If you were to put together an all-star roster of next-generation Baltimore musicians, Peach Face would be in the starting lineup. The musical project of 23-year-old singer-songwriter Alison Ramírez is a gauzy, indie-pop daydream, marked by lush, synth-fueled songs of love, loss, and identity, such as her cell phone-recorded first single, “Grilled Cheese,” which has over 2.5 million streams on Spotify. Her debut full-length album, Grocery Store Flowers, is out now.

Ahead of the release, we sat down with Ramírez to discuss her roots, musical inspirations, and what comes next.

You grew up in Baltimore. How did you first become interested in music?
I didn’t have any family in music. Honestly, my parents didn’t really even listen to it. I think I started just singing a lot when I was younger, probably to myself, sometimes as a way to remember things. I started writing my own songs around fourth grade and had a little songbook that I’d write in and bring to the playground to show to friends. I just kept writing and haven’t stopped.

You started performing at a young age, too. How old were you then?
I started performing in School of Rock some time in high school. I was performing covers with them around Baltimore, on stages like Ottobar and even Rams Head, which was definitely weird. But I think it was a really good opportunity to get me used to a stage and singing in front of people and playing with a band, not just singing songs by myself in my room.

What was some of your inspiration at the time?
I started getting inspiration from artists like Fiona Apple and Sylvan Esso—a lot of cool alternative women in the music scene. Those were two big artists who taught me about things like vocal loops. I had never heard anything like it before and that really influenced my music. I didn’t have a way to record my music, but I got friends of mine to learn parts of my songs and sing them over top of each other to see if it sounded good.

Did you learn how to use any production or recording technology through your time at School of Rock?
Not really, but I had one guitar class with Dan Ryan, who was a teacher there, and who is also in Super City. We didn’t end up doing guitar at all; I just asked him questions about writing music—I don’t think I’d ever really met another musician who writes, or who has a band. I was like, how do you do it, how do you put music on the internet, how do people listen to it? He pulled up Garage Band and we spent the whole lesson just playing around. From there, I started using that just on my phone and that’s how I made “Grilled Cheese.” Now that I’ve graduated and am a young adult we’re like peers and play shows together and it’s a cool thing being able to share the scene with him.

You started performing live in earnest in 2019, which was of course right before the coronavirus pandemic shut down music venues. How do you think that impacted your trajectory?
I had a good year of figuring out what was even happening. Because everything happened really quickly. “Grilled Cheese” got put on Spotify’s Discover Weekly, like, everywhere. Then all of a sudden, thousands and thousands of people were listening to it and I was getting all of these Instagram followers and messages on Twitter, so it was honestly kind of hard to process. So having that break was kind of nice. I needed to give myself some time to slow down and figure out what direction I wanted to go in. I think it was very necessary for me.

What are you looking forward to in this next year?
I think just hopefully traveling a little bit more and expanding Peach Face outside of Baltimore. I love it here and I love the family I’ve created here and the supporters I’ve gotten out of everything. I couldn’t be more grateful for all of that, it’s gotten me to where I am now. But I’m excited to push a little bit. I’ve had the idea for this album in my head for the past six years, and a lot of these songs that I wrote six, four, two years ago, so it feels really good to finally get them out there, especially in a new way.

Horse Lords

The Common Task (Northern Spy Records)

Over the last decade, Horse Lords has become known, both locally and in the likes of The New York Times, for defying expectation. The avant-garde quartet makes daringly expansive, intellectual, experimental music that bucks standard song structures and punkishly pushes sonic limits, while also inciting their listeners to dance. Each composition is in a constant state of forward movement, though toward what, we haven’t always been completely sure. Perhaps until now. Never shy about their self-described radical politics, the band’s new record points directly to a “utopian, modernist ideal,” tipping their hats to progressive (if not explicitly socialist) philosophies. Whatever your political leanings, it’s an intricate album filled with momentum and possibility, continuing their quest of making music for “the liberation of mind and body.”

Ken & Brad Kolodner

Stony Run

On their fourth studio album, Ken and Brad Kolodner make it clear: The family that plays together stays together. The canon of Americana music has long been passed down the generations, but these 12 tracks showcase not only the father-son duo’s familial bond but also their unique musical chemistry and mutual inspiration. It’s their most creative recording yet, charting new territory on robust original tunes, like the effusive title track, inspired by the waterway that ripples between their Baltimore homes, as well as through evolving techniques, such as unlikely instrument combinations and added emphasis on Brad’s warm vocals. They also pay homage to artists of the past through inventive takes on traditional folk and bluegrass classics. Along the way, the Kolodners, already important fixtures on the local scene, show their staying power.

Boister

Goddess of The Baltimore in Your Mind

In Baltimore music history, there have been many leading ladies, and one of the most inimitable over the past two decades has been Anne Watts. With her seven bandmates, the frontwoman of art-rock collective Boister makes eclectic, transcendent, imaginative music—yes, boisterous music—for the music’s sake, tackling heady themes such as life, death, war, peace, and love along the way. Now, this ninth album is about, for, and, in large part, by women, with Watts writing the timely, poetic lyrics and enlisting backup vocals from the likes of her own daughter and Shawna Potter of Baltimore punk band War On Women. These eight tracks are odes, anthems, eulogies, and rallying cries for girls and women, past and present, fueled by powerful, moody melodies, especially fitting of the current conversations surrounding women’s rights. The singer’s haunt- ing vocals evoke a sort of catharsis, assuring each listener she, or he, contains an inner goddess—one as potent and resilient as Baltimore. All we have to do is find her.

Mary Prankster

Thickly Settled

In the 1990s, Mary Prankster gained a regional cult following for her spunky alt-rock ‘n’ roll, mischievous lyrics, and rebellious spirit that felt, even originally based out of Annapolis, oh-so Baltimore. (“Blue Skies Over Dundalk” forever.) To fans’ dismay, she retired in 2005 and relocated to New England, but now, after more than a decade, the singer-songwriter is back and better than ever, as this comeback record, with its fresh-faced energy, reveals. As in the past, she presents 10 eclectic tracks, through which we see the many faces of her apt moniker—raw, rollicking punk; twangy country; swooning, crooning jazz. The first single, “Local Honey,” combines the golden trappings of girl-group harmonies and the reverberating guitar of surf rock. A bonafide chameleon, she excels at each genre and every creative fusion, her compelling presence and confident vocals commanding every verse. Fearless, playful, with her whole heart in it, she evokes Charm City at its best. For that, we say, welcome back, Mary. Listening to Thickly Settled, it sounds like she never left.

Lower Dens

The Competition

For nearly a decade, Lower Dens have been making some of the city’s most acclaimed, accomplished albums, joining the ranks of Future Islands and Beach House as Baltimore-based artists with indie-darling status on the national stage. And all the while, lead singer Jana Hunter has forged his own path, taking the dream-pop genre to a new level with music so steeped in 1980s synth and nostalgia that it almost unfurls like an art-house take on a John Hughes soundtrack. This new album, the band’s first in four years, might be their most powerful yet, reckoning with modern society through deeply personal (“I Drive”) and political (“Young Republicans”) songwriting. Even in these dark times, these big, bold, Wall-of-Sound melodies could inspire you to dream or dance.

Eze Jackson

Fool

It’s hard to envision the Baltimore music scene without Eze Jackson. From fronting beloved hip-hop collective Soul Cannon to emceeing the Bmore BeatClub rap showcase to collaborating with myriad artists across all pockets of the city, Jackson has been one of its most hardworking musicians and vital creative forces over the last decade-plus—a steadfast champion of this city, breathing its stories, streets, and soul into every verse. That legacy is bottled in this latest solo record, featuring a dynamic mix of hard-hitting rhymes, funky and fiery beats, club bangers, and even smooth-crooning love songs. Pay particular attention to his powerful anthem, “Unapologetically Black,” his poignant ballad, “Be Great,” and the a capella ode, “Thank You.”

Ami Dang

Parted Plains

Over eight years on
the local scene, Ami Dang’s music has been one of transcendence—transcending boundaries in its fusion of North Indian classical music and Baltimore DIY, and transcending its listeners to higher states and the further reaches of their minds. This new instrumental record, rooted solely in sitar and electronics, takes her trance-like compositions a step further, drawing inspiration from Eastern folktales, specifically in translation—stories, much like her music, that straddle two worlds. Permeating, undulating, rising and falling like smoke and dust, these ambient soundscapes set the score for a boundless epic that has yet to
be told, evoking both unseen landscapes and characters from another lifetime that it almost feels as if we already know. An Oberlin Conservatory grad and 2019 Baker Artist Award finalist, Dang is
a folklorist for the 21st century, looking to the past to make music for the future, and an artist to follow in Baltimore.

Patrick McAvinue

Perfect Fit

For the past 15 years, Patrick McAvinue has been a rising star in
the bluegrass world, first finding his string instrument at age 6 before joining some
of the region’s best bands, from Smooth Kentucky to Charm City Junction, ultimately ending up Fiddle Player of the Year according to the International Bluegrass Music Association in 2017. But this third offering is not your typical bluegrass record. Instead, the Baltimore County native, who now resides in Nashville, where he’s a regular at the Grand Ole Opry, uses his bow to cut through traditional ballads and jigs before weaving in other styles: Celtic tunes, Django jazz, classical music, modern rock, and Latin flair. In turn, he takes his old-school genre and turns it on its head, evolving it outwards and showcasing his versatility, virtuosity, and just how far the fiddle can go.

See our full interview with Patrick McAvinue.

DDm

Beautiful Gowns (self-released)

Over the past several years, DDm has been crowned an all-time hometown favorite, rising from the battle-rap circuit to beloved hip-hop duo Bond St. District to a star solo performer in his own right—the Beyoncé of Baltimore City. This solo debut serves as an introduction for the rest of the world, bottling the local rapper’s bravado, wit, humor, and heart into one original package full of big, bold, colorful beats. A year after his planned debut, Soundtrack To A Shopping Mall, was nixed, this new record reveals it was all worth the wait, capturing his artistic range through the mastery of both braggadocious bops and introspective ballads (as well as one vogue-inspiring, house-music stunner). “Now I’m living in my own vision, cooking in my own kitchen,” DDm declares in the first track, “Hooray.” With fresh confidence and creative energy, he is creating his own lane for success, looking forward by knowing where he comes from. Luckily, we think he’ll always remember this city when he takes over the globe.

Outer Spaces

Gazing Globe (Western Vinyl)

This new record from Baltimore band Outer Spaces is a slow-burning beauty. It sears like early summer. It rambles like a sunset drive. It aches like the early days of a fleeting crush, or flickers out like the end of a long one, hanging airy yet thick as a Maryland July. A follow-up to the band’s 2016 debut, these bittersweet indie-pop songs follow the temporary breakup of frontwoman Cara Beth Satalino and her both bandmate and longtime partner Chester Gwazda, who also appears on the album. Through listless vocals, persistent, drums, and a thick tangle of jangly guitar, she forges a new path, dreamily wandering between ennui and emotion to find herself again. For that, it’s deeply human and relatable. Though you never know for sure whose face she finds hiding in the sun in the first (and our favorite) track, by the end of the searing crescendo, you realize it might be her own.

Nico Sarbanes

Nico Sarbanes: Live in Baltimore (self-released)

When we think of Baltimore jazz, we think of a bygone era, filled with small nightclubs, three-piece suits, and plenty of cigarette smoke. But local jazz is alive and well, thanks to a number of surviving legends, as well as the next generation of stars, like the Dunbar Alumni Jazz Band and Nico Sarbanes. Professionally trained, Sarbanes is one of the city’s most talented (and under-the-radar) performers, playing a mean trumpet and confidently crooning in a style associated with the Great American Songbook. At 23 years old, the Baltimore native has just released his debut album, a set of live recordings from the acclaimed Mount Vernon music venue, An die Musik, that features some of his hometown heroes, including saxophonists Antonio Hart and Tim Green, vibraphonist Warren Wolf, and drummer Winard Harper. Across five accomplished jazz jams and standards—like a feel-good Baltimore original dedicated to a local Union Square barber, or an up-tempo, twinkling rendition of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s smoky “Ishafan”—Sarbanes connects and celebrates our city’s vibrant jazz community, and honors its rich history.

Bond St. District

A Church On Vulcan (Friends Records)

In the summer of 2014, a young black rapper from West Baltimore met a young white percussionist from Montgomery County. In an unlikely twist of fate, the two instantly clicked, and by fall had released their first EP as the hip-hop duo Bond St. District, one of the city’s most animated, vivacious acts. MC DDm spits fire with his sharp, confident lyrics—at times clever and humorous, at others candid and poignant. Like a pastor pushing the gospel, DDm engages crowds with bona fide swagger, and his bodacious presence is only amplified by his right-hand man, producer Paul Hutson, who mixes in his masterful, multi-layered beats. Together, these distinct halves make a seamless whole, founded in a mutual respect for each other’s talent, and at live shows, their genuine chemistry is clear as soon as they hit the stage. But the strength of their bond is never more apparent than now, on their first full-length album, out exactly two years after their debut. From the rattling, energetic knocks of “Show Me Your Hands” to the lush, dreamy melodies of “How Come” and the sunny funk of “Yesterdays,” their infectious songs—and synergy—make you a forever fan.

See our full interview with DDm and Paul Hutson from Bond St. District.

TT The Artist

Queen of the Beat (self-released)

The Queen Bee of Baltimore party music has been blowing up, from her 2015 “Lavish” track being featured on HBO’s new series, Insecure, to her “F Trump” single with DJ Mighty Mark making it to the top of Spotify’s United States Viral 50 (beating out The Weeknd!). Now, after two strong releases and a handful of infectious hits, the 32-year-old MICA alum has dropped her aptly named debut. Across 22 tracks, she lays an addictive foundation of breakneck Bmore Club beats, heavy hip-hop bass, and hints of EDM and house, then slays with fierce lyrics ranging from witty, energetic spits to thoughtful ruminations. Simply put, TT is pure fire, and on this robust record, she establishes herself as an artist to notice on the national stage.

Raindeer

Neon Death (Good Behavior Records)

In the doldrums of January, we need a little hope that summer isn’t too far away. That’s where Raindeer comes in, as the local quartet aces the sunny nostalgia of indie-pop. If you listen closely, the lyrics are a layer cake of teenage angst, perplexing heartache, and self-discovery, but it’s the shimmering melodies and urgent beats of their psychedelic shoegaze that have you jonesing for the next solstice. Across 10 songs, this fourth album fills your ears with a wall of sound, studded with steady drums, stretched out with echoing vocals, and laden with fuzzy layers of aching surf guitar. It sends you into the luminous days of the future (not so distant, we swear!), when you’ll be windows-down road-tripping to the beach.

Abdu Ali

Fiyah!!!

If history were written today, Abdu Ali would go down as a driving creative force behind the Baltimore arts scene. For several years now, the avant-garde artist has been blazing the way for local musicians of every stripe while also inspiring the rest of the world to stop and pay attention to the robust talent of our town. But even after four fearless releases, dozens of powerful performances, and one ambitious podcast, this moment feels like the very beginning. On this new record, you’ll hear an amalgam of influences—Bmore Club, rap, punk, jazz, funk, gospel, soul—fused into a singular sound that could not be created by any other artist, in any other city. These 14 tracks are a glimpse into the black queer experience, with each embarking on a deep exploration into themes of self-love, body positivity, systemic oppression, and modern-day freedom. Intense, electric, introspective, they build on Ali’s past and craft a bold and limit- less vision for the future. Lose yourself in the last track, which captures the essence of their live shows. Its lyrical mantra tells you all you need to know.

See our full interview with Abdu Ali.

Kotic Couture

Diary of a Dreamer

As the city’s DIY music scene evolves, a new flush of artists is moving to the forefront, with Kotic Couture emerging as a clear leader. With fierce flows, infectious collaborations, and their much-loved Version queer dance party at The Crown, they have quickly become a rising rapper, thanks in part to braggadocious party-starters such as “Drippin’” and “Go Awff.” This new record shows off their versatility, as well as their vulnerability and commitment to craft. Lyrical finesse remains an instant hook, be it through breathless rhymes or spoken-word poetry. But what gives their storytelling legs is that it speaks honestly from their own narrative—about dreams, doubts, and staying stead- fastly true to yourself. This record announces Couture’s intentions and ambitions, recognizing how far they’ve come, hailing from the small- town Eastern Shore. “I’m at peace with my past, it can no longer haunt me,” Couture chants over lilting strings on our favorite track, “Grammy Speech.” It’s moments like these that demonstrate just how far they can truly go.

Micah E. Wood

Micah E. Wood (self-released)

In a world of bravado and swagger, Micah E. Wood’s unapologetically heart-on-his-sleeve music is a breath of fresh air. As with his past two releases, the local musician and photographer bares it all on this third record, examining and embracing his feelings—the highs and lows and everything in-between. In fact, this album, fittingly self-titled, as it might be his most soul-baring yet, is a cathartic rollercoaster of emotion. In contrast
to his bright, pop-fueled See Me from 2017, these tracks are more mercurial, meticulous, and effectively mighty. He asks hard questions, of himself, mostly, and others. He pushes past comfort zones. He gets pissed off. In the end, he finds a clearing, full of newfound confidence and inner peace. That same sense of discovery imbues his sound as well, with electronic beats mingling with bold instrumentation, plus lush harmonies and lofty backup vocals that we especially loved. Come for “Summertime,” perhaps our favorite song by the artist yet. Stay for the Beatles-esque crescendo of “New Dude” and the poignant piano ballad of “The Truth.”

Cris Jacobs

Color Where You Are (Blue Rose Music)

The King of Baltimore rock ‘n’ roll is back, but he’s not the same man he used to be. In fact, in the three years since the release of his last record, Dust
To Gold, Cris Jacobs has become a father, as well
as a road warrior, touring and performing extensively as his star rises, even alongside some of
his idols. All that change
is reflected in this new record—a triumphant feat that fulfills our hunger,
in these heavy times, for hope and authenticity.
It’s tried-and-true Jacobs to the core, but these 10 songs also rip his soulful sound wide open and lay down fresh terrain. They’re an unbridled amalgam of his many influences—blues, roots, country, soul, bluegrass, funk—fueled
by flurries of piano, virile guitar, and powerful vocals. Wavering between big, bright ballads and downright grooves, the veteran musician digs deep and looks ahead. Through thoughtful songwriting, he wrestles with themes of family, fame, and growing older, finding solace in these strange times and success on his own terms.

See our full interview with musician Cris Jacobs.

The Honey Dewdrops

Anyone Can See

On the eve of spring, this new record from local folk duo The Honey Dewdrops is a fitting dose of warmth. Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish fill their fifth album with heart, and their sincere, stripped-down songwriting is just the kind of music we need more of in 2019. Over the years, these Virginia natives have become an integral part of Baltimore’s Americana scene, bringing an authenticity to their sound that is exceedingly rare. Across all nine tracks, attention and care are paid to every note, be it through meaningful storytelling, skilled instrumentation, or golden harmonies on each gentle rhythm and driving melody. This music is sweet to the ears, easy on the heart, and will stick in your mind for some time to come.

Hunter Hooligan

Child of Venus (Act 1)

On first listen, Hunter Hooligan’s new album—act one of a two-part project—seems to be a glittering party-starter, full of sparkling beats, thumping bass, and all-around feel-good vibes. After all, it does start with the bang of a club-ready, contagious pop number, “C.Y.K.U.?,” with a mantra-worthy title acronym: “Can You Keep Up?” But on closer look, this record is a deeply personal and powerful opus of love and acceptance. The queer electronic artist explores his identity (“Ecstasy,” ft. Baltimore Club queen TT The Artist), grapples with doubt and fear (the poignant “Small Town Clown”), and, in the end, finds hope, emerging ready to fight (the futuristic “One Day at a Time”). This is a human collection of songs for music lovers of every cloth.

Matmos

Plastic Anniversary (Thrill Jockey)

Leave it to Matmos to defy all expectations. Known for using unlikely objects as instruments—balloons, cigarettes, a deck of cards—the veteran experimental electronic duo might have just outdone themselves with this visionary piece of environmental activism. In the spirit of their last record, Ultimate Care II, which was composed entirely from the sound of their own washing machine, this new album is created from another single source: plastic, cleverly acknowledging our complicated relationship with the synthetic material. Using the likes of plastic gloves, pricked bubble wrap, and Styrofoam containers, these songs begin as a playful, pop-esque carnival of sound, reflecting our early, excited relationship with the product, before ultimately unraveling into an unruly dystopia. In a time when grocery store bags are strangling our wildlife and water bottles are filling our oceans, M.C. Schmidt and Drew Daniel use plastic itself to forewarn what the future could hold. On top of that, some of the album’s proceeds will benefit The Ocean Cleanup nonprofit.

Chaunter

Dream Dynamics (self-released)

Consider this duo a new Baltimore band to know now. The brainchild of art scene denizens Brooks Kossover and Jenghis Pettit makes its debut with this idiosyncratic first record, featuring Kossover on vocals and flute and Pettit on guitar, as well as an aspirational league of local heavyweights, from Dan Deacon (“Goodbye”) to Sam Herring of Future Islands (“Lightning Games”) to Lower Dens’ Jana Hunter (“Mirror Mirror”). With trappings of shoegaze, ’80s pop, and ’70s prog-rock, it guides you through a mythical world, landing somewhere between the glory of Labyrinth-era David Bowie (“Boo Cat”) and the golden age of Baltimore DIY dream-pop (“The CopyCat”). Each song unfurls as if in reverie—swirling in gauzy synth, smoldering with reverberating guitar, brimming with both hauntingly singular vocals and grand group harmonies. See for yourself at the Metro Gallery on March 29, as Chaunter’s performances are a theatrical, fantastical feat in and of themselves.

See our interview with Brooks Kossover and Jenghis Pettit of Chaunter.

Heard It In A Past Life

Maggie Rogers

What a wild few years it’s been for Maggie Rogers. By now you’ve likely heard the story: the young Eastern Shore musician sings a song for Pharrell Williams during her college music class, the video goes viral, and in two short years, the singer-songwriter has turns turned into a bona fide folk-pop star, nabbing a Capitol Records deal, performing on Saturday Night Live, and selling out every stop on her U.S. tour. But what’s lost in that narrative is Rogers’ own true talent, and mighty potential, as showcased on this first full-length album. With big anthems, barebones ballads, and buoyant dance numbers—including that fateful “Alaska”—these 12 songs are a testament and a time capsule, capturing the elusive, ephemeral, earthshaking transformation that took place as her dreams became reality. On each track, she embraces the change, rediscovers herself, and emerges newly potent and powerful, ready for the road ahead. We see no horizon in sight.

Lake Accotink

Marian McLaughlin

If you’ve found yourself overwhelmed by the world recently (haven’t we all?), this Marian McLaughlin record is for you. The local singer-songwriter has crafted a tome of chamber-folk songs to honor the natural cycles of the environment, and each experimental arrangement is a petition to unplug, to be present, and to observe the world around you. Unfurling in a stream of consciousness, McLaughlin’s lilting, labyrinthine verses speak to the relationship between humanity and nature and serve as a way for the artist—and listener—to process our impact on the planet. But through ballads, dirges, and outright epic poetry, her poetic meditations maintain a sense of hope for the future, found in the balance of regeneration and the belief in nature’s omniscience. Give it a listen, then get off your phone, and get outside.

Joy Postell

Diaspora

Before she’d ever released an album, Joy Postell had become a seminal artist in the local music scene thanks to her clarion calls for justice and equality. And now we have her first record, a dynamic feat that announces the singer-songwriter as a mighty voice for her city—and the country. Across 10 tracks, from social commentaries (“Consciousness”) to intimate love stories (“Signs”), Postell draws from the historic sounds of the African-American experience—haunting spirituals, jazzy neo-soul, funk-infused R&B—and adds her own flair and fire. Whatever the subject, she speaks from the soul, bares her own truth, and searches for means of growth, both personally and as a society at large. Pay attention to her words. They pack a powerful message.

Haint Blue

Overgrown

Boy, is this one holy roller of a record. Haint Blue has gained a loyal local following over the years, but the septet is ready to soar with this first full-length record—a powerful reckoning with faith, family, addiction, and acceptance by way of righteous indie-Americana music that both smooths and shakes your soul. Through big, bold anthems and bare-it-all ballads, these 12 tracks explore the real-life experiences of frontman Mike Cohn, from fleeing a religious upbringing and battling a dark period of drugs to losing loved ones along the way. Whatever your own story may be, the band’s hearty arrangements, founded in traditional acoustic instruments, Cohn’s textured vocals, and tight, golden harmonies, strike a deeply human chord. The record comes out next month, but listen to the first single, “Bear The Burden,” now.

Soul Cannon

Soul Cannon (self-released)

If one band could be described as capturing the essence of Baltimore through sound, it would be the experimental hip-hop collective Soul Cannon. MC Eze Jackson and his Peabody-trained bandmates have been breaking musical boundaries in this city for more than a decade with their sonic hybrid fusing the likes of rap, rock, punk, jazz, and blues into a powder keg of NWA-meets-Rage Against The Machine fire. Speaking to everything from personal growth to politics, Jackson’s explosive vocals and breathless verses push the limits of tempo and power and encourage his bandmates’ livewire guitar, crashing drums, and glitchy electronics to play catchup. It’s this raw, unexpected energy that makes them so much like this town, refusing to back down or stay inside any lines. A mix of both new and old tracks, this long-awaited record bottles the band’s own inferno—a perfect introduction for the uninitiated, and a magnum opus for longtime fans. To see what we mean, simply start with “Play Hard.”

Sean K. Preston & The Loaded Pistols

Forgive (Rusty Knuckles)

Stumbling upon Sean K. Preston for the first time gives you a little taste of what it must have felt like for record execs to discover Johnny Cash or Elvis Presley. This rough-and-tumble raconteur happens to sound a little bit like both of those legends, but he is a man of his own talent, combining a medley of old-school genres—early rock-and-roll, roadhouse blues, honkytonk country—into something fresh and fierce in 2018. Preston has been one of Baltimore’s best-kept secrets for the past decade, bringing achy-breaky ballads, fiery barnburners, and bona fide musicianship to the city’s music scene. And it’s his honest-to-god storytelling—human tales, from hard luck to heartbreak—that we expect will put this new record, released via indie label Rusty Knuckles, on the map. Whether you’re from the Chesapeake, the Rockies, or the Rio Grande, you’ll swoon for old favorites, like the second track, “Homeward Bound,” and legacy-cementing newcomers, like the first single, “Last Call.”

See our full interview with Sean K. Preston.

Andy Bopp

Wherewithal (Dren Records)

As the local music scene is rightly celebrated for its growing number of exciting new bands, let’s take a moment to appreciate a lifelong legend, Andy Bopp. Over the past nearly 40 years, the alt-rock veteran has recorded dozens of albums with various collaborators, from his acclaimed ’90s indie group, Love Nut, to his folk-inspired Strung Out String Band, which still stomps around Baltimore today. Bopp is an ace songwriter in every act, and this new solo record is a dynamic feat, featuring guitar-driven anthems and lyric-fueled ballads influenced by power pop and Americana with a hint of psychedelia. Hear the hit single “Shadow” riding the airwaves of WTMD, but dig into this entire record of timeless rock ‘n’ roll by one of Baltimore’s very best.

Wume

Towards the Shadow (Northern Spy Records)

We fell in love with this experimental duo the first time we heard their otherworldly sound. April Camlin and Albert Schatz are masters of polyrhythmic percussion, with each song building, expanding, pressing forward—taking listeners on a tonal journey to the far reaches of their minds. Featuring a fresh emphasis on vocals, this third full-length record—the band’s first with national indie label Northern Spy—digs even deeper, with Camlin’s meditative incantations, her gut-punchingly precise drums, and Schatz’s cosmic electronics each and all sending you further into an introspective space. Consider this album a personal exploration worth embarking on. For us, it ended with a much-needed dose of clarity and enlightenment in these chaotic times.

Butch Dawson

Swamp Boy (Basement Rap)

Long before his recent appearance in The New York Times, Butch Dawson was an underground Baltimore staple, carving out his own corner in the local rap canon. The 25-year-old is a master of DIY production and sharp, slow-burning rhymes, crafting a formidable brand of chill-wave hip-hop that lands somewhere between Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, and Tyler, the Creator. Swirling in a smoky haze, Dawson’s minimalist melodies maintain both a jazz-like flow, inspired by the heyday of his hometown Pennsylvania Avenue, and a grungy, punkish edge, fit with glitchy beats and hard-hitting drums. It’s tempting to get lost in his listless delivery, but pay attention, as his lyrics pack a punch. At the core, these eight tracks, be they day-dreamy (“Distances”) or mosh-ready (“Feel Nobody”), are about surviving the “swamps,” as he calls the West Baltimore streets where he grew up, and the fortitude that comes with it. He sums it up best on “Liberation”: “I’m from Baltimore City, you can’t program me.”

Crack The Sky

Living In Reverse (Loud & Proud Records)

In 1976, Rolling Stone called the debut record from this West Virginia-born, Baltimore-bred prog rock band “one of the year’s most impressive debuts.” Despite critical acclaim, the sextet largely skirted commercial success, but now, after 40 years, multiple tours with the likes of Frank Zappa and ZZ Top, and a career that was the purported inspiration behind parts of Rob Reiner’s This Is Spinal Tap, Crack The Sky is once again heralded by the iconic music mag, this time as “the best U.S. prog band you’ve never heard.” With a new record label, two end-of-summer albums, and the bandmates now in their 60s, the so-called “Beatles of Baltimore” might finally get their moment in the sun. Accompanying Crackology, which refreshes a dozen career-spanning classics, this all-new album features fresh electric anthems and innovative power ballads, showcasing their enduring strengths in endless experimentation and original songwriting.

Super City

Sanctuary (self-released)

Within the first 20 seconds of this new album from Super City, you know one thing for sure: it’s going to rock. The five members of this indie-pop (or “freak wave,” as they’ve recently been dubbed) band have the trappings of real-deal rock stars, and this second full-length record shows how ready they are for the big stage. Cue the lights for 10 sensational songs that are pure, infectious fun. Frontmen Dan Ryan and Greg Wellham take turns in the spotlight, shifting between gentle croons and soaring cries, but each bandmate gets his time to shine across playful anthems and power ballads. With undeniable chemistry, they imbue every inch of this record with a magnetic luster, filling each corner and crevice with shimmering sound via cascading drums, searing guitars, golden harmonies recorded on their iPhones, and Wall of Sound choruses that rattle your soul. You can hear the influences—’70s and ’80s idols including Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, even Prince, with a touch of hair metal—but Super City’s ferocious energy, as shown in their live shows, is uniquely their own. Wherever you are, whichever song you listen to, just make like the band and dance.

serpentwithfeet

soil (Secretly Canadian)

It’s not often that an artist comes around who has created something completely new. It would be easy to call singer Josiah Wise, aka serpentwithfeet, experimental or avant-garde, but his music refuses to stay inside even those lines. Instead, he creates his own hauntingly beautiful brand of R&B, combining the gospel roots of his choir-boy childhood in Baltimore with a goth aesthetic and atmospheric soundscapes honed in his new home of Brooklyn. This debut album is a body of work to be listened to from start to finish, as each song paints a vivid scene, toying with themes of good and evil, lust and loss, darkness and light. His singular voice plays a cast of characters—a scorned heart, a feverish lover—that layer and multiply into an intricate chorus, all ruminating on the multitudes of love. Across serenades, spirituals, and devotionals, his tenor flitters and flutters, soaring in height and free falling with abandon. The result is an otherworldly collection of songs that are both tranquil and tempestuous, devout and dubious, resolute and wayward all at once. With fame at the fringes of his coattails, this chameleon of an artist is one to know now. Or yesterday.

Maybe you’ve seen the video: All-white jumpsuits. Chelsea boots. Infectious dance moves. And, of course, the jangly slow jam melody of their single, “Artificial Sin.” But local indie-pop band Super City is so much more than last summer’s quasi-viral mini-film.

The band’s second full-length record, Sanctuary, out later this month, shows off their staying power. Its 10 sensational songs are the kind of rock-star-worthy anthems and power ballads that just don’t get made anymore, featuring searing guitar solos, all-out soprano vocals, thunder-and-lightning drums, and full-blown shimmering fun.

Earlier this month, we sat down with frontmen Dan Ryan and Greg Wellham to talk about the new album, the band’s friendship, and, of course, their fancy footwork. Catch their record release show at the Ottobar on September 29.

I hear the two of you go all the way back to high school.
Dan Ryan: We met in biology class.

Greg Wellham: Dan sat right behind me. We first connected by playing music on our desks together. Dan would start tapping a pencil and I would hear it and then tap my fingers. We would transfer beats back and forth and then get yelled at by our teacher.

D: We eventually played some random gigs together, like someone’s house party at an indoor pool, but we were never in the same band.

G: All throughout high school, and even into college, when we both went to Towson University, we never had a band. We didn’t start writing music together until our senior year and the first song was actually “Find You” off our first EP.

D: I think it worked out though. We developed our own individual styles and skillsets and then finally brought the two together.

Speaking of styles, what were some of your initial influences? We definitely hear some ’70s icons in some of your songs.
D: Definitely. My dad was a trumpet player at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. He was a huge influence. After my parents split, my brother went off to college, so it was basically just me and my dad, hanging out, talking about all kinds of music all the time together. I think I always knew I wanted to be a musician. I would fantasize about performing in front of people. I played trumpet and also had this little Cassio keyboard that I would put on the guitar setting and use to write little riffs before I ever learned how to play the real guitar.

G: My dad was really into classic rock. Sabbath and all that. My mom introduced me to a lot of Light FM stuff—Patsy Cline, Whitney Houston, Gloria Estefan. I played saxophone in middle school but coming into high school, I discovered the guitar and realized that was all I ever wanted to do from there on out. The singing came way later for both of us.

Is it hard having two frontmen?
D: It’s a constant clash of power! [Laughs.] No, we’re a unit.

G: In writing our songs, we take turns, which keeps things interesting. One of the hardest parts about being in a band is just getting along. I don’t want to jinx it or anything, but we really just enjoy each other’s company and respect one another. Everyone is a full-time musician so we’re all on the same page with professionalism and work ethic and just honing our craft. Plus these guys are really funny—we’re constantly making each other laugh.

With your live shows, Super City exudes an old-school level of showmanship. Where does that come from?
D: Nowadays people see it as a gimmick, but dance is a very integral part of music and the arts, and it’s the best thing in the world to do. We don’t tell people that we’re a dance band so there’s always this element of surprise at the beginning of the set where the audience is questioning: “Do I like this?” People have expectations of what a rock show is going to be, but there are no rules to our set.

G: And why wouldn’t you want to dance? We just really like the feeling of bringing people together. There’s nothing more exciting than when you finally catch the audience’s attention and then you see it start to spread. By the end of the set, the entire place is sidestepping, which is really fun to watch.

How did you come to include choreography into your shows?
D: I started incorporating dance moves because we had a lot of pedals and it was too hard and awkward to keep switching them over from section to section. Out of that, I thought, wait, everyone needs to dance! We then went and saw St. Vincent who was doing her own kind of David Byrne thing, and by our spring tour in 2016, we had our first two moves. Now they’re incorporated into almost every song.

How did it feel after your “Artificial Sin” video took off the way it did last summer?

D: I don’t think we expect things often. We always hope it goes well, whatever that means, but we just wanted to make a cool video and share it with our friends. It’s weird sending yourself out into the world like that and seeing what people will think of this version of you, especially wearing all white and spinning around with your guitar. I think that single was also really exciting because we finally had something that really represented the direction we wanted to go.

And where is that?

D: There’s this certain thing that we have live that’s hard to capture in a recorded song. It’s kind of this grittiness—these well-polished songs but with an edge. But now we’re letting ourselves open up and do crazy things, like we’re going to have more guitar solos and we’re going to dance and do all this stuff that we were kind of afraid to do before.

What freed you up to do that?

D: Honestly, recording most of our songs on our iPhones.

G: On the first album, we were constantly trying to recreate the demos, which proved to be impossible. It was so frustrating to try to recreate some single guitar solo or special vocal, but then we realized that we lived in an age where we didn’t have to. Coming to that realization was a game changer.

D: Recording on our phones, we’re capturing the first point of raw inspiration, which is not something you get to do often in the recording process.

G: I definitely feel like the first album was us trying to figure out what we’re all about, and on this second album, we have such a good idea of who we are, and where we want to go. I think it’s a really accessible album. I’m really looking forward to having all types of musicians listen to it. I think there’s something for everybody on it.

DDm

Soundtrack To A Shopping Mall (TBD)

We’d been waiting on the edge of our seats for this first full-length record from Emmanuel Williams, aka DDm. From one of the city’s most spirited performers, it promised to be swimming in swagger and subtle wit, and DDm’s solo talents—honed on the battle-rap circuit before forming his beloved duo, Bond St. District—are on full display. But this album is so much more than its fearless energy, irreverent humor, and abundant pop culture references. The creation of an ’80s child born and bred in Baltimore, it takes a thoughtful look at capitalism, celebrity, and excess in an age of ever-growing economic disparity in America. Across 14 tracks, it shines brightest in its buoyant, braggadocious moments, such as “Ready To Wear” and “Try Me On.” But its true strength lies in the final tracks, like “Forever 21” and “Closed,” in which he removes his armor of bravado to reveal a complex portrait of growing up as a young black boy in a generation of broken promises. With an uncanny awareness of city and self, DDm stares down those lost hopes and uses his own ambitious talent as living proof that you should never give up.

See our full interview with rapper DDm.

Charm City Junction

Duckpin (self-released)

Over the years, Charm City Junction has become an integral part of the city’s swelling Americana music scene. Following their stellar 2015 debut, this new sophomore release showcases the quartet’s genuine chemistry and growth. Rooted in the acoustic traditions of their old-time genres, these 11 tunes are a tight display of passion and precision, using hearty melodies to flaunt their intuitive instrumentation, whether they’re harmonizing on vocals or strings—fiddle, mandolin, banjo, upright bass, and even one achy-breaky, breathy accordion. From Celtic jigs and coastal ballads to Appalachian stomps, each song unfurls with an organic momentum. Sometimes, they roll like a train, big and bold and building in tempo, while at other times, they’re more like a river, gentle and lush with a lilting rush of emotion. It’s the kind of music that can only be made by old friends—and old souls—and is best listened to outside in the open country air. Hold onto the season with personal favorites “Duckpin” and “Farewell Tennessee.”

The High & Wides

Lifted (self-released)

Born on the Eastern Shore before making their way to Baltimore, The High & Wides celebrate the region’s rich bluegrass history, combining those deep Appalachian roots with a dose of Charm City grit and gumption into a modern-day Americana revival. On this debut record, this talented string band carries the torch for the Old-Line legends who came before them while forging their own path for a new century. Across 13 originals—fiery barn burners, heartbroken ballads, battle hymns—the quartet puts their expert musicianship on full display, fusing lightning-fast banjo, tight fiddle, driving bass, and hearty harmonies across full-tilt tempos and lilting melodies. In these chaotic times, The High & Wides are a breath of fresh country air. Amidst all the noise, they remind us how goddamn gorgeous a simple song can be.

Lafayette Gilchrist & The New Volcanoes

Deep Dancing Suite (Manta Ray Records)

If Baltimore had a music hall of fame, Lafayette Gilchrist would be one of our first ballots. While he’s revered for his iconic scores in David Simon’s HBO series The Wire, Treme, and The Deuce, it’s his pure talent and unbridled spirit that have earned this D.C. native and longtime Baltimore resident his much-deserved praise. The 2018 Baker Artist Award winner’s lively compositions capture the essence of this city—its energy, its joy, its struggle—with each melody unfolding in a jubilant freestyle of jazz, blues, and funk with a go-go flair. Time after time on this five-track EP, the pianist and his eight-piece band bring the house down with propulsive rhythms, vibrant horns, and virtuosic keys. Prepare to be moved—in your soul, and out of your seat.

Todd Marcus

On These Streets (Stricker Street Records)

Over the past two decades, Todd Marcus has become a Baltimore jazz mainstay for his virtuosic instrumentation on the bass clarinet. Swinging between modern compositions and standard roots, the composer and performer celebrates the city’s rich musical heritage and, in the great tradition of his genre, brings other hometown talents along for the ride through his various ensembles. With the help of those lauded local and national musicians—including Charm City’s own veteran drummer Eric Kennedy, rising-star vibraphonist Warren Wolf, and spirited bassist Kris Funn—this spring record is an ode to West Baltimore, where Marcus resides and moonlights as a community activist. Released around the third anniversary of Freddie Gray’s death, these 16 songs use freewheeling arrangements and intricate melodies to capture Sandtown-Winchester—a neighborhood riddled with poverty and violence—in all its beauty and struggle. Marcus honors the community’s vibrant past, addresses existing challenges, and salutes its promising future with emotional fervor.

Snail Mail

Lush (Matador Records)

In 2018, it’s not every day that a teenage band starts out of a small-town garage and then nabs a major record deal only about one year after releasing their debut EP. But Lindsey Jordan of Snail Mail is not your average Ellicott City 18-year-old. The vocal powerhouse and guitar-shredding prodigy is the driving force behind her band’s raw, reverberating, mighty-yet-vulnerable sound—one that, heralded by the likes of The New York Times and Rolling Stone, is worth every inch of its unwavering acclaim. Snail Mail is a fresh breath of ’90s rock and roll, and this first full-length record is a robust, coming-of-age look at the love and loss of growing up, shining with unpretentious emotion and refreshingly electric authenticity, especially in our highly digitalized and trivialized world. Across brooding anthems and slow-burning ballads, Jordan goes all in and slays on her star-of-the-show guitar, delivering heart-on-her-sleeve songs with the wisdom of a woman well beyond her years and bursting forth with the sort of punkish riffs that would make her idols proud. In the end, she solidifies her place as a natural-born songwriter at the top of the heap—no longer at the edge of stardom, but here, now, and ready to rock.

Read our full interview with Snail Mail’s Lindsey Jordan.

Beach House

7 (Sub Pop Records)

For more than a decade, we’ve turned to Beach House for its moody, bewitching sound. Over the course of six evocative albums, the indie duo has perfected the hazy genre of dream-pop, featuring songs so full of shimmering synth and fuzzed-out guitar that they might just burst, like some faraway supernova. But all that has changed on the band’s aptly named seventh record. In some ways, the evolution is subtle—old trappings still linger, like Victoria Legrand’s hauntingly lush vocals and Alex Scally’s searing, slide-studded guitar. But as a whole, these 11 tracks are a seismic, shape-shifting rebirth for the veteran Baltimore band. Layers of glitchy electronic beats and thunderous live drums fuel a fiery new urgency, born in part out of the societal discord of 2016 and ’17, with some verses acutely ruminating on the roles and pressures put on women by society—to be perfect, to be loved. (See “L’Inconnue.”) There’s a push and pull to these melodies, but out of that tension, Beach House finds clarity. Long shrouded in a sort of melancholic mystery, their music steps out of the shadows and into the luminous possibilities that lie ahead.

Caleb Stine

Moon (Self Released)

With nearly two decades and more than 10 albums under his belt in Baltimore, Caleb Stine has become a sort of spirit guide for the local folk scene. A rustic raconteur, this Americana musician has spun yarns on religion, the road, and quests for truth, but this is his first record on the ground-shaking, all-consuming power of love. The eight-song ode explores the affection in all its forms, achieving an arc that spans from the dewy, infatuated days of adolescence (“My Oh My”) to the quiet, peaceful evenings of adulthood (“Garden”). His pure vocals and poetic verses act as the heartbeat, pushing forward sweet and simplistic arrangements that are fueled by the aching pang of acoustic guitar, plus a new infusion of female harmonies and soul-baring strings. But in seeking to unravel this multitudinous emotion, Stine’s mix of pretty ditties and almost devotional ballads reveals the ways in which love teaches us not just about love, but about ourselves: that it’s okay to need other people. That that is what makes us human. “Hollow,” with its saturated imagery unfolding like an old, burned-out film, might be Stine’s storytelling at its best. Grab a copy of this new album—in part for its accompanying coloring book.

Read our interview with musician Caleb Stine.

War On Women

Capture the Flag  (Bridge Nine)

It has been three years since War On Women released its last record, which, with the Women’s March, the #MeToo movement, and every scandal in between, must have felt like an eternity for a hardcore feminist punk band. Indeed, there couldn’t be a better time for new music from these Baltimore rabble-rousers who have been tackling sexism, inequality, and oppression since 2011. Through frontwoman Shawna Potter’s ferocious verses, no topic is left untouched—from catcalling and wage gaps to abortion and rape. Their shredding (and NSFW lyrics) might not be for everyone, but it’s hard to deny their fearlessness. In this fieryalbum, filled with scalding guitar, full-tilt drums, and Potter’s outright rage, the band turns its focus toward politics, confronting the likes of gun violence, neo-Nazism, and the gutting of Obamacare. Across 12 tracks, they create an anarchistic call to action. “YDTMHTL” (You Don’t Tell Me How To Live) might be our new favorite acronym, urging women to exist in whatever ways they want to. “Write a letter to your idol,” shouts Potter, “and then cross out their name and write yours in.”

Read our interview with Shawna Potter. 

Wye Oak

The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs (Merge Records)

In retrospect, it seems that all that came before for Wye Oak—all 12 years, six records, and a few shapeshifting evolutions—has been building up to this very moment. This is the album we never knew we’d always been waiting for, and here it is, with a dozen tracks that brilliantly break apart the old Wye Oak and put the pieces back together in a stunning, triumphant new form. What remains is the best of the duo’s abilities, a fusion of their shimmering dream-pop present and their propulsive indie-rock past that blossoms like a dream. Wye Oak revels in reinvention, and in this earthy synth-forward shift, Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack embrace the only certainty: change—that our former selves are inescapable, but there’s also no turning back. Wasner’s trademark guitar returns in radiating waves, and her voice—crystal-clear, even when shrouded in layers of distortion—is on full display as one of the finest in the business. Her lyrical prowess dazzles, too, with meditative wordplay embarking on a quest for deeper truths, while Stack’s energetic drums bring focus and intensity. Through each saturated melody, they push forward. The band’s future is here, now, but the journey inevitably goes on.

Ed Schrader’s Music Beat

Riddles (Carpark Records)
 

It’s been four years since Ed Schrader and Devlin Rice released their last full album, and boy, are they back with a bang. This record is a robust tour de force for a band that’s been doggedly performing for nearly a decade. It was born out of change, loss, and exploration, with each song taking the raw edge of the band’s past work and propelling it feverishly forward with a new layer of emotion and depth. Across 10 tracks, Rice’s bass gains momentum and magnitude as Schrader’s hauntingly visceral vocals reach greater valleys and peaks. The result is a momentous and moody amalgam of post-punk and new-wave influences—Bowie, Byrne, Joy Division, Idol—brightened by the ethereal fingerprints of local electronic wizard Dan Deacon, who co-wrote and produced the album with a fresh infusion of euphoric pop. With a trill of ivories, “Tom” swells like an anthemic eulogy. With a flood of synth, “Riddles” sweeps over your senses like the slow healing of a heartbreak. From this fearless feat, the duo emerges lithe and limitless, ready to start anew. 

JPEGMAFIA

Veteran (Deathbomb Arc)  

JPEGMAFIA has been called many things: “Riot starter.” “Provocateur.” “Radical contrarian.” We’ll add “wave-maker,” “sparkplug,” and “force to be reckoned with” to the mix. From 2016’s politically ripe Black Ben Carson to this just-released, in-your-face coup, the Baltimore-to-California rapper pushes boundaries with a mad scientist’s zeal. With a subversive wit and meticulous rhymes, this new album captures and confronts the frustrated feel of our social and political times, using sparse, dystopian soundscapes and loaded, NSFW lyrics that throw tongue-in-cheek jabs at the likes of Lena Dunham, Kanye West, and President Trump. Entirely self-produced, JPEGMAFIA approaches every inch of this album with bold intention and unbridled intensity. Exhibit A: the standout “Baby I’m Bleeding,” with its dizzily frenetic loops. Or “Rock N Roll Is Dead,” with its measured flow and sparse, glitchy beat. And even “Macaulay Culkin,” with its pretty, hazy guitar melody. Keep JPEG on your radar; his apocalyptic noise-rap is already catching some major national attention.

Surf Harp

Mr. Big Picture
(Friends Records)

I rarely inject myself into music reviews, but as a child of the ’80s, I couldn’t help but wildly relate to this new album from indie quintet Surf Harp. With its off-kilter electronic touches, lo-fi instrumentation, and playful vocals, it takes us back to the very best of that unruly, experimental decade. Where the band’s 2016 Peel felt like an homage to the psych-rock of the 1990s, this record is imbued with a stellar fusion of post-punk and New-Wave pop influences from the years that came before. At times, it’s a little Devo, Talking Heads, maybe even a hint of the Buzzcocks, though mostly it’s a jubilant sound all their own. As in the last album, each song is in and of itself a little independent masterpiece, meticulous in its layering of multiple melodies and fitting imperfections—the fuzzed-out guitar, the fluctuating vocals, the outside-the-box arrangements, the in-your-face creative energy. I particularly fell for the shadowy ballad “I Lost You” and the rhythmic, rolling avalanche of “D.I. Cig.” Surf Harp refuses to stay inside the lines, making this—yes, we’ll call it now—one of the most exciting releases of 2018.

Letitia VanSant

Gut It to the Studs
(self-released)

There’s a subtle depth to this new album by Letitia VanSant. In the great tradition of Americana music, these songs are so much more than just pretty melodies and honey-coated harmonies. Whether it’s expressing a personal journey or a political one, this fourth record is a coming-of-age moment for the Baltimore singer-songwriter. Start with the first track, “Where I’m Bound,” to see what we mean. A few hearty pats on the body of an acoustic guitar slowly meld with the belly-deep tugs of upright bass and the heart-aching runs of old-school fiddle, building and blossoming like a moment of clarity—an awakening—that goes on to permeate the entire album. Born out of great change, this record marks a transformation for VanSant, who recently quit her 9-to-5 job to become a full-time musician. Her mellifluous voice stands bright and dynamic as ever, as does her vivid, masterful storytelling. But in the quiet corners, like “Wild Heart Roam,” “Dandelion,” and “Sundown Town,” VanSant embraces the power of her own emotions, asks the important, at-times difficult questions, and reveals an unshakeable artist who knows exactly where she wants to go.

Read the full interview with musician Letitia VanSant.

F City 

Agenda/World of Good (Okay Recordings)

F City cannot be put into a box. The music of singer Lala Anderson, drummer Landis Expandis, and bassist Paul Joyce hits you like a brick, and their new double-sided record acts as a true testament to the trio’s genre-bending versatility. On one side, Agenda is a punk-rock witch’s brew with scuzz guitar, breakneck drums, and hot-blooded vocals giving each thunderous track a raw energy and ferocious soul. Think Janis Joplin meets The White Stripes with a hint of Southern Gothic voodoo. On the flipside is the frenetic electronics of World of Good, featuring a wild fusion of funk, soul, and hip-hop as guest star Eze Jackson calls for revolution. With sharp rhymes, playful vocals, and an unbridled spirit, it sounds like Rage Against the Machine meets Run-DMC—with a touch of The B-52s. Both albums speak to old souls, with the latter’s dance-inducing hustle and the former’s rebellious rock-and-blues roots, while also looking toward the future. As a whole, it is a powder keg, waiting to erupt. 

Legends of Et cetera

Cardboard City (self-released)

It’s hard to believe that the opening track of this album was created by teenagers and 20-somethings. A lush, symphonic melody, “Querétaro” sweeps in and consumes your senses with the hush of rushing mist and the brilliant trill of birds at dawn. It’s like watching the sunrise through your ears. Despite the promise of Legends of Et cetera—sold-out shows at WTMD, packed crowds at The Ottobar, and a smashing debut record—the indie-rock trio announced shortly after press time that, with heavy hearts, they would be breaking up. But alas, this new album lives on, its themes still standing up as humanly universal. As high-school and college students, these young musicians and School of Rock graduates created this album on the cusp of new beginnings, finding themselves at a sort of sun-drenched, angst-riddled crossroads as they bid goodbye to their adolescence. (Legends literally grew up together, with their roots dating back to middle school and even infancy, as lead singer Serena Miller and bassist Graham vonBriesen are cousins.) On this second EP, they reckon with growing up and leaving home, using tight guitar rhythms, rollicking drums, and emotionally honest lyrics to bottle up that melancholy jubilance that comes when the urgency of youth straddles the unknown terrain of adulthood. With two of the three band mates still pursuing music degrees at the Peabody Institute and Berklee College of Music, we hope to hear them again one day. Until then, we have this record, and we wish them the best of luck.

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Al Rogers Jr.

BrightHeartedNigga
(self-released)

Al Rogers Jr. has never been afraid to be himself, and his heart-on-his-sleeve authenticity has allowed him to make some of the best hip-hop in the city. But as earnest as the local rapper might be, his true talent lies in his ability to surprise, from 2015’s Outkast-inspired Luvadocious with Blacksage’s Drew Scott to the star tracks on this brand-new second record. Now, Rogers stands alone, more confident and deliberate than ever, with tight, measured rhymes and a few standout melodies. “Sayno” might be our favorite song of Al’s thus far—a cantering Spanish ballad that tells the story of love lost through hushed lyrics, rhythmic finger snaps, the quivering heartache of violin, and a final flutter of piano. To all of that, we say yes.

Micah E. Wood

See Me
(self-released)

These days, between dating apps and ex-stalking on social media, people are pretty obsessed with modern romance. Are our communication skills ruined? Is chivalry officially dead? On this new album, local songwriter Micah E. Wood tackles these love-struck conundrums head on, splaying out his heart and rolling through his emotions with honesty and humor to describe the highs and lows of love. In the poignant “Match,” he 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. Through tender electronic melodies and his trademark talk-sing, Wood reminds us of all the missed connections and second-guesses. He makes our hearts feel human again.

Various Artists

Last Year’s Man (self-released)

One year ago, we lost a musical legend and spirit guide with the passing of Leonard Cohen. During his 50-year career, the enigmatic songwriter was an inspiration to many, from Aretha Franklin to U2, with thousands of recordings of his songs to prove it. Baltimore was inspired by Cohen, too, as shown in this spring release. Across 21 tracks, the tribute compilation pays homage to Cohen’s raspy baritone and epic lyrics with true-to-form covers and out-there adaptations. We loved the dramatic rock-opera delivery of “Hallelujah” by indie quartet Joseph & The Beasts, the lush, cello-bathed ballad of “Chelsea Hotel #2” by electro-pop duo Lake Mallory, and the eerily beautiful blues-hymn version of “Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye” by folk singer Bug Martin. Produced by Natural Velvet drummer Greg Hatem, who also covers “Dress Rehearsal Drag,” the collection illustrates Cohen’s versatile, enduring, even immortal legacy.

Amy Reid

Hirsute (Friends Records)

The beauty of this album is how easy it is to get lost in. First, there are Amy Reid’s synth-suffused, bass-heavy beats. Her twinkling electronic melodies chime like ancient bells, conjuring up distant memories and faraway dreams. Then, there are her angelic vocals, which lilt with an airy depth across each song as she ruminates on love and lust. On this first solo album from one part of experimental R&B duo Chiffon, Reid’s nine tracks range from slow jams and love ballads to minimalist dance numbers. Whatever the tempo, these ethereal tunes send the listener into a cozy trance. “Redmoon” feels like looking in a kaleidoscope. “Threshold” is like staring up at the stars. “Like Laughter,” with its swirling whirls and colorful tones, ignites your imagination, as if its swimming through the clouds to outer space. Willingly give into your senses with each luxurious pulse.

Outcalls

No King (self-released)

One of the things we love most about the Baltimore music scene is its continuous ability to surprise us. Outcalls sure did. This female-fronted sextet is not your average indie act featuring shimmering synth and shoegaze guitar. Instead, classically trained opera singers Britt Olsen-Ecker and Melissa Wimbish combine ethereal vocals with robust electronic rhythms to create their own genre: a sort of baroque indie-pop. Their masterful sopranos fuse into lush harmonies that lilt about energetic beats and linger in your ears long after they’re gone. On this debut EP, featuring four tracks and two remixes, each new verse reminds you that the human voice—in all its hypnotic glory—is the ultimate instrument. 

Us and Us Only

Full Flower (Topshelf Records)

The songs on this debut album are like sifting through a dream. Dewy and listless, they conjure up nostalgic, slow-reel images of the sludgy days of summers past—of those fleeting romances that never quite left your memory; of another, younger you. They kind of break your heart, in a good way. With warm guitar, punchy drums, and pure vocals, this indie-rock quintet spins beautifully melancholy melodies, made grand and lush with the help of ace production by Mobtown Studios. They’re also bittersweet, as the Charles Village studio announced its fall closure at the time of the release. We’re sorry to see it go, but there’s always a silver lining in change. After eight years and a few earlier EPs, we’re sure this is just the beginning for Us and Us Only. Listen to “Kno” and you’ll hear why.