Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit perform "Streetlights" Live at WTMD

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Former Drive-By Trucker Jason Isbell visited WTMD (http://www.wtmd.org) to perform selections from his new album, "Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit," including "Streetlights."

Mix Tape Thursday, 2/26/09

Our listeners take over the airwaves with three-to-five song sets all day Thursday. Check out a new mix tape every hour.

Plus, we wrap up the day with a celebrity mix tape from the Bacon Brothers starting at 8 p.m.

Submit your mixtape today. Here's today's lineup:

6 a.m. Leslie Eckard

I call this my War and Peace mix. It's about having your own mind and not letting others rule your thoughts, and being open-minded and seeking a peaceful solution to things instead of trying to get your own way.

• "Zor and Zam," by The Monkees
• "They," by Jem
• "Nobody Right, Nobody Wrong," by Michael Franti & Spearhead
• "Philosophia," by Guggenheim Grotto
• "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," by Tears for Fears

7 a.m. Brandon Hurley

These songs make me think of the financial crisis. We started with the flood of consumerism and high expectations, which have all come crashing down.

We all try to escape through different ways. Some react with medication, some pine for "good old days," others just try to deal with life and try to hang on to hope of a better place. But, at these times we all need to rally around each other.

• "First Day," by The Futurehead
• "Interesting Drug," by Morrissey
• "Compositions for the Young and Old," by Bob Mould
  
• "Fast Car," by Tracy Chapman
  
• "Under Pressure," by David Bowie

Make the Music Happen! Become part of the TMD 5,000 today.


8 a.m. Peter Ochano

It's almost spring! Let's have some songs about trees!

• "I am a Tree," by Guided by Voices
  
• "Fake Plastic Trees," by Radiohead
• "Evergreen," by The Fiery Furnaces
  
• "Apple Orchard," by Beach House
  
• "One Tree Hill," by U2

9 a.m. Steve Moles

All of these songs have a great groove but the artists are very different.

• "And She Was," by Talking Heads
  
• "Action Speaks Louder than Words," by Galactic
• "Too Damn Funky," by Tom Principato
  
• "Hello, Bonjour," by Michael Franti and Spearhead
  
• "Wake Up," by The Neville Brothers

10 a.m. Michael McLaughlin

Songs (and a singer) referencing wolves.

• "The Hungry Wolf," by X
  
• "Wolves," by Iron & Wine
  
• "Furr," by Blitzen Trapper
  
• "Will the Wolf Survive?," by Los Lobos
  
• "Spoonful," by Howlin' Wolf
  

11 a.m. Nikole DiVito

These are my sad, heartbreak songs.

• "Wicked Way," by Benjamin Taylor
  
• "Wash Away," by Matt Costa
  
• "Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell," by The Flaming Lips
  
• "ATL," by Butch Walker
  
• "You Can Do Better than Me," by Death Cab for Cutie
  

Make the Music Happen! Become part of the TMD 5,000 today.

12 p.m. Charles Pekor

It's a mix of great tunes, a couple of which WTMD has turned me onto in recent years, and it's a mix of some trippy grooves interspersed by rockin' tunes from great bands. Just great music that fits my alma mater's station's style!

• "Rebellion (Lies)," by Arcade Fire
  
• "Eple," by Royskopp
  
• "Have You Once Recalled the Days?" by Warren Zanes
  
• "What Are You Afraid Of," by West Indian Girl
  
• "Valerie," by The Zutons
  

1 p.m. Kristin Symes

These are pretty much my top five favorite songs right now. I picked them because they are a great mix from a variety of different genres, with a progression from upbeat to soft and chill.

• "If She Wants Me," by Belle and Sebastian
  
• "Something to Talk About," by Bonnie Raitt
  
• "Staple It Together," by Jack Johnson
  
• "Give It Away," by Zero 7
  
• "Day Dreaming," by Lupe Fiasco and Jill Scott
  

2 p.m. Keith Pozanek

The "x" files + god & the devil. Most of these excellent songs received little or no airplay.
I am a closet DJ.

• "True Love," by X
  
• "X & Y," by Coldplay
  
• "Dear God," by XTC
  
• "Devil Inside," by INXS
  
• "We're Having Much More Fun," by X
  

Make the Music Happen! Become part of the TMD 5,000 today.

3 p.m. Robert Buckley

The theme may be obvious: all women! I think this lineup would go over well, and I love Ms. Sara's tune for local flavor.

• "9 to 5," by Ms. Sara and The Help
  
• "Lonely Love," by Juliana Hatfield
  
• "Hurt So Bad," by Susan Tedeschi
  
• "Rehab," by Amy Winehouse
  

4 p.m. Mary Thomas

Representative of the darker side of love and relationships.

• "We Both Go Down Together," by The Decemberists
  
• "Fly," by Moxy Fruvous
  
• "Cold Kisses," by Richard Thompson
  
• "Break Your Heart," by Barenaked Ladies
  

5 p.m. Amanda Krotki

These are all songs from Cameron Crowe movies and we're overdue for a really great new film from him.

• "I Can't Get Next to You," by The Temptations, Elizabethtown
  
• "Vanilla Sky," by Paul McCartney, Vanilla Sky
  
• "Tiny Dancer," by Elton John, Almost Famous
  
• "Dyslexic Heart," by Paul Westerberg, Singles
• "In Your Eyes," by Peter Gabriel, Say Anything
  

6 p.m. Laura McGuire

These are all artists I've seen live in the past year, courtesy of WTMD: emerging artist concerts, First Thursdays, member concerts, Baltimore Unsigned tapings, in-studio performances.

You guys bring great music to Baltimore!

• "Stop and Think It Over," by Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles
  
• "Good Day," by Jukebox the Ghost
  
• "Emancipated Minor," by Ani Difranco
  
• "Frera," by Fools & Horses
• "A Little Bit of Riddim," by Michael Franti and Spearhead
  

Make the Music Happen! Become part of the TMD 5,000 today.

WTMD's Mixtape Thursday - 02.19.2009

It's another Mixtape Thursday on WTMD and we're playing back your mixtapes all day long. Plus tonight features a celebrity mixtape takeover at 8PM, tune in as Sara Bareilles spins her favorite tunes to date. Submit your 3-5 song set for our next Mixtape Thursday.

Become a member of the TMD 5,000 and track our progress as we encourage all our listeners to become members.

Here are the mixtapes playing today:

6AM Mika Smith
Lake Trout - Systematic Self
Pixies - Dig for Fire
Lou Reed - Sweet Jane

Aside from these just being great songs, I like the stories that they tell. Coincidentally, they each (sort of) tell the story of a woman and a man. I wish the Pixies would write some new music and tour again!

7AM R.J. Schouten
Toad the Wet Sprocket - Crazy Life
Guster - One Man Wrecking Machine
Jackie Greene - When You're Walking Away
Michael Franti & Spearhead - I know I'm not Alone

These songs represent different segments of my life, some I am proud of and some.............not.

8AM Page Bradham
Tom Waits - Blue Valentine
Ryan Adams - Blue by Ryan Adams
The Jayhawks - Blue
New Order - Blue Monday

My wife, Bridget, has the most beautiful blue eyes and I sometimes play her songs with the word "blue" in them to remind her how much I love her beautiful blue eyes.

Pledge your support to WTMD today and become part of the TMD 5000.

9AM Kevin Lynch
North Mississippi All Stars - Moonshine
James Brown - Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
Widespread Panic - Dyin' Man
James Hunter - I'll Walk Away
Trey Anastasio - Alive Again

Ipod Shuffle selections

10AM Tim Walker
The Ronettes - Be My Baby
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Just Like Honey
Sloan - Set in Motion
Mott the Hoople - Foxy Foxy
The Magic Numbers - Forever Lost

"The Blaine Beat" ...in honor of Hal Blaine - the greatest session drummer of all time - and his greatest beat.

11AM Ethan Cooper
The Beach Boys - Sail On, Sailor
Okkervil River - A Girl in Port
Echo & The Bunnymen - Ocean Rain
The New Pornographers - Myriad Harbour

These are songs about ports, harbors, and sailors for the Port of Baltimore.

Pledge your support to WTMD today and become part of the TMD 5000.

12PM Andy Bridges
Air - La Femme D'argent
Aphex Twin - Alberto Balsam
Massive Attack - Exchange
Thievery Corporation - Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes

I wanted to make a mix that reflects the type of music Thievery Corporation is known for, and these songs are by far my favorite slow-and-easy electronic jams.

1PM Corrie Byrne
Hey Marseilles Rio
Fleet Foxes - Mykanos
Sufjan Stevens - Chicago
Rusted Root - Send Me On My Way

These songs seem to speak to the desire for adventure or escape with the aftertaste of the burdens you leave behind, the struggles and sacrifices you make to get there, and then ultimately with whether or not the place you end up is where you want to be. They suggest to me that maybe the car, boat, plane or train ride was the best part of the trip.   

Pledge your support to WTMD today and become part of the TMD 5000.

4PM Beth Homa
Phish - Dog-faced Boy
Radiohead - High and Dry
Bill Withers - Aint No Sunshine
Langhorne Slim - I Love You but Goodbye
The Mama's and The Papa's - Sing for your Supper

Tunes I like to jam out to!

5PM Lorn Hinish
Pink Floyd - Money
The Grilled Lincolns - Broke
Citizen Cope - 200,000 in counterfeit 50 dollar bills
The Flying Lizards - Money

It seems like the economy is going in the toilet and everyone is looking for money because they are broke. So the songs chosen are about being broke and getting by in that never ending search for money.

6PM Chris Lombardi
Easy Star All-Stars - Got To Get Away
Bob Marley & The Wailers - Sun Is Shining
The BPA Feat. Ashley Beedle - Should I Stay Or Should I Blow
Thievery Corporation - 33 Degree

This is a mix for any Monday morning. Especially if it is a freezing Monday morning in Baltimore and I have to get up for a long day work. It tells me I need to head somewhere warm for a nice get-a-way.

Pledge your support to WTMD today and become part of the TMD 5000.

7PM Nancyjane Bailey
Timbuk 3 - The Future's So Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades)
David Bowie and Queen - Under pressure
Ramones - I wanna be sedated
Pink Floyd - Comfortably numb

I created this playlist in the early 1990s. It is the stages of an engineering project. Everyone is elated when the contract comes in. Then various groups and people start dividing up the money. Reality sets in -- there is not enough money or time to do all that is promised. Engineers are asked to perform miracles in a short amount of time with little money. So much to be done, so little time. Trying to do seven things means you never relax, even at home (want to be sedated). In the end, burn out occurs. Nothing matters. Comfortably numb. At various times I have added other songs to this basic play list.

BSO Reels In Big PHISH

Trey Anastasio will perform with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra on May 21st at the Meyerhoff!!

The first half will be Marin Alsop and company performing classic PHISH songs and solo Anastasio compositions. The second half will feature the East Coast premiere of Time Turns Elastic an epic guitar and orchestral piece by Trey and longtime collaborator Don Hart that's been getting raves.

Apparently, Trey and Marin met at Carnegie Hall last year.

Quite a coup for Baltimore, especially given that PHISH is not making a whistle stop here on in DC as part of their reunion tour.

Tickets go on sale February 28th at 12 noon at http://www.bsomusic.org/ , http://www.ticketmaster.com/, or through the BSO box office.

U2 have Letterman on Horizon

Just announced: U2 will play five consecutive nights on the Late Show with David Letterman Monday March 3rd through Friday March 6th! That's almost as awesome as Joaquin Phoenix's interview w. Dave last night!

WTMD's Mixtape Thursday

We've put together your Mixtape submissions this week, see below when your mixtape will play. Didn't make it on this weeks playlist? Make your submission for next week at wtmd.org...Tune in tonight at 8pm when Jason Isbell takes over the Thursday Night Mixtape!

Do you know about the TMD 5,000? Become a member today and support the radio station you love.

6AM James Seiber - I chose 4 songs from 4 bands that I currently feel deserve a lot of attention in Baltimore, as well as being songs that aren't always the first played by the bands but are equally as amazing. Ending Of Course with my favorite Thievery song of all time.

7AM Amanda K. - It's almost Valentine's Day!

8AM Brian G. - WTMD has introduced me to these artists and I have since bought and enjoy the albums, this playlist represents the new musical pleasures WTMD provides.

9AM Tom S. - It is all about money and in this glabal recession, everyone can use some. I also tried to incorporate some "thievery" into it as well, as evident in the lyrics to songs #2 and 3.

10AM Elana N. - Women with strong voices and serious relationship issues.

11AM Rachel Wilkinson - They're super easy to groove to. Chill and tight, but they go forever.

12PM Stuart Stahl - All five are high energy tunes. Great for beginning your day while commuting on the MARC, hitting the gym, or drowning out the noise during the return trip home on the MARC.

1PM Jenny O. - A "Killer" Mixx :)

4PM Jim Lord - Listen to these songs on late night drives. Perfect driving music.

5PM Chris Coxen - This is the story of me and my lady. She lived in SF for two years and we had a long distance roller coaster romance. The first track is self explanatory. The second track was something I listened to at the airport. The third is a song I sung to her on the streets of SF. The fourth represents our move to B-More. The final track is a nod to our child which we are expecting in August. I love my lady.

6PM Keith Zumbrun - Musical offspring of their even more musical parents

7PM Mark Gordon - They all represent our neverending struggle to find ourselves and purpose and all our efforts to make a difference to the ourselves and the people around us.

The Grilled Lincolns cover "Let's Get It On" Live at the 8 x 10

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The Grilled Lincolns (http://www.grilledlincolns.com) cover the Marvin Gaye classic during a live taping of Baltimore Unsigned for broadcast on WTMD (http://www.wtmd.org).

Ben Lee Loves Pop Music

Ben Lee's The Rebirth of Venus drops tomorrow. Reportedly, it's a concept album about femininity.

We'll give you a good dose of it, along with the new Lily Allen, Ruthie Foster and the solo debut of Lisa Hannigan (catch my reviews in today's 'b.')

It sounds like Ben's running for world office on a platform of, well, Pop Music! Listen closely and you'll hear fellow Aussie Missy Higgins singing backup.

I think we're all feeling a little Australia today.

Winter Hours- About Time

Got a call from a listener this morning, happy I was spinning the new Winter Hours tribute album, "A Few Uneven Rhymes" featuring Matt Caws of Nada Surf, Gordon Gano of the Violent Femmes and a whole bunch of other admirers. He recalled some of their memorable performances at the 8x10.

The band, which formed in Lyndhurst, New Jersey in 1983, had a devoted cult-following, yet never attained the popularity contemporaries such as R.E.M. achieved.

Sadly, their singer Joe Marques, who exuded the slithering sexuality of Jim Morrison, and later, Michael Hutchense, died in 2003.

Oren Lavie's Mattress Choreography

With the deadly elegance of Nick Cave and the mysterious warmth of Nick Drake escaping from his vocal chords, Isreali-born, award-winning playwright Oren Lavie's electic piano and vibe-kissed, Checy-commercial soundtrack, "Her Morning Elegance" captivates exponentially with this video.
I've never tried pedaling in bed before. It looks rather, relaxing.



If you want to know, "how did they do that?," click here. What do you think is the most innovative music video of all time?

PHISH-Heads lineup for Bonnaroo

Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, PHISH, TV on the Radio, Wilco, Lucinda Williams, Beastie Boys, NIN, and Rodrigo Y Gabriella- just to name a few. Tune in @ 720am this morning for complete lineup (so far).

The festival takes place June 11-14 in Manchester, Tennessee.

Tickets go on sale this Saturday at noon via the festival's official website.

School of Rock by Sam Roberts

Canadians seem to have a knack for embracing rock stars whose music doesn't necessarily jump out at you as being instant chart-topping material, but wind up doing just that up there- while garnering cult status in the States.

Sam Roberts is one of those types. Now on his third album Love at the End of the World, he bears the torch for classic rock and solid songwriting and wants young people to not get their impression of what's good from American Idol. Not that he's completly sounding like Clint Eastwood in Grand Torino....

...think of it as kind of like The Boss schooling the kids on the field for his halftime show appearance last night.

I guess we can all put down our chicken fingers and learn! Check out Sam Roberts' video for "Them Kids," and join me on New Music/Ticket Tuesday tomorrow morning....I'll spin you my favorite track on the new album, "Lions of the Kalahari."

Mad-Sweet Pangs perform "D'Artagnan" Live at WTMD

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The Newark, Delaware-based jam band visited WTMD (http://www.wtmd.org) for a recent appearance on Baltimore Unsigned, performing the track which originally appeared on the band's debut album "Stumbling Through Blydepoort Canyon."

Mad-Sweet Pangs released the follow-up, "Witness & Wait," in 2008.

A "Case" for Killer Whales

Hopefully, you've had a chance to hear the new Neko Case single, "People Got a Lotta Nerve" from her album due out March 3rd, Middle Cyclone.

Typical Neko song: short, unconventional song structure, she says what she has to say and exits the song quickly- in this case, the "man, man, man, man, man, man, man-eater" refers to cases of humans getting too close to creatures such as tigers and killer whales and losing a limb, or worse, and the unjust fates of those who simply act naturally.

The charity that's benefiting from the sales of the single rescued Michael Vick's dogs.

Animals have shown up subjects/metaphors in Neko's music for awhile and with her recent move to a Vermont farm, that's likely to continue.

Can't wait for the new record, being the Neko nut that I am- in fact, she bought a bunch of old pianos and set them up in an abandoned barn and had friends play simultaneous notes- should create quite a wall of sound.

Neko plays the 930 Club for 2 shows in April (the 8th and 9th.)

Animal Collective: Pet Sounds on Acid

The Baltimore boys with the strange monikers (Avey Tare, Panda Bear and Geologist) make music worthy of being played.....loud.....at the venue that makes up the title of their eighth album (Merriweather Post Pavilion).

Avant-garde harmonies, psychedelic keyboards, hand-claps- it's a total mind-bend, but with a heart and a point.

I must say: haven't heard anything like these guys in a long time, but they certainly would fit nicely with same Merriweather subscription series (remember them?) that would have included, say, the Moody Blues and Yes.

Animal Collective has THAT kind of spirit, but make no mistake, it's not just some throwback, this is innovative music for 2009.

Merriweather Post Pavilion - A...