Sketchbook

(Threatening pirate art by Seamonster)

The Virginia Beach freaky folk singer Todd Adrian Seamonster writes lovely, weird, mostly acoustic tunes that remind me in general tone of the wonderful Neutral Milk Hotel. It looks like Mr. Seamonster is also Mr. Scribblemonster. He posted the following bulletin this week:

"hey there seamonster friends!
head on over to my etsy page to snag a new casual poet mini-comic!
it collects two months of strips from my big cross-country seamonster tour!
there are also lots of tiny drawings for sale there too!
lotsa love,
seamonster"

At the Etsy page, you'll see cartoons of smiling mountains, bulbous ghosts, a cute robot, a guitar duck, you know, the normal stuff. The aforementioned "Casual Poet" tour diary will set you back about $5.

***Addendum: Seamonster is performing Aug. 5 (Tuesday) with The Never and Deleted Scenes at The Boot.

Byrne-ing Down the House

(D.B. photo from www.austinchronicle.com)

Today's big news is that David Byrne of Talking Heads fame is coming to play a show at the Ferguson Center in Newport News on Sept. 18. Byrne is hitting the road under the banner of "The Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno," which means he'll be doing tunes from the three Talking Heads albums Byrne and Eno collaborated on -- "More Songs About Buildings and Food," "Fear of Music," and "Remain in Light" -- as well as compositions from the duo's collaborative album "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts." Pitchfork Media tells us that Byrne and Eno have written and recorded a new album together that's to be called "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today." One free song will be available for download on Aug. 4, the rest will be ready to buy on Aug. 18.
Eno won't be performing with Byrne in Newport News, but I'm told that David will be backed by his own band.
I very well may be forgetting something, but I believe this is the coolest show yet to play the Ferguson Center. Tickets go on sale Aug. 4.

Hawks Vs. Doves

(Toggle Switch photos)

I stopped by the Taphouse in Norfolk tonight to catch a few tunes by Freedom Hawk, an oh-so-heavy rock band from around these parts. Having heard some of the band's blues-metal music on the Internet I sort of knew what to expect -- big distorted riffs, grinding tempos, good, old-fashioned '70s-style jamming. I'm glad to report that singer-guitarist T.R. Morton has a fine metal voice -- high, but not operatic, menacing but melodic. All together, Freedom Hawk is sort of Hampton Roads' answer to Wolfmother. Our region tends to breed a lot of similar meat-and-potatoes hard rock groups. Is Freedom Hawk the best of the bunch? More research is needed.

Attucks A-List

(Poster from www.discoverymusicseries.com)


(Tift Merritt photo from www.unc.edu)

The City of Norfolk folks who organize the Discovery Music Series at the Attucks Theatre have hit another home run. Looking at a press release announcing a set of 10 concerts coming this fall I briefly thought I was hallucinating ... Billy Bragg? Mark Kozelek from Red House Painters? Otis Taylor?

Are you kidding me?

They're not kidding. While it seems almost too good to be true, this set of indie, roots and blues performers is in keeping with the Discovery tradition. The series has previously brought the Avett Brothers, Rhett Miller, Hem, Greg Brown, Josh Ritter and The Holmes Brothers. They're amassing quite a track record.

Here's a quick look at the fall schedule. A 10-show series subscription is available now for $140 through Ticketmaster and Scope's box office. Individual shows go on sale Aug. 15. Advance tickets to all the shows are $20, $15 for students.

Tift Merritt -- Sept. 19
Henry Butler -- Sept. 20
Sharrie Williams -- Oct. 4
Bowerbirds -- Oct. 11
Joe Bonamassa -- Oct. 18
Ane Brun -- Oct. 25
Billy Bragg -- Oct. 30
Guy Davis -- Nov. 1
Mark Kozelek -- Nov. 7
Otis Taylor Band -- Nov. 8

Two Up Two Down

(MySpace photo)

Quan, a straight-up gangsta rapper from Newport News, has had a strange sort of career. After he appeared on "Just a Moment" by hip-hop heavyweight Nas a few years back, it looked like he was going to break big on the national music scene. Instead, he's continued to lurk mostly in the shadows, releasing mix tapes and trying to lay the groundwork for another assault on the biz.

Here's what he posted as a MySpace bulletin last week:

"I am thankful for all the love and support ya'll give me, and I promise to continue to lace you with that real shit....
I am a free agent now, as soon as I find a good situation, ya'll will get the album, and whatever other album god allowz me to deliver....
My aim at the least for this year is to give ya'll a 6 to 7 song ep with one or two singles / videos...that displayz my singing and rapping equally,just looking for the right distribution.
As for my personal life...My son is gettin grown as hell, ;) (if you have a seed ..cherish them, they grow sooooo fast) ..I can complain about alot of shit, but itz no need...
I have had alot of deaths in my family, and a few other tragediez lately, back to back...and to say that that shit don't fuck with my art, i'd be lying... but God don't make no mistakes....that just meanz I have a few personal angelz up there watchin my crazy ass....
I'm great though, ready to show the world what i got to give....
ps. I'm workin on my r&b project....still the same nigga, just blowin the dust off my pipes thatz all....don't worry niggaz, I ain't gonna get mushy..;) gangsta love at itz finest!!!!!
sneak peakz soon......til then i love you all for lovin me.....I AIN'T GOIN NOWHERE BUT TO THE TOP OF THEM CHARTZ"

Visit his MySpace page to download a free copy of Quan's R&B tune "The Hustle."

You Bastards!

(MySpace photo by Jordan Saul)
I could write a book about the music I heard on Saturday, but here's the executive summary:
The Bastards of Fate from Roanoke are an amazing live rock band -- performance art freakout, punk howl, dance party, and chaotic fertility rite all rolled into one. From listening to Doug Cheatwood's music online and from his disc "More Than a Dozen Songs," I knew to expect a wild collage of electronic bleeps and guitar squawnk. But I couldn't have fully envisioned the scope and open-throttle force of the live show. Cheatwood reminds me of a cross between Iggy Pop and David Byrne -- with maybe a little Andy Kaufman thrown in. He throws himself into his performance with little regard to life and limb. In that way, Saturday night's show at The Boot reminded me of a very memorable Buttsteak performance I saw at King's Head Inn about 13 years ago. I'm amazed that Cheatwood's band was able to successfully harness the wild energy of the songs.
And while the Bastards were the night's revelation for me, I should also credit Hampton Roads' own wonderful Mas Y Mas, who rose to the the occasion with probably the most intense set I've heard from them.
Mas Y Mas and the Bastards of Fate are definitely two of the top rock bands in Virginia. Hearing them together on one night sent shards of my brain flying high over the Great Dismal Swamp and low through the strip malls of Denbigh.
More, please.

Get Into 1888

The Norfolk band 1888's album "Honey I'd Kill," is a great, arty piece of work -- cool melodies, unexpected arrangements, lyrics that avoid the obvious. It's in my Top 5 of all records released by Hampton Roads musicians in the last 10 years. (That's a list I haven't actually compiled, but I should. I'll get back to you on that.)

I was wondering what was up with 1888. "Honey I'd Kill" came out a year or so ago and I hadn't heard much about live gigs by the band since March when it played "Always Something There to Remind Me" as part of the Port Folio Local Music Awards. At the time, word was that 1888 was writing and recording new songs.

Now, the band -- led by Brad Rosenberg -- is recruiting a new member. The group posted a bulletin this week that read as follows:

"We are in need of a guitarist, or a keyboard player, or a juggler. If you are interested in being our guitarist, our keyboard player or our juggler than please send us a message so we can get to know each other a little better."

In other 1888 news, some of the tracks from "Honey I'd Kill" are available as free downloads through the band's MySpace page. Don't wait to grab 'em though. They'll be free for a limited time.

Random Notes

(Prisoners photo from MySpace)

A few things to consider, ponder, mull and ruminate on as we slither, slide and slouch closer to the weekend:

1. Paul Shugrue once again proved his coolness by inviting The Prisoners -- a Peninsula based reggae band -- to lay down the roots and the eerie dub landscapes on his show "Out of the Box" last night. Paul devoted the first segment of his show to a live performance by the group. Today, you can hear it today by going here and hitting the "Out of the Box - On Demand" button. The Prisoners play an outdoor show Sunday at Peninsula Fine Arts Center. The festival lasts 1-5 p.m. The Prisoners play at 2 p.m.

2. Saturday night's show by The Villains at Steppin' Out in Virginia Beach will be a memorial concert for Matt Odietus, guitarist for The Candy Snatchers, who died recently. Also on the bill are The Needles, Freedom Hawk, Fujiwara and, according to a bulletin from The Villains "special guests." Cover is $10. Watch out for updates here.

3. Speaking of memorial shows, a Saturday afternoon benefit is happening at Gloucester Courthouse over on the Middle Peninsula. James King and a bunch of regional bluegrass bands are getting together to pay tribute to Eugene Crabtree Jr., who died back in April of a massive heart attack. He was 42. Crabtree had played banjo in James King's band. Here is where to find details about the event, which will raise money for Crabtree's family.

4. Finally, I'd just like to remind you about two other musical events happening Saturday. Mas Y Mas, The Cinnamon Band and The Bastards of Fate are playing The Boot. This is a triple bill sure to soothe your soul, bend your mind and rock your ass. If you're in a more mellow mood, consider heading down to The Virginia Beach Library to hear Skye Zentz play what may be her final performance in the area for quite some time.

Endangered Species

(Toggle Switch photo)

I'm in the mood to appreciate the few remaining bricks-and-mortar record stores that still exist in Hampton Roads. I stopped by DJ's Music & Video this week because I happened to notice a big "store closing" banner hanging outside the Tidewater Drive location. DJs is a grocery-store-sized music emporium filled with a deep selection of gospel, reggae, soul, jazz and hip-hop discs. But it won't be that for long. The store's owner told me this week that he's looking for a smaller, cheaper location for his store. DJ's has been in the same building since 1990, but the store has been operating since 1977. At one time, DJ's had at least a half-dozen locations spread throughout the region. Now, it's down to one. And the owner is downsizing that.
"We have too many CDs and people aren't buying enough CDs -- it's that simple," the owner said.

If you like funk, gospel and soul, keep an eye on DJ's. It's likely to discount its stock before it moves to the new location.

Here's a partial list of the discs I bought there on my recent visit:

"Look-Ka Py Py" The Meters
"Nnenna Freelon" Nnenna Freelon
"Look How Me Sexy" Yellowman
"Chet Baker Plays and Sings the Great Ballads" Chet Baker
"The Very Best of Joe Tex" Joe Tex
"Okayplayer. True Notes Vol. 1" Various Artists

Wading to Exhale

The Wading Girl, a pretty nifty rock band from Roanoke, is playing in Richmond Thursday night. If you have time, you should go see them. I'd certainly like to. TWG is yet another Virginia band I'm hoping will come and play Norfolk or Virginia Beach sometime soon. They'd make a fine double bill with Norfolk's own Little Trooper -- if anybody would like to take the ball and run with it.

For a sample of the band's tuneful goodness, visit its MySpace page here. You can even download the excellent tune "Miriam." Or go here to watch live videos from The Roanoke Times' very cool video blog called MusicCast. The newspaper invites local bands to play live in the studio and videos of their performances are posted. The Wading Girl performed three tunes: "Ohio," "Water Into Whiskey" and "I Miss It." If you only have time to watch one video, go straight to "I Miss It." The band works up a nice head of steam toward the end of the tune.

Thursday's Alley Katz show is all-ages. Admission is a paltry $5.

Looking ahead a bit, I'm thrilled, THRILLED to report that it looks like the aforementioned Little Trooper is going to play with Roanoke's wonderful Sad Cobras on Aug. 22 at The Boot. Great double bill. Wahoo!

Mixed Media

(Seamonster photo from MySpace)

I've got several mostly unrelated news nuggets to pass on tonight.

Thing No. 1: I learned tonight that Volume, the Virginia Beach CD shop, will hold its final Friday-night folk session tomorrow. I'm disappointed that I never got to experience the acoustic throw-down, because I gather it was hosted by Adrian "Seamonster" Webb, a talented songwriter whose music bears resemblance to that of Neutral Milk Hotel. I won't be able to make Friday's folk finale, but I'm going to keep an eye out for Seamonster, who is scheduled to play The Boot on Aug. 5. Listen to his songs here, including a weird, cool track called "Bearsuit."

Thing No. 2: Thanks to Leona Baker at PortFolio for writing an apt and appropriately unsentimental story about the recent death of Candy Snatchers guitarist Matt Odietus. Read it here.

Thing No. 3: The charming and talented Skye Zentz will give a solo performance at Virginia Beach Central Library July 19. Skye told me weeks ago that this would be something of a farewell gig, since she is planning to move away from the region soon. I'm not sure that she's still planning to relocate, but I haven't heard otherwise. Unfortunately, her show is the same night as the Bastards of Fate gig at The Boot. I hate it when this sort of thing happens. Curses!

Sweet Harmony

(MySpace photo)

Score another one for The Corner Pocket in Williamsburg. They're bringing a wonderful acoustic duo called The Honey Dewdrops to town Aug. 3 for the Pocket's Music on the Patio series. Somehow, this combo from Scottsville, Virginia, had previously escaped my attention -- despite the fact that they won the Wobegon Idol competition for twenty-something troubadours on Garrison Keillor's radio show. The songs you'll hear on the band's MySpace page show them to be very much in the vein of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, but that's not a knock against them. So, so happy to know about the Dewdrops and so, so happy they're coming to Williamsburg.

Honey Tones

John Sayles' new movie "Honeydripper" is set in an odd time in American history -- the trough that separates the big band era of the 1930s and 1940s from the rock 'n' roll era of the 1950s. Listening to Sayles talk about his film on NPR's "On Point" show last week, I was wondering if Virginia musicians would somehow connect with his story. Sure enough, the soundtrack to his movie -- which is out on Rounder Records -- ends with the Ruth Brown song "Things About Coming My Way." Given the subject and setting of the movie, this is a smart choice. A Portsmouth native, Brown was a pivotal figure -- someone who sang in the swing era, but also recorded important pre-rock R&B hits for Atlantic. The fact that the soundtrack recognizes this fact makes me want to see the movie all the more.

Return to Forever

(artwork courtesy of MySpace)

During its brief, 4-year lifespan, Denali made a sizable splash -- especially for a band from Richmond. Signed to the Jade Tree label, the group' made a debut CD that was produced by Sparklehorse jockey Mark Linkous. The group -- led by singer Maura Davis -- developed something of a following in Europe. Then, poof! It was all over. Thankfully, the band's original lineup is getting back for a show Saturday, July 5, at The National in Richmond. Moody, dramatic and elegantly sung and played, Denali's music deserves another chance. I'm guessing that Denali made an impression on young players on the Richmond scene. The three acts opening for the band at Saturday's show are some of the most interesting and ambitious in Virginia: Tulsa Drone, Prabir and The Substitutes and The Great White Jenkins. As a Style Weekly preview of the show explains, the band feels like grandparents to the Richmond indie rock community.

Norfolk Drive-By

(Photo from drivebytruckers.com)

Truthfully, I've never fully appreciated the Drive-By Truckers. A lot of people in my age group who like a lot of really good music go ga-ga over them. I don't get it. It's not that they're terrible. I just don't hear much that's unique or addictive. That said, I was totally impressed by the Truckers' song "Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife" from the band's album "Brighter Than Creation's Dark." Are the Truckers getting better or am I finally tuning into their style? Ahhh, whatever.
I'm glad that the band is set to play The NorVa Sept. 19, a Friday. If I get to go, maybe it will help me finally understand their schtick.