Rapdragons - Ten Stories Hijacked

Rapdragons just dropped their second official release, Ten Stories Hijacked. This is the Ten Stories High remix project, where Nick Often and Greg Ward asked a bunch of friends/local sound-makers to help out on each track. Download it for free now.

Naturally, Nick and Greg's friends are all heavily stocked with skills for making beats, and the ones that aren't make up for it with natural musical vision. Remixes were limited to tracks off of Ten Stories High, with contributions from a wide range of musicians based in Baltimore. The lead track is below, a killer contribution from Schwarz.



This release is pretty stacked, and also includes a remix from Future Islands synth wizard Gerrit Welmers under the moniker of his rad solo digs - a Moss of Aura track I featured back in February. Gerrit's cut is definitely a highlight of Ten Stories Hijacked.



The release also sports remixes from Weekends, Polygons, Lexx, Jones, Cex, Eachothers, and more. Get the full scoop straight from the man himself after the jump.

I recently checked in with Nick Often about the new release, and he told me what was up with it amongst other Rapdragons business and things in the works...

Ten Stories Hijacked hit may 5th after a rolling internet release featuring one track a day. the album is 15 total tracks (10 tracks + Bonus Pack 01, which is 5 bonus tracks). Bonus Pack 02 will hit this summer (but not before Featuring Baltimore) with exclusive tracks and featuring a remix sent to us at rapdragons@ltdcomp.combetween may 05, 2010 and june 30, 2010

The record has a bunch of different flavors, but it's all Baltimore. Since we're doing the Featuring Baltimore project and we're the ones picking the songs, I'm cutting them up, and we're writing the new words and concept, we wanted to do sort of the inverse of that for Ten Stories Hijacked, where the musicians are more taking what we've done, and putting there spin on it. Fittingly, we worked mostly with laptoppers and electronic artists that have had some experience working with vocal tracks or manipulating sound in a recording environment. In the future, we hope to work more directly with musicians of all stripes, and to find new modes of collaboration.

Featuring Baltimore: The Mixtape is due June 08.

chyea!

Clusterf*ck: Tuesday Night Edition deacon at bernie's, cex, harlem, and more...

As once noted in a post with The G, we don't endorse the drugs. However, we totally support musical happenings in Baltimore. And for whatever reason, the 20th day in April seems to spark up a handful of worthwhile events around town.

Harlem's new album is called Hippies, and shit, I can't think of a band with a new album title that is a better ode to this so-called holiday. Yes, hippies are the product of a never-ending 4/20, but you won't find any Grateful Dead covers on this new LP via Matador. You will however find sixteen garage pop tracks that are light-hearted, full of fuzz, and catchy as all hell.

Harlem were fantastic last time they came around these parts, and I'd expect no less tonight at the Golden West when they play with Eternal Summers and Junkers.

Over at the Red Room you'll find a rather intriguing set of performances tonight. Dan Deacon will team up with Teeth Moutain member Andrew Bernstein to form what is to be called Deacon at Bernie's. The duo will be performing along with three short films by Lillian Schwartz and Stan Van Der Beek, which were curated by Mary Helena Clark.

If this wasn't enough to keep your head held high, world-renown cellist Charles Curtis will also be in town and performing in the Red Room. This one will run ya six dollars and starts at 8.

If you're not burnt out, one of Baltimore's biggest weekday dance parties is back in full 420 action tonight at the Hippo. Deep In The Game sports residents CEX and Schwarz, and tonight will feature guest DJ Cullen Stalin. This one's free before 11, but $5 after.

Streaming below is a recent mix by CEX dubbed "Archbroseph of Berlintimore Tbass Mix Series #9", which totally lives up to being described as a "relentless mix of skanky heavy bass Grime ruffness."