This Week's Mix - Anniversary Style

Since this week's mix coincides with our site's anniversary, I thought that it would be appropriate to make a mix of some bands that have helped keep us in business over the years.

The Vita Ruins - Godspeed To That Polytheist
The Jaguar Club - The Sirens
Bound Stems - Taking Tips From The Gallery Gang
Jukebox the Ghost - Victoria
Telograph - The Fever
AVEC - Ageyeva
Papertrigger - We Are Nations Now!
These United States - The Business
Middle Distance Runner - With Swords
Thrushes - Flying

Contest: Thrushes Limited Edition Vinyl

Baltimore's Thrushes are re-releasing their excellent debut album, Sun Come Undone, on limited edition vinyl. The 12" jet black vinyl will be out on July 15 on Sleepy Records and is limited to 500 copies. Each one includes a signed and numbered print by screen printing legend, Miss Amy Jo. You can order it here.

To celebrate, they gave me a copy to give away. Send us an e-mail with your name and location to enter and I'll pick a winner by the beginning of next week.

mp3: Heartbeats

Thrushes

Baltimore's Thrushes have released a new video for "Heartbeats." After you check it out, you can check them out tonight. They will be opening for The Raveonettes at Ottobar.



Heartbeats

IA Area Weekend

Your team out of the tournament? Got a little cabin fever? Luckily, there are plenty of good shows rolling through the region this weekend, most doing double duty in Baltimore/DC and Philly.


After spending the better part of this decade living in Austin, the must-see show for me this weekend is Ghostland Observatory. Unfortunately, they are only hitting DC, but you can see them Saurday night at the 9:30 Club. Hopefully, they will hit Philly soon.

Ghostland Observatory - Robotique Majestique

The Raveonettes are working extra hard. After doing a show in Philly Thursday night, they pull two shows on Friday in different cities and cap it off in the District on Saturday. They are on tour with Black Acid and local friends Thrushes join the bill in Baltimore.

3/28: Philly @ World Cafe Live *XPN Free at Noon* (Raveonettes only)
3/28: Baltimore @ Ottobar w/ Thrushes
3/29: DC @ Black Cat

The Raveonettes - Dead Sound
Thrushes - Heartbeats

Two tours of reinvented 90s indie cross in the night along I-95, swapping cities. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks with John Vanderslice in tow switch it up with the return of The Eels.

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks/John Vanderslice

3/28: DC @ 9:30 Club
3/29: Philly @ TLA

Eels

3/28: Philly @ First Unitarian Church
3/29: DC @ Sixth and I Synagogue

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Baltimore
John Vanderslice - The Parade
Eels - Novacaine for the Soul

Other shows in the area:

Langhorne Slim/Wes Mattheu/Sisters 3

3/28: Philly @ Johnny Brendas

Langhorne Slim - Mary
Sisters 3 - Giggling Gremlins

Caribou/Fuck Buttons

3/29: Philly @ TLA
3/30: DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel

Caribou - Melody Day
Fuck Buttons - Sweet Love For Planet Earth

The Dodos

3/30: DC @ DC9

The Dodos - Fools

Aidan Quinn

Baltimore's Thrushes have a new video for "Aidan Quinn" off of their album, sun come undone.

Thrushes - Aidan Quinn

Aidan Quinn

Thrushes: New Videos

Baltimore's Thrushes have a couple of new videos. I especially enjoy the one for the unreleased track "Trees." Enjoy!


Trees (demo) (mp3)



Heartbeats (mp3)

Indie at The Abbey's Halloween Spectacular

Tonight, we are having indie at the abbey’s Halloween party at The Abbey in Harrisburg. The evening features Baltimore’s Thrushes and Louisville, KY’s People Noise. Even better, there will be $2 off of Belgians and admission is free with a costume ($2 without). The show starts at 9 and Halloween appropriate music will be played all night. You can even register to win a free tattoo.

For those of you who aren't familiar, People Noise is the new shoegaze type band band formed by Zeke Buck of VHS or Beta fame.They hail from Lousiville, KY. Baltimore's Thrushes are known for killer live shows that feature lush female vocals over large soundscapes. If you are fans of groups like Jesus & Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine, you will enjoy this group.

This should be a great show, so hopefully I will see some of you there.

Upcoming Shows:

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)
Monogold (Brooklyn, NY)

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

This series is brought to you by IA, Jersey Mike Presents, WiAB Records and Appalachian Brewing Company. It is sponsored by our friends at 717 Tattoo.

People Noise - The Killing Fields
Thrushes - Heartbeats

Representing at CMJ

Several bands from the Baltimore/DC region will be at CMJ this week. If you are going, here is a list of the bands that are playing, their dates and venues. Some of these are day shows, so please link to the specific band sites for more details. I'm sure that I missed somebody, so comment away.

Celebration
10/16 Union Pool
10/17 Pianos
(mp3) Heartbreak


Georgie James
10/19 Soundfix Records
10/20 Pianos
10/20 Mercury Lounge
(mp3) More Lights


John Bustine
10/18 Mo Pitkins
(mp3) This Guitar Says I'm Drunk


Jukebox The Ghost
10/16 Pianos
10/19 The Gothamist House
10/20 Indaba Loft
(mp3) Hold It In


Le Loup
10/16 Soundfix Records
10/17 Pianos
10/18 Pianos
10/18 Knitting Factory
10/19 Galapagos
10/20 Galapagos
10/20 Bowery Ballroom
(mp3) Le Loup (Fear Not)


Middle Distance Runner
10/17 Indaba Loft
10/17 Fontana's
10/18 The Delancey
(mp3) The Sun and Earth


The Cotton Jones Basket Ride
10/19 The Cake Shop


Thrushes
10/16 Trash Bar
(mp3) Aidan Quinn

Big Weekend in the Area

We know the DAM! Fest is going on in DC, but if you are not going to any of those shows or want to travel a little, check out some of these:


Brooklyn's Grizzly Bear is on tour with Baltimore's Beach House through the area.

10/13: 2640 Saint Paul Church, Baltimore
10/14: First Unitarian Church, Philly

Grizzly Bear - Knife
Beach House - Apple Orchard



Nada Surf go beyond their 90s hit Popular with great new music. They share the stage with The Jealous Girlfriends.

10/13: Johnny Brendas, Philly *SOLD OUT!*

Nada Surf - Do It Again
Nada Surf - Popular (a little throwback action for ya)
The Jealous Girlfriends - Something In The Water



NYC's Earl Greyhound make a stop tonight in Lancaster at Chameleon Club. For those of you who like your indie sprinkled with some classic rock, you won't be dissapointed.

S.O.S.



Baltimore's Thrushes have a big show at Ottobar tonight. It's a part of the monthly Automatic Dance Party.

Heartbeats



Bridges and Powerlines from NYC make a stop in Baltimore tonight. They will be playing at Metro Gallery.

Floods and Fields



California's The Finches make their way to DC this evening. They will be playing at The Red and The Black. On Sunday, they will play Big Jar Books in Philly.

House Under The Hill


Middle Distance Runner comes to Philly. Come check out why we love these guys so much.

10/14: The Khyber, Philly

Up In A Tree


Finish off the weekend/Start the week with a big show. Hot Hot Heat is on tour with Bedouin Soundclash and De Novo Dahl and they are in the region.

10/14: TLA, Philly
10/15: Rams Head Live, Baltimore

Hot Hot Heat - Let Me In
Bedouin Soundclash - 12:59 Lullaby
De Novo Dahl - Be Your Man

indie at the abbey mix: Volume 2

The first month has passed and we have had some great shows. That said, it's time for volume 2 of my mix. For those of you who don't know, I am booking a weekly indie rock night for a club in Harrisburg, PA. The series is called indie @ the abbey and runs every Wednesday. There are 2 bands each week for a measly $2. Music starts at 9:30 and is over by midnight. Check out what we have booked for the next 4 weeks and come to a show if you can. If you missed it, the first mix is available here. I'll be back next month with another volume.

10/10/07
Jukebox the Ghost - Good Day
Peasant - Those Days

10/17/07
Shade - Broken Ribs
The Sky Drops - Green to Red

10/24/07
Warm in the Wake - Golden Inhibition Destroyer
Bellman Barker - Charles Kil

10/31/07
*Free Admission With Costume*
People Noise - The Killing Fields
Thrushes - Into The Woods

Squaaks CD Release and The Return of Lo-Fi Social Club

Tonight sees the long awaited return of Baltimore's Lo-Fi Social Club. They are at a new location and from what I hear, it's a vast improvement. To celebrate the occasion, they are throwing a huge party. Included in the festivities are IA favorites Thrushes and Two if by Sea. Also, it is doubling as the CD release party for Rock Control by the fabulous Squaaks. Get out tonight and support. There will be plenty to entertain you.

Squaaks - Hot Tub
Thrushes - Trees (demo)
Two if by Sea - High Water Mark

Stereo Total & The Octopus Project

If you like your music on the noisy side, Germany's Stereo Total and Austin's The Octopus Project are hitting up the clubs of America. They are getting ready to head our way and you will have several opportunities to check them out this week.

8/21/07: Rock & Roll Hotel, DC
8/22/07: Ottobar, Baltimore w/ Thrushes
8/23/07: North Star Bar, Philly

Stereo Total - I Am Naked
The Octopus Project - Music Is Happiness

Random Topics

It's Monday morning and I am half asleep. It seems like a good time to mention a few items that I keep forgetting to post about...


Ben Thornewill of DC's Jukebox The Ghost has spent the month of July touring England and playing shows with his friend and manager, Seth Kallen. The two of them kept a blog of their travels and it includes all sorts of pictures, video and audio. You can check it out here and I'll post a couple of their live interpretations of Jukebox The Ghost songs below.

Hold It In (Live)
Good Day (Live)


Whartscape has been over for a week, but my friend Jeff (also known as The Baltimore Taper) has a treat for us. He recorded many of the sets from the festival and he is posting the downloads here. If you have never checked out Jeff's site, you should. He records several shows a week and he is always sharing audio.


Over the weekend, Baltimore's Thrushes received some bad news. They learned that their drummer is leaving them. They asked me to pass a message on the everyone.

Matt is leaving us for good in a few weeks. While this comes as a quick and unexpected shock, the rock must go on. So, we are looking for a new drummer in or around the Baltimore area that is able to play some of our back catalog as well as pick up on new songs. We have some fall shows booked that we really want to play, if at all possible.

We are almost ready to go back into the studio for album 2. We practice 2x a week for a few hours and play out a few times a month. Also, we would like to do a week or so tour over the summer. Drumming style wise, I think Steve Shelley/early Sonic Youth is pretty close to what he had been doing.

Need to have your own equipment, a good attitude, and no drugs are a must. A van would be a major plus. Think this is something that you might want to do? Please get in touch.

Casey, Anna, Rachel

If you think you are up for this, please e-mail Casey here.

No News

Here is what I came up with today for Any Given Tuesday. Ok, so it was a slow news day...


This is Joe from IA here on this hot and humid Wednesday. After carefully checking every dark corner of the Internet, here is today's news...

- DC tickets for The Cure go on presale tomorrow. I already got mine for the Philly date and now you can get yours too. Here is the information...

THE CURE
w/ 65daysofstatic
September 19
@ G.M.U. Patriot Center • Fairfax, VA

Presale is Thursday, July 12 from 10am-10pm
Password is 5TS4U9X
There is a 4 ticket limit.

Public On Sale is Saturday, July 14 at 10am

click here for the presale

- Apparently The Police are still fighting. Stewart Copeland admits that him and Sting are at each other's throats every couple of days. I don't think this comes as a shock to anyone. This thing has been a ticking time bomb since they reunited. It's obvious that they are only tolerating each other for the paycheck. I think it's just a matter of time before this thing blows and they have it out on stage. Personally, I think that getting to witness that is the one thing that would justify their ridiculous ticket prices.

Alright,that seriously is the only "news" that I can find today. Since you really do not want to see me make shit up, I'll leave you with a video. Baltimore's Thrushes had this recorded at a show earlier in the year. Enjoy!

Thrushes - Heartbeats

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)

Thrushes - Ghost Train

Baltimore's Thrushes have an excellent new video for their song "Ghost Train" from sun come undone. The video was created by Salty Bovine Films. Enjoy.

Ghost Train by Thrushes


Ghost Train

While you are at it, vote for Thrushes here. They are competing as an NME Breaking Band.

New Thrushes

Barely months after their debut dropped, I have a brand new demo from Baltimore's Thrushes. This demo shows that Sun Come Undone was just the beginning. Enjoy!

Trees (Demo)

Any Given Tuesday

The Baltimore music site Any Given Tuesday has joined forces with SĒN Baltimore and started it's own podcast called (surprise) Any Given Tuesday. The podcast will premiere on May 22, 2007 at 9:30 PM as a live internet broadcast on Talkshoe.com. My friend Barrett King, the creator of Any Given Tuesday, will host. The first episode will feature an interview with the great Baltimore band, Thrushes. They will also play a song from their new album and debut a brand new one. You can listen live online and you'll have the opportunity to call in and talk to the band.

If you want to participate in the discussion, you must download and install the Talkshoe.com client. Click here to sign up. Once that is done, the link to the broadcast can be found here. If that is too complicated, just wait. This is the digital age, the whole thing will be available for download the next day. I have a feeling that you'll see that new track floating around too.

I'll leave you with a couple of tracks from Thrushes. Enjoy!

Heartbeats
Aidan Quinn

Contest: Thrushes CD Release Show

One of my favorite Baltimore bands is Thrushes. I did a feature on them back in December and it has been nice to see them getting a lot of well deserved love since. On Saturday, they will be having their official Baltimore CD release party at Ottobar with Palomar, Squaaks and AVEC providing support. Sun Come Undone's official release will follow on March 13. To celebrate, Thrushes are providing us with a contest. To enter, all you have to do is send me an e-mail with your name and location. There will be two winners and they will be contacted later this week. The prizes will be awarded at random and are as follows:

Grand Prize:
1 Guest list spot for 3/10 @ Ottbar
1 Thrushes CD
1 AVEC CD
1 Thrushes t-shirt
Various AVEC and Thrushes stickers and buttons

First Prize:
1 Guest list spot for 3/10 @ Ottbar
1 Thrushes CD


Some tunage...

Thrushes - Aidan Quinn
Palomar - Our Haunt
Squaaks - Fire
AVEC - While You're Down There