Two New Albums Have Maryland-Related Names

Not since Animal Collective’s classic Merriweather Post Pavilion has Maryland gotten such album-title love. Here’s a look at two recent releases with MD monikers and references.

Maryland House by the Crystal Casino Band

Local connection: The DC indie-rock group met while attending George Washington University. Their latest album is named after a rest area on I-95, which is one of their go-to stops while traveling for gigs.

Album art: The cover image features the four-member band posing on the staircase at Maryland House.

Most Maryland track: In reality, the album is more focused on DC than on Maryland. The opening number, “Curfew,” talks about the Capitol insurrection of January 6 from the perspective of locals. Perhaps you can relate to the line “Not gonna lie I’m scared of ya / But I can’t leave this area.”

Maryland rating: 2 out of 5 crabs.

College Park by Logic

Local connection: Before becoming a national star, the Gaithersburg native spent time in College Park writing and recording music. His new album looks back at a day in his life during that period.

Album art: The cover is an homage to the image on his debut album, Under Pressure, while the back features a map of Metro’s Green Line with song titles replacing the station names.

Most Maryland track: “Gaithersburg Freestyle,” featuring Maryland rappers Adé, Big Lenbo, and C Dot Castro and DC’s Fat Trel. There are shout-outs to the 301 area code and, of course, Gaithersburg.

Maryland rating: 4 out of 5 crabs.

This article appears in the April 2023 issue of Washingtonian.

Daniella Byck

Lifestyle Editor

Daniella Byck joined Washingtonian in 2022. She was previously with Outside Magazine and lives in Takoma.