Every once in a while a band gets it just right.  It’s a hard moment to capture, because so much goes into striking the right balance: be too narrowly focused and you’re easily pigeon-holed and ignored, be unfocused and egregiously eclectic and you’ll be ignored all the same.  But, if you understand your art, your audience, and yourself from the inside out, you’ve got something truly unique and refreshing:  you’ve got local alt-country band The Wayfarers.   

Poised to release Sorrows & Snakes, their third album in eight years, on May 30^th with a party at Austin Grill in Canton, The Wayfarers is that rare act that delivers consistency and versatility with every song. 

From the opening title track, The Wayfarers demonstrate their ability to write heartfelt lyrics with universal appeal.  And while this, with many bands, often means cookie-cutter sentiment and unpolished ideas, this band clearly knows the difference between corny and honest. 

In fact, “Some Women” is such a perfect alt-country gem that a casual listen suggests a pre-identity-crisis Ryan Adams. As for variety, The Wayfarers are as diverse as their members.  Brad Dunnells’s softer, folk-flavored vocals match Laura Malkus’s rock-tinged sound perfectly while Jason Tinney, and a whole host of guest musicians, fill in the rest with precision.  Sorrow & Snakes has something for everyone, from upbeat, swinging tunes like “Saturday Night Shirt” and the biting “Lucinda Williams” to the slower, introspective “Fallin’ Apart at the Dreams” and “Spiritual.” 

Of course, this extensive talent translates easily to a great live show, and audiences are going to get the chance to hear for themselves on May 30^th.  When asked how preparations are going for the event, Dunnells shares that the venue is perfect for their CD release. 

“Austin Grill is a nice venue for singer/songwriters. We will have a number of local guest musicians playing with us that night. They are all great players and we hope their participation will offer the audience a variety of sounds.” 

Tinney, on the other hand, takes a more practical stance: “The CD’s have arrived, so that’s a great start.”

A Q&A with the band can be found here.

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Will Charm City erect a Frank Zappa monument?

Because he seldom cited Baltimore in his lyrics, Frank Zappa’s Harbor heritage is not as well-known as that of his fellow mustached weirdo John Waters. And yet, Zappa’s attitude, persona and music are purely Baltimorean, not far removed from a Waters character. Baltimore was integral to Frank Zappa, and he ought to be among Baltimore’s chief claims-to-fame. In a city whose pop music history is unimpressive, this could go ways to righting what most Baltimore-based Zappa fans see as a glaring oversight.

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We scored candid interviews with Sheryl Crow and local alt-country band, The Wayfarers in our May issue. Crow is performing May 28 at Merriweather Post Pavillion. The Wayfarers are releasing an album, Sorrow & Snakes at Austin Grill on Friday, May 30.

Read the Sheryl Crow interview here, and the Wayfarers interview here.

Looking to broaden your musical horizons? Read our An die Musik venue review, and decide for yourself if you agree with owner Henry Wong’s opinion that there aren’t many places in Baltimore to get some culture.

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Thursday, May 8

Michael Wiles: Pete Francis and Braddigan at The Ottobar
As two-thirds of the late (but still great) jam-band Dispatch, Francis and Braddigan are bound to perform a show not only high in intensity but on par with little else you’ve seen this year. This show promises the rare opportunity to see both men showing their solo acts on one bill, so get your tickets while you can. And while this may give away some of the magic, I know for a fact that Francis still plays some of his former band’s hits, so there’s the last bit of incentive you need.

Saturday, May 10
Matt Carr: The Drive By Truckers at 9:30 Club
The Drive By Truckers’ three guitar assault, steam engine rhythm, and stories of rebels and miscreants are steeped in the traditions of country, blues and rock n’ roll. Recently nominated for a Grammy as the backing band for blues singer Betty Lavette, these bona fide southern rockers fill the gaping hope left behind by the disbanded legends of the ’70s and disregarded by popular country.

Sunday, May 11
Chris Yarrison: Left to Vanish at Sonar
Six metal bands hit Sonar this Sunday afternoon for an early show. Left to Vanish headlines, but that just means they’ll get there in time to clean up the carnage wrought by Baltimore-based death metal outfit Whisteria Cottage. Raw but unmercifully creative, Whisteria Cottage is a band not to be missed. Go early to support them along with fellow Maryland openers, all part of our own cutting edge metal scene.

Tuesday, May 13
Leah Scarpelli: The Christmas Lights! w/ Cotton Jones’ Basket Ride at The Talking Head
It’s that age-old tradition. Well, maybe not centuries old, but the tendency of well-established bands to branch out with side projects of “tiny electronic creations” doesn’t necessarily invite intrigue. The Royal Army Recording Company’s Kenny Tompkins has one such venture called The Christmas Lights! and though it may fall into that guitar-to-synth category, don’t discard it just yet: it’s full of lyrical appeal, and a steady electric-pop power bedded with Tompkins’ pleasing and resonant indie rock vocals. And as I’ve always found in the rock + electronic combo, the live show’s where it’s at.

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Josh Ritter was all smiles April 29 at the Recher Theatre. And the audience helped pave his way through the night with a whole lotta grinning of its own, not that Ritter needed any help to deliver his attractive Americana. Energy seemed down at first, but as Ritter pointed out later in a sing-along (or rather, “scream-along”) section of the set, “I know it’s a Tuesday, but we can do better”; and the audience happily obliged. Starting off with three solid tunes from his latest release, Ritter began his numerous “thank you for being here” remarks that continued in regularity throughout the evening.

Dressed in a suit and open-collared shirt, his bandmates adorned in corresponding elegance – including the bassist’s well-trimmed and waxed handlebar mustache – Ritter’s genuine enjoyment and hilarious anecdotes radiated good vibes throughout the theatre’s packed house, with a beautiful sound to match. Ritter continued his trio of newer songs with a varied selection of favorites from his entire songbook, a definite highlight being “The Temptation of Adam,” which had the crowd singing softly and steadfastly along, as well as a new tune called “Folk Blood Bath,” which spoke of Delia and Lewis Collins and the imminent cycle of life and death. His encore commenced with a mention of his new tan, continued with “Girl in the War,” then culminated in a tribute to Disco. If guests didn’t pick up their own can of mustache wax at Ritter’s merch table, they definitely left with smiles.

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Do it. The “future folk legend” is performing at the Recher Theatre for $20. And if you can’t scrounge up the ticket price, at least read Leah Scarpelli’s Q&A with him.

Here’s a teaser to pique your interest:

“..you get done with the show at one in the morning, you get back on the bus by two and you’re asleep at three and up by eleven, and the next day is totally different, you’re in a different time zone, you know, all those things. So, in terms of writing, I think I’ve had to readjust how I thought about writing.

The writing down is one part of it, but a lot of it turned out to just be, you know, life. You’ve got to take your influences wherever they come to you. And you write them down and you kind of follow them out as far as they go, as far as your interests go.”

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Goldfinger is a stalwart band that gritted its teeth and kept going after MTV and the radio rode ska revival into the ground in the late ’90s. They stuck to a convincing mixture of power punk and uptempo ska, their edgy vocals and heavy guitars keeping their catchy tunes from becoming confused with the period’s Blink-182’s.

Of course, they dropped off the radar directly after “Here in Your Bedroom,” their one hit off their first LP. A few albums later, they finally switched things up with the more eclectic Disconnection Notice, which showed influences from frontman John Feldmann’s time producing bands like The Used and Story of the Year. Also the band’s induction into political messaging, Disconnection Notice

A few albums later - bringing us up to the present - they’ve released Hello Destiny, eleven songs that sound a lot like their first efforts in ‘96. The original guitarist, Charlie Paulson, rejoined the group. Their first album’s cover artist even returned to draw the new cover. Read more »

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Guest Blogged by Raheim Myers

Hip Hop for Everyone, hosted by the Creative Alliance and Summerhome Studio was a great experience. When entering the Creative Alliance, you saw graffiti art in the lobby all the way to the Main Gallery. The Main gallery was filled with art from Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York. Moreover, the artists from PA and NYC, Rise and Trool, showed up to the event.

Jazi Rock gave a live graffiti demo in a corner of the space while break dancers performed live in the middle of the gallery. People of all ages stood around and went crazy over every spin, flip, up rock, etc. Then a group of middle school students from Southeast Youth Academy broke out in a prepare dance routine taught to them by teachers Professor Quest and Atomic Goofball, two dancers that appeared on the recent movie Step Up II.

Then all of the breakers lead the crowd into the Theater. Once the crowd settled, Wide Angle Youth Media premiered their B-More Hip TV series. The crowd enjoyed the interviews with of all kinds of people about Hip Hop’s influence on society. The incredible Shodekeh threw the crowd into a frenzy with his amazing beat boxing. Then, out of no where, an unexpected guest beat boxer joined him on stage and wowed the crowd even more.

Next up was Soul Cannon’s live band and lead rapper. The sound was a mixture of hip hop, soul and rock all in one. The crowd rocked to every song. So, by time the intermission happened, the live graffiti painter was finished with his piece. Read more »

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April 26
Charles A. Hohman: Ministry at Rans Head Live!, 8pm
Al Jourgensen’s latest incarnation of industrial metal behemoths Ministry features former members of Static-X, Fear Factory and Revolting Cocks, plus no shortage of ear-blistering noise. This supergroup will hit the Rams Head on Saturday, April 26, as part of its glibly named C U LaTour ‘08. Two of the decade’s toughest metal acts, Meshuggah and Hemlock, will open.

April 26
Michael Wiles: Jimmies Chicken Shack at Recher Theatre, 7pm
My theory is as follows: if we don’t support the homecoming shows of local acts that make the big time, they’ll stop coming home. While I admit there’s a lot of flawed logic in this statement, I still believe Jimmie’s Chicken Shack is worth checking out this weekend based solely on the great show they’re bound to perform, regardless of their origins. But, just in case I was right in the first place, do it for your love of Baltimore’s music scene if for nothing else.

April 27
Matt Carr: Urge Overkill at The Black Cat, 8pm
Named after a Parliament Funkadelic lyric and featured in Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece Pulp Fiction with their cover of Neil Diamond’s “Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon,” Urge Overkill is an alternative rock band with no shortage of taste. Full of gain heavy riffing guitars and pounding bass and drums, make sure you don’t stand too close to the speakers.

April 27
Chris Yarrison: Peabody Jazz Quartet at An Die Musik Live!, 7:30pm
Every Monday for an hour or so, these four Peabody grad students rock An Die Musik’s downstairs. Watch as pedestrians stop at the floor-to-ceiling window behind the band to look in and envy the show you’re getting. They must not know it’s only $5 a head.

April 29
Leah Scarpelli: Josh Ritter with Langhome Slim at Recher Theatre, 7pm
Whether you need a good story, or someone to write the things you feel more eloquently (as any good writer should) – Ritter’s lyrical prowess delivers a simpler, more refined tune than what you’ll find in most music today. Paired with a nostalgic phrasing of the guitar or an upbeat and energetic country-themed ditty, Ritter’s live performance is a testament to his joy for what he does…write and perform gorgeous music.

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Altercation Records’ first ever Punk Standup Tour is a cross-country “napalm blast,” in the words of headliner JT Habersaat, potentially clearing the way for bigger tours in the near future. Lucky, then, that less than a handful of people showed up at the Sidebar April 14 to be incinerated. Of course, that handful took the blast rather cheerily, and the performers overall weren’t dismayed - they were in fact their own most vociferous audience, heckling and laughing uproariously by turns.

Elsewhere, “enthusiasm has been through the roof,” said Habersaat. “People come up after the show and tell me they’re coming back next time and bringing five friends.” His new DVD has been selling steadily along the way, and he’d sold out of the most recent issue of Altercation Magazine, a punk/indie publication he founded ten years ago.

It has been tricky discovering what threads tie this stand-up show to punk rock. The performers’ musical tastes center around punk, diverging a bit here and there. Altercation Records, owned by Habersaat, puts out punk bands Blase Debris and Casket Architects, among others. The tour has been playing mostly punk venues - certainly the Sidebar counts - and the shows open with the Clash classic “London Calling.” And, to be sure, Habersaat sported a Black Flag t-shirt for the show. Read more »

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