Following up his Siddiqah EP from May, local singer-songwriter Andrew Lipke has shared a new song with us called “Ascetic Blues.” The track comes as a preview of Lipke’s next full-length Songs from Siddhartha (with an expected release in the spring) and showcases Lipke’s knack for creating orchestral rock pieces that still feel intimate. “Ascetic Blues” is available as a free download on Lipke’s Soundcloud and Bandcamp through the end of the year. He’ll be performing at The Tin Angel this Friday, December 21st for the Winter Solstice Concert with Gillian Grassie; tickets and information are available here. Stream the new song below.
Photo by Theresa McCullough | tresmackproductions.tumblr.com
To celebrate its one-year anniversary, Fishtown recording studio Boom Room has booked a monster of a show. Headlined by hip hop group Camp Lo, The W.E. featuring R&B singer Jaguar Wright, psych-jazz trio Grimace Federation and Kuf Knotz, the event will have an outdoor stage, an indoor dance party and an after party. Complementary food and beverages will be provided by Vitamin Water, Pabst Blue Ribbon and the Local 215 food truck so really, you have no excuse to not dance your feet off. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased here for the 21+ party, which kicks off at 1:00 p.m. Below, watch a promo video for Boom Room Studios.
On Saturday night Andrew Lipke played an intimate show at Christ Church in Riverton, N.J. with his string section, The Azreal Quartet. They played selections from Lipke’s 2011 album The Plague, as well as his current EP Siddiqah. Check out a photo recap of the evening in the gallery above.
Saturday was a huge day at the 51st Annual Philadelphia Folk Festival, kicking off with a WXPN Philly Local Showcase, continuing through a Steve Earle / Lucinda Williams collaboration and peaking with a rousing set by Little Feat. Check out a photo recap in the gallery above.
Every year, the Saturday concerts at Philadelphia Folk Fest get moving with Helen Leicht’s Philly Local Showcase on the festival’s Camp Stage. This year’s lineup spans styles from soul to chamber rock, kicking off with Aaron and the Spell at 11:00, continuing with Carsie Blanton at 11:45, Harper Blynn at 12:30 and Andrew Lipke at 1:15. Today, Helen gives us a look at the homegrown talent she has in store.
Aaron and the Spell is the impressive acoustic soul project of Harrisburg’s Aaron Brown, an emerging songwriter who in the past has dabbled in punk rock and (in high school) jazz music. His songs are neither punk nor jazz and that’s totally fine, since his singing voice is warm and welcoming, styled after Otis Redding and Sam Cooke. “As soon as I heard him sing, I said ‘wow!’” says Helen. “At our Philly Local showcase, I try to feature different styles of music, and he’s a great representation of soul music, the soul sound of Philly. Plus, his cover of ‘Purple Rain’ blew me away. When I heard him do it, I said ‘seriously, this guy is for real.’” Aaron and the Spell will be featured in tomorrow’s Key Studio Session, and you’ll be able to hear the tracks debut on tonight on the Philly Local Hour on 88.5 FM. Below, check out a recording of Brown singing “God Bless America” at Citizens’ Bank Park for a Phillies game.
UPDATE: The show has been postponed due to the potential rain, rescheduled date TBA.
Poster designed by Ryan Psota
Local singer-songwriters Dani Mari and Reverend TJ McGlinchey have teamed up to host a monthly concert series in a popular South Philly park this summer. The FDR Park Summer Series kicked off on June 8th with performances by Griz and Kevin Killen, as well as sets from the hosts. The next concert in the series is this Friday featuring Toy Soldiers and Thom McCarthy. I sat down with Dani Mari and Reverend TJ McGlinchey to chat about the FDR Park Summer Series, what they’ve been up to, their new band, Lovers League, and the pair recorded a couple of acoustic songs for us.
McGlinchey and Mari first met about seven years ago through the local open mic scene and reconnected in 2010 when Mari was the featured artist for Hezekiah Jones‘ open mic at JD Mc Gillicuddy’s in Ardmore. Since then, the pair have collaborated on recordings and performances: McGlinchey had Mari open for his CD release show at World Cafe Live in January. Now, in addition to hosting the FDR Park Summer Series, they are getting ready to record an album for their band, Lovers League.
Mari explains how the FDR Park Summer Series came about when she met Greg Jacovini, a member of the FDR Park Board. “He mentioned that they’re looking to have more live music there. I told him I had hosted a couple of festivals on the roof of Whole Foods a couple years ago. We were talking about it back and forth and finally decided to move forward and try to put something together for the summer.” They decided to put on a show once a month in the park. Mari contacted McGlinchey to co-host the concert series with her and he brought in his connections.
“Both my brothers are audio engineers,” he explained. “So it was easy to get sound. My little brother is doing the sound for it and bringing the PA. And just hanging out in the Philly scene I got to know some of the better musicians and had some connections to use there to get some good headliners.”
When asked about the vibe they were going for, McGlinchey laughed and responded, “Not heavy metal.” Continue reading →
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10th
The members of Dum Dum Girls have always dressed to impress. Since hitting the scene with its debut album, I Will Be, in 2010, the ’60s-inspired quartet is almost always found clad in matching black nylons, red lipstick, and heavy eye makeup, hiding behind a veil of thick, glossy bangs. Though the ladies have always looked quite mature, their second album, last year’s Only In Dreams, carries a sound that has finally caught up with the group’s aesthetic. Though still creating a nice balance between beachy grooves and low-fi subtleties, the group’s latest batch of songs sounds less like adolescent heart doodles and more like someone who’s mastered the complexities of The Bell Jar. Born in the wake of lead singer Dee Dee’s mother’s lost battle to cancer, Only In Dreams strays from the typical boy-crazy narratives and instead acts as a cathartic confession of insomnia, restlessness, and change. Dum Dum Girls performs with Veronica Falls at 9 p.m. at Voyeur; tickets to the 21+ show are $15. —Marielle Mondon
Also Playing: This Will Destroy You + Mountains, Amen Dunes, Power Animal at First Unitarian Church (8 p.m., all ages, $12); Ryan Cabrera + Jennings at Tin Angel (10:30 p.m., all ages, $15); Vintage Kicks + Clone Justice, Bulletproof Tigers at Milkboy Philly (9:30 p.m., 21+, $8–$10)
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11th
Andrew Lipke performs with Exit Clov and Marc Silver at 9:30 p.m. at Milkboy Philly; tickets to the 21+ show are $10–$12.
Also Playing: Umphrey’s McGee + Work Drugs at Electric Factory (8:30 p.m., all ages, $25); The Summer Set + The Cab, He Is We, Days Difference, Paradise Fears at Union Transfer (6:30 p.m., all ages, $15); Man The Fire + Scoop The Freak, The Naked Sun at North Star Bar (9 p.m., 21+, $7–$9)
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12th
Woollen Kits + Pet Milk at The Level Room (9 p.m., 21+, $7); Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe Presents The Rolling Stones “Sticky Fingers” at Union Transfer (8 p.m., all ages, $20)
Following up his Siddiqah EP from May, local singer-songwriter Andrew Lipke has shared a new song with us called “Ascetic Blues.” The track comes as a preview of Lipke’s next full-length Songs from Siddhartha (with an expected release in the spring) and showcases Lipke’s knack for creating orchestral rock pieces that still feel intimate. “Ascetic Blues” is available as a free download on Lipke’s Soundcloud and Bandcamp through the end of the year. He’ll be performing at The Tin Angel this Friday, December 21st for the Winter Solstice Concert with Gillian Grassie; tickets and information are available here. Stream the new song below.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10th