Instrumental Analysis

The tests are finally over and its time to party! There is no converging theme for these songs, but I enjoy listening to all of them.

The Dismemberment Plan – What Do You Want Me To Say? (Remix)
Rodrigo y Gabriela – Tamacun
Unwed Sailor – Little Wars
Lemuria – Get Some Sleep
The Billionaires – End of Summer Song
Misfortune500 – A Ready Defense
Teenage Prayers – I’m In Love Again
Sally Shaprio – Jackie Junior (Junior Boys Remix)
The Epochs – Opposite Sides (Remix)
Pop Levi – Never Never Love (Pink Enemy Mix)

Austin indie rockers Loxsly, announce the release of their newest EP, Flashlights, which dropped at the beginning of March. Originally, I thought that I saw this band play last year, but it actually was NYC’s Locksley (just as fun, check them out). Still, the with-an-x band is quite a pop-melodic treat. Check out a MP3 of “Lamprey Eels”, and their clean-cut website, which is extra-fun, if you’re a neat freak like me. They have no east coast dates scheduled as of now, but they tell us that they plan to come this way over the summer. We’ll let you know, when the dates are confirmed.

Lamprey Eels

As an avid fan of both lyrical competency and a good use of falsetto, I’m typically drawn to folk music of all kinds. Even more so, I’m usually thrilled after stumbling across a good female-fronted band, as they tend to be few and far between. Mix it all together and out comes Sisters 3. As the name states, the three band members are indeed three sisters and have apparently been singing together since the beginning of well, being sisters. To boot the Pennsylvanians come off with an other-worldly, minimalist charm which isn’t even realized due to the overpowering vocal melodies. They aren’t coming to DC just yet, but they have several PA dates on the books. I’ll leave you with a couple of tracks off of their soon to be released CD, Star Spangled.

3/28: Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA
3/29: Tritone, Philadelphia, PA
5/04: Spoutwood Farms, Glen Rock, PA

Giggling Gremlins
Star Spangled

Baltimore’s Thrushes have released a new video for “Heartbeats.” After you check it out, you can check them out tonight. They will be opening for The Raveonettes at Ottobar.

Heartbeats

Your team out of the tournament? Got a little cabin fever? Luckily, there are plenty of good shows rolling through the region this weekend, most doing double duty in Baltimore/DC and Philly.

After spending the better part of this decade living in Austin, the must-see show for me this weekend is Ghostland Observatory. Unfortunately, they are only hitting DC, but you can see them Saurday night at the 9:30 Club. Hopefully, they will hit Philly soon.

Ghostland Observatory – Robotique Majestique

The Raveonettes are working extra hard. After doing a show in Philly Thursday night, they pull two shows on Friday in different cities and cap it off in the District on Saturday. They are on tour with Black Acid and local friends Thrushes join the bill in Baltimore.

3/28: Philly @ World Cafe Live *XPN Free at Noon* (Raveonettes only)
3/28: Baltimore @ Ottobar w/ Thrushes
3/29: DC @ Black Cat

The Raveonettes – Dead Sound
Thrushes – Heartbeats

Two tours of reinvented 90s indie cross in the night along I-95, swapping cities. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks with John Vanderslice in tow switch it up with the return of The Eels.

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks/John Vanderslice

3/28: DC @ 9:30 Club
3/29: Philly @ TLA

Eels

3/28: Philly @ First Unitarian Church
3/29: DC @ Sixth and I Synagogue

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Baltimore
John Vanderslice – The Parade
Eels – Novacaine for the Soul

Other shows in the area:

Langhorne Slim/Wes Mattheu/Sisters 3

3/28: Philly @ Johnny Brendas

Langhorne Slim – Mary
Sisters 3 – Giggling Gremlins

Caribou/Fuck Buttons

3/29: Philly @ TLA
3/30: DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel

Caribou – Melody Day
Fuck Buttons – Sweet Love For Planet Earth

The Dodos

3/30: DC @ DC9

The Dodos – Fools

Sean Walsh encompasses all that claims to be alt. country. This Springsteen/ Iron and Wine/ Ryan Adams mash-up lives in a tiny, tiny Brooklyn “room” and tours through the region very soon. The aptly titled American Music LP, available on iTunes, showcases a pedal steel and relatable, melancholy vocals, a perfect display for the young up-and-coming songwriter. Check out “Everyone I Meet” and “Record’s Spin”

March 22 – The Third Floor, Fredericksburg, VA
March 26 – The Black Cat, Washington, DC

Everyone I Meet
Record’s Spin

As I am in the middle of midterms for basically every class, I have been listening to a lot of electronic music. This week’s mix reflects that. Enjoy!

65daysofstatic – Radio Protector
Ghostland Observatory – Robotique Majestique
Overseer – Slayed
Working For a Nuclear Free City – Troubled Son
Daft Punk – Human After All/Together/One More Time(Reprise)/Music Sounds Better With You (Stardust)
Digitalism – Idealistic
Muscles – Ice Cream
Ratatat – Seventeen Years
Oh Astro – Hello Fuji Boy
Pantha Du Prince – Moonstruck

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Find a way to leave work early. It’s a sunset special (6:30 show!) at the Barbary in Philly Thursday featuring D.C. based and headliners of our first anniversary show, Le Loup. Also on the bill, all the way from New Zealand, The Ruby Suns, and Philly’s own The Private Sea. And even though you don’t see their name on the bill, Jukebox the Ghost IS playing. I’ll be hustling to get there. Save me a spot.

For those of you in DC, Le Loup and The Ruby Suns will be at Black Cat on Friday night with local favorites, Bellman Barker.

Le Loup – We Are Gods! We Are Wolves!
The Ruby Suns – Tane Mahuta
Jukebox The Ghost – Victoria
Bellman Barker – Two Bees

Now that SXSW is over, we can start preparing for all the new music that was premiered there. My picks for this week include DeVotchKa’s A Mad & Faithful Telling, as well as Destroyer’s Trouble In Dreams. There is a local release from Baltimore’s Kadman and Gnarls Barkley surprised everyone by moving up their release at the last second.

DeVotchKa

A Mad & Faithful Telling (Buy) – “Transliterator” & Full Album Stream

Destroyer

Trouble In Dreams (Buy) – “Foam Hands” & Full Album Stream

Fuck Buttons

Street Horrrsing (Buy) – “Sweet Love for Planet Earth” & Full Album Stream

The Dodos

Visiter (Buy) – “Fools” & Full Album Stream

These New Puritans

Beat Pyramid (Buy) – “Elvis“

Great Northern

Sleepy Eeepee (Buy) – “Telling Lies“

She & Him

Volume 1 (Buy) – “Why Don’t You Let Me Stay Here“

The Kills

Midnight Boom (Buy) – “Cheap and Cheerful“

Be Your Own Pet

Get Awkward (Buy) – “Food Fight“

Crystal Castles

Crystal Castles (Buy) – “Good Time“

The Teenagers

Reality Check (Buy) – “Starlett Johansson“

Kadman (Baltimore)

Sing To Me Slower (Buy) – “Sorry“

Joseph Arthur

Could We Survive (Buy) – “Rages of Babylon“

Gnarls Barkley

The Odd Couple (Buy) – “Run” video

It’s St. Patrick’s Day in DC and that can only mean one thing, it is time for Rose’s annual St. Paddy’s Day Throwdown. She will be at Velvet Lounge tonight and she will be joined by John Bustine and Brandon Butler. Expect a raucous time, Irish drinking songs and lots of Jameson.

Rose – Another Sad Song
John Bustine – Jesus, Jesus Not Again
Brandon Butler – Sparks