ShowlistDC Music Notes: Thursday 03-22-12

We’ve gotten some feedback that we should change our section headers on this blog, so we’re going to be testing out some formatting over the next few days. If you like (or hate!) what you see, feel free to let us know, either with a comment on this blog or an email to showlistdc@gmail.com.



Notes from Last Night


Last night, I went out to the Black Cat to see Bowerbirds. The show itself was lovely, but I really couldn’t hear much of anything above the audience chatter. I guess that’s becoming the norm now, but seriously: especially at quiet shows, if you want to talk, please just move to the back! I couldn’t understand why so many people were holding loud conversations right underneath the stage. Maybe people figure that once they’ve paid their $15 cover, they can do whatever the hell they want to, even if it’s completely disruptive to everyone else in attendance– and to the band on stage. I went to over 130 shows last year, and I don’t remember a single one being as chatty as the show last night, which is a disappointment for sure.



Articles/Videos


Sweetlife Festival has announced the lineup of its second stage: Delta Spirit, Twin Shadow, Zola Jesus, the Knocks, RAC, U.S. Royalty, Yuna, Corey Haim, LP, Cut Copy’s Ben Browning, and Bluebrain. Jonathan L. Fischer reacts [Washington CityPaper].

Scott Crawford is putting together a documentary of the D.C. punk scene from 1980 to 1990 and needs your help, says the Washington Post. The film is slated to be called Salad Days, and you can check out their facebook page for ways to get in touch.

• Speaking of nostalgia, Melinda Newman tells us that the boy band is making a comeback [Washington Post]. She cites One Direction, Big Time Rush, and the Wanted.

Over the past few years, the pop airwaves have been hip-hop-dominated but, during the past several months, the music has segued into rhythmic-leaning pop and then into straight-ahead pop. “Acts like Katy Perry and Rihanna have paved the way for pure pop music’s return,” says Keith Caulfield, Billboard’s associate director of charts. “What’s been missing were girl groups and boy bands. It’s such a good environment for this kind of act in pop music right now.”

• April Fools Day comes 10 days early: Erik Wemple points us to an interview with a Bono impersonator that was advertised as a chat with Bono himself [Washington Post].

• Anne Midgette wrote a lengthy article on a humanitarian group working to bring the National Symphony Orchestra of North Korea on tour in the U.S. [Washington Post].

• Concert planners: DCist’s This Week in Jazz. TBD tells you about free shows this weekend.

• Concert preview: Solo percussionist Colin Currie at Strathmore tonight [Washington Examiner].

• File under ‘we’re not quite sure what to make of this’: Anne Midgette on self-help operas [Washington Post].

• Listen to Fat Trel‘s “Intro (By the Way)” [Washington CityPaper].

Day 12 of Justin Moyer‘s “Edie Sedgwick goes to SXSW” [Washington CityPaper].

• Heavy Uber Alles gives us six heavy tunes every Tuesday. This week’s edition highlights songs that are great for this warmer weather.

• CD Review: DC writer Marc Masters on Imikuzushi by Oren Ambarchi / Keiji Haino / Jim O’Rourke [Pitchfork].



Live Reviews


Robert Battey on Prague Philharmonia at the Kenney Center’s Eisenhower Theater [Washington Post]. Part of the KenCen’s “Music of Budapest, Prague, and Vienna” festival.



Contests


• LiveNation Latino’s Facebook Page has tickets to Franco de Vita at the Fillmore on 3/28. You have to install a Facebook app in order to enter (I didn’t do that, so I don’t know when this contest ends).
Tonight, head out to Fado in Chinatown, where DC101′s Ty Bailey will be giving away tickets to the DC101 Chili Cook-Off.
• The Vinyl District is giving away a copy of Electric Guest’s Troubleman 7″ (white). Winner must have a North American mailing address (contest ends today).
• The Vinyl District is giving away a pair of tickets to see Housse De Racket at the 9:30 Club on 3/25 (contest ends today at noon).
• The Vinyl District is giving away a copy of Rubblebucket‘s Live In Chicago DVD. Winner must have a North American mailing address (contest ends Thursday 3/22).
• The Vinyl District is giving away a three-month Slacker Premium Subscription (contest ends Friday 3/23).
• The Vinyl District is giving away a pair of tickets to Def Leppard, Poison, and Lita Ford at Merriweather Post Pavilion on 7/10 (contest ends Friday 3/23 at noon).
• The Fillmore Silver Spring is using Facebook to give away tickets to Jordan Knight on 3/25 (contest ends Saturday 3/24 at noon).
Darkest Hour is giving away Grindesign art to peopele who “like” this facebook image and page (contest is open until it reaches 1,000 likes).
• DCHeavyMetal.com is giving away a pair of tickets to see Alcest, deafheaven, Black Clouds, and Auroboros at DC9 on 3/29 (contest ends Tuesday 3/27 at 5 PM).
• DC101 is giving away a pair of tickets to Creed at the Warner Theatre on 4/24 (contest ends Sunday 4/15).
• DC101 is giving away a pair of tickets to Nickelback at the Verizon Center on 4/30 (contest ends Monday 4/23).
• DC101 is giving away a pair of tickets to Marilyn Manson at the Fillmore Silver Spring on 5/1 (contest ends Sunday 4/1).
• DC101 is giving away a pair of tickets to the sold-out Radiohead show at the Verizon Center on 6/3 (contest ends Sunday 5/27).
• DC101 is giving away a pair of tickets to Dave Matthews Band at Jiffy Lube Live on 6/16 (contest ends Sunday 6/3).

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ShowlistDC Music Notes: Monday 03-19-12

Stuff to read:
• Roger Catlin rants about Ticketmaster and its annoying fees and policies [Washington Post]. On the stupid fake-words that Ticketmaster makes customers enter, Catlin writes:

The method serves mostly to slow people down by having to retype the barely legible wavy words, while it allows scalpers to buy up every ticket to, say, a Bruce Springsteen show at Verizon Center on April 1 that sold out in one minute according to my computer. Can’t figure out why I got shut out while the local scalper Web site lists literally hundreds of tickets available at prices up to $1,000 each.

The problem is: everybody KNOWS how much Ticketmaster stinks, but if you want to go to a concert at a Ticketmaster venue, you’ve gotta use ‘em.

Artomatic 2012 is still going to be in Crystal City– but at a different venue than previously announced [ARLnow]. Artomatic starts on May 18.
• David Mermelstein on the collaboration between pianist Christopher O’Riley (known for his adaptations of Radiohead songs) and cellist Matt Haimovitz (who is known for playing traditional classical music in non-traditional venues) [Washington Post].
• Book Review: Aaron Leitko on Gary Marcus‘s book Guitar Zero: the New Musician and the Science of Learning (available on Amazon).

In “Guitar Zero,” Marcus uses his musical midlife crisis to frame a discussion of the science of adult learning and music’s effect on the human brain. For the past couple of decades, developmental psychologists have believed that complex skills, such as playing an instrument, are best acquired during brief windows of time, usually in early childhood, when the brain is more malleable.

• Apparently everyone wants to talk to Fat Trel. Chris Richards at the Washington Post interviewed the rapper. Fat Trel was the cover of last week’s CityPaper as well.
• Hamil R. Harris reports on opera singers bringing “Art Songs” back to church [Washington Post].
Day 9 of Justin Moyer‘s “Edie Sedgwick goes to SXSW” [Washington CityPaper]. Also, Chris Richards has his latest SXSW report [Washington Post]. The corporate presence at this year’s SXSW felt oppressive, contaminating the festival’s hallowed musical ecosystem of sharing and discovery. Bemoaners have bemoaned that SXSW has slowly lost its soul over the course of 26 years, but this go-round was exponentially yuckier than last spring’s. Nearly every musical transaction felt sticky with Mountain Dew.
• Live Reviews: Megan Buerger on The-Dream at Fillmore Silver Spring [Washington Post]. Andy Hess on John K Samson at the Black Cat [DCist]. Anne Midgette on Vadim Repin at Strathmore [Washington Post]. Cecelia Porter on BSO at Strathmore [Washington Post]. Stephen Brookes on Folger Consort at Folger Shakespeare Library’s Elizabethan Theatre [Washington Post].

Stuff to win:
• The Vinyl District is giving away a pair of lawn tickets to see the Black Keys at Merriweather Post Pavilion on 5/18. (contest ends today at noon).
• The Vinyl District is giving away a pair of tickets to Vetusta Morla at U Street Music Hall on 3/21 (contest ends Tuesday 3/20 at noon).
• The Vinyl District is giving away a copy of the Big Pink‘s Future This on vinyl. Winner must have a North American mailing address (contest ends Wednesday 3/21).
• The Vinyl District is giving away a copy of Electric Guest’s Troubleman 7″ (white). Winner must have a North American mailing address (contest ends Thursday 3/22).
• The Vinyl District is giving away a three-month Slacker Premium Subscription (contest ends Friday 3/23).

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ShowlistDC Music Notes: Friday 03-16-12

Press about shows for the week ahead:
• Weekend/week-ahead guides: Washingtonian’s Music Picks. We Love DC’s We Love Weekends. Washington CityPaper’s Jazz Setlist [Wailin' Women edition!]. TBD helps you keep it green this weekend. Around the Mall’s Weekend Events. WashPost Going Out Gurus’ Things To Do This Weekend.
• Interview: Stephen Deusner talks to Bhi Bhiman [Express]. At Jammin’ Java tonight with Rosie Thomas, whose new album With Love was reviewed by Mike Joyce [Washington Post].
• Preview: the Vinyl District on the Courtesans, Nunchucks, Cane & the Sticks, and Maple. At the Black Cat tonight.
• Interview: David Malitz talks to Zakir Hussain [Washington Post]. At Jammin’ Java Saturday 3/17.
• Preview: Jonathan L. Fischer on The-Dream [Washington CityPaper]. At the Fillmore Silver Spring Saturday 3/17.
• Preview: Marcus J Moore on Black Alley Band [Washington CityPaper]. At the Rock & Roll Hotel Sunday 3/18.
• CD Review: Mark Jenkins on the Wedding Present‘s Valentina [Washington Post]. At the Rock & Roll Hotel Tuesday 3/20. Preview the album on Amazon.
• CD Review: Catherine Lewis on BowerbirdsThe Clearing [Washington Post]. At the Black Cat Wednesday 3/21. Preview the album on Amazon.
• CD Review: Nancy Dunham on Dave Barnes‘s Stories To Tell [Washington Post]. At the Rock & Roll Hotel Thursday 3/22. Preview the album on Amazon.
• CD Review: Mark Jenkins on Ava Luna‘s Ice Level [Washington Post]. At the Red Palace Thursday 3/22. Preview the album on Amazon.

Other stuff to read:
• Set aside some time to read Ramon Ramirez’s lengthy article about Fat Trel [Washington CityPaper]. Subhead: “For the prankster prince of DMV hip-hop, the authenticity wars still matter.”
• Michael J West and Ally Schweitzer peek in on the new Howard Theatre [Washington CityPaper]. We list the venue’s upcoming concert schedule here.
• CapitalBop remembers bassist Joe Byrd, who helped bring bossa nova to the U.S.
Days 7 and 8 of Justin Moyer‘s “Edie Sedgwick goes to SXSW” [Washington CityPaper].
• Chris Richards reports from SXSW [Washington Post].
• CD Review: Jess Righthand on Marisa Monte‘s O Que Voce Quer Saber de Verdade [Washington Post]. Preview the album on Amazon.
• Live reviews: Stephen Bradley on the Arctic Monkeys‘ opening set at the Verizon Center [Washington Times]. Anne Midgette on NSO‘s “Fidelio” at the Kennedy Center [Washington Post].

Stuff to win:
• The Vinyl District is giving away a copy of Die Antwoord‘s TEN$ION on vinyl. Winner must have a North American mailing address (contest ends today).
• The Vinyl District is giving away a pair of lawn tickets to see the Black Keys at Merriweather Post Pavilion on 5/18. (contest ends Monday 3/18 at noon).
• The Vinyl District is giving away a copy of the Big Pink‘s Future This on vinyl. Winner must have a North American mailing address (contest ends Wednesday 3/21).
• The Vinyl District is giving away a copy of Electric Guest’s Troubleman 7″ (white). Winner must have a North American mailing address (contest ends Thursday 3/22).

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