Scene Recap: The Talkies, Bill Kennedy, Cody Mollen

Published March 31, 2023

Countless great outlets, organizations, and individuals cover the music scene in Richmond, so many that it might be hard to keep up to date on all of them. We’ll try and collect some great articles, coverage, and news bits we’ve read each week here at The Auricular.

• Sad to hear about the recent passing of Bill Kennedy, the owner of local record store BK Music from 2001 until 2019. BK was the favorite spot for many record collectors in town, some of whom went out of their way to drive there weekly, calling Kennedy on the phone before heading over just to make sure he would reserve a copy. (He always did.) Some of my most prized records in my collection came from BK, many of which were unintended purchases just by browsing the store or chatting with him at the register. I’m trying to remember my last time there or the last record I bought from BK Music. It might have been March 2nd, 2018, when I picked up Historian by Lucy Dacus on the day it was released. I remember calling the store to make sure they had enough copies, racing over on my lunch break, meeting up with Davy Jones, who also wanted a copy, and then grabbing a bite to eat nearby while discussing the greatness of “Night Shift.” While I would like to think I made one more trip before the shop closed in the summer of 2019, at least my last memory of the store was a clear and positive one. The Richmond music community was better with Bill Kennedy as part of it, and while his passing leaves a void, we’re all better people for having experienced his kindness. For more on Bill, I’d suggest this touching article penned by the Richmond Free Press. (Article link here.)

• Another fundraiser to call attention to this week. Cody Mollen, a staple of the local hardcore scene, recently discovered he has a large pituitary tumor on his optic nerve. Cody has already had one surgery to remove part of the tumor and may need additional surgeries depending on how the radiation treatment goes. Ross Gordon put together a GoFundMe to help mitigate the costs of this treatment so Cody can focus his energy and time on recovering. Consider donating today if you can. (Fundrasier link here.)

• Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion just announced its 2023 line-up with several local talents. I think I counted seven? Maybe there’s more? Check it out for yourself. (Lineup link here.)

• We talked a bit about The Rap Class series in this article from Wednesday, but I also wanted to call out the excellent job The Mattison Network is doing with Connecting The Dots. This long-form, candid interview series is incredibly fascinating. Three episodes in so far and I already have a long list of local figures I’d love to see sit down for a chat. Noah-O, Radio B, and Michael Millions have been amazing guests so far and make sure you’re subscribed to Mattison Network’s YouTube channel so you don’t miss an episode! (YouTube link here.)

• Speaking of local series, did you hear HearRVA’s Liner Notes just wrapped its second season? Can’t wait for the first episode!

• We highlighted some local zines last week and were alerted to one more: The Gween Zine. Give them a follow on Instagram so you know when the next issue comes out! (Instagram link here.)

• Davy Jones (the same one from the BK anecdote above) told the story behind Curt Snydor’s new chamber symphony, “The Fall Of Richmond,” over at Style Weekly. If you’re free this Saturday, make sure to head over to Gallery5 and check it out! It’s free! (Article link here.)

• Marilyn Drew highlighted the upcoming Meridian Brothers performance at Richmond Music Hall in her show column this week, and Peter McElhinney from Style Weekly took a deeper look into the Columbian group’s story for Style Weekly. (Article link here.)

• Hey, more Peter McElhinney — he profiled jazz musician Christian McBride for Style Weekly before his performance at The Modlin Center tonight. (Article link here.)

• And one more from Peter McElhinney (busy man this week!): he told the story of conductor Valentina Peleggi before her Dominion Energy performance this Saturday. (Article link here.)

• Andrew Bonieskie profiled Holy Roller over at RVA Magazine. Reading that article made me desperately want to share a giant pizza with a local band, so if you’ve got time and an appetite, let me know! Otherwise, check out this article. You will be pleasantly entertained. (Article link here.)

• RVA Magazine also interviewed queer dance artist Trapcry by Justice Smith. Between this, Marilyn Drew’s mention of him in our show column, and his recent spread in GFY magazine, I feel like the universe is screaming at me to go see him live. He plays tonight with a killer line-up at Black Iris Social Club so here’s hoping I make it over there. (Article link here.)

• Honest Debts was the recent guest on River City Sounds this past week. The band has a new album coming near the end of April, and I’m sure we’ll have a lot to say about it. Until then, check out this episode for an interesting conversation and a fantastic performance. (Spotify link here.)

• Dante DuVall of local atmospheric metal band TEL stopped by Tay’s Green Life this week for a fun conversation. Be prepared for a deep answer to the question, “What is the scene lacking?” around the eight-minute mark. (YouTube link here.)

• We mentioned Marilyn Drew’s show column a few times already, but definitely go check it out to find some notable shows going on this coming week. (Article link here.) Those aren’t the only shows going on in town though. If you want to look at everything going on and then pick something for yourself, might I point you to the wonderful team behind Restless RVA? They have “menus” of all the performances around Richmond each weekend so check it out! (Instagram link here.)

• As always, we close the column with a local song. This week, I want to look back on one of my all-time favorite local bands: The Talkies. Whenever someone asks me about a band I wish was still making music in town, my answer is The Talkies. Whenever someone asks me about a favorite local concert, my answer is The Talkies (Strange Matter 2017, read more here). Pretty much, if you get me talking about Richmond music in general, I’ll inevitably come back to blabbering about The Talkies. It happened on several podcasts, a few important planning meetings, and countless post-concert conversations outside venues. Hell, I’m unwittingly quoted in two local articles from 2016 and 2017 that basically say I can’t shut up about how great they are. I’ve wanted to cover them here for a while now, mostly delaying because I’ll have too much to say about them, but today is the perfect time since we just premiered “Brat” by Deore, the solo pseudonym of The Talkies’ lead singer Marissa Butler. (I highly recommend you listen to “Brat” and read the article to learn the backstory behind it. Song and article link is here!) Also in Talkies news, drummer Austin Ruhf’s new band Roughshod was featured on Gott Sound Sessions (link). Oh, and The Talkies bassist Johnny is celebrating a birthday today! As I said, perfect time to talk about them. The band released three EPs in 2016 — Eyesie Spysies, Dead Dad Grades, and These Aren’t My Friends, I’ve Just Known Them For Awhile — that showcased their core appeal: blissful shoegaze with a fiery direction. I was lucky enough to see them a handful of times before they broke up in 2017 and these songs truly thrived in a live setting, where the band’s tenacious skill whirred through each song like a spellbound fireball of melodic frenzy. The song I’ll share for you today showcases all of this talent and excitement. It’s a song I revisit repeatedly, and I truly believe it is one of the finest songs to ever come out of Richmond. This melodic punch, this soaring garage anthem, this perfect combination of harmony and snark… this is “Graner Cards.” Check it out and I’ll see you next week.