Photos: The Snails at the Copycat Theatre

The Snails crawl on to a Baltimore stage about once a year. "Baltimore's answer to the California Raisins" consists of members of Future Islands, Lower Dens, Small Sur, and Nuclear Power Pants. Last week saw their 2011 debut at the Copycat Theatre.

Valerie was there to capture all the action, some of the more colorful shots you'll likely see on here. Sam Herring and William Cashion of Future Islands make up a chunk of the Snails, and you can catch those dudes at one of their biggest local shows ever this Saturday at the 2640 Space for Celebration's LP release show with Arbouretum too.

Show: Mickey Free Record Release Party @ Golden West

This Friday night at the Golden West Mickey Free celebrates the release of his new album with AK Slaughter, Nuclear Power Pants, and Secret Weapon Dave on the 1s and 2s.

Mickey Free has had a banner year, churning out a killer remix of Wye Oak's "That I Do", producing the latest Height with Friends LP, and capping it all off with a solo full length that's chock full of the antics and beats we've come to know and love from Mr. Free.



While the LP has a handful of standouts - from "Never Enough" which features Wye Oak and Dave from Arbouretum, to more humorous takes like "The Unnies" - my personal favorite has to be "They Don't Know How To Act" which features a verse from Height. Any hip hop track that can come off this serious but still use the phrase "schlepped" is ace in my book, and this epic banger defines everything Mickey is capable of.



I highly recommend hitting up the show this Friday night, and even more so, I urge you to pick up a copy of Mickey Free's Last of the Tight Wiggers. Mickey is offering admission to the show and a copy of the album for just $10, so get on that.

Tonight: Height, Microkingdom, Witch Hat @ Hexagon

Tonight the Hexagon is still in action, hosting what might be the last Height show at the venue. The fate of the space is still up in the air, but tonight is confirmed with Height with Friends, Nuclear Power Pants, Microkingdom, and Witch Hat all on the bill.





Height and Microkingdom both play tonight and tomorrow, with a show up in Philly tomorrow night at The Ox. Microkingdom's next scheduled local performance isn't until October 29th at the G Spot with Celebration, while the next time you'll be able to catch Height in town is at the Ottobar Novemeber 5th with Wye Oak.

Witch Hat's brute force and Nuclear Power Pant's oddball soul should round out a hell of a good time, a diverse cast worth getting there on time for. Doors are at 9 PM.

Nuclear Power Pants - Uh Oh Maxi

Last year Nuclear Power Pants unleashed Wicked Eats The Warrior on Wham City Records, and have since been a stampede of impressive live shows throughout the country. Last month they toured with Height with Friends, a tour that was in support of a new cassette from the crew.

The Uh Oh Maxi tape is the latest release from Nuclear Power Pants, and just like their last LP, its one that you're going to need to go ahead and snag a copy of. The new tape comes at us via Really Coastal, and is limited to 125 copies.

The release features the album version of "Uh Oh", accompanied by several remixes and alternates that are more than worth your ears. For me, the highlight was the first track on the B side, the "Vibrating Strings" version of "Uh Oh. Peep it.



This extended version of the original is a bit of a throwback, with enough soul to make your mama's mac 'n cheese look like Easy Mac. The tape also features another killer remix from Jones, and also a remix from Drew Swinburne who mastered the whole release. Grab a copy from Really Coastal right here.

Uh Oh Maxi

A
Uh Oh
Screwdriver (Drew Swinburne Remix)
Destroy Destroi (More Light!)

B
Uh Oh (Vibrating Strings)
Teeth of a Lion (Jones Remix)

Clusterf*ck: Shows in Baltimore this Weekend

There's a lot to do this weekend, so let' get to clusterf*cking. This one is a bit of a Friends Records edition, as bands from all three of our upcoming LPs are playing shows.



Tonight, the Hexagon is stacked so grab a six pack or flask of your favorite spirit and get ready for a pretty diverse bill. Baltimore's Weekends, Jones, and Talk to Animals, are paired with DC's BLDGS and Boston's Bone Zones... yes, the name's Bone Zone. This party will run ya six beans, and as always the Hexagon is BYOB. See you there.

Sonar is sporting a massive one tonight as well, with the biggest ambient soul project in all the land coming to town. Taxlo's got The XX, but unfortunately if this is the first you are hearing of it you're out of luck. This one's sold out, but there's an after party at Sonar with Jamie from The XX DJing that does not require a ticket to the show. The after party starts at 10 PM.



Saturday night you'll likely want to be in the Annex/Copycat corridor. Height with Friends and Nuclear Power Pants bring the veggie oil fueled bus back to Baltimore, playing a big 'ol homecoming show at The Good Son with AK Slaughter, Gavin Riley, and Drew Swineburne. Nuclear Power Pants will also be releasing their new cassette single for "Uh Oh Maxi". And, Height's new LP will be ready for your turntables in just a couple weeks.



Over at Pet Cemetary, there's another massive lineup with Weekends, True Womanhood, Ava Luna, Cop Magnet, and Silent Whys. A lot of these folks have releases with the Baltimore digital label Environmental Aesthetics, and also a lot of these folks are awesome. There is one more show in the vicinity, with Nothingberryplasma, Total Bolsheviks, Andrew Bernstein, and Comeback Ranch all playing over at The F401tress.



Oh and hey, you've got two more swell options Saturday night with Rapdragons playing their release party for Ten Stories Highjacked, and the Oranges Band playing their 10th anniversary show at the Ottobar.



If you survived Saturday night's ambush, then Sunday's got a stellar free show upstairs at the Ottobar. Sri Aurobindo and Jack Chick play El Suprimo's 7th birthday party. Get psyched.

Clusterf*ck: Shows in Baltimore this Weekend

Hey, there's a lot to do this weekend. Let's get to it.

Tonight if you happen to come across Oliver and Guilford, you've got two options. Penthouse Gallery is offering The Great Valley, Brendan Sullivan, Bear & Pieces, and Sun on My Head. Bear & Pieces has a new tape almost ready which I am stoked for, but here's "Falling Down" off of Brendan Sullivan's Wooley Eyes tape.



Just around the corner is another fine bill. Moss of Aura, Power Animal, Winks, and Semya all play in the Annex. Just like the show in the Penthouse, there's a couple artists playing this one that you'll hear new things from on a compilation I'm putting together for Friends Records. Look out for details on that soon, but for now, get Winks' "Weed Makes Sex Weird" stuck in your head.



And last but not least, Friday night the 5th Dimension has a big one at the H&H put together by True Vine and Aural States. Matmos, Konk Pack, and Leprechaun Catering will all blast you with electronic stimuli, for just a $5-10 sliding donation. Jason Willett shared some Konk Pack sounds at Aural States earlier this week.

See what's going on Saturday after the click.

Saturday night the Ottobar has New York's Vivian Girls, with Vermont's Happy Birthday, the United Kingdom's Wet Dog, and our very own Weekends. Vivian Girls were pretty good last time they were around these parts with Ariel Pink. Details on the new Weekends LP will soon be available, which was mixed and mastered by Rob Girardi. It will be called Strange Cultures, and you can expect to hear things from this record very soon. This one's off their debut:



Down at the Annex, you can catch Videohippos, Nuclear Power Pants, Fang Island, and The Chinese Stars. Nuclear Power Pants are about to set off on tour with Height with Friends, and Videohippos just got back from a tour. Add the much hyped Fang Island and the always great Chinese stars, and you've got yourself a show.

Also, don't forget about the Publications and Multiples Fair on Saturday and Sunday.

Photos: Dan Deacon, Sick Weapons, and Nuclear Power Pants at the Ottobar

Friday night's show at the Ottobar was a make-up date for a show that was supposed to happen late last year, and props to all involved for delivering on their promise. This was a super great lineup, and had all the makings for an enjoyable Friday evening.

Sick Weapons continue to be, well... sick. They get tighter and tighter with each and every performance, as Ellie gets more fun to watch along the way too. Expect a big 2010 from these folks, and hopefully their first proper release. Nuclear Power Pants' sounds of funky synths and acid-drenched pop sludgery were bigger than ever Friday night. Their stage show was as lively and entertaining as I've seen, so be sure to check them out as they head out on a national tour with Height with Friends in late March.

The last time we covered Dan Deacon playing solo in Baltimore the vibes were not great due to a push-happy younger audience. This was not the case Friday, as Dan set up on the stage but allowed anyone to join him up there. It was good to see him back in action and doing the things that got him to where he's at today, and it was equally as good to see a crowd that showed support and respect. I've heard some rumblings of future things to come from Deacon, and I look forward to keeping folks informed on said things.

Get Chrissy's full photo set of the evening after the click.

Sick Weapons




Nuclear Power Pants






Dan Deacon









Photos by Chrissy

Clusterf*ck: Local Shows this Weekend

This weekend is ridiculously packed full of options. The local music overload starts tonight at the Wind-Up Space. The Baltimore Community Radio Coalition is throwing a party, featuring Air Waves, The Art Department, Eternal Summers, and Microwave Background.

I've already gushed over the lineup at the Ottobar on Friday, and today's the last day to win free tickets to see Ponytail spread guitar-riff-pixie-dust-bliss all over Remington. Don't forget to get there early for DJ Dogdick, Dope Body, and the Crazy Dreams Band.

Another solid show is going down Friday at the Talking Head with Deleted Scenes, Soft Cat, and more. If you choose the Talking Head show, check back here at bmoremusic.net for the audio from the stellar Ottobar lineup courtesy of Jeff.

Shit hits the fan Saturday, with three quality shows to choose from. The Baltimore Taper is throwing his 5 year anniversary party, and inviting some his favorite bands to help celebrate. Heroin UK, the Dirty Marmaduke Flute Squad, and more will all grace the Metro Gallery's presence. Rumor has it, this is the DMFS's last show of the year.

Sonar also has a stellar one, with local hero's Double Dagger headlining a show that includes the LA noise-wavers Health. Health are fresh off the release of Get Color, a much more focused affair than their last. And last but not least, Nuclear Power Pants is having an album release party at Floristree Saturday night. You can check out some positive reception for Wicked Eats the Warrior over at Beatbots and Aural States.

Choose wisely, folks.