Altered Freebies: Black Mountain; White Denim; British Sea Power

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

Black Mountain, “The Hair Song”{via Jagjaguwar}
One of the latest jams getting spun on WTMD. It's like a breath of fresh 90s air.

White Denim, Last Day of Summer EP
This is an EP with 12 songs making it more like a full-length EP, if that can exist. Either way, it's free and has some jams. Go grab it!

British Sea Power, “Zeus”
Great opening track from an upcoming EP from British Sea Power, released on Tuesday, October 4th. Grab it below!

Weekend On the Radio Recap

Every Thursday morning at 6:20 and 8:20 a.m., Sam Gallant of the Creative Alliance shares with you all the cool happenings around town on Weekend on the Radio. In case you missed a detail about a specific event, here's the list for this week.

Thursday, 10/7

WTMD First Thursday with Hoots & Hellmouth and the Herd of Main Street in West Mt. Vernon Park, 5:30 p.m.

Friday, 10/8

"What Makes Us Smile" opening party featuring pop artist Gary Panter and Simpsons creator Matt Groening. American Visionary Art Museum, 8 p.m.

Mt. Vernon Ghost Walk, meet at the Owl Bar in Fells Point at 7 p.m. (also on Saturday)

Saturday, 10/9

Bolton Hill Fall Festival, Bolton Street from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Station North Fall Music Festival, featuring Soul Cannon, Jennifer Knapp and Holy Ghost Tent. On the streets around North Avenue and Charles Street from 2 to 9 p.m.

Sunday, 10/10

Roger Waters performing The Wall at the Verizon Center, 7 p.m.

St. Bartholomew Apple Festival, St. Bartholomew's Church 12-2 p.m.

Jukebox the Ghost Haunts Morning Sessions

Jukebox the Ghost is poised for a busy fall. The piano-pop rock trio from Philadelphia made its national TV debut on The Late Show with David Letterman in September, and they're in the midst of a headlining club tour. Later this month, they'll hit the road again for a few dates with Guster and then Barenaked Ladies.
It's a fast pace that echoes the energized tracks on their sophomore album Everything Under the Sun. Tune in at 9:20 a.m. Friday as the band performs selections from the new album and discusses the recording process with producer Peter Katis (The National, Interpol).

"Because there are only three of us, we feel the constant need to feed the sound so we don't drop out," says guitarist/vocalist Tommy Siegel. "Peter was good about pressing mute at the right time and giving the songs some space."

Download a free copy of "Empire," courtesy of Amazon.com.

Jukebox the Ghost perform at The Black Cat in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, October 16, and the band serves up an online show and web chat on Livestream.com at 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 19.

Hoots and Hellmouth Close Out First Thursday

This year's final, free First Thursday Concert on October 7th will get you on your feet with the raucous music of Hoots and Hellmouth. The Philadelphia-based band infuses a punk-rock energy to the traditional string band, showcasing fleet picking, soulful three-part harmonies, and heavy foot stomping. 

Baltimore's own The Herd of Main Street kick off the show at 5:30 p.m. with their new take on classic country.

Start the party early with two free downloads: 
"What Good are Plowshares If We Use Them Like Swords?"
by Hoots and Hellmouth

"Alabama Joe," by The Herd of Main Street 

Just look for the monument and listen for the music!

Caleb Stine and Kenny Liner on Baltimore Unsigned

Tune in at 8 p.m. Tuesday as Caleb Stine (above) and The Bridge's Kenny Liner perform new songs for a capacity crowd at The Bunker Recording Studio in Cockeysville. The two veterans of Baltimore's music scene discuss the inspiration behind their new material and how they met.

"I went up to him [after his show] and introduced myself," Liner recalls. "He said, ‘I have a gig next week, bring your mandolin.’ I thought he meant I could sit in for a song but when I got there, he told me I was playing the whole show . . . . We just had a great time and the friendship started.”

Caleb Stine performs a benefit show at 2640 on Saturday, October 9th.

The Bridge headline their 9th Annual Thanksgiving Celebration at Rams Head Live on Wednesday, November 24th.

CD of the Week: Fields

It took more than a decade for Junip to release its debut, but it's worth the wait. The Swedish trio remained a work in progress as guitarist Jose Gonzalez focused on his solo material, including the 2007 standout album In Our Nature. 


Drummer Elias Araya and keyboardist Tobias Winterkorn infuse a layer of moody keyboards and breakbeats, creating an expanded sonic palette for Gonzalez's plaintive songs.


Junip performs at the Black Cat in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, November 23.

CD of the Week: I'm Having Fun Now

Jenny Lewis' partnership with Johnathan Rice dates back to her 2006 solo debut Rabbit Fur Coat. The Rilo Kiley frontwoman later invited Rice to join her touring band and work on her captivating 2008 follow-up Acid Tongue.

Lewis and Rice take a step away from the alt-country elements of those solo albums in pursuit of power pop perfection. The resulting Jenny and Johnny debut, I'm Having Fun Now, harkens back to alternative new wave of the 1980's, and features a compelling blend of the duo's vocals.

Jenny and Johnny perform at Rams Head Live on Monday, October 25.

Chatting with a Legend

Tune in today during the 11 o'clock hour on Wednesday, September 22nd,  to hear my interview with 6-time Grammy winner John Legend. During the past decade, Legend has become one of the most recognizable and acclaimed performers of soul and R&B. 

I had an amazing opportunity to sit down with him and talk about his collaboration with the busiest band in hip-hop, The Roots, and their new collection of socially conscious covers from the 1960s Wake Up!

Legend explains the selection process for the album, how he found his voice for the new project, and what it was like to team up with The Roots.


Listen to the Complete Interview

Janine Wilson Wakes Up on Baltimore Unsigned

D.C.-based blues rocker Janine Wilson returns to Baltimore Unsigned at 8 p.m. Tuesday (with an encore at 9 a.m. Saturday) to perform songs from her new album, Wakin' Up.

"We struggled for a long time over the title of this album. I think [guitarist] Max [Evans] came up with Wakin’ Up at one point," she says. "I feel like it really does have a lot of different meanings.” Wilson's original songs have won several national awards during her ten-year career; however, this is her first collection of all-original material. 

Janine Wilson plays the Common Ground Cafe in Hampden on Friday, September 24th.

CD of the Week: Wake Up!

John Legend and The Roots team up to tackle deep cuts from socially conscious soul icons such as Marvin Gaye and Donny Hathaway. The result is a classic collection that sounds remarkably vital.

No stranger to R&B collaborations, The Roots are one of the hardest working bands on the scene. Across the album, they create deep grooves that showcase Legend's vocals and pay homage to his musical predecessors. 

Tune in at 11 a.m. Wednesday, September 22nd, for Tyler's interview with John Legend.

Ra Ra Riot on Altered Fridays

When news broke that Ra Ra Riot was releasing a new album this year, Tyler immediately started itching for it. The band's debut, The Rhumb Line, was a standout in 2008. And their visit to WTMD resulted in a great version of "Dying Is Fine," which appeared on Live From WTMD, Vol. 3 (available with a $65 pledge).


Tune in to Altered Fridays at 4 p.m. Friday as Tyler welcomes lead singer Wes Miles and cellist Alexandra Lawn to discuss the new album, The Orchard, and deliver some acoustic versions of new songs.  

Altered Freebies: Warpaint; The Radio Dept.; Frankie Rose And The Outs

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

Warpaint, “Undertow”

These ladies rock. The all-girl band Warpaint has been getting their name out there over the last few years. The four-piece was recently named one of Stereogum's top 40 new artists in 2010. Look out for their first full-length, titled The Fool on October 26^th. Grab the first song off it, “Undertow”, below.

The Radio Dept., “The New Improved Hypocrisy”

I won't pretend to know anything about Sweden's politics or the election coming up, but The Radio Dept. has written this song, “The New Improved Hypocrisy” just in time to get all political on their fans. Grab it for free.

Frankie Rose And The Outs, “Candy”

Have you been looking for music influenced by Phil Spector but are having a hard time finding it? You must not be looking too hard. It seems everyone grew up listening to him, Frankie Rose and The Outs included. Their self-titled release is full of hazy guitars and plenty of reverbage. It is some of the best stuff in the genre, right now and if you're into this track, I promise you'll love the whole album.

Weekend On the Radio Recap

Every Thursday morning at 6:20 and 8:20 a.m. Sam Gallant of the Creative Alliance shares with you all the cool happenings around town on Weekend on the Radio. In case you missed a detail about a specific event, here's the list for this week.

Thursday, 9/16

• Eureka Birds with Mia Riddle, Sgt. Dunbar,  Sgt. Dunbar and the Hobo Banned, and Cameron Blake, and the Hobo Band at the Metro Gallery 8 p.m.

Friday, 9/17

• Parking Day: An experiment that transforms parking meters into public parks. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. West Franklin and Howard Streets
  
• Concerts at Belvedere Square with Donegal X-Press. 6 p.m. 

Saturday, 9/18

• 2010 Maryland Wine Festival, Carroll County Farm Museum. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  
• Electronica Fest, National Electronics Museum, Linthicum. 10 a.m. to 8:45 p.m.
  
• Family Concert with Big Blow and the Bushwackers, Chesapeake Arts Center. 4 p.m. show for kids; 8 p.m. for adults. 

Sunday, 9/19

• Frank Zappa Statue Events
• 10 a.m. A Talk with Gail Zappa, Creative Alliance 
• 12 p.m. Free Concert with Arbouretum, Intersection of Eastern Avenue and Conkling in Highlandtown. 
• 2 p.m. Statue Dedication Ceremony and Free Concert with Zappa Plays Zappa. Eastern Avenue and Conkling

Listen to Erik's Interview with Gail Zappa!

• Maryland Steam Show, Old engines, tractor pulls, antique car show, rock crushing demonstration & more. Arcadia Fire Department Fairgrounds, Rt. 30 in Hampstead.
  
• Street Beat Festival in Federal Hill feat. Can't Hang, Almighty Senators, Old Man Brown, Chopteeth, and more. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

Submit your next event.

Weekend Concert Line-Up Featured on "Stuck in the Jam" Tonight!!!

Tune in to "Stuck in the Jam" on 89.7 WTMD tonight from 9 to 11 p.m. for music from some great artists coming to town this weekend, plus your chance to be there!!

Friday - Dark Star Orchestra @ Rams Head Live

Saturday - Several Species @ Pier 6 Pavilion

Sunday - Widespread Panic @ Pier 6 Pavilion

Also on our "Phresh Phish" segment we dive back into the archives for a performance from 12/1/89 at the Paradise in Boston, MA.

Jesse Malin on Morning Sessions

Jesse Malin is a thirty-year veteran of the New York music scene. He performed with Heart Attack in the 1980's and D Generation in the '90s before setting out on a successful solo career. But in the midst of the recent economic recession, he had second thoughts about his career path. 

“I ended up in a spot where I was living on my sister’s couch. And then I found myself back down on the Bowery area, where I grew up playing CBGB’s. I was just busted broke, lost and I felt like it maybe was time to try something else,"he says. "I tried dj’ing weddings. I tried working on a couple of films. I tried some standup comedy and spoken word. Eventually, I got asked to write some songs for a film on J.D. Salinger and . . . realized that this is what I do."

A rejuvenated Malin returned to the studio and teamed up with producer Ted Hutt (Lucero, The Gaslight Anthem) to record a fast, loose and raw record. Tune in at 9:20 a.m. Friday as Jesse Malin and The St. Marks Social showcase their literate, weathered Big Apple punk with songs from the new album Love It To Life.