On Tap takes a look at four local and touring bands each month. If you are interested in being featured, please send your contact information, including your website, a list of upcoming shows, and two music tracks to jon.kaplan@ontaponline.com.
Dawes. Nothing is Wrong
Web: www.dawestheband.com
Album: Nothing is Wrong
Show: Friday, June 1, 9:30 Club
Evoking the laid-back sound of southern California rock in the 1970s (think Gram Parsons or Jackson Browne), Dawes is unlikely to receive any hipster flavor of the month honors. The L.A.-based quartet is too earnest, straightforward and melodic in their musical approach to score a glowing review from Pitchfork. But that’s precisely the appeal. Dawes’s second full-length album Nothing is Wrong reminds us of a time when songs seemed fully developed and lyrics actually meant something. Dawes frequently ruminates on the juxtaposition of the hectic big city and a slower, sunny countryside. The album’s opener “Time Spent in Los Angeles” sets the scene. “You’ve got that special kind of sadness, that tragic set of charms, that only comes from time spent in Los Angeles, makes me want to wrap you in my arms,” lead singer Taylor Goldsmith croons plaintively. While the record has a decidedly laid-back feel, it still manages to rock. The squall of Crazy Horse guitars leads the second track, “If I Wanted Someone” which builds to a chorus that puts the band’s intricate vocal harmonizing front-and-center. Tay Straithairn’s keyboards stand out, consistently elevating and adding texture to the band’s sound. Dawes opened for Bright Eyes at Wolf Trap last summer and gave them a run for their money. In June, you can catch Dawes at the top of the bill at the 9:30 Club. -MC
9:30 Club: 815 V St. NW, D; 202-265-0930; www.930.com
Rhett Miller, The Dreamer
Web: www.rhettmiller.com
Album: The Dreamer
Show: Monday, June 4, Jammin’ Java
Rhett Miller, the indefatigable frontman for the Texas twang-rock band Old 97’s, is back with his sixth solo album in early June. With sterling collaborators like Rosanne Cash and Rachel Yamagata singing at his side, Miller returns to the country roots that helped establish the Old 97s as an integral part of the burgeoning alt-country community in the early 1990s. Miller’s sly word play is in fine form with steel guitars and fiddles lending the sound a winsome, soulful feel. “As Close as I Come to Being Right,” Miller’s duet with Cash, is pure country-shuffle, lilting steel guitars and clever ruminations on heartbreak. “I thought you were the wind, rattling through this house again, I thought you were the moon, lighting up these empty rooms,” Miller sings, lamenting that, alas, he was wrong. “Picture This,” with Yamagata, finds Miller slowing the tempo down to contemplate life with a woman and a couple of kids he loves. The singer-songwriter, now based in New York, is a family man, so the song sounds downright autobiographical. “The kids will climb up our legs as we’re kissing, you’ll catch my eye and we’ll register the moment,” Miller sings. “I’m tired but I’m not too tired for you.” You’ll want to hit the skip button on the draggy track, “Complicated Man”. But by then the album’s almost over, and chances are you’ll want to cue it up again. -MC
Jammin’ Java: 227 Maple Ave E. Vienna, VA; 703-255-1566; www.jamminjava.com
Michael Kiwanuka, Home Again
Web: www.michaelkiwanuka.com
Album: Home Again
Show: Saturday, June 16th, Rock and Roll Hotel
Bluesy chords and lush orchestration meet with one of the strongest folk/soul voices of this generation on UK crooner Michael Kiwanuka’s debut album Home Again. Lead single “I’ll Get Along” is a winner. Reflective content that leaves listeners in positive spirits isn’t the domain of the current American soul standard. Thus Kiwanuka, a much-lauded indie artist, hits the pop realm with tremendous impact and a creative space to occupy that is solely his own. With a vibe similar to that of 60s and 70s legend Curtis Mayfield, the UK artist has a unique connection between his vision and his lyricism that gives his ability to describe the typically mundane an extraordinary power. -MD
Rock and Roll Hotel: 1212 H St. NE, DC; 202-399-3201; www.rockandrollhoteldc.com
Owen Danoff, Never Trust a Man EP
Owen Danoff
Web: www.owendanoff.com
ALBUM: Never Trust a Man EP
Show: Thursday, June 21st, DC 9
An unlikely combination of frank and downcast lyrics about love gone terribly awry delivered over bright folk pop melodies punctuates Owen Danoff’s latest EP release. Songs like “Have I Ever Fallen” are delivered with sneaky gravitas akin to the emotional crescendo and decrescendo of the most potent of carnival amusements. Danoff is a nimble guitarist as well, his melodies the stuff of ear-worming relaxation. With this top-notch contribution to the local scene, Danoff is worthy of attention. -MD
DC 9: 1940 9th St. NW, DC; 202-483-5000; www.dcnine.com
