http://www.blackcatdc.com/ BLACK CAT - NIGHTCLUB http://www.blackcatdc.com/schedule.html If you like Luna, the soundtrack to "The Squid & The Whale," or maybe even Jem and the Holograms, you should definitely come check out Dean & Britta. Cause Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips were part and parcel of all three. Former members of Luna and budding film score composers, this husband-and-wife team have mastered the art of the understated, graceful pop tune. And nowhere is this better showcased than on their new album Back Numbers. Oh, and yes, Britta was the voice of Jem back in the day. http://www.blackcatdc.com/schedule.html http://www.blackcatdc.com/schedule.html A reunion with an old friend is a sweet thing. A family reunion is a bit more of a crapshoot. But a band reunion is the best. Especially when the band that's reuniting is Denali. http://www.blackcatdc.com/schedule.html The Wag - with DJ Mark Zimin of Mousetrap - happens the first Saturday of every month on our Backstage. The night features 60s Garage and Soul and lots of cool mod videos. http://www.blackcatdc.com/schedule.html Israel Nebeker and Ryan Dobrowski are Blind Pilot. Friends since college, Israel and Ryan have traveled many a mile to get where they are today, literally. Last year Israel and Ryan embarked on a West Coast bike tour. They packed everything on their bikes and played little towns that don't often get shows by touring bands, which also meant they were able to share their brand of music with people who weren't particularly familiar with indiepop. Or indie anything. But they found that heartfelt lyrics and beautiful music appeal to just about everyone. In fact, they completely sold out of their EPs. They returned to Portland anxious to complete their first fulllength album. The long road to that album has paid off in spades. http://www.blackcatdc.com/schedule.html Sean McArdle writes subdued, elemental songs characterized primarily by elegant restraint. His preoccupation with the mystery, cruelty and grandeur of the world is expressed in surprisingly lush orchestrations. A sound perfectly showcased on his latest album, Northern Charms. http://www.blackcatdc.com/schedule.html Cliches are cliches because they're true. So it may be a cliche to say that Passion Pit formed because they waned to woo a girl, but it's true. And it may be a cliche to say that their sound is fresh and exciting - but that's true too. When you think about it, being a cliche isn't all that bad. http://www.blackcatdc.com/schedule.html Exit Clov is a five-piece indie rock band from right here in Washington, DC. The band's name, a tribute to Samuel's Beckett's "Endgame," is both a call to arms and a personal manifesto. Described as everything from "darkly melodic acid pop" to "kaleidoscopic pop noir," the band seamlessly fuses classical and rock instrumentation and reveals influences from Bartok to Blondie. Get your dancing shoes on because they are known to go from cowbell-heavy disco to retro girlgroup harmonies to dueling violin progressive rock -- all within a song. http://www.blackcatdc.com/schedule.html Hailing from Johannesburg, Blk Jks and their music are like a high-school mixtape sent through the washer: Smears of punk and metal are interrupted by Jimi Hendrix-inspired guitar explosions. Then it's all spun through layers of home-brewed dub and soul, at times sounding like a mix of TV on the Radio and Vampire Weekend ? if the latter were actually from South Africa. http://www.blackcatdc.com/schedule.html The lofi pioneer Bill Callahan, nce known as Smog, breaks into the world of hifi on his new album I Wish We Were An Eagle. Studio production, multi-instrumental orchestration, heck, even collaborators. But this new direction hardly finds the songwriter indulging in album bombast. Just like in the good old days, Bill Callahan keeps his feet firmly planted on the ground. http://www.blackcatdc.com/schedule.html http://www.blackcatdc.com/schedule.html DJ Mark Zimin's Mousetrap dance night has been a mainstay at the Black Cat since 2000. DC's biggest Britpop dance night, DJ Mark spins old-school (Buzzcocks, the Smiths) and new-school (Blur, Libertines) and occasionally brings special guest djs. Mousetrap usually happens on the second Saturday of every month. http://www.blackcatdc.com/schedule.html On the Second Saturday of every month, we're kicking out the DJs and kicking out the jams. What does that mean you say? We're doing what we do best: hosting DC (and DC-associated) bands on the Backstage. Mark your calendars. This month features Joe Lally and Glorytellers. http://www.blackcatdc.com/schedule.html Spencer Krug is a busy man. Not only does he perform musical duties with the bands Frog Eyes and Wolf Parade, but he's got a side project as well. Sunset Rubdown is Krug's opportunity to orchestrate a spaced-out, glammed-up indie workout all his own. On albums like Shut Up I Am Dreaming and his latest, Dragonslayer, he proves a worthy conductor. http://www.blackcatdc.com/schedule.html Laura Gibson lives in Portland, sings songs and plays a nylon stringed guitar. She grew up in a small isolated logging town called Coquille, in the South Coast region of Oregon, the daughter of the town's kindergarten teacher and a forest ranger. She couldn't tell you what band put out what particular album in what year, but she could probably describe where she was, how she felt and what you talked about, when she first met you, or what the trees looked like the last time her heart was broken. She likes trees. http://www.blackcatdc.com/schedule.html I've always been a little wary of the whole dude and guitar thing. It's just so cliche. Your older brother, the guy on the streetcorner, or the kid from freshman year who always wore shorts and sandals, no matter how cold it was outside. But then you hear a guy like John Vanderslice, and it kinda makes up for all those other dudes. http://www.blackcatdc.com/schedule.html Telekinesis is the solo project of Michael Lerner. What makes Telekinesis different from all the other indie solo projects out there is Lerner's ability to create perfectly imperfect pop songs. http://www.blackcatdc.com/schedule.html