2017 saw singer Crys Matthews release both a full length album and an EP, because sometimes music just comes rushing out in a torrent. The lead-off track from the album The Imagineers is “By My Side”, a beautiful tribute to her ten year old puppy named Juice. Now thanks to NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Contest, Juice gets her day in the spotlight as Matthews serenades her with all the ways dogs and cats and furry pets of all kinds make our lives better. Voting is open now for Favorite Dogs of the 2018 Tiny Desk Contest, so show Matthews and Juice some love before polls close Friday at noon.
Hometown Sounds
Showing The World How DC Rocks
Monthly Archives: April 2018
Don’t Stay Home This Week 4/16
Did you know that you can go out and see #DCmusic every single night of the week? We’re here to show you how. Hang on tight.
Monday 4/16:
We recently featured Leesburg VA’s Woodgrove on our excellent & informative podcast. Tonight the lo-fi band opens for Poly Action from Austin TX at Galaxy Hut, where you can also get an IPA on draft called Knee Deep Man Juice.
Tuesday 4/17:
In case you haven’t noticed, benefit shows are all the rage now. Tuesday night you can rock out with FuzzQueen, fall for the indie pop songs of Baby Grill and space out with ambient electronic musician Chaand Soorij while supporting the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence at the Lab at Convergence in Alexandria.
Wednesday 4/18:
ProjectHERA is a nonprofit devoted to inspiring females in music to freely explore their creativity and self expression. Wednesday night they host an open mike night and networking event at Epicure Cafe in Fairfax, featuring songs and wisdom by Erin Frisby of FuzzQueen.
Thursday 4/19:
No one works harder to keep ska vibrant in the DMV than BlueBeatDC. Their monthly showcase of punk rock’s peppy, brassy cousin returns to the upstairs room at Wonderland Ballroom to present The Capitvators and Interstate Rivals.
Don’t Stay Home This Weekend 4/13
Happy Friday the 13th! For the non-triskaidekaphobic, here are our DC music picks for this weekend.
Friday 4/13:
Even though passes have sold out, Takoma Park’s festival of American Primitive Guitar, The Thousand Incarnations of the Rose, still holds options for those interested in the style. Tonight’s performances open to the public include Rhizome, Takoma Beverage Co., Busboys & Poets and Republic, featuring Max Ochs and many more.
Saturday 4/14:
Boy, the Rhode Island Avenue Main Street folks sure lucked out with the weather forecast for their 2018 Porch Fest. Visit the NE DC neighborhood Saturday afternoon to catch Cuchulain Kelly of Handsome Hound, Flo Anito, the Boundary Stones, Atoms Apart and many many more.
The Velvet Lounge hosts intersectional funk music Saturday night when The CooLots provide the hometown anchor for NY based The Phryg and tubafresh of the PitchBlak Brass Band.
Sunday 4/15:
Low Red Moon, featuring members of Strange Boutique, Tone, Siddal and SansYou, cap off your weekend with some beautiful dream pop instrumentals at Galaxy Hut Sunday night. Dennis Kane starts the show with music from his upcoming record as The Hunted Hare, due out next month on Verses Records.
Dope Francis – With The Beanie On (Tiny Desk Contest)
We like to think Dope Francis is paying homage to the beloved 266th Pontiff of the Catholic Church with their cheeky name. The self-described “Loungecortet” released their debut EP Good For late last year, but their 2018 entry to NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Contest is a new song called “With The Beanie On”, pairing a mellow groove to catchy lyrics. Keep your eyes peeled for the tiny desk cameo.
Podcast for April 11th, 2018
Paul gets blindfolded and kidnapped, while Tony hunts down a giant chicken.
Tracklisting:
Tony Porreco – Academic Passion
Handsome Hound – Austin [Mountain On Fire]
Young Summer – Crash [single]
The Duskwhales – Hospital Dreams [Hospital Dreams]
The Beanstalk Library – Easier [single]
Red Hare – Affirmation [Little Acts of Destruction]
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!)
The JoGo Project – Dear Draylen (Tiny Desk Contest)
DC, get ready because this video has some big feels. Fronted by saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed, The JoGo Project updates DC’s signature go-go sound with influences from jazz, rock and hip-hop. Their 2018 entry for NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Contest is called “Dear Draylen”, and its description requires quoting in full:
Draylen Mason was a 17 year old Double Bassist, who was said to be “the most remarkable talent” in a youth orchestra program at University of Texas at Austin. Though only in high school, those who knew him said he was a kind soul who inspired those around him through his music. He’s also been described as an “aspiring neurosurgeon” and a “Black Belt Martial Artist.”
Draylen Mason was killed when a bomb went off inside his home in east Austin on March 12th 2018. He was the second to be killed by Austin’s serial bomber.
Before his death, he was one of only 130 accepted applicants to earn a spot at Ohio’s Oberlin Conservatory of Music. He had already been chosen before he died but students weren’t told of decisions until Friday afternoon.
His life is one cut much too short and we were inspired to create a song in his honor.
“He was one of us”, indeed. Contribute to the Draylen Mason Memorial Fund through YouCaring.
Don’t Stay Home This Week 4/09
In case you haven’t noticed, there’s exciting DC music goings on every single night of the week. We’re here every Monday to tell you what not to miss.
Monday 4/09:
The Kennedy Center’s weeklong SHIFT Festival sends the National Symphony Orchestra out into unique locales around town, while other regional symphonies perform innovative works in the concert hall. This evening we recommend bundling up and heading to the historic Congressional Cemetery to see the NSO perform chamber music, no tickets required.
Tuesday 4/10:
Bossa in AdMo hosts a night of experimental and emotional music Tuesday night with post-hardcore Mock Identity and doomy Literals, with New York free jazz trio GRID.
Wednesday 4/11:
DC recently noted the anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and the ensuing riots that reshaped the city for decades following. On Wednesday Marc Eisenberg’s DC Music Salon discussion series at the Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Library hosts a retrospective on the street photographs of Michael Horsley as he documented rarely traversed parts of the city from 1984 to 1994.
Thursday 4/12:
Head to the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage after work on Thursday to catch a special collaboration between UMD’s Hip Hop Orchestra, electro funk band Box Era, 20NVR and artists from all over the DMV. As with all Millennium Stage shows, no tickets are required but get there at 5:30 to nab a good seat.
Don’t Stay Home This Weekend 4/06
DC, Friday night is one of those nights where we all the good shows happen at once. Choose your own adventure, and have an awesome weekend.
Friday 4/06:
The mysterious Red Panda House hosts a rare performance tonight by Maryjo Mattea‘s garage rock duo Two Dragons and a Cheetah, along with the silver-jumpsuited Cody Valentine’s cosmic ensemble allthebestkids.
Ryan Walker’s classic folk-rock band The Beanstalk Library adds a horn section for their feature set tonight at The Wharf’s Pearl Street Warehouse, with support from Throwing Plates.
Two hugely funky vets of our Millennium Stage series, Backbeat Underground and Aaron Abernathy & his live band Nat Turner, team up for a killer night at the Rock & Roll Hotel.
A few months ago we got a turn behind the wheels of steel (actually, we just brought a laptop) for Rick Taylor’s post-punk DJ night We Fought The Big One. Tonight the party celebrates 14 years of excellence at the Marx Cafe with DJ Porcupine a special performance by synth wizards Blacklodge + em.g.
Matt Dowling has held down the bassline in DC indie rock bands Deleted Scenes, Paperhaus and The Effects. Now he takes a solo turn as Swoll, with an album release show tonight at Comet Ping Pong featuring Natural Velvet, Toxie Moxie and Loi Loi.
Saturday 4/07:
Off-the-grid creative space Dwell in NE DC (powered by sun and rainwater!) hosts an early evening of poetry from Peyman Allahvirdizadeh and experimental indie folk from Near Northeast. Please arrive on foot.
Sunday 4/08:
U Street Music Hall brings classic go-go back to NW DC Sunday evening with Experience Unlimited, aka EU. Show up on time for gypsy brass band Black Masala!
Justin Trawick – All The Places That I’ve Been (Tiny Desk Contest)
Songwriter Justin Trawick wrote the 20th century historical survey ballad “All The Places That I’ve Been” from inspiration from his 98 year old grandmother Lenore. His entry in the 2018 Tiny Desk Contest appears on his most recent EP Riverwash with his band The Common Good. As we mentioned in our humble advice Don’t Stay Home this week, Trawick leads his rotating collective of 9 singer-songwriters tonight at Union Stage, and your life would be richer and more satisfying by enjoying this show.
Lavender – Fade (Tiny Desk Contest)
Bedroom dream pop band Lavender found a unique way to make their debut submission to NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Contest stand out. They recorded their song “Fade” from their name-your-own-price debut EP You Are In The Right Place in guitarist Alli Vega’s bedroom, at the same desk where the EP came together. It’s tough to squeeze four musicians in a bedroom into one camera frame, so guitarist Trent Burns filmed the performance in 360 degrees. Swipe or drag your mouse around to see all of them, or just check out Alli’s cool wall art and lighting. Their next show is Sunday April 22nd at Slash Run with DC’s BabeRage and Richmond band Blush Face, so don’t miss it!
Hometown Sounds 