New Local Videos x2

Two fresh new videos from Bmore Carpark artists hit the interwebs this week. Beach House continues their dream pop world domination by providing accompanying visuals to the single off the "Used to Be" 7 inch. Shots from the video seem to illustrate themes of beautiful loneliness, as the song was written while touring.

Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez released his first video, the single off his highly underrated debut LP Why is Bear Billowing? "The Letter B" features a picnic packed with blood, charred American flag toothpicks, and fruit. Catch both of these artists December 18th on Eyes Night of the Baltimore Round Robin homecoming show at Sonar.

Dan Deacon Endorses Drawing

Solidifying themes of multi-colored creativity, Dan Deacon is helping Crayola sell a new product. Giving the company the rights to "Pink Batman", Crayola used the jam to soundtrack a new ad. Deacon claims he has had offers for other endorsements before, but this is the first for a product that promotes creativity to children.

The ad glamorizes the "Glow Station", which looks to me like the way cooler new version of the Lite Brite. This is not the first time a Bmore-affiliated artist has licensed songs for commercial use. Spank Rock bumped some salad dressing, and Animal Collective also helped children expand the left side of their brains.

Invisible Oranges

The Oranges Band are dropping their first full length in over three years. With Doug Gillard of Guided By Voices sporting production, the LP should continue the band's 90's indie sound with even more authenticity.

The Oranges Band Are Invisible gets a record release party tomorrow night at the Ottobar. Advanced copies of the album will be sold, until the album has a proper release in February.

Stream 2 tracks from the new album below, grab your hand packaged copy tomorrow.

Thrill Jockey Signs Double Dagger

Local postcore trio Double Dagger just got signed to Thrill Jockey, home to Tortoise, The Sea and Cake, and The Fiery Furnaces. The Chicago based label seems to have taken a recent liking to Baltimore's music, with other representatives of the label including Thank You and Arbouretem.

The follow up to the epic Ragged Rubble is being worked on now, and the label will re-release the 7"s Bored Meeting and Sophisticated Urban Living.

Double Dagger will play "Feet Night" of the Baltimore Round Robin Tour, which is being performed once more at Sonar December 18 and 19. They join the likes of Dan Deacon, Beach House, The Deathset, Adventure, Future Islands, Jana Hunter, Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez, Videohippos, and so on so forth.

Grab some free Double Dagger mp3s from their site; click the rubble containing drumsets and amplifiers.

Little Trooper / Wicked Poseur Split 7"

SHDWPLY RECORDS recently dropped a highly recommended split single. Norfolk's Little Trooper contributes "Wasn't Ready", a pop gem complete with handclaps and campfire choruses to roast smores to.

Wicked Poseur, hailing from Texas, sound like the mishmash of Wolf Parade and The Cure. "Acrylic Tomb" rocks this crucial combo to the fullest, and leaves me hoping there's more to come from the duo.


Stream the two singles below, and be sure to check out previous SHDWPLY releases from The Super Vacations, Baltimore's Teeth Mountain, and Gary War. Expect more to come.

M.I.A. & Blaqstarr Got Them Yellow Tops

Unfortunately, a new season of The Wire co-starring M.I.A. and Blaqstarr is not in the works. But, the next best thing something that reluctantly attempts to hold us over until this never actually happens, has occurred.

The two have redone "Way Down in the Hole", the epic Tom Wait's jam that soundtracked the opening sequence of the series. While most would prefer the version off Frank's Wild Years, give credit to both who allegedly shot the video for only $9.95.

Bradford Cox <3's Halloween

Mr. Cox is a busy dude. Since 2007's epic Crypotgrams, Bradford has put out endless demos on his blog, dropped an LP on under his Atlas Sound moniker, and just this week released another critically acclaimed Deerhunter album.

Microcastle/Weird Era Cont., complete with spooky glass-eyed cover art, has even helped garner Radiohead comparisons to the band. Bradford continues to post Atlas Sound jams, with recent tracks encompassing the festivities of this week's holiday.

Deerhunter are in the area next week, rocking the Ottobar November 3rd and playing the Black Cat in our nation's capital on election night. Times New Viking support with extreme lo-fi pop music on both occasions.

Blow Yr Head

Diplo liberates a taste of some original tracks, first of that nature in some time.

The Blow Your Head EP digitally hits you today, while the vinyl should be available later this week.The EP features the title track, a jam with Marina Vello, and 3 remixes of "Wassup Wassup" graced by the presence of Rye Rye.

Grab the digital copy from Beatport or Turntablelab, just in time for you to throw it into your monster mash mixtape Friday night. Diplo headlines this November 13th at Sonar.

El Guincho Mixtape

El Guincho finally made his debut Alegranza! available to the U.S., dropping it on Young Turks this week. To coincide with the looping tropically- infused LP, the Panda Bear-esque Spaniard put together some songs.

Titled Gorila contra Bear, the mix rocks a half hour of obscure lively jams from around the globe. Stream below, and catch the Guincho touring the U.S. next month.

Hope Night

This Sunday night the 26th, the Metro Gallery will be hosting Hope Night. Wye Oak and Caleb Stine head the bill for an evening filled with "music, film, and activism in support of Barack Obama". All proceeds will go to the Maryland for Obama campaign. The picture above is from Wye Oak's stellar perfomance opening Sonar a few weeks ago, and below is their video for "Please Concrete" directed by Caleb Stine himself.

I Saw The Bright Shinies

Mad Decent Tour

In addition to spinning this Friday, local club banger Blaqstarr will be opening for a tour rolling through November 13. Mad Decent is bringing fresh groovable goods to a town near you this fall. Diplo is fronting the affair, who just released his Beirut-infused entry to Radiohead's "Reckoner" remix contest.

Support comes a la Los Angeles natives Abe Vigoda, who are in no way affiliated with this guy. The band dropped Skeleton a few months back, a collection of jams littered with sounds of lush tropical punk after drinking too much Jolt.

Sonar is hosting the affair, Thursday November 17 on their main digs. The bill also features Boy 8-Bit and Telepathe. Sample away below.

DJ Blaqstarr Friday Night

DJ Blaqstarr helps collect charitable donations at the Ottobar Friday the 17th. Tix are just 5 bucks with student ID, and proceeds will go to the Collegebound Foundation.

Wye Oak Daytrottered

Daytrotter posted a recorded session with Wye Oak yesterday. The midwestern site compared Wye oak to the side of Baltimore that finds a dead body in their backyard, and "turns that experience to a lesson in time." Hmm.

The free mp3's feature 2 familiar tracks, and 2 new ones titled "Remember, Above" and "Mary is Mary". The duo will be showing off at CMJ, then touring across the pond with Dr. Dog.

New Animal Collective Album?

A collection of works from the collective of animals may be arriving just in time for you to return sweaters and buy the gifts you really wanted. The only facts as of yet are that something Animal Collective related is happening in January, and that something is to be called Merriweather Post Pavilion.

In addition to the name of Columbia's outdoor music venue, the teaser site features video of what appears to be one of those obnoxious singing fish. 

Thats all I got. 

Make of it what you will, dudes are touring Europe until mid November.