It’s hard to have a complete band with just two people, but the dynamic indie-pop duo Matt and Kim are not just a band—they’re a couple, too.
First comes love, then comes a band. Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino, the two founding members of, well, Matt and Kim, actually had no intention of forming and performing as a band in 2004. While on a quest for knowledge, the then-college students picked up their instruments and learned how to play them.
Together, they created music that they wanted to hear. Nine years later, their music gained the Brooklyn-based couple a large fan base, allowing them to release four albums, including their most recent release, Lightning.
Just last week, we gave away a signed copy of of Montreal’s latest release, Lousy With Sylvianbriar, which you still have time to win. This time, we’re giving away a pair of tickets…
As mentioned in the vinyl giveaway, of Montreal is embarking on a fall tour to promote their twelfth album, which was released on October 8. The album is described by Rolling Stone as “the rebuilding of the group as a Seventies country-influenced garage band.” Also, being inspired by the works of the suicidal poet Sylvia Plath, Lousy With Sylvianbriar is said to have come from “a darker place,” according to songwriter and singer of the band, Kevin Barnes.
The Georgian band is kicking off their fall tour this Friday, October 18, with a show in their hometown of Athens. A few days later, of Montreal is playing not one, but two shows at the U Street Music Hall. We’re giving away a pair of tickets, and the winner can choose which show he or she would like to attend.
Though the name may be deceiving, of Montreal isn’t a Canadian band.
Rather, the self-described “thin/primitive” sounding band hails from Athens, Georgia. Supposedly named after a failed romance with a woman from Montreal, Canada, of Montreal has just released their latest album Lousy with Sylvianbriar today, October 8, through Polyvinyl Records. The name for the album is an homage to the poetry of Sylvia Plath, which served as an inspiration behind some of the tracks, according to frontman Kevin Barnes’ Tumblr.
Today marks the release of the indie-rock band’s twelfth album. In honor of its release, we’re giving away a signed copy of Lousy withSylvianbriar!
As much as I would have loved to write some kind of pun to begin with, I couldn’t think of one, soclap your hands and say yeah if you want to score a pair of tickets to see Brooklyn (and Philly) band Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at the 9:30 Club. Guess I managed to think of a pun, after all…
All puns aside, CYHSY came together in 2004. The indie-rock band comprising Alec Ounsworth, Sean Greenhalgh, Robbie Guertin, and brothers Tyler and Lee Sargent met in college and successfully self-promoted themselves via the Internet through extensive blog coverage. With the release of their debut, self-titled, and self-released album in 2005, CYHSY gained more fans, bringing the release of two more albums. Some LoudThunder, the second album, released in 2007, placed at No. 44 on the U.S. Billboard 200. The third and final album of CYHSY as a five-piece, Hysterical, was released in 2011.
In 2012, three of the five members announced their departure. Robbie Guertin and the Sargent brothers left CYHSY to pursue other projects. Despite the loss, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is still recording and performing as a tw0-piece. The remaining members, Ounsworth and Greenhalgh, are playing at the 9:30 Club on Saturday, October 5, and as mentioned above, we’re giving away a pair of tickets… but you’re gonna have to do a little bit more than clap your hands and say yeah to win.
Don’t have any exciting Friday plans for tonight? Or maybe you’re in need of the nice sound of a guitar strumming to ease the stress of the work week away. If that’s the case, consider enjoying some of the soothing songs of Americana singer-songwriter Tom McBride at DC’s latest waterfront music venue.
We’ve talked about the talented Tom McBride earlier in the year when he hosted a record release party for his latest album. The singer-songwriter is back in DC, ready to, once again, captivate audiences with his easy-going, indie pop country sound.
When it came to writing his third album, McBride says, “I just tried to write good songs.” And if the various gigs at SXSW and CMJ and features in many music magazines don’t vouch for his songs to be classified as “good,” just take a listen to Morning in Glen Burnie.
Hailing from Montreal, the five-piece band Stars is described by ATO Records as “Canada’s best kept secret indie institution.”
Well, the secret’s out (and has been for nearly a decade), and so is Stars’ sixth studio album. Titled The North, the album features 12 tracks that entrance listeners with their atmospheric, somewhat disco-reminiscent beats. A year after its release, Stars has announced the release of a limited edition 7″ single that will have two new tracks that didn’t make it onto The North. The A-side track, “Wishful,” had already been revealed. The B-side track, “The Light,” was just announced last week.
In addition to the limited edition vinyl, Stars are embarking on a fall tour. The brief tour includes a date at the 9:30 Club on September 30, and we have a pair of tickets to give away.
Fourteen years have passed since the last album release from the indie-rock band, Sebadoh. Well, for fans of the three-piece, the long wait is over as of today…
September 17, 2013 marks the first full-length album release in over a decade for the genre-creating band. From their start in 1986, Sebadoh helped create a type of indie-rock known as lo-fi. The three-piece, currently comprising Lou Barlow, Jason Loewenstein, and Bob D’Amico, are releasing their tenth record, Defend Yourself, today. The album, released under Joyful Noise Recordings, features 13 new tracks, including the latest single, “I Will.”
In honor of the release of Defend Yourself today, we’re giving away a Sebadoh Prize Pack! The prize pack includes a special 10″ EP, a copy of DefendYourselfon red vinyl with a bonus 7″, and a signed poster.
Who would have thought that the classic video game Deer Hunter could be the inspiration behind the name for the garage-punk rock band, Deerhunter?
The video game is only the inspiration behind the name of the five-piece band. The sound and formation are all accredited to high school buds Bradford Cox and Lockett Pundt, and later on, Moses Archuleta. Deerhunter, which consists of the first three founding members along with bassist, Josh Mckay, and guitarist, Frankie Broyles, emerged from Atlanta, Georgia in 2001.
Though Deerhunter’s past is not exactly the happiest, the band has carried on, despite the untimely death of original member Justin Bosworth and frequent line-up changes. The May release of their sixth studio album, Monomania, proves the band is here to stay. The five-piece is currently on the U.S. leg of their fall tour. As part of this tour, Deerhunter will be rocking the 9:30 Club this Saturday, September 21, and we’re giving away a pair of tickets!
There’s a storied history when it comes to the delivery medium known as the “label comp.”
In a recent review, our own Joseph Neff noted that compilations “were incalculably valuable in getting a premium of information into the grooves and onto the sleeves of one slab of vinyl, preferably with some tangible theme along for the ride, the better to hip listeners to what was occurring…
Those themes could unravel and possibly intertwine in any number of interesting ways. Some comps attempted to detail the diversity of a specific city’s scene, shooting for including as wide a cross-section of styles and attitudes as possible. Other releases retained the focus on one locale, but instead of assembling an assortment of sounds for variety’s sake chose to hone in on one sub-sect of the scene, the intention being to illuminate the activities of those defiantly standing apart from the pack.”
Paris is not only the city of lights and romance, it’s also home to some of the freshest music acts, such as producer and DJ David Guetta. Though not following in the remixing and DJ path, French band Chateau Marmont can sure drop a catchy pop/ synth beat.
Chateau Marmont is composed of members Julien Galner, Guillaume de Maria, and Raphael Vialla. Originating from Paris, France, the band began their career in 2006. The trio has also established their own record label, titled Chambre404, from which they produce and release their music. Though they have yet to make their grand debut in North America, the band is growing in popularity in Europe, already embarking on a mini tour that kicks off on September 19.
The band released their Wind Blows EP earlier this summer, which features the song “Wargames,” of which we have a signed vinyl copy to give away!
Be mystified by the magical qualities of the minimalistic, psychedelic pop stylings of Trevor Powers, better known as Youth Lagoon.
Youth Lagoon is the stage name of San Diego born, Boise-raised musician Trevor Powers. Powers is, indeed, a youth to the experimental/minimalistic pop scene, just beginning his musical endeavors in 2010. His 2011 debut album, titled The Year of Hibernation, put to music the musings of Powers’ deep mind. Two years later marked the release of his second album, Wondrous Bughouse, which emerged from Powers’ curiosity and intrigue over the human psyche.
We’re about to help you make your upcoming Monday night a little more interesting. Take a venture into the mind of Youth Lagoon when he stops by the 9:30 Club on September 16 as part of the US leg of his tour. We’ll spare you the headache of buying tickets by giving a pair away.
Amidst this new generation of music (if we can even call some of it that), it’s always nice to see big names of the past still maintaining their star power in the present. These legends who have been around for years really place the meaning in the phrase “good music never gets old.”
Tommy Keene is a fine example of a musician whose music hasn’t gotten old, nor has it stopped being created. In the ’80s, Keene became known for his power-pop tunes. His first release Places That Are Gone, dating back to 1984, launched the singer’s career with the title track maintaining a rank on Billboard’s Top 200 chart. Nearly 30 years after the initial start of his extensive career, Keene continues to share his talents as a singer-songwriter and guitarist, releasing a cover album due out later this month titled Excitement At Your Feet.
In addition to the release of his cover album, Keene is playing a handful of shows in select venues. Among the select venues is the 9:30 Club. We’re giving away a pair of tickets to see the underground pop artist, along with openers The Deadmen (with Justin Jones) and Hero Jr., in DC this Friday, September 13.
2013 has been the year of the comebacks. Throughout the year, we’ve seen the successful return of artists who have been on hiatus for a good number of years. Adding his name to the comeback list is John Mayer.
After writing and releasing back-to-back chart-toppers like “Your Body is a Wonderland” and “Waiting on the World to Change,” it was definitely a shock to see John Mayer disappear from the music world for a couple of years. Though his leave was necessary for him to fully recover from serious throat surgery, the folk singer’s prolonged absence left fans wondering when he would make his return.
Well, the wait is over! John Mayer has returned to his rightful place behind the mic both on stage and in studio. The singer just released his long-awaited album titled Paradise Valley last week and is on tour in support of the release. “The Born and Raised Tour” makes a stop at Jiffy Lube Live on Saturday, August 31, and we’ve got a pair of tickets to give away!
Returning to their hometown of Washington, DC, for three back-to-back shows at the 9:30 Club is duo Rob Garza and Eric Hilton, better known as Thievery Corporation.
The pair has been producing and recording songs that, according to their bio, “defined an entire genre of music and crystallized their distinct ‘outernational sound’ aesthetic” for more than sixteen years. Thievery Corporation’s sound can’t be pinpointed down to an exact genre. It’s rather eclectic, possessing a little bit of everything from dubstep, to protest music, to sounds influenced by those of various countries and cultures, which are represented by the troupe of supporting artists who join them on stage.
Coming back to their hometown, the electronic duo are playing the 9:30 Club three nights in a row, starting this Thursday, August 15, and wrapping it up on Saturday, August 17. Though we can’t give away tickets to their sold-out Thursday show, we’re giving away a pair of tickets to one of the remaining shows. The winner will get to select either Friday’s, August 16, or Saturday’s, August 17, show to attend.
You know you’ve made it big when you have a song featured on video games. The Killers‘ hit song “When You Were Young” is an option for the popular game, Guitar Hero 3. While many younger kids may have first heard the song while playing, older Killers’ fans know the Las Vegas band has plenty more hits up their sleeves.
2001 marked the starting point for The Killers. After going on countless tours, selling millions of copies of their three studio albums, and getting nominated for plenty of awards, including several Grammys, the band took a much needed, but brief, break in 2011. Their return in 2012 was marked with the release of their fourth and most recent studio album, Battle Born.
Rumored to be in the process of recording their next album, The Killers also have their hands full playing shows across America and Asia. They’ll be making a stop at the Merriweather Post Pavilion this Saturday, August 10. If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, we have a pair to give away within the next twenty-four hours…
