green diamonds

Seasons are shifting and cultures are changing, but things are mostly just as they've always been. DZ TAPES was spawned from the love of sharing music and continues to live on through the very support I was hoping to provide for artists with the smoldering ashes that this label rose up from. That being said, from here on out all releases will be available for free on the bandcamp page, as they should have always been. I also want to thank all the bands and to everyone who braved the weather to come out for the show on Saturday, especially those who donated to the bands and bought merch. The only way good things like this are able to happen is with support from the fans.

The Sweets have really been laying down the jams in 2014 with the Greatest Hits anthology, split cassette with Petey, and blue glow-in-the-dark 7" from Bleeding Gold. This weekend they'll be taking to the stage at Phuzz Phest 2014 in Winston Salem with a slew of great acts from far and wide, headlined by White Fence, No Age, and Kool Keith, and featuring Ex Hex, Diarrhea Planet, Secret Boyfriend and more. Check out the full lineup here and grip a copy of the new 7" before you're left alone in the dark.

showtime

Here's yet another badass screenprint from my main man Sean Berg for today's show at the Dougout, featuring WEEKENDS, BEST WITCHES, BBAATBIFFFS, and CRUMMS. More details about the show can be found by clicking the poster below. We'll be giving these out with every purchase of band merch while supplies last!

The Sweets just put out a new 7" from Bleeding Gold Records, featuring four flawless tracks pressed on glow-in-the-dark vinyl and limited to 250 copies.



Lastly, wanna send thanks out to Creative Loafing for the Easily Suede shoutout! Nice little blurb there plus a preview of a new cassette from another fellow Faun and a Pan Flute member Carey, released on Crash Symbols.

get gooey

The Sweets keep riding their rolling riptide here in early 2014. The band has been spread the love most recently with the Zing Zang EP, one half of a split cassette with fellow North Carolinians Petey, out now on Bleeding Gold Records. They've also got a new track appearing on the If You Fall I'll Fall With You compilation from Edils Recordings, and did an interview with Reverb Raccoon where they discuss all their recent and upcoming releases, including the Greatest Hits and a future project with Goodbye Boozy Records.

Additional news of note coming down the pipeline includes the imminent arrival of DZ12, which is in its final phases of production (more info on that to follow), and It Is Rain In My Face. self-titled cassettes, which are back in stock over on Mat's bandcamp page (along with a snug and stylish new silkscreened t-shirt).

Reservations for the Iron Chic show at The Dougout filled up within hours of going public, but that's not the only upcoming event in Northeast DC worth checking out. If you like pizza and live in the district, you should stop by Hole In The Sky on Saturday, January 22 for the fifth installment of their art show series in which they'll be cooking up a 6 ft. pizza and surrounding it with pizza-themed artworks of the visual, installation and performance persuasion. The gallery will showcase works by artists previously featured here including Sean Berg, Ryan Ford and Red Table Press (who designed the awesome poster below commemorating the event). Come inside from the cold and enjoy some warm and gooey goodness with us!

post-solstice explosion in sound

2014 is finally here and as some of you have already noticed, pre-orders for DZ11 are now live. With winter's longest days behind us, there's no better time to let The Sweets warm you up with the soft sun-crisped sounds of summertime. Catch a glimpse of lazy fun times ahead in the video for "She Says" from the "Just The Dudes EP" released on Bleeding Gold Records last year, and now through the end of January you can take an extra 10% off anything in the store by using promo code "loveandrockets" at checkout.

Those of you in the district looking to catch some good live music are welcome to join us January 17 at the Dougout for a volcanic display of talent from Carpark Records and Exploding In Sound Records.

ϟ Speedy Ortiz (Northampton, MA)
ϟ ϟ Grass Is Green (Boston, MA)
ϟ ϟ ϟ Two Inch Astronaut (Silver Spring, MD)
ϟ ϟ ϟ ϟ Collapser (Washington, DC)

Hot and steamy rocket-powered glow-in-the-dark prints designed by Red Table Press will be available in limited numbers. Click the poster below for more details about the show.