I’ve been following DC’s alt. art-rockers The Chance ever since I picked up their s/t debut EP in the local punk section at Tower Records (RIP!) years ago. I’ve heard their sound progress from DIY punk to epic arena rock, and after several line-up changes over the years, it now appears that Joshua Padgett (vocals/guitar) and Viraj DeSilva (drummer) have found their bass niche in Christian Baldo (Death by Sexy), all of whom totally brought it in a powerful way to Black Cat’s mainstage last Friday.

Their set kicked off with the title track off their upcoming release "New York City Girls", a ridiculously catchy anthem about high-heeled chicks in said metropolis that combines elements of pop rock and fuzz, complete with a memorable chant along chorus, a danceable rhythm section, and guitar licks that remain in your subconscious and emerge again at the sight of a skyscraper.  To say the least, it set the pace for the rest of their set featuring tracks that harped on a vast spectrum of genre, including noise, shoegaze, 80’s metal, alternative, and even a bit of goth as Padgett’s falsetto reached Siouxsie-like quality tinged with, I’m going there, a Latino octave-changing yodel, which was very apparent during "The Abyss of Love."

Also apparent during "Abyss" was the near mimicked moves throughout the crowd following the swaying onstage from Padgett and Baldo. DeSilva’s gargantuan pounding beat was spot on as keys swirled over layers of intensified loops that continued to grow until its fulfilling climax, proving it to be their most dance-friendly track to date.  Following soon after was their ballad "Lapdance in Heaven" that went from beautiful string plucks and synths to a beyond awesome guitar solo from Padgett that was the most Frank Zappa/Stevie Ray Vaughan thing I’ve ever witnessed at the Cat, and something I’d only expect to hear/see at a 100,000 capacity stadium.  At one point during the epic battle of the pick, some staff got onto the house’s light board and turned the stage into a complementary light show- enhancing the journey up and down the fretboard, and thusly validating the arena potential The Chance has grown into.  And based on the crowd’s reaction, we heard it too. (Gif by Chris B. Pic by Binh Ngo.)  –Dawn

So, it may not be goodbye forever, but this Friday, DC’s rock quartet [velvet] will take to the Black Cat mainstage for the last time as a whole, with drummer Udi Farber returning to his home country. Formed back in 1995, “the Simpsons of indie rock” Joe Brewer (vox, guitar), Joe Calvarese (guitar, vox), Andrew Walker (bass), and Udi have built a discography of 4 albums on the label Signal to Noise, achieved a following of loyal listeners, and critical appraise for their live performances up and down the east coast and all over the DMV. Check out a recent live video of [velvet] performing this past March.

And come early to check out the DC based rock/soul band The Honeyguns (their Black Cat debut), and the epic rock sounds of The Chance. Doors @9. $10

Low fidelity swagger. That’s what Laughing Man’s debut album, The Lovings (’63-’69), exudes. It’s a short album that spans only seven tracks, but it is dense with artistic potential. The first thing you will notice when listening to this album is the unique sound of the production. The vocals of singer Brandon Moses are quivering and distorted, hiding just below the surface in a way that convinces your ears they are listening to antique vinyl. The guitar and drums manage to be both tastefully understated and sonically raunchy. The song structures are simple but based around the sophisticated voices of jazz chords and a wide range of tonality.

I feel tempted to write about this album in a way that suggests that its very genius is founded on a perfectly balanced merge between classic blues and soul and the leading edge of rock music; that the juxtaposition between post-modern soundscapes (such as the lovely minimalist droning on "Swirl") and dripping-with-attitude blues manages to adeptly cross musical boundaries in style as well as in the audience that appreciates and supports it. I’d like to go on and on about those things – about how a whole history of music that has thrived in D.C. is somehow apparent in seven short songs. I’d really like to point out that the last track on the album, "Mood and Dress," manages to consolidate all of those points the strongest. This is possibly the most self-aware track on the album with Moses’s emotion filled vocals ringing in the fuzzy background as bubbly supporting voices are brought to the very front of the song in perfect clarity.

However, I feel pretty sure that the band would cringe at reading that sort of review. Getting back to my original thesis, I’m reasonably confident that Laughing Man really just took all the music that they grew up loving and stirred it up into a really great debut. It’s lo-fi without pretention and an homage to the early days of soul without sounding geriatric (despite what the album’s aging title may imply…) 

–Jarrett

Arlington’s IOTA Club is about to get taken over by a swarm of DC’s rock’n’roll purists in Death by Sexy this Saturday. DxS (pictured above) have been on the DL for a bit, but thanks to a recent twitter update, it’s been brought to our attention that some good "rock squats" are in order! Hot tracks like "Neverending Love" and "BTO" inevitably do get you moving, and moved the Washington Post enough to say "one of the city’s sure-to-please acts."

Also on the bill are Nunchucks who recently had a CD release show at the Rock’n’Roll Hotel for their latest EP Eat Your Moneys, 6 songs full of classic raw guitars, bass, drums, and chant along lyrics. One of our fav standout tracks is "U.S.S. Cassin-Young", a high-energy tune ready to be on the next Jackass soundtrack as it’s Kinks meets Turbonegro essence can get your adrenaline pumping and ready to handle a shopping cart to the moon. Check it out below.

Completing the DC rock line-up: Cobra Collective, and Triggers (from Pittsburgh). $10, starts at 9 PM.

DC’s power-pop band Club Scout are taking the Black Cat stage this coming Wednesday April 6th to celebrate the release of their self titled 7" limited edition vinyl. On the record are two of their most popular songs "A Rotten Scoundrel", a classic punk track infused with Queens of the Stone Age-ish piano bursts, and "England for the English", a melodic power-pop tune full of scuzzy guitars and memorable lyrics which you can hear below.

Black Cat/ Doors @ 8:30/ $8

Earth Grid, Zomes second solo album out April 12, is the culmination of Maryland based Asa Osborne’s years of exploring meditative modal models. Written, played, and recorded entirely at home on cassette tape, Earth Grid, is an intimate and intentionally primitive recording. The album was mastered by Bob Weston.  The cover art was created by Osborne whose reputation as a visual artist is growing. He has had several group and solo shows, including a show at New York’s Mountain Fold Gallery with Lungfish singer and friend, Daniel Higgs.  A fan of primitive and outsider art, Osborne’s work uses common objects to reach transformative ends.  A visual reflection of the music, the cover takes simple elements (white medical tape on black paper) and via careful placement and repetition of patterns with subtle variations creates a beautiful space transforming the simple to the infinite.  

Zomes will be touring in the US this April with The Skull Defekts, and in Europe with Kogumaza in May. –Courtesy of Thrill Jockey

"Baltimore four-piece Ponytail is gearing up to release their third full-length, Do Whatever You Want All the Time, due for release on April 12 on We Are Free. In the meantime, Ponytail member Dustin Wong has compiled yet another fantastic music video of various mash-up clips that go along with portions of each song on the album. Sort of like an album appetizer. The video complements the colorful cover art that was designed by EYE of the Japanese rock band Boredoms." -Courtesy of Big Hassle Media.

Do Whatever You Want All The Time from WEAREFREE on Vimeo.

Civilian is the third album from Baltimore’s indie-folk duo Wye Oak, a collection of heart-wrenching tunes that singer/guitarist Jenn Wasner says are about "aloneness (the positive kind), loneliness (the horrible kind), moving on, and letting go (of people, places, and things.)" Every track paints those feelings vividly with Wasner’s dreamy vocals and multi-instrumentalist Andy Stack’s layers of echoing swirly melodies, fusing noise and fuzz at all the right times.

The album cover, a still of a cannonball diver submerged in dark water, sets the mood beautifully for these songs that are ready to boom from a summer-time lake side stereo. Like "Holy Holy" and it’s wailing guitar intro that returns triumphantly throughout, blending melodic rhythms and fuzz that recall the classic 90’s alternative edge.

"The Altar" is a rollercoaster of sound, building you up with a soft beginning before letting you loose in the chamber of loops, 60’s boardwalk/beachy keys, echoing dual vocals, and one hell of a super groovy guitar strum.

The title track "Civilian" is another killer track showcasing everything that Wye Oak is known for. Completely powerful in every way from the lyrics down to the scuzzed-out feedback, it’s another soft starter with a boom that kicks in with an uprise of everything they’ve got from a church organ that gives it a hint of southern gospel flair to a screeching guitar solo that’s ready to pull a Hendrix. This was the track that won me over fast.

Civilian was released 3/8. Check out the killer title track below, and also catch Wye Oak live at the Black Cat this Friday 3/11. –Dawn Wye Oak – Civilian by cityslang

This Wednesday is going to be fantastic. There. I said it. Utterly fantastic.

Former Deli Artist of the Month, Lightfoot will be kicking off a kicking show at Rock and Roll Hotel that will also include Cotton Jones and Nicole Atkins and the Black Sea. Expect a night full of gospel and soul and blues and doo-wop and whiskey and just generally a whole lot of heart. Don’t miss it – this show is a sell out risk, so buy your tickets now! Order them here. Doors open at 8:00. $12 if you buy ahead, $14 at the door.

Lightfoot also rocked a living room courtesy of Sofar over this past weekend. I had the privilege of catching that show and I’ll have more to say on it very soon…

In the meantime, have a listen to Lightfoot’s new acoustic video of their song, "City Girls."

–Jarrett

Say it ain’t so! The Tennis System are moving to L.A., and going out with a sonic bang this Friday March 4 at the Rock & Roll Hotel. Deservedly, it’s a sold out show, with Smith Westerns and Unknown Mortal Orchestra filling out the rest of the bill. We at the Deli just want to thank the Tennis System for an awesome year of noise, and wish them all the best on the next stage of their epic rock journey on the west side! –Dawn

DC’s funky "yacht-rock"ers Poor But Sexy have finally unleashed their debut onto the world today. Let’s Move In Together is packed with hooky jams that they’ve described, "sounds like R. Kelly traveled back in time to become Steely Dan’s front man circa 1977." What? This we’ve got to hear.

And PBS is made up of very familiar faces amongst the DC post-punk scene. Like Singer David Brown and bassist Brandon Kalber who met playing in the punk-funk band Travis Morrison Hellfighters.  Guitarist/Producer Jason Caddell rocked out with the Dismemberment Plan for 10 years. Keyboardist David Durst also composes punk-chamber music for Anti-Social Music. And drummer Bruce Falconer moonlights as an investigative journalist.

Check out the studio-filmed video for "Cherry Delicious" below and check them out live at the Black Cat on Feb. 27.

Richmond all-girl punk trio, The Two Funerals, are back in business! It’s been a few years since their last release, Tell Yr Story, but the band has finally posted the title track from their upcoming EP, Boy’s Club (Rorschach Records), available for free download. This record seems to pick up where the last 7" left off, forging highly aggressive street-punk with moody, post-rock interludes and lyrics that drive home The Two Funerals’ commitment to feminist rights in the 21st century, especially within the music industry and band scenes. "Boys Club" (the song) ends with the line, "Are we a band yet?", a confrontational statement that demands artistic recognition. In the wake of the late Sleater-Kinney there is still plenty of room for a strong feminist voice in the punk scene and The Two Funerals have plenty of talent and passion to grow into it.

Check out their newest release here.

–Jarrett