Drop Electric, one of the buzziest bands around DC these days, have built anticipation for their sophomore full length release for a full year now with many shows and well-produced videos. With the premiere of this video teaser on All Things Go yesterday, they also announced a release date of October 22nd for Waking Up To The Fire, on Lefse Records. The mesmerizing post-rock ensemble headlines a show at the Black Cat this Saturday with Janel & Anthony and The Escape Artist supporting, so there’s your Saturday night plans taken care of.
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Category Archives: shows
DJ Set @ Comet Ping Pong Thursday night
Fuzzy Logic, one of DC’s finest music blogs, hosts a stacked lineup of psychedelic punk noise this Thursday night at Comet Ping Pong with DC’s Thee Lolitas, Philly’s Harsh Vibes and Ttotals from Nashville. And if that ain’t enough for you, your humble Hometown Sounds DJ will spin some of DC’s newest and most classic sonic insanity. Get there at 9 and bring $10 for the bands.
B Side Shuffle – Introducing video
Funk rock band B Side Shuffle have a quick video for you before the 4th of July holiday. Introducing comes from their FREE debut EP Live From The Kitchen, and you’ll be able to tell from the monster drum solo that kicks off the song that this video was shot as they recorded the EP. Props for that. They’ll be opening a night of great music at the Rock & Roll Hotel this Friday, supporting Silver Spring reggae band The Relics and Alexandria’s FeelFree. Happy Birthday America!
M.H. & His Orchestra – Washington, D.C. video
We here at Hometown Sounds loves us some Max Holiday (M.H.) & His Orchestra. Live Picks! columnist Tony Porreco told you all about this soulful bandleader earlier this year, and we featured his newest song Washington, D.C. in our Tribute to DC Podcast back in April. Now M.H. has released a beautiful music video for Washington, D.C. shot by Dedalus Moving Pictures, the fine folks behind some of our favorite videos from Drop Electric. The video was inspired by the arrests of dancers at the Jefferson Memorial back in 2011. Grab the song for whatever price you think is fair at his Bandcamp page and make plans to see his live show late Saturday July 13th at Jammin’ Java.
Congo Sanchez – A Year Thus Far
There are a lot of great DC music shows to see tonight, including Paint Branch at Comet Ping Pong, Justin Trawick at Iota, Young Summer at Jammin’ Java, Heavy Breathing at Black Cat and Margot MacDonald at Lubber Run Amphitheater in Arlington. I love you if you see any of them. But if you’re unsure what to check out, my pick of the night is the amazing lineup of Black Masala, Congo Sanchez and The Good Thing at H Street NE’s Rock & Roll Hotel.
The Good Thing are a dedicated and dynamic new funk band that will get the party rolling instantly. Here’s a free download from their recent EP Get Funky.
I admit, I am a sucker for New Orleans brass bands like Rebirth, Stooges and The Hot 8. We may not have any bands in DC that fit that particular mold (yet!), but Black Masala scratches that itch for me nicely. They bring a gypsy influence to their high energy shows, and I could not be more excited to check this out tonight.
And finally, our video feature of the day comes from Congo Sanchez. Best known as the drummer for Thievery Corporation, he turns electronic music performance around by featuring live drums instead of preprogrammed drum machines. Flex Mathews, the most versatile rapper in DC, adds a crucial element to the live show. In this video Congo Sanchez reminisces of the first year of his new band’s forming, performing and touring, and what the future holds.
The North Country – Sharing Our Alone video
The North Country bring an understated twang sensibility to indie rock in a way that’s refreshing and fun. Lead singer Andrew Grossman and bandmates have built on the success of last fall’s debut album You Can Never Go Home Again with many shows (including ours!) and now a brand new single, Sharing Our Alone. This Saturday night the talented gents celebrate with a Black Cat Mainstage show alongside headliners Spirit Animal and a new project from Paperhaus’s John Di Lascio called Johnny Fantastic. You want to hear this new single already? Here’s the music video!
Nayas – Batalle video
Sadly, there aren’t many more chances left to see latin reggae rockers Nayas live before they take an indefinite hiatus next month. They’ll be anchoring the DC music portion of Saturday’s LUMEN8Anacostia kickoff celebration along with Hometown Sounds faves Black Masala and The Funk Ark, curated by our friends at Listen Local First. Here’s the music video for Batalle, from the 2010 Nayas Sampler EP, shot at their home base Bossa in Adams Morgan. Have a fantastic weekend DC!
Black Dog Prowl – No Robots video
Hard rockers Black Dog Prowl headline a late show this Saturday night at Vienna hotspot Jammin’ Java. If you don’t know them yet, the new video for their latest single No Robots will introduce you nicely. It’s all about the dangers of dating too many people at once, especially when they all happen to be in a band together.
Honest Haloway – What I Leave Behind video
I’m sure by now you’ve heard about Fête de la Musique, the blowout party taking place this Saturday at Georgetown’s newest hotspot Malmaison, from 2 PM to 3 AM. The Alliance Francaise continues France’s musical tradition on the summer solstice with a huge lineup of 12 great acts throughout the day, all for the low low price of free (before 10:30 PM). Some Hometown Sounds faves are booked for this party, including Arthur Loves Plastic, Flo Anito and Honest Haloway. Here’s a beautiful music video (SFW this time) from the electronic music duo for What I Leave Behind, from their FREE debut EP The Towns.
Fort Knox Five – Who’s Gonna Funk 4 Peace
Tonight the mighty Fort Knox Five host De La Soul’s DJ Maseo tonight at 14th Street hotspot Tropicalia, and I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate the exit of this afternoon’s predicted nasty weather. Jon H and friends know their dance music history like no others, and their series of DC’s Finest Remints highlight the remixing and mashup skills that make their DJ sets among the best in town. The latest track Who’s Gonna Funk 4 Peace, provided generously as a FREE download, layers Mustafa Akbar’s vocals over a classic Gang Starr instrumental. RSVP for tonight’s party here.
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