MMS Concert Previews - The Mynabirds and Grieves

Shimmery Canadian rock not your cup of tea (or shot of tequila)? Fear not, for DC9 has a pair of shows at very different ends of the musical continuum that should slake your thirst for live music. Wednesday sees DC area native, and current Omahan, Laura Burhenn roll into town with her band The Mynabirds. Laura & Co. are touring behind the band's fourth LP, Be Here Now, which came out last month on Saddle Creek.

The Mynabirds craft the kind of smart, subtly in-your-face indie pop in the vein of Amy Mann and Jenny Lewis. Strong yet sophisticated, Burhenn's songwriting on this album is at turns hopeful and deeply sardonic, with lyrics like, "My heart’s full of love / And all kinds of peace / But I think even

I 
could punch a Nazi 
In the face" pulled from the headlines (and possibly your favorite meme).

Thursday and the last day of summer bring with it Seattle rapper Grieves. Often (mistakenly) compared to Macklemore by virtue of their common first name and home base, Ben Laub shares more musical DNA with Rhymesayers labelmates like Atmosphere than he does with that other rapping Benjamin.

The single "RX", from his new album Running Wild, is a bold and confessional track detailing Grieves' battle with depression and anxiety. Swedish producer Chords pushed Laub to dive more deeply into both his flow and the sound of the album, crafting what might be the rapper's most mature and diverse effort to date.