The indie buzz surrounding Brahms is slowly filtering out of the New York City bubble, garnering more and more attention and attracting new fans across the blogosphere. Headed by indie music vet Cale Parks (Joan of Arc, White Williams, Aloha), this trio produce a complex cacophony of percussion, synths, and guitar. Their dynamic electro-pop/rock seems in the vein of Animal Collective but less experimental. Other times it strikes a more complex and uptempo Chill-wave vibe. And sometimes it’s dark, brooding, pulsing synths recall Depeche Mode. Throughout, their energetic vocals can be likened to the rhythm and structure of MGMT’s musical magic. Brahms‘ forte has to be their percussion, as Cale’s precise overlay of different beats, drums, and various tempo transitions helps lay the driving backdrop for some quality electronic music. Big things are ahead for these guys, and I’m hoping they get to DC soon. Don’t take my word for it though, have yourself a listen below.
I’ve recently traded e-mails with John Davis, formerly of DC darlings Q And Not U and Georgie James, and now doing solo work under the stage name Title Tracks. I was able to get his take on the DC music scene among other things; you can check it all out below. John recently released his debut solo album It Was Easy to the joy of fans and critics alike. Davis’s repertoire and new album is full of straight-up, uber-catchy, grooving rock ‘n’ roll tunes. He struts his stuff most effectively when he let’s the former-drummer inside him drive the songs, packing a pulsing punch of energy into powerpop songs like “Every Little Bit Hurts” and “Steady Love.” John brings his melodic energy and scientific-like song craftsmanship to U Street Music Hall on Sunday @ 9PM, with DC up and comers The Points opening. Should be one hell of a show! See you there.
Brooks: Have you played U Street Music Hall before? If so, what did you like? If not, what are you expecting/excited/worried about?
J: No, this will be my first time playing there. I’ve been by before, though, so I know what the place is like and am really looking forward to the show. I have a lot of respect for the venue and its ethos, so hopefully it’ll be somewhere that bands will play frequently in the future.
Brooks: What was the most enjoyable non-DC crowd you’ve played for in the last couple years? Favorite non-DC venue?
J: D.C. is my favorite place to play but there are plenty of good spots elsewhere, too, of course. On the tours that we did this spring, I liked Gallery 5 in Richmond, Bottom Lounge in Chicago, Vera in Seattle and Golden West Cafe in Baltimore, among other spots.
Brooks: What new DC bands have we/I/your audience not heard about yet, but are going to make some press in 2010?
J: Hard to say if people know about them or not, but some of the D.C. bands that I like best are The Points, True Womanhood, Foul Swoops, The Cheniers, Edie Sedgwick, Imperial China, Casper Bangs and Roofwalkers, among others.
Brooks: What DC band have you particularly enjoyed sharing the stage with?
J: We played with Authorization back in May, which was the second show we’d done with them. I like them a lot. They’re pretty different than we are, musically, but I like shows like that.
Brooks: With your acclaimed solo-work as of late, do you see yourself to continue forging into new musical ground alone, or are you eager to collaborate more in the coming year?
J: I’m writing a new record right now and I’m doing it the same way as the last one, where I write all of the parts myself. I do definitely think I’ll collaborate with people again in the future, though. I always like working with other writers and seeing what comes out of it. I figure that I’ll just go back and forth on that in the future, depending on the project and what I’m up for.
Brooks: Do you get the sense that DC is no longer going to be known for it’s hardcore scene, or are you leading a power-pop revival, or is its reputation slowly becoming more of an alt-folk / indie-avant-folk-rock / americana kind of town? Or is the scene too eclectic to pigeon hole it like many try to do?
J: I don’t think the current D.C. scene has a national reputation right now but there are a number of good new bands in town and hopefully they’ll get out there and tour and get known. The various scenes from the past will continue to cast a long shadow but I’m sure bands will continue to emerge from D.C. and make themselves known.
Brooks: Where do DC artists go to get a beer and get away from the stage? Do DC bands hang out together a lot at some super secret club where you come up with evil plots of musical anarchy?
J: Well, I’m not especially social, so I’m probably the wrong person to ask about this. I’m sure there are some bands that hang together but I’m not sure where. I’m friends with people from all aspects of the local music scene — bands, DJs, promoters, writers, etc. — but I only really tend to see most of those people out at shows.
Brooks: And finally a random one, do you have a favorite lawn sport? I love lawn sports, so this is more for me. Any good lawn sport stories (horse shoes, corn hole, bocce, etc)?
J: If I had to choose one, I’d pick horseshoes, but I don’t think I really have a lawn sport of choice. I love playing sports but none of them really take place on the lawn. Tennis, hockey, baseball, etc
Crystal Castles‘ music video for “Celestica”, the first release off their upcoming self-titled sophomore album, features Alice Romp sauntering around a graveyard while Ethan Kath smears warpaint all over his face (Bryce Harper would be proud). Both the video and track have an ethereal aura reminiscent of early Royksopp and are most certainly a sign that Crystal Castles are ready to move into a post “Airwar” era.
Continually pushing capacity at U Street Music Hall, Will Eastman’s forward-looking dance party, Bliss, returns on Saturday, June 26th with special guest DJs Stereo Faith and vAnniety Kills. For nearly a decade, Bliss has ignited a fire among its patrons with a no attitude, just fun and “insane dancing” agenda. It’s mission statement is to get it’s patrons in trouble, intoxicated and in love. This time, with local DJ and Black Cat resident Stereo Faith (known for his high energy monthly dance parties, “Sorted”) and vAnniety Kills, Bliss is set to reach a new peak of uninhibited stark raving dancefloor madness with a pumping selection of house, indie dance, electropop, techno, club and punk music. Eastman’s debut single, “Feelin’” has consistently been Plant Music’s top seller on Beatport in 2010.
Be sure to arrive early.
Hope to see you there!
BLISS dance party
Saturday, June 26th
U STREET MUSIC HALL
1115 U Street NW (look for the canopy halfway between 11th & 12th St.)
10:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
18+ $10
Way back in 2007, Montreal native CFCF (Michael Silver) entered his remix of Crystal Castles’ “Air War” into an official remix contest. Not only did he win the contest, but he followed it up with a multitude of high profile releases, remixing both The Presets and The Teenagers. On June 29th, CFCF will follow up his debut album Continent with the Drifts Remix EP on Paper Bag Records. Expect the same vintage feel CFCF consistently delivers, incorporating drifting minor melodies into nu-disco pop.
I’m not going to lie, I missed the boat in 2004 when Funeral was released. At that point in my life, I was only just beginning to understand there was more than the Grateful Dead and The Beatles in the world of music. Luckily, I was older, more mature, and more musically aware by the time the hype storm surrounding Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible rolled through town. But unfortunately, the release was a huge disappointment. However, I had the brains to go back and grab the release that put them on the map, just to see what all the hoopla was about in the first place. I’ve been addicted ever since. Forever one of the great indie rock albums, I could listen to “Tunnels” and “Haiti” and “7 Kettles” and “Wake Up” (not to mention the rest of the album) over and over again without growing bored. Arcade Fire has the strange ability to combine solid indie rock musical chops and a beautiful and unique anthemic quality that makes for driving, emotionally-charged, often-bombastic indie-rock theatrics. Their unique style (and long hiatus in between records) has fans all over the world, including me, giddy and bouncing around their rooms in anticipation of their newest release The Suburbs in August. For our sanity, or for cruel teasing, the band has released several sneak preview tracks. Sounds like they’re back to their same old tricks as some of the more experimental, daring, and brave musicians out there, and I couldn’t be more pumped. Check ‘em out below. I’ll see y’all at Merriweather Post Pavilion on August 6th!
If you’ve ever seen Bluebrain live, you’ll know that their aesthetic endeavors have the two brothers exploring and pushing both sonic boundaries and the visual landscape. When performing live, their haunting and multilayered electronic music, rich in deep tones and timbres, textured with interesting instrumentals and various string arrangements, and characterized by dynamic transitions in pace and rhythm, is often accompanied with strange and mystifying visual effects, making them just as much of a performance art act as it is a music show. So if you’re looking to be wholly stimulated this Saturday night, check out their interactive live performance at The Fridge (Rear Alley @ 516 8th St SE (Capitol Hill) tonight at 8PM. They’ll be teaming up with other artists and even you (if you pre-download the iPhone app) to produce some killer music and some dynamic art. Who knew dancing to electro music could be so intellectual.
Straight outta Munich (and now spelled with two l’s), Moullinex brings the disco heat on his debut EP Superman out on Gomma Records. The EP features 3 massive original tracks with complimentary remixes from Lorenz Rhode, Xinobi and Munk & Rodion. And if you aren’t familiar with Moullinex, do yourself a favor and download dude’s remix of Cut Copy’s “Lights & Music” (an all around gem).
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