Ever wonder what it's like to be a band out on tour? And by "band out on tour" we don't mean U2 or even Scott Stapp. We mean bands that load in themselves, play their show and then get in the van and drive all night to the next gig. D.C.'s own These United States is such a band. Criss-crossing the country, playing upwards of 100 shows a year with bands like Califone, Someone Still... more ›

It was a night of long band names at the Black Cat's Backstage on Thursday, with Missouri's Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin and Chicago's Chin Up Chin Up. We've written about both bands before, and the place was sold out, something we don't see too often, aside from Beck. Statisticians would argue that us writing about them --> sold out show is not a causal relationship, but we're glad both bands are getting some... more ›

>> We realize it's been a while since we stirred the pot on Butterstick mania, but there's a new way to celebrate your love for all things panda. Keds has their own (surprisingly cute) panda shoes. No, they're not made of real pandas, but these canvas creations might be some comfort after Tai Shan is ripped from our grasp and shipped off to China this fall. more ›

If you were at the Rock and Roll Hotel Tuesday night, you hit the blogged-out-of-obscurity jackpot. Two very talented, little-known bands from the Midwest, Chicago’s The Changes and Springfield, MO’s Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin gave indie music mavens some fresh material to talk about. more ›

Monday >> Milwaukee-based indie pop quartet Maritime will be bringing their brand of sweet melodies to the Rock and Roll Hotel accompanied by the Swervedriver-inspired rock of Kansas City's The Life and Times. We rarely get to make a Swervedriver reference, so enjoy it while you can. 8 p.m. >> Drive-By Truckers' frontman Patterson Hood drops by the area for a show at the Birchmere in Alexandria. If you're not familiar with the live stylings... more ›

It's been a...weird week for D.C. music lovers. Fur flew over the dos and don'ts of ticket sale announcements. Strange things were afoot with venue booking. We all got twitterpated about Unbuckled. Before we move on to telling you about some things to look forward to, may we just say how much awesome Nethers brought to the Black Cat's back stage last night? This is a truly great band, D.C. or otherwise. They've got well written songs and match that to their synergistic live show. You simply can not take your eyes off of Nikki West when she sings, and the band is so in synch when they're playing instrumental portions, it almost looks choreographed. We wish them all the luck one little blog can muster as they set off on their seven week tour, hitting a few ist cities along the way. more ›