Remember when D.C. had a sound that could almost be classified into a genre of itself? I‰’m not talking about punk or go-go, but rather that mod-rock/shoegaze sound that would have you awkwardly dancing in your bedroom by yourself for hours.

Sadly, one of the most influential bands in that scene of music, (The Sounds of) Kaliedoscope, just played their last show ever at Kung Fu Necktie in Philadelphia. After 15 years of (for a lack of better words) straight killing it, frontman Damien Taylor and his band decided to throw in the towel.

However, Kaleidoscope has left us with a treasure chest of amazing music that will probably be discovered in 10 years and will leave people pondering, “Why the heck have I never heard this?!‰Û

Similarly to almost brotherly-like band Lilys, Kaleidoscope‰’s sound has changed as the band matured. In its early years, Kaleidoscope followed in the footsteps of infamous Slumberland bands Black Tambourine and Velocity Girl.

One of Kaleidoscope‰’s earlier releases, “Where You Were to How You Got There,‰” is inviting and addictive and will also make your ears bleed at the same time. Perhaps one of the best tracks of the record, “She‰’s a Dream,‰Û is exemplarily of this. The song first releases a lonely yet playful guitar part, slowly building the song’s tension and keeping the listener waiting in anticipation for the moment when the song explodes.

When the song erupts, there are only two things to do: max out the volume and let the noise enchant your ears. From here the song acts as adventure that you never want to end, as Taylor‰’s guitar coupled with his melodious voice and lyrics truly makes the song unforgettable.

However, Kaleidoscope today is not the playful noise pop band that many used to know, performing haunting psych-rock anthems that punish audiences all across the east coast. Their most recent release, “Freezer Burner in the Fever Fields,‰” is so tough that it might even give the Jesus and Mary Chain a run for their money.

One of their rawest newer tracks, “Univisible Blues,” feels more like a recorded jam session then it does a song. Towards the end of the song, structure becomes less emphasized with the ever-changing riffs and heavy use of wah pedals.

So 10 years later, when the only “indie‰” music that is coming out of D.C. is US Royalty and you’re wondering what happened to “real” D.C. music, re-familiarize yourself with the brilliant sounds of Kaleidoscope.

By Rob Orlowski