DC's Mittenfields are FINALLY set to release their long awaited full length Optimists. I was blessed with an early listen and was beyond pleased with maturity and variety of the songwriting and production. Fans of Mittenfields wont be surprised if I say there's a lot of 80's-90's indie-rock sound in it, but what they might not be expecting is all the places the album goes in and around the genre.

Just in the second song, "We've Become Numbers," there's a bass groove with the "angular" guitars, which fuse into bright layered guitars/pedals (that remind one that U2 was pretty cool in the beginning), ultimately crashing into an intense surf-guitar covered shoegaze drone. All complementary sounds in a coherent song. The further into the album one goes, the more variety one hears, both within and across songs. Fuzzy and clean, mathy stuff, poppy stuff, gentle songsmithing, hard rocking. All tight, cool shit. And Dave Mann's voice is pretty good too.

Check out lead single/video "Optimists" below, and go to the record release show an April 30th at Black Cat Mainstage, featuring a stellar lineup (including Greenland, Magnetar Flares, and Night Streets).  --Natan Press

DC’s Mittenfields and Richmond’s Positive No will play Arlington’s Galaxy Hut on Sunday, February 16th. Mittenfields’ sound is incredibly comforting for those feeling lost in an indie world increasingly full of solo or dueling synths/computers. Their three guitars are the focal points of a kind of sound-craft almost forgotten since its heyday with 90’s indie-rock. Positive No doesn’t shy away from noisy guitars either, and being composed of members who’ve been rocking Virginia since the 90’s, they carry that legacy incredibly well. The combination of fuzzy guitars, pounding drums and melodic but casual female vocals recall the best of the 90’s indie/alternative I grew up with in Boston, like Throwing Muses, Helium, The Blake Babies and The Breeders. This will be a great show for those of us who love the electric guitar, and Galaxy Hut will provide the sort of intimate setting you may not be able to see these band in again. --Natan Press

Monday 4/30 is gonna be a stellar night of indie noise as three amazing locals take to the Black Cat stage. The phenom DC quintet Mittenfields are back from a Texas tour with some new material on top of the unique 90's indie meets noise pop sound they are known for off their EP The Fresh Sum. Joining the bill are Paperhaus, DC's own meld of psychedelic/blues rockers who've turned their home studio into a sweet gig space known as The Paperhaus, which so happens to be the name of their EP released last Sept. And get there by doors open to check out Baltimorean pop alt. rockers Me and This Army (noms for Band of the Month!) who've got some new material up on Soundcloud following their 2011 EP release Souls.

It's all happening at the Black Cat on Monday Apr. 30, doors @8 PM, $8.