Rap Round Robin Video Flyer No. 2

Sarah Milinksi and Jared Paolini just dropped their second video flyer for this Saturday's Rap Round Robin, and this one's got Height With Friends. The event is this weekend at Floristree, and will sport a lineup that includes Food For Animals, AK Slaughter, Rap Dragons, Mickey Free, King Rhythm, The Plural MC, PT Burnem, and Jones.



Peep the poster after the jump, and look our for the third installment soon.

Rap Round Robin Video Flyer No. 1

The Baltimore Rap Round Robin is this Saturday at Floristree, and features Food For Animals, AK Slaughter, Rap Dragons, Height With Friends, Mickey Free, King Rhythm, The Plural MC, PT Burnem, and Jones. The above video flyer is the first in a series of three put together by Jared Paolini and Sara Milinski of Small Snake Productions.



The video features PT Burnem underneath a bridge in Baltimore, doing his thing acapella style. The other two videos will feature other rappers involved in similar scenarios around town. Look for those to come soon.

Fourth Annual Baltimore Rap Round Robin

The fourth annual Baltimore Rap Round Robin has been announced, and it will take place at Floristree on August 7th. This has been super fun over the past several years.



In case you're not familiar - all performers will be setting up around the space, and will participate in a traditional round robin set. Just like year's past, 2010's lineup heavily spotlights some of our favorite local wordsmiths and beat-makers.



Food For Animals, AK Slaughter, Rap Dragons, Height With Friends, Mickey Free, King Rhythm, The Plural MC, PT Burnem, and Jones will all be performing. Peep a video of Height with Friends from the event three years ago after the jump.

Clusterf*ck: Wye Oak, Lands and Peoples, Food For Animals, Rapdragons, Megapolis

Tonight Wye Oak is back from their massive North American tour, and are playing a homecoming show at the Ottobar with some stellar support. Ami Dang will open, and the always amazing Lands and Peoples have a set in store as well. Lands and Peoples recently contributed a brand new track to the Friends Records compilation.



Saturday night the Penthouse is sporting a killer rap show with Food For Animals, Rapdragons, Lexx, and alot more. Open mic challenges are promised, and battles will likely ensue. Bring your party hats and show up around 9 PM for this one. This track is also from the Friends and Friends of Friends comp, a completely radical Jones remix of a brand new Food For Animals jam that will be on their next LP.



Get all the details and ongoings of Megapolis after the jump.

Megapolis is going on alllllllll weekend long, and features a ridiculous amount of sounds of all varieties. It takes place at various Station North locations, and is more than worth checking out. Here's the full schedule compliments of the Megapolis site:

Saturday May 15

10:30am – 11:15pm
PANTMRSI! – Andrea Silenzi
@ front of Hexagon Space, 1825 N. Charles St

From the Ground Up: Making Music with Free Software – Patrick McNameeKing
@ Hexagon Space (Stage), 1825 N. Charles St

Sounds of Grief – Ian Nagoski
@ Cyclops Books, 30 W. North Ave

Atari Punk Consoles – Justin Sabe (RSVP Required)
@ Baltimore Node, 120 W. North Ave

How to Score in Radio – Lawrence Lanahan & Bruce Wallace
@ WYPR, 2216 N. Charles St

(10am-1pm) Silosphere – Rebecca Bray & James Bigbee Garver
@ Echo Gallery, 20 W. North Ave

11:15am – 12pm Sounds of Grief – Ian Nagoski (continued) @ Cyclops Books, 30 W. North Ave Atari Punk Consoles – Justin Sabe (continued) (RSVP Required) @ Baltimore Node, 120 W. North Ave How to Score in Radio – Lawrence Lanahan & Bruce Wallace (continued) @ WYPR, 2216 N. Charles St (10am-1pm) Silosphere – Rebecca Bray & James Bigbee Garver @ Echo Gallery, 20 W. North Ave

12pm – 1pm Lunch break! also: (12:30pm-2:30pm) Studio Tour – Neil Feather (RSVP Required) leaves outside the Windup Space, 12 W. North Ave (10am – 1pm) Silosphere – Rebecca Bray & James Bigbee Garver @ Echo Gallery, 20 W. North Ave

1pm – 1:45pm Graphic Score Improvisation Workshop – Benjamin Miller @ Windup Space, 12 W. North Ave (1pm – 1:30pm) Getting Closer – Jenny Asarnow & Eitan Isaacson @ Cyclops Books, 30 W. North Ave (1:30 – 2:30) Oversharing on the Radio – Benjamen Walker @ Cyclops Books, 30 W. North Ave Contact Mic Construction – Ed Bear & Dan Fishkin (RSVP Required) @ Baltimore Node, 120 W. North Ave Artist’s Guide to Useful Technology – Hans Tammen & Adam Rokhsar @ WYPR, 2216 N. Charles St Parachute Dance – Sharlene Leurig & Thomas Deuel @ Echo Gallery, 20 W. North Ave wake-making installation activation – Melissa Moore @ Hexagon Space (Gallery), 1825 N. Charles St

1:45pm – 2:30pm 21st Century Composition – Benjamin Miller @ Windup Space, 12 W. North Ave Seeded Plain – Bryan Day & Jay Kreimer @ Hexagon Space (Stage), 1825 N. Charles St A Thousand Voices installation walkthrough – Ioana Jucan, Quyen Ngo, & Ryan Lester @ Echo Gallery, 20 W. North Ave Artist’s Guide to Useful Technology – Hans Tammen & Adam Rokhsar (continued) @ WYPR, 2216 N. Charles St (1:30 – 2:30) Oversharing on the Radio – Benjamen Walker (continued) @ Cyclops Books, 30 W. North Ave Contact Mic Construction – Ed Bear & Dan Fishkin (continued) (RSVP Required) @ Baltimore Node, 120 W. North Ave

2:30pm – 3+pm Concert Earth – Naomi Lucille Kagaya & Stephanie Smith @ Load of Fun Gallery, 120 W. North Ave

3pm – 3:45pm Knitting Jam – Laure Drogoul @ Hexagon Space (Gallery), 1825 N. Charles St B’more Soundwalk – Bonnie Jones & Suzanne Thorpe @ front of Windup Space, 12 W. North Ave The Sounds of Sex – Zachary Kent @ Cyclops Books, 30 W. North Ave DIY Transmitter – Brett Ian Balogh (RSVP Required) @ Baltimore Node, 120 W. North Ave Locally Toned – T. Foley @ front of Load of Fun Gallery, 120 W. North Ave WikiMixing – Brendan Baker @ WYPR 2216 N. Charles St (3pm – 4pm) Silosphere – Rebecca Bray & James Bigbee Garver @ front of Echo Gallery, 20 W. North Ave

3:45pm – 4:30pm Hans Tammen Endangered Guitar / Adam Rokhsar Video (Performance) @ Windup Space, 12 W. North Ave Third Sight-seeing: Aesthetic Adventures in Sensory Substitution – Myroslaw Bytz & Nick Heling @ Cyclops Books, 30 W. North Ave Book Odds REMIX – Roman Mars @ WYPR, 2216 N. Charles St Vocal Transformer – Daniel Fishkin & Kenji Garland @ Hexagon Space (Stage), 1825 N. Charles St DIY Transmitter – Brett Ian Balogh (continued) (RSVP Required) @ Baltimore Node, 120 W. North Ave (3pm – 4pm) Silosphere – Rebecca Bray & James Bigbee Garver @ front of Echo Gallery, 20 W. North Ave

4:30pm – 5:30pm Reception! Installation activation w/ food and drink TBA… @ Load of Fun Gallery + Baltimore Node, 120 W. North Ave Tickets: $10 regular (plus entry to Kubin) / free for weekend pass-holders

5:30pm – 7pm FELIX KUBIN, brought to you by the Associations of Independents in Radio and Goethe-Institut Washington @ Load of Fun Theatre (LOF/t), 120 W. North Ave Tickets: $10 regular (includes reception before) / free for weekend pass-holders

9pm – 2am (8:30pm doors) LUCKY DRAGONS VISTAS HERBERT ECKHARDT JASON SLOAN, STEVE BRADLEY, BON CHAMPION AND DAVID FONG DJ TRENT of WFMU DJ DUBBLE8 @ Windup Space, 12 W. North Ave Brought to you by WLOY Loyola Radio Tickets: $10 regular / free for weekend pass-holders The Shortwave Shindig – David Goren with Easy Sonic Living @ Hexagon Space, 1825 N. Charles St Tickets: Free to the public

Sunday May 16

10:30am – 11:15am WikiMixing – Brendan Baker @ WYPR, 2216 N. Charles St (11am) Daishadokyo: A River Koan Performance – Geodesic Gnome @ leaves from front of Cyclops Books, 30 W. North Ave Documentary Square Dance – The Place + Memory Project / Big Shed @ Cyclops Books, 30 W. North Ave DIY Transmitter – Brett Ian Balogh (RSVP Required) Brought to you by Piscis @ Baltimore Node, 120 W. North Ave (10am – 1pm) Silosphere – Rebecca Bray & James Bigbee Garver @ front of Echo Gallery, 20 W. North Ave

11:15am – 12pm Group Interactive Biofeedback Performance – Eric Lindley @ Hexagon Space, 1825 N. Charles St Practical Cognitive Processes for the Audio Maker – Nick van der Kolk @ WYPR, 2216 N. Charles St DIY Transmitter – Brett Ian Balogh (continued) (RSVP Required) Brought to you by Piscis @ Baltimore Node, 120 W. North Ave Documentary Square Dance – The Place + Memory Project / Big Shed (continued) @ Cyclops Books, 30 W. North Ave (10am – 1pm) Silosphere – Rebecca Bray & James Bigbee Garver @ Echo Gallery, 20 W. North Ave

12pm – 1pm Lunch break! also: (10am – 1pm) Silosphere – Rebecca Bray & James Bigbee Garver @ Echo Gallery, 20 W. North Ave

1pm – 2pm DAVID KESTENBAUM @ Cyclops Books, 30 W. North Ave Brought to you by Transom.org Tickets: $5 regular / free to weekend pass-holders

2pm – 6pm Nelson’s Electric Chaircut – Nelson Loskamp @ front of Windup Space, 12 W. North Ave

2:15pm – 3pm Matt Sterling (Performance) @ Hexagon Space, 1825 N. Charles St The Cinema as a Concert Hall for the 21st Century – Alexis Bhagat @ Windup Space, 12 W. North Ave Three Algorithms: Strange Connections Between Logic, Disorientation, and Experimental Music- John Berndt @ Cyclops Books, 30 W. North Ave Atari Punk Consoles – Justin Sabe RSVP Required Brought to you by Piscis @ Baltimore Node, 120 W. North Ave Exquisite Puppies: An Interactive Experiment – Dennis Conrow & Jesse Dukes @ WYPR, 2216 N. Charles St Parachute Dance – Sharlene Leurig & Thomas Deuel @ Echo Gallery, 20 W. North Ave

3pm – 3:45pm The Thunder Wheel Array – Neil Feather (performance) @ Echo Gallery, 20 W. North Ave Locally Toned – T. Foley @ front of Load of Fun Gallery, 120 W. North Ave The Cinema as a Concert Hall for the 21st Century – Alexis Bhagat (continued) @ Windup Space, 12 W. North Ave Three Algorithms: Strange Connections Between Logic, Disorientation, and Experimental Music- John Berndt (continued) @ Cyclops Books, 30 W. North Ave Atari Punk Consoles – Justin Sabe (continued) RSVP Required Brought to you by Piscis @ Baltimore Node, 120 W. North Ave Exquisite Puppies: An Interactive Experiment – Dennis Conrow & Jesse Dukes (continued) @ WYPR, 2216 N. Charles St

4pm – 6pm CLOSING RECEPTION Featuring selections of works created during the festival weekend folled by a performance by: ARRINGTON DE DIONYSO’S MALAIKAT DAN SINGA @ Windup Space, 12 W. North Ave Tickets: $5 / free to weekend pass-holders

8pm – ? (7:30pm doors)

2640_MOVE_MUSIC – Timothy Nohe, Renée Brozic Barger, Tiffany DeFoe, Meghan Flanigan, Carol Hess, Francesca Jandasek, Clarinda Mac Low, Luca Marini, Catherine Pancake, Nicole Shiflet, and Stephanie Yezek
@ 2640 Space, 2640 St Paul St
Tickets: $10 general / $8 student / free to weekend pass-holders

Friends and Friends of Friends: Future Islands, Jones/Food For Animals, Tapes in Space

Friends and Friends of Friends was made available digitally for free this week, 60 minutes of new music somehow rooted in Baltimore by Friends Records.

Future Islands release In Evening Air in Baltimore Friday night at Floristree, and the official Thrill Jockey release date is next Tuesday. Since hearing Wave Like Home a few years ago, there's been no other band's follow-up record that I've looked forward to more. Having now spent a couple months with In Evening Air, it's become clear that William, Gerrit, and Sam have crafted something really special.

"Virgo Distracts" is the second track on side A of In The Fall, the EP Thrill Jockey dropped this month on translucent blue vinyl. The Friends Records comp features a live cut of this track from the vaults of Willam Cashion, recorded at DubLab in Los Angeles. This is from September 8, 2008, a really early incarnation of the tune.




Friday's show poster by Kitty Kat Press (36/40 copies)

Read on for a new Food For Animals track remixed by Jones, and also Tapes in Space.


Jones has been cooking up some mighty fine beats, remixes and psychedelic hip hop around town, and used to make a lot of music with Height. He killed it on a remix of Future Islands' "Little Dreamer" last year, which originally appeared on the Splice Today comp and got pressed to wax for Post Office Wave Chapel.

Jones still has his own debut available on vinyl, which is beautifully packaged and available here. His contribution to the comp is a remix of a new Food For Animals song, complete with a warped-out and hazy banger of a beat.




Tapes In Space is the solo effort of Adam Lempel, better known as the dude who likes to stand on the drum set during Weekends shows. Adam has been recording a wide variety of different pop sounds at slow speeds, and then speeding them up.

The result is Tapes In Space. "Bat Meat" also features Chase/Winks playing casio steel drums, and is part of a batch of tracks that "mixes and matches genres" and will be on an upcoming release. Adam is also responsible for the cover art, a photo he showed me recently at a print fair up in Philadelphia by David Grahm.

Photos: Height with Friends @ Hexagon

Saturday night the Hexagon hosted a pretty rad lineup as Height with Friends, Moss of Aura, Food For Animals, Mickey Free, and American Folklore all performed. You can find a handful of these fine artists at upcoming Baltimore shows, starting with Moss of Aura who plays this Friday night at The Good Son with Lonnie Walker and more.

Mickey Free plays our show at the Ottobar on January 31st, with Get 'em Mamis, AK Slaughter, Rapdragons, PT Burnem, Jones, and Cullen Stalin DJing the affair. Height and all of his Friends play the night before, and is one of the 19 acts performing at Aural States Fest. We'll soon have some news regarding the follow-up album to Height with Friends' Baltimore Highlands, and some music to share.

Valerie's photos of all of Saturday's acts are after the jump.

Height with Friends




Food For Animals




Moss of Aura




Mickey Free




American Folklore





Photos by Valerie

Clusterf*ck: Shows in Baltimore this Weekend

This weekend is the first clusterf*ck of 2010, and likely to be the first of many here in Baltimore. While there are a hefty amount of musical things to choose from, schedules don't get really cluttered until Saturday night.

Saturday night also plays host to a football game, as the Ravens battle a team that stole football from Baltimore just a month after I was born. Man, was I one pissed off little dude.

Find out what else is up in the city that reads this weekend after the click.

The highlight of Friday night is in Hampden, where the Golden West is offering "Freak Rock on the Cheap". For just three dollars you get three great rock bands, including Vincent Black Shadow, Hollywood, and Pilgrim. Not a bad way to spend three bucks on a Friday, and all three bands should be sure to get your ears nice and blasted.

Another option Friday night is at the Ottobar. Psych rock is bountiful with Bad Liquor Pond, The Flying Eyes, Whoarfrost, and Deaf Scene all sharing the bill. This one starts at 9 PM and is all ages.

Height with Friends is at the Hexagon Saturday night, and as if his supporting cast wasn't already strong enough the bill also includes Moss of Aura, Food for Animals, Mickey Free, and American Folklore. Look for some super exciting things to come from Height with Friends in 2010, as I'll have some info on this for you in the coming months.

Also Saturday, you can catch Dope Body and Sick Weapons at the Penthouse Gallery. Both acts are quickly becoming among some of our favorite live bands in Baltimore, and this show should prove to be a good time. If you need your eardrums damaged at an even higher level on Saturday, hit up the Zodiac to catch the dark metal Brooklyn band Liturgy.

Sunday night also has a good one at the Penthouse Gallery, as Jason Urick and Ecstatic Sunshine help you wind down after a fun weekend. This is their tour send-off show, before they head up to NYC and onward to tour Europe together.

Third Annual Baltimore Rap Round Robin

What better way to start celebrating your country's independence than being bombarded by the entirety of Baltimore's most interesting rap acts.

The third annual All Rap Round Robin goes down this Friday at Load of Fun. The event features nine acts of the most unique left field blends of hip hop our fair city has to offer. This year's lineup, which will come at you rapid-fire round robin style, includes:

Food For Animals
Height
AK Slaughter
King Rhythym
Jones
Mickey Free
The Plural MC
PT Burn 'Em
Rap Dragons

Jones just dropped his debut solo full length, titled Jones Jones Jones. You can snag the MP3s for free right here, or go grab the limited vinyl copy that boasts custom spray paint art unique to each sleeve. Jone's slow delivered flow and minimalistic psych-soaked beats can also be caught at this year's Whartscape.

Tickets for the round robin this friday at LOF are only 5 bucks, show starts at 10.

With much thanks to Jeff, take a gander at the audio from 2007's event below!