Local talent at Bloombars

Tonight was my first of hopefully many visits to Bloombars (great non-profit arts venue in the Columbia Heights neighborhood). The purpose of the excursion: to see the wonderful DC talent that is Ugly Purple Sweater. This wasn't my first time seeing them play. I heard them last fall/early winter and throughly enjoyed it.

They have a nice folky and soulful sound to their music. From the banjo to the keyboard to even whistling, their music stays fresh with a variety of sounds. The song "Jumbo Slice" is a perfect example of this variety. The crowd definitely got dancing and a singing as they played this song. They have this sort of traveling sound to their music ... the kind of music you play as you roll down your windows on a nice summer day.

Ugly Purple Sweater played the show with Pearl and the Beard and Kingsley Flood. They have one album out, entitled "You are alone but you are not alone," and are in the middle of working on a second. The show featured a mixture of songs from both albums.

Upcoming shows:

April 30, Brooklyn, NY, The Rock Shop, 8 p.m.

http://www.myspace.com/uglypurplesweater

http://uglypurplesweater.bandcamp.com/

http://www.uglypurplesweater.blogspot.com/

Dick4Dick

Polish Dare no. 2. Last time I gave you traditional instruments, so to balance it off, I am going to give you some pop electro (but please do not get used to the label) in the shape of Dick4Dick. These four guys come from the North of Poland, which might explain the freshness of attitude coming with the Baltic sea breeze. Here is how they describe themselves:
D4D was formed in 2004, and since then has been incessantly changing the stiff music scene in Poland. Instead of cramp-inducing poses, a grey outlook and songs about nothing, D4D undertakes to create an artistic effigy linked to sexuality, pastiche and colour. Whoever may not understand this game leaves a D4D concert shocked and disgusted, and at the same time missing the opportunity to participate in an unforgettable show. D4D have released 4 records and have played over 250 concerts in Poland and elsewhere. They have won many awards and are heroes of a few scandals. They produce their own genial videos, and carefully utilise various visual enhancements in everything they do. They create beyond the borders of multimedia, bringing together various artists. They always follow their motto, which is "change constantly!". This is all true and here is a glipse of what it is all about, but bear in mind that "Love is Dangerous".

D4D_Love Is Dangerous (official video)

DICK4DICK | Myspace Music Videos

D4D- Your Sweet Feet by D4D

Very Far Away from the Main Road

So, we have our first post by our fabulous Polish blogger, Marta. She will be blogging about the Polish music scene from time to time, as well as about other music. For the moment, I am publishing to post on her behalf while she gets settled into the blogging routine:

One could say that to promote a b-side album for bands that hardly anyone had heard of outside of the mazowsze voyievodship might be a tad too grand an enterprise. Nevertheless, the Lampa magazine, the bible of everything that is indie and artsy in Poland, undertook this amazing feat by producing the Daleko Od Szosy (Far Away from the Main Road) album.

The leader of the (in)famous band Muzyka Konca Lata (literally and for all other purposes translates into Music of the End of Summer) together with a bunch of other bands got together and compiled a mix CD of all their misc goodies and organized a launch show to boot. Before you start going over the bands and tracks, bear in mind how un-singable the Polish language is and still how surprisingly good the overall album was. I am not going to defend the poor vocal skills and the sometimes atrocious mastering, as well as the fact that some of the bands have not left the 90s yet, even though some other bands have managed to already leave and post-modernly revisit that decade during the same time. Also, believe me, dear reader, when I tell you that the lyrics are positively hilarious with topics ranging from boy meets girl to a 00s version of Joplin's Mercedes Benz anti-capitalist anthem.

This entry will cover only the five bands that performed during the launch gig, in order of appearance: Ballady i Romanse (Ballads and Romances), Maki i Chłopaki (Poppies and Guys), MKL (mentioned earlier, who will soon release their second album), Przepraszam (I'm Sorry) and Płyny (Fluids). So, from the top: the two sisters somehow remind me of a minimalist version of cocorosie, but without all the sounds and instruments, getting their inspiration from some Polish folk and other such gems. Maki, on the other hand, live by the rule that if you don't know how to play and, more importantly, sing than at least your performances should be entertaining. And at that last part (as at the two previous ones) they never fail! MKL, which can boast of a larger band and at least one amazing singer in the small body of the female vocalist, managed to be both musically capable and entertaining.

Przepraszam is yet another example of a disturbing practice common among young(ish) Polish bands, where a very good female vocalist remains unmatched and disturbingly overshadowed by the questionable efforts of the lead singer (if this is not a flagrant proof of Polish pervading patriarchy than I don't know what is). She a trained opera singer: he a Jim Morrison wannabe – judge yourselves. Płyny are probably the most mature of the set with some of it's members having a history in jazz ensembles and other genres that require both skills and talent (as pop and rock may run on talent only, it would seem). So dive onto the polish crowd, if you dare.

Moonlight Towers announces spring tour!

This Austin, Texas band plays classic American rock. That's not to be confused with classic rock which according to some, is stuck in the past. This band definitely mixes sounds from the past and present. The band has been making waves in music city since 2001. They have a rootsy yet upbeat sound. Something that could get people jumping and dancing. Their lyrics are soulful yet fun. "Can't Shake this Feeling" (a live version can be found on their myspace page) has a mixture of beats and guitar. The group has two albums out so far. Check out their new tour list. Perhaps they will be playing in a city near you soon!

04/29 San Antonio, TX @ Boneshakers w/ Snowbyrd
04/30 Austin, TX @ Antone's Austin CD Release Show
05/12 Houston, TX @ Continental Club w/ Electric Heights
05/13 Lake Charles, LA @ Luna Bar & Grill
05/14 Oxford, MS @ Proud Larry's
05/15 Birmingham, AL @ The Nick
05/16 Nashville, TN @ The Basement
05/17 Knoxville, TN @ Longbranch Saloon
05/18 Chapel Hill, NC @ The Cave
05/19 Raleigh, NC @ Slim's Downtown Distillery
05/22 Brooklyn, NY @ Southpaw
05/23 New York, NY @ Pianos w/ Battle Circus
05/25 Lafayette, IN @ Black Sparrow Pub
05/26 Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern w/ Mother Hips
05/28 Kansas City, MO @ Czar Bar

http://www.myspace.com/moonlighttowers

http://www.moonlighttowers.com/site/news.html

http://www.facebook.com/moonlighttowers

Sea of Bees on Tour

Sea of Bees - "Wizbot" from Aaron Rosenbloom on Vimeo.

Don't let the Ramona Quimby exterior and childlike voice fool you, this woman has no problem delving into haunting and longing melodies and crafting poignant songs dripping with the lessons learned from aged experience. Julie Ann Bee, the woman behind Sea of Bees, can is currently on tour this month, starting a ten-day stretch of performances around New York before joining Stornoway for shows throughout the US. If you're unfamiliar, I highly suggest you give her a listen, and when you fall in love, you can check out all her tour dates here.

Wizbot [mp3] (iTunes)

Jack Inslee of Knifeshow

Jack Inslee is a Brooklyn DJ/producer and half of the duo Knifeshow, who throw a monthly party called Full Service and run Fancy Restaurant Records. In January, he released Touch, his debut EP of brief but busy, bass-driven booty music, including the infectious "Mis Amores." Fancy Restaurant has also just released a compilation featuring "Both Teams Played Hard," a spacier track that shows he can chill out just as well.

Mis Amores [mp3] (Bandcamp)
Both Teams Played Hard [mp3] (Bandcamp)

The Antlers - New single

Here's a taste of the Antlers' upcoming album, Burst Apart, due out May 10th via Frenchkiss Records. It's a lot less... quiet... than most of their debut album, but it doesn't lack any of emotion that made them such a break out hit in the indie scene. And hey, I'm always up for rockin' out, and this song is pretty rockin'.

Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out [mp3]

Shilpa Ray @ Red Palace

I finally saw my first (real) DC show - after living here for 6 months... *exploring my new city fail* But it was a good first show. I saw Shilpa Ray and her Happy Hookers at the Red Palace. I have been wanting to see Shilpa Ray live for a while, but the last time she was supposed to come here, her show got canceled.

 Shilpa's a pretty petit girl, but she has a big voice and I love her dark sound. Her band was pretty awesome too but I'm sad that her regular drummer wasn't there because he's a friend of mine (he used to be the drummer of Julius C). I do kind of fear for Shilpa's vocal chords sometimes - she did a lot of screaming and as good as she sounded, that can't be great for her throat.
 

I will say that the Red Palace as a venue isn't that great. It's kinda musty and there's cats in the bar, so my boyfriend's allergies were going nuts. Also, as seems to be the trend with small music venues everywhere, they went to the lighting school where they are taught that it's cool not to light your subjects, and what little light you shine on them must be red, with a little blue on the sides. A photographer's nightmare. However, their sound mixing was pretty good for a small venue.

Venus Shaver [mp3] - ( iTunes / Amazon )

Riding on the back of the wind

This past week I listened to Carrie Ferguson's album "Riding on the Back of the Wind." Ferguson is a folk singer hailing from Northampton, MA and her album is bursting with diverse talent. Her style is a mixture of folk and rock. Some songs have upbeat melodies and others are a bit more melancholy.

The song "Paris," for example, mixes piano, orchestral and vocal melodies as Ferguson sings about Paris in the rain. And something about this song just seems to fit in with a rainy day. If I had to pick a song to describe a rainy day, I would pick this one. The song "Girls Like Me," on the other hand, is fun and playful, and yet touches on a deeper issue for Ferguson.

"Riding on the Back of the Wind" is Ferguson's debut album.

See Ferguson live!

April 23, Amherst, MA, Amherst Sustainability Festival, town common, FREE 11 a.m.

May 7, Northampton, MA, Northampton Pride March 2011, FREE

May 7, Holyoke, MA, Scorpion Bowl, 903 Dwight St., FREE, 7 pm,

June 2, Salem, MA, Gulu Gulu Cafe, 56 Central Square

June 3, Brooklyn, NY, Goodbye Blue Monday, Carrie Ferguson with Daniel Hales 1087 Broadway

June 4, New Jersey, Carrie Ferguson with Daniel Hales, House Concert

June 5, Fairfield, Conn., Las Vetas Lounge, Carrie Ferguson with Daniel Hales, 1462 Post Rd.,3 p.m.

July 21, Pittsburgh, PA, House Concert, Carrie Ferguson with Daniel Hales

July 23, Cleveland, OH, Barking Spider, Carrie Ferguson with Daniel Hales, 11310 Juniper Rd.

http://www.myspace.com/carriefergusonandthecherrystreetband

http://www.carriefergusonmusic.com/

New Tune-Yards album

Em and Lise have both already posted a lot about Tune-Yards, but before seeing this (fantastic) video, I had actually never heard any of the music. The video's been floating around for a few weeks, but I've now given the whole new album, w h o k i l l, a few spins, and it is a force to be reckoned with. The album drops next Tuesday, and an American-European tour commences shortly thereafter:

4/26 - Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA
4/28 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR
4/29 - The Crocodile - Seattle, WA
4/30 - The Biltmore Cabaret - Vancouver, BC, Canada
5/2 - Visual Arts Collective - Garden City, ID
5/3 - Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT
5/4 - Hi-Dive - Denver, CO
5/6 - Jackpot Saloon - Lawrence, KS
5/7 - Slowdown - Omaha, NE
5/8 - Cedar Cultural Centre - Minneapolis, MN
5/10 - Lincoln Hall - Chicago, IL
5/11 - The Crofoot - Pontiac, MI
5/12 - The Horseshoe Tavern - Toronto, Canada
5/13 - La Sala Rossa - Montréal, Quebec , Canada
5/15 - Flywheel Arts Collective - Easthampton, MA
5/16 - Brighton Music Hall - Boston, MA
5/17 - Daniel Street - Milford, CT
5/20 - Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia, PA
5/21 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY
5/28 - Primavera Sound - Barcelona, Spain
5/30 - Ground Zero - Lyon, France
5/31 - Le Trinitaires - Metz, France
6/2 - Café de la Danse - Paris, France
6/3 - Café de la Danse - Paris, France
6/3 - AB Club - Brussels, Belgium
6/4 - Uebel & Gefaehrlich - Hamburg, Germany
6/5 - Magnet - Berlin, Germany
6/6 - Upstairs @ Paradiso - Amsterdam, Netherlands
6/8 - Scala - London, UK
6/11 - Art Rock @ Petit Theatre de la Passerelle - St. Brieuc, France
6/13 - Deaf Institute - Manchester, UK
6/14 - The Tunnels - Aberdeen, UK
6/15 - Captain’s Rest - Glasgow, UK
6/16 - Mojo Liverpool - Liverpool, UK
6/17 - Whelans - Dublin, Ireland
6/19 - Brudenell Social Club - Leeds, UK
6/20 - The Fleece - Bristol, UK
6/22 - The Green Door Store - Brighton, UK
6/25 - Troubadour - West Hollywood, CA
6/26 - Soda Bar - San Diego, CA

Anni Rossi covers Rihanna's "Rude Boy"

I love it when quirky indie artists cover ridiculous pop songs. Anya Marina's cover of TI's "Whatever You Like" and one of the most starkly different cover's I've ever heard is Pattern Is Movement's cover of Beyonce's "Crazy In Love." I guess I expected the difference between Anni's version and Rihanna's version to be almost as stark as that one. Or at least more stark than it is. Anni sounds down right poppy, it's just a stripped-down, basically acoustic version without the plethora of electronic sounds and in a different key. And then there's that whole Anni sounds a little more... innocent... than Rihanna does singing lyrics like "tonight I'ma turn yo body on. Relax, let me do it how I wanna... Buckle up, I'ma give it to ya stronger. Hands up, we can go a little longer." etc. Maybe it's her gentler voice and the plucky instruments, but I found it not as convincing as I would've liked. Anyway, it's worth a listen. A catchy song and Anni does a decent job for being a quirky, white, indie artist from Minnesota who plays the viola. At the very least, it's kind of ironic, and what hipster doesn't love that?

Rude Boy [mp3]

DsCene: Walk the Moon show!

"How much does the paint cost?" asked various people at DC9 last night.

"Cost?" replied Nic Petricca, the lead singer of Walk the Moon. "It's free of course!"

Many attendants at their show last night adorned their faces with the multiple paint options provided by Walk the Moon (a-la their music video for "Anna Sun"). This act sums up Walk the Moon ... a band that just wants their audience to have a good time and express themselves however they see fit.

The four-member band hails from Cincinnati, Ohio. They have released two full-length albums. They have a fun pop-rock sound that gets the entire crowd dancing. And I really mean the ENTIRE crowd. Old-time favorites such as "I want! I want" and "Jenny" were played as well as new songs (including a nameless one. They're taking suggestions if you're interested).

The band was just featured on "Last Call with Carson Daly." They also played at South by Southwest back in March. Basically these guys are doing lots of good work! And don't worry DC, they're coming back for the Sweet Life Festival in early May along with Girl Talk, the Strokes, Lupe Fiasco, the Cold War Kids and many others.

Upcoming shows:

April 14, Cincinnati, OH, Tunes & Blooms @ the Cincinnati Zoo

April 15, Tiffin, OH, Heidelberg University

April 27, Louisville, KY, WFPK Waterfront

April 28, Cincinnati, OH, 20th Century Theatre

May 1, Columbia, MD, Merriweather Post Pavilion (Sweet Life Festival)

May 9, London, UK, Notting Hill Arts Club

May 10, London, UK, Notting Hill Arts Centre

May 11, London, UK, The Old Queens Head

May 14, Southhampton, UK, Unit

http://www.myspace.com/walkthemoonband

http://walkthemoon.bandcamp.com/

http://www.facebook.com/walkthemoon

http://twitter.com/walkthemoonband

Messersmith's Medley of Misunderstood Song Lyrics

Minnesota-based indie-pop songwriter Jeremy Messersmith and his band have announced The Graveyard Tour, named after his latest release The Reluctant Graveyard (read the gfp review), and consists of a bunch of summer dates out to the East Coast visiting and performing at graveyards in each city. Offering fans the ability to pay what they wish on his Bandcamp site, Messersmith has put together a brand new video where he sings a medley of popular songs in which the lyrics are commonly mistaken for something else. It's smile-inducing.

For those of you in the twin cities area, Messersmith will be playing a special show this weekend at the Fitzgerald Theater on April 9th with Dessa Darling, Chris Koza, Brian Tighe and Lucy Michelle. You can check out all his tour dates and locations here.

Rjd2 is the Insane Warrior

Rjd2's released an album under the persona of the Insane Warrior, and it's a groovy, moody, synth-laden gem, "loosely inspired by horror and sci-fi film scores of the wonderfully fruitful period of 1976-1984." (Hello, Goblin!) A viewer-submitted music video contest just wrapped up, and the grand-prize winner is above. It's not perfect, but it's very entertaining, and better than the official video for the same song ("The Water Wheel").

Then You Hear Footsteps [mp3] (Bandcamp)

Chaz Kangas

I've known Chaz Kangas since I was 15 or 16 years old, back in good ol' Minnesota. He's always been quite the clever pop culture dispensary - he was always cracking jokes that went right over my head because I very much lack pop culture knowledge - and it's been interesting watching both his tastes and his talents grow and evolve over the last... 10 years (god that makes me feel old). I remember his high school albums - him and his casio. His newest album - A Personal Reference - is, of course, a lot more grown up. And while there are still traces of that casio sound in a few of his songs, his lyrics and rhymes have grown more and more astute and funny with every album. He also has several impressive guest artists. I was very impressed by A Personal Reference (this is coming from someone who doesn't listen to much rap) and I think we will hear better and better things from Chaz in the time to come.

High Powered Power [mp3]

Download the entire album for free

Morning Teleportation show

Monday night the Black Cat was in for a treat. Morning Teleportation, a band from Portland, Ore., brought the tunes. The crowd brought the dancing, jumping and singing.

My excitement for this show was deeply-rooted. The band members got their start in Bowling Green, Ky. where I attended Western Kentucky University. The semester I spent away from school (fall 2008) was the semester the hype started. My friends all love them and talked relentlessly about how amazing their shows are. The semester I return they move to Portland. Shucks. November 2009 they played a house show in Bowling Green and the floor literally caved in. I guess that's a sign that people like you if the floor can't hold your crowd. Unfortunately they didn't even get through their first song before this happened. So yesterday was the first show of theirs I saw. And I'm pleased to say it exceeded all my expectations.

Nicos Gun opened the show. This Philadelphia band played sort of a psychedelic indie rock. It definitely kept the crowd entertained and lively. Then Morning Teleportation came on. They have this playful way of changing up rhythms, sounds and moods multiple times within a song. It leaves the audience in excitement and anticipation. The show will keep you dancing and singing, that's for sure. The song "Expanding Away" was one of my favorites. Definitely go see them if you can!

Find Morning Teleportation in your city:

April 7, New York, NY, Mercury Lounge

April 8, Brooklyn, NY, Brooklyn Bowl

April 9, Harrisburg, PA, Abbey Bar

April 10, Buffalo, NY, The Ninth Ward

April 12, Cleveland, OH, Beachland Tavern

April 13, Detroit, MI, Magic Stick

April 14, Chicago, IL, Subterranean

April 15, Madison, WI, UW Madison Union South

April 16, Minneapolis, MN, 7th Street Entry

June 5, Hunter, NY, Hunter Mountain-Mountain Jam

http://www.myspace.com/morningteleportation/

http://www.facebook.com/morningteleportation

Robotanists: new music video!

California natives Robotanists just released a new music video for the song "On/Off The Ledge" from their third full-length album Plans in Progress. The video depicts a colorful roof-top party. Diamonds, animal masks and solo cups are all parts of this visual medley. Watch the video here.

myspace.com/robotanists
robotanists.com
facebook.com/robotanists
overheadrecords.com
robotanists.bandcamp.com