To create his new record, Secret Pop, former Ape House frontman J. Forte took three years of home-recording in his apartment, playing most of the instruments and using a digital recorder that captured everything from his music to background noise like muted voices on the television. The result? A charming lo-fi record that plays off the synth-like stylings of Ape House, but in a darker and more subdued manner. Lyrical subjects from the always-popular alcohol…

Personally, I’m going to go in an ale and eggnog coma starting, oh…in seven hours or so, but if you feel like getting up and about, here are some holiday weekend options for you. FRIDAY >> Nothing says Friday before Christmas like…a little Latvian punk-rock. Yup. We’ve heard wild things about both the music and antics of Latvian punkers Macitajs on Acid (and if Latvian musicians can drink anything like our Latvian friends, we’re sure…

Furcafe’s shot of Yazuzu (Red Room 2.0, anyone?) is putting us in the holiday spirit with its vibrant red colors and interesting curves and lines. Exif data. Other shots we noticed included the Exorcist stairs and Eastern Market holiday cheer. And just as a friendly reminder: Get your photos into the DCist Exposed pool! We’re looking forward to seeing even more of the gorgeous shots that you guys have been submitting….

It’s the end of the year! And DCist is here to tell you about it…through the power of radio. That’s right, if you’re antsy at work and want to hear DCist Editor Sommer Mathis pontificating on some of the area’s biggest trends, then tune into WETA’s The Intersection. Sommer’ll be there with some other media folks, chatting away. Can you guess in the comments what they’ll think will be the most important D.C. stories of…

If you’re from D.C., like me, the one great thing about the holidays is that you never have to travel, and all your old friends come to you for a week or two, and that week or two turn into dozens of debaucherous, memory-filled nights, telling stories about the times you used to hang out at Amphora Diner in Vienna (anyone else? Anyone?). Unfortunately, I had one of those nights last night, so you’re…

If you haven’t been down to Union Station this season, you should go — the Norwegian decorations are lovely, and there’s an exhibit about polar bears! Hooray! But as this photo by Flickr user Duncan Brook shows, there’s beauty in the everyday details of Union Station as well. Exif data….

If you’re anything like us here at DCist, you’ve really given up the pretense of doing any work, and are merely counting down the days to your holiday vacation. Despite the lack of cold weather, snow, or anything seasonal, actually, the spirit manges to make its way in to our cold, bitter, two-sizes-too-small hearts. Somehow. And one way that happens is via the various displays of awesome Christmas lights that can be found throughout the…

Last year, we gave you a gift guide that was local, local, local. We suggested books, art, music and D.C.-specific creations for you to put on your wish list and give to your loved ones for the holiday season. Well, though there are only five days till Christmas this time around, we thought we’d throw it out there again anyway for those of you who, like us, have procrastinated on the gift-giving, but still…

It seems that with the coming of the holidays, folks in D.C. are a bit too busy to head out with their cameras and submit tons of great shots to the DCist photos pool. Which is all well and good; I’ll take this opportunity to head back in the archives and pick a photo of something I’d love to see right now: ambib’s lovely shot of Rock Creek Parkway blanketed in snow. Maybe January…

Afternoon, D.C. Hope you’re enjoying your Tuesday, and that your holiday shopping is getting done. Ours sure isn’t. Here’s some news for you all to get you out the office door. >> We know some people who won’t have any problems affording all the items on their Christmas lists this year. The D.C. Council just voted this afternoon to give themselves a raise, making themselves the highest-paid officials in the area. The Post gives us…