Baltimore's Semya also has a project under the moniker Lexx, an outlet to relinquish beats of the crunked-out Ninja Turtles pizza-shooter variety. Lexx just tossed out another batch of jams, including one of his new favorites, "Bamboo Shoot".
This one's a slow-burner that lights up easy, with rhythms and zones that that hit you just as slick. The rest of the new ones feature all kinds of sounds - wonky rolling beats that are tweaked and twirled like the final obstacle course from Double Dare. They all pretty much make you want to get drunk and play Nintendo on the dance floor.
Lexx also just passed along a dreamy new video for "Palm Shades".
Both of these tracks can be found on BEATS VOL. 1, which can be downloaded right here from Lexx for free. Lexx also made about 12 cassettes, and would be happy to mail one along with a booklet of original artwork for six dollars if you email him here.
Human Resources is a new find, Jeremy Krinsley's project based out of New York. Elements of drone are sprinkled over bursts of pop, both somehow meeting in the middle and forming some sort of industrial trance. Harsh noise is washed over with salt water, and tribal chants are filtered through cassette deck heads. His latest release, Fast Times, comes highly recommended.
"Debbie Fu" is the first track on Fast Times, and a whirlwind of haunted synths. Human Resources is more than worth showing up early for, as him and Say No! To Architecture will be opening up the affair. Lexx and Ravenous give you a damn good reason to stay.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High show poster after the jump.
Tonight Wye Oak is back from their massive North American tour, and are playing a homecoming show at the Ottobar with some stellar support. Ami Dang will open, and the always amazing Lands and Peoples have a set in store as well. Lands and Peoples recently contributed a brand new track to the Friends Records compilation.
Saturday night the Penthouse is sporting a killer rap show with Food For Animals, Rapdragons, Lexx, and alot more. Open mic challenges are promised, and battles will likely ensue. Bring your party hats and show up around 9 PM for this one. This track is also from the Friends and Friends of Friends comp, a completely radical Jones remix of a brand new Food For Animals jam that will be on their next LP.
Get all the details and ongoings of Megapolis after the jump. Megapolis is going on alllllllll weekend long, and features a ridiculous amount of sounds of all varieties. It takes place at various Station North locations, and is more than worth checking out. Here's the full schedule compliments of the Megapolis site:
4:30pm – 5:30pm Reception! Installation activation w/ food and drink TBA… @ Load of Fun Gallery + Baltimore Node, 120 W. North Ave Tickets: $10 regular (plus entry to Kubin) / free for weekend pass-holders
5:30pm – 7pm FELIX KUBIN, brought to you by the Associations of Independents in Radio and Goethe-Institut Washington @ Load of Fun Theatre (LOF/t), 120 W. North Ave Tickets: $10 regular (includes reception before) / free for weekend pass-holders
CLOSING RECEPTION Featuring selections of works created during the festival weekend folled by a performance by: ARRINGTON DE DIONYSO’S MALAIKAT DAN SINGA @ Windup Space, 12 W. North Ave Tickets: $5 / free to weekend pass-holders
8pm – ? (7:30pm doors)
2640_MOVE_MUSIC – Timothy Nohe, Renée Brozic Barger, Tiffany DeFoe, Meghan Flanigan, Carol Hess, Francesca Jandasek, Clarinda Mac Low, Luca Marini, Catherine Pancake, Nicole Shiflet, and Stephanie Yezek @ 2640 Space, 2640 St Paul St Tickets: $10 general / $8 student / free to weekend pass-holders
Rapdragons just dropped their second official release, Ten Stories Hijacked. This is the Ten Stories High remix project, where Nick Often and Greg Ward asked a bunch of friends/local sound-makers to help out on each track. Download it for free now.
Naturally, Nick and Greg's friends are all heavily stocked with skills for making beats, and the ones that aren't make up for it with natural musical vision. Remixes were limited to tracks off of Ten Stories High, with contributions from a wide range of musicians based in Baltimore. The lead track is below, a killer contribution from Schwarz.
This release is pretty stacked, and also includes a remix from Future Islands synth wizard Gerrit Welmers under the moniker of his rad solo digs - a Moss of Aura track I featured back in February. Gerrit's cut is definitely a highlight of Ten Stories Hijacked.
The release also sports remixes from Weekends, Polygons, Lexx, Jones, Cex, Eachothers, and more. Get the full scoop straight from the man himself after the jump. I recently checked in with Nick Often about the new release, and he told me what was up with it amongst other Rapdragons business and things in the works...
Ten Stories Hijacked hit may 5th after a rolling internet release featuring one track a day. the album is 15 total tracks (10 tracks + Bonus Pack 01, which is 5 bonus tracks). Bonus Pack 02 will hit this summer (but not before Featuring Baltimore) with exclusive tracks and featuring a remix sent to us at rapdragons@ltdcomp.combetween may 05, 2010 and june 30, 2010
The record has a bunch of different flavors, but it's all Baltimore. Since we're doing the Featuring Baltimore project and we're the ones picking the songs, I'm cutting them up, and we're writing the new words and concept, we wanted to do sort of the inverse of that for Ten Stories Hijacked, where the musicians are more taking what we've done, and putting there spin on it. Fittingly, we worked mostly with laptoppers and electronic artists that have had some experience working with vocal tracks or manipulating sound in a recording environment. In the future, we hope to work more directly with musicians of all stripes, and to find new modes of collaboration.
Wigflip Records just got going this year, yet this is already the eighth digital release under their belt. Wigflip's first physical release, Do While's self titled CD, is now up for pre-order, but the label's already got a few other jaunts in swing.
There's talks of a Run DMT/Happy Family split 12 inch in the works, and the infectiously fantastic track above is said to be one of the new Run DMT diddies you'll find on there. But for now, the fellow's just dropped Lexx'sMangoblunt.
Above is "Throw Ma Thing Down", a Mangblunt track that cuts some Missy into the mix.
For those who dug the Inflatable Mattress release, (other moniker for Happy Family's Will Pesta) Real Talk, Mangoblunt is another tape of tainted beats and hazy club jammers. This EP also might mark the first time a Ying Yang Twins verse has been used in fair taste since... always. This 20 minute EP offers a smattering of synth-driven beats with found sounds and warped vintage layers abound. It's certainly a fun listen and would prove delightful for any 1 AM porch session dance party. Lexx tosses traditional hip hop of the crunked out variety and damages it with art from a wide palette, leaving behind some heavy beats.
Not without some funk, dance, and soul - this one pays homage with glitches and mashes that get you all jittery inside. Certainly worth a listen, Mangoblunt is a free download over on Wigflip. Also free for your downloading pleasure, Lexx's Slime Time.
