Photo Review: Sri Aurobindo and The Violet Hour

Photos by Chrissy

Having heard The Violet Hour's compellingly beautiful debut and Sri Aurobindo's journey of a new disc going into Saturday, expectations were high. Without a doubt, high hopes were met with this show at the Metro Gallery.

Above are Chrissy's fantastic pictures of what was an all around spiritually moving affair. The mood was set with John MacDonald and Tom Owens of the Gamelan Mitra Kusuma, playing traditional Gamelan instruments and providing a moment to pause and reflect. The arrangements were incredibly complex considering both were using the same type of Indonesian instrument, a perfect way to begin the show.

Sri Aurobindo followed, and conquered. They psychedelically droned and blasted their way through a thirty (plus) minute improv, in similar spirits to what's found on Return into Earth. Utilizing various means of aural stimuli, these guys demonstrated their ability to elevate unique textures of nostalgic noise in perfect harmony with one another.

This was my first time catching The Violet Hour live, and it most definitely won't be my last. The same subtle beauties and extreme sonic bliss that can be found in their debut was present on Saturday. Beth's voice was somehow even more stunning live, filling the entire room with warmth. With such a fantastic debut and a solid live presence, I'm excited to see what the future brings for this very promising local duo.

Ticket Giveaway: Ponytail / CDB / Dope Body / DJ Dogdick

The Ottobar's got a hell of a show slated for Friday night, with epic spazz rockers Ponytail fronting the bill. For a local gig, this one is ridiculously anticipated as it has been re-scheduled twice.

Besides the headlining face-melters, 3 more Baltimore forces will aim to grind your brain.

Lexi Mountain's alternative endeavor, Crazy Dreams Band will be providing avant rock sludgery. If you never grabbed their excellent self titled LP last year, do so. DJ Dog Dick's neo-crunked electronics will also induce some fun noise for the evening.

Dope Body will be on the offensive as well, bringing their brand of thrash wave rock into the mix. Their tape Twenty Pound Brick looks to be sold out online, but you can download it for free right here via Watercolor. Chances are if you've downloaded this, and have at least half a clue about how amazing Ponytail is live, you'll be there on Friday.

Compliments of the Baltimore Taper, who is throwing a real nice show Saturday night, I'll have the exclusive full recordings of the live sets right here to download. If you want to have a chance at going for free, transmit an electronic mailing to bmoremusicallyinformed@gmail.com. Check your email as I'll pick a winner this Thursday night, for two spots on the list Friday.

Live Review: Mos Def and Talib Kweli at Sonar

Resident hip hop expert Jason Tomassini joined me for this week's mega show at Sonar, and the following is his take on the event. Credit the picture to Tommie Battle.

In the 10 years since Mos Def and Talib Kweli released their seminal rap collaboration Black Star, it's become more and more shocking that the two what-turned-out-to-be-vastly-different personalities could get together to make an LP, let alone a classic. We knew all of this going into their rare stop in Baltimore, Wednesday night at Sonar.

Kweli came out and did what he does, racing through an hour set of choice cuts, mostly from Reflection Eternal (he played "Listen," off Ear Drum, probably to remind people he is still putting out rap albums). It was a savvy crowd, hanging on every word of classic hits like "Too Late," "Move Something" and "The Blast," in addition to surprising, but well-received set list inclusions like "Africa Dream." And then everyone went apeshit when he closed with "Get By." This is what Talib Kweli does.

A couple minutes after midnight Mos Def came on and did Mos Def-type things. That includes playing a drum set while rapping, wearing black suspenders and a black tee (looking pretty Amish), running through a strange medley of undefinable reggae songs, supporting Kanye West's tirade at last week's VMAs and almost totally neglecting Black on Both Sides. Titled the "The Ecstatic Tour", fans shouldn't have been shocked to hear most of the new album. But as good as that album is, "Casa Bey," "Auditorium" (even with the incredible Slick Rick verse, which Mos' DJ just played on wax as Mos watched) and "Life in Marvelous Times" aren't "Ms. Fat Booty" or "New World Water."

Then Kweli came out, and the beat to Black Star hit "RE: DEFinition" came in and everyone lost their collective minds. They followed with Kweli-assisted "History" off the The Ecstatic, then did "Re:"'s prequel "Definition" and then absolutely murdered "Respiration," which still holds up among both MCs best work.

At that point the two very different MCs met somewhere in the middle, bounding around each other and giving knowing, but still kind of awkward high fives. Kweli provided his steady, rapid-flow spit and Mos reigned in his weirdo genius, but still made room for his Kanye diatribe as a cringing Kweli nervously looked on.

After "Respiration" it was 1:30 a.m. and even though Mos announced "We ain't done yet" about half the crowd had cleared by that point. We had gotten what we wanted: a rare chance to see two incredible MCs revive a hip-hop classic. We can always listen to "Ms. Fat Booty" on our iPods or something.

Sri Aurobindo: Return into Earth

We're all suckers for a new take on something nostalgic, and Sri Aurobindo have taken full advantage. A very promising local act, these guys are full of garaged-out psych.

Sri Aurobindo put on a hell of a live show, and their latest release aims to capture just that. Return into Earth is just one single track, but that track is a true journey clocking in at over 30 minutes. The album bottles up the band's knack for improv, presenting it in a more tangible form that can be yours Saturday night at the Metro Gallery.

Aimless meandering? Nope. Return into Earth builds like a dream. Those who dug their flute intro on "Paper Flower Sequence", rejoice. The first seven minutes are laced with flute and bells as guitars and drums begin to creep in throughout. Tribal drums and completely psyched out guitar work all drone until the volume jacks up.

If you haven't seen their show, dudes get nice and loud. Around the 15 minute mark, mild outbursts ensue. The entire track leads to what you would expect to be deafening live, and warrants listening through the loudest means you got. Drums pick up and so does everything else for the final half.

This improv has structure, closely resembling an intense interplanetary orbit. The aptly titled release has me amped for their next show.

Sri Aurobindo are playing at the Metro Gallery this Saturday night with The Violet Hour, a duo's whose beautiful debut I mentioned last week. This is a joint release party for both groups. Show is at 8 PM and tickets will run ya eight beans, see you there.

Toro y Moi: Blessa 7" (and Ticket Giveaway for show with Islands @ G Spot)

South Carolina's Toro y Moi is the product of 23 year old Chaz Bundick. Dude started making bedroom pop in 2001, which has culminated into a plethora of worthy sounds.

Chad's project recently got signed to DC's Carpark, joining the likes of some local favorites. The video above is for his cover of Beach House's "Master of None", a classic from the duo that just left Carpark to release their next potential opus on Sub Pop.

Before releasing two Toro Y Moi full lengths in 2010, Carpark is dishing out the Blessa seven inch on October 6th. The title track is an instantly catchy bedroom dance haze of a song. This is the kind of stuff that the world wide interweb is infested with these days, but this is that stuff done right. "Blessa" is a well crafted pop song with interesting production that's worthy of spinning on repeat.

"109" is the B-side, drenched in that sunny 60s bliss that works so well under just enough fuzz. This guy has been all over the place, covering Michael Jackson and doing his part to run the full gamut of genres. The two LPs next year should be hotly anticipated.

You can catch Toro y Moi at the G Spot opening for Islands on November 2nd. Islands drop their new LP called Vapours next week. I've got a pair of tickets to give away to this one, so hit up bmoremusicallyinformed@gmail.com if you want them.

Photo Review: Hampdenfest 2009

Photos by Chrissy

Hampdenfest 2009 went down Saturday, and even with mother nature giving her version of a mist tent all day long it was a grand ol' time. This is easily the best neighborhood festival Baltimore has to offer, always displaying a diverse array of quality music.

Sick Weapons (photo set below) are quickly becoming one of my favorite local live acts, and seem to get tighter each time I see them. They were an intriguing crew to catch in the family-friendly environment, and had to build some new tweaks into their set. In particular, there was a new horn section made up of Ellie Beziat's fist which substituted for curse words. I think it helped to bring in a wider audience, as I even witnessed a five year old pulling some nasty breakbeat hanstand twirls in cadence with the raging guitars.

The photo set up top is of Vincent Black Shadow's excellent performance. These guys have been pretty fantastic the last couple times I've seen them, and Saturday's jaunt in the dreary overcast setting proved no different. Their persistent mastery of psychedelic punk continued heavily last weekend, and checking them out with Monotonix down in DC October 13th would be worth heading south down the BW Parkway.

Hollywood were also pretty stellar on the Roland Ave stage. Dude's all ripped it pretty heartily, as they thrashed some gutter rock riffs that kept things nice and dirty. Hollywood's got another show coming up at the Golden West on the 24th. Buzzing guitars were certainly a theme of this year's Hampedenfest, and I'm all for more of it next year.

Below are the other flash galleries, but click here for links to Sick Weapons' set and Hollywood's set. Both of which are also shot by Chrissy.

Wye Oak: "Sight, Flight"

Wye Oak debuted another video from their ever-pleasing second release, The Knot. The video is for the concluding track, "Sight, Flight". Produced by Matthew Yake, Jenn describes it as, “reality-meets-fantasy portrait of a day in the life of…well, whoever you want it to be.” [via Merge]

Beach House Sign to Sub Pop

One of Baltimore's most beloved duos just signed to one of the biggest independent labels in the country, Sub Pop.

I heard rumors of this at their outdoor show a month ago, but the deal is done and it's now official.

Expect an early release in 2010 with all the fantastic material we've been hearing at shows as of late.

Find out more about this instant love affair at Sub Pop's site.

The Violet Hour's Debut

The debut from the Baltimore duo The Violet Hour originally birthed in 2007. However, it is seeing the light of day this month. The disc is set to release via Creative Capitalism on September 19th.

It would have been a real shame if this one never made it out to welcoming ears, as it's one of the more beautiful local releases I've heard so far this year.

The Violet Hour is Andriana Pateris and Beth Varden, both sharing vocal and musical contributions on this 7 song album. The end result an aurally mesmerizing trip into deep minds via white clouds and open space, a scene that's hand-painted on the cover art.

No drums necessary, each of these tracks builds from calm reserve into expansive sonics using repetitive guitar chords that grow in layers. One of the highlights of bands like Wye Oak is their ability bring a song up and down so elegantly, but The Violet Hour does all this without the accompanying noise.

This album is a steady grower, perfect for late nights or with a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning. Each song possesses blissfully hypnotic moments, most of which require increased listens to unlock. There is a plethora of deep psychedelics, drenched in swirling transcedence. My personal favorite has been "XXXVI". This is a track that lifts you high enough that you might not come down, perfect as an album's closing number.

With production by Rob Girardi, the sound is quite clean, particularly on the vocals. I highly recommend picking this one up, and you can do so at the album release party. The Violet Hour are playing a joint release show with Sri Aurobindo at the Metro Gallery on September 19th. Sri Aurobindo are releasing a disc of their own that night, and I'll have thoughts on that next week as I'm still digesting it's magnitude.

Ticket Giveaway: The Horrors / Crocodiles @ Sonar

The fellas over at Taxlo have a couple solid events coming up. In addition to The Rapture and The Golden Filter hitting the stage at Sonar this Saturday, next Friday night they are importing a fine little band from London.

The Horrors play Sonar September 18th, with the guitar chomping Crocodiles opening the affair on the club stage. Cullen and Simon will also be spinning, rounding out what should be a more than hospitable evening.

The Horrors just dropped Primary Colours, a welcoming change-up from their debut. Whereas their first LP sported some pretty decent garage rock heavy with ideas from our side of the pond, Primary Colours goes in a new direction.

With Portishead's Geoff Barrow helping out with production, this one is a whole lot of krautrock drenched in pop. The transition works well and Faris Badwan's raw squalls turn into refined bellows. Closing track "Sea Within a Sea" is so good, that one might recall the German legends NEU! as it winds its way into electro-psych bliss.

Crocodiles are worth getting there early for, as their debut Summer of Hate ain't too shabby. These guys blend sounds of fuzzy rock & roll with some synth pop to create a record that's generally pretty catchy. There's a heap of reverb, and tracks range from dance-worthy rock to more relaxed ballads.

I've got a pair of tickets to give away to this one, courtesy of Taxlo. Send an email to bmoremusicallyinforemd@gmail.com, and consider yourself thrown in the mix. I'll pick the winner a day before the show, so be sure to check the ol' inbox then.

Hampdenfest 2009 Schedule

Hampdenfest is back, and the music lineup is chock full of some of the city and region's finest. The festivities go down this Saturday, September 12th on the Avenue.

Festival organizers did a great job picking out bands this year, and with three stages there are some tough decisions to make. Imperial China and Vincent Black Shadow both play at 3 PM, and choosing between these two face-melters should prove difficult.

So hit up the Brewer's Art stand for a Resurrection or two, and watch some great live music this Saturday for free. Full schedule below:

ATOMIC BOOKS STAGE (36th & Falls Rd)
11AM - (marching through the festival) Barrage Band Orchestra
12PM -Ambuvega
1PM - Witch Hat
2PM - Sick Weapons
3PM - Imperial China
4PM - Caverns
5PM - The Jennifers
6PM - Al & The Kaydas

THE ROLAND STAGE (36th St. between Roland & Elm)
12PM - Baltimore School of Rock
1PM - Rosemary Stretch
2PM - Hollywood
3PM - Vincent Black Shadow
4PM - The Snowmen
5PM - Middle East
6PM - Caleb Stine

CHESTNUT STAGE (36th & Chestnut)
12PM - DragonSong
1PM - Surroundings
2PM -Desert Boys
3PM -The Mishaps
4PM -Sick Sick Birds
5PM - The Degenerettes
6PM - TT Tucker & The Bum Rush

Ringo Deathstarr: Re-release from Fan Death Records

Austin-based Ringo Deathstarr have been collecting mild amounts of buzz over the past few years. Fan Death Records, a super great local label, just re-released their debut EP.

Coming at you via hot pink vinyl and the always handy download card, this EP originally debuted back in 2007 on SVC Records. With 5 tracks of reverbed My Bloody Valentine meets Jesus and Mary Chain awesomeness, it's easy to tell why this one was deserving of another release.

The record is completely reminiscent of some of the noisier pop music of the early 90s, but something fresh and new all the same. The tracks all sport shoegaze fuzz with a whole lot of stoned out vocals layered behind walls of catchy melodies. The EP is not at all a grower, and if this is your thing you'll surely be in love right off the bat.

Even with all the fuzz, this one sounds almost as clean as this tackle. With tracks like "Starrsha" and "Sweet Girl", the kicker is precision guided songwriting that is focused and unscaffed. Paired with spacey melodies and all the right layers, you'll be spinning this one on the reg.

Order this limited pressing now for only $10 while ya can. Fan Death also has a few other great releases out, including tapes from Locrian and The New Flesh. Both of which played a show at the Talking Head a few months back. Similarly, you can catch Ringo Deathstarr open up for Wooden Shjips at the Talking Head on October 24th.

Photos: AK Slaugter at Load of Fun

Photos by Valerie

AK Slaughter helped round out a solid lineup at Load of Fun last Friday, all part of the Carnival of Bros event put on by the Baltimore Rock Opera Society.

Above is the photo set from AK Slaughter's performance, compliments of Valerie. The hip hop duo just released their new EP dubbed A Personal Matter. They also just dropped a mixtape, packed with all kinds of goodness. The link to the free download can be found on their myspace. Expect some more upcoming shows from them as well.

Ticket Giveaway: Sunn O))) at Sonar

The end of September in our fine city of charm is shaping up to be pretty stacked show-wise, including a much anticipated appearance from Northwest droners Sunn O))).

Greg Anderson and Stephen O'Malley are bringing their ambient noise metal dominance to Sonar on September 23rd. The duo has been at the peak of their genre for over a decade, and the punishing volume of their live act is nothing to overlook.

Sunn O)))'s most recent LP, Monoliths & Dimensions, is further proof of the band's mastery of grandiose horror. Aural nightmare bliss at it's absolute finest.

Gathering various other experts of drone, this one capitalizes on the use of bass and guitar and adds some horns into the mix. "Alice" is a look into new territory, a terrifyingly beautiful closing track that utilizes a small orchestra to create some of the most elegant noise to be heard all summer.

Clearly this one's a must see, and I've got a pair of tickets to give away courtesy of Sonar. Send something scary to bmoremusicallyinformed@gmail.com, and consider yourself entered. I'll pick a winner a few nights before the show, so check inboxes then. The show starts at 8 PM, and tickets are $15 in advance, $17 at the door.

Photos: Explosions in the Sky at Merriweather

Photos by Chrissy

A lot was said about how Explosions in the Sky would translate to a large amphitheater like Merriweather Post Pavilion. But with a sound that's this big, I'm not quite sure why. They build large scale post rock landscapes, enough to the point where I think even the venue's giant chicken felt it.

An ideal opener for a fantastic evening all around. Be sure to check out Chrissy's photo set of the Texas-based band above. And of course don't forget about the epic photo set from the headliners, the Flaming Lips.