It’s been four years since local Baltimore heroes and Band To Watch alums Ed Schrader’s Music Beat released their last full-length, 2014’s Party Jail, but today the duo has announced that their third album will come out in March. It’s called Riddles, and they got their friend and fellow Baltimorean Dan Deacon to produce and co-write it with them. Lead single “Dunce” has the same bobbing sense of rhythm that’s characterized the best ESMB songs, but it feels more refined: a wriggling and menacing growl that honors their scrappy roots while forging an exciting new path. The accompanying video finds the two of them cruising around Brooklyn in the dead of night in a shiny red car, showing off the charisma that makes their live shows so memorable. Watch and listen below.

Tracklist:
01 “Dunce”
02 “Seagull”
03 “Riddles”
04 “Dizzy Devil”
05 “Wave To The Water”
06 “Rust”
07 “Kid Radium”
08 “Humbucker Blues”
09 “Tom”
10 “Culebra”

Tour dates:
03/01 Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
03/03 Washington, DC @ Comet Ping Pong
03/04 Raleigh, NC @ Kings
03/05 Asheville, NC @ The Mothlight
03/06 Knoxville, TN @ Pilot Light
03/07 Nashville, TN @ DRKMTTR
03/09 Atlanta, GA @ Mammal Gallery
03/12 Houston, TX @ Walter’s Downtown
03/13 Dallas, TX @ Transit Bicycle Company
03/14 San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
03/15-18 Austin, TX @ SXSW
03/19 Hot Springs, AK @ VOV Fest
03/20 Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge
03/23 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
03/24 Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Fest
03/26 Reno, NV @ Holland Project
03/28 Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon
03/29 San Francisco, CA @ Make Out Room
03/31 Portland, OR @ The Know
04/04 Sioux Falls, SD @ Total Drag Records
04/05 Minneapolis, MN @ Kitty Cat Klub
04/06 Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
04/07 Milwaukee, WI @ Quarters Rock N Roll Palace
04/08 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
04/10 Toronto, ON @ Baby G
04/11 Winooski, VT @ Monkey House
04/12 Providence, RI @ AS220
04/15 Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right

Riddles is out 3/2 via Carpark Records. Pre-order it here. Select pre-order bundles come with bags of coffee beans (Ed Schrader’s Music Beans, naturally) that were roasted by the band’s Devlin Rice.

CREDIT: Lissy Elle