Wye Oak

WYE MILLS -- Many mighty oaks have grown from little acorns dropped by Maryland's Wye Oak during its 450-year life span, but state foresters have begun a difficult grafting process they hope will produce the tree's first genetically pure offspring.As a small group of guests watched from the ground Friday, a forester some 60 feet overhead in a bucket carefully cut several handfuls of new limb growth, the initial step in what could be a 20-year process to develop a clone of the historic tree.

With more than 50 local bands performing all around Station North and Mount Vernon this weekend, Scapescape is one of Baltimore's premier events to better understand the hype surrounding its diverse arts and music scenes. (It's also a bit intimidating. A friend of Midnight Sun, Seth, created a handy Google document to keep track of all the sets scheduled for Labor Day weekend.) I don't mean to single out a particular artist or band when there are so many worthy acts performing, so just know that Scapescape is an awesome event and we're lucky to have it. With that said, tonight could be particularly special because Jenn Wasner, the singer/guitarist of Wye Oak and her solo project Flock of Dimes, will perform two sets at the Charles Street Parking Lot (1712 N. Charles St.)

Reading the commentary on Wye Oak's last album, "The Knot," and the new one, "Civilian," you might think there's little difference between the two. Adjectives like lush, evocative and brooding are alternatively used to describe them. But Jenn Wasner, the duo's vocalist and guitarist, says the new album is different in several respects, and especially in one: It's just better. With "The Knot," she and multi-instrumentalist Andy Stack overplayed the benefits of brand-new label representation, she says.

UPDATE: Scapescape preview: Wye Oak and Flock of Dimes play Scapescape Aug. 31 Coming at the conclusion of the month-long Station North Arts Festival, Scapescape will take place during Labor Day weekend (Aug. 30-Sept. 2). Baltimore acts Celebration, Dope Body, Labtekwon, J Roddy Walston and the Business, White Life, Wye Oak and more will play at three different locations around Station North, including the parking lot next to Metro Gallery as the main stage, Metro Gallery and Windup Space.

WORDS CAN hardly convey the awe inspired by a big, old tree, let alone a 460-year-old white oak about 100 feet tall and 32 feet around. It seems almost inconceivable that something so temporal as a thunderstorm -- however violent -- could topple the Wye Oak, the largest of its species in the nation and one of the country's best-known trees. This massive being, its base buttressed by concrete, its limbs laced by cables, had survived it all, the forces of nature and history, for almost five centuries.

Wye Oak made their network television debut Monday night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack performed "Holy Holy" off new album "Civilian. " In April, Wasner talked to the Sun about the making of the alum.

Wye Oak just premiered their latest video, "Holy Holy," over at Pitchfork . The Civilian -standout gets a simple video of the Baltimore duo at the carnival, riding the swings and rollercoasters. Somehow, no fried food was consumed. The clip was directed by Jeremy Johnstone, whose credits include videos from Young Widows and the New York Dolls. Wye Oak is currently on tour with the National (whose Scott Devendorf had kind words for the band when I spoke with him a couple weeks ago)

With more than 50 local bands performing all around Station North and Mount Vernon this weekend, Scapescape is one of Baltimore's premier events to better understand the hype surrounding its diverse arts and music scenes. (It's also a bit intimidating. A friend of Midnight Sun, Seth, created a handy Google document to keep track of all the sets scheduled for Labor Day weekend.) I don't mean to single out a particular artist or band when there are so many worthy acts performing, so just know that Scapescape is an awesome event and we're lucky to have it. With that said, tonight could be particularly special because Jenn Wasner, the singer/guitarist of Wye Oak and her solo project Flock of Dimes, will perform two sets at the Charles Street Parking Lot (1712 N. Charles St.)

Since 1941, when it was officially designated as such by the Maryland General Assembly, the Wye Oak on the Eastern Shore has been the official state tree. No one quite knows the age of the white oak, which is 104 feet high, has a horizontal spread of 160 feet and a trunk that measures 32 feet in circumference. It is guessed to be at least 400 years old.However, time is running out on this giant, one of the largest white oaks in the nation. Reports have been circulating for years that the famous tree is dying but no one knows for sure when that will occur.

A couple of controversial, Internet piracy bills in Congress have pit the tech industry against the music business, even independents. In a statement sent out early Wednesday afternoon, A2IM, the largest trade organization of independent musicians and labels, was the latest to support the Stop Online Piracy and the Protect Intellectual Property acts, despite that some high-profile indie musicians, like Baltimore's Wye Oak , are protesting the...

Walk around Baltimore today and you could see Jenn Wasner's big eyes staring up at you. Wasner, who plays guitar and sings in Wye Oak and now by herself as Flock of Dimes, is the cover star for b's latest "10 to Watch Under 30" issue . In 2011, Wasner, an Owings Mills native, lived on the road, playing more than 200 shows alongside Wye Oak drummer Andy Stack. When she returned home to Baltimore, she was burned out, and even considered moving away from the city. But don't ever underestimate the power of rest.

For some people, the concert news of the day has already run, and no one's gonna top it. They'll read these names below and say, Are any of these guys VAN HALEN ??? Do they wear shiny leather pants and vaguely Middle Eastern scarves and a pinstripe vest and also a belt buckle bigger than Mitt Romney's head? Are they responsible for “RUNNING WITH THE DEVIIIIIIL!!”? Ok, no. For everyone else, here's the other concert news of the day: To raise money for the experimental music festival High Zero, Matmos's Drew Daniel, Dan Deacon and Schwarz will play DJ sets at the H&H Building's 5th Dimension April 27. Leprechaun Catering and  John Berndt's Multiphonic Choir will also perform.

Reporter Richard Gorelick reviews Cass McCombs at Ottobar, the other big show Saturday night besides Dru Hill . Cass McCombs played a packed Ottobar Saturday night.  A veteran by now, his seniority was underscored by some of the people on hand to welcome him back to Baltimore - including members of Celebration, Wye Oak and Beach House, none of whom had came together as bands when the native Californian started recording music...

A couple of controversial, Internet piracy bills in Congress have pit the tech industry against the music business, even independents. In a statement sent out early Wednesday afternoon, A2IM, the largest trade organization of independent musicians and labels, was the latest to support the Stop Online Piracy and the Protect Intellectual Property acts, despite that some high-profile indie musicians, like Baltimore's Wye Oak , are protesting the...

Jim McMartin and Jim Beggins make their living creating beautiful pieces of furniture from the wood Mother Nature leaves behind, and she was particularly careless with her trees this fall. Hurricane Irene rolled through the woods on Maryland's Eastern Shore like a giant bowling ball in August, and now the enormous kindling that she left - tree trunks as thick as a man is tall - lies in the grass behind their lumber yard near Easton, waiting for the hand-tooled magic that will turn the wood into heirloom pieces of furniture.

Celebration is going to perform at Occupy Baltimore November 12. After organizers sought support from local celebrities and artists, the band is the first to agree to perform at the encampment at McKeldin Square. Others - Dan Deacon, Wye Oak, Animal Collective's Deakin - have expressed support for the protest but said they're unavailable to perform because of touring commitments. Celebration, which put out a widely acclaimed album earlier this year, " Hello Paradise ," is finishing a tour with locals Arbouretum.

Wye Oak just premiered their latest video, "Holy Holy," over at Pitchfork . The Civilian -standout gets a simple video of the Baltimore duo at the carnival, riding the swings and rollercoasters. Somehow, no fried food was consumed. The clip was directed by Jeremy Johnstone, whose credits include videos from Young Widows and the New York Dolls. Wye Oak is currently on tour with the National (whose Scott Devendorf had kind words for the band when I spoke with him a couple weeks ago)

The most distinctive piece of the National, an indie-rock quintet from Brooklyn, N.Y.-via-Cincinnati, is lead singer Matt Berninger's slurred baritone. It's a smooth, low purr that, when combined with the band's circular guitars and Bryan Devendorf's expert drumming, lulls listeners into a trance. This combination has led to great success, including 2010's High Violet, a gold record that debuted No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and won Q magazine's best album of the year. Tuesday, the National will be at Merriweather Post Pavilion . Bassist Scott Devendorf took time from the band's European festival run to talk about High Violet's success, tour-mates Wye Oak and the group's support of President Obama.