After listening to local artist Carol Bui's Everyone Wore White, released earlier this month on 54º 40' or Fight! Records, one gets the feeling that she would have been a superstar if the album came out in 1995. Owing more to P.J. Harvey and post-grunge than Lily Allen or Feist, the album seems like an out of place throwback as far as the mainstream goes. What we are left with is a strong effort......

2001 was a good year for Radiohead clones. Muse released their second album, Origin of Symmetry, to the fanfare of British rock critics. Coldplay finally attained mainstream success in the United States. And Travis cemented their international popularity with the Nigel Godrich-produced The Invisible Band. Meanwhile, in Denton, Texas (about as far away from Oxford as you can get), five jazz students at the University of North Texas released an EP under the name Midlake.......

>> Mic Harrison (formerly of Superdrag) brings some alt-country goodness to the Velvet Lounge tonight, with The High Signs and Julie Ocean (ex-Velocity Girl). Show starts at 9 p.m. >> SILVERDOCS is in its first full day, so head on up to Silver Spring to check out a wide array of documentary film on offer. We'd recommend Oliver Hodge's Garbage Warrior at 8:45 p.m., about New Mexico architect Michael Reynolds, who builds homes out......

Is the theatre world crying out for five plays centering around Vice President Dick Cheney? It's certainly a topic that hasn't yet been done to death artistically. But in You Don't Know Dick, a group of short plays being workshopped for the Capital Fringe Festival, the debate is less over whether the topic is valid and more on whether these works have anything new to say. Some certainly are worth the minimal time investment they......

Well, it wasn't the storm we had in 2003, but after a January that struggled to hit the freezing point, it was nice to see that we haven't completely gotten rid of winter. Yet. Also, coming this Friday, a high in the 60s. This week in DCist, we brought you our tips for doing Valentine's Day right. There was plenty to discuss regarding the District's ongoing attempt to build the new baseball stadium on South......

Behold the power of Broken Social Scene (and constant touring). When Feist made her first stop in town last May she played to a half-full room at the Black Cat opening for British Sea Power. A few more stops through town in '05 and a mere eight months later she is headlining the Cat and sold it out to boot. The crowd inside was a mix of hipsters and um...people that don't go to many......

It's a pretty slow Monday in the District, so watch 24, talk about how boring the Superbowl ads were, and prepare for an invasion of the sounds of 90s television over the course of the coming week. TUESDAY >> Got metal? The Giraffes play the Cat tonight with Skeleton Key and promise "pure metal joy," and lots and lots of volume. 9 p.m. on the backstage, $7. >> For the parents in the readership, Barney......

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......

Put Your Hands on Standby NYC blog rockers Clap Your Hands Say Yeah made a few ripples through DCist the last time they came to town. Have they honed their live show any more since the last time around? Or, as some people would say, learned to play their songs yet? These observations and more will be yours to make on March 8 as they play the 9:30 Club. Tickets are available through the CYHSY......

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......

DCist had a very tough choice to make last night. We were definitely going to a concert, but which one? Icelandic mood rockers Sigur Ros in Baltimore? Sweet singing Canadian chanteuse Feist at the Birchmere? Scottish indie rockers Idlewild at the Black Cat? We were in quite the predicament so we had to check our concert going guidelines which clearly state, whenever in doubt, go see the band with the Scottish accent. So Idlewild it......

MONDAY: >> Local indie rockers The Bonapartes and high school group Sid Space (despite their youth, we hear good things) are at the Galaxy Hut in Arlington. Free! TUESDAY: >> The Lucksmiths, who play twee-ish guitar pop straight outta Australia, come to DC9. Check out an mp3 here. Ladybug Transistor opens. $10. WEDNESDAY: >> iPod DJ Night, now officially over a year old and still going strong, is downstairs at Saint Ex this evening. THURSDAY:......