You know what’s better than a birthday party? A birthday dance party.

The Black Lodge is celebrating the new month, and a birthday, with plenty of music to groove to.

Starting at 9 pm, Danger Groove is going to spin his vinyl DJ-set, and play electronic dance music.

Matt Black, a native Kalamazoo artist, will be rapping off his old and new songs. He’ll be giving us a taste of his upcoming release “Oak Street Market.”

 Then Boron Nuzzle will play experimental funk-tions, bringing keyboards, guitar, and a sax to the party.

Come on down to the Black Lodge, bring a few dollars for donations, and come see the birthday boy Andy Argo for a night full of very danceable music.

Be respectful, stay respectable.

What better way to say goodbye to the grey month of February will colorful music? With these artists, this night won’t so much of a show as much as it will be an experience to cherish.

Louie’s trophy house presents Glowfriends, husband&wife, and Fiona Dickinson on February 28th.

Starting at 9pm, for those who are 18 and older, the show will be celebrating husband&wife’s new LP release Dark Dark Woods.

husband&wife has been touring since the beginning of February, where they have been stopping by various venues in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. They’re a quintessential indie-rock group, building slow melodies with steady basslines, and weaving song like threads with guitars. It’s intelligent pop rock.

While male and female vocal harmonies feel ethereal, and the addition of vibrations add bright colors to a shoegaze-influenced Glowfriends. The group echoes the influences of Slowdive or My Bloody Valentine while crafting a more youthful sound. Wash away the winter-time woes with layered dreampop.

Fiona Dickinson is part of the local Double Phelix collective, and her show will be an ethereal treat. Once she opens her set, the music will demand your undivided attention. Prepare to be haunted by her vocals, reminiscent of Bjork, as she blends shoegaze and old time folk with orchestral and choral arrangements. Her sound is lush, full, and symphonic when she includes backup musicians who might play reverberated slide guitar to the cello.

So please bring $5 for the touring artists. And do please come for these artists. You’ll take a lot from this experience.

Got a New Year’s Resolution? Here’s a new one: scout out the house venues.

If you haven’t read this article, give it a read.

We have new music finding its way in Kalamazoo, as well as viewers by the day. Now we have a new house to become acquainted with. Full House is hosting its first show this Sunday, January 6th, to kick off the new year.

House shows is about the variety of music. Here at Full House you can expect your ears to widen from this hardcore collection of bands. Starts at 7 pm.

The Cavities travel from the liberty land of Philadelphia. Typical of the genre, they use double bass drums and fast guitars, however, what will catch you off guard is their use of melody. Not to mention their big, full tone.

Pastimes can offer a different listening experience. Coming from Maine, they can even sound post-rock, as they paint a soundscape called “Colorblind,” they slowly crescendo. They almost echo Explosions in the Sky with their ensemble of guitars. That is, until their singer wails at the climax. The song slows again, the drums marches in triumphantly, the other guitar layers another harmony.

As for the more local bands, Old Soul comes from Mount Pleasant. They call themselves a “Blackened Post-rock band,” blending elements of atmospheric rock, hardcore, and screamo.

Tristam, playing between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, is another local act. They’re fast, loud, and energetic. Expect to be blown back from a wall of guitar.

Greenwashed is a band from the Grand Rapids-Muskegon area. They will scream, and they will play. Fast. Quite possibly the fastest of the night.

The touring groups, the Cavities and Pastimes, can be distinguished by their use of space within their songs. If you’re new, unfamiliar, or hesitant about hardcore, these two offer a great deal of melody. The rhythm section will be tight for a few measures, then suddenly visceral guitar chords will cut through the song.

Whether you are a die hard metal fan or an occasional listener, be open to these guys. They’ll full of surprises.

Check out this new venue. But respect the place. Respect the bands. It might get a bit rowdy, but remember to respect the audience. Respect yourself.

Bring a some dollars, especially for our touring friends, and e-mail ditkalamazoo@gmail.com for directions.

It’s the weekend. Maybe you just got out of work. Maybe you just got done with finals. Maybe you’re thinking about hitting the bar, or a coffee shop to get head start on work. Regardless of what your week looked like, your ears need rest.

Look no further on this fine Friday night, because No Fun House is hosting the folk artists your ears need.

Cold Mountain Child is a collaboration between Tyler Bradley and David Spalvieri-Kruse, and after a few years the duo expanded into a full band. While the duo paint minimalist soundscapes through piano and guitar, their live ensemble includes a drummer, a bassist, a violinist, and a vocalist providing harmonies. After releasing a full length album and an EP, look for their new double album soon, or click here for a free download.

The local artist Elisabeth Pixley-Fink grew up exploring the depths and range of her voice, finding its way into her current songs. She has earned herself a name among the state’s populace, collaborating with musicians from Breathe Owl Breathe, the Red Sea Pedestrians, Fiona Dickinson, and many, many more. Seeing her perform live becomes a unique participation between audience and performer, and she often plays outside. In fact, she toured from Minnesota down to Mexico via public transportation where she collaborated with artists in Mexico City. Pixley-Fink was awarded with the competitive Artistic Development grant by the Kalamazoo Arts Council this past April in order to support her upcoming album.

While there is no cover charge at house shows, please bring money for our touring duo, Lobo Marino. Members Jameson Price and Laney Sullivan created this group after encountering “el lobo marino,” the Patagonian sea lion, during their spiritual travels spent in South America for a year. Lobo Marino released their most recent album this past June, which was recorded in front of an audience.

These artists love the live music experience, and you live in a city that is a gold mine for music. Situated between Chicago and the Detroit, Kalamazoo gains many touring artists, along with the bounty of local artists help create shows every night. According to the Atlantic, Kalamazoo ranks number eight (8) in terms of the “concentration of musicians and music-related businesses.” Compare Ann Arbor at 40, or even Albany, New York at 14.

This is going to be a special night, spent in a special city, during a special season.

You know the drill: respect the artists, respect the audience, respect yourself. Contact ditkalamazoo@gmail.com for location, questions, and inquiries.

My days may be numbered, but I’m bad at math. When I feel bad at math I wear my headphones and listen to math rock.

A particularly dense genre, math rock is filled with unconventional time signatures and complex rhythms, though the intertwining melodic phrases holds a listener in place. Culminating during the ‘90s in urban music centers such as Pittsburg, Washington D.C., and L.A., math rock found itself a name through a combination of its atypical meters (for example, 7/8, 11/8, 13/8) and the exploration of sonic textures through layering guitars.

It’s a genre that becomes more rewarding upon repeated listenings. Curious? Come to Milhouse on the 4th for local and touring “mathy” bands.

Four different bands for your enjoyment. We have The Reptilian, who might be a familiar name to you folks. They’re playing more shows later in the week, so keep yourself posted on DIT updates.

As a special treat, Edhochuli travels from the far away land of Pittsburg, after riding the Interstates for about three months. Be sure to familiarize yourself through their bandcamp, as their music is heavy, their singer is intense, and their guitars are loud.

From Chicago we have Ronnie Dobbs have been touring with Edhochuli. Take a look at their bandcamp too, as any band name alluding to the TV show “Mr. Show” deserves it. Ronnie Dobbs employs similar complex rhythms as Edhochuli, but they offer surprises in terms of melody and dynamics. You can find a track titled “Bong Iver” off the link. That wasn’t a typo. Give them a look and a listen.

Lost in Translation is another local Kalamazoo group, and while they fit in the math rock genre, they also provide more groove for the average listener. Three guys who know how to jam well, their fluctuations in rhythm will pull you in. They’ll make your feet move too.

Our days may be numbered, but what better way to spend them than watching math rock musicians. Please bring a few dollars to Milhouse for the touring bands.

Respect the bands, respect the music lovers, and respect yourself. Respect math.