Is and of The is the DC-based project of Drew Bandos, a Philly native, who's third installment of recordings/first official album, Heads Phased For Dreamless Sleep, soars to a new level of organic shoegaze blended with electronic bits and echoing whispers. Experimental may be an understatement as each of the 11 tracks have the ability to capture your subconscious attention and cause a drift into daydream world.  Gorgeous.

"I Used to Swim in Seas Outside Of Me" is exactly how it sounds. An out of body experience in sound.  "Interlude" blasts a deep drone over reversed strings, a sweet transition from one of the many standout's on the record "Sleepless Dream" where warbling keys bloom before Bandos bursts into a melancholic chorus. And "Litost" sneaks in a bit of trip hop, adding a welcomed groove to a haunting melody.

The album is available now via Mush Records. -Dawn

Baltimore's Future islands have reached another level of experimentation in their sophomore release On The Water; the Atlantic.  As heard from the studios they eagerly worked in on the coast of North Carolina, they've implemented the sound of the ocean throughout the tracks (clearly on "Typee Island"), creating a lush 80's pop soundtrack fit for the broken hearted (or a sequel to Neverending Story. Well, the way Hollywood's been lately, we're due for a remake and Future Islands should effing score that; frrr sure.)  Vocalist Samuel T. Herring, bassist William Cashion, and keyboardist Gerrit Welmers seriously tug at the heartstrings in ten beautiful tracks that blend catchy hooks with moving rhythms.

"Before the Bridge" is emotionally powerful with a depressing chord struck in the keys,  and a bit of latin flair incorporated before colliding into an intense rhythm, all the while Herring crooning lyrics of heartbreak,"I can't forget, somehow, for, to forget a love, is to regret."

"The Great Fire" featuring vocals from Wye Oak's Jenn Wasner, follows in the trail of heartbreak that "Bridge" had laid out beforehand, urging for another chance with that love you lost. "If you let me be there, again, I'll be still, won't say a word." Keys swell, and Siouxsee-ish bells chime in to add that goth glimmer to a ballad already oozing with true feeling.

"Close To None" is a soothing blend of trippy keys leading into Twin Peaks territory, only to snap swiftly into a fun dance beat  and a slight turnaround on the road of heartbreak as the lyrics change direction to anticipation. "And now that I've found you, you're not alone."  So it's a happy ending.

Overall, it's a journey I'm ready to take again. -Dawn

After three years of silence, Arlington's own Rachael Yamagata is returning with fresh new record, Chesapeake. The album will be officially released October 11 on her own Frankenfish Records.

This album is a slight departure from stormy wooziness and generally sad overtones of her previous records. Instead, the lyrics on this album lean toward the optimistic side of love. In fact, Rachael says so herself in "The Way it Seems to Go" - "I'll be the voice of hope in your darkest hour...I'm an expert in the silver lining." But, don't let the brighter moments of this record fool you, there are certainly deeper emotional layers present. You get the feeling as the album progresses that the optimism is tinted with  frustration, like her words are reaching out to grab and shake a hesitant lover that just refuses to come around and join her in the version of true love that she believes from skin to bone, down in her heart and in her gut. With that in mind, the album feels familiar and very real. It is a little bit sexy and pouty and it wants you to get close and feel it. (This album review was not supposed to be dirty, I swear.)

The songs embrace a rauchier version of jazz and the blues than much of Rachael's previous recordings. In fact, when taken together with the sprinklings of subtle tribal beats and southern folk instruments, Chesapeake takes on a much more distinctively "American" sound, in a very classic sense. This fresh in spite of itself sound is a wonderful pair with her signature, breathy voice that so easily pushes listeners to brink of infatuation. There are also some very unexpected and impactful sonic moments remniscent of 90's alternative and pop-rock, especially on the debut single, "Starlight."

My final thought is that Chesapeake feels like a natural progression from the heavy hearted, Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart. But, it's certainly less sad, and if sad is what you're really into, then the shift in emotion on this album may leave you feeling a bit...well...sad. But for the rest of you, this album is a highlight worth checking out in an October that is absolutely full of great new releases.

-Jarrett

DC's Deleted Scenes have unleashed their sophomore LP Young People's Church of the Air this month and it's probably the coolest album to come out in years that equally balances spacing out with head bobbing.  Oh yes, Daniel Scheuerman (guitar, vocals), Matt Dowling (bass, keyboard), Dominic Campanaro (guitar, keyboards, samples), and Brian Hospital (drums) are on to something, and each track on this showcases it's own concoction of genre morphing and a blend of home vs studio recording. 

Some fav's include the first single "Bedbedbedbedbed." It's insanely infectious with a dreamy soundscape, wrapping your eardrums in a comforter of warm noise while Scheuerman pleads on for that immaculate girl to crawl into his bed bed bed... hot!  Keys warble, drums are dope tight, guitars lush out, and gorgeousness ensues.

"Baltika 9" is a super fun surfer romp tinged with some Brian Wilson inspiration that'll get you "drunk enough for second base." A falsetto chorus soars above a rambunctious beat making it feel like summer isn't going away anytime soon.

And "English as a Second Language" gets goofy-fun and hits all levels of the music spectrum, drawing you in with it's happy pop friendly bass lines, electro beat, and fuzzy vocals, before busting into a punk outburst and melting into 80's new wave territory. Totally awesome! -Dawn

At last, one of the most anticipated releases that we've been waiting for is finally here!!! And holy hell was it worth the wait. DC's dark rockers, The Chance, are releasing their 6 track EP New York City Girls on Aug 24th, and we've got an advance copy and are very very stoked to share our thoughts on this album we've been hearing about since late 2010.  As a duo, guitarist/singer Joshua Padgett (bass on album as well) and drummer Viraj DeSilva worked in NYC with famed producer Chuck Brody (Phantogram, Yoko Ono) and mastered by Sarah Register (Sonic Youth, David Bowie) to create what is one of the best indie rock EPs of the year.

Kicking off the record is the dance anthem and first single "The Abyss of Love" recently heard at a 9:30 Club DJ session (word!) that easily gets your ass off the bar stool.  The first jolt of drums has an 80's "kick your feet now!" flair before a tinge of high guitar notes float in causing an instant bob of the head. Before you know it, your eyes are closed and your doing the 'Molly Ringwald ala Breakfast Club' while Padgett chants "Can our souls blend for all time? I need you, to save me from myself. Hold me close."  A new movement of dark dance rock is sure to emerge based on this track alone.  And it sets the pace for the rest of the stellar EP.

Next is the title track "New York City Girls" which is about chicks living the dream in said city.  It's their poppiest track to date that seems ready for airplay on the soundtrack to Gossip Girl, or something equally awesome.  Padgett reaches new heights of falsetto impressively before delving into that clean Ian Curtis roar he has been compared to in the past.  The guitars swirl in layered loops of lush while DeSilva brings you back to reality with bursts of cymbals.

Every track has its own edge that induce the need to listen over and over again. "Forever" gets intense with layered guitars, "Into the Night" features a chorus in Spanish, and the ballad "Lapdance in Heaven" has a creepy edge of Suicide-like percussion echoes.  Padgett sings a depressing tale about a lonely man in pergatory with the faint memory of obsessive love for a stripper before bursting into the guitar solo of the century that is up there with C.C. DeVille baby!   And closing out the record is another smash of dark dance rock with a fast paced/steady beat and impressive guitar licks in "You Are My Dream" which ultimately makes us want more, dammit!  LP LP LP!!!

Baltimore's Romantic States have produced some gorgeous lo-fi gems on this long awaited 6 song EP Still Petals, with internet singles and a S/T full length cassette (only 50 exist!) preceeding it. The EP kicks off with Jim Triplett's perfect mix of soft and speedy in "The Fourth",  an uber jingly-jangly jam fest of rapid guitar strums over a sweet and fun melodic dance beat.  It sets the pace for the rest of the tracks, each offering their own spin on shoegaze, fuzzy rhythms, and echoey vocals.

"Mirror Mirage" and "Sea Skulls" have sparks of lullaby qualities that would make for a fitting soundtrack to watch waves roll in or to accompany a summer romance. Keys get quirky in "Unreal From the Beginning" before flowing into another trip of pop trancey-gaze. "Down Your Spin" builds up into a splendiferous wall of lushness.  And "Rifle Range" takes us out on a melodic ride that makes one want to hit the play button again. Most excellent.