{Local] Kalorama by Luray

August is one of my favorite months in DC. While it's usually hotter than all hell, the month brings with it a flood of new people moving into the city. There's a mix of idealism, nativity, and passion that floats through the air. When I moved here, I was warned that DC was a "rough city" to adjust to. At first I didn't believe - the surrealism of living here trumped any and all other feelings I had. After a little bit of time, I agreed.

Kalorama by Luray adeptly describes the transition into this city. Upon first listen, between the gorgeous banjo-strumming and the dreamy folk sound, one wouldn't necessarily think this could be a song about a city, let alone this district.

The more I listen, the more frustrations I hear laced throughout the song. There's mentions of over-priced furniture, judgmental locals, driving around without finding parking and small stores that haven't been opened in thirty years.

Despite all the misgivings, "in Kalorama, we'll make it alright".

Luray is the band of Shannon Carey. Her debut album, The Wilder, was released yesterday and can (should) be purchased on iTunes. The band is being called a familial affair and is drawing comparisons to Bon Iver. S.Carey, her brother was originally the drummer in Bon Iver and even produced The Wilder. Another brother and her husband also contribute to the band. In my opinion, she has a very distinct style that varies vastly from Bon Iver or any of Justin Vernon's other projects. However, if that comparison is what it takes to have the album gain more (deserved) press, I'm all for it.

Listen to Kalorama if you're new to this city. Treat it as a mantra when riding out any rough patches. Listen to Kalorama if you're not new to this city and realize that you have made it alright. You can listen on SoundCloud.

(image of Mitchell Park via Wikipedia)

Home Is by J.D. Vernon

Justin Vernon. When I mention him off-hand and proceed to gush over his brilliance, I frequently get inquisitive looks. When I lead with, "the man behind Bon Iver has other projects that I can't get over", people seem to understand on the surface level. There's always disconnect. Surely, nothing can be as stunning and delicate as Skinny Love or Holocene? Not a single person has ever further inquired about what his other projects involve or why I'm so emotionally entangled in them.  

I find this truly depressing. 

While there's a lot of be said and loved about Bon Iver, I can't get over everything else. 

Home Is, under the moniker of J.D. Vernon, is plausibly my all-time favorite work from Vernon. I hope that notion isn't disheartening, as it is one of his first projects. The album was put out in 2001, twelve whole years ago, while Vernon was only 20. Since then, we've had multiple releases with DeYardmond Edison, The Shouting Matches, Volcano Choir, as Justin Vernon, Gayngs, Bon Iver and multiple other projects. My notion sounds downright mad. However, I find something so enchanting about Home Is that I can't find elsewhere. 

Feels Like Home gives away the answer to the question imposed by the album title within the first minute: "home is where your family sleeps, same country sky is honest like it's always been". Despite the question already being answered, the song sets us up with a roadmap for the rest of the album. We learn further what home is and isn't, should and shouldn't be.  

Feel The Light is gospel-worthy. Initially, listen for the crooning of "peace on earth tonight/ let those stars shine bright/ let our souls feel high/ come on, feel the light" by Vernon and a female counterpart. Subsequently, listen for how Vernon eloquently describes people, places and his feelings. Especially, the line about him wanting to stay in a city, because everywhere people are making the best of their days. 

Breathe is the song to listen to to be reminded of the magic of life. 

May 27th, 1999 (5:23AM) regales a story about a girl leaving home for the first time. Vernon knows how to showcase the stark but realistic thoughts and feelings associated that transition: "so exchange your last looks/ and walk on a field for lost times/ forever isn't a measurement of time". Forever isn't a measurement of time. Saying goodbye is inevitable but not endless. But, home won't perpetually exist either. 

In addition to the above, listen to Leave It Alone and Trainyard Blues for the classic blues stories and harmonicas, When It Rains Down Here for nine minutes of quintessential folk, accompanied with a heart-wrenching violin, and Morning to be surprised when Vernon's brother starts rapping. 

Play the entire album when you want to be reminded of what home is or when you're ready to grow beyond Bon Iver. 

You can listen to Home Is on Youtube or on Grooveshark. For more insight on Justin Vernon as a person, Who, What and Where is Bon Iver?, by Jon Caramanica, is a lovely narrative. 

Old Soul Song (For the New World Order) by Bright Eyes

I'm really not sure what to think about this week.

Between having eighty hours on my schedule, massively throwing off a project due to an error at work, fifteen hours of sleep over four days, administration hell at the DC DMV and one of the most "magical" nights I've had in a while... by Saturday morning I was ready to shut down and cry.

Parallel to my "magic" night this week, while at the Columbia Heights Starbucks, a song came out of left field and completely stopped me in my tracks. For no other reason than being at the right place at the right time, this song is going to represent the ultimately-disappointing, serendipitous moments in my life.

Old Soul Song (For the New World Order) opens up melancholic. The feeling lingers. Despite hoping, pleading, wishing the song would be anything other than a story without a happy ending, the end result leaves you with a sense of dread.

And just when I get so lonesome I can't speak,

I see some flowers on the hillside,

like a wall of new TVs,

Ya they go wild.

When Conor Oberst does what he does best and croons one of the most emotionally-devastatingly-sounding, raw passages to exist, life is no longer the same. He captures the moment, the end to something that shouldn't end, the throat-dropping-into-your-stomach disappointment, in a way I relate to. It's the feeling of everything being at war inside. The heart desperately trying to escape the mind and the mind trying to rationalize the heart's behavior. They go wild.

On Saturday morning, I may or may not have listened to this during the entire metro ride from Columbia Heights to Waterfront.

Listen to Old Soul Song (For the New World Order) when moments in life feel unfinished. Or don't. You might be better off emotionally.

Pieces & Places: The Red Derby

(let's discuss the music I hear in district-area bars, coffee shops and other fine establishments)

First of all, I'm going to throw out a disclaimer. I just spent six hours at The Red Derby drinking for a great cause. This is my friend group's usual hang out for many reasons. There's an amazing rooftop, decent food, properly made drinks and the perfect CoHeights/ Petworth vibe. However, it's also a fantastic place because of all they do for charity. Today, if consuming drinks off of a certain beer list, all the proceeds went to Dash DC. It was the excuse we needed to meet up and get our day drinking on. 

Without further ado, it's time for the first round of "Overheard At":

Date: August 4, 2013.

Time: Around 3:30.

Vibe: Post-brunch, casual weekend drinking, enjoying the best DC summer weather we've had yet.
Drink of Choice: PBR. So much PBR.

The Playlist:
Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional - "my hopes are so high, that your kiss might kill me. So won't you kill me?"

Dramatic, much? I think this was the song that sold me on this blog series idea. The choice was the right amount of emo and flashback for the mid-twenties post-brunch crowd. While I was never into Dashboard myself, other members of my group were getting deep and nostalgic.

Swing, Swing by All American Rejects - "Days swiftly come and go. I'm dreaming of her. She's seeing other guys. Emotions they stir."
While Dashboard was everyone else's middle school flashback, this was mine. I don't even know what else to say.

Islands in the Sun by Weezer - "And it makes me feel so fine, I can't control my brain."
Honestly, if it ain't Buddy Holly, I'm going to tune out any Weezer that gets played.

Kids by MGMT - "A family of tree wanted, to be haunted."
Man, MGMT. This is my high school flashback. The only problem is, MGMT put out a grand total of three good songs. Kids is on the bottom of that list. Time to Pretend would have been more well-suited, as it really should be the CoHeights "hipster" anthem.

Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer - "Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight."
Me: "THIS IS THE GREATEST LOVE SONG EVER WRITTEN"
I don't think there's any other 90's song that gives us as many feelings as this one. The girl in this song seems to be on one really great date. From now on, it's going to serve as my dating litmus test. If you can't make the fireflies dance, you're out of my love life.

Polish Girl by Neon Indian - "never said, but nearly sung about a million different ways."
This played downstairs. I knew I knew this song, but I couldn't put a finger on it. I hid in the stairwell for about 30 seconds wanting to figure it out. I tagged it in my phone note as "some weird electronics song that I know but can't place. Doi doi doi doi doi doi". The best part is, I googled "sounds like M83" and found it. Yeah...

Verdict: Thanks, Red Derby for playing an elecletic mix of songs that somehow sounded right in a playlist together. It was the feel-good amount of nostalgia and feelings. Or, maybe, we were all a little tipsy off of $3 mimosas and PBRs.

Please consider a donation to Dash DC, a local nonprofit providing "relief to survivors of domestic and sexual violence, through emergency and long-term safe housing, and innovative homelessness prevention services." And, of course, stop by The Red Derby for an effortless time.