Tonight is the fifth annual Rap Round Robin, which looks to be one of the most diverse displays of Baltimore hip hop yet. Performing tonight at Floristree will be AK Slaughter, Mickey Free and Secret Weapon Dave, PT Burnem, OOH of Brownfish with seeWEED, Height With Friends, Jones, Mania Music Group, The Plural MC, King Rhythm, Soul Cannon, Rapdragons, and Disturbed Individuals.
The Rap Round Robin is at Floristree, starts at 9 PM, and you can RSVP here.
Our favorite psychedelic rap star Jones just dropped a dreamy video for one of the tracks off his debut LP dubbed "Jones (Wounds)". The music video is directed by Brian Durel.
If you haven't already done so, cop the beautiful Jones Jones Jones 12" LP right here.
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.
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.
Last year Nuclear Power Pants unleashed Wicked Eats The Warrior on Wham City Records, and have since been a stampede of impressive live shows throughout the country. Last month they toured with Height with Friends, a tour that was in support of a new cassette from the crew.
The Uh Oh Maxi tape is the latest release from Nuclear Power Pants, and just like their last LP, its one that you're going to need to go ahead and snag a copy of. The new tape comes at us via Really Coastal, and is limited to 125 copies.
The release features the album version of "Uh Oh", accompanied by several remixes and alternates that are more than worth your ears. For me, the highlight was the first track on the B side, the "Vibrating Strings" version of "Uh Oh. Peep it.
This extended version of the original is a bit of a throwback, with enough soul to make your mama's mac 'n cheese look like Easy Mac. The tape also features another killer remix from Jones, and also a remix from Drew Swinburne who mastered the whole release. Grab a copy from Really Coastal right here. Uh Oh Maxi
Future Islands release In Evening Air in Baltimore Friday night at Floristree, and the official Thrill Jockey release date is next Tuesday. Since hearing Wave Like Home a few years ago, there's been no other band's follow-up record that I've looked forward to more. Having now spent a couple months with In Evening Air, it's become clear that William, Gerrit, and Sam have crafted something really special.
"Virgo Distracts" is the second track on side A of In The Fall, the EP Thrill Jockey dropped this month on translucent blue vinyl. The Friends Records comp features a live cut of this track from the vaults of Willam Cashion, recorded at DubLab in Los Angeles. This is from September 8, 2008, a really early incarnation of the tune.
Read on for a new Food For Animals track remixed by Jones, and also Tapes in Space. Jones has been cooking up some mighty fine beats, remixes and psychedelic hip hop around town, and used to make a lot of music with Height. He killed it on a remix of Future Islands' "Little Dreamer" last year, which originally appeared on the Splice Today comp and got pressed to wax for Post Office Wave Chapel.
Jones still has his own debut available on vinyl, which is beautifully packaged and available here. His contribution to the comp is a remix of a new Food For Animals song, complete with a warped-out and hazy banger of a beat.
Tapes In Space is the solo effort of Adam Lempel, better known as the dude who likes to stand on the drum set during Weekends shows. Adam has been recording a wide variety of different pop sounds at slow speeds, and then speeding them up.
The result is Tapes In Space. "Bat Meat" also features Chase/Winks playing casio steel drums, and is part of a batch of tracks that "mixes and matches genres" and will be on an upcoming release. Adam is also responsible for the cover art, a photo he showed me recently at a print fair up in Philadelphia by David Grahm.
Friday night the Hexagon featured Weekends, Talk to Animals, Jones, Buildings, and Bone Zone. The show was a lot of fun, and this was Weekends second show out of four that were played in Baltimore, DC, and Brooklyn last weekend.
The bill was diverse, ranging from electro pop thrash to scuzz surf to psychedelic hip hop and more. Good times were had, and Valerie's killer set of photos is after the jump. Weekends
There's a lot to do this weekend, so let' get to clusterf*cking. This one is a bit of a Friends Records edition, as bands from all three of our upcoming LPs are playing shows.
Tonight, the Hexagon is stacked so grab a six pack or flask of your favorite spirit and get ready for a pretty diverse bill. Baltimore's Weekends, Jones, and Talk to Animals, are paired with DC's BLDGS and Boston's Bone Zones... yes, the name's Bone Zone. This party will run ya six beans, and as always the Hexagon is BYOB. See you there.
Sonar is sporting a massive one tonight as well, with the biggest ambient soul project in all the land coming to town. Taxlo's got The XX, but unfortunately if this is the first you are hearing of it you're out of luck. This one's sold out, but there's an after party at Sonar with Jamie from The XX DJing that does not require a ticket to the show. The after party starts at 10 PM.
Saturday night you'll likely want to be in the Annex/Copycat corridor. Height with Friends and Nuclear Power Pants bring the veggie oil fueled bus back to Baltimore, playing a big 'ol homecoming show at The Good Son with AK Slaughter, Gavin Riley, and Drew Swineburne. Nuclear Power Pants will also be releasing their new cassette single for "Uh Oh Maxi". And, Height's new LP will be ready for your turntables in just a couple weeks.
Over at Pet Cemetary, there's another massive lineup with Weekends, True Womanhood, Ava Luna, Cop Magnet, and Silent Whys. A lot of these folks have releases with the Baltimore digital label Environmental Aesthetics, and also a lot of these folks are awesome. There is one more show in the vicinity, with Nothingberryplasma, Total Bolsheviks, Andrew Bernstein, and Comeback Ranch all playing over at The F401tress.
Oh and hey, you've got two more swell options Saturday night with Rapdragons playing their release party for Ten Stories Highjacked, and the Oranges Band playing their 10th anniversary show at the Ottobar.
If you survived Saturday night's ambush, then Sunday's got a stellar free show upstairs at the Ottobar. Sri Aurobindo and Jack Chick play El Suprimo's 7th birthday party. Get psyched.
Future Islands played their last local show for a little while, as they headlined Jesus Camp Sunday night with Javelin, 400 Cloaks, and Grandchildren all on hefty support. Going out and dancing at the Megachurch in Hampden on a Sunday night proved worthy, as all acts made going to church plenty fun.
Pictured above is just some of the fantastic antics that took place during Javelin's set. They made you want to dance, they were lively as all hell, and they've created some pretty infectious pop songs. You''ll find a Javelin remix of the Future Islands track "Flicker and Flutter" on the upcoming Post Office Wave Chapel via Future Islands and Free Danger. The band kindly hooked us up with the exclusive premiere of said track.
Stream this one in all it's glory and peep all photos of this show after the click. The upcoming Future Islands remix EP has it's NYC release party this Thursday at Death by Audio, with Javelin, Jones, Moss of Aura, and Pictureplane - all of which lent a hand to the record. Future Islands synth wizard Geritt Welmers donated his Moss of Aura project's take on "Beach Foam", utilizing riffs from No Age's "Eraser". Jones is responsible for the remix of "Little Dreamer" that features Beach House's Victoria Lengrand, and Pictureplane reworked "Old Dreamer".
Sunday night was the trio's last hometown show for a little while, but look for big things to come in 2010 from these guys including a Friends Records split 7 inch with Lonnie Walker, and their debut Thrill Jockey full length. We will also have a podcast of an acoustic house session hitting waves soon, with brand new tracks, a super fantastic organ, and Sam somehow sitting down while singing.
Here's the premiere of the rad Javelin remix on the upcoming 12 inch, and more photos.
This is Bmore Musically Informed's top 20 albums list of 2009 released by artists who call Baltimore home. Rankings were determined by vinyl wear and tear, iTunes play count, and placing a value on love. Intense moral and emotional qualms were reached when ranking number one through five.
Look for more locally-oriented lists regarding music here soon, and feel free to send in your own input. I tried to limit this list to mostly LPs, but there are a few worthy EPs thrown into the mix. 2009 was another fantastic year here in Baltimore, and here are the releases to prove it:
5. Weekends - WeekendsLP and Suburban Dome EP This was Weekends' debut LP, and I found it permeating my ears quite often this year. These guys played a hell of a lot of shows, and came hard each and every time. Both of these contain "riffs of pure joy", and have left me feeling this good every listen. I am excited to be playing a major part in their upcoming LP, a vinyl/digital release via Friends Records in early 2010. 4. Arbouretum - Song of the Pearl Arbouretum have been a staple here as of late, and this is the most cohesive release of their career. The production on Song of the Pearl is impeccable, allowing every note Dave's vocals hits to flawlessly boom just as it does seeing them live. This is psychedelic doom folk at its best.
3. Wye Oak - The Knot Andy and Jenn are likely going to be make a lot of amazing music for a long time to come. The Knot ensured my faith in this, as at times it does an almost perfect job of capturing Wye Oak's live performance, putting it into tangible form. This album possesses some of the most aurally beautiful moments Baltimore has produced this year.
2. Dan Deacon - Bromst Without even bringing up what he means to Baltimore, just look at the facts. Dan Deacon built off of the hyperactive electronics of Spiderman of the Rings, and turned it into a mind-bending and blissful composition performed by a large ensemble of talented local musicians. One of my fondest memories of 2009 was Dan and the ensemble closing out Whartscape's outside stage, mainly due to my obsession with Bromst.
1. Double Dagger - More There was no album that I found myself coming back to over and over again this year more than More. This is by far Double Dagger's most dynamic LP to date, and embodies a band that represents Baltimore to the fullest. This is a meaningful album by a meaningful band, period.
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'sNouns. 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...
Everyone's favorite avenue watering hole is hosting quite the event next week. The Golden West presents Golden Westival and/or Golden Fest. Call it what you will, this a four night local music extravaganza of varying sorts.
The Golden West has been a popular workplace for artists, and this gathering aims to serve as a pretty bad ass employee talent show. A mere 20 bucks gets you in all four nights, or 6 dollars for each night. In addition to music, Braegen promises a theatrical performance and a science experiment.
This was Weekends' debut LP, and I found it permeating my ears quite often this year. These guys played a hell of a lot of shows, and came hard each and every time. Both of these contain "riffs of pure joy", and have left me feeling this good every listen. I am excited to be playing a major part in their upcoming LP, a vinyl/digital release via Friends Records in early 2010.
Arbouretum have been a staple here as of late, and this is the most cohesive release of their career. The production on Song of the Pearl is impeccable, allowing every note Dave's vocals hits to flawlessly boom just as it does seeing them live. This is psychedelic doom folk at its best.
Andy and Jenn are likely going to be make a lot of amazing music for a long time to come. The Knot ensured my faith in this, as at times it does an almost perfect job of capturing Wye Oak's live performance, putting it into tangible form. This album possesses some of the most aurally beautiful moments Baltimore has produced this year.
Without even bringing up what he means to Baltimore, just look at the facts. Dan Deacon built off of the hyperactive electronics of Spiderman of the Rings, and turned it into a mind-bending and blissful composition performed by a large ensemble of talented local musicians. One of my fondest memories of 2009 was Dan and the ensemble closing out Whartscape's outside stage, mainly due to my obsession with Bromst.
There was no album that I found myself coming back to over and over again this year more than More. This is by far Double Dagger's most dynamic LP to date, and embodies a band that represents Baltimore to the fullest. This is a meaningful album by a meaningful band, period.
Everyone's favorite avenue watering hole is hosting quite the event next week. The Golden West presents Golden Westival and/or Golden Fest. Call it what you will, this a four night local music extravaganza of varying sorts.
