Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice has announced a spring tour that brings him to the Academy of Music on April 8th. Rice, whose songs “Cannonball” and “Volcano” made appearances on the inaugural 885 All Time Greatest Songs Countdown in 2004, releases his third studio record My Favorite Faded Fantasy today.
After a few years pursuing solo projects from books to Black Prairie, Portland-based indie-folk favorites The Decemberists are re-emerging next year with a new album and a U.S. tour. They play Philadelphia on April 7th, and tickets are on sale this week. Continue reading →
Neil Young transformed the splendor of the Academy of Music into a lively space of reminiscing and activism for his first of two sold out solo nights on Wednesday. The passion, the voice and the sound of Young at 68 is an exhilarating spectacle for the ears and the mind. And for two and a half hours, the Philadelphia crowd was in musical ecstasy. Continue reading →
Singer, songwriter, guitarist and rock and roll legend Neil Young begins a two night solo acoustic stand tonight at the Academy of Music. With so many incredible albums to pull from – and a new record on the way – Young fans can expect both some classics and some surprises tonight and tomorrow night. Recently, he’s been covering Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind,” and Tim Hardin’s “Reason To Believe,” and trotting out some of the old faithful classics from Harvest, After The Goldrush, and some new songs. Here’s five songs we hope he plays while in Philly. We hope he plays all your favorites. Continue reading →
There’s a whole bunch of blissed-out folk to be heard at Johnny Brenda’s tonight as Mount Moriah (from North Carolina) and Blessed Feathers (from Wisconsin) play one of the last shows of their tour together. The two acts are an appropriate pairing; Mount Moriah plays stripped down, rootsy country/gospel that focuses on highlighting Heather McEntire’s pop croons, while Blessed Feathers play a more updated kind of indie-folk, full of ambient two-part harmonies and driving melodies. The two sounds complement each other very well, and opening act Edison is definitely in the same realm, offering ambient space rock with hints of violin. The 21+ show begins at 8 p.m., tickets and information can be found at the venue’s website. Watch Mount Moriah’s video for “Plane” below.
This winter, country music icon Emmylou Harris and singer-songwriter Rodney Crowell are embarking on their first official collaboration since 1975. On February 26, they will release the album Old Yellow Moon, and will tour in support of it with the Richard Thompson Electric Trio, who also has a new EP titled Electric. The tour comes to Philadelphia on Tuesday, March 26 at the Academy of Music – onsale information will be announced shortly. Below, watch archival video Emmylou and Rodney collaborating on “If I Could Only Win Your Love.”
As we mentioned earlier today, Wye Oak will open for The National and Yo La Tengo at the Academy Of Music tonight and tomorrow night. Below, you can watch the new video for the Baltimore-based duo’s song “Holy Holy,” a sun-soaked, dreamy clip shot in Coney Island that follows the two as they ride roller coasters and swings against a washed out sky. “Holy Holy” is from the band’s latest album Civilian, which came out this spring. Wye Oak performs with The National and Yo La Tengo at 7 p.m. Wednesday, September 7th, and Thurday, September 8th, at the Academy Of Music; tickets to the all-ages shows are $39.50.
Wye Oak – Holy Holy from Merge Records on Vimeo.
The National has been around for more than a decade—a lifetime by indie buzzband standards—but it continues to put out solid records. The Brooklyn-based quintet’s latest, 2010′s High Violet, proves that the band is still relevant, and at the top of its game. The album features collaborations with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and Sufjan Stevens; it’s a more polished, lavish rendition of The National’s particular brand of alt rock. Philadelphia is in for a special stop on the band’s fall tour: It will perform not one but two shows, both of which are with Yo La Tengo and Wye Oak. The National performs with Yo La Tengo and Wye Oak at 7 p.m. Wednesday, September 7th, and Thurday, September 8th, at the Academy Of Music; tickets to the all-ages shows are $39.50.
Photo by Chris Park
Given Arcade Fire’s recent Grammy Award for Album Of The Year, should fans of Broken Records stop railing against the “Scottish Arcade Fire” tag the Edinburgh-based indie-folk act has been saddled with and simply embrace it? (So what if the comparison is a stretch at best, and conjured up by lazy music journalists who are too busy trying to find Tomorrow’s Next Big Internet Band to bother accurately describing the bands of today?) Hey, if it increases Broken Records’ chances of achieving Arcade-Fire levels of success, we doubt the band will have any complaints. Broken Records performs with U.S. Royalty and Gunfight! at 8 p.m. at North Star Bar; tickets to the 21+ show are $12.
Also playing: John Mellencamp performs at 7 p.m. at the Academy Of Music ($48.50–$130); a screening of Kurt Markus’ documentary It’s About You, which follows the creation of Mellencamp’s 2010 album No Better Than This, will precede the performance.
