Mary Timony – Bandwidth http://bandwidth.wamu.org WAMU 88.5's New Music Site Tue, 02 Oct 2018 15:23:36 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.5.2 D.C. Rocker Mary Timony Joins Seth Meyers’ Late-Night Band (Temporarily) http://bandwidth.wamu.org/mary-timony-joins-seth-meyers-late-night-band-temporarily/ http://bandwidth.wamu.org/mary-timony-joins-seth-meyers-late-night-band-temporarily/#respond Fri, 29 Jul 2016 21:19:29 +0000 http://bandwidth.wamu.org/?p=67263 D.C. musician Mary Timony already has a sterling rock ‘n’ roll résumé — with her bands Ex Hex, Wild Flag and Helium, the guitar virtuoso has played festivals and roomy clubs all over the world. But next week Timony dives into an even more glamorous gig: She’s temporarily joining The 8G Band, the in-house group for Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Timony will be replacing guitar slayer Marnie Stern on the late-night TV show, hosted by Meyers, formerly of Saturday Night Live. She appears on the show Monday through Thursday (Aug. 1-4).

Asked how she landed the gig, Timony says she goes way back with some members of The 8G Band. She met bandleader Fred Armisen through his Portlandia co-star Carrie Brownstein — Timony’s former bandmate in Wild Flag — and she knows members Seth Jabour and Eli Janney from their mutual years in D.C. (Fun fact: Timony says she met Janney as a teenager, when they played in a “modern music” workshop funded by Marion Barry’s summer youth employment program.)

Timony has to learn eight new songs before the show tapes in New York on Monday. The band plays covers to warm up the audience behind the scenes, she says, but they write new material every day — usually 30-second mini-songs to perform during the show. “I have a big learning curve to go through,” says Timony, who also teaches guitar.

This will mark Timony’s first time playing in a TV house band, but it’s not her first time on the late-night circuit: Ex Hex played Meyers’ show a couple years back, and Wild Flag played The Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night With Jimmy Fallon in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

Timony says she’ll return to the show later this year, too — she plans to replace Stern for much of October and November.

Late Night With Seth Meyers airs weeknights on NBC at 12:35 a.m.

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Take It From Teenage Band Nox: ‘Anyone Can Do This’ http://bandwidth.wamu.org/nox-dc-teen-punk-band-interview/ http://bandwidth.wamu.org/nox-dc-teen-punk-band-interview/#comments Wed, 15 Jun 2016 09:00:58 +0000 http://bandwidth.wamu.org/?p=64879 After a club gig, most bands would expect to get paid with money. But if you’re in a band of high schoolers, sometimes venues try to pay you with pizza.

That has happened to Nox, the emerging D.C. punk trio whose members are still in their teens.

“There’s nothing that really separates us [from other bands] besides our age,” says guitarist and vocalist Anna Wilson, 16. “I think the only limiting thing is that we can’t tour and we have trouble getting paid at times.”

That won’t last forever. The members of Nox know what they’re doing. That’s clear from their music, particularly the band’s latest song. On “Entitled,” the group’s rolling guitar lines, pounding bass throbs and chilly vocals come together for a seasoned, familiar sound. If anything could betray the musicians’ age, it may be their lyrics, which exude a certain millennial ennui.

“Nox is angst-central,” says drummer Claire Lewis, 15.

Wilson, Lewis and bassist and vocalist Stella Green, 18, formed Nox under the guidance of Ex Hex leader Mary Timony. The trio’s music has all the makings of a classic D.C. punk-rock band — head-banging instrumentals, pointed lyrics and production credits from Timony and ex-Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty, whom they met through family and friends — and they’ve already played a few high-profile gigs, sharing the stage with established bands Waxahatchee, Downtown Boys and Priests.

Wilson and Lewis, along with 18-year-old bassist and vocalist Stella Green, have made music together since 2009. They started out playing covers of The Go-Go’s but eventually developed their own material. Green and Wilson wrote their first songs in middle school.

“When I was in the 7th grade, I was getting into a lot of punk music that was political,” Wilson says. “But the thing was, I was in the 7th grade, so I didn’t have a lot of politics. I would just write about how much I hated standardized testing.”

They had always wanted to record their music, but it took some time to muster up the money to do it. So they saved up money from shows and T-shirt sales.

Asked about the band’s savings plan, Green says, “We had a box.”

“It’s a shoebox,” Wilson adds.

In the past few years, Nox has strived for independence, with Wilson handling most of the band’s bookings. She’s also been studying up on how to get a tax ID and fill out W9 forms.

Beyond business, Nox’s love of yesteryear rock runs deep. Lewis’ first concert was Cyndi Lauper and The B-52’s. Green cites a love for Queen and the similarities between her hair and that of Brian May. With shaking hands, Wilson credits Joan Jett for giving her a “formative music-listening experience.”

“The first music that I got passionate about was punk music,” Wilson says.

“[Punk is] best for a live show, too,” Green adds. “It’s very fun and very intense.”

Green leaves for New York University in August, which might put Nox on hiatus. But the band is staying busy in the meantime. Nox has a seven-song release — called Space Candy — planned for this summer, plus plenty of shows.

“Anyone can do this,” Lewis says with a smile. “People think that to get shows and to play music and be a band, they have to be some kind of prodigy or really, really, really amazing or have to know everyone. But it’s really not true.”

Wilson concurs. “It makes me sad to see people who have music in them to think, ‘Oh, I just need to wait for somebody. Something will happen and if nobody reaches out to me, I’m not good enough and I should just quit.’ That’s not true.”

“Make people listen to your music,” the high school sophomore says, grinning.

Nox plays June 26 at VFW Post No. 350 in Takoma Park and July 9 at Hole in the Sky in D.C.

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Listen: Ex Hex Covers ’70s Garage-Punk Classic ‘All Kindsa Girls’ http://bandwidth.wamu.org/listen-ex-hex-covers-70s-garage-punk-classic-all-kindsa-girls/ http://bandwidth.wamu.org/listen-ex-hex-covers-70s-garage-punk-classic-all-kindsa-girls/#respond Mon, 05 Oct 2015 18:15:51 +0000 http://bandwidth.wamu.org/?p=57067 D.C. rock ‘n’ roll trio Ex Hex has always had one foot in the 1970s, but its latest cover jumps into the decade with both.

“All Kindsa Girls,” the catchy opener on The Real Kids’ 1977 debut, was an anthem in Boston’s budding punk-rock scene. The Real Kids were formed by John Felice, who had played in The Modern Lovers early on, and this song later became the name of a documentary about The Real Kids’ evolution.

Ex Hex has covered “All Kindsa Girls” live before and their version also showed up on Merge Records’ limited-edition Or Thousands of Prizes collection, but this is the first it’s been released digitally, according to NME.

Stream this hunk of rock below (and check out Bandwidth’s studio session with Ex Hex if you missed it):

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Watch: Ex Hex Rocks A Rainy Pitchfork Music Festival http://bandwidth.wamu.org/watch-ex-hex-rocks-a-rainy-pitchfork-music-festival/ http://bandwidth.wamu.org/watch-ex-hex-rocks-a-rainy-pitchfork-music-festival/#respond Thu, 06 Aug 2015 18:11:21 +0000 http://bandwidth.wamu.org/?p=55282 Ex Hex, D.C.’s finest rock ‘n’ roll band, is touring relentlessly this year, bringing its screaming riffs to both coasts, the flyover states and Western Europe. One of its highest-profile stops this summer was the Pitchfork Music Festival, the annual jamboree hosted in Chicago by music outlet Pitchfork.

Ex Hex’s July 18 set was reportedly cut short by torrential rain — but Pitchfork managed to capture the band playing “Waterfall” and “Waste Your Time” before the skies opened. Both songs appear on the band’s debut album, Rips. Watch Pitchfork’s two videos below.

Want more Ex Hex? Check out the band’s Bandwidth session.

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Mary Timony Brings ‘Understated Swagger’ To Ex Hex http://bandwidth.wamu.org/mary-timony-brings-understated-swagger-to-ex-hex/ http://bandwidth.wamu.org/mary-timony-brings-understated-swagger-to-ex-hex/#respond Mon, 29 Dec 2014 16:11:00 +0000 http://bandwidth.wamu.org/?p=45300 LOURDES GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:

Mary Timony is a wordsmith steeped in the tradition of rock ‘n’ roll.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “BEAST”)

MARY TIMONY: (Singing) Was it my imagination? Did you come out of the past?

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Timony is 45, making her a kind of rock elder stateswoman. In the 1990s, she was one of the few female musicians to make a name in Washington, D.C.’s male-dominated rock scene. This year, she released “Rips,” a new record with a new band. To kick off our series The Ones That Got Away, stories we just didn’t get around to covering this year, NPR’s Neda Ulaby reports on Mary Timony and her new album.

NEDA ULABY, BYLINE: As a young musician, Mary Timony remembers how thrilling it was to see female punk rockers like Kathleen Hanna storm the stage after growing up on a dudely diet of D.C. musicians – macho guys, like Henry Rollins and Fugazi.

TIMONY: It was just a crazy energy. Kathleen getting in fights with people in the audience and I was just – my mind was just blown. It was really inspiring.

ULABY: Timony made her own name as a powerful presence in two influential indie bands of the 1990s – Autoclave and Helium.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “VIBRATIONS”)

HELIUM: (Singing) Vibrations every day, in the dark you feel OK.

ULABY: Timony’s one of those people who seems taller than she actually is, especially when she’s holding a guitar. Her features are soft and she is white-set green eyes. Four years ago, she joined what was billed as an indie rock super-group with three other prominent musicians – all of them women. Wild Flag put out one critically acclaimed record and accrued a passionate fan base. But Timony says it was sort of a one-off.

TIMONY: It was a fun, wild ride.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “ELECTRIC BAND”)

WILD FLAG: (Singing) All right, say my name. Say it again and I’ll make it rain in…

ULABY: Everyone in Wild Flag lived in different, far-flung cities, complicating rehearsals. And the band broke up after just a few years, when two of its members decided to get their old band, Sleater-Kinney, back together.

TIMONY: It was really hard because I knew that was going to happen for a long time, but I couldn’t say anything about it. People would ask me why the band broke up and I was like well, I don’t know.

ULABY: Nevertheless, critics raved about Timony’s technical brilliance and her rare mixture of showmanship and generosity. She’s brought that quality – what you might call an understated swagger – to her new band, Ex Hex. It’s also, as it

happens, all women.

(ELECTRIC GUITAR MUSIC)

ULABY: They’re rehearsing now in a big, raw, industrial loft space in the suburbs of D.C., running through songs from their debut album, preparing for a tour of the South next month.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “RADIO ON”)

EX HEX: (Singing) You take my love and you waste my time. How can I help it when it sure feels fine? I don’t mind.

ULABY: Mary Timony’s band mates, Betsy Wright and Laura Harris, are both in their early 30s, 10 years younger than she is.

TIMONY: I didn’t really have a specific type of person in mind to play with. I wasn’t, like, limiting it to only women or – you know, only women of a certain age.

ULABY: Timony wrote nearly all the songs on the album, but bass player Betsy Wright contributed a few. She says Timony’s career help her get serious about playing guitar.

BETSY WRIGHT: I’ve been a fan of Mary for a long time. I’d go home and I’d try to figure out her guitar solos and stuff like that.

(MUSIC)

ULABY: Ex Hex reminds rock critic Killian Young of The Ramones.

KILLIAN YOUNG: Just in terms of that fearless energy.

ULABY: Young writes for the online magazine Consequence Of Sound. His favorite track is the album’s single, called “Hot And Cold.”

YOUNG: It’s kind of a slow burning riff, and I was spinning that all summer.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “SO HOT SO COLD”)

EX HEX: (Singing) So hot, so cold. So young, so old. You look at me with snake-like eyes.

YOUNG: You look at me with snake-like eyes. I can’t see through your disguise, kind of about getting mixed messages from a guy.

ULABY: This album juxtaposes uncomfortable emotions and intimate disclosures with big, hooky, power-pop chords. The tension works for Killian Young.

YOUNG: Kind of what I saw was the overarching theme is calling out guys on their bad behavior or being mixed in their messages. I guess it kind of makes me think about how I act in relationships or how I communicate with people that I’m close with.

TIMONY: I tend to have, like, this cynical view of people and maybe, like, the songs kind of – a lot of them are sort of cynical takes on people that I really love.

ULABY: Still, there’s not much that seems cynical about Mary Timony when she’s perched on a stool in her basement completely focused on teaching a teenager guitar.

(PLAYING GUITAR)

ULABY: Timony’s taught guitar for a long time. She’s worked with this student, Anna Wilson, since Wilson was in second grade. Now she’s 15, taller than Timony and wearing a Wild Flag pin on her camouflage jacket. Proudly, she tells her teacher she has a show of her own coming up.

TIMONY: You do?

ANNA: Yeah, I do. Yeah, The Electric Maid. Yeah.

TIMONY: Oh my God, that’s so cool.

ANNA: Yeah.

ULABY: In typical teenage fashion, Anna is too cool to gush about having Mary Timony as her guitar teacher. Timony says maybe that’s because it’s just not a big deal for a woman to be a rock guitarist anymore.

TIMONY: When I was younger, I almost felt like you were like a woman car mechanic or cab driver or something. It’s, like, unusual, like, people, like, look at you weird. But now, I really think it’s so different now.

ULABY: And Mary Timony likes that. Neda Ulaby, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “HOW YOU GOT THAT GIRL”)

EX HEX: (Singing) Maybe I’ve changed but I don’t worry. You’re not going to bring me down. I used to cry, cry, cry. Now I don’t remember why…

Copyright © 2014 NPR. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to NPR. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR’s prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.

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Ex Hex Live At WAMU http://bandwidth.wamu.org/ex-hex-live-for-wamu/ http://bandwidth.wamu.org/ex-hex-live-for-wamu/#comments Wed, 15 Oct 2014 14:09:00 +0000 http://bandwidth.wamu.org/?p=41331 Power-poppin’, guitar-soloin’ Ex Hex has emerged as one of D.C.’s most exciting bands in years, and it’s not only because of the lightning-strong licks that scream out of Mary Timony’s guitar: It’s also thanks to the fact that this group lets itself have as much fun as possible.

There aren’t a lot of big, important messages coursing through the lyrics penned by Timony, the veteran musician (ex-Helium, Wild Flag, Autoclave, Mary Timony Band) who writes most of Ex Hex’s songs. Mostly, she tackles people and relationships, then blows it all out of a cannon preloaded with nails and confetti. Then there’s the rest of the band, hardly sidewomen: Bassist and co-songwriter Betsy Wright burrows right into a groove with effortless cool; and drummer Laura Harris, as focused as an electron microscope, kicks off her shoes to get deep in the zone.

I’d been trying to get Ex Hex into WAMU’s studios for months, but the band took its time in the run-up to its Merge Records debut, Rips. That chunk of noise came tumbling down from rock mountain last week, not long after the band finally stopped by our studio to lay down two wailers from the LP: “Everywhere” and “Don’t Wanna Lose.”

On recording day, the response from inside WAMU HQ gave us a sense of how historic this session would be. Within minutes of Timony’s first solo, staff from WAMU’s Bluegrass Country came in to say they could feel it all the way down the hall.

Mission accomplished.

May Ex Hex’s clamor forever transform nerds into leather-clad rockers! Let it disturb the productivity of a million more office workers! Long live the rock!

Subscribe to Bandwidth’s channel on YouTube, and don’t miss our awesome playlist of every Bandwidth session to date.

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Watch: Ex Hex’s Campy New ‘Waterfall’ Video http://bandwidth.wamu.org/watch-ex-hexs-campy-new-waterfall-video/ http://bandwidth.wamu.org/watch-ex-hexs-campy-new-waterfall-video/#respond Mon, 13 Oct 2014 15:35:20 +0000 http://bandwidth.wamu.org/?p=41194 D.C. rock ‘n’ roll outfit Ex Hex unleashed its debut album last week via Merge Records, and today the three-piece dropped a kitschy, party-hearty and totally fun new video for single “Waterfall.”

Directed by splashy animator M. Wartella, this one follows Ex Hex’s Betsy Wright, Mary Timony and Laura Harris as they hover above D.C. in a rock ‘n’ roll UFO, zapping lames into freaks. It strikes cool into a sanitary worker (Michelle Mae), a dorky tourist (Kid Congo Powers), a bookworm (Francy Graham) and some kind of newspaper-reading square (Alec MacKaye)—and gives them all oddly similar sunglasses.

Most amazingly, this is all based on a true story.*

*Not really.

The video was shot here in D.C., with help from some familiar local names: Toolbox DC‘s Brian Liu (an occasional Bandwidth contributor) and designer/artist Jonah Takagi. Missed Ex Hex’s boisterous, messy video for “Hot and Cold”? Enter the time machine.

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Track Work: The Effects, ‘Blister’ http://bandwidth.wamu.org/track-work-the-effects-blister/ http://bandwidth.wamu.org/track-work-the-effects-blister/#respond Thu, 11 Sep 2014 10:00:13 +0000 http://bandwidth.wamu.org/?p=39201 Devin Ocampo has a name for the speedy, rip-roaring songs he likes the most.

“I’ve always called these types of songs ‘barn burners,'” says the D.C.-based guitarist, songwriter, engineer and drummer. That’s why his new band, The Effects, made its recorded debut with its own barn-burner last week. The song is called “Blister,” and it aligns precisely with Ocampo’s definition of the term: brief and intense—but with one foot planted in melodic songcraft.

“I don’t think there was ever a question that it was going be the first thing we wanted to drop on people,” says Ocampo, 40. He wanted to make a strong impression right away for a band that’s only been playing together—in various forms—since late 2013.

But Ocampo may already be a familiar name in D.C. rock circles: He’s played in Faraquet, Smart Went Crazy, Beauty Pill, Medications, Deathfix and alongside Mary Timony. When he plays guitar, he imparts a bracing and distinct brand of noodlery. It’s a sound that’s inseparable from D.C. indie rock of the ’90s and aughts, and Ocampo has never completely stopped playing it.

“I would say that [The Effects] is a continuation of the same sort of work for me. The songs that I wrote for a rock-trio format I think all have a certain consistency to them,” Ocampo says. “One could make an argument that I could have called it the same thing the whole time.”

The Effects—which includes drummer David Rich (ex-Buildings) and bassist Matt Dowling (Deleted Scenes)—isn’t even Ocampo’s only band right now. He also sings and plays guitar in a fourpiece called Warm Sun with his spouse, Renata, and D.C. music vets Basla Andolsun and Jason Hutto. That band just played its first show last Sunday. But Ocampo seems committed to making The Effects a serious gig.

He plans to do that by recording, then releasing, only a dribble of Effects music each month for a year. The band dropped a digital version of “Blister” (without its B-side, “Old Soul”) on Sept. 1. Next month, “Blister” will be retired from Bandcamp, and the band will upload a new track. Each digital song will also get a cassette release. In the end, the band will probably put it all on an LP—but that doesn’t seem to be the first thing on Ocampo’s mind.

“We just sort of want to keep things interesting and moving forward,” the musician says. “I’ve put out a lot of records doing the whole normal album cycle, where you build up songs and you take six months to write them, and then you try to get financing to get into a studio… then you drop this big weighty thing that you’ve spent all this time on.” He says that people don’t all consume music in album form now, so why follow that old formula? “We’re trying to do all singles, no filler. That’s been our motto.”

Not that listeners should expect a relentless campaign of barn burners from here on out.

“The band has a lot more to say,” Ocampo says. “We do have a lot more nuance in our music. But I thought [‘Blister’] was something to kind of hit people over the head with.”

The Effects play Rock & Roll Hotel with The Life & Times and Tone on Sept. 14. They play a “Blister/Old Soul” release show at Comet Ping Pong Oct. 18.

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Ex Hex Releases New Song, Unveils Album Release Date http://bandwidth.wamu.org/ex-hex-releases-new-song-unveils-album-release-date/ http://bandwidth.wamu.org/ex-hex-releases-new-song-unveils-album-release-date/#respond Wed, 09 Jul 2014 19:41:34 +0000 http://bandwidth.wamu.org/?p=35552 Big news from the Ex Hex camp today: The D.C. rock trio dropped a new song and announced a release date for its debut LP on Merge Records.

The album, Rips, comes out Oct. 7 in the U.S. and Oct. 13 worldwide, and the new track, “Don’t Wanna Lose,” is another blazing power rocker that bodes well for the full-length. Mitch Easter—known for his studio work with R.E.M. and Pavement and his time in the late jangle-pop band Let’s Active—recorded the record.

Ex Hex consists of longtime guitar shredder Mary Timony, drummer Laura Harris, and bassist Betsy Wright (also of Chain & the Gang). The band plays July 24 at Rock & Roll Hotel and Oct. 5 at Black Cat. Get psyched—and stream “Don’t Wanna Lose” below.

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What D.C. Releases To Pay Attention To This Year http://bandwidth.wamu.org/what-d-c-releases-to-pay-attention-to-this-year/ http://bandwidth.wamu.org/what-d-c-releases-to-pay-attention-to-this-year/#respond Mon, 07 Apr 2014 17:11:45 +0000 http://bandwidth.wamu.org/?p=29819 Bandwidth contributors tell us what local recordings they’re most looking forward to in 2014.

Deleted Scenes, “Lithium Burn”
April 15, Park the Van/Nevado

Deleted Scenes’ 2011 breakthrough album, “Young People’s Church of the Air,” shifted the D.C. indie-rock band in a more experimental direction, but the hyperactive “Stutter”—the first single from the group’s forthcoming followup—indicated that the foursome has definitively taken off the parking brake. That song might be the most loopy on the album. But Deleted Scenes’ less madcap singles, like “You Get To Say Whatever You Want,” showcase the skills of producers Brian McTear and Jonathan Low (also known for their work with Sharon Van Etten, Kurt Vile, and The War on Drugs), who have cast off the impenetrable haze of “Young People’s Church of the Air” and sharpened every element on the record—most notably singer Dan Scheuerman’s formidable voice. (Valerie Paschall)

Typefighter, “The End of Everything”
April 22, Huge Witch Records

Since releasing its first EPs, Typefighter has ditched the banjo and acoustic guitars and turned up to 11. Songs like the anthemic single “Much” show that the quartet can do triumphant guitar riffs just as well as Titus Andronicus—though Typefighter hasn’t yet veered into rock-opera territory. But the band still knows how to channel a moment: On the album’s title track and the sentimental “I Like the Way You Are,” they set aside noise and let singer Ryan McLaughlin’s raw voice hang either forlornly (the former) or gratefully (the latter) in the ether adding depth to what is otherwise a perfectly welcome stomper. (Valerie Paschall)

Protect-U, “Free USA”
May 13, Future Times

If “Time 2 Technique” offers a preview of what’s in store for Protect-U’s first LP, “Free USA” should be one of the year’s must-have electronic albums. D.C. musicians Mike Petillo and Aaron Leitko have released tracks here and there, laying a foundation with beats that would get even the most sedentary listener’s head bopping; but now, they seem to have mixed the funky beats that made “Motorbike” so urgent with the twinkling synths that colored their early tracks like “U-Uno” and “Double Rainbow.” There aren’t many albums that can work for people in any mood and any setting, but this could be one of them. (Valerie Paschall)

Gods’Illa, “Believe in Gods’Illa”
June, self-released

It’s still unbelievable when you think about it: That Gods’Illa‘s 2011 project, “CPR: The Blend Tape” was hosted by the great Erykah Badu. That’s not a slight against the Forestville, Md., hip-hop trio. But the famous vocalist’s appearance seemed to validate the group—which spits conscious bars just as ably as lyrics about nothing—and brought more attention to what truly was an excellent tape. Its new album, “Believe In Gods’Illa,” arrives with just as much promise—even without a celebrity endorsement. (Marcus J. Moore)

Priests, “Bodies and Control and Money and Power”
June 3, Don Giovanni/Sister Polygon

On its earlier material, D.C. quartet Priests shredded through angry, political, surf-flecked punk rock—and both releases spoke to the band’s immense potential. Now, having honed its sound and message with incessant touring, the group has become the most promising torchbearer of D.C.’s vibrant punk and riot grrrl traditions. “Right Wing,” Priests’ first single from this summer’s “Bodies and Control and Money and Power” is almost startling in its cleanly produced and spot-on D.C.-via-L7 sound. If the rest of the album is as laden with hooks and sing-along refrains as its first single, the band may have to sink their fingernails into the dirt to keep from being dragged out of the underground. (Ron Knox)

Martyn, “The Air Between Words”
June 16, Ninja Tune

It’s odd to think of Dutch-born house/dubstep/techno producer Martyn as a local artist. The Northern Virginia resident doesn’t play many local dates, and he hasn’t made much of a mark on D.C.’s electronic-music scene since he moved to the area (for love) in 2009. But Martyn is kind of slippery that way anyway; he subtly changes sounds almost as often as he boards an airplane. His second album, the thrilling 2011 LP “Ghost People,” traded in quick-footed, high-energy house music, but his debut LP, 2009’s “Great Lengths,” borrowed a little more from dubstep. For his third album out this summer, Martyn promises yet another shift: something closer to his debut, but still different, he told Resident Advisor. No word on live D.C. dates yet, but I won’t hold my breath. (Ally Schweitzer)

The 1978ers, “People of Today”
July, Mello Music Group

yU is always thoughtful, from his elaborate rhyme cadence to his evocative beats. For his solo work, namely 2010’s “Before Taxes” and 2011’s “the EARN,” yU riffed on daily endeavors and kept an eye toward brighter times. On “People of Today,” yU will join producer SlimKat as The 1978ers—both were born in 1978—for a thoughtful narrative about everyday folks. That’s not surprising, given yU’s low-key demeanor and common-man ethos; there’s a reason he’s called the “humble king.” (Marcus J. Moore)

Warning: This song contains explicit lyrics.

Diamond District, “March on Washington”
September, Mello Music Group

Released in 2009, Diamond District’s “In the Ruff” arrived the same year President Obama took office. But while huge swaths of the city celebrated the country’s first black president, “In the Ruff” kept D.C.’s blight in full view with its grainy beats and raw rhymes. Since then, group members Oddisee, Uptown XO and yU have made significant strides, and “In the Ruff” is considered a landmark album for DMV hip-hop. What will they do for an encore? (Marcus J. Moore)

Warning: This song contains explicit lyrics.

Ex Hex’s debut album
Release date to be announced, Merge

Some of the best parts of Wild Flag’s 2011 LP happened when Mary Timony channeled her inner ’70s crotch-rocker, and Ex Hex is basically that distilled into one band. The trio’s first 7-inch, released last month, is a power-rockin’ blast, especially “Waterfall.” It’s music for leather jackets and Miller Genuine Draft—about fun and not much else—and that’s part of what makes Ex Hex one of the most exciting new D.C. rock bands in years. (Ally Schweitzer)

The Black Sparks’ debut album
Release date to be announced

The term “high school band” usually serves as an excuse for terrible music. But the high schoolers in The Black Sparks have played together for five years, and if last month’s show in Bethesda with Priests, Give and Vile Faith offered any indication, the band’s sound is maturing quite nicely. The Black Sparks established themselves as a solid hardcore act. Now their new material finds them snaking through a more complex (albeit still brutal) instrumental attack rather than merely pummeling the audience with a two-minute adrenaline rush. There’s no name or date for their forthcoming album yet, but they’ve just recorded their material at Inner Ear—a good omen in itself. (Valerie Paschall)

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