First Listen: Windhand, ‘Grief’s Infernal Flower’
The Virginia metal band’s third album transcends era and genre, thanks to the group’s ear for deceptively infectious songwriting — not to mention Dorthia Cottrell’s gutsy, hypnotic voice.
Category: Sounds
First Listen: Telekinesis, ‘Ad Infinitum’
Michael Benjamin Lerner’s fourth album as Telekinesis is what happens when a songwriter recognizes a bout of artistic lethargy and uses it as an opportunity to challenge himself.
Jason Mullinax Explores An Alien Groove On ‘Octopus Tree’
On “Octopus Tree,” a recent composition from Takoma Park musician Jason Mullinax, imagery and music come together in vivid harmony:…
Music For Silk Robes: Abhi//Dijon’s New EP, ‘Stay Up’
Atmospheric R&B duo Abhi//Dijon still has a low profile locally — the pair from Ellicott City, Maryland, hasn’t played many…
Rapper Aye Yo Smiley: ‘You Don’t Always Have To Have A Hook’
With her natural and vibrant flow, it would seem that D.C. emcee Aye Yo Smiley — real name Marisol Alcalde…
First Listen: Jonas Kaufmann, ‘Nessun Dorma: The Puccini Album’
With a muscular, mahogany-colored voice, one of the today’s finest tenors sings his way through the hits and lesser-known operas by Puccini.
First Listen: Ben Folds, ‘So There’
The ambitious singer and pianist splits his new album into halves: one recorded with the New York classical ensemble yMusic and one 21-minute “Concerto For Piano And Orchestra.”
First Listen: Low, ‘Ones And Sixes’
Intimacy, unease and aggression coexist in bracing, beautiful ways throughout Ones And Sixes, which feels as intimate as a whisper over pillows and as obtuse as transmissions from a faraway satellite.
Animal Collective To Drop An Album Recorded Live At 9:30 Club
In June 2013, big-deal experimental-pop band Animal Collective played a sold-out, three-night run at D.C.’s 9:30 Club. If you’re a…
GEMS Is No Longer A D.C. Band, But We’ll Try Not To Hold That Against Them
Circa 2012, dream-pop duo GEMS sounded refreshing amid D.C.’s somewhat conservative indie-rock scene. With floaty songs like “Pegasus” and “Never…
Bugging Out: His Dad Is An Entomologist, But Brain Rapp Has Hip-Hop Dreams
One of hip-hop’s most commendable qualities is that it gives voice to a diversity of narratives. In the lyrical tradition…
Rapper And ‘Trap Hipster’ Layla Khepri Goes ‘Jurassic’
Self-proclaimed “trap hipster” Layla Khepri does it big — dinosaur big, as seen in the rapper’s new music video for…
DTMD Sees Its Future, But The Maryland Hip-Hop Duo Is Also Willing To ‘Wait’
There was so much enthusiasm beneath DTMD’s 2011 debut album Makin’ Dolllas that it’s hard to believe the Prince George’s…
Inside An Explosive Relationship With D.C. Punks Gauche
A complicated and possibly dangerous relationship takes center stage in “Boom Hazard,” a danceable declaration of self from Gauche, a…
On A Hooky New Single, Clones Of Clones Wants To Be ‘Somebody Else’
D.C. indie-rock outfit Clones of Clones is in the process of building hype for its first album — Monster Heart, out Oct….
The Sound Of ‘Straight Outta Compton’ — Courtesy Of A Maryland Producer
The bottom-heavy, trunk-rattling rap music that came out of California in the ’90s blew speakers — and the mind of hip-hop…
First Listen: Maddie & Tae, ‘Start Here’
With a sound rooted in rich vocal harmonies and acoustic instrumentation, the young country-pop duo explores a sense of living in between childhood and the next thing.
First Listen: Beach House, ‘Depression Cherry’
On its fifth album, the Baltimore duo still finds a way to settle jangled nerves and transport listeners to a warmer, softer, easier place.
First Listen: Yo La Tengo, ‘Stuff Like That There’
Amid two invigorating new songs and three fresh renditions of Yo La Tengo classics, nine wide-ranging covers are performed with varying degrees of sweetness, sadness, silliness and joy.
Call It ‘Trap Gospel’: Pilate’s Synthesized Soul Music
Maryland soul group Pilate describes its new track “1000 Leagues” as a song “for the struggle” and “the spirit of…