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Since their reunion a few years ago, Jawbox has been keeping themselves busy with tours, a change in their line up, and a recent Revisionist History EP of a couple of older tracks (“Grip” and “Consolation Prize”) — along with driving version of Wire’s “Lowdown” — that were redone with new guitarist, Brooks Harlan of the brilliant Baltimore-based band War on Women, giving the tracks a weight and sonic punch that sounds fresh and quickly found them on repeat through my headphones.
Broke Royals (Photo courtesy Tell All Your Friends PR)
DC heartland rockers Broke Royals release Local Support, their third album, via Byrdland Records on Friday, July 15. The band recently debuted a music video for “All I Have to Show,” a single from Local Support.
“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”
That long ago lyric from Semisonic’s “Closing Time,” though now bordering on the trite, nonetheless conveys an eternal truth: All is transitory, change is inevitable, time moves forward.
Near Northeast’s final (at least for the foreseeable future) performance recently at Songbyrd Music House was poignant, celebratory, and ultimately, a triumph. The band’s four members — Austin Blanton (bass, synths-cleverly hidden in the “boopcase,” vocals); Avy Mallik (guitars, vocals), Kelly Servick (violin, cello, vocals), Antonio Skarica (percussion) — will move on to other personal, professional, and musical opportunities. But on a night filled with laughter, smiles, hugs, and most likely, a few private tears, Near Northeast demonstrated why it has long been considered one of DC’s most innovative, accessible, and accomplished homegrown bands.
Near Northeast (NNE), one of Washington, DC’s most fascinating, unique, and talented bands will perform for the last time in a farewell show at Songbyrd Music House on Friday, July 1. NNE has been making music for the past eight years, produced four albums, and toured throughout the USA and Europe.
The band’s four members each brought a unique musical resume that resulted in songs with influences from Appalachia, blues-based rock, Bosnian folk songs, and Eno-like electronics. They are Austin Blanton: vocals, electric and stand-up bass, pocket operator, volca keys, organelle; Avy M: vocals, guitars, banjo, mandolin; Kelly Servick: vocals, violin, cello, theremin; and Antonio Skarica: percussion.
One Way Out performs at DC9 on June 4, 2022. (Photos by Mark Caicedo; Words by Mickey McCarter)
It’s not every day that you encounter a band that’s not old enough to drink but has more love for Led Zeppelin than they do Machine Gun Kelly.
But hearing is believing in this case! The young members of One Way Out rocked hard at DC9 recently for a hometown stop on their Music and Euphoria Summer Tour.
One Way Out (Photo by Carter Louthian)
Young DC rockers One Way Out recently released their second music video of 2022, “Red”, ahead of their Music and Euphoria Summer Tour. The band performs at DC9 for their local show on Saturday, June 4.
DC musician Aaron Shneyer will host an album release event for “Love Rebellion,” at Pearl Street Warehouse, Sunday, May 15, 2022. (Photo courtesy of aaronshneyer.com)
DC-based soul/roots musician Aaron Shneyer recently released his new album Love Rebellion, which culminates a 12-year journey jumping worlds between Israelis and Palestinians, jumping to some other continents, meeting himself, and finding life’s partner.
Aaron will hold his official album release concert at Pearl Street Warehouse in DC’s wharf neighborhood on Sunday, May 15. He will be joined on stage by a powerhouse group of DC’s finest jazz, gospel, funk, world music and reggae musicians.
Marilyn Hucek encourages her fans to sing along during her DC debut at Songbyrd Music House, May 3, 2022. (Photo by Ari Strauss)
As long as she can recall, Marilyn Hucek has had one dream: to be a pop star. The pursuit of that dream advanced to a new chapter on a recent evening when Marilyn made her DC debut as the headliner at Songbyrd Music House in DC’s hip Union Market neighborhood.
DMV native Marilyn Hucek makes her DC debut Tuesday, May 3, 2022, at Songbyrd Music House. (Photo courtesy of Marilyn Hucek)
Rising pop artist Marilyn Hucek makes her hometown DC debut on Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at Songbyrd Music House.
Luna Honey performs at DC9 on Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)
(Editor’s Note: It’s been longer than we would like since this show but Luna Honey are a wildly innovative and important DC band, and so we present this belated review of a recent concert.)
Experimental rock trio Luna Honey opened a recent turn at DC9 with a droning, wheezing, foreboding dirge of a song called “The Sky Is Blue” from their most recent album, and immediately enthralled the growing crowd gathering for a night of post-punk bands.