Much history of DC punk has focused on the scene around Dischord Records—a vital subject, to be sure, but hardly the whole story. This doc has plenty of Dischord, but it also offers a broader look at the formative early years.
2. Podcast
Solvable
Hosted by Alexandria’s Ronald Young Jr., this podcast—a production of Pushkin Industries, the company started by Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Weisberg—interviews smart people about big problems.
3. Book
Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
In this short work of reflective nonfiction, the author—who lives in Maryland and Nigeria—grapples with the death of her father during a time of fear and isolation.
4. Book
Wild Creations by Hilton Carter
If your life needs more flora, immediately consult this guide to the joys of interior greenery, written by a Baltimore design personality whose own apartment contains more than 200 plants.
5. Film
Georgetown
Based on a magazine story by Franklin Foer, this true-ish story of deception and murder—directed by and starring Christoph Waltz—takes place in the titular DC neighborhood.
6. Music
“Aaron Copland: American Populist”
The More Than Music video series—produced by DC’s PostClassical Ensemble—has spotlighted Bernard Herrmann and Antonín Dvořák, among other subjects. The latest installment looks at one of our country’s great composers.
7. Book
The Cruelty Is the Point by Adam Serwer
The title phrase was coined by Serwer in 2018. With this essay collection, the Atlantic staff writer offers further insight into the insanity of the Trump era.
8. Film
A Tale of Three Chinatowns
Local director Lisa Mao takes a nuanced look at how Chinatowns in Boston, Chicago, and Washington have changed. The documentary premiered at Filmfest DC and will screen at other festivals.
9. Music
Magician’s Rabbit by Nice Breeze
The fuzzed-out new album from this local trio sounds like a lost dispatch from the early-’90s heyday of Drag City records.
10. Exhibit
“Jacob Lawrence: The American Struggle,” Phillips Collection
When this show was in New York last year, a visitor realized that her neighbor had one of the five paintings from the series that had gone missing. Now you can see that one reunited with most of the rest of the works.
This article appears in the July 2021 issue of Washingtonian.
A DC native, Rob Brunner moved back to the city in 2017 to join Washingtonian. Previously, he was an editor and writer at Fast Company and other publications. He has also written for the New York Times Magazine, New York, and Rolling Stone, among others. He lives with his family in Chevy Chase DC.
What We’re Excited to Read, Watch, See, and Listen to Right Now
A movie about punk, a book about plants, and much more.
1. Film
Punk the Capital
Much history of DC punk has focused on the scene around Dischord Records—a vital subject, to be sure, but hardly the whole story. This doc has plenty of Dischord, but it also offers a broader look at the formative early years.
2. Podcast
Solvable
Hosted by Alexandria’s Ronald Young Jr., this podcast—a production of Pushkin Industries, the company started by Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Weisberg—interviews smart people about big problems.
3. Book
Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
In this short work of reflective nonfiction, the author—who lives in Maryland and Nigeria—grapples with the death of her father during a time of fear and isolation.
4. Book
Wild Creations by Hilton Carter
If your life needs more flora, immediately consult this guide to the joys of interior greenery, written by a Baltimore design personality whose own apartment contains more than 200 plants.
5. Film
Georgetown
Based on a magazine story by Franklin Foer, this true-ish story of deception and murder—directed by and starring Christoph Waltz—takes place in the titular DC neighborhood.
6. Music
“Aaron Copland: American Populist”
The More Than Music video series—produced by DC’s PostClassical Ensemble—has spotlighted Bernard Herrmann and Antonín Dvořák, among other subjects. The latest installment looks at one of our country’s great composers.
7. Book
The Cruelty Is the Point by Adam Serwer
The title phrase was coined by Serwer in 2018. With this essay collection, the Atlantic staff writer offers further insight into the insanity of the Trump era.
8. Film
A Tale of Three Chinatowns
Local director Lisa Mao takes a nuanced look at how Chinatowns in Boston, Chicago, and Washington have changed. The documentary premiered at Filmfest DC and will screen at other festivals.
9. Music
Magician’s Rabbit by Nice Breeze
The fuzzed-out new album from this local trio sounds like a lost dispatch from the early-’90s heyday of Drag City records.
10. Exhibit
“Jacob Lawrence: The American Struggle,” Phillips Collection
When this show was in New York last year, a visitor realized that her neighbor had one of the five paintings from the series that had gone missing. Now you can see that one reunited with most of the rest of the works.
This article appears in the July 2021 issue of Washingtonian.
A DC native, Rob Brunner moved back to the city in 2017 to join Washingtonian. Previously, he was an editor and writer at Fast Company and other publications. He has also written for the New York Times Magazine, New York, and Rolling Stone, among others. He lives with his family in Chevy Chase DC.
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July 2022: Summer Music Guide
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