Tonight: Twin Stumps / Happy Family, Do While

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.

Giveaway: Twin Stumps - Seedbed LP + album release show the @ Golden West

Sean Gray and Chris Berry of Fan Death Records have recently displayed their knack for archiving loud sounds, and now it looks like they may have released their best and most challenging record since their inception last year. The 20th release in the Fan Death catalog is the new Twin Stumps LP, Seedbed.

Seedbed was produced by Ben Greenberg of Pygmy Shrews, as Ben aptly gets more heavy with things than the sounds emanating from their self-titled release on Dais Records. "Missing Persons" is the second song on this LP, and a fine example of the careful balance Ben took when factoring in the low end frequencies that are deeply rooted.



This is one of the most forward-thinking buckets of noise dumped on me in some time, and I had expected nothing less after seeing these guys blow faces off at recent shows here in Baltimore. There is a layer of scuzz on this record that is rarely obtained unless you frequent construction sites - one soaked in sweat, whiskey, and cement trucks. Devastatingly splintered bass is crushed up together with bleeding vocals and prehistoric rhythms - all of which are bent over backwards and chugging a fifth of Jim Beam.

The fine folks at Fan Death Records have hooked us up with a killer giveaway - a copy of Seedbed on vinyl, and a pair of passes to the album release party here in Baltimore. The show is Friday June 4th at the Golden West, and starts at 10 PM. Twin Stumps headline, while Leather and Janitor aid in support. Email us what type of animal Twin Stumps makes you feel like and why, and we'll pick a winner the week of the show.

Clusterf*ck: Shows in Baltimore this Weekend

poster by Nolen Strals

Another weekend in Baltimore, and another overly healthy portion of shows to attend. My apologies for the sparse content this week, as I've been obsessing over getting the Friends Records website ready. Looks like we're launching it Monday, so look out for some fresh sights/sounds to come then. But for now, this weekend rules...

Tonight the Golden West features Gunslingers and Liturgy. In a weekend chock full of really loud things, this one will help get you nicely prepared for what's to come. Gunslingers refer to themselves as "massacre-rock" and are from France, while Liturgy are fairly inventive dark metal from New York. Also awesome and from New York, A Place to Bury Strangers are in town tonight opening up for The Big Pink at Rams Head.

Friday night, Ruintown hosts the DNA Test Fest pre-party with Pfisters, Twin Stumps, The Chickens, Mother Sun Flower, and more. This one's $5 or free with purchase to Test Fest the following night at Sonar. Also Friday, the Fiery Furnaces are at the Ottobar.

Events and happenings for Saturday and Sunday after the jump.





DNA Test Fest III is Saturday, going down in two rooms at Sonar. There are alot of bands playing, and many of which don't come through these parts too often. The hype for this show has been across the boards on a regional and national level, and many kudos to Fan Death for making it happen. Highlights include, and are not limited to, Lamps (above) Pissed Jeans, Twin Stumps, Sightings, Psychedelic Horseshit (above), Neon Blud, and yeah... lot's more.

Over at Floristree Saturday, Josh Dibb is back in town and is now referred to as Deakin again (as opposed to Deacon when he played at the Ottobar on New Years). He'll be joined by The Present, Ecstatic Sunshine, Vows, and Salamander Wool. And lastly, for the more conventional songwriting type, Caleb Stine is at the Golden West with Among Wolves and Noble Lake.



And this weekend's grand finale, a rager of a release party at the Hexagon Sunday night with Double Dagger, Sick Weapons (above), Hollywood, and Dope Body. Bring cash for this one, because you'll surely want to grab Masks, Birthday Gift, and Some Stunts. I spoke with Ellie of Sick Weapons a few weeks ago, and it'll be good to see them after their run around the states.

And, sleep.

Twin Stumps - Live at Shea Stadium Cassette

Over the next couple months, I'll be featuring as many bands as I can that are playing DNA Test Fest III this April in Baltimore. I look forward to pushing my eardrums to their breaking points throughout this seemingly daunting task.

Twin Stumps are a noisy Brooklyn based rock outfit. They dropped their debut last year, a 12 inch on Dais Records. The 300 copies are long gone, but dudes have some things brewing for 2010. In addition to a new LP in the works, Fan Death Records is soon offering a limited cassette release from the band.

Live at Shea Stadium will be limited to 200 tapes, and will be only available through Fan Death and the band. It is the documentation of their set at the NYC space on October 17, 2009. This live session was recorded not long before bassist Mike Yaniro was beaten as part of an extremely violent robbery.

Mike Yaniro was without health insurance, and required a good deal of surgery. There have already been several benefit shows to help raise money for Mike's recovery, and this tape will serve that same purpose. All proceeds from the cassette will go towards helping him out.



As for the music - loud and abrasive with splintered feedback and complete dominance. This set was recorded at 2 am, and the tape was mastered (LOUD) by Pygmy Shrews' Ben Greenberg. These dudes perfect the art of chaotic distortion and feedback, and layer it over some heavy yet catchy rhythms. The screaming vocals are rather intrusive, and are just another claustrophobic element that makes your head buzz with glory.

A force of a band that is said to embody traits of the 1980s pigfuck scene in NYC, this tape archives a night of rage. Pair that rage with drunken guitar noise, heavy late night wails, and thunderously splintered bass, and you've got yourself a tape.

Look for this release to drop on Fan Death the first week of February, and keep posted on a Twin Stumps LP via Fan Death in the future. They play the Test Fest pre-party at Ruintown on April 2nd, and are also part of the DNA Test Fest III lineup the following night at Sonar.

Lineup Announcement: DNA Test Fest III

While the 2009 DNA Test Fest was held down at the Velvet Lounge in DC, next year's will be here in Baltimore at Sonar. Presented by local label Fan Death Records and College Park's WMUC, April 3rd in 2010 is looking to be a complete blowout.

This year's DNA Test Fest sported one of the more interesting (and fantastic) lineups of 2009, but 2010's is surely aiming to one-up it's predecessor. After the jump, get the complete details on the lineup that Fan Death was kind enough to hook us up with first.

FAN DEATH RECORDS / WMUC 88.1 FM / DNA IN THE DNA RADIO PRESENT

DNA TEST FEST III
April 3rd, 2010 Sonar in Baltimore, Maryland
Doors at 7pm

Pissed Jeans
Psychedelic Horseshit
Religious Knives
Home Blitz
Twin Stumps
Pygmy Shrews
The Chickens
Slave Scene
Neon Blud
Lamps
Leather
Broken Neck

Get tickets here. Get updates here.

The whole fest will be broadcast on WMUC 88.1 FM and online right here world wide. It has also just been confirmed this morning that Jason Urick will be DJing the event. There will also be a free tape compilation for the first 100 lucky show-goers. Look for more to come here on DNA Test Fest III as the details continue to roll in.