Ed Schrader's Music Beat: Jazz Mind

Cover art by Nolen Straals / Post Typography

2012 is the year of the Schrader.  Last year saw Ed Schrader's Music Beat get a top album review in Maximum Rock 'n' Roll, get signed to LOAD Records, and issue their second release.  Now, on March 20th, the album Jazz Mind, their most fully realized as a band (Devlin Rice rocks the bass) album will be released.  These dudes are great guys, the music is fun and unique, and they are poised to take over the world.  On tour currently, they have been getting great reviews and are generally having a good time.  I've had the good fortune to catch ESMB on tape many times, and have posted a smattering of materials from myself and the band below.  The set that I recorded at the Metro Gallery on June 18th, 2011 came out especially well.  Since I hadn't posted it yet, I figured now was appropriate.  Often I cut out all the happy banter that accompanies an Ed Schrader experience, but this time I left it in.  Half the fun of seeing the band is being included in their funny world of inside jokes and off-beat non-sequiturs.  


Here's some tracks from the upcoming album...

Video: Egg Babies this Saturday @ Ottobar!

Baltimore's favorite cover band, the Egg Babies, are going at it again at the Ottobar this Saturday for St. Patrick's Day.  Performing all movie soundtracks, they're going to keep the suspense high and the corny theme music going all night long.  Nick Prevas directed a short video they made to promote the show (they have a history of inventive and funny "trailers" to promote their shows - all of which are worth watching) which you should catch below.

Eureka Birds - There Was Light / Lower Dens - Brains

A couple of Baltimore bands just put out some music videos.  The Eureka Birds, whom I've caught live many a time, just uploaded a great animated video for "There Was Light" animated by Tom Kemp and Phi Tran of Art Alchemy Circle.
Lower Dens, who have national appeal at this point, released a video for the track "Brains".  The track is off of the upcoming album "Nootropics", out May 1st, and I think this is my favorite single from them yet.  The video was directed by Tristan Patterson, and it was released a couple of weeks ago.  I think every blog from here to eternity posted about it, so you probably have already seen it.

Free Movie Passes: Salmon Fishing in Yemen

So the Metro Gallery got a ton of free movie passes for two showings of the movie "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" over at the Charles Theater.  It is a nice enough looking, somewhat predictable situational rom-com starring Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt as two kids trying to fish in the desert.  First showing is Tuesday March 13th at 7:30pm.  Second showing is Tuesday March 20th at 7:30pm.  Free free free.  If you want passes, hit me up at film@themetrogallery.com

Secret Music Tonight @ Metro Gallery

Catch Secret Music at the Metro Gallery this evening.  Here's their latest video for T.O.Y.S.

Video Americain Charles Village is Closing.

It is a sad day, indeed.  Video Americain, the beloved video rental palace with two locations and rare movies, is closing the Charles Village store this Monday.  Catch the story here in the Baltimore Sun.

Audio: Big In Japan @ Creative Alliance

Photo by Tom Kessler

David Carter over at Livewire uploaded a phenomenal recording of Big In Japan playing the Creative Alliance on the 25th of February.  Listen and download here.

Audio: Lands & Peoples - Record Release this Friday!!!

This Friday is the record release show for Lands & Peoples.  These guys are amongst my absolute favorite locals, and I am certain the new album will be amazing.  The show is at the Soft House and you ought to go.  The last time I recorded these guys was last year in August at the Metro Gallery, and I uploaded a video from the show and posted it on this here blog.  Originally I opted not to upload the audio of the whole show simply because I missed the first two minutes, and I like to be a completist.  It is a shame I missed those couple minutes, because Chase O'Hara and Amy Reid (formerly of INEVERYROOM) accompanied Beau Cole and Caleb Moore on an improv that was really wild sounding.  You still get the last few minutes of that track.  Since then I've found myself listening to the set on my own, so if I enjoy it, chances are you may as well.  These are familiar songs which were the core of their live set for most of 2011 and I assume will be on the new album as well, but every one is great.  Get psyched for the show now, and go on Friday!

Audio: Islands @ Metro Gallery 02/23/12

Indie-rock darlings Islands played the Metro Gallery on the 23rd of last month, and it was caught on tape.  The highlights, at least for me, were the singles.  So that's what I uploaded.  Catch "Hallways" off their new album "A Sleeping and A Forgetting" and of course "Swans" off the now iconic album "Return to the Sea".  On the same day as the show at the Metro a new video was released for Hallways which is worth a look.  

There was a guy at the show that had made himself a "Man Wolfs" cut.  It is totally sweet.  Dude is a hero.

Local Music Caught on Tape...

Ostensibly this blog is supposed to be about local music that has been recorded here in Baltimore.  Admittedly, I've done little of that for a while now, and plan on getting back to it soon.  In the meantime, a few other tapers have been busy uploading clips of the local music scene for those of us not getting out to enjoy.  Here's a smattering of some below.  I chose one video from each contributor, but each is worth taking a look at for more.


Dennis Ovich, a frequent fan of venues such as the Red Room and anything held in a warehouse, posted some performances from STR8 Cavin' recently.  The performance below is of Holy Ghost Party, from February 2nd.  Catch them tonight at the Bell Foundry with Weekends, Woodsman and Each Other.

Tom Kessler, who patrols clubs and galleries looking for his latest fix of Baltimore's biggest names in music, caught the Big in Japan show (Katrina Ford accompanied for some later stuff in the evening) at the Creative Alliance.  The event was their annual residents open house and was on the 25th of February,
 
Sam Shea, a member of the Copycat Theater Troupe and the organizer of the Boombala Video Cabaret (which is this Sunday at the 5th Dimension), caught this Zomes performance with the Effervescent Collective dancing along at the Soft House.  This performance was also from the 25th, which was a crowded night of events indeed.
That night at the Soft House was graced by Greg St. Pierre, who has been defining himself as the premier video-environment-designer in Baltimore.  Incidentally, he also did the lighting the rest of the night.  A short video, once again by Sam Shea, focuses on the sculptural video work of Greg's from that evening.  Catch it below.