70s inspired Nashville rockers Savoy Motel come to Philly for a show at The Pharmacy this Thursday, June 16th. The band is starting to get some attention beyond their hometown, due in part to them getting the highly coveted New Band of the Week acclaim by The Guardian. Continue reading →
Bay area noir rocker Luis Vasquez, aka The Soft Moon, has been making moody, evocative music recalling Joy Division, Cabaret Voltaire and early 80s Cure for a half dozen years. Last March, he released the band’s third LP, Deeper, via Captured Tracks records. Watch the frenetic music video for “Far” below and get tickets and more information on tonight’s show at the XPN Concert Calendar. Continue reading →
Coming off their late-summer tour of the Northeast and Midwest, Louie Louie are back in Philly for a show tonight at Ortlieb’s. The lo-fi four-piece released their pyschedelic pop debut, “Out in the Streets,” back in July along with a b-side entitled “Miles Around.” If you missed Louie Louie at Johnny Brenda’s in August, you won’t want to miss them tonight at Ortlieb’s. Get more show info at the XPN Concert Calendar, and listen to “Out in the Streets” below. Continue reading →
New Brunswick rock mainstays Screaming Females will play Union Transfer tonight in support of this year’s Rose Mountain LP. They released a new video for opening track “Empty Head” last month, which follows a cast of paper cutout creatures around an industrial city. Watch it below and pick up tickets for the all-ages show with Vacation, Radiator Hospital and Pinkwash here. Listen back to Screaming Females’ Key Studio Session from last week here.
As their name suggests, newly-formed local band Louie Louie are influenced by the varied and dynamic sounds of the sixties. Their first effort, a debut single called “Out In the Streets,” is out this week and is accompanied by a release show at Johnny Brenda’s this Thursday, July 23rd with Myrrias.
Here’s a quick rundown of day two of the Firefly Music Festival. While there were over thirty bands on the schdedule on Friday, the big hits of the day were Twenty One Pilots — whose fans are the hypest people at the festival by far — and Judah & The Lion, who opened the main stage in the afternoon. Judah & The Lion joined Twenty One Pilots during their set to cover “Tubthumping” by Chumbawumba and “Jump Around” by House of Pain and the world exploded.
Sofi Tukker was the best set I saw today. The Brooklyn based duo – Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern – played very interactive dance rock with touches of South American percussion. Maggie Rogers came onstage to join in on a song with them. Banks was stunning; and her haunting performance was marked with beautiful sound, choreography, and a lot of awesome weirdness. Franz Ferdinand DJ’d Euro pop on the Treehouse Stage after their main stage set; and Louie Louie performed on the Campground Stage. Continue reading →
As any committed concert-goer will tell you, the best music you’ll find at summer festivals is often the stuff you come across far from the maddening crowd. Sets stumbled upon by chance when you’re looking for a spot to stretch out in the shade; artists you’ve never heard of who bowl you over as you’re waiting to catch one of the headliners; a DJ playing on a campground stage in the middle of the night or a band in the same spot come early afternoon.
Delaware’s annual Firefly Music Festival kicks off this Thursday afternoon; as we have said in the past, it is one of the most positive festivalgoing experiences of its scale. The headliners are massive, but quality; the crowds are packed, but comfortable; you’re essentially holed up in a ginormous camp-out for the weekend, but it doesn’t feel like you’re being gouged for cash. It’s a fan-friendly experience, and that extends to the fans who are down for discovering new music, seeing new performers for the first time.
“I can’t believe ‘Purple Rain’ was NOT a number one hit song.”
“You mean “Born To Be Wild” by Steppenwolf was only number two on the charts?”
These were just a couple of the many listener comments and reactions to yesterday’s edition of WXPN’s Throwback Thursday, songs that peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Continue reading →
On the first 2017 collection of standout performances from The Key Studio Sessions, Philly artists stretch out.
Three Man Cannon explores measured avenues and alleys of indie rock groove for six minutes on “Pushing People.” Mars Parker runs a five minute sprint to the trancey hip-hop / R&B tones of “Little Red Corvette.” Long-running Philly / Brooklyn experimental pop outfit Cuddle Magic delivers a vibrant epic in “The First Hippie on the Moon, Parts 1 & 2.” And far-reaching instrumentals are rocked by raw power metal trio Stinking Lizaveta and forward-thing jazz ensemble Vince Tampio Quintet.
That’s not to say The Key Studio Sessions Volume 19, available for streaming and free downloading today, consists solely of slow burners. You’ll hear spirited retro rock by Louie Louie, hooky punk from Eight and swift electropop care of Camp Candle. Long running Philly faves Creepoid check in with a searing new heavy psych jam, PINKWASH rages for three minutes of cathartic thrash and Shannen Moser closes the set with a elegant and direct folk song.
And, as usual, that’s just scratching the surface. Continue reading →
Geisha Facade were one of the local groups we spotted on Bandcamp in round four of our Items Tagged Philadelphia feature, the home-recorded psych haze of their debut LP You Went To Space, Good Bye Dear standing out from the crowd with a multitude of textures and vibes. Catch the duo at Boot & Saddle tonight; tickets and information for the 21+ show can be found here. Stream “Krime” below.
