Baltimore’s Best Bands/Venues
Baltimore, Featured, LIFE, LISTEN, Uncategorized — By changeup on July 5, 2010 at 6:55 amChangeUp subscribes strongly to the age old maxim, and admittedly stale cliché that, “if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” That’s why we’ve bent our backs all week to give you this starter’s guide to experiencing the musical renaissance taking place right here in Mobtown.
Like that strange smell from the Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore’s new music scene can seem as hidden as it is thriving. Sadly, too many Baltimoreans spend the better part of their tenure in the Charm City virtually oblivious to the wealth of home grown musical talent (shining under the city’s surface). Maybe its appropriate that an under-dog city like Baltimore, so often left-out of the discussion of cultural centers of Northeast, would keep the brilliance of its music scene concealed in back alleys, back pages and MICA basements. Maybe it’s unfair that while Brooklyn has deservedly won praises from the blogs and critics as the Mecca of new music on the East Coast, Baltimore, a similarly productive hot bed for the new wave, barely induces whispers outside the mid-Atlantic. ChangeUp subscribes strongly to the age old maxim, and admittedly stale cliché that, “if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” That’s why we’ve bent our backs all week to give you this starter’s guide to experiencing the musical renaissance taking place right here in Mobtown.
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Baltimore’s Best Venues
Sonar: A great place to see local or touring hip-hop, rock or punk acts, and also home to Tax Lo (remember the name), a raucous monthly dance party , Sonar is Baltimore’s premier musical venue. The club’s versatility is its strong suit, as it morphs night by night between dance club, concert hall or rock bar, and sometimes all three at the same time. On any given night, you might find all three of Sonar’s main rooms, occupied by a different band or DJ.
Sonar; 407 E. Saratoga St; 410.783.7888
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Ottobar: A bit smaller than Sonar, but with a similar blend of local and national, Ottobar tips a bit to the rock bar side of things. Located below the border of Charles Village and Hambden, the city’s main hipster sanctuary, its no surprise that Ottobar remains one of most reliable places in Baltimore to see a killer show or get turned on to a new band.
Ottobar; 2549 N. Howard St; 410.662.0069
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The 8 x 10: Previously known as The Funk Box, the 8 x 10 is just that: close quartered and full of sound. Perhaps the best sounding venue in the city, the 8×10’s concert card leans towards blues, reggae and jam acts, with an almost open-door policy to up-and-coming local acts. Truly a community institution, the 8 x 10 is all about the musicianship and the connection between the performer and the crowd.
The 8 x 10; 10 East Cross St.; 410.625.2000
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The Floristree Space: The Floristree Space is the place to see witness the wellspring of local musical ingenuity surging beneath the city’s surface, if you can find it. This venue isn’t so much a venue, as it is a…living room? For obvious reasons, you won’t find the address here. If you want to find it, do a lap around Hambden or ask your art school friends.
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Cat’s Eye Pub: Cat’s Eye is your grandfather’s rock bar, and in this case, that’s a real good thing. On a given night, most of the patrons and usually all of the band will be above 40 years old, but don’t let this keep you away. The older set at Cat’s Eye are the best kind, with their years of experience in ways of music and fun, they can get down with the best of them.
Cat’s Eye Pub; 1730 Thames St; 410.276.9866
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Baltimore’s Best Rock Bands
Beach House: On silky tongue and achy organ reverbs, Beach House rides through your mind like the soundtrack to a dream. At times bordering on nightmare, this dream is a psychedelic journey through apple orchards at dawn and smoky sitting rooms with faceless guests on rotting armchairs. Pretty creepy, right? This band is touring in Europe over the summer and into the spring, but be on the look out for their inevitable return stateside later in the year.
Ponytail: On their Myspace page Ponytail describe themselves as pop, but they are hardly the type of band to make the rounds on mainstream radio. This is why it is so important of spreading the word about their unique marriage of noise music and indie rock. If sounds had colors, Ponytail would be a rainbow flag hanging at an art-school basement party. Listen to Ponytail with caution; you may find yourself overwhelmed with the desire to quit your job and take up sculpture.
Wye Oak: While Beach House makes sad sound cool, Wye Oak brings a bit more joy to the Baltimore folk-rock movement. Another duo, Wye Oak is led by Jenn Wasner’s bitter-sweet lyrics and her a bit more than sweet voice. There are definitely some droplets of Lillith Fair in her perfumed pitch, but these represent only the best and most beautiful aspect of late 90’s pop folk. Thankfully, there is just enough edge to Wye Oak to perk the ear, though the affect on the listener is more to sooth than to excite.
Death Set: If a dance music train and a punk music train collided head-on at full speed, the result, somewhere amidst the smoldering rubble, would be The Death Set. With a seeming lifelong commitment to turn every show or basement party in the Northeast into an all-out riot, Johnny Siera and friends lace cheerful drum beats, with megaphone vocals and cheeky guitar refrains to create dance music for the punk crowd.
The Bridge: Good old southern bluesy rock and roll for you here. Regulars on the national festival circuit from West Virginia to the West Coast, the Bridge combines blues, rock and a touch of funk that could shake up any cookout or country fair. All six members of the band are expert musicians, each taking turns letting it ride during the thumping jam sessions that accompany their live shows.
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Baltimore’s Best Hip-Hop Acts
Labtekwon: The premier Baltimore lyricist by critical consensus, Labtekwon’s vocals give revival to the idea that hip hop should be more than grade school couplets over professional beats. Like Saul Williams, Talib Kweli in his Reflection Eternal days, Immortal Technique, or other so-called socially conscious rappers, Labtekwon takes his job and mic-wielding seriously.
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Mullyman: Representing everything that’s rap about radio hip-hop and very little that’s wrong, Mullyman may just turn out to Baltimore’s great mainstream hope. Over beats with a New York flavor, Mullyman spits gritty rhymes with force and a determination to himself and his city on the map. In many of his tracks, particularly the absolutely blazing “I’ll go harder,” Baltimore is as much the star as the rapper.
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AK Slaughter: AK Slaughter sounds nothing like their name. Then again, that’s all part of the act. This male-female rap duo act as sort of a hipster friendly parody of a mainstream rap group. Though the content can seem familiar—weed, parties, sex and shout-outs—its always delivered with a wink, nod and an eye for the ridiculous. The joke works too, making you want to throw up fake gang signs, turn your hat sideways and make your best attempt at a Crip-walk.
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Ninjasonik: In style, Ninjasonik isn’t a far a cry from their Bmore brethren AK Slaughter. With anthems like “Somebody Gonna Get Pregnant” and “Tight Pants” this trio is hardly in the business of taking themselves seriously. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be paying attention. Despite their somewhat goofy demeanor, their lyrics are well-crafted and delivered as relentlessly as machine gun fire by the groups MC, Telli Federline.
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King Rhythm: In the tradition of hip hop acts like Sage Francis, Aesop Rock and Atmosphere, King Rhythm takes the brand one step further in composition and content. With a poetry slam delivery, King Rhythm’s free-form raps wind through ideas and images, but with enough structure to keep the listener’s attention and interest. The beats are equally tripped out, dominated by feedbacky guitar riffs and driving drum lines.
*Photos courtesy of Josh Sisk
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