More Double Dagger Shows/Cover Art

Cover art for Double Dagger's More was revealed today, and is looking to be pretty much on par to any high expectations. Lofty hopes are probably the case considering Nolen and Bruce both teach design at MICA, and are resposibile for Post Typography.

The album is still due out May 5th via Thrill Jockey, but dude's have a busy week planned of wildly unrestrained post-hardcore fun. I admit, I still don't know how to effectively classify their utter awesomeness. Which is obviously a redeeming quality of the trio.

Based on the new songs they've been playing live, More is looking to be pretty ridiculous. And considering they are mini-touring with Future Islands this weekend, I'd say attending one or all of the following would be wise:

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18
Towson, MD / Celebrated Summer Records
w/ Masshysteri (from Sweden, ex-The Vicious), Deep Sleep
All ages! 8:00 PM. (limited capacity)

THURSDAY, MARCH 19
Brooklyn, NY / Market Hotel
w/ Future Islands, Teeth Mountain, Liturgy

FRIDAY, MARCH 20
Philadelphia, PA
Danger Danger Gallery
w/ Future Islands, +1 local TBA

SATURDAY, MARCH 21
Baltimore, MD / Zodiac
w/ Future Islands, Child Bite
21+ only. 9:30 PM. $3

Chain and the Gang / The Hive Dwellers

I wouldn’t normally be highlighting a show this far down yonder, but it’s a must after having just previewed one of K Records upcoming releases. Chain and the Gang’s Down With Liberty....Up With Chains will be unveiled in a few weeks on April 7th.

On repeat since I recieved it, this LP brings 40 kitchen sinks...and then some. The band is Ian Svenonius’s concotion; formerly of Nation of Ulysses, the Make-Up & Weird War.

Their mission:

"Everywhere that liberty goes, it leaves a path of destruction. Fast food, bad architecture, materialism, rampant greed, environmental destruction, imperial conquest, class struggle; these phenomena, when combined, seem to be synonymous with “Liberty.” So just as it’s called “liberty” when war and greed stalk the land, Ian Svenonius calls his band Chain and the Gang. Like a true chain gang, they’re on the road to confront and defy any freedom-lovers that come across their path." (via)

All agenda aside, the album rips raw bursts of rock, funk, sweat, blues, and pretty much anything else. It also boasts a ridiculous supporting cast including Calvin Johnson, Karl Blau, Nicolaas Zwart, and a whole lot more in typical K Records fashion.

Chain and the Gang’s April 28th gig at the Talking Head couldn’t come any sooner. Especially when considering Calvin Johnston’s new band The Hive Dwellers will also head the bill. Also supporting will be Mahjongg. Check back for more deets on this one.

New Rye Rye

Local teenage club banger Rye Rye's got a new track to shake stuff to. The new jam is called "Bang", and is freshly posted to her myspace page. Have at it here.

The song features the British/Sri Lankan phenom M.I.A., and sounds to be produced by Baltimore club extraordinaire Blaqstarr.

The track originally appeared on Blaqstarr's I'm Bangin 2 mixtape. Rye Rye bangs SXSW this week, and I'd expect more info soon on her debut LP which is currently in the works.

Shake Rye Rye's last video to the ground below, as always, complete with choreographed booty shaking set at the inner harbor's fountains . Pretty much always a crowd pleaser.

Thrushes / Baby Aspirin

Walls of sound via Thrushes can cap off your Guinness marathon this Saturday, as they will be headlining the Talking Head. Support derives from the heavy-hearted rock and roll of Baby Aspirin.

Baltimore's rulers of shoegaze, Thrushes should look to fill your dreams with a high voltage jolt of noise and pop. Baby Aspirin's s/t debut is a modern take on many familiar and important genres, and it only gets better live. Sandwiched between the two local acts is Let's Wrestle, some promising psychedelic pop from London.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart got taken off this lineup, but are taking a raincheck until May. The show on Saturday starts at 9, which may or may not be the amount of pints you've consumed up until that point. Cheers.

Photos: Beach House, Vetiver, Sian Alice Group

Photos: Chrissy

Last night's show was fantastic on multiple levels. Beach House dominated our ears, and soul, as always. Vetiver proved that the semi-new direction they were headed was the right adventure for Andy Cabic to choose. And, Sian Alice Group did a wonderful job priming the crowd for the headliners.

I wasn't sure what to expect from Vetiver's live performance, but I certainly got what I had hoped. Andy Cabic's voice translated well to a live setting, hitting all the necessary marks and then some. His songs were well-accentuated by the band, adding even more emphasis to each songs' ups and downs. Looking forward to the Record Store Day 7 inch, featuring the catchy-as-hell song they closed with.

Oh, Beach House. I've ranted and raved about them before, and last night's show was just another notch under the belt. The new songs are absolutely amazing, somehow adding even more depth and energy without tampering with their simplistic and mystical sound. Their stage presence has grown epically, creating a whole new dynamic to their already breathtaking performance. Perfect Wednesday evening all in all.

Beach House & Vetiver, Tonight.

Don't think twice about whether or not you should be attending tonight's show at Sonar. Epic pipes, top notch songwriting, monstrous keys, you get the picture.

Vetiver just relinquished Tight Knit, probably Andy Cabic's most succinct collection of tunes to date. Looking forward to hearing some live, and hopefully getting some old favorites tossed in the mix.

This is Beach House's last show until they head to Texas. Do I even need to say anything else about the local duo to convince you to grab tickets? I'm guessing not.

See you there. Check for pics tomorrowish.

Baltimore @ SXSW

The organized chaos that is South by Southwest gets going in less than 2 weeks. Bmore shall be wholeheartedly represented, with the range of local musicians heading down running the full gamut. Flocking south to Austin, Texas will be local flavors of hip hop, dream pop, avant, freak folk, spazz rock, club, and bit-pop.

SXSW attendees can look forward to highly anticipated new music showcased by Beach House, and performed by the teen club phenom that is Rye Rye. Below lies your friendly guide to Baltimore's representation of official shows at the annual music conference, complete with dates and venues. Start packing folks:

Adventure:

Thursday, March 19 10:00 p.m.

Volume (614 E 6th St)

Beach House:

Thursday, March 19 1:00 a.m.
Volume (614 E 6th St)

Friday, March 20 8:45 p.m.
Cedar Street Courtyard (208 W 4th St)

Saturday, March 21 6:00 p.m.
Auditorium Shores Stage (Lady Bird Lake) (Riverside Dr & S 1st St)

Blaqstarr:

Saturday, March 21 12:00 a.m.

Friends (208 E 6th St)

Chavy Boys:

Saturday, March 21 1:00 a.m.
Friends (208 E 6th St)

Ecstatic Sunshine:

Thursday, March 19 8:00 p.m.
Volume (614 E 6th St)

Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez:

Thursday, March 19 9:00 p.m.
Volume (614 E 6th St)

Jana Hunter:

Saturday, March 21 8:10 p.m.

Beauty Bar Backyard (617 E 7th St)

Ponytail:

Saturday, March 21 12:00 a.m.

Club de Ville (900 Red River St)

Rye Rye:

Wednesday, March 18 8:00 p.m.

La Zona Rosa (612 W 4th St)

Thursday, March 19 12:00 a.m.
Aces Lounge (222 E 6th St)

Old People Eat Animal Collective for Breakfast

Danny Greenwald's If You Cry Wolf

A welcome addition to Baltimore's extensive gazey scene, Danny Greenwald is formally introducing himself to the world today. In a less expansive introduction, I first mentioned Danny a few weeks ago when he appeared on a free compilation of traditional covers. Among the likes of Wye Oak, members of Arbouretum, Deer Tick, Phosphorecent and Caleb Stine, he was a more than hopeful addition to the mix.

Danny Greenwald is releasing his freshly pressed EP today, with an album release party on College Park's WMUC to be broadcast tonight. Credit the local folk-gaze enthusiast for the EP's wide array of instrumentation. But much appreciation is also due to Wax and Wane's Ari Schenck, the engineer behind the EP's brilliant mixing and mastering.

Having previewed the album over the weekend, If You Cry Wolf provided me with a plethora of comfortable sounds and thoughts far too familiar to most of us. It is an inspiringly overcast affair that your ears will most certainly thank you for. The album implicates much to come from Danny, with some local shows already in the works.

I highly recommend tuning into WMUC's Teenage Riot at 8 pm this evening, as it can be streamed live right here. Below are 2 exclusive sample's off the EP, "For the Both of Us" and the introspective "Reigns on 95". Enjoy, and tune in tonight.

Photos: Double Dagger, Sick Weapons, New Flesh

Photos by Chrissy

Excellent show at the Zodiac last night, the pictures above pretty much tell the story. Double Dagger absolutely killed it, blasting through some ridiculously promising new material and some old favorites. Sick Weapons were great as well, and should be added to the top of your local must see band list. And New Flesh put on a ryhthmic display of energy, with their drummer stealing the show. Fun night all around.

Double Dagger's More is looking to be one of the year's most anticipated local releases, and will hit us May 5th via Thrill Jockey. Don't plan on missing their next show around town at the Zodiac on March 21st, with Future Islands teaming up the bill.

New Celebration!

Since their amazingly textured and brilliant The Modern Tribe, Celebration have been fairly quiet up until now. The band just posted 2 new tracks that are now currently streaming in all their glory over at Holographic Resonance.

Other than the fact that the 2 new songs are awesome and show much hope for what is to come, the band also announced that they are ditching the typical release format for their new project. Celebration will release new songs on their site each month as they create them. And better yet, the MP3s will be available as a free download.

When they have enough tracks, they'll put them all on vinyl for those of us who "want something to hold". Go stream the new jams here right now, and look out for free downloads of more new Celebration in the near future.

Surprise! Animal Collective @ The Ottobar

A hometown show has just been added to Animal Collective's tour with Grouper. Bmore's biggest experimental pop folk band will grace the Ottobar's presence on May 10th. Details on how to get tickets, straight from the source, are below. Godspeed.

2 TICKET LIMIT!
NO RESERVED TICKETS
CASH ONLY!
Tickets will ONLY be available AT OTTOBAR
WED MARCH 4th- 9pm-midnight
THURS MARCH 5th- 6-9pm
FRI MARCH 6th- 6-9pm
WED MARCH 11-13th- 6-9pm
WED-FRI THEREAFTER, 6-9pm

Photo Review: Arbouretum, James Blackshaw, Meg Baird

Arbouretum's CD release party for their phenomenal Song of the Pearl was last night at the Talking Head. Incredible shots were captured, and are yours for the viewing above.

Opener James Blackshaw displayed his inner and outer acoustical genius, plucking his way through the kind of set that makes you wonder if it is even possible for someone to be that amazing at guitar. His songs were well-structured, and certainly left folks wanting more from the British virtuoso.

However the night belonged to Arbouretum, as the crowd grew once the headliners took stage. Their new LP sounds larger than life, but seeing the band live is huge on a whole other level. Dave Heumann's voice is godlike, while Corey and Steve's guitars create sounds that would seem more at place on the peak of a mountain. Daniel Franz is a ridiculous drummer, and his beats bridge the gap between all the talent onstage.

If you missed last night's incredible show, your next chance might be when Arbouretum hit the road with Band of Horses. The tour makes stops in Virginia at the Norva on June 10th and in Baltimore at Rams Head on June 12th. Tickets may be selling fast too.

Thank You / Mi Ami

Experimental rythyms and noises galore stomp your ears at Floristree next Monday. The bill boasts local trio Thank You and California's Mi Ami. Both acts have been touring nationally together, and should be enough alone to get you out of the house on a Monday.

But wait, there's more. Support derives from Bmore's avant acapella act Lexie Mountain Boys. Also opening is Birth Control, who sport a few members from Pissed Jeans. Show is on March 9th at 9 PM and should set you back just a few bucks.

J Roddy Daytrotted

DC9 was celebrating it's 5 year anniversery Saturday, but I made the trek down to DC with an ulterior motive. J Roddy Walston and the Business were opening the party, and my need for whiskey-soaked piano rock had ensued.

Unfortunately, as I walked up the steps to DC9 that night, J Roddy were closing up their set. The odor of sweat and booze permeated the walls of the sold out affair, and all signs pointed to me having missed another great J Roddy performance.

Daytrotter must have gotten word of my tragic lateness, as they conveniently posted a stellar J Roddy set the following morning. The set consists of 4 free MP3s, and are yours for the taking right here. 2 of the tracks are unreleased and include "I'm Going Out".

Catch the band on their home turf at the Ottobar March 28th with Egg Babies. Mr. Roddy also informed me of a free gig the following night with The Hold Steady at the Recher Theatre. Expect full details later in the month on both of these gigs.