MT6 is a record label based in Baltimore that puts out primarily experimental rock music. As such an engine of unabashedly abrasive music, their output isn’t going to be for everybody. Before receiving my package from MT6 in the mail, I thought I listened to some pretty out-there music, but I can honestly say that I’ve never really been asked to talk about any kind of music like this before. And I fear I was sadly unequipped to describe what I was hearing. It took a bunch of listens, but eventually I began to tease apart the different strains and come to a consensus on what I liked and what I didn’t.

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MP3: Blossom Dearie – I Like London In The Rain

It fucking rains in England.

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Reviewing a Black Moth Super Rainbow record is ultimately kind of a ridiculous proposition.  After all, this is a band that essentially puts out the same record over and over, release after release (Pitchfork, in fact, leveled this very criticism at the band in a recent review).  In the hands of many bands, this would most definitely be a bad thing…but criticisms like that just don’t work here. So, the news is: this is more of the same.

And I, for one, certainly couldn’t be happier.

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Photo credit: Flickr user Monica

I have an unabashed, unashamed respect for the Shins, a band who, along with Death Cab for Cutie, have defined what it means to be a successful, popular, and critically-respected indie band.

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Photo credit (The Thermals, Point Juncture): Greg Szeto

Photo credit (The Shaky Hands): Shantel Mitchell

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MP3: The Thermals – When I Was Afraid from Now We Can See (2009)

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MP3: The Shaky Hands – Whales Sing from The Shaky Hands (2006)

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MP3: The Shaky Hands – We Are Young from Lunglight (2008)

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MP3: Point Juncture, WA – Sioux Arrow from Heart to Elk (2008)

The modestly-filled Black Cat enjoyed a good-to-great Wednesday night of rock from three Portland exports.   Read the rest…

All photos: Greg Szeto

Editor’s Note: If you look closely, you’ll see one Victoria Legrand from a little band called Beach House, playing backup dancer for Ms Sharon Jones.

Even though I have read about the history of now defunct Desco Records in the newspaper of record, I had never really heard of Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings before. A name like that is like a secret code for soul, and they proved that they’ve got it in spades.

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The longest day of days…

Baltimore: Dave is petting Fred. Sarah is arguing with her dad about pasta sauce. “Just a disagreement” … Fred is a good dog. “Not running away” .. We’re sitting in the frontyard waiting for Dave’s parents 2 send us off. Strawberry fresa goya under the evening sun. “It’s like 15mins til 6 and I’m cooking pasta” – Sarah … We leave for BWI at 6.

upset tummies

What time is it?!?!

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MP3: Animal Collective – Who Could Win A Rabbit

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MP3: Animal Collective – Summertime Clothes

Animal Collective’s cult-like status was built on elements like their masked press photos and indecipherable lyrics, but the stuff of legend was found in their live performances. For all previous tours, the trio would use their live shows to preview tracks from upcoming releases…which is why anybody who saw them tour off of Strawberry Jam probably heard “My Girls” before it was remixed by a thousand DJs. Furthermore, interviews with the band revealed that not only had they lost or destroyed the samples of a lot of their older material…but that they’d actually forgotten the words to some of their fans’ favorite songs. So, if you really liked that one song off of Sung Tongs and couldn’t wait to see it live…you’d probably have to keep waiting.

Yet, based on their performance Sunday night, Avey Tare, Panda Bear and Geologist appear to have thrown some of this dogma out of the window. Read the rest…

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MP3: Edie Sedgwick – Sissy Spacek

The very concept of Edie Sedgwick is one that deserves ample discussion. To save some precious time, here are a few words on the subject from our good friend Greg: “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 purports to be the original’s transgendered reincarnation and is signed, interestingly enough, to legendary Dischord Records.”

He’s not kidding.

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