Thursday, July 14, 2022
Saturday, July 9, 2022
July 15th - Kolezanka & Rachel Lime
FREE. M to Fresh-Pond.
Donate to the artists here. All money will be split evenly among the performers and myself.
Friday, July 8, 2022
Fanclub vol. 2 Ahmad Zaghal
Fanclub is a semi-regular recommendation series where I talk to Normal People about the Things They Like.
Ahmad Zaghal (he/him) - Germantown, MD
Twitter / Instagram
JMC: What have you been listening to lately?
AZ: I’ve been way into the new Editrix record. It’s gotten more spins than anything else. I also have recently grabbed the new Anteloper and Katie Alice Greer albums and have been really enjoying those.
JMC: I had Katie on my show last week! One of the things we talked about is where her album falls on the abrasive / pop music spectrum. What’s your take on this? Do you think it is a weird abrasive record or do you think it is more pop inclined?
AZ: I think it can be either depending on where the listener is coming from. I’ve heard my fair share of weird abrasive electronic records and have been to a bunch of harsh noise shows so I think of it as a fun pop record that touches on that stuff. Someone coming to it with more of a pop/rock frame of reference might find it to be a little challenging.
JMC: Are there any shows coming up you are excited about?
AZ: My friend Janel Leppin’s Ensemble Volcanic Ash project has an album due out at the end of the month and they’re playing a show at Rhizome in DC on the 18th to celebrate. It’s been a long time in the making and being able to watch this group grow at live shows over the years has been very special.
JMC: Is Rhizome your go-to spot in DC? It seems like it’s the only place in the city that does small art-inclined showed someone reliably. I could be wrong tho!
AZ: Yeah, it’s my favorite spot in the city for shows. And yeah, you’re right about it being the most reliable. The bookers are diverse which makes the variety great and they’ve got something happening almost daily at this point.
JMC: What is something you've been hearing a lot about but haven't fully made your mind up about yet?
AZ: It’s been two years but I still haven’t made up my mind about 100 gecs.
JMC: What is it about 100 gecs you feel ambivalent about? I love them, but I also feel they get a lot of polarizing immediate responses. I haven’t met a lot of people that are on the fence about them.
AZ: I totally appreciate what they’re doing and can laugh along with them but find the music grating which seems to be what they’re going for? I bet I’d get annoyed fast at a live show. It reminds me a bit of what Girl Talk was doing. An updated take on that
JMC: What do you do all day for money?
AZ: I sit behind a computer 8 hours a day checking different parts of the same Veterans Affairs web application for accessibility.
JMC: How much stuff is there to check on the VA website?
AZ: Oh it’s huge. Dozens of different applications that are all fairly large. I work on a team that develops one of them. It’s a record keeping kind of thing.
JMC: Do you like the job?
AZ: It’s fairly stress-free, I can work remotely and I get on well with the people I interact with daily so I can’t really complain about it. The material’s dry but I don’t mind that too much.
Thursday, July 7, 2022
Saturday, July 2, 2022
July 8th - Maneka & Mike Etten
FREE. M to Fresh-Pond.
Donate to the artists here. All money will be split evenly among the performers and myself.
Friday, July 1, 2022
Fanclub vol.1: Graham Gale
Fanclub is a semi-regular recommendation series where I talk to Normal People about the Things They Like.
Graham Gale (they/them) - Queens, NY
Instagram
JMC: What have you been listening to lately?
GG: I’ve been revisiting a few old favorites a lot like Prefab Sprout, Orange Juice and Big Star. I’ve also been getting into Cate Le Bon and falling in love with Caroline Polachek. My partner loves to expose me to Phish against my will every day so I guess I’d include that in what I’ve been listening to.
JMC: Do you enjoy Phish the more you listen to it?
GG: YES LOL. And I’m actually a huge fan of Page McConnell who plays the keys. Apparently at concerts they say “Page side, rage side.” I'd be on the page side.
JMC: What is it about Caroline Polachek you’re falling in love with?
GG: Oh man. Her sophistication. She has the most amazing lyrics and melodies, and her effects are never heavy handed.
JMC: I like her solo music a lot, and I think it’s a huge progression from Chairlift, but I feel like I’m missing something in her new cult icon status. It feels to me how Shake Shack feels? Like, I enjoy it but then I see people waiting in line for it and I’m like “damn lol.”
GG: Hahahaha yeah I totally get that! I was late to the Caroline game so I feel like I’m able to enjoy her music free from all the hype. I don’t know if I’d ever go to a show, but I like the energy she brings in this performance and on Pang.
JMC: Are there any shows coming up you are excited about?
GG: I’m sure there are some fun and amazing shows happening, but I still have COVID paranoia and do not attend them anymore. I wish more shows were outside!
JMC: What is something you’ve been hearing a lot about but haven’t checked out or haven’t made your mind up about yet?
GG: I listened to this one album that Sam Gendel made with his girlfriend’s sister who is 11. The album is very creative and beautiful, but also haunting and weird. I think I liked it but am still deciding. Worth a listen.
JMC: What has you still kinda on the fence on the Sam Gendel record?
GG: Honestly the fact that Antonia Cytrynowicz is an 11-year-old kid, and that they didn’t really set out to make a record. It feels a little exploitative of childhood, like you have to make something out of a kids talent upon discovering it. I cant tell if that’s really what’s going on here, which is why I’m still on the fence. I can also surely say that I’m glad it exists but I just wonder what Antonia’s impressions of it will be as she gets older.
JMC: What do you do all day?
GG: The majority of my days are spent at my fucking job. Listening to music is the best part of the work day. When I’m not at work I do chores, take silly little mental health walks, watch TV and get crafty with needlepoint and knitting.
JMC: Talk about the union! Brag! It’s very cool.
GG: Yes! We fucking won!! With a supermajority!!! REI is very mad that they have to sit at the negotiations table with us and listen to what the workers need to have a safe workplace. It was a lot of hard, emotionally exhausting work to get here and there will be more, but honestly it’s 1000% worth it to get a say in our conditions and accountability from our employer.
Thursday, June 30, 2022
Tuesday, June 28, 2022
Saturday, June 25, 2022
July 1st - Goo & Carrie Furniss
FREE. M to Fresh-Pond.
Donate to the artists here. All money will be split evenly among the performers and myself.
