Glory be, the funk was on me. My piece on George Clinton and Parliment Funkadelic goes live tomorrow over at the WC Paper that is.... Update : Read all about it here . Subscribe in a reader
The U Street Corridor is known for the variety of bars and clubs lining this busy stretch of the city. And over the last decade, one of the most consistent forces behind the expansion of this neighborhood and some of its more interesting venues has been Eric Hilton. With restaraunts and bars like Marvin, Gibson, Blackbyrd, and American Ice Company under his belt, Hilton has shown no signs of slowing down his efforts at helping to reshape the neighborhood. One of the newest locations he's had a hand in, and probably the most understated, is Montserrat House . [...]
Holy Ghost! kicked off their very first headlining tour nearly a month ago to a sold out show at the iconic Bowery Ballroom , they are now wrapping up their tour with a few more eastcoast visits. They are coming to the 930 Club on Wednesday with a great group of supporting acts including Jessica 6 . It is going to be one hell of sweaty dancey show, and we will be reporting back with pictures and a full review of what I am sure is going to be an incredible show. Kick Kick Snare [...]
Photo Credit: Kevin Hulse Never before had I seen two Macbooks lined up back-to-back at a sold-out rock concert so I have to say I was not sure what to expect from New Zealand's The Naked and the Famous , but I have to say was pleasantly surprised. The front duo of Thom Powers and Alisa Xayalith complimented each other incredibly well. Mix together equal parts synth, guitar, bass, drums and yes, computer, and you have a full-fledged digital delight. Their catchy pop melodies and lyrics carried the night as the crowd jumped around and [...]
9:30 Club has been bringing so many great acts to the District over the past few weeks that it's been hard to keep up. I'm not complaining, but let's just say that it was one helluva an October for DC's premiere venue. There was one bill that had me pop out of my chair when it was announced: Portugal. The Man and Alberta Cross . I had seen both at Bonnaroo and desperately wanted another look that wasn't in the middle of Tennessee under 100 degree heat. This was my chance and I was [...]
A concert that could be described as "experimental" doesn't exactly insinuate a sold-out venue, but Portugal. The Man 's show at the 9:30 Club this past Tuesday was exactly that. Complete with psychedelic rock music, fog machines, strobe lights, giant balls of light, and a crazy, enthusiastic-and completely packed-crowd, many people took it upon themselves to do a little experimenting of their own. To avoid going into graphic details, I will focus on how the progressive rock group from Wasilla, Alaska portrayed their creative musical talent through their experimental rock instrumentals and unique vocals paired with an incredible light show that [...]
Ah, the coveted album anniversary tour - it doesn't get quite better than that. I remember heading to the 9:30 Club earlier this year to check out Coheed and Cambria, who were playing The Second Stage Turbine Blade - a high-school favorite of nearly everyone I know - in its entirety. My opinions on their later material aside, the opportunity to relive this seemingly ancient album was incredible and a much-needed dose of nostalgia. Last week, Minus the Bear , another long-time favorite of mine, came to the same venue and pulled a [...]
I'd imagine it's pretty hard for any artist to remain relevant over a decade. Liverpool's Ladytron - who have been in business since 1998 - made it look easy when they graced the 9:30 Club's stage earlier this month. The British electronic veterans brought their best and entranced this DC crowd with their trademark haunting synth-pop backed up by an equally mesmerizing light show. The band's setlist did justice to their expansive discography, including cuts from 20022s Lights & Magic and this year's most recent effort, Gravity the Seducer [...]
The Head and the Heart Last Friday, September 23 rd , I was fortunate enough to catch The Head and the Heart at the 9:30 Club . After seeing them for the first time at Bonnaroo this summer and missing them at Newport due to a scheduling conflict with Middle Brother, I was determined to see them again, and this second performance did not disappoint. The first opening band, Salt Lake City's The Devil Whale , brought the energy to start off the night. Unfortunately, after studying in the library until 4 [...]
James Blake Chairlift Chairlift Chairlift James Blake James Blake James Blake Chairlift // James Blake Washington DC / 930 Club / October 2011 Original photos - click to enlarge
Not our usual thing... but for those of you who are into producer RJD2, I have a sweet and funky track from his latest project. Icebird, teams RJD2 up with the very talented Aaron Livingston to deliver a very laid back pop record, "An Abandoned Lullaby". The record combines elements of psychadelic, soul [...]
Theophilus London played a packed 930 Club this past Monday. I knew we were all in for a treat when the only instruments on stage were an electric guitar and wind-chimes. The show began, more rock n' roll than Wu Tang. Piping in air horn and police sirens every chance they could get. [...]
Holden Caulfield, J.D. Salinger's beloved, profane protagonist in the 1951 American classic Catcher in the Rye , has come to represent the struggle to balance innocence and maturity in a very teenage-angsty sort of way. Neo-folksy singer-songwriter Colin Caulfield, who goes by the moniker Young Man , shares more than a name with Salinger's fictional young man. His first full-length album, Ideas of Distance , was released on September 27 by Frenchkiss Records and is hauntingly woven with contemplative lyrics about growing up and finding identity. Young Man began [...]
Check out this very surreal video from Theophilus London. He is by far doing some of the most interesting things in progressive hip-hop right now, both musically and aesthetically. With influences ranging from Blur to Wu-Tang Clan to Talking Heads it is really hard not to like him. If you are in DC [...]
Writer/Photographer: Amanda Lomax Conor Oberst - The Politician? It's a stretch for the indie singer-songwriter, I know, but, when you've been living in DC for several years the lines between performance, entertainment, and politics begin to blur. Oberst's Bright Eyes ' show at the 930 Club gave me pause to think that, as a showman, the man rivals DC's best in terms of charismatic appeal. Even the title of his recent release, People's Key , sets a democratic tone in the World Capital of Democracy. "A great politician knows his environment and adjusts accordingly," [...]
DC to BC was way ahead of the curve on this one. He put on a show with Kendrick Lamar a few weeks ago in DC at the 9;30 Club. It sold out, people went nuts. We missed the show and have somewhat been sleeping on Kendrick Lamar. Our eyes are now open and we're wide awake. This video, directed by downtown New York's finest Va$thie , isn't going for some convoluted concept - it's refreshingly simple. You can find "A.D.H.D" on Kendrick Lamar's Section.80 album. [...]
One of my earliest posts on ATG was on the lovely Seattle folk quintet The Head and the Heart . Their self-titled album, released via Sub Pop , has been on repeat since its release in January and I am counting down the days until their show at 9:30 Club on September 23rd. Well, the gang is back with a new video for their song "Cats and Dogs" - replete with confetti, creepy masks and fake beards. It's got a different vibe than what they did for "Lost in My Mind" , but [...]
Bon Iver is quite possibly the most universally-worshiped artist in online media circles, so it's unnecessary for me to spend an entire paragraph singing his praises when you could read it anywhere else (or even here ). What is worth noting, however, is the beautiful new video Vernon just released for "Holocene," my absolute favorite track on my absolute favorite album of 2011, Bon Iver . The video features a young boy exploring the stunning landscapes of Iceland, a perfect backdrop for the emotional "Holocene." The video is directed by Nabil [...]
Booze and rock n' roll – two peas in a pod. Which is why I'm not at all surprised by this video Alberta Cross did with Ketel One . It's a super clean feeling studio session that features the band belting out their song "Money For The Weekend". The track is an exclusive cut available for FREE on the Ketel One Facebook page. You can catch Alberta Cross when they come to the 9:30 Club on October 25th with Portugal The Man.
NPR recorded a beautiful set by Bon Iver at the 930 Club in Washington, DC last night. The second night of back-to-back sold out shows featured cuts spanning the Wisconsinite's entire catalogue, from For Emma, Forever Ago to the Blood Bank EP, Dark Was The Night compilation, and this year's highly-praised Bon Iver . With help from saxophonist Colin Stetson and two drummers, Justin Vernon also pulled off an excellent rendition of Bjork's 2004 single "Who Is It." You can download the cover and the stunning "Holocene" below, then make sure to [...]
Between Love & Like
All Our Noise // We Are Live
Kick Kick Snare
All Things Go
The Rotation
Head Underwater
newdust![Theophilus London - I Stand Alone [Official Video]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/youtube/2WRuDAasz-8_130.jpg)
Merchants Of Rock![RockSmith Presents Kendrick Lamar - "ADHD" Music Video Directed By Vashtie [OFFICIAL]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/youtube/5MBz2tpAcEk_130.jpg)
Everybody Taste
The Shins: “September” (b-side of “Simple Song” 7”)
St. Vincent - 'Cheerleader'
Jay-Z & Kanye West - Ni**as In Paris (Explicit)
OK Go - Needing/Getting - Official Video
Ladyhawke - Black White & Blue
Watch: Trailer for Dave Grohl’s documentary, Sound City
Conchord On Composing Music For Muppets
Webcast: The Kills’ 10th anniversary concert
