New York indie band The Shacks stopped by for WXPN’s Free At Noon concert today, and their performance was mesmerizing. Right off the bat, the first thing I noticed when I was walking in, was 19-year-old lead singer Shannon Wise’s voice. I stopped midway through the entrance and actually blocked everyone behind me from getting in. Instantly, I was sent into a dream-like state where I felt like I was floating on a cloud with the sun softly hitting my face. Continue reading →
Max Shrager and Shannon Wise are The Shacks, a duo from New York, who formed in 2014. They recently released their debut album, Haze, and play WXPN’s Free At Noon, this Friday, April 13th. Continue reading →
On Sunday night, Theatre of Living Arts welcomed Chicano Batman for a night of psychedelic, soulful grooves. I’ve had my eye on this show for a while now, and finally seeing them live completely changed my perspective on their music. I really understand what all the hype is about, because these guys are fun, and I’m happy I had the chance to check them out in person. Continue reading →
Lo Moon | SXSW Public Radio Day Stage | Photo by Gus Philippas | Courtsey of WFUV
SXSW, the annual music festival in Austin, Texas wrapped up Sunday. Philly was repped with performances throughout the week by Queen Of Jeans, Hop Along, Ron Gallo, and others, as well as WXPN’s presence at several events. Continue reading →
Heading down to Austin, TX for SXSW next week? Even if you weren’t planning on going, this news might make you want to pack your bags and plan an escape route out of snowy Philly (Austin’s only 1,600 miles away, after all).
There’s never a shortage of events to attend, bands to see, or tacos to eat at the annual mega-conference-slash-festival, but this year NPR Music, in collaboration with several member stations including XPN, has put together something truly special. Public radio showcases will be happening throughout the week at locations all over Austin, with some individual stations hosting their own shows, but the stations come together on Wednesday, March 14 for NPR Music’s Public Radio Showcase at the famous Stubb’s BBQ. Continue reading →
L-R, Top To Bottom: Air Credits, Bedouine, Brent Cowles, George Li, Gracie and Rachel, Haley Heynderickx, Hello June, Hembree, The Hogan Brothers, Jade Bird, Knox Fortune, Lawrence Rothman, Liz Brasher, McKinley Dixon, Mt. Joy, Phoebe Bridgers, The Shacks, Sidney Gish, Thunderpussy, WebsterX – The #NPRSlingshot Class of 2018 | via NPR Music
After an introductory year introducing Big Thief, Jamila Woods, and Lo Moon to listeners across the country, public radio’s emerging artist spotlight Slingshot returns for a second year — and a seven-fold increase in artists.
Some of the class of 2018 will be familiar to savvy listeners of XPN — like Bedouine, who recently appeared on World Cafe, or Phoebe Bridgers, who was an XPN Artist to Watch (and who appeared onstage with Conor Oberst at XPNFest). Many of them will be new — and that’s the whole point of Slingshot. Continue reading →
Before the weather gets cold, spoken-word artist Ursula Rucker closes out Germantown Kitchen Garden’s Golden Hour Concert Series tonight with an intimate outdoor performance. The Philly native’s latest project is one-woman show My Father’s Daughter, to be staged in New York this month. Ivy Sole and Osiris Wildfire are also playing, and the event features a potluck dinner before the music starts. Find more information on the XPN Concert Calendar. Continue reading →
Local indie rockers Church Girls make a stop at Ortlieb’s for a fantastic gig with The National Reserve and Tinnarose. Think if Franke Cosmos decided to expand her haiku-like sound with some dirtier guitars, and you end up with some lovely post-punk. The gig is 21+, and more information/tickets can be found on the XPN Concert Calendar. Continue reading →
The members of The Builders And The Butchers are all originally from Alaska, which might help explain their bleak and rustic take on the rest of America. Their music videos are set in 19th-century Southwestern mountain shacks. Houses are axed or burned down; characters are knifed or roped to trees. Their harsh, nasal choruses (which sound strikingly similar to those of their fellow Alaskans and former tourmates, Portugal. The Man) tell Cormac McCarthy-esque tales of extreme frontiersmen. Lead singer Ryan Sollee sings violent campfire stories over the sparse acoustic (and, more recently, electric) guitar lines. And the dueling drummers—one with the kick drum, the other with the snare—create a bipolar sound, perhaps drawn from the extremes of their far-northern home. The Builders And The Butchers perform with Damion Suomi And The Minor Prophets and Katie Barbato at 7 p.m. at North Star Bar; tickets to the all-ages show are $12. —Dave Simpson
Also playing: The Grand Nationals + North Lawrence Midnight Singers, When I Was 12 at World Cafe Live (8 p.m., $7); Acid Mothers Temple + Shilpa Ray And Her Happy Hookers at Johnny Brenda’s (9 p.m., 21+, $12-$13)
