Local Flavor - The State Department

"The State Department, the governmental entity, spreads the American Way with money and missiles; the band does it with guitars and whiskey. The State Department takes basic four-piece rock structures and suffuses them with post-punk subversion and the howling passion of lead singer Mike Medlock." Being a band made up of members of other bands, The State Department's sound seems to reflect that. And that is best shown in "Mount Pleasant," which I assume is about the city of the same name. It has all the makings of a great garage/post punk/rock song; rebellious electric guitar, angst ridden drum, and and barely audible lyrics. They have potential to become much more than just another DMV band. Watch their show at the Black Cat above.