MetroMusicScene.com

Laura Gibson at Iota 1/27/2012

2012-01-25T12:10:00.000-05:00

Portland native Laura Gibson has a new album, new label, and a surprisingly bold new sound. Retiring to the northeastern Oregon town of La Grande to write the follow-up to her well-regarded Beasts of Seasons, Gibson enlisted friends including Meric Long and Logan Kroeber from the Dodos, Calexico's Joey Burns, and Nate Query and Jenny Conlee from The Decemberists to flesh out a sound that NPR's Stephen Thompson has described as "harrowingly intimate". Although her sound may be "grander" on this album, her lyrics are still haunting and austere, and her voice quietly gorgeous.

Drawing inspiration from a town that she described as having a "certain gravity" and "curious energy", Gibson bestowed its name upon the album. She signed to Barsuk Records, prepared to release her new album, and embarked upon a European tour. Now back stateside, she graces the DC area with her presence Friday night for the first time in nearly 3 years with a set at Iota Club and Cafe. Doors are at 9pm, and tickets are $12.

Photo Credit - Parker Fitzgerald

The Dude's Favorite Shows of 2011

2012-01-04T21:19:00.001-05:00

This past year in concerts was like the novel you pick up with few expectations that, in its own understated manner, quietly knocks your socks off by the time you turn that last page. None of this year's shows matched the bombast and spectacle of last year's Arcade Fire show at Merriweather Post, or the surreal Broadway musicality of Sufjan Stevens at The National in Richmond which, unless knocked from its perch, ranks as the greatest concert I've ever seen.

Without further ado, here are the five best shows I saw in 2011:

5) Sharon Van Etten at the Red Palace - One of my late discoveries of a marvelous album from 2010 resulted in one of my favorite shows in 2011. I'm loathe to put together yearly "Best of" album lists, as I don't do this professionally and I'm admittedly slow on the uptake with some (many?) artists. Van Etten sounds a bit like an East Coast analog to Laura Graham, quiet and unfailingly polite. Where she differs from Graham in in her songs' deeply personal lyrics, brimming with heartache. Even as she sings of being a "Consolation Prize", you can't help but sense how much she loves performing.

4) Civil Wars at the Lincoln Theater - From an episode of Grey's Anatomy to Paste Magazine's "Best of What's Next" to the feel good story of 2011, a pair of major label burnouts who gave away their first (live) album on their web site and self-released their debut studio record. Can you name another artist who was featured on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic and garnered video airplay on CMT? The secret behind their three-year "overnight" success story is their marvelous chemistry onstage and in song, interplay that often confuses people into thinking they're a couple offstage. Although pretty firmly entrenched in the Americana camp, Joy Williams and John Paul White displayed the breadth of their musical influences in sprinkling in covers by Michael Jackson, Smashing Pumpkins, and Leonard Cohen into their 17-song set.

3) Bon Iver at the 9:30 Club - Anyone who expected the For Emma, Forever Ago Justin Vernon, shivering and weeping into his drink in the woods of middle-of-nowhere Wisconsin were bound to be disappointed. Gone was the Emperor of the Sad Bastards, replaced by a big band leader who aspired to be a blue eyed soul crooner. At turns sonorous and playful, Vernon mixed covers of The Outfield's "Your Love" and Björk's "Who Is It" into a 16-song set largely drawn from his most recent album. And while I still think the song "Beth/Rest" sounds like a reject from the closing credits of an unreleased 80's Stallone thumb wrestling drama, this concert featured the best sound I've ever heard in the 9:30 Club. The luxury of a 7 or 8-piece band and what seemed to be an onstage audio engineer produced a sound that was sprawling and immersive.

2) Beirut at the Black Cat - The musical successor to the Elephant Six collective's quirky take on world music, Santa Fe's wunderkind Zach Condon wowed a capacity crowd at the Black Cat with sing- and clap-along favorites.

1) Jeff Mangum at Red Emma's/2640 Space - The progenitor of Elephant Six and reclusive founder of Neutral Milk Hotel emerged with much fanfare from his years of self-imposed exile to play a show that was as much museum piece as triumphant return. The location, a converted church in a section of Baltimore that could charitably be called "colorful", not to mention an absolute prohibition on photography or any kind of audio or video recording, added to the oddness of the event. Names were required when purchasing tickets, to prevent the scalping that had taken place with prior shows, and were assiduously checked at the door. Fans stood in virtually hushed reverence as Mangum opened his set with favorites "Oh Comely" and "Two-Headed Boy, Part Two", until the singer goosed the audience into singing along with him. The mercurial Mangum of the past seemed to have faded with the years, leaving a singer who seemed to finally be at peace with his standing in the indie rock pantheon. Mangum was gracious, almost playful, his wit so dry and understated that it occasionally took the audience by surprise. Song by song, the years faded away, so the now 41-year-old singer looked and sounded as he did when In the Aeroplane Over the Sea was released in 1996.

Some Honorable Mentions, in no particular order:

Kathryn Calder at the Red Palace - The New Pornographers' youngest member not only emerges from the shadow of her famous uncle and the band's better known female vocalist with her solo show, but also puts together one of the more memorable bills of the year with Bird of Youth and Chris Bathgate opening for her.

Destroyer at the Black Cat - Another member of the Canadian supergroup shows that yacht rock is not only alive but has returned from the bathroom still itching for a bump.

Dntel at the Red Palace - The half of the Postal Service not divorcing Zooey Deschanel demonstrated what has been keeping him busy since we took the duo's album title to heart and gave up hope of a follow-up. Another top-to-bottom knockout bill, with The One AM Radio and Will Wiesenfeld's side project Geotic supporting him.

Wild Flag at the Black Cat - It's not Sleater-Kinney, but it might be every bit as good, if not better. The most kick-ass, all-female band I'd rather not meet in a dark alley. And it in no way involves Fred Armisen, for which the world is grateful.

Explosions in the Sky at Rams Head Live! - The long-form, instrumental, multi-guitar compositions of these Texas post-rockers mark the intersection of hard rock and classical. Alternately thunderous and exquisite, they'll make you rethink your definition of Rush as "prog".

Vieux Farka Touré - Mali's answer to Eric Clapton, and the son of the late, great fingerstyle guitarist Ali Farka Touré, has come into his own in the last two years on the strength of his virtuosity and his electric live shows.

There you have it -- a walk through the live musical highlights of my year.

MMS Album Review - A Ring Around the Atlantic by Peter Maybarduk

2011-12-27T12:29:00.000-05:00

I recently became acquainted with the music of DC-based singer-songwriter Peter Maybarduk, a human rights lawyer by day and spinner of yarns and dreamer of dreams under cover of night. He released his second studio album, A Ring Around the Atlantic, on December 1, and along the way earned himself a nomination in the Rock/Alternative category of this year's Mid-Atlantic Song Contest for his track "The Great State of Maine".

By turns a world music album, field recording, and power pop showcase, A Ring Around the Atlantic is thoughtfully written and orchestrated and features the standout production value of The Magpie Cage's J. Robbins. Maybarduk's voice, breathy and soft, reminds me of Hey Marseilles' Matt Bishop and Michael Benjamin Lerner of Telekinesis. His songwriting is thought-provoking without being pedantic, helped by the album's relentlessly catchy hooks and strong backing musicians.

This is not an easily digestible album, but one well worth the listenings necessary to appreciate it. The tracks that incorporate field recordings, such as "Very Very Suffer" and "Atlantic in Languages", add a lovely sense of texture to the album, and the seemingly hidden final track "En La Habana" throws a Buena Vista-esque curve ball at listeners. As a second album it is a surprisingly strong effort, and I predict that Peter will be a fixture in local (and perhaps national) awards competitions in the coming years.

MMS Album Review - You & I by Justin Trawick

2011-12-13T14:42:00.008-05:00

Leesburg native Justin Trawick, featured previously on MMS for his work with the Pink Jams! breast cancer non-profit, has released a new album, You & I. Combining the strengths of his deeply personal take on songwriting with the frenetic energy of his live shows, the new album was recorded live in the studio, "Peel Session" style, by producer Jim Ebert at Falls Church's Cue Studios. Ebert employs the "Decca Tree", a spaced three-microphone array first utilized by the British branch of Decca Records in the 1950s, that imparts a wide stereo image on the recording and captures the breadth of Trawick's sound.

Trawick employs a more intimate and stripped-down sound on the new album, playing the acoustic guitar with Josh Himmelsbach backing him up on mandolin, piano and vocals while area rapper Flex Matthews adds freestyle raps to a pair of songs. At 29 Justin is growing into and embracing his idiosyncratic voice, his cadence and delivery mining the territory between G. Love's urban folk and Eef Barzelay's lo-fi folk. You & I imparts new life into old favorites "That Old Forgotten Street" and "To New Hampshire", the minimalist sound emphasizing the plaintive yet cautious optimism of the former and the heartbroken romanticism of the latter. "Someone" is a devastating elegy to the choices not made and chances not taken, a lyrical successor to Colin Hay's "Waiting for my Real Life to Begin" written from the perspective of an 82 year-old Trawick. Standout new tracks include "Back of my Mind", supercharged by Flex Matthews' freestyling, and "The Circus Life", a slow-rolling but catchy coming-of-age tale.

The album's titular "you" is conspicuously absent, the ghosts of lovers who left or were left behind, and Trawick charts that course through early adulthood and young love, in the existential angst of someone who feels his youth slipping away, and speculatively through the eyes of an octogenarian realizing he has squandered his opportunities. Despite this, You & I is not a sad album, but rather an unguarded window into the life of someone who would rather love and lose, a person who would chart a course and then realize he has to change directions. Trawick has not lost any of his trademark vocal swagger; he has simply grown a little older, a little wiser, and his listening audience is the richer for it.

Although the album has been out for a few weeks, Trawick is officially launching You & I this Friday at Artisphere, with special guests Andy Zipf and Amanda Lee supporting him. Doors are at 7:30pm, and tickets are $12.

Prepare for the Storm - Hurricane Bells at Jammin Java 12/7

2011-12-05T20:10:00.000-05:00

Hurricane Bells is the new project from Steve Schiltz, the lead vocalist of the on-hiatus New York rock outfit Longwave. After a strong debut album and EP, the band gained significant exposure with the inclusion of a song in "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" original soundtrack.

Tides and Tales, the sophomore effort from Hurricane Bells, was released on October 25, brimming with a catchier and more organic sound than Longwave's proggy bombast. Take a look at the video of the first single, "The Ghost of Her", a mid-tempo rocker that's a sonic successor to Roger McGuin's Birds and Alex Chilton's Big Star. Hurricane Bells comes ashore at Vienna's Jammin' Java, with Vince Scheuerman -- of Army of Me and River James fame -- opening. Door are at 8pm, and tickets are $10.

Image courtesy of Mayumi Nashida

Mercedes Mill, "Incantation at the Golden Hour"

2011-11-22T20:25:00.006-05:00

Sometimes, all too rarely, you hear an album for the first time, and your ears prick up, your heart begins to beat a bit faster, and your mind resumes a long forgotten conversation with itself on the eternal questions of truth, beauty and the human condition. With each song, you think, well if this one is disappointing, that is OK because all the others have been so good; but every song is a new revelation, another exquisite, hypnotic, multi-faceted gem in the jewel case. Such is Incantation at the Golden Hour, DC-based singer/songwriter Mercedes Mill's astonishing debut album.

The first thing that you notice is her voice. It rings with a crystal clarity, ethereal yet firmly ballasted in the secular, equally suited to the vaulted heights of a cathedral as to the smoke-clouded darkness of a jazz club. It is not hyperbole to say Mercedes Mill has the talent, skill and emotional range of iconic vocalists like Janis Joplin or Nina Simone. Her voice whispers like the wind through the autumn leaves, wails like a freight train in the dead of a black night, floats like fog rising from the sea, dips and soars like a bird heralding the newly broken day. She knows how to twist a line for maximum dramatic effect, when to lay it down easy and when to unleash the full power of her voice.

Next, you find yourself humming a refrain from one song, and then another. Songs like "Back to You," "Our Love is a Haunted Place," and especially, "No Stranger" resound with gorgeous, irresistible hooks. Skillfully arranged and produced by Mill and Matthew Leonard, who apparently has never met an instrument that he did not like, every tink of the finger cymbals and warble of the tin whistle enhances and heightens the emotional impact of the songs, no two of which are alike.

The title track is a work song with a tempo to keep the needles sewing at a Shaker quilting bee, the backs bending in the wheat fields of Nebraska, or the office worker in a sterile cubicle punching at the keyboard. “Kiss Me Before I Sleep” evokes a whiskey-soaked saloon, men brawling over cards as the bar room piano plays on and the singer sends one out to her outlaw lover. The harmonica rises up like smoke from a campfire in the honky-tonk ballad “No Stranger,” the long twang of the slide guitar a tumbleweed rolling through the song, which fades away with a vibrating chord like a snake slithering away through dried grass stalks. The tolling bells that open "Sister Grace" morph into the pealing chords of an electric guitar and then into a crashing piano and moaning organ to tell a gothic story of a woman deranged by some dark, past sin.

Finally, you begin to listen to the lyrics. Phrases like "Tucked into my rocky bed on the moon" and "my heart jumps just like a loaded gun" and "'til the paperboy comes at dawn" intrigue like the opening lines of a great short story. As you listen more closely, you find meditations on love, alienation, and resilience picked out in exquisite poetry. "A touch of pastis at Le Deux Magots, then we'll sit by the Seine in the fog" in a flirtatious romp through "Paris in the Fall," which rollicks with cafe-society bonhomie. "For ever since antiquity, we've tried to love our enemies," chills down the spine in "Wine Dark Sea." The poignant "Two Solitudes" describes the arc of true love, "Let's play like we're six years old, Then take it nice and slow, Adagissimo, then allegro, allegro." Evocative and lyrical, each song draws you into another mythical journey, another saga of the human condition.

"Some people try to create, some to destroy," Mill sings in the opening track, "Our Love is a Haunted Place." Lucky for us, she has created. With songs that haunt and a voice that uplifts, Mercedes Mill brings new truth to age-old stories of love, yearning, heartbreak and hope.

**Special thanks to Alice Stephens for contributing this review**

By the Mark, Twain! - Blind Pilot at the 9:30 Club 11/6

2011-11-04T14:09:00.001-04:00

Blind Pilot, the dreamy Portland outfit and an MMS favorite, glides into the District on Sunday evening for a show at the 9:30 Club. The duo-cum-sextet derived their name from the river pilots that original members Israel Nebeker and Ryan Dobrowski watched while recording their debut album, 3 Rounds and a Sound, on the top floor of an old cannery that overlooked the Columbia River. Their sound, reminiscent of outfits like Snow Patrol and The Dodos, wafts across you rather than assaulting you, not unlike the unearthly fog-like rain of their Pacific Northwest home.

Now two fathoms deep into a tour in support of their sophomore album, We Are the Tide, the original duo are joined by longtime musical collaborators that include bassist Luke Ydstie, banjoist Kati Claborn, vibraphonist Ian Krist, and keyboardist/trumpeter Dave Jorgenson. Opening for Blind Pilot will be Colorado-based multi-instrumentalist Gregory Alan Isakov. Doors open at 7:30 pm, and tickets are $18. Enjoy a listen to their single, "Keep You Right", and check out the show.

Blind Pilot - "Keep You Right" (MP3)

Do you know what SK6ERS means?

2011-11-03T15:46:00.001-04:00

That's fan-speak for Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, the Western Massachusetts-based quartet that's made a name for themselves on the strength of relentless touring and raucous, instrument-swapping shows. "Skunk" Kellogg, the bandleader, describes his sound as "Ryan Adams meets Guster", and comparisons to the rootsy guitar-pop of the Mat(t)s - Kearney and Nathanson - are appropriate. Joining Kellogg in the Sixers are bassist (and modern dancer) Kit "The Goose" Karlson, drummer Brian "Boots" Factor, and guitairst Sam "Steamer" Getz. Musically versatile, this almost alt-country foursome will switch places during gigs and incorporate unusual instruments like the tuba and the keytar into their shows.

The SK6ERS are hitting the 9:30 Club this Saturday in support of their fifth studio album, Gift Horse, a balanced and mature record featuring jaunty rockers like "Gravity" and stripped-down ballads like "My Favorite Place". Jon McLaughlin, the piano-based power popster best known for his appearance in the 2008 film Enchanted, opens the show. Doors are at 6:30 pm, and the tickets are $20. Take a gander at the video (and the lyrics) for "Gravity", the new single from Gift Horse.

Empresarios EP Release Party Friday at The Dunes

2011-09-15T01:18:00.000-04:00

Can't take yet another overly earnest indie band, and need to inject a little Latin funk into your Friday night? Not prepared for the end of summer, and feeling the urge to rage against the dying of the light (and heat) with some tropical grooves? If so, head on over to The Dunes in CoHi for the Bestia EP release party being thrown by DC's own Latin/funk/dub collective the Empresarios. This 8-member strong collaborative crafts booty-shaking sounds the could be the love child of a tequila-fueled, sun-soaked island getaway by Thievery Corporation and the Fort Knox Five.

Doors open at 9pm, and tickets are $15Adv/$20DoS. In addition to the EP release, the event will also feature DJ sets by Sonny Cheeba and Sammy K. Sorry, kiddos, but this one is 21+.

Empresarios - Cumbia Salvaje MP3

Q&A with the Jamie McLean Band

2011-09-10T11:44:00.000-04:00

Music, like food, assimilates the flavors and textures of its surroundings. A Louisiana gumbo is a world dish, incorporating influences as diverse as a French base of flour and fat (a roux), the Choctaw spice filé, the African vegetable okra, and the Cajun/Creole "trinity" of onions, bell pepper and celery.

Gumbo also serves as an apt description of the music of the genre-defying Jamie McLean Band. If you're not familiar with the group, Jamie cut his teeth as the guitarist of the New Orleans' seminal Dirty Dozen Brass Band before deciding to chart his own course in 2006. His band, which includes Brian Griffin on drums and Ben Mars on bass, embarked upon a relentless touring schedule with a Who's Who of Southern and roots rock acts, including Drive By Truckers, Gov't Mule, Gregg Allman, Blues Traveler, and the North Mississippi Allstars, to name a few. They also hit the festival circuit, wowing audiences with their incendiary live act at Bonnaroo, Japan's Fuji Rock, Mountain Jam, Gathering of the Vibes, Great Woods Music, and several others. Blending the blues, heartland rock, country and Southern swamp rock seamlessly, Jamie and his bandmates craft a sound that is simultaneously unmistakable yet impossible to pin down.

I recently had the pleasure of conducting an interview with the Jamie McLean Band. After releasing a trio of well-received albums over the last four years, the band decided to set a different tack. They're releasing four "Electric Postcard" EPs in 2011, with the uptempo Time of My Life and the bluesy Sunday Morning already available. They're kicking of a tour right here next week, playing four shows in the DC/Baltimore area over the next eight days. On Thursday, September 15, they'll open for Louisiana bluesman Tab Benoit at Rams Head Live. On Friday, they'll play a set at The Bullpen across from Washington National Park. Saturday will see them headlining a set at The Bayou, the New Orleans-inspired restaurant in Foggy Bottom. They'll close out the weekend in Baltimore at the Federal Hill Street Beat Festival. Here's the interview and a sneak peek at the song Cinderella, featuring Blues Traveler's John Popper, from the just-released Sunday Morning.

Jamie, you grew up in New York and gained fame as a member of a storied New Orleans band. How do you recognize the flavors of New York & New Orleans in your songs?
It was an honor to be a part of the New Orleans tradition. New Orleans and Dirty Dozen Brass Band have such a rich musical history and I definitely soaked up as much as I could. I'd like to think I have a lot more soul in my playing now. The grooves, vibe, funk, soul, blues of New Orleans is so deep and it definitely makes me a stronger player, singer and songwriter. Songs like Heads Are Gonna Roll and Hurricane are direct lyrical statements towards NOLA but more than anything its the feeling that I pulled from that funky musical gumbo. New York is an entirely different thing. It can swallow you up if you're not careful. NYC has pushed me to really step up my game in the songwriting department. There are so many great songwriters in varying styles. I pay more attention to lyrics here. The city is so big you feel like you need to write a song that can stop people in their tracks. Great songs plus great playing plus monster groove, soul and emotion is what I'm looking to put out.

Describe your music in three nouns.
Energy. Soul. Love

I know picking a favorite show is like selecting a favorite child, but is there one gig that you have clearly identified as the one you love most? If so, why?
I honestly love it every time we get on stage. One recent show that we played in NYC was a "Time Of My Life" party at John Varvatos' store. Its the old CBGBs and the vibe in there is amazing. My parents came to the show and it was totally sold out. People were packed in like sardines and we came out blazing. I'll never forget seeing the look on my folks' faces when we got going. Literally they had there mouths wide open and couldn't believe the energy. That's what it's all about for me.

What are you reading right now? What are you listening to? And how does that influence you?
Keith Richards' "Life". Amazing read. The Stones are a big influence on me. I'll always love the dirty, roots, blues rock and its great to see how these songs just fell out of the sky. They worked hard and made an effort to write but more than anything it feels like they made themselves available to "receive" these tunes. Inspiring. As far as listening I'm loving the new Wood Brothers, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Chris Whitley, AC/DC, Bobby Blue Bland, Ray Charles. The list is endless but I know everything I listen to influences my songwriting.

You've released 1 EP (Time of My Life) so far this year, have another (Sunday Morning) available for pre-order, and plan to release 2 more in 2011. That's a Ryan Adams-esque release schedule. Tell us about the EPs. Will each be self-contained, or will they form a larger musical arc?
I wanted to shake things up. The idea of releasing an album every year and a half doesn't appeal to me anymore. I'm constantly writing and I know the attention spans of everyone is shorter. I felt like if we could put out new music every few months that fans would be excited about it and the response has been great. They each have a "theme" of sorts. Time Of My Life is the trio/rock record. Sunday Morning is blues based and features John Popper of Blues Traveler. We will release a live record and a cover songs record. I see this as being a larger musical arc. Hopefully this is our new model and we can continue to release music a few times a year. It really pushes us to create more and to experiment with different styles and players.

You've worked with and toured with some amazing musicians and producers, and played at some famed venues. Is there anyone you haven't worked with yet but still want to, and is there any venue you haven't played yet but would like to?
Stevie Wonder is always on the top of my list. As far as venues I'd love to play Red Rocks.

What do you want your DC-area audiences to come away with after seeing one of your gigs?
I want people to feel like they've just had a great night out. Its entertainment and I want people to get away and have a ball. Also, I hope they feel like they just saw a band in their prime. I feel like we are at the top of our game right now as far as performance. I hope they love the songs because I feel like we have been writing really great tunes lately. The response has been overwhelming to the new music and I can see it at the end of every night when I'm signing CDs . People are really gravitating to the new songs and I know we are putting on one hell of a stage show.

For the New Orleans fans out there - you can go to one Mardi Gras Parade. Which one do you attend, and do you stand on the sidewalk side or the neutral ground side?
I used to live on Magazine Street so the St Patricks Day parade always ran right in front of my place. I had cabbage in my yard for days. As far as Mardi Gras I was almost always on tour with Dirty Dozen during that time. Everyone wants DDBB for their Mardi Gras parties. But....I would go to just about anything that marched down St Charles. I always tried for the neutral ground but if I was late I'd party on the sidewalks. "Throw me something mister!"

Jamie McLean Band - Cinderella (featuring John Popper) MP3

Behold the One World Sovereignty - Nappy Riddem at U Street Music Hall 9/4

2011-09-02T19:51:00.003-04:00

MMS readers, are you ready to lace up your dancing shoes once again? You won't want to miss this. Red Riddem and Mustafa Akbar, better known as Nappy Riddem, will liberate you from your Labor Day doldrums this weekend with a blistering set of their explosive Afro-Caribbean dance music at the U Street Music Hall. After performing and touring with Thunderball and the legendary Fort Knox Five, Red and Mustafa are preparing the release of Nappy Riddem's debut album, One World Sovereignty, and they're having an album pre-release party to celebrate.

This Sunday night U Hall Labor Day Blowout will feature the DC debut of VibeSquaD, the beloved Colorado bass music impresario, Unspoken Heard, and a DJ set by the Fort Knox Five.

Doors open at 9pm, and the tickets are $10. Mount up, liberators, and prepare to dance into the night.

Nappy Riddem - Rastar (MP3)

Photos from the Vieux Farka Touré Show at the 9:30 Club

2011-09-01T12:36:00.000-04:00

Discover the Secret - Vieux Farka Touré at the 9:30 Club 8/30

2011-08-28T23:49:00.002-04:00

Forget what you read on those Zodiacs in Chinese restaurants - 2011 is the Year of the Donkey. Or Farka, to be exact. Farka was the nickname bestowed upon Ali Ibrahim Touré, the late Grammy-winning Malian vocalist and African fingerstyle guitarist, for his tenacity in being the first of 10 sons to survive past infancy. Over a three-decade career, the elder Touré established himself as the first African bluesman to enjoy widespread popularity not only in Africa but around the world.

This past year marked the culmination of a remarkable run for Vieux Farka Touré, the son who demonstrated his own tenacity when he disregarded his father's discouragement and secretly taught himself to play the guitar. He collaborated with the South African band BLK JKS, played to a worldwide television audience of more than a billion people at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremonies, and released The Secret in May of this year. The Secret, his third studio album, was produced by Soulive guitarist Eric Krasno and featured collaborators as diverse and important as Derek Trucks, Dave Matthews, Ivan Neville and John Scofield. If Ali was "the African John Lee Hooker", Vieux has established himself as an African analogue to Eric Clapton, a virtuosic musician who expands the boundaries of his vision through his choices in producers and collaborators.

Barring any last-minute Irene-induced travel hiccups, Touré will be at the 9:30 Club this Tuesday. Opening for Vieux will be Cheick Hamala Diabate, a West African singer and storyteller and master of the traditional Malian instrument the ngoni. Tickets are $25, and doors open at 7 pm.

Vieux Farka Touré - Aigna (featuring Derek Trucks)

Be Assimilated Into the Culture of Fear - Thievery Corporation at Washington Kastles Stadium 8/20

2011-08-18T17:24:00.002-04:00

The Dude thinks it's shaping up to be an nonstop-dance weekend. Thievery Corporation, the erudite elders of the DC electronica scene who've epitomized District Cool for 15 years, kick off their tour in support of their sixth studio album, Culture of Fear, at the recently inaugurated Washington Kastles Stadium at the Wharf. The new album, with its gauzy, almost Madchester feel, marks a return to form of their early productions. The sound may be slightly retro, but the mood is thoroughly modern, tinged with the socio-political tension for which Eric Hilton and Rob Garza are famous.

Opening for Thievery will be The Arkives, an ESL Music group aiming to help their audiences reconnect with reggae's rhythmic roots, and The Funk Ark, a funk ensemble whose broad influences include African and Latin dance and soul music. The event will feature full bar service, at least eight food trucks, and unlimited booty shaking into the night.

Doors open at 5pm, and general admission tickets are $45. Don't miss your chance to be acculturated!

The District Sleeps Alone Friday Night - Dntel at the Red Palace 8/19

2011-08-17T14:19:00.001-04:00

Jimmy Tamburello, also known as Dntel but probably best known as 1/2 of the Postal Service, brings his Soft Alarm Tour to The Red Palace on Friday night. Known for a variety of sounds from his early glitch-oriented compositions to the more electroacoustic collaborations with Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley) and Ed Droste (Grizzly Bear) on his 2007 album Dumb Luck, Tamburello is one of those electronic artists, like Four Tet's Kieran Hebden, who defies expectations of what the electronic music genre should be.

Joining Dntel on this tour are The One AM Radio and Geotic. The One AM Radio, a project of Hrishikesh Hirway known for its lush arrangements and otherworldly sound, strikes me as the kind of music Sam Beam would have made had he gone electronic rather than acoustic. Geotic is an ambient, minimalist side project of Baths' Will Wiesenfeld.

Doors are at 8:30pm this Friday (August 19th), the show is 18+, and admission is $10Adv/$12DoS

Check out the title track from Dntel's Dumb Luck (Sub Pop 2007)
Dumb Luck - mp3

Junior League Band at the 9:30 Club Saturday 8/13

2011-08-11T03:13:00.000-04:00

Whether you're a frequent traveler, casual listener, or just-plain-slow-to-get-onboard the Junior League Band express, Saturday night's show at the 9:30 Club is your absolute last chance to catch Lissy Rosemont and her band for the foreseeable future. Have you been telling yourself that you'd catch them the "next" time they play a gig? Have you been waiting for the right headlining gig, and for the cosmic tumblers to fall into place? If so, the future is now. Scientist-cum-multi-instrumentalist Rosemont has embarked upon her most ambitious biology project, and will be taking a little break from recording and touring following the birth of her daughter. The concert will double as an early birthday party for Rosemont, who turns 30 on August 17th.

The Atlanta-born Rosemont defies easy categorization, and in her voice one hears the the rootsy earnestness of Gilian Welch as well as the abstruse seduction of Jenny Lewis. Her band - which features drummer Will Waikart, bassist Brandon Kalber and guitarist John Lee - rounds out the sound of this multi-talented fiddler, banjo- and harmonica-playing vocalist.

Opening for the Junior League Band are Kingsley Flood, the Boston-based new Americana band and recent NPR Song of the Day selection known for their blistering live shows, and DC indie rockers Typefighter, who sound more than a little like Blind Pilot covering Thao with the Get Down Stay Down.

Doors open at 8pm, and the cover is $15. All aboard!

Photos from Kathryn Calder, Bird of Youth & Chris Bathgate at Red Palace

2011-06-19T22:20:00.000-04:00

Chris Bathgate & his band

Bird of Youth

Kathryn Calder & band

The Dodos - Companion music video

2011-06-01T00:44:00.002-04:00

Somewhere in the desert between the sun-bleached instrumentation of Calexico and the gauzy California rhythms of the Morning Benders is the musical territory inhabited by The Dodos. This San Francisco duo has produced some of indie's prettiest harmonies on their 2007 release Visiter and its 2009 follow-up Time to Die. I haven't had a chance to wade into the tracks on No Color, which was released in March, but I'll gladly do so soon. This is the closing track from that album. The Dodos will be at the 9:30 Club, with Gauntlet Hair opening, on Sunday, June 12.

Todd Snider @ The Birchmere / A Review

2011-05-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

Some people, mostly men, like to refer to prostitution as the world’s oldest profession, but surely the storyteller practices just as ancient a craft. As the cave paintings of Lascaux and the rock paintings of Tsodilo attest, storytelling is deeply ingrained in human culture. Despite the proliferation of iPods and Xboxes and Nooks, there are still storytellers who tell their tales much as Homer did, with nothing more than a voice, a story, and some simple musical accompaniment, and Todd Snider is one of them.

A self-proclaimed “stoner folk musician,” Todd Snider roams the country delighting audiences with his funny and poignant stories punctuated by simple guitar picking and a few plaintive bars from a harmonica. Looking like a scarecrow in a battered felt homburg and a buttoned up vest, he kept his audience rapt for an hour and a half at The Birchmere on Wednesday night. Starting with the simple ballad “I Can’t Complain,” a quintessential American folk tune of the little guy who can’t win but doesn’t let that break his heart, he proceeded to take his audience all over this great land of ours, from his hometown of Beaverton, Oregon, in “Rose City,” to his current neighborhood of East Nashville in “From a Rooftop.” We sat shotgun with him on a road trip from Tahoe to Reno in “45 Miles” and met the denizens of a trailer park in in Anywhere, USA, in “Double-Wide Blues.”

Wandering the backroads and byways of American history, we paid homage to folk hero “D.B. Cooper,” pondered the vagaries of fame and fortune of America’s greatest music legends in “Alcohol and Pills,” celebrated the legend of the railroads with “Play a Train Song,” and examined the distinguishing characteristics of two of America’s demographic groups, evangelists and hippies, in “Conservative, Christian, Right Wing, Straight, White American Male.” When he ran out of the songs that he needed to “get off his chest,” which included a delightful, if sadly insincere, dissing of Bob Dylan as a preamble to “Keep Off the Grass,” he took requests from the audience, every one of whom seemed to have a treasured song they wanted to hear from his impressive backlist of songs.

No matter that he maybe told the same stories as he did last time he was in town, the storyteller’s job is to entertain by telling us the stories that we already know, but never tire of. It is testament to Todd Snider’s masterful abilities that he can repeat them over and over to the everlasting delight of his audience, once again bringing us close to tears with the story of a kid from the ghetto on the run from the law in “The Devil You Know,” or doubling us over with laughter with a tale of frat boys on a “Beer Run.” To bring the evening to a close, he played the classic, “Runaround Sue.” “Here’s the moral and the story from the guy who knows,” he sang as the audience howled along. He sure does know, and he sure can tell it.

*Thanks to Alice Stephens for contributing this review*

Photo: Legdog / Flickr

Blackfield @ 9:30 Club / A Review

2011-05-20T00:59:00.000-04:00

Plato wrote that music was the "movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue". Having not participated in the "prog rock" scene in nearly two decades, I had no expectation of what the band Blackfield had in store for me at the 9:30 Club last night. Despite having ventured nothing, I couldn't help but think that I gained something listening to a band that has built a steady and loyal following with little in the way of press coverage.

Blackfield is the collaboration behind Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson and Israeli singer Aviv Geffen. The former is better known for producing albums consisting of long-form movements in odd time signatures; the latter for being a conscientious objector to mandatory service in the Israeli Defense Force and a witness to the assassination of the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Together, they produce a sound that, by virtue of their collaboration, defies easy categorization.

Wilson comes across like a proletarian version of Pavement's Stephen Malkmus; Geffen a more energetic vocal analog to Placebo's Brian Molko. Their songs are tightly constructed pop nuggets, often tinged with melancholy, defiant in the face of daunting odds and societal expectations. Their sound veers toward hard rock, but then abruptly leaves the bombast behind and delves into the sublime. Their strongest numbers feature the densely layered harmonies of Wilson and Geffen with the support of bassist Seffy Efrati and keyboardist Eran Mitelman.

Plato also described music as a "moral law", one that gave "soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination". Wilson occupies a niche as a prolific if under-appreciated artist with a yeomanlike body of work, both solo and with the various groups to which he belongs. Geffen is an icon of the Israeli peace movement, his fame and his fate inextricably tied to an unwanted externality. Given all this, perhaps it isn't that strange of a notion that these two men, born of very different worlds, would have found a way to bend genres and make music somehow more than the simple sum of its parts.

Jukebox the Ghost @ Black Cat Saturday 4/23

2011-04-21T19:29:00.000-04:00

Former Metro-area indie-poppers Jukebox the Ghost return to DC this Saturday, April 23rd, at the Black Cat. Yeah, the band is made up of three guys, but they’re not the typical “power trio” line-up, having ditched the usual bass for a piano. And it works quite nicely, thank you very much. Their newest album, Everything Under the Sun, is a remarkably catchy slice of herky-jerky piano pop, and they're is able to deftly shift between bouncy rave-ups (“The Popular Thing”) and sweeping grandiosity (“So Let Us Create”) without losing a sense of melody and hooks.

I Burned Down a Picture of a House…

2011-04-14T19:32:00.001-04:00

Singer/songwriter Robert Francis was an unexpected surprise last night, opening up for KT Tunstall. He took the stage by himself, looking pretty scraggly, wearing a shirt that looked like it’d been on his back for five days straight. But no matter, as soon as he started playing, that was forgotten. Even with just a guitar, his songs packed an intimate emotional punch, kind of like Joseph Arthur, and his raspy voice was able to soar or dive into grittiness, depending on what was needed.

I’d never heard of him before, but apparently he does a lot of touring in Europe, and he does pretty well there. “I’ve got, like, a number one hit in France, but when I come home I sleep on my parents’ floor,” he said. “They’ve painted my room pink…And filled it with stuffed animals.”

I'd definitely like to see him again, especially accompanied by the six-piece band he usually tours with.

Amos Lee @ 9:30 Club / A Review

2011-04-13T17:00:00.002-04:00

Amos Lee was at his best last Wednesday night at the 9:30 Club, where he played a full hour and a half set of new songs from his recent release, Mission Bell, as well as several well-loved older tunes that helped launch the singer/songwriter's career.

Lee was surprisingly well-suited to the venue, which tends to lend itself more to harder rock and dance music (Girl Talk's show was a sensation here a few months back). But from the sweet-singing opening act, the Secret Sisters, to Lee's mellow yet soulful on-stage vibe, the openness and high volume packed in the club resulted in a friendly, feel-good atmosphere.

Starting things off with a relaxed track from "Mission Bell" called "El Camino," Lee performed an impeccably crafted, dynamic set. There were ups; the bluesy "Jesus" made particularly good use of the two backup singers to create a full, punchy sound with a kick, and the crowd-pleaser "Sweet Pea" brightened even the dark walls of the 9:30 Club.

Lee struck a quieter, more melancholy note with his best known tune, "Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight," and a hint of bluegrass with "Clear Blue Eyes," which the harmonizing Secret Sisters sang, filling in for Lucinda Williams, who sings the duet on "Mission Bell." Other songs included "Violin," "Bottom of the Barrel," "Black River" and "Cup of Sorrow," again with a mix mostly of songs from Mission Bell and the artist's first album, Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight.

Lee's voice was undoubtedly the star of the show. Gruff and raspy at points and clear as a bell at others, his vocals jumped out in a way that gets muffled in the recordings. Part of this was undoubtedly a product of the spontaneous nature of a live show. But Lee's improvisations were spot-on, actually improving the experience of his music (not always the case when you grow to like a particular track on an album).

His band, while clearly comprised of strong players, lacked chemistry. For the most part, the song arrangements were simple and precise, leaving little room for spontaneity. The musicians came across as a strong studio band, playing exactly what was written on the page and adding little else by way of personality or finesse to keep the audience interested. In fact, Lee's acoustic set hit home the relative superfluity of the band.

While that was Lee's last date in D.C. for awhile, he does come to Richmond, Virginia and Baltimore in May. All in all, the show framed Lee's talents nicely and allowed fans plenty of opportunity to enjoy his bluesy songs and rich voice.

**Special thanks to Jess Righthand for contributing this post**

The Felice Brothers @ The Rock and Roll Hotel 3/31/2011

2011-04-02T21:28:00.002-04:00

Rock and roll will never die, according to some hoary old dude. But it is in danger of stagnating. Luckily, the Felice Brothers are working hard to resurrect the thrill. An anomaly in an age where contemporary rock bands trend towards heavy reliance on computer assistance for compositions that sound better on an iPod than they do live, the Felice Brothers' studio work does not convey the majesty of their musicianship and the power of their exuberant, complicated, soulful songs. But that may be about to change if the single "Ponzi," with a much heavier production style that lends it the drama and power typical of their live shows, is at all representative of their upcoming album to be released on May 10.

These boys will never fill an arena, but they don't fucking care–their calling is to play music, the music must spew forth, like the magma of a volcano. Still, it must be wearing to flay yourself endlessly (they were last in DC about 6 months ago), squeezed onto a tiny stage playing for an audience that can never give back to you what you give to them. In his only attempt to engage with the crowd, singer and guitarist Ian Felice tried to get the crowd excited about their new release "Celebration, Florida," but quickly gave up, sneering, "Aw, you guys don't give a fuck."

Nevertheless, the band held nothing back in a hefty hour and a half set, which included many songs from the new album. Clearly, they enjoy what they do, with James Felice, accordion player and vocalist, at one point inhaling deeply and announcing with satisfaction, "It smells like a rock club in here." Despite the cramped stage (the fiddler, Greg Farley, was in constant danger of whacking his head on a duct) and a crowd that, while very enthusiastic, was also strangely intent on holding conversations during the quieter or less familiar songs (do you really have so much wisdom to impart that you have to shout it into your friends' ears while a bunch of guys are playing their guts out 30 feet away?), they rocked the club like it was 1979, when rock stars were not yet our 21st century equivalent of the dinosaur and every club band had dreams of playing the Capital Center one day.

Highlights included "The Greatest Show on Earth," (I put a pistol in my pants, coz we're going out to dance), "Run Chicken Run" (Chickens don't get no life after death), "Whiskey in My Whiskey" (I'll make my bed on them railroad tracks, I'll leave this world and won't look back), "Hey Hey Revolver" (My teenage daughter's knocked up, Well Jeanie this time you really fucked up), and "Ponzi." With vocals like the beer soaked, splintered floor of a dive bar; the basic trinity of rock instruments enhanced by fiddle, piano, harmonica, accordion and the washboard; and songs of classic American themes of guns, liquor, sweethearts, mothers, and people scraping bottom, the Felice Brothers are keeping the flame alive, the once and future kings of American rock.

*post courtesy of Alice Stephens / photo courtesy of the band website*

Meredith Is A Man

2011-03-10T20:46:00.002-05:00

The title of this post clears up the most confusing thing about singer/songwriter Meredith Bragg. With that issue out of the way, you’re free to enjoy his lo-fi pop goodness on tracks such as the gorgeous “Next Time.” With vocals that exhibit a Ben Gibbard-esque fragile melancholy, Bragg’s songs fall in the vein of Elliott Smith and Joshua Radin. If you like what you hear, Meredith Bragg will be playing with a full band for the first time several years next Monday, March 14th at Black Cat.

The World According to Jonathan Richman...

2011-02-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

OK, so I didn't pay $100-plus for the concert-as-Roman-circus on Friday night at the Verizon Center to see Lady Gaga change from outrageous costume to even more outrageous costume, gyrate with her bevy of dancers, play her flaming piano, and exhort the masses to be themselves (that is, just like her). But the next evening I did pay $15 (plus the outrageous Ticketfly fees, curse them and their parasitic ilk) to go to the 9:30 Club to see two men on a bare stage, one in a saggy turtleneck playing a simple drum kit with a bongo for the snare, the other laying his jacket onstage as if it had his license and cash in it and he didn't have anyone backstage to leave it with.

The drummer was Tommy Larkins and the man with the acoustic guitar was Jonathan Richman, and they waded straightaway into the Modern Lover's "Old World." In college (B.U.!), listening to that one glorious Modern Lovers album over and over, I used to worry about Jonathan, obsessing over a g-i-r-l-f-r-e-n, and always falling for the wrong girl, either she was mentally disturbed or else in love with some stoned hippie. But it turns out that songs like "Government Center" and "Pablo Picasso" were much more indicative of the direction he would take, and solo he went on to give the world goofy, singable ditties like "Corner Store," about the demise of the mom and pop shop, and my personal favorite, "You're Crazy for Taking the Bus" ("Well, a welfare gal and her drunk galoot/And no one wearing a three piece suit/You meet folks this way you just don't see while flyin/So you take the plane but I'll take the bus this time).

Besides "Old World" and "I Was Dancing at the Lesbian Bar," he played mostly newer songs because, as he explained after a plant in the crowd yelled out, "Play some of the oldies!", his newer songs conveyed fresh emotions and feelings, and old emotions got hard and crusty "in the wrong way," like day old bread, from thence starting into "Es Como el Pan." He performed songs from his latest album, O Moon, Queen of Night on Earth, more gentle musings on a world fast disappearing to the Lady Gaga, explosion-as-spectacle sensibility of the world. Our bodies, even if they are aging, yearn in "These Bodies Came to Cavort" to bend and move beyond just the narrow routine of sitting, standing, and lying down to which people normally restrict themselves. To illustrate, he carefully placed his guitar on the ground and danced about with childish, unchoreographed abandon, with knee bends and hip shakes and even a split-legged jump, spontaneous and ridiculous and beautiful. In fact, throughout the 70 minute show, he would put down his guitar to caper about or else pick up a cowbell or sleighbells, sometimes hesitating, like a child in the throes of competing impulses, over whether to pick up the bells or dance. Lacing his songs with spoken bits, witty observations, funny remembrances, call and response instructions, he bopped through songs with titles like "If You Want to Leave Our Party Just Go," "My Affected Accent," "No One Was Like Vermeer," and "Keith Richards" ("Whether in velvet or velveteen, in sports jacket or dirty blue jeans..."). He exhorted the audience to accept pain and sorrow as natural human emotions and not suppress them with modern drugs ("some people really need Prozac but others take it just so they don't have to ever feel bad, and you know who you are...") in "When We Refuse to Suffer." He thanked his parents for dropping him off in Harvard Square with his pretentious art portfolio and to let him take his own path in a song titled (I think), "The Door to Bohemia."

Throughout the show the audience had great big, silly grins plastered on their faces, with frequent eruptions into pure, delighted laughter. Lady Gaga may talk about getting in touch with your inner freak, but she hides behind her outlandish costumes and pyrotechnics. Jonathan Richman is out there, simple and unadorned, shimmying and shaking like a naive Elvis, slapping and strumming his guitar, leaving us with a smile on our lips, a shake in our hips, and a sweet song in our hearts.

*special thanks to Alice Stephens for contributing this review*

Photo by kata rokkar/flickr

2010 - My Musical Year in Review, The Final Chapter

2011-01-16T12:57:00.000-05:00

On the second of January I left off with German classical composer Max Richter. Today I'll wrap up my musical journey through the year 2010, starting out in California and wrapping it up by going coast-to-coast with a jaunt to Sweden.

The Morning Benders - Cold War: This song doesn't carry the vocal heft of Promises, nor did it have the benefit of the virally Spectorian video that Excuses had. What Cold War had going for it was this perfect time capsule feeling to it, like it had been shrink-wrapped and flash frozen on some diffusely sunny California day in 1964 and unwrapped in the present.

The New Pornographers - Crash Years: If there was any doubt that Carl "AC" Newman was a modern day Canadian analog to Brian Wilson, it was erased with the release of the reluctant Canadian supergroup's Together. Lacking the crazed energy of their first two albums, and not as overtly poppy as the breakthrough Twin Cinema, this is nonetheless their strongest and most mature effort. This song seamlessly blends the voices and talents of their four very different vocalists - Newman, Neko Case, the enigmatic Dan Bejar and Newman's niece Kathryn Calder - into a sweet yet savory confection, smart and catchy. The video for the song also ranks among the year's best.

OK Go - Louisiana Land: The best song from the band that gave us not one, but two, of the year's most inspired videos for their song This Too Shall Pass didn't even make the cut on Of the Blue Colour of the Sky (it was a bonus track on some versions of the album). Instead, their smartest and most energetic new song led off the benefit album Dear New Orleans with homages to Antoinette K-Doe and Galactic drummer extraordinaire Stanton Moore. The other barrel of this sonic shotgun delivers a lyrical critique to government regulators and insurance companies who bailed out failing banks yet left many lower income New Orleanians in the lurch following Hurricane Katrina.

Sufjan Stevens - Impossible Soul: If someone had told me that a Sufjan Stevens concert would break out into a spontaneous dance party after the release of the "States" concept albums, I would have laughed at them...and then proceeded to eat my words 5 years later. Described as "indulgent" and the "Magnum Opus" of his live show, this twenty-five and a half minute long conglomeration starts off as a slightly electrified but not atypical Sufjan love song. The track then takes a left turn into an orchestrally tinged bridge featuring My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden. The song then segues into a silky but experimental Prince-like interlude that itself serves as a transition to the full-on dance coda of the song.

The Tallest Man on Earth - Little River: I'm often amused at how the best of what we might label "Americana" comes from outside our borders - 4 of the 5 members of The Band were Canadian. Swede Kristian Mattson strikes me as a young Bob Dylan who can actually sing, as well as a lyrically thoughtful but vocally superior successor to Conor Oberst.

Vampire Weekend - Diplomat's Son: Ezra Koenig and company's eponymous debut left me a little cold, wanting more from one of the most hyped indie bands of the last decade. Contra left me with the feeling that the band members had relaxed, taken a deep breath, and produced a sophomore effort that showed them stretching to realize more fully their vast potential. This track encapsulates perfectly why they jokingly refer to their music as "Upper West Side Soweto".

The Walkmen - Juveniles: The Walkmen have always inhabited a parallel universe to the rest of us, one of wan sunlight and a faded, derelict majesty. Listening to their albums, you feel like you're at least temporarily transported into their world. The opening track from their latest release, Lisbon, is as good a song (or an opening track) as they've produced. Their vintage instruments add an anachronistic feel to their music, with Hamilton Leithauser's soaring falsetto never sounding more shopworn or emotionally exhausted.

There you have it....21 songs that marked my journey through the year 2010.

Olivia Mancini & The Mates Return to the Black Cat

2011-01-04T08:00:00.003-05:00

Back in September singer/songwriter Olivia Mancini left the comfy confines of DC to attend grad school up in New York City. But this Friday, January 7th, she’s back, baby! Mancini returns for her first show since her departure, and she’ll be rocking the Black Cat with her band, The Mates.

Olivia Mancini & The Mates bring a jangly pop sound with subtly sultry vocals provided by Mancini. And she’s obviously psyched to be coming back to the area. “We're chomping at the bit and ready to blast off with some new songs, stuff from our last few records and some deep cuts that we hope will bring back some happy memories for our longtime fans,” said Mancini. “Sweet harmonies! Thumping bass! Melt-your-face guitar! Pop melodies!”

Check out their irresistibly catchy track “Easy Way” below and the video for “Graphology” above. And no, she’s not really made of clay.

MP3: Easy Way – Olivia Mancini & The Mates

2010 - My Musical Year in Review, Part Deux

2011-01-02T08:08:00.001-05:00

On Christmas Eve I kicked off my my musical review of 2010 and left off with Rio, the catchy, handclap-punctuated tune from Seattle chamber pop ensemble Hey Marseilles. Today I'll pick up with the next 7 selections of some of my favorite and most notable songs of the year, starting with a little Charm City love.

J. Roddy Walston and the Business - Brave Man's Death. Residing in the slightly seedy but charming corner of the neighborhood more famously occupied by My Morning Jacket and The Avett Brothers, JRWATB craft hard-edged, piano-driven Southern rock and roll. Know that their impossibly high energy level simply can't be captured by any recording method currently in existence; you can't really know this band until you experience them live. They give Grace Potter and her Nocturnals and the Avetts a run for the title of Highest Energy Rock Band. Do bring earplugs.

Jon Thor Birgisson - Go Do: Better known artistically as Jonsi, the driving force behind Iceland's Sigur Ros. This isn't my favorite track from Go, but it's the one that to me best showcases how Birgisson employs his soaring falsetto as yet another instrument. This is an immeasurably joyful track, as well as a logical and spiritual successor to Sigur Ros' 2008 masterpiece Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust.

Kanye West's - All of the Lights: Featuring a lineup of artists seemingly longer than the Polyphonic Spree roster, this is the standout track of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and the high water mark of Kanye's artistic vision. Alternately a tribute to Michael Jackson as well as a warning to aspiring MCs wanting to dethrone Kanye, this song serves as another coming out party for Barbadian chanteuse Rihanna and a vehicle for Kanye's charmingly awful singing voice.

Kathryn Calder - All It Is: One of the darker corners of Calder's breezy yet moody debut Are You My Mother?, this songs builds slowly into a crescendo of self-doubt and fuzzy guitars. Recorded around Calder's schedule of caring for her late mother, this album doesn't coax any of the virtuoso vocal performances that Calder's uncle Carl Newman seems to elicit from her on New Pornographers albums. AYMM? is haunting and beautiful and worthwhile in its own right as a young artist finds her vision amidst tragedy.

The Magnetic Fields - You Must Be out of Your Mind: The opening track of Realism, the final entry in the Fields' "no-synth" trilogy, and another prime example of the brilliant and acerbic wit of Stephin Merritt. Spiritually, I see this song as another stage of the grieving romantic evidenced by the blindly optimistic bargaining of I Don't Really Love You Anymore and the self-immolating depression of I Don't Want To Get Over You. I don't love the rest of this album, but it's tough to argue with the Capote-esque bite of lines like "I no longer drink enough to think you're witty".

matt pond PA - First Song: I'll freely admit to not reading a lot of other music journalists' reviews, or even necessarily artist interviews about the inspirations for their songs. I come from an old school that sees music as a deeply personal experience, and I hope that in some way I can capture in words how these songs make me feel. I like a little mystery in my music; I enjoy lyrics that tend towards the abstruse, and I gravitate towards songs that are sonically understated. These are all the reasons I enjoy matt pond PA, and among the many reasons blogs like Pitchfork do not. This slow-build track is a perfect mpPA track, polite and unassuming as a New England spring day, and a return to the more string laden sound of past albums.

Max Richter - infra 5: The longest track from Infra, the most recent album from the experimental composer dubbed "The Ring Tone Maestro" by the NY Times magazine, and a song well worth the journey. Slowly unfolding over the course of nearly five and a third minutes, this track features the classical instrumentation overlaid with electronic "interference" that have been a hallmark of Richter's recent work and a reason behind his crossover success.

Another post, another third of the journey behind us. Soon enough I'll unveil the final tracks in my travels through 2010.

2010 - My Musical Year in Review, Part I

2010-12-24T11:40:00.003-05:00

I'm a little reluctant to do a "Best of" list because I seemingly haven't sampled or been sufficiently exposed to the wealth of great albums that were released this year. I was also admittedly late to the party with 2009 releases like Dan Deacon's Bromst and These Four Walls by We Were Promised Jetpacks, so I'm sure I'll glom onto some of this year's best albums at some point next year.

This the first group of my selections for songs I consider standout tracks, some from albums, others coming from samplers. So, in roughly alphabetical order by artist (or at least by how iTunes sorts artist names), these are songs I listened to and loved that were released this past year. Where possible, I've linked to sites where you can hear these songs, as well.

Arcade Fire - Modern Man: I'm not going to add much to the mountains of frothy prose that has already been issued about a band that found early critical and, now, great commercial success. At turns reminiscent of Bowie, The Cars and Bruce Springsteen, this very 80s ode to existential disaffection and human irrelevancy in the wake of technology demonstrates why Arcade Fire are hitting their peak. If you haven't seen their brilliant and interactive Wilderness Downtown video, I'd suggest you check it out.

Basia Bulat - Gold Rush: The standout track from Heart of My Own, which was good but not great. A perfect showcase for Basia's dusky, lilting voice, and the surprising energy of which her band is capable.

Beach House - Zebra: This song is like the sunlight on a blustery January day, gauzy and otherworldly. This track popped up on a Sub Pop sampler, and I took an immediate liking to it.

Broken Social Scene - Sweetest Kill: This is one for the makeout mixtape (or MP3 playlist), sounding more than a bit like of Montreal covering a previously unreleased Beatles track.

Four Tet - She Just Likes to Flight: There Is Love In You was another strong January release, demonstrating that 2010 was going to be an outstanding year for new music. Kieran Hebden proved that IDM didn't die at the talons of Owl City, releasing a breathtaking record that's deeply personal despite being largely instrumental. SJLTF starts off slowly, demanding a bit of patience, but the song's unfolding is well worth the effort.

Frightened Rabbit - Living in Color: This foot-stomping, fist-pumping anthem from WWPJ's Scottish countrymen (and former labelmates) exemplifies that our friends across the pond haven't forgotten how to rock, and can more than hold their own against the Jersey sound of The Gaslight Anthem and Titus Andronicus.

Hey Marseilles - Rio: I first encountered this Seattle septet via NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series. Vocalist Matt Bishop sounds like the love child of Colin Meloy and David Ford, and the band crafts effortlessly pretty tunes that resemble at turns Beirut, Neutral Milk Hotel and the Decemberists. I'm simply amazed at how they managed to cram that many people and instruments into Bob Boilen's office.

In the coming days I'll unveil parts II and III of this list, with more Baltimore love, Icelandic cheer, and Canadian charm leading the charge. For now, enjoy!

- The Big Easy

Announcing the DC Music Fest!

2010-12-20T22:59:00.000-05:00

The newly renovated Yard Park along the waterfront in Southeast will be the site of the inaugural DC Music Fest, a showcase for Capital Area musicians that will occur on May 7, 2011. The Fest will feature 12 bands, 3 singer/songwriters, and a DJ across two stages, with Billboard World Song contest winners Honor By August and experimental hip-hop collective Restoring Poetry in Motion confirmed as headliners.

The brainchild of Mark Chevalley and Ashely Estill, the event was conceived as a means by which to bring together diverse local artists and the fans of all ages who have supported them. All local artists interested in rounding out the bill are encouraged to contact the festival organizers.

Music Videos In The District

2010-12-13T22:17:00.002-05:00

They still make music videos, kids. They really do! Head out to the Rock & Roll Hotel this Wednesday, December 15^th for proof, when a quintet of local music acts will be debuting new videos, right before they rock the stage. The common thread? All five videos were directed by Chilean Francisco Campos-Lopez.

The videos feature all of the artists that will be performing later in the evening. Modern Thieves bring a little funk and rock to the table, and they’ll be joined on their set by renowned DC jazz keyboardist Marcus Johnson. Veteran pop-rockers Practically Einstein are next on the bill, followed by the jazzy pop stylings of Flo Anito. And the night wraps up with indie-pop singer-songwriter Alexis George.

Alex Dezen of The Damnwells @ Jammin Java Thursday

2010-12-06T21:00:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite bands, The Damnwells, have a new album that should be dropping soon. Though they're not touring, full-band style, raspy-voiced lead singer Alex Dezen will be in town this Thursday night, December 9th, performing solo versions of The Damnwells' catchy, triumphant alt-country tunes at Jammin Java.

Anyway, check out the full band above performing one of the album's new tracks, the irresistably catchy "She Goes Around," live at Rockwood Music Hall. And you can get a free download of the studio version by either pledging or signing up for their mailing list here.

Darlingside @ The Red Palace Thursday

2010-12-05T15:48:00.001-05:00

If you’re in DC Thursday night, check out the Massachusetts 5-piece acoustic-pop act Darlingside. Rich-sounding harmonies that exceed the typical two and three parts, along with string instrumentation, give them a very polished, lush sound. Self-described as “string-rock,” they can also bring the hooks. Like what you hear? They’ll be headlining at The Red Palace (formerly The Red & The Black) in DC Thursday, December 9^th.

MP3: Good Man - Darlingside

Lori McKenna @ Library of Congress Saturday

2010-12-02T20:25:00.002-05:00

I’d previously heard of folk singer/songwriter Lori McKenna, but I had never had actually listened to her, even though I had meant to. So when I got an advance copy of her new album Lorraine (1/25/2011 release) the other day, I immediately pressed play, and I’m very glad I did.

It’s bare, achingly lovely folk-country-think a combination of early Living With Ghosts-era Patty Griffin and Mary Chapin Carpenter. McKenna’s lonesome sound is enriched by the harmonies added by a smattering of various male vocalists (including producer Barry Dean) throughout. The melodies are strong and arrangements are sparsely elegant, though it sometimes takes a second listen in order to focus all of one’s attention on the lyrics.

While McKenna doesn’t necessarily break new lyrical ground on Lorraine (which happens to be her given name), the subject matter that she does cover is done well. It’s an intimate set of songs that tell of small towns, love, growing up and overcoming loss, with tracks ranging from the gorgeous ballad “The Most,” to the intensity of “You Get A Love Song.”

Lori McKenna will be performing at the Library of Congress this Saturday night December 4th, at 8:00 with the current top ten country artist Little Big Town. Tickets are “free,” but since they must be purchased from Ticketmaster, there’s of course a nominal service charge with each ticket order. There is a limit of 2 tickets per person.

Diane Schuur: Q & A

2010-11-22T11:39:00.003-05:00

After her concert at Blues Alley on Saturday night, Diane Schuur spoke with me about life and music. See my review (posted earlier) for more details on the performance.

It’s been 10 years since you’ve been back at Blues Alley—does it feel good to be back?

Oh, absolutely. It’s wonderful to have such an attentive and yet enthusiastic crowd. When you get the combination of that, it’s very cool.

What’s one of your most memorable experiences from this tour?

I went to Salerno, and performed with one of the best bands I’ve ever worked with in my life. They came from all over Italy to perform with me.

I also did a master class there, which was really interesting, for 25 students, and I took them through the same tune, “Always,” that I took you all through. And it was really fun. And it’s so funny, but I just had a visual of doing that particular song, of having an audience participate. It’s kind of a unifying experience for everybody, to feel that they have participated. It’s kind of a love fest. It’s a very sweet song, and those songs just aren’t done that much anymore. Older people can go down memory lane with their spouses and younger people can be introduced to a previous era, so it serves dual purposes, you see? More than that, it serves multi-dimensional purposes, because a tune like that just really touches the soul.

Do you have any advice for young, aspiring jazz singers?

Well, Judge Judy has a wonderful piece of advice for people, and that is, put on your listening ears. And that’s one of the things that I did when I was a little girl, is put on my listening ears big time. Since I don’t have sight, I wasn’t distracted by a lot of things that other people would be. I would just say to young people, give it your all. Put everything you’ve got into the craft, and do it with feeling. Yeah, it’s okay to have the technique, but one of the things I’ve learned in my experience growing up in this business is critics were really quick to say, “Well it’s great, but the gymnastics, you know you don’t have to show everything off in one note.” And that’s what I’ve tried to learn through the years.

Stan Getz had a wonderful phrase, “less is more,” and that’s what I’ve really tried to do. I think this is one of the reasons I’m really jazzed about doing a country record, is every song tells a story. In fact, that’s what Charlie Parker said, you know, he says, “Hey man, every song tells a story.” That’s why he loved it, and that’s one of the reasons that I love it. [The country album] doesn’t mean I’m going to get away from jazz, it’s just that I need to get into a different market recording-wise. It’s just time. It’s going to be on Vanguard records, which is a pretty cool label. It’s going to be kind of like in the style that Ray Charles did when he did his country album [“Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music”]. Hey, if Ray could do it, why couldn’t the Deeds?

What happened there on “Bewitched”?

Hey man, I forgot the lyric, I mean, that was almost a train wreck in the middle of “Bewitched.”

But that’s what we do, that’s how we learn, that’s how we grow as artist. There is something to forgetting because we learn. And I meant it when I said, in my own experience, my husband’s starting to suffer from Alzheimer’s, he’s got Parkinson’s and prostate cancer. [Mr. White, Schuur’s manager] is one of the people that have really become a lifeline for me, in dealing with the situation. I’m really grateful.

Things happen, you know. It’s a drag, but you know at the same time, it’s like digging for pearls in the oyster; you’ve got to look for the pearls within the sand. That’s what I try to do. I’m finally getting some peace with it. It’s kind of like, well I’m a recovering alcoholic, and so I know the behaviors that go on with that. I’ve been sober now for 21 years. I quit coffee six days ago.

How’s that going?

I didn’t even get a headache. It’s so funny, I have what they call laryngeal reflux, probably from years of damaging my body with, you know, “tippin and trippin,” drinking and drugging and stuff. That catches up with you. Singers go through that, regardless of what they do, you know, they get older, and things start to break down. That’s exactly what’s happening to me. So I’ve got to do everything possible to preserve the instrument that I’ve got left.

Diane Schuur In Her Prime at Blues Alley

2010-11-22T09:30:00.007-05:00

It had been ten years since Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Diane Schuur last played Blues Alley, and Saturday night marked her return to the historic Georgetown stage. The singer was in her prime as she delivered an artfully crafted set of classic jazz standards to a packed house who hung on her every ringing high note and emotive lyric.

The concert concluded a two-week November tour with dates in Bucharest, Romania, Catanzaro and Salerno, Italy and Syracuse, New York and finally Washington, D.C. None of the songs on the artist's 2008 album, “Some Other Time,” made it into her set. Instead, Schuur played a mix of songs that earned her international acclaim early in her career, such as her trademark “Deedles’ Blues,” recorded with the Count Basie Orchestra in 1987, punctuated by well-loved standards such as “Bewitched” and “Autumn in New York.”

The set began with a rousing rendition of “Deedles,” with Schuur’s lyric resonating in the crowd: “Deedles is my name… I don’t know how I got here / But I’m mighty glad I came.” Schuur belted out one of her quintessential, perfectly pitched high notes to end the tune. On a dime, she transitioned to a slow, lyrical version of McCoy Tyner’s “You Taught My Heart To Sing.” Schuur offered a melodic, almost meditative solo, a refreshing example of scat singing in a ballad setting where most would opt to stick to the lyric.

The third tune, Chuck Mangione’s “Land of Make Believe,” showcased the band: Randy Porter on piano, Scott Stead on bass and Reggie Jackson on drums. Moving seamlessly between a samba feel, swing and out-of-time robato sections led by Schuur, the band eloquently framed the singer.

Perhaps the most exciting element of the show was the overwhelming sense that Schuur, now 56 years old, remains unapologetically and delightfully herself. Her matter-of-fact manner (“I guess we better do a ballad now”) and subtly self-deprecating humor (“I lost a few pounds—again”) made every audience member a fast friend. With her signature rhinestone-studded sunglasses glittering, the singer, who lost her sight at birth, invited the audience to sing Irving Berlin’s “Always” with her, saying, “It’s always better with your eyes closed.” Then, slyly, “I didn’t say what…”

Schuur took over for Porter on the last two songs of the set, accompanying herself on piano for “Bewitched” and “Louisiana Sunday Afternoon.” A few lines into the former, Schuur stopped abruptly, having forgotten the lyric. “Uh-oh,” she said. “I’ve got Jazzheimer’s disease.” The crowd laughed, Schuur found the lyric again, and the song carried on. Most didn’t catch the poignant undertones of the joke: her husband, Les Crocket, is currently suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

After the show, I spoke with Schuur about growing older, her advice to young singers and her upcoming country album, which she will be recording this December on Vanguard. “It’s a drag,” said the singer of her husband’s condition. “But you know at the same time, it’s like digging for pearls in the oyster, you’ve got to look for the pearls within the sand.”

Said Schuur of the blunder, “Hey man, I forgot the lyric. I mean that was almost a train wreck in the middle of ‘Bewitched.’ But that’s what we do, that’s how we learn, that’s how we grow as artists. There is something to forgetting because we learn.”

It's Not a Violin! A First Look at Christen Lien.

2010-11-19T21:51:00.006-05:00

One of the artists I had the pleasure of meeting at the Future of Music Coalition Policy Summit was Christen Lien, a recent West Coast transplant to the DC area. Although she makes it clear that she plays a viola rather than a violin, her appeal to fans of strings and looping pedal wizards Andrew Bird and Final Fantasy/Owen Pallet is unmistakable.

Look forward to seeing more of her on the blog in coming weeks, but for now I'll leave you with the video for the opening track, Unabi, of her album Vol. 1 Battle Cry. Set against the backdrop of Detroit's abandoned factories and Diego Rivera's towering "Detroit Industry" mural, the video serves as a haunting yet hopeful elegy to a once magnificent city.

Shane Hines CD Release Wednesday

2010-11-09T08:00:00.004-05:00

After spending some time in Nashville, local singer/songwriter Shane Hines has returned with a new album that's a little more personal, a little more mature-sounding, and maybe even a little more country, than his previous efforts. All the Quiet, All the Chaos is well-thought out acoustic-flavored pop, with the occasional subtle notes of pop country arrangements.

Nashville's influence is noticeable on the slower country-tinged piano ballad “It’s Not Home,” with the swooping pedal steel and gorgeous harmonies on the big chorus. And the lead single "Leave It All Behind" is one tasty slice of catchy electric guitar pop. All the Quiet, All the Chaos is available on iTunes starting today, and Shane Hines has his CD release party at Jammin Java this Wednesday, November 10th at 7:30.

MP3: Leave It All Behind - Shane Hines

Belle and Sebastian @ DAR / A Review

2010-10-16T08:10:00.004-04:00

Belle and Sebastian have been around for something like 15 prolific years now. They have their devotees, but they aren't cultivating stadium crowds and their lyric content, courtesy of Stuart Murdoch's humane and Whitmanesque vision, is not for Lady Gaga fans. But I have the sense, based on their last two studio recordings and their showmanship this past Thursday night at DAR Constitution Hall, that they know they could be raking it in more shamelessly if they wanted. But why should they want to? They are already making the best pop music the world has heard since the Beatles. They are terrifically accomplished musicians who seem to have gelled into a collective ego that simply focuses on creativity and the joy of shared music.

Stuart Murdoch, a lyricist of unfathomable emotional range, always tempers his disturbing stories with perspective and rationality, as exemplified in last night's performance of "Lord Anthony." Murdoch introduced the song by saying that it was a song about a kid who was having a difficult time getting along, and so he channeled 'his inner femininity' to get through. Then he asked the audience for some mascara. While he was singing the song, with a refrain that offered perspective to the poor suffering Anthony, 'You'll soon be old enough to leave them,' he walked to the side of the stage and allowed a woman to apply some mascara to his eyes.

And Stuart is quite a showman, inviting people on stage, giving them medals for the crowd-pleaser "The Boy with the Arab Strap," and signing autographs while singing "If You Find Yourself Caught in Love," then walking down the aisle guiding one thrilled and gasping young woman back to her seat. When he walked along the railing separating the floor seats from the box seats, he tossed autographed nerf footballs to the youngest audience members, while the band played the classic Booker T. and the MG's 'Green Onions.'

But Stuart isn't the only showman. I'm a particular fan of Stevie Jackson, who has lately reached Pete Townshend-like heights on guitar, and could be the singer-songwriter and leader of his own band. That he found his way to work with Stuart Murdoch is a miracle of good fortune for pop music lovers. Stevie introduced himself as 'Stevie,' then gave the audience a singing lesson on key-shifts before kicking into "The Real World." Both Stevie and Stuart complimented the audience for carrying the tune when it was over.

None of the other band members have a showman's flair, but all of them are first rate multi-instrumentalists, and I can't think of a drummer with better timing and rhythm in pop music today than Richard Colburn. There's Mick Cooke taking off his rhythm guitar to play muted trumpet. There's Booby Kildea taking off his bass to play rhythm guitar. There's Sarah Martin setting aside the cello to play keyboards. Stevie and Stuart also took turns with guitar and keyboards. Chris Geddes, ensconced on the keyboards, seems to hold it all together. This in and of itself is remarkable, but the truly remarkable thing is that there is no alteration in the fluidity of the songs, no diminution of the sound, or of the professional presentation. Most of us are conditioned to believe that each instrumentalist in a band is communicating his/her personality through the instrument. With Belle and Sebastian, the instrument is merely that, the means to a higher level. They are communicating their personalities through the synergy of melody and rhythm.

Knowing that, you might expect them to be like the Jesus and Mary Chain, arriving late, turning their backs to the audience, playing for spite as much as anything else. But they are all warm and welcoming onstage, relaxed, intimate and respectful of the love the audience radiates toward them.
If you consider yourself a fan of pop music and you are unfamiliar with Belle and Sebastian's recordings, get them and have your life changed for the better. However, you may have to go to Scotland to see them perform because they don't get over the pond too often, and they don't tour for prolonged periods. But, at least, you can say that you lived during the time that Belle and Sebastian played together. It can't go on forever.

**Special thanks to William Pittman for contributing this review**

The Dreamscapes Project return with with Day 9 of the 12 Days Project - Bellweather

2010-09-27T01:31:00.002-04:00

Our friends in The Dreamscapes Project are back with their multidisciplinary performance piece The Twelve Days Project. The Day 9 single is Bellwether, an uptempo number reminiscent of chamber pop stalwarts Ra Ra Riot, The Arcade Fire and the Decemberists. The prominent string arrangements, sudden tempo shifts and anthemic battle cry of "Let's Go" during the song's bridge highlight the depth and versatility of one of the DC area's longest-running bands.

As with other TDP songs, the band has commissioned local artists to create multimedia "re-imaginations" of this month's single. This month's crew of re-interpreters includes Innovation Station producer Dave Mallen, local filmmaker Anne Wells of Lunatic Productions, and SOMNUS graphic artist Jakki Noir.

The 'Scapes will hold a benefit concert for the USO of Metropolitan Washington on Thursday, September 30th, at Bethesda's Union Jack's, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. A suggested donation of $10 gets you a free drink and a raffle ticket to win great prizes.

Dear New Orleans Benefit Concert at the Black Cat - October 4 @ 8 p.m.

2010-09-26T23:36:00.000-04:00

It should come as no surprise to the MetroMusicScene audience that New Orleans is near and dear to my heart, the city of my birth and where I spent most of my first three decades. I had a chance to attend a Future of Music Coalition sponsored pre-release listening party for the Dear New Orleans benefit album, a project of the music non-profit Air Traffic Control. So I am immensely pleased to announce that FMC, in conjunction with their Policy Summit, and ATC are hosting a benefit concert on Monday, October 4 at The Black Cat. Details from our friend Jem Bahaijoub of ImaginePR:

FUTURE OF MUSIC COALITION CELEBRATES

10TH ANNIVERSARY POLICY SUMMIT WITH

ALL-STAR BENEFIT CONCERT

Featuring Bonerama, Damian Kulash of OK Go, Jenny Toomey & Franklin Bruno, Hank Shocklee (Public Enemy), Jonny 5 of Flobots, Tim Quirk of Wonderlick (and half of Too Much Joy!), Rebecca Gates, Crossover Clarinetist Mariam Adam,
plus special guests!

"Dear New Orleans - A Benefit Concert," Monday, October 4, 2010, Black Cat

Washington, D.C.—National non-profit organization Future of Music Coalition (FMC) celebrates a decade of fighting for musicians this October with their highly engaging three day flagship conference. The 10th Anniversary Future of Music Policy Summit brings the brightest minds in music, technology, policy and law together to discuss the key issues affecting the entire music ecosystem.

http://futureofmusic.org/events/future-music-policy-summit-2010

In addition to the conference, FMC and Air Traffic Control (ATC) are pleased to announce "Dear New Orleans - A Benefit Concert." The concert takes place at the Black Cat on Monday, October 4, and showcases several of the artists who contributed to the critically-acclaimed compilation, Dear New Orleans. The benefit album was produced by ATC to mark the fifth anniversary of Katrina and the floods. This D.C. show pays tribute to the city of music with one-of-a-kind collaborations between album artists and celebrated New Orleans musicians.

Since Hurricane Katrina, a diverse group of musicians have headed to the cradle of American music to participate in a series of artist-activist retreats produced by FMC and ATC and to learn firsthand about efforts to rebuild and sustain this vital city and its music communities. Proceeds from the album and concert benefit nonprofits working to support the region's unique musical and cultural traditions, and to restore and protect crucial environment and community resources.

Dear New Orleans can be downloaded here:

http://www.dearno.la/

"Dear New Orleans - A Benefit Concert."

Black Cat, Washington D.C.

Doors at 8 p.m.

$20

http://www.blackcatdc.com/

Bonerama with
Damian Kulash of OK Go
Jenny Toomey & Franklin Bruno
Hank Shocklee
Jonny 5 of Flobots
Wonderlick (and half of Too Much Joy!)
Rebecca Gates
Crossover Clarinetist Mariam Adam
Plus special guests!

The benefit concert is one of numerous can’t-miss events at the 10th Anniversary Future of Music Policy Summit. which takes place at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. from October 3-5. Speakers and presenters include T Bone Burnett (renowned musician, composer and producer), Chuck D (Public Enemy), Damian Kulash (OK Go) Craig Finn (The Hold Steady), Eric Garland (founder, Big Champagne Media Measurement), musician Erin McKeown, Ian Rogers (CEO of TopSpin), Tim Westergren of Pandora, independent label legend Tom Silverman of Tommy Boy Records as well as representatives from YouTube Music, Google, and Facebook.

The full list of confirmed presenters and panelists can be seen here:

http://futureofmusic.org/events/future-music-policy-summit-2010

The conference kicks off on Sunday, October 3, with a "Musicians Education Day" featuring presentations and interactive discussions on subjects ranging from fan analytics to direct-to-consumer case studies to the possible impact of health care reform on musicians. Artists and music entrepreneurs are sure to welcome Ariel Hyatt, who will present her sought-after “master class” on music marketing and social media on Sunday morning.

On Monday October 4 and Tuesday October 5, programming will include presentations, interviews, and panel discussions about the future of the music industry, the government’s role in sustaining creative communities, artists as cultural ambassadors, and the viability of music delivery moving to “the cloud.” In addition, attendees will choose from nearly a dozen “supersessions” on topics ranging from international copyright issues to artist activism.

For full details visit http://futureofmusic.org/events/future-music-policy-summit-2010

###

For further information please contact:

Jem Bahaijoub

imaginePR

A Virgin-Free Weekend Primer - David Bazan, Basia Bulat, Razzmatazz Dance Party & Daddy Lion

2010-09-25T08:26:00.001-04:00

Looking for an alternative to the Virgin ~~Craig~~s, errr, Free Festival? Tonight, we have a doubleheader at the Black Cat. David Bazan, the former Pedro the Lion frontman named one of the 100 Best Living Songwriters by Paste Magazine, headlines the Main Stage at 9:00 p.m. for a $15 cover. If you haven't heard Bazan cover Radiohead's Let Down, you should stop what you're doing & Google it. Heartbreaking doesn't begin to describe it. If Sam Beam has made the Postal Service's Such Great Heights his own, then Bazan has done the same with my favorite Radiohead song.

Although DJ nights are normally a little outside our purview at MetroMusicScene, the Razzmatazz dance party taking place in Black Cat's Backstage bar is a hella lotta fun for those of us who remember the 80s (and those, who for reasons both chronological and chemical, don't). If androgynous, danceable Britpop like Bowie and Suede, heavy on the Pulp, is your thing, check it out. Doors at 9:30 and the cover is $5.

MetroMusicScene alumna Basia Bulat hitches her folky Canadian roadshow at DC9 tomorrow. I didn't think folk could be accurately described as smoky or soulful until I stumbled upon the dusky-throated Bulat. An incomparable voice and the chance to see an autoharp should be motivation to turn out for this show. Doors at 8 p.m. and tickets are $12.

Another MMS favorite, the Metro DC's own Daddy Lion, are touring in support of their eponymous debut EP. If you like your rock music fuzzy, complex and introspective, then Daddy Lion is the band for you. Featured as an NPR Song of the Day in January of this year, the band has scored a coveted spot opening up for legendary J-Pop band Shonen Knife at the Rock & Roll Hotel tomorrow night. Doors are at 8 and tickets are $15. As an added bonus, the band has graciously agreed to provide MMS readers with a downloadable single from the Daddy Lion EP.

Daddy Lion - Divine

Mike Dunn & The Kings of New England

2010-09-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

If you’re a fan of The Damnwells, chances are you’ll like the new album from Mike Dunn and The Kings of New England (Sundowner).

With a comfortable rasp in Dunn’s vocals (a la Alex Dezen of The Damnwells) and an anthemic quality to their rock, Mike Dunn & The Kings of New England have offered up an album that’s strong from start to finish, an uncommon feat these days. Hailing from Florida, their sound is influenced by a more traditional rock sound, along the line of Springsteen and fellow Sunshine Staters Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.

MD&TKONE first came upon my ears a few years ago when I heard their track “Paper Candy” from their Edge of America EP. I loved the sound of it, and it made me want to keep an eye on the band and see what they’d do next.

Dunn wrote on their Facebook page,“I want to make windows-down music,” which perfectly describes what they’ve done. And I want to listen to it. Mike Dunn is on a solo tour, sans royalty, and you can catch him at IOTA tomorrow, Wednesday, September 15th.

MP3: The Promised Land – Mike Dunn & The Kings of New England

The Parlotones @ DC9 Tuesday

2010-09-13T08:00:00.001-04:00

It’s not often that we get South African modern rock bands here in DC, but The Parlotones will be squeezing their stadium-sized act into the confines of DC9 this Tuesday, September 14th.

Already multi-platinum in their own country, they were one of the bands selected to play at this year’s World Cup, and lead singer Kahn Morbee was pretty geeked about it. “Pretty cool gig is an understatement,” Morbee recalled. “[It was the] most memorable show of my life, even though it was one song. Sadly all the players I was excited to see play really never sparkled-Milner, Rooney, Ronaldo, Torres and my favourite, ‘Messi.’ However there were still some amazing performances, and I enjoyed the vibe and period immensely.”

The Parlotones have yet to achieve the same success here in the U.S. that they’ve achieved in South Africa. But they’re hoping that’s to come with the release of their new album, Stardust Galaxies, and an American tour kicking off here in the nation’s capitol. Packing a pop-friendly punch with soaring, sweeping vocals by Morbee, they possess a grandiose sound that echoes bands such as James and The Killers.

It’s a strong CD all the way through, with songs ranging from the giddy energy of “We Call This Dancing” to the crooning balladry of “Fly to the Moon.” Still, Americans can be very fickle when it comes to embracing acts that are successful in other countries. “We write music that covers a spectrum of energies and we’d like to believe that it’s music that can resonate across borders,” says Morbee. ”Even if it doesn’t, we’ll certainly have fun trying.”

Words With Jesse Malin

2010-09-09T08:00:00.004-04:00

Hailing from New York City, Jesse Malin and his Noo-Yawk accent bring the genuine, rollicking, ragged dirty rock you didn’t even know you were missing. He’s touring with a backing band, the St. Mark’s Social, in support of a new album of original material, Love it to Life, and it’s brought an added electricity and intensity to his performance. Check him out this Sunday (9/12) at DC9, and check out my email interview with him below:

A lot of acts distinctly take on the character of their hometown. How do you recognize a New York City flavor in your songs?
I've been born and bred in New York City–been playing music here since I was a snotty little kid. It's a transient town, it's a town, as Woody Allen says, "a dying city," but I see it more as a cat that has many, many lives. A lot of my songs deal with renaissance, redemption & the phoenix act. New York is a great backdrop and metaphor for the cycles.

Describe your music in three words using all nouns.
Lovers, leavers & believers.

On your previous tour, you came through the area acoustic guitar in hand, but for this album tour, it looks like you’ve revved things up with a rocking band behind you. Were you looking for an energy boost?
I dig the energy I get playing acoustic, but I like the gang-like feelings of being in a band. St. Marks Social gives a little bit more rhythm to my blues, plus we have Todd Youth on guitar.

Do you have any favorite tracks in particular off of the new album? (It’s OK, I won’t let the other songs know.)
Songs are like your kids–you love them all, but some days other ones treat you better. Today I'm feeling "Revelations," "All The Way From Moscow," and "Disco Ghetto."

What do you want to leave the audience thinking after your set this Sunday night?
That life can be hard & dark & sometimes seem meaningless, but the music and the gathering of people together connecting, even for a couple of crazy hours, can help celebrate this discontent, striving to make the most out of this mortal experience. Make shit happen, give love, get love, live outside the main. Do it now. PMA (positive mental attitude).

MP3: All the Way from Moscow – Jesse Malin and the St. Marks Social

The Future of Music Coalition Policy Summit Wants You!

2010-09-06T13:41:00.001-04:00

The Future of Music Coalition, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to education, research and advocacy for musicians, is holding their 10th anniversary Music Policy Summit October 3-5, 2010, at Georgetown University. The summit unites recording industry artists and insiders with policymakers, technologists and representatives of the media to tackle issues at the intersection of music, technology, policy and the law. This year the conference will feature presentations by luminaries such as Grammy and Academy Award-winning composer T-Bone Burnett, OK Go frontman Damian Kulash (of my favorite video of the year so far), Tommy Boy Entertainment CEO Tom Silverman, Pandora founder Tim Westergren, Calexico frontman Joey Burns, and Wonkette founding editor and current GQ Washington correspondent Ana Marie Cox.

This year's summit will also include a Musicians' Education Day on Sunday, October 3, with presentations and interactive panels on subjects as diverse as fan analytics to direct-to-consumer marketing and the possible impact of health care reform on musicians. Panelists will include Ariel Hyatt of Ariel PR and TopSpin Media CEO Ian Rogers. These events will be invaluable to current or aspiring local musicians.

More information about the summit is available at the FMC site at http://futureofmusic.org/press/press-releases/more-amazing-speakers-announced-10th-anniversary-future-music-policy-summit.

Now for Something Completely Different - the DC Youth Orchestra

2010-08-19T21:39:00.000-04:00

Looking for something to do to start your Saturday evening the right way? Why not wander over from Georgetown to the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage for a special performance by the DC Youth Orchestra? This event, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Orchestra, will feature a performance by National Symphony Orchestra Conductor Marvin Hamlisch and alumni of the program.

A reception following the event will also serve as a fundraiser for the DCYOP, which raises 55% of its programming costs through subsidies from the DC Public schools and private donations. This allows the DCYOP to keep their tuition costs among the lowest in the area for youth orchestras, ensuring that the none of the more than 600 children enrolled in the program is turned away for lack of funding. Famous alumni of the program include Emmy-winning composer John Wineglass, author Tracy Chevalier (best known for Girl with a Pearl Earring), and Ward 4 Council Member Muriel Bowser.

This is a bit of a departure for this blog, but a worthy one at that. Come on out, attend the concert and reception, and contribute a little something to a program that enriches the lives and education opportunities of DC children.

Under The Influence

2010-08-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

Virginia Beach modern rockers The Influence have got a new album, Falling Objects, dropping next month, on September 14th. It's produced by Ted Comerford, and MetroMusicScene.com is premiering the potentially seizure-inducing video (check out the flashing lights and rotating people!) for their first single, the DC101-ready “Slippin’.” The Influence brings their heavier-edged, yet melodic sound to the table, floating a vocal hook that sticks in your noggin' on top of a bed of some nice crunchy, churning guitars. Take a bite.

GroundScore Q&A and MP3 Giveaway

2010-08-09T23:36:00.000-04:00

Local dancemasters GroundScore have a sound that's tough to pin down - heavy on the reggae with a nod to DC's seminal punk scene and built from the ground up to make you want to shake your money maker. This trio, featuring vocalist and guitarist Zach Bellas, bassist Nick Graves, and drummer Chase Lapp have been making the rounds of the DC music clubs since 2008, and they released their debut album, Healthy Children, in December of 2009. Honing their chops by opening for bands like Clutch, the boys are now ready to stand front and center with a headlining gig on Friday the 13th at the Red and the Black. The show starts at 8 p.m., and the cover is $8.

We conducted a little Q&A with GroundScore in anticipation of their show, and they were gracious enough to provide us with an MP3 for MetroMusicScene readers to download.

MetroMusicScene: Your music incorporates punk, reggae, jam and dance influences. How would you characterize your sound in a sentence?
GroundScore: Free-formed, simplified, Americanized reggae with an honest punk mentality and ethos.

MMS: Where is the favorite concert venue you’ve played, either here or elsewhere in the US? Where is the place you dream about playing? Do you have a favorite story about a gig?
GS: Some of our best shows have been at places not officially established as venues yet or at venues no one has heard of. Officially, however, would be The Rock n’ Roll Hotel in DC because it’s a very unique venue in a really cool up and coming neighborhood for nightlife. Everyone was really nice to us when we played there and the show was insane. Another favorite was playing at Sonar in Baltimore to open for Clutch. We hadn’t been a band for very long and were excited about our busy summer schedule which included various gigs across the DC metropolitan area. Chase, who was on the road as Clutch’s drum tech for the previous month and a half, got them to put us on the bill even though it was a sold-out show. We had no time to rehearse for the show, hadn’t played together in months, and were thrown up on stage in front of 1,400 plus die-hard Clutch fans. We played really well, people asked us for autographs, and this guy had his ten year-old son (sporting a serious Mohawk) got up to shake Zach’s hand. No one threw anything at us like they did to the band after us. Plus we got to hang out with our friends in Lionize and watch a killer Clutch show from backstage. With regards to dream venues, We all love going to the really big, multi-day festivals with eclectic line-ups like Bonnaroo, Lalapolooza (when it was a touring show), the old HFStivals, Coachella etc…So, playing something like that would be a dream come true.

MMS: What artists do you credit with inspiring you to make music? What’s your dream concert lineup?
GS: Chase: Jean- Paul Gaster (Clutch) and ?uest Love (The Roots) both have unbelievably deep musical influences they use to come up with drum stylings.

Nick: Seeing huge stage productions like Pink Floyd were really inspiring but going out to see Electric Six at Little Brother’s in Columbus, OH really did it for me because I knew someone in the band and that made it seem like playing music for a living was a reachable goal.

Zach: I used to watch MTV non-stop with my older brother in the late 80’s and, I hate to say it, but watching Jon Bon Jovi fly around from stage to stage with explosions and fire everywhere in the ‘Living on a Prayer’ video. I was like 5 or 6 but I remember thinking that was what I wanted to do. Our Dream concert line up would include a whole bunch of bands with dead members unfortunately. Getting on a big festival with a real eclectic line-up would be the dream though.

MMS: Tell me about Healthy Children. Where did you come up with the name? What story does the album tell? Is there a new album in the works?
GS: I can’t remember the exact moment we came up with the title ‘Healthy Children’ so it’s a complicated answer, but it’s sort of a reaction to the modern American dream of raising healthy, happy children and how simple of a notion that seems but, in reality, it is quite difficult to achieve. The album itself attempts to speak for a lot of the kids we met out on the road traveling the festival circuit during the summer before the band was ever formed. A lot of these kids didn't have a functioning immediate family and filled that void by ganging together in various parking lots for festivals and shows, selling drugs for money and creating a support system for each other. It was eye opening to experience the culture and day to day life of the ‘lot kids’ and that’s also where we picked up the term ‘groundscore’.

We also have a new album in the works and we are really excited about going back in the studio with J. Robbins who worked with us on ‘Healthy Children’. We are trying to get back in there in December or January in order to release it next spring.

MMS: I saw some girls bring Eli “Paperboy” Reed and his band some pies (from H Street’s Dangerously Delicious). Have your audience members ever brought you interesting offerings (of the non-undergarment variety)?
GS: Nothing that cool as of yet. We usually just get offered alcohol from our crowd, but sometimes clothes too!

GroundScore - Gifts in the Corner

Photo courtesy of the band

Matt Pond PA at the 9:30 Club this Saturday, June 26, 11 pm doors

2010-06-24T20:48:00.002-04:00

Matt Pond PA bring their patently gorgeous brand of indie pop to a late show at the 9:30 Club this Saturday in support of the new album The Dark Leaves. mpPA, as they're known to fans, are one of the progenitors of the baroque pop revival that includes The Arcade Fire and The Decemberists. In contrast to the grittier and more guitar-driven pop of Last Light, The Dark Leaves is a return to the lushly orchestrated sound of their earlier albums. Wintersleep opens up for mpPA, doors open at 11pm, and tickets are $15.

Matt Pond PA - "Starting"

Photo courtesy of Jeremy Balderson

Photos from J. Roddy Walston & the Business, The Constellations & Eli "Paperboy" Reed at the Rock & Roll Hotel

2010-06-19T17:41:00.000-04:00

J. Roddy Walston in a rare quiet moment

J. Roddy leading the forward charge

The Constellations' manic keyboardist/cowbellist

Eli "Paperboy" Reed letting it all hang out

Eli against the backdrop of the True Loves' most excellent horn section

All photos courtesy of Brian Flores

J. Roddy Walston & the Business Q&A and MP3 Giveaway

2010-06-17T00:07:00.000-04:00

Baltimore rockers J. Roddy Walston and the Business are hitting the road in anticipation of the July 27th release of their self-titled debut album. Combining the rock bombast of the Arcade Fire with the cowpunk sound of the Avett Brothers, J. Roddy's manic live show is living proof that sometimes you have to "put it up to 11". J. Roddy plays the piano like Keith Moon played the drums, with an exuberance that must be experienced to be believed. At a recent gig playing a boat party in New York, J. Roddy ended the show by tossing his piano stool in the East River.

The boys were gracious enough to not only participate in a little Q&A with MetroMusicScene, but also provide us an MP3 to download. Catch them this Friday at the Rock & Roll Hotel; doors open at 8:30, and the cover is $10 advance/$12 DOS.

MMS: J. Roddy, the frenetic energy of your live shows is well known. What was the biggest challenge in capturing that sound on your record, and how did you go about meeting the challenge?

JRWATB: what we do on stage isn't planned, it's reactionary...and a lot of the energy we have comes from the interaction we have with the crowd....
the better the crowd the more insane we are going to get.
obviously in the studio there is no crowd..so we had to come up with a way to bring in that extra power.
so we decided we would record the whole thing in 8 days and did as much of the tracking as possible live.
also we hired the singer from spin doctors to point a gun at our heads while we were tracking.

MMS: Tell us about the Business, how they came to be and the current members of the band.
JRWATB: billy gordon(lead guitar) has been in the band the longest ... i saw him playing with another band the first show i played in baltimore. i asked him to do the right thing and quit that band and join mine.

steve colmus (drummer) steve was playing in a couple of bands, i ended up winning him in a poker game. you can win some strange stuff at the poker tables in glen burnie.

logan davis (bass) i am living in a cabin down in richmond va right now and when zach(our old bass player) quit i asked the locals who the most bad-ass musician with long hair and a beard was.... one name kept coming up.

MMS: Where is the favorite concert venue you've played, either here or elsewhere in the US? Where is the place you dream about playing?
JRWATB: the greatest venue we have ever played was the magic stick in detroit. this place had a bowling alley downstairs, a divey pizza joint, a nice cafe and killer venue. we bowled for free ate for free it was amazing. also meg white showed up in time to see our van explode in the street.
also the southgate house in cincy is amazing.

we were really wanting the gig as jay leno's house band but train got that.... so i guess that dream is dead.

MMS: I heard about you tossing your piano stool into the East River recently to end the show. Is that the most rock & roll thing you've ever done to cap off a gig? What can the audience at the Rock & Roll Hotel expect from you on Friday?
JRWATB: well as far as the east river stool toss, i just love to litter and normally i don't get to do that at a show so i had to seize the moment.
there was another show in nyc that i went to jump over my piano but i ended up flipping over the piano and ripped my self up pretty bad.
bleeding is always a good show ender.
d.c. can expect that i am going to use my slow hand to rip it up and my fast one to put it back together.
MMS: How was your experience playing SXSW this year?
JRWATB: sxsw was amazing this year. we played a bunch of rad shows and basically had the experience every band hopes to have at sxsw.
but it's basically music exec spring break down there so you have to be careful or you might get rufied and wake up having
committed a mortal sin with the head of sony.
MMS: What was the most memorable part of SXSW?
JRWATB: we played a show with andrew w.k. seeing him live was off the charts.
we also ended up not having a place to stay so we were just sleeping outside, one morning i woke up and the sprinklers had come on
and billy was just sleeping through it...that's how tired you get at sxsw once you hit the sack someone could stab you and you're not waking up.

MP3: J. Roddy Walston & the Business - Brave Man's Death
Photo courtesy of Glynnis McDaris

Celebrate Digital Capital Week with DC Area Musicians

2010-06-12T18:27:00.000-04:00

Think Digital Capital Week is just about social media, the democratizing effect of technology, and bridging the digital divide? 'Taint so! Our friend at imaginePR , Jem Bahaijoub, is hosting or co-hosting (with Innovation Station's Dave Mallen) a pair of events during DCWEEK.

#DCWEEK Supports Local Music With Music Industry Networking Event, Performing Artists Clinic and

9:30 Club Showcase

Washington, DC’s greatly anticipated Digital Capital Week (DCWEEK) will be supporting the local music scene with a host of events encouraging collaboration and creativity in the nation’s capital. Key events include the ‘Metro Music Source’ music industry networking party on June 15th, a ‘Performing Artists Clinic’ on June 19th, and a 9:30 Club closing party on June 19th, showcasing the best in local talent in the DC area.

The Metro Music Source (MMS) was founded nearly a year ago by co-hosts Dave Mallen (owner/producer of Innovation Station Music) and Jem Bahaijoub (owner of imaginePR) as a focal point for the thriving and diverse DC area music scene. It offers music creators and industry professionals the opportunity to socialize, share knowledge, and collaborate, while also helping to raise the profile of DC music on a national level. Past MMS events have brought together local musicians, major and indie label executives, artist managers and marketing reps, record store managers, publicists, filmmakers, music publishers, producer/engineers, and more.

As part of #DCWEEK, the Metro Music Source will be hosting a special music industry networking event on Tuesday, June 15th at Bar Louie from 6.30pm-9.30pm. The event will feature several special guests from across the industry, including Brad McCormick from WEA (Warner Elektra Atlantic) and ADA Distribution, and Derrick Ewan, aka DJ Furious Styles. Derrick is a former XM Radio DJ and mix show host known for putting the spotlight on unsigned artists in Hip Hop and R&B world. The event will be covered by DC Life magazine and will feature a FREE raffle to win a box of 30 new CDs from artists such as The Gaslight Anthem, Blitzen Trapper, Against Me!, All Time Low, The Black Keys, and the new Twilight Eclipse Soundtrack..

Another key event in the #DCWEEK calendar is the ‘Performing Artists Clinic - How To Use The Web To Your Advantage’ on June 19th from 3.30pm-4.30pm. This panel presentation and Q&A discussion will feature key industry speakers such as Sean Glover, Manager of Artist Relations at SoundExchange, Dave Sherbow, author of ‘One Fan At A Time’, and Keith Center, frontman of DC folk-rock group The Dreamscapes Project. The event will be hosted by Jem Bahaijoub, owner of imaginePR, a DC based music PR and marketing company. The panel discussion will focus on how performing artists can maximize their online experience, key elements of online branding and social media marketing, and various tips, tools and practical advice on online platforms.

#DCWEEK will end in spectacular style with techARTS closing party at the 9:30 Club on the evening of June 19th. In just three weeks 34,000 votes were cast by 10,000+ people across the city for their favorite bands to perform at the legendary venue. techARTS are happy to announce that Amber Dutton, The Very Small, McWorm, 16 Large, Vedet, Stout Cortez, Blankus Larry, Little Big Heart, and East Coast Caravan have all been invited to play.

For further information about #DCWEEK’s schedule visit www.digitalcapitalweek.org

###

Notes To The Editor:

Music Metro Source Networking Event

Tuesday, June 15th

6.30pm - 9.30pm

Bar Louie

701 7th Street Northwest

Washington, DC 20001

Cost - $20 includes 2 drinks and a shared appetizer

Performing Artists Clinic - How To Use The Web To Your Advantage

Saturday, June 19th

3.30pm - 4.30pm

UMC Conference Facility

900 Massachusetts Ave NW,

Washington DC 20001

Cost - FREE

9:30 Club Closing Party

Saturday, June 19th

10pm - 3.30am

9:30 Club

815 V Street NW

Washington, DC 20001

Cost - $20

R.I.P. George

2010-05-19T14:51:00.000-04:00

If you've been around the Arlington music scene for awhile, there's a good chance you ran into George Stender at least a couple of times. "George," as most of people knew him, frequented many of the music venues in downtown Arlington, staying out surprising late, and going out surprisingly often, and was never afraid to show his appreciation for a good song. He a long-time kitchen employee at Whitey's in Arlington.

Sadly, he passed away on April 18, 2010. A memorial service for George Stender will be held at 6pm today, Wednesday, May 19th at the Bloss Memorial Free Will Baptist Church, at 716 North Barton Street in Arlington.

*thank you to Mike Johnson for the info

Take A Taste of Arlington This Saturday

2010-05-13T08:00:00.004-04:00

It’ll be a combination of craveable food and chill music this Saturday, May 16th, in Arlington, as the 2010 Taste of Arlington Festival occupies the Ballston area from 12-5. The forecast is good, and over 40 local Arlington restaurants will be taking part, including Willow, Jaleo, Carlyle and Lebanese Taverna, while Tarara Vineyards will be handling the wine. And DC’s own award-winning jazz pianist and band leader Marcus Johnson will be providing the music.

Words With These United States

2010-05-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

These United States are bringing their folky-rock stomp to the Black Cat this Saturday, May 15th. And what might you be in for? Check out the pulsing urgency of their live performance of “I Want You To Keep Everything” at the 2009 CMJ Music Marathon here. I spoke to lead singer Jesse Elliott this week via email about the band’s territorial preferences, future recording plans, and Elliott's apparent Phil Jackson mancrush.

So you've gotten a chance to tour around the nation, and now inquiring minds want to know – have you finally decided on a favorite state?
As with most things in These United States, this would be a matter of serious internal contention. Tom would go with Texas, maybe cause we’ve been here all this week and the weather’s been amazing and the crowds’ve been raucous. Justin’s thinking Kentucky – that’s where he’s from, and occasionally makes it back to when we’re not touring. In this sense, Justin’s keeping it very real. Colin’s seconding the vote for the Bluegrass State. “Anywhere but Pennsylvania,” Robby says – just to spite Tom. That’s where Tom’s from. In this sense, Robby is keeping it somewhat real. If I could live in the mountains of Idaho and somehow make Chicago and Denver and New York and Detroit and San Francisco all come to me on alternating weekends, I’d be in a state of total bliss.

What are you most proud of about your most recent album, Everything Touches Everything?
It’s the first record we did with the 5 of us here now, so in that sense it’s a new direction for us. We had a bit more time to work on it than the first two, and getting all the tracking done at Inner Ear with T.J. Lipple was a blast – nice to do that right in our own backyard in DC. We also love the album art, by this guy John Malloy, a truly amazing graphic novelist from Baltimore.

And anything up your collective recording sleeves for the future?
Definitely. July 20th. What Lasts. Be there or be square.

Characterize your music in three words, using all nouns.
Jordan. Pippen. Paxson.

What’s your songwriting process like?
Songs come from all over, though for me they’ve always been more of an externally induced thing. I don’t have a lot of feelings – not ones that I think are interesting enough that people’d wanna hear all about them, anyway. The stuff that interests me in life is usually the stuff I wanna point to when I’m walking through a new place with an old friend. Strange check-out ladies, gothic architecture, names I’ve never seen that seem like they might’ve come from other languages up on street signs. That’s the matter. The means is just those sketches I make stitched together more cohesively by the 5 of us, made more beautiful sometimes, sometimes just Frankenstein’ed until they’re a big grumbling ranting rocking slightly unnerving but generally well-intentioned kind of a being striking out into the world on their own. We do all this is a small dark basement, like most musicians.

When you’re out on tour and spending long, close hours in a van, what are three CDs you can all agree on for a long drive?
We only have two. Love and Theft – that’s Dylan’s – and, breaking to the front of the pack recently, Shame, Shame, the new Dr. Dog one. Mostly, we just listen to Radiolab, a podcast from WNYC that lights all of our brains on fire. Blinded by science!

And which of you has the best skills behind the wheel? Don’t be humble.
You gotta send different players in from the bench depending on what plays you’re calling and who you’re up against, you see what I’m saying here with this sports analogy I’m using? For instance, late nights, post-show, long-haul endurance, just barely getting through to the other side of dawn thanks mostly to Yo La Tengo, that zone is just owned by Tom. Justin comes through in a serious last-minute audible emergency – he recently saved everyone’s lives when our rear right tire blew out going 70 on the drive back from South by Southwest. I’m a bit of a utility man, known primarily for quick instincts and agile maneuverability – good in the mountains, even better in the cities, the more obstacles the better. You gotta know your talents and stick with 'em. Never be humble, exactly, yes – except in deference to the road itself. That thing is your master, and it’s a wildly undulating hydra-headed chameleon kinda beast to boot. You gotta be Phil Jackson, ready for any opponent, but real zen about it all. Life and life only.

I see you’re playing Lollapalooza this summer, very cool. Who are you most looking forward to seeing while you’re there? And it’s really OK if you say Lady Gaga…
Phil Jackson.

What do you want people thinking after you finish rocking the Black Cat this Saturday?
“The show that was just put on by These United States which I just saw at the Black Cat, that show really inspired me. It made me want to be a better person. Not necessarily a good person. Just better at what I do, like even if what I do is just being a rotten no-good bohemian of a drunk who occasionally, usually accidentally, gives someone around me a new eye on things, just a tiny little momentary sparkle in what’s an otherwise grating and grueling world to live in. These United States make me want to take that all to the next level…”

MP3: I Want You To Keep Everything (live, HearYa sessions) – These United States

Photo: Sarah Law

And We Have a Winner!

2010-05-07T22:48:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Marguerite in La Verne, California, for winning our Local Natives Sun Hands 7" giveaway! And a special thanks go out to Tonia at The Orchard for making the giveaway possible.

Double Barrel Local Natives Giveaway!

2010-05-04T20:56:00.001-04:00

MetroMusicScene has a 7" of the Local Natives song Sun Hands, with a B-side of the Daytrotter recording of Cards & Quarters, to give away. All you have to do to enter is leave us a comment with contact info (you can't win if you comment anonymously) before midnight EDT tomorrow, May 5. One winner will be chosen at random.

Also, our friends at Charm City record store The Sound Garden are giving away a pair of tickets to tomorrow night's sold out show at the Rock & Roll Hotel to the first person to buy the Gorilla Manor LP. The Sound Garden is located at 1616 Thames Street in Baltimore, and they're open until 10 pm tonight and tomorrow. Don't hesitate; time's a-wastin'!

Photo courtesy of Paradigm Agency

A Case of the Fridays

2010-04-29T17:13:00.002-04:00

Local modern-rockers No Second Troy just dropped a new album, Colors, this week. During the recording process, lead singer Jeff Wharen said they looked to “capture the band at its most authentic.” As a result, Colors is a more organic-sounding record, with less digital editing, and more focus on "pairing the aesthetics of the musical and the lyrical." Check out “Leap of Faith” from Colors below, a beautiful acoustic-driven ballad with its fragile harmonies and atmospheric electric guitar. No Second Troy will be having their CD-release party this Saturday, May 1st, at the Black Cat in DC.

MP3: Leap of Faith – No Second Troy

I first came upon Ryan Star (see above) during season two of Rock Star (Rock Star: Supernova). He impressed me with his raspy vocals and strong finish in the competition; however, I really hadn’t considered what would become of him afterwards. But when I heard his recent recordings, my interest was definitely piqued. Though Star's new album, 11:59, keeps getting delayed, several of its new tracks are available as an EP (Last Train Home) - kind of a teaser until the whole album drops, and the EP title track is a wonderful slice of anthemic, triumphant modern rock. If you like what you hear, Ryan Star will be at IOTA in Arlington Sunday, May 2nd.

MP3: Last Train Home – Ryan Star

El Prezidino Give VA Props

2010-04-26T21:21:00.003-04:00

Yeah, no doubt you’ve heard Jay-Z’s ode to New York, “Empire State of Mind,” but doesn’t New York already have enough songs? So DC-based Virginia-native hip-hop artist El Prezidino takes things back, reveling in his proud twist on Jay-Z’s hit with his live recording of “Excuse My Commonwealth.” Hey, we’re in Virginia, and he knows we need an anthem (so put your damn hands up!) that you can check it out below. El Prezidino flips things VA-style, throwing out regional references left and right, even getting Richmond neo-soul singer Nickey McMullen to play Alicia Keys to his H.O.V.A. while his band, M.O.R., nails the instrumentals. His new mixtape, Almost Genius, Almost Crazy, is dropping May 31st, but you can catch him before that Friday, May 7th, in DC at The Red & The Black.

El Prezidino - Excuse My Commonwealth by 3Fingers Music Group

Quasi @ the Black Cat: A Review

2010-04-26T12:10:00.005-04:00

About midway through Quasi's short but sweet show at the Black Cat April 24th, drummer Janet Weiss said, "This is really different from the last time we played here." I can only presume that she was referring to the size of the audience, which even with plenty of elbow room only filled up a third of the hall. Nice for the audience, as was the ticket price which, at $13, was the least I had paid for a show in a long time and was more typical of a band just starting out than for credentialed indie royalty.

The small crowd did not deter the Portland, Oregon-based band from delivering a powerhouse performance. Opening with "Repulsion," the first song on their latest release, American Gong, they mostly played material from that CD, which introduced bassist Joanna Bolme into the band, increasing it in size by half and injecting a more muscular electric sound that relies less on the warbling of the keyboards. The lyrics, still slashing and poignantly cynical, are no longer delivered in the dreamy lilt that took the sting out of the dark sentiments. Gone is the plaintive reediness in Coomes' voice, which sometimes actually strains hoarsely to compete with the driving guitar chords.

On stage they played without frills, putting all their energy into the music, though Coomes did do a few guitar jumps during "Bye Bye Blackbird," a swirling acid-rock-meets-carnival-music tune that punctuates a nursery rhyme-like song with tremendous, crashing crescendos of discordance. The band members didn't introduce themselves, the banter was sparse and a little self-conscious, and they didn't wait around for the applause before ripping into the next song. Drinking beer in a sleeveless dress and playing a big bass guitar with implacable assurance, Joanna Bolme was the most glamorous of the trio. Janet Weiss played the drums with that trance-like concentration that all great drummers slip into, holding up the weight of the song with every fiber of their being, like Atlas single-handedly bears the burden of the sky. The energetic core, hair flopped into Sam Coomes' eyes as he went from keyboards to guitar, leaned into the microphone, and provided the harmony that stitched the drums and bass together.

They played for about an hour, running through most of the catchier songs from American Gong, including "Everything & Nothing At All," "Black Dogs and Bubbles," "Rockabilly Party," and "Laissez le Bon Temps Roulez." Fifteen years after Quasi released their first album, that song's lyrics perhaps embody the philosophy of the mature musician in a musical form that favors the youthful. As individuals, the members of Quasi have played with everyone from the late, great Sleater-Kinney and Elliott Smith, to Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks and Bright Eyes. "You might say your race is run or you can rise up on the sound in the center of the sun ... I used to be mad, not crazy, just mad, not anymore, the receding taillights of a teenage dream." Not only is rock and roll not the fountain of youth, but it often eats its own young. Getting older is not for sissies, especially if you are a rock musician.

Performing only a few songs from other releases, including "All the Same, "Sword of God," and for an encore, that great Portland anthem "It's Raining," they ended the show with a perfect rendition of "Pictures of Lily," another song about the dangers of being misled by dreams. Quasi hasn't given up their dreams, they have brought to them a steel edge, pulsing beats and ferocious chords that do not go gently into that good night.

**Special thanks to Alice Stephens for contributing this review**

Photo credit: Flickr user forklift

School of Rock Redux - Dreamscapes Project "Bluegrass" Video by H-B Woodlawn Students

2010-04-23T10:58:00.000-04:00

Just in time for their concert tonight to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, we have an artistic "re-imaging" of The Dreamscapes Project's Bluegrass created by students at H-B Woodlawn. This is the fourth entry in their Twelve Days Project, the band's collaborative multimedia initiative uniting artists, filmmakers, and the band to benefit area charities. Tonight's concert at the LA Bar starts at 8pm, with all proceeds from raffle ticket and wristband sales going to the LLS.

Caleb Stine Takes Upperville

2010-04-13T19:41:00.002-04:00

Sunday night I was lucky enough to catch Baltimore singer/songwriter Caleb Stine at a house concert out in Upperville, VA, where I could actually see the Blue Ridge Mountains in the afternoon and the Big Dipper when the sun went down. Caleb has a folky bent to his music, playing solo acoustic guitar with a very nice finger picking technique, and vocally, he reminds me just a bit of John Gorka. There's a wonderful intimacy to Caleb's voice and lyrics, drawing the listener in, like he's sharing his inner-most secrets. Here's a very well-done video (not from the house concert, alas) of him performing the achingly lovely "My Service Isn't Needed Anymore" live.

More MMS Multimedia Madness - the official video for Adam Green's "What Makes Him Act So Bad?"

2010-03-30T17:42:00.003-04:00

MMS Multimedia Madness - Join the Cursive Army for a Good Cause

2010-03-30T17:34:00.002-04:00

Cursive recently released their new single, Discovering America, on Saddle Creek on March 9. The track is a statement against the mistreatment of the Native American community. The band has released the song as a standalone single, with all profits benefiting The American Indian College Fund. Give it a listen.

Four, Six, er, Eight Questions with Javelin

2010-03-30T13:02:00.006-04:00

Today I had the pleasure of speaking with George Langford and Tom Van Buskirk, the Brooklyn-by-way-of-Rhode-Island electro-MacGyver duo known as Javelin. If you're not familiar with them, their music sounds a bit MGMT-y juxtaposed over the sampling wizardry of Dan Deacon. Their famously lo-fi live sound is accomplished via a custom-built stack of spraypainted boomboxes and an FM transmitter.

Their April 3 show at the 9:30 Club with Yeasayer is already sold out, but I'm sure you know where to find tickets if you're enterprising enough.

MetroMusicScene: Did you really play 16 shows in 4 days? How was SXSW? Did you have a favorite SXSW venue/set?
Tom Van Buskirk: Totally misreported, and we are the likely source of that misinformation. We played 11 shows in 4 days. We heard Dam-Funk was playing 13 shows, so we started saying we were playing 16.
George Langford: On the east side of town, there were a lot of BBQ backyard type shows. Those were good parties.
TVB: The Hype Machine party was really cool. Todd P's show at Ms. Bea's. The Pitchfork/Windish show was our best show.

MMS: On Melophobe, I read that Yeasayer owed you money. Are they bad poker players?
BOTH: Laughter
TVB: Yeah, man, they're crooks. Cards up their sleeves.
GL: Scam artists. You can print that.

MMS: You two are heading out on tour with Yeasayer again?
TVB: We meet up with them on 4/3, and head out for another two weeks.

MMS: That's the show at the 9:30 Club, right?
TVB: Sold out!
GL: Capacity of 1200, which is maybe a record for us.

MMS: Aside from the late J. Dilla, any other artists who really influenced you? Are there any records you'd hand to someone who asked you to explain the evolution of the Javelin sound?
GL: As of the last 3-4 years, Arthur Russell has shaped a lot of production textures I've been really into.
TVB: The Dust Brothers produced a couple of albums - Paul's Boutique and Odelay. California albums, a junk sampling aesthetic. When I heard that the Dust Brothers were producing Hanson's record, I wasn't sure if those were still cool references to list.

MMS: One of the Hanson brothers is in that supergroup with Adam Schlesinger from Fountains of Wayne and one of the former members of the Smashing Pumpkins... [Ed. note: the band is Tinted Windows]
GL: Isn't one of the guys from Cheap Trick in there, too? [Ed. - Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick is the drummer for Tinted Windows]
TVB: It's like a reality show band. Celebrity House or whatever.
GL: Celebrity Making the Band

MMS: How would you describe No Mas if you were in an elevator with someone? How did the recording of No Mas compare to Jamz n Jemz?
GL: It depends on who's in the elevator!
TVB: Talking to Quincy Jones - Quince, you gotta check the reverbs...we’re making sonic spaces, environmental sounds, a whole lotta warmth, pop music of all eras, full-fledged songs, scraps of ideas taken as far as their natural course could take them. Kind of like a scrapbook we’re really proud of. Goosebumps. R.L. Stine Goosebumps. Then I’d offer him a shot of Maker’s Mark.
GL: Fucking Goosebumps
TVB: Jamz n Jemz was never meant to be a complete entity, it was meant to be an evolving idea. The copy that finally made it out to the world and onto the Internet, that’s when we stopped evolving it. We tried to make something more comprehensive with No Mas. Jamz n Jemz is great because you can break it apart so easily. All the songs on No Mas resonate.
GL: They sort of fit together.

MMS: Anything else you want to share with the DC music audience?
TVB: Working hard. We are working hard.

Photo courtesy of Tell All Your Friends PR

Harper Blynn @ DC9 Saturday 3/27

2010-03-26T21:27:00.005-04:00

Pete And J- Loneliest Generation- Live on Fearless Music from fearlessmusic.com on Vimeo.

Need something catchy to listen to this weekend? New York-based band Harper Blynn will be bringing their soulful brand of pop to DC9 this Saturday night, March 27th. Formerly known as Pete and J, their sweet harmonies and hooks caught me by surprise a year or so ago when they rocked IOTA as the opening act for The Damnwells, and I’ve been waiting patiently for their return ever since. But now they’re back with a new name (opting for a more formal combination of the last names of the two lead guys in the band) and a new album, Loneliest Generation. Check ‘em out.

MP3: 25 Years – Harper Blynn

David Ford and Jeanne Jolly at Iota - Concert Review

2010-03-25T04:24:00.000-04:00

I'll confess that I went into the David Ford show at Iota this past Sunday not knowing quite what to expect. I had seen the viral "Go To Hell" video that had become something of a YouTube sensation. I had given his new album, Let the Hard Times Roll, a listen, finding it to be a pleasant record somewhere between David Gray's melancholy soul and Damien Rice's hardscrabble folk. And yet, I still didn't quite have a good feel for what the show might be like. More on that in a bit.

Opening for David this night was Jeanne Jolly, a striking North Carolinian singer/songwriter whose voice carried hints of Linda Rondstadt's early power with the delicate lilt of Alison Krauss. Along with original numbers which included a touching tribute to a newlywed brother in attendance, Jeanne (pronounced Jean) covered Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again" and was joined onstage by David for a set closing rendition of Tom Waits' "Downtown Train".

After a short hiatus, David took the stage solo. I was vaguely puzzled, as there were enough instruments onstage for an Edward Sharpe or Polyphonic Spree set. David picked up a trio of noise-making implements and launched into a set that was decidedly more furious than his album or his video would have indicated. He had a bit of blue-eyed soul to his voice, and more than a little of that prototypically British folk angst. He also had an edge, a dynamism borne of necessity, imagination and probably more than a touch of insecurity. He sounded like he had something to prove as he railed about loving the wrong woman in a number entitled "She's Not the One", which is the first and only love song about Margaret Thatcher that I've heard. He explored heartbreak on both a personal and national level with "Stephen", a lament about the 2009 murder of a police officer in Northern Ireland that was the first in more than a decade.

All of these words simply can't capture the spirit of what David was able to do, through sheer manic effort, on stage by himself. His versatility and virtuosic command, not only of the multiple instruments onstage but also of the looping pedal, enabled him to simulate how a full band might sound supporting him. Andrew Bird, Liam Finn and Theresa Andersson, all masters of the looping pedal, could learn a thing or four from him. David restlessly prowls the stage like an errant Kaiser Chief or a lost Campesino! His voice turned unexpectedly guttural as he exorcised his demons, musical and otherwise, on the stage at Iota that night. I was exhausted watching him.

The finale of the show, not surprisingly, was similarly unexpected. David advised the audience that he didn't do encores, that he didn't believe in playing that game, especially given the size of Iota. He was going to lay whatever he had to give out there in a single set, with a special request of the audience at its conclusion. He drew the crowd's attention to a bell, the kind you might find at a hotel front desk, sitting on his piano. He told the audience he would ring that bell once at the conclusion of his last song, at which point he wanted the audience to put all their energy into a single clap. Not a single round of applause...one solitary clap. He would then walk off the stage in complete silence until he was safely out of view, at which point the audience could applaud in whatever manner they saw fit. Strangely, agonizingly and a bit surprisingly, it worked. David rang the bell, the audience gave it their all in a single clap, and then David walked offstage and out of sight. The crowd then exploded in appreciation of a set that, at least for me, is an early contender for best concert of the year.

My advice to you is to find a David Ford solo show as soon as you can. I imagine that word of mouth of his live show and album sales will afford him the luxury of bringing a few more musicians with him the next time he mounts a tour, should he decide to shed his mantle as a one-man band. No number of accompanying musicians could replicate the frenetic energy David expended onstage, one man desperately tilting at musical windmills.

In Pictures: Interview with Photographer Kyle Gustafson

2010-03-18T08:00:00.004-04:00

As a fan of both music and photography, the well-executed combination of the two is like the union of chocolate and peanut butter. Concert photography can capture the intensity of a performance, the beauty of the lighting, the essence of the performer, and it can plain just look cool. But all this is often easier said than done. Shooting usually occurs under difficult conditions, with little control of limited light and sporadic movement of subjects.

I've long admired the work of local concert photographer Kyle Gustafson. You've probably seen his photos on websites such as DCist, the Washington Post, or Pitchfork. His keeps his website interesting, posting mini-show reviews and shooting conditions along with his concert pics. I finally caught up with him to discuss his love of Oasis, shooting DC shows, and handling moshpits. You can check where Kyle's shooting next on his twitter page.

So what initially drew you to taking pictures at concerts? Do you have a musical background?
Not in an "I play an instrument" way. I became obsessed with music in high school. Nirvana blew up my senior year of high school and it opened up a whole new world for me. When I went to college, I DJ'ed at a club and also became music director of the campus radio station. Through that job I was able to score an internship in the college department at Epic Records (Oasis was - and still is - my favorite band so I wanted to intern at their label) in New York City. That was an incredible summer. I saw 100 concerts in 3 months. I was in heaven, so naturally I wanted to work in the music industry when I graduated school, which I did. I moved to NYC 2 days after graduating and I worked in the music industry for seven years. I've been going to 2 or 3 concerts a week for most of my adult life. I always tried to take photos at these concerts, but it wasn't until I moved to D.C. that I could actually afford a decent camera and started working at getting good results. Originally I wanted good photos to go with the concert reviews I was doing on my blog, Information Leafblower, and also DCist. It just kind of snowballed from there.

What are the primary factors that make shooting at a concert challenging?
There's not much about taking photos at concerts that isn't challenging. Generally, credentialed photographers are only allowed to shoot the first three songs of a concert. You basically have about 10 minutes to work. Lighting is the other main issue. It varies from club to club and different artists have different approaches to lighting. Rappers tend to like their lighting really, really low and when you combine that a hat and a hand with a mic, it's almost impossible to get a clean shot of their face. Photo pits are also an issue. The 9:30 Club and Verizon Center are the only two venues in town that generally offer a photo pit. If there's no pit then I have to get to the club when it opens and get a good spot up front. That can mean standing there for three hours in order to take 10 minutes worth of photos. And then I have to fight the crowd depending on the artist. I need that space in front of the stage because if I end up in the 2nd or 3rd row and the people in front of me like to jump around and hold their hands up the whole time, it means I can't get my shot.

Another challenge that is becoming more and more common is artists making photographers sign a contract, called a photo release, which depending on the language can take the copyrights of the photos taken during the concert and transfer them to the artist without compensation to the photographer. It's a sleazy tactic, especially from bands that speak out against people stealing their music via p2p. Not every band has them, and some are more restrictive than others. You don't have to sign a release to shoot U2, Springsteen or Metallica, but you do to shoot Taylor Swift, Cheap Trick or AFI. Pearl Jam had my favorite release ever. It basically said "Don't sell the photos you are about to take commercially, stay out of our crew's way while they are working and HAVE FUN." I can get behind that.

Are you constantly doing trial and error with different settings while you're shooting during a show?
When I go to a show, I generally set my ISO at 2000 and aperture at 2.8 and adjust my shutter speed from there. Once the show starts I adjust ISO, shutter speed and aperture as necessary. I check out Flickr and YouTube before every gig to try and get an idea of lighting and stage spacing. Flickr groups and Twitter have become invaluable resources as other photographers share the lighting conditions and stage setup as the tours come through their town. A friend may tell me that of the 3 songs I get to shoot for Kings of Leon, only the second one really has good light, so then I can spend the first song finding the best angle to get the shot I need during the second song.

Do you ever miss being able to just sit back and watch a show without having to snap pictures?
Occasionally. Although generally I only get the first three songs to shoot and then I have to put my camera away. So if I am shooting a show at the 9:30 Club, I shoot the first three and then take another song or two to pack up my gear and work my way to the back of the club. At that point I can either stay for the gig if I like the band or head home and start editing. Lately it's been more of the latter, but I try and stay for a bit of the show so I can get a feel for what the artist is doing on stage. The longer I stay the more I am punishing myself because I have to edit all the photos I just took and get it filed by the next morning.

What are your favorite concert venues to shoot at in the area, and why?
The 9:30 Club, obviously. It's a world-class venue with a world-class staff. A really great group of people work there and they are very, very accommodating to me and I am very appreciative of that. Same for the Black Cat (although obviously their lighting capabilities are much different than the 9:30 Club). I love going to both venues to see and shoot shows.

Any preference shooting acts that you’re familiar with versus acts that you’re not?
It depends on the act really, but I have no problems shooting bands multiple times. Obviously I'd rather shoot bands that move around on stage and actually perform for the audience, but I'll go wherever they send me.

That said, It's always nice to go see and shoot a band that I've never heard of before and be blown away. I shot a band called Dawes at Iota a week or so ago and Cory Chisel opened for them and he was AMAZING. He won me over as a fan that night.

Can you recall any instances of getting your camera broken or confiscated by angry bouncers or performers...or audience members?
I've never had a problem with bouncers. If I am not approved to shoot the show I just don't pull my camera out. It's not worth it. And as I mentioned earlier, it's a give and take thing with the crowd. They are there to see the show and not watch me take photos, and I totally get that. I try and stay as incognito as possible but at the same time I have to get my shot (or shots). I try and do my work and get out of there. But there definitely have been some instances when crowd members take offense to what I am doing, and it generally happens when they are drunk. That happened at an Eric Church show at the Sate Theater last year. Some drunk lady got all mad at me and started yelling at me and bumping in to me while I was shooting. She kept trying to convince her boyfriend to kick my ass. I just kept shooting and got out of there after the third song.

I don't do many hardcore shows, but you always have to be mindful of your gear when there are moshpits, but those shows can also be a lot of fun. Those crowds are generally very respectful of everyone else at the show but you always have to have your head on a swivel and keep a look out for the errant swinging limb or crowdsurfer.

I heard you recently changed your gear. What are you using now?
After shooting Canon for four years I switched to a Nikon D3 in January. I had six different Canon bodies over the course of those four years and I just could not find a body I was totally happy with. I worked my way up from a G6 point and shoot to a Rebel XT, 30D, 40D, 5D and 1Ds Mk II. All of them more or less did a lot of things right but were ultimately missing that final something. I generally lost faith in Canon the last few years because they weren't releasing the cameras that their customers wanted. The 5D Mk II was four years in the making but had the same focusing systen as the original 5D. The video options on that camera are amazing, but that's not why I buy a DSLR. I had read a bunch of things about how great the D3 was, and when my buddy offered me his at a very attractive price, I jumped at it. I was about to sink a lot of money into some expensive Canon prime lenses (so I could get better low light performance) but I took that money and switched systems instead. Nikon's D3/D3s and D700 are the kings of low light shooting right now and after I thought about it, I decided that there wasn't any reason to stay with an inferior product (for my needs). So I'm about 8 weeks in to my time with my D3 and I couldn't be happier. I definitely feel like I made the right decision. I'm getting shots that I never would have gotten before with my Canon bodies. I should note that I never owned a 1D Mk III, which was the Canon flagship camera. I might have been happy with that camera (or the new 1D Mk IV) but I ultimately decided that I wanted a full frame body and Canon does not offer a full frame body with a pro focusing system and 9 frames per second.

I get asked about gear constantly and what I tell people is to start with a starter or mid level body and work your way up. I wouldn't recommend starting out with a Nikon D3 or a Canon 1D Mk IV. It'll be too much camera for you. Buy a lower model and learn that camera inside and out until you reach the point that you've mastered it and it's holding you back. Bodies are disposable. Invest in good lenses. You'll have those forever and they hold their value much better. Start out with a 50mm/1.8 and work your way up from there.

Any particular favorite photo shoots where everything turned out just right?
Two that immediately come to mind are with two of my favorite artists. The first time I got the chance to shoot Morrissey was a huge treat. The show at D.A.R. in November of 2007 was a sort of make up from a string of dates he canceled earlier in the year. I had wrangled photopasses to shoot him at Wolftrap, at Ram's Head in Baltimore and PNC Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ (all with different publications) and the latter two got cancelled and Morrissey didn't let anyone shoot the Wolf Trap show because he was sick. I was gutted. But he came back and the show at D.A.R. was the best show I've ever seen him do and I took some of the best photos I have ever taken, including my favorite shot ever. I was walking on air when I left the venue that night. The best part of all was Morrissey (unknowingly) hit me in the face with his mic cord when he was whipping it around on stage. The cord was duct taped right in front of me on the lip of the stage and when he cracked it, it smacked me righ tbetween the eyes just as I was changing cameras. I'm a huge Morrissey fan and to see and shoot him was a huge treat.

The other show that comes to mind is Oasis at the Patriot Center at the end of 2008. As I said before, Oasis is my favorite band and back when Britpop was big, I would buy any and every magazine with Liam or Noel on the cover and obsess over the photos. Most of those shots were from Jill Furmonovsky, probably my favorite photographer ever. Her photos were a big influence on me. So to finally get to shoot them really was a dream come true. I think every concert photographer hopes to one day shoot their favorite band and really cherishes that experience. I was so nervous. I never drink when I'm working but I had a beer during the openers to calm my nerves a bit. And when the time came, I just buckled down and concentrated on my work and not the music that was being played or the Gallaghers that were 3 feet in front of me.

I thought I would get to shoot Oasis earlier in 2008 at the Virgin Festival in Toronto but it was not to be. I went up there specifically to shoot them but they turned away most of the photographers before their set, only a select few got access to the photo pit to shoot them. Again, I was gutted. But the Virgin staff told us we could shoot them from the crowd, so after I had a few gin and tonics, I jumped up on a picnic table and broke out my long zoom lens just to get a few photos for me. It just so happened that while I was doing that, some punter rushed onstage and attacked Noel. I was the only photog there that got the shot. I was able to sell that photo to newspapers and magazines all over the world. And if the band had approved me to shoot their set I never would have had my camera out. That just proves you have to be ready at all times. And no matter how good a photographer you are, a little luck certainly doesn't hurt.

Scroll over above images for info / Kyle Gustafson portrait shot by Brandon Wu

David Ford at Iota on 3/21

2010-03-17T21:52:00.001-04:00

"He's the happiest sad guy you'll ever meet", or at least that's how David Ford's publicist described him to me in an email. That's saying quite a bit, given a) David has quite a lot of competition as a sad guy in his native England, and b) I've seen both Bob Mould & The Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt in concert.

After listening to an advance of his new album, Let the Hard Times Roll, I have to agree with his publicist on a couple of accounts - he is an exuberantly sad guy, and his new album is gorgeous. His downtempo numbers come across as living at the intersection of David Gray's British soul and Damien Rice's quietly desperate introspection. Let the Hard Times Roll is available electronically via iTunes or Amazon's MP3 store, although the physical media purists among you will have to catch him live or wait until April 20th. David had said in the past that Philly is his favorite place to play in the US. Come on out to Iota on Sunday at 8:30 to show him otherwise. The show starts at 8:30, and the cover is $12.

You Can Say You Knew Them When....

2010-03-16T19:47:00.000-04:00

Fresh off a turn as an NPR Song of the Day and a write-up in the Washington City Paper, area rockers Daddy Lion are playing tomorrow in support of their eponymous debut EP at the New Orleans-themed Red & the Black. They'll be opening for Louisville instrumental rockers Rest Assured, with Connect the Dots (La La Lala) filling out the lineup. Daddy Lion, which started out as a solo record that's been fleshed out into a full band, play moody 70s & 80s-inflected rock and folk. The show starts at 8:30, with a cover of $6.

Here We Go Magic at the Rock and Roll Hotel

2010-03-16T19:01:00.002-04:00

On Saturday night I ventured forth to H Street NE and the Rock & Roll Hotel to catch Here We Go Magic with April Smith & the Great Picture Show and Glass Ghost. I missed about half of the Glass Ghost set, so I'm not going to say much about them, but my first impression was that they sounded like a more synthesized Doveman.

Despite a late start that was attributable to a problem with April Smith's acoustic guitar, she and her band The Great Picture Show were in fine form. I think her new album, Songs for a Sinking Ship, will be a breakthrough for her. Her rollicking brand of retro Western folk-rock, a Sylvie Lewis or Nellie McKay meets the Squirrel Nut Zippers, works.

One final word on April and her band. While many up and coming artists don't put much thought into what they wear on stage, that is obviously not the case with this group. April herself was festooned in a short red dress, appropriately large post-ironic belt buckle, and the most fantastic pair of red heels. Her band rocked dress shirts, ties, vests, and the occasional hat although they made the wise move to leave any suit jackets backstage given how infernally warm it was in the R&R (a frequent problem there). That kind of attention to detail really surprised me.

Finally, it was time for HWGM to take the stage. I had seen them open for Grizzly Bear last year, and was generally pretty pleased by what I heard. Their eponymous debut takes a decidedly lower-fi tack than their live show, sounding like a more electronic version of Yo La Tengo or Sonic Youth than their stripped-down Stars sound live, so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from their headlining turn. I came away very pleasantly surprised after hearing their set. Although HWGM started out as a Luke Temple solo project fleshed out into a full-band record, the band built around Luke - guitarist Michael Bloch, drummer Peter Hale, bassist Jen Turner, and keyboardist Kristina Lieberson - have really gelled over the last year. They were very good opening for Grizzly Bear last year, and now they're on the verge of being great. Their shimmery take on an updated psychedelic folk sound washes over and around you. At the same time, you never lose sight of the painstaking attention to detail in their songs, the texture that the twin guitars, keyboards, percussion, impart on the music. I expect to hear big things about this band coming out of SXSW.

Evan Bliss Q&A, CD Release and MMS-exclusive MP3

2010-03-14T22:54:00.000-04:00

Evan Bliss is a singer-songwriter who's a native of Bethesda, Maryland, a holder of several single-season and career lacrosse records at Kenyon College, and the former frontman of DC reggae rockers The Low Life. Evan celebrates the release of his new solo record, ShhhPOW, at the Hard Rock Cafe this Thursday, March 18, at 8:30 pm ($10 cover). A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the album will be donated to benefit the Holster Project, a philanthropic initiative of Evan's label Holster Records.

In addition to readying his new album, Evan's been busy in the world of extreme sports. His music has been featured in ads for Reef, a leading maker of surf-inspired footwear, and he and his band were recognized as a local band to watch on the Baltimore stop of the Mountain Dew Action Sports Tour, a nationwide extreme sports summer tour.

I interviewed Evan for the blog, and he was gracious enough to provide MetroMusicScene readers with an exclusive first look at a track from ShhhPOW.

MP3: Big Decisions, Little Things - Evan Bliss

Evan, why don’t you tell us where you came up with the name of your new album, ShhhPOW? What is the central theme or message of the album?

Initially I was searching for something profound, a title that could end hunger or make rockets explode with jellybeans, but I had nothing. So I named it ShhhPOW, because the album is part Shhh and part POW, and it's fun to say out loud or to yourself.

I know it’s probably a bit like asking a father to pick his favorite child, but what’s your favorite track from ShhhPOW? Why?

It'd be easier to pick a favorite child. Sonically I love them all for different reasons depending on mood or present company. The bonus track, Pula Aena, stands out for me because it was a live performance at Sirius/XM Studios with The African Children's Choir. Not only were they unbelievable singers and amazing kids, but they learned a song I wrote for my brother in only a couple days while touring the east coast. Emotionally overwhelming in the best way imaginable.

What are the similarities you see in your music now and the music you performed with The Low Life? What do you see as being different from that music?

Both sounds are heavily reliant on vocal harmony and percussive rhythms, but The Low Life was a rock reggae band with external influences, whereas ShhhPOW's sound is more a rock band with external influences, one of them being reggae, if that makes any sense.

Frank Sinatra was known as an “athletic” singer, doing breath-holding exercises underwater to improve his breathing ability while singing. You were a college lacrosse player at Kenyon. Tell me about how your athletic experience informs your music.

Didn't know that about Sinatra, I just heard he used to pay a guy to wake him up from his cat naps so he could stay out partying all night. I heard the wrong story I guess. Music is much more physical than people realize and having an athletic background taught me focus when the stamina starts to fade. If you lose focus because you're tired in the studio you miss changes or timing and ruin takes, and on stage you risk sounding and looking like an idiot. The central union between band and sport is team. Everyone is performing different tasks to attain a shared goal. Plus there's lots of yelling and butt slapping, and I couldn't give that up.

While we’re on the subject of sports, you’re gaining quite a name in the extreme sports world. How did that come about?

Honestly that's been an pleasant surprise. We've been lucky enough to get contacted by athletes, companies, video biographers, webcasts, etc, and that's something we'll always say yes to. I feel a strong connection to those guys. They're out there everyday doing what keeps their heart pumping out hot blood and go above and beyond for their fans. If our music can keep providing a piece of their personal soundtrack we'll never say no.

Your lyrics are occasionally deeply personal. Are they mostly autobiographical, or is your approach to songwriting a bit like writing fiction?

Laced within all the lyrics I write is truth and fiction. Sometimes one more than the other, sometimes I think one and it's really the other. Life is lived and watched. Too much of one is unhealthy and revealing, so I'm always trying to attain some sort of equilibrium.

While we’re on the subject, what are your literary and artistic inspirations?

They're constantly in flux as they're so much great stuff out there. In 1000 years humans are going to be insane with all the great ideas this world has churned out, or we'll be a crispy ball of ash because of all the bad ideas this world has churned out. Either way, its pretty intense. I like Camus because of such probable dilemmas.

Your label, Holster Records, has a strong philanthropic component to its mission. Can you tell me a bit about the Holster Project, and what motivated you to seek out a label like this?

Growing up in the DMV is the only answer. DC's an amazingly strange city overflowing with hope and cynicism, comprised of young people fighting to express their voice, and those struggling to find it. Holster's goal is to awaken youth to philanthropy through art and music. The smaller the world gets due to the rapidity of information flying at you the scarier it becomes. Some people desire direction, I'd like to be a person that opens up a direction that benefits all of us, and being able to use my passions and talents to do so makes that an easy decision. Holster also has the softest t-shirts that have ever touched my skin.

Are there any artists and producers with whom you’d like to work?

I'll work with anyone, as long as they're open to ideas and willing to try all of them, and I expect the same from me. Obviously the perks would be that they are wholly invested in the project from artistic to professional to personal. If I could figure out what causes people to gel and make magic I'd zero in, but until then trial and error with the best looking girls getting first dibs. Presently, playing with Jason, Eric, Shareef and Josh makes it difficult to dispute silly ideas like fate and Calvinism.

Where is the favorite concert venue you’ve played, either here or elsewhere in the US? Where is the place you dream about playing?

That's tough. As much as I loved the 9:30 Club I hated playing there because I got so nervous. It’s the only show I have ever got nervous for because growing up it was the end all be all for me. So I'd either not drink and choke, or drink too much and suck. But that place is the epitome of class covered in tattoos. The Recher in Baltimore never failed to shock and awe. Touring Europe's been a dream, along with USO shows. Maybe the Grammy's or MTV Awards, but any sweaty packed house with people singing along and dancing their big hearts out is a close second.

A Case of the Fridays - I Don't Like Mondays Edition Live Roundup

2010-03-08T13:36:00.000-05:00

The dust hasn't even settled on the weekend, and this week's musical calendar is already looking full. Here's a roundup of our picks for the musical happenings around town this week.

Monday, March 8
Tonight, of course, is the Jenny Owen Youngs show with Bess Rogers and Allison Weiss at Iota Club and Cafe. 8:30 pm, $12

Tuesday, March 9
If you didn't score tickets to the sold out Dropkick show at the 9:30 Club, mosey across the river to Iota Club and Cafe to check out Justin Trawick's monthly acoustic residency with special guest Scout Niblett. 8:30 pm, $10.

Wednesday, March 10
Title Tracks is the new project from John Davis, formerly of Georgie James and Q & Not U. Catch him at the Black Cat Backstage with The Ambitions and Gary B & the Notions. 9:00 pm, $10.

Wednesday also witnesses a Goodie Mob Reunion, featuring Gnarls Barkley singer Cee-Lo, at the 9:30 Club. Bobby Ray, aka B.o.B., opens the show. I predict a sellout, so buy your tickets now. 7:00 pm, $27.50.

Thursday, March 11
The Low Anthem bring their spacey take on folk/Americana to the 9:30 Club, with MetroMusicScene favorite Vandaveer opening. 7:00 pm, $15.

California indie quartet The Morning Benders, whose Spectorian take on their song Excuses became a viral video sensation, hit the Black Cat Backstage in support of their new album Big Echo. Miniature Tigers and Acrylics open the show. 9:00 pm, $10 adv/$12 DOS.

Friday, March 12
MetroMusicScene favorite Matthew Ryan headlines a show at Iota Club and Cafe with his thoughtful take on acoustic rock, with Garrison Starr opening. 9:00 pm, $15.

The Suckers play inspired, occasionally raucous and often 80s-inflected rock. They're at the Black Cat with NPR favorite Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers, and Laughing Man. 9:00 pm, $12.

Saturday, March 13
Here We Go Magic headlines a show at the Rock & Roll Hotel with April Smith & the Great Picture Show and Glass Ghost on Saturday. 8:30 pm, $10 adv/$12 DOS.