DC’s soulful & funky Congo Sanchez opens a night of funk jams at Gypsy Sally’s tonight billed as a “Dear Jerry” Afterparty for the Grateful Dead tribute shows going on in DC this weekend. This trio of singer Haile Supreme, rapper Flex Mathews and drummer Jeff Franca continue to work on a follow-up to their debut full length album Dealin’ With This from 2014. A few months ago they dropped the romantic slow-jam single “Why Do We Wait”, and the music video features the three vocalists crooning to their respective loved ones, in their own unique styles. Trust me, don’t miss their top-notch live show!
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Category Archives: shows
SHAED – Just Wanna See
Do you remember a dream-pop band called The Walking Sticks? Then you old school, brah, cuz they rebranded with the somewhat awkward name SHAED. Changing your band name is a very risky move, but it seems to have paid off when representatives from Photo Finish Records came across the first SHAED song on SoundCloud. Their new moniker’s debut EP Just Wanna See is out now, and no less than Billboard premiered the title track’s music video with a deep dive into the musical trio, Chelsea Lee and twin brothers Max and Spencer Ernst. The band wraps up a successful fall tour with Verite and Marian Hill tomorrow, so stay tuned for more local dates.
KAG – Narcissus
Yesterday we showed you the new music video by Priests, but that’s not all that frontwoman Katie Alice Greer has been up to lately. After moving out of the city for the first time in a decade, Greer began a solo project of experimental and ambient noise recordings, inspired by, as she notes, “weird suburbia, formidable famous women, and the 1947 film Black Narcissus”. Greer’s solo moniker KAG released four of these songs on a new (sold-out womp womp) cassette release called EP A, and you can check this new material out live tonight at Safari Restaurant & Lounge alongside Brooklyn’s Future Punk, Duchess Says from Montreal and Seattle punk band Bad Future. Greer also directs her own videos, so enjoy this industrial weirdness for the single “Narcissus”.
Prowess the Testament – Alpha Centauri
Fiercely independent rapper Prowess the Testament of the Delegation Music crew got her moniker from no less than KRS-One, and the array of DC rappers supporting her in the video for “Alpha Centauri”, from Logic to Ardamus to the song’s producer Tim Hicks of The Cornel West Theory, certifies her as a rising power in the DC hip-hop community. She’s managed to put out two EPs so far in 2016, more recently Right Where I Left It, and earlier this year Alpha Centauri’s mothership Air.Human | Breath.Divine, and both are well worth fitting in between your ears. Catch Prowess next opening for Ra Digga and Lord Finesse at The Tavern at Fire Station 1 in Silver Spring on Friday October 21st, and spring for VIP treatment if you’re feeling flush.
Pearie Sol – Alley
You may recognize him from other DC bands like Teen Liver and Gauche, but Pearie Sol is stepping out solo for his first self-titled album release, out now on Bandcamp and cassette through Sister Polygon Records. Drew Hagelin directed the music video for “Alley”, the tape’s first single, capturing Sol’s amusing off-kilter style with shots of the singer in campy drag make-up and playing synthesizer face-down in the street. After watching this video, head over to Sol’s vintage Geocities homepage paying sardonic tribute to the web’s early days. Sol’s record release show is this Friday at DC’s finest house venue Bathtub Republic along with Hothead and Cool People.
Tone – Antares
When I hear the name Brodown Throwdown, instrumental post-rock is not the first musical genre that jumps to mind. But that’s a big chunk of what the Rock & Roll Hotel’s Concert Hall is serving up for their contribution to the annual H Street Festival blowout. The Hotel’s upper floors have the expected lineup of hip DC DJs, while the stage presents FREE live sets from excellent bands like Foozle, Time Is Fire, Drop Electric, The Escape Artist and Tone, who bring us today’s music video. Norm Veenstra and Gregg Hudson’s instrumental ensemble recently released their seventh full length album Antares through both TminusONEmusic and Dischord, and it’s second single, the title track, gets this music video from Monica Stroik based on video projections for performance of Joan Belmar’s artwork from last December.
The Remembrables – The Stranger
Oh Emma. Why you gotta do my Remembrables boy wrong? He seems like a good dude. He has a jacket and the requisite amount of stubble. He probably has a job with an important sounding title. Works long hours. You two swiped right, chatted, had drinks, probably made out in the back of an uber. Could you tell that our boy likes to hit the sauce a bit hard? Probably a smart move, Emma. Block and avoid a messy situation. The rest of you though, head to the Black Cat Backstage this Sunday night to see this fuzzed-out indie punk band play their first show since recording new material, opening for Tenement and Dusk.
Be Steadwell – Leo
One take, no edits, no lip syncing. Be Steadwell quite literally keeps it real on her newest track “Leo”, released last Friday. It’s a self-diagnosis and rallying cry for her own creativity, and Steadwell’s talent and charisma keep me hooked as the song flows deftly over her own produduction, including adorable kitten meows. Stay tuned after the song for Be’s commentary on the song, and mark your calendars for November 15th when her fall tour hits the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage.
Black Alley – Bad Girl
Black Alley is the cultural mixing bowl that DC desperately needs. Combining R&B, go-go and a whole lot of rock, they musically compliment just about any crowd and scene in the city. Tomorrow they play a coveted slot from 4-5 PM at the FREE 202 Arts & Music Festival at Canal Park alongside Sugar Bear & EU, Chopteeth and no less than George Clinton & P-Funk. If you miss this, you’ll be sad about it all winter. Get hyped with Black Alley’s fashionable music video for “Bad Girl” from their 2012 album Soul.Swagger.Rock.Sneakers.
Wylder – Bitter
Indie folk band Wylder are on a mission to charm their way through your ears right into your heart. Known for catchy melodies and singalong choruses, Will McCarry and his band also seem to have mastered the art of the romcom-esque music video. Their debut outing “Swells” [haven’t you seen it already?] told a dating story ruined by overzealous band mates, and now they’re back with a new music video for “Bitter”, the second single from their debut album Rain and Laura. Director Samuel Rogers delivers a tight and satisfying narrative of searching for closure, or a stylish sweater, after a bad breakup. Wylder plays next at Gypsy Sally’s next Thursday September 8th as part of the Trio of Indies with Valley Queen and Courtesy Tier.
Hometown Sounds 