The Electric Mason Jennings

Minneapolis-based, acoustic singer-songwriter Mason Jennings, plugs in with some electric roots rock on the new album Blood of Man.

It's a solid release and a new chapter for an expert, acoustic strummer. One of the standout tracks is "Ain't No Friend of Mine." And video director Barry Kimm's angry doodles definitely complement the corrosive guitar lines.

I Want Kandi

Here's a song that, everytime its spun, seems to genarates phone calls...of the good kind.

It's the irresistable "Kandi", the one with the line, "He called me baby all night long." The female vocal is, appropriatley, Candi Staton, a 70's soul singer who had a hit with "He Called Me Baby." The UK band with an animation obsession, One Eskimo does the song and it appears on their self-titled latest.

Hood to Hood Membership Challenge Standings Update!

Roland Park/Charles Village has taken an early lead, with Cockeysville/Lutherville/Timonium and Howard County looking to close in. It's still early, so the 3rd Annual Hood to Hood Challenge is anyone's game. Head over WTMD.org for complete standings and to help your hood take the lead by pledging now!

Current Standings:

1 Roland Park/Charles Village (Waverly/Guilford/Homeland)
2 Cockeysville/Lutherville/Timonium (Hunt Valley)
3 Howard County (Ellicott City/Columbia/Clarksville)
4 Owings Mills/Reisterstown
5 DC Metro (MoCo/PG County/NoVa)
6 Pasadena/Glen Burnie/Anne Arundel County (Brooklyn/Annapolis/Odenton/Crofton)
7 Fells Point/Harbor East (Little Italy/Butchers Hill)
8 Canton/Highlandtown (Patterson Park/Brewers Hill/Greektown)
9 Station North Arts District/Mt Vernon/Downtown (Bolton Hill)
10 Bel Air/Harford County
11 Catonsville (Dickeyville)
12 Federal Hill/South Baltimore (Pigtown/Locust Point)
13 Hampden/Remington (Clipper Mill/Woodberry/Wyman Park/Keswick)
14 Herring Run Corridor (Lauraville/Echodale/Mt. Pleasant/Lake Montebello/Perring Parkway)
15 Parkville/White Marsh (Carney/Perry Hall)
16 Mt. Washington/Pikesville (Govans)
17 Sparks/Glencoe/Parkton (Hereford/Monkton)
18 Towson

Mix Tape Thursday, 9/17/09

WTMD listeners take over the airwaves with three-to-five song sets on Thursday.

7 a.m. Cricket Masson

You need music to keep you awake on the long haul. Criteria for The Essential Road Trip playlist:

1) Fast beat to stay awake.
2) Know the words to sing at top of lungs.
3) Tinted windows so other drivers can’t see driver’s seat dancing and singing.

Picking 4 is hard as that barely gets you out of town but these are a few of my must haves, of which I have WTMD to thank for two and Doug to thank for one of them.

* "Spam," by Save Ferris
* "Kiss Off," by Violent Femmes
* "Brother Lee," by Citizen Cope
* "Wonderful Night," by Fatboy Slim
* "In Your Head," by The Mentionables


11 a.m. Kelly Carneal

Born and raised in Baltimore, I found myself drawn to farms early on and have worked in the agricultural field for several years now. Having lived all over the United States, and having visited many farms and farmers along the way, there tends to be a reoccurring alt-country soundtrack in my head.

These five rise to the top for me, especially on those perfectly brisk days, when I find myself walking a beautiful farm, instead of sitting inside with my nose in my laptop.

* "Gone Wanderin'," by Jackie Greene
* "Tailspin," by The Jayhawks
* "No Bad News," by Patty Griffin
* "Snow Is Gone," by Josh Ritter
* "To Be Young,” by Ryan Adams


5 p.m. Todd Heston
No real theme here, except all of the artists produced some of the best music of their generations.

* "Up on Cripple Creek," by The Band
* "Can't You Hear Me Knocking," by The Rolling Stones
* "Life by the Drop," by Stevie Ray Vaughn
* "Plush," by Stone Temple Pilots
* " Kill," by Jimmy Eat World

Hood to Hood Membership Challenge Standings

With only a week to go before we hit the start of our Fall Fund Drive, WTMD's 3rd Annual Hood to Hood Membership Challenge is off to a great start!

Communities throughout the WTMD Listening Area are competing for the chance to host WTMD's 7th Birthday Party this spring. Get all the details here: WTMD.org/hood

Last year, Howard County took the prize. The year before, Cockeysville/Lutherville/Timonium was victorious. But this year, it's anyone's game. And rather than tally up the dollar amount raised by each hood, we're looking at the number of contributions to determine our winner. So the more people in your neighborhood who contribute, the better your chances of winning. Check out the standings below, then help us spread the word!

Current Standings:

1 DC Metro
2 Owings Mills/Reisterstown
3 Howard County
4 Cockeysville/Lutherville/Timonium
5 Pasedena/Glen Burnie/Anne Arundel County
6 Fells Point/Harbor East
7 Mt Vernon/Station North Arts District/Dowtown
8 Canton/Highlandtown
9 Bel Air/Harford County
10 Catonsville
11 Federal Hill/South Baltimore
12 Hampden/Remington
13 Herring Run Corridor
14 Parkville/White Marsh
15 Mt Washington/Roland Park/Charles Village
16 Sparks/Glencoe/Parkton
17 Towson

Trevor Hall Hears Himself!

This is waaaaay to irresistable NOT to share. After his First Thursday headlining gig, South Carolina reggae rocker Trevor Hall flipped on WTMD and heard himself! Experience the joy!

Mix Tape Thursday, 9/3/09

WTMD listeners--and featured artists from this year's Virgin Mobile Freefest--take over the airwaves with three-to-five song sets on Thursday.

9 a.m. Krystal Boeren

First of all, I am thankful to a station that is as passionate as local music as its patrons. I've chosen to dedicate my mix tape to local artists that are inspired by our city, and captivate us accordingly.

I am a third generation Baltimorean and Paul Masson's "My Girl Baltimore," is a beautiful testimony to a city that keeps calling me back. Paul's soulful voice and Tom Hnatow's beautiful petal steel blend together in a hauntingly honest portrait of a man coming home to the city he loves.

Being a fan of Hnatow's petal steel work, I've chosen These United States "Everything Touches Everything," the single from their new highly anticipated release. Jesse's voice is vibrant and strong yet playful, giving us a taste of what's to come.

Lastly, I've chosen Caleb Stine's "Comes From the West." Caleb is an extraordinary storyteller with insight beyond his years. This track exemplifies Caleb's born nature to roam, but never stray. And simply put, the melody of the song is infectious.

* " My Girl Baltimore," by Paul Masson
* " Everything Touches Everything " by These United States
* " Comes From the West," by Caleb Stine


11 a.m. Jet’s Cameron Muncey & Mark Wilson from Freefest

* " This is Radio Clash," by The Clash
* " No You Girls," by Franz Ferdinand
* " Cross-eyed and Painless," by The Talking Heads
* " I Wanna Make It Witchu," by Queens of the Stone Age
* " Wanderlust King," by Gogol Bordello

1 p.m. Franz Ferdinand’s Nick McCarthy and Bob Hardy

* " Randy Describes Eternity," by Built to Spill
* "Califonia Shake," by Margot Guryan
* "My Shadow," by Jay Reatard
* "Radio Ladio," by Metronomy
* "Xmas Steps," by Mogwai

5 p.m. Rennie Twigg

It's all about the name....

* "Number with No Name," by Ben Harper
* "Different Names for the Same Thing," by Death Cab for Cutie
* "You Can Call Me Al," by Paul Simon

7 p.m. Jeremy Stark

* "Via Chicago," by Wilco

Our generation's Bob Dylan is Jeff Tweedy. "Via Chicago" is what would happen if the Beatles "A Day in the Life" were to feature Dylan.

* "Take Me to the River," by Talking Heads

David Byrne is originally from the area and his music isn’t played enough around here! Classic cover!

* " Where R U?," by 3Fifths

One of Baltimore's best if not the best. The emotion of singer/songwriter Tim Nodar is unmatched here in one track off of their first studio album Did You? This band blends funk and amazing musicality with really well written songs.

* "Cemetery Walk," by Umphrey’s McGee

What a great song for summer from one of the premier bands jammin’ these days.

Mix Tape Thursday, 8/27/09

WTMD listeners take over the airwaves with three-to-five song sets on Thursday.

8 a.m. Jean Luebke

We're taking lots of long family car trips this summer. Listening to great upbeat music always helps make those drives a lot more bearable!

* "Now," by Mates of State
* "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" by She & Him
* "FNT," by Semisonic
* "Hold It In," by Jukebox The Ghost


12 p.m. Abigail Higgs

These are love(ish) tunes by a few bands playing at Virgin Mobile Fest. I like them because I've put each one on a mix CD after a bad break-up when I played the cliché part of love-scorned ex, compiling songs to give to my former lover. Of course, these mixes were never delivered; rather, they make up a nice autobiographical music collection on a spindle kept just below a poster of Morrisey.


* "You Are Free," by Mates of State
* "Daughters of the Soho Riots," by The National
* "Take Me Out," by Franz Ferdinand
* "Pink Triangle," by Weezer


6 p.m. Adam Rutledge

No real reasoning reached, simply selecting some songs so more music minded men and women will want what WTMD does during daily duties.

* "Vittorio E," by Spoon
* "The Beast," by Angus and Julia Stone
* "None Shall Pass," by Aesop Rock
* "Buildings and Mountains," by The Republic Tigers
* "Treat Yo Momma," by The John Butler Trio

Mixtape Thursday August 20th

WTMD listeners take over the airwaves with three-to-five song sets on Thursday.

9 a.m. Brian Ross

Pure favorites. If I was recording a "My Favorite Song" mix tape for somebody, I'd probably have 100 songs, but these would be the first 3.

* "Senses Working Overtime," by XTC
* "Misunderstood," by Wilco
* "Radio Free Europe," by R.E.M.

1 p.m. David Fenner

These songs make me feel good.

* "Lovers Speak," by Joan Armatrading
* "Honey And The Moon," by Joseph Arthur
* "First Day Of My Life," by Bright Eyes

* "Pacing The Cage," by Bruce Cockburn
* "Suzanne," by Leonard Cohen

5 p.m. Lisa Fink

When I was in undergrad in St. Louis, I would drive home to Milwaukee, WI every couple of months. During the 6 hour drive, at that point when I felt that I couldn't stay awake any longer, I would put on these songs and belt at the top of my lungs (often aided by mass consumption of Diet Coke). These songs still keep me awake and singing in Baltimore!

* "Doo Wop (That Thing)," by Lauryn Hill
* "Oh! Darling," by The Beatles
* "Criminal," by Fiona Apple
* "Midnight Train to Georgia," by Gladys Knight

4 Phish Shows in 4 Days

Closing out the last 4 shows of their scheduled summer tour, Phish played to a crowd of 25,ooo people this past sunday night at The Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, New York. This was the last show of the bands final 4 show stretch to close out the summer. They began the final 4 last Thursday Night at Darien Lake, followed by the Comcast Center in Hartford Connecticut, then down to Maryland for a show at Merriweather, and finally closed out the Summer Tour 09 with a show in Saratoga Springs. The band pulled out gems like Harpua and Icculus and covered tracks like Katy Perry's "I kissed a Girl". From the first notes on thursday night to the final notes of "Highway to Hell" on Sunday, this band was rockin. There are tons of cool videos on the web... I found a guy who has videos of tons of songs from these shows, all great quality. Check them Out Here!!!

You can download all sets from this summer's tour Here!!!

This is one no one expected them to play: Harpua>I Kissed a girl>HYHU>Harpua

Heavenly Hot August Jam

Wow! I almost hate to tell you about the Hot August Blues after party at Hightops Backstage Grille last night- you'll be kicking yourself that you missed it!

I can't tell you how happy I am that Old Man Brown opened the festival and served as the house band for the late night shindig. I've been watching Adam and the boys play their jam-based blues and funk to a growing following at bars around Baltimore for a few years now, and they never fail to deliver. But, last night may have been their most shining moment.

After a laying down a sweet, horn-kissed groove for a few songs, they got the great Tom Principato to trade leads. A few more friends did a little round-robin instrument swapping and as the rivets started to unfasten, a couple of guitar legends waltzed in and completely blew the roof off!

Imagine this: Jason Isbell and Derek Trucks trading leads on The Meter's "Cissy Strut." ARE YOU KIDDING? Man, (Baltimore Unsigned producer) Nick Jackson and I were inches away from rock and roll greatness and a jam that couldn't be scripted any better. It was in a word: blissful.

Jason told me afterwards that he had never met Derek, but always wanted to.....and was stoked at the chance. The two hung out at Hot August which then led to this impromptu guitar get together. And they both looked like two giddy boys who pulled off the greatest prank in school history.

Trucks, Isbel and Old Man Brown laying it down: as that beer commercial used to say, the one with satisfied dudes sitting around the fire eating their catch, "It doesn't get any better than this."

Moby on the Moon

A little cartoon Moby looking for family on a moon made of cheese seems to be the plot behind the video to "Pale Horses" off his new disc Wait for Me.

His friend Amelia Zirin Brown sings.

The electronic/dj/producer plays Rams Head Live on September 18th and the next day at the 930 Club.

John Hughes Rememberance

I've been thinking a lot about the passing of John Hughes. For many of us in our 40s and 50s, he created the gestalt of high school experiences in a time before cell phones, texting, facebook, the internet and the media explosion. It's so different now. It was so simple then --geeks, jocks, band geeks and freaks. We may not have felt we fit in, but a least you knew where everyone else thought you stood.

Getting down these feelings is kind of tough. I came across this blog posting that says it better and more personally than I ever could. I hope you find it as touching as I did and that it brings you a little closer to a man who charted our young lives for us.

Steve
And here's a video to remind us all how good we looked dancing back then!

Mix Tape Thursday, 8/6/09

WTMD listeners take over the airwaves with three-to-five song sets on Thursday.

7 a.m. Jim Kozma

I sure there is a story in here somewhere . . . a sad one.

* "Dancing Barefoot," by Patti Smith
* "You Don’t Love Me," by Matthew Sweet
* "Someday Never Comes," by Brandi Carlile
* "That's How I Knew This Story Would Break My Heart," by Aimee Mann


9 a.m. Marci Cooke

These are my favorite artists to see live and great songs they play live.

* "Live and Let Die," by Paul McCartney
* "Starlight," by Muse
* "Everlong," by Foo Fighters
* "Paranoid Android," by Radiohead


11 a.m. Gillian Waldo

I selected these songs because I think they have to do with questioning your own sanity and the world.

* "Where Is My Mind?," by The Pixies
* "I'll Believe In Anything," by Wolf Parade
* "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley


1 p.m. Becky Brown

This mix tape is follows the course of a day at work. From driving to work and eating in your car because you're running late ("Stick Shift"), to needing sleep ("All You Need Is Sleep"), and dreaming at the end of the day ("In Dreams").

* "Stick Shift," by Young Sir Jim
* "10 A.M. Automatic," by The Black Keys
* "It’s Nice To Know You Work Alone," by Silversun Pickups
* "All You Need Is Sleep," by Sunbears!
* "In Dreams," by The Bridge


5 p.m. Sandy Bernstein

Artists who performed at Artscape this year and last year.

* "Ain't Nothing Wrong With That," by Robert Randolph and the Family Band
* "Never There," by Cake
* "Die, Die, Die," by The Avett Brothers
* "More Bacon Than the Pan Can Handle," by Mike Doughty
* "Martyr," by Rusted Root


7 p.m. Anthony Piazza

Um....Summertime, travel, vacations, etc.....

* " Safe European Home" by The Clash
* "Vacation," by The Go Gos
* " Holiday in the Sun," by Sex Pistols
* "Holiday," by Weezer
* "Back In The U.S.A.," by Chuck Berry

Dirty Marmaduke Flute Squad on Baltimore Unsigned tonight!

On this evening’s episode of Baltimore Unsigned, Sam Sessa is joined in-studio by a band with multiple personalities. The Dirty Marmaduke Flute Squad have toned down their raunchy lyrics and morphed into Baltimore’s only hard rock children’s band, The Hilltop Hightops. The band performs songs from both catalogues on tonight’s show.

Also on the show, you will hear some the best music in the area. Tonight's playlist includes:

1. “95,” by Can’t Hang from Ride The Lightrail

2. “Sunday Morning in Baltimore,” by Will Hill from Identity

3. “Garden of Hope,” by Bob Sima from Periphery

4. “The Garden,” by Fiction 20 Down from Welcome to Grassroots

5. “The Gardens After Lockout,” by No Second Troy from Narcotic

6. “Stendal Syndrome,” by Tears of Mars from E quit Y

7. “The Difference,” by We Read Minds from We Read Minds

*Tears of Mars & We Read Minds are playing together at The Quarter August 10th

8. “Divide & Conquer,” by Vandaveer from Divide & Conquer

9. Live Jam from 8x10 by Damn Right! from next week’s show.