Live session on Bandwidth

A few months back, we recorded live versions of two songs from our new album, Long Dream, for WAMU's Bandwidth website. We performed "I Don't Need to Know" and "Low Cool" and you can view them below. Many thanks to the fine folks at Bandwidth for bringing us in!

New Album ("Long Dream") Out November 18!

Finally, we can announce that the new Title Tracks album, "Long Dream," will be released on LP and mp3 on November 18 by the Ernest Jenning Record Co. You can read more info about the album and listen to one of the new songs, "Low Cool," by going here: http://www.stereogum.com/1905275/title-tracks-low-cool/premiere/.

Friday, October 7 show with Aloha in D.C.

Hi everyone. We haven't played many shows in 2016 so far, as we've been getting ready for the imminent release of the third Title Tracks album. More info to come on that record shortly but, for now, I can announce that we'll be playing this Friday, October 7th at Rock n Roll Hotel in Washington, D.C. with our very old friends Aloha and slightly less old friends More Humans. Doors are at 8pm and the show is $12. More info to be found at www.rockandrollhoteldc.com.

Fall 2015 - Shows and Recording

Hi everyone. After taking almost a year off from shows, we're back and playing a few shows this fall. Even better, we're about to record a new album. We should be recording in September and October and we hope to have the new record out in the early part of next year. More info to come, of course. As of now, it should be nine or ten songs, some of which we debuted at our show the other night with the great Beach Slang. We can't wait to get in and make this record.

We also have two D.C. shows happening this fall, so far. We play Comet on Saturday September 26 with Mike Krol. We're back on Thursday October 1 at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library for the latest in the series of basement shows that the D.C. Punk Archive has put on there. That show will be with BRNDA and Art Sorority, so it should be a good one. See you out there.

Favorite songs of 2014

I'm a few weeks late on this, but here are some of my favorite songs from 2014:

Alvvays – Adult Diversion
Angel Olsen – Lights Out
The Ar-Kaics – No No No
Art Sorority For Girls – Man With a Van
Beach Slang – Filthy Luck
Big Hush – Wholes
Bob Mould – Tomorrow Morning
The Both – Milwaukee
Cloud Nothings – I'm Not Part of Me
Deleted Scenes – Let's Not Try to Fix Everything At Once
Ex Hex – Don’t Wanna Lose
Kelley Stoltz – The Anarchist In Me
Loud Boyz – Hard Feelings
The New Pornographers – Marching Orders
Paperhaus – Cairo
Paul Collins – I Need My Rock n'Roll
Priests – Modern Love / No Weapon
Real Estate – Talking Backwards
Sunwolf – Push It
The Tender Thrill – Serena
Terry Malts – Let You In
Todd Terje – Strandbar
Tweedy – Low Key
Typefighter – Much

Here's a link to listen to the songs on Spotify, if that's an option for you: 2014 Music

DJ Set at DCPL Punk Archive fundraiser

I probably should have mentioned this on here before it actually happened, but I was a guest DJ  the other night (along with Brendan Canty and Brian Baker) at an event to raise funds and bring in material donations to the D.C. Public Library's new D.C. Punk Archive. It seemed appropriate to play some D.C. music, old and new, so here's a list of what I played:

Tommy Keene - "Landscape"

The Points - "No Girl"

Artificial Peace - "Outside Looking In"

El Guapo - "Just Don't Know"

Cupid Car Club - "Edge Of The Envelope"

The Cheniers - "Here Comes Trouble"

Government Issue - "Understand"

Link Wray - "Deuces Wild"

Ex Hex - "Don't Wanna Lose"

Slant 6 - "What Kind Of Monster Are You"

Black Eyes - "A Pack Of Wolves"

Monorchid- "Distortion"

Antelope- "Wandering Ghost"

The Shirks - "Action Men"

Gray Matter - "Flash In Time"

Shudder To Think - "Chocolate"

Chain & The Gang - "Surprise Party"

Velocity Girl - "My Forgotten Favorite"

Three- "Swann Street"

Holy Rollers - "What You Said"

I ran out of time, but was going to play some Priests, Urban Verbs, Puff Pieces, Unrest, Joy Buttons, Deleted Scenes, Tsunami, Beauty Pill, Typefighter, and MUCH MORE but, oh well, time was tight. I'm really happy to see the work that the DCPL is doing with establishing this D.C. punk archive. They're really focused on eventual online accessibility of these materials, so it'll be great to see digitized versions of all of these fliers, posters, set lists, etc online in the future. I'll write more about this soon but, in my day job as an archivist at the University of Maryland, I've been putting together a collection of D.C. punk fanzines and we've been collaborating with the DCPL folks whenever we can. Anyway, more info on all of that soon.

October 18 and more songs

Our next show is on October 18 and is in D.C. We're playing with The Sea Life (whose song, "Transitions," is one of my favorites from last year) and Stronger Sex at The Lot. Show info can be found here.

I'm still working on new songs for the next Title Tracks record. A little over halfway there and I'm really happy with what's done so far. I'm hoping to record early next year and get the album out sometime shortly thereafter. Will keep you all posted, of course. Thanks for reading.

Fort Reno and new music

There was some drama, but we're happy to report that the 2014 Fort Reno concert series is still on AND Title Tracks will be playing it on Thursday July 24, along with The Effects (Devin from Medications/Faraquet's new band) and Myrrh Myrrh. Details over on the Shows tab. Thanks to Fort Reno's organizers for their work in getting this season together. When word got out that the season was canceled, I think it really reminded many people how much the series matters to them and to the city. The tradition is undeniable and seeing shows at Fort Reno just never gets old for me. I'm grateful that we have another season ahead, as well as a great batch of bands to watch this year.

A few months back, I wrote that Title Tracks recorded a couple of new songs for a single. Plans have changed and we're going to save those for an album that we hope to get out next year. In the meantime, I'm writing more new songs and I hope to record them by the end of the year. Will post updates here. Thanks and see you at Fort Reno later this summer. - John

Favorite songs from 2013

A little late on this, but here’s a list of some of my favorite songs from 2013:

Adam Lempel & The Heartbeats: "You Belong With Me"

Bad Sports - "Terrible Place"

Big Eyes - "Losing Touch"

Dent May - "Born Too Late"

Telekinesis - "Power Lines"

Passing Phases - "Walk Around"

Bleached - "Next Stop"

Mikal Cronin - "Shout It Out"/

Bye Bye Blackbirds - "Like A Thief"

Pure Bliss: "Thine Eyes"

The Shirks: “Action Men”

Daft Punk w/Paul Williams: “Touch”

Paperhaus: “Helicopters”

Savages: “Strife”

Swearin’: “Dust In The Gold Sack”

Pretty & Nice: “Mummy Jets”

Alpine: “Hands”

Brendan Benson: “Purely Automatic”

Julianna Barwick: “One Half”

Joy Buttons: “Rotten”

Obits: “Taste The Diff”

Camera Obscura: “Break It To You Gently”

Matt Duncan: “The Keys”

Jacco Gardner: “Clear The Air”

Listen to these songs on Spotify, if you like: 2013 Music

New songs/recording

Me, Michael Cotterman, and Elmer Sharp (our new drummer) holed up for a day earlier this month in Elmer's recording space and recorded two new Title Tracks songs.  They're called "I Don't Need To Know" and "Protect Yourself."  They'll be mixed shortly and we hope that a single will be out by spring.  People who've seen our recent D.C. shows will have heard these new tunes already.  Will keep you all posted on release plans.

January 19 in Arlington with The Tender Thrill

We have another show ready to go in the DC-area.  We'll play our first show at Galaxy Hut in Arlington, VA in quite a while.  I think our last time there was 2009.  This time out, we'll be joined by The Tender Thrill, featuring Title Tracks producer (and one-time touring guitarist), Nick Anderson.  Check the show section for more info.

November 24 in DC with Joy Buttons

We have another show booked, this time we'll be back at the Black Cat for the first time since 2011(!).  It's a show on the backstage with Joy Buttons, Beasts Of No Nation, and The Max Levine Ensemble.  More details in the shows tab.

October 18 in DC with White Denim

What's that?  Didn't Title Tracks just play at Rock N Roll Hotel last week?  Well, yes, but we're back at RNR Hotel again this week, playing with White Denim on Friday October 18.  Doors are at 8pm, we play at 9pm, tickets are $15 and going pretty fast.  It's all ages, too.

More shows being booked now in the coming months and we're also going to record some new music later on this fall.

October 10 in DC with Obits

Hi everyone.  We were just added to the show at Rock and Roll Hotel in DC on October 10 with Obits, Ex Hex, and Cain & The Sticks.  Dare I call this bill ex-Edsel, Corm, Autoclave, and High-Back Chairs?!  No, I dare not.  More info in the shows section and more shows to come later this year and early next.

Title Tracks D.C./Baltimore shows in July

It's been a long year off with much happening (a new life, a Masters in Library Science, a new band) but Title Tracks will be returning for some shows this year.  First up, in July, we'll be playing D.C. and Baltimore on July 5th and 6th.  Check the shows section for more info.  I'm hoping to do more shows later on this year, as well as release some new material and finish up the covers project that I mentioned on here before.

Paint Branch

A few months ago, a new project of mine called Paint Branch released its first record.  You can hear/download it from paintbranch.bandcamp.com.  It's the first time that Chris Richards and I have worked together since Q And Not U split in 2005.  It doesn't sound like our old work, but it's of the same spirit.  Paint Branch will be playing some shows in 2013.

2012 Book List

Here's a list of the books that I read in 2012:

“The Other Eighties” – Bradford Martin

“Retromania” – Simon Reynolds

“Everybody Loves Our Town” – Mark Yarm

“What It Was” – George Pelecanos

“Trust Me” – George Kennedy

“Hip: The History” – John Leland

“Difficult Loves” – Italo Calvino

“Into The Vinyl Deeps” – Ellen Willis

“Play Ball” – John Feinstein

“Everybody Wants Some: The Van Halen Saga” – Ian Christe

“It’s So Easy (And Other Lies)” – Duff McKagan

“Bringing Adam Home” – Les Standiford and Joe Matthews

“AC/DC: Maximum Rock N Roll” – Murray Engleheart and Arnaud Durieux

“Fire And Rain: The Lost Story Of 1970” – David Browne

“Bossypants” – Tina Fey

“Night” – Elie Wiesel

“Murder In Georgetown” – Margaret Truman

“Murder At The Library Of Congress” – Margaret Truman

“Faking It” – Hugh Barker and Yuval Taylor

“In Cold Blood” – Truman Capote

“How The Beatles Destroyed Rock And Roll” – Elijah Wald

“The Summer Of ‘68” – Tim Wendel

“In The Garden Of Beasts” – Erik Larson

“Horror After 9/11” – Aviva Briefel and Sam J. Miller (Eds.)

“Killer Show” – John Barylick

“Atlantic” - Simon Winchester

“Stone Arabia” – Dana Spiotta

“Paul McCartney: A Life” – Peter Ames Carlin

“The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” – Robert Louis Stevenson

“Bluebeard’s Egg” – Margaret Atwood

“Supercapitalism” – Robert Reich

Downed City Rise

Getting to grow up in the Washington, D.C. punk and indie scene in the 1990s was an incredible privilege. I went to my my first proper punk show in the spring of 1992 (Fugazi, L7, and Bikini Kill at the Sanctuary Theater) and things went up from there. I went to my first club show in the spring of 1993, seeing The High-Back Chairs and Manifesto at the 9:30 Club. The Black Cat wasn't open yet (they emerged later that year), so it was hard to get into clubs to see shows if you were underage. The shows that Positive Force put on were, and still are, vital ways for people of all ages to hear new and challenging music. I'll always be grateful to them for the work they've done and continue to do.

For whatever reason, I saved many of the fliers and setlists and various ephemera from shows that I went to (or wanted to go to) throughout the 1990s. For a long time, I'd been meaning to digitize the fliers and now I've finally started to work on that (with some help from two grad school classmates). I'm posting images of the materials at downedcityrise.tumblr.com. I add something new every couple of days. Once I finish digitizing my own collection, I hope to do the same for the stuff that other friends saved ... though I suppose I'll worry about that when I'm done with my own collection.

Not everything has aged very well from that musical period, but there is still plenty of D.C. music from the 1990s that stands up and remains exciting -- Fugazi, The Nation Of Ulysses, Tsunami, Hoover, Velocity Girl, Jawbox, Cupid Car Club, Unrest, and others. I like the idea of people finding out about some of this music and I hope that if you come across a band name that you're unfamiliar with, you might track down some of their music. There was so much going on at that time and much of it isn't really represented online, so I hope this is one small step toward rectifying that.

A sort of quiet 2012

Hi everyone. Just wanted to let you know that, despite the relatively quiet year for Title Tracks, all is still active here. It's been a really busy year for me, personally, as I'm finishing up my Masters degree in Library and Information Science and I became a father this year. So, music has had to take more of a back seat this year than it has in a very long time for me. It's been good to take a bit of a break, though, to really realize how exciting and special music is and how fortunate I have been to get to work with so many great people and see so many places. I'm eager to get back to it in 2013.

That's not to say that I haven't been working on music at all in 2012. Chris Richards (my old Q And Not U bandmate) and I have a new project called Paint Branch and we'll be releasing our first full-length record to digital outlets (only digital, as of now) in 2013. It's very different from anything either of us have done before. We'll be talking more about all of it very soon.

I've been working on Title Tracks projects, too. Last year, I thought that it might be cool to record all of the different covers that Title Tracks has played at shows over the past few years. We've done everything from Otis Redding's "Security" to The Wipers' "Telepathic Love" to 3's "Swann Street" to The Merseybeats' "I Stand Accused" and on and on. I've been working on recording all of those over the past year and should finish that project up soon and I hope to release it for free online in 2013.

The project inspired me to do the same thing for all of the different acoustic songs I've played at solo shows or at various events where I had the chance to play quieter tunes. From Richard and Linda Thompson's "Withered and Died" to The Louvin Brothers' "Alabama" to Buck Owens' "Loose Talk," etc. I've recorded a bunch of those songs, too, and I hope to get them out for people to hear next year. It's just a fun thing to let people hear Title Tracks' take on some of those great songs. As release plans for all of those projects come together, I'll post news.

There won't be any other shows in 2012, but both Title Tracks and Paint Branch will be playing shows in 2013 and I'm really looking forward to getting back out there again. See you soon. - John

July Show

Title Tracks will be playing a show with The Promise Ring at the 9:30 Club here in D.C. on July 20. We're really looking forward to the show and it'll be great to play with them. I saw The Promise Ring play a bunch of times in D.C. back during their initial run -- Happy Hardcore House in '96, Black Cat in '97 and again at Black Cat in '99 when Q And Not U opened for them (a show at which we were very nervous, surly, combative and probably not very friendly due to our competitive tendencies!). Title Tracks had the pleasure of playing a show last spring in Madison, WI where Davey played a solo set, so it's great to see TPR back at it again and to have the chance for TT to play a show with them, too. If you're in D.C. or thereabouts, I hope you can make it.