Hometown Sounds

The divide is as stark as the Potomac river: the punk and angular indie rock goes on the DC side, and the folk and twangy alt-country goes on the VA side. Near Northeast is doing great work at bridging that gap, developing a passionate fan base for their earnest folk sound in the heart of the city. Kelly Servick, Avy Malik and Austin Blanton play a lot of well-received sets around town, including a high profile gig at the Luce Unplugged showcase at the Smithsonian American Art museum last fall, while they work on a follow up to last year’s pay-what-you-want debut Curios. Videographer Kip Radt and graphic artist Ashley Blanton collaborated on Near Northeast’s debut music video “Under the Pines”, presenting a puffy cloud’s journey through surreal landscapes and many recognizable DC landmarks. Tonight Near Northeast kicks off the buildup to the Kingman Island Bluegrass Festival later in April with a show at the Hamilton also featuring the Plate Scrapers and Walter Martin of The Walkmen.