those zany Magic Twig Community rockers from Roanoke have planned what's looking like a really good, free music festival in the Star City next month. The event will take place 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 8 at Elm Wood Park in downtown Roanoke.

The Magic Twig Community Super Friends Fest will include:
Root Stone Jug Band
Hot lava
Sound Houses
Reading Rainbow
Bastards of Fate
SUN KING!
The Young Sinclairs
The Sad Cobras

No-Joke Folk

(Toggle Switch photos of -- top to bottom -- Grupo Cimarron, Howard Tate and the fiddle traditions workshop)

Today I made a quick trip to Richmond to romp through the inaugural Richmond Folk Festival -- which is a free event happening this weekend along the downtown riverfront. Two previous Octobers, Richmond hosted big music festivals under the National Folk Festival banner. I admired those from afar. This year, I finally got to see it all up close.

Damn, it was impressive. Generally speaking, big music festivals can be a pain. Bands tend to play one short 45-minute set. Sound can be sketchy. Lines can be long. Crowds can be irritating. Parking can be a pain in the neck. But organizers at the Richmond Folk Festival have most of the logistics sorted out. I was able to park quickly, walk a few blocks to the festival area near Browns Island and bounce between six stages with few snags.

In less than three hours, I was able to hear:

1) Grupo Cimarron, a joropo band from Colombia. These guys were an eye-opener -- and very entertaining. I'm familiar with some Colombian folk styles, but not joropo. I turns out to be based on stringed instruments -- nylon-string acoustic guitars, harp and bass -- along with hand percussion and singing. The sound reminded me of flamenco guitar at times, but the rhythmic elements were very different. The band's two vocalists were both very strong and fun to watch. Carlos Rojas' group, for me, was a revelation.

2) Howard Tate, a 70-year-old, classic-style soul singer. Howard's music has been rediscovered recently and he was in fine form in Richmond Saturday. While he's not all that mobile on stage, his voice was powerful and precise. I heard him sing Randy Newman's "Louisiana 1927," as well as "Solid Ground" "I Learned it All The Hard Way" and "Ain't Nobody Home." That last song, Howard introduced saying "This is the first song that put me on the front line of music and I haven't looked back since ... except for the 30 years I disappeared." He also made it clear that he's thankful to have survived years of drug abuse and personal struggles to make music again. "I'm going to give God a clap for delivering me -- and I still have the voice," he said. "He'll deliver you, too."

3) A session featuring fiddlers from several different groups playing the festival. I came in late so I didn't get to hear everybody get introduced, but I know that Michael Doucet from Beausoleil and James Cheechoo, a Cree fiddler from Ontario, Canada, participated. I believe the fiddlers from the Irish group Liadan were also part of the action. Hearing these diverse fiddle styles helped me see subtle differences and similarities. This is the kind of thing I love about the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the mall in Washington. Great to hear it a little bit closer to home.

Chocolate in C'Ville

(CCD photo courtesy of carolinachocolatedrops.com)

I've been waiting for years for the chance to see the celebrated Carolina Chocolate Drops. My best opportunity is coming up Oct. 25 in Charlottesville when CCD will perform at Paramount Theater. If you haven't heard of the Chocolate Drops, they're an African-American folk trio that celebrates the nearly extinct sound of black old-time string bands. There's a bit of a black banjo revival going on right now that's wonderful. Otis Taylor -- who is playing Norfolk next month as part of the Discovery Series -- is part of the movement. His latest disc is titled "Recapturing the Banjo" and includes contributions from Guy Davis and Alvin Youngblood Hart.
Getting back to the Charlottesville show, the Chocolate Drops will play as part of a great weekend of roots music at the Paramount. On Oct. 26 Wayne Henderson, Elizabeth LaPrelle and Lee Sexton will play together. For ticket information, go here. Warning: The shows are painfully expensive. The Chocolate Drops show is $40.

Big Bull, Big News

(Fight the Big Bull photo by Jake Lyell)

Listening to Public Radio's "Fresh Air" last week, I heard the host introduce an album review by saying something like, "In this age of global culture, there's no telling where the next great jazz band will come from." I was prepared to hear something about a fusion act from Indonesia or Uzbekistan. So felt a sense of giddy confusion when I heard the words "Richmond, Virginia" leap from my radio.

It turned out to be a positively glowing review of the new disc by Fight The Big Bull, "Dying Will Be Easy."

You can listen to the entire episode of "Fresh Air," here, but Kevin Whitehead's review starts like this:

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"Ambitious jazz musicians used to have to relocate to big cities with reputable scenes: to learn from elders, collaborate with peers, play on big stages and meet potential financial backers. But the adventurous nonet known as Fight the Big Bull formed in an age of widespread jazz education and instant global communication. That zeitgeist may explain how a nine-piece group from Richmond, Va., could score a breakthrough gig in Chicago, well before it issued its debut on a Portuguese record label. The generation gap may also shed light on how Fight the Big Bull has made some of today's most exuberant and relevant improvised music."

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Fight The Big Bull is one of several projects from songwriter Matt White. His band The Great White Jenkins has strong connections to Norfolk -- maybe why his bands tend to play here.
Your next chance to see Fight the Big Bull here is Oct. 24 at The Boot.

Real in Richmond

(Lee Sexton photo from Flickr.com)

The Richmond Folk Festival -- happening Oct. 10-12 along the downtown's riverfront -- has booked a terrifically wide-ranging bunch of bands and artists this year. Highlights include Lee Sexton, The Itals, Dan Tyminski, E.U., Dale Watson, BeauSoleil, Ledward Kaapana & Mike Kaawa, and Howard Tate. I didn't make it up to the Commonwealth's capitol for the last few years -- when the event marched under the banner of the National Folk Festival. But I heard from several sources that the whole thing was fun and well run. Read more about the festival here.

Local Heroes

Is it just me, or does Montgomery Burns bear a resemblance to Dick Cheney? Monty's a bit skinnier, but beyond that, I think they're separated at birth.

In honor of Burnsy (my favorite "Simpsons" character, ahead of Police Chief Wiggum and The Comic Book Guy) I'm linking to a message from The Alfredo Torres Debacle about excellence on the Hampton Roads music scene.

He begins his post by writing:

"Wake up people!!!!!! You have no idea what the local music scene holds. You have no idea of what is going on with the talent that is currently walking the streets of Hampton Roads. You don’t know what is slipping through your fingers even as you read this."

Read the whole post here.

But, in essence, Torres is sounding a call to action on behalf of local musicians. He specifically mentions Pawn Shop Lifters, Rylo, Shifty, The Nerve Scheme and Freedom Hawk among many others.

Word.

Rock 'n' Roll Ruckus

(Needles logo from MySpace)

Saturday night at The Taphouse in Ghent, a bunch of punky, garagy bands played in honor of Nathan Berger, who celebrated his birthday with a metric crap-ton of rock. I only got to witness The Needles from Wilmington, N.C., who were truly excellent. But if this kind of sleazy, three-chord rock appeals to you ( and why wouldn't it?) sample some of the night's festivities here. I should note that Gina Dalmas also performed and was an exception to all the punk rawk rowdiness. She's doing a sort of honky-tonk swing thing that's also pretty fun.

Night Time for Nappy

(MySpace photo)
I learned that the R&B/blues singer Nappy Brown died last week. I realize I am once again stretching the geographic focus of Toggle Switch by posting about this. And I don't care. I know that Nappy -- who was based in Charlotte, N.C. -- played in Hampton Roads at least once over the last 14 years. He played Goodfellas in Hampton about 5 years ago, if my memory serves. While I always knew that Nappy was a beloved figure down in North Carolina, I had forgotten until I read his New York Times obituary that he wrote "(Night Time) Is the Right Time" -- truly an R&B classic. Ray Charles had a big hit with the tune, but I learned about it through the J. Geils Band version. But it's been covered by everybody and his brother. Even Norfolk's own Crums did a version last time I saw them.
I'm sorry that I never heard Nappy live. Anyone who can write a song like that and also maintain a live career over five decades gets my admiration.
Brown's MySpace page contains a nice tribute by friend and collaborator Bob Margolin.

Say It's Your Birthday

Saturday night at the Taphouse, Big Bobby and the Nightcaps will be laying down the sleazy garage rock in honor of local scenester Nathan Berger. The birthday celebration will feature a special appearances by Steve Baise of The Villains and Paul Johnson. I'm expecting a big mess of excess -- which should be fun to witness even if you don't join in.

What else is happening this weekend of note? The Sunrise to Sunset Acoustic Music Festival brings the spunky string band Old Crow Medicine Show to Town Point Park for a free show Sunday evening.

Sounds Like Norfolk Spirit

(MySpace art)

Norfolk's punky, garage-rock gutter princes The Villains have released a new CD. They celebrated the new disc with show at The Taphouse over the weekend. We at Toggle Switch haven't gotten a copy yet, but we're working on it. Until I can give you a full review, check out a few songs here and head over to hamptonroads.com to read an interview with band leader Steve Baise.

Here's an excerpt:

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“It’s just something I started saying because of Frank Guida, which is the original Norfolk sound. I don’t write it as good or the same, but pretty close to the same style as him, which is rooted in the ’50s with girls and cars,” said Baise, songwriter and former member of 1989’s New York City punk rockers The Devil Dogs. Baise toured in Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada and, of course, the United States while with the band. He moved from New York 10 years ago, when the Dogs broke up, “I basically grew up in Jersey, and living down here reminds me of Jersey.”

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Unplugged Punk

(poster from Myspace)
I've been trying to see Avail-turned-folk-troubadour Tim Barry for some time now. Thursday's show at the Jewish Mother sounds like it should be something unusually good. Can I make it all they way to the oceanfront on a Thursday night? We'll see about that.

Here's a press release about the tour that includes Thursday's show ...

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In a match made in folk-punk heaven, Hot Water Music’s Chuck Ragan, Avail’s Tim Barry and Lucero’s Ben Nichols will embark on The Revival Tour this fall, , a series of shows that will see all three artists playing solo sets as well as performing on each other’s material. “All the tours that I’ve done since I’ve been doing this solo stuff have in some way or the other ended up with a bunch of friends onstage by the end of the night,” Ragan explains, adding that each performer will be joined by a backing band that will change based on geography and include many of their peers and previous tourmates. “I’ve always loved seeing that and now I’m absolutely loving creating something like that with good friends who think and believe along the same lines.”
The tour will mark Ragan’s final run in support of last year’s solo debut Feast Or Famine, after which he’ll begin pre-production on his next album for SideOneDummy. Barry is touring in support of his own folk debut, Rivanna Junction. Although the two musicians met in the nineties while fronting two of the most influential DIY punk bands of the era, in recent years both songwriters have begun to explore folk and bluegrass compositions, making this tour a perfect pairing of ideologies and instrumentation.
Nichols entered the picture when him and Ragan recently toured in January, but it wasn’t until this year’s SXSW Festival in Austin , Texas , that the plan was solidified. “We were both doing our own thing and weren’t there in conjunction, but ended up sitting down for some drinks after one of the long days,” Ragan explains. “We agreed on a time, shook hands and kept on drinking.” While the tour will feature individual sets from each artist, it will be more reminiscent of the folk tradition of involving multiple artist collaborations—and each performer will have guests coming on and off stage, including the three primary songwriters who plan to hunker down in Barry’s Richmond, Virginia backyard this summer to learn each other’s respective tracks.
“The three of us have been in bands that each have their own sound, but I think we’re all coming from the same place musically concerning this tour,” Nichols explains. “When it comes down to it, we all appreciate good songs and good songwriters and that’s what this tour is all about,” he adds, “stripping everything down to its basic form and playing some good songs with some of your friends. The idea of Woody Guthrie, just a man and a guitar, is very appealing to all of us—and the chance to be a part of something like that with Chuck and Tim is something I couldn’t pass up. We all have our own types of songs, but I think it’ll be a blast basically sitting around a campfire every night playing music with some friends.”
“I don’t know what it’s going to end up sounding like from night-to-night and that’s the coolest thing about it,” explains Barry. “I don’t think anyone is going to know what it’s going to sound like until we get up there, but I can honestly say that I’m more excited about music now than I’ve been in a long time.” The routing hasn’t been confirmed yet, but The Revival Tour will tentatively take place from late September through mid-November and traverse the entire country. “There’s only a few bands that I feel that kinship with as far as personalities beyond music; there’s some people where you’re like, ‘this is my family on the road no matter what.’ Hot Water Music and Lucero are two of the few bands I feel that way about,” Barry summarizes. “It’s going to be a thrill to do this.”
Chuck Ragan has been the co-frontman for the Gainesville , Florida punk act Hot Water Music since 1993. He released his debut full-length Feast Or Famine last year on SideOneDummy.
Tim Barry has been the singer of the Richmond, Virginia-based punk band Avail since 1990. Barry released his solo debut Rivanna Junction last year on Suburban Home Records.
Ben Nichols has been the frontman of the alternative-country/punk act Lucero since 1998. The band released their latest album Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Brothers on their own label Liberty & Lament in 2006.

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Tim Barry's new album "Manchester" will be out Nov. 4 on Suburban Home Records.

Heaven is a Place

(2006 Byrne photo by Fred von Lohmann)

It's late and I'm out of energy, so here's a quick mini-review of tonight's David Byrne show at the Ferguson Center in Newport News.
Overall, the show was very entertaining, although my enjoyment was diluted by the fact that the sound was brash, brittle and treble-heavy, lacking in clear, distinct bass.
That aside, Byrne was in a good mood and his singing was strong. His band was tight and capable and a team of three dancers were fun to watch and gave the show a nice visual boost. I could nitpick and say the choreography wasn't always as inventive as I might have hoped, but then I'd sound like a grumpy, middle-aged malcontent. I'd never want that.
The night's setlist was smart mix of new and old tunes, many of which showed the fingerprints of Brian Eno, who of course was the ghost hovering over the night's affair.
Highlights from the set -- which, as advertised, concentrated on Byrne-Eno material -- included "Heaven" from 1979's "Fear of Music" and "One Fine Day" from the new album "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today." Another peak came with the one-two punch of "Once In a Lifetime" and "Life During Wartime."
Good stuff. Not life changing, but good.

September Girl

(MySpace photo by Lynne Brubaker)
Today, I learned that Shannon Worrell -- who back in the gay '90s recorded and performed in the Charlottesville duo September 67 -- is still in Charlottesville and still making music. This is, for me, great news because I dearly loved a particular September 67 song called (I kid you not) "Stephen Malkmus is a Fucking Snob."
While the song doesn't actually contain that line, Shannon did seem to be addressing Stephen -- also someone who spent some time in C'Ville way back when. At the climax of the tune, says Shannon quotes poet Allen Ginsberg then sings "Fuck a bunch of irony, dear God, make me a hippie!"
Funny, smart, heartfelt stuff -- and sung in a voice and setting that reminds me of Tanya Donelly or Kristen Hirsh.
September 67 got some big label attention and even toured as part of Lilith Fair, but, for whatever reason, never really took off. Worrell went on to record some overly slick coffeehouse pop-folk on her 1994 solo disc "Three Wishes." Her 2000 album "The Moviegoer" was better, but must not have made much of a splash. I don't even remember hearing about it when it was released.
I had pretty much written off Shannon, so stumbling on her MySpace page was a pleasant surprise. She's set to release a new album, "The Honey Guide," on October 17. If the song "Kitchen" posted on her MySpace page is any indication, she's moved in a more folky, rustic direction. It suits her.

If you want to download "Stephen Malkmus ..." or Shannon's solo discs, they're available through www.emusic.com.

Thrift Shop Stop

(Dan Villanueva photo from MySpace)

My weekend was consumed by lots of strenuous, but worthy, activity. None of it had much to do with music, though, so I thought I'd write about a local disc I discovered at the Hope House Foundation thrift store -- the one across from Doumar's.
Astropop 3's self-titled disc from 1998 is a testament to that group's ambitions and to the talents of Astropop guitarist and singer Dan Villanueva. "You're the One" "and So Happy" drip with both sweet melody and sour melancholy. Arrangements are simple, strumming guitar and restrained bass and guitar make up the meat of the tracks. Dan sings in a bit of a monotone -- and I think that probably ultimately makes Astropop 3 a tough sell for some people. But on tunes like "China Doll" he sounds confident, clear and pretty inspired.
As of earlier this year, the band was still around, but I think they're playing much less frequently.

Auto Harping

(Autoharp photo courtesy of www.jetmedic.com)

I've got a shotgun blast of scattershot news for you tonight, so prepare for screaming pellets of concert/music information.

Pellet No. 1. First off, I urge any of you who have any interest in folky, indie rock to head over to The Boot tomorrow to hear Sarah Carter. Sarah, who sings and accompanies herself on autoharp, is promising to play a set of mostly original tunes. If they're as good as the ones I heard recently at an in-store performance at Volume in Virginia Beach, I'll be a happy man. Regardless, though, Carter is a fine live performer. Her voice -- which seems to bridge a gap between Irish Dement and Billie Holiday -- is in itself something to behold. Friday, she's playing with the duo Ellery and a singer-songwriter named Kyler England. Cover is $5, I think.

Pellet No. 2. I heard today that The Watson Twins are opening for Billy Bragg at the Attucks Theatre on October 30. OK, I really didn't need another reason to get excited about this show. But here's another reason. I've read up and down reviews of the Watson Twins' record, but several of the tunes I heard on their MySpace page were pretty terrific.

Pellet No. 3. Jeff Maisey wrote a nice story about the local SHDWPLY Records in the current issue of Port Folio. The label, which has released an LP by Norfolk's own Super Vacations and a split 7-inch with Norfolk's Little Trooper on one side, Houston's Wicked Poseur on the other. This is a record I need to get my grubby paws on. Read the full story here.

Pellet No. 4. Finally, I learned this week that one of my favorite Hampton Roads cover bands, Ampersand, is playing a local wine festival this fall -- good news for anyone who likes 1980s and 1990s rock songs reinterpreted in an acoustic format. [UPDATE!]They’re playing at the Neptune’s Fall Wine Festival, on Saturday, at the 31st Street Park at Virginia Beach. They’re supposed to be on from 2:30 to 5 p.m.

South Side Soul

(Swamp Dogg photo courtesy of The Sound of Young America blog)

Journalist and music guru Don Harrison supplied the Toggle Switch fodder for tonight. Harrison has a piece on the wonderful (but often overlooked) Virginia funk master Swamp Dogg in the current issue of Hampton Roads magazine.
Here's a sample:

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"A comeback?" the talkative and gregarious Portsmouth native laughs into his side of the phone. "First, you gotta go somewhere."

At the age of 12, the future show biz veteran was hawking homemade records to area record shops; he hosted a TV music variety show in Hampton Roads when he was barely in high school. Jerry Williams' resume has since included prominent stints as singer, songwriter, producer, label owner, song publisher and political gadfly; his creative orbit inhabited by a diverse cast of characters, including Lionel Richie, Jane Fonda, Kid Rock, Johnny Paycheck, Dr. Dre and John Prine - imagine them all in one room!

So how come you've probably never heard of this guy?

Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that, since the '70s, Williams has operated under the pseudonym of Swamp Dogg, and with a fiercely independent attitude that has often blurred any public recognition he might've gained from his musically formidable body of work. The pugnacious, profane (and often fiercely political) Dogg is a big name in South America and the Dutch West Indies; the British dig him too. At the time of this interview, Williams had just returned from a tour of Europe and was planning future concert stops in Aruba and Amsterdam.

But in America, it's been a different story, he says. "I can't pay people to come see me."

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Don was also nice enough to tip me off to what looks like a great resource on Virginia soul music from days gone by. I'll be digging deeper into the Funky Virginia blog soon. You should, too.

Fuck the Computer

(Poster from MySpace)
In the name of expanding the body of knowledge created through the Toggle Switch Institute For Advanced Virginia Music Studies, I've been asking lots of questions. When I run into someone who's deep into the original music scene, I usually ask him to tell me about two or three of his or her favorite Virginia artists.
I like to call this my "Method."
And the "Method" is what led me to Richmond's Amoeba Men.
Matt Deans, keyboard dude from Hot Lava, told me they were one of his favorite Richmond bands. In fact, he was wearing an Amoeba Men T-shirt at the Hot Lava show at The Boot.
Once I made it to the A.M. MySpace page, I heard some deliciously abrasive rock music -- made by a guitar-keyboard-drums trio. The vocals remind me of the shout-talk stuff we used to hear a lot in the 1980s. The angular, stabbing riffs are definitely post-punk. But I wouldn't say these guys are trapped in the past. There's a freshness to the Amoeba Men attack on tracks like "Fuck the Computer" and "Itchy Trigger Fingers" (the latter of which is available as a free download) that tells me that these guys are worth a closer look.
No Hampton Roads dates are listed as yet, but the Amoebas are set to play Gallery 5 in Richmond on Oct. 15.

Undercurrents

The Kung Fu Dykes are a Hampton Roads band that mixed new wave with heavy metal. At least that's my memory. It had been a long time since I'd heard much of their music, so I listened to a couple of newer songs on MySpace and that confirmed my recollection. I'm happy to report that it looks like they're becoming semi-active again. I believe at least one member attended the recent Tidewater Alternative Music Subculture reunion in Chesapeake. And tonight, I saw a bulletin saying the band is playing with Metal Blade recording artists Soilent Green in Danville, of all places. I'm glad that the Dykes are playing again. And I'm glad to see that Danville has some kind of a metal scene going. If there's any place that dark, menacing, morbid music would make sense it's Danville -- where the textile/tobacco economy has been on the skids for years.

Alive She Cried

An ambitious music and art festival centered on local artists is being planned for Oct. 12 at the Granby Theater.
Called Look Alive, it will feature several of my favorite local musicians including 1888 and Sarah Carter. The event will benefit Tidewater Arts Outreach, a worthy local charity.

Here's a description I lifted from the Look Alive Project Web site:

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"Hoping to be a resounding call to arms for area artists and musicians alike, the LOOK ALIVE Festival will not only serve to foster and celebrate the Hampton Roads creative community but will also raise the bar as to what it's capable of, effectively turning artists into artisans and offering an escape for anyone stuck in the doldrums of Saturday night monotony.
Eleven of the region's most gifted visual artists and three of its most praised musical acts will be showcased under one roof; the centerpiece of an evening designed to both raise awareness, and spark initiative among the local arts scene. Some of the area's most recognizable staples like John Hickey (muralist), Cassie Rangel (visual artist ; Norfolk Craft Mafia), and Britta Petilon (gallery artist) will be alongside up-and-coming amateurs like Howard Tarpey (photographer) and Andrew Albertson (urban artist) giving the LOOK ALIVE Festival audience a full scope into the wealth of talent Hampton Roads has to offer. Dancehall darlings JC-DC and Lord Ryan Thomas and indie-rock marvels 1888 (Portfolio Awards Best Album Nominee) will be on hand to turn their amps to eleven and keep the audience dancing all evening long. Also performing will be alt-country outfit Gifthorse (ex-Copperpot, Some Odd Sense), whose forthcoming album serves as both namesake and inspiration for the festival.
Artist participation will not only be restricted to those whose names are on the marquee. LOOK ALIVE coordinators are encouraging and engaging all local artists and musicians to contribute to what's been coined the "Take-Home Tote". Included in each of these FREE souvenir bags will be everything from local bands' demo discs, upcoming show fliers and stickers, to area artists' one-of- a-kind trinkets, photo prints and business cards. Nothing that fits reasonably within the confines of a standard tote will be refused, giving anyone who attends this event quite the memento and giving every artist that submits something a chance to spread their own gospel for just the price of admission.
In keeping with the idea of positively affecting the community at large, the LOOK ALIVE PROJECT has chosen TIDEWATER ARTS OUTREACH (TAO) as its benefactor of all monies from every ticket sold. TAO brings music and the arts to area homeless shelters, rehabilitation centers, pediatric cancer hospitals, and many other facilities and institutions in need of their efforts. These performances, programs and activities promote human interaction, happiness and healing for people who have limited access to the arts, due to health, economic or social circumstances.
Lookaliveproject.com will be launching in the coming weeks, serving as "home-base" for the project, the event itself and as an open forum for any and all interested in getting involved."


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