Monthly Archives: September 2011

First impressions can either be of great importance, or of none at all. A terrific first track can go a long way in cultivating your enjoyment of an artist or an album. Yet, some first tracks don’t really matter at all. For each “Gimme Shelter” or “What’s Going On,” there are countless first tracks which would sound the same and fulfill the same purpose in either the 7^th or 10^th spot. And then there are those hip hop intros which drag on forever and only sound fresh and invigorating the very first time—every other time you play that record you skip right on through Biggie’s “Intro” or Mos Def’s “Fear Not of Men.”

“I feel unique. Not yet complete.”

These are the first words on Coastal Grooves, Dev Hynes’ first work under the moniker Blood Orange. Hynes, formerly Lightspeed Champion, has written for Florence and the Machine and the Chemical Brothers, and sings these words in a voice brimming with depth, flavor, and intimate longing. Hynes draws on the vocals of R&B, funk, and pop, amalgamating them into a delivery and timbre which sound very much like Prince. And like the King of Purple, the Artist Formerly Known as Lightspeed Champion is at his best when singing about love, desire, and sex. Read More »

This is a companion piece to the Thursday September 15th episode of Footnotes that streams on WGTB from 11m-midnight.

During much of this summer, I was out of the country with little access to the internet or news; thus, upon my return to the U.S. in August, I ended up sitting around for a while catching on things like the AV Club. Suddenly, sitting at my kitchen table I was overtaken by a wave of sadness, almost as hauntingly powerful as the saxophone solo in “Jungleland.” I had read the headline “R.I.P. Clarence Clemons.” It told me that the saxophonist had died of a stroke on July 18. Read More »

In the 2008 movie, “Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” Nick (Michael Cera) and Norah (Kat Dennings) chase each other around New York City searching for Norah’s best friend, who is at a secret show of their favorite band.  I won’t ruin the ending for you, but I’ll just say that their favorite band could have easily been indie rock trio Army Navy, who have a track featured in the movie’s soundtrack.

Infinite playlists aside, Army Navy, hailing from Los Angeles, CA, is back with a follow-up to their critically acclaimed first album.  Their new CD, The Last Place, is anything but. Read More »

This Thursday, our friends over at All Things Go — a great DC music blog that, if it’s not already, ought to be at the top of your Google Reader — are hosting a massive party with Neon Gold Records at U Street Music Hall. The third installation in the series, All Things Gold 003 will feature an insane show from soon-to-be UK legends, Russ Chimes and Starsmith — plus long-time local favorite, Brenton Duvall. Everyone knows Friday classes don’t really count, so forget about your 9AM and dance late into the night with more awesome sets New York’s MNDR and Nicky Blitz.  Read More »

Mister Heavenly, some would say, is an unlikely amalgam of musicians. The super group trio consists of Ryan Kattner, better known as Honus Honus of Man Man; Nick Thorburn, also known as Nick Diamonds of The Unicorns and Islands; and Joe Plummer, drummer for Modest Mouse. Unlikely or not, with their debut album Out of Love, they are a welcome breath of fresh air to the indie scene.

The brilliance of Out of Love is its uniquely wacky combination of frivolity and heartfelt seriousness. This band is in the business of love songs, and no one today brings more originality to the love song than the Honus-Thorburn writing team. They jokingly call their music “doom wop,” but doom wop is no joke; it’s the real deal. Read More »

Thanks to everyone who stopped by our table at SAC Fair today! If you’re lucky you may have picked up one of our SWEET MIX TAPES (if you’re extra lucky you got the one that Andre 3000 personally burned for you). In any case, we hope you enjoy it, and check out a complete track listing after the jump!

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Acclimating ourselves to back-to-school mode is never easy, but there are a few things that make the transition into fall bearable year after year: Acorns, corduroys, the promise of candy corn at Vittles and peppermint hot chocolate at MUG, and SAC Fair. This Sunday, September 4, 2011 from 11:00am to 3:00pm on Copley Lawn, join the rest of the student body and dip your toes in the Georgetown extracurricular scene. For all you fresh-faced freshmen, sophomoric sophomores, and really anyone who likes grilling, sunshine, and being surrounded by beautiful, pastel-clad people, the Student Activities fair is a great chance to press some more palms, score a ton of free swag, and explore the ins and outs of GUSA, GUGS, and GERMS.

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