Author Archives: Calum Slingerland

TVD Ticket Giveaway: Goblin at the 9:30 Club, 12/13 (early show)

By Calum Slingerland | Published: December 9, 2013

Known for their work in soundtracks and having more lineup changes than one can count on two hands, Italian progressive rockers Goblin are finally bringing their live show to North America for the first time ever. It just happens to include a stop at the 9:30 Club this week.

Often compared to the likes of other progressive music giants such as Genesis or King Crimson, Goblin rose to fame through frequent collaboration with Italian horror filmmaker Dario Argento. They contributed many recordings to his films, while struggling to keep a consistent lineup and remain credible. Having had on-and-off reunions since 2000, a latest incarnation in the band is ready to venture into North America after forty years of playing.

This tour will see the band perform all of their classics, including selections from the scores of Deep Red, Suspiria, Tenebrae, Roller, and more. Other famous scores that have never been played live before will be dug out from the vault to treat audiences on every North American date.

Goblin will be taking the stage at 9:30 Club on December 13, and we have a pair of tickets to send you on your way to take in this progressive rock spectacle.

Posted in TVD Washington, DC | 4 Comments

TVD Ticket Giveaway: Lupe Fiasco at the 9:30 Club, 12/11

By Calum Slingerland | Published: December 6, 2013

With hip-hop music being at times a vehicle for opening one’s conscious mind to the world through music, one of its biggest and most notable users is none other than Lupe Fiasco.

The rapper from Chicago, IL first developed an interest in the genre after initially not being a fan of its vulgarity and misogyny. With his career starting in the late nineties, he is largely considered a pioneer of the conscious hip-hop movement, along with the likes of Common, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli. With his 2006 studio effort Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor bringing him greater exposure, the man took on subjects such as absent parents, war, religion, prostitution, and terrorism in his bars.

Despite his distaste for misogyny and vulgarity in hip-hop, Lupe Fiasco is strongly opposed to censorship in music. “If we’re going to (censor things) that are offensive, then were going to have to blind and deafen everyone. Come on, man. Let’s focus on education and literacy and poverty,” he told the Chicago Tribune.

Posted in TVD Washington, DC | 7 Comments

TVD Vinyl Giveaway: Black Milk, No Poison No Paradise (2xLP, purple)

By Calum Slingerland | Published: December 5, 2013

Much like his Detroit counterpart Danny Brown, Curtis Cross, aka Black Milk, is a rapper and producer proving that age does not matter. Now 30, the man has been rapping and producing since 2002, collaborating with the likes of the late J. Dilla, Elzhi, Royce da 5’9”, and Pharoahe Monch. Raised on the “golden age” vibes of A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul, his production work has led many to compare him to Dilla and producer/MC Madlib.

Black Milk’s career took flight when he was invited by fellow Detroit hip-hop outfit Slum Village to produce a track for both their 2002 mixtape Dirty District and full-length Trinity (Past, Present and Future). Not long after, he teamed up with Young RJ (RJ Rice Jr.) under the name B.R. Gunna to handle production 11 of 13 tracks on Slum Village’s 2004 Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit).

2005 saw a solo self-release from Black Milk, titled Sound of the City. Catching the ear of hip-hop label Fat Beats, he was promptly signed in 2006, and had his official debut record Popular Demand released the following year. His latest effort, No Poison No Paradise, has already turned heads within the world of hip-hop music, with Consequence of Sound calling it a “well-produced” effort, while AllMusic.com believed it to be “deeper, and artistically more filling” when compared to his other releases.

Posted in The TVD Storefront | 16 Comments

TVD Ticket Giveaway: Gogol Bordello at the 9:30 Club, 12/27

By Calum Slingerland | Published: November 20, 2013

A very eclectic double-bill is stopping in at the 9:30 Club for two nights only at the end of next month. Featuring the talents of both the worldly gypsy-punks Gogol Bordello and Philadelphia experimentalists Man Man, these are two nights of music that shouldn’t be missed, and we have a pair of tickets to give away to the first night.

Founded in Manhattan in 1999, Gogol Bordello have made a name for themselves around the globe, due in large part to their relentless tour schedule and enthusiastic live performances. The band comes in only a few months removed from the release of their sixth studio effort, Pura Vida Conspiracy. The record was well-received within the music community.

“It might be the band’s best collection of sounds yet,” wrote critic Allison Franks in a review for Consequence of Sound. “It inks the true spirit of Bordello to the front page and doesn’t disguise their inherent purpose of world integration behind exclusively fast-paced melodies.”

Posted in TVD Washington, DC | 12 Comments

TVD Ticket Giveaway: Sky Ferreira & Smith Westerns at the 9:30 Club, 11/18

By Calum Slingerland | Published: November 13, 2013

An eclectic double bill rolls through the 9:30 Club next week, featuring the talents of Sky Ferreira and Smith Westerns.

At only 21 years of age, Sky Ferreira has experienced many different sides of the arts world through music, modeling, and acting. Taking opera lessons at age 13, she soon began maintaining a social media presence online. A YouTube video caught the attention of Swedish production duo Bloodshy and Avant of Miike Snow, who then decided to work with her.

With two EPs already under her belt, Ferreira finally has a full-length to add to the catalogue. Night Time, My Time was released this year to positive reaction. “Over her brand of synth-pop, layers of guitars add some texture, making her an interesting bridge between pop and indie rock,” wrote music critic Allan Raible for ABC News. Having already been slated to open for Miley Cyrus on her upcoming Bangerz tour next year, great things are to be expected from this rising star.

Posted in TVD Washington, DC | 8 Comments

TVD Ticket Giveaway: Toad the Wet Sprocket at the 9:30 Club, 11/7

By Calum Slingerland | Published: November 6, 2013

Usually recognized for their outlandish band name (it’s actually a Monty Python reference), Toad the Wet Sprocket have been back at work as a full-time band since December of 2010.

With a new record titled New Constellation under their belt, the quartet of lead vocalist Glen Phillips, guitarist Todd Nichols, bassist Dean Dinning, and drummer Randy Guss are back on the road touring in support of the new studio effort.

On tour promoting the new record, Toad the Wet Sprocket are making a stop at 9:30 Club, and we have a pair of tickets to give away.

Posted in TVD Washington, DC | 5 Comments

TVD Vinyl Giveaway: Lou Reed Transformer 7″ picture disc, “Walk
on the Wild Side” b/w “Coney Island Baby”

By Calum Slingerland | Published: October 23, 2013

Characterized by his poetic lyrics and instantly recognizable voice, Lou Reed has become a key figure in rock music history through his work with influential psych-rockers The Velvet Underground, as well as his solo career.

Reed’s rise to rock stardom is chronicled in a new book, Transformer, to be released this month through Genesis Publications. Collaborating with photographer Mick Rock, Transformer showcases a number of Reed’s album covers, beginning with the album from which the book takes its name. It contains images both famous and never-before-seen, featuring the likes of Andy Warhol, Mick Jagger, Iggy Pop, and David Bowie.

In celebration of the book’s release, we’re giving away a limited edition 7” with two Lou Reed classics, “Walk on The Wild Side” on side A, and “Coney Island Baby” on side B.