What's Better Than New Orleans Music? Free New Orleans Music!

Gambit, New Orleans' weekly alternative newspaper, has partnered with the now legitimate Limewire Music Store to offer a DRM-free compilation called Ear to the Ground: New Orleans that's free to download.  The album features 19 songs by artists representing a wide range of genres.  I'd like to highlight a few of the tracks that jumped out at me:

• "Ceiling of Plankton" by GIVERS, the band who recently toured with Dirty Projectors and are returning as a headliner to the Black Cat on February 2nd.  This relentlessly upbeat ditty has a great of Montreal/Polyphonic Spree feel to it.  If this song doesn't brighten your day, then you are dead.
• "Rocketship" by Big Rock Candy Mountain - Once I got past the name, I discovered a band that produces edgy power pop in the vein of Third Eye Blind, with stronger harmonies.
• "Sleepytime on Bourbon" by Silent Cinema - Bluesy, horn-accented bar rock.  This would be the kind of music Butch Walker would make after a month-long bender in the Crescent City.
• "Birds Fly Away" by Theresa Andersson - While the video version of this didn't garner as many hits on YouTube as her impressive one-woman-band rendition of "Na Na Na",  it's a beautifully layered song that should appeal to fans of 60s girl group soul and contemporary female singers like Feist or Regina Spektor in equal measure.
• "Get My Sound" by the impressively named One Man Machine & the Powers that Be! - I had to double-check that my iPhone hadn't jumped into my TV on the Radio playlist.  This song reminds me of concerts at Tipitina's or the Howling Wolf, with crowds drunk and drenched in sweat dancing the night away in a drunken Bacchanalian reverie.
• "No Blood, No Blooms" by the equally impressively named Why Are We Building Such a Big Ship? - One shot each of Beirut and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, with a dash of Dresden Dolls.  Shake vigorously and serve with a cold beer.

Those are just a selection of the 19 artists on this record.  If you dig Rogue Wave or Spoon, you might like the tracks from Big Blue Marble or Generationals.  Heavy metal much?  Yeah, there's that, too.  No excuse not to give a free album a spin and see if something sticks.

A Case of the Fridays - Tuesday Edition

We kick things off this week with “Love Will Find You” by Findlay Brown (above). The Brits are liking things old school these days, and Brown obliges with his Stax-infused instrumentation and Roy Orbison-esque vocals. I wonder if he’ll be able to bring a full band around on tour, so I’m curious how he’ll sound if he has a stripped down accompaniment. If you like what you hear, Findlay Brown will be at The Red & The Black in DC this Friday, January 22nd.

And we close things out with “She Does,” by Locksley. They’re originally out of Madison, WI, but now they hail from Brooklyn, where all the cool kids are from these days. Clocking in under two minutes, this Jet-esque track is complete with Kinky, riffy guitars and fuzzed out solos – and best of all – it’s irresistibly-catchy. If you like what you hear, check them out at IOTA in Arlington, VA this Thursday, January 21st.

MP3: She Does - Locksley

Eight Questions To Dream

The 12-string acoustic guitar and cello give The Dreamscapes Project a distinctive sound to begin with. Though they’re acoustic-based, they still maintain a powerful and dramatic sound, especially when the churning, propelling percussion jumps in. Then throw in Keith Center’s brooding lyrics and delivery to give it a minor bent, and voila, they have their own brand of “Folk-Core.”

The Dreamscapes Project have a new, as yet untitled, album dropping later this year. And what fun would a new album be without an unconventional method of release? They’ve got a cool one with their Twelve Days Project that involves artists all over the DC area. Each month they’ll be releasing one new track via a different DC music source; this month we’re hosting an exclusive download of “Fragile” here at MetroMusicScene.com. And The Dreamscapes Project will be featuring “re-imaginations” of that track by emerging DC-area filmmakers, creative writers, visual artists and DJs. This whole project will be supported by a series of month concerts in the DC area, with proceeds donated to a different charity each month.

I interviewed lead singer Keith Center and bassist Jeremy Rodgers via email about their CD release project, the origins of their name, how to score the best spot on King Street for their upcoming show at the Light Horse Tavern this Wednesday, January 20th.

(Download the exclusive track “Fragile” after the interview. It will be available for only 12 days.)

You’ve got a new CD dropping in its entirety later this year – what about the album excites you the most?
Keith Center: Although it is always exciting to get new music into peoples hands, I think what excites me most with this release is how we are doing it. Our music has always been different, but we have always release our music in the typical way. This time I feel like the way its being released is fitting of the music that is being released. We have always included a lot of different styles of music into our songs, now we are incorporating many styles of art into our album, to me that is really exciting.

So how did the Twelve Days Project come about? It’s almost like a multi-media music video run wild…
KC: It started as a question. We sat in our rehearsal space and started talking about the next release. We had started recording three songs with Ted Comerford, our producer from our last album, last February. Those were supposed to be released last summer; however scheduling conflicts kept preventing us from finishing them. In the meantime. a couple of other recording opportunities fell in our laps. Here we were with two finished songs, three half-finished songs, and another half dozen or so unrecorded/unreleased tracks. We started asking ourselves what we could do with all this material. A traditional album would require us to get the other tracks all done before we could even think about releasing anything. We had all been talking about how much the industry was changing, then it hit us, this was our opportunity to stretch and try something different.

It started with releasing a different track on a different DC area blog every month. Then the idea of adding artists in was hatched and the floodgates opened. Film makers, writers, musicians/DJs/producers - we realized we could get everyone involved and really shine a spotlight on some of the incredible talent that people over look in this area. It has been a little overwhelming but it has also been incredible how warm and welcoming everyone we have contacted has been to the idea. I just feel lucky to have the opportunity to be a part of it all.

A lot of bands fizzle out pretty quickly, but you’ve been around in some form or another since the late 90s. What’s your secret to longevity?
KC: I think the secrets are managing your expectations, making sure you are having fun, and not taking yourself too seriously. So many people get caught up in what they could be, they disappointed by who they are. For us, however, the biggest driving force has been our fans. Getting to play for the incredible people who come out and support us every concert... seriously, how can you even think of quitting that?

Are there any secret origins of your name?
KC: Yes, it is actually derived from ancient Mayan practice. Dreams of the Kuhul Ajew (the name for the Mayan king and religious leader) were often interpreted by his scribes the following morning, with the belief that in them the gods may have hidden important messages for his followers. Since their language was logographic, using symbols and pictures, the message would end up as a finished scene or scape. If deemed valuable by the Kuhul Ajew, this final product would be displayed for the entire village, and, loosely translated, was called a "dreamscape."

What draws you to keeping things acoustic, versus going electric?
KC: Lack of equipment? I think at this point we are just convinced that if we switched to all electric instruments, some hole would open up in the space time continuum and everything would cease to exist. Or laziness. Honestly though, I think it’s the challenge of it. It’s the mother of invention, you know? Don't get me wrong, I simply adore sound of the 12-string acoustic and cello, but there is definitely this smile that comes across our faces when we create something that we are pretty sure you aren't supposed to do in an acoustic band.
Jeremy Rodgers: There is usually a smile on our face whenever we do anything we aren't supposed to be doing.

You don’t see bands performing live with cello very often. What do you think it adds to your sound?
KC: I believe Beethoven coined the term for that: "Badassitude".
JR: I was going to say "Balls' but if you want go all classical....

What are a few CDs the whole band can agree on when heading out to a gig?
KC: I can't speak for everyone, but I would fathom a guess that at least one of them would be a Tool album.
JR: I think we can all pretty much agree on Soul Coughing. And maybe WTOP on the radio.

What do you want to leave the audience thinking after Wednesday night’s (1/20) show at the Light Horse Tavern?
KC: "1 AM! Son of a bitch, I have to work in the morning! I swore I was going to leave at 11:30, but that was so worth it!"
JR: "That was definitely worth the street parking!"

Fresh Tunes from a Moldy Peach - Adam Green at the 9:30 Club, 1/19/10

Adam Green, the prolific singer-songwriter who founded the anti-folk group The Moldy Peaches with Kimya Dawson, is on the road again in support of his forthcoming album Minor Love.  He'll be opening up for The Cribs at the 9:30 Club this Tuesday, January 19, at 7:00 pm.  The Cribs, as you may know, welcomed as their newest member a certain guitarist best known for his stints in The Smiths and Modest Mouse.

The new album, Adam's sixth since the Peaches dissolved, will be released on February 16 on Fat Possum Records.  Minor Love reveals a more serious and grown-up side to Adam, featuring 14 tracks of 60s & 70s-inflected folk-rock.  His effortless baritone, reminiscent of Lou Reed and The National's Matt Berninger, has never sounded better than on these tracks produced by longtime collaborator Noah Georgeson (Devendra Banhart, Little Joy).  Check out a sample track from the record, the silky What Makes Him Act So Bad.  It will make you cooler.

MP3: What Makes Him Act So Bad? - Adam Green

Photo Courtesy of Guy Eppel

Midnight Spin w/ Miles Midnight & Gills and Wings at DC9 this Saturday 8:30

Come and join this blogger at DC9 this Saturday night at 8:30 (show at 9:30) for an exciting evening of rock with Midnight Spin, Miles Midnight, and Gills and Wings.  New York rockers Midnight Spin produce high-octane rock that occupies a sonic landscape somewhere between The Killers and Weezer.  Miles Midnight, a DC area collective, lay down MGMT-style electronic grooves that feature surprisingly soulful vocals by vocalist Sean Gaiser interspersed with raps by producer Matt "Chew" Corrado.  Richmond-based Gills and Wings produce shimmery rock in the vein of Noah and the Whale, with vocalist Danny Reyes channeling equal parts Tom Chaplin (Keane) and Matthew Bellamy (Muse).  Doors open at 8:30, and the cover is $8.  Don't miss it.

Songwriter Showcase at Iota Club & Cafe Tomorrow at 8:30 PM

Continuing its strong tradition of promoting local singer-songwriters, Iota Club & Cafe is hosting a showcase tomorrow night featuring Derek Evry, Molly Hagen, Dan Perriello & Brett Vaughn.  The show starts at 8:30 p.m. and features a $5 cover.  It will be interesting to see how Evry's solo acoustic set differs from the power pop he delivers as the front man of Idea Track. Hagen's delicate guitar, lilting voice, and bluesy sensibilities will leave you at the intersection of Norah Jones Avenue and Fiona Apple Way.  Multi-instrumentalist Periello delivers melodic pop in the vein of Death Cab with Amateur Hour.  Vaughn's smoky voice and thoughtful lyrics, reminiscent of MetroMusicScene favorites A.A. Bondy & Josh Rouse, round out the evening.