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 ›

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 ›

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 ›

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 ›

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 ›

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 ›

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 ›