“Vals,” a piece of gauzy laptop pop filled with swelling keyboards and music-box-style piano melodies. “I follow the telephone wires in the street lights and the sleeping houses,” sings Aaron Thompson, stumbling through an imaginary landscape that could be either Iceland or College Park. Outside of a day spent at Ikea, you’re unlikely to find anything as peaceful, ordered,and Nordic.
Aaron will release two tracks as a digital single next month and is now working on finishing his first full-length album, which is going to be released early in 2010. Be on the lookout for more live performances by Aaron, including a show Sunday, October 4th at the Black Cat.
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Make sure to check out two great, local DC music makers this Sunday, October 4th at the Black Cat backstage. Noon:30 and Aaron Thompson will be playing with Brooklyn's The Press.
Noon:30, The Press, Aaron Thompson October 4, 2009 Black Cat - 1811 14th St. NW DC 9pm, $8
This is part 1 of 2 videos I took at this past Saturday's show at the Sonic Circuits festival. I'm working on a new EP that should be out in a few months...
We're all still reeling from the slew of great shows last week. This past Friday was, without a doubt, one of our favorite live experiences. Dr. Cornel West joined The Cornel West Theory for its CD release party. And thankfully, Cal Watkins took a bunch of amazing shots, which you can see at Flickr.
Second Rome, the group's debut album, is now available on Amazon.com, iTunes, Juno, and various other digital download sites. It's also available in its physical form from the Sockets Records website for $13 postage paid.
There will be more photos and video to come from the CD release show. A big thank you goes out to everyone who showed up and supported us.
More documentation to come soon, but below is some video from Friday night's Cornel West Theory CD Release party at Liv courtesy of friend Denman Anderson. It features Dr. Cornel West dropping a bit of knowledge on us all:
Doors open at 7pm for The Cornel West Theory CD Release party tonight. This is an EARLY show folks. Make sure you get there between 7pm and 8pm. You don't want to miss any of this:
I haven't heard Make A Rising, but was told last night that they were "one of the best bands on the east coast." Can't really beat that. Show starts at 9pm.
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When I first encountered the musicians in The Cornel West Theory, they didn't yet have a name for their band. But among the many projects they were involved with, the music had an element of continuity. These bands/projects include Miscellaneous Flux, Voids Moan, Raw Meta, Roses They Won't Hurt You, among others. Rashad Dobbins of The Cornel West Theory describes the circle of musicians, artists, poets, and performers as working under the Type 1 collective. This is how he explained the name and forces behind Type 1:
Type 1 was a phrased created by a physicist Nikolai Kardashev. He explains how advanced civilizations would use energy and resources. To make a long story short, he said a Type 1 civilization would have a planetary communication. That really struck me. At the time I was in a group called Miscellaneous Flux. It was a fusion of hip hop/rock/jazz. I always called it hip hop but Ben Tyree, the writer of the music, grew up off rock, jazz, blues, soul and classical music. He said he was never a hip-hop head. And we had problems with getting shows cuz the hip-hop heads said it wasnt hip-hop enough and the rock heads said it wasn't rock enough, so since we were fusing so many planetary cultures and music is a universal language, I said let's call it Type 1.
The majority of our Type 1 expression is anchored in music with many different fusions as it branches. The bands in the circle will not just stop with music, we plan to use theatre, books and anything that strikes us to create and evolve. It's our version of June Keet Do - to express how we feel at that moment honestly without being enslaved to a genre. The bands in the Type 1 circle are Miscellaneous Flux, The Cornel West Theory, The Raw Meta, Voids Moan, Janus Space, Waverlyn Bell, and Roses They Won't Hurt You.
Just got this message from Luke Wyatt (aka Slim Castle and half of Big Gold Belt) about a show he's doing TONIGHT, Wednesday September 23rd in New York:
Announcing Yoga/weirdo massage this Wednesday starting at 7pm. Music starts by 9pm. I finally have a bit of time after moving to do some music. It happens once every two weeks and I am thrilled to be a part of it. Come out while it is still warm. Lawless awesome environment (the roof of the Market Hotel), only $4 or so. This venue is a lot of fun, come and check it out if you are in the NY area. Check below link for address and other info: Market Hotel
Thursday's Buildings show at Haydees is going to be one of the first times I see a rock band at my favorite Mt. Pleasant restaurant. The Washington Post also picked this show in its Going Out Gurus picks:
Washington is blessed with many great live music venues but there's a certain thrill to seeing a show in a completely bizarre setting. Haydee's is a small Mexican restaurant in Mount Pleasant that sometimes hosts jazz and go-go -- and rarely dips into outsider rock. But that's what's on the menu tonight as local band Buildings -- a dashiki-wearing, psychedelic instrumental quartet -- and Philadelphia's Make a Rising visit the tiny neighborhood spot. Make a Rising tackles any and all genres out there -- classical, jazz, prog, folk -- and always manages to make something exciting and listenable. And if the music isn't doing it for you, well, the wings should hit the spot.
The Washington Post's Going Out Gurus highlight The Cornel West Theory's album release show this Friday:
The Cornel West Theory (listen) carries an endorsement, philosophical similarities and even spoken-word contributions from its scholarly namesake, but it's much harder to actually describe the music the band creates. Built from components of D.C. hip-hop, jazz, soul and rock outfits going back to the late '90s, the Cornel West Theory can be compared to Immortal Technique and The Last Poets in the way its free-form verse and sample collages are welded to a booming drum chassis. Although punk isn't prominent in the group's stylistic mix, there's definitely some Bad Brains present in spirit. Tonight at Liv, Dr. West himself joins the band's release show for its first full-length album, "Second Rome."
The one and only Spine Magazine just offered up a high quality mp3 of "Durito's Revenge (Dirty Bombs)" by The Cornel West Theory. Make sure to grab the song and then order your copy of Second Rome, which is now available for $13 from Sockets Records. From Spine Magazine:
"We're launching a regular new addition to the site: an exclusive download feature called Spine Exclusives. Exclusive high-grade tracks with cover art you can't get elsewhere, the first release in the series comes courtesy of Washington D.C.'s The Cornel West Theory with 'Durito's Revenge (Dirty Bombs)'."
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Please head over to the Future Times website and pick up a copy of their new compilation entitled Vibe 1. I had a chance to listen to these tracks a few months ago and they are all sick. Protect-U's "Protection" is what's up - it will not leave my stereo any time soon. This stuff is selling out quickly, so don't hesitate.
Also look out for Protect-U's new "Double Rainbow" 12", also on Future Time, which is set to bring these minimal space-house dudes a lot more attention. You can hear "Double Rainbow" on the band's myspace page.
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This is a huge week for local DC artists and musicians. I can't count how many shows are taking place from tomorrow, September 22nd until September 27, 2009. Between this week's Sonic Circuits Festival, The Cornel West Theory album release party on Friday, and a Buildings show on Thursday, it's going to be a great chance for you to soak in the talent sprouting up in our fair city. Here's a rundown of the Sonic Circuits festival as well as some Sockets Records-related shows:
The Cornel West Theory is about to release its debut album Second Rome. And Sockets, the band, and our friends are throwing a huge release party at Liv (above Bohemian Caverns). We'll have copies of the CD at the release show on September 25, 2009. The record should also be available for digital download next week, so we will keep you updated. For now, there's new Cornel West Theory track on the latest Sockets Summer Mix. Dr. Cornel West himself will be at the show and I hear rehearsals are going really well. This one is not to be missed -- it's going to be a special night. The band put a lot of sweat and passion into this record and that is evident after one listen. Here's the flier for the show. Spread the word:
I had to post this video from a couple of months back - "Rock Creek" by The Cornel West Theory. I know y'all are just as excited as I am for the new Cornel West Theory record to come out. Let this be a little teaser...
The Sonic Circuits Festival is nearly here. The festival is going to take place from September 22nd to the 27th in various DC venues. You should really attend as many shows as possible - even Mayor Fenty thinks it's going to be great! If you get a chance, pick up the Sonic Circuits program located in numerous local businesses in and around Washington as well as online. It includes a great Sockets ad that you can peep below as well as info on Sockets artists including me (Sean Peoples) and Chris Grier.
For those who enjoy the ability to download music from the interwebs, Sockets is excited to announce that Buildings new EP Endless is now available via iTunes. You can stream snippets of each track and buy the entire album for the cheap price of $3.99 - that's five songs for under $4.00!
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This Saturday, two of DC's most interesting bands, SPRCSS and HUME, will be playing the Black Cat. The club is hosting a night called Second Saturdays where local DC bands are showcased. This is a great idea and for the cost, $8, it's totally worth it. If you recall, Sockets threw a show this summer with both bands at Red Lounge. If you need any convincing, check out audio and video from the show.
Bear with us everyone. I just had my laptop stolen, so the blog and Sockets may have some disruptions in service over the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, make sure you grab the newest Sockets Mix!
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Summer isn't officially over. Not just yet. We've got a few more weeks. And that gave me an opportunity to collect some songs that didn't quite make it to the first Summer mix and also highlight some new music that deserved a second summer mix. Here's a rundown of the artists:
This mix contains some exclusive cuts from the Type 1 collective, including The Dirty Church, The Cornel West Theory, and Roses They Won't Hurt You. All of these groups revolve around a similar cast of artists and musicians. I believe they are making some of the most interesting music in the District these days, so make sure to pay attention. The Cornel West Theory are the first of the Type 1 collective to be released by Sockets. Expect that album to be released at the end of September. Buildings' new EP, Endless, was released in August, which was a big month for the band, including a tour as well as a couple of free downloads on RCRD LBL. "Tomorrow" is one of my favorite songs from the album -- it's the slow jam. Andrew Black releases great drum breaks as production tools for DJs. He's currently the drummer for one of DC's finest, Title Tracks. Nick Rivetti, aka Ricky Rabbit, sent over a remix of a new Food For Animals and it made us yearn even more for the newest FFA full length that should be released soon. The FFA crew just keeps outdoing themselves. Aaron Thompson is one of the newest Sockets signings. Aaron creates songs that are beautifully crafted and cinematic. Look out for more music by Aaron in the next few months. He'll be releasing a 7" on Sockets this winter. Edie Sedgwick, the moniker of Justin Moyer, writes songs about celebrities that end up being undeniable sing-alongs. "Doubting Thomas" is one of the newest tracks and may best be listened to while driving. Metropolitan's myspace page lists the band on "indefinite hiatus," but luckily the band just finished their latest EP and John Masters sent over "1000 Miles" in time to be included on this mix. This one is pretty epic, no surprise to Metropolitan fans.
I just received the mastered copy of Second Rome and it sounds amazing. The record should be finished by the end of September. Make sure you mark your calendars for Friday, September 25th. Dr. Cornel West with join the band for a release party and performance at Liv at Bohemian Caverns, in Washington, DC.
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I just received an email from one of Sockets favorite bands, Skeletons, who will be doing a residency starting September 7, 8, and 9th at ROULETTE in New York. The band be performing with a big (huge) ensemble - premiering brand new pieces, experimenting with new ideas, and updating a few songs we have performed as a quartet with new "Big Band" arrangements.
This looks amazing. Here's the info:
SKELETON$ BIG BAND: New Works for a Larger Ensemble MONDAY Sept 7th, 8:30PM TUESDAY Sept 8th, 8:30PM WEDNESDAY Sept 9th, 8:30PM
20 Greene Street (between Canal and Grand Streets). Reservations/Tickets: 212.219.8242 Admission: $15 Harvestworks & DTW members, Students, Under 30s & Seniors: $10 Roulette members : FREE
WITH: Matt Mehlan: guitar, alto sax, singing Jason McMahon: guitar Tony Lowe: guitar Jonathan Leland: percussion Sam Kulik: trombone Ryan Snow: trombone Darius Jones: alto sax Travis Laplante: tenor sax Matt Nelson: tenor sax Johnny Butler: tenor and baritone sax Mike Gallope: piano, farfisa Caley Monahan-Ward: violin Mike Pride: percussion Jeremiah Cymerman: clarinet Dan Peck: tuba and others...
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