The Virtual Maryland Film Festival runs from June 12-21. Read all about the fest here and access the films and check out the complete lineup on the MdFF website.

A Thousand Cuts
4 stars

A Thousand Cuts tells the story of an intrepid journalist going up against a populist, misogynist, law-and-order touting politician who boasts about his penis size and disparages the “Fake News” as out to get him. The politician’s name is Rodrigo Duterte and he is the president of the Philippines.

Watching Baltimorean Ramona S. Diaz’s terrific documentary is a bit like looking at America through a funhouse mirror. The similarities between Duterte—and the movement he inspires—and Trump are uncanny. But Duterte is like Trump Unplugged. While Trump tweets “Law and Order!” and calls on the National Guard to pepper spray innocent protesters, Duterte murders drug users (not dealers), no questions asked—and brags about it. (It’s his way of cleaning up the streets.) While Trump rails against fake news and can be rude and bullying to journalists, Duterte has journalists arrested and casually threatens their lives.

It’s into this environment that we get to know the absolute dynamo that is Maria Ressa, the editor of the Filipino newspaper Rappler, the only publication that speaks truth to power in the country. Ressa has been celebrated as a human rights leader across the globe. She was included in Time magazine’s Person of the Year issue in 2018. She is feted by the likes of George and Amal Clooney. She is the constant recipient of humanitarian and journalism awards. At home, however, she and her staff—many young women—are threatened, subject to arrest (Renna is arrested twice over the course of the film), and exposed to despicable online abuse.

Renna herself is a wonderful heroine: Compact and slightly androgynous, with rimless glasses and a no-fuss haircut, she exudes intelligence, charisma, and pluck. She’s so small she seems vulnerable—but her self-possession and clarity of purpose makes her formidable. She says she doesn’t scare easy. What Diaz makes clear is that Renna is scared—but that the work means more to her than her own safety.

A Thousand Cuts—the title is a reference to how Duterte is chipping away at Filipino democracy—is a must see for those who care about freedom of the press, democracy, and the future of one particular country—our own.

Mayor
4 stars

Like so many of the best documentaries, David Osit’s Mayor feels like a work of fiction.

Its central character, Musa Hadid, is a kind-hearted, put-upon bureaucrat, an everyman thrust into absurdist and sometimes dangerous circumstances.

As the mayor of Ramallah, the seat of Palestine’s government, he has many of the usual bureaucratic duties to worry about: Should the city have a brand identity other than We Ramallah? (And should there even be a space between “We” and “Ramallah”?) Should the fountain in town square have an aspirational name like “The Fountain of Life”? And should he hide in his office in City Hall as Israeli soldiers raid his city?

You see, being the Mayor of an occupied municipality brings with it all sorts of challenges and dangers. More than anything, Hadid wants to serve his citizens, provide them with clean water, and pretty scenery, and quality schools. But as he grapples with those things, he must also grapple with the Israeli soldiers, whom he can see from his rooftop, and who make their presence known from time to time, in occasionally threatening fashion.

“I feel jealous of other cities,” he says at one point. “There’s so much that they can do that we can’t.”

Hadid is a wonderfully expressive man—he sighs, wipes his brow, rests his head in his hands, when dealing with problems both quotidian and dire. (When he’s reacting to inept coworkers and bureaucrats, his lack of poker face become particularly comedic.) And we also see Ramallah as a city caught between two identities: On the one hand, French cafes and American chain restaurants like Popeye’s and KFC line the streets (although the Star & Bucks coffee shop is a hilarious knockoff). On the other hand, a lack of autonomy (Ramallah doesn’t even control its own sewage system) and the prospect of real danger looms at every turn.

Beautifully shot, both comedic and tragic, Mayor is a film that offers an intimate look at life in Palestine and at one good man trying his hardest to serve his people.

Raf

3 stars

The unsettling Raf, which has the rhythms and creeping dread of an early Yorgos Lanthimos film, also has shades of The Talented Mr. Ripley, but in reverse.

In this case, it’s a rich young woman, Tal (Jesse Stanley), who aggressively inserts herself into the life of a working class 29-year-old named Raf (Grace Glowicki). The unassuming Raf works odd handyman and janitorial jobs to make ends meet, and has a passionless relationship with her boyfriend Roger (the film’s writer/director Harry Cepka).

Tal seems fascinated by everything about Raf—the offbeat impressions she does (including Charles Manson), the “dance like no one is watching” moves she makes when grooving to her beloved techo music, her bucket hats, and her self-portraits posing with Samurai knives. But does she respect and care about Raf or just see her as some sort of amusing pet project? Tal, we see already, is a provocateur, a careless escalator of conflict (at one point, she confronts a man who cat-called her with such in your face aggression, it’s a miracle no one is seriously hurt). Regardless, Raf is completely under Tal’s spell and the dynamic between them becomes disturbing. In some ways, Tal could be seen as a send up of certain type of off-putting theater type (she is a Shakespearean actress). Everything she does seems performative, as though she’s always being observed by an imaginary audience. She doesn’t just have conversations, she interrogates people, wearing her judgment on her sleeve. And she views everyone else as characters in a drama that she’s starring in.

Things shift when Tal brings Raf to her summer house on the lake. There, Tal’s equally extra brother (Victor Dolhai) shows up and they both seem to view Raf as a plaything. The film grows increasingly menacing, like a horror film waiting for the horror to kick in. Does it ever arrive? Well, you’ll have to watch to find out.

Dark City Beneath the Beat

3 stars

I’m thrilled that Baltimoreans are finally going to get to see rapper/music impresario TT the Artist’s film, a love letter to club music, the healing power of dance, and, above all, the city of Baltimore. But I confess I’m sad that it won’t be screened in a packed theater (for now). Oh, the party we would’ve had.

Still, this kinetic, kaleidoscopic film, one that manages to acknowledge Baltimore’s deep-rooted struggles while celebrating its spirit and beauty, is well worth seeing on video. The film, which is barely over an hour, is hard to describe. It’s part music video, part documentary, party hip-hop-inflected Busby Berkeley musical, part tone poem. If you’re looking for a linear history of club music you won’t find it here. Instead, you meet some of its main players (a few, like Mighty Mark and TT herself are identified; several, somewhat frustratingly, aren’t). You learn the colorful names of some of the dance moves (like the Sponge Bob, Crazy Leg, Sexy Walk, and Cherry Hill) and watch some beautiful spoken word rap and dancing.

Occasionally the film, which combines soaring drone footage with on-the-ground camerawork, pauses for an elaborate musical number. In one case, as orange jumpsuit-clad dancers surround the puckish emcee DDm, we see them in aerial view, creating stunning patterns against the Inner Harbor. In another, an all-too-resonant tragic-comic dance number features a white cop at Lexington Market, first finding the club music irresistible, then shooting dead (with a finger gun, in this case) the black man who performs it. We get brief glimpses at the King and Queen of Baltimore dance competitions, we hear about gone-too-soon club dance legends like K. Swift and Tamika “Fatgirl” Raye, and we hear straight talk about Baltimore’s violence and addiction.

The dancing—filled with kicks and scissors and stepping so fast it sometimes looks like the film has been sped up—is electrifying. There is something a little bittersweet about the film—namely, that TT left Baltimore for LA to start her own, all-female record label, Club Queen records. No doubt she still has mad love for her adopted city. But her absence will be felt.

TT the Artist will participate in a live Q&A after the film first drops on June 12 at 8:30 p.m.

As is true in many American cities, black artists are the heartbeat of Baltimore, and perhaps nowhere is that pulse louder than in our world-renowned music scene. Across myriad genres, musicians of color turn out the type of songs, albums, and live events that could only be born in this city. They’re bold, they’re ground-breaking, they’re rich in experimentation, exploration, and vivid storytelling about the black experience. Five years after the death of Freddie Gray, as the nation breaks out in protest and unrest over the death of George Floyd, there’s never been a better time to listen to and learn from what these vital creatives have to say. Here are 25 of the many talented local acts to get you started.

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Abdu Ali
From their all-inclusive Kahlon dance parties at The Crown to their latest album, FIYA!!!, Abdu Ali is without a doubt a leading voice of the music community, as well as for queer artists and creatives of color in Baltimore and beyond. With a backbone of their hometown genre, Baltimore Club, with brushstrokes of fervent jazz, their music is an idiosyncratic amalgam of futuristic punk-rap poetry that packs a powerful message about oppression and identity. Kudos are also due for their As They Lay arts initiative, whose recent fundraiser helped raised mini grants for artists of color impacted by COVID-19.
Listen Now: “I’m Here Now (Fiyah!!!),” “Did Dat,” “Chastity”

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Al Rogers Jr.
When it comes to spreading positivity, Al Rogers. Jr makes it his mission, even creating his own expression—“swooz”—for the good stuff: joy, happiness, and love. The trendsetting hip-hop artist imbues that optimism into every song—be it a heart-on-his-sleeve ballad or a funky, feel-good experimental rap track—using smart wordplay, infectious beats, and messages of inspiration. That said, he doesn’t shy away from hardships and hurdles either. Combining jazz, hip-hop, and R&B, the beloved rapper is a go-to for exploring emotions, digging deep, and finding a silver lining.
Listen Now: “Crystal Geyser,” “Bright Hard,” “Sayno”

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Brandon Woody
The past of Pennsylvania Avenue’s rich and revered jazz history is being shepherded into the future thanks to local musicians like Brandon Woody, a rising twenty-something trumpeter in the city’s resurgent jazz scene. He’s performed brass with local legends of the genre like Eric Kennedy and Jeff Reed, as well as DIY rappers like Abdu Ali and Al Rogers Jr., led open-mic nights at the Motor House, and performed regularly with his ensembles at An Die Musik. An alum of Peabody Preparatory’s Tuned-In program and the Brubeck Institute in California, he’s a highly talented, expressive instrumentalist who brings a fiery flare to every set.
Listen Now: “Woodallou,” “Miking Trumpet to Whammy Pedal,” “Real Love Snippet”

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Brooks Long & the Mad Dog No Good
When you first hear the songs of Brooks Long, you will simultaneously think you’ve known them forever and that you’ve been waiting for them all your life. The local singer-songwriter pays homage to the old-school sounds of eras past—particularly mid-20th century soul, funk, blues, and R&B—while adding his own flair, humor, and heart to every mellifluous lyric and smooth melody. Long is also a strong advocate for documenting Baltimore music history, from the present and past, with his Creative Alliance “Songster Series” highlighting both beloved and underdog artists.
Listen Now: “Got Soul,” “Heavy Petting,” “Have You Been Getting Too High?”

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Butch Dawson
It’s no secret that Butch Dawson is a name to know now in Baltimore. Over the past few years, the local rapper has emerged from underground rap staple to a front-of-the-pack headliner, carving out his own lane through a formidable fusion of hip-hop, chill wave, and punk with the potent spirit of DIY. Many of his tracks are about surviving the “swamps,” as he calls the West Baltimore streets where he grew up, and the fortitude that comes with it.

Listen Now: “Feel Nobody,” “Trigger,” “Division Street Blues”

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Dapper Dan Midas
There might be no greater Baltimore cheerleader than Dapper Dan Midas, aka DDm. From his days on the local rap battle circuit to his role as frontman of beloved hip-hip duo Bond St. District to his star-power solo career, the charismatic, dynamic rapper has carried Baltimore on his shoulders and imbued the city, in all of its beauty and struggle, into all of his buoyant and hard-hitting verses. Most notably in his latest The Ballad of Omar, DDm critically examines the black experience of growing up in Baltimore and along the way bares his own soul. It’s a must listen for everyone who calls this city their home.

Listen Now: “The Ballad of Omar,” “Swivel, “Hooray”

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Deetranada
When you finally discover Deetranada, you, too, will ask yourself: “Under what rock have I been living?” This 18-year-old wordsmith and one-time star of Lifetime’s The Rap Game (she placed second) has already garnered a serious fanbase in Baltimore and beyond (think hundreds of thousands of followers and millions of views). And for good reason: as shown on her first two albums, Deetranada has some of the most impressive, bravado-filled flows and sharpest, hardest-hitting rhymes about coming up in Baltimore around.
Listen Now: “Attitude!,” Box,” “Know Me”

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Dyyo
In the endless quest to find the next great artist, Baltimore music fans can look no further than the force to be reckoned with that is Dyyo. This alternative rap artist has a singular, shapeshifting sound founded in potent energy, explosive experimentation, and hearty nods to influences like punk rock and improvisational jazz. His latest Live! record bottles that exploratory sound with the clashing drums, driving guitar, and serpentine brass of a full band with Dyyo’s own kinetic vocals at the forefront. As he continues to evolve as an artist, make sure you’re there to follow, and headbang, along.
Listen Now: “Raspberry,” “Checks in the Mail,” “Fight or Flight?”

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:3ION

We hope that in the distant future, there will always be love songs, and we imagine that they will probably sound something like the avant-garde R&B of Elon Battle, or :3ION. Come for the dark, romantic melodies and digital dance beats, but stay for the singer-songwriter’s luminously moody falsetto vocals that float like a feather—swinging low, soaring high, and always speaking to the deepest desires of the heart. :3LON has become a stalwart of the local scene, appearing on many a genre-crossing lineup in Station North, and recently touring nationally with acclaimed Baltimore indie duo Lower Dens.
Listen Now: “Haven,” “Aria of Resilience,” “Many Moons”

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Eze Jackson
One of the most iconic, indispensable voices in Baltimore music is undoubtedly that of Eze Jackson. Over the last decade, the hip-hop frontman has been a dogged creative force for the local arts scene—putting on powerful performances as an MC through solo projects and his powder-keg alt-hip-hop group Soul Cannon, uplifting up-and-coming artists through the Bmore Beat Club rap series, constantly collaborating, and always speaking honestly about black inequality and empowerment. His recent “Be Great” was played over a loud speaker as marchers knelt in unity on Monday’s youth-led protest.
Listen Now: “Unapologetically Black,” “Be Great,” “You Need Some”

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J. Pope

Listen to Jasmine Pope and hear her roar. From her bands the Funk Friday to the HearNow, the alt-soul singer-songwriter’s compellingspoken-word delivery and captivating stage presence has become a stalwart of the local scene over the last decade, capturing the attentions of diverse audiences, beloved by all corners of the city’s scene. Riding on the up-tempo funk and blues-infused, jam-band-style melodies of her bandmates, Pope is a modern-day poet at the core, delivering vigorous verses with rapid-fire flow, honeyed vocals, and powerful messages of truth and positivity.

Listen Now: “Soul Searching,” “Confusion,” “Check Your Soul”

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James Nasty
When considering any of the city’s local concert, festival, and event lineups, one thing is for certain: If James Nasty is on the bill, it’s going to be a good time. This veteran DJ and Bmore Club producer has become a household name in Baltimore for his high-energy mixes that master the genre’s rapid pace and patchwork sound but with a nod to the greats who came before him. Even those who think they haven’t heard of him likely have, as his hits have been regularly spun on local radio stations. Over the last nearly two decades, he’s incited instant dance parties at places such as Paradox, Ottobar, Light City, and most recently The Crown, and been a prolific musician performing hundreds if not thousands of sets across the city.
Listen Now: “Them Do It Horns,” “Pop,” “Dynamite”

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Josh Stokes
Over the last few years, Josh Stokes has been a quiet pillar of the Baltimore music scene. The drummer-singer dynamo has performed in live bands, recorded backup and feature vocals, and been an opening act for other beloved names across the city—all while working on his own exceptional, experimental tunes, making him undoubtedly one of the most hardworking musicians in the city. But his trippy new-age take on funk is worthy of its own consideration for a textured, throwback sound and Stokes’ own ethereal, gospel-tinged croons.
Listen Now: “Focus,” “Thank You,” “14 Daze”

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Joy Postell
Singer-songwriter Joy Postell broke onto the scene with her heart-wrenching recording of “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” in the aftermath of the death of Freddie Gray and the subsequent Baltimore Uprising, asserting herself as a mighty voice to be reckoned with. Her follow-ups, “Consciousness” and “Water,” and the entire album Diaspora, would continue her socially minded music, in which she speaks to injustices faced by the African-American community and incorporates influences of jazz and soul into her hip-hop and R&B. On her latest EP, more personal than political, Postell continues to showcase her ability to speak truth to power.

Listen Now: “Consciousness,” “Water, “Back and Forth”

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JPEGMAFIA
He might have moved to the West Coast a few years back, but JPEGMAFIA continues to rep Baltimore, writing songs about his local days, collaborating with local artists, and showing up to perform shows at local venues where the crowds came out in droves. The bicoastal artist’s avant-rap, rooted in dystopian soundscapes and provocative rhymes, is an act of artistic defiance. He refuses to stay inside the lines, to appeal to mainstream audiences, to be bound by genre. For that, from sets at Coachella to rave reviews in indie music publications, all eyes are on JPEG to see what comes next.
Listen Now: “Free the Frail,” “1539 N. Calvert,” “Cutie Pie!”

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Kotic Couture

It’s hard to straddle both the poignant and the party, but up-and-coming rapper Kotic Couture excels at both, approaching their music with confidence and vulnerability, tipping a hat to their journey from a small-town upbringing to being a new leader on the Baltimore music scene. Whether it’s an outright club banger, bare-bones ballad, magnetic live solo performance, or their much-loved Version queer dance party with DJ Trillnatured at The Crown, Couture showcases a creative, colorful versatility that’s all their own—speaking honestly to dreams, doubts, and staying true to yourself.
Listen Now: “Grammy Speech,” “Growing Pains, “Drippin’”

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Lafayette Gilchrist

Over the last 25 years, Gilchrist has earned legend status in the Baltimore arts community. A winner of the prestigious Baker Artist Award, this Washington, D.C. native, longtime Baltimore resident, and piano guru has cemented himself in the city’s artistic history through his jubilant jazz compositions. They’re fueled by propulsive rhythms and seamless improvisations that effortlessly capture the essence of Baltimore—its energy, its joy, its struggle—as well as serve as iconic scores to David Simon’s HBO series The Wire, Treme, and The Deuce. Be sure to catch one of his upcoming livestreams through An Die Musik.

Listen Now: “Assume the Position,” “Bmore Careful,” “Deep Dancing Suite”

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Mighty Mark
Baltimore truly has a soundtrack to the city with the homegrown genre Baltimore or Bmore Club, born here in the 1980s by the likes of Miss Tony and Scottie B with a breakbeat sound that fuses hip-hop, house music, and staccato samples to create a pulsating, frenetic dance party. In recent years, Cherry Hill’s Mighty Mark has been the torchbearer, producing bass-fueled beats for his own tracks, collaborating with other club-minded creatives like TT The Artist, and appearing on national TV, all to assure that the genre continues to make its mark on history.

Listen Now: “Be More,” “Payroll,” “Don’t Want None”

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QueenEarth
The music of QueenEarth is like a salve for the soul. With faint touches of influences like India Arie and Lauryn Hill, the acoustic vocalist makes melodies all her own, using expressive beats and soulful vocals across tracks that range from textured, meditative instrumentals to jazz-infused R&B melodies. Through both her mindful tunes and her community education efforts, QueenEarth has made it her life’s work to share a message of empowerment for women of color, LGBTQ pride, social justice, and spiritual uplift.
Listen Now: “Dear Love,” “Quarantined Sax,” “Game”

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RoVo Monty
Modern love is complicated, but putting it into song seems effortless for RoVo Monty. The electronic R&B songwriter celebrates black queer romance in his effervescent music, asserting his desires, unpacking his fears, ultimately creating a lush musical environment for self-expression and self-empowerment. Inspired by fashion, dance, and disco, rife with irresistible hooks, bouncy beats, and velvety vocals, each track is club-ready and impossible not to bop along to. Monty is also a choreographer; be sure to check out his accompanying videos to learn a thing or two from his knock-out dance moves.
Listen Now: “Pretty in Pink,” “Pretn’d,” “Fix It”

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Rufus Roundtree and Da B’more Brass Factory
A Baltimore institution and high-energy music collective, Rufus Roundtree & Da B’More Brass Factory is hands down one of the most fun, feel-good shows in town, fusing funk, hip-hop, blues, and jazz into a Baltimore-meets-New Orleans get-down that could spark a second line. As the name implies, it’s a brass-heavy sound performed by some of the city’s most talented instrumentalists and led by the smoky, spirited vocals of bandleader Roundtree in his signature chapeau (said to have been a surprise gift from George Clinton).
Listen Now: “Me Think Me Love You,” “In Dem Streets,” “Get Up Live”

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Trillnatured
The lack of safe spaces for people of color and the LGBTQ community has long been a point of contention in Baltimore City, but each month, upstairs at The Crown, Jessica Hyman, aka DJ Trillnatured, creates a welcome, feel-good environment in her monthly Version dance party. Since 2017, these events have been a free, feel-good, second-Saturday night ritual full of Hyman’s dynamic mixes, Kotic Couture’s charismatic emcee, and all-out, sweat-drenched dance-offs into the wee hours of the morning. She’s also lent a hand in teaching the next generation of black Baltimore DJs as a former instructor at Baltimore Youth Arts.
Listen Now: “Use a Damn Coaster,” “True Laurels Show Live,” “This Side Up”

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TT The Artist

She may have relocated to Los Angeles last year, but it goes without saying that TT The Artist will always be Baltimore. The MICA grad has played a pivotal role in bringing Bmore Club onto the big stage, performing at Coachella, collaborating with Diplo, landing tracks on TV shows like HBO’s Insecure and Comedy Central’s Broad City, starting her own woman-of-color-forward Club Queen Records, and now releasing her debut documentary film on the city’s homegrown genre, Dark City: Beneath the Beat, which should have premiered at SXSW this spring. With vivacious energy, fierce lyrics, and undeniable beats, we hail the club queen that is TT.

Listen Now: “Thug It Out,” “Diamonds,” “Off the Chain”

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Warren Wolf

From the Baltimore School for the Arts through Peabody Preparatory to recording and performing with the likes of Wynton Marsalis, Cyrus Chestnut, and Robert Glasper, Warren Wolf has made a name for himself, at home and abroad, as a young great of the modern jazz scene­—all while keeping Baltimore’s rich history with the genre alive and well. The West Baltimore native is an in-demand virtuoso on the vibraphones, performing at local concert halls like An Die Musik and prestigious venues around the globe. It’s the sound of another era, made, with groove and gusto that is positively contemporary.
Listen Now: “Montara,” “Soul Sister,” “For Ma”

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Wendel Patrick
Wendel Patrick is a man of many hats: rapper, composer, producer, co-founder of the Baltimore Boom Bap Society improvised concert series, co-creator of WYPR’s esteemed Out of the Blocks radio show, and Peabody Conservatory professor of hip-hop, to name a few. The multi-talented, classically trained artist has a gifted ear and is a master at collaboration, winning the 2015 Baker Artist Award and being referred to as “David Foster Wallace reincarnated as a sound engineer” by the former Urbanite magazine. Simply put, everything he touches turns to sonic gold.
Listen Now: “A Tale of Two Producers,” “Time,” “Producer”

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There was a familiar voice during the much-anticipated Super Bowl LIV commercials on Sunday night, and we’re not referring to the roar of a Ravens’ Ray Lewis cameo in the NFL’s own ad.

In the second quarter, tax software company TurboTax launched its brand-new campaign, “All People Are Tax People,” with a viral dance video and infectious theme song by none other than Baltimore’s own TT The Artist.

Directed by Calmatic, who just won the Best Music Video Grammy for Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” and choreographed by Sherrie Silver, the mind behind Childish Gambino’s “This is America,” the video featured a diverse mix of people doing everyday tasks while also demonstrating the same wobbly legged dance moves. All the while, TT, aka Tedra Wilson, sings about W2s and CPAs.

The longtime Baltimore artist produced and recorded the song, which was inspired by the New Orleans bounce genre and club music culture in general, the latter of which she has worked to promote, particularly in the realm of Baltimore Club music, for over a decade.

“I didn’t find out it was for a Super Bowl commercial until after the song was completed,” says Wilson, who is now based in Los Angeles. “It was exciting to just see it. I’m an independent artist, and it was something I created myself…For me, it was just about representing black music and culture.”

Though this was her first Super Bowl spot, TT’s music has appeared in film and on television for shows like HBO’s Insecure and Comedy Central’s Broad City. She is currently working on new music for her female-focused label, Club Queen Records, as well as preparing for the official world premiere of her forthcoming music documentary, Dark City: Beneath the Beat.

Every year, we’re seriously impressed by the amount of artistic talent in Baltimore, and 2019 was no different, with top-notch music coming out of the city—making its way onto both the local and national stage. It also felt like a year where the musical community came into its own. No, Rolling Stone didn’t name us the best music city in America again (not that we need that recognition to know that we are), but there were numerous moments of reckoning, if you will. Rising artists finally got their due. Established acts performed epic homecoming shows. Hallowed institutions wrestled with their futures. There were both losses of legends and celebrations of lifetimes, and each reminded us of the great impact this city has had, and continues to have, on the musical form. Here, we round up some of the most memorable moments of 2019. And we recommend keeping your ears perked for all that is to come in 2020.

Ethel Ennis passes away.
This past February, Baltimore’s “First Lady of Jazz” passed away at age 86. During the late 1950s and 1960s, the West Baltimore singer recorded for major labels, toured Europe, headlined the Newport Jazz Festival, and performed regularly with the likes of Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Duke Ellington. As a child, she learned to play piano at the Ames United Methodist Church in Sandtown-Winchester and later became a mainstay at the Red Fox on Pennsylvania Avenue. Disillusioned by the music industry, Ennis ultimately eschewed national stardom and returned to Baltimore for a more simple life, where she performed until her later years. Her mark on the greater musical world remains.

Dan Deacon performs with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
It felt like fate had somewhat of a hand in the moment when Dan Deacon first took to the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall stage with members of the BSO this spring. At the time, the orchestra was in the midst of a contentious contract dispute that would eventually lead to a summer-long lockout of the musicians by the organization’s management (see below), while the electronic artist—15 years after moving to Baltimore and forever changing the local music scene—was quietly working on a new record about overcoming doubt, and reckoning with age and death and time. For a few hours, the two iconic musical acts, seemingly from opposite of the sonic spectrum, though Deacon studied composition in college, came together for a night that would become a gift to the city. The musicians filled the halls with hope, as concertgoers got out of their seats, ran down the aisles, and started an impromptu dance party in front of the venerable stage.

Abdu Ali releases FIYAH!!!.
Over the last several years, few musicians have been as influential and integral to the Baltimore music scene as Abdu Ali. From the glory days of their all-inclusive, underground Kahlon dance party at The Crown to national coverage by the likes of The New York Times, The New Yorker, and NPR more recently, the avant-garde rapper has helped put Baltimore’s DIY culture on the map, remaining deeply rooted to their hometown city along the way. This spring, the release of their studio debut, FIYAH!!!, took their artistry to a new level, fusing hip-hop and Baltimore Club music with jazz and punk. The record and its release solidified Ali’s star power with a full-band lineup, led to a sold-out show at the Ottobar, and helped them nab a well-deserved “Artist of the Year” award from City Hall.

André De Shields wins his first Tony.
As a cherry on top of a 50-year acting career, 73-year-old Charm City native André De Shields took home his first Tony Award in June, winning best featured actor in a musical for his performance of the god Hermes in Hadestown. De Shields grew up in West Baltimore, one of 11 children, and graduated from City College before moving from regional theater to Broadway. He would go on to gain renown for his roles in shows like The Wiz and The Full Monty. A few weeks after the Tonys, he was also presented with a mayoral salute and key to the city by Mayor Jack Young. “This is what you get when you blow them out of the water,” he said during his acceptance speech, showing the crowd his Tony. “I did it the only way you could—the Baltimore way.”

Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon slays on American Idol.
If you don’t watch American Idol, you might have missed, in our opinion, one of the most special stories of the television show’s history. If you do watch American Idol, you’ve already been a Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon fan for months. The Catonsville singer-songwriter placed sixth in the competition, wowing judges and viewers with his sensational falsetto, his original song “Almost Heaven,” and his backstory, the son of a Baptist pastor who discovered he was gay at age nine. This fall, Harmon released his debut album and this winter, graduated from Towson University, where he studied vocal performance.

Beach House gets sentimental at the Hippodrome.
In June, dream-pop duo Beach House returned to the city for their first big hometown performance since the Windjammer music festival at Pier Six in 2015. Taking over the hallowed stage of the Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, singer Victoria LeGrand and guitarist Alex Scally put on a powerful show to promote their latest album, 7, with some old favorites thrown in along the way. Typically stoic performers, they both spoke sentimentally about the city, even referencing the Orioles. Opening acts were also must-see sets by Dan Deacon and Future Islands’ William Cashion.

The Ottobar persists and, as The Windup Space closes, Rituals opens in its stead.
Two big changes took place at local music venues this year, with the announcement of sales and closures stirring fear for a scene that already lamented a dearth of creative space. But a few months after the Ottobar announced that its longtime owners were selling the business, it was revealed that longtime bar manager Tecla Tesnau would be taking over the Remington rock club in late summer, keeping it in local hands, and it seems that little has changed. And just weeks after word surfaced that The Windup Space would be closing its doors, news broke that the location would be reopened as Rituals, a bar and venue that would keep the same all-inclusive, DIY tradition alive and well, allowing the arts community to let out a collective sigh of relief. There, lineups have included local favorites like Lower Dens, Eze Jackson, and Chiffon.

TT The Artist pays homage to Baltimore Club.
This summer, TT The Artist made her directorial debut with the sneak peek premiere of her upcoming music documentary, Dark City: Beneath The Beat. Despite relocating to Los Angeles, the beloved rapper has long been a fierce advocate of, and an active participant in, the city’s hometown musical genre, Baltimore Club—the story of which she tells in her unique, colorful film. Featuring cameos and music by fellow local artists such as DDm, Eze Jackson, Mighty Mark, and Rufus Roundtree, it now enters the finishing-touch and fundraising stages in hopes of joining the festival circuit in 2020.

DDm drops Beautiful Gowns.
This summer, DDm released his debut full-length album, Beautiful Gowns, which, unsurprisingly, turned out to be one of the most fun, infectious records to come out of Baltimore this year. That’s thanks to the pure showmanship of the city-born rapper who has brought bravado, wit, humor, and heart to his music and live performances across the city for years, from the local battle rap circuit through his Bond St. District duo and now in his solo career. A year after his planned debut, Soundtrack To A Shopping Mall, was nixed, these 13 tracks stood testament to DDm’s determination and dauntless creativity. Self-released, locally produced, and spread without the help of local radio, singles like “He Say She Say” and “Pull Up”garnered thousands of listens on Spotify and views on YouTube all on their own. We personally love the bright, buoyant ballads of “Hooray” and “Forever 21.”

Future Islands rocks out at Union Collective.
In early September, thousands of Baltimore City music lovers packed into the parking lot of Union Collective for a night to remember by local dream-pop darlings Future Islands. Much like their impromptu Hampdenfest performance in 2014, the band’s free live show took place outside as the sun set, featuring both new material off their upcoming album and fan favorites like “Seasons” and “Balance,” with frontman Sam Herring’s mercurial dance moves out in full force. Opening acts included Baltimore artists Smoke Bellow, Joy Postell, and DJs Jason Willett and Jay Buim, and the brewery’s neighbor, The Charmery, sold three Future Islands-themed flavors of ice cream to support city non-profits.

The BSO survives a tumultuous year.
It was a long, strange trip around the sun for the century-old Baltimore Symphony Orchestra: ongoing contract negotiations that tumbled into labor disputes, the cancellation of the summer season, a highly publicized lockout of the musicians by BSO management, followed by months of player protests outside the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. But this fall, both parties reached a one-year agreement that resulted in the meeting of many players’ demands and the on-time opening of the fall schedule. The organization has also since launched their newly formed vision committee and brought in outside help from arts-org “turnaround king” Michael Kaiser, so things are looking up. (Except for maestra Marin Alsop hinting at her departure.)

JPEGMAFIA continues to soar.
It’s been another big year for JPEGMAFIA. The alternative rap artist, known as Peggy, toured the U.S., to many sold-out crowds. He performed at the likes of Afro Punk, Firefly, and Coachella, where rolling stone called his set one of the best of the festival. He opened for big-name acts like Vince Staples and Flume. He garnered national press and profiles by the likes of Billboard, The Guardian, and Paper. And this fall, he released his latest album, All My Heroes Are Cornballs, to national acclaim— a colorful, cacophonous collage that takes us on a trip into his beautiful, manic, often NSFW dream world. All the while, even though he has since relocated to L.A., Peggy always gave love back to Baltimore, his former city, selling out two nights at the Ottobar, hopping on Abdu Ali’s latest record, and bringing fellow rising local rapper Butch Dawson along on his tour. For that, for as long as we can, we’ll continue to claim him as our own.

Morgan State’s marching band leads the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The holidays came early this year when it was announced that Morgan State University’s Magnificent Marching Machine would be leading the iconic procession of marching bands in the 93rd annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, making MSU the first of Maryland’s historically black colleges to perform in the parade’s history. Ahead of a giant Snoopy balloon, the college band, led by band leader Melvin Miles Jr., marched triumphantly in blue and white uniforms for nearly three miles from the Upper West Side, around Central Park, and down to the famed namesake department store on Herald Square. Millions of viewers watched from the city streets and on their television sets at home.

A star is born in Maggie Rogers.
In the 12 months of 2019, Eastern Shore native Maggie Rogers released a debut album via Capitol Records, starred as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, sold out her U.S. tour, performed at the likes of Coachella, attended the Met Gala, and garnered her first Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. While still a student at NYU, the singer-songwriter got her first taste of fame serendipitously, when a video of Pharrell Williams going ga-ga for one of her songs went viral. But everything that came next, and all that lies ahead, has undoubtedly been the result of her own talent and star staying power.

Check out our Spotify playlist below for Lydia’s Top 30 songs of 2019.

Visual Art

The Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize Finalists Exhibition
Don’t miss your chance to catch some of the art world’s brightest rising stars at this exhibition celebrating the seven finalists for the prestigious Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize. The winner of the $25,000 fellowship will be named in July, but works by Negar Ahkami, Akea Brionne Brown, Cheeny Celebrado-Royer, Schroeder Cherry, Phylicia Ghee, Jackie Milad, and Stephanie Williams will stay on display through August 11. June 15-Aug. 11. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St.

RAW Baltimore Presents: Impact
This gathering of independent artists will bring beauty, fashion, music, digital art, and more to Baltimore Soundstage. Whether you’re looking to pick up something to hang on the wall or be inspired by creative new takes on genderqueer fashion and vegan beauty, there’s something to be found for everyone at this showcase of local talent. 7 p.m. June 28. Baltimore Soundstage, 124 Market Pl.

Music

Outer Spaces Record Release
Grab some friends and head to Current Space’s backyard for this outdoor show celebrating the release of dreamy indie-pop act Outer Spaces’ new record, Gazing Globe, featuring guests Smoke Bellow, Cigarette, and Wheatie Mattiasich with Steve Santilla. The sticky summer evening will fit perfectly with Cara Beth Stalino’s exploration of what it means to lose someone but find yourself all over again. 7-11 p.m. June 29. Current Space, 421 N. Howard St.

Theater

Mortified: PRIDE Edition
Some of us dread those childhood journal entries and notebooks full of poems coming back to haunt us. Mortified embraces them. This Pride-themed version of the Creative Alliance storytelling series will feature adolescent artifacts exploring sexual and gender identity, coming out, and other experiences from the LGBTQ+ community. 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. June 15. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.

A Midsummer Night’s Bash
Say a fitting farewell to Single Carrot Theatre’s Remington home with full night of Shakespearean shenanigans. Start the evening with the troupe’s raucous performance of Drunk Shakespeare [and other dead white guys], then stick around for bites, drinks, dancing, and more at the Howard Street theater. 7 p.m. June 22. Single Carrot Theatre, 2600 N. Howard St.

Literature

D. Watkins in Conversation with Lisa Snowden-McCray
Five years ago, D. Watkins found a national audience with his viral essay “Too Poor for Pop Culture.” Now a professor, Editor at Large for Salon, and founder of the BMORE Writers Project, Watkins has become an essential voice. In honor of the fifth anniversary of his first print publication, Watkins joins Baltimore Beat editor Lisa Snowden-McCray for a conversation about how things have and haven’t changed since that first essay and what his latest book, We Speak for Ourselves, can add to the story. 7 p.m. June 26. Red Emma’s, 1225 Cathedral St.

Barbara Bourland—Fake Like Me
Humor, mystery, and sharp observation abound in Barbara Bourland’s follow-up to 2017’s I’ll Eat When I’m Dead, Fake Like Me, in which she moves the focus from a Manhattan magazine to the dueling egos of the contemporary art world. Settle into Greedy Reads’ cozy Fells Point home for a conversation with Bourland and BMore Art’s Cara Ober to celebrate the new release. 7:30 June 21. Greedy Reads, 1744 Aliceanna St.

Film

First Look: Dark City: Beneath the Beat
This celebration of community and Baltimore Club comes from one of the genre’s greatest voices, TT The Artist. Head to the SNF Parkway and follow the red carpet in for a first look at Dark City: Beneath The Beat, TT’s documentary following some of the city’s best local musicians, DJs, poets, dancers, and producers as they build and perpetuate a close-knit creative community that rises above Baltimore’s less-than-sterling reputation. 6:30 p.m. Red Carpet Pre-show, 7:15 p.m. Film Presentation, 8:30 p.m. Director Interview and Q&A, June 26. SNF Parkway Theatre, 3 W. North Ave.

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.

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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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This was a big year for Baltimore music. A decade after Rolling Stone dubbed our city the best music scene in the country, local artists continued to make great music—in some ways better than ever—and they got recognized for it, both through local listeners and on the national stage.

Locally, Baltimore artists released a record number of highly anticipated albums over the course of the last 12 months, and in doing so, also treated us to a heap of had-to-be-there concerts on our hometown stages, from Snail Mail making her debut at The Parkway to DDm transforming the Soundstage into a fashion runway to one very memorable night starring TT The Artist at Union Collective during our first-ever Baltimore magazine Music Festival. (Be on the lookout for its return in 2019.) Nationally, it seemed as if every time we went online, another local musician was being recognized by a top tastemaker, from The Fader and Vice (both thanks in no small part to True Laurels’ Lawrence Burney) to, yes, Rolling Stone, plus NPR, Billboard, and The New York Times, with one especially deserved piece on local artists of color. Hearing this music, seeing these concerts, and reading these headlines amidst the chaos of 2018 gave us a glimmer of hope.

Picking favorites from this past year has felt nearly impossible—we simply didn’t know where to begin, or end—so to help narrow our focus, we’ve chosen 20 songs off those aforementioned new albums, which includes everything from fresh-faced folk and up-and-coming hip-hop to the rebirth of indie veterans and the solidification of new rock stars. Hear for yourself, via our Spotify playlist below, but in this age of quick consumption, we encourage you to listen to these records in full, and to find your own favorites. And to continue to follow the local music scene, these artists and others, into 2019 and beyond.

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“Dive” by Beach House
We’ve learned to no longer sit on the edge of our seats for a Beach House album as over the last few years the duo has continued to drop a sudden new song here or full-blown record release there without so much as a whiff of Internet buzz. But their seventh record, aptly titled 7, did serve as a solid reminder of the band’s ability to surprise us. It’s a hazy, haunting evolution in their decade-long perfection of shimmering, fuzzed-out dream-pop, with the new songs bringing a fresh sense of urgency and innovation, as heard in this second single. It builds in Beach House’s signature slow-burning way before erupting in a potent moment of thunderous live drums and lustrous guitar. This newfound clarity only further cements Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally as indie rock royalty, in Baltimore and beyond.
Honorable Mentions: “Lemon Glow,” “Drunk In LA,” “L’Inconnue.”

“Feel Nobody” by Butch Dawson

One of the biggest breakthroughs of the year might belong to Butch Dawson (and one of the biggest oversights of the year likely belongs to leaving him out of our Music Issue’s list of top 50 bands to watch). This mosh-ready single off the West Baltimore rapper’s autumn debut, Swamp Boy, was undoubtedly one of the most beloved songs in 2018, bringing his punkish, smoke-swirled brand of hip-hop to the forefront of the local music scene. Dawson’s unbridled fire was also recognized by The Fader and that aforementioned article in The New York Times.
Honorable Mentions: “Division St. Blues,” “Liberation,” “Distances.”

“Hollow Imitation” by Caleb Stine
Long before the birth of the Charm City Bluegrass Festival and the region’s recent folk music renaissance, there was Caleb Stine, stoking the flames of his genre and its deep ties to Maryland through Americana tales over the course of the last two decades. But Moon, the rustic raconteur’s first new solo record in some time, turns its attention away from the road and religion, toward the ground-shaking, all-consuming power of love. This reverential ballad is Stine’s storytelling at its very best, with saturated imagery unfolding like an old film.
Honorable Mentions: “Higher Ground,” “Garden,” “Bodhi Tree.”

“Rude” by DDm
Okay, so we know this record hasn’t officially dropped, but anyone who’s seen DDm perform over the last several months has already fallen for the new tracks off his upcoming Soundtrack To A Shopping Mall, due out in the new year. DDm, aka Emmanuel Williams, aka Unkle Lulu, aka the Secretary of Shade, is the master of bona fide swagger, side-splitting braggadocio, and Beyoncé-worthy production, as showcased on this track. We can’t think of many (or any) other local artists who put on a performance quite like DDm; he brings it to everything he touches.
Honorable Mentions: “Ready To Wear,” “Try Me On,” “Forever 21.”

“Riddles” by Ed Schrader’s Music Beat
After a decade of cutting their chops and gaining a loyal following on the local scene, Ed Schrader and Devlin Rice finally got their national due this year, with the post-punk duo’s spring album, Riddles, via Car Park Records, lauded by the likes of NPR, Spin, and Rolling Stone. We could say it’s about time, but those years allowed ESMB to find new footing in this cathartic triumph, produced by friend and fellow local institution Dan Deacon. Out of 10 bold songs, this twinkling title track is the unrivaled star—swelling in synth-fueled emotion and ’80s-pop euphoria—speaking to facing your fears and, in turn, yourself. Just be sure to watch its Best of Baltimore-winning music video as well.
Honorable Mentions: “Kid Radium,” “Dunce,” “Tom.”

“Knock the Man Down” by The High & Wides
Yes, the city’s bluegrass scene has been growing like kudzu over the last few years, but few new bands have caught our eye—and ear—quite like this Baltimore-by-way-of-Eastern Shore string quartet. Their spring debut, Lifted, was met with critical acclaim for its reverence to, revolution from, and revival of the Americana genre; thought rooted in tradition, the band reimagines bluegrass for the 21st century. This track is all grit and gumption, from its jangly melody to its howling vocals and expert instrumentation—a back-woods boot-stomper for modern day.
Honorable Mentions: “Rake Out The Nails,” “Ballad of Caulk’s Field,” “Dark Blues.”

“Water” by Joy Postell
Diaspora, the full-length debut by Joy Postell, only affirmed what we already knew: the twenty-something soul powerhouse is a forerunner of the local music scene and a force to be reckoned with. Drawing inspiration from legends of the past (Nina Simone, Billie Holliday, Sarah Vaughn), Postell looks toward the future as a black woman in America in 2018, and each of the album’s tracks tackle the African-American experience, from freedom to love. With a rippling jazz melody and the singer’s mighty vox, this second single is an especially poignant portrait, presenting young black minds as the seeds of future change. Indeed Postell, also featured in the summer New York Times feature, is one herself.
Honorable Mentions: “Consciousness,” “North Star,” “Free Black.”

“1539 N. Calvert” by JPEGMAFIA
Heading into 2019, JPEGMAFIA is definitely one of the city’s—and country’s—top wavemakers, thanks to a record year riding on the success of his boundary-pushing spring Veteran, with fiery live performances at the likes of Afropunk and spots in a slew of end-of-year best-of lists from Stereogum to Pitchfork sold. Though he now lives in L.A., we continue to claim the rap provocateur as our own. After all, this first track off the sophomore record is an ode to the former Bell Foundry art space in Greenmount West that abruptly closed after the Ghost Ship fire in California. The murky melody is a no-holds-barred stream-of-consciousness, best listened to alongside its dystopian Last Supper music video featuring other fellow Bell regulars.
Honorable Mentions: “Baby I’m Bleeding,” “Rock N Roll Is Dead,” “Macaulay Culkin.”

“Assume The Position” by Lafayette Gilchrist & The New Volcanoes
There are few living legends left in Baltimore quite like Lafayette Gilchrist. The Baltimore-by-way-of-D.C. jazz and 2018 Baker Artist Award winner is revered by critics and listeners alike for his dynamic domination of the keys, easily recognized on his iconic scores in David Simon’s HBO series, from The Wire to The Deuce, but the. On his latest EP, Deep Dancing Suite, Gilchrist and his 10-piece New Volcanoes bring back the uncontainable energy of jazz-era improvisation with a dose of modern danceability. Notably, this long-held hit gets new life at nearly double its original length, where keys, brass, and percussion take part in a lively jive. The reinvention stands testament to the artist’s freestyle fluency and finesse.
Honorable Mentions: “Deep Dancing Suite,” “Ping Pong,” “Return of the Inchworm.”

“Where I’m Bound” by Letitia VanSant
In her spring album and follow-up to 2015’s Parts & Labor, Gut It To The Studs, folk singer-songwriter Letitia VanSant crafts a thoughtful opus on new chapters and change, with this first melody being a love letter to that of personal growth. On it, VanSant’s mellifluent voice rolls bright and clear along a hearty river of acoustic guitar, upright bass, and old-school fiddle, setting the stage for the rest of the record and embracing the yet-to-be-seen discovery that still lies ahead of her. In the end of both this song and the entire record, she emerges newly powerful and perceptive. We’ll be anxious to see how she channels that newfound purpose on her next release.
Honorable Mentions: “Gut It To The Studs,” “Wild Heart Roam,” “Sundown Town.”

“Winning” by Peso Da Mafia
Last summer, Northeast Baltimore rap group Peso Da Mafia launched onto the local airwaves and, shortly thereafter, national stage with their come-up single turned viral dance video “Money Man.” It would be a tough act to follow, but by early 2018, the trio would drop this sneak peek off their debut Never A Drought via Warner Music subsidiary Asylum Records. With more than a million Spotify listens and YouTube music video views for this track, it’s safe to say that their slow-burn beats, confident rhymes, and catchy hooks are in anything but short supply. And with slots at SXSW and the BET Awards preshow, plus shout outs in Complex and XXL, it seems the big-wigs are watching, too.
Honorable Mentions: “Money Man,” “TSAY,” “About Us.”

“Homeward Bound” by Sean K. Preston & The Loaded Pistols
We’ve heard this ballad around the Fells Point dive bars for a few years, but newly produced on the fall full-length, Forgive, by Sean K. Preston and his band The Loaded Pistols, the country blues number has taken on new meaning. This song details the heartache, hard luck, and hungry dreams that it takes to be a full-time musician, and in term, captures the essence of one of Baltimore’s most dogged performers and true-blue, truth-speaking storytellers. After more than a decade on the local scene, this ballad and its accompanying record not only document but put on full display the hard-earned talents of Preston and his bandmates.
Honorable Mentions: “Last Call,” “Barnburner,” “Life’s a Bitch.”

“cherubim” by serpentwithfeet
This spring, the unexpected sound of serpentwithfeet, aka Baltimore native Josiah Wise, brought the country’s top music critics to their knees. The avant-R&B artist’s debut soil was considered a singular tour de force—absorbing in its theatricality, moving in its occult spirituality, liberating in its effusive emotion—transcendent of all boundaries. In short, it’s unlike anything anyone had heard, as showcased in this devastatingly intimate devotional. The holy roller brings the multitudes of love, specifically queer black love, to light, melodically marching uphill to the pedestal upon which we humans put our lovers, chanting a declaration of dedication through an intricately layered chorus of Wise’s vibrato vocals and soaring tenor with every step along the way.
Honorable Mentions: “whisper,” “bless ur heart,” “mourning song.”

“Play Hard” by Soul Cannon
Seven years is a long time for any band to not release new music but still maintain its relevancy in the music business. But rules don’t apply to the hip-hop collective of Soul Cannon, which remains a vital force on the local scene for its explosive experimentation and fiery live shows. And MC Eze Jackson and his three classically trained comrades have only solidified that status through this winter’s self-titled record on which the quartet continues to break new ground through old tracks and new. Exhibit A: this agile sprint of a song that we can’t get enough of, founded in the tight tango of Jackson’s urgent, poetic vocals and his bandmates’ wily, propulsive instrumentation. The band is a well-oiled machine that inspires any listener—music, writer, whoever you are—to play harder, too.
Honorable Mentions: “Hospital Records,” “F Sharp,” “Talk Less.”

“Pristine” by Snail Mail
We wish Snail Mail had been around when we were in high school. Has there ever been a band that so perfectly bottles the essence of the teenage heart? Have there every been any lyrics—“Don’t you like me for me?” or “I know myself and I’ll never love anyone else”—that so captured and catapulted out into the world the hidden thoughts and emotions of that tumultuous time of life? Maybe that’s why this has been the year of Lindsey Jordan, with the Ellicott City 18-year-old, her debut Lush, via Matador Records, and this first single featured in nearly every noteworthy publication and best-of end-of-year list on record. And rightfully so—Jordan is the brooding, heart-on-her-sleeve rock star we needed in 2018. And next year, too.
Honorable Mentions: “Heat Wave,” “Golden Dream,” “Full Control.”

“Vulture” by Super City
To get a dose of the infectious energy and undeniable chemistry of Super City, pick any song off their fall Sanctuary—the indie (or “freakwave,” as they’ve been called) quintet’s new fall record. Though not one of the band’s first singles, we find this breakneck anthem to be a good starting point. Co-frontman Greg Wellham commands the mic on this pop-punk-go-go melody, riddled with livewire guitar, punchy drums, and one epic buildup starting at the 2:25 mark as they swat away negative energy. For the full effect, see it live for their fancy, fame-worthy footwork. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: these are the local rock gods you need to know now.
Honorable Mentions: “Sanctuary,” “Artificial Sin,” “Ghosts of Love.”

“I Lost You” by Surf Harp
Eighties kids will feel instantly drawn to Surf Harp’s Mr. Big Picture. Maybe it’s because of the indie quintet’s visuals, reminiscent of the early Macintosh computers and MTV music videos of our youth. Likely it’s their post-punk-meets-new-wave sound, as creative and off-kilter as a Talking Heads hit. This band finds their own lane, though, with each of this spring record’s 10 songs keeping their own unruly pace. For us, this shadowy ballad felt like the album’s diamond in the rough, building from windswept melancholia into a swirl of momentum, spinning out before the story ends, leaving you wanting more.
Honorable Mentions: “D.I. Cig,” “Catholic Glass,” “Homework Program.”

“Payroll” by TT The Artist
We’d like to put it on record: Baltimore Club queen TT The Artist is one of the hardest working musicians in the business. In 2018 alone, she premiered the trailer for her upcoming directorial debut, Dark City: Beneath the Beat, a full-length documentary on the city’s music and dance genre of Bmore Club; she moved to L.A. and launched her all-women Club Queen Records, still with frequent stints back east for filming and fiery performances; and she dropped the label’s first Club Queens EP with New Jersey’s UNIIQU3. But one listen to her label’s first single—full of unabashed bravado, electric beats, playful creativity, and featured on heavy rotation this summer on 92Q—and you’ll see that TT is just getting started.
Honorable Mentions: “Off The Chain,” “Freaking in the Club,” “Fall Back.”

“It’s Okay” by Wume
We knew we couldn’t wait for new music from experimental duo Wume after their mesmerizing 2015 EP, Maintain, but this fall, their new full-length record left us completely dazzled. In a quest for deeper truths, Toward the Shadow, via Northern Spy, offers a moment of reflection and introspection. Combining sparkling electronics by keyboardist Albert Schatz and newly prominent vocals in the form of philosophical incantations by drummer April Camlin, the band takes listeners on a trip into even more immersive soundscapes, urging them to dig deeper, to push further, to shift and breakthrough, just like the band has. This track is a rejuvenating listen in the chaos of our modern times.
Honorable Mentions: “Shadow,” “Walled Garden,” “Ravel.”

“The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs” by Wye Oak
We could feel something stirring in Wye Oak’s 2016 release of Tween. A transition. A simultaneous closure and commencement. A reawakening. And now, with this gorgeous spring record, it all makes sense, as the band has emerged as a stunning new version of itself—and yet after 12 years, we’ve maybe never felt more in tune with music by Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack. Out of a dozen deeply human songs, this title track is an illuminating crescendo, revealing the beauty of the journey toward yourself. We still find ourselves pouring over its lyrics for answers, ultimately finding some sort of solace in the song’s—and life’s—elusions. As Wasner concludes, “Sometimes it takes a long, long, long time,” and if Wye Oak’s long game is any indication, the wait is certainly worth it.
Honorable Mentions: “The Instrument,” “It Was Not Natural,” “Lifer.”

In the latest iteration of The Big Baltimore Playlist, we found five local songs ranging from homegrown hip-hop and hearty folk music to disco-infused pop. Check back each month for new top songs of the moment, and follow our Spotify playlist as we continue to build a soundtrack for our city.

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“Division St. Blues” by Butch Dawson

It’s hard to pick the best song off DIY rapper Butch Dawson’s new EP, Swamp Boy. Each song is a mini-masterpiece, like “Feel Nobody”—an instant hit with fans now drowning out the artist himself during the chorus at local concerts—and “Distances,” a simply gorgeous dream on which Dawson flexes his singing abilities. But this slow-motion melody paints a poignant portrait. Over a run of piano keys and a knocking bass beat, the 25-year-old unleashes sharp, slow-burning rhymes, speaking to his native West Baltimore, and the steadfast community and confidence needed to survive the city streets. He gives local shout-outs to arts collective Llamadon, hometown favorite New Balance 993s, and of course, the song’s titular stretch between Madison Park and Upton. Weary yet unwavering, the song is a beautiful, honest ode, and Dawson has become an important city spokesperson, as seen in his recent feature in The New York Times. Check out the album’s full review in our upcoming October issue.

“Pink” by Hunter Hooligan

Summer might be winding down, but this airy piece of pop (yes, more pop!) from local singer-songwriter Hunter Hooligan is like a dewy, star-bright July night. With an updated disco beat, this modern love song exudes a lush, shimmering, 1970s vibe, with breathy backup vocals, hushed verses, and seductive sentiment imbuing every inch of its melody. Roses? Check. Champagne? Check. Produced by Will Lederer of Row Homes, the song was crafted for the fall collection of fashion designer Stevie Boi, premiering on the runway during New York Fashion Week, and its buoyant melody is full of flirtation and promise. Hooligan is an artist on the rise in Baltimore, having collaborated with Bmore Club legends TT The Artist and Rye Rye, and this new track is one of his most fun songs yet. We’re looking forward to what he does next.

“Drippin” by Kotic Couture*

Consider Kotic Couture an artist you need to know yesterday. The local rapper is a force to be reckoned with and a fiery live performer, popping up on lineups across Station North, playing MC with DJ Trillnatured during the Version dance parties at The Crown, and becoming an integral part of the DIY scene along the way. We dig his high-energy hits “Go Awff” and “Get Ya Life” but this sparse new beat, produced by Baltimore’s legendary Mighty Mark, lays the perfect foundation for Kotic’s strengths to shine: swift rhymes, infectious hooks, and swaggering style. It’s a take-no-prisoners track, filled with fearless spirit and the trappings of staying power.

“An Eagle” by Marian McLaughlin*

Marian McLaughlin is an old soul, and her songwriting is akin to the folk verses of the 1960s as much as it is the Medieval ballads of the 15th century. The local singer is a true poet, and her labyrinthine lyrics wrap perfectly into her intricate, guitar-forward Americana-chamber music. This song off her upcoming tome of an album, Lake Accotink, named after a reservoir in northern Virginia, represents natural cycles of the environment—leaves falling, trees blooming, life, death, climate change. In a stream of consciousness with the sparse jangle of chimes and bells, her story unfolds as an intimate ode—a vivid country scene with a friend or lover, building into an earthy rumination on love and loss. It’s a wild eulogy of sorts, and it showcases McLaughlin’s greatest strength: through music, wholeheartedly baring her soul.

“Payroll” by TT The Artist

It seems like everything that TT The Artist touches turns to gold. Who else could create a “hip hop sci-fi musical thriller,” set in 2040 featuring strippers, aliens, and androids, and turn it into one of the hottest late-summer jams? As the first release off of TT’s new Club Queen Records, it uses a Bmore Club beat, slowly transforming into a dark circus melody equipped with bouncy rhymes by Baltimore native Starrz and heavy beats and production by prolific producer Mighty Mark. Of course, there are swaggering verses and a catchy chorus, infusing the track with fiery female empowerment, which ties into the music video, where women hold the power, neon reigns supreme, and TT transforms into a no-nonsense cyborg boss. While you’re at it, dig into her label’s debut album, featuring fellow club queen UNIIQU3 and a cameo by Baltimore rapper Tate KoBang.

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

Although Baltimore isn’t known for a professional basketball team, the city has groomed some of the best in the NBA—Mugsy Bogues, Will Barton, Reggie Lewis, and Carmelo Anthony, to name a few. Under Armour (UA) Basketball’s new YouTube series Home Court that launched on July 12 features some of Baltimore’s rising stars in basketball and focuses on the culture surrounding the sport.

“We wanted to create this series to start a conversation around the intersection between basketball and culture and how that cross-section varies between different cities,” said Justin Brown, brand manager for UA Basketball. “We chose Baltimore to launch the series not only because it’s home to UA, but also because the spirit of the city is so unique and powerful, and we are excited to spotlight it for those outside of the city.”

The first season of this inaugural series spotlights Baltimore by exploring the cultural impact that basketball, style, food, and music has on the city. The audience goes on a journey with Sarunas Jackson from HBO’s Insecure as he visits local basketball courts, goes to iconic establishments, and meets with local players.

“We looked for key players that were local or had a strong tie to the community while embodying the same tough yet charming attitude for which Baltimore is known,” said Brown. “There were so many triumphant stories of how each individual took their own experience with their resilient and resourceful nature to hustle harder than the rest and ultimately give back to the city, which was very inspiring for us to showcase.”

The first episode features local Baltimore legends Aquille Carr and Terry Hosley discussing the cross-town rivalry between East and West Baltimore ballers. The St. Frances Academy girls’ basketball team is featured, as well as NBA guard and Baltimore native Will Barton and his youth basketball squad, Team Thrill, which he founded to keep kids off the streets.

“It makes them want to do something good and it makes them feel better knowing that they are representing something other than themselves,” Barton says in the episode. “They are representing the city.”

In the episodes that follow, Jackson visits the East Baltimore hotspot Sunny’s Subs with rapper A$AP Ant from West Baltimore as they discuss the unique cuisine that is the chicken box. Jackson also meets up with Nacho Bangers owner Eric Williams in McElderry Park to talk about his love for food and giving back to the city that raised him.

“The high school kids, the athletes there, when they bring their energy to Nacho Bangers, we share our energy with them,” Williams said. “It’s to help them build. Baltimore inspired me to show you not only what we go through in our city, but how great we can be.”

In the final episode of the series, Jackson sits down with local musicians TT The Artist and Bond St. District to discuss the connections between music and sports in Baltimore.

“I think that the two worlds are so intersecting right now with hip-hop being such a big genre right now and sports being something that’s very much involved in the community,” TT said. “I think it’s just a natural intersection.”

According to UA Basketball, this series is the first of many. The ultimate goal is to show that “ball is life” for some in cities like Baltimore, and that it helps to shape the communities where the game is played.

“We wanted to explore how it specifically impacts these subcultures,” said Brown. “We know the influence of the game transcends the court.”

In the latest iteration of The Big Baltimore Playlist, we found five local songs ranging from feminist rap and rollicking post-punk to twinkling pop and shimmering summer-ready indie folk-rock. Check back each month for new top songs of the moment, and follow our Spotify playlist as we continue to build a soundtrack for our city.

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“Unfaithful Cherry” by Black Assets

First, your attention piques for the squealing car wheels that peel off into a raw, jangly melody. The twangy acoustic chords and scratchy rap on the body of a guitar. Then in comes the powerhouse vocals of spoken word artist Ashley Yates, aka Black Assets, and you’re officially hooked. “Who is this?” you find yourself thinking as you groove along to the soulful tune. Born in Mississippi before traveling the country and ultimately settling in Baltimore, this under-the-radar indie-rock-and-soul singer have been performing at open mics across the city for over a year now, fusing her rock, blues, funk, and R&B roots into an earthy, authentic sound all her own. Be on the lookout for her upcoming Soul Language EP.

“Diana Ross” by Bosley

We’ve come to count on local soul sensation Thomas Mayer for his James Browny-worthy croons, high-energy performances, and envy-inducing outfits. The songs on his first new album in four years, Unreal Fire, don’t disappoint but they’re also a fresh new version of Bosley from the one we’ve come to know and love. On this disco-ready dance number, he fuses the old and new versions of himself, amplifying his vintage soul revival with a fresh dose of modern-day pop. His powerful pipes remain, and continue to soar, as do the velvety vibes of his funky, feel-good melodies. Recorded live in analog and backed by his elaborate 9-piece band, it’s a playful, sparkling tune that would make its title diva proud.

“Boss Moves” by Martina Lynch ft. TT The Artist*

If you’ve been searching for a summer jam, look no further than the dream-team duo of spoken-word poet/rapper Martina Lynch and Bmore Club queen TT The Artist. On this bass-heavy banger, two of Baltimore’s most badass women unite and use their fiery verses, fearless delivery, and stylish swagger to show up the boys’ club, solidifying themselves as strong and showstopping as any male rapper in town. “Speaking for all of the women, the game is against us,” raps Martina in her female empowerment-focused lines, but both women have the chops to change that. In just over a week in early June, the song made it onto 92Q’s Roundway of the Day, and we expect to hear it on repeat from now through Labor Day.

“Less Than Positive” by Michael Nau & The Mighty Thread

Cumberland singer-songwriter Michael Nau has been a man of many bands. Page France. Cotton Jones. A solo artist. And now his 9-piece Mighty Thread. This might be our favorite iteration yet, with a full-bodied sound layered onto his scrappy indie folk-rock, featuring a hint of psychedelia and a twangy touch of old-school country. This new number off the band’s self-titled album, out August 3, is a lush, luminous ballad—as big as a rock anthem, as small and sweet as a little ditty. It’s the kind of song that inspires movement, adventure, and change. It’s the kind of song you want to play loud on a wide, open backroad with the windows down and the wind in your hair and the gas pedal beneath your barefoot toes. It’s as if it were tailor-made for the hot, humid days of Maryland summer.

“You Real” by Post Pink*

While we’ve been sitting around eagerly awaiting Post Pink’s upcoming No Problem, Probably EP, the beloved post-punk quartet quietly released this single as they wrapped a West Coast tour with ’90s alt-rock gods The Breeders. At first it seems slightly more tempered in volume and tempo than the tracks off 2016’s I Believe You, OK, but the tight, rollicking rock song builds into a smashing surf melody, fit for the tumbling cliffs along the California coast. Amidst cascading golden harmonies, Angela Swiecicki’s gravely vocals ride low and steady in a distant haze while driving drums and grungy guitar riffs roll forward and gain new speed. In the end, we find ourselves even more amped up for the forthcoming full release.

*Not available on Spotify. We’ll add it when if/when it comes online.

Baltimore Club queen TT The Artist has released the trailer for her much-anticipated documentary, Dark City Beneath the Beat. The film tells the story of Baltimore through its hometown music genre, locally known as Bmore Club, and features some of the city’s notable movers-and-shakers, like DDm, Eze Jackson, Rufus Roundtree, and the TSU Dance Crew to name a few. We talked with TT about her initiation to club music, the film’s importance, and her dreams of giving it a big-bang Baltimore premiere.

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You moved to Baltimore from Florida to attend MICA in 2002. What was your first introduction to Baltimore Club music?
I was a freshman in college, driving in my car listening to 92Q, and they were playing this repetitive, choppy, loopy music. I thought the radio wasn’t working at first. It really sounded like it was skipping. But not long after, once I started going out and meeting people in Baltimore, I came to find out it was Baltimore Club music.

How would you describe the genre to someone who’s never heard it?
In order to really understand it, you just have to experience it. The first time I saw dancers in the club dancing to Baltimore Club music, I had never seen anything like it before in my entire life. It never gets old. I’ve been here for like 12 years and every time I go see dancers get together, whether it’s at Graffiti Alley or the McCulloh Homes, it’s so alive.

What made you decide you wanted to make this music yourself?
I’d been rapping since I was in high school. Down in Florida, they play a lot of dance music, and when I got to Baltimore, the club genre reminded me so much of Miami bass. It was very familiar and became this natural transition, experiencing this music and thinking about how it made me feel.

It all started with a collaboration I did with Mighty Mark in 2009. He was working with a crew called the Yo Boys and a producer by the name of [Debonair] Samir. I got invited to record on a project they were doing with Aaron LaCrate and did a song called “Let Me Show ’Em,” which was the first time I ever rapped on a Baltimore Club beat. After that, me and Mark continued to work together. He is one of the main, most instrumental people behind TT The Artist’s Baltimore Club records.

What was it about the Bmore Club community that made you want to be a part of it?
For me, it was like when hip-hop was first coming around—it was really raw and from the streets and a very creative way for people to express themselves. Rapping. Breakdancing. Graffiti. Baltimore Club culture is so exciting and expressive. It affects people differently. I love to make people happy and create a vibe at my shows, and whenever I play a Baltimore Club track, it’s just an instant response from my audience. The energy gets lifted in this whole new way. That’s what made me want to push this music forward.

Did the club scene welcome you as an outsider?
Some people were open and welcoming while others might have been a little skeptical about my intentions because I wasn’t born and raised in Baltimore. It’s such a close-knit community of real people. The culture is not something that’s up for exploitation for your own self-interest. You have to partake in the community and be a part of it and support it. I really worked hard to get to know people, and as I developed as an artist, I reached out to a lot of the dancers to have them be part of my projects. This thing will only grow if we all continue to work together. If it wasn’t for this community supporting me, I don’t know where I would be.

That being said, you’ll be moving to L.A. later this year.
I’ve been in Baltimore for about 12 years and I feel like I’ve reached a ceiling here. Part of me felt a little guilt about leaving, having built so much, but at a certain point, you have to go where the business is. I don’t see me going to L.A. as leaving Baltimore, but as me building a bridge to what I’ve created here.

Hopefully I can bring some of those resources back to the city. The film is a project I’ve really wanted to do for a long time—since I was in college. I had a lot of failures and false starts. I wouldn’t say it’s a farewell project; it’s kind of the beginning of something. I want the world to see what’s happening in Baltimore.

Baltimore Club has a rich history in this city, but Dark City: Beneath the Beat is really focusing on the current generation.
This film is really not going to be what people expect. When a lot of people think of the word “documentary,” they’re expecting a traditional, linear narrative. This film is the opposite of that. There’s no timeline. It’s a vignette of this musical sound, and the musical soundscape of Baltimore.

There will be an all-original soundtrack featuring local artists and producers. That’s special because a lot of the Baltimore artists in the past were not able to sell or make money off of their music because it was so heavily sampled. We want to put out good records with universal appeal so that the city’s musical landscape can be taken more seriously on the world stage. We’re really highlighting the talent that has been working really hard here but that has been underrepresented. I couldn’t do this by myself; it’s the community that are making this thing happen.

The trailer for the film drops today but when will we get to see the full feature?
We’re planning for a release in spring 2019. We’re still filming and applying to more grants to see it through post-production, then we’re going to push it through the festival circuit. The film isn’t even out yet and I’ve already felt the love coming from all areas across the city and country. We just want to make sure we do it real big for Baltimore once it’s all done. I want a crazy premiere, Hollywood-style, with the cameras and red carpet, hopefully at the Parkway Theatre. That would be a beautiful night for Baltimore.

[Editor’s Note 4/15/21: Dark City Beneath The Beat premieres today on Netflix.]

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.

Two years ago, a rustic summer camp in Darlington transformed into a millennial hippie’s daydream. For one weekend, Fields Festival parked its metaphorical RV and threw a celebration of local DIY—an umbrella term for Baltimore’s vibrant arts scene that dances across genre, medium, and style. Hundreds of art students, music lovers, and merry pranksters flocked to the rustic grounds of Camp Ramblewood to see scores of area artists, musicians, and performers. Tents were pitched. Art was hung. Donut rafts filled the pool, Dan Deacon started dance parties, and cans of Natty Boh were crushed beside campfires. It was messy, magical, and uniquely Baltimore, and this month, it returns Aug. 19-21, bigger and better than ever. With everything from sets by Future Islands and TT The Artist to camping and lakeside yoga, here’s what you need to know for this Bonnaroo-meets-Burning Man-meets-Wet Hot American Summer weekend.

1. Relive your summer camp glory days by renting an old-school cabin.

2. Or get in touch with nature by glamping in your very own tent.

3. Required attire is up to interpretation. Sundresses, bathing suits, boas, bro tanks, jorts, hula hoops, face paint, glow sticks, bare feet—you name it, it’s all welcome.

4. Be sure to BYO: Natty Boh, grills, guitars, firewood, fanny packs, sunscreen, snacks, and campsite decorations.

5. Across 200 acres of campground, there are plenty of grassy knolls to lounge upon.

6. Sing “Kumbaya” around the campfire pit.

7. Take a dip in the pool with rafts all day and concerts at sunset.

8. Center your chakra with lakeside yoga and a wellness area for all the massage, acupuncture, and astrology your heart desires.

9. With six stages, don’t miss big names and up-and-comers like Future Islands, Dan Deacon, Lower Dens, TT The Artist, Abdu Ali, Flock of Dimes, Ed Schrader’s Music Beat, Chiffon, Horse Lords, Wume, Nudie Suits, etc. Plus, the eclectic costumes and cosmic jazz of the iconic Sun Ra Arkestra.

10. Get to know local creatives through art installations, theater, film, and poetry, including the likes of Wham City Comedy, street artist Reed Bmore, and members of Le Mondo, EMP Collective, and Best of Baltimore-winning Balti Gurls, to name a few.

11. Stop and smell the roses with décor at the entranceway and throughout the festival by local artists Beth Hoeckel and Becca Morrin.

12. Food Avenue will include tacos from Clavel, Vietnamese spring rolls by chef Stefano Porcile of Colette, Thread Coffee from Red Emma’s, plus falafel, pizza, and farm-to-table fare.

13. Show your skills with tennis and basketball courts open game for festival-goers.

14. Sorry: No children or fireworks allowed. Things might get a little wild as is.

Light Installations

(all located at the Inner Harbor)

Dear Baltimore (Thick Art Studios, Baltimore)
While you’re strolling the harbor, art might whizz right by you. Keep your eyes out for a jumble of neon letters propelled by bicycles that spell out phrases composed of the letters from “Dear Baltimore.”

Pipelines (Luminous Intervention, Baltimore)
This piece “really brings home the social justice component of the festival,” says Light City co-founder Justin Allen. It consists of a large-scale projection mapping at McKeldin Fountain that presents some of the issues that Baltimore faces: police violence, recreation, education, and housing. Along with the piece, the artists have arranged forums and musical performances to relate to the content so we can continue the dialogue surrounding this important work.

Peacock (Tim Scofield and Kyle Miller, Baltimore)
When this illuminated fowl unfurls its tail to stand 20-foot-tall and 40-feet-wide, it will be quite the sight to see.

Diamonds Light Baltimore (Cheon Kroiz, Artist and Architect Collaborative, Baltimore)
The 15, diamond-esque structures that will surround the harbor will use light to do more than just highlight these geometric shapes. At 10 p.m. each night, the lights will change from white to blue, to signify the curfew that went into effect after the unrest following the death of Freddie Gray. You can walk inside and around each structure and you ponder what has changed and what hasn’t since last April.

Labyrinth (Ian Brill, Pittsburgh, PA)
Mazes have frequently been thought of as metaphors for a spiritual journey. In this case, they become a symbol of the transformative power of art. Festival visitors are encouraged to get lost in this installation, whether together or separately, and you might be amazed to be immersed in something made solely of light and sound.

Tips & Transportation The only street closure will occur in Harbor East—Lancaster Street from Exeter Street to Central Avenue, which is by a performance stage, will shut down at 6 p.m. each night of the festival. If you’re concerned about parking, check out BaltimoreParking.com, where you can reserve and pay for a spot. And BOPA’s Kathy Hornig says many of the garages will have Light City deals. Light Rail and Metro will also run at least an hour after the festival’s 11 p.m. end time. Download the free Light City app—created by local technology innovation agency Mindgrub—to get maps and schedules to customize your experience.

Microkingdom
Smooth Tendencies (Friends Records)

Microkingdom adds its own brand of discord to Baltimore’s vibrant DIY music scene. At it for almost a decade, the Baltimore trio is equal parts avant-garde jazz performance and psychedelic jam session, and its “non-jazz,” as the band calls it, is quite a trip. At first, the sax, drums, and guitar sound like a chaotic mess, but on closer listen, each track of this spring release takes you for a ride, evoking particularly vivid scenes in its noisy, scrambling swirl. “Chrome Dynasty” is like a smoldering summer night, high above Harlem or Chicago, all fire escapes, water towers, and burned-out stars. “Zero To Negative Diggity” is like a planetarium seminar—cardboard spaceships whirling out into the void. Then “Big Dry” is a mad thing—wiry nights of youth, heavy drinking, and smoke in some dark and dingy city club. At times, they also surprise you with their approachability—the warm one-night stand of “Midnite Plu$$” and swaggering funk of “Diamond Urge”—but this is not your mother’s smooth jazz. It is a layered freestyle of cacophonous art. We’d love to hear them jam out with fellow music misfits Matmos or Peals.

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TT The Artist
Gimme Yo Love (Nina Pop Records)

If Abdu Ali is the young prince of Baltimore Club music, TT The Artist is its princess. Like Ali, the MICA grad is here to drive the homegrown party music forward, while keeping it rooted in its past. A frequent performer at local clubs like The Crown, she’s a force to be reckoned with, blending hip-hop, pop, club, and house into pulse-raising, party-starting, booty-dropping bangers. With the swagger of Nicki Minaj, the millennial reach of Rye Rye, and her own confident rhymes, she disses haters, empowers women, falls recklessly for love, and incites jock-jam jump-offs. After a debut mixtape in 2012, gigs with Dan Deacon and Phantogram, and collabs with Blaqstarr and Diplo, she released her first impressive EP, Art Royalty, in February. NPR hailed its “Thug It Out” as one of its favorite songs of 2015. This past July, she dropped this second, smaller EP, with two tracks turned into seven amped-up remixes with the help of fellow local club artists. Hear it now, via Baltimore’s new dance label, Nina Pop Records, and see her live in September at the Bombadillo music festival at Druid Hill Park.

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Beach House
Depression Cherry (Sub Pop)

Arguably Baltimore’s biggest success, Beach House skyrocketed to indie stardom after 2010’s Teen Dream and 2012’s Bloom. Both were met with critical hosannahs, but praise can be both blessing and curse for an emerging band; those albums would be tough acts to follow. But here comes Depression Cherry, and it’s everything we’ve come to love about Beach House’s bedroom indie-pop. Fame hasn’t changed singer Victoria Legrand and guitarist Alex Scally; they are that same Baltimore duo, wary and unwilling to make a fuss about their art. They’d rather the music do the talking, so put the album on the stereo and listen for yourself. It’s all still there—the dreamy swirl, the intoxication of youth, its yearning desire—bottled robustly into nine new songs. The first track, “Levitation,” rises like the light at dawn, all slow and dewy and soft. Legrand’s sparkling organ whirls in, her husky voice purrs out, then in pangs the ragged reverb of Scally’s guitar. It is lush. It tingles. It cascades. It might be the most Beach House that Beach House has ever been. But the album is filled with little evolutions, too. They dive in with new volume and power, like in the searing single “Sparks,” and they deviate with splendor in the bare bones sweep of “10:37” and the fuzzy Wall-of-Sound, spoken-word pop of “PPP.” After 10 years, Beach House’s shimmer is shining brighter than ever before.

See our interview with Beach House guitarist Alex Scally.