Given that I’ve been living under a rock for about four months now, I missed the grand US debut of the Buddha Machine 2. 0 in December. Of course, if I were really on the ball. I would have picked one up even earlier from Europe. Big-ups to Sasha Frere-Jones for alerting me to this one.

But let’s back up–the Buddha Machine, if you are totally unaware of this device, gets my vote for the best example of ID, aural innovation, marketing innovation, and the best executed guerilla attack by lo-fi sound on iPods of this century so far. Read the rest…

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MP3: Beastie Boys – Paul Revere from Licensed to Ill (1986)

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MP3: Darkest Hour – The Patriot Virus from Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation (2003)

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MP3: Ted Leo & the Pharmacists – Biomusicology from The Tyranny of Distance (2001)

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MP3: Pharoahe Monch – Free from Desire (2007)

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MP3: Blaqstarr – Shake It to the Ground

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MP3: True Womanhood – The Monk

So this is it.  Inauguration weekend and the Baltimore-DC metro area becomes the center of attention for the entire world and musically, that’s sure as hell what it feels like.  Let’s jump to the events.

Sat Jan 17th

President-Elect Obama graces our charmed city along his Whistle-Stop tour, making a speech at War Memorial Plaza in front of City Hall in Baltimore. (Doors 1PM, Event 4:15PM)

Inauguration-themed celebrations kick off  at night with the Creative Alliance hosting Obama’s iPod: A Pre-Inauguration Dance Party. (Doors 8PM) Read the rest…

Photo credit: Greg Szeto

DC’s Edie Sedgwick is a unique performer that you might say bears little in common with his namesake.  The original Sedgwick was a socialite actress most recognized for starring in Andy Warhol films.  

The Sedgwick in question (pictured right) purports to be the original’s transgendered reincarnation and is signed, interestingly enough, to legendary Dischord Records.  Odd until you realize that Sedgwick is a brazen and adventurous pop culture parody act.  

With track titles culled from celebrities and cinema, Sedgwick’s songs are lined with funky, post-punk dance-beats, an undeniable hip-hop swagger and a personality born for performance that ultimately carries the show when the music gets too repetitive. Read the rest…

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MP3: The Decemberists – The Rake’s Song from the forthcoming full-length Hazards of Love

I really am anxiously awaiting this album.

THE TRUE VINE
3544 HICKORY AVE
BALTIMORE, MD 21211
(TELEPHONE: 410 235 4500)

OPEN:
TUES. – SAT. 12 – 9
SUN. & MON. 12 – 6

hello,
i’m doing blah blah blah & my life is blah blah blah. now that that’s out of the way, here’s some music: Read the rest…

What is this?

I remember the days when Animal Collective would whirl me along in their otherworldly tornado when I put my headphones on. Remember “Leaf House”? Those two-and-a-half minutes of perfection? I do.

And “The Purple Bottle”? The formless wonder-pop of Feels? Remember when Avey Tare and Panda Bear would bedazzle you with lyrics that seemed like a task to decipher? I remember.

If Merriweather Post Pavilion is any indication of the Baltimore natives’ future aspirations, those days of unconventional song structure and general madness are long gone. On Merriweather, Animal Collective offer us their most predictable album yet; but rather than disappointing, they place a very necessary lid on the bottle of joy that they’ve been pouring out consistently since they started making music way back in high school. Read the rest…

OK everyone, gather round! The line-ups and venue info are all finalized. Here we go:

January 30th (Performance Night) @ Sonar Club Room/Talking Head Club

$10 // 2 stages // Doors 630PM // Music 730PM // Tickets

Free grab-bags including CDs, MP3s, merch & Video Americain rentals. Handed out to paid entrants starting at doors until supplies run out.

Arbouretum

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MP3: Arbouretum – Buffalo Ballet

Wye Oak

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MP3: Wye Oak – For Prayer (Live)

Lo Moda

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MP3: Lo Moda – Buildings Dansante

Pleasant Livers

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MP3: Pleasant Livers – Destroy Tokyo

HOLLYWOOD

Sri Aurobindo

Small Sur

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MP3: Small Sur – Roots

Andy Abelow feat. Caleb Stine, Austin Stahl, Jamie Saltzman, Brendan Sullivan, Bethany Dinsick

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MP3: Andy Abelow – Inside This Calm 

Title Tracks (ex Q and Not U, Georgie James)

Imperial China

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MP3: Imperial China – Mortal Wombat (Live)

Caverns

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MP3: Caverns – Brodown High Noon

CANNOT BE STOPPED

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MP3: CANNOT BE STOPPED – Dull Fangs

January 31st (Dance Night) @ Whole Gallery

Donations

CEX

Craig Sopo

Garret McIndoe

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MP3: Shostakovich – Symphony No. 5 – Iv. Allegro Non Troppo by Bernstein & the NY Phil

In 2008, the Brit music mag Gramaphone ranked the top-world orchestras with the help of critics and musicians. We could, of course, head to Amsterdam, Berlin, or Vienna to capture the best of the best, but our home turf is rich. Here’s my take on performances that will bring the 2008-2009 season to a wondrous, raucous close.

1. Chicago Symphony Orchestra (pictured right)

We read excellent things about the CSO’s brass, which is, at times Baltimore’s Achilles’ heel.  In Chicago, immerse yourself in contemporary classical. See the noble father-and-sometime-bully, Pierre Boulez conduct a unique “American” homage: the work of Stravinsky who expatriated to Cali, Edgard Varèse, French transplant to New York, and Elliot Carter — the true American centenarian — born on Dec. 11, 1908.  Celebrations and new compositions are being mounted everywhere.

This Carter-champion, Boulez, himself is 83, so witness this living master while the getting is still good: Feb. 26th – Mar. 3rd.

Read the rest…

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MP3: Bombadil – Cavaliers Har Hum 

Hailing from Durham, North Carolina, Bombadil are presumably named in honor of Tom Bombadil of Lord of the Rings fame.  They play an eclectic mix of folksy indie rock with a diverse array of instruments including the banjo, zampona, trombone, charango, viola, xylophone, etc., which they adopted while on a semester abroad in Bolivia while studying at (surprise!) Duke University.  Supposedly inspired by that country’s traditional instrumental music, Bombadil’s recent 2008 release A Buzz, A Buzz, also finds its roots in American folk and Appalacian music. 

The concept behind the band might sound like it came together at 2 A.M. at Cosmic Cantina after a long night of theoretical physics, but Bombadil’s music is not as easily dismissed (even if it may occasionally sound like it’s being played by hobbits).  It’s easy, upon first listen, to be put off by bands that are so unusual; if you see Bombadil live, thier fedora hats, plaid pants and suspenders will only further your distance.  But there is a lot about Bombadil to like, even if you find yourself initially unimpressed. Read the rest…

My eternal gratitude once again goes out to dear friend Jason Willett of the True Vine.  Exposing me to yet another instant favorite, in early December he introduced me to two valued recent acquisitions for the store: Jean-Pierre Massiera’s Psychoses compilations spanning 1963-1978 and 1976-1981.

Massiera is a French renaissance man and cult favorite who has worn the hat of producer, engineer, composer & musician, and charted his own unique career in music.  Massiera cut his teeth as an instrumentalist, forming his first band, instrumental surf-rock peddlers Les Milords, in 1962.

By 1967, Massiera switched gears to concentrate on studio work; he founded a large studio in his hometown of Nice and fed his experimental tendencies by taking session work for more established artists.

In 1968, Massiera unveiled his most widely acknowledged work, Les Maledictus Sound, a bewildering, largely instrumental document laden with extensive cuts blatantly lifted from prominent tracks, warped sound effects and high production values.  Massiera continues his career to this day, balancing work for more successful mainstream artists and exploring his own experimental urges, resulting in a prolific and astoundingly eclectic body of work.

Some cuts from Psychoses: Freakoid 1963-1981:

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MP3: Piranhas – La turbie pirhanienne

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MP3: JPM and Co – Dali court

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MP3: Les Chats – La gâteau du peuple.mp3