Newsflash!: Win Tickets to Chicano Batman @ 9:30 Club, 10/4/17

You love going to shows. I love giving you tickets to shows. It's a match made in heaven. Read on for how you can win some tickets.

I've been going to shows at the legendary 9:30 Club since I was a teenager, and have seen some of the best of the best grace that venerable stage. It is a pleasure to be offering a pair of tickets to the following upcoming 9:30/IMP show.

The self-professed psych/soul/tropicalia outfit Chicano Batman sounds like a party and a half, even when their fantastic noise is getting more than a little political. "While we are here on Earth, we should rejoice in its worth," says the band. I couldn't agree more. 

Chicano Batman is just about to get out there on the road in support of latest record Freedom is Free, and their tour is stopping in DC on 10/4 at the 9:30 Club. If you were thinking of going to the show (and why wouldn't you?!), have I got news for you!

I've got a pair of tickets that could be all yours to this heck of a show. To win the tickets, just email me and tell me why you should win. It's that easy! Play on my emotions, friends, and may the best entry win. 

Fine print: Contest is for two (2) tickets to this show. Contest ends at noon Eastern on Monday, 10/2/17. 

Good luck y'all!



[posted 9.20.17]

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Newsflash!: Win Tickets to Crystal Castles @ 9:30 Club, 9/30/17

You love going to shows. I love giving you tickets to shows. It's a match made in heaven. Read on for how you can win some tickets.

I've been going to shows at the legendary 9:30 Club since I was a teenager, and have seen some of the best of the best grace that venerable stage. It is a pleasure to be offering a pair of tickets to the following upcoming 9:30/IMP show.

For some dark, almost malevolent beats, look no further than Crystal Castles. Ethan Kath's diabolic 80s Atari murk sounds are hard to resist, and are enhanced further by lad vocals that alternate between coos and banshee howls. In other words, a mighty fine sound. 

As luck would have it, Crystal Castles is set to roll through DC on 9/30, playing the 9:30 Club. And I've got a pair of tickets that can be yours. Take your crush, take your bestie, take your enemy (they won't be after this show). 

To win this pair of tickets, send me an email telling me who you'd bring with you to experience Crystal Castles in the flesh, and why. Piece of cake! 

Fine print: Contest is for two (2) tickets to this show. Contest closes at noon Eastern on Thursday, 9/28/17. 

Good luck you little lovelies!



[posted 9.18.17]

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Video of The Day #339: No Kill

There’s a bunch of videos out there. Some of them are good. Some of them are a cut above. I like to think my picks for Video Of The Day are a cut (or two) above.

Today just so happens to be my dearest friend's birthday, and she's a huge Pearl Jam fan. Which makes this here video from No Kill so very apropos. "Eddie Vedder" palpitates with sumptuous extravagance, frosted with breathy vocals and an ever-present smoky jangle. The accompanying video is a dreamy, crystalline confection, filled with found footage and tripped-out kaleidoscopic double visions. The sugared colors and shimmer add to the already bountiful appeal.   





[posted 9.17.17]

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Good Cover Version: Slothrust does Marcy Playground

Pulp gave the world the song "Bad Cover Version." But seeing as I'm a sonic optimist, I'm of the belief that there's more likely than not more good cover versions floating around than bad ones. Good Cover Version celebrates the good, and leaves all that bad and ugly stuff alone.

Some of you may be too young to remember, but there was a time (circa 1997) that the Marcy Playground song "Sex and Candy" was everywhere. Seriously, everywhere, to the point that at one moment in time it was vexatiously inescapable. I'll be honest, I haven't missed hearing it. 

However, along comes Slothrust, and lo and behold their rendering of this late 90s earworm makes me totally rethink my feelings about this particular ditty. Coupled with Leah Wellbaum's icy, disenchanted vocals, the song's rumbling sludge calls to mind its own 90s memories. A solid reimagining of a song that Slothrust ultimately manages to make sound like their own.   



[posted 9.17.17]

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Singles Club: LORD WILLING + Ski Lodge + Teen Ravine

Consider Singles Club your musical matchmaker. I do hope you'll give all these ready to mingle bachelors and bachelorettes your ear as you listen to some new favorite tunes. Read on in the hopes of finding your musical love connection.

Much has happened to Justin Long (aka LORD WILLING) since he made the cross country trek from DC to LA. Arrest warrants, near-death experiences, and being left for a drug dealer all make for some bountiful songwriting material, and Long has made the most of his tumult. "Green Doesn't Look Good on You" is a kind of eccentric lounge pop, a song that plays impressively large and certainly makes quite a statement.  



Andrew Marr's Ski Lodge project sounds rooted in the 1980s, certain guitar play on "Secure" calling to mind golden era New Order. Marr's vocals have a candy sweetness that plays with the song's sparkling effervescence so very well. A sweet little treat indeed. 



With their song "Hall of Horrors," Toronto twosome Teen Ravine sought to convey that sense of late night disorientation and "feeling lost and reaching out for someone who's no longer there." Their tender, slow motion dreamscape gets across that adrift ache acutely and so very prettily. 



[posted 9.17.17]

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Video of The Day #338: FACIAL

There’s a bunch of videos out there. Some of them are good. Some of them are a cut above. I like to think my picks for Video Of The Day are a cut (or two) above.

It all starts innocuously enough, with some Playmobil figures and a handmade cityscape in bright, kid-friendly colors. But then FACIAL enters the scene, and things in the video for "Black Noise" go a bit haywire. As the LA trio's grimy snarls rumble along, the band gets their dance on and gets a rude awakening from some young ladies. An interesting clip to go along with the band's raucous free-for-all.     





[posted 9.16.17]

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The Week In Shows: 9/18/17-9/24/17

Another beautiful Saturday morning in September seems as good a time as any to plot ones weekly live music schedule, I think. Let's take a look at what's happening in the greater DC metro this week, shall we? Hot diggity!

Some of us are going to spend a great deal of time this weekend tearing their hair out trying to pack two week's worth of crap into a suitcase. Yes, your hostess is preparing to go out of town for a couple weeks, and to say I am horrible at packing is the understatement of the day. Sadly, I won't be in town to see some of this week's awesome shows, but hopefully you will be! And now, without further ado, here's a look at some of the shows I happen to recommend for the coming week in the greater DC metro area. 

And as an aside, if you've got a show coming up you'd like me to consider including in my weekly calendar, just shoot me an email with "Calendar" somewhere in the subject line. Thanks y'all!

MONDAY, 9/18/17

-Patti Smith (reading from Devotion) (6th & I)

-Loi Loi + Park Snakes + Thrills (Songbyrd Music House)

-The Baggios + Pitbull 1999 (Black Cat)

-Heterodyne + Welch & Oshima (Galaxy Hut)

TUESDAY, 9/19/17

-Broken Social Scene + Belle Game (9:30 Club - SOLD OUT)

-Mia Zabelka + Andras Fekete + Rootless + Jon Camp (Rhizome DC)

WEDNESDAY, 9/20/17

-Middle Kids + Queue + Lavender (Rock & Roll Hotel)

-Broken Social Scene + Belle Game (9:30 Club)

-The Mynabirds + Luke Rathborne + Madeline Kenney (DC9)

-Hello Shark + Golden Papo + Generifus (Comet Ping Pong)

-Whiskey Shivers + Billy Strings (Black Cat)

-Lindi Ortega + Andrew Combs (Jammin Java)

THURSDAY, 9/21/17

-Digable Planets (Howard Theatre)

-Spirits + Reality Check + Payback (Slash Run)

FRIDAY, 9/22/17

-Hovvdy + Yowler + Dove Lady (Comet Ping Pong)

-Ben Ottewell (Gomez) + Buddy (DC9)

-Frankie Cosmos + Ian Sweet + Nice Try (Black Cat)

-Coast Modern + Salt Cathedral + Dr. Robinson's Fiasco (U Street Music Hall)

SATURDAY, 9/23/17

-The Cribs + PAWS (U Street Music Hall - win tix!)

-Jay Som + Stef Chura + Soccer Mommy (Rock & Roll Hotel)

-East Ghost + Little Hustle + Maxine (Velvet Lounge)

-X + Skating Polly (State Theatre)

-Escape-Ism + Light Beams + Cold Beat (Comet Ping Pong)

-Derek Evry + Accidents + The Beanstalk Library (IOTA)

SUNDAY, 9/24/17

-Celestial Pincushion + The Mole Suit Choir (Galaxy Hut)

[posted 9.16.17]

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Newsflash!: Win Tickets to Saint Etienne @ U Street Music Hall, 9/27/17

You love going to shows. I love giving you tickets to shows. It's a match made in heaven. Read on for how you can win some tickets.

It's been a few years since slinky Saint Etienne was over on US shores, but thankfully the release of newest record Home Counties has the band coming back this way. The English dance pop trio is anchored by chanteuse Sarah Cracknell, and their show is sure to provide any discerning fan with a grand time indeed.

Saint Etienne breezes through DC on 9/27, and you could be there when they take the stage at U Street Music Hall. Yes, you.

To win the pair of tickets that I have to give, email me and tell me why you'd like to see these legends do their thing. Piece of cake, no? 

Fine print: Contest is for two (2) tickets to this show. Contest closes at noon Eastern on Monday, 9/25/17. 

Best of luck to one and all!



[posted 9.15.17]

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Video of The Day #337: Alvvays

There’s a bunch of videos out there. Some of them are good. Some of them are a cut above. I like to think my picks for Video Of The Day are a cut (or two) above.

Yes, I know I've turned into a total Alvvays fangirl, but with good reason. With "Dreams Tonite," the band's sweetly poignant, wistful fuzz pop reaches new heights of absolutely wonderful. Addictive as ever and immediately swoon-worthy, this isn't a song that you'll soon forget. The video itself is a sparkler, and puts the band smack dab in the middle of the 1967 Montreal Expo, a perfect fit given the band's vintage leanings.     





[posted 9.15.17]

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On The Road Again: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Well, well, well. Look who's taking their show on the road?

I've been lucky enough to see Black Rebel Motorcycle Club a good number of times over the past decade and a half or so. As such, I feel perfectly justified in calling them one of the best live bands I've ever had the privilege to see up close and in person. 

After what's felt like forever, BRMC is readying a new record for release (Wrong Creatures, to be released in January 2018), and is fixing to take their stellar show out on a pretty extensive tour to play some of these new filthy treasures for us. I'm already inking January 29th into my calendar, I don't know about y'all. Dates below. As an added bonus, $1 from the sale of each ticket is going to benefit War Child. 

BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB TOUR DATES

January 15 San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
January 16 Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
January 18 Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
January 19 Austin, TX @ Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater
January 20 Houston, TX @ House of Blues
January 21 New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
January 23 Tampa, FL @ The Ritz Ybor
January 24 Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution Live
January 26 Orlando, FL @ The Beacham
January 27 Charlotte, NC @ The Underground
January 29 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
January 30 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
January 31 Boston, MA @ Royale
February 2 Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
February 5 Montreal, QC @ Club Soda
February 6 Toronto, ON @ Rebel
February 7 Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
February 9 Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
February 10 Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
February 11 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
February 12 St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall
February 13 Kansas City, MO @ The Truman
February 15 Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
February 16 Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall
February 18 Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
February 19 Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
February 20 Seattle, WA @ The Show Box
February 22 Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
February 23 Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
February 24 Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre



[posted 9.14.17]

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Newsflash!: Win Tickets to The Cribs @ U Street Music Hall, 9/23/17

You love going to shows. I love giving you tickets to shows. It's a match made in heaven. Read on for how you can win some tickets.

It seems like only yesterday that The Cribs first blipped on my radar, but that yesterday was over a decade ago. This band of brothers has been making their fantastic noise since 2002, and is so cool that Johnny Marr was a member back in the late 2000s. 

The band is touring new record 24-7 Rock Star Shit, and one of their US stops just so happens to be the U Street Music Hall, on September 23rd. And your hostess just so happens to have a pair of tickets to this show that could be YOURS.

To win, email me and let me know why you should be the lucky one to win the tickets. Make it good, and make sure to get me your entry in time. 

Fine print: Contest is for two (2) tickets to this show. Contest closes at noon Eastern on Thursday, 9/21/17. 

Good luck you saucy minxes!    



[posted 9.13.17]

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Video of The Day #336: Those Darlins

There’s a bunch of videos out there. Some of them are good. Some of them are a cut above. I like to think my picks for Video Of The Day are a cut (or two) above.

What a huge bummer this is, my friends. If you haven't heard, Jessi Zazu (aka Jessi Darlin), founding member of sassy Nashville outfit Those Darlins, lost her fight with cervical cancer on Tuesday, September 12th. She was just 28 years old. In honor of this bright light, here's a clip of Those Darlins on tour in the early days, in my favorite number "Wild One." Rest in peace, Jessi.  



[posted 9.13.17]

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Singles Club: Church Girls + Cones + Weird Owl

Consider Singles Club your musical matchmaker. I do hope you'll give all these ready to mingle bachelors and bachelorettes your ear as you listen to some new favorite tunes. Read on in the hopes of finding your musical love connection.

Church Girls of Philly takes on that special kind of party-specific social awkwardness in their catchy little number "Glass." "It's about feeling a bit out of place at a party, hoping you can break through the small talk into something deeper, and failing," says frontgal Mariel Beaumont. The crunchy shake of the song and Beaumont's steady, true vocals make this one a quality listen.  



The loose, lazy sunset slink of Cones and their "Whatever You're Into" speaks to their LA habitat. Velvet nights, poolside posing, and making eyes at beautiful people - that's what Cones is made of. And I'm into it. 



Weird Owl's "War" doesn't have a pleasant subject matter. The band's take on the democratization of war in the modern world is a heavy, heady, unfortunately relevant concept - one that is perfectly expressed through their juggernaut of stout, expansive psych. Required listening.  



[posted 9.10.17]

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Video of The Day #335: The Babe Rainbow

There’s a bunch of videos out there. Some of them are good. Some of them are a cut above. I like to think my picks for Video Of The Day are a cut (or two) above.

It's hard not to smile like a mad person when watching The Babe Rainbow video for "Johny Says Stay Cool." As the band's good time, vibrantly techicolor vintage party psych galavants in the background, a gent with some serious 60s surf flick moves does his thing. It's simple, but effective. It's a dynamite combination, and both song and video are highly recommended. 



[posted 9.10.17]

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