Mobtown Shank

Tracking: Sri Aurobindo's Cave Painting

by Brian Dubin

CAVE PAINTING by SRI AUROBINDO
Sri Aurobindo are a psychedelic rock band from Baltimore. They have been around for the better part of 5 years, playing constantly in Baltimore as well as New York and D.C. Cave Painting is their second release and in my opinion, their best to date.

This album finds them really exploring their groove and locking in to some really catchy and far out songs. As far as the genre of psychedelia goes, Sri Aurobindo are one of the best and this record is the proof. The album is incredibly consistent as a whole and is filled with hypnotic bass and guitar grooves. "Don't Know" is probably my favorite song on the album, though "Banyan Groove" and "Find the Door" have some really amazing spacey parts that are just otherworldly. "Rest My Mind" closes out the album with a totally great hook and some stellar organ action.

Sri Aurobindo are taking a style of music and using their influences to make something that sounds incredibly distinctive.

This album is not out yet, but will be out around April 1st on Friends Records. Pick it up when it comes out, you will not be disappointed. 

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Talk Radio Show Co-Host To Run For Governor Of MD

by Benn Ray

Great news for Maryland Democrats (and the state of Maryland itself)!

Bobby Ehrlich, the man who picked current RNC Chair Michael Steele as his #2, thereby putting that knucklehead a heartbeat away from control of the state of Maryland, has decided to run for Governor, again.

"Next week, I'm going to announce my candidacy for governor," [former governor Bob] Ehrlich said in a conference call with reporters Tuesday afternoon.

The man who accomplished nothing much at all aside from petty and vindictive treatment of Baltimore City because of his rivalry with then-Mayor and current Governor Martin O'Malley, says:

"There's a real sense of concern about the direction our state is taking. We are about new ideas and proven leadership in Annapolis."

New ideas? Does anyone actually believe Republicans have anything even vaguely resembling an idea? Remember, "NO" isn't an idea.

Well, Ehrlich didn't actually offer new ideas yet so much as a promise to formulate some and offer them at a later date.

Asked about the "new ideas," the former governor, who presided over the state from January 2003 to January 2007, said "stay tuned."

Really, Bobby? "Stay tuned?"

This is also an indicator of the shallowness of the bench of the Republican Party in Maryland when the most promising candidate they can field to challenge O'Malley is guy Marylanders already decided they didn't want after putting up with him for one term.

If I wasn't dreading having to listen to his whiney voice and putting up with his ugly politicking, I'd be positively giddy at the prospects of witnessing another defeat of this goofball. No, wait. I am giddy.

The BDC Doing Less With More?

According to The Baltimore Sun, The Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) is getting more money, but it's also cutting more of what it does in city neighborhoods.

Four of Baltimore's 10 Main Streets initiatives would be eliminated under proposed budget cuts to the city's economic development arm.
...
Ten Baltimore neighborhoods -- Belair-Edison, Brooklyn, East Monument Street, Federal Hill, Fells Point, Hamilton-Lauraville, Highlandtown, Pennsylvania Avenue, Pigtown  and Waverly  -- have benefited from the program, which had a budget of $978,805 for this year.
...
Overall, the BDC's budget from the city's general fund will rise from $3.28 million to $4.04 million.

So, The BDC is getting a budget increase, but it's also cutting it's Main Street Programs for 4 Baltimore neighborhoods so it can spend more money in the Inner Harbor.

"...efforts would also be geared toward encouraging the development of two prime Inner Harbor parcels at 300 East Pratt St. and 414 Light St., both of which have been mentioned as sites for potential future skyscraper office buildings."

It would appear, based on these budget proposals, the BDC is becoming less focused on developing Baltimore city neighborhoods and is now realigning its resources to focus more on commercial areas like the Inner Harbor.

Said What?: Daddy's A Responsible Smoker

overheard by Benn Ray
drawn by Ryan Onorat0

Look for a brand new Said What? comic in Wednesday's B: The Paper. Available free around town.
----------------------------------------------------
Overhear something amazing? Post them in the comments section (with your email address) or email your Overheards (using this format) to: MobtownshankATatomicbooksDOTcom. It could end up as a comic strip.
Order a copy of The Shank's book I Keee You!!: A Collection Of Overheards.

Wal-Mart Development On Midday

Today, at noon on WYPR (88.1), Dan Rodricks' radio show will tackle the topic of the Charles Village/Remington Wal-Mart/Lowes retail complex.

Monday, March 29
Noon-1:00
Part of the proposed "25th Street Station" development in Baltimore's Remington neighborhood is a Wal-Mart store--a company Atlantic Magazine says it's getting harder and harder to hate.  We'll consider the brand's virtues--and its drawbacks--with Charles Fishman, author of The Wal-Mart Effect; Steven Restivo, director of community affairs for Wal-Mart; and Jay Hancock, business columnist for the Baltimore Sun.

Listen live.
To call during the show: 410.662.8780
You can also email midday@wypr.org.

Some things it might be nice to have the pro-Wal-Mart representatives answer are:

1. Approximately what percentage of employees (all employees, not just full-time ones) at Wal-Mart's current Maryland locations are making $11.33 per hour or higher?

2. What does Wal-Mart/Sam's Club do with empty store space if a location moves out?  Is there a plan or program in place to ensure that the "box" stays full?  (Hunt Valley and Port Covington are examples)  Does the contract will the owner forbid competition from using this space? 

3. What specific organizations does Wal-Mart contribute to in Maryland, and how much? (We're not talking about national organizations, such as Goodwill, etc, but Maryland-based organizations?)

The Nuge Threatens The President

Conservo-rocker Ted Nugent called for the killing of the Obama Administration on FOX News Sunday while talking to Neil Cavuto.

“I’m the expert on the health care bill because I kill pigs. [It's the ] communist, Mao, Che agenda of the communist, Mao, Che fans in the White House. They’re pigs, Neil! We gotta kill the pig.”

The Nuge loves America SOOOOOOOO much, he wants to kill the people in the White House.

This is also what's called "a federal offense".

Source.

Squidfire Not Opening Store At Wal-Mart Development

by Benn Ray

I've been asked several times by a few different people if Hampden's favorite t-shirt spot, Squidfire, was planning on moving into the proposed Charles Village/Remington Wal-Mart/Lowes retail complex. 

The reason people were confused was because in the mock up designs that developers were using to sell their development to area communities, aside from Lowes and Wal-Mart, the only other real business logo that kept showing up in proposed design was, oddly, Squidfire.

However, according to Squidfire co-founder Kevin Sherry, "Squidfire is NOT even considering moving into the already infamous Wal-Mart superstructure. We love the building that we have now, it's one of the best little buildings in Baltimore."

So, how did Squidfire's logo come to be included in the controversial development's mock ups? Blame Smalltimore.

 Kevin explained, "We know one of the architects at the firm that created that mock-up. In fact, he is the significant other of the business-brain half of Squidfire. As far as I know, he didn't ask permission to use our logo, and Jean had no knowledge of this either. So I think we can chalk this up to a little, misinformed inside joke. Last year I bought my first home two blocks from the proposed site, and I'm vehemently against Wal-Mart moving in. They seem to bring nothing but destruction to anywhere they go."

So that's why the Squidfire logo is on some of the development design mock ups. They're not planning on moving into the proposed retail complex. And in fact, Kevin, like many others in the area, is against Wal-Mart moving into the area because of its destructive presence.

Tonight! Bar Bacon 2.3

Friday, March 26, 2010
10PM. Golden West Cafe. Hampden, Baltimore.
1105 W. 36th St.

A Comedy Tour of Paradise Island

OMG! You'll be ROFL tonight at the Golden West Cafe for Bar Bacon's exotic trip to Paradise Island, home of Amazonian warrioresses and the worlds only remaining rubber chicken and fake vomit factory.

Always one to bring the latest and greatest, Baltimore's Honest Comedy is proud to bring the the Bar Bacon Stage the powerful new comedy duo Velvet Glovular, the triumphant return of Seaton Smith, the BB debut of Sean Jokes fresh from his European comedy tour, Bar Bacon favorite Dorian Grey and possibly the exotic Violet Grey, Mike Moran will be filling the new guy slot and it's gonna be awesome!

Sponsored by Atomic Books.

More Crazy Shit Republicans Think

According to a new Harris Poll (non-scientific - just an online poll taken during the peak of the health care debate - so this is just for fun only):

67% of Republicans think President Obama is a socialist

61% of Republicans think Obama wants to take away their guns

57% of Republicans think Obama is a Muslim

51% of Republicans think Obama wants to turn sovereignty of the US over to a "one world government"

47% of Republicans think Obama resents America's heritage

45% of Republicans think Obama wasn't born in the US

38% of Republicans think Obama is doing many of the things that Hitler did

24% of Republicans think Obama may be the anti-Christ

Source.

Tracking: The Dovers

by Brian Dubin

WE'RE NOT JUST ANYBODY by THE DOVERS
The Dovers were a pop group from Santa Barbara in the mid-1960s. As most groups of their time, they were heavily influenced by the Beatles. Though, they made much shorter, (and in my opinion) poppier songs. The band was not around for very long - they released 3 or 4 singles then broke up, thus making them a sought after band by record collectors.

All of the songs on this record (which are actually all of the songs they ever recorded) are incredibly catchy and poppy with the exception of the song "The Third Eye," which is a psychedelic masterpiece. The song appears on the compilation Thirty Seconds Before the Calico Wall (which you can find at places like Bomp!). Another song of theirs. "She's Gone," appears on the compilation Pebbles Vol. 2.

Sadly, We're Not Just Anybody is out of print, but if you can find a way to download this album, I highly recommend you doing so because these are some of the catchiest, unheard pop songs from the '60s.

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