Sam Sessa didn’t always dream of being on the radio—at least not in the role he plays today, as a DJ with Towson’s own WTMD. “Sometimes sports writers are failed athletes, and music writers can be failed musicians—that’s definitely me,” says Sessa, who cut his teeth as a journalist before becoming the Baltimore Music Coordinator and host of Baltimore Hit Parade.

He grew up playing the accordion, eventually pivoting to the keyboard and organ bass during college at the University of Maryland, where he performed with a local jazz and cover band. Upon graduation, the journalism major went on to cover the entertainment beat at The Baltimore Sun from 2005 to 2013, which “just happened to be at a time when Baltimore’s music scene became one of the best in the country. I got really lucky,” Sessa says, pointing to the storied rise and record deals of artists such as Beach House, Future Islands, and Dan Deacon at the time.

“In the ‘90s, we had Dru Hill and Sisqó, which were incredible success stories for the city,” he says. “But we didn’t have as large of an audience, with attention being spread out on so many different bands, like it was in the mid to late 2000s. It was like your home team coming out of nowhere to win the Super Bowl.”

On Thursday, May 19 at The Charles Theater—in the first of what will be several free public screenings in Baltimore—this historic arch will be on full display in Sessa’s directorial debut, Do Whatever You Want All the Time: The Baltimore Music Scene 2005-2020. Created during the pandemic and named after an album by local art-rock band Ponytail (one of Sessa’s favorites), the short documentary film chronicles how Baltimore made its way onto the national stage, from the late aughts, when the city’s musical milieu was dubbed the best in the country by Rolling Stone, through the 2015 Baltimore Uprising, which, Sessa says, “changed the whole conversation on the local scene.”

“The uprising was a reckoning for a lot of different communities, including the Baltimore music community,” he says. “We made the film in the year of George Floyd’s death, and to compare what was happening in the rest of the country to what happened in Baltimore in 2015—that gave us chills.”

Despite the challenges, there’s an overarching theme of optimism as Baltimore’s musicianship continues to evolve. “Between artists like Micah E. Wood, Outcalls, Super City, and Modern Nomad, we’re seeing collaboration in ways that weren’t that common in the mid to late 2000s for a bunch of different reasons—that really gives me hope,” Sessa says. “The Baltimore music scene is perhaps more connected now than it has ever been.”

The film features up-and-coming indie bands like Snail Mail and Peach Face, as well as veteran artists such as Abdu Ali, Lafayette Gilchrist, and Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak (plus images by Baltimore contributing photographer J.M. Giordano and an appearance by senior editor Lydia Woolever.)

Local cinematographer Julia Golonka, who filmed, edited, and co-produced the documentary with Sessa, wanted to make sure that every topic—in particular, racial themes—would resonate with viewers.

“I hope that people feel we did the scene justice,” says Golonka, who went to the same high school as Snail Mail’s Lindsey Jordan. “Growing up in Ellicott City, I’ve been listening to a lot of these artists for a while now. My Spotify Wrapped for last year was mostly the bands that are featured in the film. I just kept listening to them as I would edit. I hope the viewers feel inspired to do that too. This was a dream-come-true project.”

The same goes for Sessa, who refers to the film as “the bookends of my career, distilled into 24 minutes.”

“In 2005, we still had yet to even realize that the scene was a scene,” he says. “But to watch it coalesce over the years has been fulfilling to me. We’re thrilled to share this little time capsule.”

Every year, we’re seriously impressed by the amount of artistic talent in Baltimore, and 2019 was no different, with top-notch music coming out of the city—making its way onto both the local and national stage. It also felt like a year where the musical community came into its own. No, Rolling Stone didn’t name us the best music city in America again (not that we need that recognition to know that we are), but there were numerous moments of reckoning, if you will. Rising artists finally got their due. Established acts performed epic homecoming shows. Hallowed institutions wrestled with their futures. There were both losses of legends and celebrations of lifetimes, and each reminded us of the great impact this city has had, and continues to have, on the musical form. Here, we round up some of the most memorable moments of 2019. And we recommend keeping your ears perked for all that is to come in 2020.

Ethel Ennis passes away.
This past February, Baltimore’s “First Lady of Jazz” passed away at age 86. During the late 1950s and 1960s, the West Baltimore singer recorded for major labels, toured Europe, headlined the Newport Jazz Festival, and performed regularly with the likes of Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Duke Ellington. As a child, she learned to play piano at the Ames United Methodist Church in Sandtown-Winchester and later became a mainstay at the Red Fox on Pennsylvania Avenue. Disillusioned by the music industry, Ennis ultimately eschewed national stardom and returned to Baltimore for a more simple life, where she performed until her later years. Her mark on the greater musical world remains.

Dan Deacon performs with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
It felt like fate had somewhat of a hand in the moment when Dan Deacon first took to the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall stage with members of the BSO this spring. At the time, the orchestra was in the midst of a contentious contract dispute that would eventually lead to a summer-long lockout of the musicians by the organization’s management (see below), while the electronic artist—15 years after moving to Baltimore and forever changing the local music scene—was quietly working on a new record about overcoming doubt, and reckoning with age and death and time. For a few hours, the two iconic musical acts, seemingly from opposite of the sonic spectrum, though Deacon studied composition in college, came together for a night that would become a gift to the city. The musicians filled the halls with hope, as concertgoers got out of their seats, ran down the aisles, and started an impromptu dance party in front of the venerable stage.

Abdu Ali releases FIYAH!!!.
Over the last several years, few musicians have been as influential and integral to the Baltimore music scene as Abdu Ali. From the glory days of their all-inclusive, underground Kahlon dance party at The Crown to national coverage by the likes of The New York Times, The New Yorker, and NPR more recently, the avant-garde rapper has helped put Baltimore’s DIY culture on the map, remaining deeply rooted to their hometown city along the way. This spring, the release of their studio debut, FIYAH!!!, took their artistry to a new level, fusing hip-hop and Baltimore Club music with jazz and punk. The record and its release solidified Ali’s star power with a full-band lineup, led to a sold-out show at the Ottobar, and helped them nab a well-deserved “Artist of the Year” award from City Hall.

André De Shields wins his first Tony.
As a cherry on top of a 50-year acting career, 73-year-old Charm City native André De Shields took home his first Tony Award in June, winning best featured actor in a musical for his performance of the god Hermes in Hadestown. De Shields grew up in West Baltimore, one of 11 children, and graduated from City College before moving from regional theater to Broadway. He would go on to gain renown for his roles in shows like The Wiz and The Full Monty. A few weeks after the Tonys, he was also presented with a mayoral salute and key to the city by Mayor Jack Young. “This is what you get when you blow them out of the water,” he said during his acceptance speech, showing the crowd his Tony. “I did it the only way you could—the Baltimore way.”

Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon slays on American Idol.
If you don’t watch American Idol, you might have missed, in our opinion, one of the most special stories of the television show’s history. If you do watch American Idol, you’ve already been a Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon fan for months. The Catonsville singer-songwriter placed sixth in the competition, wowing judges and viewers with his sensational falsetto, his original song “Almost Heaven,” and his backstory, the son of a Baptist pastor who discovered he was gay at age nine. This fall, Harmon released his debut album and this winter, graduated from Towson University, where he studied vocal performance.

Beach House gets sentimental at the Hippodrome.
In June, dream-pop duo Beach House returned to the city for their first big hometown performance since the Windjammer music festival at Pier Six in 2015. Taking over the hallowed stage of the Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, singer Victoria LeGrand and guitarist Alex Scally put on a powerful show to promote their latest album, 7, with some old favorites thrown in along the way. Typically stoic performers, they both spoke sentimentally about the city, even referencing the Orioles. Opening acts were also must-see sets by Dan Deacon and Future Islands’ William Cashion.

The Ottobar persists and, as The Windup Space closes, Rituals opens in its stead.
Two big changes took place at local music venues this year, with the announcement of sales and closures stirring fear for a scene that already lamented a dearth of creative space. But a few months after the Ottobar announced that its longtime owners were selling the business, it was revealed that longtime bar manager Tecla Tesnau would be taking over the Remington rock club in late summer, keeping it in local hands, and it seems that little has changed. And just weeks after word surfaced that The Windup Space would be closing its doors, news broke that the location would be reopened as Rituals, a bar and venue that would keep the same all-inclusive, DIY tradition alive and well, allowing the arts community to let out a collective sigh of relief. There, lineups have included local favorites like Lower Dens, Eze Jackson, and Chiffon.

TT The Artist pays homage to Baltimore Club.
This summer, TT The Artist made her directorial debut with the sneak peek premiere of her upcoming music documentary, Dark City: Beneath The Beat. Despite relocating to Los Angeles, the beloved rapper has long been a fierce advocate of, and an active participant in, the city’s hometown musical genre, Baltimore Club—the story of which she tells in her unique, colorful film. Featuring cameos and music by fellow local artists such as DDm, Eze Jackson, Mighty Mark, and Rufus Roundtree, it now enters the finishing-touch and fundraising stages in hopes of joining the festival circuit in 2020.

DDm drops Beautiful Gowns.
This summer, DDm released his debut full-length album, Beautiful Gowns, which, unsurprisingly, turned out to be one of the most fun, infectious records to come out of Baltimore this year. That’s thanks to the pure showmanship of the city-born rapper who has brought bravado, wit, humor, and heart to his music and live performances across the city for years, from the local battle rap circuit through his Bond St. District duo and now in his solo career. A year after his planned debut, Soundtrack To A Shopping Mall, was nixed, these 13 tracks stood testament to DDm’s determination and dauntless creativity. Self-released, locally produced, and spread without the help of local radio, singles like “He Say She Say” and “Pull Up”garnered thousands of listens on Spotify and views on YouTube all on their own. We personally love the bright, buoyant ballads of “Hooray” and “Forever 21.”

Future Islands rocks out at Union Collective.
In early September, thousands of Baltimore City music lovers packed into the parking lot of Union Collective for a night to remember by local dream-pop darlings Future Islands. Much like their impromptu Hampdenfest performance in 2014, the band’s free live show took place outside as the sun set, featuring both new material off their upcoming album and fan favorites like “Seasons” and “Balance,” with frontman Sam Herring’s mercurial dance moves out in full force. Opening acts included Baltimore artists Smoke Bellow, Joy Postell, and DJs Jason Willett and Jay Buim, and the brewery’s neighbor, The Charmery, sold three Future Islands-themed flavors of ice cream to support city non-profits.

The BSO survives a tumultuous year.
It was a long, strange trip around the sun for the century-old Baltimore Symphony Orchestra: ongoing contract negotiations that tumbled into labor disputes, the cancellation of the summer season, a highly publicized lockout of the musicians by BSO management, followed by months of player protests outside the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. But this fall, both parties reached a one-year agreement that resulted in the meeting of many players’ demands and the on-time opening of the fall schedule. The organization has also since launched their newly formed vision committee and brought in outside help from arts-org “turnaround king” Michael Kaiser, so things are looking up. (Except for maestra Marin Alsop hinting at her departure.)

JPEGMAFIA continues to soar.
It’s been another big year for JPEGMAFIA. The alternative rap artist, known as Peggy, toured the U.S., to many sold-out crowds. He performed at the likes of Afro Punk, Firefly, and Coachella, where rolling stone called his set one of the best of the festival. He opened for big-name acts like Vince Staples and Flume. He garnered national press and profiles by the likes of Billboard, The Guardian, and Paper. And this fall, he released his latest album, All My Heroes Are Cornballs, to national acclaim— a colorful, cacophonous collage that takes us on a trip into his beautiful, manic, often NSFW dream world. All the while, even though he has since relocated to L.A., Peggy always gave love back to Baltimore, his former city, selling out two nights at the Ottobar, hopping on Abdu Ali’s latest record, and bringing fellow rising local rapper Butch Dawson along on his tour. For that, for as long as we can, we’ll continue to claim him as our own.

Morgan State’s marching band leads the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The holidays came early this year when it was announced that Morgan State University’s Magnificent Marching Machine would be leading the iconic procession of marching bands in the 93rd annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, making MSU the first of Maryland’s historically black colleges to perform in the parade’s history. Ahead of a giant Snoopy balloon, the college band, led by band leader Melvin Miles Jr., marched triumphantly in blue and white uniforms for nearly three miles from the Upper West Side, around Central Park, and down to the famed namesake department store on Herald Square. Millions of viewers watched from the city streets and on their television sets at home.

A star is born in Maggie Rogers.
In the 12 months of 2019, Eastern Shore native Maggie Rogers released a debut album via Capitol Records, starred as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, sold out her U.S. tour, performed at the likes of Coachella, attended the Met Gala, and garnered her first Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. While still a student at NYU, the singer-songwriter got her first taste of fame serendipitously, when a video of Pharrell Williams going ga-ga for one of her songs went viral. But everything that came next, and all that lies ahead, has undoubtedly been the result of her own talent and star staying power.

Check out our Spotify playlist below for Lydia’s Top 30 songs of 2019.

EAT

Sept. 8: No Fun Brunch

Vent Coffee Roasters, 1700 W. 41st St. 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. $30.

The second Sunday of the month is now officially “vegan brunch day” at Vent Coffee Roasters. During the third iteration of this family-style feast, start with a glass of herb-infused coffee or a non-alcoholic cocktail (hence the name) before sitting down to try dressed cornbread, caprese salad, jackfruit salad, soft pretzels, and caramel apple galette. Along with an empty stomach, attendees are requested to bring school supplies to support the Women’s Advocacy Coalition of Baltimore’s back-to-school drive.

DRINK

Sept. 6: Patterson Pumpkin Pre-Release Party

Full Tilt Brewing, 5604 York Rd. 5-10 p.m. Free.

Now that it’s September, it’s time to shove aside the fruity summer cocktails (although they will be missed) in favor of pumpkin-flavored ales, lattes, and everything in between. Celebrate the start of spooky season with a glass (or two) of Full Tilt Brewing’s much-loved imperial pumpkin ale during this post-work happy hour. Stick around to hear live music by local legend E. Joseph, and since the Govans brewery’s “pumpkin-spiced nightmare” clocks in at a whopping 9 percent ABV, plan to finish the four-pack from the comfort of your own couch.

SEE

Sept. 6-8: Little Italy Baltimore Madonnari Arts Festival

Multiple locations and times. Free.

Not even an inbound hurricane (or its after effects) can stop this three-day chalk art festival from taking over the streets of Little Italy. This weekend, dozens of visual and performing artists from around the world will paint the city sidewalks in the old-school Italian tradition of Madonnari art. After watching the master street-painting artists create everything from Renaissance-style works to Baltimore-inspired drawings, enjoy live music, a pop-up art market, street performances, and al fresco dining specials at neighboring restaurants.

HEAR

Sept. 7: Future Islands

Union Craft Brewing, 1700 W. 41st St. 2-10 p.m. Free.

When it was announced on Tuesday that Future Islands—the hometown synth-pop heroes who have been praised in the likes of Rolling Stone and The New York Times—would be playing a free show at Union Craft Brewing this weekend, you could practically hear hundreds of Baltimoreans cancelling their Saturday night plans. For one night only, pack the brewery to hear these indie rockers perform hits from their latest album, The Far Field, as well as a few new tunes they’ve been testing out on the road. Be sure to get there early, down a few beers, and bop along to local heavy-hitters Joy Postell, Smoke Bellow, and DJs Jason Willett and Jay Buim before the boys take the stage.

DO

Sept. 7: Locust Point Festival

Latrobe Park. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free.

This South Baltimore neighborhood is known for being a mix of the old and the new, with some of the city’s oldest rowhomes mere blocks away from luxury high-rises and high-tech office spaces. So it’s no surprise that this annual festival at Latrobe Park will have tons of food and entertainment for residents of all ages, including delectable eats from City Limits, Hull St. Blues, and HarborQue, a kids zone packed with activities, an Orange Crush station, and live music by local band The Wafflers. Don’t miss the chance to give back to neighborhood projects through this family-friendly event.

About halfway through summer, many of us, especially with temperatures steadily in the nineties for a few weeks now, are readily looking toward fall. And with that, this week, comes the announcement of the hottest Halloween party in Baltimore, when Believe in Music teams up with the Maryland Science Center for its annual October bash.

For one evening, the exhibits—kid-friendly learning experiences on the likes of dinosaurs, space, and physics—transform into a full-on music festival on the Inner Harbor, featuring more than a dozen bands, a wild costume contest, and overflowing craft beer, all to benefit the educational center and local arts nonprofit.

The event, now in its eighth year, has just announced its 2019 lineup, featuring familiar faces who have performed at past parties, as well as exciting new acts. On Saturday October 26, some two dozen Baltimore artists will perform across multiples stages, from the planetarium to the rooftop to beneath a gigantic Tyrannosaurus Rex.

The main stage will feature big-name headliners: head-banging rock band J. Roddy Walston and The Business, beloved rap star DDm, and Talking Heads tribute group, Psycho Killers. Meanwhile, the Friends of Friends [Records] Stage will highlight rising DIY acts—post-punk duo Ed Schrader’s Music Beat, alt-hip-hop collective Soul Cannon, indie-pop singer Eyas, and electro-femme pair HexGirlfriends—while the planetarium will host a handful of techno and house, and dance music artists. As in years past, the Charm City Bluegrass Stage will be dedicated to Americana musicians, such as bluegrass rebels The Dirty Grass Players and folk-pop septet Haint Blue. And both DJs Rob Macy of Save Your Soul and James Nasty will be back on the ones and twos into the wee hours of the nights.

Exhibits will be open throughout the evening, as will the IMAX theater, where Future Islands bassist William Cashion and psychedelic electronic artist DeltaNine will curate immersive experiences.
Tickets usually sell out and are now on sale for general admission ($42) and VIP ($80).

This March, Baltimore band Beach House quietly announced a summer show—their first big hometown performance since the Windjammer music festival at Pier Six in 2015—and at none other than the hallowed Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center in downtown Baltimore.

With the show set to start at 8 p.m. on Tuesday night, the dream-pop duo will be performing as part of the North American tour to promote their seventh and latest album, aptly titled 7, which was released last spring. The luminous record carries the trademark trappings that first put them on the national map more than 10 years ago—Victoria LeGrand’s haunting vocals and lush synth and Alex Scally’s searing guitar—as well as a fresh dose of newfound energy and urgency that marks a subtle but significant evolution in their decade-long perfection of the dream-pop genre.

A sort of Windjammer encore, the lineup also features other local music legends of the last decade who performed at the waterfront festival four years ago, with opening acts including electronic artist Dan Deacon, as well as a solo set by Future Islands bassist William Cashion, who also performs as a part of instrumental duo Peals.

In what will surely be an iconic Baltimore performance, Beach House will play a mix of new songs and greatest hits from over the course of their 15-year career. In a sneak peak of the set list, Scally shares some tidbits about a few of the band’s favorite tracks.

“Drunk in LA”
Released last spring on the band’s seventh record, 7, this hypnotic song stems out of the production of their previous full-length release. It’s a blossoming song that unfolds as if watching the world through a haze, which, it turns out, they were. “The lyrics to this song were written in Los Angeles while mixing our album, Depression Cherry, and during an inspiring afternoon in the studio,” says Scally. “We were drinking a lot of wine and feeling both alive and very dead.”

“Myth”
Off the band’s 2012 sophomore record, Bloom—dubbed one of the best records of the year by Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and NPR—this classic Beach House song continues to be one of the band’s most-listened-to tracks. “We wrote this song in 2011, but it still vibrates in the ‘right’ way, so we keep its light burning,” says Scally.

“Lemon Glow”
The first single off of 7 captures the fresh energy and innovation found on the rest of the new record. It’s one of the many songs that speak to the beauty in contrast, as the glitchy beat climbs into a shimmering crescendo and then abruptly ends, leaving the listener wanting more. “This is a song about love, but we use the ugliest keyboard sound ever for it,” says Scally. “It’s really fun to make ugly sounds work in a song.”

“Dive”
The second single off of 7, this signature slow-burner builds before erupting in a newly potent moment of thunderous live drums and lustrous guitar. “This is the last song we wrote for 7, and to us, it feels like a runt from a litter of puppies that jumps in the backseat of a car and charms everyone,” says Scally.

“Levitation”
The opening of the band’s gorgeous 2015 Depression Cherry sets the stage for the entire fifth record—a lush, lilting collection of songs that are at once sparkling, nostalgic, sad, and hopeful. As we wrote all those years ago, it rises like the light at dawn, all slow and dewy and soft. “The end and the beginning often have a similar feeling,” says Scally, “and we feel this song captures that paradox.

It’s not every day that a brand-new band so quickly captures the sound of its home city, but in the case of Chaunter, you could say these songs have been nearly a decade in the making.

Founded by Station North stalwarts Brooks Kossover, on vocals and flute, and Jenghis Pettit, on guitar, the duo’s debut record, Dream Dynamics, is a celebration of the DIY scene in a Baltimore, and its idiosyncratic spirit is fleshed out by guest appearances from a league of local musical legends. Think electronic artist Dan Deacon, Future Islands’ Samuel T. Herring, Lower Dens’ Jana Hunter, guitar-pop group Super City, and rapper 83 Cutlass, to name a few.

Swirling in synth and smoldering with live-wire guitar, the songs harken back to the days when Rolling Stone named Baltimore’s music scene the very best in the country, but the bandmates follow the sound of their own woodwind into a sort of deep, dark, mythical dream world.

Before their release show at the Metro Gallery on March 29, we talked with the duo about friendship, freakwave, and finding inspiration in Baltimore.

How did Chaunter come to be?

Brooks Kossover: Jenghis and I have been friends for a long time, but we really bonded over music. We hit it off over this shared love of prog-rock and you almost never meet anyone, especially our age, who is into, like, Jethro Tull. I specifically remember seeing him in a Rush t-shirt and being like who is this kid? From there, he introduced me to visual kei, this Japanese form of rock from the 1990s that really influenced Chaunter. The music is very thematic and dramatic and not just one particular sound. When you see us live, you know what I mean. We wrote this album and rehearsed it for half a year before ever playing a show.

Anyone from outside of Baltimore might wonder how this brand-new band got all these legendary local musicians on their debut record. But as regulars in the local arts scene, they just so happen to be your friends. How did the album come to be?

BK: It kind of all started with my paintings. In making these large portraits, I met all of these different artists and musicians and ended up collaborating, and even living, with some of them. Putting out music together just felt like the natural next step. . . . I wanted this first album to be a testament to the Baltimore arts scene. We wanted to come out strong like this is who we are, these are our friends, this is Baltimore music, and make as big of an impact as possible. Our first album is a concept album in a weird way. I wanted it to be like waking up in a dream, and in the end, you fall back into reality.

Jenghis Pettit: No matter what the genre is, a lot of the different sounds out that come out of Baltimore have this dreamlike quality to them.

BK: Moving forward, our music will be much more band-driven—Jenghis and me—and later in the year, we’ll be putting out an EP that will have a finer scope that truly defines us. We just want to put out cool songs and hopefully put Baltimore and freakwave on the map.

Ah, freakwave—the new Baltimore genre. Also used by local quintet Super City.

JP: It’s his favorite word. [Laughs.]

BK: Hey, I’ve only said it once this whole interview! [Laughs.] It’s a very performative, melody-driven form of music. Just one of those things you need to see live to really feel the energy of it. I just love the idea of another genre being born out of Baltimore. I know I’m not from here, but I’ve lived here for about eight years now, and it’s changed me so much.

Jenghis, you grew up in West Baltimore. How did you got involved in the DIY music scene?

JP: My freshman year of high school, one of my friends gave me a guitar. I taught myself how to play by sitting and playing along with the radio. I went straight into metal and prog rock. Later on, I was living at Bell Foundry with Qué [Pequeño] and we started the band Melanin Free, which took on a life of its own. Melanin Free is a form of activism for me. After 2015, the Uprising was something I felt I needed to bring into my music. Even in certain places with Chaunter, it comes out in certain ways and I’m not going to try to hide it. It feels good to be able to show my Baltimore and put my two cents in. For me, this first album revolves around old memories from when I first started doing the whole art thing.

Are there any songs that are particularly meaningful to you?

BK: For me, it’s “The Copycat.” Jenghis lives there now, I lived there for a long time, we started [the art gallery] Terrault there. All the time spent in that building, what that building has meant to the city, the music that’s come out of it. I wanted this song, and the first album, to be an ode. I wanted them to be reminiscent of all those different sounds and people and memories and experiences coming together into one place.

JP: It has a lot of backstory. Frank, the superintendent of The Copycat, who is my landlord right now, is featured on the intro as well. It’s just a really good song.

In celebrating the past, where do you find inspiration in this city today?

JP: A few years back, there was a lot of hype, and then it kind of disappeared. But everyone just decided to focus on making good work, and through that, we’re starting to get real, genuine recognition that I think is a lot more sustainable. Looking at friends like Butch [Dawson], Joy [Postell], and Al [Rogers Jr.] putting out these insane projects—it’s just like, alright, I have to really go hard to try to keep up with them. I think if we can all stay together and continue to collaborate, we can make something for ourselves here that can’t disappear.

As for many of us, 2017 was a year of introspection and growth for the Baltimore music community. Familiar faces returned home, launched new ventures, or released seminal albums. New artists popped out of the woodwork and made their mark on the local scene. Collaboration was prolific, emotions were liberated, and a sort of homegrown catharsis ensued. A sense of change is in the air, and with the amount of talent we saw this year across all genres, we can’t wait to see what the future has in store for 2018. We couldn’t fit them all, but here are a handful of our favorite musical moments from the tumultuous past 12 months.

Abdu Ali launches a podcast.

This fall, Baltimore native/rapper/writer Abdu Ali got to add a new title to his resume: radio show host. In October, the local artist launched his first-ever podcast, DrumBooty Radio, in iTunes via Mask Magazine. Using his background in journalism, Ali talks with fellow creatives of color about the African-American experience. With five bi-monthly, hour-long segments now under his belt, Ali has interviewed the likes of local writer/editor Lawrence Burney of True Laurels, writer/social justice advocate Bilphena Yahwon, and writer/filmmaker Nia Hampton on topics such as the importance of therapy, being black in the DIY scene, and owning your own narrative. Through this new medium, featuring one special song per episode, Ali continues to craft compelling art in the audible form and shine a spotlight on our city.

Brooks Long sings “Blues for Freddie Gray.”

Local jazz legend Lafayette Gilchrist released a new album this spring with a powerful single titled “Blues for Freddie Gray.” Riddled with Gilchrist’s pounding piano keys, a full brass section, and the soulful vocals of old-school virtuoso Brooks Long, the song is post-2015 Baltimore in a bottle. The lively, driving number is full of energy and emotion, with audio samples from actual television footage following the death of Freddie Gray and subsequent officer trials. But despite the opening police sirens and closing whirr of a Foxtrot helicopter that both speak to the lack of closure in Gray’s case, Gilchrist ends on a hopeful note. “I want to know that there’s a day that’s coming soon and fast,” howls the ever-talented Long. “I want a justice and a peace that’s made to last and last. Don’t ya tell me that we can’t all get it done.” 

Dan Deacon celebrates Spiderman of the Rings.

A lot has changed for Dan Deacon since the release of this seminal record some 10 years ago. He’s grown from a quasi-known experimental musician to a nationally acclaimed artist. His music has become a soundtrack for the New York City Ballet; his mad-scientist compositions have scored award-nominated documentary films. And yet, to celebrate the anniversary of this record, Deacon returned home to perform at the kind of DIY space that started it all. At 2640 inside St. John’s United Methodist church, his exuberant melodies led the city’s most die-hard music lovers through a journey back in time. They danced. They sweat. They stood in awe of Deacon’s humble musical mastery, along for the ride and forever thankful that he is and maybe always will be ours.

Future Islands performs four nights at the Ottobar.

When Future Islands announced a series of shows at the Ottobar this spring to commemorate the release of The Far Field, it seemed like the whole world was vying for a golden ticket in the heart-racing online lottery. When it was all said and done, Pitchfork was there, tuning the entire country in to hear the trio’s heartbreaking new record, but Baltimore was all in tow—John Waters and a medley of other notable hometown musicians included—to welcome the boys home. Through new hits (“Ran”) and old favorites (“Little Dreamer”), frontman Sam Herring sashayed across the stage, William Cashion plugged those iconic riffs on bass, and Gerritt Welmers let that swirling synth fill the sold-out room, it felt like our old hearts—full of local love—just might explode.

Good Fridays makes Baltimore dance again. 

Over a year ago, then-Baltimore arts and culture editor Gabriella Souza was on the phone with John Waters when she got an idea. The local auteur noted that his hit film Hairspray! had been inspired by the variety and dance television shows of the mid-20th-century that had sadly gone the way of the buffalo. Wouldn’t it be great, they mused, if people could get together—regardless of age, race, or class—to just dance like that today? With the help of PipeDreamz’s AC Miller-Abdullah and Baltimore contributor Cassandra Miller, Good Fridays Baltimore was born, bringing all walks of city life together for live music by the likes of Al Rogers Jr., Wendel Patrick, and Eze Jackson, local art by Shan Wallace and Aaron Maybin, and a free-for-all dance party featuring local DJs into the wee hours of the night. As the event continues to grow, we can’t wait to see what—and who—comes next.

J Pope and the HearNow release its long-awaited debut.

After years of performing around town, this alt-soul collective released its debut in June. Produced by local beat wizard Wendel Patrick, Soul Searching captures the dynamic sound of this prolific live-performing sextet—a unique fusion of soul and hip-hop with a touch of R&B and blues. The record highlights the honey-coated lyrical flair and fast-paced finesse of frontwoman Jasmine Pope and showcases the masterful improvisations of her dexterous band mates. From the highs of frenzied funk rhythms to the lows of slow burning jazz numbers, the HearNow touches on the ups ands downs of living as a working artist. This album is Exhibit A of the talent, dedication, and hard work it takes. 

Local musicians spin at Idle Hour.

Last fall, Friends Records began a new residency at our favorite vinyl-slinging dive bar, Idle Hour, in Riverside. With the watering hole newly reopened, we weren’t sure if the famed record player would live on, but thanks to the bar owners and Jimmy MacMillan’s roster of local artists, the ones and twos are alive and well curated. Hometown favorites like Blacksage, Natural Velvet, and Surf Harp have spun handpicked selections from their various genres of electronic R&B, post-punk, and indie rock. In 2018, we’d buy the bar a round of pickle backs to hear Bond St. District’s Unkle Lulu, Microkingdom, or Peals.

Micah E. Wood makes dating easier.

Perhaps our favorite album of the year goes to See Me by Micah E. Wood. On this new record, the local songwriter and music photographer tackles the trials of modern love, pulling our heart strings as he rolls through the tribulations of 21st-century romance with honesty, humility, and humor. In the poignant “Match,” Wood candidly delves into the brutal honesties of online dating. In his first single, “Without You,” his anthemic chorus sums up the jubilant feeling of finally getting over a breakup. In the buoyant “Something,” his bubbly beat embodies the beauty of letting your guard down and liking someone again.  We especially love the additions of fellow heart-pullers Joy Postell, :3ion, and the aforementioned Al Rogers Jr. Through tender electronic melodies and charming talk-sing vocals, Wood and company make our stone cold hearts—thanks a lot, Tinder—finally feel human again.

Natural Velvet drops a timely album on feminine rage.

We couldn’t have realized how much Natural Velvet’s new Mirror to Make You would resonate in 2017. But with a strong focus on “feminine rage,” as frontwoman Corynne Ostermann puts it, coinciding with the nation’s “silence breakers” that have shed fresh light on widespread sexual harassment and assault throughout multiple industries, we can’t help but find new meaning. Each song is a rebellious declaration of feeling and fury with unabashedly frank lyrics that dissect femininity and endorse the power of the female. Whatever your gender, listening to these songs is cathartic. You finish with the full weight of three small lyrics to live by from “Kronos.” “I am. I choose. I chose.”  

Opera singers unite to form Outcalls.

We love the ladies of Outcalls. With their glittering get-ups, engaging social media presence, and ambitious attitude, Peabody grads Britt Olsen-Ecker and Melissa Wimbish have catapulted themselves onto the local arts scene and created their very own genre along the way. While the band has been around since 2015, the classically trained singers have carved out a sort of baroque indie-pop music on this debut-like record, combining the classics of shimmering synth and shoegaze guitar with ethereal soprano harmonies and robust electronic rhythms that are as hypnotic as they are awakening. Witchy, somewhat tribal, and even a little bit dusty old Spaghetti Western, “Skip to Sunrise” has become one of our top songs of the year. 

Snail Mail shoots to stardom.

It wasn’t long after the 2016 release of Snail Mail’s debut album that Lindsey Jordan and her two band mates started to get national attention. The band’s lo-fi indie rock music was suddenly in the web pages of Pitchfork and, before long, sprawled across a feature in The New York Times. The trio sold out the Ottobar, recorded a NPR Tiny Desk Concert, went off on tour with indie darlings Beach Fossils, and then signed a deal with Matador Records. (We also awarded them a Best of Baltimore for “Rising Star.”) Fresh out of high school and already well beyond their years, it’s safe to say that they are, officially, the next big thing.

Super City get synchronized in infectious music video.

This year, the Baltimore music scene has really upped the ante when it comes to music videos, with few more shining examples than that of this playful spring take on Super City’s most recent single, “Artificial Sin.” The indie slow jam gets star treatment with fresh outfits and unexpected choreography as the band’s five musicians don white jumpsuits and leather Chelsea boots and use coy dance moves to tap, twirl, and even, in one moment, drop it like its hot in a room full of turtle-necked backup dancers. Special guests include Paul Hutson of Bond St. District and Olsen-Ecker and Wimbish of Outcalls, to name a few. You can’t watch it without wishing you were there, too. 

The Cardinal Sheehan Choir performs “Rise Up.”

In September, Baltimore middle schoolers went viral after a video of their choir rehearsal featuring a powerful performance of Andra Day’s “Rise Up” made its rounds, in the millions, around the Internet. Within a couple of weeks, they were performing live on “Good Morning America,” with Day herself responding with a special message for the students: “Your video was so powerful and moved me so deeply and is moving the entire nation right now…We appreciate you so much.” One of the more heartwarming moments of an otherwise turbulent year, the students later performed for Baltimore in their Loch Raven gymnasium, while choir director Kenyatta Hardison shared the back-story of their shot to fame. This below video went viral for us, too.

The Ottobar turns 20.

Two decades is an eternity in the lifetime of a rock club, let alone one in Baltimore where it seems like every old-school establishment is quickly being replaced with a glitzy sky-rise apartment building. But this September, the Ottobar turned a whopping 20 years old. From the rabblerousing rock years downtown on Davis Street to the wide-ranging lineups on Howard Street in Remington today, our dark, dingy, perfectly-imperfect music venue has remained the go-to spot for artists of all genres, still sticking to its unapologetic, underdog guns as more massive arenas open in D.C. and across the country. To celebrate, legends of the past—J. Roddy Walston, Wye Oak, Roads to Space Travel, Candy Machine—stepped back onstage to relive, and continue, the glory days.

WTMD launches kid-friendly Saturday Morning Tunes concert series. As a young father himself, Sam Sessa saw the conundrum: what happens when music lovers grow up and have kids?  They can’t just go see a show any old night of the week anymore. They have bedtimes—and pajamas to put on. Can they not have fun anymore? Enter Saturday Morning Tunes, Sessa’s brainchild concert for both the young and the young art heart. With a smattering of sold-out shows at both the Towson studio and Senator Theatre, and future plans to include more notable Baltimore bands that are otherwise not associated with the “kindie” genre, these weekend morning shows have quickly become a new favorite family ritual. Best of all, like sifting through an old record collection with your mom or sharing that old cassette tape with your son, it’s even an better opportunity for parents—however cool they used to be—to bond with their (hopefully) music-loving kids. 

Future Islands

The Far Field (4AD)

They say that the only constant in life is change, but there’s something to be said for the familiarity of Future Islands. After skyrocketing to indie stardom following their 2014 Singles (and Letterman appearance gone viral), we feared we might lose the band to the big wide world forever. But here they are with their fifth full-length album, and that same heartaching synth-pop dance music we fell in love with all those years ago. A decade later, frontman Sam Herring is that same shapeshifting spirit, his voice sashaying across each track—full of longing, so potent and exposed—guided by William Cashion’s faithful bass, cocooned by Gerrit Welmers’ intoxicating melodies that permeate like a hazy dream. Sure, the trio has grown—their sound is more earthy and gentle yet urgent and robust; their bond has only strengthened with each mile of their tours. But they’re still the local muses we turn to in moments of wanderlust and heartbreak and joy, like confiding in an old friend. These new love songs and odes to the road continue to unabashedly embrace our emotions as they let go with abandon (“Ran”) or smash like a broken heart (“Shadows,” featuring the Debbie Harry). Future Islands is as pure and raw and imperfectly perfect as they ever were, just like Baltimore.

Ken & Brad Kolodner

The Swift House (self-released)

In the days of auto-tune and digital everything, the purity of Ken and Brad Kolodner is a breath of fresh air. Rooted in old-time music, the father-son duo makes effortless tunes that flow from their fingertips and hark back to pastoral days past. Their stripped-down arrangements let the music speak for itself, be it a toe-tapping instrumental or a narrative melody filled with soft harmonies and honey-coated vocals. Between Brad’s banjo, Ken’s fiddle and hammered dulcimer, and a few friends toting upright bass and guitar, it feels like a front-porch family jam session, and that’s precisely right—this being their third album together, recorded right in their very own home. An acclaimed instrumentalist and rising folk favorite, respectively, Ken and Brad combine their talents into a dynamic interpretation of traditional music, and while their covers are an ode to their folk roots, it’s their gifted originals where the passion truly lies. Get lost in the luminous slow build of “Sap’s Rising/Dull Chisel,” or the unexpected jazz influence of the title track. And be sure not to miss their kindred collaboration live at the Creative Alliance on April 15.

See our full interview with father-son duo Ken & Brad Kolodner.

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

EAT

April 8: Center Cut Doughnuts

3528 Chestnut Ave. 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.

After the closure of B. Doughnut in Hampden last fall, we feared for the future of our Saturday morning sugary fix. Luckily, Center Cut Doughtnuts swooped in to save the day, and this weekend, they open their new digs on Chesnut Avenue, featuring pillowy pockets filled with delicious and unexpected flavors. Think Brown Butter, Cannoli, Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel, and, our favorite: The Orioles Magic, complete with Grand Marnier and orange juice icing. The opening party will include giveaways, prizes, and new menu selections. But don’t be late; the first person in line will win a dozen free doughnuts, while the next four people will receive a half-dozen fritters.

DRINK

Crossbar der Biergarten

18 E. Cross St.

After four years of work, the Crossbar der Biergarten has finally made its debut in Federal Hill. As soon as it opened, lines formed down Cross Street as rambunctious residents were eager to down the giant German beer hall’s overflowing steins and Bavarian soft pretzels. This weekend, grab a seat at the communal tables, soak up the sun from the glass ceiling, admire the bar’s living ficus tree, and cheers “prost” with half liter and full liter draughts, as well as ambitious two-liter boots, filled with both German and local beers.

SEE

April 7: Out of Order

218 W. Saratoga St. 7-10 p.m. $40-45.

One of the most anticipated art events of the year, Out of Order is back in Bromo this weekend for the 20th year. The annual spring benefit exhibition and silent auction will feature the works from more than 250 emerging, student, and professional artists from around the region. Event-goers have the chance to acquire unique contemporary art, enjoy an open wine-and-beer bar, try specialty cocktails from Baltimore Cocktail Week, and snack on light bites, with proceeds directly benefitting the programs, exhibits, and artists of Maryland Art Place.

HEAR

April 7-10: Future Islands

Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 8 p.m. Sold out.

This weekend will be a night—er, four nights—of epic proportions. In the midst of their new tour, Future Islands will be swinging into town for a long weekend of shows for their hometown crowd. From Friday through Monday, the local synth-pop band will perform its new album, The Far Field, at the city’s quintessential rock venue with your favorite old songs, some kickass new ones, and, in true F.I. fashion, special local guests each night, like funk group Soul Cannon, 83 Cutlass, and soulful singer-songwriter Joy Postell. Despite skyrocketing to indie stardom after their 2014 album, Singles, the trio remains exceedingly proud of its Baltimore roots, and we couldn’t be more honored to call them our own. For four nights, see Sam Herring sashay across the stage and let their dreamy dance music pull at your heartstrings until last call.

DO

April 8: Opening Day for Trails

Cylburn Arboretum, 4915 Greenspring Ave. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free.

As we pray for an end to April showers, celebrate the full bloom of spring on some of Baltimore’s best outdoor trails. This Saturday, the Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition hosts the opening day for trails with guided walks, bike rides, and hikes along the Jones Falls, Gwynn Falls and Herring Run trails. To commemorate the fifth year of this green gaiety, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy will be on site with giveaways from Fuji Bikes and Performance Bicycle. Grab your sneakers, some sunglasses (the clouds will finally part!), and get outside.

Peals

Honey (Friends Records)

This album is made for dreamers. On this sophomore project by local instrumental pop duo Peals (William Cashion of Future Islands and Bruce Willen of Double Dagger), the band layers tempo and tone into a million tiny images, sending the listener’s imagination into auto-drive. Ethereal and lush, these nine songs dance between solitary soundscapes that stretch out like the horizon, and bright, brilliant symphonies that slowly build and bloom. In a textured crescendo of new wave guitar, static electronics, and the occasional twinkle of bells, each melody takes us on an unexpected journey, conjuring up emotions and memories unique to the individual listener. No two people will hear these songs the same.

Cris Jacobs

Dust to Gold (American Showplace Music)

After 10 years, five records, and hundreds of shows, Cris Jacobs has become a fixture of the Baltimore music scene. As frontman of The Bridge, he gained a loyal following, eventually releasing his first solo album in 2012 and establishing himself as a hometown artist here to stay. He now returns with his second solo work, a soulful collection of songwriting that runs the gamut of Southern sound—a dusty suitcase filled with traveling stomps, heartbroken blues, and porch-sitting love songs, in which his earthy vocals meld with fearless finger-picking, thunderous drums, and a few quivers of slide guitar. In the brightest moments, Jacobs reaches new heights, but it’s in the dark, desperado corners of the album that he truly shines.

Two years ago, a rustic summer camp in Darlington transformed into a millennial hippie’s daydream. For one weekend, Fields Festival parked its metaphorical RV and threw a celebration of local DIY—an umbrella term for Baltimore’s vibrant arts scene that dances across genre, medium, and style. Hundreds of art students, music lovers, and merry pranksters flocked to the rustic grounds of Camp Ramblewood to see scores of area artists, musicians, and performers. Tents were pitched. Art was hung. Donut rafts filled the pool, Dan Deacon started dance parties, and cans of Natty Boh were crushed beside campfires. It was messy, magical, and uniquely Baltimore, and this month, it returns Aug. 19-21, bigger and better than ever. With everything from sets by Future Islands and TT The Artist to camping and lakeside yoga, here’s what you need to know for this Bonnaroo-meets-Burning Man-meets-Wet Hot American Summer weekend.

1. Relive your summer camp glory days by renting an old-school cabin.

2. Or get in touch with nature by glamping in your very own tent.

3. Required attire is up to interpretation. Sundresses, bathing suits, boas, bro tanks, jorts, hula hoops, face paint, glow sticks, bare feet—you name it, it’s all welcome.

4. Be sure to BYO: Natty Boh, grills, guitars, firewood, fanny packs, sunscreen, snacks, and campsite decorations.

5. Across 200 acres of campground, there are plenty of grassy knolls to lounge upon.

6. Sing “Kumbaya” around the campfire pit.

7. Take a dip in the pool with rafts all day and concerts at sunset.

8. Center your chakra with lakeside yoga and a wellness area for all the massage, acupuncture, and astrology your heart desires.

9. With six stages, don’t miss big names and up-and-comers like Future Islands, Dan Deacon, Lower Dens, TT The Artist, Abdu Ali, Flock of Dimes, Ed Schrader’s Music Beat, Chiffon, Horse Lords, Wume, Nudie Suits, etc. Plus, the eclectic costumes and cosmic jazz of the iconic Sun Ra Arkestra.

10. Get to know local creatives through art installations, theater, film, and poetry, including the likes of Wham City Comedy, street artist Reed Bmore, and members of Le Mondo, EMP Collective, and Best of Baltimore-winning Balti Gurls, to name a few.

11. Stop and smell the roses with décor at the entranceway and throughout the festival by local artists Beth Hoeckel and Becca Morrin.

12. Food Avenue will include tacos from Clavel, Vietnamese spring rolls by chef Stefano Porcile of Colette, Thread Coffee from Red Emma’s, plus falafel, pizza, and farm-to-table fare.

13. Show your skills with tennis and basketball courts open game for festival-goers.

14. Sorry: No children or fireworks allowed. Things might get a little wild as is.

Light Installations

(all located at the Inner Harbor)

Dear Baltimore (Thick Art Studios, Baltimore)
While you’re strolling the harbor, art might whizz right by you. Keep your eyes out for a jumble of neon letters propelled by bicycles that spell out phrases composed of the letters from “Dear Baltimore.”

Pipelines (Luminous Intervention, Baltimore)
This piece “really brings home the social justice component of the festival,” says Light City co-founder Justin Allen. It consists of a large-scale projection mapping at McKeldin Fountain that presents some of the issues that Baltimore faces: police violence, recreation, education, and housing. Along with the piece, the artists have arranged forums and musical performances to relate to the content so we can continue the dialogue surrounding this important work.

Peacock (Tim Scofield and Kyle Miller, Baltimore)
When this illuminated fowl unfurls its tail to stand 20-foot-tall and 40-feet-wide, it will be quite the sight to see.

Diamonds Light Baltimore (Cheon Kroiz, Artist and Architect Collaborative, Baltimore)
The 15, diamond-esque structures that will surround the harbor will use light to do more than just highlight these geometric shapes. At 10 p.m. each night, the lights will change from white to blue, to signify the curfew that went into effect after the unrest following the death of Freddie Gray. You can walk inside and around each structure and you ponder what has changed and what hasn’t since last April.

Labyrinth (Ian Brill, Pittsburgh, PA)
Mazes have frequently been thought of as metaphors for a spiritual journey. In this case, they become a symbol of the transformative power of art. Festival visitors are encouraged to get lost in this installation, whether together or separately, and you might be amazed to be immersed in something made solely of light and sound.

It’s been 10 years since indie dream-pop duo Beach House started its journey towards becoming one of Baltimore’s biggest bands. French-born singer/organist Victoria LeGrand and Baltimore native guitarist Alex Scally burst into indie stardom with their last two albums, Teen Dream (2010) and Bloom (2012), and now they’re about to drop the much-anticipated Depression Cherry, out August 28 via Sub Pop Records. We talk to Scally about still loving Baltimore and their upcoming show at Pier Six Pavilion.

You guys just got back from a press tour in Europe. Is coming back to Baltimore still rejuvenating after being on the road?
Yeah, I’m born and raised in Baltimore City and I love Baltimore. I keep expecting the love to go away but it really doesn’t. There’s just something about the way the seasons are here, the people are here.

You’re about to start a pretty extensive tour for Depression Cherry.
We have a lot scheduled because we’ve always loved it. It’s always been fun and we learn a lot from it. I’m expecting to still love it, but it might be a little harder, because of the weird entity of getting old.

You’re playing some pretty amazing venues, too: Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, the Fillmore in San Francisco.
We’ve played a lot of small venues and big venues and middle venues in our 10 years of doing this. We’ve tried to avoid big ones—they don’t lead to very good shows for us. I don’t think we’ve ever done Ryman before and that might be our biggest venue on the tour. We’ve played Fillmore probably five times, but it’s a pretty small place for such a big city.

And then you’ll be at Pier Six for Windjammer on August 29. We’ll be there.
You know, Baltimore is notoriously lacking in mid-sized venues. For one reason or another, whether its location or the way it’s designed, there just isn’t a place in Baltimore that’s 800, 1,100, 1,200 seats that is a place where everybody loves to go and is beautiful and sounds good. Imagine something like the 9:30 Club. Even when we had Sonar, it was one of the worst sounding places in the world, you know? We have The Lyric, but that’s very formal and kind of uptight.

It’s going to be pretty epic—triple headlining with Dan Deacon, Future Islands, and then all the other Baltimore bands. How did the idea come about?
I forget how it started but I think Dan and I were both saying, well, if we all joined forces, maybe we could play somewhere really fun, rather than have to do shows of our own in places we’re not psyched on. Future Islands hasn’t really done a Baltimore show since everything happened with them. I’ve gone to a couple summer shows at Pier Six and it just feels so fun being in the breezy harbor. We were like, shoot, let’s try to do a summer show there. Then we all invited a band and a DJ and the bill was set.

At first, I thought, interesting. Pier Six. I don’t know. It feels like such a big Baltimore venue for you guys but . . .
It’s actually not that big! When I was a kid and I would go there, it always felt so huge, but when I went to see Hall & Oates [last September] or whatever, it didn’t feel that huge. And it’s so cool having water on either side of you. And the way the hill rises up and the wind just blows across. It seems like a killer place to just lie around in the sun and drink beer all day.

And it’s going to be a benefit concert for Believe in Music, the Living Classrooms music education program.
Somewhere along the line, money started being discussed. Not in a negative way, just like, how we should set the ticket price? We saw all these different amounts that could make it sell out and it just started feeling weirder and weirder. Around the same time was when everything was happening surrounding the death of Freddie Gray and we decided this should definitely just be a charity show. So after expenses paid, it’s all for charity. I think our idea was: It should be small enough that the money would go directly into action, as opposed to an established, giant charity, where it would kind of just be another bit on the heap.

What band and DJ did you and Victoria pick for the lineup?
We picked Romantic States. Jim [Triplett] was in a band called Videohippos and this is his new band. We really like his songwriting. It’s just really unpretentious and simple. Their music is really beautifully simple, with just guitar and drums. In an era where everything feels overthought, it’s under-thought, in a good way. And we picked a DJ friend of ours, Big Party, who plays great music. We’ve played with Dan a bunch of times, and we were all on the Round Robin Tour [in 2008]. I would consider all of those guys good friends at this point.

It’s been a decade since you started Beach House. With all the work and travel and acclaim, do you still feel connected to the Baltimore music scene?
I feel really connected. We still have a lot of friends here. I don’t spend as much time out every night, and I might not know as many people every time I go out, but that also might be, like, getting older. Ten years ago, we were out every night of the week. It’s just a different culture being really young. But I still really love Baltimore and feel like a part of it. I think Baltimore is changing. It was changing back then, too. Like everything in reality, it’s always shifting and changing.

What sparked this album? Was it just the right time?
Touring is such a big part of our life because we learn so much. It’s so much of the way we interact with the universe. And then, when touring ends and you get home and you start to write, there’s a natural pace. This time, it took a little bit longer to decompress and take stock of things and feel natural again, and when we did, we began writing. Nothing is pre-imagined. Nothing is conscious.

You recorded and produced in Louisiana, but did you write it here?
We’ve written every song we’ve ever made in Baltimore. We always write at home.

Do you write in your practice space in Fells Point?
Every song comes about differently. Little things start—maybe at sound check, maybe at home on a guitar—and they evolve into something else and grow. We do a lot of jamming. It’s very collaborative. But we take our time with it. Sometimes it happens fast and other times it’s months before a song goes where it’s supposed to. These songs were probably starting around the same time Bloom came out. We didn’t have any time to work on them [before] then. We had burnt the candle on both ends and needed to recover.

Should it be listened to as a whole, as you’ve said in the past?
That’s something we were saying last album that we then realized is so stupid to tell people. I think people should listen to things however they want.

That being said, are there any songs that stand out for you?
Was there one that stands out to you?

I really love how bare bones “10:37” is. It feels like you, but it feels like something completely new, too.
Yeah, I personally think we’re breaking a lot of ground on this record, but we move at such a slow pace, it probably won’t even be noticed. I think every song is special to us for some reason. It’s awesome that you chose that song; someone else might say another. I often feel like a fool when I’m trying to convince someone to like a song I love—just playing it really loud and staring at them like, ‘Do you hear this?!’ And they’re like, ‘I don’t know . . . I don’t know if I’m hearing what you’re hearing . . .’

“Do you feel what I feel?!”
It’s so funny. It’s the ultimate human condition: wanting to know how someone else is feeling and if it’s similar to you.

Read our review of Depression Cherry in the August issue of Baltimore magazine, on newsstands now.

Late this spring, Kenny Liner had an idea. Baltimore was still reeling from the uproar after the death of Freddie Gray, and he knew students at his after-school music program near the Perkins Homes neighborhood were struggling to process the violence they’d witnessed. He also knew the city’s creative community was searching for ways to give back.

So Liner told one of his classes—which he teaches as part of his program, Believe in Music, a part of the Living Classrooms Foundation—to write lyrics about the unrest. Out came words brimming with hope and resiliency.

“At first, I didn’t know what to write,” says 11-year-old Caprice, also known as “Preecie.” “But then, when I was concentrating real hard and thought about what had happened, I just started writing what was on my mind.” The refrain of the resulting song, “Believe in Baltimore,” begins, “This city is where we live, this city is where we come from. We won’t let it crumble into mass destruction.”

“I wanted it to change how people saw the city,” says 13-year-old Taniyah, a vocalist on the track. “And they would get a kid’s perspective.”

Lyrics penned, Liner contacted Baltimore-based band Future Islands, which had just performed on the Late Show with David Letterman. He then reached out to WTMD’s Baltimore music coordinator Sam Sessa, who enlisted singer Cara Satalino to combine the students’ lyrics. Future Islands’ bassist William Cashion and drummer Mike Lowry arranged the music. Jana Hunter of the band Lower Dens coached the singers.

It culminated with a May recording session at WTMD, at which the students were backed by music-scene elites, all of which you can watch in the video below.

Hearing the recording brought back mixed memories for the students. For Taniyah, the anxiety she felt during the rioting flooded back. Others felt the process was healing.

“It was white people singing with us, and it felt like unification,” says 15-year-old vocalist Yamaudi. “I felt like I was doing something good. We all felt like we were helping.”

Future Islands

Singles (4AD)

Future Islands officially broke big in March, after a video of the band’s performance of “Seasons (Waiting On You)” on Letterman went viral. Though much was made of frontman Samuel Herring’s sinewy dance moves and Morrissey-meets-Brando stage presence, many folks missed the point that all the style was in service to something grander—the group’s substantive and infectious take on synth-pop. Like much of the new material, “Seasons” unfolds majestically and generates anthemic energy that bursts through the yearning in Herring’s lyrics. These powerful, carefully crafted tunes will come as no surprise to those familiar with the Baltimore band’s trajectory over its three previous albums, countless shows in clubs and bars, and previous incarnation as Art Lord & the Self-Portraits. They know Future Islands is an overnight success, 10 years in the making. 

Check out our Q&A with band members Samuel Herring and William Cashion and hear their playlist of favorite Baltimore bands.

Cex

Shamaneater (Automation)

As the music industry continues its shift from disc to download, it’s fascinating how some artists are using the CD as a conceptual tool. Rjyan Kidwell, who records as Cex and has contributed to Baltimore magazine, put together an elaborate framework for this set of 12 instrumentals, which he presents as music from Shamaneater, a fictional Playstation game circa 2001. Toward that end, Kidwell has packaged the disc inside an authentic-looking GameStop case and included an impressively meta walkthrough that folds wry commentary on both game and gamer into the instructions. None of it would matter if the music disappointed, and Kidwell crafts an engaging set of songs using old-school keys and drum machines to evoke an appropriate turn-of-the-millennium vibe. More than mere background music, these tunes command attention and transcend the videogame ploy. As a result, you don’t have to be a gamer of a certain age to devour Shamaneater.

Mosno Al-Moseeki

Novella: A Love Letter to Culture Clash (self-released)

Crafting a song suite with narrative heft is another way to make good use of the CD format, and Mosno Al-Moseeki does exactly that on this release. The selections unfold like book chapters. Songs alternate with poetic narration, as Al-Moseeki, a native of Sudan now living in Baltimore, crafts a fable about a desert boy who follows his heart and journeys far from home searching for eternal truths. With a stable of like-minded musicians that includes Sahffi Lynne and Khaled Dajani, he immerses his tale in world-music fusion he calls “Desert Eclectic.” A folk-y soundscape steeped in tranquil rhythms, it’s a fitting match for quasi-mystical lyrics touching on spirit guides and “chakras of the heart.” Interestingly, Al-Moseeki sometimes sounds like Red Hot Chili Peppers singer Anthony Kiedis, which suggests just how far this “desert boy” has traveled and just how eclectic his music is becoming. 

Mosno Al-Moseeki and friends play a CD release show at Teavolve Cafe & Lounge on May 31.

The band was based in North Carolina. Why did you relocate to Baltimore?

Samuel Herring: We had a bunch of friends that we met who were from Baltimore. They were musicians that would travel through North Carolina and play at clubs and maybe stay at William’s house. This sort of brother and sister, community spirit developed. We felt we were kindred spirits in the way we made music for the love of it. I’m talking about Dan Deacon, Height, Bow N’ Arrow, Videohippos, Blood Baby, and folks like that. They were like us, on the road and having fun. They attracted us to the city.

How were you received in Baltimore?

William Cashion: We weren’t sure how we’d be received, but we were really excited to be there. The first weekend I was in Baltimore, I walked around and ran into all these people we’d met before, even though it’s a big city. It was a big shift coming from Greenville, North Carolina, but we had a foundation of friends. We quickly found out that the community here is really supportive of the arts. Everyone roots for each other, which you don’t find in a lot of other places. It’s really inspiring.

How has the city changed during the time you’ve been here?

SH: The art scene is always changing, but during the time we’ve lived here, we’ve been on the road half the time. But it’s always great to come home to familiar haunts and feel comfortable again. Baltimore just has that home-y feel to it. Certain parts of the city have changed and some bands move away, but the city is still unpretentious. Not too much changes.

You’ve toured extensively for year. How valuable has that experience been to the band?

WC: When we’re on the road, we can’t really afford to take a day off, especially in the early days. Back then, if we weren’t playing, we were losing money. We can take a break when the tour’s over. That’s engrained in us, although now we can afford to take a few days off. The other night, we had a meeting with our record label, and they said, “You guys can take some days off. You don’t need to tour so much.” But we love seeing new places, meeting new people, and seeing old friends. We have a community spread out across the country, and it’s great that, as part of our job, we get to connect and reconnect with those people.

How many shows have you averaged over the past few years?

SH: We didn’t do too much last year, but it’s been between 120 and 160 shows a year. One of the reasons we hit the road so hard was seeing our friend Dan Deacon play so many shows. Through his hard work and tireless time on the road, he started blowing up. We took a cue from him and said, “We can do that.” That hardworking spirit is a big part of Baltimore, and we’re just coming at it from a workman’s attitude and a working-class community. We push, because we don’t have the spotlight on us like New York bands. And we don’t need that spotlight. We can do it ourselves. We can do it our own way and show the world what Baltimore’s about and how we do it in our city. That’s a cool thing to share with people.

For the new record, Singles, you worked with Chris Coady. Can you say something about your approach to this album?

WC: In the past, we go on tour, write a few new songs, and sprinkle them into our set. So we’d usually have five or six songs written by the time we went into the studio. We’d record those songs and write a few others to finish an album. We never really had a set plan though. For this album, we wrote more songs than we needed before going into the studio. We wrote for six months and went into the studio last August. Chris is originally from Baltimore, and he was really excited about it. Our other albums were recorded in houses, not studios, but Chris suggested a studio outside Woodstock, New York that felt home-y. We could do whatever we wanted and we took more time recording. So we were in a real studio for the first time, with a real plan. That was uncharted territory for us.

How have things changed for the band since the video of your David Letterman performance went viral?

SH: We’ve gotten some cool offers to play festivals this summer, and there are new heads at our shows because more people know about us, which is exciting. It’s definitely strange to have someone say, “I just found out about you three days ago. Would you take a picture with my baby?” That’s new. But we’ve been doing this for so long that we just keep our heads down, work at what we do, and concentrate on playing music for our fans.

Future Islands’ Baltimore Playlist

Ed Schrader’s Music Beat
Gem Asylum

Height with Friends
Code of Love

Videohippos
Koolshades

Lizz King
Booty Queen

Chester Endersby Gwazda
World Killer

Chiffon

Deep Fantasies

Abdu Ali

Fuk Wit Dis

DDM

Good Times

Rapdragons

Different World

Roomrunner

Disintegrate

Multicult

Very Large Waveform

Dope Body

Lazy Slave

Wing Dam

Cocoon

Mt. Royal

Yes Your Majesty

Arbouretum

Renouncer

Wye Oak

Shriek

Romantic States

Sea Skulls

Dungeonesse

Shucks

Dan Deacon

Prettyboy

Zomes

Pilgrim Traveler

Double Dagger

The Psychic

Beach House

Used to Be

Others: 

Santa Dads: The Third Beast
Leviathan

Blood Baby
Paint the Bush Black

Stars of the Dogon
Jogging

Thank You
Birth Rattle