DC’s history with punk, indie rock and lounge music is well known, but somewhat forgotten these days is our legacy with industrial music. 90s hotspots Nation/Capital Ballroom, Edge and Fifth Column hosted goth and industrial nights, and bands like Chemlab rode a wave of popularity on their aggressive and stylish sound. The dark electronic label Octofoil Records keeps that vibe alive with the output of flagship artist Maduro, and his new release City of Dis under the alias Teleoptyk. The debut music video from that release, Take Me Down, isn’t explicitly NSFW, but your co-workers might wonder what you get up to on the weekends.
Hometown Sounds
Showing The World How DC Rocks
Monthly Archives: February 2013
Live Picks! with Tony Porreco: The 27s @ Rock n’ Roll Hotel
Live Picks!
with Tony Porreco
Who: The 27s
Where: Rock n’ Roll Hotel
When: Friday Feb. 8th
Song You Must Hear Today: “Temporary Love”
For fans of classic 1980s power pop, listeners will do themselves a favor giving a listen to local quartet The 27s. A reference to the age when a surprising number of rock legends (e.g. Cobain, Hendrix, Joplin) met untimely deaths, the band’s name speaks to the group’s awareness of rock n’ roll’s history and culture. There’s a bit of irony here given that The 27s don’t feature the genre molding posturing of trendsetting rock icons. You might even say that there’s nothing especially original about their sound, but that doesn’t bother me in the slightest. Rather, their tracks possess an inviting sense of nostalgia. Interestingly enough, this successful manufacturing of nostalgia is actually one of D.C. punk poobah Ian Svenonious’ (supernatural) strategies for making a rock n’ roll group, so they must be doing something right.
What sounds are we actually talking about here? The 27s sound more than a little like The Replacements, and it’s awesome. (I don’t think they’ll take too great offense at this, as the band’s ReverbNation page reads, “Sounds like: The Replacements”.) With their bright, clean riffs and snake-y guitar leads, the group demonstrates themselves as keen students of ‘80s college rock. The band has a five song release they recorded at Arlington’s Inner Ear Studios in the summer of 2011 with noted producer/owner Don Zientara that’s available to stream/download (for free!) on their ReverbNation.
By and large, the EP is filled with quick, sticky guitar pop and the gruff, sometimes muttered vocals of singer Adam Raley. “Complicated” sports an instrumental break with a squirming guitar lead and especially deft playing from drummer Ahmad Asi, and the refrain of “On Again, Off Again” just blooms into sheer goodness. The most compelling track of the bunch, however, is “Temporary Love”, which features a rousing, arena rock outro centered around the chorus’ repeated guitar hook.
Anyway, they’re headlining this Friday Feb. 8th at the Rock n’ Roll Hotel on H Street. Openers include The Courtesans (1 cup proto-punk, 1 cup straight-ahead rock, stirred) and Davey Brown (bluesy country punk), who are also both from D.C., making for a night of solid local music. You should go.
Deathfix Electronic Press Kit
You all know about Deathfix by now, right? The DC supergroup of Mark Cisneros (Medications), Devin Ocampo (Faraquet), Brendan Canty (Fugazi) and Richard Morel (Bob Mould‘s solo band) have polished their sound over the last year, now poised to release their self-titled debut album on Dischord. This thing isn’t really a music video but an electronic press kit (EPK), giving you a sample of songs from the album with some cool visuals shot by Canty and edited by Morel. Check out the next big DC thing live at DC9 on Thursday February 14th. Take your sweetie! (Hat tip to DC Music Download)
New Contributor at Hometown Sounds: Tony Porreco
Hey Hometown Sounds Readers!
My name is Tony Porreco, and Paul recently asked me if I’d like to become a contributor to Hometown Sounds. (I said yes, of course.) I’m a D.C. native who’s been back in the area for a couple years after having done school at the University of Delaware (M.A., B.A.). It’ll be unsurprising to read then that I became interested in the D.C. music scene last year on account of my also being a musician who plays guitar in the local band Black Checker.
I’ve become pretty passionate about the D.C. scene, and I get out to local shows fairly frequently (~1-2 a week). Likewise, I’ve been working hard the last several months to document the performances of D.C. musicians by way of video and photo. I curate and manage a YouTube channel containing videos from the shows I attend, with the goal of generating new exposure for artists making music in D.C.
Live Picks!
Now I’ll say a bit about the writing I’ll be doing for HTS, which is going to involve a regular column called Live Picks! Good shows deserve good turnout, so in each installment, I’ll be selecting an exciting band/artist with an upcoming show that week and doing an in depth profile of (a.) the artist, (b.) their work, and (c.) why you should go see them. Really, what I’m aiming to do for HTS readers is pair music journalism with a sense of urgency and purpose: Music writing is something that shouldn’t be done in a vacuum for its own sake, independent of real-life happenings, and I think that’s especially true at the local level where you have the opportunity to see these acts perform. So, if I’m writing someone up, it’s because they’re both compelling AND playing at a venue near you.
Look for the first installment soon.
New Contributor at Hometown Sounds: Laura Wiederhoeft
Born in Wisconsin to a pianist and a Dylan fan with a healthy classic-rock record collection, I’ve been fed a steady diet of musical tunes since day one. I’m drawn to anything with a rootsy vibe, thanks to early exposure to folk and a deep loyalty to the Oklahoma indie and Americana I enjoyed in college. My stint as a jazz singer infused my taste with strains of the blues, and my own classical training gives me an appreciation for practiced talent and innovative composition. I’m especially excited about experimental music and new approaches to old styles. More than anything, I admire anyone who creates unique sounds.
I moved to Petworth from the prairies of the snowy Midwest in June 2012. Even though I’m new to the DC arts scene, I have an appetite for all things local. I prefer living room shows and dark, divey bars to arena stages, and I’ve even been known to haunt open mics in hopes of hearing something fresh. In addition to hosting shows at my cozy rowhouse in Northwest DC, I’m looking to meet artists from all walks of life in the metro area and expand my ear. My penchant for local music means I’ll be prowling the venues in search of new artists to support and new tunes to plug in to.
Bellflur – Country video
Talking to some folks at the Mansion at Strathmore last Friday night, a common theme was surprise that DC still has a band like Bellflur to ourselves. Over the course of four albums and one EP, this band’s sound has evolved into majesty. The effort they put into their new album release, involving creating a super-premium vinyl box set with hand-created metal-chiseled nametags, is just as intense as the album release party they organized involving 7 bands, curated art, dance and more. So a brand new Bellflur music video is something worth taking time to savor. Directed by Rich Bernett, from the new album Twelve Vagrant Monologues from the Last Living Star, here’s Country.
Podcast for February 4th, 2013
Tracklisting:
Redline Addiction – Left Exit
Kid Congo Powers & The Pink Monkey Birds – Goldin’ Browne
Talk It – The Portal
Archie Moore – Oh No Baby Don’t feat. Pam Berry
Tittsworth – Club 219
So Spirited – SmokeSignal
Heavy Breathing – Wander
Elena & Los Fulanos – Gone
Frau Eva – Cosmophobia
The Echo Wall – Navigable Darkness
Wytold – Seneca Climbing
Or listen on SoundCloud:
Subscribe to the Hometown Sounds podcast in the iTunes Store
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