No Second Troy / Vita Ruins / Lejeune @ Black Cat

A little over a week ago, I was getting ready to head back to school and I was looking for a show to see before I left. I was in luck, as there was a great local showcase at the Black Cat. As we have written about both Lejeune and The Vita Ruins before, I will not be doing a review. Instead, I will post some pictures of the bands and a video of "Rabid Men" by The Vita Ruins. Enjoy!

Lejeune:

All Photos

The Vita Ruins:

All Photos

No Second Troy:

All Photos

The Vita Ruins - "Rabid Men"

Contest: Lejeune, The Vita Ruins & No Second Troy At Black Cat

There is a great local show happening at Black Cat on Friday night, featuring Lejeune, The Vita Ruins and No Second Troy. We have a couple of pairs of tickets to give away. Drop us an e-mail to enter and we'll notify the winners by Friday morning. Good luck!

Lejeune - The Latest Greatest
The Vita Ruins - My Last Days On Earth
No Second Troy - Brighten Up

Wednesday in The District

The 1900s - credit
I'm a little swamped today, but here are some show happening in DC tonight that may be worth your time..

The Foxes @ DC9

The Foxes - Lover Killer


Lejeune/Zetamale @ The Red and The Black

Lejeune - Spanish
Zetamale - Too Much Too Soon


Shortstack/The 1900s/The Dead Trees/Kitty Hawk @ Rock 'N Roll Hotel

Shortstack - Wiseblood
The 1900s - When I Say Go
The Dead Trees - Shelter
Kitty Hawk - Silence Won't Work On Me No More

DC9 Tonight

For a nice local DC show tonight, head to DC9. Lejeune and The Glory and The Majesty are sure to put on a great showcase.

Lejeune - Bizarre Histrionics

Photo credit

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.

Friday Night Lights

It's Friday and like usual, there is a lot to do. Tonight, it seems like there is a party around every corner and you don't have to try very hard to find one.


Alright, so the big one in DC is at Black Cat. Local darlings The Dance Party are having their CD release party, but they wouldn't be who they are if they stopped there. Nope, the party is doubling as a prom. There will be tuxes, dresses, corsages, photographers and people getting busy in the bathroom. Let's French and De Novo Dahl will be providing support for what is sure to be a crazy night.

The Dance Party - Lipstick
Let's French - Here She Comes (There She Goes)
De Novo Dahl - The Funk


Speaking of theme parties, there is another one at Rock 'N Roll Hotel tonight. The Gaskets, New Rock Church of Fire and The Invisibles will be playing and this time, everyone will be decked out in their Halloween costumes. Insanity ensues.

The Gaskets - Left Hand


For those of you looking for a straight forward rock show, IOTA has one. DC locals Lejeune and The Glory and The Majesty will be sharing the stage for what is sure to be a solid night of music. No gimmicks.

Lejeune - The Latest Greatest


Finally, I have a treat for those of you that are up for a little trip. Lancaster, PA's Chameleon Club had a last second announcement for tonight... TV on the Radio! Imagine 9:30 Club, but with about 1/3 of the capacity and you get the idea. Anybody going?

TV On The Radio - Staring At The Sun

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)

Lejeune At Fort Reno Tonight

Tonight's Fort Reno is being headlined by Lejeune. The IA favorites will be playing their last local show before our Anniversary Party on August 10. Definitely check them out. Plus, it's free! You can't beat that...

The Latest Greatest

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

Lejeune - For Club And Country

A lot of strange things have been happening lately. DC's music scene has become so loaded, that people are finally starting to take notice. There are local bands packing 9:30 Club, there are bands signing to Sub Pop after 2 shows and then there is Lejeune. The band has been in existence since 2003, which makes them relative dinosaurs on the local scene. They released an album in 2004 and have kept a pretty low profile over the past few years, playing only a handful of local shows every year. While the younger bands in the scene have been playing as many shows as possible, attacking the Internet and handing promo Cd's out to anyone who would take them, Lejeune have been honing their craft. They've spent the past year and a half working on their live show and putting For Club And Country together and now it's finally seeing the light of day.

It's rare to find a band that can write songs that are instantly accessible, yet don't sound like they were made to be shoved down your throat. It's even rarer to find a band who can make an actual album that is packed with them. In this age of iTunes and digital singles, For Club And Country is the rare album that is not about the individual tracks. Yes, there are plenty of radio ready songs, but they are merely pieces to a much larger puzzle. It's a cohesive album that is enjoyable from the opening notes of "Your Serene Saturday Night" through the fade out of "Good Times." In between, exists an album full of jangly guitar, enough riffs to write a textbook and some of the most intelligent lyrics that DC has ever produced. Some of those lyrics describe this album better than I ever could: "I want to build a monument, a mausoleum fit to represent the wreck we'll leave behind." They may lack the flash and buzz that many of the young bands on the scene seem to possess, but For Club And Country proves that Lejeune certainly doesn't lack the arsenal.

The Latest Greatest
I Am In Your Corner

Oh Glorious Weekend

This has been one of those weeks. Finally, the weekend is here and there are a lot of shows worth seeing...

SATURDAY


The Kooks are invading America and DC is next on their agenda. They will be playing 9:30 Club along with the really good Pennsylvania band, Illinois.

The Kooks - Naive
Illinois - Alone Again


A trio of Philly bands will be playing the Rock and Roll Hotel. Dr. Dog, The Teeth and Hoots & Hellmouth are all on the bill. I can't speak for the other bands, but I accidentally caught Hoots & Hellmouth last September and they gave one of the most vital performances that I have ever seen. It was quite spiritual.

Dr. Dog - Worst Trip
The Teeth - Ball Of The Dead Rat
Hoots & Hellmouth - It's Close, I'm Undone


New York's The Orion Experience bring their indie pop sound to The Red and The Black.

The Orion Experience - There's No Love In February


DC locals Lejeune and The Antiques will release their long awaited new albums at IOTA. Julie Ocean will be providing support. This is pretty much the only big local show this weekend, but it's quite a good one.

Lejeune - Bizarre Histrionics
The Antiques - Bedsit Bones


Heading up to Baltimore, Elvis Costello brings his never ending supply of great songs to Ram's Head Live.

Elvis Costello - Pump It Up


If you are up for a short road trip, there is a nice show happening in Harrisburg, PA. Appalachian Brewing Company is having their 10 year anniversary. To celebrate, they booked bands for the entire day. They will cap it off at night with a free concert that is headlined by The Hold Steady. Hershey, PA's The April Skies will be opening.

The Hold Steady - The First Night
The April Skies - My Love Is In This House

SUNDAY


The very popular LCD Soundsystem is coming to 9:30 Club. The always eccentric YACHT is opening.

LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends
Yacht - See A Penny (Pick It Up)


Silversun Pickups are playing a show at Recher Theatre in Towson. Sea Wolf is also on the bill.

Silversun Pickups - Well Thought Out Twinkles
Sea Wolf - You're A Wolf


There is a Canadian Invasion in DC. Toronto bands Sloan and Small Sins will be bringing their brand of rock to Black Cat.

Small Sins - Stay
Sloan - Before The End Of The Race

Six Points: Tonight @ DC9

Six Points Music Festival put together a pretty good Thursday night show for DC9 tonight. Lejeune will be playing in advance of their upcoming release and Brooklyn's The Jaguar Club will be supporting the excellent EP that they released a couple of weeks ago. They will be joined by The Glory and The Majesty and Life in a Hospital.

Lejeune - Bizarre Histrionics
The Jaguar Club - World Gone By