Results tagged “valeriepaschall”

There's more to Carol Bui than meets the eye (or the ear). Which is saying something considering that her latest release, Everyone Wore White, is a complex tapestry that not only showcases her capabilities as a guitarist but fleshes out several corners of her history and personality. Bui draws from influences as disparate as Fugazi and traditional Vietnamese tunes (one of which she sings a capella to close out the album) and sings about life's rough patches with a tone that's disarmingly bold and direct. Her toughness and sensitivity shine through, but she's also witty and approachable. That's part of the beauty of her music: she's honest and forthright, yet leaves so much in her nuances for the listener to discover. There's a reason she's on the list of DCist's favorite local acts of 2007.

The first, instantly noticeable aspect of Fredericksburg, VA's Pash is the luminous voice of singer/guitarist Merideth Munoz. With a voice that partially recalls Rainer Maria's Caithlin de Marrais and has a rock edge reminiscent of Pretty Girls Make Graves' Andrea Zollo, Munoz has the vocal tenacity to halt anyone who may have stumbled across a track on their MySpace page.

A Post business columnist and an independent music non-profit have joined the chorus questioning Live Nation's proposal for a Silver Spring music hall. Last Friday, Steven Pearlstein wrote that while I.M.P. boss Seth Hurwitz has fought against competition for his 9:30 Club before, and his alternative proposal to Live Nation is in his own best interest, "he's put forward a financial proposal attractive enough that county officials cannot ignore it."

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of The Fake Accents is their ability to make their inherent contradictions seamlessly coexist. One might not expect that the same band who records and listens to their own practice sessions would also write a disclaimer on their first album that most of the songs that they'd written were actually just ripped off of other songs. Their songs are identifiable by both their catchy hooks and their noisy guitar riffs....

The name may be unfamiliar, but the players behind Club Tiger Promotions are highly recognizable to any one who follows the D.C. music scene. Local artists Carol Bui and Jay Smith of Middle Distance Runner have started an all-ages venue, The Lab in Alexandria, which will both give under-age bands a place to play with their more seasoned peers and serve as an environment where, as Bui puts it, "kids feel totally comfortable and safe...

Although Gist has been around with varying lineups for almost twenty years, the current lineup of singer/guitarist Nayan Bhula, bassist Finley Martin and drummer Fred Burton have only been together for the past five. In that short time they've released two albums, Art is Now Human and Diesel City, the latter of which established them as an act whose sound could be simultaneously tied to the district and reflect their diverse backgrounds and influences,...

The pairing seems a little odd at first glance...and even at second glance. Raleigh's artsy Annuals project an Animal Collective meets Arcade Fire sound, whereas Atlanta's Manchester Orchestra feels more like an emo band in Whiskeytown clothing. They certainly didn't attract the same group of fans and in between sets there was a visible changing of the guard in the area right in front of the stage. Still, the co-headliners actually have a lot in...

I'm one of those music fans who tends to stick toward the grittier and more experimental end of the rock spectrum. Mention the words “cute,” “twee,” or “precious” and I’ll likely write off an act, or listen to an album for the sake of trying something new…and then subsequently send them in the direction of my recycle bin. So for those listeners out there who share my musical leanings, take note: writing off Jens Lekman would be a grievous error.

Editor's note: The DAM! Fest concludes tonight with Cat Power at 9:30 Club. One of our critics headed out to the Historic Sixth and I Synagogue on Saturday and her thoughts on the show are below. Let us know which DAM! shows you caught and what you thought of them in the comments. Exit Clov: What can we say about Exit Clov that we haven't already said? The overwhelming beauty and austerity of the Sixth...

There's something inherently likable about about Spencer Krug. Just ask Wolf Parade bandmate Dan Boeckner who snidely referred to him as the guy that everybody likes. Although that was a clear barb, Boeckner has a point. Dante DeCaro, another fellow Wolf Parade member likes him enough to continue touring with Krug (under the moniker of opener Johnny & The Moon). Fellow Canadians Carey Mercer (Frog Eyes) and Dan Bejar (Destroyer) like him enough to work...

When delivered in an underwhelmed monotone voice, "We're thrilled to be here" sounds like some sort of obligatory statement or truly pathetic joke. Thus, it was hard not to snort a little when The Twilight Sad's James Graham first delivered that line from the stage at Rock and Roll Hotel Monday night, staring at his shoes. However, unlike some other underwhelmed-sounding Scots (Camera Obscura and Arab Strap come to mind), Graham's demeanor immediately switched from...

Okay, so we've already given Brooklyn's Clap Your Hands Say Yeah a less than stellar live review and sufficiently curbed our enthusiasm when they announced two November dates at the Rock and Roll Hotel. Fortunately for the band, our lukewarm opinions hardly affected their ticket sales, as both dates have been sold out for weeks.

Consider this a warning. The Black Lips, Atlanta's favorite juvenile delinquents, have the capability to turn any live show into a living, breathing OSHA health hazard. Even if managing to avoid the quartet's spit, vomit, blood and urine, one should still expect to exit the club soaked in PBR. Admittedly, the antics, which have also included on-stage intra-band brawls and makeout sessions, could originally be attributed to both teenage drunkenness and lack of technical...

Considering that he thrives in paranoia-soaked lyrics, Aesop Rock's live performance felt surprisingly comfortable. He evaded the biting urgency of a Sage Francis or a GZA as he delivered his verbose rhymes with a laid back lope across the stage and frequently distributed high fives. He didn't remind us who he was every ten minutes, nor did he rely on excessive call and response with the audience. Aesop Rock had not come to start a revolution or to throw a party that burned the place down. He didn't need to. Armed with a fresh batch of new tracks, Aesop Rock's taut flow coupled with DJ Big Wiz's dance-inducing beats served as a reminder as to just why he is one of the biggest names in underground hip-hop.

Photo and story by DCist contributor Valerie Paschall Leave it to Travis Morrison to throw a CD release party, but forget to order CDs. Morrison shrugged it off, offering up several suggestions of places online (including a half-kidding nod to Napster) from where the audience could pick up his latest release, All Y’all. It’s this quirky charm that makes his live show so engaging; Saturday night’s show at Iota would’ve been worth the ticket price...

By DCist contributor Valerie Paschall The members of Syracuse chamber pop act Ra Ra Riot are no strangers to high profile performances. In fact, it was their impressive showings at the two music industry behemoth festivals, CMJ and SXSW, which put them on the map as a band to watch. They have since opened for Bow Wow Wow, Art Brut and actually came through D.C. last month with Tokyo Police Club. They should be well-prepared...

Photo and review by DCist contributor Valerie Paschall

By DCist Contributor Valerie Paschall

By DCist contributor Valerie Paschall By the way, Virgin Fest starts tomorrow. Just to clarify, in case you missed the all the advertisements and press about the lineup full of buzz-worthy artists and a few artists that probably would’ve been a lot more fun to see in a previous decade. You guys got all that, right? It’s safe to say, Virgin Fest has likely gone under no one’s radar. But except to the most...

Photo and review by DCist contributor Valerie Paschall

Written by DCist contributor Valerie Paschall Fitting the Montreal six-piece The Besnard Lakes into the small Backstage at the Black Cat seemed like a stretch. Containing the dense sound of three guitars and keyboards in the small room without destroying onlookers’ eardrums looked like it would take a small feat of science. Yet, the true feat was that even in that small room for no more than 75 people, The Besnard Lakes effectively conveyed...