Capital Swamp: The DC Resource Thread

he bailed last minute, his manager says it'll still happen sometime

The W. Post is changing their music blog. Now they're gonna call it Click Tracks and add postings from Sarah Godfrey and New Yorker Alison Stewart to the ones from Chris Richards and David Malitz. They will be running their concert reviews there as well I guess. A little bird informed me that for financial reasons they will be running even less concert reviews than they did in 2009 (which was less than they ran in 2008 when yours truly and others were still on their list of freelance concert reviewers).

Wish I could go see this:

Tonight in DC a film about Irish musicians engaging with North Malian culture, "Dambe: the Mali Project" will be showing at the Goethe Institute as part of the Capital Irish Film Festival. In 2006, Irish musicians Liam o’Maonlaí (from the Hothouse Flowers) and Paddy Keenan went to Mali and to the The Festival in the Desert. Malian musicians Afel Bocoum, Toumani Diabaté, and the now deceased Ali Farka Toure are in the movie.

Dambe: the Mali Project Wednesday December 16 at 7:30 pm at the Goethe Institute, 812 7th street NW

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/display.php?id=38231

RIP Arlington punk houses

Marx cafe, Jimmy valentines, Scream reunion and more this weekend

But what will be cancelled cuz of the snow...?

The shows went on, or some of them at least.

What will 2010 bring DC? "I Died" & company's new club soon? Reappearance of my fave obscure DC soul singers? Happening local rock band shows?

Anybody been to one of those Spelling for Bees collective events at Velvet Lounge? Is the indie rock of its members worth checking out?

Other item--I see in the Post that Love has been shut down because of a stabbing and other incidents.

http://www.welovedc.com/2010/01/04/new-years-eve-at-the-national-building-museum-receives-major-complaints-on-gog/

Comments re Late Night Shots New Years Eve bash at National Building Museum:

To quote one reviewer who pretty much sums up the other commenters:

How to begin? To say this event was terrible does not begin to describe the across-the-board disaster that was New Years 2010 at the National Building Museum. Lines in the rain? Check. Lines for the bathroom? Check. People peeing in janitor’s closets? Check. People stealing bottles of Vodka from behind the bar? Check. People throwing potted plants in the fountain when the booze ran out at 10:30? check. Were our coats stolen? You betcha! Were we almost trampled to death near the coat room? Definitely. This experience cost $100? Seriously?

Anybody been to Omia's Pub in Herndon, VA or the Elks Lodge in Temple Hills, MD? They get mentioned on the Gator's Saturday WPFW show

That sounds like the greatest party ever thrown at the National Building Museum

Drunken prepster event versus 19th century inaugural bashes there...

Awww, I think Simba Records in Langley Park is shut down. The phone # has been disconnected.

anyone know why c gainsbourg canceled her show at the 9:30? are all her shows off?

Saw via google that the whole tour appears to be cancelled. I didn't see any explanation.

http://www.avclub.com/dc/articles/three-new-years-resolutions-for-dcs-music-scene,36471/

The comments to Borlik's editorial that DC's music scene ain't happening because there's no rock he likes that gets any attention, or something like that. The letter writers have their own takes

interesting... it's basically a summary of extensive threads i've had with him and other hey-day dc'ers on "that other board" in regard to the state of rock in dc. i don't actually disagree (i can't, typing this from nyc myself) but realize it's a bit simplistic (ignoring all of the socioeconomic changes in dc since the late 90's, changes in avenues for music distribution and trending nationally, globally) and wistful for what was a less (watered down?) time.

To be honest, Borlik was my editor at the CP and I got frustrated with his views on what music events should be highlighted---he was happy running 99.9 % indie-rock, and soul, rap, African, Caribbean and rock loving me disagreed. His weekly Onion AV Club calendar for DC reflects that same old approach of his--any coverage of non-rock events is token at best. His editorial might have made more sense if he carefully noted that he was just referring to the DC indie-rock scene not DC's "music scene" and if he acknowledged (even though its widely known) that as a former member of Q and Not U his views likely reflect that background.

As for his take on DC's current rock scene, I don't know enough about today's young DC rockers to say whether I agree with you and he, and don't want to get into a "back in my day" simplistic take. As you properly note there are a bunch of factors that need to be considered.

The CP's new arts editor addressed Borlik's piece on the CP blog

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2010/01/06/arts-roundup-new-years-resolutions-for-scenesters-edition/

I think dcist.com did so also but I couldn't find the link

that's ok, dcist doesn't count.

ziiiinnnggggggg

Ha.

Re the DC rock bands need to get into vans and tour more argument--not sure if I buy that. It can help tighten things up, but folks can also develop in basements and bedrooms right here. And if one is not wowed by bearded folk-rock, no matter how tight such a group is from touring, they may not impress ya.

Haha wow that Borlick take is astonishing in how it fails to acknowledge its own tunnel vision perspective. Maybe next he can write about how anemic Atlanta and Houston's music scenes have been over the last decade based on the lack of split 7" releases.

yall otm

Fischer, Leitko, and Noz at the Wash CP say we should check out the following locals

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2010/01/13/%e2%80%9910-will-get-you-8-d-c-musical-acts-you-can-bet-on/

@curmudgeon: your experience with Borlik doesn't resemble mine at all. He encouraged me to write about dance and performance art, and actively discouraged me from making any pronouncements about DC's "cultural deficiencies." I found him to be quite a good line editor, as well.

I just know the music "citylights" (previews) under him were 99.9 % indie-rock and everyone from the Kennedy Center to Lisner to Haitian music promoters to roots rock and zydeco promoters complained to me that their music events never got highlighted in the City Paper.

Ng-unit, nobody seems to be writing up dance or performance art for the CP these days.

I think that's more of a reflection of how shitty and thankless a job it is to put together something like City Lights. For an underpaid and overwhelemed editor, diversifying coverage tends to (unfortunately) take a back seat to policing Wikipedia plagarism violators and finding ANYONE willing to spit out 150 words on anything.

I'm gonna stubbornly insist that despite the problems you cite (which are all true), there are folks out there who will contribute because it can beat blogging or tweeting to just friends. But yea it takes work and dedication.

And yea the CP's one-time bankrupt status, reduced size, and various other issues also discourage folks from wanting to contribute.

I really like the new Svenonius band (with Brendan Canty)'s single - 600,000 Bands by Felt Letters

Saw them live once but haven't heard the single yet.

Lots or recent DC releases it seems, on sockets records and more http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2010/01/25/local-vinyl-round-up/

I missed the Sockets release event but I saw Jim Bennett & Lady Mary Saturday night do a mix of Southern soul originals and covers out at Omia's Grill in Herndon near Route 7. Yep, they packed that little place--meaning around 40 people.

Lots of

Leitko with another DC rock post, this time one about a dc based label that hates DC rock bands and names names.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2010/01/27/fan-death-records-to-d-c-bands-stop-sucking/

Donny Simpson's last WPGC morning show tomorrow

sheesh that's some bleak stuff xpost

any Drive-by Truckers fans in the area should check out this new documentary premiering at AFI Silver:

http://www.afi.com/silver/new/nowplaying/events.aspx#secre

Hey DC'ers: I am heading your way in a few weeks: 2 questions. What is the best record store for used vinyl (if any) and, I'm hoping to see Tortoise at the Black Cat. Should I buy tix in advance? Do you think it will sell out?

Thanks

used records: smash or red onion, i would think. both in adams morgan.

SOM Records right on the same block as Black Cat might also have some stuff you want.

No idea re Tortoise's following.

Thanks!

Sugar Bear from EU, Dr. Cornel West, Steve Harvey and others saying their farewells to WPGC's Donnie Simpson this morning. He was on WKYS years before and on BET. He's got the bucks to retire I'm sure, but he doesn't want to. He's gonna be at Ben's Chili Bowl saying goodbye from noon to 2 today.

Nick Nichols, owner of Metro Cafe, passed away this Tuesday at the age of 45. He gave hundreds of bands, DJs, and MCs their first shot at performing at a time when there far fewer venues than today. RIP.

Wow, that's terrible. I remember him and that place. RIP

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/1461/uhall100317aeroplane.jpg

SCORE

Congrats, your place will finally be opening

This Friday, 2/5
Moneytown @ Dahlak (1771 U St. NW DC)
10pm-3am, no cover
DJ Nitekrawler w/ special guest:
David Griffiths (NY)

About our guest:

Soul music collector/DJ/Producer, David Griffiths is currently restoring two vintage unreleased LPs for first issue in 2010. One is an all instrumental long player, for his new Orivious Records imprint, to be distributed by Daptone Records. The other, documenting a couple of true eccentric soul men, Buffalo, NY’s Key & Cleary, is to be released on Now-Again records.
Past projects include an album by Buffalo, NY lost soul legends Bob & Gene http://www.daptonerecords.com/bobandgene.html , as well as the creation of Daptone's Ever-Soul imprint http://www.daptonerecords.com/eversoul-records.html . David has also collaborated on many projects with house music legend Kenny Dope for his imprint http://kaydeerecords.com/ .
Along with his partners, David started Bumpshop at APT in Manhattan, a monthly deep funk party that ran monthly from 2004-2009, and has hosted many guest DJs including: Cut Chemist, Kenny Dope, DJ Spinna and DJ Shadow.
David created and maintains a website documenting independent soul music from upstate NY, http://www.newyorksoulrecordings.com .

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a222/blueimage/Feb2010Mtown.jpg

Nitekrawler I just e-mailed you at your g-mail account. I need info on the 2-14 record fair