Hume's music is incredibly thought-out. It has to be. It's impossible to combine such disparate influences as prog-rock, free jazz and Afro-beat and achieve such a unique result without putting in significant mental energy. Yet, for all its debt to complex composition, the most impressive thing about Hume's first fully realized recording, Penumbra, is its keeping of rock and roll's rawer essence. Penumbra is emotional, but never sterile. As it twists and turns, unearthing new layers as tight polyrhythms give way to grandiose soundscapes, Penumbra still maintains a spirit of spontaneity. more ›

The Sonic Circuits Festival of Experimental Music came to its conclusion on Saturday, the same night that many other District residents attended some free event out in Columbia. While one of the highlights of the festival is the caliber of the talent that comes in from overseas (such as Magma, Merzbow, Fennesz and Richard Pinhas), a large chunk of the festival lineup hails from the D.C. metro area and Sonic Circuits regularly showcases these artists throughout the year. The third District of Noise compilation almost succeeds in being as sonically wide-reaching as the festival lineup, while also giving D.C. residents a taste of the very talented local experimental music community. more ›

It's hard to believe it's been a year since Telograph's first EP, Little Bits of Plastic (review). Since the release of that recording, the band has gone on to build a name for themselves in the D.C. music scene and play shows with Gomez, Robbers on High Street and O.A.R. We gave them the *** treatment back in '06, so it warms our hearts to see them doing so well. Now with their second release, Telograph EP, we're predicting bigger and better things for the band. more ›

As always with the end of summer, there have been slim pickings in the art world, and most galleries are banking on you using Labor Day weekend for one final trek to sunny beaches. We scrounged up a few options for those of you sticking around town, which you may want to consider using as a warm-up for next week, when the fall art season opens with a bang. >> G Fine Art is warming... more ›

Monday >> Canada’s post-punk four piece Uncut just released their latest album Modern Currencies in the U.S. on July 17th and will be at DC9 tonight with special guest Patrick Krief of The Dears. Just like their name says, they are raw: loud, bold, and off the wall. Check out the stopmotion animated video for their recent single, "Darkhorse" which includes a fire bombing Ronald McDonald and an army of pissed off Care Bears. 8p.m.,... more ›

Saturday at the Rock and Roll Hotel. Dr. Dog with The Teeth and Hoots and Hellmouth. $12. Doors at 8:30, Music at 9:30. Depending on the circles you run in, Dr. Dog are either busy working a tired formula of lo-fi and late-period Beatles nostalgia or are one of a host of Philly groups artfully resurrecting the heady psych-pop era of the late 60s and early 70s. Both camps need to do themselves a favor... more ›

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How does a band that hasn’t released an album in six or seven years tour the U.S. and pull in large crowds at venues like the 9:30 Club – all without the financial support of a record label? Two words: Matt Sharp. more ›

You may recall a little fun we had back in March with a campaign to name the song "Come to Washington" by Lincoln Ross the city's unofficial anthem. To jog your memory a bit, we here repeat the song's first verse: more ›

MONDAY >> His life is brilliant. His love is pure. And if you want to hear British pop singer James Blunt call you “beautiful” in person at the 9:30 Club tonight with The Boy Least Likely To, you’re going to have to try your luck on Craigslist, because this show is sold out. >> Iota hosts a triple 80’s Brit pop, garage rock inspired lineup with DCist Three Stars alum, The Bonapartes, with Metropolitan and... more ›

This is for all of those musicians out there. You've only got a few more days to get your submission in for the third annual Six Points Music Festival, showcasing live music at venues throughout the D.C. area April 6 - 8. Get those tracks loaded onto MySpace, pony up your $5, and enter for your chance to play at this very cool festival. Participating venues include DC9, Iota, Jammin' Java, Rock N Roll Hotel, Staccato Lounge, The State Theater, Strathmore, Velvet Lounge, Whitlow's, Clarendon Grill, Galaxy Hut and more. You've got until this Sunday (January 15) to send in your submissions. For more information, visit www.sixpointsmusicfestival.com. more ›

If there is one thing you can rely on the internet for (other than DCist and abundant pornography) it is a near infinite stream of trends and buzzwords. As the internet grows beyond its humble roots as a military communications network and porn depository, it not only expands, but matures, which inevitably leads to a blizzard of hype. So as media and data shed their traditional forms and continue to evolve online, it is important... more ›

Last night’s Teenage Fanclub show got off to a very rough start. The band took the stage to muted applause around 10 PM and launched into "It’s All in My Mind", a track from their new album Man-Made. At least, that’s what the setlist DCist scored said the first song was. And it very well might have been, but we can’t be sure because it sounded like one big bass guitar note with some incoherent mumbling under it. Not good. The 930 Club rolled the stage forward to compensate for the smallish crowd, but it sounded like someone forgot to tell the soundman, who was trying to fill up half the club with the full soundsystem. The sound stayed a muddled mess for the next few songs as well. At first we thought it might be where we were standing(way up front, stage left), so we went upstairs and tried both sides of the balcony, but that didn’t work either. While we were wandering around trying to find a sweet spot, Gerard Love stepped up to the mic to sing "Starsign" and it sounded so bad that we seriously contemplated leaving. more ›

In addition to the HFStival announcement, there are a few other bits and pieces floating around -- and we'd just hate ourselves if we didn't tell you about them. First off, an eagle-eyed reader let us know that tickets for the Bright Eyes/The Faint are already on sale. Though the two shows on Thursday, May 26 and Friday, May 27 haven't been posted on the 9:30 Club's home page, you can hit up their sales... more ›

From DCist contributor Catherine Andrews: more ›