D.C.’s own Lightmare is winding down after nearly six years, and fans can say goodbye at a blowout show this weekend.

Kudos to DeMatha Catholic High School band founder/director John Mitchell, who was profiled by the New York Times yesterday.

The sunshine and mild temperatures in the District yesterday aren’t the only sign that we’ll soon be breaking the bonds of chilly weather: we got word today that organizers will begin reviewing submissions for D.C.’s yearly summer musical showcase, Fort Reno, next Monday, February 14.

It’s almost impossible to discuss the state of punk and hardcore music in this town without someone making a grand pronouncement like “the D.C. scene is dead”. Ask any of the old timers and they’ll tell you that the kids in Washington just don’t care about punk rock anymore. It’s not hard to understand where these folks are coming from; given the vital role that our city played in the evolution of hardcore music, it’s…

A band name like Garaj Mahal triggers certain expectations when one first hears it. It could be an adventurous group, fusing punk, rock, blues, or jazz, with an exotic variety of world rhythms. This expectation only grows after learning that the group includes a Pakistani/Chilean guitarist and a German/Liberian bassist. That is what we expected just before last night’s early set at Blues Alley, but that is not exactly what the band delivered. Instead of…

Most unsigned bands are lucky to have a few dozen fans at their concerts. Now there’s a chance for local artists to bring their music to a much larger audience—the greater D.C. metropolitan area. WTOP radio is now broadcasting iChannel, an Internet radio station that features unsigned artists, on its HD Radio channel, 103.5-2. Bands can submit their music to iChannel, which will evaluate it for “playability” (read: they want radio-friendly tunes). Those that make…

CBS finally released video to YouTube today of that terrifying Battle of the Bands between Tony Snow and Bob Schieffer we previewed late last month. It’s just exactly as scary as you might imagine….

We love D.C., but we know it’s not perfect. Is there something you think we’re missing? Let us know. I don’t want quibble to with Graham’s review of last Friday’s Arcade Fire show, or the generally positive blogospheric reaction to the concert. I was in attendance, too, and thought the band put on a solid performance of its impressively powerful catalog. I left satisfied, if a little disappointed that the night hadn’t been as awe-inspiring…

Good chilly morning to you, Washington. Our neighbors to the north have officially got themselves a new rock-star Governor, as Martin O’Malley was sworn in yesterday afternoon in Maryland to the sounds of the Saw Doctors, an Irish rock band that flew from Dublin for the event, and later to his own band, O’Malley’s March, at his inaugural ball. Not that we’re jealous or anything, but does anyone know if Mayor Fenty plays an instrument?…

Despite the multiple accolades some of us have given Death Cab for Cutie’s live shows in the past, sometimes, the band’s lo-fi stylings and muted yet upbeat melodies just don’t quite do it for all of us. A lot of times, their albums — though plenty and successful — always seem to leave us wanting a little something more. Last night however, not only did we get that little bit more, we were converted into…