Eight Track: Part Two

The most clever of RVANews’s Internet programming is back. Well actually, it’s back next week, but here are all the detes to prepare your mind to be blown.

June 10, 2008; 9:00 AM • by Matthew E. White

The Eight Track! World class purveyor of Richmond aesthetics and charming online musical challenge RETURNS!!! Gracing your browser window, wasting far too many minutes at work, and causing familial infighting rivaled by only the greatest of college football rivalries. If you missed out last time, our little Internet arms are wide open with welcome. If you are an embattled and weary veteran, we usher in your return with heartfelt respect and bottomless reverence. Regardless of your previous relationship with the most clever of RVANews’s Internet programming or your attitude toward Richmond’s local musical family, we encourage and appreciate your participation. Drape yourself in the democracy that becomes the Internet and embrace your right to fight with words, clever voting schemes, and Internet bullying for the mind-slayers of your choice.

The Detes

The artistic board of directors of Eight Track have invited 12 more of Richmond’s most creative young minds and most thoughtful old ones to participate in our beloved Eight Track. Four bands/songwriters are returning from the last go through: Hot Lava, Supa Fly Floosies, Brian Jones, and Fight the Big Bull. These 16 songwriters will be split into four groups of four. Each week, STARTING NEXT MONDAY!!! a new set of songs will be debuted. You, the active participant in all things RVANews, will first listen and then vote/blog/and generally talk all the sh*t that you are willing and able – good shit, bad shit, etc.

For those of you that are sweating in your seats because you realize that you are going out of town for a week, where they presumably do not have the Internet (???) and are thinking that you will miss a round of voting, do not despair!!! You will be able to listen and vote on all past songs, we are just unveiling a new set of four every week so that you can handle the significant responsibility of choosing wisely.

After a month of sweat, emotional turmoil, leaving all that we have out on the floor/world wide web, and a general raising of your quality of life due to Eight Track we will end the voting. Although it is true that your quality of life will lower to its “Pre-Eight Track” level you will be rewarded for using you ears, your hearts, that mighty engine of democracy that we call the Internet, and for Richmond’s obscene level of local talent. We will tally the votes (using the mysterious and mighty BCS ) and all you lovers of melody and rhythm will receive a completely sublime mixed tape of the top eight vote getters. This will be available for download on your favorite river-city-friendly website, RVANews.com.

The Bands

You should know by now that we do not unveil the bands during our opening day ceremonies. I will, however, continue to rev the hype machine and slather shrewd and quick-witted pro-Richmond-isms around like a Midwest tornado, Or like Taz. Anyhow, in short, the bands will rule per usual. As was previously stated, winners stay so there will be at least four familiar faces. The other faces, familiar or not, will be comprised of a patchwork of Richmond’s most astute creators. There are the addition of a few instrumentals sans-words, some DJ material, and perhaps even a soundtrack excerpt.

I’ve said this before but it must be said again. Navigating genres can be tough, and presenting listeners with a completely accurate depiction of our city’s musical landscape is even more difficult so we choose to do neither. The folks represented on this edition of Eight Track are musicians whose music we love, are familiar with, and folks who Richmond has shown some trust in. Most of the participants are singer slash songwriters of some sort or another. Some have bands, others don’t; some play with weird noises, or horns, or strange looking instruments or sing with funny voices. Some are easier to listen to than others. Regardless of how each of these musicians strikes you, know that all 16 of these folks live in your city. They have been to the River an exceptional amount of times, their favorite monument varies but everyone agrees that Arthur Ashe is a strange fit. They have lived in Church Hill and in The Fan and maybe in Carver and probably Jackson Ward, but most of all they all welcome the onset of our distinctively Richmond brand of humidity. We are lucky to have them here, and RVANews is very, very proud to have them sharing their songs with us. Next week you will taste what Richmond has to offer and again it will be delightful. Keep your ears oiled.