Tonight: Compact - A Tape Culture Night

Tonight there's an event at the Windup Space that looks to bode well for analog enthusiasts. Lexie Mountain is presenting Compact, a free-form tape culture night.

Starting at 9 PM, anyone and everyone is invited to come and bring their cassettes. The event is meant to share collections and/or catalogs, buy or trade tapes, and have the chance to play them live on the decks in a "freedom format". Lexie also proclaims, "ALL TAGS NO GENRES! ANYTHING EVERYTHING GLOBAL PARTY PORTABLES!"




Friends Records will be in attendance. We're bringing our tape dubber and cassette making supplies, and we'll be, yes... making tapes. Friends Records just announced the release of Moss of Aura's new LP, and also the re-release of all five of his prior albums on cassette. Tonight we'll be making the first two titles, Circle in the Corner and Rushcrusher. Zu Shapes' Merigold EP will also be available for the first time.

The event tonight starts at 9 PM, is at Windup Space, and is free.

Photos: Sun Araw at the Ottobar

A few weeks ago, one of my favorite artists making music right now made a tour stop in Baltimore at the Ottobar. Sun Araw came to town from California, and was backed with a band marking the first tour of The Sun Araw Band. A new LP is due out on Cameron Stallones' own Sun Ark Records, and the show featured a preview of the new tracks.

Cameron and crew sounded huge on the booming system at the Ottobar, having only seen him perform once before at a small bar in Texas. The set was one of my favorite so far this year, a psychedelic whirlwind of new age dub and deconstructed jams that seemed to go on into eternity. The night was also blessed by a heavy psych set from Run DMT.

Peep some shots by Valerie Paulsgrove below, and the full set after the jump.

Semya - "Spectral Growth Reel"

Last week Richard over at Rose Quartz pointed out a new track via Altered Zones by Baltimore's own Semya. It's called "Spectral Growth Reel", check it out below.



This new offering from the Wigflip cohort Semya (the same dude who makes beats under the Lexx moniker) is a brilliantly lit-up affair. With new age hums and off-kilter warbles that could cast a spell over just about anything, this sun-drenched stunner shows much promise for the forthcoming full length. "Spectral Growth Reel" starts out with subtle tones and warm vibes, only to let up and drift off deep into a realm of weird and cosmic sounds. Some resemblance of a beat can be found throughout the haze, starting out in the distance but eventually becoming the focal point as the song fades off into space.

The new cassette is out on Matthewdavid's label, Leaving Records, in July or August.

Tonight: Lichens, Soft Circle, Zomes, Eachothers

Giveaway: Animal Collective at Merriweather Post Pavilion

If you read this, or you know me personally, you might know that I grew up in the outskirts of Baltimore in the suburban wonderland that is Columbia, Maryland. I have been attending concerts in Symphony Woods ever since my parents brought me to Merriweather see the The Beach Boys as a child.



In 11th or 12th grade my friend introduced me to Animal Collective, and told me it was the craziest band he ever heard. It blew my mind, and I found myself digging up as much as I could about a band that was from my own home state. It was a welcome departure from the rest of the music being shoved down my impressionable throat, and little did I know it would soon be shoved down others' throats by the masses.



Years later Animal Collective released an album titled Merriweather Post Pavilion, a record that catapulted them into alternative culture stardom. Since the record was released, fans residing in the Mid-Atlantic region have been asking one thing - When are Animal Collective going to play at Merriweather Post Pavilion???



Our question is now answered, and July 9, 2011 is the date. Animal Collective will headline Merriweather Post Pavilion on July 9th, and opening will be the deconstructed noise that is Black Dice. I've got a pair of tickets to give away for this event. Send an email to bmoremusicallyinformed@gmail.com with ANIMAL COLLECTIVE in the subject line. In the body describe what this show might mean to you, if anything at all. We'll pick a winner a few days before the show. Tickets are also available right here.

Future Islands - "Before The Bridge"

Bmore Musically Informed has been on hiatus for about a month now, but I can no longer hold in all the good musical things that are coming out of this town. I still need employment, but I was offered some paid freelance work recently, so this will have to suffice enough for me to start blogging again. Thanks for all the kind words, help, and encouragement in regard to my search for work - it really means a lot.

One of the best things that happened while I stepped back from the blogosphere was a fresh track from one of my favorite bands in the world right now - Future Islands.



You can read more about "Before The Bridge" over at my post on Impose, but here's the basics. It's the A-side of a new 7" out on Thrill Jockey on July 19, which is limited to just 750 copies. It's the first new song to be heard since "The Ink Well", and it's drenched in promise of more amazing things to come from this Baltimore trio.

Pre-order the new 7" from Thrill Jockey Records right here, and peep some live footage of Future Islands playing the 2640 Space for Celebration's LP release show below.