Daniel Noah Miller: Disintegration

Daniel Noah Miller, one half of the acclaimed experimental pop duo Lewis Del Mar, and a D.C. native, releases his debut solo album, Disintegration, on Feb. 16 via the FADER label. The inspiration for Disintegration is derived from Miller’s upbringing—split between Adams Morgan and Nicaragua—and his ongoing navigation of place, self, and identity. The album is a strong solo debut that makes clear Miller has learned a lot from his time in Lewis Del Mar, both creatively and professionally. The songwriting, instrumentation, and production are stellar in their execution, partially because it was co-written and co-produced with the seasoned Jack Hallenbeck, who’s worked with Haim, Maggie Rogers, and Girlpool. In “Opening Me,” he captures a heartbreaking honesty reminiscent of Rogers’ anthem “Say It,” also co-written by Hallenback. The album’s 11 soul-aching tracks are backed by ambient sounds inspired by growing up in two countries. Particular standouts include “You Never Fight on My Time ” and “Agnes.” Taken as a whole, the album shares similarities to Sufjan Stevens, another musician who thinks very critically about identity, place, and creating a distinct sonic experience. Miller’s overarching artistic vision is clear throughout Disintegration. He leans in to his experience of love, loss, and complicated identity to create songs that transcend specificities and speak to a widely experienced hollowness. Lewis Del Mar soundtracked my coming of age with their unique folksy soul-filled Latin approach to experimental music-making. Now, after listening to this album, I have an inkling the sounds of Miller will follow me through adulthood too. —Serena Zets

Pretty Bitter: “Roadkill” (Single)

Indie power-pop band Pretty Bitter always bring something new to the scene. On Feb. 2, they released “Roadkill,” their first single in more than a year. Their previous release, “What I Want!” (Jan. 2023), felt like an expected follow-up to the band’s bop-worthy 2022 sophomore album, Hinges, with its echoing chorus and distorted guitars. But there’s a bit more speed to “Roadkill,” which gives the song a pop-punk edge—especially the driving strings and pounding drums opening. Over the course of 3 minutes and 39 seconds, the track plays with tempo (which starts off jarringly and but grows on you) and vocals, sometimes dueting Em Bleker and Miri Tyler, sometimes spotlighting Bleker’s lower, almost-spoken lyrics before rising into a chorus that—typical of Pretty Bitter—makes you want to sing along and dance. Pretty Bitter’s single release show with Massie and Grlztoy starts at 7 p.m. on Feb. 17 at Union Stage. $15–$18. —Sarah Marloff

J. Robbins: Basilisk

It’s no surprise that the rise of D.C. punk in the ’70s and ’80s coincided with the ascent of Ronald Reagan Republicanism and the Moral Majority. The country was coming out of a divisive war, there were multiple crises in the Middle East, and high inflation at home. Sound familiar? As the scene progressed musically into the late ’80s, post-hardcore bands such as Girls Against Boys and Jawbox emerged, carrying the flag of urgency while also adding more to the music than the standard three-chords-and-a-dream of some of their predecessors. It’s been almost five years since Jawbox’s singer and guitarist J. Robbins put out a solo album, but with the release of his excellent new LP, Basilisk (available via Dischord Records), the result has been well worth the wait. To call this a solid album is an understatement. Right now—and yes, it is an early entry but I’m calling it now—Basilisk is one of the best rock albums of 2024. Musically, it’s borderline all-encompassing. The added instrumentation, beyond your standard rock outfit, swings from cellos to synths. Want some pedal steel? You’ll find it on “Not the End.” How about a kick-ass guitar solo? There’s a blistering one (courtesy of John Haggerty) on “Exquisite Corpse.” But Robbins’ strongest talent is his ability to write well-constructed, hook-filled melodies while maintaining enough punk energy to make the listener want to put on a pair of Docs and kick in the nearest window. And what is there to rebel against these days? To quote Marlon Brando in The Wild One, “Whaddya got?” The track “Automaticity” deals with aging while “Last War” and “Dead Eyed God” address the rise of authoritarianism and the Jan. 6 insurrection. If anything, Basilisk proves that old punks never die, especially when there’s still so much to rebel against. J. Robbins plays at 10 p.m. on Feb. 24 at Comet Ping Pong. —Christina Smart

Jane O’Neill: Jane O’Neill EP

The distinctive pops and crackles of a vintage record open D.C.-based singer-songwriter Jane O’Neill’s self-titled, four-song EP, establishing her sepia-hued odes to loves lost, found, and forever. Recorded live with a full band at Lovegrove Studios in New York City, the sense of intimacy is evident throughout this album, a quietly confident Americana EP,  co-produced by Sam Roller and Van Isaacson (who also plays bass on the EP). The opener, “Written on Our End,” looks back on a lost first love, and crescendos into Kai Barshack’s heavy drums with O’Neill wailing about the past, before the realization that there is no going back (and maybe it’s better that way). “Whistlepig” is a moonshine-soaked, swampy track, full of bayou blues and country crooning, from Crosby Cofod’s plucky guitar that nods at Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason” to the soft scatter of brushes across the snares. It’s full of the familiar tropes of the genre: whiskey drinking, a loyal hound dog, and a car that only has one CD: Garth Brooks. But in the heteronormative country canon, this decidedly queer take offers a new spin. “I found somebody new/ But she sure as hell ain’t you,” O’Neill belts out in a scratchy, smoky alto about a messy but sexy ex. O’Neill sings of the sacred bond between friends on “Holy Love,” where she shows off her vocal range over the whining glissando of a slide guitar. “We got something right/ We’re gonna make it out alive,” she trills before listing the small pleasures and miracles of friendship. On the dreamy closer, “Disguise,” about finding in yourself your own knight in shining armor, Cofod’s folksy fiddling offers warmth and depth to the slower tune. “I don’t know why I listen to this album anymore…” O’Neill sings on the first track, but this is an EP you will want to return to again and again. Her self-titled EP is available to stream on her website janeoneillmusic.com. Jane O’Neill performs with Brittany Ann Trabaugh at 8 p.m. on Feb. 29 at Pearl Street Warehouse. —Colleen Kennedy

NAYAN: Rock N Roll Ruined My Life

Nayan Bhula has long been part of the D.C. music scene and now he’s here to tell you how rock ’n’ roll ruined his life. His groups have traversed the city’s venues, genres, and audience, creating a sound that is distinctly his own. First, he started the postpunk band GIST, then the eight-piece indie folk-rock group the NRIs, who released music for a decade. At the end of 2021, Bhula decided, according to his bio, it was time to lean in to the fusion-driven style he’s honed as the only local “South African/Indian/
Canadian/American rock musician” and launch NAYAN, which honors each of these cultural influences and draws from his favorite genres: classic rock, ’80s new wave, and D.C. punk. NAYAN’s debut album, Rock N Roll Ruined My Life, will be released on Feb. 29 via the band’s own imprint Red Stapler Records RSR028. Opening with the defiant track “Invincible,” the stage is set with an empowered, harmonious tone. It’s a powerful introduction to the band, but the standout track is “Alone,” featuring Laura Stevenson, which also serves as the lead single. Stevenson’s vocals are a delightful surprise as she and Bhula harmonize. There’s an undercurrent of resilience to the album as a whole, be it the music industry or a former lover. The closing track, “Blinded,” is particularly triumphant at almost seven minutes long, giving the band time to do a proper, collaborative send-off to the album. In addition to Bhula, NAYAN include Gabriel Fry, Mike Nilsson, Eddie Fuentes, and Andrew Gabor, all longtime local musicians. It’s always a treat to hear a debut album by a group made of experienced musicians bringing their talents together to create something new. The overall project feels so ambitious and its influences are too vast that it shouldn’t work, but somehow the band excels at its goal by working together. NAYAN’s record release party with Outerloop starts at 8 p.m. on Feb. 29 at Pie Shop. —S.Z.

Mary Timony: Untame the Tiger

Many albums deal with loss through grim lyrics and somber melodies. Mary Timony’s first solo album in 15 years takes a more complex approach, navigating back and forth between heavy and light moments with an expertise honed through decades of artistry. A leading player in D.C.’s music scene since her first band Autoclave released its debut album on Dischord in 1991, Timony wrote Untame the Tiger (out Feb. 23) while coping with a serious breakup and caring for her dying parents. She works through these experiences using solemn reflection and humor, flexing her muscles as a lyricist while cementing her place as a top guitarist of her generation. Timony’s skill set shines through from the album’s opening track and takes on new life in the second—“Summer” incorporates two simultaneous guitar solos, a technique borrowed from Gerry Rafferty’s first solo album. Rafferty is not her only old-school influence; the ’60s and ’70s seep into her album throughout, from folky guitar melodies to resounding rock power chords.

Timony is just as successful, however, when she conjures her own origins. There is something distinctly ’90s about a song that is gritty and upbeat at the same time. Untame the Tiger’s third track, “Dominoes,” achieves this balance with a relishingly catchy vocal melody over a robust guitar chord progression. It makes for a perfect road trip soundtrack, bolstered further by the contemplative lyrics. Timony’s lyrics particularly shine through on more subdued tracks. “The Guest” personifies a lamentably universal emotion, likening loneliness to a serial, unwanted visitor. Timony drives the song home with a guitar hook both simple and complicated—a relatively short, meandering line repeated over a course of unpredictable key changes. Throughout Untame the Tiger, Timony shifts between major and minor keys, as though she can’t decide between an optimistic or defeatest response to hardship. Untame the Tiger’s titular track opens with a long, Pink Floyd-style instrumental intro before ascending into a drug-like ecstasy. Lyrics like “Wanna go where your animal runs free/ I hear it call my name” will speak to anyone with a penchant for self-destructive yet exciting relationships. Timony brings the energy back down on the following and final track, “Not the Only One.” Lyrically, the song is the album’s most abstract. In an LP fit for a road trip, the song invites us to a countryside destination where we can rework Timony’s train of thought into our own personal introspection. Mary Timony, with opener Birthday Girl, plays at 7:30 p.m. on March 14 at the Black Cat.  —Dora Segall

Glitterer: Rationale

Rationale sounds like starting over from scratch. Out Feb. 23 via ANTI- Records, it’s the latest full-length record from D.C. indie rock project Glitterer, and the first to feature a full band lineup. Originally the solo outlet of Title Fight bassist Ned Russin, Glitterer found a stylistic sweet spot on the 2021 LP, Life Is Not a Lesson, buoyed by Russin’s rough, hardcore-honed vocals, lightheaded synths, and cloudbursts of guitar distortion. Contrast that with the second single from Rationale, called “Just a Place,” with its slow, acoustic power-pop jangle. Most of the record is far noisier, but “Just a Place” encapsulates the spirit of Rationale, as Russin’s lyrics reflect on a life spent moving from city to city—the poignant nostalgia and sense of dislocation associated with his idea of home. This is, likewise, a transitional record, and for all its promising highlights, it also dilutes the elements that made Glitterer so exciting in the past.

A few quiet intros crash into louder verses and choruses (as on “Can’t Feel Anything”), but in managing more crowded arrangements—with keyboard player Nicole Dao, drummer Jonas Farah, and guitarist Connor Morin in tow—Rationale misses the vital dynamism of Life Is Not a Lesson, where every track was packed with sharp-edged surprises. Lo-fi synth solos and ripping guitars seemed to materialize from thin air. Here, the songs are much flatter and more conventional, with guitar, bass, and drums holding steady in their designated lanes. The tunes, like “Certainty,” are as short and melodic as anything from Glitterer’s back catalog, but the textures—like that song’s keyboard part—tend to hide in the smoother mix. That’s what makes lead single “Plastic” such a thrill; with its power chord riff and precision synth strike, it’s one place where the new lineup’s individual players stick out and shine. (Other standouts include “No One There.”)

While the old Glitterer found a singular twist on the formulas of solo-made bedroom pop—which, for Russin, seemed to mean harnessing all the joyous, heterogenous noise you can make when you’re alone in your room with the door locked, your amps and toy keyboards cranked all the way up—the new Glitterer sound like a band of roommates still politely feeling out the boundaries of their living situation. The place looks great, and everyone’s got their rooms picked out. All that’s left is to make the space their own. Rationale is out on Feb. 23. Glitterer’s album release show starts at 8 p.m. on March 30 at Songbyrd Music House. Sold out. —Taylor Ruckle