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RVA #13 SUMMER 2013 WWW.RVAMAG.COM
FOUNDER R. Anthony Harris, Jeremy Parker PUBLISHER R. Anthony Harris VICE PRESIDENT John Reinhold EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Andrew Necci CREATIVE DIRECTOR Snake Anthony SALES MANAGER Dan Anderson ADVERTISING TEAM Rachel Whaley, Teddy Gregson Justin Khoury, Kristina Headrick EDITORIAL ASST. Brad Kutner, Addison Herron-Wheeler RVAMAG.COM Andrew Necci, Addison Herron-Wheeler GAYRVA.COM Brad Kutner WRITERS Andrew Necci, Shannon Cleary, Kristina Headrick, R. Anthony Harris, Brad Kutner, Addison HerronWheeler, Dan Anderson, Sarah Moore Lindsey, James Moffitt, Joseph Genest, Wil Wilson, Dan Mulrooney PHOTOGRAPHY Cameron Lewis, Richard Perkins, Anthony Hall, Kim Frost, Matt Licari, Bree Davis, Nick Ghobashi, Ken Penn, Ken Howard, PJ Sykes, Ryan Hamelguy, Elizabeth Wineberg, Emmett Methven, Carlos Funn INTERNS Brian Charlton, Will Hooper, & Jakrit Patchimanon GENERAL INFORMATION e: hello@rvamag.com EDITORIAL INFORMATION e: andrew@rvamag.com DISTRIBUTION e: hello@rvamag.com ADVERTISING John Reinhold p: 276.732.3410 e: john@rvamag.com Dan Anderson p: 804.335.8661 e: dan@rvamag.com SUBMISSION POLICY RVA welcomes submissions but cannot be held responsible for unsolicited material. Send all submissions to hello@rvamag.Com. All submissions property of Inkwell Design LLC. The entire content is a copyright of Inkwell Design LLC and cannot be reproduced in whole or in part without written authorization of the publisher. ONLINE Every issue of RVA magazine can be viewed in its entirety anytime at rvamag.com/magazine. SOCIAL facebook.com/rvamag twitter.com/@rvamag instagram/rvamag rvamag.tumblr.com majormajor.me SUBSCRIPTION Log onto rvamag.com/magazine to have RVA Magazine sent to your home or office. HEADS UP! The advertising and articles appearing within this publication reflect the opinion and attitudes of their respective authors and not necessarily those of the publisher or editors. Reproduction in whole or part without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. RVA Magazine is published quarterly. Images are subject to being altered from their original format. All material within this magazine is protected. RVA Magazine is a registered trademark of Inkwell Design LLC.
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RVA MAGAZINE 13 SUMMER 2013
PHOTO : BREE DAVIS
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RVA MAGAZINE ARTICLES ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT RVAMAG.COM/magazine cover photo by Cameron Charles Lewis contents page photo by Bree Davis 10
RVA MAGAZINE 13 SUMMER 2013
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PLAYLIST
STUDIO NEWS
TRACKS WORTH LISTENING TO.
Daft Punk, “Get Lucky” Random Access Memories, Daft Life
Daft Punk has returned. Pharrell (VA Beach represent) provides quality vocals over a disco-gasm melody and track. Nile Rodgers of Chic plays guitar. Album drops in May. Expect more disco beats and tapp’n feets. Put it on and everyone gets pregnant. - Brad Kutner / image: Matt Taylor
Anika, “In The City”
Anika EP, Stones Throw
The moment Anika slowly, seductively deadpans the lyrics to “He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss)” by The Crystals, I was hooked. Yet, the real gem on the Anika EP is a cover of The Chromatics’ “In The City”--a driving, minimalist track full of longing and sung from the bottom of a well. --RAH
Kurt Vile, “Shame Chamber” Wakin’ On A Pretty Daze, Matador
Given that I recently began diving deeper into Kurt Vile’s catalogue, the April release of Wakin’ On a Pretty Daze felt serendipitous. “Shame Chamber” captures an awareness of self-loathing. Intervals featuring a cowbell and joyful whooping slice through Vile’s dreamy guitar and typically zenned-out croon, making this song stand apart from the rest of the album. I dig the lighthearted acknowledgement of feeling selfish while choosing to wallow in self pity. --Kristina Headrick
Pig Destroyer, “The Diplomat”
Book Burner, Relapse
Pig Destroyer recently released a music video for this song, which I guess makes it a single. This is definitely one of the groovier songs on their new album--which I love--and the video is aesthetically pleasing, even if the imagery is a little cliche. I’d prefer a focus on human emotion over the evils of corporate America, but this is still a super aggressive and heavy song, worth checking out. --Addison Herron-Wheeler
Satellite Stories,
“Kids Aren’t Safe In The Metro”
Phrases To Break The Ice, XYZ Berlin
This Finnish quartet do an incredible job of evoking 30 years of British alternative guitar pop, and as someone who grew up on bands like The Smiths, Ride, and The Stone Roses, I’m a sucker for that shit. Add the fact that this song might have the catchiest chorus of 2013 thus far and you get a tune that I absolutely cannot stop listening to. --Andrew Necci
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It’s been a really busy year so far for No BS! Brass Band. In addition to their recently released DVD, Live At Montrose Studio, they have two albums coming out in the next two months. RVA All Day, their fifth album, contains mostly original material--plus a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” featuring an appearance by the Varina High School drumline. Their other forthcoming album is Fight Song: A Tribute To Charles Mingus, created in collaboration with the Mingus Awareness Project, a charity that raises money for ALS research. Trombonist Reggie Pace calls Fight Song “the bestfeeling recording we’ve done. I think Mingus’s music has affected us all in a way that we weren’t even aware was so similar.” RVA All Day will be released locally with a pair of release parties: Friday, May 17 at Balliceaux, and Saturday, May 18 at The Camel. Fight Song will see release on July 5. Both albums are self-released by the band, with the vinyl version of RVA All Day seeing release through Brooklyn’s Electric Cowbell Records. White Laces will follow up last year’s Moves with a pair of 7 inch EPs, one each on local label Harding Street Assembly Lab and Alabama’s Happenin’ Records. The first of the two will feature “Deep Moves,” previously released in embryonic form on the digital-only live EP Interzone, as well as a new track, “Ascend,” that gives intriguing hints of White Laces’ upcoming musical direction. The group also hopes to include their cover of The Cure’s “A Forest,” which they recently unleashed as an encore after a raging set at Balliceaux, on one of the EPs. Both should be out by October, with a 5 song vinyl 12 inch to follow in early 2014. J Roddy Walston & The Business recently inked a deal with ATO Records, home of My Morning Jacket, Lucero, and the Drive By Truckers. They just finished recording their first album for that label last month in Valdosta, GA, under the watchful eye of Mark Neill (The Black Keys) and Matt Wignall (Cold War Kids/ Delta Spirit). With recording done, the boys are heading out on the road with The Lumineers and Cold War Kids in a few weeks. That tour hits the nTelos Wireless Pavilion in Portsmouth, VA on Wednesday, June 12. The alliance with Diplo and Mad Decent is paying off for Gent & Jawns--in addition to touring for a week with Major Lazer, the duo recently made an appearance on the BBC Radio 1 show Diplo & Friends. Dropping a mix containing tunes from Nadastrom, Steve Aoki, and Major Lazer, as well as plenty of their own remixes, edits, and original tracks, the duo lit up the UK airwaves for nearly an hour. The mix is up for streaming online as well-just point your browser to bbc. co.uk/programmes/p017qn5t
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Johnny Hugel And The Comedy Situation Thanks to his continual efforts to bring alternative comedy to Richmond through his promotional company Hit Play and his monthly Midnight Suggestion events at Steady Sounds, Johnny Hugel is an essential part of the comedy scene in Richmond. Contributing writer Jakrit Patchimanon sat down with Hugel to learn how he got involved in the world of alternative comedy, how he finds venues outside the usual comedy circuit, and where he sees Richmond’s comedy scene headed. Get the lowdown here: ow.ly/ketme
Stolen For Profit: Local Photographer Deals With International Thief Not long after RVA #12 went to press, we learned that Marcus Hyde (who was profiled in that issue) had one of his photographs stolen and used as a t-shirt design by a Russian clothing company. We looked into the situation to learn what options artists have in such situations, how the law protects them, and how they can prevent these sorts of situations from occurring. The situation is still ongoing, but you can get the story so far at this link: ow.ly/jtux2
Teenagers, Television, And Sadness: An Interview With Slutever The Women Of When Philadelphia punk duo Slutever rolled through RVA in March for a show at Strange Matter, we dispatched our pal Anna Wittel of RockRock RVA Hip Hop/Urban CulturE (rockrock.tumblr.com) and our own intrepid cameraman Brad Kutner to grab a video interview with the group. Over eggrolls and Cokes at Good Taste, Nicole and Rachel of Slutever filled us in on their DIY work ethic, making their own merch, and having a song in a Forever 21 commercial. We also filmed a brief excerpt of their live performance at Strange Matter later that evening. Check out both clips here: ow.ly/joTxF
In celebration of Women’s History Month, our hip hop correspondent, RT, spent March profiling over a dozen local women who make significant contributions to hip hop culture in RVA. From rappers and event planners to activists and business owners, we learned the secrets of their success and how these women stay motivated and make their dreams a reality. At the end of the month it was clearer than ever that the contributions women make to the scene are of essential importance. See all of those profiles at these links: ow.ly/iAFSN, ow.ly/j0ozI, ow.ly/jkO09, ow.ly/jzP1v
The Million Dollar Question: Where is Richmond’s Public Art Funding? Back From The Dead: Our ongoing series on Richmond’s 1% For Public Arts program and how the An Interview With Roman Holiday city’s Public Arts Commission operates started out as a quest to answer some questions of our own, and ended up generating a broad discussion about where our tax dollars go, and what will truly be required for RVA to become a city known for its artistic community. Catch up with our investigations at these links: ow.ly/il9s6, ow.ly/jgNiU, ow.ly/k17Pt
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The sudden digital release of Death, a new album by RVA alternative rock trio Roman Holiday, several years after their demise, prompted us to track down the band’s former members and find out the story behind their resurrection. In so doing, we also learned what broke them up in the first place, where they are now, and whether they’ll ever play together again. Is there life after death for Roman Holiday? Find out here: ow.ly/iCZG5
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17 special thanks to brandon crowe for getting this together. roll tide!
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DON’T SLEEP Opposite page, top: Pusha T, captured at the video shoot for “Liberachi,” a new track by M. Watts featuring a verse from Pusha T and production by Lex Lugar. The “Liberachi” video, directed by Abraham Vilchez-Moran, premiered earlier this month. (Photo: Richard Perkins)
Opposite page, bottom: Two views of the pit during United Blood Fest, which took place on March 29 and 30 at The Canal Club. From United Blood 2013, a collection of photos taken at the festival by Ken Penn, available in hardcover, softcover, and ebook editions. (Photo: Ken Penn) This page, top left: autographed Instax shot of Shepard Fairey, taken during his April appearance at 1708 Gallery’s 23rd Annual Art Auction, Mixology. Part of an ongoing Instax portrait series of artists, musicians, and influential people. (Photo: PJ Sykes) This page, top right: From the premiere exhibition of Angela Bacskocky’s Ghost fashion line, March 29 at Middle Of Broad Gallery. (Photo: Angela Bacskocky) This page, right: John Campbell of Lamb Of God, after getting his motorcycle modified by Clay Rathburn at Atom Bomb Customs. (Photo: Anthony Hall)
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Young Sinclairs by SHANNON CLEARY photo by ryan hamelguy
The Young Sinclairs are a band that belongs to no particular time. Despite obvious influences and notable quirks that could establish any number of comparisons, the sounds and directions that define them are uniquely theirs. This could be attributed to their position at the forefront of a strong musical scene in Roanoke. That city’s fabled Magic Twig Community, which has given the world such bands as Eternal Summers, Sad Cobra, and many more, could herald The Young Sinclairs as one of their crowning 20
achievements. From the moment of his arrival on the Roanoke scene, frontman Samuel Jones Lunsford established himself as a talent to watch. It’s no surprise that, even after significant time off, the return of The Young Sinclairs has inspired waves of excitement around town. The brainchild of Lunsford, The Young Sinclairs’ early releases came about entirely due to his efforts. By not only writing all of the songs but playing all of the instruments
himself, Lunsford displayed an ambitious streak that set the tone for the band’s progress. Recording engineer and eventual bandmate John Thompson helped Lunsford achieve a cohesive Young Sinclairs sound. The two engaged each other creatively, switching instrumental roles throughout the recording process. Lunsford commends Thompson’s prowess on multiple instruments. “Up until this recent incarnation of the band, John would help record with me while also playing drums. The thing is that he is an incredible RVA MAGAZINE 13 SUMMER 2013
masterfully capture many great Virginia releases of recent years, including White Laces’ Moves and Eternal Summers’ Correct Behavior. With Joe behind the kit, it’s certainly a family affair; the two brothers have long had a close musical relationship. “We’ve been playing tunes together for god knows how long. To put it simply, he’s always been a Young Sinclair,” Sam comments. Since Joe Lunsford took over on drums, Thompson has been able to step out from behind the kit to display his prowess on guitar, the instrument at which he is most skilled. This change has added further dynamics to the group’s sound, as has the addition of Eternal Summers’ Daniel Cundiff as a co-songwriter. Performing with The Young Sinclairs shows a different musical identity for Cundiff, a musician primarily known as a drummer. Stationed front and center, usually armed with an acoustic guitar, he is a compatible and resilient counter to Sam Lunsford. Both display a stoic nature that helps keep their live sets full of variety. The last member to be added to the group was The Diamond Center’s Kyle Harris on bass. When Harris was living in Athens, Georgia, the two bands played a show together. “I remember immediately digging The Young Sinclairs and insisting that we try to stay in touch,” Harris says. The two groups continued to find opportunities to share bills until The Diamond Center moved to Texas. Only upon The Diamond Center’s further relocation to Richmond was the connection re-established. At the time, The Young Sinclairs were taking a break from live performances. “I knew Joe had been playing with Kyle in Peace Beast,” Sam Lunsford says. “It got me to thinking about [whether] we could have Kyle be a part of the restructuring of The Young Sinclairs.” The fit turned out to be majestic and helped to energize this new incarnation of the long-standing Roanoke outfit. In the wake of the new lineup’s first appearances around Richmond, many have complimented the level of enthusiasm and energy that Harris’s presence in the band has contributed. After years of preparation, The Young Sinclairs have gained the stability to stretch their wings again.
guitarist, [and it’s] just recently we are able to showcase that more.” To fill out the remainder of the line-up, Lunsford and Thompson were able to search through their bloodlines and musical connections for perfect fits. Along with being Sam’s older brother, drummer Joe Lunsford has long been an incredible presence in the both the Richmond and Roanoke musical communities. As an engineer at Roanoke’s Mystic Fortress studio, he has helped to CHECK RVAMAG.COM DAILY
Looking back at the origins of The Young Sinclairs, Sam Lunsford contemplates the way their old records compare to what they have been working on of late. “I think when people talk about our band, it’s always twelve-strings, The Beatles, sixties, Byrds, The Kinks, and so on. If you look at those early releases, there is a lot of crazy shit going on that seems to go unnoticed. I’ll admit that we have songs that sound like those things and we do love those things, but I think the songs we’ve been working on since 2009 are really showing a new direction for us.” One major factor in the new direction is Sam’s shift in songwriting focus towards composing on piano and acoustic guitar, which works in tandem with a reignited love for The Band. “There is an album that we have been trying
to make for a while now. I don’t want to call it country rock, but there are elements in there. Acoustic, Appalachian and country music is kind of in our blood,” he says. Since returning to full-scale activity, The Young Sinclairs have released two 7-inch singles on French label Requiem Pour Un Twister--but the records are not truly new material. “There were these songs that we had worked on in 2010 or 2011 that got the attention of this label from across the Atlantic. I was just surprised they even had a clue as to who we were. I couldn’t say no to them wanting to release our music,” Sam Lunsford explains. When asked about using these releases as an opportunity to tour in new countries, they were excited by the possibility. “We would all love to do it, but the reality is just figuring out if we can all make time to go over there. It can be hard enough to even tour around the country. We get offers to do stuff like Austin Psych Fest and as much as we’d love to do it, it’s always an issue of scheduling and making sure we could do it right,” Sam Lunsford says. Despite these few hurdles, the group has been able to find time to play out with this new lineup, and even had “Hurt My Pride,” the A side of one of the French singles, played on popular radio program Little Steven’s Underground Garage, the syndicated radio show hosted by Steven Van Zandt of E Street Band (and The Sopranos) fame. The reconstituted Young Sinclairs have made an effort to cultivate a healthy relationship with Richmond’s music scene. Not only do two of the band’s current members live here in RVA, the band has quite a few old Roanoke friends who have since moved here-including members of popular local metal band Inter Arma. The Young Sinclairs are hoping to eventually do a split release with Inter Arma, on which each band will cover each other’s songs as well as a Neil Young song. “[Inter Arma guitarist] Trey Dalton has been one of our closest friends, and the idea of doing a split with his band seems so crazy that we might as well try it,” Sam Lunsford explains. “It’s probably going to be a lot easier for them to cover us as opposed to us doing the opposite, but why not do music with the people that we love?” Despite The Young Sinclairs’ time away from performing live, they want to clarify that they never broke up or went on hiatus. “We never stopped making music. We have gone through so many changes but the core has always remained the same,” Sam Lunsford declares. “We are more excited than ever to be a part of what we love the most again.” It’s all a matter of continuing the excellence that The Young Sinclairs have long displayed. So far, between the new singles and the renewed live performances, it’s easy to say that they have succeeded. www.theyoungsinclairs.bandcamp.com
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So !LLA by DAN ANDERSON
So !lla is hungry. This up-and-coming RVA artist, known to Uncle Sam as Will Keck, has been doing a lot in recent months to make a name for himself, starting with his music. The 18-track mixtape he dropped last fall, #ForTheFuckOfIt, grabbed some attention locally, as did his recent followup single “Antics.” However, music is just the beginning for this hip hop entrepreneur, who considers management, booking, and networking just as important to his grind as rapping. Affiliated with So Proper Entertainment, he also runs Broad Street Elite, which works with local venue Kingdom to bring hip hop to the stage in RVA. In addition to Richmond Royalty, the regular local hip hop night he’s been promoting for over a year, So !lla has played an important part in bringing national acts like Ace Hood, Lil B, Hopsin, and Riff Raff, among others, to the city for live performances. On top of all that, he’s managing other local artists, and still finds time to make his own tracks and collaborate with other local rappers. With all the work he’s putting in, you’re sure to see a lot more from So !lla in the coming months. We caught up with him to get the details on how he stays motivated and where he sees hip hop going in the future.
When did you know you wanted to be an emcee? To be honest, I never wanted to be an emcee at first. That’s why I’m more pressed on the business and network side of Broad Street Elite. But I knew I wanted to be in the hip hop game since I was young. I’ve been inspired by the rise of the genre and the feeling it gave me, but the first moment I felt like, “Yeah, this is something I could do” was when I performed this song “K.I.N.G. (Knowledge Is Now Given)” at a local concert and we seriously shut down the show. That was a significant moment in my career. I’ll never forget that. Tell me about one record that changed your life. The song “The Way I Am” by Eminem is by far the most important song of my life. Because of my past and all the stuff I’ve gone through personally, [it] really hits home. People always have this pre-judged opinion based on what they see, regardless [of whether] they see the whole picture or know the whole story. That really just made me feel like, fuck it, if they wanna judge me I am gonna give them something to judge. That’s really when I embraced my hooligan side. If that’s what the people want, that’s what they are gonna get. After foster care [and] heart surgery, there’s nothing you can do to me. I have been 22
at the bottom and I’m still on my way up. I just hope they enjoy the show.
I would have never guessed you had heart surgery. That’s crazy. What was the prognosis? I was diagnosed with Wolf Parkinson White Syndrome--basically irregular heartbeat. In ninth grade I had surgery to fix it. It was really an inconvenient time because I had just started high school and wanted to play sports, but it was a crazy experience and I’m truly blessed to get past it. Do you have a favorite artist from any one genre? In your opinion, what makes them so good? Eminem is always gonna be one of my favorites. So many people are gonna hate me but Lil Wayne is my favorite. He inspires me to be whoever I wanna be. He kills stereotypes and embraces the negative sides of himself too. Although people hate on him at times, he is always himself. So many people claim they are different but dress the same, act the same, chase the same money... ain’t nothing unique or beautiful about that. Another artist I think people would be surprised that I am obsessed with is Ray Charles. [He] makes magnificent music, really broke barriers while he was alive, and took music to a new level. What’s the difference between your first record and your most recent one? EVERYTHING. When I first started rapping, I was learning and I was being influenced by what everyone expected out of me. I was constrained, held back by the thoughts of disappointing others. Once I let that go and started making MY music, you can hear the difference. I take my time with a track, and do it right. I rap about shit that I want to rap about. I don’t try impressing anyone. You do more than just rap, you book and promote shows too. Do you split your passion between logistics and art, or is promotion just a necessary stepping stone in your career? I rap for fun, because its something I love to do for me, but promoting and booking shows is my new passion. The more I do it, the more I enjoy it. It’s a great feeling seeing people leaving happy, talking about how great of a show it was and how they wanna come back. I owe a lot of this to my boss and mentor Jason Malhoyt. I started performing at his shows and he saw the potential in me and gave me an opportunity. I’ve run with it ever since. [Working at] Kingdom has really changed my life.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from Jason? Loyalty. When you are in a position of power, you will meet a lot of people who just wanna use you as a stepping stone and don’t truly care if you make it to the next level, as long as you can help them out and do for them. So when you find people who are truly loyal, keep ‘em around. You’re fairly young, and you’ve managed to acquire some decent buzz in a very competitive local music scene. Do you have any advice for the up-and-coming artists? Keep grinding. Don’t stop. But most importantly, don’t take shortcuts. The game is about doing everything correct, so even though you may wanna be the next Kanye or whatever, be realistic and do things right. Don’t try and shoot your own videos, do your own artwork, and record your own music. Network and build. There are talented cats in RVA, other cities, and all over the internet [who are] easily accessible to help you build your career the correct way. Too many cats half ass it. It’s 2013--the standards are high. So do it RIGHT. Save your money, build your budget, and attack the game. [Be] relentless even if it takes longer. There’s no way like the right way. Hip Hop isn’t dead, but it seems like it’s been on life support since the beginning of this century. What do you credit with keeping the art alive for so long? This is actually a false statement, to me. Hip hop ain’t dead, it ain’t on life support, it’s THRIVING. It’s alive, and will be for many more generations. It’s the best it’s ever been. Now the explanation... [laughs] Hip hop is what rock was in the 80s, and it’s just expanding. It’s forming subgenres and creating new styles, and it’s really just at its baby stages. It definitely has its flaws too, because now anyone thinks they can be a rapper. But the rise of independent artists is at an all time high, and I love to see that, because now is the real opportunity for it to reach its true beauty. I can’t wait to see just how much bigger it gets. What can So !lla fans look forward to in the near future? OG !LLA is gonna keep throwing shows, building the RVA hip hop scene, and taking things to the next level. I am really focusing on my network and management responsibilities. Kingdom is my main focus and getting Rich P signed is my new long term goal. Make sure you check around town though--I’ve been doing a lot of dope features with some cool RVA artists, and I wanna continue doing that. Just being involved and grindin! That’s what !LLA does best! www.soundcloud.com/hlgnlife
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A clash of childhood dreams and the reality of adulthood takes place in every image that Dave MacDowell produces. Battles between ideals, icons, and wild drugged-out scenarios fill in his canvases, and it can be disturbing. But his paintings are more statements than resolutions; they present no particular message, merely offering a glimpse into the madness that comes from being alive in a media driven, consumer driven world. I was totally surprised to find out you were selftaught. Did you not like the idea of art school? Or did you just feel like you didn’t need it? I enrolled in the 13th Grade, and briefly went, but didn’t learn anything. I was always stoned, had bitchin’ girlfriends, and I just didn’t care. I got a gig at FantaCo in Albany, NY drawing comic books, until they went under. I worked three jobs, and gave up on art. Once I got married and was fed up with the corporate world, I cashed in my chips and said, “Fuck it. I’m going to learn how to paint.” And with that, a fire was ignited
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Media Driven Madness An Interview with Dave MacDowell BY R. ANTHONY HARRIS
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“..Study Disney! They will teach you everything that you need to know about marketing, branding, and warping impressionable minds for cash.” in my belly to finally commit to a talent laying dormant. It’s been about 6 years since, and now it’s all gone full circle. Now I have an ex-wife, my brain is fried, and I have a blossoming art career!
“The Dude” from The Big Lebowski--someone to look up to or make fun of? Both. He is us, or a member of our families. We all know him. He’s real!
You obviously have a lot of pop culture references in your work. What’s the fascination with television and film that keeps you dipping into that well? Everything that I’ve ever learned, I’ve learned from television. How to act in public, how to dance like a fool, and how to unhook bra straps. Isn’t that all ya really need, really?
How do you feel about the work of Ron English? I love how you both rip and twist corporate advertising. Ron’s a technical genius and I loved how he always “stuck it to the man.” Starting out in my career, if I had a clever idea, I usually had to check to see if Ron did it first, and usually he did. I don’t get why he’s in the Chris Brown circus, but I just have to believe that he’s making some kind of meta statement on the marriage of art, commerce, and domestic violence. I wanted to paint a portrait of [Chris Brown] with the same bruises as Rihanna, because that’s exactly what [Ron English] would do. Maybe the statement is “Fuck moral barometers if the money’s good?”-which is my favorite Gandhi quote, by the way.
How do you feel about Walt Disney in particular? You seem to have a love/hate relationship with the man himself and the company he created. I love Disney, and know a lot of people who work for them. Study Disney! They will teach you everything that you need to know about marketing, branding, and warping impressionable minds for cash. Disney sells false hopes better than any corporate entity in the world. And for that, I am forever in their servitude and awe.
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You recently moved to LA. How has that been? Are you liking the West Coast better than Virginia? I miss the East Coast and my kids and having a family. Los Angeles is a gigantic nuclear family. If you can wade through the fake manufactured lifestyles and sitting in traffic, LA is totally bitchin’, dude.
My all time favorite piece is “Pryor On Fire,” a pop icon trapped by Corporate America, burning and completely lost in his addiction. When you started to paint this one, did you set out with the imagery or the message first? Always the message on paper first before I start drawing. A main ideas comes, and then it expands as far as you want. As long as there’s honesty and zero hypocrisy, you can pretty much do and say whatever you want. Do you have a favorite piece? I respect everything that I’ve done like it was a little kid of mine, birthed at whatever period of time that I was going through, but I don’t look back. This art world is a monster, and dreams have come true so fast that I had to dream bigger faster. It’s always time to make new babies. You are missing one pop culture icon that almost every guy over 30 knows about. When is the Three-Titty Alien from Total Recall going to make it into a painting? Maybe I never painted her out of respect to all the three-breasted prostitutes out there. www.macdowellstudio.com
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nile
by addison herron-wheeler
I’ll admit I kind of freaked out when I found out I’d have the chance to interview Nile when they played at Kingdom in March. I’ve been a fan forever, especially in my high school days when I swore a very heavy allegiance to death metal and listened to almost nothing else. These days, I listen to all manner of punk, metal, and other forms of music, but there is something about the mysticism of Nile’s lyrical concepts and the melodic brutality of their music, juxtaposed with their goofy physical appearances and demeanor, that make me feel like a giggling sixteen-year-old again. For those of you who don’t know, Nile are a death metal band from South Carolina that formed in 1993. Their gimmick is that they write about Ancient Egypt and Egyptian mysticism. They also play their instruments like nobody’s
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business, resulting in brutal, pummeling metal that incorporates world music, real Egyptian instruments, and soaring, amazing guitar solos into the mix. I’m not a classical music scholar, so I tend to get bored with technical death metal bands that don’t care at all about catchy riffs, but Nile have never lost touch with their thrashy, old-school death metal roots, or stopped caring about writing accessible music. The core of the band is George Kollias, metal drummer extraordinaire and master of the famed “blast beat” technique (think very fast double bass drums and snare at the same time-it basically sounds like a small explosion); Dallas Toller-Wade, lead vocalist and guitarist, who has a killer voice and recently shaved off his famed skullet in favor of a less creepy smooth-head look; and Karl Sanders, the man
of the hour and the only person I ended up interviewing, who writes most of the music, sings and plays lead guitar, and also does all the weird additional instrumentation, like keyboards and traditional Egyptian instruments, present on most albums. (He also has a solo project where he plays traditional Egyptian classical music.) Their bass player has fluctuated throughout the years, but the core has remained solid, and it seems that’s all they needed to produce amazing album after amazing album. Nile have released seven albums since 1998, and in my opinion there are no real duds in the mix. Most notable among these are Black Seeds of Vengeance (2000), In Their Darkened Shrines (2002), and Annihilation of the Wicked (2005). These albums mark
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the point where they really hit their stride, figuring out how to smoothly incorporate Egyptian elements into thrashy death metal, as well as becoming increasingly brutal and modern sounding. These are followed closely in my estimation by their two most recent albums, Those Whom the Gods Detest (2009) and At the Gate of Sethu (2012). Those Whom the Gods Detest is so angry and unrelenting that I almost expected them to call it quits afterwards. If nothing else, I figured their next album would be weaker. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Gate of Sethu. Instead of trying to out-brutal Those Whom..., they slowed it down and took things in a thrashier, more bare-bones direction. As Karl explains in the interview below, they used less production techniques and just tried to get back to the basics, resulting in an album that sounds a little more like their old stuff--a little less beefed up and angry, but certainly no less unrelentingly catchy and aggressive. For a fan like myself, sitting down with Karl Sanders was extremely nerve-wracking. Karl was pretty much the way I expected him to be, a little surly and angry but generally good natured. While we talked, he enjoyed the band’s rider of pasta and soda, then noodled away on his guitar like Skwisgaar from Metalocalypse. In general, it was awesome, and despite one of my sarcastic replies in our conversation below, I still can’t believe that doing this is kind of my job. Alright, so, the first question was, you have a new album.... It was, but it’s not anymore? [Laughs] No, it still is. The new album, I feel like it’s similar to some of your older, heavier stuff--a little less heavy on the Egyptian stuff, less brutal, and a little thrashier in general. Would you agree with that assessment, and what do you think of the new album? Sure, I would. I’ve enjoyed the new record. I think it’s sort of stripped down, a little rawer. It’s kind of a naked recording. It’s not huge and artificially fat with a lot of studio tricks, it’s just recorded the old-fashioned, plain and simple way. So many bands today use so many studio production tricks to make things sound huge and fat that even shitty bands that aren’t even heavy can sound heavy. We just wanted to strip everything down and play everything very old school. You guys have always had the Egyptian imagery, but it seems like over the years since you’ve recorded your solo stuff, you obviously play really good Egyptian music now, and it seems like your lyrics are more in depth as far as actual ancient Egyptian history goes. Is that something that came about because of the band’s theme, or is it something you’ve always been interested in that you’ve just built on? It’s just kind of an interest that I’ve built upon over the years. Certainly, when I’m researching the Nile lyrics, it’s an opportunity to look deeper into that aspect, and usually, although it is an interest of mine, I’m not in CHECK RVAMAG.COM DAILY
it as deep as when I am researching the Nile lyrics, if you know what I mean. I spend a lot of time playing guitar. It’s definitely my first calling. You guys have undergone several lineup changes over the years, which is to be expected since you’ve been around for a while, but it seems like you’ve especially had trouble with bass players... [Karl laughs] ...and I know you just lost Chris Lollis. What happened with that, and how are things going with the new bass player? Well, Todd [Ellis] seems to be working out great, he’s a really stable, solid individual who doesn’t cause a lot of chaos, and that’s very appreciated. It said online you guys just kind of lost contact with Chris. So there was no bitterness, and he just kind of stopped being a part of the band? Well, he disappeared for four months and didn’t bother to call nobody, so..... Totally understable. [laughs] So, you’ve got a lot of deep concepts going on in your music, and obviously you’re also very technical musicians, so there’s a lot going on lyrically and musically. But you also make very catchy and brutal music, and a lot of people like it. How important is it that people actually understand the lyrics or the music, and how important is it to you and the band that they just like it and have a good time? Every artist wants to be understood, hopes to be understood, but really, is that possible, to have every last person that listens to your music completely understand it? Who knows. If enough people enjoy it, then we can play music and hopefully play it for the people who do get it. Fair enough. Have you ever gotten attention from scholars or professors because you focus so much on Ancient Egypt? Quite a bit, actually. I get a couple letters a year from different professors. One year I was asked to speak at Flinders Petrie Museum of Art In England. Cool! Did you do it? No, we were on tour at the time.
OK. So what are you listening to these days? Classic stuff, new stuff, or stuff that’s not really death metal at all? A lot of un-death metal stuff. I’ve been listening to a lot of Dio lately--Heaven and Hell, Rainbow, Sabbath. That kind of thing. There are a lot of electronic music elements showing up in death metal lately--death metal remixes, stuff like that. Do you feel like all this is cool, since you guys incorporate Egyptian elements into your music, or do you feel like it’s cheesy and not really brutal at all? Well, I suppose you’d have to examine that on a case-by-case basis. I prefer leaning towards music made my actual humans playing actual instruments. Fair enough. I know Morbid Angel were kind of a big influence of yours. As I’m sure you know, their latest album hasn’t really been received the way most of their albums are. It’s really different than most of their stuff, and a lot of people don’t like it. How do you personally feel about it, and how much of that do you feel has to do with the influence they had on you? I’m probably just like everyone else. I had.... hoped for something different from Morbid Angel for that last record. So it wasn’t what I wanted. But it’s not my band, so if I want to hear Altars of Madness or Blessed Are The Sick, that’s what I’ll put on. Last question: the music industry has undergone a lot of changes since you guys started. I know I found most of your music on Spotify, so you guys are kind of in the cloud, but how do you feel about the fact that everything is available online these days? Do you think it’s good, or is it hurting? Well, it certainly makes it harder to have a music career. I think we are in a transitional period in music. We haven’t yet figured out how to adequately compensate the people who make the music when people download it. Until we figure that out, things are kind of going to be really sucky. I think things have really harshly, negatively impacted a lot of metal bands who are on the lower end of the spectrum. We don’t get a lot of money to begin with, and when you cut that into a tenth of what it was, you know, that’s even less.
Oh. Well, that’s still cool. [laughs] So, out of all the albums you’ve recorded, what is your favorite to date, and are there any you wish you could do over, or change? I would do all of them over, if I could. I listen to a Nile record, I hear stuff we could’ve done better. We know every tiny thing about those records and what went into them, because we made ‘em. So it’s very difficult to listen to your work and not be hyper-critical.
Yep. It’s the same with journalism, so I totally understand. I have noticed that there’s a parallel between the death of the music business and the death of music journalism.
I definitely get that, I’m the same way. So you don’t have a favorite? No, I like ‘em all. [laughs]
www.nile-catacombs.net
It’s true. All my life, especially in high school, that’s what I wanted to do. And now I am a music journalist, but I also work in a coffee shop. [laughs]
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THE trials and tribulations oF
CHARLES BRADLEY by sarah moore lindsey photo by elizabeth wineberg
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Charles Bradley wears his soul on his sleeve. The next rising star at Daptone Records has found his place in the spotlight, but he’s going to be humble about it. The road for Charles Bradley was not without its trials and tribulations. The man has, to put it lightly, overcome some hardships. But with his faith and his perseverance, Bradley kept going long beyond the point when others would curse the world and give up. The man oozes his emotions from his skin, displaying both his struggles and his inner strength. The coolest part: he makes you feel like you can do it, too. Born in Gainesville, FL (sister city to good ol’ RVA) in 1948, Bradley spent most of his childhood homeless, his family having moved up to Brooklyn. One of the only bright spots for Bradley at this point was when his sister took him to see James Brown at the Apollo in 1962. The performance changed his life, and he soon took to practicing microphone tricks with a broom and string. It was during this time that Bradley first felt that spark of motivation to get off the streets and make something of himself.
Bradley’s string of bad luck had not ended just yet-during this time, his brother was shot and killed, and he awoke to police sirens. However, it was while he was performing his Black Velvet routines that Gabriel Roth of Daptone Records saw his show. Roth recognized Bradley’s immense talent, and hooked him up with Thomas Brenneck, at that time guitarist and songwriter for the band Dirt Rifle and the Bullets. Brenneck eventually went on to join Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings and lead The Menahan Street Band. He and Bradley worked well together, and recorded a couple of singles, released by Daptone under the name Charles Bradley and the Bullets. The Bullets, however, soon left to become the Daptone instrumental group The Budos Band. While they were working together, Bradley shared his woeful life story with Brenneck, who immediately wanted to put those stories to song.
Bradley found a job through Job Corps, a federal program that helps underprivileged families. His work took him to Maine, where he learned to be a cook. He was asked to perform for some female Job Corps employees, and they went wild. He knew right then that he had a gift. Then came the Vietnam War, and his bandmates were shipped off to fight. Bradley made his way back to New York and cooked at a mental hospital. He was soon fed up with being harassed by local police and not having an outlet for his music. He took off cross country, hitchhiking from the East to the West Coast and some of Canada. Once he even took a ride with someone who claimed to have just killed his wife and children. Bradley ended up in Alaska and then California, and started cooking once more. He began sitting in on recording sessions and playing pick up gigs now and then to feed his musical side. He had just enough money for purchasing his first home when he was laid off from his steady chef job of 17 years. He soon returned to Brooklyn and eschewed cooking as a career. To this day, Bradley does not like to cook. “I only cook for friends and family when I do cook. My mom loves Chicken a la King.” Bradley began performing some James Brown routines in Brooklyn clubs under the name Black Velvet. During these performances, he’d often flap his arms onstage, which garnered him the nickname “the Screamin’ Eagle.” “Everybody called me that,” he says. “I was moving my arms like I was flying.” CHECK RVAMAG.COM DAILY
Brenneck formed Dunham Records, an offshoot from the Daptone label, on which he released Bradley’s 2007 single “The World (Is Going Up in Flames)” (which Brenneck also produced). For the first time, Bradley was his own entity and not just a tribute act. Many people wonder how Bradley kept his head up amidst all the blows that life dealt him. Bradley credits his faith in God as one of his strengths. “I’m a spiritual person and believe something greater than man kept my ego up and kept my spirit in motion,” he says. “You’ve got to keep going because you’ve got to believe.” His certainty is somewhat calming. If a man can go through a life of one hardship after another and remain optimistic, he’s a lot stronger than most people. Some aspects of Bradley’s success can be credited to his ability to remain humble and let go of regrets.
“I thank God and I thank everybody who had a part in this to help me to help myself,” he says. His grace is infectious. He does say, “It’s been a long time coming,” but Bradley never anguishes over lost time. “When you’ve got a scar, the [cut] heals, but if you look at the scar it’s still there. It never truly heals, I don’t think. I just keep going, day by day.” This is truly a man who has been formed by his struggles and reactions to those tough times. His appreciation for his eventually triumphant musical career knows no bounds. He turns his sour times into soulful music that encourages others who might be in similar situations. “Now I’ve finally found a door open for me to come in, and I want to show the world that I was just a person waiting for an opportunity, begging for an opportunity,” he says. ”All I wanted was to come out out with love and to pay respect for everybody. Through my hurt and pain, I could show the person who was under that shell, carrying nothing but love. Live and let live.” Another big factor in Bradley’s success is his innate showmanship. “My love of cooking is like that,” he explains. “You’ve got to give the people what they want, and it’s the same way with music. When I get up on stage, I open my heart and that’s it.” Charles Bradley is touring in support of Victim of Love, his second album for Daptone Records, released in April 2013. The album centers around themes of love and the pain associated with it. “I am the victim of love. That’s my nickname,” Bradley says. The title track is a chill little number that features a choir backing Bradley’s belting, while “Confusion” is a particular highlight that hearkens back to Curtis Mayfield’s classic, “(Don’t Worry) If There’s Hell Below, We’re All Going to Go.” Each song on the record has that perfect vintage quality, common to Daptone releases, that makes music seem channeled from the studios of an earlier era. Bradley may have received his good fortune later in life, but this fact allows him to bring wisdom and experience to his songs, and we all reap the benefits. Bradley will keep giving each performance his all, putting himself out there emotionally and physically. “God knows I will give the best of my soul when I’m on stage,” he says. “I’m too late in my age to be changing.” And he remains grateful for everything his music has brought him. “I thank you for your time,” he said as the interview ended. “Because all of this is helping me feel this love.” Catch Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires at Friday Cheers in RVA, on Friday, June 7 at Brown’s Island. Go to facebook.com/fridaycheers for details. 33
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Kristi Totoritis by james moffitt
Kristi Totoritis is an artist--or so she claims. She’s a waitress too, working at Bellytimber on W. Main St. In some ways, she’s the embodiment of the artistic cliché: waiting tables while she realizes her dream, her creative goal. However, Kristi is actually an artist--and a damn good one at that. She mainly works with glass, but also makes jewelry and paints. Glass, though, is her passion, and is what she sees herself doing for the rest of her life. When we agree to meet, she shows up sleepy eyed, quiet, and composed. It’s early for her, and she insists on coffee before we start speaking. She’s tattooed, dressed almost entirely in black, minus the brightly colored bow in her hair. She is the physical representation of part of her artistic vision-“cute and gritty,” as she puts it. At 25, she’s accomplished a lot. Kristi holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Crafts and Materials studies. She is a contracted artist at the Chrysler Museum of Art and she’s hiked the Incan trail--one of her proudest achievements. Rather than settling in, Kristi seems likes she’s just winding up. “I’d like to be studying as an assistant under a master,” she says when I ask about her future plans, her goals as a burgeoning artist. “I’ve never lost the urge to keep studying and learning. I’m not as much about trying to build an empire of my own as I am about trying to experience as much of the glass world as there is to experience.” It’s an interesting concept-traveling in order to foster professional and creative growth, rather than planting roots and staying put. In the glass world, though, it seems to be the best way to do things. Not many artists have the time or means to maintain a full time studio and hotshop (torch-working space). And since glass is such a small community, a nomadic lifestyle seems like the best way to keep in touch and continually progress as an artist. “I probably want to be on the West Coast within the next few years, because there are so many opportunities for glass artists,” she says. “I just want to travel constantly, and study under people that are, you know, masters, and that started the glass art trend.” The growing glass trend, according to Kristi, seems to be gaining a foothold in the contemporary art world. Many artists and artistic institutions are choosing to use glass as a main medium; including the Chrysler Museum of Art, which opened its glass studio last November. For a venerable art form that’s suddenly gaining new relevance, very little of the methodology has changed. “None of the tools have changed in centuries,” Kristi states. “The blowpipe
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was invented in 50BC. The main difference now is fuel source. We have a crucible [at the Chrysler] that sits at 2,150 degrees.” Even while in college, Totoritis claims that students in her program were encouraged to study as many different things as possible. Her shift into working with glass was quite accidental-most of the other courses had already filled for the semester. Kristi had originally wanted to “do furniture. All of the furniture and beginning wood classes were full, and an advisor suggested kiln casting, and glass casting. I became addicted instantly to glass as a material.” “I look at a lot of iconography.” Kristi says when asked about her methodology and inspirations. “I think I try to evoke emotions. I think of things first in a painterly fashion, and 2D; they’re usually compositions that tell a story.” From there, Kristi’s process diversifies dependent on the piece. As we spoke, she gained momentum in her explanations, getting more excited as she told me about the different ways in which she works. Some pieces, for example, are cut from larger preexisting glass sheets. Others, she makes molds of first, and then casts. Some take weeks to complete, going through phase after phase of casts and revisions. “It’s different every time really,” she says. “I think when I get excited about making something in glass, it’s a pretty immediate, see it through to the end, kind of thing. Sometimes I’ll get an hour into the setup, and just never finish [the project] until two years later. I’m a multi-tasker, and work on more than one thing at a time.” Glass isn’t the most exciting thing to many people, however. Glass working is not usually the first thing that pops into mind when speaking about art, and most do not seek out handmade wares to serve as everyday dishes. However, Kristi’s vision and process may be helping to change that. She describes her pieces as “kitschy,” “girly,” and “gritty,” combining contemporary and extraneous inspirations into one moldable form. “I think most of my upbringing--counterculture music, skateboarding, and tattoo flash-subconsciously all of these things play into my mind when I work. I think there’s something about trying to be cute and gritty at the same time.” With work ranging from jewelry to a large candelabra called Witching Hour, along with paintings, prints, and other glass sculptures, Kristi is constantly creating, spending “at least eight hours a week” in the studio. Along with her energy, her multimodal approach helps her to stand out as an artist. By working with multiple media, her work continually remains viable, which in turn reflects itself in the glass.
America as a whole seems to be cutting in on the glass trend. “The glass art studio movement in American only started 50 years ago; it’s slowly growing to be important. Handmade things for some people will never die.” Kristi understands this importance, and sees it as a vital part of both her artistic integrity and her creativity. When asked about the recent Dale Chihuly exhibit at the VMFA, she seemed less than thrilled. While the works were impressive to her, she found it bothersome that the artist had chosen not to credit the dozens of understudies and assistants that played critical roles in the physical manifestations of the pieces. For Kristi, her attachment to her work seems much more direct, and that connection plays a huge role in her creative process and her sales. “I typically daydream, and then I get ideas, and then from those ideas, I always want to make them in glass,” she explains. “I try to visualize the end result, and then decide if I need to blow it, or cut it from sheet glass, or paint it. Sometimes it’s a really relaxed process that I can do at home, and sometimes it’s a very organized 8 week process where I make molds, bake it, let it cool, and then de-mold it.” Kristi works in many ways to continually orient herself to the glass artist’s lifestyle. “My biggest gripe as a glass artist is storage for all of my toys. I sort of buy one material at a time, in bulk, so it’s like being a hoarder.” This physical connection translates itself into many of her pieces, again re-emphasizing the importance of hand-made artifacts. This mentality seems to be rubbing off on art collectors as well. Kristi says she’s been commissioned for glass pieces, paintings, and jewelry. However, she does not always start a piece with the intent of turning a profit. Word of mouth, she says, is still the best way to gain new customers, and has done more for the glass community and her work than anything else. While Kristi has access to studios in Richmond, including The Glass Spot, a hot shop run by Chris Skibby; and Influence, a torch working studio; as well as her time at the Chrysler, she is still continually seeking out new ways to expand her craft, and learn new skills. “I don’t feel worried by the fact that I’m not a full time artist. I try to save a lot, and hopefully will go on a glass adventure in the future if an opportunity is offered to me. I think it gives your mind space to not be so drowned in the art world. I like having the mental break, and having a job separated from art.” Kristi’s works can be seen and purchased at kristitotoritis.com.
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introducing richmond’s fashion photographers
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Kimberly frost, www.kimberlyfrost.com
RVA MAGAZINE 13 SUMMER 2013
anthony hall, www.anthonyhallphoto.com
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kenneth L. howard JR, www.klhphoto.com
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Cameron Charles lewis, www.cameroncharleslewis.com
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ken penn, www.kenpenn.com
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matt licari, www.mattlicari.com // Greg Farrell Represents www.GFR-NYC.com
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bree davis, www.breeel.com
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nick ghobashi, ghobashiportfolio.tumblr.com
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The Fitting Choice A Conversation with Ledbury’s Paul Trible By Joseph Genest photos by emmett methven
I usually don’t like menswear shops. They just seem artificial. I’m always greeted with a condescending smile. Then there’s that smell…you know, the one where they’ve somehow found a way to make cologne permeate perfectly throughout the room. It feels awkward; it feels forced. Walking into Ledbury, I was greeted not by a Cruella DeVil lookalike, but by local blogger and content coordinator Brian McDaniel, who led me to one of the comfiest couches I’ve ever sat on. Looking around, there were no pictures of God-like men sitting on top of antique cars in the desert. No loud techno music blasting throughout. Just antique wood, with shirts delicately laid out. It felt comfortable, like it was OK that I was wearing a crewneck and skinny jeans in a menswear shop. This feeling is exactly what the brand is after. Ledbury’s goal is to reach out to the average young professional. Not the type who wears a flashy logo just for the sake of it, but the smart consumer who follows the model of “show, don’t tell.” Established in the thick of the economic downturn in 2008, founders Paul Trible and Paul Watson came up with an idea that could persist through any financial climate: make a great product through simple execution. CHECK RVAMAG.COM DAILY
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sions… whether it’s short or long. We’ll come up with a fabric pattern or go through historical swatch books of different patterns that the fabric mills have made. And once we come up with something in terms of fabric, we go to at least eight different Italian mills, select something from them, and put in an order. Then it’s about a three month process to get the product spun and woven. From there, we ship it to our factory. Our factory puts it together. We usually put together a sample first. Take a look, make it sure it’s what we’re looking for, and then put it in production. So, usually from beginning to end with sampling, it’s a four When sitting down with Trible, a to five month process. couple of things stood out to me. He’s a really approachable guy, appear- Would you collaborate with any othing to possess no arrogance about er brands? his position as the head of a thriving Yeah, we love collaboration. We company. He sat fairly relaxed, giv- think we do shirting really well. ing candid responses. Although his What we try to do is find other spejob allows him to meet people and go cialists who do other things really places many of us will never see, he comes off as a guy’s guy. And in the business world that’s important, because in order to sell to people, you can’t just relate to them, you have to be them. While studying at Oxford, the duo apprenticed under some of the premier tailors and shirting experts in London menswear. By learning the ins and outs of the trade, their goal was to produce a custom-fit shirt made out of the finest fabrics in a cost effective way. Instead of outsourcing to other firms, Ledbury chooses everything, including the materials, patterns, and fabrics, internally. Their clothing is then produced in Italy. With a heavy focus on customer service and continuous feedback, they’ve built an online presence through strong word of mouth. Quite simply, these shirts sell themselves.
Your brand doesn’t have a logo on the chest. What’s the importance of showing, not telling that you’ve bought a nice shirt? I think for years, clothing brands tried to create this aspirational picture of what you should be. So if [their logo] was a guy playing tennis, or a guy riding on a polo horse, that says, “Dress this way and you’ll be like this.” It’s a status symbol. For us, what we’re trying to do is not be all about the logo and price point and flash. It’s not about telling you to be something else in aspiring to this polo player or tennis player. What we do is say, “We’re going to make a great product that’s going to fit better, it’s going to feel better, and it’s going to make you look like a better you.” It’s not going to be you looking like someone else. So, [our goal] was to sell something that, when people put it on and feel the fabric and it fits well, they’re excited about that and they respond to it, as opposed to a flashy logo or label.
“..in terms of a brand, we wanted to create something that was very authentic to who we were. We wanted it to represent us and represent the customer more than representing this grand idea of how the customer should be living and whatnot.”
well. We’re looking to do bags with a company called Moore & Giles up in Lynchburg, who does some very cool stuff. Some shoe brands like Alden and things along those lines would be really fun to collaborate with, because making a shoe is so much different than making a garment. And then some leather and accessories, like the belts we do with Marcus Wiley. We love those because he’s a master craftsman and makes everything by hand. It would take us 20 years to learn to do what he does. Gabe [Ricioppo] and I have talked about doing something in Need [Supply Co.] for a while, and doing a Richmond Virginia [collection] that fits both of our brands in kind of a quirky way. We did some cufflinks with a friend in Charlottesville. We’re always open to partnerships, but we haven’t dived into as many as What’s the process that goes into a we’d like to. Ledbury shirt? We design the shirt here. Basically, In starting out with Ledbury, what come up with what we want to do was the goal of the brand? with cut, color, cuffs, placard dimen48
For us, there were two things we wanted to accomplish: we wanted to create the best shirt we could possibly make, but do it at a price point where it brings people into that luxury market. People like us, being 30 years old and not being able to pay $200 for a shirt but wanting something that fits well, feels great, and lasts a long time. And the other thing was that in terms of a brand, we wanted to create something that was very authentic to who we were. We wanted it to represent us and represent the customer more than representing this grand idea of how the customer should be living and whatnot. I worked with a tailor on Jermyn Street [in London] for basically a year, learning the craft and what goes into a great garment, from the stitching to the fabric to the buttons. And once we had that, we said “OK, we’re making a world class product, how are we going to sell this product?” And we wanted
to sell it in a way that it was available to people who wanted to spend no more than $150 for a shirt. The only way we could do that is by not going wholesale, but going directly to customers. And so we adapted our business model of this idea of creating a great product and making it more readily available to a much wider audience. In terms of a brand, we said “what’s the most authentic representation of what we’re doing?” My business partner and I, who are from Virginia and New Orleans, also spent a considerable amount of time in the UK studying tailoring and shirting. So, our brand is Anglo-Southern American in a way. And I think in terms of what we’re doing here in Richmond, we don’t advertise our stuff very much, we more document what we’re doing in the partnerships we have. For us, we do a short run, we do a lookbook every two weeks with Connie’s Shoe Repair, the guys
from Rappahannock. We’re doing five local artists profiling our shirts. It’s more telling the story of who our friends are and how we’re interacting with them, and that’s more of an authentic brand than, “Hey, here’s Ledbury, it stands for this glossy image.” Your father was a prominent politician and is currently the president of Christopher Newport University. Meanwhile, you’re CEO of a clothing company. What are the parallels that make a great leader? I think it’s having a vision, believing wholeheartedly in that vision, and being able to communicate that to other people. Whether it’s doing that in a school where we’re going to build X Y and Z, and the students are going to come and we’re going to have this great university, or it’s building a company where we’re going to start a luxury clothing business in one of the worst economic climates since the Great Depression, it can work because of these principles. And how do you build confidence in your vision? Blind passion [laughs]. I think you see that you get validated along the way, and really have to believe you have something great. For us, early on, by focusing on product first and foremost, just creating a very good thing that we felt very confident that we could put up against any other piece of clothing, people would really respond well. And after you start getting validated, people start coming back. Your friends and family will always buy once, but when people you don’t know start returning in droves... we have somebody that owns 164 shirts now; that’s when you start realizing there’s something to this vision. The first time we went up to GQ, we were sitting with a tailoring editor who’s been there for 25 years, and she was distracted and looking around the closet. We were giving her the spiel and showing the shirts, and she felt the shirt and was like, “Wait a second, let me get this straight: you’re just two normal guys… selling really nice shirts… to other normal guys?” And we were like, “Yeah, that’s it.” She was like, “I love that!” So, it’s just those small little pieces of validation that you build on and hopefully create something more substantial.
RVA MAGAZINE 13 SUMMER 2013
You all have been traveling a lot recently--what’s been going on with that? For us it’s great. We’re this clothing company and we’re mostly on the internet, [but] our big things are tactile experiences like fit and quality, things you touch and feel. For us, anytime we can go out and meet customers and let them touch the shirts and see what we’re doing [that’s] new, it communicates the business better than any way we can. With the city-based collections, we did Nashville, we did Charleston. We actually designed shirts that we thought were appropriate for [those places]. We went in, partnered with a bunch of friends, whether they be restaurants or clothing businesses, they modeled our shirts for the lookbook. Then we had the big party and people get to come in, have a glass of bourbon, try on the shirts, and invite their friends. Old customers love it because they get to see what’s new, and new customers are into it because they get the whole brand experience. Then with Spotify and Facebook, we’re just getting into
very cool offices that are doing very interesting things and kind of telling our story. Letting people look at the shirts and purchase them. We learn a lot in the process as well, so it’s very cool. They had a couple hundred employees who heard the story and gave us advice on what to be doing on Facebook, and we told them how they should be wearing their shirts [laughs]. It was a nice back and forth.
blindly throwing money out there, at Have you kept in contact with Will least--you can wave a good idea and on what works for each other’s see what customers are looking for. brands? Yeah, I see him all the time. We bounce back ideas on a regular baI haven’t really seen much pressis. They do wild, creative stuff I ence on websites that delve into streetwear as well as menswear, like love, but they do wholesale and we do direct online and through the Complex. Yeah, The Complex Network is cool, store. So now, they’re looking to do it’s great. My college roommate more direct and we’re looking tostarted a great streetwear brand wards wholesale. It’s great to have a partner in crime. called Durkl.
Since most of your business has been online, how were you able to get your name out there? It’s mostly been word of mouth and PR. People pick us up, like in GQ or Fortune or Financial Times, telling our story. And that’s been big--people see it, purchase it, and come back. And yeah, we do some marketing now too. We do a little bit of advertising online and try to figure out where our customers are and what they’re looking for. Everything is so measurable, so we’re trying to do it in a responsible way. But we’re just trying to figure it out, though, like everyone else is. It’s a lot better than
You were college roommates with the guy that started Durkl?!? Yeah, Will Sharp was my college roommate for four years. I love his stuff, but for us, that’s not our audience. Some of it is--guys who love streetwear who cross over when they need something for a wedding or a job interview. But we’re a little more buttoned up and a little more classic and contemporary than that. So we’ve been on a handful of those and there’s been a good response, but I think the majority of that has been fashion focused.
Any collaborations coming out with them? We’ve talked about it in the past, doing shirts. They just came out with some really good denim. God knows when he first started I probably had every piece, supporting him, trying to get it off the ground. He started out right after we graduated from college with my other college roommate. He’s done well in creating a really interesting business. It’s funny that we both went to a pretty conservative school in the western part of the state and we both ended up in the clothing business. www.ledbury.com
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fashion tribe
THE RICHMOND fashion blogosphere By krisitna headrick photo by carlos funn Fashion blogs come in many shapes and sizes. The iconic street style photographer Scott Schuman, aka the Sartorialist, inspired a generation of DSLR clad fashion enthusiasts to hit the streets and take pictures capturing the outfits of random passerby. The history of street style photography dates back to the pre-internet era, though--think Bill Cunningham’s photos in The New York Times. A relatively newer type of fashion documentation is the personal style blog. Seaofshoes.com by Jane Aldridge is a prime example of this blog genre, one that consists of presumably wealthy females who post pictures of their daily getups followed by a list of the brands featured. A hybrid of these types, and a personal favorite of mine, is that of the Man Repeller. Her witty and intelligent commentary originated as an effort to celebrate those fashion trends women love but men hate: think harem pants. Man Repeller has exploded beyond the realm of the blogosphere into creative collaborations with well known designers (PJK, or those Del Toro flats). Author Leandra Medine even landed a book deal as a 23 year old. Needless to say, fashion blogs are immensely popular. Given many people’s preferences for digital media over
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print, the relevancy of fashion blogs is perhaps on par with that of magazines. As a Virginia native and 2011 transplant to Richmond, I never expected to find many fashion blogs based in the river city. The first Richmond fashion blog I encountered was Dirty Richmond. Here I found a blog akin to other global street style blogs, but one decidedly youthful, and so very, very RVA. [This magazine ran a story on Dirty Richmond’s Brian McDaniel in 2011.] Aside from this discovery, though, I spent my first year or so in Richmond assuming there weren’t any other local fashion blogs worth perusing. Here, dear reader, I confess that I fell into the trap of believing that oft-repeated myth: “New York and LA are the only places in this country that REALLY matter for fashion.” But while those cities do hold the largest fashion weeks, people everywhere wear clothes. Richmond has a large creative community, so it follows that we must have some creatives in the realm of fashion.
Sure enough, I eventually managed to discover a thriving mecca of local bloggers, particularly the RVA Fashion Bloggers group. As the official group of fashion and lifestyle bloggers in the area, RVAFB boasts a blogroll of over 50 bloggers. Created to help bloggers “not only find other bloggers like themselves but be able to ask for advice from each other, find out about local events, and more,” the group has evolved into a cohesive community. Almost a third of those involved attend group meetups. These meetups take the dialogue on Richmond fashion beyond the bloggers’ respective laptops, out into the city. One can expect a recap of said events on the members’ blogs, recaps that provide a digital homage to Richmond’s sartorially inclined. Larissa W. runs RVA Fashion Bloggers, as well as From The Runway To RVA (fromtherunwaytorva.com) and a personal style blog called RVA Fashion Girl (rvafashiongirl.blogspot.com). She keeps RVAFB interactive amongst the community through events and special postings on the blog--for example, a “Tuesday top ten” which reviews selected posts from the previous week, as well as a Saturday spotlight on one RVAFB blogger via individual interview. RVA MAGAZINE 13 SUMMER 2013
from left to right: Amanda Campbell, Chy Patterson, Sydni Ham, Dayami Rabassa, Reggie Bates, Alicia Chew, Akere Joseph, Brian McDaniel, Anett Farkas, Ja’Baris Baskerville, Larissa Wisniewski and Emily Gale I spoke to other members of RVA Fashion Bloggers as well. Owen, who runs The Style Whale (thestylewhale.com), is currently a fashion merchandising major at VCU. He hasn’t attended any of the meetups, but loves that RVAFB allows “many people who have different taste in their blogging styles, so we each bring something new to the table.” He specifically cited an RVAFB post where Larissa had each of the bloggers contribute their two favorite shows from New York Fashion Week. “Everyone featured something different,” he says. His blog offers a commentary on fashion, primarily the high-end variety, peppered with instagrams of his own outfits. I found it to be incredibly well curated for a tumblr blog-many of which tend to be busy and a bit fluffy, if you will. Anett’s blog, Frshsqueezed (frshsqueezed. com), features beautiful collages of various clothing and accessories, as well as pictures of her own outfits, seamlessly merging commentary with personal style documentation. Written in both English and Hungarian (she’s from Budapest, a beautiful city that she travels back to as frequently as possible), Anett’s blog is one of my favorites of the local crop. The layout is simple, the photos beautiful, and the curation mature. CHECK RVAMAG.COM DAILY
She explains frshsqueezed as “a mix of my international take on fashion.” Given her unique perspective, I asked Anett about her thoughts on fashion in Richmond, as her opinion on this matter isn’t quite clear from the cosmopolitan tone of the blog. In her opinion, “Richmond has an extremely interesting blend of hipster influence that reminds me of Brooklyn, yet it also shows subcultures of everything from hippies, college preppy to the surfer/skater culture. I enjoy seeing something new every day.” Following in the wake of Man Repeller and other bloggers who collaborate creatively with brands and stores, Frshsqueezed recently collaborated with Dillard’s at Short Pump Town Center to style and shoot an editorial based on their spring clothes. This business-minded approach takes Frshsqueezed out of the realm of mere hobby and shows that opportunities abound for the motivated blogger. For Larissa’s personal blog, RVA Fashion Girl, she posts pictures of herself posing around town, self described as a “personal fashion diary.” She mentioned that she wants to increase the amount of locally bought clothing featured on the blog, in hopes of driving viewers to shop in town. We agreed that retail in the city has improved immensely over the past few years, and it’s worth
making the effort to seek out local boutiques, as opposed to the “all you can eat” format of the great American shopping mall. She knows all of the blogs in the area, and mentioned that one of her favorites belongs to Bella Styles (bellastyles. com). Bella blogs about and styles clothing for plus-sized women. I love that this blog exists, as seeing the same cultural beauty norms enforced by the fashion industry replicated repeatedly on fashion blogs can be quite grating. Richmond bloggers, in my opinion, keep it real by way of promoting a healthy body image, not solely the body types that fit into runway sample sizes. Larissa’s efforts to post regularly on her personal blog as well as RVAFB have not gone unnoticed. The RVAFB network continues to grow. Anett claims that “the RVAFB meetups are one of my favorite parts about being a blogger in this city.” When asked whether Richmond’s blogging community could benefit from this collective approach, Larissa explained that “the community is proactive in its desire to increase networking. I think the next level of this is to figure out how to grow bigger platforms of creative expression in Richmond, and to let everyone living here know about it.”
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THE CITY JEWELS FINDING RICHMOND’S JEWELRY MAKERS By KRISTINA HEADRICK photos by ash elam
One way in which the Richmond fashion scene stands out is through the surprisingly vibrant community of local jewelry designers. From a designer that’s just getting started to a line of internationally recognized designs, these four artists are putting Richmond jewelry design on the map.
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AØKO SU
ALEXANDER WHITEWAY
Ashley Germain of AØKO SU designs jewelry that is at once straightforward and elegant. “Modern architecture is a major inspiration for me,” Ashley explains. “I am also very interested in fractals, and more particularly biomimicry, which examines the manner in which humanmade objects emulate the natural world.” These inspirations shine through designs with bold geometric shapes that reflect the interplay between the natural and man-made. Made in Richmond, AØKO SU is sold in boutiques across the country, as well as in Japan, Europe, and Australia. Ashley says that living in Richmond “has afforded me the financial freedom and time to start a business and maintain my creative needs by working solely for myself. Since my arrival to Richmond a year and a half ago, I have felt a certain magic and serendipity revolving around the time + place equation.” As for the name of her line, she explains that “the essence of AØKO SU is in the image of the sound it makes when spoken, and the visual imprint that it makes when read.”
Alexander Whiteway is a multimedia artist who paints, works for the Virginia Repertory Theater designing sets, and has a penchant for making quirky jewelry. His first line, called “Previous,” was made from a vintage Mahjongg game set, bequeathed to him when his grandfather passed. The ivory and bamboo pieces were hand-carved and hand-painted. “I had no idea how to play the game, but I knew that the tiles were special,” he explains. Each piece from “Previous” is one of a kind, and enhanced by knowing that the Mahjongg tiles used were acquired while his grandfather was a Japanese translator in World War II. Whiteway hopes to continue making pieces out of items with entrancing histories. His commitment to using items steeped in history has a contemporary purpose. “Recycling is, in my mind, the only solution to purifying what we as a society have made a reality, for better or worse,” he explained. In an era of mass-produced costume jewelry, it makes sense to work with the antique objects already in circulation, to “move forward in a fresh way through innovation” as Whiteway did with this collection. His pieces range from simple ear gauges to androgynous necklaces. We’re interested to see what he’ll work with next, as he has the potential to build on the concept of “Previous” or go an entirely different route.
Find AØKO SU as well as a list of boutiques that carry the line at aokosu.com.
See Alexander Whiteway’s work at alexanderwhiteway.com RVA MAGAZINE 13 SUMMER 2013
DIGDOGDIG Celeste Emiko Kamaha’o Rodero wanted fun jewelry to wear, but an allergy to most metals limited her choices. However, a limitation with the potential to stifle a designer became the creative catalyst for her unique cotton rope necklaces. Her pieces fuse the distinctly coastal influences of life spent by the Atlantic and Pacific, along with her tendency to find and gather objects in nature. These pieces aren’t meant for mass production. Every stone is one-of-a-kind, and the individuality of each piece a crucial facet to the concept. According to Celeste the name of her line, DigDogDig “is essentially what it says-like a dog, she digs up things to share [and] digs holes to keep things safe and precious--always on a journey of self-growth through aesthetic awareness.” In reference to her current jewelry designs, she says, “Although I am proud of how I have created pieces that are very simple, distinct, and bold, I would like to advance the structure of my pieces, which comes with skills I must learn.” This is quite a humble statement from someone whose pieces were recently picked up by Need Supply Co. Nevertheless, Celeste is all about artistic integrity, and feels no need to rush into starting an Etsy account, as she’d rather not rush the progress of her jewelry brand for the sake of business. DigDogDig is available as an exclusive collection for Need Supply Co.
DRIFT RIOT Beginning her path to jewelry design with a metals class, where her first foray consisted of “ugly belt buckles,” Kristy Santelli of Drift Riot soon started making jewelry for fun--which proved a much bigger hit than her belt buckle experiment. “I made jewelry for friends in New York, but my apartment was so small. Once I moved here I had studio space in my own home,” she explains. Living in Richmond afforded her the opportunity to make more jewelry, and soon enough Pink in Carytown picked up her line, taking Drift Riot out of the realm of mere hobby and turning it into a business venture. Designing busy jewelry by throwing together a smorgasbord of beads is one popular route for designers, but Drift Riot has the opposite sensibility. Kristy’s pieces are bold and minimal; think evocative industrial necklaces and dainty stackable rings. The craftsmanship behind her work begets a profound simplicity, jewelry the wearer can “live in and love, shower in, sleep in.” As for the name of her line, Kristy intends “Drift Riot” to echo juxtapositions found in her work. For example, the harshness of a manmade bullet as encasement for natural sparkling quartz. Kristy believes in “drifting through life from place to place, letting the currents take you wherever… But wherever you may drift, cause a riot. Have a blast.” You can find Drift Riot at driftriot.com and Pink in Carytown CHECK RVAMAG.COM DAILY
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HANDMADE JEANS RVA
An INterview with Anthony Lupesco of shockoe denim by kristina headrick photo by carlos funn Everyone who is reading this has worn a pair of jeans at some point in their lives. In fact, I’m so confident that this is true that I dare anyone reading who hasn’t to set this magazine on fire. I can’t imagine that there’ll be any charred copies of this issue floating around town, though, because I can’t imagine that any reader of this mag has never worn denim. Is there a more tried and true garment in America than a pair of jeans? Neil Diamond, Flo Rida, and Fergie have all sung praises to the garment whose wearers range from roadside construction workers to the chicest of models. Jeans have longevity unlike any other wardrobe choice. Though men’s and women’s differ by cut, the fact remains that everyone wears them.
Tell me about how this idea was born. Did you recognize a niche that needed to be filled in Richmond specifically, or in general? Was the concept similar to anything you’d seen before? I grew up in apparel, and most of what my family did focused on being made in Italy. I wanted to actually make something, and I figured if I wanted to do that in America, there is nothing more American than a pair of jeans. That’s really where it came from. Also the fact that once I started doing research, I found one of the best denim mills in the world 200 miles from here in North Carolina [Cone Mills, in Greensboro, NC], so it just made a lot of sense. The other thing is I’ve worn jeans almost every day of my life.
Despite the democratic nature of denim, not all jeans are created equal. From Lee’s to Levi’s to True Religion, most of the denim available, whether cheap or the equivalent of one month’s rent, is produced offshore. Little care goes into the stitching, and your garment is identical to the thousands, perhaps millions of pairs created in the gaping black hole of a modern day factory. However, Anthony Lupesco, the owner and founder of Shockoe Denim, makes denim that is rare in that it isn’t mass produced.
Yep, I’ll find a couple pairs of jeans each year. I end up loving and wearing them every day. It makes sense to spend more money on something you literally live in, potentially for years. I feel like jeans are kind of like the apparel version of soul food. You feel like shit and you go home to throw on a pair of jeans.
Located in the burgeoning Shockoe design district, the company officially opened shop in October 2012. Anthony’s concept is to bring denim production back to the way things used to be done. This means decreasing the scale of production, purchasing fabrics from a destination that’s less than one day of travel away, and having a human being sew the stitches and cut the fabric. It’s a humanizing concept, something lost long ago when American garment factories closed, machines took over, and the garment industry essentially ceased to exist on US soil. Lifelong experience and knowledge back the crafting of Shockoe Denim’s jeans. Anthony is steeped in the inner workings of the apparel business. He grew up with both parents working in the industry, and his father ran a factory in Italy while he attended middle school. Anthony brings rare insight into the way the clothes we wear every day were made before mass production in faraway factories became the norm. I had the pleasure of touring Shockoe Denim’s store and its accompanying production facilities, which are visible from the retail area. The minimal storefront and space echo the utilitarian nature of denim. Shockoe Denim’s offerings hang on the walls. At once durable and timeless, they look like a good pair of jeans should. I spoke to Anthony about the story behind Shockoe Denim, making clothes in America, and why it’s so freaking cool that it’s happening in Richmond.
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I couldn’t agree more. Speaking of soul food and the South, how did you end up in RVA? My parents had a clothing store in Georgetown. I came to visit them on break. We drove down here to check it out. I really liked the vibe of the city and was also really bored in school, so I decided I would start a business. I was in school for fashion design but never finished. What kind of store did you own before this? A high end men’s and women’s clothing store called “If.” It didn’t work out once we moved it to Stony Point. This concept especially--people don’t go to the mall to get an experience. You go to get discounts. Nothing against malls, I go to them too. How many people work here? Did you train them all? Yep. My family has also been really nice--[they’ve] come out of retirement to help me. We had a really hard time, at first, finding labor. Obviously there were a lot of apparel factories here, decades ago, so we had people coming in who were in their 60s and 70s, but they couldn’t keep up. We eventually started hiring students from VCU in the fashion department, and they’ve been awesome. That’s a weird thing, how so little of what we wear is made in the US. I think it’s awesome that designers are pushing to get production back on our soil. I remember thinking, from a young age, where did all of the people who used to work in factories go when factories here closed? I just met with a potential client down in Winston Salem and their store is all made in the USA. His mother used to be the foreman at a factory that
made something workwear related. That factory shut down. She’s now a greeter at Walmart. These people don’t have really any other skills. Being a foreman meant you were a manager, but now there aren’t any jobs that translate to that exact position. Tell me a little bit about the seamless jeans. They’re called selvedge, made using selvedge fabric. The word comes from “self-edge.” The way they work is that they’re done on old style shuttle looms. The tool used to weave the fabric is different. Basically the way it works is it creates a finished edge on the end of the fabric. It’s a lot narrower, and most of the equipment to weave these is still from the 40s and 50s. Modern machines are much wider, 66 inches vs 32. It’s the same level of quality, but what you get out of selvedge, since the machines are much older, is much more character. You see these naps in the fabric--they aren’t perfect. There are slight runs, character to the fabric, whereas when you look at something done on a projectile loom, it’s modern machinery-it looks perfect. We cut the selvedge edge on the outseam, so you don’t need to serge it because it’s not going to unravel. On standard denim you have to do a finishing process. It’s more expensive because I get way less denim out of a roll of the selvedge fabric. [As we talked, Anthony showed me the denim used to make selvedge jeans. It was much shorter than what you’d get with something made on a newer loom, and creates a different look from most jeans you normally see in stores. One side of your pants will have a smoother appearance.] Tell me more about the washes of the jeans. All of the denim here is raw. We do no washing, no treating. We do finishes--coating. As you wear a pair, [the coating] starts to wear off. One pair almost oxidizes like copper, color-wise. It’s cool to see your clothes age with you. What’s the idea behind raw denim? You can buy stuff [designed] to look worn in, but these occur naturally. It’s more authentic. Indigo is one of the shittiest ways to dye a fabric--it doesn’t actually penetrate the yarn. Most jeans are dyed after production, ours are dyed before. How many styles do you have? Four different fits for men, and a variety of styles within those fits. Women’s, we have about five fits, and a variety of styles, again. www.shockoedenim.com
RVA MAGAZINE 13 SUMMER 2013
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RVA MAGAZINE 13 SUMMER 2013
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{ 1621 W BROAD ST RICHMOND VA } 57
RECORD Reviews by Andrew Necci (AN), Addison Herron-Wheeler (AHW), Brad Kutner (BK), Dan Mulrooney (DM), Shannon Cleary (SC), Wil Wilson (WW)
Arsis
Black Milk
Synth or Soul (fatbeats.com)
Full Of War (Good Fight)
Conditions
Cooh
The fifth album from Virginia Beach metalheads Arsis shows the quartet in top form. Recent lineup shakeups might be a concern for some bands, but this has always been singer/guitarist James Malone’s show, and he’s got things under control, dishing out another helping of the group’s stock in trade-excellent technical death metal. (AN)
This collection of jams from Black Milk showcases his love for synthesizers, in contrast with his usual style of sample-heavy hip-hop. Tracks progress chronologically from G-Funk influenced beats full of retro synths to the classic Detroit sound made famous by Jay Dee. Definitely worth a listen if you need a new instrumental hip-hop fix. (WW)
This RVA post-hardcore group returns with the followup to their excellent 2010 debut, Fluorescent Youth. Since scaling back to a single guitar, they’ve polished up their sound and dialed back a bit of the aggression. However, their knack for anthemic, emotional hooks remains intact, and fans won’t be disappointed. (AN)
This dark drum n’ bass full-length is much heavier than most of the stuff you’ll hear on the dance floor. The diverse sound design and occasional changes in tempo keep the pace interesting. Comparable, but not at all identical, to artists such as Silent Killer and Gein, this is great example of darker, harder EDM. (AHW)
Unwelcome (Nuclear Blast)
Defeated Sanity
Self-titled EP (self-released)
Since Last We Spoke (funsize.bigcartel.com)
Fun Size
Hot Dolphin
If you want to get your summer started right, look no further than the latest showing from Eddie P and Big East. “Sixteen” and “Bombz Away” are surefire anthems that will never leave your subconscious. This collection of excellent club jams should have everyone grinning like an idiot over the next couple months. (SC)
This 90s RVA pop-punk mainstay has returned for their first album in nearly 15 years, and it’s a doozy! A touch of maturity has infected these admittedly-no-longerteenage punks, but when all it does is add a tinge of Smoking Popes and Jawbreaker to their upbeat early-Green Day sound, I doubt anyone’s complaining. This rules. (AN)
Temper tantrums and garage rock influences are an easy way to sum up what makes Hot Dolphin great. On their debut release, the group does a fine job showcasing songs that they’ve been playing since their inception. “In Between” is a strong contender for best song by a Richmond band this year. (SC)
Hypocrisy
Intalek
Iron Reagan
Pretty much the same Hypocrisy we’ve been hearing since 2004’s The Arrival and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. They deliver catchy, melodic death metal as usual, but the lyrics focus more on conspiracy theories than aliens this time around. Satisfying instrumentally, but the New World Order is mentioned more often here than by pro wrestling fans. (WW)
Titled in reference to this Tidewater MC’s recent move to Los Angeles, this 41-minute “EP” features a deadly first single in “What’s Next.” But that’s not all it has to offer--with consistently displayed lyrical gifts and EOM’s funky, sample-heavy production, this is an extremely solid release. Come back to VA! (AN)
Worse Than Dead (A389)
One Hundred Years Old (thelowbranches.bandcamp.com)
This RVA hardcore/metal supergroup will offer no curveballs for fans of the members’ other bands (Municipal Waste, Cannabis Corpse, Darkest Hour)--however, that’s not a bad thing. With its furious vocals, accelerated tempos, and aggressive, stripped-down riffing, Worse Than Dead is the perfect soundtrack for a wicked skate session. (AN)
This album is yet another testament to the reason people become spellbound over The Low Branches. One Hundred Years Old travels distances to unveil how fragile we all are, and reveal the rewards of truly understanding one’s mortality. Christina Gleixner’s voice should surely send shivers down the spine of any listener. (SC)
Passages Into Deformity (Willowtip) Good old chunky brutal death metal reminiscent of bands like Suffocation or Malignancy. Better production than previous albums, which does their riffs a considerable favor. Technical without getting noodly, and sloppy in all the right places. If you like brutal cookie monster vocals, blast beats, and groovy, downtuned guitars, you really can’t go wrong with this one. (WW)
End of Disclosure (Nuclear Blast)
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Eddie P and Big East
ReBirth (Position Chrome)
The LA.VA EP (intalek.bandcamp.com)
Hotter Dolphiner (hotdolphin.bandcamp.com)
The Low Branches
RVA MAGAZINE 13 SUMMER 2013
The Nervous Ticks
A Loathe Supreme (thenervousticks.bandcamp.com) This is a perfect representation of The Nervous Ticks. Reeking of filth and full of snotty attitude, A Loathe Supreme oozes with pop sensibilities, hidden just underneath all of the frenzy. “Rat Brat” is so good that I challenge anyone to not fall head over heels for this tune instantly. (SC)
Nick Coward and The Last Battle Thieves
(nickcowardandthelastbattle.bandcamp.com) After a long wait, Nick Coward and the Last Battle have finally unveiled a debut full-length that doesn’t disappoint. Layered with tales built around fantasy and a delicate sense of musicianship, Thieves helps cement this local outfit’s reputation as one of the best, and indicates that they have a promising future ahead. (SC)
Phoenix
Sodom
Expectations are a tough thing to compete with. Having taken a lengthy break to focus on their next step as a band, Phoenix has returned with Bankrupt!, a focused release mixing sentimental sounds with the current European musical sphere. There is elegance to what Phoenix pull off here and longtime fans should appreciate their attention to detail. (SC)
Kreator in issue #11, Destruction in #12, now Sodom--it’s a German thrash metal renaissance! How these bands, threedecade veterans all, continue to pump out quality records year after year is a mystery to me, but I’m sure not complaining. If you’re into solid, no-frills thrash, this record is right up your alley. (AN)
Bankrupt! (Glassnote)
Epitome Of Torture (SPV)
Splendid Suns
Strictly Ballroom
Suffocation
Thee Oh Sees
The first full-length effort from Richmond’s own Splendid Suns is a deep melodic sprawl, with penetrating harmonies and rhythms that toss you around the room. Thoughtful, heavy content and an overall cohesiveness make this album a truly impressive debut, from start to finish. (DM)
Featuring future members of The Postal Service, Beachwood Sparks, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, and many more, Strictly Ballroom may be more notable for its legacy than its recorded output. However, fans of 90s midwestern emo (Christie Front Drive, Mineral) are encouraged to investigate the undiscovered treasures this collection has to offer. (AN)
The latest album from brutal New York death metal legends Suffocation is a crowd-pleaser for seasoned fans and new ones alike. It’s catchy, well-orchestrated, and memorable enough to stand on its own--not necessarily something I would say for their past two albums. It’s actually good, not just mandatory because of the name it carries. (AHW)
Floating Coffin is 10 solid tracks of beachfuzz, some-nonsense rock. It starts out with fast-paced, manic pych-pop riffs and carries the mantle well throughout. “Toe Cutter - Thumb Buster” stands out as a solid summer jam. While some songs sound like they could have been on previous albums, its a decent addition to an outstanding band’s catalog. (BK)
Tyler, The Creator
Uncle Acid And The Dead- Vicious Rumors Electric Punishment beats
That’s Why We Cross Our Collected Recordings Fingers 1994-99 (splendidsuns.bandcamp.com) (Tenderness)
Wolf (Odd Future/Sony)
Mind Control You either love or hate him, but you can’t (Rise Above) deny that Tyler, The Creator is a talented individual. On Wolf, he is at it again, and tonally, he isn’t as despicable on this release. This early in his career, it’s impressive to see how much variety he offers. Wolf is definitely worth a listen for listeners willing to give him a second chance. (SC) CHECK RVAMAG.COM DAILY
This mysterious throwback conjures the spooky underside of the 60s free love movement and adds a big dose of 70s gore/ exploitation films, brilliantly recreating the darkest sounds of the early 70s proto-metal and late 60s acid-rock eras. Psychedelic doom metal as horror movie soundtrack. Absolutely brilliant. (AN)
Pinnacle of Bedlam (Nuclear Blast)
(SPV)
Fine, I admit it--I’m a sucker for 80s thrash metal bands I remember from my youthful days reading RIP Magazine. And Vicious Rumors throw enough dated high-note abuse into the vocals to push this over the line into ironic enjoyment for some. But I sincerely enjoy the hell out of this album. METAAAAALLL!!! (AN)
Floating Coffin (Castle Face)
Way, Shape or Form
Person, Place or Thing (Worthless Junk)
When scoping the local scene, Way, Shape or Form easily stand out. On this second full-length, the electronic pop journey singer/songwriter Troy Gatrell invites you on is mesmerizing. A release with infinite potential and a carousel of impeccable talent can only mean this is an act worth coveting. (SC) 59
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