MONDAY >> Fiending for some good ol’ bluegrass and Americana? San Francisco’s The Pine Box Boys will be delivering just that at the Red and the Black tonight. With two drinks tonight, you’ll also be served free beans and rice. We suggest some whiskey to wash it all down. Or, The Whale and Revival open. 9:30 p.m., $8. >>Enjoy the slightly cooler weather by taking in Georgie James, Perfect Souvenir and Brandon Butler at Fort…

…”but it is what’s deep down that counts,” is the title that Flickr user Dottibobottie suggested for p2wy’s arresting photo. Do you think you could come up with a better one? Have at it in the comments. Taken with a yellow filter, we think this photo captures the oppressiveness of the wickedly hot weather outside. EXIF….

MONDAY >> If you’d like to see how infinity is treating them, Souls of Mischief, of the album ’93 to Infinity fame (released in 1993 of course), will bring mid-90s hip-hop to the Black Cat tonight. We assume they’ve updated their sound a bit since then, but quite frankly, we’ll take some throwback hip-hop any day. With DJ Lex, Icon the Mic King, Kaze and Zeph & Azeem. 9 p.m., $10. TUESDAY >> For our…

It must be a mixed-blessing for Tortoise that they are often labeled as the “godfather of Post-Rock” in the press. They certainly are one of the first bands to be known for purely instrumental, arranged rock pieces. They most certainly transcend “rock” genres, moving freely between standard rock power chords, jazz arrangements and electronic soundscapes, with a bit of dub thrown in for good measure. It would be an injustice, however, to simply throw Tortoise…

MONDAY >> This is a grand week for Three Stars Alums. First up, we have the magical lyrics of new-wave pop rockers LeJeune(***) playing D.C.’s beloved Fort Reno Park. Also playing tonight are Pup Tent and Engine Room. Show starts at 7:15 p.m., free. >> Next in line, take in the Dischord-influenced sounds of Cataract Camp (***) as they play the backstage at the Black Cat. Back in 2006, we predicted that this band would…

What a better way to start out the day than a with good conundrum? Add vivid colors to the mix and christaki gives us something to really talk about. Which way to go? Could we replace “turn” with “do not walk straight into this large, shiny, red thing”? Should we physically turn said shiny, red thing?… Leave your interpretations in the comments. EXIF….

The Masonic House of The Temple on 16th street has always left me with wondering what goes on inside, with its mysterious, and just a little bit intimidating, facade (think in-laid snakes over the doors). As musicmuse_ca captures in this beautiful shot, however, the temple turns out to house one of the oldest libraries open to the public in the D.C. area. Open free of charge since 1884, the library is clearly a book…

A couple of months ago I found myself at Be Bar on a Saturday night confronted by what I throught would be a “graphic design competition,” but turned out to be something much, much more. I was surprised to find an entire art extravaganza of sorts with graphic designers battling it out, local fashion designers selling their wares, tribal dancers and DJs to boot. A large chunk of the art community was out in…

The Rock and Roll Hotel last night was not a crowded place. By all estimations, Frog Eyes should be drawing in a much larger crowd than they are. They adhere to a number of key categories: Canadian? Check. Indie? Check. Animal-themed name? Check. Frontman who’s voice cracks? Check. Female drummer? check. Where they are lacking in fans, though, they are exceeding in super-fans. There were a number of intensely loyal fans breaking it down and…

It’s Friday — it’s time to relax and interact with something other than a computer screen. Andertho’s suberb shot reminds us that there is a cultural world out there waiting to be taken in — and considering the rainy weekend we may have in store, isn’t it high time you go visit that gallery that you have been meaning to for the last two three six months? EXIF….