Music News & Interviews for the Baltimore, DC & Richmond Music Scenes

Tiny Ghosts - Press Photo - Graham Morrison

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Tiny Ghosts on their Unbreakable Bond, Creative Chemistry, and Defying Expectations

Friends have an infamous reputation for being less than ideal business partners. Indie pop duo Tiny Ghosts, comprised of guitarist Eric Morgan and lead singer Dayan Marquina, are a testament to the fact that one size does not fit all. Defying expectations, the duo entered the music scene in 2020 and has not looked back. Join contributing writer Cynthia Gross and learn more about Tiny Ghosts, including the curious story behind the duo’s name, how the band’s broad musical influences inspire their sound, and the impact of Marquina’s Hispanic heritage on her songwriting.

Cynthia Gross October 20, 2022

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D.C. Blues Artist Jenny Langer: This Cancer Survivor Sure Does Rock

Considering the rocky road she has traveled, award-winning D.C. blues artist Jenny Langer is remarkably upbeat in conversation. She laughs often and is extremely frank, even when relating the routine health checkup that likely saved her life. Langer’s cancer scare lit a fire under her and pushed her to make some necessary changes in her life, including dedicating herself fully to music, no longer content to wait to be discovered. Join contributing writer Eric Althoff as he learns more about Langer’s journey, including her roots and work as a solo artist, and as a member of Honey Larks and the Boneshakers.

Eric Althoff October 19, 2022

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Meet Some of This Year’s Performers at The 5th Annual DC Music Summit

This upcoming weekend, October 14-16, is the 5th Annual DC Music Summit(DCMS), “a 501(c)3 nonprofit that supports local musicians and the DC music industry by fostering inclusion, community engagement, professional development, and networking. Its annual full day event, The DC Music Summit, is an exchange hub of education, inspiration, and solutions in support of the health and growth of the DC music industry.”

To prepare for this weekend, Alchemical Records would like to introduce you to some of this year’s performers:

Emma Page October 13, 2022

DMV

Classical Crossover Duo Amor y Luz Spreads Love and Light to Both Sides of the Atlantic

The music of Latin American classical crossover duo, Amor y Luz, is beauty personified. Using their diverse cultural backgrounds as a rich lens, Amy Vitro and Kutasha Silva are on a mission to spread well-being, joy, and inspiration. Join contributing writer Cynthia Gross, as she sits down with Kutasha Silva, the group’s cellist and lead vocalist. Learn why Silva decided to leave her homeland and plant roots in the D.C. area; the intentional criteria that each Amor y Luz composition must meet; and how music unintentionally created a breakthrough in Silva’s ability to conduct research as a Fulbright scholar.

Cynthia Gross October 13, 2022

DC Music Summit 2022 Broadcast thumbnail

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DC Music Summit Uplifts Creatives and Develops Personal Connections

Don’t miss out on the uplifting experience for artists and music industry professionals that is DC Music Summit, taking place Oct 14-16 at Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Join Daniel Warren Hill as he dives into the personal impact of DCMS with creative consultant Malachi Robinson and DCMS founder Dior Ashley Brown. Malachi Robinson is the founder of Point Black Creative, a creative agency with a focus on artist development and media production. He also brings his experience to Creative Suitland, and DC Music Summit, and contributes to DC Music Summit founder Dior Ashley Brown’s own creative team.

Daniel Warren Hill October 12, 2022

Stephanie Mathias "Hispanic Heritage Month" Press Photo

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Stephanie Mathias Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month: Daring, Vulnerable, and Pushing the Boundaries

For Stephanie Mathias, music is an integral part of life. The pop singer-songwriter has gone from playing violin in orchestras in Mexico to running a music podcast (DC Music Rocks) to collaborating with local DMV artists on her own songs. As an award-winning violinist, singer, songwriter, and pianist, her diverse repertoire in the music industry speaks for itself, but Mathias has much more up her sleeve.

This Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrate with Stephanie Mathias as she and contributing writer, Margaret Adams, explore the ways in which Mathias’s own Hispanic…

Margaret Adams October 4, 2022

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Down In The Reeds Festival in Washington DC Highlights The Healing Power of Music

Down In The Reeds Festival returns to The Parks at Walter Reed in Washington D.C. on Saturday, October 8, 2022. The day-long Fall celebration brings together a mosaic of entertainment and activations reflective of DC’s cultural diversity. This year the universal power of drumming and rhythm will resonate throughout the festival with the inclusion of Bhangra, Eastern Indigenous Powwow Drumming, Go Go, Funk, West African Drumming, Traditional Bolivian Dance, Jazz, and World Folk. A combination of performances and workshops will be led by…

Daniel Warren Hill October 3, 2022

David Wax Museum - Photo by Tristan Williams

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David Wax Museum Brings Mexo-Americana to the U.S.

Folk husband-and-wife duo David Wax and Suz Slezak are the brains behind David Wax Museum, a self-described “Mexo-Americana” band based out of Charlottesville, Virginia. The duo’s sound is distinctly marked by the Mexican influences that made them famous, both in style, content, and instrumentation. Creating music for 14 years, seven of those years with a growing family, David and Suz are professionals in the game with appearances on CBS This Morning: Saturday, NPR’s World Cafe, and Tiny Desk. Learn more about David Wax Museum’s journey of discovery with contributing writer Jaci Jedrych in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Jaci Jedrych September 29, 2022

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Gordon Sterling Speaks on Truth, Perception, and Manifesting Dreams

“I had a dream one night when I was 15,” DMV-based guitarist and singer Gordon Sterling recalls, “that I should start playing music because I would be part of a movement that would remind people of a side of themselves that they had forgotten.” A young, eager Sterling got himself a guitar the very next day and started playing everything he heard, gravitating toward blues. Jump forward to today, and Gordon Sterling and the People, the musician’s band, has found its drive deep in political and philosophical thoughts about race and truth inspired by Sterling’s identity as a Black man. Learn more about Sterling’s empowering mission as a creative with contributing writer Charlie Maybee.

Charlie Maybee September 28, 2022

The Smithereens Press Photo "Finding What We Lost"

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The Smithereens: “Finding What We Lost”

They have been called everything from “America’s Rock Band” to “New Jersey’s Second Favorite Musical Export.” They are The Smithereens! Dennis Diken on drums. Mike Mesaros on Bass. Jim Babjak on lead guitar. And the late great Pat DiNizio on vocals. Their signature sixties retro fused sound ruled the airwaves in the time of 1980s “Alternative Rock.” I dare you to sit still while listening to “Blood & Roses,” “Top Of The Pops,” “House We Used To Live In” or “Behind The Wall Of Sleep.” You can’t do it. The band, now in it’s 42 year continues to tour the world. Not an easy task, considering their lead singer died in 2017. Learn more about the band’s path forward in this exclusive interview with Keith Valcourt.

Keith Valcourt September 27, 2022

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The Jumpin’ Sound of D.C.’s Very Own Fiesta: Empresarios Has More Latin-Inspired Music Coming this Year

D.C. is quite far from anything even remotely tropical, but fortunately, the capital city is a hotbed of “tropicaliente,” a fusion musical style with Latin roots that has taken hold here. Empresarios has been at the forefront of that Latin sound in the District since forming in 2007. Javier Miranda, the Puerto Rican-born frontman of the group, said that he, his brother, and some of their friends got together to remix the sounds of Latin America but give it that unique capital twist. Learn more about Empresarios’ exciting journey in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month with contributing writer Eric Althoff.

Eric Althoff September 22, 2022

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Bringing ‘60s Heat to the 21st Century: de la Parra Continues Legacy of His Woodstock Band

Fito de la Parra is likely one of the few people on earth who can say he helped hijack a helicopter—without getting arrested. The Canned Heat drummer fondly recalls how he and his bandmates were desperately trying to make it to Woodstock for their set in the summer of ‘69, but all roads to the upstate New York hamlet were impossibly jammed. In the years that followed, Canned Heat has since become an acclaimed international act. Learn more about the band’s exciting journey, as contributing writer Eric Althoff sits down with de la Parra in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, including details on their upcoming Annapolis show.

Eric Althoff September 15, 2022

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DC Music Summit Continues to Reach Superior Heights

One side effect of listening to the music of Dior Ashley Brown is, at least in part, a better understanding of the contagious energy behind the DC Music Summit, the event and organization she founded. Celebrating its fifth year, DCMS (for short) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that supports local musicians and the DC music industry by fostering inclusion, community engagement, professional development, and networking. Both DCMS and Brown’s music command the presence of something altogether powerful, uplifting, and convicting.

Dubbed the “Hip-Hop Polymath” by the Washington Post, Dior Ashley Brown defines art through a wide lens of intersections and correlations.

Daniel Warren Hill September 14, 2022

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Cinema Stereo: ‘We Just Make The Music That Excites Us’

Most people remember Jumanji: a family-friendly action film featuring the late Robin Williams about a cursed board game that traps its players in a magical and terrifying reality. Like the world of Jumanji, Cinema Stereo is creating a new world through their music. Dive into the world of Orlando-based rockers, Cinema Stereo, with contributing writer, Margaret Adams, as the band releases their debut album; the band’s plentiful and diverse influences, including Queen, Led Zeppelin, Rush, Aerosmith, Stevie Ray Vaughan, David Bowie, and The Doors; and their desire to immerse their audiences in a world full of 80’s-and-70’s-inspired sounds.

Margaret Adams September 8, 2022

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Mexican-American Metal Band Scarlett O’Hara Shapeshifts Toward the Future

Since forming in 2007, South Texas Mexican-American metal band, Scarlett O’Hara, has been honing their sound and finding themselves along the way. The lone star natives have shared bills with the likes of Metallica and Disturbed, worked with Grammy nominated producers, and been featured on the Sirius XM Octane radio station. And though their sound has transformed significantly over the years, their metalcore roots still hold great influence as they have gradually polished their sound. Join contributing writer Charlie Maybee as he connects with the band to delve into their evolution, which is evident in their latest single, “Witching Hour.”

Charlie Maybee September 1, 2022

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Get all the latest music news and reviews in the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA areas.Visit us daily and stay up-to-date on your favorite local and national acts.

Tiny Ghosts on their Unbreakable Bond, Creative Chemistry, and Defying Expectations

D.C. Blues Artist Jenny Langer: This Cancer Survivor Sure Does Rock

Meet Some of This Year’s Performers at The 5th Annual DC Music Summit

Classical Crossover Duo Amor y Luz Spreads Love and Light to Both Sides of the Atlantic

DC Music Summit Uplifts Creatives and Develops Personal Connections

Stephanie Mathias Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month: Daring, Vulnerable, and Pushing the Boundaries

Down In The Reeds Festival in Washington DC Highlights The Healing Power of Music

David Wax Museum Brings Mexo-Americana to the U.S.

Gordon Sterling Speaks on Truth, Perception, and Manifesting Dreams

The Smithereens: “Finding What We Lost”

The Jumpin’ Sound of D.C.’s Very Own Fiesta: Empresarios Has More Latin-Inspired Music Coming this Year

Bringing ‘60s Heat to the 21st Century: de la Parra Continues Legacy of His Woodstock Band

DC Music Summit Continues to Reach Superior Heights

Cinema Stereo: ‘We Just Make The Music That Excites Us’

Mexican-American Metal Band Scarlett O’Hara Shapeshifts Toward the Future

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