If this year’s best of the city’s arts scene proves one thing, it’s that D.C. is a music town. From the best live act to the best group to see before they hit it big, there are plenty of sonically pleasing winners, including one for best sonic pairing. We also celebrate a spot where adults can create uninhibitedly, a niche music promoter, and an essential online resource for jazz heads. Want to share your favorite? Drop us a line.

And don’t forget to check out our picks for best People & Places and Food & Drinks.

To see what readers selected in our Arts & Entertainment categories, click here.

BEST LOCAL BAND TO SEE BEFORE THEY HIT IT BIG

Ekko Astral

There’s always a new punk band in D.C., but Ekko Astral stand out among their contemporaries. Their shows are killer (and have drawn the attention of punk stalwarts) and their songs are not mere Dischord copies. The inventive songwriting offers a unique energy and hard-earned snark. So much so that their debut album, pink balloons, earned them an 8 out of 10 review from Pitchfork; Stereogum has called them a “band to watch,” and Paste says they’re the best of what’s next.

When Ekko Astral opened for Ted Leo at the 9:30 Club earlier this summer, their set was as much a tour de force as it was an announcement. Leo even noted how he wished such a band existed when he was growing up. Clearly, Leo was nodding to the crowd, where younger members of the city’s alternative queer scene had pushed to the front of the stage to be closer to singer and guitarist Jael Holzman, who is trans. When a band gets noticed by the cool kids and punk elders (not to mention major music outlets), it’s almost inevitable that they’re destined for more attention and bigger stages. Consider this your warning: See Ekko Astral now before their shows start selling out larger venues. Bragging rights are just a bonus. —Alan Zilberman

BEST LIVE PERFORMER

El Cousteau

“I’m in a full Sergio Tacchini sweatsuit/ I’m in Northeast getting money,” El Cousteau raps on his April single, “Redlines.” The stylish trailblazer from the Trinidad neighborhood has been raising eyebrows in the city’s rap scene for his electrifying live sets since 2016. Gradually growing a cult fan base of influential tastemakers in the DMV and beyond, Cousteau is now poised to make major leaps in his music career. He’s already walked in fashion shows for Telfar, gone on multiple tours with New York City’s rising star MIKE, and gotten cosigns from rap stars-turned-OGs Earl Sweatshirt and A$AP Rocky. 

An El Cousteau live set features high-level lyricism, D.C.-centric lingo, high-end fashion, and an infectious beaming energy. Whether he’s opening for a sold-out MIKE show at Union Stage, or performing at the homecoming stop for Sideshow’s Every Workhorse Goes To Heaven Tour at Comet Ping Pong, El Cousteau has a raw aura that instantly triggers joy-filled mosh pits and uncontrollable head-bobbing. As Cousteau gains a national following, he still firmly reps D.C. wherever he goes. He’s a refreshing reminder that D.C.’s culture is still here and vibrant. —Amari Newman

BEST SONIC PAIRING

Pretty Bitter & Flowerbomb’s Split EP

Peanut butter and jelly; gin and tonic; Thelma and Louise; Betty and Veronica. Some things just go together. And as of Aug. 1, D.C. is adding a new duo to the list of perfect pairings: Pretty Bitter and Flowerbomb. The two local indie bands have combined talents to create a new joint EP. Take Me Out takes the lush dream pop of Pretty Bitter and the ’90s alt-rock vibes of Flowerbomb and merges both with their shared indie roots and a bit of emo sensibility. The result is the perfect summer playlist full of bright sounds, fuzzy guitars, driving drumbeats, and alluring vocals. Watch out boygenius, there might be a new supergroup in town. —Sarah Marloff

BEST RETREAT FOR UNINHIBITED CREATIVITY

Capitol Hill Arts Workshop

If you’ve strolled around Capitol Hill, you’ve likely passed the eye-catching Capitol Hill Arts Workshop on 7th Street SE. Swathed in hot pink and bright yellow, the building is hard to miss, and its exterior is a good tease for what’s inside. CHAW is home to a vast swath of classes, workshops, and exhibitions of art, theater, dance, and music. While you might be lucky enough to spot a heartwarming group of kids playing the violin, their offerings are for students of all ages and abilities, and also include artist residencies. CHAW focuses on building community through the arts, and their programming shows it. The beginner drawing class I took might not have proven me an undiscovered artist, but it brought me into a welcoming space that encourages creativity and experimentation for at least a few hours each week. The prices for their courses are generally reasonable, and for a fairly noncreative person this experience was priceless. —Camila Bailey

BEST EYE FOR GREAT MUSIC

Nistha Raj of District of Raga

There are some local spaces that host South Asian musicians playing South Asian music—Bethesda’s Gandhi Memorial Center comes to mind—but Indian classical violinist Nistha Raj wanted something more. Raj, who moved to D.C. from Houston in 2007, often attended Brooklyn Raga Massive jam sessions in New York City, and decided to create a similar D.C.-based program with “the intention of creating community,” she says. In 2017, Raj, with the assistance of two other local musicians, brought the idea of Indian classical music jam sessions to promoter Jim Thomson, who was then booking Adams Morgan global music space Bossa Bistro. District of Raga events started there, and while the collective still hosts events at Bossa on occasion, the team behind it has added to their list of venues. District of Raga has an annual series at the Barns of Wolf Trap, and has booked gigs at the MLK Public Library as well as other locations throughout the DMV. In 2019, District of Raga was included in the Kennedy Center’s Cultural Caucus program. District of Raga has brought the likes of Indian classical vocalist Kaushiki Chakraborty and tabla and electronica artist Karsh Kale to the Barns. As part of Art All Night, Raj and District of Raga presented Northern Virginia-based harpist Nadia Pessoa with Baltimore-based sitarist Snehesh Nag. On Oct. 2, she’s bringing Pakistani musician Ustad Noor Bakhsh to Bossa, where you can hear him play the Balochi electric benju. —Steve Kiviat

BEST PLACE FOR ALL YOUR ONLINE JAZZ NEEDS

Capital Bop

Since Giovanni Russonello  and Luke Stewart co-founded Capital Bop in 2010, it has been more than just a jazz website with interviews, album reviews, and a comprehensive calendar of D.C.-area gigs. The site also has been a curator of shows. Capital Bop has hosted numerous events, including NEXTFest for several years at Malcolm X Park. While the pandemic, fundraising issues, and the high cost of property have limited Capital Bop’s recent ability to regularly host events, the nonprofit is still offering a stellar online library of improvisational music; City Paper’s Michael J. West can only cover so much in his monthly Swing Beat column, after all. Capital Bop’s listings editor Jackson Sinnenberg manages to get at least four shows per night on their calendar, which includes tuneful jazz vocalists and noisy avant-garde players alike. The website also has an A to Z guide to D.C. jazz musicians and monthly recommendations. Sinnenberg has conducted interviews with artists such as cellist Janel Leppin and her partner Anthony Pirog, and contributor Thomas Stanley penned a detailed history of experimental music collective Rhizome. According to editor-in-chief Russonello, within six months, thanks to a Humanities DC grant, the website will include an archive of live jazz videos compiled by Capital Bop over the years. —Steve Kiviat

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include Capital Bop’s co-founder Luke Stewart; we regret the error.