What’s Up DMV
Welcome to the Hometown Sounds weekly email newsletter, which is always 100% organic, artisanal and ChatGPT-free. As we’ve done for over a decade, we show you a wide swath of the DC music scene so you can buy music and see live musicians play their hearts out.
Let’s start out this week with a link to the ever-growing Spotify playlist of DMV music curated by our compatriot Chris Naoum at Listen Local First. Give it a heart and a shuffle if Spotify is your jam.
In the News
The CityPaper reviews the new album Maryland House by The Crystal Casino Band.
Washington’s freshest congressperson Maxwell Frost went to see The Crystal Casino Band headline the 9:30 Club last week, and Washingtonian has the recap. Now he’s determined to visit every venue in DC. We got dibs on taking him to Rhizome.
Also at Washingtonian, Katie Kenny talked to Audrey Fix Schaefer at IMP about how the larger live music venues survived the pandemic.
WaPo’s Chris Kelly profiles EDM DJ collective Hast du Feuer, while WCP introduces us to college rock band Home Remedies.
District Fray (subscription required) interviews recent Cincinnatti transplant Jack Kays and jazz bassist Kris Funn.
A Whole Podcast’s Worth of New Singles
DC’s newest certified rock star Bartees Strange drops two new songs for SubPop’s singles series. If your pockets are deep, subscribe to the vinyl 7” series here.
Bottled Up (“Freaked up art pop”) just dropped a new song called “Pripiyalab”, and you can read all about it at Week In Pop.
This new single “Cherry” by R&B/dance singer Jarreau Williams is fizzy and delicious.
Dystopic rock band Tired All The Time attempt to graft new wave onto stoner rock on “One Big File”.
Aaron Abernathy pays tribute to some of his influences from the covers of Wax Poetics magazine on Vol. 4 of his pay-what-you-want series Practice 4 Sale.
Don’t Stay Home This Week
Monday Feb. 13
Wow, we haven’t seen live music at the Passenger in a really long time. Monday night the DC cocktail bar hosts Takoma Park punk cover band Sligo Waterdogs with support from Rosie Cima & What She Dreamed, for absolutely free.
Tuesday Feb. 14
A ferocious rock lineup of Milo in the Doldrums and Kinda Evil supporting Grady’s weekly February DC9 residency? And it’s Valentine’s Day? Hell yes.
Wednesday Feb. 15
Punk rawk fans, arrive on time Wednesday evening to the Quarry House Tavern in Silver Spring to see Cryin’ Hand, one of many musical aliases of Luke Reddick, open for Baltimore’s B.R.A.T. (Be Ready Attack Them) and Gripe, on tour all the way from Santiago Chile.
Thursday Feb. 16
Event organizers Blue Beat DC are the absolute champs of ska music in DC. Their February installment Thursday night at the Wonderland Ballroom includes DC’s The Captivators and a solo set from The Slackers frontman Vic Ruggiero.
Friday Feb. 17
Melodic indie pop on an all-DMV bill of Cal Rifkin, Rex Pax (a new band from Max Gowan) and M. Renfro aka Sonic Eddy at DC9 on a Friday night is really what keeps us going. Be a friend and get advance tickets for this one.
Saturday Feb. 18
A warm welcome to Art Sound Language! This owner-operated record and bookstore in Chevy Chase invites new customers to a free grand opening show Saturday afternoon featuring Raven Bauer Durham from Syria VA, drone guitar from Jeff Barsky, and beloved experimental pop band The Caribbean.
Sunday Feb. 19
If you haven’t yet seen DC power-pop band Dot Dash rock out in the flesh, fix that on Sunday night at Songbyrd when they open for Miami’s Jacuzzi Boys and Snacks from Alabama.
Thanks For Reading
Keep your podcast apps pointed to our feed, because real soon we’ll be dropping a special episode featuring Washington Women in Jazz orgainzer Amy K. Bormet. See you in your inboxes next week.