It’s been almost two years since VHS or Beta brought their explosive electronic rock to a non-DJ show in D.C., which is too long for us. On Saturday the Kentuckians came to the Rock and Roll Hotel, bringing buzz band Walter Meego and local faves The Vita Ruins. Unfortunately we missed The Vita Ruins’ opening set, but judging by our past experience, the atmospheric Three Stars and Unbuckled alums put on a good show. Walter…

Barcelona, the sparkly new EP from Virginia’s Soft Complex transcends easy genre labeling. Containing three original tracks and their remixes, one could (and this one does) describe the disc as offering the best of Ben Gibbard. Ben who? Why Ben Gibbard, the force behind indie darlings The Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie. Like the beloved Portland quartet, Soft Complex explores love, loss and lost love. Taking a quasi-literary apprach, the songs feel…

And we thought calling gay folks “sexual deviants” was so yester-decade in these parts. Apparently not. There is controversy and commotion in Metro’s Board of Directors, where Maryland member Robert Smith called gay people “sexual deviants” on a cable access show last week, reports the Washington Blade. Council-member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), who is gay and serves on Metro’s board, has demanded that Smith resign. After a June 15 meeting where Graham raised the issue…

This is the third installment of December’s Three Stars. On Wednesday, we covered The Bonapartes, and yesterday we discussed The Lucky Bastards. Today, we bring you Lejeune. Lejeune Not too long ago, several DCists headed to DC9 to listen to a trio of Three Stars candidates. By the end of the second act’s set, we felt comfortable about featuring either of the bands we’d heard. It was getting late, and we all had to get…

WMATA, facing criticism from an array of officials, commuters and the blogosphere, has posted “the full story” regarding the case of the pregnant woman detained by a transit police officer for disorderly conduct at a Wheaton bus shelter. WMATA brings out the big guns to hammer home their contention that the woman’s actions forced the swift detention. Says Robert Smith of Maryland, the chairman of the WMATA board: “This was a very unfortunate incident and…

This summer hasn’t gone well for public transit in the District. Increased fares, (thankfully) short-lived tiny trains, and persistent problems on the Red Line have Metro riders talking about a union, and letter writers in the Post on Sunday griping about lax security. (See DCist: Commuting for all the fun) After all this, now seems like a good time to go stick it to the man, or at least ask some tough questions. You’re in…