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Music Park: We Were Promised Jetpacks @ Black Cat – 11/6/15

By
Mathew Harkins
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We Were Promised Jetpacks
We Were Promised Jetpacks drummer Darren Lackie performs on Dec. 8, 2014. (Photo by Dick Nempsey)

When We Were Promised Jetpacks took to the stage last Friday at Black Cat, they did so on a night that felt as transitional and pushing against it’s own skin as the percussive music of the band. A warm and rainy November night that played against type. An anxious crowd that lined up early for an 11pm show. A not-quite-sold-out crowd that nevertheless pushed and crowded to the stage in order to feel the music as much as hear it.

And feel it they did. WWPJ’s driving post-punk rhythm section is the type that seeps into your skin, into your muscles, into your bones. Speaking personally, I’m a lyrics man, then a guitar man, and then a drums man. But give me enough time with the likes of WWPJ and I’ll forego everything but the drum kit.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/128208348″ 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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Around Town: 2015 Hilly Award Winners

By
Jeremy Bailey
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Bayou Bakery

The 2015 edition of the Hilly Awards took place last weekend, November 7th. This annual event celebrates Capitol Hill businesses. This year had 22 winning businesses.

Much like last year, Rose’s Luxury won Best Restaurant.

And a new edition to the Hill Center on Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Bayou Bakery, won Best Bakery. The space is great and the beignets and muffalettas are quite good.

 

BEST BAR/TAVERN
Tunnicliff’s

BEST COFFEE SHOP
Peregrine

BEST RESTAURANT
Rose’s Luxury

BEST BAKERY
Bayou Bakery

See all the Hilly Award winners.

Around Town: Hellbender’s One Year Anniversary Party, 11/14/15

By
Jeremy Bailey
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Hellbender

 

Congrats to Hellbender Brewing Company on a great first year!

They are celebrating one year in DC this Saturday, November 14th. Come out to the party!

Admission price gets you unlimited pours of 23 beers (12 Hellbender brews and 11 other local brews) and a souvenir glass.

There will also be music, DJs, games and a BBQ truck.

 

Hellbender’s One Year Anniversary Party
Hellbender Brewing Company
Saturday, November 14
2:00-6:00pm (VIP 1:00-6:00pm)
$45 (VIP $60)
21+

Music Park: No Joy @ Black Cat — 11/7/15

By
Mickey McCarter
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Laura Lloyd, Jasamine White-Gluz and Garland Hastings from No Joy @ El Sol
No Joy perform at El Sol in Madrid, Spain, on Sept. 10, 2015. (Photo by bSides)

Jasamine White-Gluz hangs her head over her microphone and looks down at her guitar as her hair shades her eyes from view.

It’s 2015, but Jasamine proceeds to party like it’s 1989, emanating waves of perfectly fuzzed out riffs and catchy hooks in a perfect picture of a classic shoegazer.

As lead vocalist of Montreal shoegazers No Joy, she’s been kicking off their sets with a song from their new album “More Faithful,” released in June via Mexican Summer.

The song, “Remember Nothing,” is a perfect apéritif — light and bubbly — whetting your palette for the rest of what is about to follow. No Joy made for perfect openers for DIIV, another shoegazing group, in a tour stop at the Black Cat on Saturday, Nov. 7. The very full room found plenty to nourish their ears in the sonic assault of vibrant reverb delivered by both bands (and indeed first opener Sunflower Bean).

While Jasamine’s airy voice is light and sweet, her bandmates pound out rhythms that are heavy and strong. Guitarist Laura Lloyd keeps a steely focus on her strings as the thunders through the all-too brief “Remember Nothing.”

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All Things Must Pass: Review and Recollections from My Tower Records Days

By
Neal Keller
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Tower Records
Tower Records on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles circa 1980 (Photo courtesy “All Things Must Pass”)

Editor’s Note: “All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records” documents the history of the iconic music retail company, once based in Sacramento, Calif. It’s playing locally at Landmark E Street Cinema. Our own Neal Keller, DJ, sound engineer, and man o’ music, worked at the DC location of Tower Records (formerly at 2000 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC) from 1985-1994. Here, he shares some memories in response to seeing the documentary.

tower
DC employees of Tower Records (including Neal, left), photographed for US News and World Report sometime in the late ’80s, as they hold up their favorite records of the week. Neal’s record is Richard Kirk’s “Black Jesus Voice.”

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Music Park: Marina and the Diamonds @ Lincoln Theatre — 11/6/15

By
Mickey McCarter
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Marina and the Diamonds
Marina Diamandis performs at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on Oct. 19, 2015. (Photo by Frank Mojica)

I saw Marina and the Diamonds perform twice in 2015, for the fourth and fifth times respectively, in Las Vegas and DC.

The first time in April at the Boulevard Pool at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas was a decidedly mature affair. Stopping between showcases at the Coachella Valley Music Festival on Monday, April 13, Marina Diamandis performed in a diva’s gown, meant to seduce us in the moonlight, opening her set with “Bubblegum Bitch” from the 2012 album, Electra Heart. The Welch beauty was staggering — her fantastic voice impossibly perfect and her striking poise formidable.

The second time on Friday, Nov. 6, at the Lincoln Theatre in DC as part of the Neon Nature tour was a decidedly different, albeit still quite enjoyable, experience. As a fully conceived tour stop for her most successful album to date — Froot, released in March 2015 — the tour was designed to take us through three phases of Marina beginning with her first album, 2010’s The Family Jewels, and ending with her third in three acts. The new wave diva didn’t change the content of her songs or some of their overt sexuality, which is often philosophical rather than physical in expression, but her audience on the official tour date was tremendously younger! As an attendee of the two shows, the difference was jarring.

Nonetheless, Marina and the Diamonds — she’s a solo act (Marina) and we are the diamonds — performed her heart out leaping into three different skintight outfits to strut, pout and dance away the evening in a thoroughly memorable concert performance.

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Music Park: Young Rival @ Rock and Roll Hotel — 11/3/15

By
Jeremy Bailey
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Young-Rival---Interior-Light-album

Young Rival could have stepped straight out of a time machine on to the stage of the Rock and Roll Hotel last Tuesday, November 3rd.

They identify as an indie-rock band from Ontario, Canada and opened for the Born Ruffians, who are also Canadian. (See our review.)

Young Rival gave the full DC crowd a distinct vibe from the 1960’s. There were times when I was looking at those around me, wondering if they were playing a Beatles’ cover. Turns out, it was their own songs, like “Two Reasons” from their second album, Stay Young.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b8CwNHAx54]

A ‘glitter blanket’ thing greeted us, mysteriously (ominously?) occupying the stage. The shimmering costume sparkled and rippled before ‘it’ exited stage left as the band burst on the scene. Each band member paraded around with a similar glittery jacket. White flowers adorned and complemented the instruments.

Somehow Glitter Blanket failed to make a return, but for those that stayed, Aron D’Alesio (lead vocals, guitar), John Smith (bass) and Noah Fralick (drums), there was a hint of the psychedelic in their performance.

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Sports Park: Capitals Fortnightly Report Card — 10/26-11/8/15

By
Jeremy Bailey
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Washington Capitals Report Card

Fortnightly Record: 4-2 (8 pts)
Overall: 10-3 (20 pts)

The Capitals are still playing well after one full month of NHL hockey. After the thrilling last second goal by Nicklas Backstrom to tie the game against Toronto, and the subsequent win in the shoot-out, a glow of optimism pervades DC.

They sit in second place, only two points behind the also red-hot New York Rangers. In fact, the Capitals last loss came to the Rangers on the road. Granted, they have played more home games so far (8), but they have found ways to win both on the road and at home.

Alex Ovechkin is 7th in goals scored so far, but hasn’t played quite to his full potential yet as the best player in hockey, but when he does, look out.

The Capitals play three of their next four games on the road, including two in Detroit. Next up is Tuesday, November 10, against those same Red Wings.

 

Results

October 28, 2015: Pittsburgh at Capitals – Loss (1-3)

October 30, 2015: Columbus at Capitals – Win (2-1)

October 31, 2015: Capitals at Panthers – Win (2-1 OT)

November 3, 2015: Capitals at Rangers – Loss (2-5)

November 5, 2015: Bruins at Capitals – Win (4-1)

November 7, 2015: Maple Leafs at Capitals – Win (3-2 SO)

 

October 26-November 8 Fortnightly Report Card: B

 

2015-2016 Fortnightly Report Card Archive

Don’t Miss: The Charlatans (UK) @ Howard Theatre, 11/12/15

By
Mickey McCarter
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0

The Charlatans - Modern Nature - LARGE
The Charlatans (Photo courtesy Motormouth Media)

We tend to think of the Britpop era of the ’90s as largely defined by bands that made big tunes, got big heads and then imploded.

But a lot of talented folks continued right on working, even if we in the United States weren’t paying particularly close attention at the time. Enter The Charlatans, the talented quartet led by Englishman Tim Burgess, which continued to release new albums every several years since 1990 — taking their biggest break only recently.

After five years, The Charaltans returned with new album Modern Nature, released in January via BMG, and they began a US tour in support of the album last Saturday with an appearance at Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas. And they bring their tour to DC this Thursday to perform at the Howard Theatre!

New songs like “Let the Good Times Be Never Ending” have a psychedelic vibe and make for a soothing, pleasing listening experience.

Watch The Charlatans perform “Let the Good Times Be Never Ending” live on the Late Late Show with James Corden on Nov. 6, 2015:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hTlHMRURTM]

Hailing from Portland, Ore., indie rock quintet Eyelids open for The Charlatans. Tickets are available online.

The Charlatans
w/ Eyelids
The Howard Theatre
Thursday, Nov. 12
Show @8pm
$29.50-$60
All ages

Music Park: YACHT @ U Street Music Hall — 11/7/15

By
Mickey McCarter
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0

YACHT / El Korah Shrine
YACHT perform at Treefort Music Fest in Boise, Idaho, on March 28, 2015. (Photo courtesy Treefort Music Fest)

Claire Evans trailed off singing the catchy new song “Hologram” from the new album by YACHT and peered over the audience in mock concern.

“Whose phone is ringing?” she queried.

Turning to her right, she found that her own phone was apparently ringing at U Street Music Hall on Saturday night. She picked up the phone receiver, seated next to a synthesizer of course, and began to explain to the “caller” that she was at a show, so it wasn’t the best time to talk.

“What show? YACHT,” Claire said.

“No, not a boat,” she continued after a pause. “It’s an acronym. [beat] Yes, I’m sure they regret that too.”

Claire and her YACHT bandmates then launched into “Ringtone,” another catchy new album from I Thought the Future Would Be Cooler, released last month via Downtown Records.

As Claire intimated, YACHT was conceived as Young Americans Challenging High Technology by Jona Bechtolt some years ago. Jona, who plays synth and guitar, eventually would recruit Claire as full-time vocalist, and most recently Rob Kieswetter on synth and bass. The trio stopped in DC for a show in support of the new album, easily their most accessible and appealing effort yet.

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