Air Waves are fresh off the release of their debut full length, a stellar first effort that came out via Underwater Peoples at the end of last year. Dungeon Dots is a completely underrated and beautiful release that's absolutely worth giving a spin.
Throw in the always enchanting Avocado Happy Hour and the sonically awesome Brendan Sullivan, and you've got yourself a night. The show starts at 9 PM and costs five dollars.
This first week of the year boasts a handful of more than worthy musical happenings to attend, all of which should keep your ears entertained and out of the cold.
Thursday night you've got a few options in Station North, starting with a stellar lineup at the Metro Gallery - Crazy Dreams Bands, Microkingdom, and Horse Lords. This one starts at 8 PM and costs $7. I'll have a full post on Microkingdom tomorrow, as they are on the heels of releasing their new LP, Three Compositions of No Jazz. The wax hits shelves and mailboxes later this month via Friends Records, with a release show plotted for January 21 at the Windup Space. More on that tomorrow, though.
Across the street at the Hexagon you'll find a tour send-off show for The Woolly Moon, a country folk project that dabbles in psychedelic realms. They will be joined by Arsenii Vaselenko from San Francisco and American Folklore, starts at 9 PM.
Friday night sports two stellar choice as well, starting with Big In Japan, The Water, Infinite Honey, and Avocado Happy Hour at the Ottobar. This increasingly rare Big In Japan performance is worth noting, as they will be joined by Celebration's Katrina Ford on vocals. The band has worked with Ford recently on recording a few songs, which are being produced by Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips). This show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.
Down in Mt. Vernon, Deep In The Game's got a really good one as they'll be hosting Ami Dang's record release show. Ami Dang recently dropped Hukam on Ehse Records, and I've been fortunate enough to spend some time with the full length for the last few months. It's garnered considerable play, and look for that awesome record to be explored further on this blog later this week or early next week.
This week my real life mailbox was graced with a fantastic slice of analog joy, the new cassette from Avocado Happy Hour. Take a first listen to "Daytime Television" below.
"Daytime Television" is the opening track on the new full length, which is quite aptly titled Easy Listening. I look forward to getting more acquainted with this 35 minute release, but couldn't wait much longer to share the opening track. Amanda Schmidt and Rod Hamilton have crafted an entrancing swirl of synths, vibes, and vocals that cast light on the darkest of places using radiant sonics. Percussion is kept to a minimum and is often non-existent, while melodies are left to keep a pleasant pace.
Upon the first few listens, it's become clear that Avocado Happy Hour's stellar live show has translated to amazing things in the studio. The album was recorded by Rob Girardi, an individual responsible for some of our favorite local records of this decade. Look for more gushing and info on this purple cassette in the coming weeks.
A month or so ago at Soft Fest, I was kindly given a new turquoise-colored cassette from the likes of locals Comeback Ranch and Rod Hamilton (1/2 of Avocado Happy Hour).
Above is "Birdman", the second track on Rod Hamilton's Act I of the the tape. Hamilton's side reaches a bit more towards the melodic realm, with carefully scattered synths and more organic tones layered throughout. This track seems rather appropriately titled, with a seemingly uplifting nod to unnatural flight and uncharted territories. Rhythms are created through melody, providing the perfect tones for superior sky-gazing.
Act II is provided by Comeback Ranch, another resident of the Soft House with a knack for creating ambient soundscapes. Above is the first scene, a six minute journey dubbed " Stereolith". This side of the tape creates a more subdued ambiance, with easily digestible and effortlessly luminous drone. A bit more synth heavy and atmospheric, check it out if you liked the work we shared by Jake Lingan or Daytime's recent piece.
Look for this cassette around the Baltimore area while it's still around.
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
The Soft House hosted a killer lineup last Friday night, and one of our photographers Valerie was there to shoot the whole evening. I unfortunately missed out on this one, but I heard through the grapevine that it was a more than stellar affair. Get a glimpse of some more shots below, and the full photo set after the jump.
Tonight you've got two adventures to choose from, one of which will weave you in and out of the silky marmalade forest full of ambient pop bliss, while the other will enter you into the stank-filled jungle of experimental angst and pure adrenaline. This might sound like a harsh curve, and well, that's because it is.
One of my favorite Baltimore spots, The Soft House, is hosting a super nice one tonight with Happy Family, Do While, Avocado Happy Hour, and Holy Ghost Party. Will of Happy Family just released one of the best splits I've heard in a while, one that features Run DMT on the A-side and himself on the B-side. The beautiful track streaming above is from that tape, and you can snag the whole thing from Wigflip now. Also, Avocado Happy Hour will be performing Spiegel en Spiegel by Arvo Part, and ice cream treats are promised by Amanda from AHH.
If you choose the jungle adventure, you'll be heading to the Golden West where you'll find the Twin Stumps album release party for Seedbed. Their new LP on Fan Death is incredibly awesome, and these dudes are even better live. They'll be supported by Leather and Janitor, and this one will run you five American dollars.
Saturday night was yet another clusterfuck of shows in the city that reads, but those who chose Soft Fest were not disappointed. Of the handful of acts I was able to catch, Avocado Happy Hour, were just another exemplary showcase of Baltimore's more quiet tunes. The duo began their set playing a pair of large xylophones in the back of the space, setting the tone for their dynamic ambient pop sound.
A full range of hypnotizing electronic and organic keys painted the background of their pieces. Amanda's voice chimed in and mesmerized, creating mystery with simple melodic notes. A very peaceful and fulfilling set, and not the only of the night. Dustin Wong's LP Seasons exemplifies what can be accomplished with multiple layers of guitar. Pulling this off on an album that spanned years of home sessions is one thing, but creating a live show based off these ideas is entirely different.
Armed with an arsenal of pedals and an electric guitar, Dustin Wong coated sheet upon sheet of looping melodies, all seamlessly interwoven with one another. This was an incredibly beautiful set, as Dustin dropped the jaws of onlookers within the entire space.
Bethany Dinsick played Sunday night, a folk singer with a stunningly luminous voice. The obvious comparison might be Joanna Newsom, but Bethany's voice is far less erratic and alien-like (in a good way). She painted pictures of tornadoes attacking hospitals and trees that can heal wrong with the aid of a bottle, and did so pretty freaking elegantly.
The use of hushed and hypnotic background noise tied things together, particularly with the application of a baby's white noise machine. I picked up copy of Bottle Tree from Miss Dinsick, an album that I look forward to indulging in quite a bit more. She described it to me as "meditational R&B", and I look forward to featuring more of Bethany Dinsick here in the near future.
Another weekend in Baltimore, and yet another heap of shows to choose from. One event certainly stands out, spanning both Saturday and Sunday. Soft Fest features some of the areas finer mellifluous tunes.
Both days get going at 6 PM and run until midnight, with over ten acts each night all worth checking out. Organizers promise other activities of a more humbled variety, including chess tournaments, silent films, and Tom Selleck. Yup.
I've highlighted a bunch of these artists before, as a lot have contributed some of the more beautiful tracks from within 695. Dustin Wong's magnificent Seasons has found its way to my turntable often, an LP drenched in unique textures and layers.
Avocado Happy Hour are currently working on their next album, with much to look forward to. They kindly sent me over a couple live tracks from an acoustic set they did at Sonic Circuits. Below is "Sitting Down", performed with a vibraphone, marimba, glockenspiel, and Amanda singing through a megaphone.
Happy Family had an EP titled Sound Farm that had me pretty excited s few months back, with one of the catchier floaty bedroom pop jams I've heard. Check out "Cups" below.
And Lands and Peoples have shown much promise, as their hand-sewn sleeved EP is lush with dreamy folk pop sure to have you thinking of some of the better acts possessing similar sounds. Check out EP standout "Bad Habits".
There are others playing that I've pointed out before, and many of which I hope to recommend in the future. Stop by and stay awhile on Saturday or Sunday, or both. I've been asked to provide you with this email address, in case you need to know the location of said gathering. With a flyer like the one below, and Tom Selleck promised to be in attendance, showing up is a no brainer.
