MP3s Archives

At work but still sick. Hence my brevity.

Things I'm loving right about now

• Leap Day!


• Tissues with lotion in them.


• Ted Leo emailing me to tell me he likes the new design of the leafblower. Best.


• PJ Brown.


• The prospective Allen - Alien backcourt.


• Last night's LOST episode. Holy Fuck.


• The High Places LP 03/07 - 09/07. Saw them and loved them last year at Whartscape.


• Panda Bear's Person Pitch. Gruff played me the first song off this album on the tour bus in D.C. It's amazing, like a Beach Boys side project produced by DJ Shadow.

Things I am rather "meh" about right now

• SXSW. I do not care what artists you have playing there.


• Traveling again this weekend.


• Citibank canceling my debit card to "protect my checking account" from identity theft. That's great, but how about telling me before you do it next time, okay?


• Coughing up green stuff.


• Still being sick after three days.

Here are some of the links that have been clogging up my inbox during my work-imposed blogging hiatus.

[mp3] The Mountain Goats | Sax Rohmer #1
New record HERETIC PRIDE out now.

[mp3] The Whigs | Right Hand on My Heart
Heard nothing but good things about this band, mostly from this guy. They start a short tour with the Spinto Band in the next few days.

[mp3] Ghostland Observatory | Dancin' On My Grave (Let There Be Vinyl remix)
At the 9:30 Club on March 29th.

[mp3] Nik Freitas | Sun Down
My friend (yes I'm a name dropper) Jim Fairchild can't say enough good things about Mr. Freitas. Instrumental Analysis concurs.

[mp3] These United States | First Sight
Local boys finally doing some good away from home. Can't recommend these guys enough, but you can see for yourself in March.

[mp3] Say Hi | Northwestern Girls
[mp3] Say Hi | Toil And Trouble
[mp3] Say Hi | Zero To Love
I am loving Say Hi's new album The Wishes And The Glitch. Droney, dream pop at its best. Playing the Black Cat on March 4th. I'll be there.

[mp3] Dead Meadow | I'm Gone
[mp3] Dead Meadow | What Needs Will Be
Unofficial favorite band of the Super Furry Animals. Bunf never shuts up about them.

[mp3] Bowerbirds | In Our Talon
Played the Black Cat on Sunday.

[mp3] The Big Sleep | Bad Blood
New Record, Sleep Forever, out February 19th.

[mp3] Say Hi | Northwestern Girls
Hitting D.C. on March 4th at the Black Cat. New album The Wishes And The Glitch, in stores February 5th.

[mp3] The Whigs | Right Hand on My Heart
Their album, Mission Control, is out January 22nd.

[mp3] Headlights | Cherry Tulips
New album Some Racing, Some Stopping out on Polyvinyl on Feb. 19th.

[mp3] Del the Funky Homosapien | Bubble Pop
Eleventh Hour to be released on March 11th via Definitive Jux.

[mp3] Bodies of Water | I Guess I'll Forget The Sound, I Guess, I Guess
U.S. tour With Sons & Daughters starts in February.

Also, about that Yeasayer/MGMT show...Yeasayer is totally not my thing. I like music with, you know, actual hooks, which were not exactly in plentiful supply when they were on the stage. MGMT, on the other hand, were fabulous. They're a total anachronism, an indie band from Brooklyn straight out of the 70's mixing Mercury Rev with Spinal Tap (seriously), CSN, Christopher Cross and Hall and Oates. I don't know if I would sit around and listen to their CD, but they were great live. I would definitely go see them again.

Also, big ups to the Black Cat for putting on a great show. Everyone was making this big fuss about getting the show upstairs in the main room, but Yeasayer went so far as to say they like playing small rooms more right now and it was actually a really smart move on their part. Instead of a barely half-filled bigger room, we got an intimate and cozy performance that left people wanting more. And for the record, there were plenty of people there just to see MGMT.

The show was not oversold (which pleasantly surprised me given the ticket demand) and there was plenty of room to move about near the back of the room. The sound in the Backstage has also improved by leaps and bounds. Other than maybe the Beck show from last year, that was the best sounding show I've ever heard in the Backstage. It's easy to tell the club has made some major improvements to that room.

Thankfully I have a pretty slow week coming up as far as shows go. I'll be checking out The Soft Complex tonight at the Cat as well as ex-Gorky's Zygotic Mynci frontman Euros Childs on Wednesday. I'm debating on checking out Neil Young later in the week but I don't want to go if he's only going to play new stuff. I REALLY want to go see Ghostface and Rakim on Sunday, but it's the late show (Doors at 10) and I figure they won't even go on until well past my bedtime. Shame. That I'm an old man that is. Here are the rest of the week's shows.

Monday:

> VHS or Beta w/ Moving Units & Soft Complex @ Black Cat
- Click here to download The Soft Complex's "Barcelona"
> Bruce Springsteen @ Verizon Center

Tuesday:
> Against Me! w/ Sage Francis @ 9:30 Club

Wednesday:
> Deborah Harry w/ Kristoffer Ragnstam @ 9:30 Club
> Euros Childs @ DC9
[MP3] Euros Childs | The First Time I Saw You
[MP3] Euros Childs | Billy and the SugarLoaf Mountain (live)
[MP3] Euros Childs | Teen Angel

Thursday:

> Enon w/ Love of Diagrams @ RnR Hotel
[MP3] Love of Diagrams | The Pyramid
[MP3] Love of Diagrams | Pace or the Patience
> Neil Young @ DAR Constitution Hall
> The Reverend Horton Heat w/ Hank III & Nashville Pussy @ 9:30 Club

Friday:

> Georgie James w/ Aqueduct @ Black Cat
[MP3] Georgie James | Need Your Needs
[MP3] Georgie James | Cake Parade
> Ani DiFranco w/ Buddy Wakefield @ 9:30 Club
> The Bird and the Bee @ RnR Hotel
> Neil Young @ DAR Constitution Hall

Saturday:

> Clap Your Hands Say Yeah @ RnR Hotel
[MP3] Clap Your Hands Say Yeah | Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood
[MP3] Clap Your Hands Say Yeah | Love Song No. 7
[MP3] Clap Your Hands Say Yeah | Underwater (You and Me)
> Electric Six w/ Willowz @ Black Cat

Sunday:

> Ghostface Killah w/ Rakim & Brother Ali @ 9:30 Club (late)
> Broken Social Scene Plays Kevin Drew's Spirit If @ 9:30 Club (early)
> Clap Your Hands Say Yeah @ RnR Hotel

After the sheer numbers of great shows that graced the city last week, this week is bound to be a let down for D.C.-area concert fans, even more so now that The Decemberists have cancelled their tour, including four, count 'em, four shows at the 9:30 Club that were scheduled to start later this week. I wonder if the club will be able to book other shows to replace them or if it will be dark during those days.

I'll be taking it fairly easy this week. On my plate: The Police, Superdrag and Bright Eyes along with the Wizards v. Nuggets game on Friday.

Monday:
> Rogue Wave @ Black Cat
> The Police @ Verizon Center

Tuesday:
> Menomena w/ Illinois @ Black Cat

Wednesday:

> Olivia Mancini & The Housemates @ DC9
[MP3] Olivia Mancini & the Housemates | I Wouldn't Worry

> Dr. Dog @ DC9
[MP3] Dr. Dog | Ain't It Strange
[MP3] Dr. Dog | Worst Trip

Thursday:

> Sia @ 930 Club (early)
> Superdrag @ 930 (late)
> Peelander Z w/ The City Veins @ DC9
> Juliette & The Licks w/ Scissors for Lefty | Ghetto Ways
[MP3] Scissors for Lefty | Lay Down Your Weapons

Friday:
> White Rabbits w/ Via Audio and Bellman Barker @ DC9

Saturday:
> Mousetrap @ Black Cat

Sunday:
> Bright Eyes w/ the Felice Brothers & Nik Freitas
[MP3] Nick Fretias | Sun Down
[MP3] Nick Fretias | Come To Me