In the latest iteration of The Big Baltimore Playlist, we pick five local songs to add to your current rotation, ranging from sparkly country-pop to experimental post-hardcore to dreamy instrumental soundscapes.
Check back each month for new top tracks, and follow our Spotify playlist (below) as we continue to build a soundtrack for our city.
“Cold 2 The Touch” by Angel Du$t
From its underground upbringing, Baltimore hardcore has fully emerged as the hottest genre in the city’s already on-fire music scene. And in many ways, we have Justice Tripp to thank for that.
In the early aughts, the Essex native helped transformed that break-neck sound into something more expansive—full of deep grooves and dynamic melodies—as the frontman of beloved band Trapped Under Ice. By the early 2010s, that group evolved into Angel Du$t (which, over the years, also featured members of Turnstile) and took the evolution even further, creating something all their own.
Hear their latest incarnation for yourself on this careening title track off their forthcoming album, out on the eve of Valentine’s Day next year.
“Baltimore (Jack’s Version)” by Bartees Strange
Before settling in Baltimore a couple years ago, this British-born, Oklahoma-raised artist lived a bit of a nomadic life. A military brat, he moved around the world in his early years, eventually residing in Brooklyn, then Washington, D.C., until relocating to Maryland—becoming an indie darling along the way. Think NPR Tiny Desk Concerts, Rolling Stone reviews, 4AD record deals.
On this Americana ballad off his latest album, co-produced by record-maker-to-the-stars Jack Antonoff, he confesses to the struggle of always searching for home. In rattling off the downsides of other cities—“New York City, it just costs too much”—and a deeply segregated country—“L.A.’s got everything, except for people like mine”—he leaves Baltimore unnamed, despite the song’s title. In a way, it seems to convey the possibility of this town for him.
“Cerulean Cove” by Birney-Willen
Landscapes is the stuff of dreams. Literally, the soundscapes on this second album from local filmmaker Albert Birney and multidisciplinary designer Bruce Willen are like soundtracks to those reverie states we often find ourselves in, and not just when we’re asleep. Walking down a city street, on a backroads drive, watching the morning light flicker through your bedroom window—all perfect occasions to listen to these 10 tunes.
And it’s unsurprising they’re so transportive, coming from this imaginative duo—with Birney writing and directing otherworldly films like Strawberry Mansion and the upcoming OBEX, and Willen creating visionary installations like Ghost Rivers in Remington, as well as equally mesmerizing instrumental music through his band Peals). We recommend getting lost in thought to any one of them, including this one. And the visual album to boot.
“Cowboy Like Me” by Enslow
It’s not every day that a popstar pops up in Baltimore. But over the last few years, Enslow has emerged as a bona fide singer-songwriter with a feel-good, girly, glittery sound that can stay on constant rotation and command the stage, too.
From Tiny Desk-style Instagram videos with her band through her Taylor Swift tribute concerts with WTMD, she’s garnered a loyal following for her powerhouse vocals, catchy hooks, and captivating live shows. Altogether, it’s a big-label sound, fusing modern electronic touches with hat tips to throwback inspiration.
On her brand-new follow-up album Crush, hear a big anthemic cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Little Lies” and this country-pop original that conjures both Chappell Roan and Kacey Musgraves (its title also showing off her inner Swifty).
“i can be ur lady” by Plant Dad
This spring release is a deep groove that we can’t stop listening to. For the past few years, Plant Dad has been putting out single after single of impressive bedroom pop. Born in the Philippines, frontman Ralph Bernabe grew up in Baltimore County, teaching himself guitar and piano before getting a formal music education from Towson University, also being part of the Maryland State Boychoir and All State Jazz Bands.
That early, enterprising start shows up in the Towson-alum indie artist’s wide-ranging sound, inspired by 1980s electronic pop, folk singer-songwriters, and more. We recommend digging back through Plant Dad’s oeuvre. But start with this track, from its slow-burn start to its rave-worthy chorus beats, featuring local musician Matt Hurd.