The Beaches are a foursome from Canada led by two sisters. They’ve been around for about six years but have only produced on album. Sure to be KJ’s favorite. Rather than try to compare them to another band, I’ll just say they rock. The have the simple four-piece rock band formula figured out. The videos tell the story. Another great aftershow possibility.
Riot Fest 2019 Countdown 7 – Skating Polly
This week we’re going five wide Monday through Friday. So much to catch up on, so little time until Riot Fest. This time I dove deep into the lineup poster. One each from lines 11 to 15. I never heard any of them before but I think they’re worthy of a preview, especially based on the success we’ve had with similar bands in the past. Three are female led (Wolf Alice and Potty Mouth) and two are duos (T0P and Slaves).
Skating Polly remind me of Potty Mouth. They definitely follow the path set by Bikini Kill as a Riot Grrrl band. Led by step-sisters, they’ve put out five albums since 2011. So they’ve been busy. Their first album was produced by Excene Cervanka of X, so they got their punk street cred right away. From Oklahoma, not that there’s anything wrong with that. Just not a normal hotbed of punk like Virginia Beach.
Before we get to Skating Polly videos, let’s revisit Riot Grrrl again. Here’re a few museum pieces from Seattle’s Museum of Popular Culture (you gotta check this place out if in Seattle, especially if you even vaguely appreciate Pearl Jam and Nirvana) dedicated to Riot Grrl bands, including a few copies of the fanzine published by one of Riot Fest’s headliners. Feminist punk is alive and well at Riot Fest and you gotta love it!
Riot Fest 2019 Countdown 8 – Turnover
We’ll segue from one dream pop band (Ride) to another; from Great Britain to Virginia Beach. Two alternative music meccas… Turnover are a dream pop alternative band from VB. Turnover is also kinda emo, but isn’t Virginia Beach? Never heard of them before but it’s interesting to know the environment they came out of. Did they ever play Peabody’s? Where did they go to school? If we see them they be one bookend of my VB/Norfolk live music experience opposite Waxing Poetics. I’ll buy a round of drinks if one of them is sporting a WRV or Raven t-shirt.
Riot Fest 2019 Countdown 8 – Ride
Ride is our third Brit band this week. And by far the most influential. Their guitarist was in Oasis for god sake, between stints in Ride. It might be a Jedi mind trick but I think I can hear some Ride in Oasis now. Cited as one of the poster children for the “shoegaze” or “dream pop” movement of the early nineties. Kinda a psychedelic sound with a dreamy alternative spin. Remember The Ocean Blue or Lush? Their sound started with Ride. Not to sure how they’ll be on a big stage, but a late night aftershow (with tomorrow’s band?) at the Cobra would be good.
Riot Fest 2019 Countdown 8 – The Struts
The Struts. While yesterday’s post harkened back to a Lolla, so do the Struts for me. After “discovering” Twenty One Pilots (with 50k others) on Sunday of Lolla 2015 I took my nephew to see T0P at the NorVa. (yeah, Twenty One Pilots at a small venue…almost as crazy as seeing them for free at a Chipotle festival). And the opening band at the NorVa was the Struts. There is almost zero comparison that I can make between the two, but that’s not bad. It was just an odd pairing. One day I’ll figure out the politics of how opening bands are selected (like Masked Intruder for Interrupters?). Anyway, the Struts were great and very memorable. Have a great 70s-eque classic/glam rock sound with a charismatic Freddy Mercury/Steven Tyler like front man. I think they do that sound better than Greta Van Fleet and have wondered how The Struts were overlooked for the Zeppelin copy cats. I think this will be a great show. Could be a top five for Riot Fest. A good aftershow choice too.