One interview, some very angry reactions and around a hundred comments about whether or not he was right or not later, and Spike Mendelsohn had little choice but to respond to his comments claiming that "it is nice to be in a second-tier city where you can be a big fish in a small pond." more ›

The name "Shat Shorts" sounds like an indicator of a joke, especially considering that the single they premiered on One Track Mind was called "Liveblogging the Loss of My Virginity." But Shat Shorts is not so much a joke as it is a good time. more ›

Portland punk band The Thermals makes progression look easy. Beginning with its 2003 lo-fi debut More Parts Per Million, the band has gradually expanded its sonic palate with each subsequent album, be it 2006's epic The Body, the Blood, the Machine or 2009's death-centric Now We Can See while retaining its core identity: explosive energy, loud guitars, sing-a-long choruses, all delivered in three minutes or less. more ›

Bands like Buildings make genre identification a near-pointless exercise. There's no discernible song structure to a Buildings song, but yet they seem too well constructed to be the loose jams. Some of their guitar rhythms have the intensity of post-rock instrumental bands the but unlike post-rock, Buildings doesn't ease you in. The first notes on their EP Endless come quickly and the drums add another dimension of speed, racking your brain before the tempo drops. The songs twist and turn but never seem to meander pointlessly and while there might be hints of familiarity in the melodies (there are hints of everything from Bach to Tortoise) this doesn't sound like anyone else. Furthermore, the psychedelic projections they use during their live sets add another level of intensity to an already impressive sonic experience. So, we'll dispense with attempts at labeling and just keep it simple: Buildings is amazing. more ›

Before their set on Friday night at the Black Cat, Atlanta's Black Lips sat down with DCist to discuss travel, filibusters, their love of the Maine Avenue Fish Market, and robotripping. The show was everything that band is known for -- fast, fun, exciting and tight. Though the band generally trades in three minute thrashers, it has a decade's worth of material to draw from, and played a good long set for the packed main stage crowd. With the help of a really cool projection show, stage divers and a seemingly endless supply of beer explosions from the crowd, this was not your normal head nodding, toe tapping kind of D.C. concert. People came ready to, well, rock 'n' roll, and the band was more than happy to give the audience what they were looking for. more ›

One of the best shows I saw in 2009 was the Grizzly Bear gig at the 9:30 Club in June of last year. But not because of the headliners—because of the openers. Here We Go Magic were unknown to me then, but their technicolor, tripped-out forays into space pop really blew me away that night. The band didn't stay under the radar for long; Pitchfork and others bestowed glowing reviews on their self-titled album, an opening slot on a tour with the Walkmen followed as did a record deal with Secretly Canadian Records. more ›

Since the name Foul Swoops started appearing on bills with local bands we know and like, such as Hume, S PRCSS and The Coathangers, we'd been anxiously awaiting a chance to check them out for ourselves. Upon finally catching their most recent gig, it's clear that they have their priorities straight: songwriting. Foul Swoops's songs layer simple but effective pop melodies in front of plenty of guitar fuzz. When combined with male and female vocal interplay, it's easy to tell that this group has spent time with some old Comet Gain records. more ›

What happens when a Russian-born beatmaking lawyer and a well-regarded local spoken word artist with roots in Jamaica join forces? The answer is Fly Gypsy. The duo of producer Alexei Jendayi and emcee Kowboy Kom has been working together for roughly a year, and at a rather rapid pace. In the summer of 2009, they released The Vodka & Rum Mixtape. Last month, the EP, Change for a Dollar, hit iTunes. more ›

Our occasional series "Secret History" features profiles of classic D.C. albums as a way of looking back at the District's contributions to music over time. This installment takes a look back at Frodus's awesomely spastic F-Letter (Double Deuce, 1996 / Magic Bullet Records, 2003). more ›

When bringing up the rich history of D.C. music, certain names (Gaye, Ellington, MacKaye) and record labels (Dischord, Slumberland) immediately pop into mind. Factory Records is not one of those familiar names. Granted, Factory Records is based on the other side of the ocean and some of the names on that label (like Ike Yard) aren't ones that necessarily ring a bell. However, Ike Yard's Stuart Argabright hails from Arlington and the bands that were influenced by Ike Yard and other Factory Records no-wave pioneers reads like an all-star lineup of no-wave, experimental, and electronic heavyweights. Autechre, Black Dice, Aphex Twin, Liars -- all have Factory Records bands like Ike Yard and Live Skull to thank for opening up the door. more ›

>> The actor who plays Jim Halpert on NBC's The Office, John Krasinski, otherwise known as the boyfriend of every female staff writer at DCist, was apparently onstage with Ben Gibbard at the 9:30 Club last night. Krasinski, who met Gibbard on the set of the upcoming film adaptation of David Foster Wallace's Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, reportedly got a bit drunk, came on the stage and provided a little witty musical banter... more ›

When the Post covered Cricklewood Massive's iPod Jukebox night with a cover story in February we thought the night had surely hit a pinnacle of publicity. Last night we were proven wrong: D.C.'s WUSA 9 sent intrepid reporter Nancy Yamada "in the District" to Cafe Saint-Ex to see just what all the fuss was about. more ›

(From DCist contributor Terrance Heath) more ›