WHARTSCAPE!

I know its late..but here it is!!!

Whartscape music festival is Wham City's contribution to Baltimore's larger Artscape festivities. If you haven't heard of Wham City (which is unlikely because they've been gaining notoriety like wildfire) they are a art collective out of Baltimore. Started by Dan Deacon, Wham City has been hosting absurdest art events for more than a few years now. So, as almost all other Wham City events, Whartscape was hot, loud, intense and AWESOME! There is no way Sean and I could do all of the bands justice even if we had got to see them all but here are the many, many highlights of the weekend.


FRIDAY


WZT HEARTS
Sean And I showed up just before Wzt Hearts started their set. If you haven't heard of Wzt Hearts any you are any kind of a fan of noise music you should check them out. As if two laptops blipping, bleeping, buzzing and blurring isn't enough to make you feel like your tripping in some kind of weird hyper modern wasteland, then add some pounding drums and hoots and hollers that sound like you've stumbled upon a tribal gathering, and the total effect is one that will make your hairs stand up on end. Wzt Hearts really feels like modern music being made in response to modern times. Oh and did I mention their set was great?

WZT HEARTS - myspace


THANK YOU
It seems like every time I see Thank You they get better. Really, I think it just me being too reluctant to open my ears. Thank You's gittery rock knows how to shoot what its aiming at. Thank You's open and spastic but steady sound is just approcahable enough to keep you listening and just wierd enough to keep you interested. They, like so many of the bands at Whartscape, played and awesome set. The stand out of seeing them is definitely their drummer. Never have I seen a lady thrash on drums like Thank You's fine drummer (who's name I cant seem to find anywhere)

THANK YOU - live @ Whartscape (as recorded by Baltimore Taper)


GROWING
Growing is a aptly named band. Live, their swirling soundscapes, pulse around you and the room seems to be, well, growing. I had seen them once before when they opened for mogwai but their set at Whartscape was significantly different. I remember thinking their set sounded more 'soul of the rainbow' than 'color wheel', although with a band like Growing I'm sure live performances are loose and can sound very different from the records. regardless their set was great and a nice contrast to alot of the more "Baltimore sounding" bands.

GROWING - epochemal renissance (exerpt) (from heart of the rainbow)


ECSTATIC SUNSHINE
Since the first time I saw the sunshine a few years ago a lot of things have happened. They have since released a record on Carpark records and toured around the country. As we all know when you add time and experience you get change and that's exactly what Ecstatic Sunshine has done. This guitar duo's live performances are significantly noiseier, using distortion and looping much more heavily than before. I don't dislike their new sound but it doesn't seem to have the unbridled energy of songs like 'Tuscan'. Having said that, the sound does feel more mature and I'm sure we will only see great sunshiny things form this thrashing duo.

ECSTATIC SUNSHINE - live @ Whartscape (as recorded by Baltimore Taper)


SOFT CIRCLE
I had been introduced to Soft Circle a few months ago by a friend of mine. I listened to Full Bloom a few times and just found it seeping to me. Full Bloom is a weird yet intensely moving album that is very tribal sounding yet somehow still sounds very urban and modern. His live show is no less engaging than the cd. This Ex-Black Dice member's soundscapes feel like they fill your skull to the brim with some kind of life force. Plus watching a guy play drums, guitar and sing at the same time is always amazing.

SOFT CIRCLE - myspace

more whartscape soon...with real pictures!

lost:ghosts

So I know neither Sean nor I have posted for quite some time. Keep an eye out for post and pics of Panda Bear, WZT Hearts, Ponytail, The Death Set and Enjoy Your Canary. In the meanwhile check out lost:ghost:records Chris Day recently started lost:ghosts to release limited edition releases by people who make worthwhile music. I would also like to say in a moment of shameless self promotion that the musical escapades of Brendan Sullivan and myself are being released in the form of a self-titled cd-r on lost ghosts. The packaging is all hand printed and is super high quality. Chris is also an amazing artist so check out the lost:ghosts website. You wont be sorry.

lost:ghosts:records

The Books & Todd Reynolds

The Books have been one of my favorite artists ever since I heard "enjoy your worries, you may never have them again". They have been on my list of 'artists to see before I die' for quite some time and last night I had that pleasure. They played a great set including my favorite song "Smells Like Content". They also did a fantastic cover of Nick Drake's "Cello Song". Each song had an accompanying video that will be released on DVD by the end of the month. The videos were funny and great, in a really subtle way. The Books are by far one of the most creative acts out there right now, no matter what kind of music you are into. If you are not familiar with their music, do your self a favor and purchase some. And if you are already a fan of The Books, the you know what I'm talking about, and are probably as excited as I am to get my hands on that DVD.

The Books- Smells Like Content live

Todd Reynolds was the opening act. I hadn't heard any of Reynolds music previously, which is basically him playing violin and using a loop pedal. He is a phenomenal violinist, in some ways it reminded me of Eluvium but not as ambient. All I can really say is I didn't think he was spectacular, but Todd Reynolds is definitely worth checking out.

Todd Reynolds- "Walkin'"

decemberist, my brightest diamond, backlog

Here's a backlog of the shows I've been to in the recent past that I haven't posted about and a few pictures/songs for each.

3/31 The Decemberist and My Brightest Diamond
2/17 Anathallo
2/10 Sam Beam and David Bazan
2/9 Yo La Tengo and The Rosebuds

I have to admit I haven't listened to The Decemberists since last September, and that was giving the new record a second and third chance. I used to consider myself a Decemberists fan, and I'd say after this show, I would again. First off, the opened with Shiny and closed with The Tain, my two favorite Decemberists songs. Second, sure you can call them folk, alt-country, etc, etc, but a good deal of this show was straight up rock and roll. This may have been due to the fact I was standing in front of guitarists Chris Funk's amplifier. If you saw the guitar-off spurred by the green screen challenge on the Colbert Report, you might have a better idea of what I'm talking about. Their stage presence made this a great show. Although he had his moments, gone is the Colin Meloy of mostly acoustic historically accurate lullabies. I would not be surprised if their next move was a rock opera. Funk and drummer Nate Query made their way into the crowd near the end of the set, random percussion implements in hand, for some sort of impromptu Battle of Gettysburg re-enactment ... I'm not sure what that was about, but it was funny.

[mp3] The Decemberists - Shiny
[video] Stephen Colbert vs. The Decemberists: 2nd Green Screen Challenge

If you read my top 10 of 2006, you may already realize that I love My Brightest Diamond. Her opening set was absolutely intense. Her voice was unwavering, hitting every note as precisely as the record. Shara Worden was joined by equally energetic drummer and bassist, so three strong, the set lacked the orchestration and sprawling arrangements of Bring Me the Workhorse. Even so, it was nothing short of amazing.

[mp3] My Brightest Diamond - Something of an End










And as I had mentioned ... some backlogging.

I actually got pictures of Anathallo this time in Pittsburgh. Their set was nearly identical to the fall show. There's not much I can really say other than they were great as always.




Sam Beam and David Bazan at Messiah College ... sitting room only. For some reason Sam Beam (of Iron and Wine) thought it would be a good idea to sit. Sure it was more intimate, but rather uncomfortable. The setlist included quite a few songs from the new record due this fall, which sounded very promising. David Bazan (of Pedro the Lion) is so much cooler in the first place. Two covers were the highlight of his set: Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen) and L'Amour Stories (Deerhoof). I asked him to play song A but he dissappointed me.

[video] David Bazan - Hallelujah (live @ Messiah College)
[video] David Bazan - L'Amour Stories (live @ Messiah College)






And then Yo La Tengo ... another record that made my top 10. This was an amazing show - two and a half hours of garage punk, avante garde soundscapes and everything in between. They played a lot from the new record ... pretty much a lot of everything. only they did not play my favorite song - Little Eyes. Even so, they should make the "must see before I die" list for each and every one of you reading this.

download: explosions 9:30 set

NPR's All Songs Considered recorded the entire sets of all three bands at the aforementioned Explosions in the Sky, Eluvium, and Paper Chase show on March 17. You can read my review here and you can stream or download the whole show on the NPR site. The NPR mp3s contain the entirety of each set as one file with no setlist. I've cut the Explosions set up into songs and tagged each one. Each song was cut and re-assigned from the original file, so there was no transcoding back to wav or re-encoding as mp3. Basically, the original sound quality has been maintained for those of you that care. I saw on the Temporary Residence message board that some people were complaining about the sound at the show, but I thought it was great both that night and in the recording. So download, unzip, and enjoy!

Setlist:
1. First Breath After Coma
2. Welcome, Ghosts
3. The Only Moment We Were Alone
4. Greet Death
5. What Do You Go Home To?
6. Your Hand in Mine
7. Catastrophe and Cure
8. Memorial

[zip] Explosions in the Sky - 3/17 @ 9:30 Club (link on Sendspace download page)

The Greatest City In America?

So, there is this bench I can see from my bedroom window and painted on it in old crappy paint it says “BALTIMORE: the greatest city in america”. Im not so sure if I agree with that but Baltimore does have alot to offer in terms of independent music. Although many of the musical acts from baltimore are gaining popularity (most notably Ponytail and Dan Deacon), the majority of the Baltimore scene is still relatively unknown to anyone outside the charm city. Who are just a few of these lesser known? Lets take a look.

Ecstatic Sunshine

Never before has a band been so appropriately named. This guitar duo’s spastic rock is like a tour of the universe. See the meteors crashing into each other? Oh, look at that black hole! And the rings of Saturn! Did you see how quickly that white dwarf imploded? Open you ears to ecstatic sunshine and let them show you around.

[mp3] Ecstatic Sunshine- Little Dipper Big Dipper

OCDJ

Ok, so he’s actually from New Jersey, but he is a favorite in the Baltimore scene. One part rap top 40 radio, one part 8 bit nintendo soundtrack, 100% Dance-until-you-pass-out. Check it out.

[mp3] OCDJ- Pls stp th hstl

Coconuts

You just cant kill a classic. I mean, sure the drum and insanley-distorted-bass thing has been done before, but I mean, so has everything else. Coconuts knows how to bring the heat. From Alex Dundero’s ADD drumming to Jeff Dundas’s slick, kick you in the face bass lines, this duo makes Iggy Pop look like a pussy.

[link] Coconut's myspace

Thrust Lab

Thrust Lab is one of the better IDM groups I have heard in a long time. The beats are tight. The bass lines are fresh. The keys are sweet. Check out “Dance Sweet Dracula” for an example of the way they mix the ever popular 8 bit sound with IDM style.

[link] Thrust Lab's myspace

There are MANY more Baltimore acts that I hope to highlight in the following months. These should suffice to fulfill your ADD, sugar-addicted musical escapades for the time being.

BTTLS!

I don't care who you are, you have to admit loop pedals are pretty cool. And when a band actually uses them to their full potential its even better. Now, what if this said band not only knew how to use the pedals they had but had TONS of them. It would probably be a mind bending, head bobbing experience. So Its no surprise that seeing the experimental, noise-rock outfit BATTLES was exactly that. I haven't seen so many gizmos in all my life. BATTLES does what they do well, and with class. Why not have the drums in the front and the guitarist in the back? Why not have the keyboard so close to the drums the drummer can hit it? Why not have the cymbal up as high as it can go? There is really no good reason why people haven't thought of these things sooner, but BATTLES is about as experimental as they come. And best of all, they do it well.

Check out the video for Atlas, and note the cymbal.

[video] Battles - Atlas (youtube)

explosions in the sky 3/17 @ 9:30 club

I ever so affectionately refer to these guys as 'plosions, and I think my subliminal reasoning is that even a name as epic as Explosions in the Sky will not begin to explain them. Their set was absolutely surreal. The show was sold out and the club was packed, but I'm sure these 4 Texans could care less. It seemed that each was completely engulfed in his own construct of an ideal reality, and was expressing that through his instrument. And somehow everything completely matches up, pulling the audience into an amalgamated utopia of their own. I admit their songs are so simple but go so much further beyond the bastardized quiet/loud, crescendo to wall of sound write-off some skeptics give them. I hope others would agree that "Your Hand in Mine" was the highlight of the set. The setlist was comprehensive, and I do not see how anyone could complain about the absence of any song.

Opener, Eluvium, was nearly as impressive. Despite the fact that half his catalog is strictly piano compositions, his live performance built up loop after loop, each managing to float in the balance of the others, comprising more of an ethereal shove than a wall of sound. And then there was The Paper Chase. I do not recommend them whatsoever. Sorry to those that may like them, but I thought their live show was nearly unbearable.

[mp3] Explosions in the Sky - Your Hand in Mine
[mp3] Eluvium - Prelude for Time Feelers

neal is officially on board

Like Sean said in the last post, I'm posting here now, so heads up.

raising expectations ... news

I hope we all agree, although 14 year old girls and their stalkers can tolerate it, myspace is terrible. I can't bring myself to use it very often, much less actually log on. But there is hope! Maybe. So purevolume was obviously a little better, but it never caught on. Now there is VIRB. It just went public, profiles are viewable by non-members, and the invites were done away with and now a limited number of people can join a day. So please, stop clinging to your ad-filled, disorganized, aesthetic nightmare of a myspace and join virb. The layout is so clean and simple; the word just needs spread.

The Where There is Fire We Will Carry Gasoline virb site has a demo recording of a new track - Pitch, Yaw, Roll.

In other news, Neal, of the aforementioned project Where There is Fire We Will Carry Gasoline may be joining me in posting to the blog. He jumped onto the blogging ship a little bit ago with Kid Smoke Kid, and we've talked about making Where There is Fire a 2 contributor blog. So keep an eye out for that.

Continuing on the subject on our band Where There is Fire ..., I don't really have a news and progress outlet other than this blog right now, since I'm too annoyed to do anything with the myspace. This will change because of the virb page which I plan to use in full. Continuing ... on the web front, a formal website for the project may be in the makings, including a store with upcoming releases. I am doing a collaborative piece with Cleveland poet, Joe Makkos which will release in mid April. I am also working on another project remixing Baltimore's Maps (formerly Joseph Albers Experiment) songs which should release in April or May. Where There is Fire We Will Carry Gasoline's first formal album might begin recording this summer and release ... eventually. More news to come. And I promise I'll just mention it in the future as opposed to using the blog for news itself.

Also to come in the blog: one or two more looks back to 2006 and the best of the best that didn't make my top ten, and the worst of the worst.

Upcoming Album Reviews: Arcade Fire - Neon Bible, Lovedrug - Everything Starts Where It Ends, and Lewis & Clarke - Blasts of Holy Birth.