sneak peek

There's a lot of fun things coming up in the near future, and to kick things off here's a sneak peek of DZ16~

More about that later, but for now here's whats going on with the fam:

Big Hush are back at it this Friday, April 10 at 453 Florida Ave NW, playing alongside Wing Dam from Baltimore, Big No from Richmond, and a new project called Howling Void, featuring from members of Pygmy Lush and Sad Bones (click flyer for details).

On Sunday, April 12 at Hole In The Sky will be the first of a new installment of monthly anti-brunch shows featuring emerging local talent. Come out to the first gig and catch long-time favorites Two Inch Astronaut perform with supergroup Polyon, and be sure come on time to catch the first show by sludgy stoner fuzz rockers Green God (click flyer for details).

A little further down the line, and a bit north of here, Romantic States will be playing two different "last show" events at The Foxhole and KEITH in Baltimore. More recently, Gumshoe and Pop Perfect had some nice words for their self-titled release. Only a handful of copies are left in the store, so be sure to pick one up before they're all gone~

"[I] was immediately attracted to the way the music finds experimentation within it's lo-fi, stark song arrangements...It has become an album that I find myself continually returning to." – Gumshoe

Wednesday, April 22 at The Foxhole with Bellows, Sharpless, and Soft Cat (click flyer for details).

Saturday, May 9 at KEITH with Quitter, The Spirit Of The Beehive, and Soft Bats (click flyer for details).

Sitcom released a new collection of songs recorded live at a show earlier this year by yours truly. You can check out "Sock Draw" below:


And last but certainly not least we have Adam Torres performing "Voices From The Top Of The Mountain" live on The Trundle Sessions. The track is the first off the upcoming Nostra Nova re-release, due out on vinyl April 21 by Misra Records.

A full stream of the album can be found over at The A.V. Club. Enjoy the album and pitch in for a pre-order if you can! There will be more news from Adam in the coming months, so be sure to stay tuned for that and a big announcement from DZ HQ and the DC DIY show scene soon~ ✌

spring forward

DZ16 is currently in production, but before I can spill the beans on that there are plenty of other fun things to cover! For all you lovely people in the DC area, there are some fun gigs coming up in the next week or so, click the flyers below for more details.

On Monday, March 16 at Comet Ping Pong we've got the record release show for local emo darlings Makeshift Shelters, who will be kicking off a tour to celebrate their new album 'Something So Personal' on Broken World Media. The show features support from karate chop punks Taking Meds from New York and DC sludge rockers Polyon.

Then on the following Monday, March 23 at the Beehive, we've got a homecoming show for Swings, who are on tour with Ohio cohorts BBC America. Boston-based Rye Pines and Something Sneaky will also be on the bill for their first times in DC, and the night will be capped off by this city's finest trio of space-traveling post-punks Two Inch Astronaut.

Those of you outside of the District's confines can still enjoy some new music here right from the comfort of your own warm computer c/o It Is Rain In My Face., who quietly put out yet another new album entitled 'The Sound of Us'.

Adam Torres is back home in Austin after playing a slew of shows out on the West Coast. The re-release of his 2006 cult classic 'Nosta Nova' is coming out in April on Misra Records, and to ramp up the excitement Stereogum was nice enough to showcase the track 'Dusty Wing Spirit'.



Decoder Magazine had some kind words for the new Romantic States album:

"The duo craft unwaveringly lighthearted pop tunes...the presentation makes me feel particularly nostalgic for the classic basement band setup — minimal guitar strokes atop steady rock beats, and an infectious youthful bounce as songs travel through their peaks and valleys, drive and rest. Romantic States’ stripped down formula allows space for the hooks to shine through, be it the breezy movement of instrumental interplay or the vulnerable, raw vocal leads. Their shimmery guitar work is particularly delectable during the prettier moments on the record, like the opening of “Fearless Kisses” before the tempo hastens into the soundtrack for a high school summer vacation. Romantic States succeed in deconstructing the superficial complexity that’s become commonplace in today’s candy-like pop music. Romantic States are songwriters with no compulsion to obscure their knack."

And lastly, we've got some fantastic photos from last weekend's Jobs Not War benefit show featuring Big Hush, who played alongside the very talented East Coast acts War On Women, Trophy Wife, and Priests.

Big Hush (courtesy of Andrade)

War On Women (courtesy of Schelldorf)

Trophy Wife (courtesy of Andrade)

Priests (courtesy of Andrade)

moving on

2014 is coming to an end, but not without a few more events to close out what's been a momentous year of music in the DC DIY scene. Check out the details below and click the flyers to RSVP.

First up is an In It Together Fest promotional event on Saturday, December 27 at The Pinch, featuring Meridian, Two Inch Astronaut, Polyon, Boardroom Heroes, and Collapser (playing their last show ever, purportedly). Join us for a brief retrospective and a look ahead to the fest's next iteration.

Then on Sunday, December 28, Big Hush will be joining Chain & The Gang and Qualms (first show!) at Comet Ping Pong. Come out to catch the good vibes, and peep this shining review of the Wholes EP by GoldFlakePaint to get you in the groovy mood.

"From full on shoegaze sustain to amplified campfire folk, Big Hush’s repertoire to date maps out a clear path of progression to their newest collection of songs...The four tracks featured on Wholes blend the delicate with the overwhelming. The soft-nurtured vocal expressions combined with guitar tones that can cry, sing and growl all at once make for the most affecting noise-pop you’re likely to hear any time soon." – GoldFlakePaint

And for those of you in Austin, Adam Torres is back home and playing one final show at Studium on Sunday, December 28 with Abram Shook.

Before I sign off, I'd like to say a quick thanks to Ground Floor Go for their shout out and inclusion of The Sweets Greatest Hits album as one of their Top 10 Cassettes of 2014! There's already a few things in the work for next year, so keep your eyes and ears open for more from DZ TAPES in 2015.