Walking into the MICA North Ave. parking lot was like stepping into an alternate universe to me. Accustomed to the outstandingly complete normalcy of Carroll County living, everything involved at Saturday’s Whartscape was akin to alien scenery in my eyes. If anyone attending knew who I was or what I looked like–and you probably didn’t, you crazy ass MICA kids, I apologize for probably having stared just a tad too much.

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MP3: DD/MM/YYYY – They

Anyone who showed up to last year’s Whartscape knows that DD/MM/YYYY kill onstage, same goes for those who saw them on tour with Videohippos in May. This bunch of experimental-rocking Canadians dropped their fourth release, Black Square, but only a few months ago. I thought it was pretty great. My email account caught up with theirs for a few questions fairly recently, here’s how it went down:

1. You guys were at Whartscape last year; care to describe the experience as a band?

-Whartscape last year was amazing. We got to see the killer whales, bird names, mae shi, and thank you.

2. What’s the biggest reason why everyone should go to Whartscape?

-so they can get freaky deaky to all the good bands playing.

3. What sort of reputation does Baltimore hold in Toronto, is it accurate?

-There are a lot of fans of all things baltimore in my group of friends. Personally, I think of it as a city without a large culture industry which allows creative people living there to not think about what is cool or contemporary and just do what they do which then makes it cool and contemporary. All the referentiality of extant culture without too much self consciousness that a larger city might breed. You will have to tell me if it is accurate.

4. If Baltimore were a comic in the New Yorker, what might be the caption?

-”I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.”

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MP3: Double Dagger – Vivre Sans Temps Mort from More Record Release Show, Live @ Floristree

11. NO THROWING DRUMS INTO THE AUDIENCE

11. NO THROWING DRUMS INTO THE AUDIENCE

11. NO THROWING DRUMS INTO THE AUDIENCE

11. NO THROWING DRUMS INTO THE AUDIENCE

1. What is your most vivid memory of Whartscapes past? If this is your first time playing/attending, explain yourself/selves!

Nolen: Last year when loads of teenagers and local hipsters in often
intentionally-ridiculous outfits looked at me funny coz I had on white
pants and a polo.

Denny: When I stupidly threw that drum into the crowd last year. Good
thing there’s a rule about that this year. But I felt like total shit
after it happened. Also the first Whartscape where Kevin (from
Videohippos/Blood Baby) was rolling around on this really tall ladder
hooking stuff up admist the swarming drunk crowd.

2. Who are you most excited to see this year?

Nolen: The Dan Deacon Ensemble, coz even though Denny plays in it, I
still haven’t seen it live. They’re one of the only bands I’ll have
time to see as well because this is our last day of tour so we’re
getting to town after most of it’s already happened. As always I’m
stoked for Future Islands, too.

Denny: My bed, because I’ve been on tour for a long time and psyched
to nap it up in my own linens. Honestly, I can’t choose one thing,
there are a lot friends of mine that I’m excited to see play. Big Bear
should be sick, I haven’t seen them play since 2005, which also was
the first show that I saw Dan Deacon. It was a tense situation, but
that’s another story… I’m also excited to see if Narwhalz will
actually play beyond 2 minutes this time. I’m bummed I will miss the
New Flesh though.

3. Choose one word to describe Whartscape, and what it means to you.

Nolen: Sweaty. Sweaty shows are good shows.

Denny: Festivus. Because it’s for the rest of us.

4. When Wham City came calling and asked you to play, why did you say yes?

Nolen: Because they’ve asked us every other year and it’s always been
one of the most fun shows of the year.

Denny: You mean when they myspaced us? Yeah, it’s definitely a great
homecoming show. If we we said no, we would be total chumps.

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MP3: What Cheer? Brigade – Saiyan re Saiyan

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MP3: What Cheer? Brigade – Malaguena

Let my bias be known: I am a recovering marching band addict.  Tuba (not sousaphone mind you, those are for wusses) for three years, trombone for one.  It’s hard for me to watch groups like What Cheer! Brigade or Mucca Pazza and not get so amped that I want to run home and get my tuba.  They’ll likely be candidates for an exuberance award for this weekend.

Trumpeter Cordey checked in with us:

1. What is your most vivid memory of Whartscapes past? If this is your first time playing/attending, explain yourself/selves!

This will be our first Whartscape! All 18 of us! We are a big, fat 18-piece brass and percussion band from Providence, Rhode Island. Our music is a mix of Bollywood pop, traditional Balkan brass, New Orleans wango-chango, noise and metal, crabcore, etc. Although we are listed as a “marching band,” I hesitate to say we are one – we’re more like a mobile, party unit.

2. Who are you most excited to see this year?

I don’t know where the rest of my bandmates stand on this one, and it’s kinda hard to check in with all one-million of them. We’ll only be around on Saturday, so I’m gonna say I’m most excited to see Ponytail, C Spencer Yeh, and Ed Schrader. Haven’t had the chance to see them before. I’m also excited to see my friends EAR PWR again. HOLLA!!!!

3. Choose one word to describe Whartscape, and what it means to you.

Friends!  Whartscape, like life, is about playing music with your friends and for your friends. And this year it seems that everyone involved is a friend or a friend of a friend. Although it may seem that Whartscape carries connotations of cronyism, that’s okay – nothing is at risk here (except for potentially bad music).

4. When Wham City came calling and asked you to play, why did you say yes?

The lineup is killer; it shall be a blast. Everyone involved gets to play for new audiences, and everyone involved has the chance to be that new audience for everyone else involved. It’s kinda like that vicious cycle that goes: “I eat because I’m sad; I’m sad because I’m fat; I’m fat because I eat,” but instead of gaining weight, we’re all gaining, uh… fun!—

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MP3: The New Flesh – No Expectations

Baltimore punks The New Flesh will tear your ears off and spit in them if given the chance.  And I highly recommend letting them.

1. What is your most vivid memory of Whartscapes past? If this is your first time playing/attending, explain yourself/selves!

Seeing sunglasses and consuming energy drinks.

2. Who are you most excited to see this year?

Microkingdom, Pleasant Livers, Zomes

3. Choose one word to describe Whartscape, and what it means to you.

Sounds

4. When Wham City came calling and asked you to play, why did you say yes?

An offer I could not refuse

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MP3: DD/MM/YYYY – Infinity Skull Cube

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MP3: DD/MM/YYYY – Digital Haircut

I have this compulsion that started back in elementary school when I played the trumpet: I have to identify the time signature of every song that I listen to. Usually it’s pretty easy to do, but sometimes I get thrown off. Any well-masked measure of three will transform me, one of those too-hip-for-your-face type college students, into a little boy who’s just discovered a lollipop in a sandbox. This phenomenon makes listening to DD/MM/YYYY’s (Wiki) latest record, Black Square, like finding a whole candy shop in the endless sandbox of Time. Skimming through the album, there are at least two songs in 5/4 (!!!), one that might be 7/8 time, and many many more rhythmic gems.

Good readers of Aural States, I’m a sucker for irregular time signatures. Every single time. It so happens that the effective use of an abnormal signature is a pretty reliable signal that the musicians at hand know what they’re doing. This probably applies to these choice experimental-rockers.  As far as I can tell, they’ve all got chops.  DD/MM/YYYY are what appears to be 7 Canadians who, if I may borrow a phrase from Zack Turowski (on Abe Vigoda), “find a happy middle ground between knowing how to play their instruments and performing songs that don’t demand to be played at medium-low volume in your bedroom with the blinds drawn and the door shut tight.”

Well said.

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We’re winding down here and it’s time for the deluge of min-terviews and more. Today we’ve got Jana Hunter, DD/MM/YYYY and the Creepers featured.

Jana Hunter

First up is Jana Hunter, fairly recent Texan transplant to Baltimore, serving up some delicious, jangling, startlingly transparent and moving music. She was also the first bold soul to call us out on our slightly sarcastic costume question #5. Listen to some tunes and read on, intrepid web surfer!

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MP3: Jana Hunter – Valkyries
1. Describe your feelings on Wham City and what it means to you?

my boyfriend is in wham city and my roommates are in wham city and wham city was the first place i came to (almost) when i stayed in baltimore so i know nothing else of your town.

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All photos: Josh Sisk

Dan Deacon is a showman.  If you have ever seen him live, you know he fucking kills it.  But what I find remarkable about him, and unique to just a very few other individuals, is his ability to completely control the crowd.  Performing on the floor amongst a rowdy crowd draws the apt comparison to a lion tamer with his head down the big cat’s throat-what a show, but he’s really putting it all out there, and it could all go wrong quickly.

In both cases, absolute confidence is needed.

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TaxLo closes up its insanely high-quality 6th anniversary festivities with a spectacular show at Sonar this Friday May 30, headlined by Diplo, Dan Deacon and DD/MM/YYYY.

But wait, there’s more!

In addition to our still-going Presets contest, you, lucky reader, have another contest to enter!

To enter, it’s simple: comment on this post or email your name and location to us at auralstates at gmail dot com.

One lucky winner will score the following:

• 2 Tickets to TAXLO featuring DIPLO, DAN DEACON, and DD/MM/YYYY on May 30
• CUT COPY tote bag
• TAXLO 6-Year Anniversary Screenprinted Poster by Kevin Sherry
• BONDE DO ROLE sticker
• CUT COPY 3-D glasses
• DAN DEACON t-shirt
• 2 TAXLO buttons
• BONDE DO ROLE sticker
• DIPLO “AEIOU” CD
• CUT COPY “In Ghost Colours” CD
• BLAQSTARR “Shake It to the Ground” 12″ featuring RYE RYE
• BLAQSTARR “Shake It to the Ground” remix CD single feat DROP THE
  LIME, Santogold, Switch

TaxLo is seriously blitzing, with two other chances to win at BYT and Butterteam. Tasty downloadable Diplo and Dan Deacon bits here. Videos for “Crystal Cat” and “Okie Dokie” after the jump.

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Dan Deacon – Wham City from Spiderman of the Rings

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Dan Deacon – Okie Dokie from Spiderman of the Rings

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M.I.A. (Diplo Mix) – Fire Bam from Piracy Funds Terrorism Vol. 1

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