Over the last 15 years, Kansas House, a tiny four-bedroom home in Arlington, has seen members of bands that recorded for almost every D.C. record label—Dischord, Teenbeat, Slowdime, Simple Machines—crash on its floors, perform in its living room, or be thoroughly revolted by its rat-infested basement.

Kansas House is not a club. Shows happen there once or twice a month. But the experience of seeing a show at Kansas House is different. At the Black Cat, for instance, you buy a ticket and see a band. But anyone who’s crammed into Kansas House’s tiny living room to watch Black Eyes, Q and Not U, or Trans Am could be forgiven for feeling  like they were part of a movement.

You can still feel that way, at least for a few more months. On Dec. 1, Kansas House’s epic run will finally come to an end. The building is in the process of being sold to an Arlington development firm. Eventually, the house will be demolished to make way for mixed-use development.

Read More “I Think We’re Not in Kansas House Anymore” »

A quick roundup of music-related articles

–Song By Toad interviews Grandaddy’s Jason Lytle about his forthcoming solo record.

–The Washington Post’s David Malitz reviews a bunch of recent indie-rock records.

–Baltimore City Paper’s Michael Byrne profiles Frodus.

–Colour Me Impressed asks Title Tracks ten questions.

When Frodus Conglomerate International decided to reunite for the first time in 10-years, its initial appearances were rather exclusive. There was a single, quietly announced, performance Murky Coffee and then two quick shows at SXSW for, you know, for industry insiders. At any rate, the larger public, suffering greatly amidst the collapse of capitalism, was denied its chance to receive a much needed dose of shadowy, high-concept, spazzcore.

That situation is about to be rectified however, as Frodus will be going public in a few select East Coast cities during May and June. Liam Wilson of the Dillinger Escape Plan and Jake Brown from The Eastern Wave will be on board to supply bass.

Frodus Tour Dates:

05-08 Balitmore, MD – Talking Head Club w/ Sick Weapons, Solar Powered Sun Destroyer, Caverns
05-09 Philadelphia, PA – The Barbary w/ tba
05-10 Brooklyn, NY – Death by Audio w/ Limbs, Himalaya, special guest
06-18 Orlando, FL – Redlight Redlight w/ Guiltmaker, Hurrah
06-19 Gainesville, FL – Common Grounds w/ Guiltmaker, tba
06-20 Washington, DC – Black Cat w/ Van Pelt, Guiltmaker

Lovitt Records Showcase: I had been looking forward to this showcase all week, since it was a chance to visit with some D.C. folks and familiars—Lovitt being a local record label, and all—in a city with better than average Mexican food. Also, I heard there was going to be free Vitamin Water, but it was pretty much all gone by the time I arrived. There were plenty of reasons to stick around, though.

Pygmy Lush played some of its quiet, non-hardcore material, from last year’s Mount Hope, sounded pretty good.

Read More “SXSW Recap: Saturday” »

Big News: Frodus is playing Murky Coffee in Arlington on Wednesday night. Yes, Frodus is back together, at least temporarily.

Show starts around 9. Get there early.

We just talked to Shelby Cinca and got the back story on this surprise reunion. Apparently, the ground work for a full-fledged reunion show started last October at the Embassy of Sweden.

Read More “Frodus Is Back(!) And Playing Murky Coffee On Wednesday” »