[Local] [Weekend Video] DC USA By Ugly Purple Sweater

I've been living in the actual bounds of DC for the past seven months, in between Columbia Heights and U Street. 14th Street restaurants, fancy fitness studios, un-affordable rent, hipster flair and obnoxiously-marketed apartment buildings are increasingly becoming the norm. Head east and Bloomingdale and Shaw are heading down same path that U Street did a few years ago. Head north and friends are already being priced out of upper Columbia Heights and even Petworth. Where is the next spot for gentrification and should this continue to happen? I think about the evolving neighborhood climate of DC on a regular basis and I've only been in the metro area a year and a half.

DC USA by Ugly Purple Sweater was a song that made a statement about gentrification, alluding to the garish mall in the dead center of Columbia Heights. With lyrics of neighborhoods losing their character and long time residents being forced out, it was an honestly realistic track about the city we occupy.

The music video is one I remembered tonight. I could loop it over and over, recognizing more row houses and Columbia Heights landmarks with each view. DC USA is obviously prominent but the interactions at 14th and Columbia afterwards truly capture the difference between the past and present neighborhood.

Ugly Purple Sweater, unfortunately, retired at the end of last year. Listen to their songs on bandcamp still and catch the video for DC USA below.



Will I be part of the eventual mass exodus to make Brookland or Trinidad the next hip area? Who knows. While the prospect of an affordable studio is intriguing, my conscious is wary.

[Local] Black Checker, Grand Piano and The Fed @ The Wonderland Ballroom

Two big goals this year: discover more local music and see more local shows. While I am forever on the hunt for the DC folk scene (which does, absolutely, exist), the district is home to many fantastic bands that fall way outside of this genre. In a city known for gogo but with a large punk rock and dance pop presence, I would be missing out if I limited my love for local music to just the folk bands.

Bar shows are criminally underrated as activities within my circle of friends. Occasionally, I can rally the troops and get enough people out to support great bands playing our usual haunts. Solly's, Wonderland, Looking Glass Lounge and The Pinch are all favorites of ours, yet we rarely partake in the shows that grace these venues' stages.

Last Thursday, I gathered up a crowd of friends to see Black Checker, Grand Piano and The Fed put on a no-cover show at Wonderland. With tacos before at El Chucho, the night felt like a celebration of what makes our neighborhood area such a great place to live.

The Fed opened first. While I've never personally been to one of their shows, they seem to be an institution around here, playing shows in Ward 1 on a regular basis. Described as a blend between blues and punk rock, their sound is one anyone could really appreciate.

Grand Piano, a rock and roll band with many influences, played next. The Pittsburgh band killed it on stage, as all of a sudden the crowd at Wonderland was dancing along to their sax-heavy tracks. This band sort of caught us off guard too. Were they heading in a ska direction? Earlier on in the set, we said no but as the songs continued, we definitely felt a ska vibe. In my opinion, that is never a bad thing. Even without heavy vocals, there was an endearing distinction between their short songs. A few songs were played off of their latest Bug EP, including Army Ants, Lighting Bug and Lady Bug that really charmed the group over. At this point in the night, I felt like I had won. My friends were enjoying the music and there was hope bar shows could be a regular activity for us.

Of course, the band I was anticipating the most was Black Checker, a local pop punk rock outfit. Their EP, Fast, released during the end of 2013, was streamed many times while I was hiding out in rural Virginia for work. In my opinion, there's nothing quite like a little local music to ease the homesickness and this show reminded me why I love being in DC so much on the weeknights. Despite being the last band on the ticket, at 11PM on a weeknight, the crowd was still flush with excitement and engagement. Black Checker played most (if not all) of the EP, including my favorite track, Bagel Girl.

After the show, this thought still remains: will we ever know which local bagel shop barista inspired Bagel Girl? I don't know. If we're looking at quirky bagel shops in the area, my guess would be a girl from So's Your Mom, in Adams Morgan.

All in all, this (coupled with a few whiskey sours) was a good way to spend a Thursday night in this city. I'm looking forward to hopefully catching Black Checker again at The Velvet Lounge sometime in March and just attending more local shows in general.

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.

City and Colour @ The 9:30 Club

The minute I saw this show pop up on the 9:30 Club website, I bought tickets. That was back in April. I painfully waited five entire months and it was more than worth the wait.

Over the five months, I had developed a few assumptions going into this show. One, Dallas would focus mostly on his new album, an album which is fantastic, but doesn't have that same emotional hold on me that his older albums do. And two, the show would entirely consist of Dallas with his guitar playing acoustic versions of all his songs. These assumptions were silly - Dallas is amazing to his fans and would never short-change us from all the C&C songs we grew up with. He also knows how to rock.

Such as the VC show, I had high aspirations of the front row. It didn't happen - I ended up being 8th in line outside, with another thirty inside. We did see Dallas go back into his tour bus after playing basketball - I think we were all too shell-shocked to say/do anything. The girls behind me weren't paying attention to anything, so my new concert buddy was able to cut the line and join me. I must say, I love going to concerts with people more so than just myself. Although, I'm convinced a person should be as passionately into music as I am to make good company. Carrie fit the bill and I hope to go to more concerts with her in the future.

Lucy Rose and her band opened. She was adorable and I could almost understand why the two sets of couples in front of me were there to see her versus C&C. The band wasn't too cohesive at first but really came together wonderfully by the end of the set. Initially, I think everyone was a bit nervous. I've been listening to her album since the show and I really enjoy and recommended it. At the very least, check out my favorites from the album: Red Face, Lines and Bikes. During the middle of the set, Lucy told the story of her and her band walking around D.C. trying to convince six different record stores to sell the album without luck before the show. For some reason, that story made me really sad. Come on, DC.

After a relatively short period of time, Dallas prepared to enter the stage. The song to welcome him on was strange and we endured an anticipatory minute for his appearance. He and his band came out and started rocking. The Hurry and The Harm was the opening song - I'm a big fan of bands opening their shows with their most recent album's opening song. It's fitting. Of Space and Time and The Lonely Life followed. I still didn't trust Dallas enough at this point to not play his entire new album. When Grand Optimist came on, I knew he'd play a great set with lots of variety. As Much As I Ever Could was an interesting first choice from Bring Me Your Love but he proved that song is underrated. Weightless was the last big rock song from the first part of the show. I can't get over how amazing it was to see that song live. After spending most of the past year with that song as my alarm in the morning, experiencing it during the show woke me up in other ways.

At this point in the show, the band left and we got Dallas all raw and acoustic. Day Old Hate was another intriguing choice that I wouldn't have expected, but greatly enjoyed. Northern Wind was dedicated to a couple Dallas had met previously in the day, who had had a special moment with the song. When I think about it closely, Northern Wind is a far better love song than The Girl. Comin' Home had been on a playlist of mine leading up to the show and I was really happy to experience it live - the song had a way of bringing everyone together to sing.

The third part of the show, once the band had come back on stage, left little to be desired. Sleeping Sickness was just not meant to be this hyped-up rock ballad. I almost couldn't keep a straight face... I feel awful about this but my conflicting emotional feelings tied to that song also didn't help. Thirst, Fragile Bird and Sorrowing Man were all good ending choices, but I was exhausted.

The encore was long. What Makes a Man? was the first song of three and Dallas went through this whole spiel to get the audience to sing with him during certain parts of the song. From here on out, we'd no longer get the chance to interact so intimately with him and it was the perfect song to start saying goodbye with. As much as I was expecting The Girl to be the song of the night, the show, for me, truly ended here.

Looking back, Dallas' stage presence made the show. He's such an approachable-seeming, humble musician. The encouragement to sing along was appreciated and he even called out all the grouchy attendees who were getting upset over all the off-key, off-measure sing-a-longs. A girl was celebrating her birthday in the front row (even had a birthday tiara) and he did a shout out to her (I'm pretty sure that made her year). He casually played off all the "Marry Me Dallas" fangirls by pointing at his ring. The man is chatty and all the interaction with the crowd made this show so memorable and his music somehow more easy to relate to. A two-hour set was long but you could tell how much he was enjoying himself. I also loved how his drinks of choice were a shot of whiskey and a beer - I wasn't expecting anything less.

{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)

The Great Northwest by Mighty Oaks

There are two magical places on earth that vie for home in my heart. There's North Bend, Washington and the greater Snoqualmie Valley -- the actual area where I grew up. On the other coast, we have my current neighborhood of Columbia Heights in Washington, DC. With Snoqualmie Valley, I can talk for hours about Rattlesnake Lake, Mt. Si, Snoqualmie Falls, the outlets, the Twin Peaks references, my childhood home, George's Bakery and all the other spots I miss. However, despite those feelings, Columbia Heights generally wins the home battle, if only because of the people. 

Today, Snoqualmie Valley wins. 

My hometown area tends to be heavily influential on musicians, a thought that shouldn't come as much of a surprise. A few favorite examples are the band Snoqualmie (they'll get their own write up soon), The Cascades by the Fleet Foxes, and Twin Peaks by both Surfer Blood and Genders. I'm going to add a new favorite to this list today: The Great Northwest by Mighty Oaks. 

Mighty Oaks are based in Berlin but feature three musicians from three different countries (U.S., Italy and the UK). Together, they released a self-titled EP that went big on Soundcloud. The follow-up to that EP is the Just One Day EP, released on July 5th this year. The band is touring with large acts already -- they have that indie-folk sound and catchy tunes that could easily be played alongside The Lumineers, Fleet Foxes or Imagine Dragons. I have high hopes.

With three musicians from three different countries, I'm glad the Pacific Northwest is part of their inspiration. Not only are their lyrics reflective of this, their overall musical style is. I was honestly surprised when I realized they're neither a Seattle or Portland band. However, one of the members, Ian Hooper, is from the Pacific Northwest. I'm dying to know where. It has to be my hometown area, right?

Regardless, the band knows how to capture the magic:
we lost our sun in the rain // oh my love found me at the right time // my heart is yours, I ask you to be kind // we drove out east to the mighty Cascade range // to the place where the water falls from the heights of Snoqualmie // 

Today, I just want to go home and fall in love.

You can stream The Great Northwest and the entire Just One Day EP on SoundCloud. 

Mighty Oaks – The Great Northwest from Raffaele Mariotti on Vimeo.

(the picture at top is Mt. Si and was taken in my front yard the day before leaving on a plane out east)

[Local] Morning EP by The Sun Kite

I keep lamenting over "breaking into the DC folk scene". To which, my friends and I question whether such a scene exists. I am convinced that it does, but not to the extent I'm used to being from Seattle.

That being said, a release such as Morning by The Sun Kite gives me hope that DC could be a place for folk to cultivate further.

Morning is conceptually, lyrically, and musically themed around, you guessed it, the morning and is the first of three releases. In my opinion, many albums nowadays lack something to tie everything together. I'm not saying every album released should be conceptual, but some sort of cohesion is always appreciated. When I first read the intents behind Morning on the bandcamp site, before listening, I was excited over the prospect but also a little apprehensive about how ambitious the project seemed.

Upon my first listen, I'm happy to say the project is beautifully executed. It's a slow build-up, on purpose, starting from Lantern through Braving The Wind. I think there's no other choice but to follow along with the intent and treat this EP as a niche. Listen to this in the morning -- preferably before the commute, work and that first cup of morning coffee. This is meant for stretching upon waking, embracing the birds chirping outside, taking a morning walk, watching the sunrise and soaking up that quiet morning period before the day actually begins. I'm fortunate enough to live right on the perimeter of Malcom X Park in DC. One of these summer mornings, I'm going to sit next to the fountain and play this through.

Michael Frommack, who self created the EP, reminds me of both Aqualung in the early tracks and Ben Howard in the later. For some reason, while listening to Bluebird Mend, I couldn't get Aqualung's 7 Keys out of my head. It's a strange parallel but I'm going to roll with it.

You can download Morning on The Sun Kite's bandcamp page or listen on Spotify! 

2013 Summer Staples: Cayucas/ Pickwick/ TWINSMITH

Can we take a moment to discuss summer jams? My absolute favorite time of the year to share music is the summer. There are endless opportunities to put on tunes, kick back with friends and enjoy warm-weather inspired drinks. Every year around this time, I end up with a few albums that are through and through enjoyable to everyone that end up getting heavy play time. When I'm too lazy to make a playlist (rarely, these days), it's nice to have a few go-to options.

My first choice of the summer is the Cayucas album, Bigfoot. I hosted a little brunch gathering on the 4th of July this year. I had Bigfoot playing in the background for a good half an hour before everyone showed up. My intentions were simple -- rope someone into going to their concert at DC9. I wasn't able to sell anyone and I find that crazy. When asked to describe them, I've been stating, "a distinct, young Vampire Weekend vibe without the hipster snobbery". What's not to love about that? Listen to Cayucos, East Coast Girl, High School Lover or really anything off the album while at the beach or patio drinking. Pair it with Hell or High Watermelon by 21st Amendment Brewery and I guarantee you it will be a good time.



I'd like to pick Pickwick's Can't Talk Medicine as another perfect summer soundtrack. The following opinion might be a little unpopular and I don't care. While everyone else is obsessing over More Than Just a Dream, the Fitz and the Tantrums album, Can't Talk Medicine should really be getting most of that love this summer. I adore both artists but Pickwick is, in my opinion, excelling at showcasing that retro vibe. When I put on this album, I can't stop dancing and envisioning myself in 1950's or 60's DC. It's a beautiful daydream. Stream The Round, Halls of Columbia and Brother Roland while preparing to go on a classic date this summer. Need ideas? Hit up a drive-thru movie, go swing dancing, attend a jazz concert, or find a local Speakeasy-inspired bar for some fancy cocktails.



Finally, TWINSMITH is a fun band I've discovered out of Omaha, NE. I've spent a good two days trying to pinpoint what band they remind me of and I can't pick one in particular (always a good sign). I've determined they're sort-of a lovechild between The Walkmen, The Shins and Local Natives. It's about as close as I can get. While their debut self-titled album hasn't quite been released (July 12), I've been frequently streaming it via Soundcloud the past few days. I have a strong feeling this album will get played constantly while having daytime drinks on my apartment rooftop. I'll make some boozy popsicles and life won't get much better.

Letter to My Lover by The Local Strangers

I think I should miss Seattle more than I do. It's home by way of North Bend, Washington but the city lost it's charm after I graduated college. I felt the pull to flee and I've never looked back. As I've gotten more into music again, in the past year, I find myself overwhelmingly drawn to Seattle bands. Some days, I long for free posters from Silver Platters, house shows in the University District, and listening to Emerald City with the windows rolled down. A band that gives me major Seattle-lust on a regular basis is The Local Strangers. Their release late last year, Left for Better, has been a staple of mine over the past few months.

Their new track, Letter to My Lover, is absolutely heart wrenching.

Aubrey Zoli strongly showcases her vocal capabilities in a way where the emotion bleeds from her voice, through my headphones, and into my brain. Coupled with the lyrics, in particular, "you light the dark inside/ in so little time/ and I want to stay and fight this out with you", I'm left with a song that is highly reminiscent of my latest breakup. The song strikes the right chord between therapeutic and overtly damaging. The other high points include Andrew Joslyn on the violin and Ethan Eade on the trumpet. The violin is omnipresent-ly gorgeous but the unexpected trumpet is truly the aurally intriguing part of the song.

You can download Letter to My Lover (for free or pay as you wish) on The Local Stranger's bandcamp page.