The Library of Congress unveils its National Recording Preservation Plan, which outlines 32 recommendations for how public and private institutions can archive America's audio recordings—in a way other than merely posting them on YouTube [Library of Congress]
What's that? Musicians still don't want to play music in D.C.? Well, carry on then! I see the status [...]
When news of Donald Byrd’s death was finally confirmed by major news outlets on Monday, it had been four days since his nephew by marriage, the jazz pianist Alex Bugnon, had announced his passing on Facebook. Byrd—a trumpeter, composer, educator, and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master who was the founding director of Howard [...]
Donald Byrd, a trumpeter, composer, educator, and National Endowment for the Arts jazz master who spent several years in Washington as founding director of Howard University’s Jazz Studies program, died at his Delaware home on Feb. 4. He was 80 years old.
After nearly a week of rumors, scads of unconfirmed reports, and a Facebook announcement [...]
The Village Voice's annual Pazz + Jop list of the year's best albums and songs isn't the only way to measure a given city's musical impact on the wider culture, and it's certainly not the best method. But this year's poll, which included ballots from hundreds of critics, certainly tells you something about how much (or [...]
Winter Fresh Releases
Let's be honest, 2012 was a down year for D.C. hip-hop. There were many decent local rap releases to choose from, but not many stellar ones. Oddisee's People Hear What They See was certainly the best of the bunch, but he lives in New York now, so can we still call him "local?"
On [...]
For the 2012 City Paper Critics' Poll, we asked local critics, bloggers, and fans to tell us about their favorite moments in local music this year. This post has been updated to include input from Reese Higgins and DCHeavyMetal.com's Metal Chris.
Packed into the Ethiopian joint Asefu’s in July and riled up by an all-too-brief set [...]
"They say you got your whole life to make your first album," raps Oddisee at the top of "Ready to Rock," the triumphant, densely collaged opener of People Hear What They See, D.C. music critics' pick for the year's best local album. But for the Sudanese-American producer/MC, it didn't take a lifetime to finally pull [...]
Christmas Rappin'
If you grew up on hip-hop, you know it's the holiday season when Run-DMC's "Christmas in Hollis" plays on the radio. Not only does it evoke Yuletide cheer, but it's arguably the most popular depiction of Christmas in a rap song. Now, the DMV's Low Budget crew adds its own voice to holiday hip-hop with [...]
Every week, Arts Desk's hip-hop writers drop news, music, culture—and generally put you on game.
Tweet Streets
DMV artists tweeted overwhelming support for President Barack Obama Tuesday afternoon: Fat Trel was hilarious. Black Cobain was indignant at the wait. Local native, writer, and Board Administration publicist Angela Byrd surveyed the scene at her polling station: "Mitt don't [...]
You're home, you're wearing sweatpants, and you need some rainy-day tunes. Well, here you go.
Hopefully, it covers all your hurricane bases: Some levity, some pathos, a hefty supply of local. And, in the case of that Bryan Ferry song, some sexy. Did I miss anything essential? Let me know in the comments. Thanks to the [...]
