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.

Baltimore Unsigned Encore Edition with Paul Masson

Tune in at 8 p.m. Tuesday (and 9 a.m. Saturday) for an encore edition of Baltimore Unsigned, featuring Paul Masson.

After spending some time in New York, the singer-songwriter returned to the Baltimore area and fell back in love with writing music. Masson's spent much of 2010 on the road, making a name for himself throughout the northeast. His vocal stylings and intensity have garnered comparisons to Ray LaMontagne. And his work harkens back to a classic era of songwriters from 1970's.

When he spoke with Sam Sessa in October, 2009, he described his appreciation for the retro sound. “I have so many favorite records, like John Lennon’s The Plastic Ono Band and Neil Young’s Harvest and pretty much everything Hank Williams ever recorded," he said. "When I listen to music, there’s a sound that I love and you know, the modern sound, just didn’t fit with the kind of stuff I’m doing.”

Paul Masson plays WTMD's First Thursday Concert, with Joshua James, at 5:30 p.m. July 1st in West Mt. Vernon Park.

CD of the Week: History From Below

Delta Spirit burst onto the scene in 2008 with their debut Ode to Sunshine, featuring the TMD favorite "Trashcan." 

 

After a couple years of non-stop touring, the band teamed up with producer/engineer Elijah Thomson and My Morning Jacket keyboardist Bo Koster to set to work in the Waits Room of Prairie Sun Recording Studios. 

The resulting album delivers an intoxicating mix of Americana, swaggering rock ("Bushwick Blues") and wistful ballads ("Devil Knows You're Dead")

Delta Spirit performs at the 9:30 Club on July 3rd.

Preservation Hall Jazz Band Spearheads Benefit Single

New Orleans' Preservation Hall Jazz Band is no stranger to charity partnerships. Earlier this year, they teamed up with artists such as Ani Difranco, Del McCoury, Paolo Nutini and Jim James to release a two-disc collection of classic jazz songs under the header Preservation: An Album To Benefit Preservation Hall and The Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program.

The band spent the spring on the road with My Morning Jacket. And if you arrived late to the May 1st show at Merriweather Post Pavilion, you missed a master class in New Orleans jazz.

Now Preservation Hall has its sights set on a new cause: addressing the environmental disaster afflicting the Gulf Coast. As The Gulf Aid Allstars, they've enlisted the help of Trombone Shorty, Tim Robbins, Lenny Kravitz and Mos Def for an update on "It Ain't My Fault."  Amid the vibrant, swinging jazz passages, Mos Def delivers a variations on what "BP" might stand for.

The track was released on iTunes this week with proceeds being distributed by the Gulf Relief Foundation.

Tift Merritt Returns to WTMD

Singer-songwriter Tift Merritt stopped by WTMD this afternoon during our summer fund drive. In addition to recording a full performance for Morning Sessions--which we'll air at 9 a.m. Friday, June 25--she treated our staff, volunteers and listeners to a live performance of "Mixtape," a standout single from her new album See You On The Moon. (View more photos, courtesy of volunteer Cindi Jansohn, on our Facebook page.)

Tift is an incredible artist and her new work is in the good hands of Tucker Matine, whom we last heard playing and producing Laura Veirs' July Flame.

Tift's relationship to WTMD dates back to her amazing set during our 5th Birthday Party. We're thrilled to have Tift back at WTMD--and we can't wait to share the complete performance next week.

If you value this type of programming on WTMD, pledge your support by calling 410-704-8970 or making a secure online donation. 

First Thursday Concert with Joshua James and Paul Masson

Kick off the Fourth of July weekend by joining thousands of music lovers for the next installment in WTMD's free First Thursday Concert Series at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 1st, in West Mt. Vernon Park.

Joshua James is a rising star on the Americana scene. His 2009 album, Build Me This, landed on numerous year-end, best-of lists on the strength of standout tracks like "Coal War" and "Magazine." James has developed a captivating live show while touring with artists such as John Mayer, David Gray and Ani Difranco, and he's coming to perform for you on July 1st.

Baltimore's own Paul Masson kicks off the show at 5:30 p.m. The singer-songwriter has spent much of 2010 on the road, making a name for himself throughout the northeast. His vocal stylings and intensity have garnered comparisons to Ray LaMontagne. And his songwriting harkens back to the era of Neil Young's Harvest.

Masson shared the bill with Joshua James during a memorable show at the 8 x 10 in October 2009.

Joshua James - "Weeds" from Townhall on Vimeo.

The Perfects on Baltimore Unsigned

Tune in at 8 p.m. Tuesday (with a rebroadcast at 9 a.m. Saturday) as Baltimore Unsigned welcomes The Perfects to WTMD. The brainchild of vocalist and songwriter Ric Peters, the band continues the tradition of brooding synth-fused rock of artists such as Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails.

Their upcoming full-length, New Life, arrives later this year. It features multiple producers, including Chris Vrenna (Nine Inch Nails), remixing a batch of older songs and working on several new tracks.

"I have moments where I'll write three songs real quick and then won't write anything for a few months and then go back," says Peters. "I don't force it. There was one song where I was folding laundry and then boom it hit me."

The Perfects perform at Bourbon Street on August 2nd.

CD of the Week: Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows

Next year marks the fortieth anniversary of legendary singer-songwriter John Prine's self-titled debut, featuring "Six O'Clock News"  and "Angel from Montgomery." These standout tracks have stood the test of time--and Prine's work has often taken on a life of its own with artists as diverse as John Denver, Bonnie Raitt, Ben Harper and Susan Tedeschi covering "Angel."



Old Crow Medicine Show delivers its own distinctive take on "Angel" as part of the new tribute Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows. The collection also includes contributions by Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band ("Wedding Day in Funeralville"), Josh Ritter ("Mexican Home"), The Avett Brothers ("Spanish Pipedream"), and Drive-By Truckers ("Daddy's Little Pumpkin").

Longtime Prine fans are in for a treat--and newcomers can trace Prine's influence on this new batch of songwriters.

Tyler Books Tokyo Police Club

Fresh from last week's sold-out show with Passion Pit at Rams Head Live, Tokyo Police Club's singer-bassist Dave Monks and keyboardist Graham Wright sit in with Tyler for an interview and in-studio performance at 4 p.m. Friday.

The Canadian indie band garnered a ton of critical acclaim in 2006 on the strength of their intriguing EP A Lesson in Crime, and landed gigs at high-profile national festivals. This week Tokyo Police Club released its sophomore album, Champ, featuring "Breakneck Speed" and "Wait Up (Boots of Danger)."

Kick off your weekend with the band's exclusive, stripped-down set on Altered Fridays.

Turn the Page Back on Phish

Grab a pint of Phish Food, and tune in this Friday at 9:20 a.m. for an encore edition of Morning Sessions with Page McConnell.


A couple years removed from PHISH's (then) last show, the innovative keyboardist stopped by the WTMD studios (pictured with our very own Bug) to promote his self-titled solo album, which spawned the TMD favorite, "Beauty of a Broken Heart."

McConnell said that after the break up, he built a home studio. He and co-producer/engineer Jared Slomoff, patched together the music and lyrics that wound up on the album. And legendary session drummer Jim Keltner added his magic touch to the recording.

"He was just the nicest guy you could meet. Everybody knows him from the John Lennon 'Imagine' sessions," McConnell said. "He was such a pro and had so many stories. We were hanging on every word!"

And given that a couple of his Phish bandmates appeared on his disc too, we couldn't help but press Page just a little bit as to the status of any possible reunion.

Hear his answers and re-live a little history from one of the most legendary touring bands ever!

Ernie Fowler Trio on Baltimore Unsigned

Ernie Fowler Trio brings their sweet three-part harmonies to Baltimore Unsigned at 8 p.m. Tuesday. The band performs selections from the Life Lessons Learned EP, the latest chapter in Fowler's songwriting. 

"This is the trio's first EP, but I've made a bunch of CDs by myself," he says. "It's crazy to hear how these songs have morphed over the years. This trio is the best representation of the music to date."

The songs also embrace elements of some of the best the 90's had to offer. "Toad the Wet Sprocket was one of my favorites," says vocalist and guitarist Mike Prout. "If you listened on headphones, you could hear all these crazy harrnonies in the background. It thickens up the music."


Ernie Fowler Trio hosts a CD Release Party with Nelly's Echo at the 8 x 10 on Friday, June 18.

Sludge-tastic CD of the Week: The Dead Weather

Jack White's collaboration with vocalist Allison Mosshart is more than just a one-off. The Dead Weather recently released ther second album, Sea of Cowards, and they've ratcheted up the aural assault.


Heavier basslines and thick walls of sonic sludge serve as an undercurrent for Mosshart's vocal experimentations. She easily switches from loud to soft dynamics--and her harmonies with Jack White's higher growl create an effect that is spooky good.

The band's live show is reported to face meltingly heavy with lots of strobes. It's just colorful corner of Jack White's expanding universe.

The Dead Weather perform at Ram's Head Live on August 2.