Goooal: The Grand Return Of Indie-Rock Kickers Soccer Team
The thick new single from D.C. indie-rock group Soccer Team is called “Friends Who Know” — and bandleaders Ryan Nelson…
Category: Sounds
First Listen: Small Black, ‘Best Blues’
It’s a testament to Small Black’s knack for pop architecture that the synth-pop band can comment on human folly and loss while still sounding breezy.
First Listen: Chris Walla, ‘Tape Loops’
After 17 years in Death Cab For Cutie, Walla has a solo album full of ambient, hand-crafted, subtly enveloping instrumental music.
Listen: Ex Hex Covers ’70s Garage-Punk Classic ‘All Kindsa Girls’
D.C. rock ‘n’ roll trio Ex Hex has always had one foot in the 1970s, but its latest cover jumps…
J. Robbins On The Revival Of ‘Jawbox,’ His Band’s Final — And Some Say Best — Album
Nearly two decades after the band released its last album, there’s still a mythology around Jawbox. As one of the…
Is It Rap? Is It Jazz? No, It’s TrapHouseJazz, Masego Style
“Blessed.” That is what “Masego” means in Tswana, the official language of Botswana — and 22-year-old multi-instrumentalist Masego picked the…
D.C. Punk Band Hemlines: ‘When You Get On A Stage, That’s A Feminist Act Alone’
The origin story of D.C. punk band Hemlines is straightforward: Two musicians aspired to start a feminist band. So they…
For Banned Books Week, A Playlist Of Provocative D.C. Music (And More)
This post has been updated. Nationwide this week is called Banned Books Week. At the D.C. Public Library, it’s called “Uncensored.”…
Marian McLaughlin Explains ‘Spirit House’ Track By Track
The guitarist offers commentary on each song from her new album, which you can hear in its entirety.
Done Running U Street Music Hall, Will Eastman Rebrands Himself
The most significant thing about “Sugar” by D.C. producer and DJ Will Eastman isn’t the track’s uplifting, well-informed layering of…
First Listen: Wavves, ‘V’
As the leader of Wavves, Nathan Williams has spent five albums grafting big emotions onto a restless runaround of energetic pop-punk and stoner fuzz.
The Mynabirds’ Laura Burhenn: ‘Our Generation Doesn’t Have Faith In Long-Term Love’
The Mynabirds’ Laura Burhenn, a D.C. native, knows how tough committed relationships can be. Her band’s third album, Lovers Know,…
Ace Cosgrove Explores A Classic Sound On New Project ‘Baby Need Food’
“You have to hustle harder than the next person to put bread on the table.” That’s the inspiration behind Baby…
The Beginner’s Mynd Takes A Tyme Machine Back To The ’60s
Reverb has been back for years now, but psychedelic-rock trio The Beginner’s Mynd takes a different road than its shoegaze-loving peers. The D.C….
First Listen: Underachievers, ‘Evermore: The Art Of Duality’
The Flatbush, Brooklyn rap duo explores the concept of opposites, both complementary and contradictory, on their sophomore album.
First Listen: Los Lobos, ‘Gates Of Gold’
There are no guidebooks for aging rockers who want to stay creative after countless tours, recording dates and songwriting sessions. But Los Lobos could probably write one.
First Listen: Youth Lagoon, ‘Savage Hills Ballroom’
A sensitive, trembling soul, Youth Lagoon’s Trevor Powers mixes precision and poise with a sense of being forever on the verge of falling apart.
First Listen: Dungen, ‘Allas Sak’
The paths forged by the boundary-pushing Swedish psych-rock band have gotten harder to define, but they’re also more rewarding to follow.
Nature Boi’s Mom Wanted Him To Be An Electrical Engineer. He Pursued Hip-Hop Instead.
It’s been said that music is a form of therapy. That’s as true for listeners as it is for musicians….
La SalvadoReina Wants To Jumpstart Salvadoran Music In D.C., One Cumbia At A Time
Lots of young women dream of being pop princesses. Cindy Zavala didn’t. Instead, she went straight for the throne. As…