Fri. Aug. 5th at Marx Cafe: "We Fought the Big One&

Hey there everyone,

Well, it looks like we're steadily getting closer to our "make or break" night.

As some of you know, the owner of the Marx Cafe isn't sure there are enough indie music fans in D.C. to warrant a monthly night and is considering replacing our monthly event with a salsa night.

He's already shut down "Taking the Piss," my favorite overall indie dj night in the city (not to mention a favorite night of local heroes Mark Zimin & Will Eastman), which bummed out quite a few of us.

Know what, though? We just might be able to prove this guy wrong if we get enough people to show up. And that's where you come in…

So if you're in town this Friday and looking for a fun place to hang out, I humbly suggest the Marx Cafe. And if you're gonna be outta town or have other plans, maybe you can let some other friends know about us?

Anybody that has ever come out to even one "We Fought the Big One" event knows what they're in for: an uncompromising selection of great independent music from around the world (that you probably won't hear anywhere else), tasty drinks (let's hear it for Belgium beer!) and hanging out with very cool people…

Anywho, just want to again say a very big thanks to everyone that's stopped by in the past, (especially Bags and Pollard) and allowed Brandon and myself to be the crazy,
out-of-control dj freaks that we are…

To make what looks like our final event even more special, we are bringing in none-other-than Mark Williams (aka The Kaiser) to help us spin a few rounds. This guy has been djing like crazy at the 9:30 Club lately, but has also djed a truckload of other places in this city, including the aforementioned Taking the Piss.

So with all that said, cheers to everyone & hope to see you some of you Friday…
Rick

"We Fought the Big One"
w/guest dj The Kaiser
(the best dj on the planet some would argue)
Marx Cafe
3203 Mt. Pleasant St. NW
Washington DC
10pm - 3am
NO COVER 21+

And yes, we still have a few copies remaining of our 1-year-anniversary
mix for those of you that would like a copy…

And just in case anyone is curious, here's what we played last month…

Brandon set #1
Salome - "Zero to Infinity"
Bowery Electric - "Drop"
Movietone - "Useless Landscape"
Berntholer - "Toys"
The Room - "Candles"
Can - "One More Saturday Night"
Pyrolator - "Danger Cruising"
Basement 5 - "Riot"
Shoes for Industry - "Sheepdog Trial Inna Babylon"
Flying Lizards - "Her Story"
Members - "Sound of the Suburbs"
The Prefects - "Things in General"

Rick set #1
The Fall - "New Puritan" (Peel Session)
Bearz - "Girls Will Do"
A Frames - "Experiment"
The Floor - "Personnel"
Echo & the Bunnymen - "Fuel"
Snake Corps - "In Flux"
The Cure - "Primary"
The Passions - "Into Night"
Altered Images - "Dead Pop Stars"
Shox - "Don't Look Back"
Piano Magic - "Deleted Scenes"
Colder - "To the Music"
Swirlies - "One Light Flashing I Love You"
Lowlife - "Permanent Sleep"
Cocteau Twins - "In Our Angelhood"
On!Air!Library! - "Feb."

Brandon set #2
Red Krayola - "Old Man's Dream"
The Lines - "Stripe"
Biting Tongues - "Trouble Hand"
Pere Ubu - "Heart of Darkness"
Mo-dettes - "Bedtime Stories"
Delta 5 - "Mind Your Own Business"
The Raincoats - "Fairytale in the Supermarket"
Flowers - "Life After Dark" (single version)
Scritti Pollitti - "Skank Bloc Bologna"
Ski Patrol - "Everything Is Temporary"
The The - "Cold Spell Ahead"
Malaria! - "Your Turn to Run"
Halo - "Eclipsed"

Rick set #2
A Place to Bury Strangers - "To Fix the Gash in Your Head"
Colder - "Wrong Baby"
Unrest - "June"
The Radio Dept. - "Deliverance"
Wan Light - "The Beehive Kid"
Airiel - "Rainflower"
The Floor - "In the New World"
Vitesse - "Late Morning"
The Wake - "Plastic Flowers"
The Field Mice - "Sensitive"
The Mighty Lemon Drops - "When I Dream" (KCRW Session)
The Wedding Present - "Nobody's Twisting Your Arm"
McCarthy - "Red Sleeping Beauty"
Pale Saints - "Baby Maker" (original version)
The Veldt - "Soul in A Jar"

Vs. Session
Gang of Four - "Ether" (Brandon)
Swell Maps - "Another Song" (Rick)
Tagmemics - "Chimneys" (Brandon)
Medium Medium - "So Hungry, So Angry" (Brandon & Earl)
Legendary Pink Dots - "Frosty" (Rick)
Shop Assistants - "Safety Net" (Rick)
PIL - "Low Life" (Brandon)
Bush Tetras - "Too Many Creeps" (Rick)
Luis Russell & His Orchestra - "The (New) Call of the Freaks" (Brandon)

I'm spreading the word…alas, I have a last minute trip to Chicago, so won't be in town to drag people with me (not that they need dragging, but sometimes that's what it takes on a Friday!).

Forum Party at Marx Cafe this Friday!!!!!!

We got a mention here, which is very cool:

Washington Post Express

this is interesting as well…

Marx Café Takes International Spin on Indie DJ Nights
with â??We Fought the Big Oneâ?


Italy. Japan. France. Switzerland. Holland.

These are probably not the first countries that come to mind when one thinks of the post-punk/alternative rock scene that dominated underground music listening throughout the 80s and early 90s. But they represent just a handful of territories typically explored at â??We Fought the Big One,â? a monthly indie DJ night at the Marx Café in Mt. Pleasant.

For just over a year and a half, the dj collective of Brandon Grover (aka dj Five-Year-Plan) and Rick Taylor (dj tRICKster) have called the Marx Café their home on the first Friday night of the month, treating music fans and casual bar hoppers alike to some of the most original and interesting sounds to ever be associated with the alternative music scene. â??The Big One,â? as regular attendees call it, has become a staple at Marx, and positive word-of-mouth has ensured that Brandon and Rick have always kept numerous ears curiously awaiting each new song that is showcased. Buzz for the event has even resulted in visits from writers for on-line know-it-alls Pitchforkmedia and Filter Magazine, while local dj William Alberque, one of the cityâ??s most prolific and popular deck-spinners, declared on his own website that the Big One is his favorite dj event in the city.

â?I can honestly say Brandon and I genuinely love and get excited about each and every song we spin,â? Taylor says. â??Itâ??s not like weâ??re playing obscure, foreign music just for the sake of it.â?

Taylor counts Tokyo-based atmospheric pop collective Color Filter and Swedish electro-shoegaze outfit The Radio Dept. as two of his current favorites. â??Both of those artists are completely ignoring the trends and are coming up with some really interesting sounds and quality songs,â? Taylor gushes, â??but where do you go to hear about bands like that?â?

Taylor says a big reason why he and Grover spin records at the Marx Café is to help â??promote artists that need help promoting.â? This includes showcasing songs from local artists that have tickled the ear of the dj duo, such as the D.C.-based, Jesus & Mary Chain-inspired Alcian Blue and The Sounds of Kaleidoscope (another D.C.-based outfit in love with wall-of-sound guitars).

â?Itâ??s an international music night, which means we can play stuff from here right alongside all the foreign music we love,â? says Taylor.

Taylor points out that he and Grover do play a significant amount of independent artists from the U.K., where the post-punk scene originated, including some artists thatâ??â??brace yourselfâ??â?? you may have actually heard of before. â??We do spin tracks from bands like Gang of Four, Joy Division, Echo & the Bunnymen, and Wire,â? Taylor explains, â??but we do try to avoid songs that youâ??ve heard a million times already and are probably sick of.â?

Plans are currently afoot to finish work on a Big One website that will contain links to information on over a hundred artists that the duo spin frequently at Marx. Taylor says the site will also provide past setlists, articles & reviews, and of course, news on whenever and wherever the duo spin records.

When asked why he and Grover put so much time and energy into a monthly dj night, Taylor says that sharing great music with others is â??even more fulfilling than hearing it and appreciating it on your own.â?

The Next â??We Fought the Big Oneâ? is Friday, Aug. 5th and will feature frequent 9:30 Club spinner Mark Williams (aka The Kaiser) as a special guest alongside Brandon and Rick.

The Marx Café is located at 3203 Mt. Pleasant St. NW. The event runs from 10pm to 3am. There is no cover but it is 21+.

Website coming soon: www.wefoughtthebigone.com
e-mail: rick@wefoughtthebigone.com

Originally posted by Friend O' Guy Chadwick:
Rick set #2
A Place to Bury Strangers - "To Fix the Gash in Your Head"
Colder - "Wrong Baby"
Unrest - "June"
The Radio Dept. - "Deliverance"
Wan Light - "The Beehive Kid"
Airiel - "Rainflower"
The Floor - "In the New World"
Vitesse - "Late Morning"
The Wake - "Plastic Flowers"
The Field Mice - "Sensitive"
The Mighty Lemon Drops - "When I Dream" (KCRW Session)
The Wedding Present - "Nobody's Twisting Your Arm"
McCarthy - "Red Sleeping Beauty"
Pale Saints - "Baby Maker" (original version)
The Veldt - "Soul in A Jar"

I particuarly like this set.