Summer Baltozine Roundup

Keeping track of new magazines (etc.) that we get in which talk about Baltimore stuff. For more on, by, or about Baltimore-area artists, check out the following issues below.

from Ghettoblaster #28 
Wye Oak - Civilian
Rating: Turned Up (basically 3 out of 5 stars)

"Wye Oak's latest release of ethereal, folk inspired indie-pop improves on the group's signature sound of quiet, measured instrumentals overlaid with Jess [sic - that's Jenn, dude] Wasner's smoky alto vocals and it's a winning combination, to be sure. ..." - Andrew Coulon

There's also a pretty entertaining review of Ponytail's Do What You Want All The Time which unfortunately says more about the reviewer's insecurities than it does about the music.

"The shift of the hipster uniform is an ugly thing to see. ... You're being annoying on purpose. I can tell you know how to play. ..." -Jason Schueppert

from Decibel #82
There is a nice series of reviews of bands who played Maryland Deathfest IX. The tagline of the article is "Because Virginia is for lovers Maryland is for cum-guzzlers." Witty.

"You could move Maryland Deathfest from its annual Memorial Day weekend dates to early February, and I'm sure Charm City would still string together four consecutive days of oppressive mid-90s temperatures. It was fucking hot. Again. And even though the annual strain of Maryland Deathflu circulating in that giant underground metal Petri dish is still attacking every white blood cell in our body today, we're already planning next year's excursion (note: pack more hand sanitizer). Until then, here's this year's recap of our favorite sets from America's preeminent festival." -Albert Mudrian

from Under The Radar #36
Ponytail - Do What You Want All The Time
Rating: 7 out of 10

"... The rambunctious spazz-rockers gloriously build off and dismantle ... enthusiastic pop... Critics would be remiss to discard this as the treacly graffiti of a bunch of Peter Pans. Sometimes you just get tired of all the mopes and misanthropes populating the scene." -Kyle Lemmon

Zomes - Earth Grid
Rating: 6 out of 10

"More minimal, retro-futuristic meanderings from Lungfish alum, Asa Osborne, again with that dude-in-his-bedroom kinda vibe." -J. Pace

Adventure - Lesser Known
Rating: 5 out of 10

"A reappropriation of classic '80s synths conveniently packaged into house beats, it is brash, loud and instantly danceable. ..." -Laura Studarus

from The Big Take-Over #68 
Impossible Hair - Toast A Dozen On The Side
"... Impossible Hair's brand of astute, buoyant pop is illustrative of the quality control demonstrated by such akin forebears as Sloan and more recently Rogue Wave. We're talking mad skills here folks, and the Hair possess a moxie well beyond their years. ..." -Neal Agneta

The Seldon Plan - Coalizione Del Volere
"... The Seldon Plan dispense song after deftly honed song of smart, buoyant pop..." - Neal Agneta

Thank You - Golden Worry
"... Golden is a wildly haphazard, jarringly inscrutable roller coaster ride of an album best ingested as a whole." -Marcel Feldmar

Wye Oak - Civilian
"... Another stunner - the third in a row from the Baltimore duo that's only been releasing music since 2008." - David Obenour

Arbouretum - The Gathering
"An amazing record, Arbouretum's dark and jammy tone is close to Thin White Rope desert territory, only without the strained punk vocals. ... bubbling cauldrons of dark music, wherein mythical but slightly out of focus stories and mystical melodies bring to mind The Moody Blues mixed with metal doom and filled out with trance instrumental sections. ..." -Tucker Petertil

And finally, The Believer #82 is The 2011 Music Issue. It comes with a mixed music CD and it includes "Surprise Believer", a new track by Dan Deacon.

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