Thank You Say You're Welcome

There have been a few major casualties this year within Baltimore’s music scene, starting with Ponytail and Double Dagger. A third perennial live force announces it’s departure today as Thank You will play it’s last U.S. show this weekend in Baltimore, and it’s final show this December on a European tour.

In conversation yesterday, band founder Jeff McGrath admitted that Thank You’s G Spot show with Oxes this Saturday and their forthcoming European tour will be their last of a six year run. The band is set to play their final show at ATP’s Nightmare Before Christmas at the invitation of former tour mates, Battles.



Jeff explains, “It sort of just feels like we’re moving out of an apartment.” A few weeks ago William Cashion of Future Islands asked Thank You if they wanted to join them for a January tour. When the band got together to discuss William’s proposal, it became evident to everyone that not all of the members still enjoyed touring or had the will to continue to do so.

Each of Thank You’s LPs since their days with original drummer Elke Wardlaw have been hand-crafted with a strong ode to their live performance. First and foremost, Thank You is very much a live band. Without this component, all four current members couldn’t envision moving forward under the same moniker. Jeff was quick to point out that they’ll all remain best friends, they all plan to stay living in Baltimore, and that they all plan to continue making music - just with different friends and artists. This makes sense, especially when considering the musical cycle currently occurring in Baltimore.

Since Whartscape’s conclusion, a number of pivotal bands in Baltimore’s music scene have disbanded. Besides geography, a few other similarities link together these break-ups. They were executed positively, brought on by pure motives, and instilled the core values of friendship. None involved ill wills, hefty egos, or tugs at fame. They occurred because either the band wanted to go out on top, or because it’s members creativity would flourish more within separate entities.

To the casual bystander, Baltimore’s music scene may appear to have a few holes. However, a closer look reveals at least ten other willing and eager bands for every disbanded group of heroes. Though Whartscape and a handful of its pioneers may have retired their household names, there remains a thriving community that's arguably even stronger than ever.

Pivotol bands might break up, but their members tend to start or join new projects with other friends in town. Jeff McGrath put it rather simply yesterday, “The nature of this city is friendliness.” In a music scene that relies heavily upon a tight-knit community, it’s important to say thank you to friends that help continue its evolution.

Thank You has one final release in store; details are forthcoming.

Go: Future Islands & Celebration

On Saturday in Baltimore you can go see two bands that will likely be responsible for the best two records to come out of town this year - Celebration and Future Islands.



Next week marks the release of On The Water, the third long player from Future Islands. Words can only begin to describe the magnitude of this record, churning feelings and evoking a sense of consciousness that's found between the perfect balance of sheer joy and utter despair. Throw in a guest appearance by Wye Oak's Jenn Wasner, Denny Bowen laying down live drums, and beyond-perfect production by Chester Endersby Gwazda, and dudes have created a masterpiece. Future Islands play their only in-store performance of their massive upcoming North American tour tomorrow at 5 PM at Sound Garden.



Celebration relinquished their first LP in a number of years earlier in 2011, a nine song affair titled Hello Paradise. Not only was each song perfect in just about every way, but the statement made in the story behind the record highlights just about everything wrong with today's music industry. Celebration are putting on an intimate performance at The Metro Gallery on Saturday night with Lands and Peoples before they head out on the road for a southern tour with Arbouretum later this month.

View tour dates for both Future Islands and Celebration after the jump.

End of the Road: Double Dagger

I began this week posting about a new beginning, but will end it with a farewell. After nine years together, Double Dagger have announced their final string of shows.


Perhaps Steve Buckhantz said it best. Dagger, indeed. Dudes are throwing in the towel at a high point, after two of their finest releases - More and Masks. From the band:

We've accomplished a lot in those nine years, playing some incredible shows with bands we love and in places we never thought we'd get to play. We've been fortunate enough to have several great labels support us along the way, starting with local friends Hit-Dat, and later Chicago-based labels Stationary (Heart) and Thrill Jockey, as well as hometown labels Toxic Pop and Terra Firma.

To answer the inevitable question about why we're breaking up: Like any relationship's end, it's complex, but for us it mostly comes down to time. As the band got older and grew and changed, the people in it did too, and our individual lives are pulling us towards other pursuits. With this in mind, we decided to focus on playing a few final shows in some of our favorite cities, and go out on a high note instead of slowing fading away. We still like the music, the shows, and each other, and we think it's best to bring things to a close while we can still devote our full energy to this music.



We've been taking time off from playing live to finish a few new songs, which will be released posthumously in some format (the details are still being figured out). We've also been planning a string of final shows in some of our favorite cities next month.

We could fill a book with the people we want to thank for everything they've done for us over the years. Those who helped us out in any way from putting out our records, helping us screenprint record covers and t-shirts, taking a chance on booking us in other cities we'd never played before (or booking us time and time again), roommates who sat through countless hours of practice (and sometimes recording), strangers who made us meals in their homes, let us sleep on their floors, drove us around, put up with our bad jokes, lent us equipment (though more often it happened that we were the lenders), absorbed the onstage insults, didn't sue us when getting hit in the head with drums, gave us good advice, bought the records and came to the shows and flipped out which gave us the energy to better do the same, and most importantly the girlfriends and wives who let us take the time to do this, all of you made everything we've put into this worth it.

We're all creative dudes so this isn't the last you'll hear from us, but it is (almost) the end of the line for hearing from us together as Double Dagger. The last of it will be that forthcoming collection of songs and the last few Double Dagger shows.

Double Dagger's final shows are listed after the jump.

Future Islands - "Before The Bridge"

Bmore Musically Informed has been on hiatus for about a month now, but I can no longer hold in all the good musical things that are coming out of this town. I still need employment, but I was offered some paid freelance work recently, so this will have to suffice enough for me to start blogging again. Thanks for all the kind words, help, and encouragement in regard to my search for work - it really means a lot.

One of the best things that happened while I stepped back from the blogosphere was a fresh track from one of my favorite bands in the world right now - Future Islands.



You can read more about "Before The Bridge" over at my post on Impose, but here's the basics. It's the A-side of a new 7" out on Thrill Jockey on July 19, which is limited to just 750 copies. It's the first new song to be heard since "The Ink Well", and it's drenched in promise of more amazing things to come from this Baltimore trio.

Pre-order the new 7" from Thrill Jockey Records right here, and peep some live footage of Future Islands playing the 2640 Space for Celebration's LP release show below.

Zomes - "Openings"

Asa Osborne is certainly more than just an iconic figure of Baltimore's scene, guitarist of Lungfish, and purveyor of Zomes. Osborne continues to instill output far beyond this universe, and it's the more intimate and deeply personal sounds of Zomes that allow you to see what this Baltimore mainstay really represents.



"Openings" is appropriately the first track of the forthcoming Zomes record, which will be his second full length under his solo moniker. The new album is called Earth Grid and comes via the good folks at Thrill Jockey. I've had a chance to spend a bit of time with the new LP, and am pleased to report that it's more of the same personal and reflective meditations achieved via fuzzy tones and hypnotizing melodies.

Zomes records synths and simple drum beats straight to tape, producing just the right amount of hiss and distortion to create textures that are totally unique to this project. While the melodies and beats might be simple and repetitive, the subtle variations and deep textures are what make these songs what they are -- total meditative bliss.

Look out for some more good news on Zomes from us in the very near future.

Arbouretum - "Destroying To Save"

Baltimore's finest purveyors of dark and grandiose folk rock, Arbouretum, are set to drop a new album this February on Thrill Jockey called The Gathering. The first taste is below.



"Destroying to Save" is to be the third track on the forthcoming LP. The song is a doom-filled romp through lost battlefields and forgotten conquests. It's a perfect example of how this band is able to enforce heavy gloom while at the same time fanning a swift breeze of melody and entrancement. In fact, The Gathering looks to be one of the most melodic works to date by Arbouretum, likely due to new help on keys by Matthew Pierce.

Thrill Jockey writes that The Gathering is inspired by The Red Book written by Carl Jung, and points out Jung’s "pursuit of the inner images that led to the book’s writing." Dave Heumann depicts journeys that were once lost but now grasping for direction, while his arsenal of sound-smiths inflict a force of aural redemption that can be felt miles away.

The Gathering is to be released via Thrill Jockey Records on February 15, 2011.

Video: Thank You - "Birth Reunion"

The folks over at Thrill Jockey just gave us the go ahead to post the new video from Thank You. The short for "Birth Reunion" was shot by Nat Munari, with the help of Katherine St.Paul Hill, Lindsay Pickett, and Za Dawson of the Bobby dance group.



"Birth Reunion" is the second track on Thank You's forthcoming Golden Worry LP, of which I shared excitement for a few weeks ago. It will be available January 25, 2011.



Coincidentally, William Cashion just informed me that Bobby will be performing on November 20 at the upcoming Future Islands seven inch release party, in which I posted the new single for earlier today. Bobby will perform in between sets from Future Islands, Lonnie Walker, and Winks. View that flyer right here. Bobby debuted at this year's Whartscape, and also performed at the Oxes show back in August at Windup Space.

Future Islands: "Tin Man" / "In Evening Air" Jason Urick Remix

Our friends Future Islands are about to finish up a massive European tour, and will turn right back around and embark on another tour here in the states throughout November.



Label mate and current Baltimore resident Jason Urick recently took a stab at remixing a couple of the tracks off of their latest LP, In Evening Air. Above is Urick's rendition of "Tin Man", a journey of sound that clocks in at over ten minutes long. The emotional synth pop track is turned into an ambient dance floor jam, complete with a killer beat and washes of noise. The original is hardly distinguishable, but its force is felt.



Thrill Jockey also passed along Jason Urick's reinterpretation of "In Evening Air", the LPs title track that sets the tone for the B-side of the disc. A similar approach is taken, but this one will send your mind much higher into the clouds. A careful dreamer, this one is best served late at night or when piloting an interplanetary space vessel.

Take a look at the rest of the Future Islands tour dates after the jump.

Thank You - Golden Worry

The good folks at Thrill Jockey recently passed along the forthcoming LP from the local trio Thank You. The new record is called Golden Worry, and is due out on January 25.



Above is "Pathetic Magic", which you'll find on the new LP, but was also on a sold out 12 inch that was released last year. "Pathetic Magic" leans towards the new direction of Golden Worry, but carries more of the same spontaneous rhythms and hypersonic melodies we're used to from Thank You. While the familiar characteristics we've come to know and love remain, the new record gains further advancement into more traditional song structures - creating what seems to the band's first rock record. 

Golden Worry could be the band's pinnacle, successfully capturing the unassuming journeys of melody and fusion of industrial-tribal rhythms into a package accessible outside of their live performance. Vocals are now far more prominent, and are precisely interlaced to create and add new depths for the band.

The new LP was recorded by Chris Coady at DNA in New York and mixed by Chris Moore here in Baltimore. It is also the first full length with their new drummer Emmanuel Nicolaidis. In addition to the arrangement you may have witnessed for their live performance, the new records boasts sounds from ‘60s Vox organs, harmonica, mini-moog, jaw harp, sampler, and Fender Twin Reverb amps.

Check back for new sights and sounds from Thank You, Golden Worry drops January 25.

Interview / Contest: Dustin Wong

Dustin Wong's Infinite Love is out on Thrill Jockey next week, and is up for pre order now. A select number of folks who order the album will have a "golden ticket" within the record's packaging that will grant access to a special one-on-one concert with Dustin via video chat to be called Infi-NET Love.



Dustin Wong and Thrill Jockey were kind enough to give us a golden ticket to give away. Send an email to bmoremusicallyinformed@gmail.com with INFI-NET LOVE in the subject line telling us why you should get the ticket, and we'll pick a winner.

I recently had the pleasure of asking Dustin about the concept of his new solo album, psychedelic experiences, the LP's accompanying DVD, bands, and more...

BMI: Infinite Love is two tracks that both start and end in the same place, but each take their own course in getting there. Tell us about the ideas behind this concept?

DW: There is definitely an idea of fate and choice, but I'm also interested in the idea of conditioning.  Ideally I'm hoping that when one switches from a version to the other an effect similar to a malfunctioned escalator would occur.  If you've ever gone down or up a stopped escalator its so strange and its kind of a shock, the stairs looks like its actually moving and you end up stumbling.  It happens to almost everybody.  I want that shift in the listening ear.

With this new double LP the listener is meant to choose their own course, what advice would you give listeners when they make these choices?

My advice is not to alternate the 2 versions at first, I would get situated with one version.  Stay with it for a while and if you feel like you got a lot out of it switch to the 2nd version.  I think that shift will happen once you change.

The name of the album, Infinite Love, is a reference to a psychedelic experience of yours. Would you care to tell us about that experience?

I ate a good amount of mushrooms on my birthday last year.  It started fine and fun but after a while the trip started get really dark and heavy.  Me and my partner started to chant and sway around, Then I decided that I had to lye down.  I think I said something like, "I'm going to give birth".  So I was on my bed pushing like a pregnant mom would, flexing, then it was just peace, and I felt the love.  I kept on repeatedly saying, "infinite love, infinite love... ".  It felt like I could do anything, it was amazing.  I experimented with salvia for a month or two this year and that has been really insightful as well, very interesting stuff.

Twig Harper & Daniel Higgs - "Number Two"

A couple weeks ago I pointed out footage of an interview with Twig Harper, regarding his new LP with Daniel Higgs that's due out this month. I've spent the past few weeks with Clairaudience Fellowship mind-fucking my ears from time to time - seven collaborative songs from two Baltimore revolutionaries.

I will not pretend that I fully understand this LP just yet, or ever properly will, as it's just about as twisted as you'd possibly imagine. It's seven tracks of Daniel Higgs' epic spoken-word hymns (much like the poems of his Say God LP), but this go around these thoughts from Higgs are cosmically haunted by the noise of Twig Harper at the helm.



"Number Two" is the second track on the LP, and comes at a point in the album where minds are still vaguely in check, and ears are only teased by hints at what's to come. However, the universe has begun to stir, until there is only one way to go. That direction is inward, which doesn't stop throughout the latter half of this journey.

Twig Harper describes the vibes found on Clairaudience Fellowship as...

"...a setting of experience by creating a bridge inside the ear striving to see linguessence / utterance immediately prior to verbal distinction placed firmly inside a double helix weave ultra verbal mirror."

Thrill Jockey will release Clairaudience Fellowship on September 21. The vinyl is limited to 1000 copies. Harper and Higgs also will be touring together, details forthcoming.

Video Premiere: Dustin Wong - Infinite Love

Monday I posted about the forthcoming LP Dustin Wong is releasing called Infinite Love, and today Thrill Jockey passed along a video preview for the album.

Both the LP and CD version of Infinite Love will come with a DVD that allows you to "choose which musical path you'd like to have accompany the film, with the hope that the two different musical versions will change the experience of the movie."

Infinite Love is available October 19 from Thrill Jockey.

Dustin Wong - "Talking Walking Cloud"

Ever since I first put Seasons on to my turntable last year, and also since I first saw Dustin Wong perform live at last year's Soft Fest, it's been pretty apparent that something special has been brewing. While we recently got sad news from Dustin that his band Ponytail would be going their separate ways, Dustin's inspirational sounds will continue with a brand new record coming out on Thrill Jockey this Fall.



"Talking Walking Cloud" is an outtake from the forthcoming LP, but it sure as hell doesn't sound like one. It sports the looping fluorescent melodies that we've come to know and love from Dustin, yet it also shows a glimpse at where his sound is heading. The tones are more rich, the layers are fuller, and it's becoming more and more obvious that this is one of the originators of Ecstatic Sunshine.

Infinite Love is the name of the new LP, which comes out October 19 on Thrill Jockey. The concept behind this album is incredibly intriguing, and you can read more about it right here. Mobtown Studios recently hosted a Microshow that featured Dustin Wong, and you can download that entire set over at their site.

Twig Harper & Daniel Higgs - Clairaudience Fellowship

Thrill Jockey just announced a new LP they will be releasing, a collaboration from Baltimore's resident noise-fiend Twig Harper and the legendary Daniel Higgs.

An album of this nature is pretty mind-blowing to even think about, so the label went ahead and filmed some juicy details straight from the source. The video is of Twig Harper over at Tarantula Hill, and was filmed by Jake Lingan.

Clairaudience Fellowship is out September 21st on Thrill Jockey.

Future Islands - Undressed + "Walking Through That Door"

In the past few weeks I've ranted and raved about Future Islands' first ever acoustic set. The band had told me about a recording they participated in at Mobtown Studios while practicing for that set, and yesterday the kind folks at Thrill Jockey dropped me a line to confirm this new release.

A brand new Future Islands EP called Undressed will be released by Thrill Jockey on September 21. This 12 inch will be the result of their acoustic recording at Mobtown, where they were joined by Denny Bowen (Double Dagger) on drums, Kate Barutha on cello, and Devlin Rice (Nuclear Power Pants) on guitar.

The recording is also intended for a broadcast the band did for WYPR's The Signal, which has yet to air on the station. There will not be any tracks from the EP released prior, but expect a similar stripped-down vibe as the Metro Gallery performance.



However in other Future Islands news, "Walking Through That Door" (the first track on this year's LP) was just made available by Thrill Jockey. The details on the Future Islands' seven inch with Friends Records will be shared early in September, around the same time the trio embark on a massive European tour.

Get the track listing for Undressed after the jump.

Future Islands
Undressed
Thrill Jockey 2010

01. In the Fall
02. An Apology
03. Long Flight
04. Little Dreamer

Video Premiere: Future Islands - "As I Fall"

Directed by Mary Helena Clark

Our Midwestern buds over at Thrill Jockey just sent over this brand new Future Islands clip for us to premiere, for the last song on In Evening Air. While each and every song on In Evening Air can make you cry, dance, and ponder life, "As I Fall" is certainly one of the sadder moments of the record.

This clip, directed by Baltimore's own Mary Helena Clark, portrays that sadness quite well, and one-ups it with heavy layer of haunting darkness. See for yourself above, and check out Future Islands' remaining tour dates with Lower Dens (who I featured last week) after the jump.


May 25 - Eureka, CA @ Lil Red Lion
May 26 - Portland, OR @ Rotture
May 27 - Ellensburg, WA @ Raw Space
May 28 - Seattle, WA @ KEXP Live on-air performance at 12 noon
May 28 - Olympia, WA @ Northern (w/Long Mornings)
May 29 - Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern (w/Long Mornings) EARLY SHOW, STARTS AT 6PM
June 1 - Denver, CO @ Rhinoceropolis (w/Pictureplane)
June 2 - Kansas City, MO @ The Foundation Room
June 3 - Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop
June 5 - Chicago, IL @ The Hideout
June 6 - Detroit, MI @ Majestic Cafe
June 7 - Toronto, ON @ Double Double Land (w/Romo Roto)
June 8 - Montreal, QC @ The Green Room
June 9 - Burlington, VT @ The Monkey House
June 10 - Dover, NH @ The Brickhouse
June 11 - Boston, MA @ Brookline Cable Access
June 12 - Brooklyn, NY @ Silent Barn
June 13 - Baltimore, MD @ Penthouse

Video: Pontiak - "Second Sun / Beach"

Pontiak dropped a new LP on Thrill Jockey this week, dubbed Living. I just picked up a vinyl copy of the record earlier this week, and from the first couple of spins I am already convinced this might be their best yet. From the super heavy low-end, to the haunting psychedelic soundscapes, to the blissful acoustic sonics that bridge it all together... this record is brilliantly dense in all the right ways.


While I'm still digesting Living, the band just released a video of two of the tracks, "Second Sun" and "Beaches". The cloudy ambient guitars of "Second Sun" is pictured with roads and greenery, while the psych folk of "Beaches" is played while the sun sets.

Pontiak are now finishing up a tour with Arbouretum, here's the itinerary.

May 20 2010 9:00P	Hideout with Arbouretum & Bitchin Bajas (CAVE)	Chicago, Illinois, US
May 21 2010 9:00P	Bourbon Street with Arbouretum	Columbus, Ohio, US
May 22 2010 8:00P	Secret Art Space with Arbouretum	Bethlehem, Pennsylvan, US
May 23 2010 9:00P	Great Scott with Arbouretum & High Aura’d	Boston, Massachuse, US
May 24 2010 9:00P	Santos Party House with Arbouretum & CoConuts	New York, New York, US

Video: Future Islands - "Tin Man"

directed by Jay Buim

The first video off of In Evening Air just dropped today over on P4k, a Future Islands track that has had us dancing and crying at shows over the past year or so.

In Evening Air will be released May 4th on Thrill Jockey.

Future Islands Tour Dates

April 22 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat (w/DOUBLE DAGGER, Ed Schrader)
April 23 - Charlottesville, VA @ Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar
April 24 - Greensboro, NC @ tba

North American Tour with LOWER DENS
April 30 - Baltimore, MD @ Floristree (w/DOUBLE DAGGER, Dustin Wong) In Evening Air Release Party!
May 1 - Brooklyn, NY @ Death by Audio (w/DOUBLE DAGGER, Light Asylum)
May 2 - Philadelphia, PA @ Danger Danger (w/DOUBLE DAGGER)
May 3 - Shepherdstown, WV @ Blue Moon Saloon
May 4 - Raleigh, NC @ Berkeley Cafe (w/Lonnie Walker, Whatever Brains)
May 5 - Charlotte, NC @ Milestone
May 6 - Greenville, NC @ The Phoenix (w/Lonnie Walker, NAPS)
May 7 - Charleston, SC @ Outer Space
May 8 - Atlanta, GA @ 529
May 9 - Athens, GA @ Nasty World
May 10 - Knoxville, TN @ Pilot Light
May 11 - Chattanooga, TN @ tba
May 12 - Oxford, MS @ tba
May 13 - Pensacola, FL @ tba
May 14 - New Orleans, LA @ tba
May 15 - Houston, TX @ Mangos
May 16 - Austin, TX @ The Mohawk
May 17 - Lubbock, TX @ Riprock (w/Height with Friends)
May 18 - Las Cruces, NM @ The Equinox
May 19 - Phoenix, AZ @ tba
May 20 - Las Vegas, NV @ tba
May 21 - Los Angeles, CA @ Sync Space (w/Foot Village, Robedoor)
May 22 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Smell
May 24 - San Francisco, CA @ tba
May 25 - Eureka, CA @ Lil Red Lion
May 27 - Portland, OR @ tba
May 28 - Olympia, WA @ Northern
May 29 - Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
May 30 - Boise, ID @ tba
May 31 - Salt Lake City, UT @ tba
June 1 - Denver, CO @ Rhinoceropolis (w/Pictureplane)
June 2 - Kansas City, MO @ The Pistol
June 3 - Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop
June 5 - Chicago, IL @ tba
June 6 - Detroit, MI @ tba
June 7 - Toronto, ON @ Primary Colors
June 8 - Montreal, QC @ tba
June 9 - Burlington, VT @ The Monkey House
June 10 - Dover, NH @ The Brickhouse
June 11 - Boston, MA @ tba
June 12 - Brooklyn, NY @ tba
June 13 - Baltimore, MD @ Penthouse