I recently mastered a Baltimore compilation for SpliceToday.com. When Zach came to me asking if this is something I’d be in to, I didn’t even hesitate. We love Baltimore bands and the community they enrich, but Baltimore bands covering Baltimore bands! That’s just too good to be true.

Crossing genre lines, this mix tape reflects the beautiful diversity and vitality of the Baltimore scene. Caleb Stine covers Small Sur. Small Sur covers Wheatie Mattiasich. Mickey Free covers Wye Oak. And Wye oak covers Rod Lee. It’s like one big musical do-si-do. We love it! And you can download it for free. Look out for a Volume 2 coming soon!

Here are a few of my favorites:

Little Dreamer f/ Victoria Legrand by Jones (Future Islands)
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Dance My Pain Away by Wye Oak (Rod Lee)
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Two Mantras by Caleb Stine (Small Sur)
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Love those pretty Beach Boys harmonies at the end of Two Mantras! You can just drink it.

Cameron Blake came in last night for his microshow. Dave Hadley (Caleb Stine/Wye Oak) joined him on pedal steel; Gabe Finck (BSO) was on french horn; and Chris Pierorazio on percussion and drums. It was a perfect night of rain, friends and a religious musical experience. Cameron never fails to bring on the fight and last night was no exception. Hearing Cameron rework his songs’ arrangements brought new life to them. He also covered a song by Baltimore’s own Caleb Stine. And you know we love when Baltimore artists give love to their own. Thanks Cameron!

Technical info: Vox: U87, Piano: DI, Acoustic Guitar: SM81, Pedal Steel: SM7 on cab, French Horn: AT3060 Tube/AT871R Boundary, Snare: Cascade Fathead Ribbon (top)/Sennheiser 441 (bottom), Djembe: Sennheiser 421, Percussion Spot: AT871R Boundary

Download MP3s - 110.24 MB

This past spring Cameron Blake put together a live show that benefited The Maryland Food Bank at the Village Church in Hampden. Cameron Blake, E.Joseph & the Phantom Heart, and Caleb Stine & The Brakemen played. Eric and I had the opportunity to record that amazing night and had a great time in the process.

We had such a fun time mixing Caleb’s set we decided to put a few songs from the night up here.

Be on the lookout. The live record will be released July 23rd.

Lonesome Kid

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I’ll Fly Away/Will The Circle Be Unbroken

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Sweet Jane
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Baltimore singer-songwriter Caleb Stine understands that his is not a city that evokes the rustic Americana celebrated so lovingly in his songs. So his second album, I’ll Head West Again, is full of references to other parts of the country, with song titles like “On A Porch In Nashville” and “West Virginia,” and the detailed travelogue that comprises the lyrics of “Daniel Boone.” And Stine’s wistful words find a perfect foil in his backing band The Brakemen, who furnish his songs with pedal steel, bass, and drums, without ever drowning out the deep, plainspoken voice at the center of it all.

On A Porch In Nashville
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The upshot of Stine remaining the focal point on I’ll Head West Again is that for ultimately, each song is only as good as his singing allows it to be, for better and for worse. The album opens on a high note with “On A Porch In Nashville,” bolstered by a warm, sonorous vocal reminiscent of Jackson Browne. But it also stumbles with Stine’s awkward attempt at a folksy, conversational delivery on “May Every Breath Be A Prayer,” which could’ve been one of his most affecting songs if executed better.

Come Back Home
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The album’s highlight, “Come Back Home,” features a guest appearances by the members of Baltimore indie rock duo Wye Oak, with Andy Stack sitting in on upright bass and Jenn Wasner singing a duet with Stine. And though the gently playful interplay between the two contrasting voices is what makes the song, Wasner’s performance is an absolute revelation, her lilting, bittersweet vocal imbued with an Appalachian twang that’d only been hinted at in her usual band’s recordings. If Wye Oak ever records a country album, and they easily could based on this evidence, they should return the favor and bring Caleb Stine back for another collaboration.