Behind Which Stage: A Guide to Bonnaroo 2010

Last month host John Mathews and Baltimore Unsigned producer Nick Jackson traveled to Manchester, TN, to broadcast live from Bonnaroo, the premiere music festival of the summer.

Tune in 12 to 2 p.m. Monday, July 5th, for Behind Which Stage: A Guide to Bonnaroo 2010, as John and Nick deliver the the best of the fest with a full two hours of artist interviews and one-of-a-kind backstage performances. 

Featured artists include John Prine, The Avett Brothers, The xx, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Regina Spektor, Phoenix, and John Butler Trio.

Whether you're reliving this year's festival--or already planning next year's trip--John and Nick are your go-to guides to Bonnaroo, An encore edition of Behind Which Stage will air at 9 p.m. Saturday, July 10.

Altered Freebies: J. Roddy Walston; Grouplove; Wolf Parade

What's better than music?  Free music. Producer Nick Jackson has scoured the Interwebs to bring you the best free downloads featured on this week's Altered Fridays, 4-7 p.m. 

(And if you haven't already, be sure to pick up of Montreal's new single, "Coquet Coquette.")

• J. Roddy Walston and the Business, "Brave Man's Death"

Baltimore's own J. Roddy Walston makes the major label leap with the mind blowing Don’t Break the Needle. They bring the rawk on "Brave Man's Death," which is available as a free download when you share your email address in the bottom right corner of his web site. (Try not to be hypnotized by the monsters of rock collage in the background.)

J. Roddy Walston and the Business celebrate their Baltimore Release Show at The Ottobar on Saturday, July 31st.

• Grouplove, "Colours"

Musicians from London, New York and Los Angeles meet on the island of Crete and decide to form a band. It's either the premise for a new reality show or the start of an exciting musical journey. You decide.

• Wolf Parade, "Ghost Pressure"

The Quebec rockers return with a strong track off of Expo 86. 

Truth and Salvage Co. Bring Heavenly Harmonies to Morning Sessions

Truth and Salvage Co.'s "Call Back" is an irresistible part of our summer soundtrack, featuring soaring harmonies from the band's four principal songwriters. The six-piece collective honed its Americana sound during late-night jam sessions at the famous L.A. folk club Hotel Café and caught the attention of The Black Crowes' Chris Robinson.

Last year Robinson produced the band's self-titled debut for his Silver Arrow label. "He was great at picking out how to phrase things," says vocalist/guitarist Tim Jones. "Losing one syllable or one word out of a line can change the whole way you can sing it."


Tune in at 9 a.m. Friday as Jones and his bandmates visit WTMD for an in-studio performance and interview on on Morning Sessions.

The Charm City Circulator Stops at First Thursday

Joining music lovers for an evening of incredible Americana music in Mount Vernon for our free First Thursday Concert with Paul Masson and Joshua James is a great way to kick off the holiday weekend. 

And if you're traveling from Penn Station, the Inner Harbor or any point in between, getting to the park is easier than ever before. The free Charm City Circulator runs until 9 p.m. Thursday with stops every 10 minutes along the Purple Route in West Mt. Vernon Park.  


The show starts promptly at 5:30 p.m. July 1st.  Just look for the monument and listen for the music!

The truth about of Montreal's "False Priest"

As Erik reported this morning, of Montreal announced the completion and details of their new album False Priest. The album is set to be released September 14th on Polyvinyl Records.

They are giving away the first single, "Coquet Coquette" for free. Grab it then compare it with the video of Kevin and B.J. premiering the song on Morning Sessions back in April 2009:

Smooth Kentucky's Bluegrass Blend on Baltimore Unsigned

Smooth Kentucky found inspiration on the back of a whiskey bottle. 

"The Baltimore Brewing Company used to have a bluegrass happy hour every Friday night," says guitarist/vocalist Ed Hough. "[Guitarist/vocalist Cris Jacobs] had a connection with the girl who put it on, and she told him to put together a bluegrass band. He called me up and we needed a name because the City Paper was about to go to print.  We got 'smooth Kentucky' off the back of a whiskey bottle and it stuck."

It's a fitting representation for the six-piece band's blend of new grass and Grateful Dead roots.

Tune in at 8 p.m. Tuesday (with an encore broadcast at 9 a.m. Saturday) as the band performs selections from its 2009 release A Few More Miles-- and previews some new songs--during a special performance and interview recorded at The Bunker Recording Studio.

Smooth Kentucky performs at Mick O'Shea's on Friday, July 16.

CD of the Week: High Violet

The National has received a lot of nationwide attention in the past few months, including a New York Times Magazine profile, late-night show appearances and headlining gigs in bigger halls. It may seem like a lot of hype, but the band has been making records for almost a decade to critical acclaim. And the band's latest release, High Violet, is their finest record yet.

High Violet is meant to be taken as a whole, but the single "Bloodbuzz Ohio" is a great introduction to the band's sound. The guitars drone instead of riff. The melody seems simple at first, but demonstrates a complexity after multiple listens. 

And vocalist Matt Beninger sings slowly and deliberately so the audience can pick up on every word--with lyrics moving from surreal ("I was carried to Ohio in a swarm of bees") to profoundly personal ("I still owe money to the money to the money I owe / I never thought about love when I thought about home").

The introspective album translates into an incredibly engaging live show, as witnessed in this awesome performance from the Brooklyn Academy of Music.