Fishtown Shadfest: In Instagrams!

This Saturday was Fishtown Shadfest, a celebration of live music, crafts, and umm, shad (as in the fish). Yours truly was on hand to snap some instagrams for Bands in the Back Yard -- head over there to check out the full gallery.

Shad-tastic. (Photos also available via Twitter).

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Best New Music: Lower Dens

Baltimore's Lower Dens craft the type of music you can get lost in: think thick, dense, layered concoctions, teeming with moving synths and guitars. It's perfect music for rainy days or hungover mornings (at least I imagine) and when front woman Jana Hunter lets loose a languid croon, it's impossible not to feel chills.

 Burrrr.

On sophomore record Nootropics, chills are aplenty, as the band explores transhumanism, and other deep topics, through sound. Check out my full review at Phrequency.com, along with the hypnotic video for "Brains," and learn how you can stream Nootropics for free right now.

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XPN2 Playlist, 4/23/12

6:00

Evans the Death, "Telling Lies"

Evans the Death

Allo Darlin’, “Wonderland”

Europe

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Laser Background, “We Trust”

Laser Background

Elf Power, “Like a Cannonball”

Elf Power

The Bastards of Fate, “Oedipus Rex”

Who’s a Fuzzy Buddy

Hot Panda, “Future Markets”

Go Outside

Johnny Headband, “And Then Again”

Who Cooks for You

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Witch Gardens, “Standard Poodle”

R-I-P

Mark Adams, “Nationwide”

Panjanatan

The Feelies, “Sooner or Later”

 Time for a Witness

Father John Misty, “Nancy From Now On”

Fear Fun

The Drums, “Money”

Portamento

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Carousel, “Where Have You Gone”

26 Allston

Film School, “Lectric”

Hideout

My Bloody Valentine, “Blown a Wish”

Loveless

Jack White, “Blunderbuss”

Blunderbuss

Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi, feat. Jack White, “The World”

Rome

 Google image result #28 for "The World." Not sure what is going on here, 

but fairly certain it is racist

7:00

Magic Bullets, “What Took You So Long?”

Much Ado About

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Neon Trees, “Everybody Talks” 

Picture Show 

Men, “Make it Reverse” 

Kitsuné Maison Compilation 7 

Joywave, “Golden State” 

Koda Vista 

Beach House, “Lazuli” 

Bloom

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Spiritualized, “Little Girl” 

Sweet Heart Sweet Light 

Alabama Shakes, “Hold On” 

Boys & Girls 

M. Ward, “Pure Joy” 

A Wasteland Companion 

Yuck, “Chew” 

Chew (Single) 

Dinosaur Jr., “Pieces” 

Farm

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Lilys, “Paz en El Hogar” 

Better Can’t Make Your Life Better 

Blood, Sweat, & Tears, “Spinning Wheel” 

Blood, Sweat, & Tears 

Fair Ohs, “Baldessari” 

Everything is Dancing 

Fergus & Geronimo, “Baby Don’t You Cry” 

Unlearn 

Ringo Starr, “It Don’t Come Easy” 

Ringo 

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The Walkmen, “Heaven” 

Heaven

Tune in again next week for more hot jamz.

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Music Video Mondays: Evans the Death

Things get colorful (and violent!) in this new video for "Telling Lies," from British popsters Evans the Death.

"Telling Lies" appears on the band's s/t record, out now on Slumberland Records.

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Best New Music: Jack White

He is, without a doubt, one of the most prolific and recognizable singers of the past 20 years -- his high-pitched snarl and pasty complexion as much a symbol of American rock as Cobain's shaggy-haired disaffection or the Boss's wide-legged stance + swagger. 

And yet, it's only now -- more than a decade after the first White Stripes record -- that musical madman Jack White has unleashed on the world a record that is solely his own -- with no outside influences or collaborators.

Inspiration?

That record is called Blunderbuss and it sees White tackling a variety of styles -- from old skool garage rockers to windswept blues and quiet, strummed confessionals. Check out my full review over at Phrequency, along with the demonic vid for early single "Sixteen Saltines" -- and learn how you can stream Blunderbuss for free right now.

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XPN2 Playlist, 4/16/12

6:00

Dinosaur Feathers, “Young Bucks”
Whistle Tips

Islands, “No Crying”
A Sleep & A Forgetting

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The Bastards of Fate, “Fan Fiction Writer”
Who’s a Fuzzy Buddy

The Olivia Tremor Control, “I Have Been Floated”
Black Foliage: Animation Music

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, “Beverly Kills”
Before Today

The Magnetic Fields, “I’d Go Anywhere With Hugh”
Love at the Bottom of the Sea

The Apples in Stereo, “No One in the World”
Travellers in Space and Time

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POP ETC, “Everything is Gone”
Mixtape

Woolfy, “Odyssey”
If You Know What's Good for Ya!

Caravan Palace, “The Dirty Side of the Street”
Panic

Tanlines, “Not the Same”
Mixed Emotions

Talk Talk, “It’s My Life”
It’s My Life

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Air France, “It Feels Good to Be Around You” (Memory Tapes remix)
It Feels Good to Be Around You (Single)

Memory Tapes, “Sun Hits”
Player Piano

Gregory Rogove, “Jackyl” (Violens Remix)
Piana

Noah and the Whale, “5 Years Time”
Peaceful the World Lays Me Down

Google image result #3 for "5 years time."Somehow, I feel like
Noah and the Whale would approve.

7:00

Brown Recluse Sings, “Margo, Left in Bed”
Black Sunday

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Alabama Shakes, “I Ain’t the Same”
Boys & Girls

The Hold Steady, “Stuck Between Stations”
Boys and Girls in America

White Hot Noise, “I Love You (Just a Girl)”
White Hot Noise

Royal Headache, “Psychotic Episode”
Royal Headache

Black Lips, “Dance With You”
Sick of You

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Eternal Summers, “Able To”
The Dawn of Eternal Summers

Reading Rainbow, “Prism Eyes”
Prism Eyes

Weekend, “End Times”
Sports

The Black Keys, “Howlin’ for You”
Brothers

The Exploding Hearts, “I’m a Pretender”
Guitar Romantic

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M. Ward, feat. Zooey Deschanel, “Sweetheart”
A Wasteland Companion

Wolf Parade, “Shine a Light”
Apologies to the Queen Mary

Pavement, “Gold Soundz”
Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

Yo La Tengo, “Upside-Down”
May I Sing With Me

Wilco, “You Never Know”
Wilco (The Album)

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We Have Band, feat. Yulia, “Time After Time”
Kitsuné Maison Compilation 7

Tune in again next week for more sweet jamz!

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Music Video Mondays: Johnny Headband

Getting serious Beck vibes from "And Then Again" -- the new single from Detroit brothers Johnny Headband:

And I thought chess was mostly boring!

"And Then Again" appears on the record Who Cooks for You, out tomorrow.

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Best New Music: The Bastards of Fate

A few weeks back, I introduced you to "Huge Magic," the strangely addictive new single from Virginia weirdos The Bastards of Fate. Since then I've had the chance to check out their full length, Who's a Fuzzy Buddy -- which overwhelmed me with its awesomeness so much so that I decided it needed a post of its own.

The Bastards of Murder?

It's hard to describe a record so different from everything else, but I will try: think broken radio, flipping between stations with abandon, sprinkled with whimsy, and dipped in carnivalesque splendor. For fans of Man Man, The Magnetic Fields, OTC and Ariel Pink. Check out my full review over at Phrequency.com, and get ready to get weird.

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Groove of the Moment: Mark Adams, "The Bus Argument"

It debuted on my radio show last Monday -- but I liked it so much I decided to blog about it too (O yeah.) I'm talking about "The Bus Argument," the delightfully quirky new track from West Coast experimental artist (and apparently: wine maker) Mark Adams.

With a funky beat, spring-y electronic flourishes, brass blatts, and talk-y lyrics that rhyme Charles Bukowski with "The Big Lebowski" -- this lil baby will have you grooving and smirking to yourself at the same time. Talking Heads fans take note!

"The Bus Argument" appears on the record Panjanatan, out June 9.

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XPN2 Playlist, 4/9/12

6:00

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, “Walking to Do”
Shake the Sheets

Telekinesis, “Gotta Get it Right Now”
12 Desperate Straight Lines

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La Sera, “Real Boy”
Sees the Light

Vivian Girls, “Take It as It Comes”
Share the Joy

Frankie Rose and the Outs, “Little Brown Haired Girls”
Frankie Rose and the Outs

Princeton, “Riches”
Remembrance of Things to Come

Creaky Boards, “You Can’t Turn Me Off”
Brooklyn Is Love

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Gentleman Jesse, “Careful What You Wish For”
Leaving Atlanta

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, “I Only Want to Be With You”
Blow in the Wind

Crystal Stilts, “Shake the Shackles”
In Love With Oblivion

Veronica Falls, “Misery”
Veronica Falls

Minks, “Funeral Song”
By the Hedge

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Mark Adams, “The Bus Argument”
Panjanatan

Talking Heads, “Once in a Lifetime”
Remain in Light

Beat Connection feat. Chelsey Scheffe, “Think/Feel”
Think/Feel (Single)

Tanlines, “Lost Somewhere”
Mixed Emotions

Google image result #6 for "Lost Somewhere." I hate getting lost when I'm
naked sitting in an inflatable tube


7:00

East Hundred, “Slow Burning Crimes”
Passenger

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Busses, “Metal”
Metal/Shangri-La

Yuck, “Operation”
Yuck

Dive, “How Long Have You Known?”
Oshin

The Fresh & Onlys, “Do What I Came To Do”
Stash Rituals

Dum Dum Girls, “Wrong Feels Right”
He Gets Me High

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Pete Shelley, “Homosapien (Dub)”
LateNightTales

Eddy Grant, “Electric Avenue”
Killer on the Rampage

Django Django, “Love’s Dart”
Django Django

Calexico, “The Ride (Pt II)”
The Black Light

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Bay City Rollers, “Saturday Night”
Bay City Rollers/Rock N' Roll Love Letter

A Band of Bees, “Who Cares What the Question Is?”
Octopus

Hungry Kids of Hungary, “Scattered Diamonds”
Mega Mountain

Jenny and Jonny, “Big Wave”
I’m Having Fun Now

Smith Westerns, “Dye the World”
Dye it Blonde

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Japandroids, “The House That Heaven Built”
The House That Heaven Built (Single)

Tune in again next week for more sweet tunes!

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Human BBQ XXXIV: In Instagrams

This year I decided not to bring a camera to Human BBQ...instead I shot the entire thing using Instagram. Enjoy!

Waiting for the bus to join in on the fun! (Click any instagram to enlarge)

Set list

Welter

Wall art.

No Shoes

Night Manager

Bathroom wisdom

Real human meat

Easter spirit

Catnaps

Next door

Vintage Kicks

Store Cats

The Tough Shits

Sunny Ali and the Kid

Hunters

Screaming Females, warming up

Screaming Females

What a night!

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