Philly vocal and guitar duo Bethlehem and Sad Patrick are back with a heartfelt new album called Love and Other Struggles. The local pair use minimalism to their advantage, crafting delicate and thoughtful songs about everything from love to life in the city to the fight against racism and intolerance with a gentle poetic edge. Continue reading →
If you’re in search of evidence that the Philly open mic scene is very much thriving, look no further than Bethlehem and Sad Patrick.
The local duo blends the focused minimalism and poetic lyrics of folk tradition with simmering, freewheeling jazz and blues — slick guitars, soaring vocals, nuanced melodies. And it all came together by chance.
A few years back, Patrick Arkins was running an open mic at what is now Malelani Cafe in Germantown, when Bethlehem Roberson stopped by one night to sing with her family. Arkins was blown away, and when he saw her returning to the series on the regular to perform, he approached her with the idea of singing one of his songs.
This led to her singing more of his songs, which led to Bethlehem and Sad Patrick’s first home-recorded EP release in 2012. Continue reading →
Bethlehem Roberson and “Sad Patrick” Arkins have made a splash on the Philly folk community over the past year with a knockout combination of soaring vocal melodies infused with slick guitar licks and a completive, simmering pace. The band’s Did You Ever Do came out last year, and it’s a polished set showcasing their skill in the studio realm. But it’s honestly best in person, with solitary guitar, hand percussion and vocals. Tonight you can catch them at Boot and Saddle, opening for The Bones of J.R. Jones. Tickets and more information can be found at the XPN Concert Calendar. Continue reading →
As the 58th annual Philadelphia Folk Festival grows nearer, the lineup continues to expand as side stage showcases, workshops, and other features are rolled out. These artists join previously-announced headliners David Crosby, Margo Price, and more.
On Saturday afternoon, WXPN’s Helen Leicht hosts her annual Philly Local showcase on the festival’s camp stage. Artists hand-picked by Leicht from the Philadelphia region will include singer-songwriter Blair Bodine, Americana outfit Jackson Pines, electronic pop trio Great Time, and rock band The End of America. Continue reading →
As the 57th annual Philadelphia Folk Festival finalizes its lineup, over 30 local and regional artists were added to the bill, among them Bethlehem & Sad Patrick, deer scout, Deb Callahan, The Naked Sun and Tin Bird Choir. Continue reading →
No matter if you spent it out in the streets at the May Day protest or circling a Maypole or just soaking up all that sunshine, I hope you had a wonderful beginning of the month. It’s finally spring, so slap on some shorts, ride that bike you’ve been neglecting all winter, and get your butt to the gig.
You can start tonight. There are not one but two truly excellent shows happening and if you time it correctly you can go to both! Continue reading →
For those of you who don’t know about NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, you may want to head over to their site and root through their enormous and equally impressive archive. Their 15-minute videos feature live performances from artists of all genres held in the quaint offices of NPR at All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen’s desk.
Ranging from big names like Adele and Alt-J to up-and-coming artists such as Angel Olsen and Rubblebucket, viewers are able to watch the artists perform in the intimate setting, giving the performances a stripped-down, no B.S. vibe. While these videos are ultra fun to watch (perhaps continuously, one after another…), NPR kept things interesting this winter by kicking off a contest to feature a new artist in their series.
Based entirely off of video submissions from all over the United States, an artist will be chosen to perform a Tiny Desk Concert at NPR headquarters in Washington D.C. as well as snag a slot in the big Lagunitas Couchtrippin’ showcase in Austin, Texas. Philadelphia, brimming with the amazing musical talent that it is, seems to have jumped at this opportunity. Continue reading →
With its array of impressive main stage headliners, intimate side stage workshops, creative crafts around every corner, and a campground that pulses with energy, the Philadelphia Folk Festival is always a whirlwind. Continue reading →
Year-End Mania is the Key’s annual survey of the things below the surface that made 2016 incredible. To kick off the series, Key editor John Vettese recaps six of his favorite Philadelphia music discoveries from the past 12 months.
Ah, Philly. Keep on being awesome. It’s once again time for me to look back and reflect on the past year of music that came out of our community, and once again I’ve had a harder time than ever narrowing it down.
Locally rooted artists are breaking into the broader music conversation, whether they remain at home (Modern Baseball‘s Holy Ghost receiving international acclaim) or venture outward to other cities and scenes (Michelle Zauner’s sometimes-Philly / sometimes-Brooklyn Japanese Breakfast, Ron Gallo and Liz Longley taking up residence in Nashville). More people than ever are moving from other cities to Philly – including The Dove and The Wolf, who got their start in Paris. And as always, artists like Dr. Dog (who released an impressive two albums in 2016), Kurt Vile (who celebrates New Year’s Eve at The Fillmore) and The Roots (still rocking the late night TV party) rep the city on a national scale.
But this post isn’t about that. It’s my annual reflection on artists who I had not heard of prior to this year, who totally bowled me over and made me want to find out everything about them. These are artists that deserve to be one of those high profile artists in coming years. These are my favorite music discoveries of 2016. Continue reading →
On Sunday, October 30th, Germantown will be the center of attention thanks to a new collaborative album recorded in its honor. For the last year, the Philadelphia Jazz Project and Germantown United Community Development Corporation have been working with local musicians to create a sort of musical love letter to their neighborhood called For the Love of Germantown, featuring a collection of original songs and standards performed by over a dozen artists.
