Top Stops

Wall Fall Ball: 'Rise&Fall' & DJ Ipek Ipekcioglu

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

WEDNESDAY: The intimate DC9 club will host an event that memorializes a gigantic moment in history: the fall of the Berlin Wall. "Rise&Fall" is a mobile art installation (and dance party) featuring digital images based on the theme of breaking down barriers. Turkish-German DJ Ipek Ipekcioglu will be spinning techno to soundtrack the celebration of freedom.

After the jump: See videos of DJ Ipek Ipekcioglu in action, cutting up with a hybrid of Turkish twang and electronica.

» DC9, 1490 9th St. NW; Wed., Nov. 18, 8:30 p.m., $10; 202-483-5000. (U St.-Cardozo)

Photo courtesy DJ Ipek Ipekcioglu

Mastodons of Metal: Baroness

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

WEDNESDAY: Baroness' new album, "Blue Record," has garnered near-universal acclaim for the way it smoothly weds hard rock, intricate metal, delicate acoustic passages and more twists than a tornado. Leading the charge is guitarist-vocalist John Baizley, who possesses a remarkable amount of creativity and imagination: He's also an amazing illustrator whose work has decorated the covers for numerous metal albums and band T-shirts.

After the jump: Stream the entire "Blue Record" and check out the video for the album's first single, "A Horse Called Golgotha."

» Rock and Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE; with Earthless and U.S. Christmas, Wed., Nov. 18, 8 p.m., $12; 202-388-7625.

Photo by G.L. Johnson

All High Points: The Flatlanders

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:00:00 -0500

MONDAY: The Flatlanders might not work quickly — four albums in 30 years — but they do work smart. Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Joe Ely and Butch Hancock combine country-music harmonies, folk's social consciousness and the twangy power of roots rock, and the Texas trio brought their songwriting talents together again for 2009's "Hills and Valleys." It's their first CD in five years, but like everything The Flatlanders do, it was worth the wait.

After the jump: Check out some live clips of The Flatlanders.

» Birchmere, 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria, Va.; Mon, Nov. 16, 7:30 p.m., $29.50; 703-549-7500.

Photo by Steve Gullick

United Screamdom: Gallows

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:30:00 -0500

"GREY BRITAIN" is a kick in the nads.

There's really no other way to describe the second album by Gallows, a snarling punk quintet from England who mix Motorhead-like riffs with a rage that's born of working-class British bile.

While the group's first album, 2006's "Orchestra of Wolves" (Epitaph), was a rousing affair, mixing the spastic energy of Refused with the hard-rock romping of The Stooges, Gallows' major-label debut, "Grey Britain" (Warner Bros.), is a collection of protest songs that are as polished as they are pissed. The record is crushing and catchy, with heavily tattooed singer Frank Carter declaring war with every spat word, as guitarists Laurent "Lags" Barnard and Carter's younger brother, Steph, riff like Angus and Malcolm Young would if they played punk instead of metal boogie.

Gallows appeared on the 2009 Warped Tour, and before their Merriweather appearance in July, Steph Carter spoke to Express about how the brothers Carter came to love the heavy stuff, how the band records and writes its songs, the political anger that fueled "Grey Britain" and what it's still like to live with mom.

Future Soul: The xx

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:58 -0500

The xx doesn't have an easily Google-able name, but the London quartet's sound is instantly identifiable. The group's debut, "xx," is filled with songs that borrow from modern R&B, vintage New Wave and melancholic electronica for a strikingly original melange. Even more impressive is the musicians' average age: 20.

DC9 is tiny, so the buzzed-about concert has been sold out, but check some videos after the jump to see if you wanna go the scalped route to see the show.

» DC9, 1490 9th St. NW; Sun., Nov. 15, 8:30 p.m., sold out; 202-483-5000. (U St.-Cardozo)

Photo by Owen Richards

Lamb of God, 'Set to Fail'

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:06:06 -0500

Band:	Lamb of God
Song:	"Set to Fail"
Album:	"Wraith" (Epic)
Sounds Like:	Raw and ripping pure American metal. Read our write-up of the deluxe version of "Wraith."
D.C. Bound:	Wed., Nov. 11, 9:30 Club, with Darkest Hour, who did a cool track-by-track rundown of their new album with us; read it here.
Get More:	Web Site \| MySpace \| Wiki

Sufi-ce to Sing: Kailash Kher and Kailasa

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:05:05 -0500

TUESDAY: To many people, the massively popular Kailash Kher and Kailasa make world music. But to millions of Indians, the Sufi-informed combination of Kher's soaring vocals and the techo-tinged sounds of Kailasa (brothers Naresh and Paresh Kamath) is simply modern folk with pop twists. Their first international CD, "Yatra (Nomadic Souls)," is what brings them to the U.S., but you can bet the place will be packed with Indians shouting requests for Kher's numerous Bollywood classics.

After the jump: Listen to all of "Yatra (Nomadic Souls)."

» Lisner Auditorium, 730 21st St. NW; Tue., Nov. 10, $25-$45; 800-551-7328. (Foggy Bottom-GWU)

The Kids Are Alright: The Black Hollies

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0500

TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY: The Black Hollies are the zillionth group aping the psychedelic blue-eyed blues of mid-'60s Brit-rock bands such as The Kinks, The Yardbirds and The Who, but this New Jersey quartet carries its homage with upper-class sass. You've heard The Black Hollies' new CD, "Softly Towards the Light," a billion times — but the garage-rock formula is so great, listen to it a billion and one. (And their lives shows are supposed to be hotter than overdriven tube amp.)

After the jump: Check the video for "Paisley Pattern Ground" plus some live clips for proof of the band's style-filled substance. Plus, download a free MP3 of the howler "Gloomy Monday Morning."

» Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW; with Title Tracks, Bryan Scary, Tue., Nov. 10, 8:30 p.m., $10; 202-667-4490. (U St.-Cardozo)

» The Metro Gallery, 700 North Charles St., Baltimore, Md.; with Title Tracks, Bryan Scary, Baby Aspirin, Wed., Nov. 11, 8 p.m., $8; 410-244-0899.

Photo courtesy Big Hassle Media

Pop Tart: Lenka

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

MONDAY: Singer-songwriter Lenka has said her music is a mixture of the Beatles, Burt Bacharach and Bjork. Like the first two she shares a good ear for bouncy melodies, but Lenka and Bjork are alike only in that they both evoke pixies. But the Australian singer has a voice as cute as her face (that is, very), and her sweet 2008 debut, "Lenka," spawned the ultra-catchy pop song "The Show," which Old Navy used in a major campaign.

After the jump: See the video for "The Show" and several other songs.

» Rock and Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE; with Colin Smith, Danni Rosner, Mon., Nov. 9, 7 p.m., $15; 202-388-7625.

Photo courtesy Big Hassle

Metal Blades: Ensiferum, 'From Afar'

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:06:06 -0500

IF THE PHOTO didn't tip you off, Ensiferum's name is Latin for "sword bearing," and the band does love the heavy metal.

But the group's music is self-described "heroic folk metal," and there is no better definition for the Finnish band's mixture of galloping Nordic rhythms, chugging distorted guitars and fantastical lyrics that sound like they're ripped from the "Kalevala," the country's magnum opus folk poem.

Ensiferum is part of a small but strong collection of Finnish bands who have explored their country's long heritage, musically and lyrically, under the modern umbrella of metal. The 14-year-old group's new CD, "From Afar" (Spinefarm), is another action-packed epic, soaked in blood and grain alcohol. It's pure fantasy music for those who mark down dates for the Medieval Faire a year in advance.