Deep Dive Live at The Atlantis

Burden's Landing

Burden’s Landing began in 2023, forming around songs written by founding member, guitarist, and songwriter Noah Mullinax. After settling in Washington, DC after a move from New York City, Mullinax began rehearsals with fellow musicians, leading to the band’s debut EP Could This Be a Portal? (2024). The five track EP, with a 30-minute runtime, was entirely self-recorded in Mullinax’s family home in the Shenandoah Valley. V13 Media described the debut songs as “grunge, shoegaze, and indie rock blended together into a collection that ranges from laid-back to in-your-face.”

Following their debut release, Burden’s Landing spared no time playing the many musical establishments across DC, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, setting up shop at clubs, DIY stages, and record store basements alike. This past autumn, the band journeyed to Cart Studios in Philadelphia to record a 3- song live album entitled Live in West Philly (2026), which includes two new tracks. April Again and Never Comin’ Back showcase the bands developing style and capture their dynamic sound–striking a balance between a distorted guitar, thumping basslines, and hard-hitting rhythms, that both please the ear with melodic punk-infused jams and, at times, lull the listener into spacier, explorative soundscapes.

Indiefferential Magazine wrote; “What makes Live in West Philly compelling is not just how it sounds, but why it exists. This is not a release designed to fill a gap between bigger statements. It feels like a documentation, a way of marking where the band is right now. There is confidence in that choice. Burden’s Landing is not asking permission or waiting for the perfect moment. They are trusting that their audience wants honesty more than spectacle.”

Burden’s Landing newest EP, 4 Songs (2026), is the clearest statement of purpose thus far. Blank Page, the lead single, provides an anthemic, grunge-infused jam. Hallucination, the complimentary single, is a 7-minute punk trance, clocking in as the band’s fastest tempo to date. The rest of the EP, including the songs Her and Runner,provide a more reflective and tender approach to songwriting. 4 Songs is a collection you can mosh to, sing along to, blast in the car, and find rewarding with a deep listen. Mullinax’s guitar ebbs between full-fledged overdrive and spacey, shoegaze-inspired riffage. Christian Scott James on drums provides hard-hitting punk rhythms, while Jorge E. Bañales rocks a Rickenbacher bass, providing the bridge between the band’s melodic progressions and high-energy songwriting. The band has been categorized as indie rock, post-punk, shoegaze, grunge, and alternative–a list that will certainly continue to grow as the young band releases more music.

Sheila

Sheila is a Washington, D.C. based twin sister duo centered on Black empowerment, the call for a  free Palestine, and advocating for those whose voices are often ignored.Their music is what you would get if you mixed early 2000’s pop punk with the best shounen/magical girl animes of all time, a dash of lush orchestration and arrangements for the musical girlies, and topped off with the most unhinged and witty rappers from the past 10 years; ie Kendrick Lamar and Rico Nasty. Fueled by their shared love of performing, this duo come together to create a sound that blends power, purpose, and a touch of geeky charm that’s bold and unapologetic.

Spitball

Spitball is a homegrown emo-punk two-piece from the DC/DMV area. Born out of the house shows of Sam and Zayon’s alma mater, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, ‘Spitball!’ made a name for itself through its screamed vocals, 110% powered drum lines, and diverse guitar tones. Although colloquially emo, Spitball’s sound doesn’t bind itself to one singular genre, with songs taking inspiration from hardcore punk, bossa nova, midwest emo, and more yet to come. High energy, emotional (and explicit) lyricism, and whimsical hijinks are to be expected at every Spitball show.