in the pines

The limited copies of Shya's new album have come and gone almost as quickly as the month of March. And no surprise after the generous album premiere on The FADER, in addition to pleasantries from United Cassettes, Austin Town Hall, and Very Tiny Songs.

"catchy as hell... the beautiful thing about this album is that the ephemeral nature of Sher's musings seem to have been captured in a pure state... an anthem for acknowledging loneliness and the need for human connection" - The FADER

The band will be down in Harrisonburg, VA for MACROCK XIX tonight along with Mal Devisa, Hemlines, Bless, Dogs On Acid, Wolf Eyes, Container, and a bunch of other great bands for the first night of two awesome days of music.

Meanwhile in the DMV we've got a couple things to look forward to in the first week of April:

Sunday, April 3 at Hole In The Sky

Escape From DC Brunch XII: Philadelphia Collins, Snail Mail, and Dove Lady

(click flyer to RSVP)

Thursday, April 7 at The Crown in Baltimore

Jowe Head, Olivia Neutron John, Expert Alterations, and Nice Breeze

(click flyer to RSVP)

With the next release right around the corner, I'm immensely thrilled for what's to come, but for now I'd like to leave you with a look back to that time Laser Background played my house:

 

stay sweet

This first month of the year packed quite the punch and things are showing no signs of slowing down. We've got two great shows lined up next week - click the flyers to RSVP.

On Friday, January 23 at the Communiverse with Baltimore babes Et Al. and Boy Spit pairing up with local lovelies Passing Phases and Nice Breeze.

Then the very next night, Big Hush share the stage with Wildhoney, on tour supporting their debut full-length album Sleep Through It on Deranged Records. The bill's filled out by Expert Alterations and Myrrh Myrrh.

The final lists from last year were slow to trickle in, but GoldFlakePaint bestowed its honors upon the Wholes EP, naming it one of their Favorite Tapes of 2014, pointing to the release's "tight instrumentation and seemingly effortless harmonies bundled with powerful songwriting." Echo Bay caught the band live on VHS in the wild performing an unreleased track titled "Walk On" at the Rocketship show, check it out!

If you missed the Daytrotter session by Adam Torres, make sure to take a listen to his new material and updated renditions of old favorites.

And finally, I'll leave you with some photos from last week's show at The Beehive, featuring Emperor X, Sitcom, Trunkweed, and Br'er. Thanks to everyone who came out and to Alex Schelldorf for the pics!

Emperor X

Sitcom

Br'er

smooth ride

DZ11 cassettes are dubbed, packaged, and will be shipped out by the end of the week, and Cactus Mouth called the Greatest Hits "a joy to listen to ... if you dig on lo-fi bedroom pop then scoop this goofy little release up." So to thank everybody for their support, a contest has been posted on the facebook page giving you the chance to win a free digital download of every DZ release to date. Here's a preview of the booty you could be looting, this one's "Coupe Deville" by The Sweets:



In live music news, the Dougout received some kind words from Myspace last week, putting it on their list of "The 16 Best DIY Venues in the US" as their top choice for Washington, DC. Admittedly this took us by surprise, as there are a handful of other solid spots for house shows in the district, but we are honored nonetheless and certainly appreciate the recognition.

The next event is lined up for February 25 and will feature Iron Chic, Collapser and The Rememberables. Because the demand for spots to this show is so high, we're taking reservations for spots starting today at noon on a first come first serve basis. Visit this link to reserve your spot, and take a look at the event page for more details.

This past Sunday we hosted a handful of talented local acts at a show commemorating our two-year anniversary. I'd like to thank all the friends and fans who came out to help us mark the occasion, the bands Teen Liver, Wildhoney, Expert Alterations, Cool People and Circus Bear for playing great sets, and Red Table Press for adding some style to the bar with the custom sign you'll see below, along with some pictures snapped and lent out by a few lovely gents.

Teen Liver (courtesy of Jason)

Teen Liver (courtesy of Ahmad)

Cool People (courtesy of Jason)

the greatest hits

The Sweets are two brothers from Winston Salem, NC who've been playing garage pop together for the past year, baking up a sticky mess of music despite going to different schools a few hundred miles apart. The duo wrote and recorded almost 50 original tracks in 2013, varying in styles from loud and fast garage punk to hushed and supple bedroom pop, so we took the best of both to release as the Greatest Hits. Limited to 50 twizzler-red cassettes, DZ11 is sure to be snacked up soon, so find yours in the candy store before they're gone.

The Dougout will be celebrating its two year anniversary soon, and to commemorate the occasion we're putting on a show featuring performances from a few old friends and some new local talent. Check the event page here for details, and check out the bands below:


☯ Teen Liver
☯ ☯ Wildhoney
☯ ☯ ☯ Expert Alterations
☯ ☯ ☯ ☯ Cool People
☯ ☯ ☯ ☯ ☯ Circus Bear

Before signing off, I'd like to thank everyone who came out last Friday to see Speedy Ortiz, Grass Is Green, Two Inch Astronaut, and Collapser. The bands were all phenomenal, the house was overflowing with people, and we got some stellar shots of the show from Chris Suspect and a few of our friends right here for your viewing pleasure.

 Speedy Ortiz (courtesy of Suspect)

Speedy Ortiz (courtesy of Ahmad)

Grass Is Green (courtesy of Suspect)

Two Inch Astronaut (courtesy of Suspect)

Collapser (courtesy of Geoff)