Show Us Your Green!

Happy St. Patty's Day! For those of you sober enough to read, keep drinking! If you want some music for your Irish self (if only for a day), plenty of good stuff going on. And will someone kindly pick me up a shamrock shake.

9:30 Club is hosting a night with the original Irish punks, The Pogues. If you missed Monday's show or just wanted to wait for the holiday, too bad. Sold out! There is a third show Wednesday and tickets are available.

If you are left out in the cold at 930, don't fret, Bellman Barker and Greenland add a local flavor to the festivities at Asylum. Or head out to DC9 for another great local line-up featuring Rose, Revival, John Bustine and Brandon Butler.

mp3: Bellman Barker - Two Bees
mp3: Greenland - Solace
mp3: Rose - Someone's Kind
mp3: Revival - Favorite One
mp3: John Bustine - Jesus, Jesus Not Again
mp3: Brandon Butler - Sparks
(all songs provided by artist)

Other than pure drunken debauchery, those in the Philly area can check out AC Newman of The New Pornographers with The Broken West at Johnny Brenda's.

mp3: AC Newman - Submarines of Stockholm (via Matador Records)

MugiBell

Photo By Ari Magg
The crazy man from the Great North, also known as Mugison from Iceland, is about to invade the region this week. He's been all over the place lately, garnering praise from Paste and even us. Now, you can finally see what all the hype is about.

For the entire east coast portion of his tour, DC's own Bellman Barker is providing support. When they played our Anniversary show last month, they debuted a great new track called "Last Name." Over the weekend, they recorded a demo of it and sent it over. Check it out and see why they are one of the most exciting bands to come out of DC lately.

9/22/08: North Star, Philadelphia, PA
9/23/08: DC9, Washington, DC

mp3: Mugison - To The Bone
mp3: Bellman Barker - Last Name (Demo)

The Area Weekend

It's the unofficial last weekend of summer. Those of you that are not heading towards the coast, have a few options available. There are mostly local acts playing local venues, with a couple big name shows thrown in for good measure.


Austin is representing this weekend at Towson University, when What Made Milwaukee Famous takes the stage. They are on tour in support of their new album What Doesn't Kill Us and I definitely recommend it. Those of you in Philly can catch them at the Khyber on the 4th, with Wild Sweet Orange.

mp3: What Made Milwaukee Famous - Resistance St.
mp3: Wild Sweet Orange - Ten Dead Dogs

Ben Lee has been making music for half his life. I remember listening to him back in high school and that's a long time ago. Pick up his new album Ripe and get to the Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis. You can get some podcasts of Ben Lee at his website.

Here's the rest of the weekend:

Philly band Relay is heading to the Velvet Lounge for a DC show then returns home Saturday to Johnny Brenda's, joined by Violens and Ape School and featuring a DJ set by Pink Skull.

mp3: Relay - Driver
mp3: Violens - Violent Sensation Descends
mp3: Ape School - No Shame

Friday

If you like ambient and electronica, head to the North Star Friday for an all Philly area line up featuring Cloud Minder, Quintero, In Secrecy and Sounds From Atlantis.

mp3: Cloud Minder - Casimir Effect
mp3: Sounds From Atlantis - 0505

Saturday

The Red & The Black is hosting Prabir & The Substitutes. They are joined by Red Racer, Tereu Tereu and Wakey!Wakey!. I highly recommend this show.

Over at the Black Cat, our friends Bellman Barker have their first headlining show there and are supported by locals Andy Zipf and Cobra Collective.

mp3: Prabir & The Substitutes - Oh Marie
mp3: Tereu Tereu - Don't Be Sore, Farmer John
mp3: Wakey! Wakey! - Get Away
mp3: Bellman Barker - Charles Kil
mp3: Cobra Collective - Young Serbia (live)

Sunday

The Ottobar is hosting the final show of one of the first bands we made contact with here at IA, Two If By Sea. Sending them off is The Oranges Band. Get out there and give them your love, they deserve it.

Across the Potomac at IOTA, Pash is playing with Poor But Sexy and Club Scout.

mp3: Two If By Sea - Transmission (Joy Division Cover)
mp3: The Oranges Band - If These Stars Are Struck
mp3: Pash - Palindrome

Monday

Most bands must know it is a holiday, because there are slim pickings. So grab a burger from the grill and head to IOTA for the Federal Reserve Presents to end your holiday weekend right.

Sunset Photo credit: Joe

Anniversary Shows

Since I really haven't said much about these shows, here is a little reminder about our 2 night Anniverary party this weekend...


This year, we will be doing a 2 years, 2 bands, 2 nights concept. The brief details are as follows:

August 8 & 9
IOTA

Both Nights:
These United States
The Apparitions (Mark from Vandaveer)

The Openers:
Friday - The Cotton Jones Basket Ride (Michael from Page France)
Saturday - Bellman Barker

These United States - Burn This Bridge
The Apparitions - God Monkey Robot
The Cotton Jones Basket Ride - The Spinning Wheel (Naked in Virginia Session)
Bellman Barker - Two Bees

A Huge Weekend

Another summer weekend with a boatload of shows to check out. Here's what's going on.


Summer is the time for festivals and this Saturday the Download Festival rolls through the Philly area for the only east coast date of this three city festival. It is a huge line-up featuring The Killers, Iggy Pop & The Stooges, Ghostland Observatory, The Parlor Mob, The Duke Spirit, Colour Revolt, Louis XIV, Sia, The Whigs, The Airborne Toxic Event, Eli Reed, and Philly's own Man Man. It'll be a hot one, so go prepared. For all details of what you can bring to the Susquehanna Bank Center (The E-Center, Blockbuster, whatever you called it), check out the festival website.

mp3: The Parlor Mob - Cant Keep No Good Boy Down
mp3: Colour Revolt - Naked and Red
mp3: Sia - Electric Bird
mp3: The Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight

As far as the rest of the weekend goes, a huge number of local and national acts are playing the area.

The minimalist acoustic sounds of Bon Iver are joined by Bowerbirds, who are re-releasing Hymns for a Dark Horse, for two shows. Thursday they are in Philly at the First Unitarian Church, then head on down to DC for a show at the Black Cat.

mp3: Bon Iver - Skinny Love
mp3: Bowerbirds - In Our Talons

Dubbed "The thinking-mans Wilco", Earlimart are on tour and making two stops in the area, starting in Philly Friday at Johnny Brendas. They are joined by Philly locals Sunshine Recorder and JJL (otherwise known as Like A Fox). Saturday, check out Earlimart at the Ottobar in Baltimore.

mp3: Earlimart - Song For
mp3: Sunshine Recorder - Hemmingway
mp3: JJL - Vertical Dance

Aimee Mann is playing quite a few shows over the next few days. You can catch her with The Submarines at the 9:30 Club on Saturday, then she plays back-to-back shows at the World Cafe starting Monday.

Priscilla Ahn is also making a run through the area, starting Saturday at the Tin Angel in Philly, then heading to Jammin Java Sunday where she hooks up with Willoughby. Those two are also at Rams Head in Annapolis for a Tuesday show.

Before gracing us with their presence for our Saturday Anniversary show next weekend, Bellman Barker are pulling a two-for. They will be at the Metro Gallery Saturday with Baltimore's The Courtesy Line and then travel to Philly to perform with DC-mates The Caribbean and Brooklyn's Soren Well.

mp3: Bellman Barker - Charles Kil
mp3: The Courtesy Line - Make It Up
mp3: The Caribbean - The Go From Tactical
mp3: Soren Well - Black Transmissions

Thursday

It's very light on Thursday. Other than Bon Iver/Bowerbirds, Philly's own The Extraordinaires are playing Johnny Brendas.

mp3: The Extraordinaires - The Chicken The Egg or The Song

Friday

The Duke Spirit is playing a Free at Noon at the World Cafe before their performance Saturday at the Download Festival. Also, Hello Tokyo are performing at The Fire.

mp3: Hello Tokyo - Kiss Me Good-bye (remix)

Saturday

The World Cafe seems to be the happening place this weekend, this time with The Apples In Stereo.

Down in DC at the Black Cat, Virgin Records artist We Are Scientists are touring in support of their new album Brain Thrust Mastery. They are joined by Oxford Collapse, who also have a new album BITS coming out Tuesday.

mp3: The Apples in Stereo - Energy
mp3: We Are Scientists - Chick Lit (remix)
mp3: Oxford Collapse - The Birthday Wars

Sunday

Finishing off the weekend is Philly's The Bee Team. In the midst of a I-95 tour with DC's Deleted Scenes and The Never, they are at Millcreek Tavern, then start the week off in DC at Black Cat.

Across the river at IOTA, catch locals Prabir & The Substitutes and Greenland.

mp3: Deleted Scenes - Fake IDs
mp3: The Never - Cavity
mp3: Prabir & The Substitutes - Slow
mp3: Greenland - Shipwreck on the Watery Eye

A Hot Weekend

The mercury is going to be high, as is the humidity, this weekend. Don't let that deter you from checking out some shows.



A couple of festivals are happening this weekend. In Baltimore, the all weekend party known as Whartscape is going on with the likes of Celebration, The Mae Shi, Black Dice and Beach House, just to name a small few. Elsewhere, in Arden, Delware is a more laid back festival, Arden Music Fest, sporting acts like Hoots and Hellmouth and The Spinto Band.

mp3: Celebration - Heartbreak
mp3: Beach House - Home Again
mp3: The Spinto Band - Oh Mandy

If you aren't up for a scorching outdoor concert, you can catch some festival artists at other locations in the area. Hoots and Hellmouth are at Jammin Java Friday night. Black Dice is paired with The War On Drugs on Saturday and The Mae Shi are joined by Skeletonbreath on Sunday in Philly at The Barbary.

mp3: Hoots and Hellmouth - Want On Nothing
mp3: Black Dice - Kokomo
mp3: The War On Drugs - Taking The Farm
mp3: The Mae Shi - Lamb and Lion
mp3: Skeletonbreath - Louise

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yelstin is back on tour and hitting the IA area this weekend. With them is their Springfield, MO neighbors Ha Ha Tonka. You can also see our friends Bellman Barker at the DC show.

7/18: Philly @ World Cafe
7/19: DC @ Black Cat

mp3: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Think I Wanna Die
mp3: Ha Ha Tonka - 12 Inch 3 Speed Oscillating Fan (Daytrotter)

As for the rest of the weekend, it shaped up like this:

Friday

Junior League is at the Rock & Roll Hotel and J Roddy Walston and the Business is across the Potomac at IOTA.

mp3: Junior League - Puppeteers
mp3: J Roddy Walston and the Business - Used To Did

Saturday

It's a CD release party for Philly's own The Silence Kit and their new disc A Strange Labor at The Manhattan Room. Their influence list is a who's-who of post-punk royalty and their sound attests to that.

Speaking of new albums, Dr. Dog has a new album dropping on Tuesday. You can catch some of the new songs plus all of your favorites at The Chameleon Club in Lancaster.

If free is more your thing, Thrushes is at Metro Gallery with The Go Station. Let them know you heard about it here. This is part of Baltimore's even bigger, Artscape Festival.

And at IOTA, Cobra Collective and Pittsburgh band Triggers take the stage.

mp3: The Silence Kit - A New Dissapointment
mp3: Dr. Dog - My Old Ways
mp3: Thrushes - Heartbeats
mp3: Cobra Collective - Legionnaire

Sunday

If you are at the Jersey shore, get into Atlantic City and go to the House of Blues for one of the greatest soul singers, The Reverend Al Green. Down in DC at DC9, Icelandic artist Olafur Arnalds performs.

mp3: Olafur Arnalds - Fok

A Show

It's been quiet on some fronts lately, but we are finally returning with some shows. I guess there is no better place to start, than with our Second Anniversary Bash.

This year, we will be doing a 2 years, 2 bands, 2 nights concept. The brief details are as follows:

August 8 & 9
IOTA

Both Nights:
These United States
The Apparitions (Mark from Vandaveer)

The Openers:

Friday - The Cotton Jones Basket Ride (Michael from Page France)
Saturday - Bellman Barker

Much more to come on this subject and many others.

These United States - Burn This Bridge
The Apparitions - God Monkey Robot
The Cotton Jones Basket Ride - The Spinning Wheel (Naked in Virginia Session)
Bellman Barker - Two Bees

The Cave Singers with Love as Laughter

credit

Rolling through the IA area is acoustic-indie The Cave Singers from the Pacific Northwest. They have a great photo blog going on here. Opening is Love as Laughter from Brooklyn. Their new album Holy will be available soon (June 24th). Check out their own blog. The DC show on Wednesday will also feature one of our local favorites, Bellman Barker.

5/7: Philly @ North Star
5/8: DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel w/ Bellman Barker

The Cave Singers - Seeds of Night
Love As Laughter - Dirty Lives
Bellman Barker - Two Bees

Bellman Barker in Wilmington

Join me at Mojo 13 tonight for the catchy pop musings of one of our favorites from DC, Bellman Barker. The venue is a little different and an unlikely setting for them, but don't let that and the weather deter you. Here's something not found on the EP, a little variace from the usual B&B.

Two Bees

The Regional Weekend

It's a good weekend in the IA region. I've already mentioned the Northern Liberties Winter Music Festival. Here's what going on elsewhere.

Friday


Joe and I will be heading to Harrisburg, PA Friday night to The Abbey checking out the best thing to come out of Chambersburg probably ever, The Shackeltons and one of my Best of Philly 2007, Papertrigger. They are joined by two other Philly bands, Jotto and Univox.

Yeasayer/MGMT/Fang Island @ Johnny Brendas SOLD OUT!
Hoots and Hellmouth @ Jammin' Java

The Shackeltons - The Breaks
Papertrigger - Fox Hunting
Jotto - Backyard Circus
Yeasayer - Sunrise
MGMT - Time To Pretend
Fang Island - The Landing
Hoots and Hellmouth - Want On Nothing

Saturday


The big show is at The Fire for the Music fest, but if you can't get in there A.K.A.C.O.D., featuring former members of Morphine, are at The Red and The Black. Imagine the same Morphine you knew and substitute feminine lead vocals.

Drug Rug/The Bye Byes/Movable Type @ North Star
Hello Tokyo @ DC9

A.K.A.C.O.D. - Trouble Part 1
The Bye Byes - Brass Tacks
Movable Type - Edward Said
Hello Tokyo - Radio

Sunday


Local faves finish off the weekend in two separate shows. Our friends Bellman Barker are joined by Tereu Tereu at The Lab and Exit Clov share the stage with Pash at The Recher.

De Novo Dahl @ Velvet Lounge
Scary Monster/Dan Malloy/Papertrees/Rarebirds @ The Khyber (Benefit for Action AIDS)

Bellman Barker - Two Bees
Tereu Tereu - Lion Bear
Exit Clov - Violent Berries
Pash - ABCD
De Novo Dahl - The Funk
Scary Monster - Gold
Dan Malloy - Things Are Looking Brighter
Rarebirds - Wishing Well

One Crazy Party

I am back from a weekend in the District, seeing the sights, going to museums, and attending one of the best CD release parties ever. Up on the mainstage Saturday night at the Black Cat was Pash, Bellman Barker, and the guys who party this was, Jukebox the Ghost. The energy from the minute I walked in was electric. You could just tell something big was happening.


Pash started out the night with a solid set. Not very familiar with most of their work, I will have to listen a little more closely now.


Up next is one of our friends and favorite bands, Bellman Barker. They played a great set and the crowd ate them up. If you weren't sure who the headliner was, you may have guessed these guys. The crowd just kept growing through the night, and by the middle of their set, the announcement was made. Sell Out! Closing out, they threw in some new songs for good measure. Expect more good things from these guys. And for those who have only heard, the 'stache is sweet!


Finally, the main attraction hit the stage. Jukebox the Ghost was having a party and everyone was invited, and everyone came. Introducing their full-length CD, Let Live & Let Ghosts, Ben, Tommy, and Jesse wasted no time in entertaining the throngs of rabid Jukebox fans. This place was insane. Trying to get pictures, I was relegated to a corner near the speakers, as the crowd was so packed near the stage. They were definitely having fun, talking to the crowd, thanking us at every opportunity. One of the highlights was the three-parter "Fire in the Sky"/"Where Are All The Scientists Now?"/"A Matter of Time. This trilogy of songs tells a great story and is so much fun to watch live. The usual ending of "Hold It In" and "Good Day" was interrupted by a Beatles cover, the epic from Abbey Road, "Golden Slumbers", "Carry That Weight", and "The End". Joining them on vocals and guitar were a couple of members from Exit Clov. All I can say is, good lord, that was f'in amazing! They finished off with the usual ending, "Good Day" with everyone in the crowd singing along.

What an amazing show! Even though the year is still early, this may be back on the best of 2008 list. Congrats to Jukebox on the new disc, and we hope to see you, Bellman, and Pash real soon.

Pictures of the night's event here.

IA Exclusive: Bellman Barker

So, I had every intention of reviving the 12 Bands feature for this past holiday season. Due to my schedule, it never did happen. However, I did line up the bands and over time, the features will see the light of day. Up first is DC's Bellman Barker. They recorded a brand new demo exclusively for IA. Before we debut it, I sat down with the boys and had a little chat. After you read it, check out the song. Since it is such a departure for them, please comment with your feedback. They are interested to hear it.


INTERVIEW

I guess we will start at the beginning. How did Bellman Barker come to be?

Thomas: Bellman Barker began as a ragtag outfit of idyllic dreamers born of 21st century networks, adding and shedding members like a dirty snake. Today's BB has hardened into a popular song cult that vexes and pleases in equal measure.

Where did the name come from?

Aaron: From this book about circuses.
Thomas: It was born from the relationship between a rube and his pitchman

I had the pleasure of having you on the bill for 2 events that I put together this year. I must admit that you really surprised me live. Based on the 3 or 4 songs that I had heard of yours, I was expecting a pretty simple sunshine pop band. To my surprise, you are pretty raw live. I'll never forget Aaron breaking a string on the opening song of your set at our anniversary show in August. I feel that your EP does not truly reflect your live show, would you agree with that?

Aaron: Yeah, that string was a pain, right? But the show was great. We weren't really a band yet when we recorded the EP. Nor did we have much recording experience, but we did it by ourselves just the same. We're working much more together now. Plus, live, you know, why would you even play live unless you're going to play the songs the way you feel them? It was tough to know that on the first EP. But live, it's impossible to just stand there and play-- and those songs have a lot in them, a lot of us. You know? They better.
Thomas: Playing live is completely different from recording. Recording is tedious and calculating and never sounds like you want it to. It's like winding up the bungee cord and checking all the gear 500 times, while playing live is like jumping out of the hot air balloon.

You added a fifth member this year. How has that affected your sound?

Steve: Amazingly!
Aaron: Well, he talks a lot. That's the most of it. But really, Steve brings a lot of the live show together. We're not really a guitar-rock band, so having the keys and the synths is a big part of the show. Plus, we're all writing now. It sounds more like everyone.
Thomas: The giant squid grew another tentacle. Now we sink more ships.

You seem to be constantly evolving as a band. Your early songs were simple pop songs. Now you have started to write songs with loops, samples and multi-part harmonies. What led you in that direction?

Aaron: A lot of that was Tom. I think mostly about pop melodies and making it all fit together and he brought in these other ideas and we're working them all together. Writing simple pop songs is great, but we learn things and want to use them.
Thomas: Really, it's just the arrangements that have changed. Which I think is kind of secondary. It can be due to technology or fashion or whatever is happening. It's really the sense of melody, song construction and lyrics that are important and I hope we're slavishly pointing towards the same quality on those points.

The song that you recorded for us, has clarinet. How did that come about?

Aaron: That's Tom again. It was an old song and we decided that the main rhythm might sound better on something besides guitar, and there you go.
Thomas: It was a decision based on available technology.

You have become known for crazy stage antics. One thing that you do is incorporate random tongue in cheek covers into your sets. What are some of your favorites to play?

Aaron: Hmm, really? Crazy stage antics? Haha. We're still trying to get Steve to do a keyboard hand-stand. Ha. Like I was saying before, it's hard to play the songs without reliving everything that went into making them. It all comes out. As for covers, top 40 country is hard to beat.
Thomas: Britney's "Toxic", Wilson Pickett's "Land of 1000 Dances", The Velvettes' "He Was Really Sayin' Something."
John: The entire 4th of July country show that we did.
Steve: The July 4th set at Wonderland and Britney Spears' "Toxic."

I know that you love being a part of DC's indie scene. Who are some of your favorite local artists?

Thomas: Greenland, Len Bias and Le Loup. I've also have heard some interesting recordings from Stamen and Pistils, though I haven't caught a live show. On the other hand, I saw a great live show from Fever.
John: Georgie James, Len Bias, Greenland, MDR, and most recently Jukebox the Ghost. Every month, the list grows longer! These are exciting times for DC
Aaron: Greenland and Len Bias.
Mike: Georgie James, Greenland and Mikal Evans.
Steve: Greenland, Len Bias, The Hall Monitors, Jukebox the Ghost, Middle Distance Runner and Tereu Tereu.

What were your favorite albums of the year?

Steve : Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Mike: Robert Plant / Alison Krauss – Raising Sand
Aaron: Jens Lekman's Night Falls Over Kortedala
John: Radiohead's In Rainbows
Thomas : Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

For a band that was pretty much unknown heading into 2007, it was a hell of a year for you guys. What were the highlights?

Aaron: Obviously self-releasing our own EP was huge. Playing the IA anniversary show was huge too -- we got a lot of exposure and played with some amazing bands, including Le Loup who are off now doing great things. We played our first tour this fall and we are set for a mainstage Black Cat show in January. It's really been amazing.
Thomas: Getting in the van and going from town to town playing shows. Hey, guys, let's do that again real soon!
John: The fall tour (one of the best times in my life), the BYT Re-launch and anytime spent in the van.
Steve: THE VAN, THE VAN! Spending quality time with John's iPhone(my favorite member of BB). The BYT Re-launch, Philly and Pittsburgh.

What are your plans for 2008?

Aaron: Record! We have so many new songs and we are trying to get the time together to put them down. Then, you know, bigger shows, more shows, etc.
Thomas: Put our ideas inside a computer. Seriously, these demos - of which "Two Bees" is the first - are pretty much the first priority, since we've got a pretty long list of songs to put down.
John: Recording a full-length, tour, get filthy rich and famous, see our faces all over PerezHilton, drug addiction, rehab, jail stints, flashing our genitals to the paparazzi while getting in our cars, etc.
Steve: Maybe buy a badger. Make some macaroni pictures.

What are your long term goals for '08 and beyond?

Aaron: Just keep writing and playing. If we do that, it will get bigger on it's own.
Thomas: Put the songs down on computer. Play shows. Collaborate with more local artists. Write more songs. Play shows. Put those songs down on computer. Do a crazy tour and have a lot of fun. Play shows. Record an LP with someone we respect in a nice-sounding room. Write more songs. What more could anyone ask for?
Steve: Mostly the macaroni pictures.

Is there anything else that you'd like to add?

BB: Nothing at the moment - FULL STOP. Thanks for having us!

Thanks for taking the time to do this.


Upcoming Live Dates:
1/26/08: Black Cat, Washington, DC w/ Jukebox The Ghost & Pash
2/23/08: Mojo 13, Wilmington, DE


Without further ado, here is the premiere of Bellman Barker's new demo track, "Two Bees." Enjoy!

Two Bees

Bellman Barker Hits The Road

credit

IA Birthday Party artist Bellman Barker are out and about in support of their latest album Anise and Anisette. They are doing shows all over the region. Never heard of them? Here is what Joe had to say previously:

Anybody who is familiar with my personal musical taste, knows how much of a feat it is for Bellman Barker to get a nod on my best of list. This EP is full of catchy, sun-drenched pop. The thing that makes these songs stand out, is the substance that exists behind them. Sugar usually washes away pretty quickly, but not in this case.

10/21: Mojo 13, Wilmington w/ Tereu Tereu
10/23: The Khyber, Philly w/ Small Town Fires
10/24: The Abbey @ ABC, Harrisburg w/ Warm in the Wake
10/27: Velvet Lounge, DC

Charles Kil
Molly Maroon

indie at the abbey mix: Volume 2

The first month has passed and we have had some great shows. That said, it's time for volume 2 of my mix. For those of you who don't know, I am booking a weekly indie rock night for a club in Harrisburg, PA. The series is called indie @ the abbey and runs every Wednesday. There are 2 bands each week for a measly $2. Music starts at 9:30 and is over by midnight. Check out what we have booked for the next 4 weeks and come to a show if you can. If you missed it, the first mix is available here. I'll be back next month with another volume.

10/10/07
Jukebox the Ghost - Good Day
Peasant - Those Days

10/17/07
Shade - Broken Ribs
The Sky Drops - Green to Red

10/24/07
Warm in the Wake - Golden Inhibition Destroyer
Bellman Barker - Charles Kil

10/31/07
*Free Admission With Costume*
People Noise - The Killing Fields
Thrushes - Into The Woods

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.

Best Regional CDS of 2007 - The First Half

Believe it or not, 2007 is half over. That makes it the perfect time to mention my favorite Baltimore/DC Region CDs from the first part of this year. Keep in mind, that there are some local CDs that I have yet to attain, so I can't pass judgement on them at this time. Between those and several big ones that are slated for release over the last 6 months of the year, it will be interesting to see how this list changes. Regardless, these are the discs that have made the greatest dents on my iPod and CD player during the first part of this year.



Thrushes - sun come undone (buy)

There is nothing that I would change about the debut album from Baltimore's Thrushes. It has walls of sound, perfectly situated quiet moments and beautiful vocals. I keep hearing that their new material is even better, so this truly appears to be just the beginning. Regardless, this is a true statement and it's one of the best CDs of 2007.

Heartbeats
Into The Woods



Lejeune - For Club and Country (buy)

There was no sophomore slump for Lejeune. They followed up their debut with an entire disc of solid tracks. If you like intelligent lyrics and great riffs, you will enjoy this release. I personally find it hard to get these songs out of my head.

The Latest Greatest
Bizarre Histrionics



Jette-Ives - In The Deep (buy)

This disc sort of slid under the radar, because Jette-Ives was all but over by the time their debut saw the light of day and they did very little promotion behind it. That said, if you are only going to release one album into the world, this is the way to do it. Jette is a gifted lyricist and that is very evident on In The Deep. That isn't even mentioning her ridiculous vocal skills. As she sings her songs, you can feel her pain and longing. This is hands down the most sexual release of the year and it's perfect for those more intimate moments. The best moments on this CD are when the live strings shine through and perfectly accent Jette's voice. Now that she has left electronica behind and formed her own orchestra, I can't wait to see Jette recreate these songs live.

Darker Than You
E~



Monarch - If Children

This Baltimore 2-piece flies about as below the radar as you can get. This CD has no proper distribution, so you can only get it through the band at this point. That said, it is well worth it. They take what should be simple folk songs and turn them into layered works of art. Even better, is how Monarch manages to recreate a full band sound live, only using 2 people.

Family Glue
Warning


Honorable Mention: Greenland - Call Message


While we are at it, here are a couple of EPs that I haven't been able to live without:


Telograph - Little Bits of Plastic (buy)

This EP easily wins the award for most played this year. These 5 tracks are the top 5 on my iPod play count. The songs are catchy as hell and they stick in your head for days. Telograph created an excellent piece of work and they are currently in the studio trying to top it. I can't wait to hear the results.

We Won't Settle Down
Eye For An Eye



Bellman Barker - Anise & Anisette (buy)

Anybody who is familiar with my personal musical taste, knows how much of a feat it is for Bellman Barker to get a nod on my best of list. This EP is full of catchy, sun-drenched pop. The thing that makes these songs stand out, is the substance that exists behind them. Sugar usually washes away pretty quickly, but not in this case. I am looking forward to seeing what they can accomplish on a full length.

Molly Maroon
In Their Defense


Honorable Mention: Jukebox The Ghost (I'm holding out for the forthcoming full length)

Friday: The Return

Alright, it's time to do that Friday thing again. It doesn't matter where you will be tonight, because there is quality everywhere!


In DC tonight, The Red and The Black are having their one year anniversary. There will be a big party, complete with drink specials and great bands. Black Tie Revue and The Subjects will be providing the entertainment, along with locals Nunchucks. If you have never seen Pittsburgh's Black Tie Revue, this is the perfect opportunity.

Black Tie Revue - Absent Radio


Out in northern VA tonight, there is a big CD release party at IOTA. Greenland will be unveiling their excellent new baby Call Message to the world. Local favorites Bellman Barker will be there to entertain as well and this will be their last local show before they play our anniversary party at Rock and Roll Hotel on August 10.

Greenland - Greenland Pt. 2
Bellman Barker - Molly Maroon


In Baltimore, you can start your night at the museum. Local band Faster Faster Harder Harder will be playing a free acoustic show at Walter's Art Museum. Check out a quality band in a different setting and take in some art as well. It's an early evening well spent and you'll still have plenty of time to hit the bar.

Faster Faster Harder Harder - Calm Down


Finally, three quality bands make their way to Baltimore. The Hourly Radio, Stars of Track and Field and Shiny Toy Guns bring their road show to Sonar tonight.

The Hourly Radio - Deaf Ears
Stars of Track and Field - Movies of Antarctica
Shiny Toy Guns - Le Disko

A Little Show

Since word of this is already starting to spread, I might as well announce it on here. On Friday August 10, we are having our First Anniversary Party at Rock and Roll Hotel in DC. We recruited some friends to help us celebrate: Le Loup, Bellman Barker, Lejeune and Jette Kelly (of Jette-Ives).

Doors @ 8:30, Show starts @ 9:30, $10. However, it is free until 9. Much more on this later. I just wanted to get it out there.

Le Loup - We Are Gods! We Are Wolves!
Bellman Barker - Molly Maroon
Lejeune - The Latest Greatest
Jette-Ives - Darker Than You

Contest: Bellman Barker

DC's Bellman Barker is getting ready to release their debut CD and on Saturday night, they are having a release party at Rock and Roll Hotel. Bellflur and The Subjects will be providing support. To celebrate, they put together a crazy contest. The prizes up for grabs are:

2 Guestlist Spots
1 Bellman Barker CD
1 Bellflur CD
1 Bellflur T-shirt
1 Limited edition print of the concert poster (see picture above)
1 Bellman Barker mascot (one of a kind)

I'm sure that you are wondering what the Bellman Barker mascot is. Well, it is an oversized stuffed animal that they personally pimped out. You may see it surfing the crowd on Saturday night, before they give it to the winner.

To win, send an e-mail with your name, location and the name of a Charles Bukowski book to Bellman Barker. A winner will be selected and notified later this week. Good luck.

Bellman Barker - Molly Maroon
The Subjects - The Hounds of War
Bellflur - First To The Moon

To learn more about Bellman Barker and to stream the album, go here.