Sounds like: An African tribe at a poetry slam. This cacophonous a cappella quintet experiments with vocal textures, eccentric outfits, and unbalanced song structures.  

Influences: Improvisational performance, Vaudeville, and Greenmount Avenue. 

Players: Lexie Mountain, Sam Garner, Amy Waller, Amy Harmon, and Katherine Hill.  

URL: myspace.com/mountainlex

Lizz King

Sounds like: A haunting blend of rustic country and synthetic punk. King’s satirical lyrics linger against minimal keyboard beats and basic guitar chords.  

Influences: King borrows electro-bops from her Wham City constituents, but her sultry scowl is reminiscent of R&B powerhouse Big Mama Thornton. 

URL: myspace.com/llizzking

Thrushes 

Sounds like: Lonely love songs rolling in an undertow of reverb. Heavy synths and tambourine frills lend a dissonant beauty to the shoegaze sounds of Thrushes.

Influences: The Raveonettes, Mazzy Star, The Shangri-Las, and Pixies 

Players: Anna Conner (voice, guitar), Casey Harvey (guitars, fuzz, reverb), Rachel Tracy (bass), Matt Davis (drums, bells). 

URL: thrushesrule.com

Where to Go, What To Do

Population: 787,000

Up-and-coming neighborhood: Hampden 

Vintage clothing stores, cramped coffee houses, and basement art galleries line the street called “The Avenue” in Hampden. The neighborhood’s kitschy charm is irresistible to just about everyone, including longtime resident John Waters.

Venues: Located on a deserted street that could easily be on The Wire, local and national acts play the Ottobar — a skuzzy dive venue where the smell of old beer is thicker than the walls. Local art punks and electric hero Dan Deacon prefer to frequent Floristree Space, an emerging “anti-club.”

Shopping: Atomic Books is the place to find titles like 100 Bullshit Jobs...And How To Get Them as well as zombie survival guides, anarchist literature, and vintage comics. 

Restaurant: Blueberry pancakes at 2 a.m. is only one of the reasons B’more natives flock to Papermoon Diner. This vibrant eatery has rocking chairs plastered to the ceiling and wreaths of naked Barbie dolls and Pez dispensers strung along the walls. 

Recommended Must-Do: The American Visionary Art Museum, located at the base of Federal Hill, is one of the most unorthodox museums on the planet. Past exhibitions have included “Home & Beast,” “High on Life: Transcending Addictions” and “We Are Not Alone – Angels and Other Aliens.” 

Local DIY: Beadazzled is a jewelry maker’s wildest dream. Beads of every shape, size, and color are neatly displayed and ready to be strung on an endless variety of thread.