Monday >> Ben Harper recorded Lifeline in a studio in Paris, directly after his European tour. As a result he and the Innocent Criminals have put together an album from the heart and at the top of their game that captures his signature modern take on classic soul music. Kick back with them and Piers Faccini tonight at the Warner Theater. $40, 8 p.m. >> Canadian post-punk instrumental rockers, Do Make Say Think have moved... more ›

As the warmer technically-spring-but-still-cold-as-hell days arrive, so does a slew of festivals and events. Marking its fourth year, D.C.'s Six Points Music Festival kicks off this week. If the schedule and general planning approach this year are any indicatoin, it looks to be a much more cohesive and promising event than it has been in the past. The young festival has grown from a no-name event looking to champion the local music, to finding... more ›

As our Gothamist friends picked up back in 2005, 28-year-old comedienne Jennifer Dziura is a pretty funny gal. After reading her bio, I quickly realized that I wanted to be her. The Dartmouth philosophy grad is a human smorgasbord, with past stints as a contraceptive tester, naked model for miscellaneous art schools, trapeze assistant, dot-com entrepreneur, and occasional comedy writer for McSweeney's and the Idiot's Guide to Jokes. Every Monday she emcees Williamsburg’s “Spelling Bee"... more ›

Back when Death by Sexy first appeared in D.C.–showcasing music that resembled a bizarre mixture of The Ramones during their gutsier anthems, Motorhead and The Misfits, if they had sung about traveling the universe impregnating groupies with their rock–the band started out playing the smaller D.C. venues, like Staccato and Velvet Lounge, and during their shows you might have heard some hipsters laugh. The laughs were usually uneasy because they weren’t sure if they... more ›

It's been a fun three months for us here on the DCist music staff, ever since we debuted the Three Stars local music feature. We've been to lots of shows, heard tons of great music, and discovered just how many great acts there are out there in the Washington area. And we're only just getting started. As we said in the first Three Stars ever, we're going to keep doing this until we run out of bands, albums, DJs, buskers, and possibly jukeboxes. more ›

This is the third entry in this week's Three Stars local music roundup. Check out Tuesday's piece on Death By Sexy and yesterday's take on Barakus. Today Jason Linkins spreads the news about Full Minute of Mercury. Pictures are from Full Minute of Mercury and Earlash, respectively. more ›

This is the second entry in this week's Three Stars local music roundup. Click here to read yesterday's piece on Death By Sexy, and be sure to check back tomorrow for our take on Full Minute of Mercury. Today, Amanda Mattos discusses Barakus. Barakus If we weren’t sure we were seeing a local band, it only took one sweeping glance at the audience to identify it as such. Rather than throngs of hipsters peddling for... more ›

Today, DCist would like to introduce Three Stars, a feature in which three local music acts are viewed, reviewed, and interviewed. The feature will run every few weeks, for three days, until we run out of notable local musicians. Today Catherine Andrews discusses Death By Sexy. This version of Three Stars will continue Wednesday with Barakus and Thursday with Full Minute of Mercury. Death By Sexy Oh lordy, we thought, as a man leapt up... more ›

MONDAY: >> In one of the strongest bills of the summer, the Pixies and Bloc Party (at left) take the stage at Merriweather Post Pavilion. Gates are open at 5:30 p.m. >> Local rockers Greenland and City-State hit DC9 with Richmond band Conshafter for $6. TUESDAY: >> Arlington punk quartet Four Letter Lies plays with local glam rockers Death By Sexy at the Black Cat. 9 p.m., $5. THURSDAY: >> Bloc Party, post sharing the... more ›