D.C. experimental-music mainstay Blue Sausage Infant, aka Chester Hawkins, has been nominated for a Qwartz award in France for his album Negative Space, which was his first-ever vinyl release after years of distributing music in much less formal ways. I called it "a vital document of D.C.’s noise scene" when I reviewed it last summer, [...]

At this year's Sundance Film Festival, Calvin Lee Reader's The Oregonian got the type of reception horror fans savor: massive walkouts. In a genre where repellent imagery is always welcome—mouth to anus, anyone?–this reaction is often touted as a badge of honor, a slab of red meat to true believers akin to Republican Presidential hopefuls calling Social Security “a Ponzi [...]

GX Jupitter-Larsen is probably one of the most infamous noise musicians in the world. A dubious distinction, yes, and if you find the term “noise musician” a bit counter-intuitive, you’d be right once again. Jupitter-Larsen has long maintained that what he makes, whatever you call it, isn't meant to be musical. His [...]

With the hardcore kids all grown up and go-go frequently looking back, it might seem that nothing new is sounding in Washington. But right now, there seem to be more D.C. bands and artists playing challenging, thought-provoking music than ever before. And some of the best, most frequently rewarding ones are collected here [...]

Progressive rock has been a niche genre since it largely receded from public consciousness in the late 1970s. Like any niche, it has a small base of insanely dedicated fans, and Romantic Warriors, a documentary airing in the D.C. area several times over the next few days, is a paean to those devotees.
It's easy [...]

There was an article in The New York Times’ arts section this past Sunday that I only just got around to reading—but have become completely enchanted with. The story is about pop-up arts performances that are occurring in cities around the country, courtesy of the Knight Arts Program, which is part of the John S. [...]

What the world needs now is more batshit-crazy, uncompromising auteurs. David O. Russel has the diva-esque ‘tude and David Lynch the vision, but neither comes close to Matthew Barney for sheer pomposity. His five-part magnum opus, The Cremaster Cycle, is an elusive cinematic treat and for one week only, E Street Cinema will be screening [...]

How did you spend your summer vacation? Minimalist composer Richard Chartier spent his in the basement of the Museum of American History. For three months, starting in June, Chartier recorded the "Grand Tonometer," a four-octave instrument built by German physicist Rudolf Koenig from 1870 to1875. Recording each of the instrument's 660 tuning forks from strike [...]

Tomorrow night, arguably the biggest, bestest Sonic Circuits festival yet ends with a bang at La Maison Française. This year's festival has seen a huge variety of local and (inter)national acts playing all around the D.C. area, drawing people from all over the country and even the world. Saturday's final show is a real [...]

Back in 2007, French ambient guitarist Richard Pinhas, accompanied by longtime collaborator Jerome Schmidt on electronics, played to a packed house at the Velvet Lounge. Tomorrow, Pinhas returns, this time at La Maison Française with another collaborator twiddling knobs (or staring at a laptop screen): Masami Akita, better known as Merzbow. This kicks [...]