The Dream Syndicate were part of the West Coast "Paisley Underground" sound of the 1980s - traveling in the same circles as the Bangles and Rain Parade. The raucous guitar band, who toured with R.E.M. and U2 back in the day, recently reformed and are recording a reunion album at Montrose Studio in Richmond (and playing a live show at Strange Matter). Read my interview with bandleader Steve Wynn of the Dream Syndicate by clicking here.
The Richmond-area group Edge of Daybreak recorded a soul album in 1979 called "Eyes of Love," while all of its members were inmates at Powhatan Correctional Center. The record has since been rediscovered and hailed as a classic, reissued by the Numero Group label. Here is the lowdown on the record and my interview with James Carrington, band member and co-songwriter.
The Dads were Virginia's great lost pop band. A popular club attraction across the state in the early '80s, but particularly in Richmond, their homebase, the group featured the late Bryan Harvey, who would later go on to House of Freaks. The quartet recorded one, lamentable, LP for CBS before breaking up in 1985, but a great new CD of lost recordings, called "Redemption," has just been issued. I talked to drummer Mike Tubb about the unearthed sessions and, sadly, he passed away some weeks later, on the day of the CD's record release party. You can read the Dads article by clicking here.
