Top Baltimore Albums of 2011

2011 has come and almost gone, and with it came another hearty selection of music releases from Baltimore. While we lost some historic bands this year (Double Dagger, Ponytail, Thank You), 2011 continued Baltimore's outpour of quality records.

Narrowing this down to a list was difficult - taking into account vinyl wear and tear, digital play counts, love, and the release's meaning to a continually thriving scene.

There is one release from a Swedish band. This gets a pass because the record features a lineup with lead vocals from Daniel Higgs. It also gets a pass because it's amazing. Also, there are a handful of records on here that I helped release via Friends Records.

Here are my top 25 music albums from Baltimore, Maryland in 2011.

25. Daytime - Daytime's Serendipity
24. Each Others - Lately Now
23. Roomrunner - Roomrunner
22. Holy Ghost Party - Holy Ghost Party
21. Vlonde - The Grief of O
20. Romantic States - Still Petals
19. Inflatable Mattress - Pumped Up
18. Arbouretum - The Gathering
17. Dog Leather - Greezy Man and Stinky Man Meets Smutty Ranks On Tarantula Hill
16. Ken Seeno - Invisible Surfer On An Invisible Wave
15. Witch Hat - Brown in a Dog
14. Adventure - Lesser Known
13. Skull Defekts - Peer Amid
12. Moss of Aura - Wading
11. Run DMT - Dreaming


10. Zomes - Earth Grid


9. Thank You - Golden Worry


8. White Life - White Life


7. Co La - Dial Tone Earth


6. Ponytail - Do Whatever You Want All The Time


5. Microkingdom - Three Compositions of No Jazz


4. Dope Body - Nupping


3. Wye Oak - Civilian


2. Future Islands - On The Water


1. Celebration - Electric Tarot: Hello Paradise

Video: Wye Oak - "Holy Holy"

Our friend Nada over at the always radical Friends with Both Arms blog sent us a clip of Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack from Wye Oak performing our favorite song from Civilian.



Not only is this a stellar sounding outdoor rendition of "Holy Holy", it's performed on a swing set. We already knew Andy Stack was multi-talented, but here he displays his ability to swing and play the drums at the same time. The video was beautifully shot during SXSW, and was produced to help out with the Invisible Children fund.

Wye Oak's Civilian is out now on Merge Records.

Flock of Dimes - "Prison Bride" + Interview with Jenn Wasner

Before Wye Oak set out on their most recent national tour in support of Civilian, singer and guitarist Jenn Wasner told me she had some recordings in the works for her new solo project. A week later while out on the road, Jenn passed along "Prison Bride".



"Prison Bride" is the debut track from Flock of Dimes, and was recorded at Chris Freeland's Beat Babies studio just outside of Baltimore. This instant-classic gets right to the point, courtesy of a jaw-dropping beat compliments of Wasner. Once Jenn's beaming pipes begin to shine over top of the cascading rhythms and infectious melodies, odds are that this genre-defying banger will be your new favorite. Enter, Flock of Dimes.

"Prison Bride" will appear on Friends Recs' forthcoming 2011 compilation, more details on which are TBA. I chatted with Wasner yesterday to get the scoop on Flock of Dimes, who told me about her "vanity project", Mickey Free's role in these new sounds, and Usher...

How did Flock of Dimes start?

I was in-between tours, and feeling crazy and maybe a bit overambitious. I decided that the only way I would follow through with making as much new music as I could while at home would be to set a deadline. That morning my friend Ben asked me to play a show at his house. I impulsively agreed. The 5 songs I wrote and recorded in the two weeks preceding the show became Flock of Dimes. Now I've got a few more shows coming up, so I'm trying to write 5 more songs. Baby steps.

What are your influences for this project?

Mostly I'm trying to work quickly, have fun, and have a project that's a little more carefree and open-ended. But it's also important that I feel like I'm challenging myself to explore areas that don't come naturally to me. (These recordings are my first attempts at drum programming, for example.) I'm trying to ask more of my voice, and force myself to write and play in different ways. For example, I arbitrarily decided that all FoD songs would be in one particular guitar tuning that I'm not really comfortable in. Breaking my old habits has really helped me write differently, and more quickly.

OH, I just realized that wasn't what you asked at all. I don't know…a lot of people tell me it sounds like Cocteau Twins. Or something.

Who influenced you from here in Baltimore?

I'm inspired and intimidated by so many of the talented people that live and work here, and that's a big part of what has convinced me to try and make more with the time that I have. People are just so goddamn prolific and multi-talented in this city. It makes me want to ask more of myself and challenge my own expectations of what I'm capable of.

How would you describe Flock of Dimes?

I'm fond of "vanity project". I'd say that about covers it.

Whats your favorite R&B song? Artist?

I'm a huge Aaliyah fan. I love Usher, R Kelly, Ciara, The-Dream. "Are You That Somebody" by Aaliyah is a front-runner in the "songs I can't believe I'm not tired of yet" category. I don't think Flock of Dimes is going to end up sounding like any of those artists, though.

How/where is Flock of Dimes recorded/produced?

The original basic tracks for the first batch of songs I made under the apprenticeship of Mickey Free (without whom these songs would certainly not exist). After I played my first show, I booked a day at Beat Babies with Chris and Mickey, and knocked out a bunch of live guitar, keys and vocals. I knew I only had a day, which was perfect, because part of the fun of this project is to move quickly, not over-think things too much. That studio day was in late December, and I've been on tour for the majority of the past three months, so I've had to work a bit differently with batch number 2. Currently, I've managed to put together a fairly functional mobile recording setup, so I've been able to tinker around with ideas while traveling. I'm trying to get more self-sufficient with the production side of things, and fortunately I'm surrounded by a lot of really talented and knowledgeable people who are ready with guidance when necessary.

What's in store for the future of Flock of Dimes?

I don't have any lofty goals or expectations for myself, on a practical level. I want to keep things low-key, play shows where and when I want to, and make sure I'm continually excited and a little bit confused.

Clusterfuck: Future Islands, Wye Oak, Weekends, Run DMT, Lands and Peoples, Dope Body, Adventure, Ed Schrader, more

Today I present you with the first Clusterfuck post in awhile, as Saturday boasts an insane amount of quality music events in Baltimore. Here's what you should do tomorrow.



Tomorrow at Hopkins' Spring Fair, the Levering Quad offers a lineup lifted straight from our Soundcloud playlist as Future Islands, Dope Body, Weekends, Lands and Peoples, Adventure, and Raindeer all take the stage outside. Word is that the stage is covered, so this is probably rain or shine. Also, it's definitely free. The schedule is right here.



Immediately after the Spring Fair you'll need to coast down St. Paul to the 2640 Space where Wye Oak hosts a release party with their touring friends Callers. Get tickets for that here, and take a gander at their new video for "Fish" here. Also, it's Jenn's birthday.




After you leave the 2640 Space you'll need to head downtown to Floristree where you'll find and all-star cast of Weekends, Winks, White Fang, Run DMT, and Rapdragons.

And if that wasn't enough, the Talking Head has the Fan Death Records showcase with Ed Schrader's Music Beat, Locrian, Pleasure Leftists, Broken Water, and Heroin Sucks.

Video: Wye Oak - "Fish"

A few days ago NPR premiered the first official video from Wye Oak's Civilian, and the results look about as beautiful as the record sounds. Take a gander above.

With paintings by Katherine Fahey and photography by Michael O'Leary, this puppet-filled affair is one of the more gorgeous shorts we've come across this year. You can welcome back Wye Oak from a lengthy tour this Saturday to celebrate the release of Civilian. The show is at the 2640 Space in Charles Village and tickets are still available right here.

Tonight: Co La, Hubble, Future Shuttle, more

If you're not heading down to the Black Cat for their sold out affair with Wye Oak, Lower Dens, and Lands and Peoples tonight, then the Soft House has surely got you covered.




Tonight the space hosts Co La (Matthew Papich's awesome new project that I gushed about last week), Future Shuttle, Hubble, Bow Ribbons, and Nugg (Comeback Ranch).

The show tonight starts at 10 PM, probably accepts donations, and you can RSVP here.

Go See Wye Oak

Wye Oak's third record, Civilian, drops today on Merge. To celebrate, here is the last song played at a Paper Kingdom show in 2007. MP3 originally obtained via Butter Team.



This is back when Andy Stack and Jenn Wasner were known as Monarch, and this was a brand new song at the time. Andy and Jenn will be playing current brand new songs at Soundgarden later today, around 7:30. They will also be playing this Friday night in D.C. at the Black Cat with Lands & Peoples and Lower Dens, a pretty rad lineup of Baltimore bands in our neighboring capital. Their next big local show is April 16 at the 2640 Space.

Stream Wye Oak's new LP - Civilian

Wye Oak's highly anticipated third full length record is out next week, and its called Civilian. You can now stream the new LP in full over at NPR's website.



I've had the pleasure of spending the past couple of weeks with the new LP thanks to the good folks at Merge Records, and it seems pretty clear that this is the band's best work to date. The album is still growing and morphing through my ear-spaces, so I'll wait a few more weeks before I write up a proper review.

For now, go listen to the record for yourself, and buy the vinyl next week from Merge.

Videos: Wye Oak, Dog Leather, Height with Friends

With not a ton going on this weekend after being blessed with the wonderment that is THUNDERSNOW this week, I figured I'd share an oddly-matched bunch of local videos.


Wye Oak performing the title track from their forthcoming Civilian LP in Amsterdam.


DJ Dog Dick + Sewn Leather = Dog Leather. Oh my goodness. [via Ehse Records Blog]


Height with Friends performing the closer to Bed of Seeds up in NYC. This was a really killer show that I had the privilege to attend that included Dan Deacon and Dustin Wong.

Wye Oak - "Civilian"

Baltimore's own Wye Oak are set to release their third full length - Civilian drops on March 8, 2011. Stereogum premiered the title track from the forthcoming LP yesterday.



"Civilian" is likely a familiar tune if you've caught Wye Oak play live in the past year or two. The recording does this monster of a noisey folk rock epic some justice, with new production help from John Congleton who has at times lent a hand to Modest Mouse, Shearwater, and The Thermals. The band boasts that using Congleton "gave us a chance to step back and see the big picture, whereas on previous recordings we got embroiled in the technical details." The result streaming above is one of their best songs to date.

Civilian is out March 8, 2011 on Merge Records. Get the track list after the jump.

Shows: Wye Oak, Double Dagger, Roky Erickson, Thank You, Arbouretum, Zomes, Height, more

The upcoming weekend supplies a killer event to attend each day, starting tomorrow. Wye Oak headlines the Ottobar, backed by The Art Department and Height with Friends.





If you read this space, your familiar with our love for Height with Friends, particularly Bed of Seeds. The Art Department released their first proper LP with GenPop this summer, and Wye Oak continue to blow up worldwide. Andy and Jenn are also on the heels of a new album, and word on the street is to expect that next spring(ish).





On Saturday, the good folks who hosted the majority of this years Whartscape are having a fundraiser. The lineup at Current Space is pretty awesome, and includes what will likely be the last local Double Dagger show of 2010. Performances from Thank You, Mickey Free, Zomes, Brendan Sullivan, and more can also be expected at this all day affair.



Arguably the godfather of psychedelic rock and roll comes to the Ottobar on Sunday. Roky Erickson headlines, proprietor of all things psych/garage and founding member of the 13th Floor Elevators. Roky will be supported by the doom-folkers Arbouretum. Arbouretum's lineup will also be joined by David Bergander and Walker Teret of Celebration. Video of Dave Heumann singing a new song in a grassy knoll is below.

Upcoming Shows @ The Ottobar: Lower Dens, Wye Oak, Future Islands, more

The Ottobar has a trio of shows in October/November that each feature a different local headliner, and all of which have put out some of our favorite releases thus far this year.



Starting with next week, Lower Dens headlines the Ottobar on October 19 in what will be their last Baltimore show of 2010. They play with the much-hyped garage pop of Frankie Rose and the Outs and Woven Bones, and locals Junkers will be opening. Lower Dens just finished up a massive North American tour, complete with visits to NPR's Tiny Desk and Daytrotter, both of which are worth checking out.



On Friday, November 5th, Wye Oak headlines the venue. This one is supported by two other local bands that have always come recommended by us - Height with Friends and The Art Department. The local indie hip hop mainstay Height and the quirky and angsty poppers of the Art Department have both dropped excellent full lengths on vinyl this year.



And lastly, Future Islands will headline the Ottobar on Saturday, November 20th. This is the seven inch release party for a split they are putting out with Lonnie Walker, which contains the forthcoming Future Islands single "The Ink Well". The limited split is pressed to peach-colored vinyl and comes via Friends Records. Nov. 20 will be the last stop on a 17-date November tour that both bands are a part of. Opening the Baltimore release party will be Winks, a project that has a new full length coming soon.

Future Islands are currently finishing up in Europe, where they ran into Dan Deacon...

Barn Aid is now Monday @ Golden West (and is cheaper!)

Major changes to Barn Aid were just announced, here are the new plans...

Springfield Farms is a lovely establishment up in Sparks, Maryland that supplies The Golden West and other Baltimore kitchens with local food. Unfortunately, the farm is currently undergoing a costly legal battle involving barn zoning.



Supporters of the culinary and musical variety have joined forced to put together Barn Aid, which will take place Monday, September 20th at The Golden West. Performing will be Wye Oak, Birdland (Sean and Katrina of Celebration), and DJ Jason Willett.

All proceeds from the event will be donated to the farm, and tickets are on a sliding scale of 10-15 dollars. The event starts at 9 PM this Monday at the Golden West.

Photos / Review: Whartscape 2010 Sunday

While most reports of this year's Whartscape might first call to mind the blazing heat wave, only on Sunday did the weather actually affect the musical happenings. A major storm's wind took control of the massive tarp over the the main stage, lifting it high up near the roofs of the buildings and then slamming it back down on the stage. Many might blame the vibes of Little Howlin' Wolf's set for the storm, and I'm guessing the band would probably consider that a compliment.


The heavy rain began, the music halted, and folks scattered - but those who stayed were treated to an epic rain dance performance starring Adam Endres and April Camlin. The music at Current Space was announced to be canceled for the day (even though Ducktails and a few others still performed for a small crowd outside after the storm) and Sonar was named the new location for the lineup of Beach House, Celebration, Health, Wye Oak, Deakin, and Lower Dens. Many kudos to those who made a shift like this happen with such short notice.


The change allowed for more people to come see these acts, but also forced a handful of bands to move to the H&H bill that night. The vibe at Sonar was at times a bit off when compared to the usual Whartscape aura, but all of the performances were beyond spectacular. Celebration and Wye Oak's new material showed much promise for their new LPs in the works, and Lower Dens nailed a set chock full of the amazing material off their freshly released Twin Hand Movement.


Firemen were visible towards the end of the evening, a presence that lead to the hasty halt of Beach House's set. After responding to a pulled alarm over at the show going on simultaneously in the Club stage, the Baltimore City Fire Department shut down Sonar smack in the middle of Beach House's set - sending the packed house home or onward.


The H&H bill was heavily beefed up that night by adding Future Islands, Prince Rama, and Talk Normal to the 5th Dimension lineup after the storm changed plans. This allowed Future Islands to close out Whartscape 2010 for those who made it into the 5th Dimension space. Their set was nothing short of legendary, and the crowd stormed the stage during the last song. The band was also joined by Katrina Ford of Celebration, whose soaring vocals contributed to another amazing rendition of "In The Fall".



THANK YOU WHAM CITY FOR 5 YEARS OF WHARTSCAPE.

More from Valerie's photo set after the jump.

Lower Dens


Wye Oak


Deakin


Celebration


Health


Beach House


Prince Rama


Talk Normal


Future Islands



Photos by Valerie

Mickey Free ft. Wye Oak - "Never Enough"

One of Baltimore's favorite indie beat-makers and producers is back in action, and is on the heels of releasing a brand new full length. Mickey Free is offering his new jams under the title, Last of the Tight Wiggers. I've been spending some time with this LP over the past few weeks, and I'm happy to report that Mickey's crafted something pretty rad.



Above is the fourth track on the album, "Never Enough", which features Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack of Wye Oak. If you're not familiar with Baltimore, or you haven't heard the last track on Wye Oak's newest EP, then you might be a little surprised to see Wye Oak appearing on an indie hip hop album. However, Andy and Jenn were both on last year's Height with Friends LP, and Mickey played a role in production on the duos latest EP.

I for one am never typically a fan of the standard hip hop chorus, but throw Jenn Wasner's vocals over top of one of Mickey's slickest beats, and I'm sold. This jam is a slow burner, full of heartbreak and stacked with soul. Dave Heumann's guitar caps the song off, and is paired with a dose of vibed-out saxophone compliments of Andy Stack.



The LP also features Baltimore indie rap mainstays Emily Slaugher and Height, who you can hear in the track above. Mickey is currently offering the whole album as a stream on his bandcamp page, and you can also indulge in the full thing here and after the jump.

Photos: Wye Oak / Lands & Peoples @ Ottobar

Last Friday night Wye Oak played a homecoming show after national tours with Lower Dens and Shearwater, and their arrival back home was greeted graciously. Lands and Peoples and Ami Dang opened up the affair, which went down at the sold out Ottobar.


Lands and Peoples put on yet another brilliant display of sonically-rich folk pop, and listening ears welcomed their sounds in awe and with gratitude. Their set clocked in at an ideal 30 minutes, and was capped off by a stellar rendition of "In Living Colour".


Wye Oak killed it, seemingly eager to play to a packed club full of friends and close followers. This was the celebration of their new EP, a five song gem now out on Merge that was produced by Chris Freeland and Mickey Free in their studio outside of Baltimore. Andy and Jenn invited Lands and Peoples to join them for a song, a cover of Rod Lee's infamous "Dance My Pain Away".

Get the full set of photos compliments of Valerie after the jump.

Wye Oak






Lands and Peoples









Photos by Valerie

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

Wye Oak - "I Hope You Die"

For a song called "I Hope You Die" by a band that often bellows themes from the darker sides of things, one might not tend to expect textures of luminance and feelings of hope. Yes, the lyrics provide us with the angst and heartbreak that we've come to expect from Wye Oak, but this kind of feels like one of the brighter jams to come from this young local duo. Hear for yourself.



"I Hope You Die" is powered by Andy's keys, which add a depth unseen with any prior tracks from the duo. While previous songs found texture in bursts of noise, this one provides nooks and crannies throughout that give it a different feel. This track may hint at new directions for Wye Oak, but at it's core the same slow-building ups and downs scream with beauty and thought. Oh, and there's a saxophone too!

The new EP is called My Neighbor/My Creator, and was recorded by Chris Freeland along with brother Mickey Freeland in their basement studio outside of Baltimore. Mickey Free's remix of "That I Do", which originally appeared on Splice Today's Baltimore Does Baltimore, is the fifth track while the other four tracks are all brand new songs.

Andy and Jenn digitally released their new EP via Merge Records last week, and you can get the CD at any of their Spring tour dates or in stores June 8. Wye Oak is currently on tour with Jana Hunter's new band Lower Dens, and then head out on a massive North American journey with Shearwater. Get all the dates after the jump.

03.15.2010 Memphis, TN @ Hi-Tone Cafe
03.24.2010 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
03.25.2010 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
03.26.2010 Washington, DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel
03.27.2010 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
03.28.2010 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's
03.30.2010 Cambridge, MA @ TT The Bear's
03.31.2010 Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rossa
04.01.2010 Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace
04.02.2010 Ithaca, NY @ Castaways
04.03.2010 Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern
04.04.2010 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
04.05.2010 Milwaukee, WI @ Mad Planet
04.06.2010 Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar
04.07.2010 Grinnell, IA @ Gardner Lounge - Grinnell College
04.08.2010 Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck
04.09.2010 Norman, OK @ The Opolis
04.10.2010 Dallas, TX @ The Loft
04.22.2010 Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room
04.23.2010 Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
04.24.2010 Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland
04.25.2010 San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
04.27.2010 Portland, OR Doug @ Fir Lounge
04.28.2010 Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore Cabaret
04.29.2010 Seattle, WA @ Triple Door
04.30.2010 Pullman, WA @ The Bell Tower
05.01.2010 Boise, ID @ Neurolux
05.02.2010 Salt Lake City, UT @ the State Room
05.04.2010 Denver, CO @ Walnut Room
05.05.2010 Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
05.07.2010 Austin, TX @ The Parish