CD Release Weekend

It's a nice and long weekend in the region and there are a lot of things happening. Several of them seem to include CD release parties.

Pash - credit
Friday night has a nice show at Black Cat. Pash is releasing their brand new CD and they will be joined by Exit Clov and Carol Bui. Justin Jones and The Driving Rain will also be having their CD release party at Rock and Roll Hotel.

Pash - The Best Gun
Justin Jones and The Driving Rain - If I'm Wrong
Carol Bui - The Year After
Exit Clov - Violent Berries


Saturday night has some interesting choices. Mike already told you all about the big show at Rock 'N Roll Hotel. Snoop Dogg will also be doing his thing at Love. Deerhunter will be bringing their newly trimmed down show to Ottobar in Baltimore. In Virginia, Travis Morrison Hellfighters are having their CD release at IOTA. The will be joined by Gist and The Caribbean.

Snoop Dogg - Gin and Juice
Deerhunter - Heatherwood
Travis Morrison Hellfighters - As We Proceed
Gist - Asunder
The Caribbean - The Go From Tactical

This Week's Mix

This week I wanted to do more of a theme, so I picked some of my favorite guitar heavy songs. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Kings Of Leon - Knocked Up
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - American X
Built To Spill - Mess With Time
Explosions in the Sky - Welcome, Ghosts
Panda Bear - Good Girl / Carrots
The Mars Volta - L'Via L'Viaquez
John Butler Trio - Old Man (Live From 9:30 Club 2007)
Apostle of Hustle - Folkloric Feel
The Dandy Warhols - Be In
Ghostland Observatory - Midnight Voyage (Live at Austin City Limits 2006)

VHS or Beta and Walter Meego

Enjoy the long weekend, with retro 80's throwbacks. VHS or Beta invades the region. Joining them are experimental popsters Walter Meego from Chicago.

8/31/07: Johnny Brendas, Philly
9/01/07: Rock & Roll Hotel, DC (w/ The Vita Ruins)

VHS or Beta - Night On Fire
Walter Meego - Through a Keyhole

Free download of The Vita Ruins' EP here.

A-Sides CD Release party

It's the start of the last weekend of summer. The Phillies game is over, the Eagles are just going through the motions in pre-season, so get to Johnny Brendas tonight (Thursday night)! It is an all local show with The Capitol Years, Bitter Bitter Weeks, and the CD release party for The A-Sides. From the looks of it, this may be the last time for at least a month to see them in the area. Oh, and its for a good cause with all proceeds going to charity.

The A-Sides - Cinematic
The Capitol Years - You Can Stay There
Bitter Bitter Weeks - Danger in the Halls

Tokyo Police Club/Ra Ra Riot/Jukebox The Ghost - Rock and Roll Hotel - 8/7/07

This was one of my most anticipated concerts of the summer and oddly enough, the show actually lived up to my lofty expectations. Apparently, I wasn't the only one. The show sold out early. Even getting to the Rock and Roll Hotel a half hour before it started, did not guarantee a spot in the front row. The younger fans were sitting against the stage in great anticipation for what was to become an amazing show.

The first band was DC's own Jukebox the Ghost. I had not heard much of them prior to the show and was extremely surprised at how good they really were. They played a really great set of indie pop, switching off between main singers and giving the crowd plenty of songs to dance to. For a band that has only released a 5 song EP, they had plenty of songs in their repertoire. After the show, I got to meet the guys and they were some of the nicest people that I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Go out and grab their EP to prepare yourself, as they make their way up and down the East Coast over the coming weeks. These guys are going to get big, so get on board now.

Next up was Ra Ra Riot, who unfortunately lost their drummer earlier this summer. However, it seemed to make them bring it even harder and there was barely a moment during their songs when any of them would be standing still.

They started off the set with "Each Year," which is one of my favorites from their EP. The energy felt by the crowd before the set was only heightened with band members dancing with each other, getting up on monitors to sing and just generally bringing lots of raw emotion to their music. It is rare these days to see a lead singer who only sings and it was a welcomed sight, because the showmanship was just immaculate and he really gave the crowd everything we wanted.

The two ladies on the strings, really added to the overall sound. The violinist even added vocals to a few of the songs. There were some problems with her mic early on, but everything was fixed by the end and she sounded great. The band even played several new songs that I am sure they will play on September 6th at the 9:30 Club, when they open for Editors.

Finally, it was time for Tokyo Police Club. Ever since I got A Lesson in Crime, I have been hoping for these guys to come to DC when I was in town. They finally got here and it was everything that I had been waiting for.

The guys played all the songs off A Lesson in Crime as well as songs from the Smith EP and my favorite, the single "Your English Is Good." I got a video of the song when they played it and when I get it edited, I will find a place to host it and post it on IA for everyone to watch. The energy these guys brought was hard to believe and was even greater than that of Ra Ra Riot. The sold out crowd was singing along with every song they knew and listened intently to the new songs the guys previewed.

After signing with Saddle Creek, these guys seem to be stepping it up another notch. If their new CD sounds anything like the new songs they played, it will be one of the best of 2008. I really look forward to that release and the guys coming back to DC.

Jukebox the Ghost Pictures
Ra Ra Riot Pictures
Tokyo Police Club Pictures

Jukebox the Ghost - Hold It In
Ra Ra Riot - Each Year
Tokyo Police Club - Box

Band of Horses News

If you enjoy some of the best alt rock/indie music that is coming out of the Pacific Northwest right now, then you have probably heard of Band of Horses. They came to the 9:30 Club not too long ago and I even featured them in one of my mixes.

They have made the first single from their new album available for download and I have it here for you. Along with the new single, they have released the album artwork for their new CD Cease to Begin, which is set to be released October 9th. Enjoy.

Band of Horses - Is There A Ghost

The Last Wednesday of Summer

photo by Michelle Toppi, 2006
With Labor Day and the unofficial end to summer just around the corner, its time to get out. Tonight, head to The Khyber and check out SeepeopleS from Asheville. They blend so many styles, I can't begin to list them all. Joining them are Low Water from Brooklyn and Philly locals Ports of Call and Beautiful Traps.

You can also catch Low Water at The Abbey at ABC on Thursday.

SeepeopleS - Here We Go
Low Water - Midas Hour
Ports of Call - Spirals

Cedars Say Goodbye *Update*

Update: There will not be a farewell show. Let the lamenting begin.

In what seems to be a constant theme in DC these days, another band is saying goodbye. This time, it happens to be one of my personal favorites. Cedars just sent out this statement announcing their split:

"Cedars are no longer a functioning band. We'd like to give a special thanks to a few of the many people who were with us through these last 3+ years of Cedars/Cartel madness. Many thanks to Mark W. Hemingway who was an original member. A firm hand-shake to Rob Muller who managed us, booked gigs and tried getting our act together with great patience on a pro-bono basis!! Tons of respect and gratitude to www.woxy.com. Mike, Shivy, Barb (and by extension one Mr. Brad Freeman) exposed our music to people we would have otherwise never imagined reaching. For that we'll be eternally grateful. Thanks to all our friends who consistently showed up at our gigs and got their friends to come out even when it was a tough sell, Mitch & Dezi come to mind. Thanks to all the club bookers in DC: Lisa@9:30, Viki@Black Cat, Stephen@IOTA, Bryan@DC9, Stephen@RnRHotel, etc etc etc. Thanks to Kyle G., Peter D. and Rebecca A. for championing us in the media via DCist, blogs, the Express, On Tap, etc. Thanks are also due to Bracken Records for the Fleets single in the UK, cheerio'.

A pint in the air goes to all the bands we shared a stage with. Army of Me, Soft Complex, Monopoli, Telograph, Middle Distance Runner, Vita Ruins, Shade and Airthieves shared the stage with us on multiple occasions, many of them on special nights such as cd release parties, residences or buzzed-about shows. In that sense, big thanks to Washington Social Club who gave us the chance to play the mainstage of the Black Cat for the first time...looking back it was a huge step for us. Cheers to the national/international acts who let us open their shows, here's to the like of Editors, Stellastarr*, French Kicks, Lake Trout, Giant Drag, Augustana, SeaRay (flashback!), Cinematics, the Changes, Aloha, Voxtrot, Afterhours, Jeremy Enigk and any other band my forgetful memory could've missed.

We hope we find a way to pay back Nelson Poket, Miguel Cunillera and the Dominican Republic crew for making our trip & shows there one of the band's best memories...if not the best memory. You were class acts all around and we didn't take a thing for granted. MIL GRACIAS y PA'LANTE!!

We had grand ambitions; we wanted to settle for our dreams and no less. Some might chalk it up to plain naiveté, but it stemmed out of our own massive self-belief and a (healthy) lacking dose of cynicism. We'll all personally look back at this time and make our own conclusions as to if we failed or succeeded, if it was a thing of luck, timing or else. Either way, it's been pretty damn interesting and that's more than what we could've said of our own lives had we not had Cedars in it. Ed and Luke are already dreaming it up again and working on some real cool stuff from what I hear, I'll most likely be sitting in with them at some point. Brian is going off to tend to his personal life and best interests. We'll most likely announce through here any new endeavours we may embark on for those who might care or be curious enough.

Our farewell show is being discussed about and will most likely take place within the next weeks, stay tuned.

With cache to spare and a heartfelt thanks, we bid you all farewell...

xx Cedars"

We wish the guys the best and we'll let you know the details of their last show, as soon as they pass them on.

Arrivals/Departures
Black Book

Monday Night

It's a rather slow night to start a rather slow week, but there is at least one show worth seeing. J. Forté and The Secret Pop Band are playing Black Cat with The Chance. This should be a nice and intimate local show. Go support and turn the backstage into the sweat box that it was meant to be.

J. Forté and The Secret Pop Band - Come Back Now Baby (Your Data's Good)

The Hipster Olympics

I thought that this was hilarious and this one is so for you Roopa. Thanks to Brent for bringing it to my attention.

This Week's Mix

Sorry about the delay in getting this out, the first week of classes are always pretty hectic. However, here is some music everyone can enjoy!

1. Mew - The Zookeeper's Boy
2. Citizen Cope - Bullet and A Target
3. Pixies - Where Is My Mind?
4. David Vandervelde - Murder In Michigan
5. Elbow - Station Approach
6. The Airborne Toxic Event - The Girls In Their Summer Dresses
7. The Rosebuds - Hold On To This Coat
8. The Wrens - This Boy Is Exhausted
9. Cold War Kids - Tell Me In The Morning
10. Of Montreal - She's A Rejector

Enjoy your weekend!

Adam Franklin this weekend

You know you know the name. He was the driving force behind the 90s Brit rock group Swervedriver. Adam Franklin has two shows in the area. He is joined by Hopewell, featuring Jason Russo, formerly of Mercury Rev.

8/24/07: Johnny Brendas, Philly
8/25/07: IOTA, Arlington

Adam Franklin - Seize the Day
Hopewell - All Angels Road

Beach House Around Town

Beach House - credit
Baltimore's Beach House are currently on a run of the northeast with Papercuts. There will be a couple of stops in the area. You can check the tour out as follows:

8/23/07: Floristree, Baltimore
8/26/07: Rock & Roll Hotel, DC *

* Tiny Vipers are also playing

Beach House - Master of None
Papercuts - John Brown
Tiny Vipers - On This Side

Bitter:Sweet and Natalie Walker

Trip-Hop and electronica sounds will be eminating tonight as LA 's Bitter:Sweet takes the stage. You may recognize them from music on some of your favorite TV shows (Grey's Anatomy, Nip/Tuck, Entourage, etc...). Joining them is Philly's own trip-hop songbird Natalie Walker.

8/22/07: Johnny Brendas, Philly
8/23/07: Bowery Ballroom, NYC
8/24/07: 9:30 Club, DC (Bitter:Sweet only)

Bitter:Sweet - The Mating Game
Natalie Walker - Urban Angel

Return of The Rentals

The Rentals - credit
For those of you looking for your summer pop fix, Matt Sharp's The Rentals will be all over the area this week. They will be joined by Goldenboy and Copeland. You can check them out at the following locales:

8/22/07: Sonar, Baltimore
8/25/07: TLA, Philly
8/26/07: 9:30 Club, DC

The Rentals - Little Bit of You In Everything
Goldenboy - Summer of The Evening

Ludlow Lions and Benzos

Benzos photo by Gina Soldano

Two NYC bands, Benzos and Ludlow Lions make a quick trip south to Philly, before heading their separate ways. Tonight at The Khyber is their only regional appearance together, so be sure to check it out.

Benzos - Teach Me
Ludlow Lions - Other People's Ghosts

This Week's New Releases

After being subjected to several slow weeks of new releases, we are rewarded greatly. This week is absolutely loaded.

Possibly the biggest release this week is by The New Pornographers. Their new CD Challengers is the band's forth full length release, but a slightly different sound than all the others. Instead of being crazy and fun, this release tries to be a bit more serious with its sound. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is up to the listener. You can check out the full review over on Pitchfork and they will be playing 9:30 Club on October 27.

My personal personal pick of the week is by Minus the Bear. Planet of Ice is a great mix of their different sounds from the previous albums, but with an intensity that has yet to be found. It is my favorite release from them so far and cannot be missed. The release is supported by a countrywide tour and finds them in DC on October 10 at Black Cat.

Rilo Kiley has finally released their newest, Under The Blacklight. They are supporting the new release with a country wide tour that includes two stops in DC at the 9:30 Club on September 26 and 27 .

Another great release comes from Architecture in Helsinki who are dropping their new album Places Like This. Already out in Europe and Japan, this Austrialian band has released another good album that keeps in tune with the sound of their previous releases. This synth, electronic, experimental band always has a unique sound to everything thing they put out and may not appeal to most listeners, but are a real treat for the rest of us.

A few weeks ago, we told you about M.I.A.'s previous single for her new album. Now you need to wait no longer, as the full length has finally been released. This rapper from Sri Lanka has taken the world by storm and now you can listen to what everyone has been talking about. She is currently hosting the album on her MySpace page and Pitchfork has a review of the album so be sure to head over there to check it out.

Josh Ritter has a new highly recommended album out for everyone to listen to. The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter has hints of Bob Dylan with a little southern tilt to it. The full band that helps out on the album, greatly increases the sound and helps with the listening experience. Be sure to check him out October 9 at 9:30 Club.

Jeremy Enigk's The Missing Link is probably the mellowest release on this list, but has a beautiful subtly to it. That said, this is only recommended for his biggest fans. Many of these songs are alternate versions of tracks off of last year's excellent World Waits. Whole good, there are only 4 new ones on here.

Two other releases this week are the indie glam pop of Imperial Teen's the hair the tv the baby & the band and the indie psychedelic rock of Caribou's Andorra. You can catch Caribou October 9 at Rock and Roll Hotel.

The New Pornographers - My Rights Versus Yours
Minus the Bear - Knights
Rilo Kiley - Silver Lining
Architecture in Helsinki - Hold Music
M.I.A. - Boyz (Kimono Kops Remix)
Josh Ritter - To the Dogs or Whoever
Jeremy Enigk - Oh John
Imperial Teen - Shim Sham
Caribou - Melody Day

Stereo Total & The Octopus Project

If you like your music on the noisy side, Germany's Stereo Total and Austin's The Octopus Project are hitting up the clubs of America. They are getting ready to head our way and you will have several opportunities to check them out this week.

8/21/07: Rock & Roll Hotel, DC
8/22/07: Ottobar, Baltimore w/ Thrushes
8/23/07: North Star Bar, Philly

Stereo Total - I Am Naked
The Octopus Project - Music Is Happiness

Camera Obscura

Scotland's Camera Obscura is doing a small tour over the next few days. They will be joined by Brooklyn's The Last Town Chorus. Regionally, you can check them out as follows:

8/21/07: Sonar, Baltimore
8/22/07: TLA, Philly

Camera Obscura - Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken
The Last Town Chorus -It's Not Over

Telograph Living Large

Here is a video of Telograph peforming "Beneath Your Feet" on the jumbotron at Merriweather on Friday night. Not the best quality, but you get the point. Congrats guys.

Moz Returns

Living up to his promise from last month, Morrissey announced his fall tour and Baltimore made the cut. On Halloween night, even. He also will be making a return trip to DC. Unfortunately, no Philly this time.

10/31/07: Rams Head Live, Baltimore
11/02/07: Constitution Hall, DC

We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful

IA Exclusive: Middle Distance Runner

It's always a good sign when you get to kick off the week with the premiere of a brand new track from one of the bands that seem to be a permanent fixture on your site. DC's Middle Distance Runner finally have a new CD coming out and they were kind enough to provide us with the opening track, "The Sun and Earth". Give it a listen and please let us know what you think. The self-titled EP will drop in October (see cover art above) and the band will support it with a 3 week tour that kicks off October 3 and includes a CD release party at Black Cat on 10/20. The full tracklisting is below.

1. The Sun and Earth
2. Monochrome Boys
3. With Swords
4. Up in a Tree
5. Naturally
6. Man of the People

The Jaguar Club and The Vita Ruins

Two bands that I have a personal fondness for are touring the Northeast this week. Brooklyn's The Jaguar Club and DC's The Vita Ruins kick things off tonight in the DC area and finish off this weekend in NYC.

8/20/07: IOTA, Arlington, VA*
8/21/07: Ottobar, Baltimore, MD*
8/22/07: The Manhattan Room, Philadelphia, PA
8/23/07: Lava Lounge, Pittsburgh, PA
8/24/07: Cake Shop, NYC

* With Baltimore's Faster Faster Harder Harder

The Jaguar Club - The Sirens
The Vita Ruins - Alien
Faster Faster Harder Harder - Calm Down

You can also download The Vita Ruins' EP here.

Wolf Parade

Montreal's Wolf Parade hits the region this week for their very popular tour. You can check out these Sub Pop artists at the following locations:

8/20/07: TLA, Philly
8/21/07: Black Cat, DC

I'll Believe In Anything
Shine A Light

Bang Lime

Metric's rhythm section has a side project called Bang Lime. They will be bringing the fierceness that they rarely showcase in their other band, to the region over the next few days. You can check them out as follows:

8/19/07: DC9, Washington, DC
8/21/07: The Khyber, Philadelphia, PA

Blood Orange

Sidebar Saturday

There is a really good show in Baltimore tonight. Sidebar has local favorites Two if by Sea and DC's Greenland. Make it out if you can, because it should be an excellent bill.

Two if by Sea - All The Reasons To Leave
Greenland - Shipwreck on the Watery Eye

Farewell Frenchies

It is becoming way too common around here lately, but it is time to say goodbye to another DC band. One week after their guest appearance at our Anniversary show, Let's French will be taking their final bow at Black Cat tonight. Greenland and Nunchucks will be providing the support. If you can, go out and pay your respects to this fixture of the DC scene. Best of luck to them and may their future endeavors be successful.

She Says She Loves Me
Here She Comes (There She Goes)

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

Every once in awhile, I am in a mood for something not so indie rock. It's rare, but it happens. One of my favorites during those times, is the soulful funk of Brooklyn's Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings. They have a new CD coming out on October 2. Enjoy the title track and hopefully it will help carry you into the weekend.

100 Days, 100 Nights

Big Telograph

One of my favorite local bands is DC's Telograph. Tonight, they will be playing Merriweather in front of a ridiculous amount of people. If you want to see them on a grand scale and would like to see their faces on the large video screens, this is your chance. They play first, so get there early.

Eye For An Eye
We Won't Settle Down

Motel Creeps

One band that has been on my radar for the past few months, is NYC's Motel Creeps. If you like music somewhere between U2 and Interpol, you will probably enjoy them. This weekend, they will be making a couple of regional appearances. You can see them as follows:

8/17/07: The Abbey @ ABC, Harrisburg, PA
8/18/07: DC9, Washington, DC

If you get a chance, check them out. I'll post a couple of tracks, so let me know what you think.

Restless
On The Trail of Your Scent

This Week's Mix

Here is your mix for this week. I am off to college. We'll catch up in a couple of days, once I get settled in Blacksburg. Enjoy!

1. The Epochs - Head in the Fire
2. Boy Kill Boy - Suzie
3. Saturna - Roll Down
4. Kings of Leon - Fans
5. Kasabian - I.D.
6. Blonde Redhead - Falling Man
7. Albert Hammond Jr. - In Transit
8. Stars - The Night Starts Here
9. Minus the Bear - The Fix
10. The Sugarcubes - Birthday

Tonight in DC

OK, so the big ticket show in DC tonight, is Neko Case at 9:30 Club. Well guess what? It's sold out. If you don't have tickets, you are in luck. The Red and The Black also has a great show. DC locals The Beanstalk Library are heading a wonderful bill. Hershey, PA's The April Skies will be joining them with their brand of Europop. Decatur, GA's Warm in the Wake open the very strong evening. So if you are looking for something new, I highly recommend checking this one out.

The Beanstalk Library - Elephantitus
The April Skies - My Love Is In This House
Warm in the Wake - Golden Inhibition Destroyer
Neko Case - Hold On, Hold On

Benzos

Benzos is a band from the NYC area. I talked about them a little bit last fall, when they came through Baltimore. Last week, they released Branches. Their music is basically atmospheric indie, utilizing some elements of ambient. I like "Phase 2", so give it a listen and see what you think. They don't currently have any dates scheduled in the Baltimore/Washington region. However, they do have a show coming up in Philly at The Khyber on 8/22.

Phase 2
Hurt Everybody

Slow On The New Releases

The last several weeks have been pretty low on new releases. Here is a quick mix of some of the more interesting ones from the last two. Things start to pick up again next week and we will resume with a more in depth look.

Okkervil River - Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe
Art In Manila - Set The Woods On Fire
The Brunettes - Small Town Crew
Danbert Nobacon - Straight Talk (Meet Frank)
Oh No - Heavy
You Say Party! We Say Die! - Teenage Hit Wonder
Flight of the Conchords - Business Time
Simple Kid - Seratonin
Junior Senior - Can I Get Get Get

Cary Brothers - Jammin Java - 8/9/07

This was my first time heading out to Jammin Java and I was not impressed. It took me forever to find the place and after many circles, I finally found the thing on the corner of a small strip mall, next to a Safeway. The main issue that I had with the place, was that there was no separation between the coffee part and the music part. If you weren't close enough to the stage, you could hear people carrying on and glasses clinking and it really took away from the experience.

I got there half way through the opening act, who was a solo artist named William Fitzsimmons. The guy had pretty cool banter, but his music left something to be desired. The best way to describe it, was emo folk music. Lots of very vapid lyrics, in sad songs, with moderately interesting chords being played along. I only got to catch the second half of the set, but that is what I got out of it.

The saving grace of the evening, was Stars of Track and Field. I was pretty excited to see them, after listening to their CD a bunch of times. Their set started a bit slow, but they really seemed to open up to the crowd after a couple of songs. From that point on, they had everyone laughing and it seemed like people really enjoyed them.

Playing some of their more well known songs such as "Arithmatik" and "In Bright Fire," the guys had the crowd singing along and dancing to the music. With the closing song "Movies of Antarctica," the guys were jumping off amps, dancing around and really giving the crowd something to remember them by. I hope next time they play at Black Cat or Rock and Roll Hotel, so that I can enjoy them more.

Last up, was Cary Brothers. I had heard some of his stuff on an episode of Scrubs and a couple of songs on his Myspace, but all had been solo projects. I was interested to see what a full band would do to his songs. Going into it, I didn't realize that most of his songs were girl songs. Meaning that the only people that were into the music, were female. Looking around at all of the annoyed male faces, pretty much everyone echoed my sentiments in wondering when it was going to be over.

The guy is definitely talented and I think he could go far, but I just wasn't in to it. My favorite song of his called "Blue Eyes," seemed to sound a lot worse with the full band. It's a very emotional and soulful ballad and it lost it's personal connection with the listener, when all of the extra instruments were added in. I may check him out the next time he comes to town solo, to see if it is an improvement.

Stars of Track and Field Pictures: Here
Cary Brothers Pictures: Here

Stars of Track and Field - Movies of Antarctica
Cary Brothers - Blue Eyes

Eskimo Joe in Philly

Join me at The Khyber Thursday night to check out, Eskimo Joe, coming to us all the way from Australia. Already multi-platinum in their home country, they are ready to conquer America with their third release, Black Fingernails Red Wine. They are joined by synth-pop artists from Montreal, Badflirt, and Birdy Num Num & The Spirit Squad, sporting members from Ween and The Buzzcocks.

Eskimo Joe - Black Fingernails Red Wine
Birdy Num Num & The Spirit Squad - Buffet

Also going on in the city, The Electric Factory has the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Fire has Hello Tokyo, originally from the DC scene, now representing Brooklyn.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Gold Lion

Hello Tokyo - Radio

A Place To Bury Strangers and Airiel

Airiel

Not doing anything tonight? Then get down to The Khyber and get out a great show featuring Airiel, Atlanta's Parade, A Place to Bury Strangers, also known as the loudest band in New York, and Wilmington's The Sky Drops. This is guaranteed to be a great show, so do not miss it!

Regionally, you can also check out A Place To Bury Strangers and Airiel as follows:

8/15/07: The Black Cat, DC
8/17/07: Metro Gallery, Baltimore w/ Monarch, The Sky Drops

The Sky Drops

Airiel - Firefly
A Place to Bury Strangers - I Know I'll See You
Parade - Hunting
The Sky Drops - Green to Red

Or, The Whale

It is weird how it works. Sometimes you stumble upon a band, sometimes they seek you out and occasionally, you have mutual friends that put you in touch. The third scenario is how I became aware of San Francisco's Or, The Whale. I was introduced to them last fall and have been a fan of their hybrid of indie rock and country ever since. They have recently released Light Poles and Pines. The band is supporting this excellent CD with a US tour. They are on the road now and they'll be in the region over the next couple of days. If you get the chance, go check them out. Or, The Whale is one of my favorite discoveries of the past year and I highly recommend them.

8/13/07: The Red and The Black, DC w/ Revival and The Pinebox Boys
8/14/07: World Cafe Live, Philadelphia w/ The Extraordinaires and The Bee Team

Saint Bernard
Call and Response

This Week's Mix

Sorry this has been so late, but it has been pretty crazy around here. I have gone to 5 shows in a week, so getting time to write has been a little more difficult than normal. However, here it is. Enjoy!

BOAT - (I'm A) Donkey For Your Love
The Long Winters - Pushover
Band of Horses - The Great Salt Lake
Handsome Furs - Snakes On The Ladder
The Dandy Warhols - Cool Scene
Silversun Pickups - Kissing Families
The Rapture - Don Gon Do It
Narrator - SurfJew
Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot
Parts & Labor - Long Way Down

Tonight, Tonight

Wow, it's been a crazy week. Anyway, the day is upon us... IA's Anniversary Party is tonight at Rock & Roll Hotel in DC. Doors open @ 8:30 and the show begins at 9:30 sharp. If you get there by 9, it is free! If not, it's $10. So why should you come out? Let's see...

Jette Kelly - credit
One of my favorite people in the world is Jette Kelly. After a warm up show in NYC, she is debuting her new 7-piece band in DC and she choose my show as the occasion to do it. Her smokey vocals are sure to light the room on fire, so make it out early to catch this break out performance.

E~

Lejeune - credit
Next up is Lejeune. This underrated band is nothing short of solid. If you like bands such as The Smiths and R.E.M., you will be very pleased by their performance. Their latest CD has been one of my favorites of the past few months.

Bizarre Histrionics

Bellman Barker - credit
The penultimate performance of the night will be given by Bellman Barker. You never really know what to expect from this guys, but you always know that they will be entertaining. I hear they may even be debuting a new song tonight.

Charles Kil

Le Loup
Finally, DC's indie darlings of 2007 will be bringing the night to a close. Le Loup has taken the city by storm and with good reason, they are a fantastic band. It doesn't really matter that you have only been playing out for a little over 4 months, if you give one of the most dynamic shows in the city. They were signed for a reason and tonight, you will learn why. Catch them before they blow up this fall. It's their first ever weekend headlining show and you'll probably never see them play a venue this small in DC again.



In addition to those bands, there will be all sorts of other things happening along the way. If you like covers, brand new songs and collaborations, you are probably in luck. You never know who may make an unannounced appearance on stage. Let's French will also be there conducting a raffle, just mere days before their farewell show. All you have to do is enter at the merch table and they will announce the winners right before Le Loup hits the stage. What can you win? Many of your DC favorites are contributing items and there will be concert tickets and CDs for sure. There will even be a national media outlet recording the night for a video piece on the DC scene.

Be prepared to be entertained and come out to have a great night. Where else can you see bands of this caliber for free? See you soon.

Thursday in Philly

Before you all come down to DC for our Birthday show on Friday, make the trip to Philly Thursday and check out a great line up at Johnny Brendas. Tokyo Police Club and Ra Ra Riot are moving up the east coast, this time joined by Vampire Weekend.

Tokyo Police Club - Nature of the Experiment
Ra Ra Riot - Can You Tell
Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma

As an alternative, check out The Fire for the band that played for them Tuesday in DC, one of the District's hottest bands, Jukebox the Ghost.

Jukebox The Ghost - Hold It In

Joy Wants Eternity

As I have been sifting through the site's promo backlog, there are only a few bands that really stand out and are worth writing about. Joy Wants Eternity is one of the best. Their new album and first full-length is entitled You Who Pretend To Sleep and it is one of my favorite albums in quite awhile. If you enjoyed Junius, whom I posted about earlier, then you will really enjoy this band.

Taking their key from Explosions In The Sky and a slew of up and coming industrial instrumental bands, JWE puts forth music that is enticing to the ears and takes you on a journey of your life. Each song on the album elicits memories such as your first exploration as a kid, your first time staying out all night and watching the sun rise with your first love. The music is so enriching, profound and full of depth, that you will question how someone can pack so much into one song. The peaks and valleys that each song reaches are unlike anything that you have ever heard.

This 5-piece from Seattle, just finished a tour on the west coast. Be sure to give them a listen and we will let you know when they venture east.

Existences Rust

Tuesday in DC

Alright, tonight is pretty crazy. There are solid bands everywhere and you have a lot of choices. You really can't go wrong with any of these.

Tokyo Police Club
The big ticket buzz show of the night is at Rock & Roll Hotel. Tokyo Police Club will be in town and they will be joined by Ra Ra Riot and local darlings, Jukebox the Ghost.

Tokyo Police Club - Nature Of The Experiment
Tokyo Police Club - Box
Ra Ra Riot - Each Year
Ra Ra Riot - Can Your Tell
Jukebox The Ghost - Good Day
Jukebox The Ghost - Hold It In

The Beanstalk Library - credit
DC's The Beanstalk Library is having a big CD release party for America At Night at IOTA. If you want to hear a great live band and help celebrate the release of one of the strongest local records of the year, this show is for you.

The Beanstalk Library - Fake It
The Beanstalk Library - Elephantitis
The Beanstalk Library - Fog Over My Mind

Calla
NYC's Calla and Philly's The A-Sides will be at Black Cat for a sweaty backstage show.

Calla - Bronson
The A-Sides - Cinematic

Band of Horses
The other huge show tonight, is Band of Horses at 9:30 Club. They will be joined by Love As Laughter and A Decent Animal.

Band of Horses - Monsters
Love As Laughter - Dirty Lives
A Decent Animal - Bird