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Don’t Miss: SOAK @ DC9, 7/12/15

Mickey McCarter
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Don’t Miss: SOAK @ DC9, 7/12/15

Soak_15

An offbeat 19-year-old girl from Northern Ireland has a haunting voice that spins soulful folk pop, and she’s bringing it to DC9 on Sunday, July 12.

Bridie Monds-Watson is known as SOAK, and she released her debut album on Rough Trade Records on June 2. The album, Before We Forget How to Dream, deals with themes of growing up in isolation

Single “Sea Creatures,” released in February, squarely deals with those feelings of loneliness and isolation with its reminder that “they don’t know what love is” in reference to people who may be like the titular sea creatures. Watch the video for the single on YouTube:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgaRm9j8SQI]

“B a Nobody,” another track from the new album, speaks of being a lost teenager, continuing the fragile streak of loneliness and isolation.

Listen via Soundcloud:
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/166849487″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

DC folk singer Marian McLaughlin opens for SOAK. Tickets are available online and at the door.

SOAK
w/ Marian McLaughlin
DC9
Sunday, July 12
Doors @8:30pm
$12-14
All ages

Music Park: Metric @ Verizon Center — 7/6/15

Mickey McCarter
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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z69_ecUsea8]
Emily Haines and Jimmy Shaw perform “The Shade” acoustically for the Verge Music Lab at the Music Mansion: SiriusXM Canada on June 2, 2015.

Drummer Joules Scott-Key pounded out those familiar opening notes and vocalist Emily Haines bounded onto stage to open the set with “Stadium Love.”

And so Metric kicked off their performance at the Verizon Center Monday night, opening for Imagine Dragons in that band’s Smoke + Mirrors Tour, devoting a third of their set to their popular fourth album Fantasies.

After “Stadium Love” was appropriately performed for the enthusiastic stadium attendees, Metric introduced new track “Too Bad, So Sad,” a kinetic lament of being stuck in a bad place belied by its cheering chorus. It rings a bit of a traditional Metric song blended with Blur’s “Song 2.”

“Too Bad, So Sad” was the first of three new songs from the forthcoming album Pagans in Vegas, scheduled for release Sept. 18. Those new songs were undoubtedly the highlight of the show for longtime admirers of the Canadian quartet.

The biggest number for Metric in the concert was “Cascades,” which the Toronto new wavers have described as the heart of the upcoming album. “Cascades” is a wholly electronic affair with synths coating Emily’s sweet but sassy vocals to powerful effect — and it’s so deliriously good that it was an instant new favorite for me and also for the thousands gathered early to see them Monday.

The song, about “cascading waves of emotion,” is a welcome tidal wave that involves Emily, guitarist Jimmy Shaw and bassist Joshua Winstead trading off on three synthesizers. There are guitar and bass parts as well, and when Emily isn’t behind her synthesizer, she’s at the front of the stage in a purple cape billowing above a wind machine.

The arrangement, although simple, is extraordinarily memorable.

Give “Cascades” a listen on Soundcloud:
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/207683616″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

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Don’t Miss: Mudhoney @ Black Cat, 7/7/15

Jeremy Bailey
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Don’t Miss: Mudhoney @ Black Cat, 7/7/15

Mudhoney Mudhoney (Photo courtesy Sub Pop Records)

Mudhoney, one of the early bands in the Seattle grunge scene, is performing tonight at the Black Cat, July 7, 2015.

Formed in 1988, Mudhoney contributed to the movement that became the grunge sound in the early 1990’s.

Mudhoney started their career with the Sub Pop record label, then branched off to a major label for the better part of a decade, before finally returning to Sup Pop in 2000, where they have released their last four albums.

With nine studio albums under their belt, the most recent being the 2013 release, Vanishing Point, they have been actively producing their distinct mix of grunge, punk and blues rock for almost 30 years.

Indeed, Mark Arm, lead singer of Mudhoney, is credited with using the term “grunge” in 1981 as a description of the sound of his first band. It was later used as the moniker of the whole sub genre of alternative music coming out of Seattle.

I grew up near Seattle, and become a huge fan of seminal grunge bands like Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Nirvana. I largely missed out on Mudhoney during the first half of the 1990’s, but have come back to them over the last few years.

Let’s see what I missed.

Kid Congo Powers and Pink Monkey Birds open. Tickets are available online and at the door.

Mudhoney
w/ Kid Congo Powers and Pink Monkey Birds
Black Cat
Tuesday, July 7
Doors @7:30pm
$16
All ages

Don’t Miss: Metric (Opening for Imagine Dragons) @ Verizon Center, 7/6/15

Mickey McCarter
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Don’t Miss: Metric (Opening for Imagine Dragons) @ Verizon Center, 7/6/15

metric
Metric (Photo by Norman Wong)

Imagine Dragons perform at the Verizon Center tonight, Monday, July 6, and just as exciting is that the Vegas quartet are bringing along Toronto quartet Metric — in all of their Canadian new wave glory.

Metric have scheduled their sixth studio album, Pagans in Vegas, for release on Sept. 18, and last month they began a tour as openers for Imagine Dragons to expose audiences to the new material. How appropriate that the blokes from Vegas are helping Metric to promote their Vegas-referencing album!

Vocalist Emily Haines has said the album draws heavily from primary Metric influences Joy Division, Depeche Mode and Underworld. Metric has released two singles from the album so far — “The Shade” in May and “Cascades” in June — and the increased focus on synthesizers is evident from those two tracks alone.

While the music sounds even more electronic, Emily’s sweet voice definitely give the songs a sense of continuity between the new tracks and Metric’s bigger guitar-driven numbers.

Listen to “Cascades” on YouTube (with a minimalistically animated video):

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuPRFDC3wCQ]

If “Cascades” is representative of the rest of the album, this will be an amazing albeit different record for Metric. And all the more amazing undoubtedly will be the live show tonight. So show up early and don’t miss Metric!

Astralwerks’ recording artist Halsey kicks off the show as first opener, and she’s scheduled to go on at 7:30pm. Metric will follow, and then Imagine Dragons. Synchronize your watches!

Tickets are available online and at the box office.

Metric
opening for Imagine Dragons
Verizon Center
Today, Monday, July 6
Doors @6:30pm
Show @7:30pm
$29.50-$69.50
All ages

Music Park: Def Leppard @ Jiffy Lube Live — 7/2/15

Mickey McCarter
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Music Park: Def Leppard @ Jiffy Lube Live — 7/2/15

Def Leppard
Def Leppard (Photo courtesy the band)

There was a remarkable moment in the latter half of the Def Leppard concert at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Va., on Thursday.

It was toward the end of the main set of the show, and the famous hard rocking quintet were shaking things up a bit with an instrumental number, “Switch 625” from their second album, High ‘n’ Dry.

The song comes to a close with a stomping drum solo from Rick Allen, who infamously lost his left arm in an auto accident on New Year’s Eve in 1984. It’s one thing to hear the tale of the well-regarded one-armed drummer from Def Leppard, but let me assure you that it’s another entirely to see the man in action.

I wish there were official, or even good quality unofficial, video to show you because it’s a thing of grace to see Rick projected on the big screen as he bangs away at the end of the song with his right arm and his left leg providing fluid drumming throughout the song. To see and hear the flawless piece of work is to admire the symmetry of the human body and to fully appreciate the hard work and pride that Rick puts into his drumming.

Rick’s “Switch 625” drum solo was one of many high points during a solid show from the heavy metal men from Sheffield, England. They performed many perennial favorites including “Foolin’” from hit third album Pyromania, which really first made them a household name in the United States, and “Love Bites” from its powerful follow-up Hysteria.

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Food Park: Alex McCoy @ Food Network Star (S. 11, Ep. 4) — 6/28/15

Mickey McCarter
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Food Park: Alex McCoy @ Food Network Star (S. 11, Ep. 4) — 6/28/15

alex-mccoy-food-network-1
Chef Alex McCoy (Photo courtesy Food Network)

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July! And the Fourth of July is all about getting together with family and friends for food and fun (and fireworks, of course).

So what better way to mark the occasion than to discuss the food in last week’s Food Network Star, which saw the remaining nine contestants in the 11th season compete in teams against each other for a July 4 picnic battle?

As you know, we’ve been cheering for DC Chef Alex McCoy in our blog, so we are going to recap how well Alex performed in this past episode, Episode 4. This will bring you up to speed so that you can watch him cook in Episode 5, set to air this Sunday, July 5, at 9pm ET on the Food Network.

Last week, Alex joined up with two other contestants in one of three teams. Each team was named after the colors of the U.S. flag –- red, white and blue — and Alex was on team blue with Arnold Myint of Nashville and Eddie Jackson of Houston. (Eddie is a former NFL football player for the Miami Dolphins, by the way, and his performances on this show have generally been pretty entertaining.)

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Music Park: PINS @ DC9 — 6/29/15

Jeremy Bailey
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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaSqb__TYSE]

“Thank you, we’re PINS from Manchester.”

The (now) five member women rock band, PINS, then laid into a series of post-punk flavored songs from their first album, “Lost Lost Lost” and “Get With Me”.

Styled with blue hair (Anna Donigan on bass), black boots, skirts, glitter and eye decals (especially prominent on Faith Holgate, lead singer), they took the medium-sized crowd at DC9 on an entertaining 14-song journey through their first two albums.

PINS released their second full length album, Wild Nights, in early June 2015. It was co-produced by Dave Catching from Eagles of Death Metal. Their first album, Girls Like Us, was released in 2013.

As they performed the catchy, “Young Girls”, the second single from the new album, by the time they opined, “What will we do when our dreams come true?”, the crowd had largely transformed from standing to dancing.

“Molly”, their third single from Wild Nights, was among my favorite songs they performed. Listening to the first single, “Too Little Too Late”, you could dismiss them as too laid back. But that assumption disappears with “Molly” and the line “you are the perfect storm, you are where I belong”. If this is where they belong, let’s get more of it.

Their overall sound is pop with heavy guitars and drums, which they have described as ‘dark pop’. The post-punk label might reflect their early work, but not really the new album.

Comparing the PINS to other all-female bands, if you like the Dum Dum Girls, they should certainly be on your radar. They also recently opened for Sleater-Kinney during the UK leg of their tour.

Their show marked their first ever appearance in DC. Hopefully, it will not be the last.

Pick up Wild Nights and have a listen. With Molly.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmJ95BHnRxc]

Sports Park: The Nationals’ Homestand vs. the Giants and Reds, 7/3-7/8/15

Jeremy Bailey
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Sports Park: The Nationals’ Homestand vs. the Giants and Reds, 7/3-7/8/15

Bryce Harper Bryce Harper is third in home runs in the National League with 24

 

The Nationals had a very healthy June (15-11) and moved back into first place. They currently have a 3.5 game lead over the Mets.

They play the Giants at home over Independence Day weekend, and then the Reds next week.

And Calvin Coolidge is the new Racing President!

For game tickets and more information, call 202.675.NATS(6287) or visit nationals.com/tickets.

Friday, July 3 vs. San Francisco Giants

  • Enjoy a special patriotic fireworks display to kick off Independence Day weekend. Prior to the fireworks, fans will be treated to a performance in the outfield by the United States Navy Ceremonial Guard Drill Team.

Saturday, July 4 vs. San Francisco Giants

  • Independence Day Presented by SAIC: In honor of our nation’s independence, the Nationals will host the third of four games included in the 2015 Patriotic Series. Pregame ceremonies are dedicated to members of the military.
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Music Park: Destroy. Rebuild. by The Jet Age — 8/28/15

Mickey McCarter
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Music Park: Destroy. Rebuild. by The Jet Age — 8/28/15

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The Jet Age (Photo courtesy Big Hassle)

With today’s focus on happy dance music or sweeping reflective ballads, it’s sometimes hard to find an accessible indie rock band with a wider message.

Enter The Jet Age, flying into your ears with a fleet of guitars built on styles from the ‘90s and ponderous lyrics reacting to the events of today in their sixth LP, Destroy. Rebuild., scheduled for release on August 28 from Sonic Boomerang Records.

In 2014, the death of Eric Garner in custody of the New York Police Department, and his last words “I can’t breathe,” sparked national protests and serve as the inspiration for a song on the album titled after the famous quote. And first single “Don’t Make A Sound” romanticizes the notion that “things can change if we want them to” because “Times like this I think we can do anything.”

Listen to tracks from Destroy. Rebuild. by The Jet Age, and preorder the album on Bandcamp:

[bandcamp width=350 height=470 album=834885334 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false]

Although The Jet Age are a DC trio led by singer-songwriter Eric Tischler, the band will debut the album at a release party on August 29-30 in Brighton, England, as part of the At the Edge of the Sea Festival, hosted by The Wedding Present. It’s rather appropriate that The Jet Age team up with the UK jangle-pop icons, as the two bands have toured extensively together in the past and The Wedding Present often are cited as a major influence on The Jet Age.

Eric and bandmates bassist Greg Bennett and drummer Pete Nuwayser recorded the new album in closed sessions in Eric’s DC home studio, and the album reflects that intimacy.

“We recorded all the basic tracks live in the same room,” Eric said in a press release. “It was awesome, because everyone could maintain eye contact, no one needed headphones and there was just enough bleed to glue it all together.”

Regarding the themes of the album, Eric added, “The flip side of all this depressing crap—including watching some other couples around me go down in flames—is that it’s really renewed my appreciation for the ways in which my wife and kids provide a port in the storm so, yeah, it’s about relationships, it’s about the country, it’s about the band.”

The Jet Age haven’t announced any upcoming local shows yet, but keep your eyes open on their Facebook page.

Meanwhile, give the new album a listen, and see if you too are inspired to Destroy. Rebuild.

Music Park: Basement Jaxx @ 9:30 Club — 6/30/15

Mickey McCarter
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Music Park: Basement Jaxx @ 9:30 Club — 6/30/15

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Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton of Basement Jaxx (Photo courtesy Atlantic Jaxx)

Felix Buxton of Basement Jaxx centered a rare live show for Americans Tuesday night, standing on stage behind his impressive array of synthesizers as madcap music and melodies unfolded around him at the 9:30 Club.

Clad as a hip wizard of synth, Felix took the stage alone toward the end of the show for an instrumental break beginning with the track “Buffalo” from the most recent Basement Jaxx album, Junto — released last summer. His mix concluded with a flourish and Handel’s “Zadak the Priest (Coronation Anthem for George II)” as performed by the Ambrosian Singers. At this point in the show, I’m completely impressed and chuckling to myself at something I would consider a Pet Shop Boys-level of synthesizer style.

Only a few songs later, the London house maestro takes to the front of the stage to dance and sing out the lyrics to “Where’s Your Head At?” in delightfully frenetic fashion, closing out the main set of the Basement Jaxx show with the 2001 U.S. dance chart topper.

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