DOWNLOAD: Lower Dens - Tea Lights (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Lower Dens - Hospice Gates (MP3)

Twin-Hand Movement, the seriously good debut from Baltimore's Lower Dens, fronted by guitarist Jana Hunter, came out earlier this week on Devendra Banhart's Gnomonsong label. If you haven't heard the record, the two songs above are a good examples of the textural, airy rock found on it. Everyone around here has been spending a lot of time with it.

Lower Dens formed in 2009, so they haven't been a band long. And they've already managed to play NYC more than a few times, gigging at the WBAR-BQ back in April, opening for opened for Dan Deacon at Red Hook Park and visiting for the Northside Fest, to name a few.

With the album out, the band will add to that history with shows through September, which start after a hometown set at Whartscape this weekend. The first leg of that tour is with Brooklyn band Inoculist (led by Jana's brother John), and that includes two NYC shows: August 4th at Glasslands with Gross Relations and Nightdogs (tickets are on sale) and August 5th at Cake Shop.

All tour dates and album info are below...

Continue reading "Lower Dens album out now - MP3s & 2010 Tour Dates"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Pocahaunted - Save Yourself (It's Nice) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Sleep 8 Over - Outer Limits (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Lower Dens -  Hospice Gates (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Future Islands -  Tin Man (MP3)

Pocahaunted

Los Angeles' dub/psych/tribal/etc outfit Pocahaunted are in town for two shows this weekend -- Saturday (6/12) at Glasslands and Sunday (6/13) at Pianos. The band has expanded to a five-piece following the departure of Bethany Cosetino (now of Best Coast) and released their second album, Make it Real, earlier this year. You can check out an MP3 at the top of this post.

Prince Rama

Both shows feature Brooklyn's Prince Rama who make blissed out ambient drone, and whose debut album is due out this September on Paw Tracks.

Also playing both shows are Austin trio Sleep ∞ Over . The latter are making their first visit to NYC and have a new 7" is out now on Forrest Family Records (label from the Gorilla Vs Bear/Weekly Tape Deck folks). You can download the A-side at the top of this post. It's dreamy, ethereal stuff and comparisons to Beach House aren't off the mark. In addition to the Pocahaunted shows, Sleep 8 Over are also playing a free day show at Co-Op 87 with Future Shuttle and Baltimore's Lower Dens . That starts at 3PM.

Lower Dens

Lower Dens is the new band from Jana Hunter (Matt & Mossy, Castanets) and their quite wonderful, seriously good debut album, Twin Hand Movement, is out next month on Devendra Banhart's Gnomonsong label. You can download "Hospice Gates" at the top of this post.  Lower Dens are also playing tomorrow with fellow Baltimorians Future Islands at Silent Barn.  And you can download a Future Islands track at the top of this post.

All tour dates and flyers are below.

Continue reading "Pocahaunted, Prince Rama, Sleep ∞ Over, Lower Dens & Future Islands - shows this weekend, new albums, MP3s, other dates"

by Andrew Frisciano

The on-again, off-again rain on Sunday didn't cancel the 17th annual WBAR-B-Q, but it did move the show inside to Barnard's LeFrak Gym, a bit different aesthetically from the lush spring greenery outside but serviceable enough. It helped that the lineup had a focus on experimental noise and noise-inspired acts - every act I saw had the reverb and distortion keyed up, so the added resonance of the hall wasn't really an issue.

The show kicked off with Prince Rama, U.S. Girls and Think About Life, all of whom went on before I got there a little after 2pm. By then the free food was gone too, but the cotton candy machine and sno-cones were stocked all day.

On the center stage, Baltimore's Lower Dens (with guitarist Jana Hunter) played floating, moody distorted rock; drone violinist and loopmaster Burning Star Core/C Spencer Yeh serenaded (with huge bass drops) along the back wall; and Blues Control performed effects-heavy keyboard-and-tape jams.

The room looked fairly empty for most of the day (being a huge gym), but by the time Cold Cave went on people were on their feet and dancing. New member Jennifer Clavin (ex-Mika Miko) played keys and stepped in for vocals, and the band was off after a short-ish, no-encore set. Twin Stumps and their crazily enthused frontman set up on the floor across the gym and kept the show going with dissonant, pointed punk. Liturgy closed the show, but I took off before they played.

It was the second free show of the weekend for Cold Cave, who played the HEALTH-headlined NYU Solar One show the day before (which I heard also had plenty of room for people to move around). They play (Le) Poisson Rouge on Thursday with Cult Of Youth, Beaut, Max (reading), Mike Goodstein (WFMU) and DJ Mike Simonetti (Italians Do It Better). Tickets are still on sale.

More pictures from Barnard and a video of HEALTH at Solar One are below...

Continue reading "Cold Cave (and a lot of bands) played free shows @ Solar One (for NYU) & in Barnard's LeFrak Gym (WBAR-B-Q rain location)"

Xeno and Oaklander @ WBAR-B-Q 2009 (more by Zach Dilgard)

The 17th annual WBAR-B-Q (the outdoor show put on by Barnard College's resident radio station) will be happening this year on Sunday, April 25th. The free show lineup includes Think About Life (as previously reported), Cold Cave, Blues Control, Liturgy, Burning Star Core, Prince Rama Of Ayodhya Jana Hunter
Twin Stumps and U.S. Girls. The full list is below.

While in town, Montreal's Think About Life will also be playing Mercury Lounge on April 27th. Tickets are still on sale. Even sooner you can catch Think About Life on tour and at SXSW where they'll be playing a BrooklynVegan party (again).

As previously mentioned, Cold Cave will be playing at (Le) Poisson Rouge on Thursday, April 29th. Tickets to that are on sale.

Liturgy play a show this Saturday (3/6) at Glasslands with Naam.

More info on the fest and set order is below...

Continue reading "17th Annual WBAR-B-Q lineup (w/ Cold Cave, Blues Control, Liturgy, Burning Star Core, more)"

photos by Jonny Leather

"This is kind of like a birthday party," said Victoria Legrend, one half the Baltimore duo Beach House, before a sold-out crowd at the Bell House in Brooklyn Tuesday night (Jan. 26). "A fascist birthday party."

The delicate interplay between Legrend, Scally and the added live drummer was pronounced in the quaint, 350-capacity venue, allowing Beach House to flesh out the subtlety of its arrangements for a room hanging on to every squiggling guitar line and breathy "oh-oh" harmony. Legrend's deep, Kate Bush-style vocals had a powerful, hypnotizing effect, with songs like "Norway" and "Silver Soul" showcasing the diversity of her range.

The set played heavily on songs from the new effort, but songs like "Heart of Chambers" and the slow seduction of "Gila" from "Devotion" pleased attentive concertgoers yearning for the familiarity of those well-worn songs. That familiarity only to deepen with the release of "Teen Dream," which feels nostalgic, lonesome and beautiful all at once. Last night, Beach House allowed us into its intimate world, and it's a party we won't soon be forgetting.[Billboard]

Beach House tour Europe this February, then pick up with North American tour dates in March, April and May. On May 6th, they return to NYC with a Webster Hall show. That gig and others will be opened by Washed Out. Tickets are still on sale (but not for long?).

Bachelorette opens other dates on the tour.

More pictures and a video from the show are below...

Continue reading "Beach House played The Bell House - pics & video "

Beach House @ Williamsburg Waterfront (more by Bao Nguyen)

Beach House have announced a full set of 2010 tour dates that include an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (Jan. 22nd), Sundance (Jan 24), The Bell House (with Jana Hunter), Webster Hall, and much more. All dates below...

Continue reading "Beach House - updated 2010 Tour Dates"

"For 4 years now Wham City has been organizing the WHARTSCAPE. What started as a summer warehouse party turned into a much bigger, multi-day outdoor festival with thousands of bands, performers, and folks traveling to Baltimore from all across the US and Europe.
Since, we organize this festival out of pocket and in our spare time, it is important for us to keep it comfortable and enjoyable for us to do. One thing we talked about at the end of last year's festival was shrinking it down slightly and having it feel more community based and familiar.

This year isn't focused around headliners, but mainly performers and friends that make up the community we tour, work and live in.
We are also greatly reducing the number of MEGA-PASSES (the 3 day pass ticket that grants you entry to every show and every day).
ONLY 300 Mega-Passes will be sold; this is the only guarantee that you can see all the shows.

Tickets will be sold to the individual shows, but it is strongly suggested that you buy a Mega-Pass, as it saves you money and assures you take in the entire poo-poo.
Whartscape will take place July 10-11-12 at the Baltimore Museum of Art, Maryland Institute College of Art Studio Center Parking Lot, and Load of Fun.
We will begin selling tickets at 12 Noon, Monday, June 29th.

Continue reading "Whartscape - 2009 Wham City festival dates & lineup "

DOWNLOAD: Matmos - Rainbow Flag (MP3)

In Baltimore. soon...

Continue reading "Whartscape 2008 lineup, Matmos included "

The Castanets wrote:

Here's a message from Jana regarding yesterdays JH/Nets gear theft with some info on a Paypal account she's set up to hopefully replace some gear in the near or far future. Said information can be found at the end of the message that many of you have already read. Thanks to everyone who has sent along a kind word in the last 24 hours. It's awesome to know you all are around. Good times and living to you.

Continue reading "Jana Hunter & Castanets gear stolen in AZ"