Author Archives: Olivia

You know the deal. We preview the 9:30 Club shows you should be checking out. You can enter for a chance to win tickets to each of them.

Hint: Maybe, in fact, a couple of chances… Today?

Without further ado, the second half of the 9:30 Club Concert preview for June…

Noah and The Whale w/ Bahamas, Fri 6/17 Late Show! 10:00 PM Doors

English indie folk rockers Noah and The Whale bring their Fun Fun Fun (“Five Years Time”) to a late show at the club this Friday night after Marina and the Diamonds’ sparkly fans clear out. But woe! Their latest album, this year’s Last Night On Earth is available as part of a signed limited edition set that includes a 7″ of “Tonight’s the Kind of Night” and “Wild Thing”… but it’s only available in the UK. Lucky Englishmen! At least we get them over here, across the pond, for an appearance at the club!

The Feelies, Sat 6/18

There are so many things about The Feelies that endear them to me: they’re from New Jersey, where they loved to play at Maxwell’s (one of my favorite venues outside of 9:30 Club), they rocked the ’80s, their name refers to an Aldous Huxley novel… And they just reunited a couple of years ago and have released their first studio album in almost twenty years, Here Before. Didn’t get to see them in the ’80s? Here’s your chance!

Black Country Communion, Sun 6/19

Hellooooo supergroup! Black Country Communion is Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath), Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin, Foreigner), Derek Sherinian (Alice Cooper, Billy Idol), and Joe Bonamassa, blues rock guitar virtuoso. Do I really need to say anything else??

Dinosaur Jr. w/ Off!, Sat 6/25

This is going to be one pretty special rock show. Not only will you start off with Off! opening, but Dinosaur Jr. will be performing their classic ’80s album Bug in its entirety, AND… Henry Rollins will be interviewing Dinosaur Jr. live! The entire thing will be filmed as part of In the Hands of the Fans. Holy crap. This is like three shows in one! Words escape me.

If you like our guitar-heavy lineup of 9:30 Club picks for the second half of June… You probably want to pay attention for the next couple of hours. Wink, wink.

Welsh new-wave pop beauty Marina Lambrini Diamandis, better known as Marina and the Diamonds, will be shining up (see what I did there? It’s Friday, and I’m beat and only think I’m clever) 9:30 Club for an EARLY show (5:30 pm doors) next Friday, June 17th, and we have a chance for you to win a pair of tickets.

Diamandis translates to “diamonds” from Greek, but “the Diamonds” are actually what she calls her fans. Her debut full-length release, last year’s The Family Jewels, is another coy reference to her surname, in addition to her last two EPs, 2009’s The Crown Jewels, and 2010’s The American Jewels.

Obviously, Marina Lambrini Diamandis is pretty clever, too.

To win the tickets, tell us in the comments below, your favorite most-cleverly named band, album, or song.

I am going to go with last year’s Major Lazer & La Roux remix collab, LazerProof.

The winner will be chosen Tuesday (6/14) at noon.

Friends and first-name-only ladies Thao & Mirah have joined forces and will be stopping by Black Cat tonight, along with BOBBY and Led to Sea. TVD Chapel Hill is also currently running a ticket giveaway for their show at Local 506 tomorrow night.

Mirah took a little bit of time out of their busy touring schedule to go on a First Date with us and reminisces about another famed collaboration, Maurice Sendak and Carole King’s Really Rosie.

When I was in first grade, I played the role of Pierre’s mother in our elementary school production of Really Rosie. My floppy hat and oversized dress, barely held up from under the heels of my clompy boots by the wide sash gathering all the extra material at my waist, made me look every bit the part of the Maurice Sendak drawing I was to bring to life. Thus began my life-long adoration of this album.

Seriously, what better collaboration could there be? And I love that it was between an illustrator/author and a songwriter. I like collaborations that cross-pollinate between mediums.

Thao & Mirah | Eleven (ft. tUnE-yaRds)

I still have my copy of Really Rosie on vinyl from back then and recently bought a vinyl copy for my five-year-old nephew. Gotta pass on the good stuff.

We’re trying to pass on the good stuff as well. For a chance to win a copy of Thao & Mirah’s self-titled LP, tell us your favorite musical collaboration in the comments below. Other than, of course, Thao & Mirah!

The winner of the vinyl will be chosen next Friday (6/17) and must have a mailing address in the continental United States or Canada.

On Monday (6/13), Portland indie folk rockers The Decemberists hit up Merriweather Post Pavilion with… wait for it… Best Coast! (Who else couldn’t get that noise-pop “Boyfriend” song out of their head last summer?) We have a chance for you to win a pair of lawn tickets.

The Decemberists just released their sixth studio album The King Is Dead earlier this year. I must say though, my favorite Decemberists’ song is “Sleepless” from 2009’s Dark Was the Night compilation. (Supposedly, a sequel to the compilation is coming, too.)

Were you sleepless, tearing at the air?
Was the water everywhere?
Were you fretful to wade into the room?
I’d been wanting to hear from you
Oh, no

I’ve had way too many sleepless nights lately.

To win the tickets, give us a song about sleep in the comments below.

I know, kind of a toughie, but these are tickets to see two great bands! Gotta make you work for it a little bit. I’m calling Arcade Fire’s “Rebellion (Lies)” because we all know that sleeping is giving in.

The winner will be chosen Friday (6/10) at noon.

The last DC ticket giveaway for today is a truly stellar one: California indie rockers Grouplove hit up Black Cat on Monday (6/13), and we have a pair of tickets for you to win to this SOLD OUT show. Bonus: Walk the Moon are opening, so a few of their pink and turquoise face-painted warrior fans should surely be representing.

BBC Music describe Grouplove as a “Los Angeles quintet whose collective compositional mindset has evidently been gently toasted by the Californian sunshine. Theirs is a sound so buoyant, so gleeful – as made perfectly evident on their great single, Colours – that its infectiousness is absolute.”

In “Colours,” from their self-titled EP, lead vocalist Christian Zucconi warbles

So I pull the switch, the switch, the switch inside my head
And I see black, black, green and brown, brown, brown, brown and blue, yellow, violets, red
And suddenly a light appears inside my brain
And I think of my ways, I think of my days, and know that I have changed

To win the tickets, tell us in the comments below, your favorite song with a colour (notice my British spelling to match Grouplove’s) in it.

There are so many! But anyone who knows me knows that mine has to be the Psychedelic Furs’ “Pretty in Pink.”

The winner will be chosen Thursday (6/9) at noon.

Ryan Bingham and The Dead Horses are best known for “The Weary Kind,” the theme song to the movie Crazy Heart (and a track on their 2010 album Junky Star via Lost Highway Records), which won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song, Best Original Song at the Academy Awards, and Song of the Year at the Americana Music Association awards.

They ride over to 9:30 Club this Friday (6/10), and we have a chance for you to win a pair of tickets.

This kind of Americana makes you want to ride into the sunset.

To win the tickets, tell us in the comments below, the track that would be the soundtrack as you ride off into the sunset.

I’m going to go with anything by the Black Keys, especially “Your Touch,” which is my “I just robbed a bank Bonnie and Clyde-style and am galloping across the plains evading the law” song. (Doesn’t everyone have one of those?)

The winner will be chosen on Thursday (6/9) at noon and must confirm by 5pm that day, so stay on top of your email!

The DC Record Fair on Saturday at vitaminwater® uncapped LIVE was a smashing success!

We’d like to thank vitaminwater®, Brightest Young Things and Art Whino for allowing us, our partners Som Records and DC Soul Recordings, and our vinyl-loving brethren to take over their gorgeous space for the day.

If you didn’t get a chance to stop by, DC Hot Spots was kind enough to film a little recap so that we can relive the fun over and over again.

Full disclosure: In addition to being an Editor at The Vinyl District, I am also a host for DC Hot Spots. Find us about town covering the hottest events and activities!

Photo recap to follow tomorrow!

UPDATE – 6/6 – 7PM: This show has been cancelled. (But you can still check out the new release, right?)

This week’s running theme is a special one.

We’re still in a great mood from the DC Record Fair last weekend and want to show you all some love for coming out. So, instead of having a band curate the week, we’re doing something special just for you readers. TICKET GIVEAWAYS EVERY DAY. Sometimes more than one.

First up, we have a pair of tix to see rocker Duncan Sheik at the Birchmere on Saturday (6/11). Tomorrow, he releases his new album Covers 80s. “Stripped” (a Depeche Mode cover) from the album is currently being offered as a free download, and you can listen to the entire album on his site.

Covers 80s is Duncan Sheik’s “take on the synth-pop era’s classic and obscure songs. . . The album will include tracks by Depeche Mode, Thompson Twins, New Order, The Cure, Love and Rockets, The Smiths, Tears for Fears and more. Covers 80s features 12 highly personalized takes on the decade’s smashes and lesser known gems. The album features guest vocals from Rachael Yamagata and Holly Brook.”

And you can also hear his version of New Order’s “Love Vigilantes” right now.

Duncan Sheik | Love Vigilantes

Tracklist: Duncan Sheik, Covers 80s
1. “Stripped” (Depeche Mode)
2. “Hold Me Now” (Thompson Twins)
3. “Love Vigilantes” (New Order)
4. “Kyoto Song” (The Cure)
5. “What Is Love” (Howard Jones)
6. “So Alive” (Love and Rockets)
7. “Shout” (Tears for Fears)
8. “Gentlemen Take Polaroids” (Japan)
9. “Life’s What You Make of It” (Talk Talk)
10. “William It Was Really Nothing” (The Smiths)
11. “Stay” (The Blue Nile)
12. “The Ghost In You” (The Psychedelic Furs)

To win the tickets, tell us in the comments below, the ’80s song you’d love for Duncan Sheik to cover, whether or not it’s on his new release.

The winner will be chosen on Wednesday (6/8) at noon.

The DC Record Fair returns this summer, and we’re back in DC proper with a few new friends… Hugs.

Brightest Young Things will be opening vitaminwater® uncapped LIVE near the U Street Corridor, and we’ll be joining them there on Saturday, June 4th for the Summer 2011 DC Record Fair.

As always, we’ll have vendors from up and down the East Coast augmented by our ever-revolving Guest DJs, plus food, drinks, and everything you’ve become accustomed to.

The Washington, DC Record Fair
Saturday, June 4, 2011
vitaminwater® uncapped LIVE
2217 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
11-Noon early bird $5 admission
12-5PM $2 admission

The quarterly DC Record Fair is brought to you by Som Records, DC Soul Recordings, and The Vinyl District.

Contact: info@dcrecordfair.com

DC Record Fair Facebook | Twitter

The Marcātus Art Market and OUTSIDE are teaming up (again) this Sunday (6/5) to bring you an arts and music experience like no other. (Plus food and drink!)

This incredible event is a collaboration between Art Whino, 88, FORWARD DC, Lil Soso Productions, and One Love Massive.

Sunday, June 5th
11am – 6pm
The Yards Park
10 Water Street SE DC
(One Block South of N and 3rd Streets SE)
Event is FREE and open to the public
Dogs on leashes also welcome!

I was first tipped off to this event last month when my friend and talented local artist Rose Richey began selling her beautiful wares there.

And after seeing all the other friends that we have who are involved, I had to get the word out.

We’ve had the pleasure of viewing Art Whino’s amazing G40 Art Exhibit at vitaminwater® uncapped LIVE, where we will be holding the DC Record Fair tomorrow with Som Records and DC Soul Recordings.

I’ve partied with those 88 guys, and they know how to throw down, plus their lineup includes Lovegrove’s ALL VINYL CloudWatch Set. We loooove whenever we get to say *ALL VINYL* DJ SET!

And the One Love Massive setlist includes our friends Fatback DJs, Moon/Bounce DJs, and Empresarios DJs.

We just spent a week dancing, singing, hugging with Empresarios and the other Fort Knox Recordings artists who took over U Street Music Hall for the Memorial Weekend Blowout last Sunday.

Empresarios | Pereo Intenso (DJ Sabo Remix)

Empresarios | Mo’ Glo Radio

Read More »

Our friends at 9:30 Club love you guys, love records, and love giving away tickets!

So here is the ultimate 9:30 Club ticket giveaway just for you record collectors.

Tomorrow is the DC Record Fair! Brought to you by Som Records, DC Soul Recordings, and The Vinyl District, almost thirty dealers will be taking over the space at vitaminwater® uncapped LIVE near the U Street Corridor, presented by Brightest Young Things, Art Whino, and G40.

As always, we’ll have vendors from up and down the East Coast augmented by our ever-revolving Guest DJs, plus food, drinks, and everything you’ve become accustomed to.

The Washington, DC Record Fair
Saturday, June 4, 2011
vitaminwater® uncapped LIVE
2217 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
11-Noon early bird $5 admission
12-5PM $2 admission

9:30 Club has generously donated a pair of tickets to our vinyl-loving readers, and if you win, you can CHOOSE one pair of tickets to any one of the following shows:

What is this madness??!!

To win, you must attend the DC Record Fair tomorrow and sign up on a list for email updates from both 9:30 Club and the DC Record Fair.

(Don’t worry about us spamming you, the “DC Record Consortium” is much too lazy to email y’all very often.)

The winner will be selected at random and will be notified via email on Monday (6/6), at which time, the winner will select the show of his or her choice.

See you tomorrow!

From my incessant squealiness (no, that is not a real word) today, you would think that Sondre Lerche was the member of a boy band circa the year 2000. Not to knock his cred or anything because I liked Sondre Lerche quite a bit before I saw what he looked like, but then—those eyes!—oh, I was in love.

On Tuesday (6/7), the Norwegian indie rock heartthrob is releasing his eponymous sixth album and will be hitting up 9:30 Club. We have a pair of tickets for you to win to see my future ex husband.

Sondre Lerche composed the majority of the songs in the Steve Carell movie Dan in Real Life, including “Hell No” featuring Regina Spektor.

To win the tickets, tell us in the comments below, your favorite soundtrack song.

Mine has gotta be the Gary Jules version of the Tears for Fears classic “Mad World,” as heard in Donnie Darko.

The winner will be chosen Monday (6/6) at noon.

You guys know the deal by now. At the beginning of every month, we preview the hot tix we’ll be giving away from 9:30 Club during the rest of the month. Because we and 9:30 Club love you all so, so much, as usual, we’ll have two previews because there are so, so many tickets. This time, however, you’re gonna have to wait a couple of weeks for the second one because I need a little more time to work on my tan, recover from Memorial Day weekend’s debauchery (yes, still), and gear up for the DC Record Fair (!!) on Saturday.

However, fans of hot Norwegian indie rockers should probably check back with us later today.

Sondre Lerche w/ Nightlands & Kishi Bashi, Tues 6/7

Sondre Lerche is releasing his self-titled sixth album on Tuesday, the same day that he’ll be bringing his adorable Norwegian self and his heartfelt indie pop rock to 9:30 Club. A documentary music video for “Domino” was shot by director Kate Barker-Froyland from footage on the road and during different stages of making the album.

Ryan Bingham and The Dead Horses w/ The Americans, Liam Gerner, Fri 6/10

Ryan Bingham and The Dead Horses have won multiple accolades for “The Weary Kind,” the theme song to the movie Crazy Heart, including a Golden Globe for Best Original Song, Best Original Song at the Academy Awards, and Song of the Year at the Americana Music Association awards. “The Weary Kind” can also be found on last year’s latest full-length release Junky Star via Lost Highway Records.

The Decemberists w/ Best Coast @ Merriweather Post Pavilion, Mon 6/13

Portland indie folk rockers The Decemberists released their sixth studio album The King Is Dead last January, and soon they’re coming to Merriweather Post Pavilion (9:30 Club’s fatter, louder cousin), touring with (bonus!) lo-fi trio Best Coast. The band announced last month that accordionist Jenny Conlee had been diagnosed with breast cancer—our sincere best wishes for her—and Team Jenny t-shirts are now on sale, with all net proceeds benefitting Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Marina and the Diamonds, Fri 6/17 Early Show! 5:30 PM Doors

Marina and the Diamonds is actually one chic, Welsh songstress Marina Lambrini Diamandis, whose last name translates to “diamonds” from Greek. Her fans, whom she calls “the Diamonds,” can catch her at an EARLY show at the club on Friday, June 17th, where they can drink up her cleverly-named new wave track “Shampain.”

That’s all for now, folks! Check back on the site in an hour or so (hint) for some 9:30 Club love, which should be all set by then, unless I have left town in search of my own blue-eyed Norwegian indie rocker. (Debating. DC is awfully hot right now. But I have so many records to buy on Saturday!)

British indie rock darlings Arctic Monkeys release their fourth album Suck It and See in exactly one week’s time, on June 7th, and we’re bringing you uberfans a fabulous prize pack that includes… Drum roll…

• the new Suck It and See LP
• Suck It and See CD
• UK Record Store Day Exclusive “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair” 7″ Single
• US “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair” 7” Single
• limited, hand numbered, letterpress Arctic Monkeys poster
• 3”x3” iron-on patch

Ooh what a nice way to start off a short week and kick off a whole summer of giveaways.

The UK RSD 7″ (import! white label!) “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair” is a warning. Just don’t do it, right?

Break a mirror
Role the dice
Run with scissors through a chip pan firefight
Go into business with a grizzly bear
But just don’t sit down ’cause I’ve moved your chair

To win the vinyls and the poster, tell us in the comments below, your favorite warning song.

Aha! A little tricky, huh? You must be worthy to deserve such a fantastic prize pack.

I’m calling “Stop Me If Think You’ve Heard This One Before,” including the original by The Smiths, the Mark Ronson remix, and the Oakenfold remix of the Mark Ronson remix. En garde!

The winner will be chosen on release day, Tuesday, June 7th, and must have a mailing address in the continental US or Canada.