Shows: Wye Oak, Double Dagger, Roky Erickson, Thank You, Arbouretum, Zomes, Height, more

The upcoming weekend supplies a killer event to attend each day, starting tomorrow. Wye Oak headlines the Ottobar, backed by The Art Department and Height with Friends.





If you read this space, your familiar with our love for Height with Friends, particularly Bed of Seeds. The Art Department released their first proper LP with GenPop this summer, and Wye Oak continue to blow up worldwide. Andy and Jenn are also on the heels of a new album, and word on the street is to expect that next spring(ish).





On Saturday, the good folks who hosted the majority of this years Whartscape are having a fundraiser. The lineup at Current Space is pretty awesome, and includes what will likely be the last local Double Dagger show of 2010. Performances from Thank You, Mickey Free, Zomes, Brendan Sullivan, and more can also be expected at this all day affair.



Arguably the godfather of psychedelic rock and roll comes to the Ottobar on Sunday. Roky Erickson headlines, proprietor of all things psych/garage and founding member of the 13th Floor Elevators. Roky will be supported by the doom-folkers Arbouretum. Arbouretum's lineup will also be joined by David Bergander and Walker Teret of Celebration. Video of Dave Heumann singing a new song in a grassy knoll is below.

Upcoming Shows @ The Ottobar: Lower Dens, Wye Oak, Future Islands, more

The Ottobar has a trio of shows in October/November that each feature a different local headliner, and all of which have put out some of our favorite releases thus far this year.



Starting with next week, Lower Dens headlines the Ottobar on October 19 in what will be their last Baltimore show of 2010. They play with the much-hyped garage pop of Frankie Rose and the Outs and Woven Bones, and locals Junkers will be opening. Lower Dens just finished up a massive North American tour, complete with visits to NPR's Tiny Desk and Daytrotter, both of which are worth checking out.



On Friday, November 5th, Wye Oak headlines the venue. This one is supported by two other local bands that have always come recommended by us - Height with Friends and The Art Department. The local indie hip hop mainstay Height and the quirky and angsty poppers of the Art Department have both dropped excellent full lengths on vinyl this year.



And lastly, Future Islands will headline the Ottobar on Saturday, November 20th. This is the seven inch release party for a split they are putting out with Lonnie Walker, which contains the forthcoming Future Islands single "The Ink Well". The limited split is pressed to peach-colored vinyl and comes via Friends Records. Nov. 20 will be the last stop on a 17-date November tour that both bands are a part of. Opening the Baltimore release party will be Winks, a project that has a new full length coming soon.

Future Islands are currently finishing up in Europe, where they ran into Dan Deacon...

The Art Department - "Second Nature"

I know at least a couple handfuls of folks around town that have been eagerly anticipating the new Art Department LP, a release that's been in the works for a good bit of time. The band and GenPop Records are now happy to report that Paperwork/Birdwork will be released on August 15.

Lead singer Jonathan Ehrens kindly passed along the album to me yesterday, and gave me the go ahead to premiere a track. I chose the fifth song on the A side of the record.



Like the rest of the jangled pop we've come to know and love from this band, "Second Nature" gets straight to business and cuts out all the middlemen. All notions are made clear in under a minute and 40 seconds, and I'll be damned if you didn't bob your head from the first second on. Jonathan mentioned that Birdwork and and Paperwork were two distinct sides, and this track seems to be the high point of some incredibly reflective melodies found on the A side of the record.

This 12 inch record will play at 45rpm, and will soon be available for preorder at GenPop. Look for more on this release in the coming weeks, as it will likely be put on regular rotation for the weeks to come. Get the full track list after the jump.

The Art Department
Paperwork/Birdwork
GenPop Records 2010

Side A
1. Let's Imply Stuff
2. I Am Yr Censor
3. Get On
4. Not Called The Shots
5. Second Nature
6. Axe To Grind

Side B
7. We Are In Court
8. Standin' Around
9. Carolyn
10. Nothing With Ain't
11. Small Net
12. Pains Me

Giveaway: Woven Bones / Reading Rainbow @ Ottobar

poster by David V McAleer

This Saturday night the Ottobar's got one that's sure to be a grand accompaniment to celebrating Independence with fireworks and copious cans of beer. Go see Woven Bones, Reading Rainbow, The Art Department, and Party Photographers on July 3.

I saw Reading Rainbow in Philly at Extra Extra fairly recently and they alone are worth coming out for. Woven Bones just dropped a solid new LP on HoZac. The Art Department always rule, and were sounding as tight as ever at their recent set at Penthouse with Future Islands and Lower Dens. Unregistered Nurse hooked us up with a pair of free passes, so drop a friendly letter in our email here and we'll pick a winner this Friday.

Peep an official new Woven Bones video after the jump.

Rapdragons - Featuring Baltimore

From the first time I met Nick Often and Greg Ward of Rapdragons last year, the two Baltimore rappers were enticing me with a local-oriented project they had in the works. The project is titled Featuring Baltimore, and it will be officially released for free tomorrow via their very own LTD Comp.

Featuring Baltimore is a full length mixtape, where in which each song samples from a different Baltimore artist. The result of Nick and Greg's superior taste in local music and knack for beat-cooking is 16 tracks of hip hop ready for any summer party. Hear a taste below.



"Dragon's Heart" samples "A Dog's Dick" by Lower Dens, one of the standout tracks on the new Lower Dens LP that drops later this summer. The Rapdragons take on the jam capitalizes on the killer bass line found in the original, and of course adds on top verses of Nick and Greg's party rap that Bmore has come to know and love.

The full release can be downloaded for free on LTD Comp tomorrow, and features samples deriving from The Agrarians, Beach House, Double Dagger, Future Islands, Ponytail, Weekends, Baby Venom, Dope Body, Arbouretum, Secret Mountains, Mr. Moccasin, The Art Department, Lo Moda, and more. Peep the full track listing below.


Rapdragons - Featuring Baltimore (LTD Comp.)

01 Early for Work (samples Late for School by Ponytail)

02 Come Harvest (samples Growing Season by Secret Mountains)

03 Plot Twist (samples Shakescene by The Agrarians)

04 Trivial Prey feat. Rebel Conscious (samples Grave Hunter by Mr. Moccasin)

05 Camp Everywhere (samples Camp Nowhere by Weekends)

06 Real Summer (samples False Spring by Arbouretum)

07 Memory (samples Vision by Dope Body)

08 Manifest (samples Camouflage by Double Dagger)

09 Bury (samples Dig by Blood Baby)

10 Rap'n'Roll feat. AK & Hanna Badalova (samples Rock'n'Roll by The Art Department)

11 Slick Rick (samples Eyepatch by Baby Venom)

12 I Went to Her feat. Seven (samples You Came to Me by Beach House)

13 Constant Metropolis (samples Istanbul by Lo Moda)

14 Dragon's Heart (samples A Dog's Dick by Lower Dens)

15 Big Dreamers (samples Little Dreamer by Future Islands)

16 Gotta Go feat. Hemlock Ernst (samples Cannot Move by Existencils)

Video: Future Islands / Katrina Ford - "In The Fall"

Last night Future Islands came home to Baltimore from a national tour, headlining one of the year's best shows so far that also sported Lower Dens and The Art Department. Above is some video footage compliments of Jimmy MacMillan of them performing the slow-rolling beauty that is "In The Fall" alongside Celebration's Katrina Ford.

After the jump you'll find video of "Little Dreamer", also from last night. This was the last song of their set, in which Sam had requested the lights be turned on for.

Tonight: Future Islands / Lower Dens / Art Department and Dead Drums / Winks / Married in Berdichev and more

Tonight there's a doubleheader, so start up in Hampden at Jesus Camp, then head on down to the Penthouse. Married in Berdichev, Winks, Dead Drums, Alexander Trust, French Quarter, Pollination Population all play at Jesus Camp starting at 5 PM today.




Tonight at the Penthouse you'll find Future Islands and Lower Dens returning from a national tour and joined by The Art Department. This show starts around 9 PM.

Photos: Future Islands, Thank You, Blood Baby at Floristree

Floristree hosted yet another hell of a good time Saturday, with Future Islands closing out a lineup that included Thank You, Weekends, The Art Department, and Blood Baby.

The lineup lived up to what you'd expect. Future Islands put on quite possibly one of my favorite sets of theirs to date, and if you've read this blog you'd know I've been to more than a few. Valerie captured the moment in epic fashion, and you can check out the full set if you read on.


Sam, William, and Gerrit proved they were more than amped for this one, having mentioned how "honored they always were" to play Floristree in a recent interview.


Future Islands have one more local show coming up, but will have to take a rest from touring when Sam has knee surgery. When they get back, a heavy agenda ensues with their debut LP on Thrill Jockey, and a split 7 inch with Lonnie Walker that will be out on Friends Records.

Friends Records is a local Baltimore label that a friend and I are debuting in early 2010. In addition to this 7 inch, our label will also be pressing the next Weekends LP to vinyl, another band that rocked on Saturday night. Much more info to come right here on Friends Records and its releases very soon.


Blood Baby was a whole mess of fun, as you can see Ellie from Sick Weapons was digging her guitarist's other band. The Art Deparment were mind-boggling as always, and Thank You tore through their set in a fury of drums, chants and halfway warped melodies. Thank You played some of the tunes on their new EP, and seemed as tight es ever.

You can check out Valerie's full photo set here, or below in the flash gallery.


Photos by Valerie

Clusterf*ck: Local Shows this Weekend

This weekend is ridiculously packed full of options. The local music overload starts tonight at the Wind-Up Space. The Baltimore Community Radio Coalition is throwing a party, featuring Air Waves, The Art Department, Eternal Summers, and Microwave Background.

I've already gushed over the lineup at the Ottobar on Friday, and today's the last day to win free tickets to see Ponytail spread guitar-riff-pixie-dust-bliss all over Remington. Don't forget to get there early for DJ Dogdick, Dope Body, and the Crazy Dreams Band.

Another solid show is going down Friday at the Talking Head with Deleted Scenes, Soft Cat, and more. If you choose the Talking Head show, check back here at bmoremusic.net for the audio from the stellar Ottobar lineup courtesy of Jeff.

Shit hits the fan Saturday, with three quality shows to choose from. The Baltimore Taper is throwing his 5 year anniversary party, and inviting some his favorite bands to help celebrate. Heroin UK, the Dirty Marmaduke Flute Squad, and more will all grace the Metro Gallery's presence. Rumor has it, this is the DMFS's last show of the year.

Sonar also has a stellar one, with local hero's Double Dagger headlining a show that includes the LA noise-wavers Health. Health are fresh off the release of Get Color, a much more focused affair than their last. And last but not least, Nuclear Power Pants is having an album release party at Floristree Saturday night. You can check out some positive reception for Wicked Eats the Warrior over at Beatbots and Aural States.

Choose wisely, folks.

Ticket Giveaway: Dan Deacon / Deerhunter / No Age

Oh man. This one week tour was announced a couple months back, originally not plotted to roll through these here parts. Surpise! Just announced last weekend, next Friday Sonar welcomes the Dan Deacon/Deerhunter/No Age Round Robin to Baltimore.

This one is an ADD-friendly, round robin style setup, with the artists circling the crowd and taking turns doing their thing. Also promised are collaborative performances, offering a chance to catch one of a kind joint ventures likely to never be seen again. So if you've ever wondered what Deacon's electronics sound like jamming out to "Nothing Ever Happened", or how Bradford Cox's vocals might spruce up "Ripped Knees", this could be your night.

This is only hitting a few select east coast-ish cities, including a stop the next day in New Jersey at a hotel with a giant pool shaped as an airplane. That show's got a pool party, we get something even better. One ticket gets you into all three rooms that night, including the Taxlo dance party and the Talking Head.

The Talking Head has a superb lineup with Future Islands, Sick Weapons, The Art Department, and Love or Perish. I've already gabbed about how sick three of these bands were at Whartscape, and Future Islands just put out an absolutely stellar double a-side 7 inch called Feathers and Hallways. If you feel like dancing, the club room's got Dave Nada, Cullen Stalin, and Simon Phoenix.

You officially have no excuse not to be there, mainly becuase there's something for everyone. And also, because I am giving away a pair of tickets. Blast an email to bmoremusicallyinformed@gmail.com, letting me know who you want to see the most that night. I'll pick a winner at random next week, and get their name on the list. Be sure to check your email Thursday morning the 30th to see if you've won. See you there!

Photo Review: Whartscape 2009 Day Two

Photos by Valerie

Oh, Whartscape. I've already shared my love for Friday and Sunday's happenings, and alas we now have a ton of visuals for Saturday. Day two in the MICA parking lot was more than solid, with a wide array of sounds and vibes.

I stumbled up just in time for The Art Department, a band that I've yet to check out live. Their songs left me confused, as I knew they were played all wrong yet I was oddly attracted to them. Their knack for creating quirky pop songs backwards and upside down was truly unique, leaving me repulsed yet wanting more all at once.

Weekends rocked from the pavement, playing right in the middle of the early crowd as they prefer. One of Baltimore's best new bands, they sounded as tight as ever surely winning over some new fans. Sporting some new songs called "Roomate" and "Raingirls", I was pleasantly surprised that these new jams were readily available in CDR form. The new EP is called Suburban Dome, and it comes highly recommended.

The Woes bluesy New Orleans style rock were a welcome surprise, as was the marching band shenanigans of the What Cheer! Brigade. This was a full on marching band that completely stormed Station North, leaving nothing but dancing Whartscapers in their wake. Certainly a new twist on the collegiate sport genre, and a whole mess of fun.

Sick Weapons were fantastic and rocked pretty hard, almost as hard as Vincent Black Shadow. These guys completely leveled the crowd, scorching from all angles with their brand of psychedelic punk metal. Vincent Black Shadow completely ripped it, leaving you feeling all kinds of rowdy and wanting more. A stellar addition to the lineup.

This concludes our Whartscape 2009 coverage. Much thanks to Wham City for putting together such an awesome event, and here's hoping for many more years to come.

Tonight: Jeremy Jay @ The Talking Head

This evening the Talking Head features Jeremy Jay, with the Art Department supporting the affair. Jeremy Jay just dropped his second full length on K Records, and it is quite the stroll in the park.

Slow Dance is an electronic pop album that always puts the singer-songwriter mentality first and foremost. As with any of Jeremy Jay's releases, common themes of love and humanity are prominent throughout. These themes and thoughts are described as only an artist who lives in both L.A. and Paris could execute, and always in a manner that keeps ears glued.

My personal favorite off the album, "In this Lonely Town", can be streamed over at the top of my green playlist. Another release of Mr. Jay's I'd recommend is the single prior to the newest LP, titled "Love Everlasting". This jam floats along infectiously, and will more than likely have you heading to the Talking Head tonight.

Along with the Art Department, support also derives from Snowmen and Backyard Betties. This solid lineup will cost you 8 bucks and similarly starts around 8 o'clock.