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Contest: Double Dagger Does Europe

So I feel bad for leaving the site dormant for a bit while I get my act together. Therefore, I’ve arranged a little well-timed contest.

The local punk mavens in Double Dagger are kicking off a European tour next week. Also, our most frequently heard voice of Thrill Jockey, Paco Barba, is leaving the esteemed label. As a parting shot, he sent over 5 copies of the limited, hand-screenprinted 18″ x 25″ poster for Masks (pictured to the right) for us to give away.

Entry is simple: head over to my review of Masks, and leave a comment with your email. Preferably something interesting about the release, masks you wear, encouraging send-offs to DD for their tour, other DD-related anecdotes or miscellany. I’ll randomly pick 5 winners on May 12, when DD starts off their tour in Nottingham.

The only restriction is that the winner must be able to pick up the poster from downtown Baltimore. I’m too lazy/busy to ship.

If you are in Europe, be sure to check out one of the dates listed below:

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Contest: Beach House, Celebration @ the Metro Gallery (2009.08.07)

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MP3: Beach House – Saltwater from Beach House (2006)

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MP3: Celebration – Open Your Heart from Electric Tarot (2009)

Contest is over!  Tough choice, but the winner is Meryl, because we at Aural States wish every venue could be all ages.

Guess what? Thanks to Sarah (owner of the Metro Gallery), we’ve got a pair of tickets to her awesome outdoors double-header of Beach House and Celebration at said venue on Aug 7th.

Comment here with a compelling reason or story for why you need this gorgeous outdoor show in your waning summer weeks. It really is that simple. Winner will be picked Aug 5th and notified by email (or phone if you give that).

Contest: Cursive, The Love Language, Deleted Scenes @ the Ottobar (2009.08.08)

cursive

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MP3: Cursive – Art Is Hard from The Ugly Organ (2003)
MP3: The Love Language – Nightdogs from The Love Language (2009)
MP3: Deleted Scenes – Ithaca from Birdseed Shirt (2009)

Commenter Emily is the winner!  Check your email!

There’s this great show coming up at the Ottobar.

A little label called Saddle Creek has some band called Cursive that is coming through town, with phenomenal openers The Love Language and DC-locals Deleted Scenes.

Thanks to Monozine, we’ve got two pairs of tickets to giveaway to the two most creative and compelling commenters on this post. Have at it.  Winners will be chosen at 5PM the day before the show.

Sound Off! / Contest: Dysrhythmia @ the Talking Head (2009.07.25)

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We are giving away a pair of tickets to Saturday’s show @ the Talking Head with DC’s Rattler. Comment with some sort of euphemism about how hard Dysrhythmia rocks.  Winner chosen on Friday.

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MP3: Dysrhythmia – Sleep Decayer

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MP3: Dysrhythmia – Appeared at First

Dysrhythmia play dissonant (sometimes), technical (sometimes), catchy (always), progressive, metal-influenced rock music. Everyone says their music is really hard to describe but this not true. Imagine the cover of Joe Satriani’s Surfing with the Alien. Now imagine that cover colliding with a strange dimension and becoming a bizarre, dark cubist rendering of the Silver Surfer. And then imagine that as a piece of music. That’s what they sound like.

It is tempting to describe their music in terms of the clichés symptomatic of “progressive” and “experimental” music that they manage to avoid: Words like “restraint” come up a lot in reviews. Their music provokes comparisons to other heavy instrumental rock groups like Don Caballero, and avant garde jazz guitarists like Bill Frisell and Sonny Sharrock. Comparisons to jazz and experimental rock are well motivated and seem accurate, but they are belied somewhat by the emotional payload of Dysrhythmia. To the extent that the terms “technical” and “experimental” suggest music that is interesting but that you cannot get down to, disregard those terms in reference to this band. One reviewer suggests that their special appeal consists in the fact that they make music that is challenging but enjoyable and emotionally stirring. I concur, and for me this puts their albums in a very special category alongside jazz and metal classics like A Love Supreme and The Sound of Perseverance.

Individually the members of Dysrhythmia demonstrate incredible technique and musicianship. However, on their records you will not hear anything showy that might make you exclaim “That drummer rules!” even though drummer Jeff Eber is awesome. More often than not, you will hear deceptively simple musical ideas explored and developed in a way that makes you pay attention.

On their earlier recordings (especially No Interference which I’m listening to as I write this) guitarist Kevin Hufnagel uses a warm, twangy, Strat-y sound which makes for an organic and live-sounding listening experience. His playing never really sounds “technical,” although he is playing complicated parts. Listen to one of the long trance-y songs (e.g. “Let You Fall” from No Interference) for some tasteful and subtle guitar (no 64th note triplets, but that is what we have Necrophagist for). Their two most recent albums Barriers and Passages and this year’s Psychic Maps sound more metal than their first three. I like former bass player Clayton Ingerson, but Colin Marston definitely brings something cool to the mix (to my ear a heavier sound). All their recordings have a tight, collaborative feel and emanate musical hyper-competence and a magical energy.

I have never seen them live and I am really excited.  You should be too.

Contest: Lovvers, Deep Sleep, Rah Rah Replica (Bikini Kill Tribute), Darlings @ the Talking Head (2009.07.18)

lovvers

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MP3: Darlings – Teenage Girl

Giving away two tickets to the Lovvers / Deep Sleep / Rah Rah ReplicaDarlings show at the Talking Head this Saturday July 18th.

Let us know who you want to see most and why in the comments.  Winner will be chosen on Friday July 17th!

Contest: VAMPS Giveaway @ Sonar (First US Tour)

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MP3: VAMPS – Love Addict

This one is for the J-Rockers out there. Look no farther than Baltimore’s own Japanese extravaganza Otakon this coming weekend for evidence of their power and numbers. The name L’Arc-en-Ciel should ring some of their Pavlovian bells. They are one of those rare entities that manage to attain massive commercial success (in a highly competitive market) with shifting musical style.

Vocalist Hyde from that iconic Japanese rock band has teamed with notable guitarist K.A.Z. to form a new, pretty sardonic side-project called VAMPS. They manage to traipse all over the musical landscape of modern rock, laying down everything from melodramatic ballads to bits of swaggering garage to various tropes of metal. While their approach may be (for better or worse) remarkably similar to much of what you might find on Warped Tour, the merit lies in the execution.  Hyde’s voice is great and versatile, the compositions are catchy and solid straight-ahead rock, the music technically tight and inventive.  And I’m sure with all the experience behind them, the live show is sure to be a spectacle not to be missed.

So don’t.  They are stopping by Sonar this Thursday July 16th and I’m happy to say we have a pair of tickets to giveaway to one lucky, music-loving otaku. Sign up for our mailing list by leaving your name and email along with a good reason to name you the winner in the comments (or send an email if your prefer).  I’ll pick a winner before the show.

Contest: Who’s Bad: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Band @ Rams Head Live (2009.07.08)

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If you’ve been looking for a way to celebrate Michael Jackson’s life, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better one coming up.  We’ve got a pair of free tickets to giveaway to Who’s Bad, performing a sizable number of MJ’s hits at Rams Head Live on Jul 8th.  BYT covered the 9:30 Club performance and seemed to have a favorable opinion on proceedings.

Entering is simple: comment or email us at auralstates at gmail dot com with your most vivid, moving or hilarious MJ memory.  Winner will be chosen on Jul 7th at 5PM.

Dan Deacon contest closes TODAY @ 5PM EST

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You have until 5PM EST to enter your comment for free Dan Deacon tix this Saturday.

Have at thee.

Now with set times:

Club Room – Doors 8pm

TaxLo DJs 8-930 PM
Scottie B 930-1030 PM
G.E.M. featuring DJ Booman 1030-1130 PM
Thieves Like Us 1130-1230 AM
Martyn 1230-2AM

Main Room – Doors 9 PM

DJ 9-9:30PM
Awesome Color 9:30-10:00
Dat Politics 1015-1115
Black Dice 1130-1230
Dan Deacon 1245-145

Contest: TaxLo & Sonar Awesome Summer Blowout featuring Dan Deacon

dandeacon

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MP3: Black Dice – Glazin from REPO (2009)

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MP3: Thieves Like Us – Miss You from Play Music (2009)

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MP3: Thieves Like Us – Drugs In My Body (Long Version) from Play Music (2009)

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MP3: Get ‘Em Mamis – Rock Wit Me (Explicit) from TERAWESOME (2009)

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MP3: DAT Politics – Gee Gee from Minicomp 1 (2008)

So this shis show next Saturday (June 13th) is a big deal.  Lots of names, spread all over the board.  Mucho props to TaxLo for  bringing together a broad array of artists.

I have a pair of tickets and a copy of Dan Deacon’s Bromst to giveaway to the funniest/most interesting commenr.  The theme is summer lovin. Go.  And enjoy this new video from the Get Em Mamis after the jump.

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Album Review / Contest: Double Dagger – More (Thrill Jockey)

more_coverGiveaway: we have 3 copies (CD) of the new album, paired with posters, to give to 3 lucky winners, courtesy of the fine folks at Thrill Jockey Records.  Just comment, leaving a contact email to join our kind-of monthly email list, and you could be randomly drawn on Friday!

Winners!

Katie

James

Petrnotail

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MP3: Double Dagger – The Lie/The Truth

Double Dagger are undoubtedly one of our fair city’s most brilliant and potent gems.  Combining the best parts of the music and arts scenes from around town, the talented trio bridge the oft-chasmic valleys separating the social circles of indie, hipsterism, art and hardcore punk roots in the town.  Their broad appeal is a testament to their talent and magnetism.  And with this latest album, they assert themselves as a constantly progressing entity that can be so much more than the tongue-in-cheek amalgamated genre they wittingly (and back-handedly) coined “graphic design-core” so many years ago, and have been straddled with ever since by the lazy music writers of the world. Read the rest…

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