Hometown Sounds was pretty pumped to get the automated YouTube email notification yesterday announcing a new video from Honest Haloway. The synthrock band well known for the captivating song and video “Psycho Bitch” has been mostly quiet since publishing a run of live recordings in 2017. HH’s new single “Atonement” is a ethereal song with a pulsing beat and Tim Kratzer’s entrancing, distinctive vocals, making us so happy they are back on the scene. This new music video was shot by Kratzer’s wife Sara Nabizadeh in Namibia, and like her photography it is astounding and arresting in its beauty and mystery. No other DC music video looks anything like this one. We enthusiastically endorse Honest Haloway’s next live show Saturday March 30th at the Rock & Roll Hotel with support from Bottled Up and Mystery Friends.
Hometown Sounds
Showing The World How DC Rocks
K.A.A.N. – KYST
Well well, it’s been a minute since we checked in on K.A.A.N., the fast-rapping pride of Columbia MD. At one point songs and videos by the prolific rapper flooded SoundCloud and YouTube frequently, giving fans a steady dose of his wit and dexterity. Now he’s changed course and saved up 18 (!) new songs for a full length album called Gathering that just dropped on Spotify. K.A.A.N. loves him some acronyms (Knowledge Above All Nonsense, FYI) so of course the album’s first single is called “KYST” (spoiler alert: Keep Your Shit Together). This video from director Matthew T Robinson showcases KAAN’s verbal flow over some sweet production from Bleverly Hills & Dem Jointz.
Wylder – Ready To Break
Indie folk band Wylder spent last summer in sunny L.A. recording their second full length album Golden Age Thinking. Now comes the hard part of marketing, publicizing and performing the record, and the young quartet have launched an Indiegogo campaign to get help from their many dedicated fans. Time is ticking for you to snag benefits like signed vinyl and VIP passes. As veterans of our Millennium Stage series, we love how this band makes such fun and accessible music their own way with true independence and hard work. The new album’s first single “Ready To Break”, overflowing with hand claps and strumming, just premiered with this music video directed by Sam Rodgers. Frantically moving from location to location all over the area, we love the many delightful touches in this video, from the echo-y bridge in Union Station to parents dancing in the next room. Wylder play Ivy City’s City Winery next Thursday March 14th with Strong Water and Eli Lev & The Fortunes Found.
Don’t Stay Home This Week 3/04
Welcome to March! Don’t stay home! All those Netflix series will still be there forever.
Monday 3/04:
More music at happy hour, please! Epicure Cafe in Fairfax hosts an early show this evening featuring CityWitch, Ms. Fridrich, New Order of Existence and Ashevile’s Polly Panic, the cellist from Rasputina.
Tuesday 3/05:
DC show organizers Greater District Sound Club bring some choice funk bands together at the Passenger for Tuesday night‘s Mardi Gras celebration. For just $9 you get Zen Warship, Surprise Attack and our Millennium Stage showcase vets The Lucky So & So’s.
Wednesday 3/06:
The Dangerous Pie Shop on H St NE brings together two stylistically distinct but complimentary bands Wednesday night. Crooks and Crows of Takoma Park describe themselves as the “outlaws of outlaw country”, while The Caribbean, more alums of our Millennium Stage series, make beautifully dreamy experimental indie rock.
Thursday 3/07:
For their monthly Thursday night series Phillips After 5, the prestigious Phillips Collection hosts a night celebrating radical women on the eve of International Women’s Day. Drummer Isabelle de Leon leads a womxn-identified quartet to entertain with masterful jazz.
Don’t Stay Home This Weekend 3/01
Are you in need of some live music for your weekend activities? As always, we’ve got you covered with #DCmusic picks every day.
Friday 3/01:
Curious about the Black Cat‘s newly reconfigured Red Room bar? Head there tonight to see DC’s wildest guitar shredder, Anthony Pirog of The Messthetics, perform two sets of his experimental sounds.
Saturday 3/02:
Congrats to shoegaze-core rock band Collider on the release of their new full length album Crossed Hearts! H St’s Dangerous Pies hosts their album release show Saturday night with support from The Rememberables and FuzzQueen.
Sunday 3/03:
7DrumCity‘s weekly “Music on the Patio” series at The Pub & The People brings blues maestro Bobby Thompson to the heated tent this Sunday night from 6-8 PM.
Loi Loi – Egipto
We kicked off this week’s Hometown Sounds podcast with the super-dancey lead-off track from Loi Loi‘s brand new album Me Dystopia on Blight Records. To experience more of the depth and range of this accomplished release, watch the music video for the album’s first advance single “Egipto”. Directed by Jen Meller, “Egipto” sees singer Kristie Di Lascio revel in sparkly sensuality, accompanied by Luna Honey’s baritone sax player Madeline Billhimer and Pedram Rahmatabadi as statues transformed by Di Lascio’s magical alchemy. Listen to this song late at night, with someone special, and you too will be transformed. Mark your calendar for Loi Loi’s album release show Saturday March 16th at Comet Ping Pong with Born Dad and Light Beams.
SHAED – Trampoline
Well over 1 million views on YouTube, it’s about time for Hometown Sounds to feature SHAED‘s breakout hit “Trampoline”. The synthpop trio was making their own national waves on the strength of 2016’s debut EP Just Wanna See, but last year’s MELT caught the attention of Apple and landed this single in a high profile commercial for the MacBook Air. Playing sold-out shows everywhere they tour, SHAED returns home Saturday night at U Street Music Hall, and you should count yourself lucky if you already have a ticket. We’ll give you the “Director’s Cut” that includes director Max Haben’s title and crew credits at the end.
Podcast for February 26th, 2019
We’re back! Tony shares his love for video game microblogging, and Paul dreams of Instagram inception.
Tracklisting:
Loi Loi – Don’t Know [Me Dystopia]
The Mighty Heard – Still High [Still High / Karma]
SYZYGYX – Blurred Visions [Is That All There Is]
Venray – Fire Away [Fire Away / It’s Alright, It’s Okay]
The Frontier – Dark Places [single]
Jon Camp – Headwinds & Tailwinds [Headwinds & Tailwinds]
Subscribe to the Hometown Sounds podcast in Apple Podcasts, Overcast, TuneIn or your favorite podcast app! (and tell a friend too!)
Don’t Stay Home This Week 2/25
Friends, this week sees the end of February and some choice #DCmusic for you every single night. No reason at all to stay home and miss it.
Monday 2/25:
It’s a strong night of dark music tonight at Dew Drop Inn. Alejandro Castaño’s new group Replicant Eyes, repped by Etxe Records, joins Blight Records‘ Luna Honey, vets of our Millennium Stage series, and Harrisonburg band Buck Gooter.
Tuesday 2/26:
Tuesday nights are best for discovering new gems and celebrating community at open mic nights and jam sessions. This Tuesday Sauf Haus‘s open mic night in Dupont Circle features hard rock band Black Dog Prowl, and advance sign-ups are open now.
Wednesday 2/27:
DC9‘s bill this Wednesday night gives you four DC rock bands to check off your dance card. Get there early (7:30 PM, champs) to fill your head with PineWalls, The Southern Ocean, The SuperChargers and 1 Identity.
Thursday 2/28:
Finish off February with your Hometown Sounds friends at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. This Thursday our #DCmusic series at DC’s most prestigious free stage brings jazz & soul masters Champion Sound Band to your ears and hearts. If you’re one of the many people we meet that hasn’t yet seen a show at the Millennium Stage, make this your first and grab a good seat when the gates open at 5:30 PM.
Don’t Stay Home This Weekend 2/22
You’ve made it through another week in this crazy, messed-up, weather-rollercoaster town. How about some live music to celebrate? Here’s our #DCmusic picks for this weekend.
Friday 2/22:
Veterans of our Kennedy Center Millennium Stage series, jazz/hip-hop band The Lucky So & So’s play a couple of sets heavy on improvisation tonight at The Abbey at St. Arnold in Cleveland Park. The no-cover show starts at 9, so come hungry & thirsty.
Saturday 2/23:
Friends, remember last month when we helped premiere the work-protesting music video “Monday” from experimental ambient musician Tristan Welch? Today’s the day his full album 40 Hours drops courtesy of Verses Records. Come to the album release show Saturday at Mobius Records in Fairfax to see Welch perform at 6:30 with saxophonist Ron Oshima and an opening set from Secret Wilderness, aka Jake Reid of Screen Vinyl Image. Welch will sell hand-silkscreened, union-made merch and collect donations for always underfunded addiction treatment center nearby.
Sunday 2/24:
Let’s finish up this weekend with some scrappy queer-friendly bands at Dew Drop Inn. Sunday night‘s lineup includes Panini Girlfriend, Born Dad and Twatsnot (Twatsnot to like?).
Hometown Sounds 