Anita's Favorite Tunes from 2013

My friend Dana challenged me to come up with a best of 2013 list, so I will.  The rules I set for this list are that the song must have been released in 2013 (or re-released) and I still have to like it as of today. Since I'm fickle and don't like to listen to songs for very long, that means some of the first half of the year releases were judged with more scrutiny than the more recent releases. Here's my very unscientifically scored Anita's Favorite Tunes from 2013 in no particular order.

Chvrches - We Sink - I picked this one because I've been hearing it a lot recently, but I could have picked almost anything they put out on their last 2 albums. They are amazing. I predict they will fully cross over to mainstream from indie. Saw this show and loved the singer's elven look.

The Orwells - Who Needs You - Great punkish tune with youthful iconoclastic lyrics. Saw them live and enjoyed the on-stage train wreck presented by the drug-addled singer. I was also surprised by his voice, in a good way.

Typhoon - Young Fathers - I didn't love this band live the only time I saw them, but recorded, the lead singer/songwriter is an emotional powerhouse. Really raw and moving. Lots of people in this band.

San Fermin - Sonsick and Casanova - I couldn't make up my mind, so I picked two songs by this band, one featuring each of the two main vocalists. This was one of my favorite shows of the year, and I can't wait to go see them again in a couple weeks at Strathmore. I'd shelve this with chamber-pop and movie scores.

Phosphorescent - Song for Zula - This song stands out on the 2013 album as a song craft masterpiece. This tour's live show didn't do much for me, but the one before was excellent. I'll keep my ears open for new stuff from him.

RAC, Kele, MNDR - Let Go - I'm not plugged into mainstream music to know if this indie/EDM dance tune has crossed over, but if it hasn't, it should. I predict mainstream appeal.  I can't get the song out of my head, but in a good way.

M.I.A. - Y.A.L.A. - I wish there were a clean version of this song (without the curse word at the very end), because both Natalie and I love it. It's primitive and makes us dance while driving to and from school. We look like fools, but LOVE it. Great beat.

The Mowgli's  - San Francisco - This fun bunch of hippies makes you smile and love your neighbor, even if it's just for the span of a show. Loved seeing them live in an Austin parking lot.

Charlie XCX - You Ha Ha Ha - This wunderkind from the UK was behind Icona Pop's hit single and has some really fun pop songs herself. I think she will get bigger in the US.  Addictive pop.

FIDLAR - No Waves - This smart punk band was entertaining live, and this song gets to me at a gut level.

New Politics - Harlem - This one's plenty mainstream after the multitude of tours Harlem did opening for big mainstream acts. It's still one of my favorite feel-young songs of the year.

Lucius - Turn It Around - Love these beautiful female harmonies and the unexpected "heh"s in the composition. This duo was the original female vocals on the San Fermin debut.

ALARMs - Hold My Head - atmospheric electronic music with haunting, beautiful voice and lyrics begging for forgiveness.

Little Green Cars - The John Wayne or  Angel Owl - This act is amazing live for their incredible, powerful, beautiful vocal harmonies.

Mikal Cronin - Shout It Out - I'm surprised Mikal isn't bigger on the indie scene. He's Ty Sygall's friend and bandmate. This song is raw and emotional. I love the way the chorus swells.

Sir Sly - Gold - Has this one crossed over to mainstream yet?   I'm guessing not based on only 11,000 Facebook likes right now.  If not, I predict it will. Such an earworm.

Daft Punk, Panda Bear - Doin' It Right - Daft Punk owned the summer, and the strange thing was, there was something to appeal to everyone on that album. This one was my favorite.

Said the Whale - I Love You - Loud bounce-up-and-down pop tune with an entertaining message for a love song.

Walker Lukens - Lover - This one's odd, but different than anything else I listen to, so it stands out to me as novel. Natalie hates it and makes me turn it off, but there's something haunting about it.

Son Lux - Easy - This one is such a recent addition to my favorites that it really might not stick, but it too has a haunting, interesting quality that I find refreshing.

Primal Scream - Walking With The Beast - I would have guessed that this is a cover of a quasi-religious song, but a quick internet search says no - it seems to be original. This song is quiet and haunting, very moving.

Wild Child - Crazy Bird - This duo has an old-fashioned, bango-loving vibe, but it's the wonderful vocals that win me over. It's an Austin-based band.

Luke Lalonde - Undone - This one is untypical for me.  Luke sounds like a boy band.  But I love the sweetness of this tune. I especially like the line "You could call me honeybun." The guy is just so lost in his crush. Too cute.

Swim Deep - King City - The lyric that kills me for this one is: " Fuck your romance, I wanna pretend
That Jenny Lee Lindberg is my girlfriend." Jenny is the bassist for the band Warpaint, and she is hot and super talented, so I can see why the singer Chewy Marzolo would want her so much. This is a fun low-key pop tune that makes me smile.

Los Campesinos! - Avocado, Baby - Apparently , I have a soft spot for twee. I certainly love this band, and have for a long time. I love the way their lyrics are so naked - and the arrangement of this song appeals to me.

Sleigh Bells - Bitter Rivals - I have a soft spot for this loud band because they are the reason I started going to more live shows a few years ago. Seeing them from the front row of a tiny sold out show immediately after they got big was a rush. Loved the first album, hated the second. This third album is much more promising.

Chris Cornell w/Bhi Bhiman at Lincoln Theatre, Nov 23, 2013

Eric and I went to the historic Lincoln Theater on U Street last night to see Chris Cornell of Soundgarden in an acoustic show.

We were blown away.

If you had asked me to name a single Soundgarden song before the show, I wouldn't have been able to do it, so I wouldn't call myself a fan. You know me: I am anti-nostalgia, always looking for the new music, not trying to relive my college years insisting that grunge was the pinnacle of rock. I should not be raving about that show, but I am. Chris Cornell was incredible live. Even if you don't recognize the name, if you lived through the 90s, you recognize the voice. It's distinctive and powerful. Listen to 5 seconds of a tune and you'll say "oh yeah, that guy." Thing was, Mr. Cornell is also fantastic with a crowd. His banter left everyone in that 1,225 seat venue thinking they felt a personal connection to the man.

As a said, his voice was fantastic. Wikipedia cites his 4-octave vocal range as what he's known for. Eric told me that at some point in Cornell's career, he shredded his vocal chords and had to have surgery, but I didn't see that mentioned in the article, so I think Eric might be confusing him with another singer. If you know, set us straight. Cornell does not sound like someone who's had vocal problems, so much so that Eric suggested he could have had a bionic voice installed in the surgery. I sincerely doubt that is possible :-)

Anyway, the other part of the show that was fantastic was the covers. He did Billy Jean, Hotel California, and Metallica's One set to the tune for U2's One. Eric and I both felt they were extraordinary-like they brought new meaning to the songs. They where all new arrangements, and I honestly liked each of them much better than the original. Cornell could make money releasing them - I would buy them - me - anti-nostalgia, new indie music girl would buy them and listen to them on repeat. That good.

Only bad part of the show was our location in the theater. We were in row N on the upper balcony. We couldn't see Cornell's face at all from that distance. My fault for forgetting to buy tix on presale day, but a big mistake. Take my advice and try hard for floor seats at Lincoln. I have no photos because of the distance and a photo ban by the artists. If you look at Chris Cornell's website, that was the stage set up: seven guitars, a turntable, some amps, a stool, a coat rack, and a mysterious red phone on a little table. He put down the guitar and used a vinyl LP to back him up for two songs.

The opener Bhi Bhiman was a great guitarist, and a horrible lyricist. I closed my eyes during his performance and almost fell asleep. I did like his guitar playing during the Hotel California cover, though he should not have tried to sing backup. Not a great singer.

Black Lips with Subsonics at Black Cat on Nov 2, 2013

Subsonics, Black Cat, 11-02-2013

Black Lips, Black Cat, 11-02-2013

Eric and I went to this Saturday night show that I've been looking forward to for a couple years. I missed Black Lips the last couple times they came to Baltimore (on weeknights, grrr), so I was very excited to discover they were coming to DC on a Saturday night! I love several of their songs, and I had heard that they were kind of crazy live. I thought I read somewhere that they'd been banned from some Asian country for their rowdy shows. So I was intrigued, and even though James Blake was playing the same night at 9:30 Club (and James Blake is awesome live), I bought these tickets.

I regretted that choice.

First, I just wasn't in a punk-ish kind of mood that night. I was tired and just wanted to chill. Eric and I sat in the far back on the riser for the entire opener (Subsonics) and half of the main act.

Second, while both acts had tons of energy on stage, both suffered from the same two problems: samey-samey song writing, and lack of engagement with the audience. When you can't tell one song from the next and the only thing that differentiates the songs is a slight pause in playing, it gets dull. Even more dull when the artists, who were VERY energetic, didn't acknowledge the audience a few feet in front of them.

So we left early and went back to our rock-star parking spot on 14th street, just two blocks from Black Cat. At least the parking space was fantastic, as was the vegan brownie I had at Busboys and Poets before the show.

The Lone Bellow w/Greg Holden, Nov 16, 2013 at 6th and I Historic Synagogue

Greg Holden, 11-16-13, 6th and I

Lone Bellow, 11-16-13, 6th and I

Eric and I went to this show because Bob Boilen of NPR All Song Considered said it was one of the best live acts he saw last year. I like the music, and you can't beat 6th and I Historic Synagogue as a venue, and it was a Saturday night, so no brainer - definitely worth going!  Helpful hint: the venue is only 2 blocks from the Chinatown metro station, and parking sucks near the Verizon Center, so metro is the way to go. I recently learned that metro is staying open until 3 am on weekends now, which is even better!

The opener, Greg Holden, was extremely personable, but Eric and I didn't care for his music which sounded very Nashville-country, even though he's originally from the UK. My big critique for him was that he only said his name one time, and he mumbled that! It's an opener's job to make sure the crowd remembers who you are. Since his name wasn't even on Songkick or the 6th and I website (at least after the show started), that was a big mistake.  It took some digging around on the internet to put his name in this post.

The Lone Bellow was extraordinary live. They are technically a trio, though there were 5 people on stage. It's vocal-driven American folk, but mostly uptempo. The harmonies are beautiful. If they had just been gifted musicians, that would have been fine. I would have felt I got my money's worth. Thing was, they were also engaging performers. They came into the audience to sing unplugged twice. There were stories about a crazy uncle from White, Georgia. There was jumping up onto the bannister rail at the end of the stage. There was excitement and energy on stage--I understand why it was one of Mr. Boilen's best of the year. They absolutely deserve that label. EXCELLENT live show.

Side note: There was one VERY enthusiastic man in the front row who annoyed me and Eric by jumping around like a maniac, motioning to the crowd to get up and jump with him, trying to soak up the band's attention for himself. The advantage of 6th and I is seats. Standing means that short people (like me!) can't see anything. I was very happy with the band for encouraging people to sit back down several times. It made a huge difference in my ability to enjoy the show.

San Fermin - October 24, 2013, DC9

If I'm lucky, about once a year I find a new band I love, go to their debut album tour show in a 200-500 person venue, and am blown away. That's if I'm REALLY lucky. Ladies and gentlemen, I got lucky last Thursday night. San Fermin was amazing live. This buzz band lived up to the hype.  See NPR article. 

DC9 is a hole-in-the-wall kind of venue. Their show area holds about 200 people. It's in DC, and it's on 9th Street, hence the name.  Jill and I found incredibly lucky parking and arrived before the opener, but turns out we could have been later - the venue lied about start times, by an hour or so.

The opener, East Ghost, a local band, was not good. The Tobacco Teeth song they have up on Band Camp may have the worst lyrics I've ever heard. They were decent at playing their instruments, but I liked nothing they played and looked at my watch several times.  I was worried I wouldn't be able to stay awake much longer.

Rae Cassidy and Allen Tate, lead vocals, San Fermin 

Ellis Ludwig-Leone, San Fermin Composer

That changed the second San Fermin took the stage. I worried that their slower, moody sound would mean a boring set. That worry was completely unfounded. They had energy, talent and a quiet charisma that made me want to come back and see them again. I didn't realize at the time, but Lucius is not part of the band right now, and that didn't hurt at all. The new lead vocal Rae absolutely blew me away with her virtuosity and charm. It was also her birthday, and the crowd serenaded her with the band joining in. It was fun and memorable. The brass guys were entertaining to watch on stage and the drummer was sweetly enthusiastic.  His blue eyes looked so blue I thought it was glow-in-the-dark contacts, but it turned out to be a trick of the blue stage lights. Definitely his color.  Ellis, the classically trained composer of all of the songs by the band, seemed confident and at ease on stage introducing songs and performers between numbers. The band has recently been the victim of the theft of all of their equipment - $28,000 worth - and are running a kickstarter on their website to replace it.  This show was done with rental equipment. We were very lucky the show wasn't canceled. I am so glad Jill and I went out on a cold Thursday night to see this band.

Austin City Limits - Day 3 - October 13, 2013

Day Three of Austin City Limits was rained out for the first time in its history. After 3 years of drought, Austin got 12 inches of rain overnight, flooding the park.  Here's the video.  Until we saw the video, we thought they'd just open a little late, maybe cancel the first few acts to clean up from the storm. Once the video came out, we didn't blame them one bit. No way was that fixable in a few hours. The promoters immediately came through with refund announcements, so even though thousands of people were sad, no one really complained. There was nothing more they could have done to make it right.

On the bright side, though, we immediately started following all the artists who were supposed to play that day on Twitter and were awarded with pop-up show announcements all day long. It felt like a mini-SXSW experience.

Dana drove me around in the morning to see a bit of Austin. We went to a photo exhibit at a UT art gallery and to lunch before we started scoping out the popup locations, trying to figure out what could be paired with what.

We managed to see two of the shows - Mowgli's in the parking lot of a homeless shelter in the afternoon (acoustic) and then Franz Ferdinand in a little 750-person club at night.

Mowgli's pop up show, 10-13-2013

Dana at Mowgli's

The first pop-up we heard about was the Mowgli's, which I'd call a bunch of happy hippy folksy rockers. They decided to do an acoustic show in a parking lot across from a homeless shelter, and "admission" was anything a homeless person might need - toothpaste, shampoo, etc. We got there a little early and had fun chatting with everyone else in the crowd, updating each other on the Twitter posts we had found. The band pulled in in a van and trailer, and we all formed a circle around them, sitting so everyone could see. Dana had the BEST seat (her photos above). She was even on Austin 360's video! Katie and I were more to the side. I was almost directly behind the band in the second row, so I could see well, but couldn't hear the vocals as well as the people they were facing. Still, it was an AMAZING experience. Absolutely unforgettable. Who gets to do that? After, we dropped off our stuff at the shelter and hurried over to the line to get into Franz Ferdinand.

Initial reports for FF were that the doors would be opening an hour after we arrived. That got pushed back a couple times.  I did a rough count when we arrived and we were right on the edge of the 750 capacity, so all the time we were waiting in the drizzle, we weren't completely sure we'd get in. Katie and Dana went to a market for food, and left for a bit to get my jacket, and once a street performer came by to rap for us, but otherwise, we just talked to the people around us and had fun. After being asked why we were in line about 15 times in the first 3 hours of the wait, we started telling people "flu shots". There was one 20-something girl who was completely perplexed and had us doubled over laughing. We were getting pretty slap happy in line, and the line was moving at a snail's pace. We were still in line when the band got out of a cab in front of us.  Dana snapped the paparazzi photo below of the lead singer, Alex Kapranos. We finally got in the door minutes before the band when on stage. Only 30 more people were let in after us, according to the door man.

The club was death-metal themed, so the décor was entertaining, but quickly forgotten when the band took the stage. FF really has ENERGY. They didn't have a lot of space to move, but they still gave the appearance of doing a lot, and they sounded great, except when Alex tried to talk to the crowd, which sounded like "Mhhmemm TEXAS mehmenehhhh DRUMS mmemsejmemm AUSTIN..."  The club (Infest) was a long rectangle with the stage at the sort end, and we were near the back, so the view was spotty, but not horrible. An excellent experience for me. On the way home, we did a drive by of the Grouplove/Mowgli's/Smallpools/maybe Walk on Moon???  We can't prove the last one, but that's whose song we heard during the drive by. Might have been a cover, though.

Photo below from the Infest Facebook page - shows how packed the house was. See where the spotlight is on the chick on the riser?  We were standing in her drink splatter zone.





Austin City Limits - Day 2 - Saturday, October 12, 2013

Dana and I arrived at the festival just after the gates had opened. We went to Parquet Courts for about two songs, including the famous song, "Stoned and Starving".  They were really bad live. So young, and so stoned. Two band members tried to talk to the audience between songs and couldn't manage one sentence between them both. So we bailed and went to the free stuff - photo booths, popsicles, henna tattoos, hair braiding, etc.

Killed about an hour, then went to Walk the Moon, which I don't love, but Dana does. We sat in the shade near the port-a-potties because it was getting REALLY hot. The high was near 100 that day. Oddly, the view was pretty good from there, and it wasn't smelly at all. Walk the Moon were very dynamic on stage. The lead singer even crowd-surfed.

I left to try to meet up with a high school classmate I hadn't seen for years, only to discover that he had texted when I wasn't paying attention and needed to postpone. While I was gone, Dana noticed an opportunity, grabbed a recycle bag, and earned herself a free ACL T-shirt for 15 minutes of picking up bottles and cans in the field. Her experience inspired me to do it too, later in the day, after Grimes. Totally worth it, and the festival is AMAZINGLY clean because of that program.  At some point, I grabbed some food and saw a few minutes of a gospel choir that had dancers in white-face masks - honestly, one of the most creative and energetic stage shows I saw at the festival - and the only stage with a tent, so completely out of the sun. For a while, I just hung out under a tree reading near a small stage just to have some time out of the sun. It was REALLY hot and humid.

I managed to find Dana without texting (miracle!) and hung out for a short time until she went to Silversun Pickups while I went to Little Green Cars. This period of time was one of the hardest for me. Three bands I really love overlapping. First, Little Green Cars, who sounded incredible live. They are so powerful, and they all sing. The guitarist  (or was it bassist?) isn't hard on the eyes, either. I left early to catch a couple songs at Joy Formidible. Also really excellent live.  Great audience interaction.  Then left THAT early too to catch half of Grimes, who was absolutely mesmerizing on stage and sounded fabulous. The crowd was huge. It was hard to get close enough to see.

Little Green Cars, ACL, 10-12-2013



Grimes, ACL, 10-12-2013

I found my high school classmate next and hung out talking during Passion Pit for half their set (meh), then saw the first song of Kendrick Lamar's set. So not my thing, but I could see the appeal. He immediately got the crowd moving. It was then that I noticed how incredibly crowded the place had become.  It was hard to move through the crowds.

Met up with Dana and Katie at the Shouting Matches, which is a Bon Hiver country music side project. Again, meh. Dana and Katie had been at Wilco, and Dana had scored a VIP pass for her and a guest for the main stages, so she and Katie had front row seats for Wilco and later the Cure. Robert Smith sounded great, but he stood in exactly one place and just sang, never speaking to the audience.  I stayed for about 45 minutes of the Cure's 2 hour set, checked out 2 songs at Kings of Leon (the singer just stood there, relying on the strobe lights behind him for excitement- boring!), then I left early, exhausted. (I passed on my turn front row and let Katie stay.) Minutes after I wanted into Katie's house, it started raining, so Dana and Katie came home soaked through.  Cure photo below - Dana took that one.

 

Austin City Limits Day One - Friday, October 11, 2013

Yeah! I FINALLY got to go to a real music festival, and in Austin, which was also a first! I had a lot of fun, but I also came away with a clearer perspective about what to expect from a festival. If you are expecting elaborate stage shows, you won't get it. Even performance quality is a bit spotty. If you are expecting the festival atmosphere and black-box sets with stripped down performances, then you're on the money. I had a good time, but it wasn't a life-changing experience. Worth it once in a while and an excellent vacation centerpiece, but I'm not going to start seeking out all the major festivals as part of a bucket list. It was good, but not that good. Anyway, on to what I saw.

Katie, Dana, and Anita

While in Austin, I stayed with Dana's friend Katie, who lives only a mile from the park where ACL takes place. She was an awesome hostess and really fun to hang out with.

Friday morning, I walked over by myself before the gates opened so I could be there for the first act of the day - the Orwells. I'm really glad I did. They were funny in a train wreck kind of way. It's a bunch of fresh-out-of-high-school teen boys who have a punk-pop sound and lyrics that are about girlfriends, murder-suicide, and other teen boy fascinations. Most of the boys on stage just faded into the background, but the lead singer seemed to be channeling the spirit of a drunk transsexual. He wasn't dressed as a girl, but he was squirming around in suggestive ways that are more common to a girl. For a while he writhed on the ground and sucked on his microphone. He does have long hair, so that was in character. Honestly, I think he was very high. Vocally, he was all over the place. Sometimes he was WAY off key.  Other times he blew me away with a gravelly low sound that was gorgeous and I didn't expect from him. I'm curious what will come from this band in the future. There were a few sprinkles of rain during this act, but it cleared up.


Orwells, 10-11-2013, ACL

I left Orwells early and headed over to Fidlar, which was also a punkish rock band. Fidlar might also sing of the virtues of getting high, but they really had their s**t together on stage. Poised, confident, fun, smart, high-energy - the crowd loved them, me along with it. I would consider seeing them again.

Next was Savages, a third punk-ish band, but all women this time. I don't like their music much, but I'd heard they were amazing live. Honestly, I didn't agree. The singer looked a bit intense, but I didn't see the famous energy. The band made an unfortunate choice of costumes - all black, the same color of the stage, so they were pretty much invisible. Dana met up with me here.

Next, I rushed back across the park for Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, where we met up with Katie. Thao was excellent. One of the best performances of the weekend. Really high energy, excellent musicianship, great performance, plenty of audience engagement. I really liked that show. I would consider seeing them again.


Thao, 10-11-2013, ACL

I had a little break in my schedule when I ate, then I saw a couple songs by Electric Six, which was much different than I expected. Apparently, they have a LOT of albums, and the one or two songs I like by them are not typical. I left quickly and headed over to Fun. for a couple songs, then over to Local Natives for nearly their entire set. I was tired and sat for most of it, so I didn't see much, but they sounded great.

I think I grabbed some food, then went to part of Wild Belle, which looks like a band from the 70s, but sounds like a hybrid of reggae, jazz, pop, and some others. There was a saxophonist in the band. It was very cool and hip sounding. Photo below.

Next was Purity Ring, which was briefly delayed by rain and tech problems. By then, it was dark, and we were using our strobe-light bracelets to find each other. (Worked FABULOUSLY). Purity Ring was amazing (again - I've seen them before) and they had added extensively to their synesthesia music-light show.

Last on day one was Depeche Mode. They had an awesome stage set with impressive lights and video segments, and the lead singer did a fantastic job parading around and keeping the energy up. He sounded and looked great, too. The other band members looked 10 years older than their early 50s actual ages. I did a google image search and you wouldn't believe how young they looked when they started out. You can watch them grow up in photos.  Photo of our view at the show below.

American Authors and Mowgli's at Rock and Roll Hotel, August 7, 2013 by guest blogger Sharon Rosenblatt

Yeah! My very first guest blogger!  And she's a real writer - she's even been published in legit things. You can tell she takes writing seriously by how she actually mentions the music in her review, unlike me. The reason I gave Sharon a gift card was because the 4 venues that used Ticket Alternative in DC suddenly jumped ship for another ticket distributor, so it was use it or lose it, and I already had enough shows on the books to make my kids mad at me for a month.  So Sharon took it off my hands.  Thanks Sharon! Anita

I apologize for the delayed review. However, I realize that the timing couldn’t be more perfect because the Mowgli's are coming back to DC on November 13, 2013, with the Royal Teeth and X Ambassadors. Now, with no further ado, my almost two-months delayed review!

I think the most difficult part of being a fledgling Indie music fan like myself is the blank stares I receive when I say I’m going to a concert. Sure, part of the fun is bragging to people that the band I’m going to see is the ‘next big thing’ but it does get a little lonely on Mt. Smugness. Luckily, I am well-versed in the art of peer pressure, and that is how I coerced brought my boyfriend Anthony to a concert of a band he’s never heard of and one I only know from Spotify. So, to all you cooler people than me, I present my review of the Mowgli’s and American Authors.

Most of the credit goes to the goddess of this blog, Anita, for offering me use of her gift card to Ticket Alternative. I scoured through pages of bands, and recalled that I had maybe somewhere heard of the Mowgli’s. Ah, that’s right, the lineup for Lollapalooza, yet another music festival I’m too broke to attend. I saw that American Authors was opening, and I knew their hit song “Believer” from the few times I get to listen to Alt Nation in cars other than my own.

Usually, my MO is to buy tickets to bands I know more than one song to, but Anita was graciously offering, and I decided to break tradition. So, getting over my fear of driving to H Street to the Rock and Roll Hotel, I dragged a cheerful Anthony with the promise that if we made it before 8, the beers were cheaper and the wings were half-off.

As someone who has never been to the Rock and Roll Hotel, let me just say it was love at first sight. My favorite venue is typically your Merriweathers, but my heart secretly yearns for a gritty, grimy bar that is full of human spirit.

Too late to hear the first opener (but we did make it for $3 PBRs and half-priced wings), a Philadelphia band called Buried Beds, Anthony and I busted our way to the front of the sweaty crowd to watch American Authors set up. I’m not sure if many of you will agree, but watching a band doing their own set up and sound check is very humbling, and makes me love them more. I could tell that this quartet from Brooklyn was going to rock because their foreplay was setting up kickdrums. Also, it never hurts when they do sound checks on banjos. This wasn’t going to be my average concert.

You might know American Authors from spot in the Lowe’s commercial, or like me, you can’t get enough of “Believer” from your Spotify station. Don’t try to Google them, because you get links for syllabi about American literature. Not for much longer. This band is going to be big. They are a lovable group of hipsters from Brooklyn who released their EP in September. With only about half a dozen songs, they make up for lack of quantity with musical power. American Authors is a very happy band that has a good amount of spunk.

I didn’t know all of the songs, but I couldn’t help but bop around. The lead singer banged on the drums, and I enjoyed the positive vibe. American Authors values friends, family, and making your own luck. This isn’t the band you’re going to listen to when your boyfriend leaves you—American Authors is cheerful and a little edgy. With titles like Best Day of My Life, Luck, and Home, you’re in for an endorphin rush that’s coupled with twangy banjos and soulful mandolins.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: As a result, I’ve now seen American Authors twice since this concert. They opened for the Airborne Toxic Event at Rams Head earlier in September, and again at a free concert I attended in Philadelphia. They’re much better in a smaller venue, instead of an outdoor concert full of posers. I’m looking forward to seeing their newer releases, but until they write more songs, it might be a while before they perform at 9:30 [Club].

Once the sweat dried off me and my claustrophobia abated, I was geared for the Mowgli’s. The video for “San Francisco” is the stuff that butterflies, sparkles, and ponies are made of. Like American Authors, the Mowgli’s are a happy band. Not surprising, considering they are all from California. A modern-day answer for the Beach Boys, the Mowgli’s have a commanding presence that can lift the sourest of moods with songs like “Emily”, “Hi, Hey There, Hello” (which my boyfriend and I are trying to learn as a duet with him on guitar), and the always inspiring “Carry Your Will”. The lyrics aren’t poetry or particularly intellectual, but the harmonious sounds of guitar and drums will leave you grinning and dancing.

If you’re into a little bit of West Coast rock coupled with a rush of serotonin, the Mowgli’s are your band. They’re alternative enough to fulfill your musical needs without being mainstream, but still not off the deep end because they are California hippies. The Mowgli’s are a massive band (I think I counted six or seven members), and they could demand a crowd at your larger venues as an opener, but I think it would diffuse them. Did anyone see them at Lollapalooza? I’d like to see how that would compare.

Check out the videos for San Francisco or The Great Divide (also the title of their second album). Then, considering joining me in November, as part of the DC stop on the Mowgli’s Random Acts of Kindness Tour.

http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/375525?utm_medium=bks&utm_medium=459899

 

Free Fest, Merriweather, September 21, 2013

Little Green Cars, Merriweather, 9-21-13

 I arrived at Freefest at around 10:30 am on Saturday September 21, 2013, determined to get a parking spot in the main lot of Merriweather.  It worked.  I got in, got my T-shirt and cup (because I wasn't lucky enough to score a free ticket), and hung out in the dance forest until Ghost Beach went on. They were very good live, as I expected, since I'd seen them open for Robert DeLong the week before. They know how to work a crowd.  After a while, I went to check out the other acts playing. First, I stopped by the Knocks. They were two guys at computers using samples. There was nothing entertaining about their live show. I don't understand their appeal. Then I stopped by Sky Ferreira. That girl has a great voice, even if I'm not all that found of her pop tunes.   Next I went to Little Green Cars, who started out folksy and progressed towards a more rock sound during their set. They were a very pleasant surprise.  All of the band members sing - all 5. Beautiful harmonies.  I stopped by Washed Out briefly, but I don't love his music, so I left for CHVRCHES - one of my main reasons for coming to the festival.  The lead singer was tiny, and looked almost fae. Beautiful voice and face. Reminded me of Grimes without the artist attitude and pot. Her two band-mates were on platforms next to her, and it just accentuated how short she was. They did a lot of new songs, including one that featured male vocals.  The performance wasn't amazing, but it was good enough to see again when they come back to town. The rain started during this act, and Dana arrived just as they were finishing their last song. The next act - and the other reason I was excited for this festival - was Icona Pop. Dana and I got up fairly close to the stage, so we could actually see some of the stage show without the screen. The duo had a LOT of party girl energy, and they looked like their supermodel selves. They were very good live - worth seeing.  They sounded good, though they did clearly have a fair amount of their background music recorded, not live.  I thought they would have had a wilder, more gimmick-filled show, but no such luck. No one I saw all day had a great gimmick.  The rain really started to come down during Icona Pop. Dana and I wandered around for a while listening to City and Colour in the background (meh) but the next act I wanted to see wasn't for 2 hours, so we both ended up calling it a day at around 5:30 pm.  Since the rain never let up, and the photos I saw online were nothing special, I feel good about that decision. 

Washed Out, 9-21-13

Chvrches, Merriweather, 9-21-13

Chvrches, Merriweather, 9-21-13

Icona Pop, Merriweather, 9-21-13

Icona Pop, Merriweather, 9-21-13

Dana, Merriweather, 9-21-13



Anita, Merriweather, 9-21-13

Ghost Beach, Merriweather, 9-21-13

Imagine Dragons and Neighbourhood, Merriweather, 9-20-13

Imagine Dragons at Merriweather, 09-20-2013

It was a beautiful night at Merriweather on Friday, September 20, 2013, and Eric, Natalie, and I enjoyed it with lots of friends. Jill brought her son, his friend, and the friend's dad. I brought my friend Laura, her daughter Phebe (Natalie's friend) and husband Shank, and Trish met us there with Jack in tow (her son). There were a lot of kids at this show, and not just in our group.

Natalie and I arrived at 4:30 pm to use gatecrashers to grab a big spot on the lawn (sold out show), but it turns out that gatecrashers doesn't work like I thought it would. It's very helpful if you have a standing-room floor ticket, but if you have lawn ticket, all it does is get you inside the food area, then you wait in a crowd until the gates officially open to run for a spot on the lawn.  It worked to our advantage on accident, but it was almost 6 pm before we claimed a spot on the lawn. Then we waited, and waited, and waited.  Traffic was very tough that night, and Eric didn't show up until the first opener, Envy Corp, was about to start. Natalie and I spent most of their set buying food. I barely even noticed their music. People in our group started trickling in during their set.

Neighbourhood was the second opener, and they were potty-mouthed, but very good live. Active on stage and sounded great. Worth seeing. It got dark during their set and I was VERY glad I had brought Halloween flashing LED bracelets with me to the show.  Eric held them over his head as a beacon in the crowd when people needed to find our group. Hint for parents: bring glow-y things to concerts when you bring kids. SO much entertainment value.

Imagine Dragons were excellent performers. They are straight up pop, but they were engaging and sounded great, too. The lights show on stage was varied and entertaining. It relied heavily on a giant screen behind the performers. They were not foul-mouthed, which was better for the 6 to 13 year old ears in our group.

Waxahatchee at Black Cat on 09-17-2013

Waxahatchee at Black Cat 9-17-13

I went to the Screaming Females concert at Black Cat on September 17, 2013, specifically for the opener, Waxahatchee. I didn't even stay to see the first song by Screaming Females, and during the first opener, Tenement, I sat and checked my phone for the entire set. Tenement was punk-light, and I didn't care for them.

Waxahatchee has amazing intensity on her recorded albums. Her voice was every bit as good in person, but the emotions didn't come through as well live. I think she was dialing it in after being on the road so long. She is not much of a performer. I don't think she even swayed to her own music.  She talked to the audience maybe twice. So it was a disappointing show. I won't seek her out again, but I will keep listening to her recorded music.

Robert DeLong and Ghost Beach at U Street, 9-10-13

Ghost Beach, U Street, 9-10-13

Robert DeLong, U Street, 9-10-13

I went to Robert DeLong and Ghost Beach at U Street Music Hall on a Tuesday night (Sept 10, 2013) with Trish and a couple of her friends, wondering if it was possible for the show to live up to the fabulous time I had seeing DeLong in the same venue 7 months prior. It vastly surpassed that prior experience.

The opener, Ghost Beach, was very talented live. They've got at least one recognizable song out, and their performance on stage was extremely engaging. They really know how to work a crowd. They will be at Free Fest next week and I look forward to seeing them there again.

Robert DeLong is AMAZING live.  I haven't danced that much at a show for as long as I can remember. I'm sure it helps that I love his music and know it pretty well, but even the people we were with who'd never heard of him really enjoyed themselves. I couldn't see at all, and I know from experience it's fascinating to see him create the music, but I didn't mind because the music and the atmosphere was just that good.

As a side note, Trish made fun of me for coming to the show in face paint, but I was vindicated. Face paint is a thing at DeLong shows - there were volunteer face painters there. (I know I've seen him recruiting face painters on Facebook.)  So there. ;-)

STRFKR and Small Black at 9:30 Club, September 4, 2013

Starfucker, 9:30 Club, 9-4-13

Small Black, 9:30 Club, 9-4-13

I bought this show ticket on impulse after realizing that I had 2 or 3 of the songs from Starfucker's 2013 album as well as 1 of Small Black's on my favorites lists. I figured there were good odds that I'd enjoy the show. It was a Wednesday night show and I didn't know anyone else going, so I hosted a Meetup for the Indie Concert group, and it was really well attended. Everyone who came was nice and interesting, and most of them were able to find us in the club. I arrived when the doors opened and got a great spot on the balcony for our group. It looked like a promising night, until the music started.

The first opener was Feelings, a solo electronic act gentleman from California who seemed to be channeling Ross from Friends while trying to sound like Robert Smith from the Cure, but failing. It was a gutsy move, but a horrible train wreck.  Poor guy.


Small Black were much better.  They bopped around on stage a little and seemed to be excited to be there, but I found their extended catalogue rather dull. I think they could be good someday, but they need some additional songs that people will want to sing along with. Most of what they played wasn't sing-along caliber.

Starfucker disappointed me. Most of their act was spent imitating statues. They barely moved on stage at all, and almost never acknowledge the audience in front of them. They relied entirely on their lights show to entertain, and annoyingly, audience-facing strobes were a part of that show. The lead singer (a man) wore a hausfrau dress and never commented on it. Not sure what the deal was with that, but apparently, it's common at their shows. Worst part of the show was the sound mixing. The vocals were really difficult to make out. Even when one of my favorites came on, it took me a while to identify it because I couldn't hear the vocals clearly. I ended up leaving before the end of the set.  I won't bother to see them again live.

Lumineers at Merriweather, July 26, 2013

Lumineers at Merriweather, 7-26-13

Lumineers at Merriweather, 7-26-13

Eric and I went to Lumineers at Merriweather a couple nights ago on the best weather night of the entire summer. We had seats smack dab in the middle of the audience, near the sound guys and the private booths, so an amazing view. Even better, we had some very civilized people in front of us who also preferred to sit, so we got to see a lot of the show while seated! (Except when the Lumineers singer cajoled everyone into standing in the middle of the set - damn him!)

The first opener, The Dig, was so forgettable that I had trouble remembering them mere seconds after their set ended. The second opener, Joe Pug, was a county singer-songwriter I wish I could have forgotten as quickly. Eric and I counted down the moments until his set was due to end. Dana and Sharon arrived just before Lumineers began. There were tons of empty seats near us, so they sat behind us instead of 20+ seats down the row. The real owners of the seats never showed up, so we sat together the whole time.

Lumineers where exceptionally good. They had lots of energy on stage, and even employed a cute gimmick of doing a couple songs on the side walk in front of the lawn audience. The group started as a trio and officially expanded to a 5 piece band in 2012. I think they previewed a couple new songs. The one that we all loved was this one. It featured Neyla Pekarek and Wesley Schultz in a retro-sounding duet. They also played most, if not all, of their 2012 debut album, and were kind enough to play the hits in the middle of the set, so I didn't feel bad leaving during the last song before the encore. One thing I noticed: Wesley, the lead singer, wears a hat to hide great hair, not to hide thinning hair as I assumed. His hair is so good, he doesn't look like he should be singing folk when it's uncovered. The staging consisted of 3 chandeliers and 3 small platforms for the cello, drums, and upright piano. It was spare, but worked well. The lighting was good but not over the top. Sound quality was really clear, but overly loud, as usual.

Camera Obscura and She & Him at Wolf Trap, July 11, 2013

A really poor excuse for a photo of Camera Obscura at Wolf Trap

Eric and I drove Genevieve and her friend to this show, then met up with our friends John and Kat as well as Layla. Genevieve and her friend grabbed a spot close in with a bit of a view. Eric, John, Kat, and I set up camp on the upper hill which has absolutely no view at all (and Wolf Trap does not have a screen for the lawn seat folks.) Layla went back and forth between the two spots.

The music was beautiful, though I honestly was more intent on socializing with John and Kat, who we seldom see, than listening. I did go down the hill a few times to check out the view. I snapped a contraband photo of Camera Obscura while there. Camera Obscura has very little going on performance-wise, though She & Him had some nice lighting and moving about on stage.

Getting out of the Wolf Trap parking lot took at least an hour of sitting and waiting in an unmoving line.

Fun. and Tegan and Sara, Satuday, July 20, 2013 at Merriweather

Tegan and Sara 7/20/13 at Merriweather.



This show was Natalie's 8th Bday present.

Me and Natalie

Fun. at Merriweather 7/20/13

Eric, Natalie and I went to the Fun. show last night in honor of Natalie's 8th birthday. When the tickets went on sale many months ago, Natalie was in love with Fun., listening to their music non-stop. She knows most of the words to most of the songs, but thankfully doesn't know what all of the references are about. Dana, Sharon, and Rachel were also all at this show, but we were in seats, so we didn't really get to hang out much.

The evening was insanely hot and humid at the beginning for this sold-out show at Merriweather Post Pavilion (approx. 20,000 people), and then there was a huge thunderstorm between the two acts. Rachel had the misfortune of lawn seats and didn't stay for most of Fun., but since she was there for Tegan and Sara, it sounds like she didn't mind so much.

Tegan and Sara put on a great show, really. If you were a fan, I am positive you would have felt extremely happy about seeing them live. They had impressive stage production with videos projected behind them and they were very friendly and engaging to the audience. I wish I liked their music, but I still don't.  This is how clueless I sometimes am: I had no idea that Tegan and Sara has a strong lesbian following. Um, duh!

Fun. was INCREDIBLE live. They absolutely lived up to their name. Even Eric, who is not a fan, said he was impressed by how good they were as performers and that the stage production was extremely good.  They had screens all over the background and the stage platforms and the best lights show I've ever seen. There was even a costume change between the first and second numbers and confetti cannons near the end. The artists were engaging (though a bit potty-mouthed, which of course Natalie heard.) You could hear the singing loud and clear above the instruments, and we had a pretty good view from our center MM row seats.  SO worth the admission price. Loved it!  We skipped the encore to get out of the packed parking lot before the crowd.

We Were Promised Jetpacks and Twin Radio, Jammin' Java, June 14, 2013

Twin Radio at Jammin' Java, 6-14-13

We Were Promised Jetpacks, Jammin' Java, 6-14-13

Adam Thomson of WWPJ, 6-14-13

Eric and I went to see We Were Promised Jetpacks at Jammin’ Java on Friday, June 14, 2013, mostly because it was a Friday night and I thought it would be a fun show. We arrived so early that we went to the Outback Steak House across the street so Eric could eat and I could watch. (No way I’m eating steak. Bleh!) Call it an early Father’s Day dinner.  We arrived right before the opener, Twin Radio, went on, and connected with two women I’ve met at several Indie Concert Meetups before: Laura and Jane. The other half of the group were no-shows, maybe because the show sold out.  FYI, Jammin’ Java’s idea of sold out is entirely civilized. The floor was not crowded at all. Laura and Jane told us about their recent cross-country drive that included stops in Austin and Memphis and other music hot-spots. It sounded like a lot of fun.

Twin Radio is a local band that really tried hard to engage the audience. You could tell they were very happy to be on stage and gave it their all, but they weren’t actually good. I don’t even know the names of the kind of bands they were emulating. Rock that an 11 year old boy might mistake for cool – something you’d hear on a top 40 station. Sometimes I wondered if they might have a Christian rock leaning, but I couldn’t make out the lyrics – mostly I was going from the big “Jesus” tattoo on the lead singer’s arm. I found the use of a keytar (guitar style keyboard) hilarious. That singer spent most of the time (poorly) pantomiming the song lyrics that you couldn’t understand over the rest of the music.  I think his mom might have been in the audience. I think the whole band were DC-suburbs born and raised. Eric signed up for their mailing list when they offered him a sticker. He said he felt sorry for them.

We Were Promised Jetpacks still have 2 distinct styles: jam-band (I hate that one) and gorgeous vocals over hard-driving rock (LOVE that style).  So I loved exactly 50% of the show and wanted to fall asleep the other 50%. Same as last time I saw them, but this time I got to be REALLY close to the stage. Unfortunately, the lead singer is no longer the cutie-pie he once was. That boy loves himself some beer – and it shows in his waistline.  Young guy, but he’s passed the pudgy mark and is on the way to truly fat.  His accent is still gorgeous, though, and he still looks like he has his eyes closed when he sings.