From rockers to crooners, folkies to disc jockeys, lobbyists to promoters, one thing is clear: the women of Washington are a musical force to be reckoned with. Whether on tour nationally or affecting national policy on musician’s rights, some of the country’s most exciting musical matriarchs are right here in our own backyard. On Tap brings you an in depth look at some of the most talented and prominent women of Washington music, and lets you know where you can see them around town. So get in on the ground floor, because these ladies are going to go far.


DJ Ca$$idy of Tease and Biserious Productions
Written by Rebecca Armendariz

A penchant for “good music, alcohol consumption, dirty dancing and debauchery” is all one needs to enjoy a party thrown by Coby George and Cassidy Karakorn of Biserious Productions. The two ladies host Tease (formerly Electrotease) at DC9 on the first Saturday of every month. They also throw after show extravaganzas featuring artists playing at DC venues.

The pair started their DJ partnership in 2003 when it seemed that a club would be better to hold their house party regulars. Electrotease found a home at Club Five and eventually moved to DC9, which turned out to be a cozier fit. This month the pair is adding Garutachi to their agenda on every third Saturday at a new DC venue, the Rock and Roll Hotel.

When Electrotease was still in its budding phase, Karakorn realized she didn’t just want to be the host–she wanted to spin, too. Now her DJ set kicks off every night of Tease, and a guest DJ fills the headliner spot. George plays hostess and makes the travel arrangements.

The girls’ ability to snatch up big name acts to DJ at Tease comes from their strong connections. Thanks to networking trips to events like Coachella and South by Southwest, Karakorn and George have friends on all levels of the music industry. And the band members they manage to score for Tease “always want to keep the party going after they perform,” according to Karakorn. Biserious Productions reaps the benefits of this unending energy.

The ladies also try to always have an incentive for igniting the party flame early. Admission is usually free before 10 pm with drink specials to boot. Karakorn uses her starting set at Tease to play a blend of pop-rock, disco, hip-hop, and Japanese pop for your enjoyment, and the Rock and Roll Hotel’s superior capacity will provide the girls with a new, expansive shindig opportunity.

Check out DJ Ca$$idy on July 27 at DC9 during the Editors afterparty presented by Tease.


DJ lil’e
Written by Rebecca Armendariz

DJ lil’e, or Erin Myers, decorates her living room walls with shelves lined with countless genres of records. This obsessive collecting has become a necessity for Myers, who is booked through the year with dance nights and weddings.

Myers started spinning in 2001 after purchasing two turntables and a mixer, receiving a crash course in DJ fundamentals from her husband, Andy. She quickly learned the basics, and with her enormous music collection in tow, she started Right Round–her monthly night at the Black Cat backstage. “I cut my teeth on ‘80s alternative music,” Myers said. “That’s the majority of what I have, that’s what I love.”

Myers attributes her success to her work ethic and her inability to sit still. She operates by the “Madonna school of business, with tenacity and a lot of hard work.”

At Right Round, dancers can except to hear the usual Cure, Smiths, Erasure and Pet Shop Boys, as well as some rarities tossed in for the connoisseur’s satisfaction. The popularity of the night has grown abundantly since its conception. Last month, 350 people danced hip-to-hip in one of her most packed nights to date.

Right Round Up brings new wave beats to the Black Cat mainstage, and Myers’ new night, Right Round Mash-Up will premiere her own alternative creations on July 28.

Myers also spins down-tempo, big-beat hip-hop at Tinderbox at Café Saint-Ex on the first Thursday of every month.
“I could play records at an insurance seminar and have fun,” she said. And with her distinguished heap of records and a body-crammed dance floor, it’s guaranteed that you will, too.

Dance the night away with DJ lil’e at Right Round Mash Up at Black Cat on July 28.


First Ladies DC DJ Collective
Written by Rebecca Armendariz

The First Ladies DC DJ Collective lumps some of the finest female spinning talent in the area into one sharing, caring bunch. Eight founding members started the group in 2002 with the purpose of supporting women trying to break out as DJs in the District’s scene. Currently, there are 10 members who take turns spinning at Girl Friday, the group’s flagship event at the Black Cat backstage, and on Radio CPR Thursday nights from 9-11 pm.

The collective is open to women from all musical backgrounds and levels of experience. “We wanted a DJ crew that had indie DJs and bedroom DJs and DJs who weren’t even really DJs yet,” founding member Maegan Wood, or JuneBullet, explains. Wood spins house music, but the collective also features women spinning hip-hop, ‘60s girl groups, indie pop, and more.

All the money made by the collective goes back into the project. The group uses the profits to buy equipment that’s then loaned out to members in a library-type system. But mainly, the group exists not to lend out turntables, but for “skill-sharing,” Wood says. The accumulation of those talents might spur you into getting your “spanky rocky freaky groove on,” as Girl Friday claims to do.

The First Ladies also use their credentials to play events for charities and to spin at some of the underdog venues in the D.C. area. Some of their more recent gigs have been at the Galaxy Hut in Arlington, the Vegetate restaurant in Shaw, and Mount Pleasant’s Marx Café. With ten members and a four-year run, you’re bound to see one of the members spinning her specialty in the area this summer.

For more information, visit the Collective online at www.firstladiesdc.com


The Fancy Pants DJs
Written by Rebecca Armendariz

Jenn Bress and Alleigh Price sit post-work giggling with the bartender at the Galaxy Hut. They have four beers waiting for consumption on the table in front of them. These two old friends are known at their bar of choice as the Fancy Pants DJs, which formed in 2004. The girls have been making the rounds and plenty of friends at venues in Virginia and DC ever since.

Their impressive resume includes a spot in the First Ladies DC DJ Collective, a former regular night at Heaven & Hell in Adams Morgan, and two current secure spots at Café Saint-Ex and the Noise Academy at Cosmo Lounge. Every third Sunday the twosome is at Saint-Ex for their own Awesome Party, where they spin anything that’s “fun and dancey,” according to Price.

The Noise Academy occurs every Thursday night, and Price and partner Bress have the second monthly slot coupled with DJ People’s Champion. They also contribute to the First Ladies’ Girl Friday event and constantly throw out new ideas for nights they could host.

“When our heads combine, it explodes!” Price says.

Price digs through record piles at thrift shops, Crooked Beat, Orpheus and Joe’s Paradise to find older music, like ‘60s soul, to suit her needs. Bress keeps up with new music by checking out websites like hypemachine.com and Pandora.

“We complement each other!” Bress exclaims.

The Fancy Pants DJs admit that they have a lot of room to grow. When they first began spinning, their record collections were hardly up to the task of a four-hour set. But today, they’re up for the challenge of creating a no-limits dance night.

Check out the Awesome Party at Saint-Ex on July 16.


Thao Nguyen
Written by Joseph Riippi

Like most singer-songwriters wielding the proverbial acoustic guitar, Thao Nguyen got her start at open-mic nights and coffee shops. 22 years old and having just graduated from the College of William and Mary, Nguyen has hit the road for her first taste of a summer national tour, packing her mother’s minivan full with copies of her debut record “Like the Linen.” And now it’s sounding like the young chanteuse has a few more months of putting off the real world when she heads off on a European tour with friend and singer-songwriter likeness Laura Veirs. Hopefully she had time to have some cake or attend a graduation party.

Nguyen’s unique brand of danceable folk rock is self-described as “tangles of guitar and knots of singing [making] a rope fit for hauling the heavy machinery of your day.” Judging by the welcome reception her intricate guitar playing and Norah Jones-like vocals have been getting, people seem to like having their day hauled around for them.

Her success doesn’t stop there. Recently, a new Nguyen track entitled “Fast Asleep” found itself rubbing shoulders with the likes of compositions by Sufjan Stevens and Colin Meloy (of Decemberists fame). “The Sound the Hare Heard” a compilation from Olympia, WA’s venerable Kill Rock Stars label, dropped onto shelves at the beginning of May. A month later, “Like the Linen” found itself sliding into CD players like a slice of lemon into a graduation party iced tea.

Looks like it will be quite a busy first summer out of college. But no need for a 5-year plan just yet.

See Thao Nguyen at the Red and the Black on July 15.


Laura Burhenn of Georgie James
Written by Joseph Riippi

A singer-songwriter with a voice said to be “much like tilting your head toward the sun,” Laura Burhenn released her debut in 1999 with Laboratory Records, a label she owns and operates. The record comprised 13 songs of organic piano and vocals, and with those compositions in hand, Burhenn abruptly found herself in the midst of the recording musicians’ eternal struggle: getting herself—and her record—heard.

“Since DC doesn’t really have a ‘girl scene,’ I struggled in the beginning not to be dismissed as a flimsy girl singer-songwriter,” Burhenn recounts. “To show that I was just as capable as a band of boys.”

Since her head-tilting debut, several more releases have found their way out of Laura’s Laboratory, notably “Wanderlust,” which hit shelves and merch tables in the spring of 2004. Here Burhenn delved deeper into her compositions’ sonic terrains, adding electric guitars, wurlitzers, several shades of white noise and an array of instrumentation that only made her a more intriguing artist. “The most important thing about songwriting, I think, [is] to turn people upside down and show them things in a different light,” she reasons.

Last year Burhenn changed modes again, going from solo artist to the more attractive half of DC’s super-group/duo Georgie James, with ex-Q and Not U drummer John Davis. As their first recording, “Demos at Dance Place,” continues developing its cult following of dance-rock lovers, the band has an invitation this summer to hit the road with Scotland’s Camera Obscura.

“I strive to make good music. Period,” Burhenn remarks of her process. To that end, fans can anticipate a Georgie James full-length release soon. “Whatever brings us all together in one place,” Burhenn declares, “whether it’s in the mind or on the dance floor, is the best music I can hope to make.”

See Georgie James at Black Cat on July 9.


Esmirelda
Written by Marisa Torrieri

Today’s guitar-carrying gal isn’t automatically gonna break out something tame and Joan Baez-like. Still, it’s unlikely any of today’s local rock chicks have gone the route that defines Esmirelda’s entire musical career.

This rockin’ songstress, who doubles as a suburban wife and mom, is known for doing an entire show sitting on a bright pink American Standard porcelain toilet bowl she totes from club to club. She’s also known for singing some seriously saucy lyrics. Throughout the ‘80s and 90s, the D.C. songstress found herself banned from local radio stations, local left-wing hangouts, and local rock clubs–all because of her oft-vulgar, hilarious ditties.

“People would get up and assume I was going to sing folk songs, like Joni Mitchell and stuff,” says Esmirelda, recalling her early days. She has come a long way since then, having opened for GWAR and the Butthole Surfers and winning two Billboard music awards in 2000.

Nearly two decades since she hit the DC scene, Esmirelda is still causing a ruckus. She plays the occasional solo show, though most of the time she’s the guitarist/singer for rock Trio Esmirelda & The Tidbits. She’s funnier and more frank than ever, with naughty songs like “Hermaphrodite” (“I’m in Love with a Hermaphrodite/Her dick is big/his box is so tight”).

Today, however, she says there are opportunities for women who don’t want to channel Shawn Colvin.

“Back in the olden days,” Esmirelda says, “disc jockeys were not allowed to play two songs by chicks in a row, so you would never hear Janis Joplin or Patti Smith in a row. Now, you will hear two or three in a row, on rock stations, pop stations, you know, jazz stations, country stations. That’s a nice change.”

Catch Esmirelda solo, Friday, July 28th at the Laughing Lizard Lounge.


Rose Guerin
Written by Joseph Riippi

“I’ve always felt that songwriting is the only thing that I really do well,” declares Rose Guerin. “Anyone can sing a song or put out a record,” she continues, “but playing my own music is something I feel like I need to do and can’t live without.”

Raised by a group of artists and musicians in Roxbury, Mass., Rose grew up a true child of the 1960’s cultural revolution. At the age of 4, her jug-band uncle recognized the tone of perfect-pitch in his niece, singing to herself in the bushes. By 14 she was penning her own songs.

“I don’t really have a hold on my songwriting process,” Rose says. “The songs just sort of come out (not to sound like a total hippie).”

In the early 1990’s, just when hardcore and grunge were gaining momentum in their effort to supply each youth of America with flannel and a skateboard, Rose expatriated herself to Spain. In Madrid, making money and strengthening her singing voice in the crowded underground, she honed her musicianship with local blues, jazz and folk acts. A year later she returned to the States with a year’s worth of material, and a hell of a work ethic

“DC has definitely been a tough town,” Rose comments. “I moved here from Boston, haven of all things music, and I can’t say it hasn’t been a bit of a struggle.”

After nine years of taking her acoustic stylings and vintage Stevie Nicks vocals to every stage she could find, she does admit to feeling as though she’s been able to carve out a name for herself. “DC fans are loyal and loving,” she says, “and once they find you, you will want to grow just to keep that love coming…”

See Rose at IOTA Club and Café on July 12.


Mara Levi
Written by Stephen Kilroy

Mara Levi’s bio begins: “I’m Mara. I play music,” the directness of which is perfectly reflected in her music.

Levi’s style is not easy to pin down. At times humorous and cynical, she can become instantly introverted and calm, even meek. With “The Homo Song,” simultaneously evoking Stephen Lynch in his most sarcastic sweetness and Randy Newman in satirical nonchalance, she is both honest and clever–no easy feat. On the other hand, “No Difference” recalls Aimee Mann’s best work on the “Magnolia” soundtrack. Her voice lilts effortlessly over a swelling and receding piano accompaniment, alternately reticent and forceful, and powerfully versatile.

The frankness of Levi’s vocals binds the songs together, lending emotion that never sounds contrived and never overshadows her melodies. She dabbles in several styles, reflecting self-proclaimed influences as disparate as Fiona Apple and The Shins. But her vocal style–austere and honest–make the songs genuinely hers. While the instrumentation varies with every track (Levi goes from bare-bones acoustic, to full band, to violin and piano,) it all fits naturally into her body of work. She arranges it all herself, explaining, “I used to teach music, so I enjoyed having control over most of the elements.”

Because she has only lived in DC a short time, Levi’s appreciation for the local scene is refreshing. “I'm getting much more into the poppy, catchy side of myself, and I think that comes from having been inspired by some great local artists. And I live next to Rock Creek park, and use its beauty for daily inspiration, musical and otherwise,” she explains. “I have found people here to be really interested in listening to one another, supporting one another, and really sharing their music. Not my experience elsewhere. So DC rocks in that respect.”

Catch Mara Levi on July 27 at Phase 1.


Rana Mansour
Written by Chris Connelly

Many believe that Washington DC is a particularly tough town to be a full-time musician–the high cost of living can be prohibitive, and many folks live here as a consequence of demanding careers. Add in the fact that many local gigs are relatively low paying, and it’s a recipe for music as an extracurricular activity. But don’t tell that to Rana Mansour: this 24-year-old pianist has made it her profession.

With music as her sole form of support, Mansour has had to make some compromises in order to play music full time, taking on higher paying gigs at restaurants and bars. These gigs often require a large catalogue of cover tunes, which diverts her attention from her own musical pursuits. “Nobody wants to go out and listen to three hours of original material,” Mansour admits. “Not even national touring acts have concerts that last that long. But the gigs where you play for over two hours are the ones that you get paid. And, subsequently, are the ones where you have to ‘sell your soul.’”

But her willingness to make these sacrifices has enabled Mansour to more fully develop her own material. With a soulful pop delivery, her songs recall elements of Jill Scott or Toni Braxton. Citing influences as varied as Sting, Radiohead and the Smashing Pumpkins and employing a skilled band for her solo material, it is clear that she has lofty goals for her music. But most importantly, Mansour has set out to carve out her own niche.

“I am on a personal mission to find my own sound,” she says. “I want someone to listen to my music and say, ‘That’s Rana. I know her style anywhere.’ Nothing is stronger and nothing gets the point across better than individuality. “

Check out Rana Mansour at Jammin’ Java on July 23, or at one of her six other performances this month.


Olivia Mancini of Washington Social Club
Written by Joseph Riippi

Olivia Mancini is easy to find—you can spot her playing the bigger venues around town, rocking the bass with her band Washington Social Club. Or, if you happen to be traveling, you might spot her at some random club or stadium across the country, should WSC happen to be out on one of their national tours.

A DC native, Mancini and friend Martin Royle started WSC after Mancini moved back from upstate New York. With no place to stay, Royle crashed on her floor. A month later he left, the two of them having laid the foundations for a band. With the addition of guitarist Evan and drummer Randy, they were complete.

Despite being outnumbered 3-1 in WSC, Mancini maintains she’s seeing more and more women rocking the indie circles. “Enough,” she says, “that I forget that in the larger genre of rock music, women are still something of an anomaly.” When WSC played the Vans Warped Tour in 2004, which featured predominantly emo and punk bands, Mancini would sometimes go two weeks without seeing another woman on stage.

Being a woman has never hindered her career, however. If anything, it helped find musicians to play with: “It’s cool these days to have a ‘girl bassist’ or a ‘girl drummer,’” she explains. “It’s an added attraction.”

That being said, she does feel that women are sometimes forced to prove themselves to men as serious musicians. Although she is quick to point out: “women also have to prove themselves to other women…and men have to prove themselves to other men. If you are a good player, I don’t think it matters these days what your gender is.”

So how good is Mancini? “I just play what comes out,” she shrugs.

And that’s a better sound than most anybody’s.

See Olivia Mancini with Washington Social Club at Black Cat on August 11.


Emily and Susan Hsu of Exit Clov
Written by Joseph Riippi

Since the band’s inception in 2003, it’s been nearly impossible to miss hearing about Exit Clov’s Emily and Susan Hsu. The twin sisters front one of DC’s most talented rock bands—they have a Best New Artist nomination from the 2005 WAMA awards to prove it—and if their recent live shows are any indication, they’re only getting better.

The band’s male-female ratio might be 60-40, but fronted by twin female vocalists, it’s hard not to be fixated on Emily and Susan. “People tell us it’s necessary to bill ourselves as sisters, twins, and Asian,” recounts Susan. “But as a music fan, I don’t see how that would mean anything to me personally in how I view a band.”

Nevertheless, the sisters acknowledge that their being “sisters, twins, and Asian” serves as a reference point for fans. It’s not uncommon for them to be referred to as “the group with the Asian twins.”

“It’s different and a good thing,” Susan says, “considering how few Asian-Americans play indie rock, but it would still defy our purpose in songwriting if people only listened to us because we’re Asian.”

As for that purpose, living in DC has played a major role. Historically, Emily and Susan are quick to cite female bands like Bikini Kill and Bratmobile as influences. “There was a point in the hardcore era when people looked around and realized how few women were in the scene, despite the leftist politics,” Susan reflects.

As for now, Exit Clov’s female-fronted dynamic allows them to be influenced by that same denial of the status quo they admire in the bands of a decade before.

“I hope it’s intellectually refreshing for people to contemplate a female-fronted rock band,” Emily ponders. “Especially after the gazillionth band with white male singers who want to sound like Interpol or Franz Ferdinand.”

See Exit Clov on July 22 at DC9.


Rachael Foley of the Fallen One
Written by Marisa Torrieri

It’s a three piece with only two guitars and a drum kit, but with a gigantic range of influence. But many have said its Rachael Foley, the deft guitarist-singer and former choir girl, who makes The Fallen One interesting.

The Wheaton based band began four or so years ago when the longtime singer Foley, now in her mid-twenties, met drummer Odell. They struck up a conversation, met to jam, and then placed an ad in the City Paper for more members, leading them to guitarist and singer Chris Dunn.

The newly formed group played with the idea of a bassist, but ultimately stuck as a three-piece. Each member is inspired by totally different sounds, ranging from metal to goth to post-grunge. They’ve got rockin’ three-minute ditties, and long, drawn-out rock epochs with dark undertones everywhere.

“We have a thick, aggressive textured sound,” says Foley. “A lot of people have compared us with HUM, Failure, Rainer Maria. We like to use a lot of distortion.”

Though she’s flattered for being reputed as a not-so-predictable-or-syrupy sweet femme, Rachael insists the songwriting process, the concept for the band, and everything else is “a democracy.”

Still, Foley admits that one can’t help but notice the guitar-wielding girl onstage. And sometimes it even helps them get the gig.

 “I do see a lot more women in bands, then maybe even ten years ago,” says Foley, referring to everything beyond the post-grunge, and feminist Sleater Kinney rock genres. “Sometimes it makes booking shows a little easier.”

Find out more about the Fallen One at www.thefallenonemusic.com

The Twats
Written by Marisa Torrieri

DC has a lot of punk and hardcore that’s so great it practically grabs you by the throat. But when it comes to the hardest of the hardcore in DC, it’s rare to see a woman up in front with the boys–let alone manning the show, screaming her guts out onstage. That’s what makes the person known as “Cuntess Twat” so intriguing. As the lead singer of the Twats, the band comes on fast, furious and startling.

But the great dame leading the pack possesses such a friendly, down-to-earth demeanor that poses a contradiction to the “Cuntess Twat” stage persona who rants raspy about shit that gets her goat. Ms. Twat comes from a wide variety of musical experiences, and even went through a brief “rave” phase.

“I think I kinda stumbled upon it,” she says of hardcore music. An old boyfriend bought her a guitar, and at age 19 she joined her first band, Die Cheerleader Die.

The Twats, which includes her husband “Lord Taint,” started nearly one and a half years ago, has a different mood than its members’ past groups–notably, it is less political and less feminist.

“We don't really try to fit into a mold,” says Ms. Twat. “Each of us were in different style bands before this one. Each of us throws a little something different into the mix.”

The Twats’ songs are inspired by everyday stuff. It’s about the music and the energy of the live shows. And it’s those shows that are getting rave reviews as the band traipses the country, from the mid-Atlantic to the Deep South.

“I love the energy,” says Ms. Twat. “I love the people I’ve met. I love the music.”

Check out the Twats on August 13 at Black Cat.


Carol Bui
Written by Chris Connelly

One could say many things to describe Carol Bui’s version of rock and roll–intense, dissonant, raw and unfaltering are a few of the words that immediately jump to mind. As a sort of DC version of PJ Harvey or Kristin Hersh, Bui’s music is driven by her unfiltered emotion. But what is most refreshing about Bui’s music is her versatility–a trait that some people miss because of the preconceptions they have for her gender.

“People have certain expectations of [women],” Bui says. “They might see a woman’s name and expect her to play pretty strummy songs, and then get all bent out of shape when that’s not what they get. It’s kind of stupid to group us all into one lump–‘girl rock’ is not a genre. Women are diverse in their talents and creative output, just as men are.”

Having played solo shows in the District since November 2003, Bui has become a prominent figure in DC’s indie rock circuit. With a recently completed tour of the East Coast in support of her debut album, “This is How I Recover,” Bui has also contributed to acclaimed local bands the Physics of Meaning and the Beauty Pill. These collaborations have fueled her own musical endeavors.

“The two projects I contributed to over the past year were both solo projects with rotating musicians,” Bui says, “So it was great to see what the inner social and creative workings were like, then compare to my own set up. It also made me grow as a musician because I used my brain and fingers differently.”

As she continues to grow and develop as a musician, it is sure that Bui will only become more captivating as an artist.

See Carol Bui at Black Cat on July 11.


Five Four
Written by Chris Connelly

Fittingly for their moniker, Five Four is four fifths female, born in August 2004 out of an ad seeking female musicians.

“I wanted to play with all girls because boys take everything so serious and get so moody,” says guitarist Jamie Rimmer, explaining the intentions for a female-based group. “Music is supposed to be fun and I think girls tend to be more laid back. Plus I like how girls play.”

Five Four is a fun band, one that has quickly established itself on the DC circuit. The group was invited back this summer to their second year on the exclusive Fort Reno concert circuit. Though the show was cancelled due to rain, audiences have acclaimed their pop sound as forward thinking and original.  But being a mostly female indie rock band has presented certain challenges.

“Venues always want to put us with other female bands,” Rimmer says. “We don’t want to be classifieid into a ‘female rock’ category. We are a band. It shouldn’t matter that we’re girls. It’s kind of silly to bill us all together just ‘cause we all wear skirts and stuff.”

Skirts or not, Five Four has set out to make people dance along to their jubilant pop songs, blending dancey beats with poppy guitars and hooks. Most interestingly, the band has a distinctly ethereal angle, incorporating a sort of Eno-esque ambiance on most tracks.

“(Our ideal album) would be dancey in a non-obnoxious way, with a spacey surreal feel,” Rimmer explains. Then she reconsiders with a laugh. “Oh, and it would have one song where I could be over indulgent and record 16 tracks of guitar noise.”

Catch Five Four at the Red and the Black on July 27.


Federal City Five
Written by Chris Connelly

Certain bands form with a given purpose in mind whether it is genre, image or attitude. In September 2004, Federal City Five came together with their own intention: to form an all female rock and roll band, blending its members’ influences to craft catchy, stripped down rock tunes.

“Federal City Five was the brainchild of Elaine Clark, who left the band last year,” says guitarist Carmen Vasquez. “She set out specifically to put together an all-female band…her reasoning was that she had played in a band of men and she never felt that the decision making and songwriting in the band was equal. She thought that a group of women would communicate more effectively and that ideas would be considered equally.”

This supposition proved true for Federal City Five, who found a female replacement in Ginger Richards after Clark’s departure. Since then, the band has developed a devoted following in the DC underground. Their back to basics rock-pop sound invokes the spirit of DC’s punk heritage–a do-it-yourself ethic that produces substance over style. But the band stresses that their female makeup is for their own interpersonal creative purposes, and is not intended as any kind of gimmick. In fact, the all-female image has caused some annoyances.

 “In my experience, the biggest challenge as a woman is earning respect as a musician regardless of gender…We played a show at the Black Cat once,” says Vasquez, “and [vocalist] Tina [Plottel] overheard someone on the stairs saying to someone else, ‘You should see this band–it’s all girls!’  Ultimately, we want folks to keep coming to see us because they like our music.”

“We put pressure on ourselves to be the best musicians we can,” contributes drummer Coburn Dukehart, “simply to avoid being labeled a ‘chick band.’ We’re just a band – that’s it.”

Federal City Five will be at the Red and the Black on July 26.


Jenny Toomey, President of the Future of Music Coalition
Written by Joel Sparks

In the welter of genre labels applied to music, we sometimes forget that “indie” means independent—as in, not involved with a major label. For the past sixteen years, no one has fought harder to keep the indie in indie rock then DC’s own Jenny Toomey.

While singing and playing in a host of 90s bands, Toomey and partner Kristin Thompson founded the Simple Machines record label and wrote the bible of do-it-yourself rock, “An Introductory Mechanics Guide to Putting Out Records, Cassettes and CDs.” More than 8,000 copies of the Guide found their way into the hands of aspiring living-room musicians, and the materials have undergone several updates as technology changes.

It’s the intersection of technology and music that brought Toomey to her current job: president and executive director of the non-profit Future of Music Coalition. In addition to side projects like helping musicians get health insurance, the FMC gives artists a voice in debates over copyright law, Internet regulation, technology policy, and all those other big decisions that are usually dominated by giant corporations and their pals in Congress.

For example, right now the Federal Communications Commission is trying to issue rules that would make it even easier for a few mammoth companies to buy up all the radio stations in the country. But Toomey and the FMC are drawing attention to the FCC’s move—and to the fact that the FCC’s stated mission is to promote localism, diversity, and competition in radio.

Toomey says that media consolidation is just one example of a larger struggle: “A handful of corporations shouldn’t decide what you see and hear.”

And oh yeah, Toomey found time to record a couple of great albums in 2001 and 2002, and there just may be another one on the way.

Want to help? Check out www.futureofmusic.org


Amy Domingues of Garland of Hours
Written by Joel Sparks

Among other virtues of DC’s do-it-yourself, independent-minded music scene, we’re privileged to hear a lot of music that doesn’t neatly fit into categories. Many artists have proved willing to cross genre lines in the name of innovation—and they have a town full of talented session players to draw from to make it happen. Thus one of the locals who has appeared on the most rock albums is Amy Domingues, classical cellist.

“I’ve been lucky enough to sit in and play cello on a number of amazing records,” says Domingues. She’s also been a formal member of seminal DC bands like Tsunami, writes film scores, plays piano and maintains a teaching studio.

The famous show at Fort Reno when Fugazi played through thunder and rain is one of her favorite local memories — and so is Yo-Yo Ma at the National Cathedral. “And of course, every show that Lungfish played,” says Domingues. “I also perform a good amount of classical music, and have found that side of the music community here just as welcoming and diverse.”

Not just a session player, she is herself one of those artists who successfully blends genres, with the neo-classical Threnody Ensemble and her own dreamy chamber-pop project Garland of Hours. Garland employs a rotating cast of famed local musicians like Fugazi’s multi-talented Brendan Canty.

“The DC music scene has been a little quieter compared to the heyday of the ‘90s when not only Dischord was putting out records but Teenbeat, Simple Machines, and Slowdime were as well,” Domingues says. “But it seems like there is definitely a new energy in the past few years. I feel like there's some real growth happening.”

With credits on more than 40 albums so far, she should know.

Check out Garland of Hours at the Black Cat on July 10.


Beth Baldwin, Fort Reno Organizer
Written by Joel Sparks

If you live in DC and care about music, you must know about the free summer concerts at Fort Reno. For more than two decades, this volunteer-run series has presented dozens of bands in the park off Wisconsin Avenue, and for the past six years, the woman with the plan has been Beth Baldwin.

“Volunteering for Fort Reno is pretty unglamorous,” says Baldwin. “You pick up trash, and sometimes get water for people.” Maybe so, but you also get to share your musical discoveries with appreciative crowds. “From 2002-2004 I booked the bands…that was fun, but a ridiculous amount of work. So in 2005, Amanda Mackaye took over booking and now I'm the person who organizes, getting the permits and the stage rehab and the T-shirt stuff together.”

The Fort Reno philosophy means keeping the shows free, refusing any sponsorship, and showcasing a wide variety of local music. “The best part of Fort Reno is getting bands who never played together on the same stage,” says Baldwin. “More often than not, bands that didn't know each other went on to play together again or record together. That really made me happy.”

Even those in the know can learn about someone new in Fort Reno’s picnic-like atmosphere. For Baldwin, the “absolute greatest part” is to hear “a band you'd never heard before and be instantly smitten, like the Parking Meters or the Hard Tomorrows.” She goes on to rattle off other favorites, including Sentai, Pagoda, Shortstack and others.

These are the words of a woman who genuinely loves hearing new music, and she’s helped countless Washingtonians hear something new as well. “Too many people want to hold on to the favorites from years past. If you ruminate too long, you're going to miss what's great right now.”

For the Fort Reno schedule, and to learn about volunteering, visit www.fortreno.com


Alice Despard, Musician and Galaxy Hut Founder
Written by Joel Sparks

Alice Despard has been a DC fixture since founding indie-rock pioneers Hyaa! back in 1986. In her solo career, she has expanded on her early sound to create a kind of hypnotic, measured, highly personal folk rock that won the Alice Despard Group critical praise and hardcore fans. The ADG brought out only 5 albums in 15 years, most recently 2005’s Vessel.

One reason for the stately pace was Despard’s other claim to fame: For fifteen years, she ran the Galaxy Hut in Arlington. “I never intended to open a place. It was all my ex's idea, and I just went along with the plan,” says Despard. The club’s reputation spread, and Despard hosted acts from all over the country and around the world, until in 2005 she sold the Hut to longtime bartender Lary Hoffman.

“Even the bad memories have taken on a strange glow in hindsight,” Despard says. “The night Godspeed You Black Emperor! played to nine people, not counting the twelve in their band. The night Ted Leo played and I had to stand on the bar to see him it was so crowded! The night an exuberant guitarist threw himself into the plate glass door and smashed it while I watched from behind the bar…I thought it was hilarious!”

Countless artists played the Hut on their way up. “I just hope there are always places like the Hut to incubate new talent, which is always changing, ever-new, and ever vital to the local scene,” Despard says. “DC is a pretty sophisticated town musically, and I think there will always be a hunger here for novel, heady and transcendent music.”

Alice Despard will play July 1 at Galaxy Hut to release the reissues of her CDs “Samsara” and “Push Me Pull You.”