Kid Architect is still a relatively new band—it formed in Fairfax in 2008. Though the guys are taking baby steps to release a full-length album, they’ve wasted no time recording and releasing an EP, PhilosoRaptor, to introduce Kid Architect into the Washington music scene. The band’s experimental rock sound is influenced heavily by Incubus (vocals) and Coldplay (the piano-infused songs), while bits of other inspirations from its own members are sprinkled throughout.

Mike Douaire (lead guitar), Thomas Bridgwood (piano, vocals, acoustic guitar), Clint Petty (bass), and Tommy Alter (drums and percussion) combined their musical talents after experiences with other local bands. Their four-song EP includes “Mata Hari,” a piano-driven tune about the exotic dancer and World War I spy. This track and three others can be streamed on Kid Architect’s MySpace page, where fans can also order the CD.

On Sunday, Kid Architect will headline the CD-release party for PhilosoRaptor at Jammin' Java in Vienna. Tickets are $8, and the show begins at 1:30 PM.

Read our interview to learn which member played the cello, when new music will be in the works, and their thoughts on the local scene.

Hooray: The Fort Reno summer music series has announced its full schedule! The concerts take place in the field at 3950 Chesapeake Street, NW; the closest Metro stop is Tenleytown/American Univeristy. Shows start around 7:15; they’re a real Washington music tradition, so even if you can’t make all of them, check out the schedule and catch a show in the next couple of months. The series highlights the best in local indie music; plus, what's not to like about sitting outside in the grass on a blanket, catching a concert and doing some seriously great people watching? Click below for the full schedule, and if you're into free music, don't forget to check out our guide to free summer concerts.

Get the full schedule below. 

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1. Eat your way through Reston this weekend at the 19th annual Taste of the Town. On Friday and Saturday, more than 30 local restaurants will be on hand with samples of their best dishes. The event also includes live music, entertainment, and kids’ activities. Admission and parking for the event are free, but tasting tickets are $1 each. Bites cost one to five tickets.

2. Broken Social Scene’s Andrew Whiteman takes the stage with his side-project band, Apostle of Hustle, at the Rock & Roll Hotel on Friday night. Whiteman was inspired to start the band after spending two months in Cuba with his godmother’s family—so expect strong Latin American influences in his set. Advance tickets—sold until 4 PM on Friday—are $10; at-the-door tickets are $12. Doors open at 8:30, and the show starts an hour later.

3. Meat lovers should head to Capitol Skyline Hotel for Spike Mendelsohn’s burger-themed pool party. Sundays throughout the summer, the Top Chef star is grilling up his Good Stuff Eatery creations from noon until 6. The $10 admission includes a burger.

4. Don’t forget about the National Gallery of Art’s Jazz in the Garden series on Friday nights. Bring a picnic blanket or a lawn chair to enjoy an evening of free jazz. This week, blues artist Deanna Bogart takes the stage from 5 to 8:30.

After stumbling upon a cheap guitar for sale at Linens ’n Things, of all places, Silver Spring native Kayte Grace began her journey to becoming a singer/songwriter. Though just starting her music career, Grace carries herself like she’s been in the game for years. She realizes that there’s an ebb and flow in the music industry and that opportunities fade just as fast as they come.

Grace, 20, and her guitarist Kevin Plybon jumped into the recording studio shortly after Grace received close to 250,000 hits in two days on a YouTube video. She recognized it as a rare opportunity and decided to record something. She and Plybon laid down six songs in roughly seven hours and created their debut EP, Soaked You In. Though that seems like a hurried process, the EP sounds like a big-budget production.

Grace’s voice is more matured then her age might indicate—like Duffy’s, only Grace’s vibrato isn’t overbearing or obnoxious. She says the EP excavates love in all its forms.

Summer is on the horizon, and that means oppressive heat, gaggles of tourists, hours of traffic on the Bay Bridge... and free outdoor concerts! Save your pennies for gas, sunscreen, and bug spray, and check out our roundup of great spots for free music. Have the scoop on other fun freebies? Let us know in the comments.

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Drum-and-keyboard duos usually call to mind San Francisco’s Mates of State or Brooklyn’s Matt & Kim. In Washington, we have Wild Fictions, a brother/sister duo who play tunes that’ll have you smiling.

Kelly DeWitt hits the keys while brother Chris keeps the beat on the drum kit, and they both pitch in on vocals. The band has only four songs on its MySpace page, and we like the track “1943” the best. It starts out with a simple drum beat joined by a bit of poppy synth and a chorus of catchy bop-bops and ooohs. The band is currently working on new music and hopes to have more songs out next fall.

Originally from Texas, Kelly and Chris have been playing music since they were kids. Wild Fictions started a few years back—and completely by accident, says Kelly: “Chris and I had been playing some music, halfway joking around. I was on a Radio Shack keyboard one of our friends had forgotten at our house, and Chris was on the drums. I think I even played bass on one song. I don’t know how to play bass. Actually, I think Chris even rapped on one song. Chris doesn’t know how to rap (sorry, bro). But that was about three years ago. We have our wits about us now.”

When the two moved to DC for college, Chris recalls, they revived an old project called Five Across the Eyes, changed the name, and became more serious about the band. Now Kelly is back in Texas finishing school, but upon her return to DC for the summer, Wild Fictions will get back to the scene with some shows.

Chris—a first-grade teacher by day—will perform solo at the Red & Black on May 14, and the duo will be reunited for the first show of the summer on June 1 at the same venue.

Read on to learn more about Chris and Kelly, their upcoming recording plans, and how they feel about being in a family band.

Not to burst someone’s bubble, but Cinco de Mayo is about as authentically Mexican as Taco Bell. (Fine, it is a regional holiday in Mexico, but, who are you kidding?) Consequently, our playlist this week features zero Mexican artists or tunes in Spanish. Instead, what you’ll find below are a series of songs about drinking, drunkenness, and what usually happens after too much drinking—something we should all be familiar with, particularly on Cinco de Mayo.

Check out our playlist, and make sure to browse through our Cinco de Mayo guide, with cocktail recipes, a how-to about guacamole, and more. Also, if you have any song suggestions, leave them in the comments and we’ll add them throughout the day.

Feliz Cinco de Mayo, everyone!