In the latest iteration of The Big Baltimore Playlist, we found five local songs ranging from mesmerizing pop and melancholy indie to avant-garde neo-soul. 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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“Chastity” by Abdu Ali

The first single off the much-anticipated upcoming album from Abdu Ali is a journey through space and time. This fiery, neo-soul melody zigs and zags, pushing and pulling with “the struggle of feeling free,” as the artist puts it. “Do you love me? Do you hate me?” they pose, moving between doubt, affirmation, and discovery in this candid quest for self. An energetic beat unravels into a sparse, jazzy soundscape fueled by the artist’s signature scat and disparate streaks of saxophone. In the end, they find their own place, free of questions and limitations. Watch for yourself in the dance sequences of its futuristic video.

“C.Y.K.U.?” by Hunter Hooligan

If you were in search of an anthem for 2019, look no further than this new single off Hunter Hooligan’s new Child of Venus. The title acronym—“Can you keep up?”—is mantra-worthy and the beat should be blared out of a boombox held on our shoulders at all times this year. In typical fashion from this electronic artist, it’s a club-ready and contagious pop song, full of sparkling energy, thumping bass, Hooligan’s honeyed vocals, and all-around feel-good vibes. The rest of the EP (act one of a forthcoming two-part project featuring production by James Nasty and guest appearances by the likes of TT The Artist) is equally enticing.

“Speechless (Hurts So Bad)” by Lor Choc

Love Is Love, the second full-length record from Lor Choc, has arrived with a lead single with the fixings of an instant hit. (The track was first released last year and has now quickly surpassed her 2017 breakthrough “Fast Life” in online listens.) Where the West Baltimore rapper’s past successes were more an outward display of swagger, this new song, like the rest of the record, grapples with the complexities of the heart, using her candor and earnest verses to help fill the void of queer love songs in the realms of rap and R&B. The production is velvety and effusive, and Choc’s vocals might be her tightest and most soulful yet.

“Stay” by Outcalls

The girls are back. Pop-opera duo Outcalls has released their first new single since last spring. What starts as a heartbreak ballad builds into a funky song of empowerment—slowly taking off the rose-colored glasses of a past relationship as they move through the emotions of breaking up. Come for the trademark ethereal harmonies of singers Britt Olsen-Ecker and Melissa Wimbish, stay for the fast-flying playful verses in the middle of the song, building to a synth-studded vocal crescendo at the end.

“Evergreen” by Wye Oak

While many of these songs have us jonesing for warm weather, we can’t help but admit that we’re still stuck in the winter rut. So it’s a fitting time for this first new track from indie duo Wye Oak since the release of their stunning The Louder You Call, The Faster It Runs last spring. A sonic ode to seasonal depression, it’s a jangly reckoning with self-doubt. “Tell me what’s missing in my mind,” sings frontwoman Jenn Wasner as drums crash and reverberating guitar ambles out into space. “I’m taking everything back.” There’s no clear resolution, which is highly relatable, especially with snow now looming as we speak.

In the latest iteration of The Big Baltimore Playlist, we round up five local songs we can’t get enough of right now, ranging from idiosyncratic R&B to finger-picking Americana to summery indie-rock. Check back each month for new songs of the moment, and follow our Spotify playlist as we continue to build a soundtrack for our city.

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“Jaybird” by Charm City Junction

The high heat of summer calls for a back-porch hootenanny with friends and family, and Charm City Junction’s new album, Duckpin, makes for the perfect soundtrack. The Baltimore acoustic roots quartet has become an integral part of the city’s flourishing bluegrass and folk scene, honing their skills at local jam sessions, intimate house shows, and toe-tapping dance parties, as well as big-stage festivals like the Charm City Bluegrass Festival. After years of gigging together, the band’s kinship and chemistry is stronger than ever, as shown as in this first tight, timeless tune. It’s a beautiful, backwoods instrumental, with expert fingerpicking of old-time strings—heavy plugs of upright bass, plucky picks of banjo, plus a few breathy pulls of accordion—rooted in tradition yet driven into the 21st century with creative flair.

“Score” by Lor Choc*

Last summer, Lor Choc made local and national waves with the release of her summer jam, “Fast Life.” With some 77,000 YouTube views, the infectious track would be a tough act to follow, but the 20-year-old rapper is now back with another new warm-weather hit. On it, she returns with her bright, buoyant melodies, elevated with the ring of sharp piano keys and rooted in a beat of snappy snare drum and heavy bass. Wavering between singing and rapping, her warm vocals and measured flows showcase her growth as an artist, as well as the inevitable changes that come with success and even fame. Specifically, she speaks to the struggle of severing ties with toxic relationships in order to truly succeed. Simple and sparkling, this song is all good energy, so we can’t wait to see what comes next.

“Whisper” by serpentwithfeet

We don’t know how to prepare you for this song, let alone its boundary-defying artist, now based out of Brooklyn but born and raised in Baltimore, so we won’t—just go ahead and listen. It would be easy to call Josiah Wise, aka serpentwithfeet, experimental or avant-garde, but this boundary-defying artist, born and raised in Baltimore and now based out of Brooklyn, refuses to stay inside those lines. Combining the gospel roots of his choir-boy childhood and a collection of goth, atmospheric soundscapes, he creates his own hauntingly beautiful amalgam of R&B. It’s theatrical, it’s spiritual—devotional, even divine—and yet it’s tempestuous and wayward, all at once. With a singular display of the human voice, his tenor flitters and flutters—low, tender, ethereal, building in texture then soaring up, mountain by mountain, to new zeniths, to other worlds—always speaking to the multitudes of love. Get lost like we have in the vivid scenes of his just-released debut record, soil, as well as the video for “Cherubim.”

“Heat Wave” by Snail Mail

We couldn’t think of a more fitting song for the dog days of July. Hey, Rolling Stone named it the song of summer, after all, and if you saw Snail Mail perform at The Parkway last week, it’s already at the top of your “recently played” list. It’s a universal song about heartbreak, the self-destruction that can come with it, and the moment of glory when you finally, triumphantly, decide to move on. It unfolds in the same slow and steady way a summer-break morning might do, bedraggled by young romance, stifled with ennui, before Lindsey Jordan and her prodigious indie-rock band decide to kick her heartache’s ass. They do so with a rocking dose of guitar, a shimmering crash of drums, and her howling vocals that stare down “sometimes” and “maybe” and make their own destiny instead. It’s a song that has the power to help mend a million teenage hearts.

“Go Ahead” by Thunder Club

As we get older, this season seems to hold less and less of that romantic sentiment that it did when we were young. Whatever your age, let this new song from these pop-infused indie-rockers take you back to the sweet, nostalgic salad days of summer—sticky afternoons that seemed to go on forever, moonlit nights that felt like they would never end. In this bright groove, the quintet proves to be the king of infectious guitar riffs. The melody releases like a sundrenched wave, rolling forward with undulating bass, punchy drums, and golden harmonies, crashing through old memories and conjuring up forgotten emotions with its all-around youthful buzz. Nominated as a best new artist in WTMD’s Alternative Music Awards this spring, the band has just released this song on Summer Vice, their sophomore EP.

*This song is not on Spotify. We’ll add it to the playlist if or when it comes online.

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

 EAT

April 1: Eggstravegent Easter Brunch

Wit & Wisdom, 200 International Dr. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Free-$69. 410-223-1456. 

Leave the chocolate bunnies at home and let the city’s best chefs do the cooking for you this Easter Sunday. With an epic view of the Inner Harbor, Wit & Wisdom will be featuring a fixed-price brunch at the Four Seasons Hotel with an endless buffet including everything from traditional brunch fare, like made-to-order omelets and crepes, to specialty items, like prime rib and picks from the raw seafood bar. Satisfy your sweet tooth with self-serve gelato, a make-your-own s’mores station, and even freshly baked cookies for the kids (or kids at heart) to decorate and add to their Easter baskets. Even if you don’t celebrate the holiday, it will be worth a visit.

 DRINK

March 31: Budweiser Clydesdales on the Square

3000 O’Donnell St. 3-5 p.m. Free. 410-675-4029. 

For centuries, we relied on horse-drawn carriages stacked with crates of beer to deliver brews to bars and stores before the automobile age made them obsolete. This Sunday, return to simpler times and watch the iconic Budweiser Clydesdale horses—yes, you know the ones—as they clip-clop through the Canton Square to make old-fashioned beer deliveries. Take pictures with the majestic horses and then sidle up to SoPro’s garage doors, where they’ll be selling two-dollar Buds all afternoon.

 

 SEE

April 1: Edward Scissorhands

The Senator Theatre, 5904 York Rd. 10 a.m. $7. 410-323-4424.

If you don’t celebrate Easter (or even if you do), find yourself skipping the bustling brunches and sugar-crazed egg hunts to take in a special morning screening of this 1990 Tim Burton classic, featuring a young Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder at their best. In this darkly sweet film, follow the story of a gentle-natured outcast with scissor blades for hands as he falls in love and navigates life as an eternal outsider. You can catch it again on Monday at 1 p.m. or Tuesday at 9:30 p.m.

 

 HEAR

March 31: FLAT OUT

Pipe Dreamz, 407 N. Charles St. 10 p.m. $8-10. 443-475-0097. 

Since its early days as a small zine, the Baltimore-based True Laurels magazine has gained a local following for its coverage of the African-American community in the local arts. With an emphasis on the Baltimore rap scene, the publication will host its fifth annual music showcase and party this Saturday to highlight the city’s burgeoning scene. Catch local female talent like acclaimed young rappers Lor Choc and Deetranada, Baltimore’s Best DJ of 2017 Trillnatured, R&B artist Styles Bond, and DMV-based DJ Tomiyeyo. Get to the show early to snag a copy of True Laurels’ Issue 03 with cover stars Lor Choc and local rapper Young Moose.

 

 DO

March 31: Free Yoga

Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church and Asbury House, 10 E Mount Vernon Pl. 8:30-9:45 a.m. Free. 410-685-5290. 

After months of shoulder-to-shoulder yoga classes in smelly, sweaty studios, it’s finally warm enough to practice those downward dog and tree poses outside in the great outdoors. Whatever your skill level, grab a mat and head to Mount Vernon Place for this free 75-minute class lead by local instructor Jude Asher. Find a grassy spot facing the Washington Monument, breathe in the fresh air, and revel in the first warm Saturday of spring.

In this sixth iteration of The Big Baltimore Playlist, we found five local songs we can’t get enough of, ranging from fast-rising hip-hop to rambunctious punk to dreamy indie instrumentals. 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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“Everyone in the World” by Amazing Bill

As lead guitar player for local soul sensation Bosley, Will Lederer has learned a thing or two about pop music. On this debut solo record, his vintage-tinged pop tunes, like “Pets” and “ETC,” are certainly noteworthy, riddled with energy and brass. But we fell in love with his indie digressions. Drawing on the likes of darlings LCD Soundsystem and Tame Impala, this subtle second track blossoms into a beautiful electronic ballad, filling your ears with aching vocals, glissando keys, and a thunderous boom-clap beat. A clever lyricist, Lederer imagines a make-believe world of boyhood—or better yet, bad boyhood—filled with The Graduate flirtations, teenage infidelities, and infinite popularity. As the melody crescendos into an anthemic chorus, though, you realize he’s probably better off. Amazing Bill is actually one of the good guys. And his music happens to be great.

“Stupid” by Colada

Most of us can relate to the subject of this first single from singer-songwriter Colada. With the trappings of a ’90s R&B classic, this smooth number addresses that feeling of losing control, getting lost in your own head, giving into the temptation for someone new. Her honey-coated vocals capture those silly, head-over-heels attractions as they lilt about a lush, pop melody, produced by Bmore Club veteran DJ Mighty Mark and featuring guest vocals by beat queen TT The Artist. In the stoop-studded music video, the always-fashionable Al Rogers Jr. also stars as Colada’s love interest (and in our December issue’s music reviews, now on stands). Be sure to check out her debut album, Colada’s Way, out this Friday. 

“Downtown” by F City

We love the powder keg that is F City. This super-group trio, made up of singer Lala Anderson, drummer Landis Expandis, and bassist Paul Joyce, has just released a rambunctious double album, with one side dedicated to rabblerousing Southern Gothic punk and the other a soulful medley of funkadelic hip-hop. Both pay homage to sounds that came before, and they come through your ears like a rock-and-roll thunderstorm. We love this breakneck rhythm from the A side, sizzling with scuzzy fuzz guitar, swirling with trills of old-school organ, and electrifying by lightning-speed ratatat drums. The tight, rollicking rhythms and playful, call-and-response vocals put the band’s chemistry on full display. Expect to leave one of their live shows radiating with energy.  

“Fast Life” by Lor Choc

It’s safe to say that Lor Choc is one of Baltimore’s most promising young rap stars. The 19-year-old artist has already received local acclaim from the likes of The Sun and Baltimore Beat for her sharp rhymes and dexterous delivery, as well as national attention from trendsetting music publications Fader and Noisey via Vice. In this come-up track, the West Baltimore native celebrates the hustling pursuit of money and ultimately dreams (NSFW lyrics included). It touches on her own life, once living fast but now taking “a break because I’m focused on my development,” as the Baltimore City Community College student alludes to her current studies in computer engineering. With her singular voice and this sort of catchy, sparkling beat, inspired in part by pop-leaning inspirations like Lauryn Hill and India.Arie, the young rapper’s career won’t be slowing down anytime soon. 

“Trillium” by Peals

We’ve once again found ourselves lost in the 2016 release of Honey by Baltimore instrumental duo Peals. We said it before and we’ll say it again—this mesmerizing album was made for dreamers, and few songs more so than the lovely “Trillium.” William Cashion and Bruce Willen’s bright melody was just brought back into our consciousness with the release of a new music video that’s equally spellbinding and surreal. Propelled by steady taps, twinkling bells, a heartbreaking twang, and swell of bass, this blooming feat incites the imagination. The video itself transports you into the whimsical mind of musically inspired fifth graders. Watch their fantasies played out in real life, and then come up with your own.