Ballou HS Rocks the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Morning Roundup: Black Friday Edition
Photo of the Day: November 27, 2009
Caps Thankful for Varly in 2-0 Win
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Monday
>> Hear the man behind the sound. Don Zientara runs Arlington's legendary Inner Ear Studio, and has been behind the board for more of this town's seminal punk records than we can count. But it turns out after all these years that Zientara is also an excellent songwriter in his own right. His 2003 collection of stripped down solo tunes garnered solid reviews, and he is joined by Sentai and Shift tonight at the Black Cat backstage. 9 p.m., $8.
>> The Galaxy Hut is putting on free shows every Monday, and tonight it's the Cleveland Cavaliers (Michael Kentoff from The Caribbean) and Sad Crocodile. No, we haven't heard of them either, but that's the point of free shows, now isn't it? So show your appreciation to the 'Hut for giving everyone an inexpensive option for discovering new music and take a chance on the unfamiliar.
Tuesday
>> Tuesdays aren't exactly prime show slots, but at the Black Cat this week, Tuesday night holds one of those bills where every band promises to make you glad you stayed out on a school night. First up is the punchy, punky pop of the Oxford Collapse, the best performance by a previously unknown band this reviewer has seen this year. They're followed by energetic Aussie rockers The Grates, who get as much props from us for posing in photos with a huge My Little Pony as they do for their catchy sound, and headlining the whole affair are DCist favorites We Are Scientists. 8 p.m., $15.
>> If rootsy, straight ahead rock is what you like, you'll want to find yourself at Iota for Matt Mays and El Torpedo. Fresh from a set of opening dates for nouveau classic-rock veterans Marah, Mays & company are headlining this time around with help from locals The Bourbon Dynasty. 8:30p.m., $10.
Wednesday
>> Home recorders get out of the bedroom and onto the stage as Jakuta and Carl, Disposable Thumbs, and J. Forté + the Secret Pop Band perform at DC9. Local indie-popper J. Forté takes the organic route as members of Lejeune and the Breakups will assist him in performing tunes from his brand new solo record, Secret Pop, while Chicago's Disposable Thumbs (aka Zach Lewis) and DC's Jakuta and Carl (aka Joe Jakuta) will perform solo with laptop accompaniment. 9 p.m.
>> Often overshadowed by D.C.'s more headline grabbing post-punk acts, heavy stoner-rock acts seem to thrive around here with surprising frequency. Nihilitia, who bill themselves as "stoner glam", play the Velvet Lounge with Chance and Radio War. We want to go just to find out exactly what that term even means.
Thursday
>> Angela Desveaux is an alt-county chanteuse from Montreal who's just released a debut album that has been garnering rave reviews. We don't know what is it about the water in Canada that makes for lady country singers that make our hearts melt, but we hope they keep drinking it. Swoon at DC9 Thursday as Desveaux plays with Revival and the Starlingtons.
>> Last year Evan Dando returned the Lemonheads (which is, at this point, pretty much him and whoever he asks to play with him) to their punk roots by hiring two former members of the Descendents to be in the band. We're a little disappointed that we won't get to see those guys rock out on "Mrs. Robinson," since they're not in the touring band. And while the new record is, well, kind of lackluster, we're sure Evan will not disappoint those gathered at the Black Cat to relive their Gen X glory days with all the favorite sing-alongs from It's a Shame About Ray. 8 p.m., $17
Friday
>> Continuing with the alt-country slant to things this week, locals Last Train Home start a three night stand at Iota on Friday, including a solo set from former Jayhawks keyboardist, current LTH member, and Vanderbilt University rock 'n' roll professor Jen Gunderman. LTH have a loyal following, and we're fans of any country band that has a Ramones banner in their practice space. 9 p.m., $13.
>> Experimental indie hip-hoppers Sharkey and C-Rayz Walz have joined forces to create a monster. Or, a Monster Maker at any rate. They'll break in the Rock and Roll Hotel's brand-spankin' new sound system (being installed early this week) on Friday with Trans Am's Sebastian Thomson and his electro-funk outfit Publicist. Guaranteed to get even the stiffest D.C. booties shaking. $10
>> House music aficianados can't seem to get enough of prolific UK duo the Littlemen these days. Lucky for us, they will be dropping their highly danceable deep house mixes at Gua Rapo this Friday. And DCist cares about your budget. This is the second free show on the Agenda this week. You can buy us a beer to thank us. 9:30 p.m.
Saturday
>> Unbuckled alums Middle Distance Runner open up the Black Cat mainstage for Snowden, who were part of a show put on by our good friends at Gothamist, and ¡Forward Russia!, a Leeds band who should be great if they put the same amount of thought in their songwriting as they do into their graphic design and oddly conceptual song titling. 9 p.m., $10.
>> Most of us may only know bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley from his bone-chilling a cappella reading of the standard "O Death" from O Brother Where Art Thou? But Stanley, who turns 80 in February, is a giant of the genre, and is considered one of the great innovators of the banjo. He plays at the Birchmere with his Clinch Mountain Boys Saturday night. 7:30 p.m., $35.
>> Jaxx presents the Death By Decibels Tour: including grindcore/metal legends Napalm Death, and a whole host of other bands, one whose logo is so ornate we couldn't even make out the name. Without a doubt, too much metal for one hand. 6 p.m., $18 in advance, $20 at the door.
Sunday
>> Gothic cellocore fans unite at the 9:30 Club for Rasputina, mainstays of the extremely small sub-genre of cello-only bands. After over 10 years and five records, what at first seemed like a clever gimmick has turned out to be a consistently inventive and unique group of musicians under the guidance of lead Rasputine Melora Creager. Opening are Aberdeen City, who we interviewed in the spring. $20.
Non-Calendar Item
Rock and Roll Hotel closes its doors tonight through Wednesday and possibly Thursday to revamp their sound system. We applaud the effort to improve sound at any venue in the city, even if it's coming at one that, at four months old, has barely been open long enough for us to be very bothered by bad sound.
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"No, we haven't heard of them either"
-The Caribbean have been profiled in your very publication, and mentioned a number of times. Archives check?
You're absolutely right. Shame on me.
The Caribbean were the subject of a Three Stars feature in November of last year.
..............and....at DC9 New York Indie Fav's Mancino and Sam Champion are playing on saturday night!
Can someone tell me what an alt-country chanteuse is?
Patrick:
Alt-country.
Or, you can listen for yourself here.
Damien Rice at the Lincoln Theater on Sat night!