A Recording & Mastering Studio in Baltimore
On all her previous records, Baltimore-based singer/songwriter ellen cherry’s principal instrument is guitar. And as the title implies, her new EP, Please Don’t Sell The Piano, represents a break from that tradition, as she explores black and white keys for the duration of the six songs. Having long since found a distinctive songwriting voice on her primary instrument, ellen cherry is taking a risk here, stepping out of her comfort zone.
Gary B & The Notions play short, snappy guitar pop songs with funny, idiosyncratic titles and lyrics that almost dare you to underestimate them. But their forthcoming second full-length album, How Do We Explode, out on May 8th, retains the light, amiable mood of the Baltimore band’s previous recordings while cranking up the volume and, more crucially, the nervous energy inherent in frontman Gary Lee Barrett, Jr.’s songs. The result is something a little more compelling, a little sharper, than the seemingly lightweight power pop the Notions built their rep on.
The Dialogue is a band that has helped spearhead Baltimore’s indie-rock scene. The group has thrived as part of the city’s cultural renaissance, but their new album “Wet Dreams” is poised to enter the collective consciousness of music fans beyond their beloved hometown.
The band has spent the past 2 years performing in just about every state on the east coast, and supporting a huge range of national bands including: Matt and Kim, Surfer Blood, Rogue Wave, …And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, All American Rejects, Girl Talk, Twin Shadow, Shiny Toy Guns, Twin Sister, Rooney, Steel Train and more.
The Dialogue came by Mobtown to rework a lot of their favorite songs. The guys put on a great show and the recordings are proof. Enjoy the show!
Drew Shaffer- Vocals/Guitar
Brian Pollack- Guitar
Justin Goodman- Bass
Jordan Goodman- Drums
Engineered by Aaron Wold
Mixed by Mat Leffler-Schulman
Technical info: Kick: EV868, Snare: SM57, Overhead: SM81, Bass: U87, Brian’s guitar amp: Oktava ribbon, Drew’s guitar amp: SM57, Vocals: SM7
Download MP3s - 75.67 MB
I had the pleasure of working with Lands & Peoples last fall mixing their debut record, Pop Guilt that was recorded by Chris Freeland (Oxes, Wye Oak, Lower Dens) and mastered by Paul Gold at Salt Mastering. The band itself is pretty hard to pigeonhole, but if you can imagine putting Simon & Garfunkel and Ghana postal workers canceling stamps in a blender, you might approximate something close to what Lands & Peoples are doing. Needless to say, these guys are some of the nicest people in Baltimore. It’s an added bonus they make beautiful music for all of us to enjoy.
Here are two of my favorite cuts on the record (white vinyl with artwork from Chris Muccioli from Secret Mountains!) due out soon on Analog Edition Records. Pre-order your copy today!
Ghosts
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Sexting
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Youngster was recently in the studio with Alex to record their first EP! The record turned out amazing. Youngster pushes out electronic jams, but done so organically with no MIDI syncing between the musicians. There is a keyboardist, sampler, bassist and guitarist. They crank out serious groovetronic dance jams a la The New Deal, Underworld and Daft Punk.
Enjoy two of my favorite cuts:
Hoedown
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Acid Roach
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On a recent day in September, music fans everywhere reacted to the news that R.E.M. had decided to break up. However, the same day a much less famous band, but perhaps one that still had a bit more potential for future growth, also announced that it was calling it a day. The breakup of the wonderful, inventive Baltimore quartet Ponytail was not exactly a shock — in fact their split had been preceded by a lack of touring and lots of speculation about the band’s status — but it was still sad to hear. But the band left behind one last album, Do Whatever You Want All The Time, released earlier this year before calling it quits, and it’s a worthy addition to their legacy.
