In a city known for interesting artists, the trio known as Buttercup may be a little more to the strange end, or they could be right smack in the middle of the road with their hauntingly spare Americana covers and originals about love, loss, death and desolation. Whether you find these two guitar-playing sisters and a drummer refreshingly unique or disturbingly morose may have a little to do with how much you’ve had to drink and how much you like to listen to Patsy Cline. Personally, we love them with a shot of Beam Black and a High Life. www.buttercupmusic.com.
While older brother Josh Scolaro has long been making headlines in town as a solo artist and with his power-pop outfits Supercomp and Aircraft, sisters Erin and Megan have crafted a niche for themselves with their melodic indie rock. The sisters, who started as an acoustic guitar duo, are now playing as a full-fledged band called You Guys Are Girls with drummer Kevin Willoughby and the newest member, bassist Justin Poroszok. After putting the recent R-Pop Festival together as a family affair, Erin and Megan and the rest of the band are working on new material and playing more shows. www.myspace.com/uguysrgirls.
A long-hidden gem of the Richmond music scene is Anthony Curtis, who has played his unique blend of power-prog/jazz all over the world — including a stint in Qatar — with legends such as Tony Levin (Yes, King Crimson, Asia) and Jeff Gauthier. Curtis is working on “a couple of movie soundtracks” and honing some new soundscapes into songs by playing all around town, including Poe’s Pub and Rocks downtown and The Market and The Pour House in the West End. You can find his schedule and catch a few videos of the guitarist, who has been compared to Hendrix, Thurston Moore and Robert Fripp, at www.anthonycurtis.net.
Speed8limit is one of the busiest bands in the capital area. Playing a mix of covers and originals and priding themselves on their ability to work a room, the band members formerly known as Superboot have a full schedule, including regular stops at many of the area’s best-known party bars like Easy Street in the Fan and The Market in Innsbrook. You can find their schedule at www.myspace.com/speed8limit.
Richmond rockabilly mainstays Chrome Daddy Disco have semi-regrouped as Gorgeous. Featuring Bandito’s owner Sean McLain and Style Weekly Publisher Jim Wark, as well as Kyle Christianson, Brian Nalls and writer Greg Weatherford, Gorgeous has just completed its third live show since forming in March. The band’s high energy is reminiscent of Chrome Daddy, but its repertoire is more diverse. — compiled by Jeff Sadler, Alyssa Holtgrove and Jay Smack of Studio B.
