Guest post series by Kevin Hill and ChunkyGlasses.com
We’re back folks! It’s a new year and there are new musical adventures to be had! Everyone knows that there’s great music to be had all over this fine city, but what you may not know is that a good deal of it can be found right in our very own neighborhood. Nestled at the back end of Capitol Hill in the H-Street corridor, a nightlife scene is slowly and rapidly developing, and along with that comes music. Lots and lots of music.
So what do you have to look forward to in the coming month? If you’re a fan of dancing then the Rock and Roll Hotel is the place for you. The winter month’s are typically slow in the rock world, but venues have keep on keeping on, and I guess there’s no better way to ensure butt’s through the door than a guarantee that those butts will be shaking by the end of the night. Fans of DJ music/culture, your time is extremely freaking NIGH at the Rock and Roll hotel all month long, so dust off your dancin’ shoes an hop to it.
Now, the Winter months may be slow, but they are by all means from from dead, and that’s where The Red Palace comes in this January. Featuring no less than 4 local DC bands (yes people, they exist beyond Fugazi, Chuck Brown and Thievery Corporation) they might as well hang a sign out front that says “We’ve Got Your Back DC”.
First up you’ve got the poppy sounds of The Droids We’re Looking For w/Potomac Bombs on Friday the 13th (TONIGHT!!). That’s followed up by the dance-flavored rock of The Silver Liners on the 21st, the dark, complex melodies of stereosleep on the 25th, and finally the psychedelic assault of The Very Small on the 28th.
But it’s not all local love. In fact our pick for the month is a band hailing from Ontario that goes by the name of Wildlife. Like/Love bands like the Arcade Fire, The Clash, Talking Heads and Hall and Oates? Well apparently they’ve got you covered. Check out the video of the band performing “Stand In The Water” and decide if it’s your jam or not.
And that’s about it for January. As the months get warmer, we’ll have a whole lot more to talk about in our area, and there are definitely some great bands that will be coming to rock Captiol Hill in the near future (you all have your tickets to see Other Lives at the Red Palace in February, right? RIGHT??!!!). Until then, keep your earholes full and your thirst for new music unquenched kids. We’ll see you in February!
PS. Speaking of Hall and Oates, I almost forgot our album recommendation. If you haven’t heard it, Abandonded Luncheonette was a minor masterpiece that Philadelphia soulsters unleashed on the world way back in 1973. While it may be a long way from the Maneaters and Private Eyes of the 80’s, it’s an album that we highly recommend anyone with even a passing appreciation of bands like the Four Tops, or Smokey Robinson and the Miracles check out. Daryl and John might catch a bit of flack for their later work, but Luncheonette proves that at their core they’ve always been the real deal. We’ve included the links for you to listen to the album on either Rdio or Spotify so check it out, and you can thank us later.
Listen to Abandoned Luncheonette on Rdio
Listen to Abandoned Luncheonette on Spotify