Imperial China plays their final show tonight, but not before releasing one last new song.

Imperial China‘s final show is tonight at the Black Cat Backstage and we talked to singer/guitarist Brian Porter about the highlights from the band’s five+ years.

As told in the words of the label head and his collaborators and artists, here is the history of Sockets Records.

Imperial China are one of the best active bands in D.C. and tonight they play with The State Department. Listen to a blistering cut from the band’s latest record.

It’s hard being a band from the District in a post-Fugazi world, but the trio from Imperial China manage to take two steps forward on their full-length debut, How We Connect, while still making the occasional nod to the band that helped influence their blistering post-punk sound.

Hear “Limbs,” a new song off the post-punk trio Imperial China’s upcoming album.

Within the first 30 seconds of Imperial China’s debut LP, Phosphenes, it’s clear what sounds are going to dominate the record: dance-ready samples, squealing dissonant guitars and percussion. Their use of these elements make good on the promise of their first release, the Methods EP: that the trio can effectively combine the elements that defined Dischord’s most prominent bands without sounding like they’re stuck in a time warp. The most stunning track on their…

Imperial China have created a sound that at once echoes this city’s musical history yet stands apart from anything else this city has offered previously or offers presently. Musically, the guitar riffs and speak-sing vocal delivery show a definite homage to bands like Minor Threat and Fugazi. The lyrics on songs like their EP’s opener “There Is No Translation” could as easily be a critique of the city as a fight with a friend….