Kris Racer left the punk scene to do some solo soul searching. The former frontman for Ohio based Tagline is being taken very seriously by critics, with an acoustic presence comparable to Elliot Smith and Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carabba. He sings with sincerity, speaking to the twenty-somethings across the country about work, relationships, and the future. But Kris isn’t just another moody musician. There’s a nerdy quirkiness that separates him from the rest, and…

Compiled by Amanda Mattos, Kyle Gustafson, James Smalley and Chris Snyder MONDAY >> Fort Reno can be rained out but never washed away. Tonight, catch a make-up bill of City Goats, Sentai and Metropolitan (***). 7:15 pm, Free, Fort Reno Park, 3950 Chesapeake St Nw Washington DC. TUESDAY >> You’ll have to rub Craig’s tummy for tickets to this sold out show, but an acoustic evening with the ever dreamy Pete Yorn may just be…

Yesterday the lineup for this year’s edition of the HFStival was announced and headlining the two day festival will be Kanye West and…Counting Crows? Kanye is a no brainer but the addition of Counting Crows, in a headlining slot no less, seems to be a curious one. The band hasn’t released an album of original material since 2002 and tends to have a fan base that skews much older than the Clear Channel approved…