Debbie Harry and Andy Warhol circa 1980. (Photo courtesy Ubé)
Looking at the history of new wave music, and more broadly rock in New York City, few bands are more paramount than Blondie. Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, and Clem Burke are still going strong today, and to celebrate their upcoming show at Wolf Trap, Careless Memories will celebrate the band tonight, July 13, at Dodge City.
Mew (Photo courtesy Ticketfly)
Mew released their seventh studio album Visuals in April via Play It Again Sam. The trio are on tour with a visit to 9:30 Club on Saturday, Aug. 5, and you can win tickets to go with Parklife DC.
Alexis Mincolla of 3TEETH performs at U Street Music Hall on July 7, 2017. (Photo by Paivi)
Industrial quartet 3Teeth smashed into U Street Music Hall on Friday, receiving an enthusiastic reception from DC’s alt-music crowd. The gents blazed a trail of classic industrial sounds following the release of their second album shutdown.exe, via OMF Records in May.
Zoé Colotis fronts Caravan Palace at 9:30 Club on Wednesday, July 5, 2017. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)
Caravan Place released their third studio album <|°_°|>, also known as Robot Face, capturing ears across the world in 2015, and they have spent the last two years on tour conquering our hearts. The French septet most recently dropped by DC to charm a sold-out crowd at 9:30 Club with their splendid mix of French house, electro swing, and jazz on Wednesday, July 5.
Drab Majesty performs at Wave Gotik Treffen 2017 in Leipzig, Germany, on June 5, 2017. (Photo by Paivi)
Drab Majesty, composed of Deb Demure and Mona D, excited folks who last caught them in DC when they opened for Cold Cave at the Rock and Roll Hotel in January. Now, the duo returns to DC in a headlining show at Songbyrd Music House on Friday, Sept. 22.
Holygram performs at Wave Gotik Treffen 2017. (Photo by Paivi)
The annual Wave Gotik Treffen music festival in in Leipzig, Germany, was certainly a terrific showcase for established bands of goth/post-punk/alternative leanings but it also proved to be a great opportunity for new bands to emerge before big audiences as well.
Case in point: Holygram from Cologne, Germany, who released their self-titled debut EP on Feb. 17 via Reptile Music. Parklife DC photographer Paivi caught the band in action on June 5.
Paul Todd plays guitar with Social Station at Dr. Clock’s Nowhere Bar on June 21, 2017.
Dr. Clock’s Nowhere Bar, a staunch supporter of independent electronic music, recently relocated its programming to Safari Lounge (4306 Georgia Ave. NW, DC). On June 21, Dr. Clock’s hosted an evening of post-punk/dark wave bands including DC’s own Social Station, a trio in the process of producing its second full-length album.
Johan Van Roy of Suicide Commando performs at Wave Gotik Treffen 2017. (Photo by Paivi)
Belgian electro-industrial music project Suicide Command, created by Johan van Roy in 1986, performed at Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig, Germany, on June 5, 2017. Parklife DC’s Paivi was there to capture the moment.
Skinny Puppy performs at Wave Gotik Treffen 2017. (Photo by Paivi)
Canadian industrial trio Skinny Puppy headlined Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig, Germany, on June 4, 2017. Parklife DC photographer Paivi was there to take some pictures!
Sixth June performs at Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig, Germany, on June 2, 2017.
One of the great things about the annual Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig, Germany, is the opportunity to chase down your favorite dark pop bands. Take for example Sixth June, the synthpop duo from Berlin, formed in 2007 by Laslo Antal and Lidija Andonov. Parklife DC photographer Paivi visited Wave Gotik Treffen on June 2-5 and caught the dark wavers in concert.