IA Anniversary Present: Two if by Sea

Sadly, Baltimore's Two if by Sea is no more. That said, they did give us 7 years and in the indie music world, that is a lifetime. Before they give their final bow at Baltimore's Ottobar on August 31, they have decided to revisit the past. In honor of our Anniversary and their farewell, David sent over a true relic. This is a cover they recorded of Joy Division's "Transmission," back when they were still finding their voice as a band. In David's own words:

"This was pretty early for us. It was the first thing we ever recorded (on eight-track, one-inch tape), back in March 2002. Our first demo. I know that we had a lot of comparisons, but to put things into perspective, we hadn't even heard of Interpol or anything like it when we were doing this. I think Turn On The Bright Lights came out later that year.

It sounds so primitive compared to our last run at things, but I think it kind of captures that moment when we were all in our early 20's and still wide-eyed and not completely jaded with music."

mp3: Transmission (Joy Division Cover)

British Sea Power

From Brighton, UK, British Sea Power, who have earned comparisons to Joy Division, invade the area this week. The are known to have wild stage shows. Joining them on tour is Stardeath and White Dwarfs, from Oklahoma. They are led by Dennis Coyne. Name sound familiar? You may have heard of his more famous uncle, Wayne, and there is a definite Flaming Lips influence. Our pals from Baltimore, Two if By Sea, join them for the DC show. They will be going hiatus for the rest of the year, so this is your last chance to see them for awhile.

10/16: Johnny Brendas, Philly
10/19: Black Cat, DC w/ Two if by Sea

British Sea Power - Remember Me
Stardeath and White Dwarfs - Chemical
Two if by Sea - All The Reasons To Leave

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

Sidebar Saturday

There is a really good show in Baltimore tonight. Sidebar has local favorites Two if by Sea and DC's Greenland. Make it out if you can, because it should be an excellent bill.

Two if by Sea - All The Reasons To Leave
Greenland - Shipwreck on the Watery Eye

This Week's Mix

This week's mix features many relatively unknown bands along with some new music from bands you should know already. I have also tried to keep with the tradition of including two songs from local artists.

1. Architecture In Helsinki - Fumble


2. Kinetic Stereokids - Explosions Were Heard


3. Two If By Sea - Report From Damage Control


4. Phoenix - Long Distance Call


5. Broken Social Scene - Fire Eye'd Boy


6. Snow Patrol - Run


7. The Hold Steady - Massive Nights


8. Soft Complex - Barcelona


9. Stars of Track and Field - Movies of Antartica


10. The Automatic Automatic - Monster

Just a note on the locals. It looks like Soft Complex will be playing a one off at 9:30 Club on September 8, before they go back into hibernation to finish the album. Two if by Sea has several dates coming up in Baltimore and many other dates in the works. Check both of their sites for more information.

Pela / Two If By Sea @ Black Cat

Pela's Anytown Graffiti is one of my favorite albums of the year and I have been anxiously waiting for them to stop in DC for a show. Once I found out that they were coming to Black Cat with Baltimore's Two if By Sea on July 11, I started counting down the days. The best backstage shows always turn into sweaty messes and as the pictures prove, this one was no exception.

Two If By Sea

Going into their set, I was not familiar with any of Two if by Sea's music and had no idea what to expect. To my surprise, I got blown away. I think the majority of the crowd didn't really know what to expect either, but with the long guitar solos, fast paced drumming, strong vocals and solid bass playing, people really got into it and many started dancing. They were the perfect opener for Pela and they really warmed up the crowd well.

Pela

Before Pela began, I pushed my way through the crowd and made it to the front for what turned out to be a really crazy show. The guys started off with "Waiting On The Stairs." They went through the majority of their catalogue and they even played a strong cover of The Pixies' "Holiday Song." The show was so crazy that Billy started falling off of the stage and 3 of us had to catch him. A girl in the crowd even bought the band shots and they all took them together. All in all, it was the perfect high energy set and I can't wait for them to come back.

After the show was over, I got a chance to talk to both bands at the bar. I talked to Billy and Tom from Pela about how they felt about the tour, what they had in store for the future and their general feeling on the night. Billy actually mentioned the title of the new CD that they are starting to work on. If you head over to their tour blog, you can get more info on the upcoming album.

I will leave you with some mp3s and the links to the pictures that I took. Most of the pictures are horrible, but you get the idea.

Two If By Sea Pictures
Pela Pictures

Pela - Holiday Song (live Pixies cover)
Two If By Sea - Summer Borne For Sleep

Tuesday

Wow, it's only Tuesday. Yet, tonight's regional concert slate is loaded. No matter where you are, there is something worth seeing.


At Sonar in Baltimore, you have a fantastic show. Scotland's The Twilight Sad has been taking America by storm and they will be in town tonight. Philly's Relay will be joining them.

The Twilight Sad - That Summer, At Home I Had Become The Invisible Boy
Relay - Context


Ottobar has the rescheduled date of last month's postponed Voxtrot show. The support slots read like a who's who of Baltimore bands. Two if by Sea, The Heavycoats and The Jennifers are all playing a set tonight.

Voxtrot - The Start Of Something
Two if by Sea - High Water Mark
The Heavycoats - Sea Song
The Jennifers - Oh Caroline


Down in DC, there is an excellent show at Black Cat. Canada's The Besnard Lakes and Brooklyn's Dirty on Purpose will both be in town tonight.

The Besnard Lakes - And You Lied To Me
Dirty On Purpose - No Radio


DC9 also has a fantastic show. My friend's The Jaguar Club and San Francisco's Scissors For Lefty are both on the bill. This should be a nice early week indie dance party.

The Jaguar Club - World Gone By
Scissors For Lefty - Ghetto Ways


Finally, IOTA also has a great show. Local favorites Junior League will be joined by the fantastic Hoots & Hellmouth. Gringo Star is also on the bill.

Hoots & Hellmouth - It's Close, I'm Undone
Junior League - Chess Records
Gringo Star - No Reason

Midweek in The District

It is Wednesday and there is a 2 horse race for which show you should go see in DC tonight. It's a tough choice to make, so you should choose wisely.

At Black Cat you have a really sweet show. The great Brooklyn band Pela is playing. They will be joined by the kings of Baltimore, Two if by Sea. These two bands playing a sweaty backstage show should be something else.

Pela - Lost To The Lonesome
Pela - Holiday Song (live Pixies Cover)
Two if by Sea - High Water Mark


Over at DC9, you have the band that has the city buzzing, Le Loup. This will probably be the last time that you will get the chance to see them at a venue this small in DC. They will be joined by another Brooklyn band, The XYZ Affair. In addition to the bands, Middle Distance Runner will be DJing.

Le Loup - We Are Gods! We Are Wolves!
The XYZ Affair - All My Friends

Friday Strikes Back

After a hazy, hot, humid and stormy week, the skies are set to clear up and the weekend forecast is gorgeous. Celebrate with a great Friday night out.


Baltimore has it going on tonight. Start out early with the continuation of the free Friday concert series at Walter's Art Museum. Tonight they have one of their best shows yet. Local favorites Two if by Sea will be taking the stage and apparently there is a visual accompaniment.

Two if by Sea - High Water Mark


Another Baltimore favorite is playing tonight, when The Payola Reserve take the stage at Ottobar. They will be joined by a solid lineup that includes DC's Let's French, who are making a rare Baltimore appearance in support of their new album Victory.

The Payola Reserve - Music Is Not Music
Let's French - Here She Comes (There She Goes)


Speaking of DC bands, These United States will also be making their way to Baltimore tonight. They will be playing Charm City Artspace and they'll be joined by Laura Gibson and Casey Dienel. You will also have two other opportunities to catch this great bill over the weekend. They will be playing The Sugar Tank in Lancaster, PA on Saturday night. For those of you with kids, you can catch this bill at the family themed Rock-n-Romp tomorrow afternoon.

Since they will be playing these shows as a 2-piece, here are a couple of fantastic videos of the Jesse and Tom version of These US.

These United States - "We Go Down To That Corner"


These United States - "So High So Low So Wide So Long"


These United States - So High So Low So Wide So Long
Laura Gibson - Hands In Pockets
Casey Dienel - Tundra


Finally, there is a solid show in DC. Casiotone For The Painfully Alone and The Donkeys will be at The Red and The Black.

Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Young Shields
The Donkeys - In The Morning

Voxtrot Tour

Austin's Voxtrot is touring in support of their first full length. They are being supported by Favourite Sons and Au Revoir Simone. Over the next couple of days, they will be in the area and you can catch them as follows:

6/12 Ottobar, Baltimore w/ Two if by Sea
6/13 Black Cat, DC

*Update: The Baltimore show has been rescheduled for 7/17. The DC show is still on as scheduled.*

Voxtrot - Ghost
Favourite Sons - Tall Grass
Au Revoir Simone - Fallen Snow
Two if by Sea - Summer Borne For Sleep

Good Weekend In Philly

Finally a weekend in Philly that has some shows to go to. If you want to check out some great bands from the Baltimore and DC areas, this is the weekend. Tonight, Saturday May 19, our friends Two If By Sea are at Johnny Brenda's. They are joined by Philly's own and a great band in their own right, Hail Social and Omaha's Coyote Bones.

Two If By Sea

Sunday at the Khyber, check out several great bands from DC, as our good friends Telograph and Middle Distance Runner come to town. They are joined by the Gena Rowlands Band, who include members of Ida, Dismemberment Plan and Beauty Pill. Great line-up and cheap at 7 bucks!

Telograph

See you all at the shows. I'll be at both. Enjoy the tunes.

Two If By Sea - Summer Borne For Sleep
Coyote Bones - Fated to Fail
Hail Social - Heaven
Telograph - Beneath Your Feet
Middle Distance Runner - Man of the People
Gena Rowlands Band - Flesh and Spirits

Thursday Night In DC

There are a lot of good shows tonight. This has been a pretty crazy day and I'm running behind, so I'm just going to list them...


Baltimore's Two if by Sea is joined by DC locals The Alphabetical Order and Paul Michel at IOTA. You don't get a much better regional music showcase than this.

Two if by Sea - Summer Borne For Sleep
The Alphabetical Order - Submarines
Paul Michel - The Ways and Means


Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard is playing two sold out shows at 9:30 Club. He will be joined by David Bazan of Pedro the Lion and Johnathan Rice.

Death Cab For Cutie - The Sound Of Settling
David Bazan - Backwoods (SSL Rough Mix)


DC's City-State is having a CD release for Monument at Black Cat. Philly's A Study In Her will be providing support.

City-State - Mary
A Study In Her - Favorite Actor


Brandon Butler has a special in store at Crooked Beat Records.

Brandon Butler - Sparks


New York bands Meowskers and Quintus play a show at The Red and The Black.

Meowskers - I'll Be By Your Side
Quintus - Old Guitar


Viking Moses, Castanets and Phosphorescent come to DC9. For an evening of interesting singer songwriters, they will be joined by DC's own Jesse Elliott (of These United States).

Viking Moses - I Will Always Love You (Dolly Parton Cover)
Castanets - Three Days Four Nights
Phosphorescent - I Am A Full Grown Man (I Will Lay In the Grass All Day)
These United States - Already Got A Girl Who Calls Me That (Daytrotter Session)

breakup mix

Editor's Note: This post was written by David Hardy of Two if by Sea. The mix and artwork were also created by him.


this mixtape explores the various stages of a breakup. it transitions through heartache, denial, sadness, resentment, depression, and finally, awakening...

i've been listening to a lot of these songs for the past 2 months & finally realized what a great concept mix they made. hope they help anyone else who has recently gone through the same thing.


tracklist:

01. spiritualized / broken heart
02. pj harvey / rid of me
03. mazzy star / halah
04. junior boys / so this is goodbye
05. the church / reptile
06. sebadoh / beauty of the ride
07. margot and the nuclear so & so's / skeleton key
08. teenage fanclub / alchoholiday
09. superdrag / pine away
10. nada surf / blankest year

artwork

Saturday @ Chameleon Club - Contest

I am sorry that the site has been so silent lately. I have been really busy, but I promise that things will get better very soon. As a matter of fact, I have come to make it up to you.

One of the things that has been taking up a lot of my time, is the show that I helped put together for this Saturday. It really is a great bill. Middle Distance Runner, Two if by Sea, The April Skies and Kheris are the bands. It is at the Chameleon Club in Lancaster, PA. The tickets are $6 in advance and $8 at the door. The main floor is over 21 and the balcony is all ages. Doors open @ 8 and the music starts at 8:30 or so.

For those of you who do not read the site regularly, let me give a little breakdown on the bands...

Two if by Sea is from Baltimore. They released Safety last fall and I have probably mentioned that CD half a dozen times since then. When I saw them in November, I was blown away. They are the loudest band on the bill, they play first and you do not want to miss them.

Middle Distance Runner has been mentioned on IA more than any other band. They are from DC and were the breakout band of 2006. Plane in Flames was one of the best CDs released last year and by the end of last year, everybody (Paste, KCRW, etc) was starting to give them love. They are the kind of band that makes the girls swoon, yet are also adored by the guys. Amazing live show. They will have people dancing. See them now, before they get big. Seriously...

Kheris is the hometown Lancaster band and they are the band that I am least familiar with. A couple weeks ago, Jake (from the April Skies) and I were putting together this bill and he sent me to see them. I wasn't expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised. This is a really good indie rock band. They put on a fine show and they have soul.

The April Skies are from Hershey, PA and they are the headliners. This band began in the late 80's. They were all over the place and played with bands like Ride and Lush. They went on hiatus in the late 90's and returned with a vengeance a few years ago. Last fall, they released How It All Played Out and it was the best release of their storied career. They are a south central PA institution and they will be returning to the stage that they have played so many times over the years. I have seen them many times and they always deliver.

For those who are not familiar with The Chameleon Club, it is THE historic venue in south central PA. More national bands have played there than I care to count. It is also the place that spawned the careers of bands like The Ocean Blue, Live and The Innocence Mission. The place is 10,000 square feet, with 3 floors and 5 bars. It is also an amazing place to see a show.

There you have it. I would really appreciate it if you supported us and original music. This bill is ridiculously good and if we can pull this off, you will be seeing many more of these shows. Tickets are only $6!! Send an e-mail if you are interested and we'll figure out how to get tickets to you. The venue is not very far from Philly and Baltimore, so please don't hesitate to road trip.

Now for the contest... Over the next few days, I will be giving away several pairs of tickets and various merchandise from bands on the bill. All you have to do is send me an e-mail with your name and location. Winners will be chosen at random and will be notified by Friday morning. Now enjoy some music...

Two if by Sea - White Zin On-Ice
Two if by Sea - All The Reasons To Leave
Two if by Sea - The Affair, Act II
Middle Distance Runner - Naturally
Middle Distance Runner - Man Of The People
Middle Distance Runner - That's A Lie
Middle Distance Runner - Out Of Here
The April Skies - My Love Is In This House
The April Skies - Here Comes The Rush
The April Skies - Unstoppable

Feb 10 @ the Chameleon Club

My friend Jake and I put together a little show on February 10. I am pretty excited about this lineup. Here's a little teaser, but I promise that more info will be coming soon. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to fire away.

Two if by Sea Radio Session Tonight

I wanted to let everyone know that IA favorites Two if by Sea will be doing a live radio session at 8pm tonight on WTMD. They will be interviewed and playing 4 or 5 tracks. If you are in the Baltimore area, tune to 89.7. If you aren't, you can listen here. I'l also see what I can do about getting some of the tracks.

In addition to tonight, they will be at Fletchers in Baltimore on 1/22 and Black Cat in DC and 2/3. Definitely check them out, because they are amazing live.

Report From Damage Control

The Twelve Bands of Christmas: Day Eleven - Two If By Sea

Two if by Sea is a band from Baltimore, MD. They have been regulars on IA, but with good reason. Safety was one of the best cds released this year. They took all of the elements from their debut, stripped them down and added strings. It really worked. They are also known for tearing it up with their high energy live sets. This was a good year for the band. They took some time to reflect upon it and share some insight on how they will top it in 2007.

Band:
Two if by Sea
Location:
Bodymore, Murderland
Formed:
2002
Members:
Cris Cowan / ahhhh & treble
John Jorde / low-end rumble
Charles Cole / Boom Boom
David Hardy / whoosh & echo
Label:
SilverThree Sound Recordings
Recordings:
Translations (2004) Speedbump
Safety (2006) Silverthree
Upcoming Live Dates:
12/22/06 sonar, baltimore
12/30/06 rock and roll hotel, dc
1/22/07 fletchers, baltimore
2/3/07 black cat mainstage, dc

How did the band form?
surrepitious late night sessions at UMBC's on-campus television studio

How was '06 for you?
grrrreat. tiring too, because of the schedule we've managed to impose on ourselves

Highlight of the year?
three: our april residency at DC9, finishing the record in june, month-long US-Tour in october

What do you have in store for '07?
find a new rehearsal space, more touring in the spring, win some major $$$ from scratch-offs, continue writing for the next release !

Goal for '07 and beyond?
to maintain the current velocity while continuing to juggle jobs, careers, relationships & sanity

Safety (2006)
White Zin on-Ice
All The Reasons to Leave

Unreleased
The Affair, Act II


Favorites

DAVID
3 favorite songs of '06?
So many good ones… but here are a few from my current playlist:
ticket to immortality – the dears
tv - Headlights
cold world – electric soft parade

Favorite album of the year?
I love you but i've chosen darkness - fear is on our side

Best live show you saw this year?
Editors - at Sonar's Club Stage

Favorite holiday song and artist?
The waitresses - christmas wrapping

Best present you ever received?
I've received a few great design books… “the pantone guide to communicating with color” – by Latrice Eiseman was a very useful one

Worst present you ever received?
every year i receive white tube socks. i never wear white socks...ever.


JOHN
3 favorite songs of '06?
Computer World-Kraftwerk
Sugar and Whitebread-G/L/A/S/S/C/A/N/D/Y
You Reached For The Stars-Twink

Favorite album of the year?
anything by bright eyes… I adore him

Best live show you saw this year?
Joe Jack Talcum (of the dead milkmen)- at the Talking Head

Favorite holiday song and artist?
Chestnuts Roasting-Bing Crosby

Best present you ever received?
Joy Division Box Set

Worst present you ever received?
Beanbag frogs only to be topped by Rock’m Sock’m Robots-My parents were broke that year.


CHAZ
3 favorite songs of '06?
When You Were Young- the Killers
Oxygen- Willy Mason
Bullets- Editors

Favorite album of the year?
The Back Room- Editors

Best live show you saw this year?
The Mishaps, 7‰ release (I haven't gone to many shows this year)

Favorite holiday song and artist?
Father Christmas - the Kinks

Best present you ever received?
A hand knit Harry Potter scarf.

Worst present you ever received?
A package of drinking straws.


The Twelve Bands of Christmas
Introduction
Day 1: Telograph
Day 2: AVEC
Day 3: The Hard Tomorrows
Day 4: Middle Distance Runner
Day 5: Thrushes
Day 6: Georgie James
Day 7: Exit Clov
Day 8: Jette-Ives
Day 9: These United States
Day 10: Cedars
Day 11: Two if by Sea
Day 12: Soft Complex

Local Love on XM Radio

I just received word that two local artists will be on tonight's XMU Radar Report. DC's Paul Michel will have the song Wait featured and Baltimore's Two if by Sea will have Report from Damage Control featured. If you aren't familiar with either of these artists, you should definitely check out their new albums. Two if By Sea just released Safety and Paul Michel just released Quiet State of Panic. If you don't get XM and you are interested in hearing it @ 10PM tonight, let me know.

Paul Michel -Wait
Two if By Sea - Report from Damage Control

Two If By Sea Premier

The calendar has hit September and that means that fall is upon us. It also means that new music is starting to make it to our favorite stores. One such release is Safety by Baltimore band Two If By Sea. It will be released by Washington, DC based indie Silverthree Sound Recordings on October 17.

Two If By Sea formed in 2001. Their debut Translations, followed in 2004 and received a lot of praise in the Northeast. On the road, they supported artists such as Secret Machines and We Are Scientists. Now, they are back with Safety and they're ready to conquer the world.

I received a finished copy of this disc early last week and was able to listen to it several times. The three things that stuck out to me the most, were Cris Cowan's voice, how tight their sound is and how out of place they sound in Baltimore. Cris's voice is deep and dramatic and it always stands out. Musically, I was blown away by how sharp they were. Their music has a lot of layers and the instrumentation is fantastic. It is obvious that they have been playing together for 5 years. On this album, they further expand their sound by making use of orchestration. I am not going to attempt to label them. The only thing that I will say, is that they would sound more at home in England than Baltimore. It is apparant that they use their influences (Echo, Psych Furs, The Cure, etc) as a guide and expand their sound from there. As tight as they are as a band, their success lies in how receptive their audience is to Cris's voice. It stands out in a such a way, that it is a major definition of their sound. Personally, I think they will do fine.

In addition to their release in October, they will have two cd release parties. The first one is September 9 at The Ottobar in Baltimore. They will be joined by locals The Oranges Band and The Whigs from Athens, GA. Additionally, all artists that performed on this album will be part of the show. On September 23 in DC, they will be having a dual cd release party at DC9 with The Hard Tomorrows. After the official release, they will embark on a US tour. Dates are still being finalized, so check myspace for the latest details. Definitely check out their live show. This album was made for that setting.

On a final note, guitar player David Hardy kindly offered me the opportunity to premier any track of my choosing. The track that I picked is fantastic and shows off the orchestration that they used on this album. In addition, I am offering 3 demos from the new album and a track from their debut. The finished versions sound a lot better than the demos, but they offer a nice preview. Enjoy this and support them while they are on the road.


White Zin on-ice (Safety, 2006)
This Will Hurt Someone (from Translations, 2004)
Report From Damage Control (Safety demo)
Million To One (Safety demo)
Mont Blan(k) (Safety demo)