Are you a local band? Did you release a full length album in 2011? Did we forget to review it? If you answered yes to the first two questions, the answer to the third is probably also an affirmative. Oops. Our bad. We're sorry. We'll do better in 2012. Still, since "we'll do better" doesn't sound much like a retroactive "we'll review your album," relax. We'll do that, too. Here are some brief thoughts on the local LPs that we'd meant to analyze earlier. more ›

Photo and story by DCist contributor Valerie Paschall Leave it to Travis Morrison to throw a CD release party, but forget to order CDs. Morrison shrugged it off, offering up several suggestions of places online (including a half-kidding nod to Napster) from where the audience could pick up his latest release, All Y’all. It’s this quirky charm that makes his live show so engaging; Saturday night’s show at Iota would’ve been worth the ticket price... more ›

FRIDAY: >> Starting tonight, George Mason Stadium plays host to the region's annual D.C . College Cup. The soccer teams of George Washington, American, Howard, and George Mason will square off in two rounds of games. Though the tournament is conspicuously missing national powerhouses UMD and UVA, the event will still showcase some of the best young talent around. GW and AU kick off tonight's slate (5:00 p.m.), with Howard and GMU rounding the night... more ›

FRIDAY: >> We will be hard pressed to find a better drinking buddy this Friday night than Freddy Noe, son of Booker Noe and great-grandson of Col. James B. Beam. For those not in the "Noe," this is the family that gave us Jim Beam. Whiskey fans can pay homage to Freddy, Master Distiller Emeritus and Jim Beam brand ambassador (uh, where can we apply for that job?), from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on... more ›

>> Fort Reno has The Caribbean, Len Bias and The Ardennes. But the National Weather Service has a Severe Thunder Storm Watch from 2 to 9 p.m., so you might want to hedge your bets and make a back-up plan. >> Ohio's alt-country rawkers Two Cow Garage stop by the Red and the Black tonight, with Minneapolis' Birthday Suits and Richmond's Clint Maul for what should be a loud, fun show all around. $8,... more ›

Matthew Byars is trying something different. The band member of local rockers and former Three Stars act, The Caribbean, has launched his own micro-record label. Pitched as "B-sides only," the Baltimore-based West Main Development plans to release a series of albums by local artists that highlight all of the tracks unworthy of a typical release. It is intended to be a raw sampling and a more intimate perspective of the music making process. In retrospect this all sounds like a fresh and interesting approach to local music, but can b-sides alone bring a band out from their townhouse recording studio and into the spotlight? We got a hold of The Foreign Press’ first EP release, Cramped Leisure, and discovered that artsy and improv is a nice extra but only after you’ve successfully established your sound. more ›

MONDAY >> As much as we'd like to crack whiplash jokes, apparently the joke is on us as thrash metal group Slayer plays the first of two sold-out shows at the 9:30 club (the second is on Tuesday). As one of many sold-out 9:30 club shows this week, we can only suggest Craigslist if you don't have your ticket to this headbanging extravaganza. 7 p.m. TUESDAY >> Local experimental darlings Hand-Fed Babies, with their unique... more ›

Monday >> Hear the man behind the sound. Don Zientara runs Arlington's legendary Inner Ear Studio, and has been behind the board for more of this town's seminal punk records than we can count. But it turns out after all these years that Zientara is also an excellent songwriter in his own right. His 2003 collection of stripped down solo tunes garnered solid reviews, and he is joined by Sentai and Shift tonight at the... more ›

MONDAY >> "It" band of the month Arctic Monkeys are headlining a sold-out show at the 9:30 Club with Delaware’s eccentric pop ensemble http://www.crackerbox.net/audio/spintoband/">Spinto Band. Fear not, though. NPR.org is webcasting the show starting at 8:30 p.m. as part of its ever growing and always impressive concert series. So gather around the laptop with the kids, and listen to the latest "greatest U.K. rock band of all time" play in our very own backyard. >>... 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 ›

MONDAY >> Ris Paul Ric, formerly of Q and not U comes solo to the Black Cat back stage. 9 p.m., $7. >> A little emo pop never hurt anybody, neither did pretty pretty lead singers (see photographic evidence). Leave your pretentions at the door and check out the All American Rejects and Rooney tonight at 9:30 (it's sold out, but Craig may be able to cut you a break). Join your friendly neighborhood 17... more ›

It's been a fun three months for us here on the DCist music staff, ever since we debuted the Three Stars local music feature. We've been to lots of shows, heard tons of great music, and discovered just how many great acts there are out there in the Washington area. And we're only just getting started. As we said in the first Three Stars ever, we're going to keep doing this until we run out of bands, albums, DJs, buskers, and possibly jukeboxes. more ›

Today brings the final installment of the November Three Stars, a sit down interview with the Routineers, Three Stars' first encounter with D.C.'s legendary label, Dischord. Tuesday we reviewed The Caribbean's new album, Plastic Explosives. Yesterday we interviewed DJ Will Eastman. Three Stars will return in December. more ›

Today we bring you the second installment of the November Three Stars, an interview with DJ Will Eastman. Yesterday, we reviewed Plastic Explosives, the new album from The Caribbean, and tomorrow this Three Stars will conclude with coverage of the Routineers. DCist Kyle Gustafson assisted in the preparation of this piece. DJ Will Eastman Since 1998, DJ Will Eastman has been haunting the clubs of DC, spinning the newest and best in pop (indie, Brit,... more ›

Welcome to the November edition of Three Stars. Tomorrow, we'll have an interview with DJ Will Eastman, on Thursday we'll take a look at the Routineers, and today we discuss The Caribbean and their recently released album, Plastic Explosives. Plastic Explosives, The Caribbean We want to get the details out of the way first. The Caribbean is a local band, composed of members of a handful of local acts past and present, including Townies, Smart... more ›

We successfully sailed the ocean blue and are back with this week's shortened music picks. TUESDAY >> It's an early show/late show kind of night at the 9:30 Club (directions from DCist Maps). Come by at 6 p.m. to catch Anna Nalick, the songstress TV networks love to dramatize commercials with, for $15. Pound a Red Bull and stay for the late show as Blues Traveler gets all your harmonica lovin' ya yas out. $25,... more ›

While a small wine bar and restaurant on the beach in South Carolina may have very little to do with Washington D.C., it was this DCist’s summer vacation destination. A unique behind the scenes experience and extensive conversation with the head chef of 11 Center Street Wine and Gourmet (full disclosure: owned by this DCist's mother) proved the source of much inspiration. This tapas restaurant on Folly Beach has been kicking out upscale small plates... more ›