Helen Leicht's Local Pick Of The Day

Every weekday at 1 p.m., Helen Leicht highlights a new song by a local artist during her XPN Middays program (Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.). Tune in (or listen online) to hear today’s pick of the day, as well as plenty of other songs from the many musicians Philadelphia has to offer.

RECENT POSTS

December 7, 2012 | 8:30 AM | By

The 12 Days of Local Christmas: download “It’s A Lousy Day to be Alone” by Nick Frese & Amy Wooden

WXPN’s Twelve Days of Local Christmas continues today with “It’s A Lousy Day To Be Alone,” a song co-written by Nick Frese of the South Jersey band Love Alive and his songwriting partner Amy Wooden. Lead vocals are sung by Wooden, with backup from a children’s choir from the Bunker Hill Middle School in Turnersville, New Jersey. The musicians say the song is “inspired by the changes many people are going through … divorce, death, people relocating for jobs.” Listen to and download the song below, and go here for the complete track listing for the 12 Days of Local Christmas and to download the full compilation.

FILED UNDER: Artists, Downloads, Recordings, Amy Wooden, My Morning Download, Nick Frese, XPN's 12 Days Of Local Christmas
December 23, 2010 | 8:49 AM | By

The Key’s 12 Days Of Christmas: Joe D’Amico’s “I Got You For Christmas”

Joe D'AmicoWell, well, well—look at Joe D’Amico over there. It’s Christmastime, but he doesn’t want the gift of money. He doesn’t want any gift, actually—especially anything that requires his little special someone to go “running around chasin’ all those things that we don’t need.” Why? Because he’s got LOVE—and who needs silly material possessions packaged in goofy wrapping paper and stuck beneath a slowly dying pine tree when you’ve got love in your heart, amirite? Ah yes, such heartwarming selflessness truly is the spirit of Christmas. Well, Joe, it’s really nice of you to wish that all of us lost, lonely souls will also find the same kind of love you have this Christmas. But, you know, a handful of Xbox Live points or a sweet vintage copy of the Return Of The Jedi: Battle At Sarlacc’s Pit board game would go just as far in terms of filling the cold, empty void where our hearts should be. Hell, I’d even settle for a nice pair of Christmas socks.

FILED UNDER: Artists, Downloads, Recordings, Joe D'Amico, The Key's 12 Days Of Christmas
December 22, 2010 | 8:30 AM | By

The Key’s 12 Days Of Christmas: Andrew Lipke’s “Xmas Buddha”

Andrew Lipke

What would Buddha think about Christmas—in particular, the tradition of exchanging expensive material goods with one another to show just how much we care (despite having spent the other 364 days of the year neglecting and arguing with each other)? Probably not much. Andrew Lipke, meanwhile, doesn’t seem sure what he thinks. “Xmas Buddha” features Philly’s favorite piano-pounding singer-songwriter musing over the feelings of “hopeless hopefulness” and “beautiful intentions” the holiday season beats us over the head with. (And when he sings “kill them all with love / kill them all with ornaments,” it’s not clear if that’s what he’s expecting at the Lipke family Christmas later this week, or if he feels that’s something everyone does to one another year after year.) Finally, Lipke asks, “Who’s right? Who’s wrong?”—but the song ends before he has a chance to offer an answer. Andrew Lipke And The Prospects perform with Hezekiah Jones and Chris Kasper at 8 p.m. Wednesday, December 29th, at Sellersville Theater; tickets are $19.50-$29.50.

FILED UNDER: Artists, Downloads, Recordings, Andrew Lipke, The Key's 12 Days Of Christmas
December 21, 2010 | 9:30 AM | By

The Key’s 12 Days Of Christmas: Hiding From Andy’s “Christmas Through My Window”

Hiding From AndyIn the last two weeks or so that we’ve been running our 12 Days Of Christmas series, there’s been a fair share of songs that really bring on the holiday blues. (Ben Arnold’s tale of drunken, sad-sack loneliness on Christmas night, in particular, left us wanting to reach for the bottle as well.) So we thank Hiding From Andy for sending us a song that pretty much features every image of a classic, happy family holiday: a neighborhood lit by sparkling Christmas lights, a party full of old friends, bottles of wine and winter beer, gathering firewood on a snowy night, and a picture-perfect scene of togetherness. (Maybe Hiding From Andy should invite Ben Arnold over.)

FILED UNDER: Artists, Downloads, Recordings, Hiding From Andy, The Key's 12 Days Of Christmas
December 17, 2010 | 9:36 AM | By

The Key’s 12 Days Of Christmas: Madi Diaz’s “Silent Tonight”

Madi DiazThe title of Madi Diaz‘s “Silent Tonight” is every bit as deceiving as the band name itself. Though it suggests a solo singer-songwriter, Madi Diaz is actually the moniker of the Nashville-based indie-folk duo composed of Lancaster, PA-raised Madi Diaz—whom you might remember from her appearance in Don Argott’s 2005 documentary Rock School (about the The Paul Green School of Rock Music, which she attended)—and her mustachioed, guitar-slinging buddy Kyle Ryan. “Silent Tonight,” meanwhile, does borrow a melody or two and some lyrics from the classic Christmas carol “Silent Night”—but it actually has just as much in common with “White Christmas” as it does “Silent Night” (if not more). Consider it a mini-Christmas-song-medley of sorts, with plenty of original material sprinkled in for good measure. That’s a lot of music for a song that’s primarily made up of nothing more than Madi’s voice and a pair of acoustic guitars.

FILED UNDER: Artists, Downloads, Recordings, The Key's 12 Days Of Christmas
December 16, 2010 | 9:00 AM | By

The Key’s 12 Days Of Christmas: Joshua Park’s “Home”

Joshua ParkJoshua Park makes one thing very clear in the song “Home”: Wherever his titular “home” is, the dude really, really wants to go back there. Why? Well, for starters, the weather’s starting to get pretty damn cold—and “home” apparently has good heating (plus a nicely made bed and lots of warm love). More importantly, home is a place where he can leave all his troubles behind; and judging by the song’s lyrics, the local singer-songwriter has a bunch of things weighing heavily on his mind. So much so that he’s “given up,” he “can’t take any more,” his “feet drag the floor,” and his “balance is unsure.” That last bit makes us wonder if he’s currently living in a freezing apartment with sinking floors somewhere in South Philly; if that’s the case, it’s no wonder he wants to return to where he grew up so badly. After all, “home” really does sound like a swell place—a magical wonderland where all of life’s difficulties simply melt away.

Maybe it’s in Gladwyne.

FILED UNDER: Artists, Downloads, Recordings, Joshua Park, The Key's 12 Days Of Christmas
December 15, 2010 | 8:00 AM | By

The Key’s 12 Days Of Christmas: The Roddies’ “Christmas Cheer”

The RoddiesThere’s a lot of peace on earth and good will toward men going on in the Rodowicz household during Christmastime. Not only does the all-in-the-family quartet known as The Roddies comprise three brothers (including a pair of identical twins) AND a cousin, but it’s responsible for “Christmas Cheer”—a holiday tune jinglier than Santa’s sleigh-bell strap and sappier than any Christmas tree. It’s certainly a credit to the fraternal foursome’s ability to work with one another; most bands featuring a pair of siblings (much less, three siblings and a cousin) probably would have torn itself to shreds arguing over who got to play the xylophone. Perhaps the compromise the band worked out during the songwriting process was that vocals, guitar, bass, and xylophone would all play the exact same melody during the final chorus? (Talk about people working in harmony in the City Of Brotherly Love.)

FILED UNDER: Artists, Downloads, Recordings, The Key's 12 Days Of Christmas, The Roddies