Let's get this out of the way: Whether you like it or not, Annie Leibovitz is an American Icon. Her intimate portrait photographs of the famous are so pervasive that even if you don't know the name, you're guaranteed to have seen her work, and lots of it. She began her career with Rolling Stone magazine when it was in its infancy, photographing the musically talented, and quickly became known for her deconstruction of human... more ›

Music can be just as good in another language — just ask, say, Skid Row fans in Moscow. The same is true for Bonde do Role's shows in the States. The trio from Curitiba in southern Brazil sing mostly in Portuguese, and while the meaning of the lyrics doesn't come across, the band's booming beats, goofy samples, and high energy stage antics (dancing, writhing, humping each other) make for a sweaty, ridiculous time. The group,... more ›

Written by DCist contributor Maria Flores Sometime in the early 1970s, when the photographs in Melody Maker, NME, and Rolling Stone were no longer enough to satiate his appetite, Claude Gassian swapped his guitar for a 35mm camera and took to the road with his finger on the shutter button. So began his photographic conquest to document the lives of some of his favorite musical artists. Over three decades later, his photographs stand alone as... more ›

MONDAY >> A year ago, Rolling Stone called The Whigs one of ten bands to watch and "the best unsigned band in America." The Athens, GA trio has since been taking their pure rock-and-roll on the road in support of Give 'Em All a Big Fat Lip, winning comparisons to the Replacements, the Strokes, REM, and the Drive-By Truckers along the way. The break hasn't come yet, but we've got a feeling it could... more ›

, the audience found just about every moment of the work uproariously funny. Was it because the lines were genuinely clever? Was it because they agreed so wholeheartedly with the author's liberal stance? Was it a much-needed release after enduring years upon years of injustice from the Bush administration? It's hard to say, but it begs the question whether the play would receive the same reaction from a demographically different crowd. more ›

MONDAY >> If you're not high-tailing it to the Maryland end of the Orange line to see the Redskins take on the Vikings, you may want to pay the Black Cat's backstage a visit to see The Whigs. This trio from Athens, GA has been called the "best unsigned band in America" by Rolling Stone. $8, 9 p.m. >> The haunting, violin-driven alt country of the Black Swans is coming our way. Catch these boys... more ›

It's usually pretty hard to get the crowds at the Black Cat to dance, but Philly/Florida mash-up DJ Diplo and two bands from Brazil, Bonde do Role and Cansei de Ser Sexy, did it pretty easily on Sunday. Openers Bonde do Role (which Google translates to something like "rolling tram," though it might be slang) got the dancing started with their big bass, pretty obvious samples (AC/DC, Alice in Chains and "The Final Countdown") and... more ›

What Al Gore has done for global climate change, Jeff Goodell is trying to do for coal consumption. The Rolling Stone and New York Times Magazine contributor is ready to scare the crap out of you as he reads from Big Coal: The Dirty Secret Behind America's Energy Future at Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. at 7 p.m. more ›

This review written by DCist Contributor Matt Sedlar more ›

This week in music, love is in the air and reality TV invades the District. MONDAY >> Kick off your week with the GZA and the RZA as the Wu Tang Clan works the 9:30 Club tonight, Shaolin style. If you weren’t able to get tickets to the earlier sold out show, a second later set has been added as part of the ODB Tribute Tour for $50 a ticket. First show -- 7 p.m.... more ›

This week in music is all over the place, going from indie, to folkie, to blues, and yes, modern rock. more ›

Brooklyn's Clap Your Hands Say Yeah have spent the bulk of 2005 as this year's model of the Indie Rock Critical Darling. Their self-titled debut album -- itself a lean and mean platter of exuberant pop -- found its way into the marketplace with backing from several of the more respected MP3 blogs and critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, who put them on their Hot List earlier this year. From there, the raves were amplified... more ›

Looking for a few good shows? Our music picks for this week follow. TUESDAY: >> The Carlsonics (pictured at right) continue their month-long Tuesday night residency at DC9. Read the DCist review of their performance here. With The American Watercolor Movement & The Heartless Bastards. $6. THURSDAY: >> Noise Against Facism: The Inauguration got you down? You should head over to the Black Cat tonight, where for $12 you can see Mirror/Dash, a duo of... more ›

A very chatty Stephen Patrick Morrissey took the stage at the DAR Constitution Hall at 9 p.m. last night and watched the crowd go crazy as his backing band launched into the seminal Smiths hit “How Soon is Now.” He looked particularly dapper in a red blazer and dark pants. When the band completed the song, he told the crowd “Thank You. Thank you. It’s good to be back at the 9:30 club” in... more ›

From DCist contributor Rebecca Walters: more ›