Fresh off a deliciously vintage early generation Creative Nomad audio player (Creative bought Rio, one of the pioneers making the first generation of portable MP3 players back in the mid-90s), Jeff the Baltimore Taper serves up some sweet sweet audio from the openers of the Teenagers-headlined bill at the Ottobar this week.  All photos: Victor Will

For Team Robespierre, go here.

For Smart Growth, go here.

Some context/set-up from Jeff:

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Download the entire set as FLAC files here, stream the MP3s below and download by clicking the song name.

Smart Growth

The Ottobar

Baltimore, MD

May 6, 2008

Smart Growth is:
Dennis Bowen-drums, beats

Source: Peluso CEMC6/ck41(hypercard)>PS-2>AD-20>NJB3

Transfer: NJB3>PC>SF-7>Wav>FLAC

Taper: Jeff Mewbourn (jm292@yahoo.com)

http://baltimore-taper.blogspot.com

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The hype machine is drooling Teenagers all over with their flood of nostalgia, banking on the now wistful 20-somethings that will actually understand all of their narrowly dated pop-culture references to things like Blink 182 and Showgirls. Unfortunately for them, they lined up 2 openers that pose a serious danger of completely showing them up.

The first contender for the throne is Smart Growth, solo side project for drummer Denny Bowen (of Double Dagger fame).  And everyone around Bmore knows he will kill it.

But out of towners Team Robespierre are a wild-card, producing darker and moodier electro/new wave that is closer to new wave’s early days of interchangeability with punk and dance-punk. There is a distinct threat to upstage the Teenagers on sincerity, as well as by bringing more vitality and variety, lyrically and musically.  Check all three out at the Ottobar tonight.

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Team Robespierre – 88th Precinct