Some towns are known for music (such as Memphis, Detroit, Austin, Seattle). And often towns that are recognized on a music map are known for a specific style of music. Lately, Fredericksburg, Virginia is becoming known for its emerging shoegaze scene. A few years ago my attention was drawn to Skywave, which produced a dense, heavy, but melodic sound. That band transitioned into Ceremony, which we profiled in 2011. The new kids on the Fredericksburg block are the trio Raw Feels, who have just released their seven-track debut, Raw Feels on Bad Friend Records.
Raw Feels' sound boasts a guitar-focused sound that may remind the listener of My Bloody Valentine, or of Skywave or Ceremony, and probably is best described as post-punk, shoegaze or space rock. Here is standout album track "Isolation" --
Raw Feels - Isolation by BadFriendRecords
If you prefer, here is the track on Bandcamp:
While there is variety among the tracks on Raw Feels, the constants are the deadpan vocal delivery and commitment to a dense soundscape of distorted guitar. While the band is not equal to Ceremony at this point in time, it is a welcome and promising addition to the scene for those of us who appreciate this genre.
"Much More" is one of the more accessible tracks on the album:
The songs on the album were written by frontman Ben Wood, or by Ben and guitarist Chris Carr, and recorded by Ben Wood, Chris Carr, and John Fedowitz of Ceremony and Skywave (in John's basement). John also produced the album. Making it a musical family affair, Ben also plays drums for Ceremony, and Chris plays bass for Ceremony. And mentioned only because it is a cool name, one of Ben's former bands was called Carlos, I'm Pregnant
And here is a live performance of the track "Raw Feels" captured at The Dunes in Washington, D.C. --
Twitter ( @RawFeels )
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