We’ve proclaimed affection for soulful singer Maimouna Youssef over the years, but her current collab with New York’s DJ Dummy The Genius as The Vintage Babies takes her sound to the next level. Their debut self-titled album is filled with a classic groove and powerful lyrics, and the album’s first music video, the smooth party vibing “Shine Your Light”, casts Youssef and her friends in a warm 70s vintage glow courtesy of director Brian Kyle Atkins. We must give a special shoutout for the wardrobe department, as Youssef looks fabulous in everything from flowing dress and braids to patterned pantsuit and afro.
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Monthly Archives: November 2017
Two Dragons and a Cheetah – November 8, 2016
WORLD PREMIERE!
Today is November 8, 2017, and we are honored to premiere the new music video by Two Dragons and a Cheetah, called “November 8, 2016”.
Like most of this town, singer Maryjo Mattea was disturbed and horrified by the outcome of last year’s presidential election. Her creative response was this cathartic call to action song, recorded with drummer Joel Wu in their musical partnership Two Dragons and a Cheetah. The music video, directed by Stephanie Sapienza, features a number of DC musicians you might recognize, including Amber Walson of The Lucky So & Sos, rapper Ardamus and Mattea’s Color Palette bandmate Joshua Hunter.
Though the last year has been frustrating and divisive, yesterday we saw the tides changing as Virginia voters showed up in droves and rejected the conservative narrative of nativism and demagoguery. Today this protest song feels like the rallying cry we need to celebrate a win and remember what’s at stake in this unprecedented time in American history.
The Duskwhales – Slow Down, Jerusalem
Guess which indie pop trio brought a drone with them on tour this past spring? Yup, it’s The Duskwhales. The aerial footage goes along with the wanderlust theme for “Slow Down, Jerusalem”, the groovy, bluesy single from their album Sorrowful Mysteries that’s still a name your own price download on Bandcamp. They’re taking a break from shows for a minute, so mark your calendar to see them play with Kid Brother and Milo In The Doldrums at the Wharf’s upcoming venue Union Stage on Friday December 29th.
Cuchulain Kelly – Torn In Two
DC, meet Cuchulain Kelly, the folk singer with the boldest mustache in town. Perhaps you recognize Kelly from fronting the folk rock band Handsome Hound. Instead of following up their 2016 debut EP I Guess We’re Doing Alright, Kelly decided to write and record a solo album, and it’s almost ready to drop into the world. The album release show is Saturday evening at Tropicalia, with Kelly’s full band and Boaty Otis and Orfeia rounding out the lineup. “Torn In Two” is Kelly’s debut music video, featuring fellow Hound Claire Daviss and direction from Airline Andouille‘s Mark Williams Hoelscher. The video is a very boardroom DC view on the current state of the country’s troubles and our willful denials to listen to reason.
Presenting The Sara Curtin Five @ Millennium Stage
Hometown Sounds continues its core mission to spread the word about awesome #DCmusic with our November Kennedy Center Millennium Stage showcase presenting The Sara Curtin Five!
It isn’t easy to pigeonhole Sara Curtin’s sound. The Washington City Paper describes her 2017 album Or So It Seemed as “a full portrait of a human being: nuanced, complex, and contradictory.” She writes honest, autobiographical songs which invite the listener to explore the human experience. Born and raised right here in Washington, DC on The Beatles, Michael Jackson, musical theater, and Joni Mitchell, the influences present in her songwriting are eclectic. AudioFemme calls her music “smart yet delicious, like a kale smoothie as yummy as a milkshake.”
Sara Curtin is a CMJ.com premiered artist and her 2015 album Michigan Lilium charted on the CMJ Top 200 charts. That Music Magazine calls her “a gifted songwriter who understands that you don’t write because you want to say something, but because you have something to say and she sure as heck says it exquisitely.” Sara made a name for herself in the folk scene with her duo The Sweater Set (with Maureen Andary), who performed across the US, UK, and Ireland, and were former Artist-In-Residence at Strathmore. Sara is also a current Artist Fellow with the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities (2014 – 2018). Brightest Young Things names her “One of D.C.’s finest.” In 2017, Curtin founded Local Woman Records.
To support the fall 2017 release of Or So It Seemed, Sara toured the East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast and is thrilled to finish the year by playing such an esteemed venue as The Kennedy Center Millennium Stage presented by Hometown Sounds!
The Sara Curtin Five consists of Maureen Andary, Olivia Mancini, Brendan Polmer, and Ryan Walker – each established and highly talented artists & songwriters in their own right.
RSVP here and come to the free performance at 6 PM on Tuesday November 21st!
Podcast for November 1st, 2017
Paul overdoses on live music, while Tony gives a shout-out to his dog walking boss.
Tracklisting:
Sneaksbees – What’s Eating Harold Smith? [Blip]
Rom – The Pizza [single]
Matt Tarka – Vision Hazy [Vision Hazy]
Backbeat Underground feat. Aaron Abernathy – She Don’t Love Me (Like I Do) [single]
Paperhaus – Nanana [Are These The Questions We Need To Ask?]
Shannon Gunn & the Bullettes – What It Takes [What It Takes]
Or listen in SoundCloud:
Subscribe to the Hometown Sounds podcast in Apple Podcasts, Overcast, TuneIn or your favorite podcast app! (and tell a friend too!)
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