Clusterf*ck: Future Islands, Small Sur, Winks

Lots of good sounds in town this weekend, folks. Tonight the Windup Space will surely treat you well, with Moss of Aura, Lo Moda, and Ghost Life all helping to celebrate the release of Small Sur's new EP. The new release comes compliments of Aural Slates.



Bare Black is a three track EP soaked in all the beauty and warmth of Small Sur's prior work. "Weeds" is the first track on the disc, and is offered as a free download over on their site. Bob Keal, Andy Abelow, and Austin Stahl continue to sit among the top of a blossoming variety of lush folk music here in Baltimore. Small Sur seems to master subtle drones, simple and addicting melodies, and the heartbeat of nature pumping through each croon more and more with each release.



Also, Moss of Aura is always a good reason to attend anything.



Tomorrow night the Metro Gallery plays host to Wild Nothing. Curated by Natasha Tylea, this installment will feature thirteen artists displaying summer-inspired photos. The opening is free, and features Future Islands' first ever acoustic set. The closest we've ever seen them play acoustic was the living room session we recorded last Fall. "Swept Inside" above and "Walking Through That Door" below are both from that session.



Also Saturday, the Annex plays host to Winks, Applemouth, Space Tigers, Ben Lorber, and Christopher Adams. This show was listed as "The Lighthouse Returns to Babylon" in an email I recieved, but I have no idea why.

Rapdragons - Featuring Baltimore

From the first time I met Nick Often and Greg Ward of Rapdragons last year, the two Baltimore rappers were enticing me with a local-oriented project they had in the works. The project is titled Featuring Baltimore, and it will be officially released for free tomorrow via their very own LTD Comp.

Featuring Baltimore is a full length mixtape, where in which each song samples from a different Baltimore artist. The result of Nick and Greg's superior taste in local music and knack for beat-cooking is 16 tracks of hip hop ready for any summer party. Hear a taste below.



"Dragon's Heart" samples "A Dog's Dick" by Lower Dens, one of the standout tracks on the new Lower Dens LP that drops later this summer. The Rapdragons take on the jam capitalizes on the killer bass line found in the original, and of course adds on top verses of Nick and Greg's party rap that Bmore has come to know and love.

The full release can be downloaded for free on LTD Comp tomorrow, and features samples deriving from The Agrarians, Beach House, Double Dagger, Future Islands, Ponytail, Weekends, Baby Venom, Dope Body, Arbouretum, Secret Mountains, Mr. Moccasin, The Art Department, Lo Moda, and more. Peep the full track listing below.


Rapdragons - Featuring Baltimore (LTD Comp.)

01 Early for Work (samples Late for School by Ponytail)

02 Come Harvest (samples Growing Season by Secret Mountains)

03 Plot Twist (samples Shakescene by The Agrarians)

04 Trivial Prey feat. Rebel Conscious (samples Grave Hunter by Mr. Moccasin)

05 Camp Everywhere (samples Camp Nowhere by Weekends)

06 Real Summer (samples False Spring by Arbouretum)

07 Memory (samples Vision by Dope Body)

08 Manifest (samples Camouflage by Double Dagger)

09 Bury (samples Dig by Blood Baby)

10 Rap'n'Roll feat. AK & Hanna Badalova (samples Rock'n'Roll by The Art Department)

11 Slick Rick (samples Eyepatch by Baby Venom)

12 I Went to Her feat. Seven (samples You Came to Me by Beach House)

13 Constant Metropolis (samples Istanbul by Lo Moda)

14 Dragon's Heart (samples A Dog's Dick by Lower Dens)

15 Big Dreamers (samples Little Dreamer by Future Islands)

16 Gotta Go feat. Hemlock Ernst (samples Cannot Move by Existencils)

Lo Moda: Replica Watches

Gospel Store Front hit speakers via Creative Capitalism back in 2006. Three years later, Lo Moda have relinquished their second long player dubbed Replica Watches.

Lo Moda consists of a mish mash of local artists from various other creative outlets, which may have contributed to the longer break in recorded output from the group. Regardless, Replica Watches was completely worth the wait as it builds off all the strong suits of their debut.

The band has remained a purveyor of minimalistic post punk, throwing in influences ranging from soul to krautrock. But just as their sound draws from a deep pool, the simplistic and repetitive nature of tracks like "Real Real" and "Anonymous Cats" are what have always given Lo Moda their charm.

The hypnotic and almost cult-like feel give the urge to throw this one on repeat, and if Lo Moda was a cult I'd sure as hell drink the Kool Aid at their party any day. The new LP also boasts some more upbeat dynamics as well. "C.O.N.T.R.O.L. (Catch You Later)" sports one the catchiest organ loops I've heard since DJ Shadow's "Organ Donor", and makes for a great centerpiece.

Clocking in at almost an hour, Replica Watches is full of enough new handclaps and viola drones to hold us over until the next. Peep the video for "People Who Like Carolling" below, and be sure to check them out at Golden Westival this Friday night. Order the new LP physically or digitally here.

Golden Westival Lineup

Everyone's favorite avenue watering hole is hosting quite the event next week. The Golden West presents Golden Westival and/or Golden Fest. Call it what you will, this a four night local music extravaganza of varying sorts.

The Golden West has been a popular workplace for artists, and this gathering aims to serve as a pretty bad ass employee talent show. A mere 20 bucks gets you in all four nights, or 6 dollars for each night. In addition to music, Braegen promises a theatrical performance and a science experiment.

Check out each night's lineup below:

Thursday 8/20/09
Crazy Dreams Band , Jana Hunter, Jones, Young & Rusty presents his Cocaine Sex Jams, Brian Adam Ant

Friday 8/21/09
Lo Moda, Ed schrader, Matrimonials, Necklace

Saturday 8/22/09
Mishaps , Cex, Old THUNDER HEART, Midnight Society, Zach Kaufman

Sunday 8/23/09
Pilgrim, Mickey Free, Child Bride, Macgregor Burns, Boner Jamz

Artscape: Exotic Hypnotic

One of the events coordinated for this year's Artscape is shaping up to be pretty great. Exotic Hypnotic is a three day mini festival within Artscape curated by the people that bring us the fantastically off-kilter High Zero festival every year.

It takes place July 17-19 at the University of Baltimore Performing Arts Theater. The event sports a truly eclectic and unique lineup. Avant garde might take the forefront, but the pop-minded individuals are not forgotten. Some of the highlights include Weekends, Lo Moda, Quartet Offensive, Cex, Childe Bride, Il Culo, and a ton more. The local jazz legend Lafayette Gilchrist will be playing solo piano on Sunday.

A few names I didn't recognize certainly caught my eye. The Multiphonic Choir will play on Friday and provide the sounds of a "5 saxaphone hybrid Fela Kuti with German electronic music". And the "Indian classical meets contemporary electronics" of Calusari will play Sunday afternoon. Count me in.

This is part of Artscape, so tickets are zero dollars.

Deekee Zjevotneya & Aural States Fest

Music was brimming from Baltimore this weekend as per usual. I'm sure Aural States will have coverage of their extremely well put together mini-fest this weekend, Greg's already got up MP3s of Wye Oak's set compliments of the Baltimore Taper. Sri Aurobindo absolutely killed it, while Wye Oak, Arbouretem, Caverns, and Lo Moda all put forth solid sets.

However Saturday night's bill at the Talking Head had a glaring bright spot. Deekee Zjevotneya are a bona fide rock band with tons of promise for the future. Charlie and Brian have written some ridiculously clever and catchy lyrics, with Brian Adam Ant's folk tune nature getting tossed in the dryer with a load of Pixies.

Ex-Wailsound's drummer Andy Thomas and Jake the Snakemaster each boasted incredible skills, solidfying the bands instantly mind-numbing sound. Looking forward to what the recording process produces from them, surely check back for more deets on these guys in the near future.

Aural States Fest

The Aural States Fest is this weekend. Friday night @ Sonar feautures some of Baltimore's finest: Arbouretem, Wye Oak, and Small Sur. The 2 staged event also boasts Caverns, Imperial China, Lo Moda, Hollywood, Pleasant Livers, Andy Abelow, and Cannot Be Stopped. Hot damn.

All for only 10 bucks, its a pretty ridiuclous and diverse bill all around. Get there early enough on Friday and you might get a free goodie bag with CDs, MP3s, and merch. The fun continues Saturday night at the Whole Gallery with CEX and Craig Sopo.

Click here for free MP3's of the bands.

HampdenFest

This years HampdenFest takes place this Saturday the 13th. Always a good time, this year's highlights include Thrushes, Lexie Mountain Boys, The Oranges Band and tons more. As usual its a free affair, check out deets on all the action below:

CITYPAPER STAGE
11AM - Degenerettes
12PM - Harlot
1PM - Baby Aspirin
2PM - Impossible Hair
3PM - lo moda
4PM - HAMPDEN IDOL
5:30 - 7PM - The Oranges Band

ATOMIC BOOKS STAGE
11AM - The Jennifers
12PM - The Lexie Mountain Boys
1PM - Thrushes
2PM - Secret Crush Society
3PM - Ed Schrader
4PM - Squaaks
5PM - The Ubangis
6PM - Pulaski

BALTIMORE MESSENGER STAGE
11AM - Barrage Band Orchestra
12PM - Art Department
1PM - Susan Alcorn
2PM - Tritons
3PM - Courtney Dow
4PM - K Love The Infinite with DJ Nett & Reina Williams