Life Near The Bone

Tonight at Gspot in Baltimore, the exhibition "Life Near the Bone" opens. The opening reception features performances from excellent locals, Monarch and Caleb Stine and the Brakemen. Follow the link to the venue for more information.

Monarch - Family Glue
Caleb Stine and The Brakemen - Since Sunday

indie at the abbey: Bridges and Powerlines & Creeping Weeds

Last week's show was sort of ridiculous. We ended up having 3 bands and it was quite possibly the best bill that I have seen all year. Between Monarch, Vandaveer and These United States, it was a hell of a night. Tonight, we are back in Harrisburg for yet another round of indie at the abbey at ABC . This show should be really good as well, as we have a couple of great bands making their first ever stops in town. Like always, show starts at 9:30, and admission is a measly $2.


NYC's Bridges and Powerlines will be bringing their brand of upbeat indie rock to town. Last year, they released their debut EP and it was full of straightforward tracks that crossed danceable synth with darker guitars. They just finished recording their full length that will be out next year and I have noticed a change. They have started to expand on the ideas laid out on their debut and have begun a metamorphosis to a more expanded sound that includes greater dynamics and more harmonizing vocals. I am quite enthusiastic about their future and tonight is a great chance to learn what they are all about.

Carmen (from EP)
The Thieves, They Are Everywhere (from forthcoming LP)


Philly's Creeping Weeds are a 5-piece that is all over the musical map. They range everywhere from folk to indie pop and definitely have some noisier moments. They are not afraid to try a wide range of instruments in their songs and you can tell from their CD, that they are very particular about every sound and it's placement. People who enjoy acts like Modest Mouse, Built to Spill and Pavement will definitely like this very dynamic band.

Billy Pilgrim
Eternity Is A Long Time


Upcoming Shows:

10/03/07
Middle Distance Runner (Washington, DC)
Bugs Multiply (Asheville, NC)

10/10/07
Jukebox The Ghost (Washington, DC)
Peasant (Doylestown, PA)

10/17/07
Shade (Pittsburgh, PA)
The Sky Drops (Wilmington, DE)

10/24/07
Warm in the Wake (Decatur, GA)
Bellman Barker (Washington, DC)

10/31/07
People Noise (Louisville, KY - former VHS or Beta)
Thrushes (Baltimore, MD)

11/07/07
The Epochs (Brooklyn, NY)
Wakey! Wakey! (New York, NY)

11/14/07
Tartufi (San Francisco, CA)
Low Red Land (San Francisco, CA)

11/28/07
Canadian Invasion (Philadelphia, PA)
Paul Michel (Washington, DC)

12/05/07
The Jaguar Club (Brooklyn, NY)
The Shackeltons (Chambersburg, PA)

indie @ the abbey mix: Volume 1

I am booking a weekly indie rock night at a club in Harrisburg, PA. There will be 2 bands each week for a measly $2. Since it starts next week, I wanted to do a mix for the first 4 shows. I'll be back next month with the second volume. Enjoy!

9/12/07
Black Tie Revue - Absent Radio
Squaaks - Hot Tub

9/19/07
These United States - So High So Low So Wide So Long
Monarch - Warning

9/26/07
Bridges and Powerlines - All In
Creeping Weeds - Eternity Is A Long Time

10/03/07
Middle Distance Runner - Man Of The People
Bugs Multiply - Thinking Still

A Place To Bury Strangers and Airiel

Airiel

Not doing anything tonight? Then get down to The Khyber and get out a great show featuring Airiel, Atlanta's Parade, A Place to Bury Strangers, also known as the loudest band in New York, and Wilmington's The Sky Drops. This is guaranteed to be a great show, so do not miss it!

Regionally, you can also check out A Place To Bury Strangers and Airiel as follows:

8/15/07: The Black Cat, DC
8/17/07: Metro Gallery, Baltimore w/ Monarch, The Sky Drops

The Sky Drops

Airiel - Firefly
A Place to Bury Strangers - I Know I'll See You
Parade - Hunting
The Sky Drops - Green to Red

Tuesday, But Is It Friday?

Thanks to the holiday falling on a Wednesday, we are in for a weird week. Though today is actually Tuesday, we have the concert slate of much later in the week. You are most likely off tomorrow, so check out a show.



Update - Moz show postponed. New date TBA.
Let's start off in Baltimore with the biggest show of the night. Morrissey is playing at Rams Head Live. There really isn't much else to say.

Morrissey - Suedehead
Morrissey - We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful



For those of you looking for a cheaper alternative in Baltimore (or something to do after Morrissey ends well before midnight), there is a great show at Metro Gallery. It is literally 5 bands for $5 and oh so worth it. You have Philly's A Sunny Day in Glasgow joined by local favorites (and excellent bands) Thrushes and Monarch. The Offering and Pianowire round out the bill.

A Sunny Day In Glasgow - The Best Summer Ever
Thrushes - Into The Woods
Monarch - Family Glue


Down in DC, Rock 'N Roll Hotel has an interesting show. Kansas bands Minus Story and Old Canes come to town to spread their indie goodness.

Minus Story - Stitch Me Up
Old Canes - Taxi on Vermont



Finally, DC favorites Bellflur have a show at Black Cat. They'll be joined by Palomar and Les Sans Culottes.

Bellflur - First To The Moon
Palomar - Bury Me Closer
Les Sans Culottes - Les Cactus

Best Regional CDS of 2007 - The First Half

Believe it or not, 2007 is half over. That makes it the perfect time to mention my favorite Baltimore/DC Region CDs from the first part of this year. Keep in mind, that there are some local CDs that I have yet to attain, so I can't pass judgement on them at this time. Between those and several big ones that are slated for release over the last 6 months of the year, it will be interesting to see how this list changes. Regardless, these are the discs that have made the greatest dents on my iPod and CD player during the first part of this year.



Thrushes - sun come undone (buy)

There is nothing that I would change about the debut album from Baltimore's Thrushes. It has walls of sound, perfectly situated quiet moments and beautiful vocals. I keep hearing that their new material is even better, so this truly appears to be just the beginning. Regardless, this is a true statement and it's one of the best CDs of 2007.

Heartbeats
Into The Woods



Lejeune - For Club and Country (buy)

There was no sophomore slump for Lejeune. They followed up their debut with an entire disc of solid tracks. If you like intelligent lyrics and great riffs, you will enjoy this release. I personally find it hard to get these songs out of my head.

The Latest Greatest
Bizarre Histrionics



Jette-Ives - In The Deep (buy)

This disc sort of slid under the radar, because Jette-Ives was all but over by the time their debut saw the light of day and they did very little promotion behind it. That said, if you are only going to release one album into the world, this is the way to do it. Jette is a gifted lyricist and that is very evident on In The Deep. That isn't even mentioning her ridiculous vocal skills. As she sings her songs, you can feel her pain and longing. This is hands down the most sexual release of the year and it's perfect for those more intimate moments. The best moments on this CD are when the live strings shine through and perfectly accent Jette's voice. Now that she has left electronica behind and formed her own orchestra, I can't wait to see Jette recreate these songs live.

Darker Than You
E~



Monarch - If Children

This Baltimore 2-piece flies about as below the radar as you can get. This CD has no proper distribution, so you can only get it through the band at this point. That said, it is well worth it. They take what should be simple folk songs and turn them into layered works of art. Even better, is how Monarch manages to recreate a full band sound live, only using 2 people.

Family Glue
Warning


Honorable Mention: Greenland - Call Message


While we are at it, here are a couple of EPs that I haven't been able to live without:


Telograph - Little Bits of Plastic (buy)

This EP easily wins the award for most played this year. These 5 tracks are the top 5 on my iPod play count. The songs are catchy as hell and they stick in your head for days. Telograph created an excellent piece of work and they are currently in the studio trying to top it. I can't wait to hear the results.

We Won't Settle Down
Eye For An Eye



Bellman Barker - Anise & Anisette (buy)

Anybody who is familiar with my personal musical taste, knows how much of a feat it is for Bellman Barker to get a nod on my best of list. This EP is full of catchy, sun-drenched pop. The thing that makes these songs stand out, is the substance that exists behind them. Sugar usually washes away pretty quickly, but not in this case. I am looking forward to seeing what they can accomplish on a full length.

Molly Maroon
In Their Defense


Honorable Mention: Jukebox The Ghost (I'm holding out for the forthcoming full length)

Monarch

Due to their gorgeous songs, Monarch is one of my favorite Baltimore bands. They are a 2-piece comprised of multi-instrumentalists Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack, but their live shows don't sound like they only have 2 people on stage. I finally found a video that accurately portrays this. Notice Andy drumming and playing keys at the same time.


Monarch - Family Glue



I highly recommend their CD If Children, as well. Currently, you can only get a copy by going to a show or writing the band. They are working on distribution. Until then, they have several tracks available here. They are also touring, so be sure to check out a show when they come to town.

Family Glue
Warning