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01. MP3: Dark Party – Status from Light Years (2009)
02. MP3: Mux Mool – Nausican from Just Saying Is All (2008)

I’ll be up in Boston this weekend to catch Built to Spill’s run at the Middle East.

But I’m regretting it as there are some stellar shows happening.  Wye Oak is opening for Blitzen Trapper at a mammoth Saturday Ottobar event.  Following the show, everyone’s favorite DJ Jason Willett will be hosting the after-party at the Golden West.

Tonight though, all eyes should be on the Hexagon who hosts a phenomenal Moodgadget-anchored orgy of dance music, courtesy of local label Environmental Aesthetics.

Out of towners Dark Party and Mux Mool bring electronic dance bliss (lush with hip-hop beats and influence) to the Hexagon, while opener Cex blasts you with his particularly visceral brand of electronic and beats-master Mickey Free lays down some rhymes.   This is easily a can’t miss show.

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MP3: Cex – Last Gazp

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MP3: Cex – Brains Out

Cex aka Cexman aka Rjyan Kidwell recently dropped his new wax, Bataille Royale, on a Baltimore scene that is more than ready for this addition to its musical vocabulary.  This record is unquestionably the product of a bombed out soul, a spirit that is truly and uniquely urban.  Here we find soundscapes that, much like dub, reflect the darker side of the metropolitan experience.  Kidwell has openly stated this is a response to the predominance of standard (and saccharine) tropes of indie rock and psychedelia, and it certainly succeeds in presenting an alternative flavor.  Cex has carved a musical document that channels Baltimore while pond-hopping around various subgenres of electronic and hip-hop.

The first track, “Last Gazp,” is a burnt-out aural landscape: expansive and distant, while somehow, paradoxically, claustrophobic and overbearing.  Recurring machine-gun rattles are jarring and immediate, especially when juxtaposed to the mysterious melody.  ”Brains out” is a dark and foreboding, borderline psychoses-inducing cut of techno, the only words being exhortations of: “Blow your brains out.”  These tracks, and this record, deserve to be digested and pored over.  Each listen brings out more and more facets of this gem.

But, the real meat of Cex lies in his masterful live sets.  Lucky for us, this month’s More or Less party at the Hexagon has Cex performing tonight (he’s even giving away some copies of Bataille).  You can pick up copies of Bataille Royale at the lovely True Vine.

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MP3: Matmos – Orban from Supreme Balloon (2008)

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MP3: Dan Higgs – Untitled 1 from Plays The Mirror Of The Apocalypse (2005)

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MP3: Jana Hunter – Valkyries

One of our city’s finest record stores (run by two of its nicest guys) is in abit of a financial rough patch.  To this, you probably respond: “Who isn’t?!”

But consider that the True Vine is one of a quickly vanishing breed: the highly-curated brick and mortar record store.  Jason Willett and Stewart Mostofsky run a timeless institution in a refreshingly old-school manner.  Walking through their doors feels like walking into a knowledgeable friend’s house, and that’s a rare thing these days (especially in retail).  For better or worse, Spin Magazine recognized True Vine as one of its top 15 indie record stores in America.

Help them pay off some of the lingering bills so they can get back to the business of finding and providing lovingly hand-picked music to your ears, worry-free.  They’ve gathered what has already been declared an unfuckwithable bill of veritable local superstars: Matmos, CEX, Dan Higgs, Jana Hunter, Coo Coo Rockin Time, Bill Mace, Golden Birthday and Jefrey Brown.

More goodies from our vaults:

Matmos interview here

One time, CEX wrote some haikus for us

Jana Hunter, CEX and Matmos gabbed with us prior to Whartscape 2008

The benefit show kicks off at tonight at 9PM sharp, Floristree in the H&H Building. Tickets are $10, and True Vine will also be selling hand-picked and burned mix CD-Rs for $7 (which are great) and apparel for prices unknown.  Buy it all, and show Jason & Stew your love for the True Vine by making sure it weathers this financial shit-storm.

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

This is it. It’s here. Whartscape 2008 kicks off tonight at the Charles Theater with a spectacular, Matmos- headlined line-up and we hope everyone makes it out.

For the last day of our Countdown min-terviews, we’ve got some heavy-hitters including Mr Green-skull himself, one of Wham City’s patriarchs, Dan Deacon, homegrown electronic music royalty Cex.

Read on!

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MP3: Dan Deacon – Wham City

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Seeing a reunited Blectum from Blechdom perform last night at Load of Fun took me back to the good old days of the early 00s (nearly 10 years ago!) It was a time when the whole laptop scene was blowing up– all Kid606, Cex, Tigerbeat6, and Oakland, CA.

Read the rest…