When deciding how to approach the music of Virginia, we thought there’d be no better guide than multi-instrumentalist Reggie Pace. He just recently released RVA All Day with the No BS! Brass Band, an album that celebrates the music scene of Richmond. Pace is involved in countless projects, playing with folks like Bon Iver and Matthew E. White. Read his picks of the best Virginia acts below.
Virginia was the home of the Confederacy and the home of one of the most vibrant African American business communities in America. It’s a place of a lot of history. And it’s my home. We mix and mingle here and create art.
The music scene of this state is reflective of the wide range of personalities here also. Punk, country, hip hop, jazz, and rock all converge here. Groups like Lamb of God, Dave Matthews Band, Jason Mraz, Missy Elliot, Timbaland, Pharrell Williams, N.E.R.D and more recently Matthew E. White and DJ Williams have all been a part of the national and international music conversation. There are so many bands and talented musicians here. Here are just of few of the things on the rise. Come here and experience the scene for the rest of them. You won’t be disappointed.
1. Brunswick
Hometown: Richmond
Band leader John Hulley has created a modern big band that actually lives in the present. Surrounded by young talented musicians who play jazz like it’s fun(!), John’s arranged creative covers of Daft Punk, Frank Ocean and Pedro the Lion while still writing originals inspired by Twin Peaks and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Music Nerd Paradise! I’ve just started to play percussion in this group (yay!). Look out for these guys. They’re just getting started.
2. Butcher Brown
Hometown: Richmond
This raw hip-hop and hip-hop-influenced jazz comes from incredible young musicians who’ve played with jazz masters like Nicholas Payton and Jeff Watts. These guys are primed to make a huge splash soon.
Download a free EP through their website.
3. DJ Harrison
Hometown: Chester
Beat-smith, drummer, pianist, bassist, producer. A gifted instrumentalist making hip-hop landscapes using live instruments and analog samplers and drum pads. He makes his own sample sources, then samples them. He and his crew Reeverb Entertainment are making a lot of records.
Listen here.
4. Gull
Hometown: Richmond
One-man-band Gull is the truth. His vocal mic is inside of that hand-made mask. Experimental rock at its finest. I love the raw energy and sounds—loop station, guitar and drums all played well and with a ton of emotion. This guy is very creative.
