Shark Week - "Baby Maybe"

The first time I heard DC four-piece Shark Week was back in November of 2011 at a show inside of St. Stephens Church. I remember being floored by a rip-roaring cover of Johnny Thunders' epic anthem, "Born To Lose." Unfortunately, I took frontman Ryan Hunter Mitchell at his word when he jokingly riffed on the band's surf-rock sound, telling the crowd Shark Week was from "Long Beach, California." A quick Google search that night turned up squat. Then in August of 2012 the band released its debut EP and I connected the dots: a young hair stylist is fronting one of the best bands in DC, and they sound like a bluesy and modern spin on The Kinks and New York Dolls, punctuated by the kind of energetic fits and howls you only hear in church and great soul-stirring rock 'n' roll. Or apparently, sometimes both simultaneously. I was hooked.

Now I'm beyond pleased to be helping the band press and release their first 7" dubbed Santurce: a two-song double A-side single recorded in the Santurce neighborhood of San Juan, Puerto Rico this past January. The two tracks were cut in the studio of Puerto Rican psych-rock outfit Fantasmes and show off a more versatile and soulful side to Shark Week. On "Baby Maybe," the 'oohs' and 'aahs' are cranked to the max while the drumming carves out a deep and insistent hip-swaying groove, muscular guitar riffs swing and shimmy, and Mitchell's signature full-throated delivery sinks its teeth into all the indefinite "maybes" and unknowns of a relationship on the brink with devilish delight.

Santurce is out July 30th. Pre-order digitally on iTunes or on vinyl from Analog Edition. 

Shark Week - "Baby Maybe"

Dig into the other A-side, "Go West," below.

Rainbow Arcade :: Laughing Man & More Humans

DC-based brothers and recording partners Hays and Ryan Holladay of experimental act Bluebrain recently recorded 14 area bands at Iguazu Sound in Arlington, Virginia. This past June, they released the sessions as a compilation dubbed Rainbow Arcade. The comp was an opportunity for artists that do a lot of home recording to stretch out their legs in a real studio, though the opportunity also came with a challenge: each act had just 3 hours to nail down a track. Two clear standouts are the dynamic ear-worming numbers from More Humans and Laughing Man. More Humans, who releaed a stellar EP last year on DC imprint Cricket Cemetery, build from a subtle piano riff to giant smacking hits of bassy synths on on the dizzying pop number "Magga." On the other hand, Laughing Man, one of DC's most distinctive rock acts, apply ample amounts of fuzz and expressive shout-sung vocals to the rollicking punk-soul of "Brilliant Colors"—a track frontman Brandon Moses wrote about growing up with his mother.

Download Rainbow Arcade via a pay-what-you-want scenario on Bandcamp.

Shark Week - "If You Want Me To Stay (For A While)"

There's no lack of energy on "If You Want Me To Stay (For A While)"—one of three tracks on the new EP from rambunctious DC outfit Shark Week. From the moment that descending guitar intro unloads, the drums and rhythm guitar enter swinging in a full-on galloping stride with frontman Ryan Hunter Mitchell delivering fits of howling rasp, attitude, and heart-riddled scorn. Like any properly failed relationship turned into song, the chorus here is rich with doubt, one-sided affection, and maybe even a bit of begging: "You can cry, but you don't / Just lie baby lie / You can stay, but you won't / Lie baby lie / Like a good girl should, but you don't / Just lie baby lie / I can stay for a while, if you want me to stay for a while." Fans of Johnny Thunders, The New York Dolls, and good ole fashioned raucously bluesy and bruising rock 'n' roll, take notice: Shark Week is the real deal.

Pay-what-you-want for the EP via Bandcamp.

Shark Week - "If You Want Me To Stay (For A While)" (from EP)

The State Department - "Engender Me"

One of DC's best bands, The State Department, is calling it quits (drummer Aaron Baird is moving to London) after their final show tonight at U Street Music Hall. As part of the send-off, the band has its final two EPs available on Bandcamp via a pay-what-you-want scenario. Brand new track "French By Spilled Blood" pairs a bit of Built To Spill-recalling guitar wizardry with an inspired raspy howl from singer Mike Medlock, while counterparts like "Mount Pleasant" revel in dark, swirling, frenetic bursts of energy. For first timers though, we recommend the sharp funky bass workouts and angular post-punk riffage of 2010 standouts "Bon Vivant" and "Engender Me" as starting points—songs worth playing on repeat all day long.

Grab the EPs from Bandcamp. DC residents, tickets for tonight's show are available here.

The State Department - "Engender Me" (from S/T EP)

Teen Mom :: Mean Tom

DC-based trio Teen Mom released their debut EP last week, Mean Tom, and despite the silly word play and that band name, it contains a handful of really wonderfully crafted and charming pop jams. While the EP''s single, "You and Me," wrestles in off-kilter swaying rhythms, clean-toned slices of guitar, and sweet hushed vocal melodies, the band also slops on the fuzz as in the very 90s second half of "Always Happy" and the jumpy chorus of album stand-out "I Wanna Go Out." The band can really turn on a dime, churning out walls of gain-heavy guitars one moment and jangly foot-tapping funk-laced pop the next. It's an incredibly promising six-track introduction, and one I can't recommend enough.

Listen to and download the EP from Bandcamp.

You and Me by Teen Mom

Preview and Q&A with The Points

Check out my preview and Q&A with DC punk rockers the Points here.