Meh-NAH-meh-nuh? Meh-NOH-meh-nuh? Meh-noh-MEE-nuh? A nonsense word, an inside joke, or derived from that fantastic old school Muppet Show sketch? Whatever it is, it’s not much of a telling name for a band with such a wide array of musical backgrounds and interests. Their debut I Am the Fun Blame Monster! was characteristically all-over-the-map in its creativity, but erred on the side of goofy and even a little obtuse. Then came Under an Hour, a score…

There’s something inherently likable about about Spencer Krug. Just ask Wolf Parade bandmate Dan Boeckner who snidely referred to him as the guy that everybody likes. Although that was a clear barb, Boeckner has a point. Dante DeCaro, another fellow Wolf Parade member likes him enough to continue touring with Krug (under the moniker of opener Johnny & The Moon). Fellow Canadians Carey Mercer (Frog Eyes) and Dan Bejar (Destroyer) like him enough to work…

Three years, one EP, one DCist interview, and a slew of locally hyped shows later and The Alphabetical Order have finally taken that next big step. October 9th marked the release of their debut full length album. I Am Magically Happening! is their most polished and complete work to date. It is the band’s signature early 90’s alt-rock sound with just enough mainstream pop glaze to raise them up from the underground. The Alphabetical Order…

Broad Gauge Entertainment is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to “fostering diverse perspectives in the arts.” In today’s local arts community, it stands as one of the few modes of artistic expression for South Asian voices. Outside of its traditional art forms, the desi community has been largely unrecognized, or perhaps even absent, from the D.C. art scene. Broad Gauge and other groups such as Subcontinental Drift might indicate a sea change of sorts. A…

By DCist contributor W Jacarl Melton The hip-hop industry is a cruel and fickle creature. It’s built up many an emcee based on one nice record only to devour them during their next Soundscan. Very few artists have been able to recover from missteps. However, if there’s a poster boy for career resurgence, Nas might be him. It’s hard to find a hip-hop writer who’d ridicule Nas’ first solo album, Illmatic (this writer included). The…

A track on a couple soundtracks, buzz spewing from the URLs of a few hundred bloggers, some decent press in Spin – used to be that was enough to get you a record label deal. The Eames Era may not have found the going so easy, but after a wonderful little set at Iota on Monday night, they seem poised for a bigger breakthrough. The band’s basically four dudes – two guitars, bass, drums –…

An exhibit designed as career retrospective must be a daunting proposition, especially when focused on a prolific artist whose output ranged over sixty years. Too many pieces, and the exhibit becomes bloated. Too few, and the audience does not get an accurate cross section of the artist’s work. Thankfully, the curators of Saul Steinberg: Illuminations, on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, threaded this needle. In doing so, they have mounted a captivating and…

Former DCist contributor Jeff Simmermon has a fascinating couple of posts (warning: photos of dead animals in that link) over at And I Am Not Lying for Real (hat tip: Free Ride) about an apparent feud between two Santeria practitioners in the Mt. Pleasant/Adams Morgan area. Those dirty white doves lying by the curb alongside three little samurai hats made of coconut, their car-flattened heads some distance away — they’re not just some sick coincidence,…

>> Is Smith Point Burning? If only Billy Frick were still around to ask the question. [Wonkette] >> Regular Flickr contributor techne has a problem with a new Breast Cancer awareness campaign ad, pictured right. Her words: “I strongly object to this ad. To put this extremely violent message on a young woman’s headless torso sends an implicit message condoning violence towards women. I very much doubt that you intended to use the imagery of…

Yo La Tengo’s latest record is confrontationally titled I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass. Last night at the 9:30 Club, they did seem like a band unafraid, comfortable in their skin, and enjoying being on the road again. Whether or not they’re going to beat anyone’s ass is less certain, even just musically. The set was heavy on new material. During one of the band’s few audience interactions…