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).

In the latest iteration of The Big Baltimore Playlist, we found five local songs ranging from flavorful hip-hop to punkish slow jams to psychedelic indie-pop. Check back each month for new top songs of the moment, and follow our Spotify playlist as we continue to build a soundtrack for our city.

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“He Say She Say” by DDm
The first track off DDm’s much-anticipated solo debut is finally here, and unsurprisingly, it’s a truly addictive bop that bottles the rap artist’s bounty of bravado, wit, and humor into one tight package. We’ve come to know and love this Baltimore-born rapper as an all-time hometown favorite, but this track serves as an introduction for the rest of the world to Emmanuel Williams—his creative vision, his flavor, his fashion sense, his downright fun. It’s a taste of what’s to come with the rest of his upcoming Beautiful Gowns, due out later this summer. The title chorus says it all: DDm is ignoring the industry hubbub and any and all haters to forge this path on his own. This swaggering single is just the first step.

“World in Blue” by Hexgirlfriends
We love when Hexgirlfriends get loud, as they do in many moments on the electro-femme, pop-punk duo’s early spring record, Call Your Mom. In fact, on a few songs, they get downright pissed, calling out the patriarchy—shitty boyfriends, bad dads, creepy dudes. But maybe the band’s most powerful moments lie in the quiet ones, like this dreamy tune originally released in late 2017. With single pangs of guitar and flutters of synth, it’s a song about the end of love, capturing that feeling of the all-consuming, ocean-like depths that follow. But even in the wake of loss, it’s not a sad song. This swimming melody leaves room for renewal and hope.

“One Night” by Modern Nomad ft. Not Charles
This song is a taste of dry California summertime amidst the spring thunderstorms and rising humidity of the East. It makes sense as frontman Tom McLean has spent some time making music on the West Coast, but back in Baltimore, he and his bandmates have carried over the good vibes, imbuing this unhurried groove with hushed vocals, golden harmonies, and rich, aching guitar. With hints of inspiration from ’60s psychedelia and ’70s funk, it’s a jangly slow jam worth adding to your warm-weather playlists, while the band itself is one to keep on your radar for releases to come.

“Moon” by Post Pink*
Three years since their last record, post-punk quartet Post Pink has returned with a bang on their new No Problem, Probably EP. On first listen, this steady song might seem like the release’s sleeper hit among the other more rough-and-tumble tracks. But we hear it as pure rolling thunder—an undulating, almost-meditative melody of low-lying bass, live-wire guitar, and persistent drums that gain momentum with each gravely coo or howling cry by frontwoman Angela Swiecicki. “I am howling at the moon,” she repeats like a mantra with vigor and varying volume, almost inspiring you to do the same.

“Diamonds” by TT The Artist
We find it fitting that the Club Queen herself has finally released a song about these sparkling jewels. But TT The Artist’s latest track, released earlier this year, isn’t a braggadocious rap about riches or fame like some of her best past work. Instead, it speaks to finding one’s inner-worth and letting it shine, just as she has left Baltimore to further pursue her career on the West Coast. Fitting with the Sunshine State, it’s an unfalteringly feel-good tune for all ages and listeners, full of positive affirmations and approachable rhymes with effusive production by local beatmaker Mighty Mark.

*Not on Spotify. We’ll add it to the playlist when it becomes available.

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

 EAT

March 3: Small Foods Party

American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. 7-10:30 p.m. Free-$10 410-244-1900.

You might not know this, but tiny food videos became a viral phenomenon a few years back, with the American Visionary Art Museum launching its annual Small Foods Party here in Baltimore in 2006. On Saturday night, this beloved fête returns for the 12th year with even tinier versions of everything from thumbnail-sized tacos to scaled-down TV dinners. Enter your own minuscule meals to be judged by guests, or spend the evening tasting your way through the smorgasbord of petite picks. And, of course, stick around to see which amateur chef wins an ironically giant can of mini corn.

 DRINK

March 3: Old Line Spirits One Year Anniversary and Rum Release Party

Old Line Spirits, 200 S. Janney St. 12-6 p.m. Free. 443-961-3199.

Since Old Line Spirits opened its doors in Highlandtown last February, the distillery has gained a loyal local following for its flagship and experimental whiskeys. After all, they’re carrying on the Land of Pleasant Living tradition of making the bodacious brown spirit. This Saturday, celebrate the distillery’s first birthday with a boozy brunch party featuring their newest single malt cask-finished rum that’s been aged for months in former whiskey barrels in both the tropics and their own casks. In their open tasting room, enjoy it straight or mixed in cocktails by Sugarvale, and soak it all up with Dooby’s egg sandwiches and brioche doughnuts from Sundays.

 SEE

March 3: Viva Brasil Carnival Dance Party

Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. 7:30-11:30 p.m. $15-18. 410-276-1651. 

For one night only, the Creative Alliance will transform its hallowed Highlandtown arts haven into a vibrant Brazilian Carnival. At this 12th annual hip-shaking party, watch in awe as dancers in glittering costumes and feathered headdresses put on a full performance in celebration of this annual South American tradition that’s been dubbed the Mardis Gras of the Southern Hemisphere, and then try out your own dance moves with lesson to live Samba and forro music. If the Brazilian food and Caipirinha cocktails (Brazil’s sweet and sour national drink) don’t convince you to book a trip to Rio, you can at least look forward to the CA’s party next year. 

 HEAR

March 2: Outcalls, HexGirlfriends, North by North, Eyas

The Bun Shop, 40 W. Chesapeake Ave. 9 p.m. Free. 410-989-2033. 

This Friday night, head to The Bun Shop not just for delicious Roti buns and Vietnamese coffee but also live music by local artists, including baroque-pop duo Outcalls and electrofemme punk duo HexGirlfriends. Chicago’s North by North will be there, too, as will Washington State’s Eyas, but you’ll be there to hear up-and-coming hometown talent. Using their classical opera backgrounds, powerful pipes, and shimmering synth melodies, Outcalls’ Britt Olsen-Ecker and Melissa Wimbish produce an unlikely harmonic sound that’s all their own, while HexGirlfriends’ Hannah Holt and Sondra Boyle swing between glitchy slow jams and rebellious rock songs. If you can’t make the show, be sure to keep both on your radar.

 DO

March 4: Baltimore Bartenders Guild’s “Ryes Up”

Kimpton Hotel Monaco, 2 N. Charles St. 5-8 p.m. $75-100. 443-692-6170.

As we mentioned above, rye whiskey has deep roots in Maryland, so it couldn’t be more fitting than to use the amber-colored spirit to bring all corners of the city together for a can’t-miss party in support of a great cause. This weekend, at the seventh annual cocktail competition, beat the Sunday blues with a sampling of 20 rye-inspired craft concoctions made by some of the city’s top bartenders to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. (If you’re not one to revel in dark liquor, don’t worry: There will be wine, non-whiskey spirits, and Diamondback beers in tow.) Vote for your favorite drink, dance to music by Save Your Soul’s DJ Rob Macy, and ward off the impending headache with tasty bites from 15 local restaurants like Pen & Quill and Cunningham’s.

In the latest iteration of The Big Baltimore Playlist, we found five local songs ranging from electric R&B and honey-coated indie to rabblerousing post-punk rock. Check back each month for new top songs of the moment, and follow our Spotify playlist as we continue to build a soundtrack for our city. 

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“More To Love” by Bobbi Rush

This is such a pretty song. It begins with a lush wave of synth that sweeps in as a violin lilts about and local singer-songwriter Bobbi Rush’s breathy voice seems to appear through some dream-like mist. Hushed and honey-coated, it is imbued with the familiar feelings of being lost in love—or having love lost. Produced by local musician Micah E. Wood, it is a piece of ’80s-infused R&B perfection, even as its brought into the 21st century with fuzzy layers of trap-style beats at the bridge and chorus. The melody, and Rush’s siren-esque vocals, fill your ears and consume your senses, leaving you, too, wanting more.

“Dunce” by Ed Schrader’s Music Beat

It’s been four years since Ed Schrader’s Music Beat released their last full-length album, and boy, is the experimental punk-rock duo coming back with an aggressive bang. This lead single, off their upcoming March album, Riddles, is as raw as a razor’s edge, rolling at a race pace with Devlin Rice’s heavy bass and Ed Schrader’s haunting, visceral vocals akin to a sludgy punk Billy Idol. With in-your-face production by local legend Dan Deacon, this fearless track is a rollicking tour de force, densely packed with power and rever, that culminates in one clarity: Schrader has been doggedly performing in Baltimore for more than a decade now—and we think 2018 is finally going to be his year. 

“Bad Dreams” by Hexgirlfriends*

We weren’t prepared for the impact that this song would have on us. Bewitching and boundless, it is such a gentle beautiful thing for how tough of a topic it tackles. In that sense, it’s hard to listen to, relishing in its beauty before realizing what it’s actually about. But maybe that’s the point. The “electro-femme un-pop” duo’s minimalist melody—a few plugs of bass, a touch of keys, a trill of electronics—is a rumination on the act of cutting and abusive relationships—on the ways in which we cope with emotional damage and their sometimes physical manifestations. What starts as faint lyrics pushed through tapping tonal pulses that fall like drops from a leaky faucet then builds into an echo chamber of rhythmic beats, swelling with emotion before finding a final watershed moment of peace. Keep your ears tuned to Sondra Boyle and Hannah Holt. Creating music as affecting as this—so simple yet complex—is no easy feat.

“Baby I’m Bleeding” by JPEGMAFIA

It’s been almost two years since JPEGMAFIA released his politically ripe Black Ben Carson, and his just-dropped follow-up, Veteran, pushes all boundaries with equal zeal. The Baltimore-based rapper is a force to be reckoned with, and on this first new single, he captures the frustrated, distorted feel of the current social and political climate, filled with frenetic loops that dizzily ricochet between your ears as the artist unleashes a stream of loaded (and explicit) lyrics. JPEGMAFIA approaches everything he does with unbridled intensity, and this apocalyptic noise-rap track is as unnerving as it is infectious. The New York transplant has quickly become a fixture of the local music scene, and his bold music making has our (and the nation’s—see Spin, Paper, Paste, Noisey, etc.) attention.

“Horror Movie” by Wildhoney*

Don’t let the title fool you—this track is anything but ominous. Instead, the indie-pop quintet returns after a two-year hiatus with a sweet, loud, shimmering shoegaze sound that reminds us how gorgeous unadulterated music can be. As a genre, “indie” music has become laden with digital touches—a sampled beat here, a drop of 808 there—but Wildhoney proves that less is more with its energetic guitar riffs, gated drums, and lead singer Lauren Shusterich’s weightless, golden pipes. This sunny DIY melody is a little bit ’60s girl group, a little bit ’80s punk, with a touch of psychedelia. Despite expert craftsmanship, it has an effortless feel. It makes your heart pang. And your toes tap along to the beat. It has us hopeful for a full new album in 2018.

*Not on Spotify. We’ll add it to the playlist when it becomes available.