We go out in stormy weather, we rarely practice discern (Spoon – The Way We Get By). No cars go where we know, between the click of the light and the start of the dream (Arcade Fire – No Cars Go). The new war will get you, it will not protect you, but I will be there with you when you turn out the light (Spoon – Paper Tiger). Sleeping is giving in, no matter what the time is. Sleeping is giving in, so lift those heavy eyelids. People say that your dreams are the only things that save you (Arcade Fire – Rebellion).
That was fun. I just looked up lyrics to some of my favourite Arcade Fire and Spoon tracks (I’ve been a huge fan of both since high school) and a few of them flowed together to make a little story. I couldn’t resist because of all the recent hype about the film Inception (what’s with Leo’s role always having to do with a dead or dying spouse?) and the lyrics were about sleep and dream states and all that jazz. By the way, I thought the movie was pretty awesome. Go see it if you haven’t. Dreams are a fun concept to mess with.
Back to the music! I haven’t actually heard much of Spoon’s most recent release, Transference, but people have said great things about it. I’m more of an old school Spoon fan, I guess, ‘cause I think the only stuff I really have listened to is from when they first started out… Oh how time flies! The Arcade Fire is going to be releasing a long-anticipated album, The Suburbs, on August 2nd (UK) and August 3rd (US and Canada). Maybe if you’re lucky they’ll have them at the merch table a day early? If they do, you should mail me a copy ;) it’s almost my birthday, y’know.
I haven’t gone on much about how the music actually sounds because they’re both pretty big names now in the indie world and I betcha you’ve heard their songs before, even if you don’t know it. Example: that track that they used for the Where The Wild Things Are trailer but was never actually in the movie? That was the Arcade Fire. You like them. I promise you do. Spoon has been featured in a few car commercials, one that comes to mind is for Acura.
The bottom line is that I love both of these bands a whole whole lot and I think that you do, too. You should definitely, definitely try and make it to the Mann Center on August 2nd (next Monday) for the show!
Monday, August 2, 2010, 7:30 p.m.
Arcade Fire w/ Spoon
Mann Center for Performing Arts, 5201 Parkside Avenue, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia PA, 19131
Get Tickets
Tuesday
J-Roddy Walston and The Business w/Josh Olmstead Band @ The Khyber - 8 pm, $10
*Don’t plan on cooling off here. The tunes will be so hot, you’re definitely gonna wanna dance. Maybe bring one of those little spray fans with you to keep hydrated. (Alex blogged 'em up good...clicky click to read.)
Wednesday
Wynrise w/Filligar & Spencer Mulder @ Grape Room – 9 pm
*Filligar is a hot new band out of Chicago. They’ve just released an album with a whole lotta short films by some amazing directors to go with it. Check them out on the band's fancypants website. Then go see them burn it up at the Grape Room.
Thursday
Gold Motel, Mark Rose @ The Fire – 7 pm, $10
*Their hair alone is hot. And have you seen the lovely Greta Morgan? HAWT with a capital A-W-T. You will sweat the sweet sweat of love.
Friday
Restorations w/Ghastly City Sleep, The Summer Pledge & A City Safe From Sea @ Kung Fu Necktie – 7:30 pm, $8
*We can’t predict the weather, but we can predict that things are going to get heated up at Kung Fu Necktie on Friday night. These bands have a new edge on them that could cut through the atmosphere and burn the tiles of the Space Shuttle. Or something.
Saturday
Laura Cheadle @ Blockley – 9 pm, $5
*Take a listen to Ms. Cheadle on the Bits & Watts homepage player and just try to pretend that 5 dolla won’t make you holla. This is a voice so hot, you’re gonna need protective gear.
Sunday
The Wailin’ Jennys @ World Café Live – 8 pm, $25
*Hottest show of the week. Three foxy chicks with one hot sound. They’re Canadian, so perhaps they’ll bring a cool breeze with them. Doesn’t matter. Go anyway. Who cares if it’s a school night?
Monday
Jaded Son, Experience. Hold., The Coastline, Bright and Early @ North Star Bar – 8 pm, $7
*Punky, experimental, rock, electronica. There is some new hotness here that should get you going on a Monday night. Don’t simmer down just because the work week has started again.
If this heat isn’t hot enough for ya’, click here to see a full list of this week’s shows.
All Ages this week:
7/27 Chromeo w/Holy Ghost, Telephoned & Javo @ The Troc – 8:30 pm, $20
7/28 Seu Jorge and Almaz @ The Troc – 8 pm, $27
7/28 Parachuting Apostles w/The Nonstop Mint & Vitamin Cheese @ The Fire – 8 pm, $7
7/29 Bearings, Highlites, Spraynard, Holy Hour @ The Fire – 6 pm, $5
7/30 Voltaire w/Black Tape for A Blue Girl, Unto Ashes, Nicki Jaine & The Twilight Garden @ The Troc – 8 pm, $10
7/30 Will Brown @ MilkBoy Acoustic – 7:30 pm
7/30 Joy Ike w/Kurt Scobie @ Burlap and Bean – 8 pm
7/31 Evolv w/HONOR @ Chaplin’s The Music Café – 8 pm, $10
7/31 David Falcone @ MilkBoy Acoustic – 7:30 pm
7/31 Young Brizz @ The Fire – 7 pm, $8
8/2 Arcade Fire w/Spoon @ The Troc (Mann Center for the Performing Arts) – 7:30 pm, $29
I hereby guarantee that you, dear reader, whoever you may be, will at least tap your toes while listening to these guys. There is no way that once this soulful rock music reaches your ears that you won’t want to. I tell you this only having heard their new debut self-titled album, to be released on July 27 (yes! the very same day that you Philadelphia-area-dwellers can go see them in the flesh) and I can only begin to imagine how contagious their energy would be live. Soulful is definitely the word to describe their sound. I’m immediately reminded of all that music my dad would make me listen to when I was younger. So I guess I’m kind of reminiscing about the stuff my parents’ generation would reminisce about? Huh.
Don’t get me wrong, though. I’m not saying in a non-childlike manner that it’s “old” people’s music. If you can appreciate classic rock, all that great stuff that was being produced when the genre was born, then you will definitely appreciate J-Roddy Walston & The Business. I personally think they’re pretty awesome. I think the aspect of their music that gets to me the most is J Roddy Walston jamming on that piano like he was born to make people dance. Gosh, it just sounds so good, haha. Speaking of pianos, they recently did a little quickie tour in Manhattan hitting up nearly every outdoor piano set up by a project called Play Me, I’m Yours. If you’re curious about the project, as I was, you can check out an article about it here (http://bit.ly/bTIb36) - it’s a pretty neat idea. I’m all for encouraging creativity in the masses!
Anyway, as it appears that I’m beginning to get sidetracked (and I’m reaching my 300 word suggested limit for entries), I’m going to pack up and head home where I can shamelessly boogie to my heart’s content. Well, y’know, until the other people who live in my apartment come home.
As for you, you should most definitely try to get yourself down to The Khyber on July 27th to see J-Roddy Walston & The Business do their thing. If you can’t make it, be sure to check out their debut self-titled album, which will be released on July 27th.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010, 8:00 p.m.
J-Roddy Walston & The Business
The Khyber, 56 S. 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Get Tickets
Can frogs holler? I kind of always thought they croaked. I guess that shows how much I know (a-ha-ha-ha, I knew I should’ve become a comedian! ... Don't waste those perfectly good tomatoes.) This sextet from PA seems to be an alt-country band by my assessment, and that seems kind of strange to me. But, take a listen -- it’s pretty good. I’m not much of a country music person myself (despite secretly enjoying some banjos and the occasional mandolin in the indie folk section of my music library) but somehow I don’t really mind the twangs amongst the otherwise mixed rock-folk-indie sound they have. Their lyrics tell stories, teach lessons, and raise questions, and are presented with the music through the medium of songwriter Darren Schlappich’s voice.
Sisters 3 have apparently been making music ever since they were small children and here they are, years later, performing live just for you! The very same Glen Marshall who produced one of Feist's (who is one of my favorite female artists) records, produced the sisters’ debut album, Star Spangled. Right now they are in the middle of recording a second album with indie label Vintage Modern so if you like them, keep an eye out for that ‘cause it’s coming out some time this year.
You can read up on what we have to say about Hezekiah Jones in a previous blog post, here (http://bit.ly/cZa9HJ). In sum, he’s a genius songwriter with songs that make people around here pace the office wondering a loud, "Now, how come I can't write a song like that?" I guess he makes it seem easy...
Saturday, July 24, 2010, 9:00 p.m.
Frog Holler w/ Hezekiah Jones & Sisters 3
North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St, Philadelphia, PA 19130
Get Tickets
I love roots music. It makes everything homey and folksy. It is the perfect accompaniment to looking at family photo albums because it makes everything you look at a memory from Disney World’s Frontierland, regardless if it actually is or not. Inherently nostalgic and ootsy tootsy, it’s quintessential Americana, way more so than anything Jerry Garcia was associated with. Probably because roots music transcends time and space, I usually want a completely outdated beverage to go along with my roots music. Like sassparilla.
The Black River Kings are pure Tom Sawyer, through and through. They mix up their schtick with some really nice, wistful tunes and a healthy dose of foot-stomping licks. What a fun live show this is gonna be. I’ve gone on the record before, but any band with a mandolin and a lap steel is usually an excellent live show. The instruments just sound better live. If any of y’all have ever checked out a Slo Mo show, then you know. The BRK sound is steeped in some very fine classic American rock—I heard a little Aerosmith, some TP and the Heartbreakers (especially on “Highway Rider,” the lead dude is a dead ringer for Tom Petty), and even some Fleet Foxes. It’s the harmonizing, the guitar, friendly mandolin, and just the overall sound. Like they chew on pieces of hay while they’re recording.
This is really cool history-teacher-wearing-sweater vests music. It’s retro, but it’s chic. Funky. Dare I say, brassy. Davy Crockett is gonna pop out of the music player and start whizzbanging with a toy pistol. I heard a saltshaker at the beginning of one song. And of course, the obligatory but still awesome banjo!
Saturday, July 24, 2010, 9:00 p.m.
Black River Kings
World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St, Philadelphia PA, 19104
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This is the time of year when enjoying a refreshing beverage can completely turn your day around. What if that refreshing beverage was accompanied by some great music by a talented local artist? You guessed it…pure Heaven. It is our goal to get you to this happy place where your thirsts for both liquid and musical refreshment can be quenched. Here are some shows that should help.
Tuesday
Grind Partnerz w/ The Rebel Yell @ The Note – 8 pm, $5
*It’s New Music Tuesday at The Note. We love this idea. Everyone should expose themselves…to new music. Treat your ears to something they’ve never snacked on before AND try a new kind of beer. Just for kicks.
Wednesday
Kickin Bear w/Mother Redcap @ The Blockley – 9 pm, $5
*You run the risk of getting the blues, but that’s o.k. because blues are the new whatever the new black once was. This show is best paired with a generously poured whiskey drink and a twist of lime.
Thursday
Eastern Conference Champions w/ Busses @ Johnny Brenda’s – 9 pm, $10
*Hard rocking may lead to soft drinking. Maybe stick to the unleaded beverages for this show. Or, better yet, belly up for a vodka cranberry or a gin ‘n’ tonic and get ready to bob that head of yours.
Friday
Kenny Hoffpauer w/ Beth Goldwater @ Burlap and Bean – 8 pm, $5
*Two great voices in one intimate venue. Pair your enjoyment of this show with a dark roast and the baked good of your choice.
Saturday
Goodnight Lights w/ The Quelle Source & Little Bigheart and the Wildebeast @ Kung Fu Necktie – 7:30 pm
*You’re gonna feel funky. You’re gonna feel rocky. You’re gonna feel like having an inexpensive domestic beer in a can. And then maybe another. Just don’t forget to say, “When.”
Sunday
Midsummer Mayhem @ The Troc (Balcony) – 5:30 pm, $11 adv
*It may be easier to tell you who isn’t playing this show. Save some weekend play money so you can see The Right Coast, Jeff Kummer (The Early November), Honor Bright, Practically Single, Overtime Victory, Seek to Thrill, The Bottom Line, Case Closed, Call It Victory and The Cretins. With such a variety of bands, you’ll have to leave yourself open to where the night takes you on your beverage journey.
Monday
Monte Montgomery w/ Christie Lenee @ World Café Live – 8 pm, $24
*You won’t have a difficult time choosing a show on Monday, since this is the one. But you may have time choosing a drink. Perhaps a glass of red wine to make you feel fancy on a Monday night.
For now, make yourself a mojito and click here to see a full list of this week’s shows.
All Ages this week:
7/22 Nothington, Spanish Gamble, The Holy Mess, Dirty Tactics @ The Fire – 7 pm, $5
7/22 Mic Stewart w/ Alien Architect, Luz Cannon & Stradegy @ Chaplin’s The Music Café – 7:30 pm, $8
7/23 Kenny Hoffpauer w/ Beth Goldwater @ Burlap and Bean – 8 pm, $5
7/26 Monte Montgomery w/ Christie Lenee @ World Café Live – 8 pm, $24
I had to write something about Seu Jorge. My love of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou compels me to. Even just typing the name of that movie cracked me up. Seu Jorge is a dude, first of all, a Brazilian dude who is mad talented and plays such pretty pretty folk songs. In The Life Aquatic, he was a crewmember of the Belafonte who sang David Bowie songs in Portuguese. Yep, random. But amazing. It kind of makes sense… in that entire movie, nothing was what it was. This epic journey to find a jaguar shark was not an aquatic documentary. It was a tale of redemption! Personal struggle, connection, and triumph!
But, back to Seu. Or Jorge? Seu Jorge is a pretty big deal in Brazil and elsewhere, and has appeared on some very high-profile stages: Bonnaroo, a sweaty swamp music mecca, and Austin City Limits, aside from singing “Rebel Rebel” in Portuguese all over the top deck of the Belafonte. He classifies himself as Brazilian samba, or whatever that is. All I can say is, anything that this guy touches sounds amazing. He has a thick, warm voice full of sea turtle secrets, and his songs are infused with that friendly Jack Johnson-ish vibe. It doesn’t matter that you probably won’t understand what he’s saying. Seu Jorge is mad expressive, like an opera. You don’t need to speak German to know what’s going on. Let the sounds wash over you. Go ahead. It’s world culture. You’ll go buy a Deep Forest album after this show.
Expect this show to have a big, full-throated sound. Horns, guitar, whistle, bongo… it’s all fair game. I do think it is excellent that other countries haven’t given up on folk music. I feel like the U.S. approach to folk is to throw an “indie” label on it. Seu Jorge is a worthy import because he is keeping it real. The lyrics may reek of pure corn—“your face is like the sun, the day after the rains, and my coffee field thanks the watery goodness” or whatnot like crazed Spanish ballads (because I do not speak Portuguese, I don’t know!), but It is brave stuff, and really attests to the power of a great voice that can transcend even my suspicions of cheesy South American folk.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010, 8:00 p.m.
Seu Jorge and Almaz
The Troc, 1003 Arch St, Philadelphia PA, 19107
Get Tickets
When I first started reading up on this year’s XPoNential Music Festival I got all giddy about big names like They Might Be Giants and Guster and The Hold Steady. And then I remembered that 1. I don’t live in Philadelphia, so I won’t get to take advantage of the available press pass and 2. Bits & Watts exists for the purpose of supporting independent artists whose names I don’t yet recognize well enough to get giddy at the sight of. And so I must chill.
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be pumped for this year’s festival. Quite the contrary. You should be stoked to call Philly home. And you should be fully prepared to get giddy over such talent as East Hundred, Los Straitjackets, Farewell Flight, Donna the Buffalo and Like a Fox.
So set your dial to giddy, get your tickets and velcro on a comfortable pair of shoes…you’re headed to Wiggins Park on the Camden Waterfront to experience these amazing performers (and a whole crapload more who I ran out of room to write about - you can see the full lineup here).
Farewell Flight (Fri. 7/24, 5:30 pm) Based in Harrisburg, these Pennsylvania boys are tight together. And, seriously, someone has some mad piano skills. Every song will blow you away in a whole different way. Pack a picnic dinner and show up early for Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles. You’ll be glad you did.
Los Straitjackets (Fri. 7/24, 7:10 pm) This is the ultimate surfin’ summer band. Do your stretches and prepare to twist your hips off. This is classic beach rockin’, surf board waxing, beehive wearing rock-n-frickin’-roll. If you don’t see this band, the terrorists have already won.
East Hundred (Sat. 7/25, 2:20 pm) East Hundred calls Philly home, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be treated to a world class performance. You know by now that you don’t have to travel far to find great bands and EH is no exception. Make this your chill show. Plan to sit a spell and enjoy a beverage as you rest up for Hoots & Hellmouth.
The Bacon Brothers (Sat. 7/25, 5:10 pm) There is no way you should go to a summer music festival without taking in some funky, rocky, honky tonk. The Bacon in their name lives up to all the delicious and savory flavors it brings to mind. Oh, and it just happens to be Kevin Bacon and his brother Michael. Sternum punches to all who miss them.
Like a Fox (Sun. 7/26, 1:20 pm) You’re thinking, “crazy,” right now, aren’t you? It’s obvious that “Like a Fox” is not just a clever name. Treat yourself to something a little different and a lot refreshing. This psychedelic rock is far more mainstream than the genre would indicate. You’ll wonder where they’ve been all your life.
Donna the Buffalo (Sun. 7/26, 2:50 pm) Round out your indie festival experience with a heapin’ helpin’ of folky Americana with some rock, zydeco and reggae weaved in. Much like the bison they’re named for, this quintet embodies pure, classic, native America. Take some time to be transported West and revel in the roots of our nation. Then eat something fried and congratulate yourself for a weekend well spent.
Friday-Sunday, July 16-19, 2010
Friday starts at 5:30 p.m.
Saturday/Sunday starts at 12:30 p.m.
XPoNential Music Festival
Wiggins Park, Camden, NJ 08103
Get Tickets
Oh boog, little boog, how you slay us. We remember fondly the days when you nervously played in clubs you were not even old enough to drive yourself to. Now, you not only drive yourself, but bring forth with you your tall, sultry, smoking-hot, upright-bass playing girlfriend. Oh, and what’s that, little mister insists on no capital “B“, in his name? You are leaving your fair city to go to Norway, you say? Ah, homeland of the Tall-Sultry-Smoking-Hots. What’s that? You’re only returning for mere weeks before you take your Tom Waits Jr. soundin’ self on a fall tour down south to support your new album, “The Walking Club”? Sigh. Our baby bird, he has flown the Philly folk-rock nest.
Oh mah Gawd! Was that epic? Poetic? Intelligent? Emotional? Well, yeah… I didn’t really think so either, but it’s really the best I could do to summon up words that convey my abundant love for this man’s music, especially being as hungover from hot dogs and beer as I am. And you know what? Even if I’m not, boog certainly is epic, poetic, and all the rest of those adjectives -go listen to “Confession” on his Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/boogisback). Poor yittle guy, he gots hims heartbroked.
Kyle Simmons is boog, a 20-year-old musician with a record collection older (and taller) than he is. He is, as old hippies say, an “old soul.” boog’s songs sing of strife, pain, Philadelphia, women, the juxtaposition of modern technology and music -the dude is seriously over my head. He is so smart it’s scary, and so wise that he probably could give Mr. Waits and his 60+ years a run for their money. “The Walking Club” offers a more polished boog than we have previously seen, but by no means is this a Beyoncé record. This music is rough, filled with crooning and bluesy guitar riffs that sound like they were recorded in a cave -sweet!
Go see boog with Setting Sun, Quitzow and Chris Milam at Milkboy Coffee, at 8:00 pm on Thursday, July 15 for just $8! Before you know it, he’s not going to be our little boog anymore.
Thursday, July 15, 2010, 8:00 p.m.
boog w/ Setting Sun, Quitzow & Chris Milam
MilkBoy Coffee, 2 W Lancaster Ave, Ardmore, PA 19003
Get Tickets
Ah, alas, we have reached that point in the summer when the novelty of chlorinated city pools and day-drinking in the sun have worn off (night-drinking though, that’s still awesome). The last of the fireworks have fizzled and faded out and most of us are just sitting around the office, playing with the cute office puppy, nodding to our boss while crossing off days 'til our beach excursions. No? Just us here at Bits & Watts? O.k., well, anyway, go see shows in Philly this week. With or without the office puppy.
Tuesday
The Dirty Mac w/ The Bathtub Puppies @ The Note - 8 pm, $5
*Wow, only $5. Gross rubbery foot-long sandwich or rousing blues concert, you decide.
Wednesday
Sonia Leigh w/ Braxton Parker @ World Cafe Live - 8:30 pm, $13
*Scarves, plaid shirts, bangs, alternative rock, oh my!
Thursday
Cameron McGill & What Army w/ Peasant @ Kung Fu Necktie - 7:30 pm, $8
*Cute boys singing good, solid, cute indie songs! LIKE TOTALLY!
Friday
Julie Brown @ Milkboy Acoustic - 7:30 pm
*Julie Brown is really hard to describe, yet really unique and great. Go listen to her on the BitsandWatts.com player!
Heartless Bastards, The Builders and the Butchers, Peter Wolf Crier @ North Star Bar - 9 pm, $14
*Heartless Bastards once opened for and played along with Levon Helm - that is, Levon Helm of The Band fame (Google The Band, surely you will remember them and their greatness). If they’re good enough for Levon, they should be good enough for you.
Saturday
The Spinning Leaves & Chris Kasper band @ Steel City Coffee House - 8:30 pm, $10
*The Spinning Leaves are a vibrant, modern rendition of what happened when the Beatles met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and all their music got trippy and weird and wonderful. AND the band hand makes and sells beaded necklaces!
Sunday
XPoNential Music Festival @ Wiggins Parks at the Camden Waterfront - 12 pm, $15
*So, this festival is 3 days long, and this is the last day! You know what that means? Last chance of this weekend to meet our staff covered in sweat, drinking too many beers, raising lighters to Dr. Dog (we really aren’t worthy).
Monday
Judy Gold @ World Cafe Live - 8 pm, $37.50
*OK, OK, OK, so maybe Judy isn’t necessarily a musician but who can deny wanting to listen to her tell funny stories about her Jewish childhood? She signs her name, “Jewdy.” Hysterical.
Now what you're gonna wanna do is check out the list of ALL of this week's unmissable shows here.
All Ages shows this week:
6/14 The Parkington Sisters w/ Scott Pryor @ Steel City Coffee House - 7:30 pm, $5
6/14 Vic Ruggiero (the Slackers), Chris Murray, The Forthrights, Curtis Irie @ the Fire - 7 pm, $6
6/15 Setting Sun w/ boog, Quitzow & Chris Milam @ Milkboy Coffee - 8 pm, $8
6/15 The Great Explainer, Timeshares, Frost Watson, Hold Tight @ The Fire - 6pm, $6
6/16-6/18 XPoNential Music Festival @ Wiggins Park at the Camden Waterfront, various times & prices!
6/17 Chris O'Brien & Chuck E. Costa @ Burlap and Bean - 8 pm, $10
6/17 Sound Satellite w/ Miscellaneous, An Eternity's Demise, Born With Open Eyes, & Rough Go @ The Troc - 1:30 pm, $12
The fireworks are finished and everyone’s dogs have come out of hiding, which means we now enter the dog days of summer. It seems like any place in town with enough space and electrical outlets for a band to set up and plug in is working a regular rotation of live music. You can’t throw a bone in Philly without hitting a talented performer. Here are some highlights from the coming week.
We double dog dare you to click here for a full list of all of this week’s shows.
Tuesday
The Lone Pine Cones, Red Wanting Blue, East Of Anything, Dayseam @ The Khyber – 8 pm, $8
*The people at the Khyber must be insane…only charging 8 bucks for four kickass bands. You’ll have enough money left over for Tequila shots.
Amnesia Star Hotel, Dani Mari, Store Cats, Edward Tufte @ North Star Bar – 8 pm, $7
*The freshest of Philly. No, seriously, show up and see if you don’t get your left cheek grabbed.
Wednesday
Diomira Keane & Point A to B @ Steel City Coffee House – 8 pm, $5
*Diomira Keane’s MySpace page describes the style of music as “Americana/Tropical/Ghettotech.” Please go and find out what that means. Report back.
Modern Apollo w/ One After Another & Paper Warehouse @ Milkboy Coffee – 8 pm, $5
*They’ll all be staying out past curfew to play for you, so show some love. Besides, who doesn’t enjoy an evening at Milkboy?
The Farewell Drifters @ Sellersville Theater – 8 pm, $22
*If you get to any show this week, we beg you to get to this one. We’re the smile police and we expect you to be sporting one by the last song.
Blanko Dave w/ Dave Karaban, Craving Strange & Street Greek @ Chaplin’s The Music Café – 8 pm $10
*There’s a lot of Dave for your money at this show. Go get your Dave on.
Friday
Jenny & Tyler, Rod Kim @ Kennett Flash – 8 pm $15
*We lied before…this is the show to get to this week. Honest. This time we’re totally for real.
Saturday
Funkslaw @ World Café Live – 7 pm, $18
*They’re called Funkslaw. We want to know how you could possibly not go.
Sheli Aarden @ Milkboy Acoustic – 7:30 pm
*Pretty Sheli, with her pretty voice and her pretty songs. This acoustic show will blow your amps.
Sunday
Gloominous Doom @ The Troc (Balcony) – 7 pm, $7
*Jammy and funky and all kinds of metal-ly, but really, we picked this one because of the name.
The Coal Men @ The Note – 8 pm, $10
*This is the perfect summer Sunday evening show. You may want to work on your fake cough for the Monday morning sick call.
Monday
Jaguar Wright @ Johnny Brenda’s – 9 pm, $15
*Hey, there’s one show on Monday…go to it. Decision made.
All Ages this week:
7/8 Tigers Jaw, The Sidekicks, Bearings @ The Fire – 6 pm, $6
7/8 Us, From Outside w/ Commends, At Daybreak, Fire In The Eyes Of The City, with Our Teeth @ The Trock (Balcony) – 7:30 pm, $10
7/9 Mike Pinto and Ballyhoo! @ World Café Life – 8 pm, $11
7/9 Red Letter Life w/ Zach Caruso Band, Zipperbeam, M8o8, Mapril & Near @ The Troc – 7 pm, $15
Ah, July 4th is just around the hazy, heat wave-stricken corner. Time to celebrate all that is American: hot dogs, sparklers, PBR, mosquito bites, capitalism…oh right, none of that actually sounds that all that great. How about you ditch your gramps & long lost cousin Benny at the family picnic this week and instead spend some time listening to all the music this wonderful city has to offer? The shows are cheap, and hey, the MLB totally sends out Phillies play-by-plays via text message, so you won’t be missing any action.
Tuesday
Yo Soybean, Aaron Coile, Unearthed, Portland Senator @ The Fire - 9pm, $7
*All of these acts have a DIY folky feel that really suits the balmy summer nights that we’ve been experiencing lately.
Wednesday
Mikal Shapiro & boog @ Steel City Coffee House - 8 pm, $5
*By 18, boog was already a Philly music staple, widely regarded as “important” by the likes of The Deli Magazine; he’s a baby Tom Waits who you will regret missing when you come across him on WXPN…
Thursday
2AM Club, TVTV, Menya @ North Star Bar - 8 pm, $10
*Sounds like: An indie movie directed by Sofia Coppola. Alright, maybe that is a bit vague… Instead, think of electro-pop infused with some garage rock. Danceable, but with much more street cred than Lady Gaga.
Friday
Dylan Andre w/ Never Look Back, Hillary Wallace, & the Michael Stephenson Quartet @ Chaplin's - 8 pm, $10
*Hillary Wallace is really short and really young, yet her set of pipes are completely Aretha Franklin-esque (aka awesome). Not to mention, you probably are not venturing to the ’burbs enough (mmm, boring, smog-free air).
Saturday
Julia Haltigan @ Milkboy Acoustic - 7:30 pm
*On her Myspace, Haltigan lists “[…] motorcycles, Elvis, Etta James […]” as her interests, which is almost precisely what her songs bring to mind.
Sunday
*Lay around in your (or someone else’s…we won’t ask) underwear listening to the music player on our homepage.
Monday
We Were Promised Jetpacks w/ Bear Hands & The Static Jacks @ The Note - 8 pm, $12
*We Were Promised Jetpacks are from Scotland which somehow makes their mature, refined brand of indie rock even cooler; Bear Hands and The Static Jacks follow suit, only without the trek across the pond.
**Be cool...stay cool...click here for a list of all of this week's shows.**
All Ages this week:
6/29 MC Chris w/ MC Lars, Math the Band, YT Cracker & Blackwolf @ The Note - 8 pm, $13
6/30 Mikal Shapiro & boog @ Steel City Coffee House - 8 pm, $5
7/1 Jeanette Beirne @ Milkboy Acoustic - 7:30 pm
7/2 Sam West @ Milkboy Acoustic - 7:30 pm
7/3 Julia Haltigan @ Milkboy Acoustic - 7:30 pm
People don't always love going to shows in the summertime, since there is so much happening outdoors. If you have ever fallen victim to the gnarly combination of too many beers and the hot sun, conversely, you should really think about maintaining your indoor-concert-viewing habit. Seriously, nothing beats sitting in the AC hearing all the great music that our fair city has to offer. Here is a preview of the good this week (June 22-28):
Tuesday
Ben Arnold w/ Reed Kendall @ Grape Room - 9 pm, FREE
*Ben Arnold (not to be confused with Benedict Arnold V, Revolutionary War traitor) whiskey twinged verbal tug of the ole' heartstrings sure feels right, especially in these post-prolific Ryan Adams times we are (sadly) living in. But don't take our word for it, One Fan at a Time
The Spotted Atrocious, Neutral Uke Hotel, Ukulele Orchestra, Solved with Science @ The Khyber - 8 pm, $8
*The Spotted Atrocious are pop-rock that is not embarrassing to admit you enjoy, not unlike Solved with Science (who kinda sound the Strokes and Interpol made a delicious gumbo together). The rest of the acts? UKULELES!
Wednesday
Pentagram w/ Howl, Snake Sustaine & Jail @ Blockley - 8 pm, $15
*Even if you aren't into baby-blood-drinkin' and metal, it's probably fun to pretend and wear that old 45 Grave sleeveless T-shirt you still are holding onto.
Thursday
Sun Airway, :ravens:and:vultures:, Eat Your Birthday Cake @ Johnny Brenda's - 9 pm, $10
*If Spin Magazine did not have its head up its ass, and cared less about hairstyles and ties and more about good music, these fabulous indie bands would be in a spread together about whimsical music that washes over you like salt water on a humid day at the beach.
Wakey! Wakey! w/ The Spring Standards & Onufrak @ North Star Bar - 8 pm, $10
*NME magazine and NPR collectively love all of these acts, why are you so behind, man?
Friday
Buried Beds Record Release Party, BC Camplight, Scott McMicken (solo) @ Johnny Brenda's - 9 pm, $10
*So good, so, so good. Eliza Jones is Philly's own Jenny Lewis.
The Mumbles co-bill w/ Jason Ager @ Tin Angel - 10:30 pm, $10
*Mmm, jazzy.
Saturday
Slo-Mo featuring Mic Wrecka w/ I & I @ Puck Live - 8:30 pm, $15
*Just in case you somehow missed this one on the home page... I mean, DUH!
Francis Dunnery @ Tin Angel - 7 & 9 pm
*We just wrote about this dude in our blog. Eat at Serrano first (BANGERS 'N' MASH!)
Sunday
Passion Pit w/ Tokyo Police Club, Brahms @ the Mann - 7:30 pm, $26
*Because you have to love music that sounds like eating wax bottles and drinking A-Treat while playing Nintendo.
Monday
A rare dark day in Philly. Stay home and call your mom.
**Click here for a complete list of the week’s shows. It’ll be great.**
All ages this week…
Jason Anthony Harris w/ Johnny Miles @ Milkboy Acoustic, 7:30 pm, 6/22, FREE
Kira Small & Bryan Beller @ Milkboy Coffee, 8 pm, 6/23
Eric Burckert w/ Cheat To Win & The Weakness @ Chaplin's, 8 pm, 6/24, $10
Mikey Elm @ Milkboy Acoustic, 7:30 pm, 6/24, FREE
Atlanta Rhythm Section @ Sellersville Theater, 8 pm, 6/24, $35
My Name Is Drew @ Chaplin's, 8 pm, 6/25, $10
The Duo Decibel System w/ Chewsen @ Milkboy Coffee, 8 pm, 6/25, $8
Lizanne Knott, Devon Sproule, & Meg Hutchinson (Wine, Women, Wit & Song) @ Steel City Coffee House, 8:30 pm, 6/25, $18
Da Comrade!, Wood Spider, T_B_A_, Water, Skylife @ The Fire, 6 pm, 6/25, $6
Starkweather w/ Na Sadaa, Kings Destory, & Distress Signal @ The Troc, 6:30 pm, 6/25, $10
Mark Rice w/ Brad Almond (of Clive) @ Burlap and Bean, 8 pm, 6/26, $7
Almost Queen (Queen Tribute) @ Sellersville Theater, 8 pm, 6/26, $29.50
The Blend w/ Adder, MSCP, The Automatic Impulse, The Cosbys & Dope Sick Girls @ The Troc, 1:30 pm, 6/26, $12
River City Extension w/ Joe Duffey & Brick+Mortar @ The Fire, 8 pm, 6/27, $8
Kite Party, Fugue, Bandname @ The Fire, 5 pm, 6/27, $5
When I first contemplated their name (this seems to be a trend as I’m writing up artists) I thought of the slightly louder and more abrasive (in a good way) Los Campesinos!, as their name roughly translates to something like the peasants. Fear not, you folk who love a softer sound. The Villagers offer a tasty blend of guitars, a pinch of piano, and a light coating of organs, topped with a delightfully generous dollop of frontman Conor O’Brien’s smooth vocals. Okay, there is a little rough scream-sing in “The Sun Is Hanging From A String,” but the emotion involved in the song has already swept you up by then and as such, it is not entiiiiirely unpleasant. Their songs are all very rich in lyrical flavor, with carefully crafted lines creating vivid images that slowly sink in as you listen. (I just love the adjectives today, huh?)
Their album debuted as #1 in Ireland (oh, did I mention they were Irish? I know that adds a little charm for you lady-readers) and they’ve received praise from all those high-ups like the New York Times, NPR, and Paste. These Irish fellas are top notch.
I’d strongly suggest looking them up and taking a listen to their song “Becoming A Jackal” and perhaps taking a peep at their photos, if you’re into that sorta thing. Conor looks to me like a bizarre blend of two of my friends, so he immediately appears quite approachable. If you’re really, really into it, you could head over to YouTube and watch this video of him serenading the streets of Paris (http://bit.ly/aK03uL). I think that once you do, you’ll agree that he looks like someone you wouldn’t mind having as a friend.
The Villagers will be playing on Tuesday, June 22nd at the First Unitarian side Chapel (the cozy and intimate venue that makes for some unforgetable shows) so go check them out! Tickets are only $10.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010, 8:00 p.m.
Villagers w/ Homophones
First Unitarian Side Chapel, 2125 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia , PA, 19103
Get Tickets
I like music a lot. A lot. I like it so much that I made my parents drive me around when I was a kid to see bands and musicians spanning the greater Philadelphia area – which is pretty fucking bad ass when your normal boundary is walking to elementary school in a pair of sweet Airwalks from Boscov's that cost $19.99 (JESUS! Twenty bucks is a shit ton of money when you are a kid. MY MOM RULEZ!). Luckily, my parents would sometimes go for whatever I was listening to, since, after all, I was born with superior musical taste. When my mom liked whatever I was listening to, it made it a helluva lot easier to convince her to drive me down the Schuylkill from our podunk suburban town to shows. When I was around 12, she took me to see Francis Dunnery – a tall, funny, part-time astrologer, bedroom eye gazing, haver of British accent, songwriter, aka hot.
No seriously, hot, literally hot. I have met him a couple times and he is always covered in buckets of sweat after shows. The first time, actually, he smelled so incredibly ripe that I was completely disillusioned ("Musicians *aren't* superhuman? Waa!") and I wanted to cover him in Mitchum.
Alas, I got over the B.O. and he got over my middle school perm, braces, and crusty acne.
That being said, Francis Dunnery is awesome. Sure, the man plays an acoustic guitar, but this is not coffee-house adult rock that Starbucks spoon feeds the drones as they drive around the Main Line. Oh, what I meant was... you do not listen to him because he is a quirky little-known artist all your friends are into. You listen to him because he is a real dude with music that makes sense. Having rubbed musical shoulders with the likes of Lauryn Hill, Robert Plant and Santana, Dunnery brings forth powerful acoustic live sets. Coming from a prog rock background, Dunnery is intense, to say the least, but not in a way that requires you to wear a sleeveless Pink Floyd shirt. There is no pretension whatsoever with this songwriter– his songs are sweet enough to be played during romantic montages on "Scrub"s (seriously, I checked, "Good Life" was totally on in 2001). His music is poppy enough for you to actually enjoy it, and indie enough for you to still be cool. Dunnery is refreshing – good music that is not trying to be good. For a sampling, check out his album "Hometown 2001," on which he plays a typical Dunnery live set in his native Cumbria, UK.
The man is so down to Earth that not only will he play entertaining acoustic songs you would write if only you could, he will even take pictures with any super-nerdy middle school music geeks that you may or may not live with.
Francis Dunnery will be at the Tin Angel on Saturday, June 26, playing two shows (one at 7, the other at 9:30) for only $23 a pop! Go early and eat dinner downstairs at Serrano.
Saturday, June 26, 2010, 7:30 and 9:00 p.m.
Francis Dunnery welcomed by WXPN
Tin Angel, 20 S. 2nd St, Philadelphia PA, 19106
Get Tickets
Things have heated up in Philly and this week is no exception. Tons of shows every night. Great venues, affordable tickets and plenty of all ages options. If we catch you answering your door at home, you’ll have to stomp out a flaming bag of poo.
Here’s your glance at some great shows happening June 15 – June 21:
Tuesday
Bob Beach and Friends @ World Café Live – 9:00pm Free
*Ok, it’s summer, so Beach = right on…he’s bringing friends and friends are always fun…AND…wait for it…it’s FREE.
Tift Merritt w/ Jason Collett @ World Café Live – 7:30 pm, $19 (all ages)
*Because if NPR thinks she’s cool, so should you.
(check out her recent interview here)
Wednesday
Paper Thin Alibi, Rushmore, Maddam Ink @ The Khyber – 8:00 pm, $8
*Because Blink 182 tickets would cost way too much and the beer wouldn’t be as good.
Hot Head Show w/ The Midnight Sounds, Janet Bressler's Platypus, Something Like A Monument & Extreme Fishkin @ The Troc - 8:30 pm, $10
*What is that, like 100 bands for only 10 bucks? Just go.
Thursday
The Guggenheim Grotto w/ Alfonso Velez @ Tin Angel - 8:30 pm, $10
*They’re Irish. They probably smell springy like that soap. Go and report back.
Heather Maloney w/ Joy Ike @ MilkBoy Acoustic - 7:30 pm
*Ms. Maloney is clearly the miracle love child of Dolores O’Reardon and Carol King. See for yourself.
Friday
Elise Hayes w/ Felili & Tim Hein @ MilkBoy Coffee - 8:00 pm, $8 (all ages)
*Because you like super hot and extremely talented.
Goodnight Lights CD Release Party w/ The Uglysuit, The Quelle Source @ Johnny Brenda’s - 9:30 pm, $10
*It says here that it’s a party. Who doesn’t love a party?
Saturday
The Ends of the Earth, Girl N Piano, The Fallen Troubadours, Real West @ The Fire - 9:00 pm, $7
*Going out on a limb and saying you probably have $7 in change between your couch cushions. Dig it out.
Damien Jurado w/ Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground @ Johnny Brenda’s - 7:30 pm, $10
*You will never have a similar experience. Ever.
Sunday
Marc Broussard w/ Julian Velard @ Sellersville Theater - 7:30pm, $35 (all ages)
*Two hot guys, one hot night. Ladies?
Unsigned Artists Exposé @ MilkBoy Coffee - 7:00 pm, $10
*Hey, if you’re lucky, maybe some of the artists will expose themselves.
Monday
Uriah Heep @ Sellersville Theater – 8:00 pm (all ages)
*Go because of the name.
The New Pornographers w/ The Dodos & The Dutchess and The Duke @ The Troc - 7:30 pm, $27
*Pornographers, Dodos, and a Dutchess…oh my!
All Ages This Week…
RetrOh oh oh oh, yes! An open letter to Blood Feathers.
My Dear Blood Feathers,
What is this sound you have? How can I describe it?
Are you Herman’s Hermits? No, I don’t remember a slide guitar in “I’m Henry the Eighth, I am.”
Are you Elmore James? No, you’re too pepped up to be singing the blues. Your full on rocking of the slide guitar would make the brothers Allman and Joe Walsh proud.
Is that Elvis Costello I hear? Buddy Holly? The Dave Clark Five? Kings of Leon? All of the above?
How do you do that?
Are you amazing? YES! This I can clearly tell. The awesomeness is blatant and easily identified, even if the influences are subtle and emerge randomly.
You have confused my aural synapses in a most delightful way. Your voices are decidedly late 60s, but your tunes are undoubtedly classic 70s rock and your lyrics have everything to do with the here and now. All this blends together, resulting in something you just don’t get these days. Fresh and classic, new and familiar, now and then…and altogether the most fun. Ever!
Whoa! And what is this?! Your latest release is on vinyl?! I just had a nostalgiagasm.
If I could somehow let the people of Philadelphia know how fantastic you sound so they would get their shakable rumps out to see your show, I definitely would. There must be a way.
I’ll think of something and then you let me know if everyone in the City of Brotherly Love doesn’t show up at Kung Fu Necktie on July 1st and I’ll be sure to expedite a boot to the head. You are not to be missed.
Hugs and smooches,
Kathy
Ok, by picking a stupid name like The Guggenheim Grotto, I have to tell my Guggenheim Museum story… I paid freaking $15 of hard-earned money (in a recession, mind you) to see this goofy exhibit where a Chinese guy made art out of gunpowder. It looked like he was bored one day and just threw the gunpowder on pieces of paper with glue on them. Apparently it was an homage to Chinese history… and YES, they did invent gunpowder, but like, c’mon. Seriously? I could have done that. I love modern art, but the only difference between me and that dude is that he did his gunpowder-on-glue art first. If I thought of it, (and actually had access to gunpowder), I would have thrown some around on paper, too! He also thought it was good to do woodworking and then shoot a billion arrows into the wood after he was done. Just, fail. Epic fail.
Now that THAT is out of my system…
Thank God the music is cool, because I would have gone with another name, one that my fans could spell both sober and hammered. (I bet people always forget to say “capital G.”) The dudes in GG (the name is also long, and annoying to type, so I will abbreviate) are Irish, and that may also explain the strange, alliterative name. Their music sounds Irish, if that makes sense. Europeanish. Like they are drinking water over there that we over here do not, and it makes their brains act differently and they aren’t afraid to blend sounds that normally would not gel. It all makes for some eclectic listening—I’m listening to their latest, The Universe Is Laughing, and so far, I’ve heard a synthesizer, guitars, and a viola, among other things. Yes, a viola. You can tell the difference. Violin is to Jack Daniels what viola is to 15-year Glenlivet. Overall, it’s folksy—Bob Dylan meets Phrazes for the Young (it’s the synthesizers that make me say this mostly, but the lead singer has a really distinct voice, just like the great Julian Casablancas. Listen to “Wisdom” and you’ll feel what I’m saying. Same thing for “Fa Da Da Dee” and “Her Beautiful Ideas.”) There’s something overall joyful to the album, and entertaining, and captivating. Please note it’s all very much in the alt-rock category, not in the Irish jig music category. Compared to their earlier albums, The Universe Is Laughing sounds completely different, but it’s actually better. Richer and deeper. Maybe the fan base complained initially, but your ears will be mighty busy playing catch up to all the randomness on the new album, and the listening is very worthwhile. I enjoyed the heck outta reviewing them.
* The show itself is part of Guggenheim Grotto’s “residency” at Tin Angel, which I thought meant that aside from the show, they would serenade tables during Serrano’s dinner service, but it actually means you can also catch them on June 24th at Tin Angel. Repeat dates at the same place = artist in residency.
Thursday, June 3, 2010, 8:30pm
Thursday, June 10, 2010, 8:30pm
Thursday, June 17, 2010, 8:30pm
Thursday, June 24, 2010, 8:30pm
The Guggenheim Grotto
@ Tin Angel, 20 S. 2nd St, Philadelphia PA, 19106
Get Tickets
Pawnshop Roses are toting around an innocuous sound that will be a welcome thing for the bar crowd. I can see a good sized crowd waving their Budweiser to these jams. Band has two albums out on iTunes—2008’s Versions and 2007’s Let It Roll. Fan comments have done the obvious comparisons to The Black Crowes (BTW, I think Chris Robinson’s apex was Kate Hudson. Still cannot believe he was married to that chick). The Roses consider themselves Americana, and that’s pretty right on… I think they sound like a Grateful Dead album cover. Just pure U.S.A. druggy-sounding rock with some Kentucky thrown in for good measure. Some nice driving tunes. Very road trippish.
Also, I think they are skillful copycats. The opener of “Holding Out” sounds way too much like “Rebel Rebel,” but if you’re gonna rip off anyone, it should be Bowie. I heard it and was like, Yeah! A cover of Bowie! But was pleasantly surprised when whichever Rose croons like Caleb Followill started singing. Ah, Caleb Followill. That is some of Kentucky’s finest right there. Kings of Leon sounds American to me, like quintessentially American. Or any singer with a crackle in his timbre. Why these guys’ voices, which sound like they are emerging from a Field of Dreams/field of corn or weeds or whatever, sounds American makes no sense to me. The statement doesn’t make much sense, either, but it is still true.
The overall sound isn’t rollicking, per se, but it is blandly enjoyable in a raise-your-beer-and-sing kind of way. Like a Bruce Springsteen Ford commercial.
Friday, June 11, 2010, 9 p.m.
Pawnshop Roses w/ IKE, The MLMs, & Todd Bailey
The Grape Room, 105 Grape Street Manayunk, PA 19127
Tickets at the Door
ALO = Animal Liberation Orchestra? Sounds liberal and orchestral and weird. Are they hippies? And what’s with the animal thing? Are they biologists? Are they...gasp...Furries? This can’t possibly be good.
Or can it? Really. What’s not to love about a modern reincarnation of The Steve Miller Band with some jammy, funky Phishy-ness blended in? I don’t know if I should take the money and run or simply bounce around the room. It’s entirely possible that I’ll do both. I’m feeling productive today. And these guys have a groove that makes me want to move.
ALO has a very classic rock/funk feel. They’re like a little trip back in time to an era when one could house a small family under the cuffs of one’s pants and the suits were always on break. Yet, they don’t sound stale or done. They have their own style and a flare that goes beyond their poly-blend pant legs. They are most assuredly a band living in the now, a now that is very much informed by their long list of legendary influences. In a rather groovetastic way.
If their recordings are any indication, their live show will be filled with raucous jams and hard rocking funk epics. Friday is just a few days away, but I say don’t wait. Get thee on the interwebs now and start downloading. Begin with their most recent release “Man of the World” and then just try to keep yourself from downloading “Roses & Clover” and “Fly Between Falls.”
I’m telling you, they are as good at indie funk rock as they are at naming albums. And, once again, I am insanely jealous that you are in Philly and can get to their show, while I have only my electronic listening devices to satiate my new thirst for ALO.
Friday, May 21, 2010, 9:00 p.m.
Animal Liberation Orchestra w/ Chris Velan and Ben Arnold
Theater of Living Arts, 334 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 922-1011
Get Tickets
I triple word score LOVE Raining Jane. These women are talented, sexy (with a capital va-va-va-voom), gracious and amazingly real and down-to-earth. And so well-suited to each other. They all write and sing and play and are very much individuals who just happen to blend well. Each is very talented in her own right and together they make one amazing megabandopolis.
I had the pleasure of the Raining Jane experience at a rather intimate neighborhood bar on a Sunday night a couple of years ago and I’ve been in love with them ever since.
Do I keep saying “love?” Hmmm…I must really mean it.
They were phenomenal on stage. So tight...even after a few drinks. Their folk rock is as unique and hot and real as each of them is. These are women who know music. From what I can tell, any one of them can pick up any random instrument and jam out a song effortlessly. If I could follow them around and just bask in their unbelievably talented energies, I would.
Instead, I will have to be satisfied with tunes on my ‘Pod. Their 2008 Paper Nest release is so full of the female experience without being bitter or bitchy or uber-feminist or forced girl power-ish that I find something new to relate to in it’s expertly produced goodness almost every time. This isn’t some power-puff, “you go girl” fist raiser…it has mainstream appeal, beyond the chicks-who-like-to-hear-chicks-play-songs subset. It’s folk rock with a freshness and sensitivity we are rarely treated to in the Top 40. And it gets regular play in my living room.
Did I mention that they are hot and I love them? Am I gushing? Is that bad? You’ll gush too once you’ve shared venue space with them.
I beg you to heed my advice and get out to the World Café Live to see Raining Jane. For your own good. I assure you, you do not want to miss their show. But, just know that if you go and you have a thing for rock chicks, you will be toast. Buttery, buttery toast. And you’ll like it.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010, 9 p.m.
The Paper Raincoat w/ Raining Jane
@ World Cafe Live (Upstairs), 3025 Walnut St, Philadelphia PA, 19104
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I’d liken seeing The Better Half live to watching a fun garage band practice in their garage. Based on what I’ve heard, they’re still willing to experiment with sounds and crazed textures; that kind of willingness to try new sounds regardless of what listeners might think is ballsy, to be sure. It’s a little reckless, and it’s a little naïve, because it’s a part of that whole ‘We’re-playing-in-someone’s-garage’ mentality, and basically means they don’t care what it sounds like to other people, as long as it sounds good to them. That’s not a bad way to come up with material. I think more bands should be like that. What if U2 never made Pop? What if The Strokes never released First Impressions of the Earth? What if GNR didn’t release Chinese Democracy? What if Prince never forgot his mojo and changed his name to a symbol? Haha, their fans wouldn’t have had to convince themselves to like music they hated, and I think each of those artists would sleep better at night knowing they didn’t compromise their vision. Unless they wanted to release crap albums on purpose.
My point is, The Better Half sound like they call their own shots. The music is loose, it’s got a good vibe, but the best songs are the ones that aren’t too experimental, like “Give It to Me,” which is really vocally driven and has a nice cascading guitar/crashing drum in the background. “Face Down” is a garage song, and made me a little sick to my stomach, but it is different and scary, and may appeal to people who see a need for nausea rock. But I’ll let it slide because I figure you gotta try everything and see what works. “Brand New Day” is a poppy, fun ditty of the jump-around variety. Overall, the band seems willing to explore its style, which is awesome. This also means those who come to the show will be lil guinea pigs (an album is on the horizon, so you’ll be hearing some of that action), so do these gents a favor and make sure you’re extra loud if you hear something awesome, and really awkwardly quiet if something is lame. A little tough love never hurt a band.
Saturday, May 1, 2010, 9 p.m.
Crills Wilson w/ The Better Half, Kettle Pot Black, Fishstick
The Khyber, 56 S. 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
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Philly’s East Hundred has a history reminiscent of those one-hour primetime dramas—founding threesome meets in college; the girl dates one of the two guys, who are brothers; they have awesome, TV-character names (lead singer Beril Guceri, bros Brooke and Will Blair); add two more people (Susan Gager and Dave Sunderland); start rocking; and then the intra-group couple breaks up. However, legend has it that East Hundred used the breakup to create new music from all the post-breakup rage and utter emotional crappiness. Very adult of them, indeed, or is it the ultimate example of passive-aggressive a la Gossip Girl? (Thought I’d throw an overly melodramatic TV show shout-out in there to keep the theme rolling.) I’ll let you decide.
Either way, you gotta respect a band that would rather stick together, rock out, and make money to eat rather than disband when the going gets weird. That, and the music is just plain rad. East Hundred are a hometown hero group whose fans are fervent and crazy about their electro-rock vibe. I can see why, ‘cause I like any female singer who can pull off a Juliana Hatfield/Karen O hybrid minus the shrieking. Beril Guceri (damn, that is fun to say…say it five times fast and you start pronouncing like the Count from Sesame Street) has a rather unique set of pipes, pretty with a steely edge that blend oh-so-well with the moody, Flaming Lips-ish guitar work. The band’s latest LP, Passenger, is tight and packed with really fine, polished mood tunes that wouldn’t be out of place as background music during awkwardly emotional scenes on a primetime drama show (you know, where the lead character walks alone in the rain, or sets pictures of her ex on fire, or realizes via slow close-up she made a huge mistake that will have bad personal consequences). ”Plus Minus” is an eerily catchy pop ode that is just plain fab to bounce around to. I checked. “Hammerhead” is just plain freaking cool. I’m now on my third listen-through of Passenger and I think all these tunes will be excellent done up live.
Saturday, May 1, 2010, 9:30 p.m.
East Hundred w/ Hungry Kids of Hungary, The Swimmers, Caliph-now Spins Throughout the Night
@Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125
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The Tallest Man On Earth's distinctive raspy croon is at it's finest on his new album The Wild Hunt. The Tallest Man On Earth is the solo project of Swedish troubadour Kristian Matsson and his new album The Wild Hunt – his first on Dead Oceans – proves itself to be a superb continuation of an already well received folk career. Matsson's distinctive raspy croon is at it's finest on this album; needing little more than a guitar and the occasional piano, for accompaniment he invests wisely in the simple arrangements. He deftly extends, stretches and tempers his voice according to the weight of his lyrics. For his folkier ballads like "The Drying Of The Lawns" he abandons perfection in favor of letting his voice's natural catch and scratch add appropriate character. When somersaulting over the delicate plucking of his guitar Matsson achieves the perfect contrast of sweet and quirk.
The influence of, and inevitable comparison to, Bob Dylan is undeniable but Matsson does not linger in copy cat territory. Taking a lesson from his fellow creaky voiced predecessor he writes folk songs that pivot on the interplay between word and music. Whether expounding on love gone right or doing some simple reflection his work is best when he relies on the strength of his lyrics and the ease of his melodies. "Kids On The Run" is a prime example; buoyed by gentle piano harmonies his nasally pitch muses sparely on the antics of youth. Without piling on elaborate flairs he captures the essence of longing for those simpler times.
Matsson's passion for his craft is matched by his poetic skill; both are amply demonstrated throughout The WIld Hunt. With such a solid understanding of folk fundamentals I trust he will continue to explore his musical range. He is bringing his guitar to World Cafe Live Upstairs on the 22nd, the perfect venue for his brand of honest music.
This post was written by guest blogger Emma Zumberge. Emma has her own blog, The World in a Paper Cup, a great collection of posts on indie, live and local music.
Thursday, April 22, 2010, 9 p.m.
The Tallest Man On Earth w/ Nurses
World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St, Philadelphia PA, 19104
*SOLD OUT* Get Tickets
I have heard what the sun sounds like and that sound is Nicole Reynolds. I don’t work for NASA or anything, but I think that if the sun could sing, its voice would be the voice of Ms. Reynolds showering down to the earth in sweet, warm, whimsical rays.
She seems to have captured the nature of the sun in all its phases, with “Oats & Barley” as the sunrise, “Ghost Dance” and “Like a Movie” as the sunset, “Crazy As You” as the blinding confusion of a bright High Noon and “Memory is Minefield” as a lazy afternoon. There are even times when she clearly understands what it’s like for the sun to be hidden by clouds and rain, as in “Like the Ocean.”
Her style is folky and upbeat, even when the subject matter isn’t. And her sound is her own. I imagine she’s petite because she sounds petite. But I suppose that doesn’t really help you here. As far as I can tell, the only word that can be used to describe her is whimsNicole. See what I did there? She gets her own word because the ones we already have just don’t quite work. She’s whimsNicole. That’s all I can give you. You’ll get it when you hear her.
The sun will be out at night in Philly on April 17th and you’ll have a chance to hear the sound of the sun singing at Nicole Reynolds’ CD release party for her new drop “A Fine Set of Fools.” Each of the aforementioned songs is on this recording and every one of them will make you happy to have ears that can be warmed by the sound of the sun. And I promise you won’t get song-burned.
There is sunshine in this woman and we are fortunate that she can let it out to shine upon us with her voice. Bring your shades, head to the Tin Angel and get ready for some musical Vitamin D.
Saturday April 17, 2010
Nicole Reynolds CD Release Party w/ Athens Boys Choir
20 S. 2nd St, Philadelphia PA, 19106
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US Rails have got mad game; their music has that warm vintage quality you get from listening to Zep on vinyl. (Which is infinitely better.) Band members Ben Arnold, Scott Bricklin, Joseph Parsons, Tom Gillam, and Matt Muir cultivate this breezy, whiskey-soaked sound with subtle hints of both experience and acquired wisdom. They’re like a low-key Traveling Wilburys with nothing to prove. All accomplished, seasoned musicians, they genuinely sound like they like playing together, and their songs are infused with nostalgia of good times past. Like that awesome Faces tune, Ooh La La (the Faces one, NOT the Rod Stewart cover, yuck), US Rails songs are lil’ nuggets of wisdom. Think of the band as a bunch of dad-like dudes who write funky music parables to keep you on the straight and narrow. Who play rad campfire tunes. That are also ideal for long car rides through farm country.
Seriously, if Cameron Crowe made another movie about hippie rock ‘n’ rollers, or growing pains, US Rails should be the jams he picks for the killer soundtrack (which, arguably, are better than the movies themselves). I just love the idea of bands scattering all over and then coming back to play together, ‘cause you know they have heart, you know? They aren’t like other self-righteous, wizened dudes of music, who probably doesn’t walk into the studio unless someone slips him an envelope of cash. Like Mick Jagger does anything for anyone other than himself? I bet Lennon would have been the same way if he was still around, just completely hopped up on himself. And don’t tell me Paul McCartney doesn’t think he’s God’s gift to humanity… his music is crap, yet he feels the need to put out albums and make dumb videos for five-word songs. (Interestingly, all are/were British. Hm.) US Rails is likable and totally listenable. I get the vibe they just like to play. They go off do their own thing, and then get together again, (I think) ego-free. How do I know? Any band singing “They don’t know how lucky we are” (off their tune “Lucky Stars”) isn’t taking anything for granted.
US Rails
Friday, April 9, 2010, 7:30 p.m. @ The Note
Saturday, April 10, 2010, 8:00 p.m. @ Kennett Flash
Sunday, April 18, 2010, 7:00 p.m. @ World Cafe Live
True confession time. I snapped up the Dean Fields blog post as an impulsive form of flirtation to see if I could get him to propose holy matrimony. To me. Like, now. I promise that if it works, we’ll get hitched in Philly and you’re all invited.
I’m sure he has a super hot girlfriend who can totally best me at Tae Bo, but for now, I’m keeping the dream alive. And if you take a few minutes to listen to his tracks, you will understand why. So, why don’t you just stop right now and listen to “On Its Way to You” from his most recent release, the oh-so-dreamy, Everything just happened the way that it happened? (Listen to Song)
I know, right?! MELT!
Fields has this delicious, folky singer/songwriter thing going on with just enough Nashville flavor to make him endearing and sweet and huggable without being whiny or desperate. His lyrics express such honesty without cruelty or malice that when I hear them, I can’t help but imagine that they all end with “comma, Kathy” so he’s singing about me. And really, if you’ve ever been with someone and then not been with that someone, you will recognize yourself in his words.
His voice sounds like a crush-worthy blend of Nate Ruess (of the now defunct The Format), Neil Diamond and John Denver. That doesn’t sound crush-worthy, but…hummunah hummunah hummunah…it totally works.
Gentleman, I just know there’s something here for you to love too, but I’m so twitterpated, I can’t think of anything but how completely hot Dean is. What I can tell you is that if you take your special ladies to the show, they will get all gah-gah from the songs and then go home with you. Deanieboy will get them all warmed up and you will get to benefit from his smooth crooner vibe.
O.k. I could go on and on, but I have a wedding to plan. Seriously, Dean, if you read this…Holy matrimony! And the rest of you, get to this show. But you can only fall in love with Dean’s songs, the rest of him is mine. Until his Uma Thurman girlfriend shows up at my house.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Andrew Lipke & The Prospects w/ Fantasy Square Garden, Dean Fields, Ron (from Toy Soldiers)
@ North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St, Philadelphia, PA 19130
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Sometimes, when I get in my Way Back Machine, I can remember eating Atomic Fireball candy. What I remember is always getting way more flavor than I was expecting from a little ball of sugar. That and having to hold the feather plucking thing in my hand for most of the day because it was too spicy hot to just leave in my mouth.
If this is the case with all things atomic, it seems as though Atomic Square is aptly named. If you’ve been exposed to just a few of this experimental indie band’s songs, you should prepare yourself to get way more flavor than you expect upon further sampling. However, I can’t vouch for the need to hold them in your hands all day because they are too spicy hot.
Actually, no, I take that back…they are spicy hot. And by “spicy hot,” I mean unique, creative and progressive. They are the trifle of bands…each tune a different layer of something new and delicious. (It’s entirely possible that I should not write these blogs on an empty stomach.) Just when you think you’ve got them figured out, they go from stylized and ethereal to upbeat indie pop to pure long form jam. And all good trifles have jam.
Being unique and experimental makes it difficult to compare Atomic Square to other bands you may know and love. So my untrained ear and I will reach into my Random Band Comparison Generator to perhaps provide a musical frame of reference. The RBCG tells me that at times they can feel a little bit Sonic Youth and a little bit Kings of Leon and a little bit early Coldplay. But this is just for brief moments and then you are eased into another layer and they’re completely and delectably different.
Suffice it to say that Atomic Square is their own brand of musical mastery and making clear associations is difficult. Especially on an empty stomach. So, I’m going to get something to eat. My suggestion for you is that you grab a fork and head out to the North Star Bar on the 1st for a taste of the delicious, spicy hot, layered trifle that is Atomic Square. Just don’t tell them I turned them into dessert.
Thursday, April 1, 2010, 8 p.m.
Sunny Day Music presents:
The Atomic Square with Glowfriends, Pilot Cloud, & The Defog
@ North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St, Philadelphia, PA 19130
215-787-0488
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Big Blue Spruce (the trees smell great, but I have got to get this off my chest… I decorated a blue spruce tree for Christmas and it pricked the hell outta me, I think I bled) is unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. And that’s saying something. As a reviewer, you want to give people a frame of reference so they know what to expect, but I am literally racking my brain to come up with someone to compare them to, and I can’t.
After checking their web bio, it says they’re going for an Animals-covering-Pink Floyd type of vibe. Well, that’s why I can’t compare them; Pink Floyd music scares the crap outta me, so I don’t listen to it. And frankly, these dudes from big pokey tree creep me out a bit too. I’d say they nailed that freaky, haunting, mellow vibe that Floyd fans eat up but I run from. It’s like music from another time, and that’s probably why the Animals-ish guitar work is hard to place. Because it’s Animals-ish guitar work. The three songs I’ve listened to by them (“All Away,” “Show Your Face,” and “When It Dies”) aren’t exactly catchy. They’re like, sad? Haha, sad rock, does that exist? I’m just creating new alt-rock categories over here… But I’m sticking to it. Up-tempo sad rock. It’s something in their voices, I don’t know what, but it makes me think they will be playing live with scowls on their faces. That’s not a bad thing though, as long as they play. At the TOOL concert I went to, Maynard kept his freaking back to the audience the whole time, and I nearly died in the mosh pit trying to get close to… his back?!?
Point is, at least you’ll see Big Blue Spruce face forward. A full-length album is currently in the works for these three Philly gents, so if you hear and like, stay tuned, of course. I’m picking up a little Brandon Boyd/Incubus whining, too. Floyd-meets-Incubus-meets-Animals. Hm.
Saturday, March 19, 2010, 8:30 p.m.
Big Blue Spruce w/ Stolen Rhodes
@ Puck Live, Printers Alley, Doylestown, PA 18901
215-348-9000
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CDs are constantly being released into the wild after much nurturing and care. And much as it is with the release of an animal, those who have cultivated the album are full of love and hope for what has been in their care for so long. The consuming, inspiring work is over, but the road still stretches out before the artist’s creation.
Matthew Ryan’s “Dear Lover,” which has officially joined the flock of the released, effuses that love and hope in every beat, phrase and melody in its Dylanesque tracks. A well-known and much respected Philly-born musician with a rich history in his craft, Ryan’s sound is every bit as Dylan as Dylan is himself (right down to the harmonica). And this assortment of anthems of life and love and hope and being who we are in our world today serves as proof that this guy knows how to raise tunes that are ready to fly off and survive on their own.
This certainly isn’t the first disk Ryan has released to the wild and we can only hope it won’t be the last. The continued evolution of the brilliant recordings species depends on it.
Special guests at the fete will be Garrison Starr and Luke Brindley. I’ve already gushed about Luke (here), so now I must dedicate some space to Ms. Starr. With her unique, bittersweet, folky, alternative sound, she’s a perfect addition to the heartbreaking elation of a CD release. Garrison’s expressions of those universal human things we all experience are definitely more sweet than bitter, and her melodies, while endearing, are never trite.
The celebration of the liberation of “Dear Lover” will be held at the Tin Angel on March 11th. With three amazingly honest artists, this evening promises inspiring flights all around. You will definitely want to witness Ryan’s release in its natural habitat and toast to its freedom flight as it makes its way toward the sunrise.
Thursday, March 11, 2010, 8:00pm
Matthew Ryan (CD Release) w/Garrison Starr and Luke Brindley
Tin Angel, 20 S. 2nd St, Philadelphia PA, 19106
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Once again I find myself composing a blog in full support of a musician with a sound I don’t normally find appealing. But there is something so tingly about Liz Longley. Two measures in and I am so lost in the evocative sound of her voice that I can only love the slide guitar for complementing it so perfectly and unobtrusively.
Not surprisingly, I now have a severe case of green-eyed vocal envy. My plan is to learn the lyrics to all of her songs so I can mouth the words and imagine that it is my voice that I hear. I may even hire her to just walk around behind me and be my voice, like I’m some kind of ventriloquist dummy. Which isn’t that far of a stretch really.
Cut from the same cloth as greats like Ani DiFranco and Jewel, with a strong influence from Joni Mitchell, her singer/songwriter, folk, Nashville sound is so huge, that it almost seems dangerous that you should be able to see Ms. Longley perform in a small venue. Her voice is as clear as a bell and will ring in your ears (and soul) long after she’s packed up her guitar and moved on to the next stop on her tour in support of her new CD Somewhere in the Middle.
This woman is tough and sensitive and bluesy and brave. And every one of her tunes exudes these characteristics in a very rich way. It is my fervent suggestion that you get out and see her up close while you can. And make sure you demand to hear gems like “Rush,” “Almost Over You,” “Overdue” and “Go On.” Before OSHA shows up with protective ear-wear.
You love Liz Longley. Maybe you don’t know it yet, but you do. And there’s no better time than the day before Valentine’s Day to spend an evening with someone you love. Amirite?
Saturday, February 13, 2010, 8 p.m.
Liz Longley w/ Seth Glier
Burlap and Bean, 204 South Newtown St, Newtown Square, PA 19073
484-427-4547
Get Tickets
You’re hearing some talk about something happening in Northern Liberties this week. You’re not sure what it is, but it sounds BIG. Lots of bands... something about Sgt. Pepper... something about it being wintertime…
Yep, the 8th annual Northern Liberties Winter Music Festival is upon us. Indie base The Fire has lined up local favorites, up-and-comers, outta state bands, and a multiple band Beatles tribute to rock Philly all week long. Shows kick off tonight at 9pm with a double bill featuring Bunjii’s smooth hip hop grooves and Major League’s Fall Out Boyish-poppy rock. And don’t use the snow as an excuse… the fest is going strong, all week long. Wednesday the 10th has Texas’ own Auto Body up alongside the uber-fun Cheap Dinosaurs, Thursday the 11th is a smorgasbord o’tunes with headliners infinien and Chris Kasper (crooner) taking the stage with Mason Porter, Andrew Lipke, Spirit and Dust, Oso, and Cowmuddy.
However, this upcoming weekend is where it’s at. The Fire has shows coming outta its ears—Toy Soldiers play BACK TO BACK on Friday the 12th, starting at 7pm (All Ages), alongside The Great Unknown and The Lawsuits, with additional musical stylings from Fantasy Square Garden, Orbit to Leslie, and J-Roddy and the Business. Saturday the 13th is my man, Slo Mo (mmm, steel guitar), and The Spinning Leaves. Rounding out the Fest on Sunday, Valentine’s Day, the 14th at 7pm (All Ages) is PJ Bond and Triangle Shirt Factory (haha, funny name) with Chelsea Mitchell and out-of-towners Billy Wallace and The Waltz. The happy ending (if you will) is a massive Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band tribute featuring Toy Soldiers (yeah, they get an award for like, owning the festival), Cheers Elephant, Canadian Invasion, and Oso. How’s that for Valentine’s Day? You get to rock out to the Beatles all night long.
Some stuff to keep in mind... While these shows are wallet-friendly, you can buy tix in advance for LESS money, if you can believe it. Also, I didn’t even mention the opening acts, about two per show. Yep, that’s extra added ticket value, and if you get their early you can take advantage of the beer specials from 7-8 pm. You basically get four shows (or more) for like, 7 to 12 bucks. Shows are 21 and over (except as noted above), and all shows are at The Fire. Happy Winter Fest rockin!
Get yer details here.
Ben Arnold is the secret musical love child of Jimmy Durante, Dr. John (of “Makin’ Whoopee” fame) and Louis Armstrong, with just a little help from Randy Newman. O.k., the math doesn’t quite work, but I know what I’m talking about.
After hearing just a few of his lyrics, the man so clearly has the blues that I can actually taste the bourbon through my speakers. And yet, nothing about any of his songs can bring me down. They’re just too optimistic.
It’s like he’s just so happy to be sad that he can’t even stand it.
His gravelly, seen-it-all, world-weary, soulful voice and lyrics are the perfect juxtaposition for his crisp, fresh, up-beat, cheerful melodies. I mean, how is it possible that I’m dancing in my kitchen to a song called “Let the Tears Roll Down,” how? I’m so confused now. He’s making me want to be melancholy just so I have something to be ecstatic about.
“Ridiculous!” you say? Go to his show at the Tin Angel on the 29th and find out for yourself. But make sure you have something really heartbreaking to wallow in so you have a reason to bop around to joyfulless (yes...I had to make up a new word to describe them) tunes like “Suckin’ Honey,” “Nevermind My Blues” and “Heaven Next Time.”
Otherwise you’re going to feel left out. Which will make you sad. But wait...then you’ll be happy because you finally got sad and have a reason to dance gleefully throughout the show. Now I’m confused again. But does that make me sad or happy? Do I cry or dance?
Thankfully, I think Mr. Arnold has officially made it o.k. for us to do both.
Go. Be sad. Enjoy the
Friday, January 29, 2010, 7:30 p.m.
Ben Arnold w/ Pete Donnelly (from The Figgs)
The Tin Angel, 20 S. 2nd St, Philadelphia PA, 19106
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I like elephants. I mean, what’s not to like? They’re big, they have awesome, prehensile noses and they remember everything. I bet they never even have to have passwords sent to them when logging into websites on subsequent visits. But, you know what? I don’t think I’ve ever cheered for an elephant.
Enter Cheers Elephant.
O.K., I don’t actually know if we are cheering for the elephant or just toasting to its health, but that doesn’t matter. All of these elephantine complications will quickly escape your mind at The Note as you jump up and shake your cheer maker at the Cheers Elephant show on the 23rd.
I predict this raucous, brain-erasing motion will begin about 5 measures into their first song. I can make this kind of prediction with confidence because my cats are currently watching me shake my cheer maker to “Dharma” and ”Mr. Marvelous” and “Here We Are” and thanking their felinic stars that I’m not an elephant. These Cheers Elephant guys really know their way around a rock song.
They call their grooves psychedelic/rock/folk. I call them part classic 4-man British band rock, a la Beatles and Stones, and part jammy Phish funkadelic. But that’s only because I’m really uncreative and horrible at coming up with musical group analogies. The grooves move, the melodies carry, the harmonies complement and the lyrics speak. These guys are fun with a capital “Holey rusted metal, Batman, why haven’t I ever been to a Cheers Elephant show before?!” That’s all you need to know.
Plain and simple, it’s winter. It’s cold. It’s oppressive. You need a reason to get out and shake all you have medical clearance to shake in order to forget your Seasonal Affective Disorder, if only just for an evening. You wouldn’t think a band with “elephant” in their name would make you forget, but they will. Now go. Cheers!
Saturday, January 23, 2010, 9 p.m.
Cheers Elephant w/ The Lawsuits, & The Levee Drivers
@ The Note, 142 E Market St, West Chester, PA 19382
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Uh, I’m crushing hard on the Bourbon Armory. I’ll be honest... I saw this show listing and even though I’d never heard of the band before, the fact that the word “bourbon” was in the title, and I happen to love bourbon, compelled me to review them regardless of their sound. If they played polka rap, I would want to write about them.
And if I believed in fate, I would say it was destiny that I’m doing this, because they sound exactly like a blend of every band I am obsessed with. I listen to one song and think whoa, Tool! (How I love Tool. When is Maynard gonna stop making wine in Arizona and make another damn album? We all literally sit on our hands and wait for a new Tool album to drop every decade. Lame, but they are so worth the wait.) Another song... White Stripes. New song... Green Day. I check the band’s MySpace and lo and behold, me and the guys from Bourbon Armory are all crushing on the same bands. I guess we all have excellent taste in jams. And if you’re gonna steal sounds (ahem, I meant “be inspired by”), make sure they’re good ones is all I’m sayin’. Do them justice, do ‘em up right.
Which they do. Mmm, the metallic sounds of a ripped amplifier. A distorted chord thrown in here and there. One charismatic, throaty-voiced frontman, like Maynard from Tool. Cascading guitars. It’s all downright amazing, loud, rambunctious, and relaxing. Bourbon Armory took the best of every group I give a hoot about and just hit blend. Half of what I listened to has a very NIN vibe (the older stuff and a bit of The Slip) on tracks like “Vices”, and then a song change literally makes me think I’m listening to Lateralus for the first time. (Self-titled album available, and according to the band’s MySpace page, new album in the works.) The best is the Green Day-esque punk drum work (check out “Gnarwall”), it creeps up and changes the direction of the song in a whole new way. Whatever a bourbon armory is, they sound like it, burning and acidic at first, leaves a mad yummy aftertaste. Ahhh, to hear them live would be like a monster Bonnaroo-type megaconcert where all my boys played at once. My head would probably explode; I can’t say for sure, because I have yet to go to Lollapalooza and that will probably be the musical litmus test for me. Then again, it probably wouldn’t.
Thursday, January 21, 2010, 9 p.m.
The Bourbon Armory w/ Willpowerless, The Double Planet
The Note, 142 E Market St, West Chester, PA 19382
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We’d like to send an extra-special bag of congratulations to those artists who have made good use of Bits & Watts and also nabbed spots on WXPN 88.5 FM’s Top 100 Songs of 2009:
#16 Langhorn Slim
#68 East Hundred
#69 John Lilley
#87 Hoots & Hellmouth
#97 Erin McKeown
These rockin’ artists join an echelon of musical amazingness that includes Monsters of Folk, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Regina Spektor, Wilco, Pearl Jam, and Dirty Projectors. The kudos is sure to keep ‘em all movin’ on up and out, and here’s hoping the mad props let all their stars shine on in 2010. Ahh, live music in Philadelphia.
You can check out the full list of winning artists (selected by the people for the people) on WXPN's web site and hear them (when they have an upcoming gig) in the Bits Player – complete with a playlist that includes jams from groups of all sounds, shapes, and sizes.
Happy New Year to all, and resolve to check the blog at Bits & Watts for show reviews, and crank up our music player to hear tasty licks from bands with upcoming gigs in our fair city. Maybe next year we'll do our own list. After all, one can never have enough lists.
For some musicians it’s enough to be the singer/songwriter, guitar-master, front man of a much-loved band like Swervedriver, but clearly for Adam Franklin, this does not quite keep his boat afloat.
After spending some time on solo efforts and then reuniting with Swervedriver for a tour, Adam Franklin is THIS close to dropping a fresh release on the world with new project Adam Franklin & Bolts of Melody. Fans of Franklin will recognize the influences of his Swervedriver days, as well as the growth he experienced on his own. If it’s anything like the Spent Bullets release, the new disc, I Could Sleep for a Thousand Years, will be a perfect blend of all things A.F. past and present.
The fantastic news is that to help launch this release, Adam and the Bolts will kick off a tour in January. And luckily for you, one of the early stops on said tour will be the Khyber on January 8th.
But wait...here’s the fun part…apparently, one never knows just which brand of Bolts of Melody one is going to see. From what I can gather, it is an ever-shifting group of multi-talented musicians who sometimes take the form of a standard 4-piece rock band or sometimes appear with the added drama of pedal steel and piano.
Obviously they can’t all be in the same room at once for the same reason the President and the Vice President can’t ride in the same plane. The loss of talent in the world would just be too great if Adam AND all the Bolts went down.
What you’re gonna have to do is show up and see who you get and then feel lucky that you’re even there at all to immerse yourself in the smooth, psychedelic sounds and hauntingly penetrating lyrics. So, come out, come out, Adam Franklinites! You know A.F. is only around once in a blue moon and this is a perfect way to spend a Winter’s eve.
Friday, January 8, 2010, 9 p.m.
Adam Franklin & Bolts Of Melody, The Three 4 Tens, The Sky Drops, Rarebirds
The Khyber, 56 S. 2nd St., Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-238-5888
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You better warn your knees, because they are going to get slapped. Don’t worry, though. They’ll understand when they realize they are being sacrificed because you are at the Mason Porter CD release party.
Thunder In The Valley is the quartet’s sophomore release, although it appears to be their first full-length offering of tasty victuals to satiate their hungry fans. I know I just wandered into the holler, but even I am thinking “Well kiss my grits, it’s about durn time, fellas.”
Your poor knees won’t be the same, but neither will your folk-rock-bluegrass lovin’ ears. Mason Porter is a Philly-based roots band to keep your eye on. Although, I don’t believe for a minute that they are from Philly. I know they sprouted up in a tobacco plantation in Kentucky and hitched a ride East. It’s the only explanation for the sounds they make. These guys can clearly break into a hootenanny anywhere and this CD release party is sure to prove that.
The ditties I’ve heard are charming and fun and filled with unabashed, free-wheeling joy for playing music. (And I’ll be a monkey’s uncle if they didn’t write If Whiskey Don’t Kill Me for me personally.) Look, if this show doesn’t put a smile on your face, you may need to visit some kind of specialist. I’m having a hard time writing this post because it is impossible to sit still with all of this raucous bluegrass streaming through my speakers.
Plain and simple, the grass is blue and the tunes will rock your overalls off. So, grab your sweetie and get out the Northern bathroom tissue for those knees, because they best be prepared to be slapped silly. Your knees, not your sweetie…that would just be rude.
Saturday, December 19, 2009, 9pm
Mason Porter CD Release Party
Blinkin Lincoln, 473 Leverington Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19128
215-482-7500
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I used to wish that there were bands for adults like those silly kids' songwriters who sang songs about being as tall as trees and having friends so that you could hold hands. If I was a flower growing wild and free, all I'd want is you to be my sweet honeybee... You know, those goofy rhymsters who sing like Sharon, Lois, and Bram? Half of the Courage Pills' repertoire is my wish come-to-life, you can listen to “Way Down” or watch a live version they did at The Note back in April, and it feels like an adult version of The Elephant Show.
Simplistic lyrics and melody describe the majority of their stuff, but then one of the lead dude singers starts yelling and there's a rockin guitar solo (GNR/Aerosmith-esque, a bit) to keep you on your toes and remind you they are not R-rated Barry Louis Polisars; they are alt-rockers from West Chester. And when that happens, that's when Courage Pills get their Buffalo Tom on and happy sing-along time is over. They start rocking tunes about being grown ups and having crappy jobs and boring lives, paying bills, losing women, and so on. Track titles like “Broke,” “Memory,” “Cut Back the Lawn” and “Get Out and Play” almost qualify Courage Pills as the raddest-sounding nouveau-dad rock of 2009. Haha, dad rock. Makes me think of disgruntled homeowners in pop-collar Lacoste polos rocking out to Slayer. Even the name, Courage Pills. Courage pills for what? Matrimony? Monogamy? Child-rearing?
The reason for the season(al) show is the release of their new album, Ancient Headache, out on the 19th. (Ancient headache? That's another term for migraine. Okay, maybe they are dad rock, i.e., the 21st century equivalent of Stone Temple Pilots. Like Pearl Jam. Eddie Vedder is the ultimate dad rocker. I can see these guys playing live shows with tots in baby Bjorns around their necks. Whatevs, that's awesome. Just no jumping around.) Courage Pills join the ranks of other gritty-sounding Philly-area bands that keep making the live music scene in these parts a bumpin' good time. The album's tracks will make for a groovin' live show, I am sure of it. I dare you not to bounce around. Preferably without baby in baby Bjorn around your neck. Those little heads and ears are fragile, you know!
Saturday, December 19, 2009, 8 p.m.
Courage PillsThe Courage Pills (CD Release) w/ The Last Barbarians, The Spotted Atrocious, Dirtbag Brigade
@ The Note, 142 E Market St, West Chester, PA 19382
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A lot of people feel strongly about Nirvana. Some people curse them for ruining 80s hair metal, others thank God for Kurt Cobain because of the 90s grunge movement that helped make alt-rock what it is today. Point is, you cannot underestimate the significance of Nirvana. They happened, they were huge, they changed everything—music landscape, drug culture obsession, that whole “I’m sad, love me” vibe that music fans epitomize. I bring it up because the opening of Raccoon Fighter’s demo version of “Turkish Jade” sounds a hell of a lot like the opening of “Rape Me.” Kurt may have passed on, but his style lives on in bands like Raccoon Fighter that blend hard-edged lyrics and melodies with a really emotive lead singer. Same goes for other pioneer bands that had similar-sounds, like The Pixies. One review called Raccoon Fighter “great, raw rock;” that’s damn right.
I’m a sucker for that really rough garage rock thing Raccoon Fighter has going on. If you like The Strokes, The Killers’ Hot Fuss, or the Pixies (that rough sound, good lyrics) you’ll like Raccoon Fighter. They’re unsigned, which is a mad shame, ‘cause it means there’s no LP to speak of, but trust me, what I heard sounded awesome. We’ll call Brooklyn-based Raccoon Fighter a “band to watch,” but keep an eye out... I heard the demo version of “One Week of Danger” from the Virgins, and what wound up on the album wasn’t nearly as amazing as the demo. I just worry about the countless unsigned bands that are eking out their time til they get signed, and then when they do, POOF! Magic is gone. Radio-friendly tunes should not be the standard. Have you heard what’s playing on mainstream radio these days? Good music should steer clear of that nastiness. What is it with producers watering down the funk? Let rock bands keep their damn edge, it’s what makes them great. For a tasty, undiluted, pre-signing, non-sell out Raccoon Fighter, check them out live.
Saturday, December 26, 2009, 8 p.m.
@ The Khyber, 56 S. 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-238-5888
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I’m usually leery of guys with really high singing voices. Not to be too mean, but what is the deal with that? How can men sing higher than most women? Every Christmas, I sing along with my Vienna Boys Choir Christmas carol album and they kick my ass with that high C. Damn eunuchs, I curse them, my heart not full of holiday spirit. What, do boys choirs get de-balled as initiation? What about boy bands? Freakin J Timbo sings at some mighty high decibels. Even in the shower, arguably my best acoustic venue, I sound more like Julian Casablancas than half the members of NSync. (Which is still awesome.)
Sam, of the eponymous Sam & Ruby, is another one of those dudes who is most definitely more tenor than bass. (I call tenor voices “male soprano.” Yes, I am a meanie.) But, I have no problem with Sam because a) Sam & Ruby are so damned cute; b) their songs are lovely and rad, and are as peaceful as cups of Sleepytime tea; c) he’s got Ruby, so he sort of balances out his weirdly feminine falsetto with an actual female voice, and it all meshes very nicely, and d) he sounds a lot like Paulo Nutini, just not as raspy or deep. Maybe all the guys singing like girls with no girls around is what really creeped me out about the Vienna Boys Choir.
As a duo, Sam & Ruby rock out a sweet bluegrass vibe that makes for a welcome change from traditional bluegrass/country. Sam & Ruby’s bluesy poprock is softer than, say, Raising Sand by Allison Krauss and Robert Plant (who is rad as hell). Not a lot of foot stomping here; the show will probably feature a lot of swaying back and forth. I’m not a huge pretty folk fan, but there’s a very earthy vibe emanating from these two. Tunage features lots of mournful violins, flutes, probably timpani, and a blues trumpet. “Ain’t Love Somethin’” and “This I Know” are the kind of songs that get stuck in your head, and they’re the best tracks off The Here and the Now. It’s clear day, pretty field, aw-shucks good for live music in Philadelphia.
Sunday, November 29, 2009, 8pm
Sam & Ruby w/ Jessica Pomerantz
@ World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St, Philadelphia PA, 19104
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For the longest time I have wondered why, when I mistype the word “like” in my iPhone, it replaces it with “Luke.” I think I just found out. Luke Brindley. The phone wins. As of this moment, in Kathyland, “Luke” and “like” are officially interchangeable.
First of all, he’s user friendly. No, I don’t mean he’s easy to lick stamps to. What I mean is he’s got a clean, engaging and informative website, where he’s made it easy to access his brand of rock ‘n’ roll. INCLUDING FREE DOWNLOADS! I’m sorry…what? Free music? It’s geekish to mention, but you’d be surprised at how many artists get this so very wrong. Go now: www.lukebrindley.com. You can thank me later. With stamps.
But more on point, the tunes…sure, he’s a guy with a guitar, but that’s like saying Cezanne was a guy with a paintbrush. Luke Brindley is more than just your average, everyday singer/songwriter. The categories on his listening page include: Rock Songs, Instrumentals, “Love” Songs, Songs with Horns and Songs that Mention New Jersey. Pretty much, if I mistype “variety” in my phone, it should replace the word with “Luke.” And really, any musician who puts the word love in quotes, rocks with horns and mentions New Jersey is either Bruce Springsteen or just plain awesome.
O.k., Luke Brindley is not The Boss. (No matter what he told you to get you on his tour bus.) Although there is a Boss-y influence, he’s more Bob Dylan and Neil Young with a Jon Bon Jovi-type appeal, visually speaking. So, if he’s not Bruce Springsteen, by process of elimination, he must be awesome.
I’m never wrong about these things (or any things), so head over to the World Café Live on December 1st and let yourself like Luke. In fact, the holidays are coming up, I say let yourself “love” him. Maybe throw in some affection for New Jersey as well. They need it.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009, 8 p.m.
Luke Brindley with Peter Bradley Adams and Rosi Golan
@ World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St, Philadelphia PA, 19104
215-222-1400
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Be honest, you have not bounced around the room enough lately. Times are tough. Headlines are negative. A world of worries has gotten you down. Pause a moment to assess your situation. You need to get funked.
This is why you will be at The Note at 9pm on November 21st to groove to the crisp funk-capades of Slo-Mo featuring Mic Wrecka. All indications are that these guys will funk you up.
But before you put on your bouncing shoes, be warned, we are not only talking about funk here. Just when you think you know what you’re getting into, the ride will change completely. You may get on the bus at funky town, but there will definitely be stops at hard rock city, rap county and hiphop nation. And I promise you will want to ride this bus all the way back to the station.
Because, you see, there is irony at work here. There is nothing slow about Slo-Mo and there is nothing being wrecked by Mic Wrecka. (My iPod actually broke a sweat playing “County” from their newest release Gimme What You Got.) This is not music you “listen” to or a performance you “go see.” This show will be balls-to-the-wall audience participation. In fact, I’m just going to go ahead and dare you not to move to these grooves.
So put an extra set of arch supports in your bounce shoes and scrounge up enough bus fare to get to The Note on the 21st. And then just try to sit still. I triple dog dare you.
Live Music in Philadelphia
Saturday, November 21, 2009, 9:00 p.m.
Slo-Mo featuring Mic Wrecka w/ The Hustle
@ The Note, 142 E Market St, West Chester, PA 19382
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11/25 Postscript: This show is canceled due because the venue had to close unexpectedly. The venue will reopen at a later date.
Listening to Toy Soldiers is like listening to the music from Grease (minus John Travolta shakin his groove thing), Ray Charles, Buddy Holly, and the Big Bopper rolled into one, with a side of Aretha thrown in. It’s all very apropos for a night-before-Thanksgiving rockout. Stuff your ears before your face. It is kinda crazy they’re playing these tunes in Philadelphia... it somehow doesn’t gel. Like the time period and the location don’t make any sense at all. They belong in Nashville, or Missouri, or Kentucky, or the 50's, or as the band in a remake of Road House. But hey, I’ll take em. They freaking rock.
Toy Soldiers is very ... rockabilly. I’ve never used that word in a review before, but I’m pretty sure that’s what I’m hearing. If a farm had a rager, rockabilly would be the sounds pumping out of the chicken coop. There’s also a good dollop of blues and doo wop in there, too. I’m all about homage to the golden days of rock ‘n’ roll. Blue Suede Shoes me any day. We need to bring that back. The yodel and synthesizer only go so far. Your ears need to appreciate what I like to call The Music That Came Before.
I guarantee after this show you’ll be dusting off your parents’ and grandparents’ old records from those boxes in the garage that have been molding for decades. Saying, "I’m just going to borrow this, Poppy and Gram Gram. I’ll bring it back." No, you won’t. You’ll want to play em, but you can’t, haha. Off to itunes with you for your digital downloads of old-timer music. It’s sad, because digital will never be the same like eight-tracks or 78 rpms that let you hear the snap crackle pop of crusty microphones and recorders the size of New Jersey. Heard the right way, it sounds older and wiser. But it’s all cool, at least you’re trying. It’s amazing how oldies station music is becoming nouveau alt-rock, and all these uber-good, uber-trendy groups build their sound on old-school flavors. Raconteurs. White Stripes. Fleet Foxes. Toy Soldiers. Music you can bond over with your grandparents.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009, 8:00 p.m.
Toy Soldiers w/ Tj Kong & the Atomic Bomb, Chris Kasper, Joshua Park
@ The Fire, 412 West Girard Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19123
267-671-9298
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Postscript (November 5, 2009): Not only did the Phillies lose to the Yankees, but this show has been canceled.
I read somewhere that Jerry Joseph sounds like the Boss's more sensitive brother. And, he really does. Even though I didn't think anyone could care more about 'things' than the Boss or Bono – Jerry Joseph does. He really does. Sensitive isn't the right word – impassioned is better. He sings like it really matters, and the "it" changes depending on the song – political change, idealism, love, friends, philosophy. On November 11th Jerry's playing a solo acoustic show at The Tin Angel, so there's no one to stop him from pouring all the caring into the mic. I can see it now—the overflow will just drench the crowd.
This guy has been loving life, and people, and music, all over the place, for a long time. Jerry's in, like, 20 bands and he tours like a mofo. His latest album, Change, includes Jerry, Steve Drizos (his bandmate from the Denmark Veseys) and Bret Mosley (from Brooklyn, NY) singing songs from each guy's repertoire. So, that's his most recent record. He also has recorded with the Denmark Veseys, Jerry Joseph and the Jackmormons (a very cool rock outfit that I am digging hard), and The Stockholm Syndrome. Not to mention sitting in with Wide Spread Panic when they perform songs he penned. Yeah, this dude lives to rock. I think Jack White is taking his musical group-whore clues from Jerry Joseph. They are music machines with an amazingly prolific output. New-album-every-year prolific. (Yeah, I said prolific. SAT word alert! Look it up.)
All those years of peddling his rock/folk vibe have honed Jerry into a guy who is really great at what he does – he basically has the most street cred of any artist I've reviewed. His voice is rich and resonant, probably from breathing in clean air available only in the West (he's from Portland and they are so eco-psycho out there it's like the Land Before Time), and experience. That's what his voice sounds like to me - experience. Like he knows what's down 'cause he's been there and seen it all. Even though he doesn't come out and say what 'it' is, he writes songs with a message. And, songs with messages are great and all, but the thing about Jerry's message songs is that they still sound good and are accessible. Another SAT word for ya. I gots nothing but all the right words for Jerry Joseph.
Live Music in Philadelphia
Thursday, November 12, 2009, 8:30pm
Jerry Joseph
@ The Tin Angel, 20 S. Second Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19106
215-928-0770
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I, Harold Cumperdale, have a confession to make. I listen to Lenka. Yes, me, a testosterone driven, beer drinking, fight starting, glass eating bad-ass . . .well, actually I'm not bad-ass at all. But, while I was browsing the calendar on BitsandWatts I saw the name Lenka and thought it looked interesting. Little did I know I'd find the love of my life.
Have you ever said to your friends "I would marry the shit out of that girl on looks alone without even knowing if she's cool!”, well I do it all the time. My friends usually go on and tell me how shallow I am, but it never sinks in because I'm too busy thinking of a good conversation starter for my future wife. If you prefer the movie The Notebook over Transformers, then you would definitely choose Lenka over Megan Fox. Anyfart, Lenka's beautiful and that's not even the point.
She's a singer and a songwriter from Australia. First she got into acting and spent some time on the stage and in film. She was also the keyboardist/vocalist in the band The Decoder Ring. But, those days are behind her – she moved to California to become the solo artist we know now. Her music makes me wish I had a girlfriend to swing hands with while walking down Delancy Street. She reminds me of Regina Spector minus the depression and Kate Nash without the accent. Her voice pairs well with the cute little piano chords mixed with horns, violas, oboes and other instruments with funny names, so if you've got a sweet-tooth for female pop music, Lenka's the girl for you.
Note to the fellas: Don't crack a smile while listening to Lenka's music on your headphones. One of your mates might ask what you're listening to and then you're in for a world of ridicule and jokes involving tampons.
Lenka w/ Colin Smith
Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 9:00 p.m.
@ MRoom, 15 W Girard Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19123
(215) 739-5577
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Have you met The Swimmers?
O.k., I haven’t actually MET them, but I’ve heard them, and all I can say is, “Hip hip hooray for harps and hand claps and harmonies!” And you’ll say it too (5 times fast) after their People Are Soft CD release show with The Capitol Years at the Kung Fu Necktie on November 6th.
It is my supposition that The Swimmers will forever change the negative connotations of swimmer’s ear. After listening to some of their stuff and watching their fab new “What This World Is Coming To” vid on the Tube, I have contracted a most delightful, albeit virulent, case of Swimmers ear.
Their tunes slosh around in my head and, amazingly, have not once thrown off my equilibrium. I can bounce around gleefully to the pepped up poppiness…no meds needed…and all I want is to hear more. It’s rock, it’s pop, it’s delicious guitary, keyboardy goodness.
My ears will not rest until they’ve heard every Swimmers tune ever. They will ring and ache until satiated. And these aren’t normally very ambitious ears. I’m telling you, I have Swimmers ear. And I’ve got it bad. If this little, four member troupe can make my ears take up a quest after only a few streamed nuggets of indie rock awesomeness, you can be pretty sure they will make every pair of ears at the Kung Fu Necktie join forces to begin their own quest for more. (Warning: Gusteroids, your ears will be especially susceptible to Swimmers ear. You may want to bungee them to your head.) Swimmers ear is about to go pandemic. But never fear. Remove those ear muffs and head cozy things, you’re gonna want to contract this bug. Swimmers ear will be the best thing to happen to your head since that headache medicine that you apply directly to it.
Be good to your ears. Expose them. And if mine show up, please put them on the next bus home. You’ll see them because they always stick out.
Friday, November 6, 2009, 8 p.m.
The Swimmers with the Capitol Years
@ Kung Fu Necktie, 1248 N Front St, Philadelphia, PA 19122
215-291-4919
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I believe when I signed on to be a writer for Bits & Watts, I said I would write unbiased posts for the live music crowd in Philadelphia. Sorry, but I just can't do it on this one. You know why? It is because one of the singers for one of my all time favorite bands is coming to town to perform songs from her new solo album.
Amy Millan, singer and guitarist for Canadian indie-pop band Stars, will be playing at Johnny Brenda’s and man, this is going to be good. If you're not familiar with Amy Millan or Stars, you'll find the two bodies of work rest on completely different ends of the indie-rock spectrum. Stars tends to layer their instrumentation, using distorted guitars, strings, melodicas and various electronic beats and percussion instruments. Millan's solo material is simple and stripped down, relying often on just an acoustic guitar, her warm, almost angelic voice and effective melodies to carry each song. Her latest album, Masters of the Burial, was released earlier this year and is the follow up to her album, Honey from the Tombs, which was released in 2006.
The sound on her latest release leans heavily on an acoustic folk-country sound, but I think her sound is best described by the artist herself: “[the album] creates a bed where the lonely can rest for a little bit, where little hopes, little deaths, and big loves are flammable but fallow.” And because sometimes you need a little easing into when listening to an unfamiliar musician for the first time, you can find some indie-rock God's and Godesses' sneaking in guest vocals throughout the album (I'm going to let you figure out this part for yourself though because you really need to just buy this album already.) If you're still feeling apprehensive and are not one to explore the unfamiliar, she does plenty of covers on this album as well, such as her cover of Death Cab for Cutie's, “I Will Follow You Into the Dark.” Brilliant.
Saturday, November 7, 2009, 9 p.m.
Amy Millan (of Stars) w/ Bahamas & Buried Beds
@ Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125
215-739-9684
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Do you know what weird folk is? No, I am not being redundant. Folk is awesome. Folkies are the best people too...they can jam out and then fix your car when it breaks down in the post-show traffic blitz. The first time I heard anyone say "weird folk" was in reference to Department of Eagles, a very weird, very folksy band that makes some gorgeously odd sounds from spoons, plates, guitars, string boxes, etc. They are THAT type of band, and that's some great music there. Listen to In Ear Park sometime.
Photo by Lisa Schaffer
With bands like Department of Eagles and Hezekiah Jones, drums and amplifiers and electric guitars are like, an afterthought. There are other instrument essentials they worry about, like spoons and triangles and even string boxes. Harmonica? Check. Moaning girl singer with Allison Krauss-like voice? Check. Mandolin? Check. Earthy lead vocalist singing stripped-down songs about anything and nothing? Check. This checklist could go on, because every instrument known to man is present in Hezekiah Jones, a large, caravan-like outfit whose live members number the equivalent of a college football roster and are invading Johnny Brenda's for the release of their latest, Bread of Teeth. The tunes are written by the appropriately dramatic and mysteriously named leader of the pack, Raphael Cutrufello. (The band's MySpace states that Cutrufello plays things like the Rhodes piano, kazoo, and pots and pans. Yeah, they're THAT type of band.) I hope this dude wears a cape and handlebar mustache for the release party. Kind of like the Hezekiah Jones version of the Pied Piper. Or, if you prefer, a musical Artful Dodger, like that Fagin dude in Oliver Twist. Or, an elaborately named Robin Hoodish character with a band of merry music makers.
The music itself is eclectic, a lot of it evocative of early My Morning Jacket, with a good dose of Department of Eagles. Those unfamiliar with this genre of tunage would call it weird, but it's so much more than that. Samplings of whiny Asian music, a lone piccolo, mean fiddles, big band trumpet, and an elegant, simplified piano are only five random and different sounds I picked up. (I think it was a piccolo.) Basically, the sounds are all over the place, but strung together they are natural-sounding, and the lyrics are like conversation—they sound like someone telling you a story over a beer. It all makes for a one crazy weird, organic, and terrific listening experience. Great name, by the way.
Saturday, November 21, 2009, 9:30 p.m.
Hezekiah Jones Release Party for Bread of Teeth
with Sisters3 and Perkasie
@ Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125
215-739-9684
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Thank God the awesome 21st century mental-blitz sounds of electronica are here to stay! Now we can have kick-ass elevator music soundtrack tunes playing in our ears (via our 21st century ipods) all the time! Do you like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' new album, It's Blitz? 'Cause I sure as hell do. Karen O and her posse, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, Radiohead (pioneer band), Bloc Party, Basement Jaxx (I've been a Jaxx fan since I was 14 and heard "Red Alert" all over Italian MTV), Mike Snow, Moby, Matt and Kim, Fatboy – they are all incredible, and whether you realize it or not, are basically revolutionizing the music we rock out to. If we wear silver jumpsuits and see flying cars and astronaut food in grocery stores in our lifetimes, like I expect us to, it's because all of these electronic rockers helped pave the way for the zeitgeist of the future.
If you like any of the bands I just named, or want to, The Temper Trap is your kind of synthesizer. They're Australian as well, so you get to throw them into your World Music Playlist, if you have one. More Australian music in the States, I say! They had a tune in that sweet-as-pie movie 500 Days of Summer ("Sweet Disposition" off their debut album, Conditions, out on October 13th). They totally would, because their stuff sounds like the playlist for a good romantic comedy: emote-beats, mellow grooves you can sink your brain into and drone on in a really good way, and that kind of synth-yodeling that makes your heart like, swell. But they also rock that broken computer/trance sound The Postal Service perfected until they got too busy with Death Cab for Cutie to bother making music anymore. Temper Trap is picking up their slack, and I say amen to that. Should be a most excellent show!
Wednesday October 28, 2009, 8 pm
The Temper Trap
@ Kung Fu Necktie, 1248 N Front St, Philadelphia, PA 19122
215-291-4919
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When I first heard the words "banjo" and "Illinois" in the same sentence, I thought of old toothless farmers in the middle of nowhere with funny grass hats chompin' on straw, slappin their suspenders, and spitting tobacco. Until, that is, I heard the band Illinois. Now I think of seriously badass banjo rock beats by hipster chain-smoking bachelors with just the right touch of hillbilly. These boys ain't from Illinois though, they're Philly locals (Bucks County actually, but we'll let it slide).
Concerts are the time to be rowdy, and Illinois shows are just that. Fronted by lead vocalist banjo/guitar/keyboard player Chris Archibald, the band carefully chooses from their 300 songs the right "feel good/get drunk" songs for shows, leaving the "Iron and Wine-esque" love tunes (which are actually pretty good) for another time. After recently releasing their album, The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe, in EP chapters over a series of months, you can now get the whole she-bang in one show, and trust me, it was worth the wait. Did I mention Archibald rocks out on a freakin' banjo and still manages to look cool?
Their most popular and irresistibly dancey song is the lyrically mumbled banjo-twanging "Nosebleed," which was featured in Weeds when the pot-dealing mom did a risqué table dance to score weed. You know the song – Archibald crows in a whiney – yet easy to sing along to – voice, "Sometiiiimes what you neeeeed.....is a nosebleed". I can think of a dozen people that could use a good punch square in the nozzle. Yeehaw.
Watching them live makes me feel like I should be 'round a fire on a chilly October night with tons of friends. Not some sissy marshmallow-roasting fire, but a huge bonfire, swigging whisky and trying to imitate playing the banjo while dancing wildly. Maybe even throw some carnies in the background and have ‘em go around giving nosebleeds.
I dare you to go to this show. But a word to the wise, if you're an attached dude leave the girlfriend at home for two reasons, 1) she'll want to sleep with the band and steal their banjo 2.) she'll be pissed that she's going home with you because you aren't as cool as Archibald.
For fans of: Old Crow Medicine Show, Arcade Fire, White Rabbits, Man Man, and anyone that likes banjos
Toured with: Kooks, The Hold Steady, Nada Surf, Meno mena, Drink Up Buttercup
Monday, November 2, 2009, 7:30 pm
The Heavy w/ Illinois
@ World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St, Philadelphia PA, 19104
215-222-1400
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Greetings! My name is Kathy Landin and I'm a fan of The Nadas. It's good to be a fan of The Nadas. For example, that's how I met Bits & Watts and got the invitation to introduce you to them, so you too could become a fan. As you can see in the picture, I have a collection of Nadas paraphernalia. Just a small, casual, non-stalkerish collection. Definitely not a shrine or anything creepy or worthy of a restraining order. I promise.
The Nadas are everyone's hometown band. No matter where they go, everyone knows their name and claims they've been friends with them forever. Talk to anyone at a show and they've known the Nadas since before they were "The Nadas." Seriously, go to the show and do your own unscientific poll. I'm not making this up.
Their set list is a palatable blend of rock, folk rock, country rock and bluesy rock that has you dancing to indiscernibly hybridized genres like you never thought you could. You can bet they will play a good mix of new tunes and classic Nadas material, as well as great covers of bands they love. And if you're lucky, they will have had just enough liquid encouragement to start making stuff up on the fly.
For the past year, The Nadas have been in the studio working on new stuff that they will highlight on this tour. Every new Nadas release showcases the maturity they have reached in their lives and their craft. There is a seasoning to their work that adds flavors you've yet to enjoy while feasting your ears on a Nadas show.
All of this means that having already been to a Nadas show is no excuse for not catching this one. It's never the same show twice. Conversely, if you're a Nadas newb and it's the first time you've heard a single one of their tunes, their everyman experiences woven into the lyrics trick you into believing these are songs, and guys, you've known all your life.
Either way, they're your buds, and it would be rude not to show up and say "Hi" while they're in town. And, if you see them, please tell them they still owe me $6 from that one time.
Saturday, October 3, 2009, 8:30 p.m.
Slo-Mo featuring Mic Wrecka w/ The Nadas, & I&I
Puck Live, Printers Alley, Doylestown, PA 18901
215-348-9000
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I'm not a huge Rosie O'Donnell fan (I liked her talk show lots, and I miss the fun lady who used to catapult Koosh products into the audience), but I always agreed when she called people "cutie patootie." It's sweet, succinct, rhymes, and it's perfect to describe those adorable and irresistible people that are basically walking ice cream cones. That, in a nutshell, describes Matt Duke. What a good dreamboat/troubadour name. Matt Duke.
Haha, if you're a chick between the ages of 15 and 29, there's no way you can resist Matt Duke. Try to, I dare you. With those pipes, that face, and him strumming his guitar and singing about secret underground worlds and staying in and watching tv and harlots and the Holy Trinity, his acoustic version of Kingdom Underground (acoustic and original versions available everywhere, including itunes) is a pantydropper. No joke. Panties come off the minute you hit 'play'.
He's got juice too, that Matt Duke. Both the original and acoustic versions of Kingdom Underground are worthy. Lyrics are gorge (of course), tunes are solid. The original is catchy and funky, and the acoustic album is just plain lovely. I think the acoustic album is richer (you get more Matt and more song), but it's pretty rad that both albums have the same songs and sound so different. I like "Kingdom Underground," "Sex and Reruns," and "Rabbit." Actually, I like it all. If Matt was here right now as I am writing this, I'd make him sing. All the time. He wouldn't be allowed to speak—just sing. Why screw with a good thing? I always wanted a singing musician-on-command.
Matt Duke satisfies the ladies...sonically. He's part of the army of male singer/songwriters that were handcrafted for guys to put on mix tapes for chicks. You know what I mean, Rob Gordon-wannabes out there. John Mayer. Jack Johnson. Josh Ritter. Gran Bel Fisher. Matt Duke. They are all awesome jam men, and they are all the music you put on the mix tape.
Friday, October 16, 2009, 8 p.m.
Matt Duke
Burlap and Bean, 204 South Newtown St, Newtown Square, PA 19073
484-427-4547
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When I think Canada my brain fills with thoughts of hockey, maple syrup, free health care, and those two guys who fart on each other in South Park. And now, thankfully, I can add something new to my list – The Great Lake Swimmers. Started by Tony Dekker, the band's popularity has been growing exponentially. They have a laid-back sound like, say, Iron and Wine, but they don't put you into that post-Thanksgiving tryptophan induced coma-like state. Dekker's tenor voice also reminds me of the warm apple pie dessert that you always eat even if you're full. Why am I relating this band to a Thanksgiving dinner? 1. I'm hungry 2. Finding someone who doesn't like Thanksgiving dinner is like trying to find someone who won't like The Great Lake Swimmers. You can find them, but they're probably lying. Word is that the lyrics are genius, but what's even better is the feeling you get when walking down the street with the Great Lake Swimmers blasting through your headphones. It makes me feel as calm and cool as Zach Braff scoring Natalie Portman in Garden State.
Dekker likes to record music in old churches, abandoned grain silos and rural locations, which gives the music a natural atmospheric quality and probably makes him a suspect in many episodes of CSI, Law & Order, and Cold Case. I realize I might be making the Great Lake Swimmers out to be a band that gives you an emotional "lump in throat," but they also have up-tempo tracks. The Great Lake Swimmers were #1 on iTunes' Singer/Songwriter chart and #1 on Amazon's MP3 downloads chart, clear proof that not all of this post is completely made up. I predict that the Great Lake Swimmers will be the soundtrack to many break-ups and heartbreaks this Fall.
Great Lake Swimmers w/ The Wooden Birds & Sharon Van Etten
@ Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125
215-739-9684
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A few things I've gathered from trying to find info online about the mysterious Adrien Reju: She is in a band called the Lowlands, she likes Chinese herbs and green soup, and she used to be a member of the Metropolitan Opera's children's choir. The truth is, there should be a lot more press about this girl than I was able to find. I guess that just shows Bits & Watts is once again ahead of the curve. In fact, go tell all of your friends about us right now. Make this website a daily habit (Perez Hilton, who?) Then we can save the world from bands like Nickelback, Daughtry and Limp Bizkit. Sound like a plan? Sorry, that was a shameless self-promotion.
Adrien Reju is a local girl, who has been singing since she was two years old. At that time, she was singing along to her mother's lullabies and humming along while her dad practiced the Bach Cello Suites repeatedly. Those are just a couple of things that put this singer into the "undoubtedly awesome" category. The fact that she lists Joni Mitchell, Feist and Billie Holiday as some of her influences, helps her case even more. Adrien's full-length debut, Million Hearts, is melodic, poppy, folk music, that includes appearances from notable local musicians like Jim Boggia and Andrew Lipke. She seems to be doing everything right, so my guess is that it's only a matter of time before she goes from playing coffee shops in Philly, to becoming and overnight sensation by receiving placement on episodes of Grey's Anatomy. While she's waiting for her big break, go check her out at MilkBoy Coffee in Ardmore, and be sure to have her autograph your CD!
For fans of: Ingrid Michaelson. Birdie Busch. Robinella. The Grey's Anatomy soundtracks.
Adrien Reju w/ The Barn Swallows, 8:00 p.m.
@ MilkBoy Coffee, 2 W Lancaster Ave, Ardmore, PA 19003
610-645-5269
Tickets
So, I was listening to the Bits & Watts player while helping Robyn Harris give away tickets to her Tin Angel show. . . Oh, you didn't know? That's what we do here, we listen to music from bands we don't know, but can catch live soon. Have you heard Roman Candle yet? They were new to me. The song that turned my head is "Why Modern Radio is A-OK." The song fit my Monday afternoon, just about ready to leave early for that 5 o'clock beer mood perfectly. And, since I have to finish this post first, I just took my smart phone with me to multitask. Don't you love 2009?
Back to Roman Candle. Wes Freeman already wrote a nice introduction to the band; you can read it here. A professional writer would probably describe Roman Candle as "earthy pop," and it just so happens that a professional wrote just that for Rolling Stone. I don't know about you, but I'm more interested in the fact that the band used the phrase "sack of monkeys" in their lyrics. I did get one thing from the Rolling Stone quote; the same thing I got from the House of Blues banner in the photo – I'm late to the Roman Candle party. (Seriously, where did that guitar player get those hops – check the photo.)
One more thing, why "Roman Candle?" Is it because the Roman Candle was Uncle Fester's favorite firecracker? Maybe someone is a fan of Elliott Smith's album of the same name. Or, metaphorically speaking, perhaps their music just explodes on stage like a firecracker. Well, I'm gonna find out for myself on Sept. 11th. And yes, I admit it, I had the 5:00, 5:15, 5:45 and 6:10 beers. Man, Tuesday is gonna feel like a sack of monkeys.
Friday, September 11, 2009, 9 p.m.
Roman Candle
@ North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St, Philadelphia, PA 19130
215-787-0488
Tickets
P.S. The name "Roman Candle" is taken from U2 song, "Promenade" off the record The Unforgettable Fire. Wikipedia strikes again.
The Peace Creeps really are creeps. There's no way I can qualify them as peaceful, which in my book means they are definitely creeps. They classify themselves as rock/psychedelic/pop, but by doing that they prove their inherent creepness again because I wouldn't classify them as pop either. Haha, what's with this band and calling themselves things they are not?
Is Jakob Dylan masquerading as a Philly-based frontman for a neo-psychedelic rock group? If so, then we can list "Richard Bush" as one of his passport aliases. Bush has the Jakob Dylan impression down, and sometimes he even does that thing Chris Cornell does, when his voice gets all raspy like he's singing way down in the cobwebs of his throat. Sounds very dusty, but very awesome.
The music is solid. "Bulletproof" is a perfect tune for the patchouli-Bonnaroo crowd that comes to get laced and dance in the fields to mad harmonica and drum strains. "Static" is a P-Funk number that suggests Sublime-y elements. "She Can" has that flute sound you hear on really old (and by really old I mean 15 years, I have no respect for the word "old") and funkadelic Dave Matthews Band songs, when DMB was rad as hell and actually put effort into their stuff. (The new album is probably their best effort in eight years, but that's a different review.) The opener to "She Dreams the World" makes me think Loreena McKennitt is going to pop out of my computer with her damn tambourine and a snake charmer. Actually, there are a lot of moments in that song when I think that will happen. Overall, Peace Creeps are DMB meets garage band with some leftover LSD residue, and if they had a gypsy snake charmer as part of their act, I'd buy it in a second.
If I could afford shrooms and did shrooms, I would do them while listening to the Peace Creeps. Might make all those wailing guitar riffs more. . .wail.
P.S. You can get a free MP3 of the song New Thing from the album "Autumn of Love" here
Friday, August 28, 2009, 8 p.m.
Richard Bush & The Peace Creeps w/ The Quelle Source & Mercy Blue
MilkBoy Coffee, 2 W Lancaster Ave, Ardmore, PA 19003
610-645-5269
Get Tickets
The ability to write a good melody is something most musicians either have or don't. Sure, you can practice the art of songwriting your whole life and possibly come up with a few catchy tunes eventually, but for some it just comes naturally. Syd is one of those rare birds. He may never write a number one hit (there are tons of successful musicians that never have) but it's apparent he is one of few people that can churn out solid songs at a higher ratio per album than most. How many times have you purchased an album, only to find out that nine out of twelve tracks on it completely blow?
Syd's latest full-length album, The Way We Found It (released in 2007), will give you approximately 40 minutes of music without having to press the skip button. The album also proves that the days of needing a fancy, over-priced studio to record in, have officially come to an end. Syd and and his band recorded his entire album in a barn in Vermont. Hear that Dr. Dre and your fancy-shmancy studio? A barn. In Vermont. In the middle of Winter*.The polished production and well thought out arrangements take this album a notch above anything he has released previously. Perhaps this is due to working with producer Danny Weinkauf (They Might Be Giants, Fountains of Wayne) but it's also apparent that Syd has evolved as a songwriter over the years.
He's shared the stage with a diverse range of bands including Cake, Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers, Hanson and The Zombies, all the while holding his own on stage and making people take notice. He's on tour this Summer and Fall playing a string of dates, both solo and with his full band. And if you're curious as to what else he's been up to since his last album, you can follow him on Twitter, which he seems to be an avid fan of. Now, go download his music on iTunes and back away from your computer, for once not having to worry about hitting that skip button.
For fans of: Fountains of Wayne. Weezer. What Jack Johnson might sound like after moving to the East Coast and learning to rock.
*Probably not in the middle of Winter, but it makes a good story even better, doesn't it? Eat it Dr. Dre.
Saturday, September 19, 2009, 9 p.m.
Syd w/ Fooling April
@ World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St, Philadelphia PA, 19104
215-222-1400
Get Tickets
If some angry band were to do nothing for a year but write music while on uppers in the Wonka factory's trippy Chocolate Room, they would be Aquaport. No neurosis, no angst, no rebellious intent. They sing about ordinary stuff like their kids, and bubble baths, and taking out the garbage, and annoying girls. I am liking them mucho, and I just discovered them thanks to my friends at Bits & Watts. Then again, I like any band whose credo is "Friends get together to play music; music sounds good to friends; friends keep getting together to play music."
I'll be liking them much more in-person when the Havertown crew takes over Burlap and Bean on Friday, August 21st. They seem almost coffee shop-ideal, but their tunes have this emote-undercurrent that goes far beyond the stereotypical mopey tunes you hear droning away at Starbucks–I'd call it a little Wilco vibe to bop your head to while you ruminate nostalgically on good times and good company. Check out "Love and Play" for some good faux-Jeff Tweedy (albums available through Pot Roast Records, tunes are free-to-listen through MySpace). Their lead singer is Michael Stipe-Lite (softer voice and no cross-dressing or makeup) on "Sad Day"... wait, I just had a breakthrough! R.E.M.'s "Bad Day" is the happiest song about a bad day I have ever heard, kind of like "Sad Day" is a pleasant song about a crappy day. Coincidence? But I digress. I could do the "sounds like" game for each Aquaport song. That's the point: Aquaport grabs you at the first listen with catchy, familiar sounds and sing-along lyrics. They're probably the first band to play a java house that won't make me want to throw my shoes at their heads or scald them with extra-hot espresso drip. As a fan once said, "Aquaport is fine cake baking music." Agreed indeed. It feels good to rhyme when I review Aquaport.
FRIDAY AUGUST 21, 2009, 8:00 pm
Aquaport w/ Adam Sullivan
@ Burlap and Bean, 204 South Newtown St, Newtown Square, PA 19073
484-427-4547
$5 Get Tickets
Ahhhh, Priscilla Ahn. It seems almost serendipitous that her name is relaxing to say. Her lyrics are stunning, and her voice makes me sleepy. But enough lazing about. I need to fight the urge to close my eyes as I type this, because she is playing in the background and it’s like I just finished Thanksgiving dinner. I wish I could stay awake long enough to appreciate how stellar Priscilla Ahn really is, because she’s incredible. (I will try, for the sake of this review.)
Odds are you’ve heard Priscilla somewhere, even though you may not know it’s her, because she is everywhere. It’s hard to escape this girl. She’s played venues all over Philly, went national on Last Call with Carson Daly (who is a tool), was the sad strumming music on Grey’s Anatomy (twice), opened for Belinda Carlisle and Jason Mraz, is featured in like, every television show and chick movie these days, and very well may be the really amazing background music you hear in an elevator or doctor’s office. Usually, she’s singing and playing her number one standard “Dream” all over the place (from her 2008 debut album, A Good Day), but Priscilla could sing the phone book (literally open the phone book and sing the names and numbers) and make it sound entrancing, funky, and gorgeous. It would sound better than my best day yodeling in the shower. Not only that, but Priscilla can do that play-five-instruments-while-I-sing thing, a la Bob Dylan. I can’t even read and walk at the same time. So yeah, she’s writes her own music, and sings amazing, and plays her own instruments. Whatever, I don’t care. She’s probably incredible live, because like all other solo female vocalists (read: Feist, Regina Spektor, Imogen Heap), the gods speak through her, and she’ll be all lilting, flutey, ruminative, wistful, and prophetic. You probably won’t want to miss that when it happens. I would go, but I obviously have envy issues I need to deal with first, after I take my nap.
Saturday, August 22, 2009, 7:30pm
Priscilla Ahn w/ Robert Francis
@ World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St, Philadelphia PA, 19104
215-222-1400
$19 Get Tickets
It's a rare occurance when you come across music that is so unique, you feel any genre-specific description you give it would be innacurate... no matter how much you try to create a genre by the use of hyphenation. Indie-A-Capella-Beatboxing-Synth-Rock, with a theatrical live performacnce? Nope, still doesn't work. Archibald Adams (aka Jeremy Roye) has been a long-time in the making. For the past two years, Roye has been working on this solo project in between playing with his other band (Faster Than the Speed of Light!) and various theatre projects.
His debut album, Anatomic Gun, was officially released last month on Space Cave Records. The album leads off with a track reminicent of what Bobby McFerrin might sound like after taking a few shots of whiskey, meeting a group of hipsters at the Barbary, and starting an indie-rock band. If that's not enough to pique your interest, the remaining eight songs on Anatomic Gun have something for everyone: synthesizers, a 10-piece choir, saxophones, 808 beats, pianos and layered vocals, creating a wall of sound during some of the high points on the album. I hear his live performance is just as unpredictable as his album, which is a good thing in an age when many indie bands fall back on clichés, predictable dance beats and oftentimes an off-the-wall choice in wardrobe (meant to be ironic of course!) Then again, if you check out pictures of him on MySpace, it looks like he performs in a pair of short-shorts. And who doesn't like a good pair of short-shorts?
For fans of: Old school synth beats. Bobby McFerrin. Vocal-centric pop songs.
No Mas Bodas w/ Chang Chang and Archibald Adams
Thursday, August 13, 2009
MRoom, 15 W Girard Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19123
215-739-5577
On August 29, Mike Pinto will be playing his homecoming show at the North Star Bar. For an artist who continues to build his career, this is the perfect venue for his return. The North Star has been host to both emerging local bands and national touring acts with major label support and thousands of fans of live music in philadelphia. One could say Mike Pinto falls somewhere in between. His blend of reggae, ska, surf and rock has allowed him to share both stage and studio with horn players from Slightly Stoopid and John Brown's Body, as well as famed drummer Chuck Treece (G Love, Bad Brains). It's no surprise when he says Sublime's, 40 Oz. To Freedom served as the soundtrack to the majority of his adolescence (he claims he blew out his voice singing along to the album every chance he got). He even goes as far as saying, "without Bradly Nowell, there would be no Mike Pinto as an artist." Along with the more obvious influences like Bob Marley and Sublime, Mike Pinto claims he's always been a fan of songwriters like Johnny Cash, John Lennon and Ray Charles.
It's been four years since Pinto released his debut full-length album, Little District, while living in Philly. Since then, he has moved to Southern California, an environment sure to inpire and nurture his talent. He has spent the past few years playing a countless number of shows all over the world, recording a follow up self-titled album and receiving some decent radio airplay in the process. In a city flooded with talented indie rock, hip-hop and R&B groups, Mike Pinto might be the perfect alternative for your Summer weekend.
For fans of: Sublime, G Love, King Chango
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Mike Pinto w/ Ballyhoo, Case of the Mondays, & The Groovement
North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St, Philadelphia, PA 19130
Tickets
Moral support from her father (legendary singer/songwriter/pianist Billy Joel) aside, Alexa Ray Joel has never been one to ride on anyone’s coattails. Since self-releasing her first EP in 2006, Alexa Ray Joel has embraced a DIY ethic and an almost old-fashioned musical aesthetic where everything flows from a well-written song, backed by a pitch-perfect and powerful voice. Without any label support or team of handlers, Alexa writes all of her own music, books her own shows and takes charge of any decisions affecting her career. She is an authentic artist with a distinct vision who is dedicated to being a live performer while having as much interaction with her fans as possible.
“For my own music,” Alexa states, “I want a sound that’s unique but accessible, because that’s what I grew up with. For the most part, I call what I’m doing ‘Pop/Soul Blues’ with a little bit of jazz. It’s a classic pop style very influenced by my father, Ray Charles, Norah Jones and Billie Holiday. I think that my dad has more of that Rock & Roll sensibility and somehow I’ve got a lot more jazz/blues and a touch of gospel in me. It is an eclectic conglomerate of influences, because I still listen to a ton of classic rock as much as I listen to Billie and Etta James.” Her songwriting process is also very organic. “Some of my strongest material comes from hearing it all in my head first, and then working it out at the piano,” says Alexa. “It’s never about, ‘this riff came out of nowhere’ or ‘listen to this groove.’ It’s always coming from a very deep, emotional place and it’s really important to me that the melodies be memorable.”
Alexa Ray Joel
Friday, August 21, 2009
Tin Angel, 20 S. 2nd St, Philadelphia PA, 19106
215-928-0770
7:30 pm
$12
The Noisettes are a perfect example of why Bits & Watts works. They are an indie rock band from London – they're big in the UK. Plus, they've toured the U.S. with well-known bands, they landed at least one song in a car commercial, and they had a song on the season finale of the Sopranos. Yet, somehow, over here at the rock we live under, we had no idea who they were when they popped up on the MRoom's calendar. But turns out we should have exclaimed, "What!? the Noisettes at the F'in MRoom! It's like walking distance from where I keep my socks!"
Luckily for my social calendar, I heard some tunes via Bits & Watts - mild interest followed. I clicked a few links and checked out the video on MySpace – the Noisettes started to grow on me. I sent a link to my cubicle neighbor, they started to grow on him too. And, now our whole cubicle block is headed to the MRoom on August 11, 2009, to see what the Noisettes bring to a live stage.
There are actually some noteworthy facts (e.g., new record), but you can read about that kind of stuff at www.thenoisettes.com.
Noisettes w/ Phantogram
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
MRoom, 15 W Girard Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19123
215-739-5577
9:00 pm
$12
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