Ginuwine, a D.C. native, plays The Howard Theatre on Friday.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24
PHOX, Cuddle Magic @ 9:30 Club 7 P.M. $20. All ages, accessible venue.
PHOX is a six piece from Madison, WI that put out its self-titled debut in 2014. The record is a collection of indie folk songs that catapulted the band to critical success and extensive touring. The track, “Slow Motion”, was one of the best singles of 2014. The band had been together for a bit before releasing its debut and after its last tour in 2015, the group took a well-needed break, which became an extended hiatus. After this short run of dates, PHOX will be no longer, which is a shame because they were so promising. If you liked their debut and never got your chance to see them, it is now or never.
Rock and Roll Hotel: Cold Cave, Drab Majesty, Technophobia. 7 P.M. $15. All ages, accessible venue.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 25
9:30 Club: Luke Combs, Muscadine Bloodline, Tom O’Connor. 7 P.M. $15. All ages, accessible venue.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 26
Ginuwine and Tray Chaney @ The Howard Theatre. 6 P.M. $35 – $60. All ages, accessible venue.
If Elgin Baylor Lumpkin, aka Ginuwine, never made a song after “Pony,” things would be fine. The D.C. native did continue on his lengthy career after this smash hit and is still a cultural presence twenty years on. Ginuwine has released eight solo albums and one with TGT, the trio of Tyrese, Ginuwine and Tank. He is prepping his ninth album, Same Ol’ G…the Bachelor, for release this year. Though he isn’t setting the Billboard Hot 100 on fire anymore, he is still on top of his game.
Cigarettes After Sex, Libsyd Read @ DC9. 6:30 P.M. Sold-Out. All ages, accessible venue.
Cigarettes After Sex is a four-piece led by songwriter Greg Gonzalez. As with their ambient, slow moving songs, the band is slow on releasing music, having put out a four song EP and a two song single in 2015 followed by a single last year. With an output totaling seven songs, it is a wonder how the band amassed a sizeable online fan base. Cigarettes After Sex’s sound is akin to Red House Painters and Mazzy Star. The tunes aren’t showy, but the melodies will stay with you. “K.”, the band’s latest single, is a good starting point. The hushed drums, the reverb-y guitar, and Gonzalez’s voice are all laid softly in the mix. 2017 is shaping up to be a big year for the quartet, as it’s playing many of the big festivals.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 27
Austra, Lafawndah @ Black Cat. 8 P.M. $20. All ages accessible venue.
Austra is a shapeshifting band. The group’s albums are dark pop records that are icy and chilling, focusing on singer Katie Stelmanis’s powerful voice. The band’s latest album, Future Politics, is its most poignant. Written and recorded before most recent current events, the record is a perfect distillation of the times. Take the title track and single, “Utopia”, which each take on new meanings given the current political climate. Future Politics contains some of Austra’s most pop-oriented tracks since the band’s 2011 debut, Feel It Break, and it is the band’s most fully realized record.
Tim Presley & Cate Le Bon @ U Street Music Hall 7 P.M. $15. All ages, accessible venue.
Tim Presley has been making music for a long time in California, even doing a stint in the legendary band, The Fall. Presley recorded as White Fence, releasing six solo albums as well as a collaboration with Ty Segall. Last year, he released the first album under his own name. The Wink, produced by Welsh singer and sometimes partner-in-crime, Cate Le Bon. The two paired up under the name, DRINKS. Both artists make music heavily influenced by beat poetry and psychedelia. Though the artists are billed separately, they are sure to collaborate with each other, playing songs from their respective deep discographies.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 28
9:30 Club: G Love & Special Sauce and Ripe. 7 P.M. $30. All ages, accessible venue.
