This Saturday 12/10, DC’s hip-hop group The Whole Damn Delegation is performing at U Street Music Hall as part of a new series of concerts presented by the 9:30 Club there. The WDD on their sound, "We’re like nothing and everything you’d imagined live band hip hop could sound like, and we’re good at it." Dope. Joining them is another native DC artist, ReemStarr, with two albums under his belt. It’ll be ultimate- and tickets are selling here! In the meantime, check out their live video of "You Wonder Woman" below.
Is and of The is the DC-based project of Drew Bandos, a Philly native, who’s third installment of recordings/first official album, Heads Phased For Dreamless Sleep, soars to a new level of organic shoegaze blended with electronic bits and echoing whispers. Experimental may be an understatement as each of the 11 tracks have the ability to capture your subconscious attention and cause a drift into daydream world. Gorgeous.
"I Used to Swim in Seas Outside Of Me" is exactly how it sounds. An out of body experience in sound. "Interlude" blasts a deep drone over reversed strings, a sweet transition from one of the many standout’s on the record "Sleepless Dream" where warbling keys bloom before Bandos bursts into a melancholic chorus. And "Litost" sneaks in a bit of trip hop, adding a welcomed groove to a haunting melody. Love.
The album is available now via Mush Records/iTunes/Amazon. –Dawn
"Following the Washington, DC band Beauty Pill‘s summer 2011 open recording residency at Artisphere, the Immersive Ideal project returns with a multimedia installation designed by Kelley Bell and Stephan Moore. The installation will feature a user-interactive, monome-controlled array of photographs from the recording sessions by Nestor Diaz, Morgan Klein, Brian Libby, Jon Pack and PJ Sykes.
From January 7-22, you can listen to Beauty Pill’s new album – recorded at and presented exclusively at the Artisphere – while immersed in the photographs that document the band’s experiment in radical artistic transparency. The installation will run in the Black Box Theater itself, where the recording took place, furthering the intimacy between the viewer/listener and the work." –Courtesy Terrorbird Media
Saturday January 7-22 / Free / Black Box Theatre Free public opening reception Saturday January 7 – 7-10 pm.
DC electro rock duo 16 Large are more than just a genre-bending producer of dance beats. They are an ever evolving sound machine that have collectively been rocking the scene in some form or another for nearly 20 years. This alone wasn’t the only reason that they skyrocketed to the top of last month’s Band of the Month poll. With a successful self-release, music video, performances at 9:30 Club, and WHFS Battle of the Bands final placement- their resume of rock continues to grow. So we caught up with Trevor Krainik (Vocals, Synths) and Allen McDaniel (Synths, Drums, Programming) to find out more. Here they tell us about influential siblings, DC’s dancefloor revival, and their upcoming new tracks. Now on to the interview…
Their debut EP Self released in April, is available for free download on their website right now! Check out the video for "Make Me Crazy" from the album below.
This Thursday 12/1 marks a hometown extravaganza as DC’s Jukebox the Ghost takes the stage at the 9:30 Club along with DC’s Deleted Scenes, and the Spinto Band. Did you dig their album "Everything Under the Sun"? Perhaps they’ll play your favorite song, so you better be sure you get there to hear it! And the 9:30 Club wants to make sure that happens, so we’ve got a couple passes to give away! Just email us here by 6 PM today 11/30 and let us know your fav song by Jukebox the Ghost or Deleted Scenes. (Please include your first and last name.) The winner will be chosen at random and emailed back today.
‘Following the news of their upcoming year-end shows with Four Year Strong, Set Your Goals, Balance and Composure and Transit, and in support of their upcoming EP Don’t Lose Your Cool out November 29th, Baltimore-based rock outfit Diamond have premiered the second new song from their forthcoming release, entitled "Fly Solo," both streaming and available for free download exclusively at Alternative Press Magazine’s website.’ You can also check out another featured track "Fix of Mine" below. Release party TBA!
Washington DC-based quartet Deletes Scenes have announced a set of fall tour dates with DC’s Jukebox the Ghost and The Spinto Band including a stop at the 9:30 Club on 12/1. They will perform behind their sophomore full-length, Young People’s Church of the Air, an experimental patchwork of 80’s pop, R&B, surf rock, dark funk, and Go-Go that was featured as DC Deli’s Album of the Month. (Photo by Laura Rotondo)
On Nov. 20, the party will be going down at Comic Ping Pong as DC’s own surf indie-pop group Bake Sale release their debut EP Teen Dreams and Beauty Queens. Formed back in early 2010 by sisters Kate and Jill Miller, they were joined by Julian Vu and have been perfecting their post-punk tinged surf pop sound. Joining in the celebration will be the femme-fronted Tennessee rockers Heavy Cream that’ll continue to roll out a raucous night.
All ages are welcome and it starts at 9 PM, 11/20, Comet Ping Pong.
Without using a cheesy pun (which I’m going to use anyway), The Greater the Risk is worth a Greater Risk. Seriously though, the Richmond pop-rock band, who was featured as an Alt Press artist of the month in February 2011, has just released a five track album, entitled Say What You Never Said, and it is full of melodic gems, including first single “Friends and Foes” (which you can listen to here.) Look out for the band’s tour in support of the record this fall, and find out more about the emerging band on their Facebook. –Amanda D.
"The ShakeDowns are a rock and roll band with plenty of punk energy. They somehow manage to sound simultaneously hedonistic and honest, which is quite a feat considering their material. There’s a love of bare-bones rock and roll that fills their songs with big riffs, proud solos and lyrical swagger. With lyrics about chasing women and stories from the bar, The ShakeDowns display the a kind of self-confidence that puts them pretty close to Danko Jones in terms of style and attitude."- punknews.org.
"They are having a reunion show at Black Cat on November 19th and here’s a contest: They will run a random drawing for two (2) TWO!! pairs of tickets to the ShakeDowns/Alphabet Bombers/Nervous Impulse/Do Likes show at Black Cat Friday November 18, 2011. How do you enter? Just like the ShakeDowns Facebook page!" -From the Open Blog
DC’s frontrunners when it comes to combo-ing up some reggae with dub with funk with ska with etc etc etc is hands down Lucky Dub who killed it in our recent poll for Band of the Month. From the large line-up of musicians, we got a hold of John Baker (bass guitar) and Gordon Daniels (vocals/acoustic guitar) to shed some light on what makes Lucky Dub so dubtastic. Here they talk about worldwide reggae, Patty Boom Booms, and their upcoming Remix EP. Now on to the interview...
Lucky Dub’s release Mindset is now available. Check out this video of them performing "Freedom Man" at DC9 with special guest vocalist Mamoudou Balde from Senegal. And catch them at Ram’s Head Live in Baltimore on Nov. 12.
Baltimore’s Future Islands have reached another level of experimentation in their sophomore LP On The Water; the Atlantic. As heard from the studios they eagerly worked in on the coast of North Carolina, they’ve implemented the sound of the ocean throughout the tracks (clearly on "Typee Island"), creating a lush 80’s pop soundtrack fit for the broken hearted (or a sequel to Neverending Story. Well, the way Hollywood’s been lately, we’re due for a remake and Future Islands should effing score that; frrr sure.) Vocalist Samuel T. Herring, bassist William Cashion, and keyboardist Gerrit Welmers seriously tug at the heartstrings in ten beautiful tracks that blend catchy hooks with moving rhythms.
"Before the Bridge" is emotionally powerful with a depressing chord struck in the keys, and a bit of latin flair incorporated before colliding into an intense rhythm, all the while Herring crooning lyrics of heartbreak,"I can’t forget, somehow, for, to forget a love, is to regret."
"The Great Fire" featuring vocals from Wye Oak‘s Jenn Wasner, follows in the trail of heartbreak that "Bridge" had laid out beforehand, urging for another chance with that love you lost. "If you let me be there, again, I’ll be still, won’t say a word." Keys swell, and Siouxsee-ish bells chime in to add that goth glimmer to a ballad already oozing with true feeling.
"Close To None" is a soothing blend of trippy keys leading into Twin Peaks territory, only to snap swiftly into a fun dance beat and a slight turnaround on the road of heartbreak as the lyrics change direction to anticipation. "And now that I’ve found you, you’re not alone." So it’s a happy ending. Overall, it’s a journey I’m ready to take again. -Dawn
Check out this serene video for the first single off On the Water, "Before the Bridge."
