While we appreciated Title Tracks' debut last year, it lacked the immediacy vital to fueling its anthemic power-pop. Their follow-up, In Blank, more than compensates with bounce to spare. more ›

It Was Easy is probably the best title John Davis could have settled on for the debut recording from his newest project, Title Tracks. The album is a quick listen, full of breezy, light-hearted pop songs that recall the tempo, attitude and 1960s/70s influence of his most recent band, Georgie James. It also seems to describe the effortlessness with which these songs were written. Neither his skill in creating hooks nor his use of Ted Leo-esque guitar riffs (like the one that opens the album) come as much of a surprise to those who have been following his music for the past ten years. more ›

This was a good year for the Three Stars feature. We got to talk with a lot of up and coming local musical acts who specialize in a variety of styles. We foresee great things happening for acts like Pree and Laughing Man, and we even talked to now-Grammy nominee Christylez. Here, we recount some of our favorite moments from Three Stars interviews we conducted this year. The most interesting and most inspiring moments from January through November are all listed below, as well as some hilarious quotes that you may have missed. more ›

In a year that saw its fair share of Springsteen-inspired punk, Ted Leo and The Pharmacists might be one of the few bands that can hold their own in such weighty lineage. If Springsteen mesmerizes tens of thousands as a workhorse of the arena, Leo's gregarious charisma and sweat-drenched performances are entrenched in the glory of packed, low-lit clubs. Over the course of a marathon 20+ songs at the Black Cat on Thursday, Leo even put on his best Bruce affectation to rally the troops, encouraging them to hold on just a little longer -- though the receptive crowd didn't need any prodding. With his anarcho-inspired t-shirt and faux–faux hawk (words cannot aptly describe his current do), he led the Pharmacists through a career-spanning set that included the standards (“Timorous Me,” “Me and Mia,” “Little Dawn”) but emphasized the forthcoming album, The Brutalist Bricks, to be released on Matador in March. more ›

Within the same breath of announcing the dissolution of one-album wonder Georgie James in the summer of 2008, co-creator John Davis revealed that he already had another project underway. Over the past decade Davis had shown that he could do high-strung hyperkinetic rhythms (as the drummer of Q and Not U) and more polished and melodic power pop. His newest outfit, Title Tracks, proves that Davis can be a driving musical force as well as a team player. more ›

Written by DCist Contributor Matthew Siblo more ›