Premiere: Rapdragons' Featuring Baltimore Preview

Bmore Musically Informed recently had the privilege of recording an intimate performance with Rapdragons. Greg Ward and Nick Often invited us over to the Copycat, and tore through six live tracks which we recorded, videotaped, photographed and absorbed in all fashions of the sort.

These tracks will eventually be a part of a brand new podcast program, which will debut sometime in the very near future. Until then I've got four of the tracks for you to download now, some of which are exclusive premieres, and all of which will appear on Rapdragons' Featuring Baltimore project.

After the click, you'll find four new jams that sample some choice local flavor including Ponytail, Weekends, Secret Mountains, and The Agrarians. Hearing for yourself below comes highly recommended.

Rapdragons just dropped their debut LP a month or so ago, and are already deep in the works of their next project. Aptly titled Featuring Baltimore, this release will only sample bands that are familiar with Natty Boh. From what I've heard so far, this is going to be an all-around good time and I am quite stoked about the idea of this release.

Lucky for us, Greg and Nick let us hook up some gear to their PA, and record four of these new tracks a few weeks ago. These were performed in front of an intimate crowd at the Copycat, most of which gathered on the couches surrounding them as they performed. Thanks to our sound guy that night, Charlie Hughes, the quality of these recordings came out damn near perfect.

The track list is below, and includes an exclusive premiere of the Ponytail sampled "Early for Work". All four jams are quite excellent, and should be a good taste of whats soon to come from Rapdragons. Indulge below, and you can catch these guys at the Zodiac on Saturday.

MP3 Download link of all 4 tracks: Rapdragons - Featuring Baltimore (preview)

via Bmore Musically Informed, and other local friends and outlets

Track List:
1. Plot Twist (samples "ShakesScene" by The Agrarians)
2. Come Harvest (samples "Growing Season" by Secret Mountains)
3. Early for Work (samples "Late for School" by Ponytail)
4. Camp Everywhere (samples "Camp Nowhere" by Weekends)

Bmore Thankful (Future Islands, Weekends, Thank You & more!)

This week has been weird here in Baltimore, and I look forward to giving thanks. I'll be taking a break from the interwebs after today until next week, and you should probably go ahead and do the same (after reading this of course).

I've got a lot of very exciting news to share when I get back, so look forward to that. Until then, here are a few things to do this coming weekend that are worth noting.

Saturday night, Floristree hosts a big one. Future Islands, Thank You, and Weekends will all be at the H&H Building on the 28th of November. Future Islands have been super busy as of late, with a remix EP on the way, and recently getting signed to Thrill Jockey. Much more to come on these guys soon, some of which you'll exclusively find here.

Weekends have been equally busy, and I recently got the opportunity to put together a podcast recording session with them. However this was no ordinary performance, as it was a collaboration with Weekends and the Copycat Theatre... involving costumes of all varieties. Look for video and audio from this session at Bmore Musically Informed in the coming weeks.

In addition to this monster of a show Saturday night, the Ottobar's got a good one too. This one might be more for those still in turkey comatose, as it features some pretty heady folk pop. Bowerbirds come to town, with local newcomers Secret Mountains and Man & Dog opening the bill. Man & Dog recently dropped an EP which has just made it's way into my rotation, and I'll hopefully have some words on that soon.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Photos: Melt Banana, Sick Weapons, Dope Body, and dd/mm/yyy at the Ottobar

Saturday night the Ottobar had a stacked lineup, headed by a force from Japan known as Melt Banana. They began their set with a handful of electronic-based noise songs in the dark while wearing headlamps, but when the lights came on they defaulted to their signature style. These Japanese noise punkers completely leveled the crowd, and Chrissy took the photos to prove it.

Melt Banana had one of the strongest supporting casts I've seen in awhile, with Sick Weapons, Dope Body, and dd/mm/yyyy all opening the affair. You can peep the evening's full photo set and more words below.


Dope Body are one of Baltimore's more promising newer bands, a bass/drums/vocal trio that sport a splintered style of thrashed-out punk. You can tell there's a heavy electronic influence with these guys, certainly a unique take on their style. I'd recommend grabbing their tape, Twenty Pound Brick, from Watercolor.

Sick Weapons were fantastic as usual, as the trio of guitars paired with Ellie's antics always make for a great time. Toronto's dd//mmm/yyyy were also worth noting, a spazzed out version of math rock that were another great addition to the show.

You can scope out Chrissy's full photo set of the evening below in the flash gallery.


Photos by Chrissy

Photos: The Jesus Lizard in Baltimore

Friday night, Sonar hosted a not-miss event, with The Jesus Lizard coming to town. Supported by local favorites Double Dagger, and also Animal Hospital, Baltimore was stoked for this one. It lived up to all expectations, as David Yow and company scorched the ears of onlookers, and the rest followed suit.

Chrissy was also in attendance to snap photos, and you can peep the full set below.


Above is a picture of Nolen Strals of Double Dagger standing on the barricade at Sonar. Nolen hated this barricade, and made it known throughout the set. He once even compared it to the "luxury condos for the poor", before concluding their set with that particular classic. The barricade however did not stop Nolen from parading around the crowd, and sure as hell didn't prevent Double Dagger from doing their thing.

You can catch the rest of Chrissy's fantastic photo set in the flash gallery below.


Photos by Chrissy

Tonight: Bethany Dinsick and Teaadora

Bethany Dinsick is a Baltimore artist, who creates art of all varieties. One of Bethany's creative outlets, her Square Pi project, is an experimental voyage into healing one's mind with sound and visuals. One of Square Pi's more interesting works is a cover of Lil' Wayne's "Mrs. Officer", and is a solid representation of a "rap song played backwards".

More recently, Bethany released Bottle Tree, a full length under her own moniker. It's been in steady rotation since I picked it up at Soft Fest, and has been the perfect accompaniment to some stone cold chillaxin'. Stream "Oklahoma Alley", get deets on tonight's show, and more after the click.

Bethany Dinsick sounds like a blend of the warped and natural loops that are elegantly layered in the works of Grouper, with the mind altering vocals of Joanna Newsom.

The self made loops are particularly worth noting, as Bethany samples sounds from vibrators, gunshots from a keyboard, a Lion King audio storybook, kazoo loops, and wine glasses. Not to mention a white noise machine for babies, and even the sounds of herself getting an MRI on the second track, "Whore of Baltimore".

"Oklahoma Alley" was inspired by a tornado Bethany witnessed, and is an eerie and hypnotic venture through that memory. The soft noise which starts out the track isn't unlike what one might hear when dreaming about being in a tornado, and fills out a steady paced and beautifully creepy folk song. Hear for yourself:

You can catch Bethany in Baltimore tonight at the Pet Cemetery, kicking off a tour with Teaadora. The tour hits parts of the east coast, and will feature Bethany and Teaadora helping out on each other's sets. Don't forget to grab a copy of Bottle Tree.

Child Bite - "Gender Points" 7 inch (Wham City Records)

I was able to catch Child Bite at the Copycat Annex last Sunday, a Detroit trio that makes its way to Baltimore quite often. I've seen them two other times in town just this year, opening for Future Islands and Double Dagger at the Zodiac, and also at Whartscape.

Not only did these dudes kill it again this week, but they offered up a series of releases more than worth my 12 bucks.

Child Bite just finished up a trio of 7 inch splits, backed by This Moment in Black History, Big Bear, and dd/mm/yyyy. Each disc's cover art in the series was a different color, with the vinyl to match. However when all three jackets are lined up properly, a cohesive mural of art is revealed. All three releases were pressed by a different label, with my personal favorite disc put out by Baltimore's own, Wham City Records.

Wham City's release is the yellow disc, and the last in the series. It's backed by everyone's favorite Toronto band, dd/mm/yyyy. The Child Bite A-side track is called "Gender Points", and just might be my favorite jam from this Detroit band. They rocked it live the other night, but it comes off just as well on vinyl.

While it sports the same frantic riffs and squalls, this track is one of their more focused works. "Gender Points" features catchy-as-hell horns, that start out giving the song an almost creepy vibe but quickly turn to a more upbeat romp. This is one of their more accessible tracks, and might be a good starting point for someone new to this crew. Grab it next time they're around while you can, it's limited to 500 pressings.

While a full length album is always welcome, I really dig the presentation that comes with this 7 inch series. I hope this becomes more of a trend, as I've seen the idea pop up more and more as of late. Grab the first 2 discs from Joyful Noise and Forge Again .

Photos: Carsick Cars / P.K. 14 / Dustin Wong at Open Space

This Tuesday at Open Space, folks in town were given the chance to check out some bands that represent the indie rock scene in China. I feel extremely lucky to have been a part of this, as it seemed like a pretty rare opportunity... especially for Baltimore.

Show-goers here completely embraced it, coming out in full force to an event that was hardly advertised and at a pretty new venue. This was the kind of a show that really made you appreciate how small our world has become, with bands that sounded quite familiar for coming from the other side of the globe.

Carsick Cars were pretty fantastic. They played a melodic form of rock, not at all unlike the swirls and croons of Deerhunter's Microkingdom. With elements of krautrock soaked in with some heavy builds that lead to some euphoric peaks, these guys were impossible not to tap your foot to.

P.K. 14 were also nothing exotic, drawing from familiar forms of punk to create some pretty good jams. These guys were way into it, and really had me wanting to play some Richard Hell when I got home that night. Local favorite Dustin Wong capped off the evening, with yet another mind-bending arrangement of looped guitar notes.

Valerie's photo set from the night is below, and next time you're somewhere in China, don't sleep on P.K. 14, Carsick Cars, or Xiao He.


Photos by Valerie

Track Premiere: P.T. Burnem - "Oh, Love!" featuring Height

As the off-the-beaten-path hip hop choices in Baltimore continue to grow, here comes P.T. Burnem's first solo LP. This full length will be dubbed Paper Cranes, and will hit us December 5. There will be an album release show at the Zodiac on the 5th, with Mickey Free and Rapdragons (more to come here on them soon) running strong support.

P.T. Burnem tossed three of the tracks my way the other day, along with an actual origami paper crane. Read on to find out more about these paper cranes, and to hear the first taste off the LP, a promising love jam with local favorite Height.

The beat to "Oh, Love!" is one of those infectious types. Burnem credits his beats to utilizing the "beautiful and infinite potential of simplicity". This one, which concludes with yet another ace verse by Height, is a happy summer jam. Burnem has been part of Height's friends, and sports vocals that are an ideal contrast to this light and airy collection of samples. Get a first look at this joint below:

The production on all three tracks I've been rocking is quite clean, and really stood out on the off kiltered cadence of "Cops + Robbers". This LP looks to be a win, and you will certainly find me at the album release show in early December.

Back to the actual origami paper cranes, P.T. Burnem is crafting 1000 of them of which 300 he will place around the city in hidden locations. 200 of the cranes will come with the limited edition LP, which will be made available December 5th at the Zodiac.

Photos: MT6 Fest V

MT6 Fest was one of the standout events of a weekend packed with stuff to do here in Baltimore, as it overtook the Hexagon on Saturday. With two performance spaces and a hefty list of acts, I'm pretty bummed and a bit ashamed that I missed out on this one.

Luckily, Valerie was there to capture the night in photos. You can check out her set after the click, with over 100 images that shot what looked to be damn good time.

The Baltimore Taper also made it out for a few sets, and you can check out his recordings over on his blog. Looks like he was able to tape Newagehillbilly, The New Mystikal Troubadours, and Mongoloidian Glow. I'd suggest using Jeff's always top-notch recordings as a soundtrack to Valerie's plethora of shots. Enjoy.


Photos by Valerie

Puerto Rico Flowers: 4

One of Baltimore's up and coming labels, Fan Death Records, has been absolutely killing it all year. They've got a new release in the works that they are pretty stoked about, and with good reason.

From re-releasing The New Flesh's first joint, to putting out another damn fine Locrian tape, Fan Death is having a great year and isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Fan Death kindly let me have first crack at a four song EP they've got slated for early next year. The record is the debut EP from a project dubbed Puerto Rico Flowers, and it is titled 4.

4 is set to drop on 12 inch vinyl on January 19th, and comes courtesy of a solo project out of both the U.S. and Australia. John Sharkey III is responsible for writing and recording these four tracks, once a member of Clockclean Er.

These songs are constructed with bass, percussion, synths, and capped off with Sharkey's deeply booming vocals. Each track is equally strong, but "Lets Make Friends" is the best jumping off point. This is an epic doom pop ballad that's got you hooked after the first few notes. See for yourself:

The bass on this track hits notes that makes your stomach gurgle, a slow burner that is accented with pop song synths that would suffice on any sunny day car ride. All paired with roaring vocals that might be similar to what's found at a goth-biker funeral, it all seems like quite the unlikely place to uncover a pop song.

Similar descriptions can be made about the other three tracks, but all are totally dynamic in their own ways. There is an almost chamber pop sound, but completely twisted with darkness and on a much more grandiose scale. These tracks are certainly a new direction for Fan Death, but not too far off from their Ringo Deathstarr re-release. Puerto Rico Flowers currently has no plans for a tour or anything of that nature, but trust me, this EP is all you need.

Show Review: Boy Ghost at the Golden West

Better late than never, new Bmore Musically Informed contributor Nathan Grover wanted to share his thoughts about last week's Boy Ghost show at the Golden West.

Greg Hatem and Lindsay Parsons used to play together in Passiou, a band that produced a cacophony that could be pretty, sinister, or both. As Boy Ghost (with Nick Podgurski and Geff Stewart) they've come to employ a more sober, deliberate method; where Passiou's music often sprawled noisily, Boy Ghost's is insistent and focused. Their songs are often held together by eerie vamps: “Heroin Hard” for instance, is built on a hypnotic ostinato, and “Mr. Mess” revolves around two repeated chords overlaid with staccato violin and Parsons' menacing incantations. These songs are trance-inducing, unsettling, and catchy—quite an achievement.

But Boy Ghost can be gauzily beautiful too, as on the second song of their set last week at the Golden West—which melded atmospheric guitar, violin drones, and gossamer, Liz Fraser-worthy vocals—and on their dulcet, dusky rendition of Chris Isaak's “Wicked Game.”

While the tone and subject-matter of Boy Ghost's songs befit their spectral appellation, they specialize in domestic hauntings and not—with the exception of “Swamp Thing”—in more garish ghouls. Messes, heroin, household appliances—Boy Ghost play dirges of the everyday. On Wednesday this gift for rendering the quotidian uncanny led to something pretty unlikely: for a moment during their cover of “Worthless,” from Disney's The Brave Little Toaster, I started to wonder if they were playing a Nick Cave song.

B.J. Snowden, a school music teacher, troubadour, and resident of Massachusetts, played an energetic and engaging set. Producing a robust backing from only her Yamaha keyboard, she sang songs about baseball; Prince Edward's Island, Canada; conspiracy; New Brunsiwick, Canada; the lives of teachers under draconian superintendents, Judge Joe Brown; Ontario, Canada; driving at 98 miles per hour; the Navy; and what happens in Canada.


Photos by Chrissy

Clusterf*ck: Shows in Bmore This Weekend

Ever since Fall started, weekends in Baltimore have been stockpiled with stellar shows to attend. Tough choices have been made, and there are more yet to be. I'm sure as heck not complaining about living in a city where choosing between this many shows is sometimes considered a problem.

Yeah, we got other problems too, but this is a music blog. Tonight TAXLO is throwing another one of their mega parties, with Peaches, Ponytail, and Men at Sonar. Now, you won't find too many Peaches tracks on my iTunes, but I'd sure as hell go to check out what their live spectacle is all about.

Ponytail, is a band that needs no more endorsement from me. Their last show at the Ottobar was considered by some to be epic, and I thought they rocked some faces off an eager crowd. Not to mention, I'm not sure I got across off how amazing Dustin Wong was at Soft Fest. Dustin performed guitar compositions similar to what is on Seasons, an album that he had written on the back about how playing the songs live would require at least seven times the sets of hands to perform. Plus, most know Molly Siegel, Jeremy Hyman, and Ken Seeno are going to bring it just as hard.

The Zodiac also hosts a good one tonight, of the more relaxed variety. Lizz King is performing a rare acoustic set, with Andy Abelow and Golden Ghost on support. You can still snag Andy Abelow's excellent set from Soft Fest via MP3 or FLAC.

Tomorrow night the Hexagon's got a pretty kick ass show, as Imperial China, The G, and Compression all play some tunes. I got the chance to speak with Pat from The G last week, in an interview fit for a D.A.R.E. commercial. Dan Auerbach of Black Keys fame is also in town, headlining a big show at Sonar.

Saturday night is yet again stuffed, but MT6 Fest only happens once a year. This year it goes down at the Hexagon, with two stages and the usual cast of misfits. Highlights include Abiku, Bad Liquor Pond, Herioin UK, Newagehillbilly, Needle Gun, and a whole lot more.

Another event on Saturday that is totally worth stopping by is a gallery opening at Open Space. The collection is being dubbed Ordinary Spectacles, which among many others, features the works of Steve Keene. Steve Keene is responsible for a whole mess of album artwork, including some of Pavement's cover art.

Yes, there are more choices on Saturday, with Surfer Blood hitting the Ottobar opening up for Art Brut. Last but not least, Time New Vikings brings its no-fi pop to the Talking Head with Mr. Moccasin running support.

Live MP3s: The Get 'em Mamis at Metro Gallery

Cullen Stalin and Scottie B continued their onslaught of dance-happy acts as part of No Rule Monday night a the Metro Gallery. This week featured a local rap duo that have been blowing up (Playboy even hyped them), with the Get 'em Mamis taking to the stage.

Compliments of Jeff, the Baltimore Taper, you can take a listen to their entire set via download as MP3 or FLAC files. If you missed out on this one, you're going to want to take a gander after the click.

It was a bit past midnight, and the Get 'em Mamis hadn't even arrived at the gallery yet. But the two showed up, cut the bathroom line while hopping up and down, and then hit the stage. After bumping Terrawesome and it's preview mixtape pretty extensively, I was pretty intrigued to see what a Get 'em Mamis live show entailed.

You can hear for yourself below, but these girls certainly kept the party going. The set was jam-packed with some of the more lively joints off Terrawesome, and the GEM's rocked them with class. Climbing speakers and having fun with the crowd, this is a duo that deserves the spotlight. Don't miss these girls next time around. But if you did this time, indulge below.

Get 'Em Mamis
No Rule at The Metro Gallery
Baltimore, MD
November 9, 2009



FLAC Files: http://www.box.net/shared/h25k5nvdv1
MP3 Files: http://www.box.net/shared/sa53193162

Source: Peluso CEMC6/ck4(card)>PS-2>AD-20>NJB3
Transfer: NJB3>PC>SF-7>Wav>FLAC
Taper: Jeff Mewbourn (jm292@yahoo.com)
http://baltimore-taper.blogspot.com

1. Intro-Run This Town
2. Boss Bitch Business
3. Alpines Kickin'*
4. Shake It All Night
5. The Champ
6. Rolling Stonez
7. Rock With Me

Notes:
*House volume goes up at 1:29
Sound: Sarah Williams
http://www.myspace.com/metrogallery
http://www.myspace.com/getemmamis
SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC

Track Premiere: Future Islands - "Beach Foam (Moss of Aura remix)" [featuring No Age]

Future Islands are busy as always, so look for a ton of Future Islands related content here on Bmore Musically Informed in the very near future. But first, the Baltimore by way of North Carolina trio sent me over something super new to premiere.

Future Islands' next release will be a remix album pressed to 12 inch vinyl, put together by a NYC collective called Free Danger. The album will feature four re-worked tracks, including a form of "Beach Foam" that splices it up with No Age's "Eraser". Peep the track premiere after the click.

This remix was put together by resident synth-master Gerrit Welmers, under his solo project dubbed Moss of Aura. It introduces a whole new summer haze element to "Beach Foam", completely warping it into a totally rad and melodic beach party. This is all done with the aid of the guitars from "Eraser", one of the many standouts of No Age's Nouns. Listen for yourself and come to your own conclusions below:

You can scoop this album from Free Danger later this month, which also includes contributions from Victoria from Beach House, Jones, Javelin, and Pictureplane. Check back here soon for some big big things with Future Islands, as I and a few others had the privilege of hanging out with these guys last week. They may have played some new songs, and we may have recorded them...

Columboid - Cruise On Your Own

Those who read this space know that I generally keep things pretty locally relevant. But, when it comes to one label I generally proclaim no regional bias. SHDWPLY Records is based out of Norfolk, VA, but is also responsible for some Baltimore splendor. They pressed Teeth Mountain's LP, and also look to be the channel for some more Baltimore artists in the near future.

All that aside, this tape is just a damn fine release. Columboid is an entity out of Brooklyn, and features past/present members of Coyote, Man Man, Vaz, Lewis and Clarke and Icy Demons. This is one of SHDWPLY's newest releases, with only 100 copies on cassette to be made. A follow-up 7 inch is also in the works.

The tape wastes no time getting into the good stuff, as the first song "Statehoarders" is a hauntingly warped take on Neil Young that you can somehow almost dance to. The cassette proceeds on only to chug out jam after jam of jaded sonics and tribal get-downs that are all bridged together quite brilliantly.

Their is something inherently primitive about this album, as the often prominent synths seem to evoke feelings from deep within. Thoughts of cavemen dance parties are common, as the sonically stimulating themes fade in and out with tons of passion. It's almost as if Columboid aims to start a rave at some sort of creepy sacrificial ritual. And if that was their goal, I'd sure as hell be in attendance at such a warped affair.

This is by far one of the more interesting releases to grace my inbox as of late, and I look forward to more good thing's to come from the this Brooklyn duo. Hopefully we can bring them to Baltimore sometime soon, but in the meantime, grab this tape.

Listening Party: Sci-Fi and the Sunflowers

Sci-Fi and the Sunflowers are a new local outfit playing a show tonight at the Golden West. These here fella's come from a few different area backgrounds. Brian is formerly of Dirty Marmaduke Flute Squad's "Pikesville Gynecologist" fame, and has a current solo project dubbed Brian Adam Ant. Charlie has been perfecting Raindeer over the past few years.

While tonight also features some other choice show options, this is their first bill under the Sci-Fi and the Sunflowers moniker and will provide a taste of something new.

A few of the songs they've shared with us below have grown from other prior outlets, including one of my favorites, "South Dakota".

"South Dakota" is beefed up into a pop track in its new digs, and a pretty catchy one at that. I might have known Brian to listen to bit too much Brit pop and rock in his day, but I think this one really benefits from it. It uses those elements and slaps on the usual smidge of psych-Americana that some of Brian Adam Ant's other tracks are laced with.



"Roll Down the Hill" immediately calls to mind Ween, with a more subdued and tainted pop feel.



While the first two tracks sport the vocals of Brian, "Transylvania Mania" features Charlie's. His other project Raindeer is something to keep your eye on in the near future. This one benefits from the more haunted sounds Charlie has crafted before, but throws a whole sunny melodic thing into the mix.



Catch them tonight at the Golden West, with The Volunteers and The Diamond Center.

Ticket Giveaway: The Jesus Lizard / Double Dagger

Trust me, nobody wants to miss The Jesus Lizard attempt to scorch the ears of Baltimore later this month at Sonar. These heavyweights are teamed up with Double Dagger, who are responsible for what could potentially be the city's best album this year, More. The bill is rounded out with Animal Hospital, and is an obvious addition to your Friday evening activities on November 20th.

The Jesus Lizard are fresh off re-releasing a slew of their albums on Touch and Go, remastered by Steve Albini himself and also Bob Weston of Shellac fame. They've played a few of the world's bigger festivals this year, having just gotten back together in 2009, years since their last gig.

I've got a pair of passes to give away to this one, details and videos after the click.

Think of where you were when you blasted Double Dagger or the Jesus Lizard the absolute loudest from any listening device. Figure out your location and what you were doing, and email it to bmoremusicallyinformed@gmail.com. I'll pick a winner a day or two before the show, so be sure to check electronic mailboxes then. Peep some of these band's finer videos below.

Double Dagger - Vivre Sans Temps Mort from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.

Interview : The G via Pat Troxell

The G are playing Baltimore next weekend, billed on a show with Imperial China and Compression at the Hexagon. I've been spinning Hold My Gold quite a bit as of late, and recently got to chat with drummer/singer Pat Troxell.

Disclaimer: Bmore Musically Informed does not condone drug use. We think the D.A.R.E. program was great, and of course also "dare you to resists drugs and violence."

But more importantly, here's some discussion of rock and roll with Pat:

Your LP Hold My Gold is kind of the shit.

We started recording the record with a good friend in Doug's farm house out in Bucks County PA... at that point the band consisted of me, Doug and Nicky DiCicco (Anna's brother). Then Nicky moved on to complete a solo project, Rock and Roll Moron. After that, we went to Super 8 Studios and worked with Mick Mullen (Fight Amp, Mastadon, and other Relapse mastering) and completed the rest of the album. During that time, we had brought on new members of the band to complete the sound...Pete Joe on guitar and my wife Anna on keyboard. The only reason I think this album is any good is because we used the right arsenal to get it done (Weed, Pizza, and Whiskey).

I've never seen you guys live, but I picture a lot of dirt and booze?

Booze, yes. Dirt not so much. We try to take care of ourselves as we're getting older in age...but who am I kidding. We're still dirty punk kids from Philadelphia.

You guys play a lot of house shows, what's the worst thing you guys have broke/seen get broken?

We played a house show in Lancaster with Vincent Black Shadow last summer...had a great time, during our set we broke an amp, smoked a whole lot of weed. On the way out, we witnessed a kid shit himself on the couch. He was trying to light his fart on fire and it slipped. Other than that, my drums are constantly repaired by duct tape due to mass destruction at the end of our sets.

Last show in Baltimore?

Yeah, we played The Ottobar ( I worked there for a year ) in June while on tour with Tropic of Nelson (NYC) It was fucking great...open bar...Baltimore knows how to party

How would you compare Philly to Baltimore?

There's a lot of haters in Philadelphia that come out just to hate. There's a lot of partiers in Baltimore that just come out to party.

Whats your favorite space to play?

Haverford College was awesome. Free booze, food, weed and the kids were great. Other than that, you gotta love playing the First Unitarian Church...the sound is great and we grew up going to shows there.

Have you heard Imperial China before?

Yeah, good band. I'm really psyched to play with them.

Why should we all hit up the Hexagon next Friday?

1) We now have a bass player.
2) Anna is sexy as hell and she shakes her hips alot
3) We share our weed
5) I heard their is free LSD

How'd you team up with SHDWPLY?

Matt contacted the band after we released our demo cd "This Mind and Motion Universe"

What's your favorite SHDWPLY release? Artist? Live show?

I really like the Sore Eros LP, but I'd have to say I'm most psyched for the new Super Vacations.

Biggest influences?

fuck...i dont know where to start so i guess ill go back to the beginning. i grew up in the suburbs of north philadelphia(willow grove) and the high school petejoe and myself went to had alot of great philadelphia bands come out of it like Frail, Ink and Dagger ,i am heaven,goodbye blue monday and midiron blast shaft. So, I went to a lot of local punk shows growing up and got really into bands like: Shotmaker, Born Against, and Reversal of Man...but the whole time I was into hardcore, I constantly listened to bankds like: Pavement, Sonic Youth, Hum... other greats from the 90s.

Whats in your ipod/on your turntable right now?

At the moment, I listen to a lot of 13th Floor Elevators, Eagles of Death Metal, Obits, Kurt Vile, and other old crappy Indie Bands that will never leave the turntable

Track Premiere: Needle Gun - "The Battri Buzz Rider"

In lieu of this weekend's Analog Fest at the 2640 Space, Needle Gun sent over a brand new track for me to premiere. Needle Gun are one of Baltimore's premiere noise outfits, blasting the ears of our youth with heavy exuberance.

For those not familiar with their sound, Max of Needle Gun (and also member of Teeth Mountain) sent over some words that are too good not to share in full:

Needle Gun's history is the epitome of a mythological rock & roll story. The Showedock brothers are sons of a preacher man who were raised on the road throughout the South, traveling from one Pentecostal church service to the next.

They were shattered by a divorce, transformed by illicit substances and the stoner music of Led Zeppelin and rewarded with a Nashville record deal for their grinding garage-boogie sound and raw, Southern gothic lyrics.Their audience remains huge because they've always attracted younger listeners drawn to their mix of daunting virtuosity, cosmic (often mystical) lyrics, complex musical textures,heavy composition and powerful yet delicate lead vocals.

"The Battri Buzz Rider" was recorded from 2007 to 2009, and draws from a variety of locales and platforms. Recording mediums include cassette deck, 4 track, reel to reel, digital 4 track, and straight to PC. There is no plan for a release, but the crew is mulling releasing a cassette or continuing the collecting of tracks for their next 12 inch.

For now, have at "The Battri Buzz Rider" via stream or download:

MP3: Needle Gun - "The Battri Buzz Rider"

You can catch Needle Gun this Saturday at the 2640 Space. They will be a part of Analog Fest, which includes Weekends, NARC, the Somber Tones, and Colin Dean Explosion. This day show runs from 1 PM to 6 PM, and will set you back only five bucks.

Photos: Wye Oak, Karl Blau, and LAKE at the Windup Space

Sunday night the Windup Space sported one of their better bills this year, with some local and Pacific Northwest artists converging on North Avenue. Wye Oak headlined, the infamous Karl Blau was slotted second, and LAKE opened. With a pretty full house for the Sunday night after Halloween, there was no way this was going to suck.

Karl Blau's new record, Zebra, combines an African influence with the raw and powerful folk we've come to know and love from Blau. He was backed by LAKE, and played mostly newer material off of Zebra. Sound at the Windup was pretty on point, and his usual deep and heavy vocals took the forefront. However playing with a full live band and using much more complex rhythms and melodies really rounded out his feel as a whole.


Wye Oak put on yet another fantastic performance - nothing new here folks. The duo was honored to be playing with Karl Blau, as Jenn rightfully encouraged the crowd to pick up his new LP. Those who stayed until the end were treated by Caleb Stine joining Andy and Jenn, one of the more talented trios you'll see together on stage.

Peep Valerie's full photo set here and below, and grab a copy of Zebra ASAP.


Photos by Valerie

Tonight: Islands, Toro y Moi, & Jemina Pearl

Just a friendly reminder, tonight the G Spot plays host to Islands, Toro y Moi, and Jemina Pearl. Nick Diamonds' Islands is a pop project out of Montreal that just dropped their third LP. The ex-Unicorns member tends to do things pretty over the top, and draws from various standouts of the Montreal music scene to help out with his albums.

Toro y Moi is one of Carpark's newest acts, having already put out a pretty fantastic seven inch with the DC label. He plans on releasing two full length and 2010, and tonight should be a solid showcase of what's to come from this promising and dynamic artist.

The bill also sports Jemina Pearl, once part of the garage pop band Be Your Own Pet. Citypaper did a nice piece on Jemina last week right here. Check out some music and videos from some of tonight's bands after the click.