One of Baltimore's most beloved bands continues on with their new journey, adding another free track to their site. Celebration have chosen a new path since leaving 4AD, a direction that has found them uploading gem after gem to their website.
The newest track is called "Shelter", and is the fourth track to be added to their Electric Tarot virtual card deck. "Shelter" is certainly one of the more delicate tunes to grace the project, showcasing the more pristine side of Katrina's voice rather than haunts and bellows of some of the more grandiose tracks in the deck. The result is rather beautiful - a song that winds and crawls its way upward, until you've joined the band up in the atmosphere just as they likely intended.
While on the surface the Electric Tarot project appears to have slowed down, I am happy to report that it is still on track. I had the privilege of spending some time in the studio with Celebration last week, where they informed me that they were mixing the last track to be included in the first Electric Tarot physical release.
Peep the video accompaniment to "Shelter" after the jump, more to come soon.
The video features PT Burnem underneath a bridge in Baltimore, doing his thing acapella style. The other two videos will feature other rappers involved in similar scenarios around town. Look for those to come soon.
Baltimore's Ecstatic Sunshine is an ever-revolving cast of guitarists and sound-benders that currently houses the solo work of Matthew Papich. His last album, Yesterday's Work, was an LP that came out late last year with a swirl of altered guitars and and hypnotic melodies that still gets some pretty regular play on my turntable.
The current incarnation of Ecstatic Sunshine just released a new digital single called Freak Flag. The release is available as a free download, and includes the track below.
"Hello Money" shows some progression since Yesterday's Work, with it's accentuated percussion and an overall bigger sound. The looping guitars are still fully in tact, but are accompanied by even more noise - mostly of the percussive variety. While the vibe is generally upbeat and light, there are washes of dark that keep your head just below the clouds throughout. Matthew describes the piece as...
...music for being without intent, for occupying time and space in an ambient way, irresponsibly, and outside of the marketplace. No currency will be exchanged. Freak Flag is teenage idling as deliberate, unexceptionally sophisticated leisure. Bass, Drums, Guitar, Space.
The digital seven inch shows much promise as to what's to come from Ecstatic Sunshine, as you'll find both tracks on the next full length. The new LP will be titled Dissolver. Get both tracks from Freak Flaghere, and look for more good things to come. Ecstatic Sunshine Freak Flag
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".
Saturday's Whartscape festivities were filled mostly with sounds of the rock and roll variety, and were considered by most to be the best part of the weekend fest. Ending the outdoor portion of the day with Dan Deacon and his ensemble, No Age, Arab On Radar, and Lightning Bolt proved nothing short of epic.
In addition to this killer foursome of sets, we saw a pretty astounding batch of songs from Double Dagger. Nolen made his usual threat to the photographers, however this speech stood out when he quoted something Ellie from Sick Weapons once said, "seems like a show doesn't happen in this town unless there's a photographer there".
Saturday also featured a great set from our favorite Detroit band, Child Bite - whose new LP is pretty fantastic. Ponytail's set was also worth noting, especially with rumors swirling regarding the band's current status. The day also opened up with some Ponytail, as Dustin Wong joined the Rapdragonsfor their song that samples his guitar part.
Get Valerie's full photo set from Saturday after the jump. Child Bite
Last weekend's fifth annual Whartscape was likely the last, but the festival more than certainly went out on a high note. Over 100 acts descended upon a Baltimore parking lot and warehouse, all made possible by the folks at Wham City.
Friday's lineup sported a good deal of hip hop from the more mainstream sounds of the Get Em Mamis, to the off-the-beaten-path vibes of Height with Friends, and even to the jaded blunt-smoked rambles of Lil B. Friday also featured some rock and roll of the more noisey variety with killer performances from Teenage Souls and Weekends.
However the highlight of the day had to be Oxes, who presented Whoxesscape. The seldom seen and freshly reformed trio played inside the window in front of Current Space, which overlooked Howard Street. This allowed whartscapers, random pedestrians, and light rail riders to hear and watch the band at random moments throughout the day. At one point Marc Miller and Nat Fowler took advantage of their wireless guitars, bringing them out on to the street in the middle of a song. This made for some precious moments and interesting encounters to say the least.
At night there were also options, ranging from the lush soundscapes of Avocado Happy Hour, to the bewildering guitar chops of Dustin Wong, to the lo-fi sonics of Romantic States. Valerie was there to capture as much of the event as she could, and her shots from Friday are after the jump. Javelin
I know at least a couple handfuls of folks around town that have been eagerly anticipating the new Art Department LP, a release that's been in the works for a good bit of time. The band and GenPop Records are now happy to report that Paperwork/Birdwork will be released on August 15.
Lead singer Jonathan Ehrens kindly passed along the album to me yesterday, and gave me the go ahead to premiere a track. I chose the fifth song on the A side of the record.
Like the rest of the jangled pop we've come to know and love from this band, "Second Nature" gets straight to business and cuts out all the middlemen. All notions are made clear in under a minute and 40 seconds, and I'll be damned if you didn't bob your head from the first second on. Jonathan mentioned that Birdwork and and Paperwork were two distinct sides, and this track seems to be the high point of some incredibly reflective melodies found on the A side of the record.
This 12 inch record will play at 45rpm, and will soon be available for preorder at GenPop. Look for more on this release in the coming weeks, as it will likely be put on regular rotation for the weeks to come. Get the full track list after the jump. The Art Department Paperwork/Birdwork GenPop Records 2010
Side A 1. Let's Imply Stuff 2. I Am Yr Censor 3. Get On 4. Not Called The Shots 5. Second Nature 6. Axe To Grind
Side B 7. We Are In Court 8. Standin' Around 9. Carolyn 10. Nothing With Ain't 11. Small Net 12. Pains Me
For those that haven't quite yet experienced the free-formed percussive drone that is Teeth Mountain, their debut LP isn't a bad place to start. While they're best served in a live setting, their 2008 long player that came out on SHDWPLY has been worn pretty thin by my record needle with spin after spin over the past couple years.
As the original LP is currently sold out, WTR CLR has recently announced the CD reissue of this killer release. With the original artwork in tact via DVD case form, WTR CLR continues to focus on the quality of each release's packaging and art.
"Ghost Science" is the fifth track on the LP, a looping and meditative romp that stampers into an eventual eruption - an explosion of the warped and synthetic variety. Flute-like whistles screech until they eventually give way, sending you right back to the ground in which the short journey began.
Snag the album here, where you can also download and hear "Harh Tanz". JUNE 2010 WTRCLR007 TEETH MOUNTAIN - SELF TITLED CD (RE ISSUE) Duration _ 28:10
The fourth annual Baltimore Rap Round Robin has been announced, and it will take place at Floristree on August 7th. This has been super fun over the past several years.
In case you're not familiar - all performers will be setting up around the space, and will participate in a traditional round robin set. Just like year's past, 2010's lineup heavily spotlights some of our favorite local wordsmiths and beat-makers.
Whartscape's original plans changed due to a storm. New plans via Wham City...
O.K. We have good news! The doors at Sonar (407 East Saratoga Street) will open at 6 and will feature the following lineup:Lower Dens, Wye Oak, Deakin, Celebration, & Beach House.At 10:30, the doors to the H and H open. The following bands have been added to the H and H: Prince Rama, Future Islands, Talk Normal, & Health.
Hey folks, Whartscape starts today. If you're familiar with this site, you know how excited we get this time of year... and this year's no exception. With this being the biggest and likely the last Whartscape ever, this weekend is sure to be pretty special.
Bmore Musically Informed will do our best to cover the event in pictures, and we'll attempt some live coverage via twitter as we're hi-jacking the Friends Records twitter account all throughout Whartscape. Here's a heap of tracks in our playlist from local bands playing this weekend.
Get a map of all the Whartscape locations compliments of Dina after the jump.
Winks is Chase from INEVERYROOM with some help from Adam of Weekends. Chase sent me their first release at the beginning of this year, an album recorded mostly on a karaoke player by himself last Winter in Remington.
"Gold Mine" is the first track on the debut, jaded pop haze recalling a time when Chase just lost his job and considered it better to record some new music than to just get drunk all the time. When I first asked him about the release, he said it was like "you found it in the trunk of your dad's Camaro that has been sitting in the garage since 1984, while a depressing prom was going on in the garage".
The album never got released on cassette as intended, so Friends Records is re-releasing an updated tracklist of the Winks debut this weekend at Whartscape. Friends Records will also be releasing the new Winks album early this Fall, which was mostly recorded yesterday by Ben Bass at his studio in the Annex.
The album will be made available digitally for free this weekend, and the cassette will be available at the Friends Records tent at Whartscape, and then online next week. Winks FRCS004 Friends Records 2010
Side A 1. Gold Mine 2. Port Antonio 3. Weed Makes Sex Weird 4. Human Noises
Side B 5. Prons 6. Fred Flintstoned (In Honor of Bongy Rubble) 7. X-Mas 8. Stoned and Throned
Dan Deacon just announced that Oxes have been added to Friday's Whartscape bill. The Baltimore trio has reformed to perform a special installation, dubbed Whoxescape.
Straight from Dan...
Oxes presents Whoxescape: The Baltimore band Oxes (August 16th 1998 - ????) has temporarily reformed to present an in progress work as work. Throughout the day on Friday, Oxes will be structuring improvisations, veiled behind a curtain inside the Current Space, and then intermittently revealing themselves to present the pieces to both the expecting and unexpected public. This (com)posing will be presented as an installation and will examine the (un)relationship between Whartscape festivalgoers and the typical working class Baltimore citizens that frequent MTA public transportation.
As if Whartscape wasn't already epic enough this year. THURSDAY JULY 22 CHARLES THEATER
5pm – 12am
MINK STOLE (LECTURE) NAI CAMEYAK Q&A SHANA MOULTON BEN COONLEY RAM ONES BRYAN ZANISNIK PETER GLANTZ & THE IMAGIN ARY CO BENJAMIN BEAST ERIN GLEESON MASON ROSS A FUNNY CLOWN ALAN RESNICK BLUE LEADER APRIL CAMLIN DANIEL HIGGS LIZ DONADIO SANTA DADS ADAM ENDERS JOHN PILSON 10 MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL UNSADDEST FACTORY R.M. OBRIEN MARTIN & LAWRENCE SANTA DADS BALLSOROY
FRIDAY JULY 23 CURRENT SPACE
12pm – 10:30pm
SPANKROCK LIL B SCOTTI B ERIC COPELAND GET EM MAMIS DJ DOG DICK HEIGHT JAVELIN SO PERCUSSION CLUB LYFESTILES LORD SCRUMMAGE RAPDRAGONS OFIRE NEEDLE GUN WE USED TO BE FAMILY AMI DANG CUP CACHE TEENAGESOULS PLURAL MC WITCH HAT WEEKENDS SMALL SUR
H&H BUILDING 10:30pm – 2am
PICTUREPLANE TEEN GIRL FANTASY YIP YIP CHANDELIERS DAN FRIEL DJ YO YO DIETING BIG DIGITS CULLEN STALIN DEEP IN THE GAME NADASTROM ADVENTURE MOSS OF AURA JARED PAOLINI LESSER GONZALEZ ALVAREZ DUSTIN WONG MICKEY FREE ABIKU GRAVEBANGERS NARC ROMANTIC STATES AVOCADO HAPPY HOUR POLYGONS 400 CLOAKS
SATURDAY JULY 24 CURRENT SPACE
12pm – 10:30pm
LIGHTNING BOLT ARAB ON RADAR NO AGE DAN DEACON ENSEMBLE PONYTAIL DOUBLE DAGGER ZACH HILL THANK YOU ED SCHRADER CHILD BITE ALTERED STATES DREW SWINBURNE SUPER VACATIONS THE CONVOCATION OF ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM AMIL BYLECKIE BAND BEASTMASTER SMALL SUR
H&H BUILDING
10:30pm – 2am
UNIVERSAL ORDER OF ARMAGEDDON SICK WEAPONS TWIN STUMPS MAGNET CITY KIDS THE NEW FLESH LANDLORDS DOPE BODY HOLLYWOOD NARWHALZ (OF SOUND) DREAM HOUSE PC WORSHIP SEWN LEATHER TEETH MOUNTAIN SOCIAL JUNK LAZY MAGNET DUST MELISSA MOORE OWEN BRITEMAN CHILD BRIDE GAY BOMB KAFFE MATTHEWS TWIG HARPER ANDREW BERNSTIEN SEYJANO DJ JOHN EATON DJ ALEX DONDERO
SUNDAY JULY 25 CURRENT SPACE
12pm – 10:30pm
BEACH HOUSE HEALTH XIU XIU DEAKIN TALK NORMAL CELEBRATION FUTURE ISLANDS LOWER DENS WYE OAK DUCKTAILS PRINCE RAMA QUIET HOOVES IN EVERY ROOM PEARLY FARMS INOCULIST
H&H BUILDING
10:30pm – 2am
ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER BURNING STAR CORE ZOMES JASON URICK KOEN HOLTKAMP & CHRIS FORSYTH FAMILY BATTLE SNAKE LEPRACHAUN CATERING LITTLE HOWLIN’ WOLF THE CREEPERS DINOSAUR FEATHERS ARCHER TWINS HUME LONNIE WALKER ART DEPARTMENT BOBBY EAR PWR BETHANY DINSICK CASTANETS LIVING THINGS CORAL LEGS HUMAN HOST THE DODGERS
Our neighbor Justin over at WTR CLR sent over a handful of tracks from some of his upcoming releases. Amongst reissues and new things from CEX, Teeth Mointain, and Holy Ghost Party, WTR CLR has a new Teenage Souls album in the wings.
Teenage Souls is the solo project of DJ Rice, a ridiculous drummer and an all-around inspired musician. If you've ever seen Teenage Souls perform, you've likely felt what its like to go from feeling totally claustrophobic to being completely set free all in one melodic haze of a sound.
"Ice Floe" will be on the upcoming WTR CLR cassette titled Panecakes. Having seen DJ perform live, I had always wondered how his energy would translate to headphones. However, the seamless yet never ending layers of "Ice Floe" rage with ease. There's even remnants of a pop song buried underneath all this glorious noise, one that's marched on with armies of steal drums and washes of avant rhythms.
This tape will be out in the next couple of weeks, and you can catch Teenage Souls perform this weekend at Whartscape on Friday during the day outside. The lineup for the outdoor portion that day also includes Rapdragons, Weekends, Height, Get Em Mamis, Witch Hat, Lil B, and more.
Whartscape is almost upon us ladies and gentlemen. This week over a 150 of the world's finest music acts will converge in Baltimore, with much thanks to the efforts of Wham City. This year's fest features the reunion of Universal Order of Armageddon, a Q&A with Ian Mackaye, and a good look at some of the best new bands in Baltimore.
Friends Records is sponsoring this year's Whartscape, and releasing some new titles from bands in town that we're pretty excited about. One of these releases is the debut from INEVERYROOM, a new seven track album from the vibed-out tribal guitar/synth trio. This release is the culmination of a constantly evolving tour CDR the band has been working on for the past several years.
"Untitled" is the last track on the cassette, a song that might recall a romp through a sweaty jungle that was likely the result of a bad trip - similar to INEVERYROOM sets experienced at the Annex.
INEVERYROOM plays Whartscape on Sunday at the outdoor stage at 1 PM. Friends Records is making this cassette available first at Whartscape, and will sell whatever copies are left online afterwords. The album will also be available digitally on a pay-what-you-want basis. FRCS003 INEVERYROOM Friends Records 2010
Side A 1. Waves Stood Still 2. Little Nums 3. In Thought
Side B 4. Strange 5. Celebration 6. “EM E GEE” 7. Untitled
