Washington, DC's National Arboretum

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. This weekend my parents and sister visited Washington, DC. Each time they visit we head over to the National Arboretum. If you live in DC and haven't yet visited, I urge you to do so as soon as you can. The bonsai exhibit is one of the best in the nation and the picturesque old capital steps help make this one of my favorite spots to visit in Washington, DC.



More photos here.
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Imperial China "Letter of a General"

I'm finding more fodder for the mission to convince others that Imperial China's debut full-length CD, Phosphenes, is amazing. Late last year the band played Ottobar in Baltimore, MD where this video for the song "Letter of a General" was shot. The song is one of my many favorites off the new album and this performance is pretty stellar:

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Chris Grier at Comet Friday November 27

Chris Grier is taking over Comet the night after Thanksgiving. They call this day Black Friday, which is definitely fitting. After a big meal on Thursday and a day filled with retail therapy, the only anecdote I can think to start actually feeling again is a night with Chris Grier. Check out the write up from one of the better blogs in town, The Vinyl District. Also, here is Chris' assessment of the night:

Ya never know about the day after T-Day. Most folks are out of town, but then again, a lot of folks come back to town to visit family. And then, by Friday, they’re kinda over the whole family thing and looking for something to do.

So my prediction for the evening? It will either be totally empty, packed to the rafters, or somewhere in between. I guarantee one of those three outcomes will occur.

I say, just to be safe, you should absolutely go to this show.

Chris Grier
Comet Ping Pong
5037 Connecticut Avenue, NW
FREE
8pm
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Cornel West Theory Interviewed by Chuck D on Air America

LISTEN! On The Real With Chuck D - 11/22/09: The Cornel West Theory Interview

Listen to the whole show or skip ahead to the ~50 minute mark to hear Tim Hicks, chief spokesperson for The Cornel West Theory, talk with Chuck D (of the MIGHTY PUBLIC ENEMY!) about Second Rome and the band's plan for 2010.
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District Calling Update 1

Below is the first of several updates on District Calling, an experiment in collaborative performance:

After a few weeks of conceptual discussions, the first big District Calling: Freedom rehearsal took place Saturday. It was great to see the energy of the preliminary discussions start to form into tangible and compelling performance pieces. Watching the process of true collaboration between artists was refreshing. The creativity flowed and all ideas had equal merit. Too many highlights to list, but from the musical, visual, and theatrical perspectives, the show on December 5th at DCAC will have something for everyone. Here are a couple of pics:


John Moon of The Cornel West Theory creating sounds for Rashad Dobbins' (also of The Cornel West Theory) fantasy theater performance.

Expect some more comprehensive dispatches and videos related to the upcoming District Calling show soon.
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Fringe Era Mix 12: Cole Goins

I know Cole Goins through some mutual friends, by his work at the DC City Paper, and his house show venue Jersey Cherch. After meeting him I had one mission - ask Cole to curate a Fringe Era Mix. I received his mix right before I left for Ethiopia, so they sat on my hard drive for the last two weeks. Luckily, I'm digging out of the back log and finding some very interesting stuff to post to the Sockets blog and this happens to be at the top of the list. I have to say this is a really consistent mix of slow rockers, folk spirits, and enough fodder for winter time discovery. In other words, download now!

Download Fringe Era Mix 12: Cole Goins (DivShare)

1. Voice of the Seven Woods - The Fire in My Head
2. Amps For Christ - Branches
3. Tyrannosaurus Rex - The Seal of Seasons
4. Kurt Vile - Slow Talkers
5. Le Volume Courbe - Sitting In Your Head
6. Alastair Galbraith - As in a Blender
7. Inspector 22 - Gone Truckin'
8. Las Malas Amistades - Museos de los Imperfectos
9. Meic Stevens - One Night Wonder
10. Theo Angell and the Tabernacle Hillside Singers - Crow's Landing
11. Charalambides - Those Who Walk
12. Christine Shields - This World Is My Home
13. Greg Davis and Sebastien Roux - I Never Met Her

34 Minutes and 1 Second

Original photo taken by Flickr user Agfa Isolette II
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District Calling: Freedom

My good friend Melissa Krodman and I were awarded a small projects grant from DC's Arts and Humanities Commission earlier this year . We wanted to produce a show that integrated some of the city's best artists and performers, but also emphasized the idea of providing space and time for the artists to collaborate in a meaningful way. I just received the flier, which was designed by Erik Loften. He's DC's most dynamic graphic designer and we're so happy to have his fingerprints on this project. As the District Calling performance approaches, I'll be updating this blog with some news related to the project and some interviews documenting the process.


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DOWNLOAD: Imperial China - "Go Where Airplanes Go"

Download Imperial China's "Go Where Airplanes Go"

You may have seen me mention plans for Sockets and Ruffian Records to release the forthcoming Imperial China debut full-length CD, Phosphenes (or mentions in the DC City Paper or on the Ruffian Records site). Needless to say, we are really excited. I have had Phosphenes on repeat now for the last three weeks and it doesn't get stale. The band mixes a range of influences, namely post-rock and hardcore, but never relies too heavily on either. Instead, Imperial China (Brian Porter, Matt Johnson, and Patrick Gough) bring in a healthy dose of experimentation, inventive use of sound textures, as well as keen pop sensibilities.

Among the tracks on the album, one of my favorites is "Go Where Airplanes Go". The atmosphere in this song triggers some sort of aural magic. Thanks to the band's hard work and a helping hand from engineer Devin Ocampo (Medications), Phosphenes, is an achievement. The album is slated for release in the early part of 2010 and will include some touring in the late winter, early spring 2010. Stay tuned for more Imperial China details as they become available.
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Protect U "Double Rainbow"

Protect-U's "Double Rainbow" 12" comes out soon on Future Times. You need this. You want this. Vibes times infinity. Seriously.

The always amazing Future Times site posted a recent live set from early in November. Don't sleep on this!
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HUME "Mirroring" Update and Pics

Britton Powell took his band HUME on tour at the end of the summer to perform a composition he wrote entitled "Mirroring". It was a challenging tour, but strengthened the resolve of Britton and the band. I just saw a blog post on the HUME myspace page from October that deserved to be re-posted here. Lots of great info on the band, touring, upcoming plans, and a recap of the "Mirroring" tour by Britton:

Wonderful winds have brought two new members to the Hume camp, hopefully we can keep'm round. Christian Brady (Guitar/Vox) and Joey Doubek (Bass/Misc) will be joining us for all future endeavors and are currently pushing the sound in amazing and wide directions.

We're currently rehearsing/recording non-stop and won't be playing live till closer to the new year. Future recording projects are lining up with grins including splits and an all DC artist compilation, all slated for early 2010.

The "Mirroring" tour over the summer was beautiful and brutal. This was a composition based project where the piece spanned the entire length of the set, about 28 minutes. The piece was based on a graphic image dreamed up of two rivers colliding and above these two rivers two birds bodies collide.

The Hume lineup for this tour included the following musicians:

Phillip Racz -Electric Bass
Britton Powell- Electric Bass + Vox
James Partridge - Tenor Saxophone
Sam Owens - Tenor Saxophone
Alec Prombrient- Alto Saxophone + Flute
Peter Negraponte- Drum Set
Ben Salomon- Drum Set
Angela & Anna Page- Chaperones/ Road Mothers/Cosmic Pilots

And here are a few pictures from the tour:






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Ethiopia Pics

Sockets is back! I landed safely two days ago and there is a lot to catch up on. First, here are some pictures from my trip:



You can check out more pics at my Flickr site here. More to come since I took 900 photos.
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Sockets in Ethiopia

Sockets is going to East Africa for a quick jaunt. So, yeah, I'm headed to Ethiopia for the next two weeks. Expect some delay on mail orders made between November 7th through November 18th. Also expect some pictures when I can get a decent internet connection. Here's a photo taken by my friend Geoff from one of his recent trips:

Apologies for the lack of news recently. Sockets will be back up at full steam once December hits. Some really great records will be released in early 2010 including the new Big Gold Belt 12", Imperial China's debut full length, and an amazing compilation with some of DC's best bands. Get psyched and, in the meantime, check out the Sockets Records online compilation.

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Authorization | Protect U | Maxmillion Dunbar @ Comet

This Saturday, November 7th, make sure to check out Authorization, Protect U, and Maxmillion Dunbar at Comet Ping Pong. As you may have noticed, Comet is throwing great local (and not so local) live shows. Here's the flier:

Authorization
Protect U
Maxmillion Dunbar
@ Comet Ping Pong
November 7, 2009
5037 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC
10pm

Please bring can food to donate to a local school!

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Layne Garrett - Together / Apart

Layne Garrett is one of Washington, DC's most creative artists. He is consistently pushing the boundaries of instrumentation and approaches sound in ways that always seem fresh. Whether by building his own instruments, deconstructing and reassembling found objects, or improvising on guitar (or prepared guitar), Layne charts a unique artistic course. Sockets Records is happy to announce a new cd and digital release by Layne that focuses on his collaborations with like-minded musicians and artists.

Together / Apart is a collection of collaborations with Layne as the constant. The physical CDs will be for sale during Layne's November tour, through Band Camp, as well as paypal on the Sockets Records blog.


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Imperial China

Imperial China is, hands down, one of my favorite DC bands. Sockets Records and Ruffian Records will be gearing up over the next few months to release the band's first full length effort. More on that soon. Until then, enjoy this little ditty:


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Cornel West Theory Second Rome Release Party

L.S. Films just posted a wrap up of the Second Rome release party from last month. Check it out:


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FORGOTTEN VINYL: Azeem "What a Mystery"

I'm going to let Brit (aka HUME) explain this week's Forgotten Vinyl track:

Azeem met me at the right place at the right time when Dan (roommate/Deleted Scenes) and I went on 24 hour beach trip to rendezvous with friends, dolphins, laundry room floors, and a new sense of repose. On our way back deep in conversation of the occult we noticed a flea market and made a stop. Along with the Azeem I picked up a James Brown record and we kicked some dirt roads then made our way back to the District. My favorite part of these recordings are some of the lyrics “cheer up now brethrens and sisterians”, some of the publishing blemish’s “Thanks to Chico who helped stop and start the tape” and a big sticker that lies on the back cover saying Tuff Gong (Marley’s label) was cool with the photo of a Azeem with a smiling bob. But most of all I love the out of tune synth which is maybe 5 cents above the actual pitch that they were trying hit and the straggling acoustic guitar that could’ve only sounded perfect after you had praised jah as highly as Azeem’s seemed to.

DOWNLOAD Azeem's "What A Mystery" from Tribute to Bob Marley Session (ZSHARE)
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Buildings and Wooden Shjips Tonight!

Buildings is playing a show tonight at The Red and The Black on 1212 H Street NE with Wooden Shjips. It should be pretty amazing. Buildings keep bringing high energy shows to the District and Wooden Shjips is one of our favorite bands on the Holy Mountain label.



Buildings
Wooden Shjips
The Red and the Black
1212 H Street NE
Washington, DC
9pm
$8
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Mural Video by Wilson Kemp

One of our favorite new musician/artists/human beings is Wilson Kemp. Not only is he a member of the band HUME, but also works on a solo project that is wrapping up a full length. On top of all that, Wilson is an amazing artist. He's working on his first solo show in the District in December, which we will let you know about soon. To give you a sense of his talents, I'm posting this video he sent over last night. It includes a new track by Wilson and has footage of a mural he drew inside a group house in Mt. Pleasant:


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Big Gold Belt Art Sneak Peak

Christina, one-half of the amazing duo Big Gold Belt, drew an amazing cover for the band's new 12", which should be out on Sockets Records by December. Check out the draft:



Make sure to listen to the band's track "Sleep In" available on the new Sockets Records Sampler.
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FORGOTTEN VINYL - Larry Coryell "The Opening"

One of my favorite tracks from my Forgotten Vinyl session with Brit Powell (HUME) was the first track from Larry Coryell's At the Village Gate. It is aptly called "The Opening." When I first heard it, I thought it was a Hendrix outtake or something. Brit summed it up a little better: "I’d say Larry Coryell's playing is the missing link between John McLaughlin and Hendrix." That's about right since this track represents what I wanted Mahavishnu Orchestra to sound like when I first discovered them.



DOWNLOAD Larry Coryell - "The Opening" from At the Village Gate (zSHARE)
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"Train Dub" Video by Sean Peoples

I posted a new song on the Sockets Record Sampler and made a little video for it as well. It's called "Train Dub" and a version of it will appear on my upcoming EP. Stay tuned and enjoy:


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Sockets Records Sampler

Record Label Samplers can be great. Especially when they are free! So in that spirit, Sockets is offering up a free compilation of Sockets stuff so people new to the label or folks that are interested in Sockets bands can get a sense of the myriad sounds emanating from our small, but growing operation. Also, full disclosure, I got this idea from Lars over at the amazing Thor's Rubber Hammer record label here in DC. We're using BandCamp to host the sampler since they're pretty awesome. The compilation is free for download and will feature new audio periodically:

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Cornel West at Busboys and Poets Thursday

This Thursday, October 15th, is another chance to see Dr. Cornel West and The Cornel West Theory share the stage. If you missed it last month, then don't sleep on this opportunity to see both the band and the professor drop science at Busboys and Poets. Dr. Cornel West will be signing copies of his new book, Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud, and The Cornel West Theory will be playing tracks from their debut album Second Rome.

One of our favorite blogs, We Love DC, just linked to the event, so make sure to give them some love!
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Bubbling Well | Antimagic at Kansas House Friday

As you may have heard, the mighty Kansas House will be soon be demolished. Luckily there are some really amazing shows coming to the house in the next two months. Plus, I hear there's going to be an all-out freak fest celebrating the decade (plus?) of performances at some point in November. More on that soon.

Now, though, I want to encourage everyone to head over to Kansas House this Friday, October 16th for what is shaping up to be a pretty awesome show. One of my favorite new bands, Bubbling Well (Mike Andre from Antelope), will be joining Brooklyn's Antimagic. Both are sure to be worth the donate-what-you-can price tag and I think more bands are being booked as I type. Here are the details:

Antimagic (Brooklyn) - boy/girl noise meets country, raucous positivity
Bubbling Well (DC) - beautiful guitar and singing, Mike Andre of Antelope
Friday, October 16th
Kansas House
900 N. Kansas St., Arlington
$Donations!
10pm
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