The Auricular

10/07/2025

SONG PREMIERE: Indie-pop soul group Erin and the Wildfire embrace radical rest on their new single, "Sway."

Read the article and listen to the song now before its official release on Friday, July 10. Don't miss the band in concert next on Friday, July 11 at The Camel celebrating the single release alongside eight-piece groove machine Weekend Plans.

Summer’s sensory richness often comes with a torrent of obligations. People to see, outdoor events to attend, vacations to plan, mid-year goals to chase; all of it piling onto an already relentless to-do list. Even on weekends or holidays, where rest is not just allowed but encouraged, the pressur...

10/07/2025

Affecting musician K Rayana taps into self-love, resilience, and emotional alchemy in the new video for “Gold,” part of the ongoing Booth The Streets series.

As much as we prioritize empathy in our society, it’s often grace for ourselves that remains elusive. Understanding for the person staring back in the mirror. Comfort found in solitude that can keep us steady through chaos. Patience to recognize that stumbling doesn’t mean you’ve stopped movin...

10/07/2025

Richmond MC Kid Zach prowls the night alongside MiddleManR3ek in the shadowy video for "GOOSEBUMPZ," shot by Truth Visions.

The gritty realism that fuels underground hip-hop can feel strange to outsiders, dismissed as either exaggerated bravado or blurred fantasy. There may be truth buried in the bars, but unless you’re living in each rapper’s shoes, separating fact from fiction is nearly impossible. Richmond MC Kid ...

10/07/2025

Tantalizing synth-punks GIRLSPIT exhibit panic, pleasure, and pedal power in the new music video for "Epic."

Few things compare to the thrill of surrendering to music that refuses restraint. It’s a visceral rush, liberating the self by shattering inhibition and flooding the senses with raw, unfiltered energy. Richmond trio GIRLSPIT has built their identity around that very rush, crafting songs that turn ...

10/07/2025

Call him Jon Prince or Jonny Loe--it doesn't matter, as long as you stay out of his way. In the new video for “Misfit,” the third installment in the Off Campus 2025 series, he locks in with tunnel vision and something to prove.

09/07/2025

Start making your plans for the next week of live music with our latest column covering all the key shows. As always, RVA Must-See Shows has you covered with concert picks showcasing thrash metal, cumbia, gritty punk, and three very different interpretations of "experimental jazz." Here is your guide to shows you must see July 9 - July 15!

FEATURED SHOW Friday, July 11, 7 PM Wrong Worshippers, CPS, Velvet Ruin @ Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House – $17.10 (order tickets HERE) Having a band in high …

08/07/2025

ALBUM PREMIERE: Heavy duo Wrong Worshippers boldly level up with the release of their new album, Get Skooled.

Read the article and listen to the album now before its official release on Wednesday, July 9. Don't miss the band in concert next on Friday, July 11 at Richmond Music Hall celebrating the album release.

Richmond’s music scene has thrived for decades thanks to a steady influx of young talent, new generations that cut their teeth before the last has finished even making its mark. Fueled by a rich DIY culture and a constant stream of creatively driven students from VCU, the city remains a magnet for...

08/07/2025

Jazz fusion giants Butcher Brown dive into deep house on “Ibiza,” a hypnotic standout from Letters From The Atlantic captured with rich clarity by The Sunroom in a Select Cuts video.

Fans of Butcher Brown have come to expect genre-blurring brilliance, an effortless fusion of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and soul that makes even the most peripheral styles feel comfortably within reach. Still, few could have predicted deep house would be the next sound the acclaimed quintet surveys, but...

08/07/2025

Bringing plenty of affectionate grit to the bowling alley, hip-hop artist WhoaKeelo finds plenty to love in the new video for "Seen The Real," directed by HundoMadeIt.

Despite all the noise and distractions life throws our way, there are still moments worth slowing down for, like locking eyes with someone who makes time feel completely irrelevant. That sentiment fuels the bouncy, affectionate energy of “Seen The Real,” a recent track from Richmond MC WhoaKeelo...

08/07/2025

Hip-hop herald Ty Sorrell turns inward to move upward in the video for "All On You," the opening track to his recent collaboration with Profound79.

Life’s pressures can feel relentless. So much we want to do, so much we have to do, so much we’re forced to do, and so much left to do. Support systems help–it takes a village, after all–but at the end of the day, it’s you staring back in the mirror, carrying the weight of what’s left un...

08/07/2025

Fueled by rolling conviction and nonstop drive, Finess'em Rio maps out the hustle from dusk to dawn in the new video for “All Night,” part of the ongoing Booth The Streets series.

In an era where everyone’s trying to stretch the hours in a day, burning through the night feels like a constant ambition. But even that drive has its limit… at least for most. Not Finess’em Rio. This Richmond MC treats that limit not as a setback, but as fuel. On his latest single, “All Nig...

07/07/2025

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, July 23rd, because The Auricular is bringing the stirring sounds of Brookhouse to Plan 9 Music for a special in-store performance!

Brookhouse is the recording name of eclectic songwriter Alex Foster, who creates music deeply rooted in identity, empathy, and heritage through a skillful fusion of rock, Latin jazz, and Americana that honors his Cuban legacy and Virginian roots. Each song is an eclectic celebration of culture and emotion, illustrating the complex multitudes within us all that Foster displays with a voice that effortlessly shifts between rich vibrato and smooth falsetto while delivering verses in both English and Spanish. His recent debut single, “American Sounds,” captures this spirit with a lush musical composition that explores the immigrant experience, holding tightly to authenticity amid pressures to assimilate. With the American Sounds EP set for release later this year, now is the perfect time to experience this rising musician live on Plan 9’s intimate stage.

Don’t miss this FREE show at Plan 9 Music on Wednesday, July 23rd. Come reflect, connect, and celebrate the voices that truly shape this city, state, and country.