Okay. Just music on this week’s installment — and there are some good ones in there. Some short peices by Mndsgn. and Knxwledge, who are apparently brothers. Also a track from Durlin Lurt and Mr. Dibaise which is from an album built completely off muppet samples. If all that’s too goofy for you, we go out with a bit of Glenn Branca, who strikes me as a very serious person.  

The Enchanted — Sea Martin Denny — Exotic Moog

Thxman — Mndsgn. — ObliqueKitchn

Waterbed — Imperial Topaz — Imperial

INOUI (feat. Nik @ Nite) — Dreams West — Sunrise Blend 2

Whenitrainsitpoursagain — Devonwho — Episodes

Hayrow. — Knxwledge — Ovrstnd.LP

Spy Vs. Spy — Black Dice — Mr. Impossible

Skin Fox (Persona La Ave Remix) — Mane Mane — Skin Fox EP

Voice of the Book — Richard Skelton — Landings

Tranquilo — Devonwho — Episodes

Love Story — Mecca:83 — Life Sketches Vols 1&2

 KO | Glass Cutter (feat. Mr. Dibiase) — Durlin Lurt — Him Jenson

En Sveno — Piano Overlord — Aninha Mission

Side A — Gemini Trajectory — Television Sky

Birth Day — Milan W — 002

Cedilla in My Monogram — Ken Seeno — Open Window

From No Part of Me Could I Summon a Voice — Colin Stetson — New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges

Sea Battle at Orkusk — Wizardzz — Wizardzz

Ancient Spear — 10th Letter — LETS BUILD A UNIVERSE

Holy Nothing (valet) — Ahnnu — Nature Walk & Other Things

Track 14 — Remy LBO — Peeling in the Drum Comical Cheating

I Moved Here — Piano Overlord — Aninha Mission

Without — Junior Mungus — 5

Got Feel — BeachesBeaches — Sun Model

Go Away — Horse Bladder — Nicole

Test Pattern #1011 — Ryoji Ikeda — Test Pattern

Forever Falling — Vestals — Forever Falling Toward The Sky

Light Field ((In Consonance)) — Glenn Branca — The Ascension

Source: SoundCloud / 20kUnderDC

      

On tonight’s show we’ve got Meg and Jenna, two of the organizers behind the DC Zinefest. Taking place Saturday, July 28 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Stephen’s Church, the Zinefest is a really cool event that brings together DIY folks of all stripes. It’s a great way to see some neat art, meet creative folks from around the District, and even pick up some zine-making skills of your own.

On air, Meg and Jenna talk a little about the history of the zine, why self-publishing is important, and how to get involved creating your own work.

Source: SoundCloud / 20kUnderDC

The Enchanted Sea — Martin Denny — Exotic Moog

Sun Is Melting You And Me — Aquatic Lifeforms — Aquatic Lifeforms

18 — Matthewdavid — DISK

No Trolls — Golden Dwarves — Great Turquoise Message

In Peices — R. Stevie Moore and Ariel Pink — Ku Klux Glam

Insight (Gone II) — Lunar Miasma — Impermanent Nature

Board Walk — Secret Colors — Dreamersss

12 — Matthewdavid — DISK

Couch Surfer — Triptides — Couch Surfer

My Glory Will Be To Sing Eternal Law — Black Zone Myth Chant — Straight

Herrons — Ecstatic Sunshine — Way

Place I Know, Kid Like You — Arthur Russell — World Of Echo

A Fool Persists — Infinite Body — Carve Out The Face Of My God

Preyouandi — Oneohtrix Point Never — Returnal

Houdini Rites — Black To Comm — Alphabet 1968

I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend — Black Tambourine — OneTwoThreeFour

Delight to the Sadist — DJ Signify — Of Cities

Teleporation: KOP — Excepter — Presidence

Calls from California — Wilson Alonso Sanchez — Misaligned Everything

Changes — Sandro Perri — Impossible Spaces

Parties Underground — Color Rabbit — Looking Out Surreal Window

FSCK Pt. II — Space Ghost — DYVNZMBR

Thanks and Praise — Sun Araw + M. Geddes Gengras + The Congos — FRKWYS Vol. 9

Toumani Dialogue — Mean Lady — Kid Friendly EP

Transfer #17 — Cub’b — XX

Negative Space — Blue Sausage Infant — Negative Space

Source: SoundCloud / 20kUnderDC

On account of the warm weather this week’s show was supposed to be a straight-up surf rock affair.  Though as these things go, things quickly deviated from the course.  Still, surf rock/exotica/beach music is at the center of the maelstrom all these tracks are circling around.  Even that Black Dice track in the middle has a certain twangy, reverb sound that recalls early 60s guitar bands.  Also, Desolation Wilderness appears twice; that group’s music is just perfect for late spring in DC.

The Enchanted Sea — Martin Denny — Exotic Moog

Metaskulla — The Blazers — Guitar Instrumentals from the New and Olde Worlds

Venom — Little Girls — Concepts

Water Tap — Lizard Kisses — Lizard Kisses/My Friend Wallis 7” Split

Radar — Sun City Girls — Torch of the Mystics

Conversations On The Jet Stream — Rangers — Pan Am Stories

Crew Cut — Tijuana Panthers — The Golden Hour Box Set

Waterfalls — Javelin — Canyon Candy

Rainbow — Thee Oh Sees — Zork’s Tape Bruise

Lazy Bones — Wooden Shjips — West

Christopher — Amen Dunes — Jonk Music: Winter Beats ‘12

Taco Wagon — Dick Dale & his Del-Tones — King of the Surf Guitar: The Best of Dick Dale

More Ice Cream — Kaseciarz — Surfin’ Malopolska

No Hope Kids — Wavves — Wavvves

In All Corners Of The City — Omma Cobba — Faster Acid Sun

Boardwalk Theme — Desolation Wilderness — New Universe

Gold Dust — Duster — Stratosphere

Intro to Imaginary Falcons — Peaking Lights — Imaginary Falcons

Border Beat — Bill Collins — Guitar Instrumentals from the New and Olde Worlds

The Evil That Men Do [Craig’s Version] — Yo La Tengo — President Yo La Tengo/New Wave Hot Dogs

Golden Desert Sun — Dirty Beaches — Solid State Gold

Chase — Mpala Garoo — Great Turquoise Message

Heavy Manners — Black Dice — Broken Ear Record

Sophisticated Savage — Les Baxter and His Orchestra — Ritual of the Savage 

Not Too Late — SUPER VHS — C86JPN

Sophisticated Savage (20kUnderDC edit) — Les Baxter and His Orchestra — Ritual of the Savage 

El Hueleguiso — Manzanita Y Su Conjunto — Guitar Instrumentals from the New and Olde Worlds

Superior Tears (Problems Edit) — Co La — DYVNZMBR

She Tells Me — Paul A. Rosales — Wonder Wheel I

Coma Summer (Speculator’s Subconscious Mix) — Weekend — End Times 7”

Tokyo Wonder Land — Boris — Attention Please

Welcome to the Jungle — Curls — Internet

Feuerprobe/Feuertaufen — Valium Aggelein — Hier Kommt Der Schwartze Mond

Buyer’s Remorse — Rangers — DYVNZMBR

Goldilocks Zone — Grass Widow — Internal Logic

Bhang Bhang, I’m A Burnout — Dum Dum Girls — I Will Be

Virgenes Del Sol — Los Siderals — Guitar Instrumentals from the New and Olde Worlds

Dusk — Secret Colors — Dreamersss

Venice Beach — Desolation Wilderness — New Universe

Herrons — Ecstatic Sunshine — Way

Source: SoundCloud / 20kUnderDC

This week on 20kUnderDC we’re joined by Sean Peoples, DC resident, Fatback DJ, and founder of Sockets Records. If you’ve spent time around any local venues you’re probably familiar with at least a few of the bands his label has worked with: From Hume, to Deleted Scenes, to The Cornel West Theory, Sockets has released music from some of the best artists the District has to offer. While in the studio Sean played a few cuts from his catalog while talking a little bit about what it’s like making music in DC. Track list and cleaned up excerpts below:

Everything is Possible – Buildings – Everyhing in Parallel  [“Just one of the better bands that I’ve come in contact with in the last ten years.”]

Seas of Bees (Rifle Recoil Cover) – Macaw – Celadon

[unnamed track] – Eyes of the Killer Robot – [unreleased]

No – Skeletons – People [“One of the most beautiful recods we’ve put out. It’s just fully realized.”]

Injera – Hume – Penumbra EP

In a House in a Head – Imperial China – How We Connect

Can you tell us a little about he history and motivations behind Sockets?

Sure. In 2003, 2004 I was going to a ton of shows. I went to school here in DC at American University. There were just so many great bands in 2002, 2003, 2004—Q and not U, Black Eyes—all those sort of younger bands on Dischord Records at the time. There was this energy in the city. And then all of a sudden all those bands broke up. It was kinda really sad.

But I made a ton of friends who were making really interesting sounds, mainly like noise stuff. I wanted to document that, because no one was. So we started doing a CD-R label. Actually started doing stuff here in CPR studios. We brought some friends in and did some just sessions where you brought whatever instrument you had and hooked it up and just had some free form stuff. We started giving those out to people. It sorta grew into something a little bit more formal, but it started off with really humble, informal beginnings.

Was there a point where it crossed over from this DIY-type of thing into something like you said, more formal?

Yeah, we’re going on seven years. In the last three or four years it became a lot more formal where I wasn’t necessarily just burning CD-Rs on my laptop, I was actually sending off band’s music to get manufactured. You know a thousand copies, or you know in vinyl the units are little smaller, so like 300 vinyl copies of LPs or a thousand CDs. I even do tapes. It’s kinda all over the place.

You obvious exercise some degree of curatorial restraint. You only put out good stuff. But even just these two tracks: pretty diverse. What makes a Sockets Records band?

Yeah, that’s a good question. First and foremost, I try to curate it—it’s my taste. It’s definitely not necessary anything goes. I’ve put out stuff ranging from pretty highly political hip-hop to really experimental sax skronk. It just runs the gambit. I think in the last year it’s kinda honed in on maybe an experimental pop sound so a little bit more focused. But throughout the last six or seven years it’s been kinda a free for all. I kinda like it that way; I would get bored otherwise.

For DC in general seems that a lot the music coming out is more toward that experimental pop.

Yeah, I think in a lot of ways it’s been a long time coming for a voice or at least a discernible sound from DC. It seems like there’s a bunch of bands that are really hoping to shape that. Again it’s not necessary homogeneous, but it’s definitely the active bands are making a concerted effort to make that pop music, but to do it on their own terms. Not do it by how BMG tells you to sound like, or Epic, or whatever record label still stands.

Would you say the amount of support for local music has grown the last couple years as well?

I think so. Yeah definitely. Its funny; I think one thing about Washington, DC is that it’s always had a really vibrant house show scene. It think that’s one of the things that I really hold dear about my time going to shows right out of college, or even in college and up until now. You have these houses that pop open then just as quickly just go away, but you can count on there being another house show that does a couple things for six months to a year. And that’s what the city really needs; to have that undercurrent to foster some grow of some of these bands that don’t necessary have access to practice space or are just starting out. That’s just been a really important part of the DC scene for the last ten years.

I’ve heard DC bands complain before that they had to kind of live in the shadow of Dischord. One band in particular told a story about how whenever they go on tour people assume they’re straight edge because they’re from DC. Is there trouble asserting an independent identity from that monolithic past DC has?

I think so. Its not something people from DC or bands from DC think about at all. You know probably a lot of folks like me were really into that stuff in the 80s, 90s, early 2000s. But I think it is a narrative put on DC outside of DC. You’re inevitably going to face that no matter what until something else equally as big comes along. Who’s to say that’s ever going to happen, and who’s to say that’s a good or bad thing. But its definitely a perception people have to deal with. It’s to bad but at the same time, recognizing the legacy that Dischord has, some of things it’s allowed this city to be,and lay claim to is something id never want to change.

Even the history of strong house shows is probably connected to Dischord. And thing like St. Stephen’s still having them.

And affordable shows. I mean, five dollar shows, still in 2012? You’ve got to be kidding me.

Speaking of excellent shows:  Check out the Sockets Records Acoustic Showcase on May 24 at the Gibson Guitar Showroom for acoustic performances by Deleted Scenes, Cigarette, and more.  

Source: SoundCloud / 20kUnderDC

Tuesday Night Shows

          


Tonight offers a lot of options for a Tuesday.  It’s a good thing, too, ‘cause after the diluvian drag the past 48 hours have been, we’re ready to for any excuse to get out of the house.

Down on 9th Street, Asefu’s is hosting a solid bill featuring DC’s own Presto Bando.  We caught these guys playing Hole in the Sky a few weeks ago and were pleasantly surprised by their mix of choppy guitar work and bouncing bass lines.  Also, the group’s lead vocalist has a distinct delivery that alternates between a sort of Isaac Brock yelp and high-pitched warble — that is to say: It’s thoroughly enjoyable.  Also on the bill is the up-beat bar-rock outfit Wreck of the Zephyr and indie-poppers Text Message.  Show at 8:00; free?

Just a few blocks away, Arlington-based improv band the Plums continue their Tuesday night residency at Dynasty Ethiopian.  We haven’t made it out to one of these yet, but word on the street is that a laid-back, free-wheelin’ spirit reigns.  Special guest Harness Flux (John M. from Metropolitan, we’re told) will also be on hand to entertain as you down a few Harar beers.  Show at 9:00; free?

Tonight: Diamond Terrifier at Back Alley Theater

        

Don’t let the rain keep you in this evening because tonight’s show at the Back Alley Theater is worth slogging through a little drizzle to check out. Consisting of five different solo acts, the bill offers a veritable pu pu platter of assorted sounds and styles to sample from:

Joey Molinaro kicks things off with what’s described as “solo acoustic grindcore violin.” Judging from the bits we’ve heard online, this is a lot more accessible than it reads—Molinaro shreds on an amplified violin while his frantically tapping and stomping feet provide a solid rhythm. It’s high energy and there’s plenty of melodic hooks buried under the fast finger- and foot-work.

Valerie Kuehne does sort of long, meandering cello songs. We’re not sure how much is improvised and how much is mapped out ahead of time, but expect a lot of abrupt stops, starts, and unexpected turns. Also, being classically trained, Kuehne has a voice that’s vaguely operatic in tone, which certainly adds something.

There’s not a lot of info out there on Sam Lohman, though every time his name turns up online it’s followed by a string of folks he’s worked with including Nimrod, session saxophonist Steve Mackay, and the psych-rock collective Acid Mothers Temple. Judging by his preview show at Amma House, it looks like this set will focus on harsh noise and solo drumming.

Folks who grew up playing SNES will like this next one: Taking early video game soundtracks as his muse, Patrick Higgins creates fast, tangled compositions for the electric guitar. It’s kind of like The Advantage, except these are all originals and lean more toward baroque complexity rather than bassy grooves. Think Dustin Wong playing the soundtrack to Chrono Trigger.

Finally, the night closes out with a set of solo sax from Diamond Terrifier (Sam Hillmer, best known for his work with the NYC noise/jazz/experimental outfit Zs). Unfortunately, the sax often gets pigeonholed as an instrument appropriate only for free-jazz freakouts or slinkly soft-rock flourishes. However, Hillmer—along with other artists like Colin Stetson—has been proving that the much-maligned woodwind is capable of a great deal more. As Diamond Terrifier Hillmer dodges both these traditions, instead using the sax to produce long, sustained notes that loop and layer into deep, brassy drones. Manipulated with pedals and accompanied by a shifting mix of chimes, bells, and whirring electronics, the continuous buzz from the sax builds into trance-like dirges that are just incredibly satisfying to hear live. For a bill filled with interesting artists, this act alone is worth the price of admission.

Music at 8:00; $10.

No guest this week, just music.  Things start off beat heavy with DJ Rashad, Loot Pack, and a surprisingly nod-inducing track from the new Black Dice album, Mr. Impossible.  Also, a big chunk of tonight’s show comes from Leaving Records, who we wrote about earlier—the highlight is a neat little medley of Matthewdavid cuts. Also, we slipped a Desolation Wilderness tune in at the end; there might need to be a whole show of that twinkly-notes-and guitar-reverb genre in the future. 

The Enchanted Sea — Martin Denny — Exotic Moog

Iiiiiii Hiiiiiiii — DJ Rashad — Just A Taste

Crate Diggin’ — Loot Pack — Soundpieces: Da Antidote

Sure Thing — Question — [Unreleased]

Weeds — Oscar McClure — Compost

Spy Vs. Spy — Black Dice — Mr. Impossible

Vices — BADBADNOTGOOD — BBNG2

Soft and Open — Boom Bip — Blue Eyed in the Red Room

After We Talked — Gold Panda — Lucky Shiner

Patiently — Serengeti & Polyphonic — Terradactyl

Kitchen Scraps (Baths’ Otalgia Mix) — Oscar McClure — Compost Remixes

A1-White Voice — Black Zone Myth Chant — Straight Cassette

Motion Study — DJ Signify — Of Cities

Matthew and Kenneth — Dustin Wong — Let It Go

Eat Flesh — Heat Wave — Sweets

Beware (Instrumental) — Death Grips — Black Google

Repeater — EMV — Resolutions

12 — Matthewdavid — DISK

7 — Matthewdavid — DISK

11 — Matthewdavid — DISK

Rough Steez — Fuck Buttons — Tarot Sport

@lilbabypositiv #themesong — Nu Depth — [Internet]

15 — Matthewdavid — DISK

16 — Matthewdavid — DISK

20 — Matthewdavid — DISK

Phantom — Broadcast — Work And Non Work

Dakim Leaving Tape — Dak — Thisone

Tape Hiss Orchid — Deerhunter — Cryptograms

Skinned — No Age — Everything in Between

You Hold A Power Over Me — Desolation Wilderness — New Universe

Jonathan — Black To Comm — Alphabet 1968

Source: SoundCloud / 20kUnderDC

Wednesday night you better hop on the Green Line and get out to College Park because UMD’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center is hosting a seriously cool event: Electronic music pioneer Morton Subotnick will be preforming his 1967 composition Silver Apples from the Moon. Subotnick is currently an artist-in-residence at the school, but he’s best know for pushing the boundaries of music since way back in the sixties. Given that completely electronic compositions are now nearly the standard in pop music (and we live in a world where digital avatars of dead rappers are built to entertain us), it’s easy to forget what a fringe endeavor this type of music still was just 50 years ago. While Subotnick wasn’t the first in this field by a long shot—tape music and musique concrète was being made since the 1920s—he was still one of the first to use an analog synthesizer. The piece being performed on Wednesday uses a Buchla Music Box, which, along with the Moog, is one of the earliest pieces or technology that let musicians create and manipulate electronic sounds in real-time. Also of note: With its bits of melody, variety of textures, and quick, sustained rhythm, Silver Apples of the Moon leans closer to pop and classical timbres and structures than most other compositions being produced at the time—it even became a best seller. Within it’s half-hour run time you can hear the embryotic bits of music to come, from the synth lines of Kraftwerk, to the percussion of Gary Numan, to the textures of Dan Deacon. And if that’s not reason enough to come out, the show will be accompanied by live projection art by media specialist Lillevan. Show starts at 8:00, free?
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Wednesday night you better hop on the Green Line and get out to College Park because UMD’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center is hosting a seriously cool event: Electronic music pioneer Morton Subotnick will be preforming his 1967 composition Silver Apples from the Moon.

Subotnick is currently an artist-in-residence at the school, but he’s best know for pushing the boundaries of music since way back in the sixties. Given that completely electronic compositions are now nearly the standard in pop music (and we live in a world where digital avatars of dead rappers are built to entertain us), it’s easy to forget what a fringe endeavor this type of music still was just 50 years ago.

While Subotnick wasn’t the first in this field by a long shot—tape music and musique concrète was being made since the 1920s—he was still one of the first to use an analog synthesizer. The piece being performed on Wednesday uses a Buchla Music Box, which, along with the Moog, is one of the earliest pieces or technology that let musicians create and manipulate electronic sounds in real-time. Also of note: With its bits of melody, variety of textures, and quick, sustained rhythm, Silver Apples of the Moon leans closer to pop and classical timbres and structures than most other compositions being produced at the time—it even became a best seller. Within it’s half-hour run time you can hear the embryotic bits of music to come, from the synth lines of Kraftwerk, to the percussion of Gary Numan, to the textures of Dan Deacon.

And if that’s not reason enough to come out, the show will be accompanied by live projection art by media specialist Lillevan. Show starts at 8:00, free?

Reasons to Leave Home, April 8 - 14

Tuesday night Imperial China and The Plums continue their latest string of local shows over at the Black Cat with local pop-rockers Meta rounding out the bill.  If you got your fill of these folks in previous weeks, we recommend heading over to the Velvet Lounge for Thee Lolitas, Nervous Curtains, and Pilesar.  Thee Lolitas is composed of two of DC’s own who have a knack for churning out frantic garage-rock numbers.  Nervous Curtains hail from Texas and do sort of a brooding synth-based rock.  The real draw here is Pilesar, a one-man band that produces its own strange breed of loose weirdo-pop using wacky synth sounds and looping live percussion.  Show at 9:00; $8.

On Wednesday night DC9 hosts a treat of a show for anyone into that increasingly ubiquitous tropical-tinged dance-pop sound.  Headlining is Tanlines, a well-hyped two-piece that makes shimmery, vaguely retro dance tunes along the lines of Washed Out and Glasser — basically they hit all the keywords:  vocal harmonies, groovy synth washes, and guitar work that sounds “vaguely afrobeat.”  What sets Tanlines apart is their solid sense of rhythm provided in part by Eric Emm, the former bassist for complexity loving math-rock group Don Caballero.  Local act Black Hills opens providing even more electro-pop for your listening pleasure.  Show at 8:00; sold out apparently — maybe stay at home and listen to Panda Bear records instead?

Friday night Comet Ping Pong provides the perfect excuse to go eat fancy pizza when they host three acts.  Kicking things off is a fellow mysteriously billed as “Charlie,” though the internet tells us he’s a member of the psychedlic pop outfit Secret Cities.  Headlining is Tereu Tereu — a local three-piece, this group deals in quality guitar-based indie rock.  Sometimes the bouncy bass and speak/sing vocals are reminiscent of a more restrained Dismemberment Plan, sometimes they lock into kraut-rock type grooves.  Rotary Club also makes an appearance with their brand of easy listening Americana.  Show at 10:00; $10.

Happening across town, the Atlas Performing Arts Center hosts Noveller.  On account of our soft spot for all things loud and drone oriented, we can’t recommend this show enough.  This one-woman act is responsible for Glacial Glow, one of our favorite albums from last year and basically a weekly staple of the show for a time.  Equipped with just a guitar and array of pedals, Parts & Labor member Sarah Lipstate crafts lengthy soundscapes of galactic proportions.  There’s enough depth, texture, and energy behind Noveller’s tracks to hold your attention even if you prefer more narrative verse-chorus-verse tunes.  The New York Times endorsed “jazz supergroup” Endangered Blood also takes the stage along with the DC Improvisers Collective.  Show at 8:00; $25. 

Saturday is just packed with options and the ambitious go-getter might be able to attend at least half of them.  From 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. Pyramid Atlantic hosts it’s annual open house.  This place is responsible for a lot of the cool stuff that happens around Silver Spring and the open house is your chance to get a closer to look at the people behind it — there will be art demonstrations covering papermaking, printmaking, and letterpress; studio tours; screen-printing; and more.  Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

Heading back into the District, stop by St. Stephens for the Jobs With Justice benefit featuring the classic DC hardcore group Scream.  Others Beasts of No Nation, Mobius Strip, and Outlook also lend their sounds for the cause.  As you’re probably aware St. Stephens has a history of supporting progressive causes by hosting excellent shows, and for fans of melodic punk/hardcore this looks to be a good one.  Show at 7:00; $10.

Comet Ping Pong continues a weekend of good shows with Silo Halo’s record release party.  Expect pretty slabs of shoegaze guitar with female vocals that sound like a thousand-yard stare.  Funk-drag sensation Edie Sedgwick supports along with Teenbeat rockers Talk It.  Show at 10:00; $10.

Finally, roll on down to Rock and Roll Hotel to catch local favorites Hume.  Last time we caught these folks they were spectacular and word has it they spent the last couple months holed up in rural New York doing nothing but playing music, so we expect a great show.  Musically, Hume combines dual drummers and twinkling guitar/bass interplay with spacey synth blasts and fanciful melodies for an overall transcendent take on pop.  Neo-goth project Crystal Stilts also play, along with Widowspeak, who sport a reverb-heavy dream-pop sound that sort of reminds us of Julee Cruise.  Show at 8:00; $14.