Music Reviews: June 2016

Jess Mayhugh — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 12:21:00 +0000

The Snails

Songs From the Shoebox (Ideas for Housecrafts)

Fittingly, we’re a little slow to write about The Snails, but better late than never. This sporadic super-group is one we wish performed year-round. Donning Aaahh!!! Real Monsters-esque headdresses and featuring members of Future Islands, these eclectic critters are easy to instantly love. There’s the guttural croon-growl of FI front man Samuel T. Herring (aka “Sammy Snail”—each bandmate gets their own mollusk moniker) and the wave-riding riffs of bassist William Cashion (“Snailliam”). And of course there’s the sprightly saxophone, rolling-thunder drums, and true-grit garage guitar. Dubbed “AM radio reggae-pop,” the music straddles the line between raw punk, funky ska, and SoCal surf, and after a 2013 debut, the core quintet’s funky, feel-good follow-up is the sunny sound you’ll want to hear at all your rooftop parties, backyard barbecues, and sunburnt trips to the beach. They even include a couple of killer instrumentals, but for the foreseeable future, we’re listening to “Shoebox” on repeat.

See our Q&A with drummer Snailbraham (aka Abram Sanders) from The Snails.

Brooks Long & the Mad Dog No Good

Mannish Boys (self-released)

Local soul musician Brooks Long has been bumping around Baltimore for a while now, performing his old-school sound everywhere from local venues like The 8×10 and Ottobar to large festivals like Artscape and Light City. We often find ourselves singing along to songs from his band’s first release, Let’s Make Out to Otis Redding, as if we’d known them forever. For that reason, it might come as a surprise that the young artist has just released his debut album, full of old standbys like “The Runaround” and “Heavy Petting,” as well as a swath of new favorites. The 15-track record is an upbeat feat, as Long flexes his musical muscles across full-on funk (“Playa Fantasy”), sweet soul (“Don’t Tell Nobody”), smoky blues (“Have You Been Getting Too High”), and boogie-woogie to boot (“Weapons on 65”). Best of all, he brings more friends along for the ride, including other beloved Baltimore talents like Bosley, J Pope, and Rufus Roundtree. As is true with all things Mad Dog No Good, you can’t give it a listen without wanting to learn the words and get up and dance.

Nudie Suits

Summer Fun (Ehse Records)

We dig Nudie Suits. Last fall, the local duo released its first EP, which seemed to capture the unspoken, ordinary, human corners of its title season—summer. It was all there: the sluggish humidity of a hot afternoon (“Gotta b”); the ethereal skies of a full-moon night (“Mom song”); the raw rebellion of a cigarette-fueled teenage joyride (“laura Flynn”); the fluttering, fleeting rush of a July romance (“House cat”). Actually, vocalist Allison Clendaniel and violinist Ruby Fulton were inspired by the cult classic Twin Peaks, as well as art rock, repetition, opera, and outer space. But whatever the influence, the experimental Peabody grads have produced dreamy loops that reach into the crevices of your lows and highs, ranging in rhythm and tempo through stirring synth, dramatic vocals, and captivating compositional beats. It was the perfect combination for Annex Theater, which enlisted an original Nudie Suits score for its production of Flatland earlier this year. Offbeat and beautiful, these five tracks will weave their way into your warm-weather soundtrack.

Source

Weekend Lineup: April 22-24

Lydia Woolever — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 11:00:00 +0000

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

EAT

April 22: The Gathering Season Kickoff

Baltimore Museum of Industry, 1415 Key Hwy. 5-10 p.m. $4.14-45.

If you didn’t get your fill at The Emporiyum last weekend, you can continue to keep your bikini body at bay with Baltimore’s seminal food truck rally The Gathering. Outside on the BMI waterfront, some 20 local food trucks will corral for the first time this season, toting culinary treats like Asian fusion bibimbap from The Green Bowl, crab-covered French fries from Gypsy Queen, gourmet grilled cheese from Grrche, and Baltimore’s favorite ice cream from Miss Twist. The parking lot will also feature beer, wine, art, crafts, and live music by funk and soul band Higher Hands. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the museum.

DRINK

April 23: WTMD’s Brews & Bands

1 Olympic Pl., Towson. 1-5 p.m. $30.
410-704-8938.

WTMD is full of great ideas: streaming Animal Collective at the BWI Airport, setting up concerts for Baltimore bands at the baggage claim, and offering the best way to spend your lunch break with its weekly showcase of awesome acts like Hozier, San Fermin, Sinkane, and Thao & The Get Down. Now, for the second year, they also bring us this fantastic festival for local music and beer. On Saturday, sample unlimited sips from more than 15 local breweries. Whether you prefers IPAs, wheats, saisons or stouts, WTMD has you covered with the likes of The Brewer’s Art’s Choptank’d, Monument City’s 51 Rye, Peabody Heights’s Old Oriole Park, and Union Craft’s Steady Eddie. All the while, soak up the sun and the sounds of local musicians like alt-rockers Among Wolves and local soul-man Brooks Long.

SEE

April 24: Only When It’s Dark EnoughCan You See the Stars, ft. :3ION, Tariq Toure, Sunny Cowell

Peale Museum, 225 N. Holliday St. 12-2
p.m. Free.

After its foodless food truck performance from last fall, The Contemporary, a nomadic arts organization based in Baltimore, is back with a brand-new, groundbreaking exhibit. Launched last Saturday and on display through June 11, New York-based artist Abigail DeVille has transformed the historic former Peale Museum into an experimental installation that examines the unruly nature of history. During its stint downtown, it will also shine a light on local performers, poets, storytellers, and musicians through its “Sunday Salons” series. Starting this weekend, you can see specials guests like accomplished local writer and public speaker Tariq Touré, futuristic R&B artist :3ION (pronounced Elon and reviewed in our upcoming June issue), and singer-songwriter Sunny Cowell. In the coming weeks, expect the likes of spoken word artist Kondwani Fidel, multidisciplinary artist/taxidermy enthusiast Robert Marbury, and legendary artist Joyce J. Scott

HEAR

April 23:

Nudie Suits, Joy Postell, Amythsx, etc.

E.M.P. Collective, 307 W. Baltimore St. 8 p.m. $5.

Last fall, local duo Nudie Suits released its first EP, Summer Fun, which seemed to capture the unspoken, ordinary, human corners of that warm-weather season: the sluggish humidity of a hot afternoon (“Gotta Be”), the ethereal skies of full-moon night (“Mom song”), the raw rebellion of cigarette-fueled teenage joyrides (“Laura Flynn”), and the fleeting rush of a July romance (“House Cat”). In reality, vocalist Ali Clendaniel (also of Annex Theater) and violinist/composer Ruby Fulton were inspired by the cult classic Twin Peaks, as well as art rock, repetition, opera, and outer space. Whatever the influence, the experimental Peabody grads produce dreamy loops that reach into the crevices of your highs and lows, ranging in rhythm and tempo through stirring synth, dramatic vocals, and captivating compositional beats. Offbeat yet beautiful, these five tracks will weave their way into your summer playlists, but catch them this Saturday at EMP Collective alongside an all-female lineup, including spellbinding soul singer Joy Postell, art-folk-rock songwriter Hystermajesty, and up-and-coming DJ Amythsx.

DO

April 24: Federal Hill Spring Block Party

Cross Street Market, 1065 S. Cross St. 12-7 p.m. $5.

When temperatures begin to break 70 on a regular basis, it’s time to start making the weekends last as long as you possibly can. This Sunday, put off your to-do list, push away the Monday-morning-scaries, and take advantage of spring. For a full afternoon of activities, head to Federal Hill, where a neighborhood block party will be popping off, full of Maryland eats, beer in the street, and live music from Baltimore favorites like the Great American Canyon Band and Caleb Stine & The Brakemen. Grab snacks, sips, and sunshine and prepare for months of summer fun.