With postponed or cancelled concerts being announced across the city, we’ve expanded the latest edition of The Big Baltimore Playlist to include 10 songs by local musicians to listen to right now, ranging from punk-infused hip-hop and dance-worthy pop music to meditative soundscapes. Check back each month for new top songs of the moment via our Spotify playlist and continue to support hometown acts by purchasing their music or merchandise.

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“Woke Me” by Chiffon
This beloved experimental R&B duo (now trio with the addition of bassist Will Ryerson, also of Other Colors) is back with their first new single in five years off their upcoming four-track EP. It’s a dreamy, seductive slow jam featuring sparkling layers of digital beats and singer Amy Reid’s ethereal vocals speaking to long-distance romance. All the more fitting a listen in an era of social distancing.

“Become A Mountain” by Dan Deacon
This might be the most inspiring song of 2020, with electronic maestro Dan Deacon guiding us toward a triumphant awakening on his new album, Mystic Familiar. Amidst swirling synth, building piano, and orchestral peaks, it’s chock full of advice about opening up your imagination and finding your inner strength, making it one we’ll likely turn to for a long time to come.

“Our Pathetic Age” by DJ Shadow ft. Samuel T. Herring
Somehow we missed this song when it was released last fall, but earlier this week, thanks to WTMD’s Baltimore Hit Parade, we discovered what instantly became one of our new favorite tracks of spring. The Cali-based DJ Shadow enlisted Future Islands frontman Sam Herring for this nostalgic dance track, with a steady funk-infused disco beat grooving beneath his distinctive vocal croons. All we can say is, thank you.

“Raspberry Gun” by Dyyo
We told you last fall that this up-and-coming experimental rapper was one to watch, and his new exploratory album, featuring a full live band, drives that very point home. It’s a powder keg of kinetic tracks that fuse hip-hop with genres like grunge, punk rock, and jazz in an improvisational way. We particularly like this sixth track for its old-school flavor, free-flowing vocal play, crashing drums, and the occasional flutter of brass.

“Sweet June Nectar” by Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon
Listening to Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon’s original “Almost Heaven,” which garnered him national attention via American Idol, you knew the Catonsville singer-songwriter had staying power, and this second single off his upcoming debut album, Namesake, proves exactly that. With raw piano, reverberating strings, and soaring vocals, the feel-good anthem captures the essence of youth, young love, and warm weather—all things we’ll gladly repeat in our minds like a mantra for weeks to come.

“Black-Eyed Susie” by Ken and Brad Kolodner
This weekend, father-son acoustic duo Ken and Brad Kolodner released their new album, Stony Run, named for the Baltimore waterway that runs between their respective homes. It’s full of energetic originals and inventive takes on Americana classics, like this seventh bluegrass-inspired track. As Brad’s warm vocals move to the forefront, an unlikely combination of instruments, the hammered mbira and gourd banjo, craft a hard-driving tune that gives a glimpse into what could be the genre’s future.

“Day2Day” by Micah E. Wood ft. Bobbi Rush
Baltimore’s resident troubadour Micah E. Wood returns with a new single and love song we’ve been waiting for all along. With an infectious pop melody and airy R&B backup vocals from singer-songwriter Bobbi Rush, two of the local scene’s up-and-coming artists tackle the overwhelming uncertainty of new romance, rejecting the doubt induced by former heartbreak, embracing the healing powers of love. Through groovy guitar chords and an uptempo dance beat, its final lyrics leave you with an unwavering sense of hope.

“Cry Like A Baby” by Movakween
Singer-songwriter MovaKween makes music for spiritual guidance, and this new slow jam feels especially timely for its message: giving everyone the space to handle hardship in their own way and time. Speaking to love, specifically, she humanizes the pain that comes with its loss, as her honeyed powerhouse vocals reach new peaks over a smooth, sultry R&B melody that gives homage to the genre’s greatest hits. If you don’t already, consider Movakween an artist to know now.

“Mother” by Outcalls
This new track by Britt Olsen-Ecker and Melissa Wimbish contemplates a dynamic topic: motherhood, with distant, dream-like vocals asking a big, ambiguous question—“Better now, but better when?”—ultimately leaving the answer, too, up to listeners. Made in collaboration with singer-songwriter/producer Jennifer Pague of L.A.’s. Vita and the Woolf, it’s a spacious, surreal melody that builds with a staccato beat, lush synth, and the ladies’ always-impressive operatic pipes.

“We” by The Soft Pink Truth
Looking for a song to get lost in? Consider this new track from The Soft Pink Truth, the solo project of Drew Daniel from celebrated local experimental duo Matmos, a meditative gift in these strange times. Off the upcoming album, Shall We Go On Sinning so That Grace May Increase?, it’s a soft, sparse, sparkling soundscape, dancing between sublime minimalism and a trance-music rave, inspiring listeners to find moments of self-care and healing. It couldn’t have arrived at a better time.

The hottest concerts of the summer are once again upon us, and that’s not just because they always coincide with the season’s warmest temperatures. With the mercury climbing to the high nineties, the 38th annual Artscape festival returns to Mt. Vernon, Bolton Hill, and Station North this weekend with three full days of free art. Every year, we wait on the edge of our seats for the musical lineup, and this year’s headliners don’t disappoint. Each one offers a throwback to different decades—from the local James Brown Dance Party featuring Fred Thomas of the Godfather of Soul’s own 1970s band on Saturday night, to the 1980s British ska-punk of the English Beat on Sunday, to the groundbreaking 1990s R&B trio of SWV on Friday.

But for us, the main event really lies in the festival’s trove of Baltimore talent, with dozens of homegrown acts playing on various stages throughout the weekend. From promising up-and-comers to local scene veterans, we’ve rounded up eight sets not to miss.

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Astronaut Symphony
Afro House is one of the most inventive arts groups in the city these days, with their unlikely musical experiences breaking down any preconceived notions of what concerts can and should be. See for yourself with this futuristic fusion of beat box, opera, punk, and funk, led by AH co-founder, pianist, and composer Scott Patterson. Saturday, Lyric Opera House, 6 p.m.

Caleb Stine & Friends
There might be few better ways to spend a warm summer night than listening to the hearty folk sounds of the city’s Americana spirit guide, Caleb Stine. With more than 10 records under his belt and more than two decades on the local scene, the poetic songwriter draws a loyal crowd and puts on a powerful show, full of heartfelt ballads, toe-tapping ditties, and rolling-thunder road songs driven by acoustic instruments. Saturday, Johns Hopkins University Stage, 8 p.m.

Eze Jackson
From his role as frontman of alternative hip-hop collective Soul Cannon, to emceeing the recurring Bmore Beat Club, to regular solo and collaborative sets across all pockets of the city, Eze Jackson has undoubtedly been one of the most steadfast and hardworking musicians on the Baltimore scene over the last decade. And every third weekend of July, he has hosted an Artscape after-party in Station North, which he’s doing again this Saturday with a release party for his upcoming album, Fool. Tickets start at $8—a surefire steal for what will be a raw, red-blooded set. Saturday, Metro Gallery, 8 p.m.

Kotic Couture
With rapid-fire flows, honey-coated vocals, and a fierce stage presence as seen during the monthly Version queer dance party at The Crown, Kotic Couture has quickly become a rising star of the local rap scene. Escape the heat in the air-conditioned University of Baltimore Student Center for an infectious set as part of the Worlds In Collusion lineup by the High Zero Foundation. One verse in, and we promise: you’ll be hooked. Saturday, University of Baltimore Student Center, Wright Theater, 8 p.m.

MovaKween
This sultry soul singer’s songs are fit for the extreme heat and humidity expected to hit Baltimore this Sunday. Her earthy vocals flit and flutter, snaking around slow, smoldering melodies rooted in R&B, jazz, and soul. Just pay attention to her lyrics, which speak to the cosmos, creative freedom, and feminine energy and empowerment. Sunday, Johns Hopkins University Stage, 1:30 p.m.

Ratscape
Last summer, this DIY music festival returned to Station North after a three-year hiatus, and this weekend, it’s back for another three days of local bands at The Ynot Lot and The Crown. Among dozens of acts, be sure to check on punk quartet Baklavaa and rapper Toyomansi on Friday, hip-hop artists Josh Stokes and DYYO on Saturday, and soul singer Randi, R&B singer Bobbi Rush, and indie bands Shinji and Romantic States on Sunday. Times & locations vary.

Rufus Roundtree & Da B’More Brass Factory
Push off the Sunday scaries with an afternoon powerhouse performance by Baltimore institution Rufus Roundtree & Da B’More Brass Factory on the Main Stage. This high-energy music collective is one of the most fun, feel-good shows in town, fusing funk, hip-hop, soul, and jazz into a Charm City-meets-New Orleans get-down that should incite a second line. Also catch trumpeter Clarence Ward III’s skillful Sunday set on the Morgan State University stage at 6 p.m. Sunday, Main Stage, 1 p.m.

Super City
We regularly rave about the need to see this Baltimore indie-pop band live, and now is your chance, as the well-clad quintet finally takes to the festival’s Main Stage on Saturday afternoon. Stand in awe of their choreographed moves, but also bring your own dancing shoes and prepare to bop, if not outright mosh, along. They’re likely to bring both old favorites, like catchy slow-jam “Artificial Sin,” and new hits, like “High,” to this don’t-miss show. Saturday, Main Stage, 4:30 p.m.

In this next iteration of The Big Baltimore Playlist, we found five local songs we can’t get enough of, ranging from star-quality country music and jazzy R&B to experimental instrumentals with a touch of spoken-word poetry. 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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“Not That Into You” by Emma White

It’s not often that a Baltimore singer makes it big in Nashville. For starters, we’re just barely below the Mason-Dixon line, and our music scene is better known for its bluegrass roots, hip-hop heritage, and DIY devotees than its country stars. But Towson native Emma White has changed all that, with her pop leanings and stellar pipes leading her to be dubbed one of the “10 New Country Artists You Need to Know,” according to Rolling Stone magazine. White breaks the mold of heartbroken love songs and odes to Mr. Right with this righteous number about skipping games and not settling for anything less than what she wants. With fresh vocals, original lyrics, and hearty acoustic strums, she has all the trappings of a future—though all her own—T. Swift.

“Stay On It” by Horse Lords

We’re a few months behind on Horse Lords’ latest Mixtape IV, out this past May, but when we finally heard this compelling number, we were completely mesmerized. The experimental quartet takes their instrumental grooves to a new level with this adaptation of “Stay On It,” created by composer Julius Eastman in 1973. With its original political undertones and brazen departure from the mainstream, this homage couldn’t be timelier, and Horse Lords carries on those same themes as it transforms Eastman’s minimalist layering of vibes, strings, and brass into a sax-funked, festive dance number. Moving from syncopated rhythms to a beautifully dissonant chaos, it questions the norms and rethinks the very nature of sound. Best of all is the introduction, as Eastman’s program notes are turned into spoken-word poetry by the one and only Abdu Ali.

“Gut It to the Studs” by Letitia VanSant

It’s been five years since we’ve heard new music by Baltimore’s Americana darling, Letitia VanSant, and boy are we glad she’s back. The folk singer-songwriter returns with a full-length follow-up album (out February) that quietly rivals her already accomplished debut. On this rich single, VanSant announces a sort of rebirth—having quit her job to become a full-time musician, watching the world and her city change along the way. This title track uses her trademark harmonies, heartfelt storytelling, and authentic acoustic sound to start over, to reemerge with fresh eyes, to expose and embrace her truest self. It arrives just in time for the New Year, reminding us to do the same—gut it to the studs—while showcasing how the tumultuous times of 2017 have led to the creation of some pretty great art. 

“FreKweency” by MovaKween

One of the smoothest voices to come out of the woodwork this year is that of MovaKween. The local singer-songwriter has just released her first full-length debut, featuring this infectious single. The slow jam doubles as a freestyle jazz number, with MovaKween’s voice swinging between cooing neo-soulful lows and urgent hip-hop highs. In the vein of Erykah Badu or Jill Scott, she uses her honey-coated vocals and sharp rhymes to tackle larger topics, like the importance of female empowerment, creative freedom, and feel-good vibrations for the hardship-riddled city of Baltimore. Mark her down as an artist to watch. 

“Spiral/Wave Is Not the Water” by Wye Oak

Wye Oak might no longer live here full time, but they’ll always be a Baltimore band to us. The indie duo came home for the Ottobar’s 20th birthday this fall, and lead singer Jenn Wasner’s solo Flock of Dimes show before that. And who could forget their performance at BSO Pulse. (We know we never will.) It’s been a long year since their last album, Tween, but the band now gives us a possible sneak peek of its upcoming record with this new double release. Sure, they’re essentially two separate songs, but they compliment each other like no one might have guessed in the five years between their creations. “Spiral,” circa 2012, is a rolling, chord-running number that stems from the band’s early days—back when they first started adding electronic touches to their rock-forward sound—while “Wave Is Not the Water” is a song of 2017: blossoming, powerful, introspective. If it’s any indication of what’s to come, we can’t wait for 2018.