New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Bad Moves is part of what keeps DC punk moving forward. Infectious pop tinged with adolescent sadness, this is music for the young, hopeful and deeply discontented masses. Music full of yearning for a better society amidst the soul crushing mundanity of everyday life. And although DC’s alter-globalization movement has ceased to become relevant, punks like Bad Moves are keeping its spirit alive.
Listen to “Shitty Tomorrow” from Bad Moves’ self titled debut EP
If you missed our review of Infinity Crush’s heartbreakingly pleasant release “Warmth Equation” read it here.
Soothing, cathartic, comfy, and most of all warm, Infinity Crush’s “Warmth Equation” delivers as promised. Soloist Infinity Crush truly transcends the somber acoustic shtick with some well thought-out overdubs and some interesting audio effects, giving her music a nice full sound that should work wonderfully at 9:30.
Catch Infinity crush with Los Campesinos! and Crying March 9th at 9:30 club.
Relying on a mix of stuttering club beats and spaced out chill jams, Southeast DC rapper NAPPYNAPPA puts on a convincing performance in his new EP “New Balance”. Released through indie DC label Babe City Records, NAPPA isn’t obsessed with looking hard, willing to show a more personal side on songs like “Shameless”. As far as flow goes, NAPPA is pretty smooth and does a rather good job channeling Kendrick Lamar on “DO MY DANCE”. Check out NAPPYNAPPA’s new EP “New Balance”.
Refreshingly original but still grounded in traditional post-punk sounds, Priests’ album “Nothing Feels Natural” is a commendable addition to the DC punk canon. Like good post-punkers, Priests aren’t afraid to keep the sound sparse on songs like “Nothing Feels Natural” and “Leila 20”, letting the Sleater-Kinney vocals shine through over the rhythm section’s low Joy Division thing. Other songs take a different instrumental approach, with the songs “JJ” and “Suck” even incorporating a piano and saxophone. In total the band does a rather good job of bringing something new to post-punk’s trademark alienation.
Check out Priest’s new album "Nothing Feels Natural" now available on Bandcamp
In a city known for punk and hip-hop anthems, DC’s Drop Electric makes epic, pathos ridden, slow jams. Relying on heartbreaking harmonic progressions, dramatic instrumental timbres, Sigur Rosian slow grooves, and show-stopping delivery by lead singer Anya Mizani, Drop Electric is fearlessly taking its unique sound to the DC scene. Check out Drop Electric with Staycation and Sunbathers January 27th at the Rock & Roll Hotel.
DC electronic musician Nitemoves is starting 2017 on the right foot, opening for ambient electronic all-stars Tycho on a tour of East Asia and Australia. The Tycho+Nitemoves bill makes for a wonderful pairing of Tycho’s boundary pushing, emotionally charged ambient electronic, and Nitemoves’ blend of classic house sounds and pathos heavy futuristic soundscapes. With the music of both artists suitable for both bedroom listening and drug-laden trance fests, their work represents some of the best intelligence dance music has to offer. A promising and versatile artist, Nitmoves may be well on his way to joining the upper echelons of the international electronic music scene. Check out Nitemoves’ album “Don’t Ask” released in October, 2016.
Rambling/satisfying chord changes, perplexing lyrics, and downtempo grooves define the music of DC area art-rock musician Herschel Hoover. Owing much to 90s avant-garde Hoover’s album “High-Grade Migraine” offers well thought out jams with driving instrumental solos backed by some nice interplay between the instruments in the rhythm section. Melodically the music is driven in equal parts by guitar and vocals, with neither of the two straying far from the timbre of the rhythm section.
You can catch Hoover with Purple Orange, Hello Dharma, and Trajectories February 3rd at Velvet Lounge.
Two Inch Astronaut is an admirable attempt to pick up where 90s alternative left off. Twangy, out of tune, distortion heavy guitars mash against open hi-hat hits and restrained bass lines harkening back to the instrumental sounds of early Modest Mouse and Fugazi. Cutting through the mish mash are somber, angsty vocals, of the Built to Spill variety.
While most of the big 90s bands have since broken up or moved on to new sounds, Two Inch Astronaut hopes to prove that 90s music is still relevant, and they are doing a fine job.
Check out Two Inch Astronaut February 3rd at Black Cat.
Genre bending duo April+VISTA bring an eclectic modernist approach to traditional soul sounds. With electronically chopped R&B drum beats and soaring soul vocals, the duo brings to life what they call “FutureSoul”. Amidst the group’s slow grooves and passionate lyrics are touchingly restrained ballads like “Touch”. Check out April+VISTA’s latest EP, “Note to Self”.
Released by local DC label Sister Polygon records, Cigarette’s “warm shadows” is a dreamy mix of 90s shoegaze and the music of 2009’s chillwave summer. But it’s not just nostalgia for dated genres that keeps their music interesting, Cigarette uses lush string and brass orchestration to add an extra nostalgic aesthetic to their music.
Catch Cigarette with Governess and Scanners January 18th at Black Cat.
Howard County Maryland resident Brandon Perry is K.A.A.N, or “Knowledge above all nonsense”. Sporting an unstoppable flow, brutally honest lyrics, and groovy beats, Perry’s music is a veritable tour de force. Unafraid to broach heavy subject matter such as police brutality and depression, Perry says he wants his music to be emotionally serious, not just for people to party to. To Perry, making music is a cathartic experience, one that offers emotional release.
Check out K.A.A.N’s music video for the song “Phoenix” and the song “Concealed the Outro” available on Soundcloud.
DC based Black Masala continues lighting up venues across the DMV with their signature blend of Eastern European Dixie funk. Think polka and funk make strange bedfellows? Think Again! With a mix of screaming brass, strong guitar/bass riffs, and frenetic singing, the 9-piece band brings the funk to every show. And with two albums and counting, the band just keeps on moving forward.
Catch Black Masala January 27th at the New Deal Café in Greenbelt, MD, or February 18th at Big Chief in DC.
