Crystal City Rocks

Vertical Horizon and local band, Kenin will be giving free live performances this Sunday afternoon, June 1st, at Crystal City Rocks. It'll take place at 2100 Crystal Drive, right by the Crystal City Metro from 1:00 - 5:00pm.

A Case of the Fridays

Unfortunately, my vacation is finished, and I’m back at work. But at least it’s Friday, right? And so we start the day off with “Modern Swinger” by The Pink Spiders. It’s a rocking good time with a mouthful of a catchy chorus and a bunch of backing vocals. Take a listen.

Next up is “Yesterday,” a track by the Virginia Beach-based band, The Influence. It features some standout lead vocals with catchy vocal arrangements and harmonies. And it gets more and more funky as it goes on. If you like what you hear, they’ll be playing at Jammin Java Wednesday, May 31st.

MP3: Modern Swinger – The Pink Spiders
MP3: Yesterday – The Influence

Dylan 65th Birthday Tribute

The Institute of Musical Traditions closes its 20th season of concerts this Monday night, May 22nd, with a Bob Dylan birthday tribute. Billy Coulter will be hosting the event as he and several other artists from the folk, blues and roots music scenes will play their favorite Dylan selections. Although Bob Dylan won't be there, his influence will…


EVENT: IMT SEASON FINALE: “DYLAN 65 - A BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE”
DATE: MONDAY, May 22, 2006
ARTISTS: Billy Coulter (host/performer), Lisa Moscatiello, Brian Simms (Junkyard Saints), Robert Lighthouse, Verlette Simon (Soul Folk), Cletus Kennelly w/Lori Kelley and featuring band of roots music veterans Robbie Magruder on drums, Greg Hardin on bass, and Tommy Derr on lead guitar
VENUE: Institute of Musical Traditions at St. Mark Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall 10701 Old Georgetown Road, Rockville, MD 20852
SHOW TIME: 7:30 PM TICKETS: $15 Advance/$20 Door
VENUE INFORMATION: 301.754.3611
WEBSITE: www.imtfolk.org

MetroMusicScene/Six Points Happy Hour

The May MetroMusicScene/Six Points Happy Hour will take place this Monday, May 22nd at the Black Cat around 7:00 pm.

The happy hour will immediately precede the Pharmacy Prophets/Demivolt show backstage.

A Few News Items

I've been doing most of my blogging over here but, with Jeff away on vacation, I thought I'd post a few news items:

-->Heather Huff announced that the next MetroMusicScene/Six Points Music Festival happy hour will take place next Monday, May 22 at 7pm at the Black Cat, prior to The Pharmacy Prophets/Demivolt show on the backstage.

-->The annual Future of Music Policy Summit, which is normally held in D.C., will take place in Montreal this October 5-7, during the Pop Montreal festival.

-->The MetroMusicScene Yahoo Group and posters Phil Rossi and Shwa got some press on the Washington City Paper's City Desk blog this week.

-->Pandora Chief Strategy Officer & Founder, Tim Westergren, was in town last night to speak at American University as part of his nationwide roadtrip. If you haven't checked out Pandora yet, this description from their website provides some details:

Pandora is the doorway to this vast trove of musical information. With Pandora you can explore to your heart's content. Just drop the name of one of your favorite songs or artists into Pandora and let the Genome Project go. It will quickly scan its entire world of analyzed music, almost a century of popular recordings - new and old, well known and completely obscure - to find songs with interesting musical similarities to your choice. Then sit back and enjoy as it creates a listening experience full of current and soon-to-be favorite songs for you.

-->For those music fans in the D.C. area up for a roadtrip of their own, the 2006 Austin City Limits Festival line-up has been announced.

If you have a D.C. area music news item you'd like to share, please post it to the Yahoo Group or the comments section is also open below.

A Case of the Fridays

First up today is “Lost In Pennsylvania” by The Hickories. This slice of alt-country is full of beautiful swirling female harmonies and jangly guitars. If you like what you hear, they’ll be at opening for Lizzie West at IOTA next Thursday, May 18th.

And Dustin Shey’s “5th Avenue” closes out today’s selections. It’s got a neat little piano hook, and his intimate, breathy vocals are strong throughout. The instrumentation of the song is complex, without being overdone or sacrificing melody. Take a listen.

MP3: Lost In Pennsylvania – The Hickories
MP3: 5th Avenue – Dustin Shey

Help Rehab Fort Reno Stage on Saturday

From the friends of Fort Reno...

What: Fort Reno Stage Rehab
When: Saturday May 13. Noon-6 pm
Where: Fort Reno Park (the corner of chesapeake and nebraska) Three blocks from the tennleytown metro, across the street from Wilson High School.
Why: to prevent musicians from falling through saggy rotten floorboards

Time to pry away the rotten mouldy (and this year moderately charred...thank you class of '08 arsonists where ever you are...) and rehab the fort reno stage.
I'm breaking the schedule down this year so you can see approximately what/when stuff is happening. if you think you can lend a hand pulling nails, cutting wood in half, what have you, i urge you to lend a hand.
I'm also including what might be needed equipment wise so if you happen to have any lying about, it might not be a bad idear to bring it along. please note, it is NOT necessary that you have items. we will have stuff...but it never hurts to have many crowbars....also, put your name on stuff. your mom did it with your underwear at camp, you too should do it with your tools.

Please pass this on.
Love
fort reno

Saturday May 13
Noon- 3ish: removal of old wood. ( bring: work gloves, pry bar, crow bar, hammers, vice grips, pliers, drills
3:30-5: Place new lumber down ( bring: eye protection, gloves, drills, chalk line
Cutting/disposing of old lumber: as soon as it comes off the stage
(this will involve circular saws, jig saws, saw horses)
For the actual disposal, the wood will need to be cut into pieces, piled into a truck. I have a dumpster in Mt. Rainier Md. that we can use.
If anyone has a truck and an hour or so and don't mind driving from fort reno to mount rainier maryland, please let me know. that should probably happen around 4:30 or so.
Painting will probably not happen this weekend. if it does, it probably won't happen until 4:30 or so.

Please tell your friends. Preferably those with a good work ethic and a strong back.

Lemonade and cookies will be served.
spread the word.
Thanks!

Apple Vs. Apple

You’ll still be seeing the Apple Computer logo on the iTunes Music Store.

The Beatles’ commercial interests group, Apple Corps Ltd., had filed a suit against Apple Computer, stating violation of a previous agreement in which the two companies had agreed to stay out of each other’s fields of business. Judge Edward Mann of Britain’s High Court rejected Apple Corps Ltd.’s claim, stating the following:

"I conclude that the use of the apple logo ... does not suggest a relevant connection with the creative work," Mann said in his written judgment. "I think that the use of the apple logo is a fair and reasonable use of the mark in connection with the service, which does not go further and unfairly or unreasonably suggest an additional association with the creative works themselves."

A Case of the Fridays

Yep, it's Friday again. And let's start it off with some rock, courtesy of Butch Walker's "My Way." He's got a new album coming out July 11th, and he'll be hitting the 9:30 Club July 24th with his new band (I like to plan ahead). Take a listen.

And we close the week with Pink's "Who Knew." She makes good use of the "sparse verses that erupt into big, catchy, rocking choruses" formula, and delivers some very strong vocals along the way. Take a listen.

MP3: My Way - Butch Walker
MP3: Who Knew - Pink