Onwards to 2014

Oh, 2013.

You were the year. In the past three hundred and sixty or so days I: learned what it was like to love and lose 10x faster than normal, subsequently met the best friends I could ask for out east, played so many board games, moved to U Street/ Columbia Heights in an amazing apartment, bought a Fiat for my birthday, started this silly blog, lived summer to the absolute fullest, slept around, kicked ass at work, gained my favorite client, traveled a bit, missed family, went to a few shows, got more serious about thrifting, started running again, learned how to cook a few dishes… My mantra for 2014 is:

 DREAM BIG

What does 2014 have in store? I want to see as many shows as I have the time, energy and funds to do so. This means: Damien Jurado, Sylvan Esso, San Fermin, Water Liars, Ron Pope and Typhoon to start off the Winter/ Early Spring concert season. Four of these are at DC9. I'm prepared to establish residency there. This might also mean seeing Swear and Shake and Vikesh Kapoor. In addition, I want 2014 to be the year where I dive straight into local music, see more bands play at bars and start attending more house shows. I need friends who are as into this as I am, apparently.

Continuing with music goals, I want to fix my record player (or find one that works), buy more vinyl, and support more smaller artists on bandcamp. This will be the year of mix cd/ spotify playlist trades. For the blog, I've kept District of Folk going for six months now already. I will start queuing posts, hopefully adhering to a more consistent schedule, but will avoid having filler entries or posting music I am not wildly passionate about. I want to grow and hone in on the local folk, while forging relationships with artists.

I am very much looking forward to my first trip abroad in March! Two friends and I are heading to Medellín and Bogota, Colombia for a week. Other travel plans include Seattle to visit friends and family back home, possibly Myrtle Beach for more spring break plans, Philadelphia for work training and hopefully Newport again for the Newport Folk Festival. It's time to see more of the world.

Promotion at work is a possibility this year and I'm prepared to fight for it. If I truly intend on accomplishing everything I am setting out to do, I need to be more organized and more efficient. With a little better planning, I can do it all. For health, I will start my insulin pump in January and will continue running. I'm not sure if I have any big race goals this year, but my coworkers are starting to discuss running a Ragnar together in October. I also want to continuing learning how to cook and eat more clean.

With relationships, I want to be a better friend, girlfriend, daughter and sister. I will stay in touch with my friends back home more. I will take steps to repair the strained relationship with my sister. I will fly home and visit people. I also want to cultivate the friend group I have in DC and learn how to have long term friendships as an adult. It's going to be a beautiful year.

Remember, DREAM BIG is the mantra. My thoughts on 2014 are wildly ambitious but I wouldn't have it any other way.

What are your mantras, plans, resolutions or goals for the new year?

The Songs of 2013

I want to thank this year for being the year that threw me back into music. When I reflect upon how I became invested in music in the first place, 2006 and 2008 have always been the defining years. I need to add 2013 to that list.

While I've been sharing my favorite songs and albums that were released in 2013, I have a few honorable mentions from prior years that I feel obligated to mention: A New Kind of House EP by Typhoon; The Match by The Eastern Sea; everything Lord Huron; So Far We Are by The French Kicks; The Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit; Valley Maker's Self Titled album; Prison Boxing by Cataldo; all of Justin Vernon's prior projects, Counting Sheep by The Crane Wives and Through The Deep, Dark Valley by The Oh Hello's. As always, Rilo Kiley and The Format will always be significant, no matter the year.

Back to the present, this year is the year. Bastille's Pompeii was the most played song, according to my last.fm account. I still can't get sick of it, despite the radio play. r/comeonandslam reminded me that regardless of my folk or music-snobbery leanings, sometimes one of my favorite songs will end up being a Space Jam/ Radioactive mash-up. Whatever. Jumper Cables by Widower, complete with bloodsugar references, was written about me (or, in reality, a girl who could be my best friend). I rarely have a song fit me to a tee that well. When I first heard Hannah Hunt, courtesy of Vampire Weekend, I actually cried.

Pop and mainstream music were also constants and I'm not ashamed. I loved the new Gavin DeGraw singles and drove four hours to my alma mater to see him in concert back in February. J. Cole's Crooked Smile brought back TLC with a bang. I devoured the new Ron Pope song and fully intend to see his show at DC9, even though I'll be surrounded by teenage girls. I am sort of ashamed over having Pitbull and Ke$ha's Timber on this list but I can't stop dancing in my car when I hear it on the radio. 

If I could, I would add every song released this year from Typhoon, Valley Maker, Folly and The Hunter, Volcano Choir, Hey Marseilles and Pickwick to this list. Did I just give away my top 6 albums? Yes.

I tried narrowing this down to just one-hundred and I couldn't make it happen. There's no order - throw these on shuffle and enjoy the ride.

Round I:

Opportunist by Miyazaki

Love Lost by Roo and the Howl**
Gallup, MN by The Shouting Matches
Chicago by Fort Frances**
Best I Ever Had by Gavin DeGraw
Braving the Wind by The Sun Kite
Prom Night by Anamanaguchi
Moonless by Blatant Neon Ion**
Watch for Deer at Dawn by Folly and the Hunter
Well, You Left by Rilo Kiley
Foreign Bodies by Radiation City
Radioactive Slam by MuhLurs**
I Dreamt Blues by Vikesh Kapoor
Something to Get You By by Genders
Somebody to Love by Valerie June
Hannah Hunt by Vampire Weekend (<3)
Halls of Columbia by Pickwick
Burn by Ellie Goulding
If I Could Change Your Mind by HAIM
The Mission by Valley Maker**
Song For Zula by Phosphorescent
Tiff (feat. Justin Vernon) by POLIÇA
Casino (Bad Things) by Houndmouth
Comrade by Volcano Choir
Royals by Lorde
Bird Balloons by Lady Lamb the Beekeeper
Thinking About You by Typhoon
Step Out by Jose Gonzalez
Change by Churchill
Bad Kingdom by Moderat
Hurricane by MS MR
Young Fathers by Typhoon
I Have Been Lost by The Petticoat Tearoom

Round II
City By The Sea by Fort Frances
Byegone by Volcano Choir
I Remember You by Rilo Kiley
100 Years by Typhoon
East Coast Girl by Cayucas
Ivory Black by Seryn
Brother by Swear and Shake
Chain My Name by POLIÇA
Inside Out by Andrew Austin
Still by Daughter
Bang by Elin Ruth
The Round by Pickwick
Only Time by Valley Maker**
Tall Tall Shadow by Basia Balut
When We Fall by Timshel
Good Times by The Changing Colors
Everlasting Arms by Vampire Weekend
Promise of Lakes by Luray
Stay Awake by Ellie Goulding, Madeon
Dead Man's Dance by Bradford Loomis
Science/Visions by CHVRCHES
Jumper Cable by Widower
Blankets by Matthew Fowler
Modern Jesus by Portugal. The Man
Hey Stranger by Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers
Move by Mausi
A Clear Mind, A Better Time by Del Water Gap**
Blood & Bones by Paper Bird
Bright Stars Burning by Hey Marseilles
Agape by Bear's Den
Sex by The 1975
Step Into My Life (Restless) by Marshall Lewis**
Wake Me Up by Avicii

Round III
Possible Deaths by Typhoon
Little Too Late by Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers
Lick My Wounds by Ron Pope
Drop The Game by Flume, Chet Faker
Line of Fire by Junip
Crooked Smile by J. Cole, TLC
Bagel Girl by Black Checker
Put On, Cologne by Donovan Woods
Recovery by Frank Turner
Obey Your Guns by Matrimony
Ever Loved Once by Blitzen Trapper
Island by Wyatt Overman
Sask by Donovan Woods
Wildewoman by Lucius
Inside My Head by The Parkington Sisters
Play It Right by Sylvan Esso
Abandon by Modern Kin
Wyoming by Water Liars
Cherry Blossoms by Night Beds
The Fold by Ivan & Alyosha
Call Me In The Afternoon by Half Moon Run
You Don't Love Me Like You Used To by The Lone Bellow
The Breach by Dustin Tebbutt
Little Numbers by BOY
Sonsick by San Fermin
Heart Beats by Hey Marseilles
Acetate by Volcano Choir
Love of a Life by Kelijet, X Ambassadors
The Wire by HAIM

Round IV
Ships Pass by Paul Cook and the Chronicles
Wax & Wane by Alana Henderson
Dreaming by Smallpools
Low Wishes by Air Review
Never Wanted Your Love by She & Him
Fifth In Line to the Throne by Camera Obscura
Fireworks at Night by Campfire Ok
San Francisco by The Mowgli's
Timber by Pitbull, Ke$ha
The Great Northwest by Mighty Oaks
Of Space and Time by City and Colour
Dreams of Cannilbalism by Typhoon
Bad Habit by Foals
Out of My League by Fitz and the Tantrums
Weight by Mikal Cronin
Tides by Hey Marseilles
Closed Hand, Full of Friends by Foy Vance
Jack and Jill by Jon Morgan**
Ghost by Folly and the Hunter
Dear Pressure by Miracles of Modern Science
From This Valley by The Civil Wars
Moth In The Porch Light by Folly and the Hunter
Pompeii by Bastille
Wait Up For You by The Belle Game
North Carolina by Little Chief
Thunder Clatter by Wild Cub
Need The Sun To Break by James Bay
Summer Jam by Twinsmith
Grace For Saints and Ramblers by Iron & Wine
Riptide by Vance Joy
Faultlines by Field Division**

** Not Available on Spotify, therefore linked.

Weekend Video: Cheap Motel by Andrew Austin & Donovan Woods

I have been simultaneously adoring Andrew Austin and Donovan Woods lately. Austin's While It's Still Light Out and Woods' Don't Get Too Grand, have consumed my quiet moments, long commutes, and neighborhood walks. In early December, I attempted to create a playlist for the month and couldn't get past Inside Out and The Coldest State. I gave up on getting any further, yet still the playlist resides on my spotify pane.

The two Canadian artists are reminiscent of Dallas Green when he was younger. The two have intelligent, honest lyrics, that showcase the optimism and pessimism surrounding relationships. While Austin leans towards the happier moments and Woods towards the more-challenging, the two albums on shuffle seem to create this beautifully, complete picture of love.

I found Austin and Woods to be complimentary before learning they were friends in real life. Their endearing twitter banter and support of each others' works adds a whole new level of charm.

Listen to Austin and Woods sing Austin's Cheap Motel in someone's living room and try not to swoon.

Pieces and Places: Desperados

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

Desperados is the neighborhood bar I always forget about. My friend group came here on Halloween and had an amazing time with $3 rails and the best bar food anyone can find in this city. Between fries with homemade Cajun sauce and homemade fried pickles (frickles), one can really do no wrong here. It's guaranteed to be quiet, the bartenders are always super friendly and it's a place two people can have a real conversation. I got especially lucky with our bartender last night. He was chatty, was providing great service and had this killer playlist going. A few songs into the evening and I knew it was time for another "Pieces and Places".

Date: December 25th, 2013 (Christmas!)

Time: 7:00 to 11:30 PM

Vibe: Dead quiet. A few beautiful folks waiting out the holiday at the bar.
Drink of Choice: two Shock Top drafts, an order of fries, two Abita Purple Haze bottles, and two mystery beer + shot combos. Merry Christmas to me! 

All I should say about this playlist: it was the best of indie music and had me intrigued for the entire four hours of my stay. The following songs were the stand-outs and my favorites:

I Stand Corrected by Vampire Weekend - the best quote came about when this song was playing "Nostalgia. It gets you deep. Like when you were back in your mother's womb." 

Zero by Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "it's like they're playing all the songs from Rock Band."

West Coast by Coconut Records - the song that hit all the right feelings. "I miss you, I'm going back home to the west coast."

Young Folks by Peter Bjorn and John - "I can never get over this song." I'm fortunate to only hear Young Folks at the right times and at the right places. I find myself circling back to it only occasionally and the magic is always preserved.

Fences by Phoenix - the bartender streamed quite a bit of Phoenix over the four hours I occupied a bar stool. Can we all take a moment to appreciate Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix for all it did to the band and to alternative music? While I love older Phoenix, their pinnacle was truly reached here. 

Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap - I've thought about this song being the forefront of my wedding playlist many times during my life so far, "a moment, a love, a dream, a laugh, a kiss, a cry, our rights, our wrongs." Is there anything more to life? 

Start of Something by Voxtrot - "Voxtrot is on this playlist. It's perfect now." Somehow, anyone who loves music as much as I do, will include The Start of Something on their quintessential mixtapes. It's a phenomenon.

Smiley Faces by Gnarls Barkley - While Crazy was the stand out track on St. Elsewhere, Smiley Faces was just as catchy and just as loved by me.

Such Great Heights by The Postal Service - Do I really need to say anything here? Put it on any playlist, anywhere and I will always appreciate those four and a half minutes of bliss.

Wake Me Up by Avicii - Avicii outdid himself with this song. It appeals to the mainstream stations, the EDM crazies and those of us who lean toward indie-folk music. He blended so many genres together in such a gorgeous way. I'm not sick of this song yet and it's always welcome.

Steady, As She Goes by The Raconteurs - "Is this Jack White's other band?" "Yes, but this is their only good song." Ouch, but true. I'm pretty sure this is the number one song I hear while out at the dives.

Dog Days Are Over by Florence + The Machine - a night isn't a night unless there's some Florence Welch coming over the speakers. I used to religiously listen to her on the long metro rides back to Silver Spring. I'm not commuting for social purposes anymore, so it's nice to hear her wrap up a fantastic bar playlist.

I encourage everyone to check out Desperados. I can never figure out why the bar remains so quiet. The drinks are good, the food is top notch (go just for the Cajun sauce) and the background music will keep you on your stool. You will find me here on holidays and those quiet weekday nights when I want to sit down, drink a beer and crank out some work.

The Oh Hello's Family Christmas Album

Happy Holidays from my little corner of the district! My Christmas plans do not involve jetsetting out west, but do involve Christmas Eve sleepovers and celebrating with wonderful friends who are in a similar boat. I feel extremely fortunate to be blessed with the best friends I could ever ask for in this city and it makes the sting of missing family a little less painful.

What are people listening to today? I've never been a big fan of Christmas music. My mother used to stream only one local radio station from the end of Thanksgiving to Christmas each yeah that supplied the family with countless renditions of Do You Hear What I Hear?, Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree and other timeless classics that make me cringe. I'm honestly of the opinion that one only needs two Christmas songs in their life: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Death Cab for Cutie and All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey.

I'm going to amend that opinion to include The Oh Hello's superb Christmas EP, The Oh Hello's Family Christmas Album. The Oh Hello's Through The Deep, Dark Valley, remains my most played album of the year, despite it being released in 2012. The Texas folk band has carried me through many trials and tribulations already this year and the holiday season without family will be another.

The four songs are folky takes on classics that sound so lovingly woven together. Less than thirty minutes and I can feel the Christmas spirit ooze out of my speakers. I want to see snow outside. I want to embrace all of those I love. I want to do something rash that can only be justified by it happening in the holiday season. The best albums are the ones that make you feel and for a Christmas album to evoke such feelings is truly a new sensation for me.

I can't pick a favorite. Mvmt I - Rejoice! Rejoice! starts the album off beautifully but the take on Silent Night in Mvmt III is chilling. Hearing the upbeat Joy to the World on Mvmt IV - Every Bell on Earth Will Ring just makes me smile and ponder my younger years.

Listen to The Oh Hello's Family Christmas Album today and tomorrow. Don't judge me if I stream it straight until the new year and count the days until the next holiday season.


Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Charlie Patton's War @ Solly's

Much too long ago, one of my favorite local bars, Solly's Tavern, hosted Charlie Patton's War for a little show in their upstairs bar. It was a Tuesday evening and I had found out about that show the day of, via twitter. I have tons and tons of bands come across my radar on twitter and it's almost impossible to check them all out. There was something about this band's tweet, the show being at a neighborhood bar of mine and their band name that struck me. I decided, at the very least, to listen to a song or two off of their bandcamp site.

While blues isn't my normal forte, I was almost immediately jamming to their music while cranking out my projects at work. I had nothing on my schedule for the evening, no need to work late that night and I wanted to see this band play. I hit up my friends on our facebook thread - "anyone want to check out this awesome blues band at Solly's tonight?" My friend Erin happily obliged.

We loved this band and had a great evening. I don't think you can go wrong with a $3 cover, blues music, PBRs and whiskey sours. Before the show, we had a brief conversation with their drummer and lead singer, Aaron Frazer and one of his friends who had come out to see them play. Erin and I learned that the band was from Bloomington, Indiana, still in college and their main goal was to get their name out there. I told them that I saw Solly's retweet the band earlier in the day and that I decided to come out after listening to their album on bandcamp. I think Aaron was excited that people, other than friends and family, had decided to attend. Erin mentioned this blog, I assured them it was small and silly, but also said I'd talk about the show. Any press is good press, right?

It was a weeknight, therefore, we stayed for only the first of two, hour-long sets. During this set, the band covered a wide variety of their debut album. The highlights Git Gone, Fatties, Say Ya Mine and Friscoe Ride were all played and the energy in the room was high throughout all of them. Solly's was loud and it was deceptively easy to get lost in the music. Is this what blues is all about? I think so.

In addition to their own songs, they played an exceptional cover of Alabama Shakes' Hold On. I was floored. With Boys & Girls, Alabama Shakes essentially set a precedent for what modern day blues-style music should live up to. As much as I love the original version of Hold On, Charlie Patton's War did a fantastic job delivering a piece that exceeded that precedent. The same thought can apply to their cover of J.D. McPherson's North Side Gal, another personal highlight of mine that evening.

The ability for modern artists to find inspiration in and honor retro music is a trend I don't want to end any time soon. Charlie Patton's War joins the likes of Alabama Shakes, J.D. McPherson, Pickwick, Fitz & the Tantrums, Elin Ruth, Radiation City and others in proving that there's room to improve even in classic rock and pop.

Listen to Charlie Patton's War on bandcamp or Spotify. I especially dig this "basement demo version" of Say Ya Mine: