Our first love here at IA, is to talk about local music. Our second love, is to find great new music from all around the world. A great release we just got word of a couple days ago, is from the band Junius. They are a dark, electro-enhanced rock quartet from Boston. Think Explosions in the Sky, with lyrics.
Their self-titled release will compile the two EPs that they have previously released. I have had the pleasure of listening to the whole album and it blew me away. The sounds and emotions that are put into each and every song are rare and can only be borne out of hard work and lots of attention to detail. The urethral feel of some of the songs will put you in a trance-like state.
The guys are currently on tour out west. The CD should be released in October. Junius has plans to start recording another LP in 2008, along with plans to tour Europe, Japan and all of North America. You can stream the album here.
Junius – At The Age of Decay
posted by Chris at 10:26 PM
For their the third gig at Galaxy Hut, The Hailing were poised to take Arlington by storm. The bar quickly filled up an hour before anyone was even going on and the excitement for the band was building with every moment. Once everyone got things set up, the show got started with Slumber opening.
I have been friends with Slumber since high school and I personally think he will be as big as Dylan some day. His talent is surpassed by his modesty and I hope that he will believe me one of these days. This was Slumber’s first bar gig and the crowd was stoked to see what this guy and his band could do. He blew us all away.
I had seen him a few weeks earlier at a friendly gathering and was amazed. It was the first time that I had seen him with a band and with some of the songs, I could close my eyes and be transported to the 930 Club or Black Cat. He was that good. The guys must have practiced even more for this show, as they had improved greatly.
Slumber, accompanied by Hinges and the band for the first half of the set, played many fan favorites such as “I’ll Be Your Friend” and “Wine.” The folk roots along with some great fast paced guitar work, really made for a enjoyable and unique listening experience. At the end of the set, the band played a combined 2 song piece with amazing solos connecting the two separate songs. The crowd went crazy when the set was over and my views of how famous this guy will be some day, were reinforced tenfold.
After a short break, it was time for The Hailing to come on. These guys can play like there’s no tomorrow and they make you feel like time stands still while you watch them. I was pretty excited to see them again. I haven’t had the chance to see them since the beginning of the summer, where I was completely captivated. After a little set up, they got started and had the crowd cheering and dancing by the time the first song ended. Many favorites were played such as “Photograph” and “Rose Family,” which is my personal favorite.
You could really hear the DC influences and the impression that Inner Ear has on them. They record under the label Parlor Press Records. These guys really blow you away with their amazing musical talents and are one of the best bands to see live.
Both Slumber and The Hailing are finishing up work on CDs and I am really excited to hear the final products. You can also catch these guys live on the 11th in Arlington at a free show with very special guests. I will have info on that, as well as an interview with The Hailing in future posts.
posted by Chris at 10:20 PM
There is a good show at Black Cat tonight. DC’s Paul Michel will be headlining backstage. He will be joined by 2 Fredericksburg, VA bands: Tereu Tereu and Rocky’s Revival.
Paul Michel – The Ways and Means
Tereu Tereu – Furwinked! (The Lion/Bear Song)
posted by Joe at 7:15 AM
Since this site covers the DC region, I am pretty much obligated to mention this. Travis Morrison of Dismemberment Plan fame, has a new album getting ready to drop. All Y’All will be on out August 21 on Barsuk. He also has some upcoming dates in the region. On 9/1, he will be at IOTA and on 10/25, he will be at Rock and Roll Hotel. I will leave you with a track from the new LP. Feel free to comment.
As We Proceed
posted by Joe at 7:51 PM
It’s Monday morning and I am half asleep. It seems like a good time to mention a few items that I keep forgetting to post about…
Ben Thornewill of DC’s Jukebox The Ghost has spent the month of July touring England and playing shows with his friend and manager, Seth Kallen. The two of them kept a blog of their travels and it includes all sorts of pictures, video and audio. You can check it out here and I’ll post a couple of their live interpretations of Jukebox The Ghost songs below.
Hold It In (Live)
Good Day (Live)
Whartscape has been over for a week, but my friend Jeff (also known as The Baltimore Taper) has a treat for us. He recorded many of the sets from the festival and he is posting the downloads here. If you have never checked out Jeff’s site, you should. He records several shows a week and he is always sharing audio.
Over the weekend, Baltimore’s Thrushes received some bad news. They learned that their drummer is leaving them. They asked me to pass a message on the everyone.
Matt is leaving us for good in a few weeks. While this comes as a quick and unexpected shock, the rock must go on. So, we are looking for a new drummer in or around the Baltimore area that is able to play some of our back catalog as well as pick up on new songs. We have some fall shows booked that we really want to play, if at all possible.
We are almost ready to go back into the studio for album 2. We practice 2x a week for a few hours and play out a few times a month. Also, we would like to do a week or so tour over the summer. Drumming style wise, I think Steve Shelley/early Sonic Youth is pretty close to what he had been doing.
Need to have your own equipment, a good attitude, and no drugs are a must. A van would be a major plus. Think this is something that you might want to do? Please get in touch.
Casey, Anna, Rachel
If you think you are up for this, please e-mail Casey here.
posted by Joe at 8:46 AM
Here is a quick rundown of some Saturday and Sunday shows…
On Saturday, City-State and Philly’s East Hundred play a show at The Red and The Black.
City-State – Great Lakes
East Hundred – Meantime
The White Stripes will also be in town on Saturday. They have a big show at Patriot Center.
White Stripes – Icky Thump
On Sunday, The Foundry Field Recordings make a stop at The Red and The Black.
The Foundry Field Recordings – Buy/Sell/Trade
posted by Joe at 8:18 AM
Last night, I went to see Great Northern at Black Cat in Washington, DC. Going into this concert, I actually thought that Great Northern was the main act, not The Comas. Great Northern has the talent to headline, but it didn’t matter. The biggest crowd that I had ever seen for an opening act at Black Cat backstage, made it out to see them. When the band hit the stage, Rachel admitted that they had just shown up about 15 minutes before the set started, due to the traffic that they hit coming out of NYC. It didn’t play a part in the show though. The band played a wonderful set.
The band had a lot of energy coming out of the gate and that really got the crowd into it. Songs like “Telling Lies” and “Home” were fan favorites that had a lot of people singing along. Many of the songs had great solos and the lyrics blended so well with the music, that everyone was just swaying back and forth while enjoying a great night. The band knew the material well and they all did an excellent job playing their parts. When you listen to their album, you notice the lush soundscapes that they create. Seeing them live, allows you to visualize how they create each of those sounds. To me, that was the real treat.
The only problem that I noticed last night, was a minor sound glitch. Some of the vocals and keyboard were drowned out by the other instruments. Other than that, it was a great set. They played most of the songs off of their latest album and on the last song, The Comas joined them on stage banging away on tambourines. Next time that they come through town, I will definitely be in attendance.
You can view the rest of the pictures I took here.
Great Northern – The Middle
posted by Chris at 11:06 PM
It’s Friday and like usual, there is a lot to do. Tonight, it seems like there is a party around every corner and you don’t have to try very hard to find one.
Alright, so the big one in DC is at Black Cat. Local darlings The Dance Party are having their CD release party, but they wouldn’t be who they are if they stopped there. Nope, the party is doubling as a prom. There will be tuxes, dresses, corsages, photographers and people getting busy in the bathroom. Let’s French and De Novo Dahl will be providing support for what is sure to be a crazy night.
The Dance Party – Lipstick
Let’s French – Here She Comes (There She Goes)
De Novo Dahl – The Funk
Speaking of theme parties, there is another one at Rock ‘N Roll Hotel tonight. The Gaskets, New Rock Church of Fire and The Invisibles will be playing and this time, everyone will be decked out in their Halloween costumes. Insanity ensues.
The Gaskets – Left Hand
For those of you looking for a straight forward rock show, IOTA has one. DC locals Lejeune and The Glory and The Majesty will be sharing the stage for what is sure to be a solid night of music. No gimmicks.
Lejeune – The Latest Greatest
Finally, I have a treat for those of you that are up for a little trip. Lancaster, PA’s Chameleon Club had a last second announcement for tonight… TV on the Radio! Imagine 9:30 Club, but with about 1/3 of the capacity and you get the idea. Anybody going?
TV On The Radio – Staring At The Sun
posted by Joe at 9:56 AM
This week’s mix features many relatively unknown bands along with some new music from bands you should know already. I have also tried to keep with the tradition of including two songs from local artists.
- Architecture In Helsinki – Fumble
- Kinetic Stereokids – Explosions Were Heard
- Two If By Sea – Report From Damage Control
- Phoenix – Long Distance Call
- Broken Social Scene – Fire Eye’d Boy
- Snow Patrol – Run
- The Hold Steady – Massive Nights
- Soft Complex – Barcelona
- Stars of Track and Field – Movies of Antartica
- The Automatic Automatic – Monster
Just a note on the locals. It looks like Soft Complex will be playing a one off at 9:30 Club on September 8, before they go back into hibernation to finish the album. Two if by Sea has several dates coming up in Baltimore and many other dates in the works. Check both of their sites for more information.
posted by Chris at 7:18 AM
