A few months ago we received a call from WYPR, asking us to produce a live set of Future Islands songs for our favorite local arts and culture show, The Signal. The set was to include new arrangements of songs to complement an acoustic show they would be playing at the Metro Gallery.

A couple weeks later, Future Islands packed them in at Metro Gallery and then came to Mobtown to share an incredible session with us. They were joined by Denny Bowen (Double Dagger) on drums, Kate Barutha (Soft Cat) on cello and Devlin Rice on acoustic guitar. After the session, the band was interviewed by Jon Ehrens of The Art Department for the radio piece.

Ultimately, the band and their label, Thrill Jockey, decided to release the songs from the session on 150-gram vinyl in a limited run of 1000 numbered copies. So the band returned to mix it over a period of a few days and then it was mastered by Adam Cooke at Lord Baltimore Studios.

You can listen to the final piece on The Signal here. Clips of the MP3s are available below.

Long Flight
[See post to listen to audio]

Little Dreamer
[See post to listen to audio]

As 2009 came to a close, it became clear that More, the third album by Double Dagger, was one of Baltimore’s most acclaimed albums of the year, on both a local and national level. Unfortunately, I’d been attempting since its release in May to identify the album’s appeal, to no avail. The power trio’s Thrill Jockey debut, recorded in a vacant space above the Current Gallery, is as raw and loud as the band’s popular live shows, but for whatever reason, it took a while for me to warm to it.

[See post to listen to audio]

Ultimately, it was the More’s second track, “Vivre Sans Temps Mort” that provided my entry point to appreciating the album, with its slow burn groove stretched out over five minutes in contrast to the album’s faster and shorter songs. But of the latter, the frantic groove of “We Are The Ones” is another highlight, bringing to mind Stay Afraid-era Parts & Labor.

Still, I remained frustrated that Double Dagger’s commitment to their punk roots has manifested itself in vocals so perfunctory, and at times inaudible, that I almost wish they were just an instrumental band. Songs with titles like “Surrealist Composition With Your Face” and “Helicopter Lullaby” probably have interesting lyrics, but I can’t make any of them out given how low the vocals are in the mix on More, and “Half-Life” packs the album’s catchiest riff, but the vocals that accompany it completely skirt the melody. Double Dagger are definitely a band to watch, but I’ll be waiting until the next album to see if they make something more up my alley.