Well, first I'd like to apologize for not posting a This Week in FAST for the last week of Fringe Fest, things here have been very hectic. But I would like to take a moment to point out two amazing shows to take us out: Tomorrow night (July 24th), local sound legend BLK w/BEAR (Jim Adams) [...]

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 [...]

Another jam-packed weekend of shows to finish off February and begin March including big names, multiple stops, local shows and CD releases. Here is what to check out: Benjy Ferree (via artist myspace) I am all about giving love once again to the locals putting out new material. Big show Saturday at the Black Cat as Benjy Ferree drops his latest Come Back to the Five and Dime Bobby Dee Bobby Dee . Once again, Tim [...]
C&B here. And so here we go again. Hello all. "Local" music scenes aren't strictly local anymore, are they? I live near Washington, D.C., but because of stuff I've heard hereabouts I'm now the proud owner of records by such Edinburgh luminaries as Meursault, Withered Hand, Cancel The Astronauts and The Savings & Loan, I've extracted [...]

It's St. Patrick's Day in DC and that can only mean one thing, it is time for Rose 's annual St. Paddy's Day Throwdown. She will be at Velvet Lounge tonight and she will be joined by John Bustine and Brandon Butler . Expect a raucous time, Irish drinking songs and lots of Jameson. Rose - Another Sad Song John Bustine - Jesus, Jesus Not Again Brandon Butler - Sparks

John Bustine - Miss Amputee, West Culver County [ alt link ] [highly rec'd!] Like the best of unhappy folk singers, John Bustine's rough-hewn voice wages war against the cheerful tones of his guitar strings, who love nothing more than the feel of his fingers and pick. I can imagine him somewhere in DC, sitting in a bar, drink in hand, his back against the wall, ignoring the yuppies and saying nothing. You took your heels, your stitched up sleeves, [...]

There are several quality shows in DC tonight. It's really good for a Tuesday and I guess that you have to thank CMJ travel for that. Summerbirds in the Cellar - credit In what should be a tremendous triple bill, The Octopus Project , Summerbirds in the Cellar and Shout Out Out Out Out are at Rock 'N Roll Hotel tonight. Also, A Decent Animal is playing Velvet Lounge . The Octopus Project [...]

Y et another record that I've been pleasantly surprised by is the debut album from Washington DC's John Bustine . Aptly titled Waltzes And Pleas , his outstanding debut is filled with earnest and rootsy folk-rock that finds him battling his inner demons and reconciling with the lord for the things he's done. Bustine's tales are captivating and well-crafted, and ragged from his days on the lam. Although occasionally supplemented by fuller arrangements, most of Waltzes And Pleas revolves around Bustine's acoustic guitar and desperate vocals for an overall tone that is reminiscent (at [...]

Gypsy Eyes Records says John Bustine is "a traveler, a sage, a poet, possibly a sailor, charts a course to show the beauty within the dark side of the American Spirit." Picks up slowly and then wakes you, eyes wide open. Folky and twangy, hushed and indie, it's great music and I'm looking forward to a full length album. Release Date: September 18, 2007 for Waltzes and Pleas . John Bustine - " This Guitar Says I'm Drunk " (mp3)

John Bustine fits the bill of a stereotypical folk artist. With a constant five o' clock shadow and a head of hair that looks like it was combed by a rake, Bustine looks simply natural with an acoustic guitar in his hands. And, of course, like any quality folk songwriter, Bustine certainly has his share of stories to tell. He has dabbled in every thinkable occupation throughout his travels of the United States, working as anything from a bookseller and a breakfast cook to a pastry chef and a trophy engraver. Despite his constant travels, his homegrown roots are [...]