Hometown Sounds 1/30 - 2/05
Welcome
Here we go, the first installment of the Hometown Sounds email newsletter. Still bare bones, no graphics yet (kinda dreading making a banner). So hello! What’s the point of this new thing? Obviously, Substacks are all the rage and social media gatekeepers are bringing us all down. But more than that, the DC music scene really went through a big shake-up during the pandemic, and we think finally we’re at the start of a new era, new bands, new venues, and new excitement.
Don’t Stay Home This Week
The challenge: deliver a show pick every day, prominently featuring DC area music.
Monday January 31st
CapitalBop’s affectionate profile of Takoma Park DIY spot Rhizome is an excellent must read. I’ve seen a ton of shows there and didn’t know most of the history behind the beloved musical hub. Get inspired and head there Monday night for some mind-expanding sounds from Portland composer Ceremonial Abyss and local support from PraxisCat and Bushmeat Sound System.
Tuesday January 31st
Power-rock band Grady tore up so many shows in 2022, DC9 gave them a weekly residency in February. The fun starts Tuesday night when Grady welcomes openers MxMundy and Scorpio.
Wednesday February 1st
DC9’s January residency by singer Ari Voxx concludes with a celebratory kickoff of Black History Month featuring NXNES and Jaylin Conner.
Thursday February 2nd
The Thursday night slot at 7DrumCity’s The Pocket is a showcase by Team PHLOTE. What is PHLOTE? “Phlote is a DC based music startup that supports emerging artists and music curators. Every month, The Live Show brings together artists, thinkers, and builders at the intersection of music and tech to showcase the DMVs best up and coming talent.” Their website talks a lot about blockchain and NFTs, which smells quite a bit dodgy these days. Will this night be wack?
Friday February 3rd
Shout-out to the determination of Rick Taylor and his incredibly long-running monthly post-punk DJ night We Fought The Big One! Friday’s lineup at the Marx Cafe in Mt. Pleasant includes a live set from guitarist Jeff Barsky’s drone project Insect Factory and DJ selections from John Howard of Nice Breeze.
Saturday February 4th
Greg Svitil’s chamber-folk band Teething Veils celebrate the vinyl release of their 2022 album To Have and To Hold at Adams Morgan progressive cafe/bookstore The Potter’s House on Saturday evening with support from Takoma Park singer/songwriter Annette Wasilik.
Sunday February 5th
The Pocket’s Sunday night lineup brings together a diverse lineup of DC rock bands: Outerloop, Railgun, and Alex Alavi and the Funky Breakfast. Which will be your fave?
Podcast
The most recent episode of the Hometown Sounds podcast from Tony and Paul featured some fine tunes from Roscoe Tripp, Wanted Man, The Other Guys, Reach Row Throw GO!, Pinkhouse, and Talk to your Neighbor. Here’s the links to all those releases, please follow and support the ones you liked.
Coda
We’ll be back weekly with more show picks and music roundups. We might write some album reviews. We might introduce you to guest writers. We won’t sell your info to advertisers or shady crypto bros. See you next week, DMV.