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MP3: Imperial China – All That Is Solid (limited time exclusive download)

Sockets is having a label showcase at the Black Cat Mainstage on Fri Jan 22nd including Imperial China, Hume, Buildings, The Cornel West Theory and Big Gold Belt.

First, let’s address the unavoidable: few can discuss any independent music act coming out of DC without mentioning Dischord Records. This is not without good reason since Dischord casts a long shadow, more a movement and culture than anything so narrowly scoped as a record label. Since its output, while significant, began to dwindle in the late 90s, there has been arguably no real engine of creativity to rival its explosive, pioneering hey-day. DC has steadily kept up with musical trends and , building a strong cast of devoted locals, but no real movement or creative hub has emerged. DC is a town in flux. This is something both artist and label are acutely aware in this situation.

With Imperial China’s signing, DC label Sockets appears well poised to step in and pick up the torch where Dischord laid it down. Preparing to catalyze a genuine movement again, they have amassed a strong roster featuring some of DC’s most exciting and ambitious music makers (notably Buildings, and Hume). All of their acts seem to be mindful of striking that careful and electric balance between experimentalism and accessibility, as well as being painfully aware of the Dischord void.

Imperial China debuts on Sockets with their full-length Phosphenes, a release I’ve had the luck of following throughout its life from birth through live performance, recording and refinement with Devin Ocampo at the famed Inner Ear Studios, to its completion and finding a home at Sockets. It swiftly became one of my favorite albums to listen to last year, so I am very confident it will be in my top albums of this new year (the year of its official release).

Read the rest…

Band:
Brian Porter
Matt Johnson
Patrick Gough

Lineage: Stereo AKG 414s + mono soundboard output -> Zoom H4n -> Cubase (mix + limiting) -> MP3/FLAC
Taper: David Carter (carteriffic@gmail.com)

Download the full set formatted as: MP3 or FLAC

Stream and download individual tracks below.  Another fantastic Imperial China set, sporting a load of tracks off their upcoming 2010 full-length debut (Phosphenes) on Sockets / Ruffian Records.  I can already tell you, it is a winner. Many kudos to relatively new-on-the-scene taper David Carter for catching such an awesome one.

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1. MP3: Untitled
2. MP3: Radhus
3. MP3: Rookie Cop / Mortal Wombat
4. MP3: Bananamite
5. MP3: A Modern Life
6. MP3: All That Is Solid
7. MP3: Letter of a General

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MP3: Imperial China – Space Anthem

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MP3: Imperial China – Mortal Wombat (Live from Aural States Fest 2009)

One of DC’s finest, and one of our favorite local artists (Imperial China) were in the famed Inner Ear Studios this past weekend recording their full-length, set to drop later this year with Devin Ocampo on the boards.  We took some shots.

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Long have we sung the praises of DC’s Imperial China, and finally, Baltimore gave them the crowd (both in size and reception) they deserve.  Another gloriously kinetic and rhythmic punch to the gut as they bring their live show up a notch and down to the floor, Baltimore-style.

Imperial China
Aural States Fest
Talking Head Club
Baltimore, MD
January 30, 2009

Source: mg sms2000/200 > tascam hd-p2 (oade – acm) @ 44.1/16 bit
Compression: cdwav > flac
Taper: Steve Sanford

Download the full set formatted as: MP3 or FLAC

Stream and download individual MP3s after the jump.

Read the rest…

Wye Oak is already posted, and over the next 11 days we’ll be posting the rest of the live audio and tons more coverage from our first annual Aural States Fest! Thanks for coming out!

All photos: Shantel Mitchell

OK, I am sure I am not alone in thinking that this was one of the best shows that I’ve been to in awhile. Not only did this show run so smoothly with both stages in action at all times, but it was also a night filled with some of the best bands from Baltimore and DC. I mean, 12 bands on two club stages over a period of about 6 hours – for only $10 bucks: who could want for more? Well, there was also free coffee (thanks to Zeke’s Coffee in Parkville) and door gifts for those who came early – filled with vinyl, CDs, books, and other goodies (thanks to Soundgarden, Atomic Books and a slew of record labels).

This was the perfect event. If you were there, I am sure you are agreeing with me and if you weren’t, well then you missed an awesome show! Here are my photos from the evening. I was able to get all of the bands but two: Title Tracks and Hollywood (so sorry!). I picked out a few from each band. If you want to check out everything, you can see them here.

Andy Abelow

Andy Abelow, a solo artist who also performs in Small Sur started the evening, featuring accompaniment by Austin and Bob from Small Sur, Caleb Stine, John Varrone and Bethany Dinsick.

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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…

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

Luckily, my editor is on in-between semester break. Otherwise, I’m sure he would be in T.A. mode and grade my late post accordingly…

However, I dragged my feet somewhat deliberately. What’s the point of a 2008 summation if you don’t have at least a little critical distance between current time, and the past year? One doesn’t write a book report until the book is actually finished. A conclusion about a hypothesis can’t be reached until the experiment is actually completed. You don’t say, “Wow, baby…that was some good sex,” until the deal is sealed–unless you’re an ego-tripping moron with a teenager’s maturity level.

January 29, 2008 was my emergence from the world of sub-par print music journalism into the realm of much more serious online music writing. I don’t take credit for the upgrade; that goes solely to Greg Szeto, the music editor at my former publication, and the founder and managing editor of Aural States. I know good coat tails when I seem them, and I was really excited to jump into this venture with Greg. 

The results have been unthinkable, really. Much of the work I’ve felt the best about, and been the most proud of in the past several years has been for Aural States.
For me, 2008 has been a year of amazing music–recorded, live, and starting recently, making it again. To be accurate this journey’s proper beginnings are in the fall of 2007, but isn’t it weird how events usually arise from prior events in sequential order? Event chains, I think they are called.  I have been into music all my life, but 2008 is unique in the fact that I actually, in some small way, took a spot in a broader network of music, and culture-of-music people. I began blogging, and people were actually reading what I wrote.

This status of blogger doesn’t feel quite like it fits yet. Around Baltimore, indie/hipsters types (definitely loaded words, which are commonly mistaken for being synonymous with “music types”) don such close-fitting clothes. Perhaps, feeling as though this is a role I need to grow into is a healthier stance, than having skin-tight clothing restricting, and inhibiting movement (read: critical movement, and development).

Also, clothes being the signifiers that they are designate people into one group. I personally don’t fit into one single group musically, and probably not socially, either. From my understanding (and I think it’s an accurate understanding) the same goes for Aural States. To be clear, this does not mean AS has to be everything musically to fulfill our eclectic mission statement, but we simply need to be who we are, and only who we are.

And who are we? Music geeks: pure, unabashed, genuine music geeks.

My (Highly Subjective) Most Memorable Live Performances of 2008 (in no order, and it’s more than 10)
Read the rest…

Photo credit: Greg Szeto

Two of DC’s premiere noise-makers trekked up to Baltimore for a decently populated, Monday-before-Christmas early show at the Ottobar.  I walked into a brightly lit Ottobar (the likes of which I have only seen at closing time and the occassional dance party) scarcely past 8:30, and Caverns were already mid-set.  Luckily, I walked in to the closing strains of “Dance you son of a bitch,” one of the best cuts from the forthcoming Kittens! EP.  Caverns sounded a bit off, slight tuning issues with the guitar and some rhythm irregularities.  But the last two songs of their set really locked in…particularly set closer “This Are Syntax.” Read the rest…

Imperial China
The Ottobar
Baltimore, MD
December 22, 2008

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Transfer: NJB3>PC>SF-7>Wav>FLAC
Taper: Jeff Mewbourn (jm292@yahoo.com)

Notes:
Lineup:At Last Atlantis>Caverns>Pandas>Imperial China>Albatross
*last song is cut (power failure)
Sound: Rob Girardi
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Download the full set as a ZIP file formatted in: FLAC or MP3

Streaming MP3s after the jump. Read the rest…