Happy summer, music lovers alike! The month of June is upon us, which means we’re in the midst of sweltering heat and kick-ass music festivals. (Bonnaroo, Firefly, and Glastonbury, to name a few…) With the turn of the new month, that also means there are new shows at the 9:30 Club to get you excited. With that being said, here is your June preview and an extra chance to win tickets to the show of your choice from the list below.
The xx and Grizzly Bear, Sun 6/16 at Merriweather Post Pavilion
Fresh off the release of brand new album Coexist and producing a track on the widely acclaimed The Great Gatsby soundtrack, The xx are hitting the road with the soundtrack to summer.
Catch them with co-headliners Grizzly Bear at the Merriweather Post Pavilion next Sunday. It’s going to be an amazing show, “so I’ll ask you kindly to make your way” and join us there!
AM & Shawn Lee, Tues 6/18 at U Street Music Hall
After listening to Lee‘s 2004 album Music and Rhythm: Ubiquity Studio Sessions, Vol. 1, AM contacted Lee, and the duo quickly discovered a shared love of various ’60s and ’70s sounds, including Brazilian tropicalia, psychedelic-tinged soft rock, Italian film music, and more. In 2011, the duo collaborated under the name AM & Shawn Lee and released the full-length studio album Celestial Electric on Rob Garza’s ESL label.
With the Daft Punk craze happening right now, grooving to some sexy electronic pop should be the perfect way to spend a summer Tuesday night in June. AM I right? See what I did there?
Son Volt, Thurs 6/20
You might remember front man Jay Farrar from Uncle Tupelo, but he has since been making music under the moniker Son Volt with bandmates Gary Hunt, Dave Bryson, Mark Spencer, and Andrew Duplantis. Having just released an album titled Honky Tonk in March of this year, Son Volt is getting back to the roots of country and western in a way that takes listeners back.
Farrar reflects that as he wrote and recorded the music so deeply steeped in tradition for Honky Tonk, “I realized I also wanted these songs to sound more contemporary and modern. There was no strict adherence to methodology of the past. You never want to be a nostalgia act.”
Eleanor Friedberger, Thurs 6/27 at U Street Music Hall
On Tuesday, June 4th, the Fiery Furnaces’ Eleanor Friedberger will release a brand new solo album called Personal Record via Merge Records. The album was produced by Eric Broucek with songs co-written with famed musician/novelist Wesley Stace.
Friedberger says that the album will focus on the concept of “love” but not just as romanticism; she will have you experience it. It’s an homage to love and the correlation with music and sharing that experience with other people.
John Grant, Sat 6/29 at U Street Music Hall
Before becoming a solo act in 2010, John Grant was a former member of rockers The Czars for a decade. His debut album Queen of Denmark was released in April 2010 and touched on the deep personal struggles of Grant’s life.
Grant currently lives in Iceland, where he recorded his second solo album with Birgir Þórarinsson, a.k.a. Biggi Veira of Iceland’s electronic pioneers Gus Gus. As a result, Pale Green Ghosts was released in March 2013 with a tour following to promote the music.
Be sure to check back in throughout the month for more info about how to win a pair of tickets to each of the shows above. For an extra entry into the show giveaway of your choice, tell us below, your favorite song about summer.
