D.C.’s own 9:30 club was just named America’s Top Club by Billboard. Catch one of these end-of-the-year shows at 9:30, and stay tuned for the Eagle’s reviews.
City and Color | Dec. 10
The solo project of Dallas Green, the former singer of the Canadian post-hardcore band Alexisonfire, City and Colour’s acoustic melodies are a far cry from Green’s former project. Seeing a heavily tattooed former metal singer playing minimalist acoustic folk on NPR can seem puzzling, but with “Little Hell,” City and Colour’s latest release, Greene has completed his transition into a sensitive indie rock dude.
Even City and Colour’s name is a quirky spinoff of his own name, with the “city” referring to Dallas’s first name and the “color” symbolizing, well, you know. For a night of emotional, uplifting acoustic melodies, don’t miss City and Colour and his born-again indie folk.
The Kooks featuring The Postelles | Nov. 20
The Kooks have made it their mission to prove that Britpop isn’t dead. Named after a David Bowie song, the London quartet have attempted to bring the same snappy sheen to their rehashing of guitar-rock. Their 2006 debut album “Inside In/Inside Out,” released at Britpop’s saturation point, shot the band to mainstream attention with singles like “Naïve” and “She Moves in Her Own Way.”
While many of the Kooks’ contemporaries either have grown into a more mature sound (see: Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand) or faded away into late-2000s obscurity (see: Caesars, the Fratellis, Jet) the Kooks have maintained a modest level of success, and are currently on tour to support their September release, “Junk of the Heart.”
Supporting the Kooks at 9:30 are rising indie rockers the Postelles, who are touring in support of their self-titled debut album. The Manhattan natives’ music careers seem to exist on fast-forward; the band began booking gigs in high school and quickly attracted the attention of another notable New York rock figure, the Strokes’ Albert Hammond Jr.
Since Hammond Jr. produced the Postelles’ signature song “123 Stop,” the band has released their debut album on +1 Records after being dropped unceremoniously from EMI Records. But instead of letting the split break the band’s spirits, the Postelles got back to work, recording their debut and hitting the road for an extended nationwide tour.
The Postelles have been generating buzz around their snappy, retro-tinged garage pop and their dynamic live shows, as recently seen at their CMJ performance alongside the Wombats. A band that’s collaborated with NYC rock royalty, swapped record labels and played almost every major U.S. festival with only one full-length album under their belts isn’t easy to come by, and the Postelles’ success story speaks to the band’s talent and commitment to their music.
State Radio | Nov. 25
Last year, in between hosting B.O.B, Super Mash Bros and Cee Lo Green, AU also brought to campus State Radio, a Massachusetts-based band with a small but fanatical following.
The hard-working alt-rockers have been touring consistently since the release of their 2009 album “Let It Go,” and are headlining a string of East Coast dates this fall, including a show at the 9:30 club in December. Led by the former singer of Dispatch, Charles Urmston, considered to be royalty among New England rock fans, State Radio adds a roots-reggae spin and socially conscious lyrics on traditional alternative rock.
Markéta Irglová | Nov. 28
Can’t pinpoint where exactly you’ve heard the name Markéta Irglová? Think back to 2007, when the Irish musical drama “Once” won the Oscar for Best Song for the hauntingly beautiful “Falling Slowly.” The history behind the movie proved to be even more transfixing than the song itself: Glen Hansard and Irglová, two musicians with no acting experience, starred in the indie drama made on a shoestring budget and then became a real-life couple.
Hansard, singer for Irish band the Frames, and Irglová, an 18-year-old Czech musician, were catapulted to stardom after the poignant film and its soundtrack received rave reviews. Following the movie’s release and Oscar win, Hansard and Irglová began recording and touring under the moniker the Swell Season. Hansard and Irglová have since stopped dating, as the Swell Season has released two albums and become the subject of a new documentary.
Irglová has come a long way from the girl Jon Stewart called back onto the Oscar stage to finish her acceptance speech, and is touring in support of her debut solo album “Anar.”
