DMV rapper Lightshow‘s new video “Racks in my Safe” sounds at first listen like a light & smooth summertime jam, but the lyrics reveal dark turns through his street-level life. The song comes from the sixth installment of Lightshow’s mixtape series Yellow Tape and White Chalk, which dropped on Spinrilla this past April.
Hometown Sounds
Showing The World How DC Rocks
Podcast for June 15th, 2016
Tony finds a new DC musician with ties to his past, while Paul tries to keep up with the complex world of hip-hop mixtapes.
Tracklisting:
Heather Mae – Hero [I Am Enough]
Andy Shea – The Shovel Song [Lunar Songs]
Albino Rhino – Walk in Squares [Albino Rhino]
The Galaxy Electric – Please Come Home Soon [Everything Is Light and Sound]
The Jonny Cohen Love Machine – Let’s Pretend [A Quiet Reminder]
Kingpen Slim – F.Y.B. feat. Emanny [FXCK LXVE]
Or listen in SoundCloud:
Subscribe to the Hometown Sounds podcast in the iTunes Store or your favorite podcast app! (and tell a friend too!)
The Jonny Cohen Love Machine – Let’s Pretend
Newcomers to DC might not know our city’s long association with Unrest frontman Mark Robinson’s quirky independent label Teenbeat Records. While Dischord supported the aggressive, angular music in the 90s and 00s, Teenbeat’s indie rock bands always had an air of whimsy and awkward coolness. Though Robinson left DC for Boston back in 2000, some DC area bands still call Teenbeat home, including the supremely offbeat Jonny Cohen Love Machine. Absent from recording for a full 20 years, Cohen reassembled his full band for a new album called A Quiet Reminder which came out earlier this year. Cohen’s musical delivery is unlike any other, and his storytelling has a folksy frankness that utterly captures your heart. Robinson himself directed Teenbeat Release #557, the music video for the melancholy ballad “Let’s Pretend”. Your next chance to experience The Love Machine is Friday June 17th opening for The Taildraggers at vintage Rockville dive bar Hank Dietle’s Tavern.
Podcast for June 2nd, 2016
Paul agonizes over smartphone antics at a recent live show, while Tony reviews another show’s cocktail menu.
Tracklisting:
Edy Blu – I Got You [Heart Opener]
Color Palette – Rain [Vaporwave]
Emily Henry – Bad For Me [Matchsticks]
Jonny Grave – Wade [Broadcaster/Believer/Revelator/Repeater]
Lenclair – Hypochondriac [Pool of Pink]
Zo! – Lifelines feat. Dornik [SkyBreak]
Or listen in SoundCloud:
Subscribe to the Hometown Sounds podcast in the iTunes Store or your favorite podcast app! (and tell a friend too!)
Shy Glizzy – Rounds
DMV rapper Shy Glizzy has cranked out mixtapes on the regular since 2011. Growing up with a rough background, Glizzy brings authenticity and a cool smoothness to his street-level gangsta style of rapping. His 2014 mixtape Young Jefe brought huge attention behind the hit song “Awwsome”, so anticipation runs high for its soon to be released follow-up, Young Jefe 2. Watch his Fader-premiered brand new music video for “Rounds”, featuring plenty of weed, flash, sexy women and a simple two-note hook you’ll be singing along with by the video’s end.
Reesa Renee – Hello Mama
The current theme in DC music is the ascendancy and ubiquity of women throughout every genre. We try to feature diversity with every episode of our podcast, so it’s not wall-to-wall straight white dudes, but for the last episode we put together, our first cut of songs featured women leading every one. 5 of our last 6 song and video posts are either solo female or female-fronted bands. Where ya at, bros? These ladies are showing you up, and R&B singer Reesa Renee puts a cherry on that trend with her new single “Hello Mama”. Producer Reggie Volume pumps the slow jam uptempo with a funky guitar riff and staccato brass section that makes it easy to fall for Renee’s sweet smile and floppy afro. The video by Minista Millz of Minista Cinema puts just the right animated touch to a tale of sweet summertime love connection. Grab her EP Lovers Rock now.
Party Like It’s – Clockwork Lover
Making the leap from cover band to performing original music, Party Like It’s brings their love of the blasting horns and singalong choruses of late 90s pop-ska bands like Reel Big Fish and No Doubt to the modern day. Their YouTube channel includes undeniably fun covers of “Shake It Off”, “All About That Bass” and “The Boys of Summer”, and now their debut original single “Clockwork Lover” gets the full music video treatment courtesy of DC Brau and The Coupe. We dug this song so much that we kicked off yesterday’s podcast with it, but the music video is even more fun. Vienna’s Jammin’ Java hosts a Back to the 90s party this Saturday night featuring Party Like It’s and other bands paying tribute to Sublime, Blink-182, Smashing Pumpkins and No Doubt.
Podcast for May 18th, 2016
Paul recaps the Funk Parade and Tony explores the linguistic subtleties of the word “just”.
Tracklisting:
Party Like It’s – Clockwork Lover [single]
Rare Essence – Turn It Up feat. DJ Kool [Turn It Up]
K.A.A.N. – Phoenix [Eclectic Audio]
Bells and Hunters – Kid on a Bike [Modern Witch’s Songbook Vol II: Wives’ Tales]
Olivia Mancini – Easy Right Now [Walkabout]
Domingues & Kane – The Hunted Hare part 1 [Gut + Voltage: Viola da Gamba & Electronics in Synthesis]
Or listen in SoundCloud:
Subscribe to the Hometown Sounds podcast in the iTunes Store or your favorite podcast app! (and tell a friend too!)
Elena & Los Fulanos – Amor Migrante
Elena & Los Fulanos occupy a unique niche in DC music. Playing at venues like Black Cat and the Luce Unplugged series, Elena Lacayo sings in both English and Spanish, and writes about her own experiences immigrating to the US from her homeland of Nicaragua. She and her band just released a new music video for “Amor Migrante”, the latest single release from her debut full length album Miel Venenosa, depicting the emotional struggles of Rosario Reyes, an undocumented immigrant mother who has been separated from her son, José Ramón, for 12 years. The lyrics are in Spanish but the video makes excellent use of YouTube’s closed captioning feature to translate into English and allow all of us to fully experience its powerful message.
If you want to learn how Elena crafts songs and get help writing your own, join in her monthly songwriting workshop at BloomBars in Columbia Heights next on Saturday May 21st.
Olivia Mancini – Easy Right Now
WORLD PREMIERE VIDEO!
Olivia Mancini is DC music’s sweetheart. Her big friendly smile and laid back musical style instantly disarm and captivate a crowd. Over the years she’s evolved from badass bassist in mid-2000s buzz band Washington Social Club to develop her own career as frontwoman for Olivia and the Mates, as well as her own singer-songwriter work. She also supports Jarret Nicolay of Virginia Coalition fame in the duo Astra Via and is currently a member of Sara Curtin‘s band. Clicking on Mancini’s Bandcamp page brings up a huge collection of assorted singles and EPs with her many collaborators, which makes the release of her new EP Walkabout surprising as it’s her first album under only her name. The debut single “Easy Right Now” is a love song with a relaxed vintage style, and we’re honored to premiere the music video below. Shot by Lindsay Dirienzo and Amy Hutchinson, the video takes us through a romp through the city with Olivia, with many affectionately lingering shots. The whole thing feels like a happy day in a wonderful relationship.
Grab Mancini’s new EP out on the Aerobic International label and come see her play one (or both!) of two release shows in town. If you’re more a living room type, head to Bathtub Republic on Friday May 13th to see her play with Fluffer, K Pasa USA, and Antonette Garoch; if you prefer ordering exotic craft beers at the coolest bar in town, Galaxy Hut has you covered on Sunday May 15th when Mancini plays with Yours Truly Michele.
Hometown Sounds 