SUN Profiles Local Hard-Rock Children's Band, Debut Album

Here is a nice article from yesterday's Baltimore Sun profiling local hard-rock kids band The Hilltop Hightops, an ostensibly "clean" version of the band's alter-egos, The Dirty Marmaduke Flute Squad. Both bands' lead guitarist, Ryan Graham, contributed a very funny piece on "selling out" to the most recent edition of Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore!, and both bands turned in excellent performances at the Smile, Hon No. 11 release party last month.

Visit the Hightops online, and while you're at it, check out their debut album, Super Galactic Space Banana:

SMILE, HON No. 11 Release Party a Success

Thanks to the more than 40 people who turned out for the Smile, Hon, You’re in Baltimore! No. 11 release party last night at Cyclops Books (most of that number stayed for the roughly 90-minute duration of contributor readings and music). Also, special thanks to The Dirty Marmaduke Flute Squad and The Hilltop Hightops for providing musical relief, as well as Cyclops owner Andy Rubin for hosting the evening.

Looking down at my arms, riddled with track marks from the lab tech’s multiple attempts earlier in the day to plant an IV in my chemo-scarred veins, I felt suitably adorned for an evening on North Avenue. True, the weather could have been better, but it most certainly could have been worse. Recalling a similar turnout for the Smile, Hon No. 10 release party, held last fall at Rubin’s previous store, Baltimore Chop Books, I believed that so many people showing up on a shitty Monday night in November could only mean they would once again turn out in force on a crappy Wednesday night in June. And with this, the crowd did not disappoint. Solid readings all around, and well-received by the audience. Looking forward to future events…

SMILE, HON No. 11 Release Party

That's right, folks - come on out to Cyclops Books, at the corner of Maryland and North Avenues, tomorrow night, Wednesday, June 17, beginning at 7:00 p.m. to celebrate the release of the latest issue in the award-winning Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore! series, published by Eight-Stone Press. This free event will include readings by contributors to the issue as well as live performances by The Dirty Marmaduke Flute Squad and The Hilltop Hightops.