Despite the multiple accolades some of us have given Death Cab for Cutie's live shows in the past, sometimes, the band's lo-fi stylings and muted yet upbeat melodies just don't quite do it for all of us. A lot of times, their albums -- though plenty and successful -- always seem to leave us wanting a little something more. Last night however, not only did we get that little bit more, we were converted into... more ›

Monday >> The hordes will flock to DAR Constitution Hall this Monday night to mark the return of Death Cab to D.C. with Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. They recently added a second, Tuesday night show, but feel free to take your pick, as tickets are still available for both days. $34, 8 p.m. >> It’s black Monday in the district, as the nominal antithesis of the White Stripes, The Black Keys, complete another 2-day... more ›

We know that rock 'n' roll has now been around long enough to be the subject of serious academic study. We can accept college level classes devoted to the cultural impact of punk, the influence of the artistic fringe on the work of the Velvet Underground, and the inventive and complex harmonies in the collected work of the Beatles. But doesn't there have to be a line somewhere? What I really want to know is... more ›

Barcelona, the sparkly new EP from Virginia’s Soft Complex transcends easy genre labeling. Containing three original tracks and their remixes, one could (and this one does) describe the disc as offering the best of Ben Gibbard. Ben who? Why Ben Gibbard, the force behind indie darlings The Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie. Like the beloved Portland quartet, Soft Complex explores love, loss and lost love. Taking a quasi-literary apprach, the songs feel... more ›

It's not everyday that you'll see droves of angst-ridden youth and adults marching down 17th St. in unison to DAR Constitution Hall. But last night's lineup of two of the most esteemed bands in indie rock (with openers The Cribs) brought the masses to this seemingly odd choice of venue. Interestingly enough, while the tickets sold out almost immediately, there were plenty of empty seats and many scalpers outside before the show, frantically trying to pawn off what was previously perceived to be in high demand. It's unfortunate for real fans who weren't able to go that those just trying to make some cash robbed them of this opportunity. But if you were one of the few who hung around and picked up a last minute ticket, you got to rock out as Scotland's Franz Ferdinand proved that no matter what song they're playing, you need to dance to it and Death Cab For Cutie brought out the audience's inner Seth Cohens. more ›

MONDAY >> The 9:30 Club has enough hotness going on tonight to shut down for the rest of the week. Luckily, they're not, but tonight will still be one hell of a night for music in its hallowed halls. Kicking things off with the early show are The Sounds, female-fronted Swedish rockers, peddling what we call indie and the rest of the world calls pop, much to the delight of reviewers 'round the Web. Touring... more ›

TUESDAY Are you so pissed off at DCist for our marginal abetting of the Death Cab pre-sale sellout that you’re just busting to express your righteous hipster indignation in unrhymed dactylic hexameter? Rail against the machine, dude, at Busboys and Poets' weekly open mic “session.” It all goes down tonight at 9 p.m. Tickets are handed out “approximately one hour” before, and they cost two dollars. Hmmm. We recommend “Indig Nation” as the new name... more ›

FRIDAY: Canadian supergroup Stars wowed Death Cab for Cutie fans when they opened their show last year at 9:30 Club, and now they return as headliners to set the Black Cat stage on fire. Of course, this concert has been sold out for ages, and the desperation for tickets on Craigslist is palpable. We'll see you fellow lucky bastards in what will no doubt be a breathtakingly long will-call line. For the rest of you,... more ›

While most of us here at DCist are still basking in the warm, awesomeness-infused light of Unbuckled, there are a few other things going on in the music world. As we're sure most of you have already heard, the heralds of the hipster era, most commonly known as The Strokes, are bringing their First Impressions of the Earth tour to D.C. Dates have been added to this much anticipated tour slowly, but we finally got our fair share of Fabrizio. The show's at DAR Constitution Hall, so if you didn't get tickets to the Death Cab/Franz Ferdinand show, it's all our fault, and we'd like to make it up to you. Strokes tickets are on sale right now, and the presale password is: yeahrightsucka. In all seriousness, tickets go on sale March 3rd. more ›

A couple of months back we posted information on a pre-sale for tickets to see the Foo Fighters in a special, one night only show at the 9:30 Club. Needless to say, our decision wasn't met with kind words from the band's "real" fans, who proceeded to leave us all types of dirty comments and even went as far as to post the address of yours truly on a 9:30 Club Forum thread. So when... more ›

We already knew that Ben Gibbard is a romantic. Leave it up to him to open up ticket sales to Death Cab's show with Franz Ferdinand (on April 11 at DAR Constitution Hall) on Valentine's Day. I don't know about you, but I think my heart just grew three sizes. At 1 p.m. today, you can go click to click with the rest of the city's hipsters to try and snag a pair of tickets.... more ›

Tour News So, you're bummed that Arctic Monkeys tickets sold out. So are we. Nobody's gonna have any idea how we look on the dance floor, and we find that upsetting. But we're picking ourselves up and dusting ourselves off, because one monolith of an indie tour, two much anticipated bands and a couple other cool shows are coming to a venue nearby. The big tour announcement of the week goes to the power-bill of... more ›

FRIDAY more ›

Before delving into the week's picks, we want to point out a couple of hurricane benefits that are happening this week. This Thursday, come out and support musicians affected by hurricane Katrina. The State Theater in Falls Church hosts the Hell or High Water Benefit, featuring the legendary Chuck Brown. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door, with all proceeds benefitting the MusiCares Katrina Fund. 7 p.m. If you're feeling philanthropic as... more ›

We here at DCist go to a lot of concerts. A trip to the 9:30 Club is usually less "event of the season" and more "Wednesday." Last night's Stars and Death Cab For Cutie show was a resounding exception. This is one we're not gonna forget anytime soon. Both bands put on nearly flawless shows that really raised the bar. more ›

>> Everybody loves a bargain. Sign up for the 9:30 Club e-mail list and catch all the fun of two shows this weekend for half the price. Let The Force be with you on Friday night with Jedi Mind Tricks, or get your crush-worthy lead singer fix with Will Hoge, Army of Me and friends-of-DCist Bicycle Thieves on Saturday. >> Canadian indie rock: it's so hot right now. The New Pornographers have been luring... more ›

A day late, but no tickets short. The 9:30 Club finally released its grip on a slew of sought after tickets yesterday (no, not Death Cab). Spit shine your credit card and get yours before they’re gone. more ›

Travis Morrison is probably on the road right now, somewhere between Atlanta and Florida, getting ready to play yet another show in front of his, um, shall we say, devoted fans. For the past 10 years he was the front man for the much loved D.C. emo/power pop/punk quartet The Dismemberment Plan, but recently took the big leap and went solo. His debut album, travistan, is out in stores and avilable from Barsuk records. A... more ›

With gorgeous if slightly brisk weather, we hope you were able to get outside sometime today. In order to save precious fall weekend time, we present a concise news update: - Expect Metro delays on the Red and Blue Lines - Read the Post on yesterday's Red Line failure - You might have spotted the AIDS Walk Washington downtown earlier - "Freak dancing" has ignited a controversy in Loudoun County: administrators are requiring students... more ›

In a city like D.C., you're probably seen these around: "November 2" t-shirts. The shirts are the product of the National Voice Coalition to encourage people to vote this November. The blog of a local tech company noted that users of Yahoo's messenger service can now dress their avatars in "November 2" t-shirts. more ›

Because we like to keep you in the know, here's an updated list of upcoming shows, through middle of October or so (if we've missed anything, please let us know!). A couple of DCist-ers will be in attendance at the Thrills show tomorrow night at the Black Cat, so come on out! 9/17: Lungfish, Black Cat 9/18: The Thrills, Black Cat 9/23: The Walkmen, 9:30 Club 9/24: Fiery Furnaces, Black Cat 9/25: Travis Morrison, Galaxy... more ›