WGTB » Syd the Kid

WGTB Presents: ZZ Ward

Syd the Kid — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 02:52:14 +0000

It’s that time of year again, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. It’s better than Christmas and Halloween combined, it’s the WGTB Fall Concert! This year we are proud to announce:

ZZ Ward

“. . . sexy, shimmering electro-pop with plenty of nightclub swagger”- USA Today
Esquire describes her as a “salty blues singer” with a “smoky rasp”.
Her debut album made it to #15 on iTunes the day after its release

Also Presenting:

Snughie
Tate Tucker

ZZ Ward is coming to Georgetown. Be sure to come out for one of the biggest concerts that WGTB has hosten in years and be ready to fall in love with the undeniably talented tunes of this fantastic up-and-comer.

Event Details
This Saturday, November 1oth
Doors open 8:00pm
Bulldog Alley
Tickets are $3 beforehand and $5 at the door

Ticket Sales:
Red Square: 12:00pm-3:00pm Wed-Fri
Lau 2 (outside Midnight): 9:00pm-12:00am Tues-Wed
Outside Leo’s: 11:45am-2:00pm Wed-Fri
MSB: 9:00pm-12:00am Tues-Wed

Check out our awesome promotional video by our very own Brett Treacy, staring the WGTB Exec. Board

Remix Your Weekend: Week 1

Syd the Kid — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 01:39:03 +0000

Introducing a new feature on The Rotation and on Vox Populi: Remix Your Weekend is your guide to new songs and upcoming concerts in the DC area as well as giving you the highlighted review of the week from The Rotation. This week’s author is David Greek.

October means pumpkins, sweaters, and… midterms. Whether you are cramming formulas and theories into your head or cramming beers down your throat to blow off steam, throw on the playlist of the week and life just might be a little more tolerable. Deadmau5 has a new song about the possibility of being served coffee (something that should excite us all!) and Detroit’s Danny Brown has collaborated with Purity Ring to produce a remix worthy of a study break.

1. “Plumage”- Menomena
2. “Belispeak II”- Purity Ring feat. Danny Brown
3.“There Might Be Coffee”- deadmau5
4.“Smalltalk” (Four Tet Remix)- Ultraísta
5. “Adorn” (Remix)- Miguel feat. Diddy and French Montana
6. “Ode to Viceroy”- Mac DeMarco
7. “Pilgrim”- Mø

Some Awesome Upcoming Shows:

Oct. 12- 9:30 Club- Silversun Pickups
Oct. 14- Black Cat- Tilly and the Wall
Oct. 18- DC9- Holy Ghost Tent Revival
Oct. 21- Rock n’ Roll Hotel- Langhorne Slim & the Law
Oct. 22- 9:30 Club- Cat Power
Oct. 22- DC9- Sea Wolf
Oct. 23- Rock n’ Roll Hotel- Milo Greene
Oct. 24- Rock n’ Roll Hotel- Titus Andronicus
Oct. 24- 9:30 Club- Miike Snow
Oct. 25- 9:30 Club- Sharon Van Etten
Oct. 26- Black Cat- AC Newman
Oct. 27- Black Cat- Yellow Ostrich
Oct. 29- Black Cat- Bear in Heaven
Oct. 30- Black Cat- Heartless Bastards
Nov. 1- 9:30 Club- Dr. Dog

Also, check out WGTB’s Review of the Week about Grizzly Bear’s recently released “Shields”.

WGTB Interview: Drop Electric

Syd the Kid — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 04:21:42 +0000

On Sunday, Sydney and Allie of WGTB had the chance to chat with DC-area band Drop Electric.

The group, formed in 2008 in the midst of tragedy, has grown to create a rich, cinematic sound that’s captured the attention of music critics in Washington and beyond.

In the past few months, Drop Electric have released an EP, received mad props from NPR’s Bob Boilen, and have signed with a management company with some big plans in the works for the big screen.

Though rising stars of the experimental rock scene, fame hasn’t yet gone to the heads of members Sho, Ramtin, and Kristina. They gave us one of the best “WGTB” meanings we’d heard in a long time, as well as some bloopers to boot.

Be sure to check out the full interview below. Drop Electric will be playing at the 9:30 Club THIS SATURDAY, September 22. They’ll also be at St. Stephen’s Church playing a benefit show on October 6.

WGTB Interview: Drop Electric from WGTB Georgetown Radio on Vimeo.

Filmed and Edited: Sydney Browning

Song: Empire Trashed by Drop Electric

Album Review: Imperial Teen, Feel the Sound

Syd the Kid — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:57:57 +0000

★★★★

Imperial Teen is an indie pop group that’s been active since 1996. Imperial Teen’s newest album, Feel the Sound, is a throwback to earlier times of alternative, indie-rock. The fifteen-year old band delivers precisely what its fans expect and exactly what the album title reveals; a thumping, poppy sound. Just like their pretty obvious album title, they deliver just what was expected and just what they have always delivered, a steady beat from the 1990s. Feel the Sound is evidence that Imperial Teen hasn’t swayed with the numerous changes in indie rock trends that have happened in it’s fifteen years of existence.

Imperial Teen produces catchy songs that immediately lend themselves to getting lodged in your memory, you’ll find yourself singing along while the song is playing and afterwards. The melodies and rhythm, however, are the same as other indie pop albums, just like the mood of their entire album. Feel the Sound is a good tribute to indie pop and has up-beat songs that just seem to soundtrack your life. However, it’s nothing new and exactly what you would expect from Imperial Teen and from their genre. Imperial Teen is completely confident with the music they are producing, and the songs are consistent with what they’ve been creating for fifteen years.

Imperial Teen- Runaway

Reviewed by Syd the Kid

WGTBattle of the Bands

Syd the Kid — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:53:12 +0000

WGTB is presenting it’s Battle of the Bands this Saturday. Five bands will compete for the title of best band on campus and a chance to open for U.S. Royalty at the WGTB Spring Concert. Come out to listen to epic musical battle that will define our lives (well at least the semester). Come celebrate the end of WGTB Week with a free concert.

Saturday, March 31/Bulldog Alley/8:30-11:30 PM/ FREE!!!!!!

The Bands Competing Will Be:

Maroon 6
Law Abiding Criminals
Text Message
Grasping at Straws
Mary Ellen Funke

Let the battle begin!

#wgtbweek: WGTBoard Playlist

Syd the Kid — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 04:37:35 +0000

To celebrate WGTB week (the most wonderful week of all college radio broadcasting), the WGTB Exec. Board came up with its very own playlist. Listen to this exclusive new collaboration, and check out the full track list after the jump. And remember to tune in to WGTB the rest of the week!

WGTBoard Playlist from WGTB on 8tracks.

Track list: “No Fucking Around” – Rafter // “Psycho Killer” – Talking Heads // “Your Love” – The Outfield // “It’s The Chemicals (Featuring Scarub)” – Inspired Flight // “New Slang” – The Shins // “Rebel Rebel” – David Bowie // “Call Me Maybe” – Carly Rae Jepsen // “Requiem For Blue Jeans (Lana Del Rey vs. Clint Mansell) // “Good Vibrations” – Beach Boys // “Feeling Good” – Michael Buble // “Mony Mony” – Tommy James & The Shondells // “Killer Queen” – Queen // “Lisa Baby” – Walk the Moon // “LA Daze” – Tate Tucker // “Equestrian” – U.S. Royalty

Playlist: St. Patty’s Day

Syd the Kid — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 03:56:38 +0000

So St. Patrick’s Day is my favorite holiday. It doesn’t include extended family, presents, or being in love. St. Patrick’s Day is just a holiday where you can hang out with your friends and enjoy simple things, like little green men and Irish music. With that, everyone need’s a good St. Patty’s Playlist and what better place to get it than from WGTB. So please enjoy and remember that everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Listen after the jump!

St. Patty’s Day Playlist from WGTB on 8tracks.

Heartless Bastards- Arrow

Syd the Kid — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 18:27:59 +0000

Rating: ★★★★★

Heartless Bastards is a band who is grounded in blues rock. They’re defined by the earth-shattering vocals of their lead singer, Erika Wennerstrom. Up until their most recent album, the instruments just sounded like background music as her voice dominated their sound. Their last album, The Mountain, was a journey into banjos and folk showed an evolution from the blues rock of their first two albums. Their newest album, Arrow, is still another change in their sound. Instead of the first two albums, where the guitar and drums seemed like a backup group and not part of the band, Arrow is all about integrating both Erika Wennerstrom’s vocal power and the rhythm of the instruments. The balance that was missing from the first three albums is finally evident in Arrow, yielding the perfect harmony between vocals and instruments.

The album is all about travel and a journey. And the music itself sounds like a road trip through the wide open spaces that Wennerstrom sings about. The music is fuller, not constricted. The integration of the vocals and rhythm liberates their music, allowing the breathing room and freedom of a Kerouac-like journey. And just like the timeless and romantic vision of dropping everything and leaving the mundane for a life of freedom, the Heartless Bastards have produced a timeless and liberating new rock album with Arrow.

Heartless Bastards- \”Parted Ways\” (Studio Version)

Reviewed by Syd the Kid

Review: Boy & Bear, Moonfire

Syd the Kid — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:01:41 +0000

Boy & Bear is a five-man band from Sydney, Australia. And from first listen, they are the Australian version of Fleet Foxes. Just like Fleet Foxes, they have high-pitched vocals, acoustic sounds, what CSNY would call wood music. Their album Moonfire, is pretty much your standard indie-folk album with songs starting out slow and mellow and building with added electric guitars and harmonizing voices. However, even though Boy & Bear is playing off of tricks and techniques that others have used before them, they’re not copying other bands. This is amazing because they, especially the vocals, sound almost exactly like Fleet Foxes.

The difference between this neo-traditionalist is the danger and threat behind their music. If indie-folk rock is typified by producing the feeling that you’re relaxing in a meadow, then Boy & Bear’s music is the darker menace in the shadows of the surrounding wood. Some music is obviously dark while some is more obviously lighthearted. Moonfire is a dark drama that transcends both of those boundaries at once. I couldn’t stop listening not just because I love this type of music but because it was like reading a dark suspenseful thriller, it draws you and keeps you wrapped up in both the darkness of hazard and the light of hope.

– DJ Syd the Kid, host of The Musical Ramblings of a Hipster in Denial