In conjunction with Philly Tech Week, WXPN and Little Giant Media present The Intersection of Music and Technology at Underground Arts.  The free event will feature live performances by Lushlife (pictured), Khari Mateen and POW POW (Chris Powell of Man Man), DJ sets by DJ PHSH and Making Time’s Dave Pianka and a panel discussion / Q&A with Questlove and XPN’s Bruce Warren.  More information for free 21+ event can be found here.  Below, watch Lushlife’s video for “Magnolia.”

At World Cafe Live, it’s An Evening with Kaki King.  The guitar virtuoso has embarked on a retrospective tour, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the release of her debut album Everybody Loves You.  Recently, King released Glow, an instrumental record on which she collaborated with string quartet ETHEL.  Tickets and information for tonight’s all-ages show can be found here.  Below, watch her video for “Glow” and revisit her set at the 2012 XPoNential Music Festival via Archive.org here.

Buried Beds headline Kung Fu Necktie tonight with support from Auctioneer and Great American Canyon Band.  Bridging the gap between their most recent release Small Stories and an upcoming as-yet untitled release, local indie pop band Buried Beds have been detailing their recording experience with video clips and updates, including this one in which the members filmed a “huge drums” session.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show can be found here.  Below, watch Auctioneer’s Shaking Through episode.

Shaking Through: Auctioneer from Weathervane Music on Vimeo.

Lincoln, Nebraska native Joshua James performs at the Tin Angel tonight.  The folk singer is touring in support of his 2012 full-length From the Top of Willamette Mountain, an album that deals with James’s interactions with and personal thoughts on religion.  Leaving his farm in Utah to record in Oregon, the LP was co-produced by The Shins’ Richard Swift and borrowed the name of the studio for the album title.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show with Isaac Russell can be found here.  Watch Joshua James’s video for “Queen of the City” below.

Acres of Diamonds play Ortlieb’s Lounge tonight.  The local outfit released the Animal Trust EP in October after recording the three songs at Miner Street Recordings with Jon Low.  The EP followed up their 2010 debut with some great post-punk / pop vibes with vocals that bring to mind Kate Bush or Kim Krans.  On their Bandcamp, Acres of Diamonds professed a desire to release three new songs every six months – we’ll be keeping an ear out for new tracks this month.  Tickets and information for the 21+ show with Bueno and the Goods can be found here.  Below, stream “Blind City” from the EP.

St. James & The Apostles will be at Johnny Brenda’s tonight.  The local acid rock trio have been hitting the stage hard over the last few months with a string of dates that included an appearance at Johnny Brenda’s in February following the band’s Key Studio Session.  The band of cousins released their Baphomet LP last year, which features the song “St. James Infirmary Blues.”  Stream and download the Key Studio Session version of that song below and check out St. James & The Apostles live tonight with The Original Sins, The GTVs and Midwestern Exposure.  Tickets and information can be found here.

• Saint James Infirmary Bluesby Saint James and the Apostles from The Key Studio SessionsDownload

Golden Age reads like a scrapbook in homage to that elusive era that serves as a reference point for how we’d like to remember “the way things used to be”, how they “ought to be”, but probably never really were. The recordings stem from this concept musically, pulling from a vast array of influences, and thematically, swirling around it from all angles with songs of hope and disillusionment, optimism and doubt, nostalgia and anticipation, caution and regret.

Tickets and information for Grandchildren’s 21+ show at Underground Arts on Friday, March 1st with Son Step and Buried Beds can be found here.  Listen to “Sunrise” below.

L.A. band Concrete Blonde play World Cafe Live tonight.  Now in the third era of the outfit’s career, Concrete Blonde was built around singer-songwriter/bassist Johnette Napolitano in 1982.  The alt-rock trio picked up again in 2010 following a couple of breaks and reunions in nineties and early 2000s, though the band’s last studio album was released in 2004.  Tonight, Concrete Blonde perform with Jim Bianco.  Tickets and information for the all-ages show can be found here.  Below, watch video of the title track from Bloodletting.

Philadelphia’s psych-rock project Ape School headlines Kung Fu Necktie tonight.  Led by local multi-instrumentalist Michael Johnson (Lilys, Kurt Vile and more), Ape School released its second LP Junior Violence in August on Hometapes.  Johnson and his band stopped by the station during the release of the record and recorded a Key Studio Session, which you can listen to here.  Joining Ape School tonight are labelmates The Caribbean and Leverage Models.  Tickets and information for the 21+ show can be found here.  Below, watch the video for Ape School’s “Weak in the Teeth.”

XPN welcomes singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin to The Landis Theater in Vineland, NJ tonight.  Colvin released her latest disc All Fall Down earlier this year, recorded in Nashville with Buddy Miller and a number of musician friends including Jakob Dylan and Parry Griffin.  All Fall Down is the first album from the Grammy Award-winning musician since 2006′s These Four Walls.  Shawn Colvin comes to The Landis Theater tonight with local duo The Royal You.  Tickets and information for the all-ages show can be found here.  Below, watch the video for Shawn Colvin’s “All Fall Down.”

XPN welcomes Jane Siberry to the Arden Gild Hall in Arden, DE.  The Canadian singer found success with her 1984 song “Mimi on the Beach,” positioning the performance artist to reach gold status with the follow-up The Speckless Sky.  Following a string of years performing and recording as Issa, Siberry is back in support of her 2011 record Meshach Dreams Back, the final installment in her “Three Queens Trilogy.”  Tickets and information for tonight’s all-ages show can be found here.  Below, watch Jane Siberry’s 1985 video for “One More Colour.”

• Wolves (Phosphorescent cover)by Strand of Oaks, from The Key Studio Sessions archivesDownload

• Saint John'sby Little Big League, from The Key Studio Sessions archivesDownload

Key Studio Sessions #8 – Buried Beds from WXPN FM on Vimeo.

The Key: Why did you decide to start Loves Local Music?

Monika Julien: Being a musician and having played in bands, I know how difficult it is to get people to come to your shows, buy your records, and even just listen to your music. Today, bands have to get creative about how to promote their music – it’s not always as easy as putting your songs on the internet. Musicians are creative by nature, but I believe a great businessperson is equally as creative. I’m looking forward to using Loves Local Music as a platform to take an artistic and innovative approach to business and promotions for musicians. I have had the opportunity to meet people across the country that have launched local music initiatives in their cities, and because Philadelphia is so community-driven, I felt that bringing together the local music scene and local businesses is something that this city would totally embrace. And it is! I have been inspired by people who have taken a proactive role in promoting local culture and unifying their community, and I hope Loves Local Music inspires others in the same way.

TK: Broadly, what’s the mission of Loves Local Music?

MJ: The primary mission of Loves Local Music is to build relationships with musicians, artists, businesses, innovators, and other visionaries to organize creative events that give local Philadelphia musicians more exposure, bring awareness to Philadelphia’s local music scene, and make local music more accessible to the community.

TK: Philadelphia Local Music Day is on May 12th. This is the first “activity” you guys are doing. What other things do you have planned?

MJ: There are already plans to make Philadelphia Local Music Day an event that occurs multiple times a year, each time featuring new musicians and some new surprises. There are also ideas in the works for a few other events that will give musicians the opportunity to gain exposure in some unique ways. You will hear about them soon.

TK: What would you consider to be a successful outcome of the first Loves Local Music day?

MJ: If one person comes away from Philadelphia Local Music Day and learns about a local band that they have never heard of before, I consider this event a success. My goal is to make people aware of Philadelphia’s music scene – especially people who may not be able to attend a late-night rock show or may not know how to access information on local Philadelphia musicians. I really want people to come away from Philadelphia Local Music Day and remember the local bands being featured for the event. In an effort to make this happen, each of the participating locations will be giving download cards with a song from each of the featured bands to their customers. People will be able take a piece of Philadelphia Local Music Day home with them! My hope is that this encourages people to further explore the featured bands’ music and inspires people to want to know more about Philadelphia’s local music scene.

TK: You’ve been involved in the local music scene for the last several years; what do you like about it?

MJ: First and foremost, the music! Honestly, there wouldn’t be Loves Local Music or Philadelphia Local Music Day if this city wasn’t full of amazing musical talent. On a personal level, most of my best memories in Philadelphia involve playing shows and going to shows, working with local bands and seeing them grow. Loves Local Music is definitely a vehicle for me to tell the world how great Philadelphia’s musicians are and bring attention to the city’s local music scene. I also love the sense of community and collaboration within Philadelphia’s music scene. Of course there are amazing bands, but there are also visual artists, graphic designers, videographers, promoters, venues, bloggers, radio stations, record stores, even the people that are willing to host shows in their basements all working together to help the Philadelphia local music scene thrive.  We couldn’t do it without each other. It’s the DIT ethic – “Do It Together.” While Loves Local Music is primarily focused on promoting musicians, I also hope that an event like Philadelphia Local Music Day encourages people to support the city’s local economy; Philadelphia is home to so many amazing local businesses as well as musicians. I’m trying to bring them all together.

You might recognize the above Star Wars-reading fellow as Greg Jehenian, the convivial bassist we met in two of our Key Studio VIDEO Sessions: mewithoutYou‘s and Buried Beds‘. When he’s not busy with either of those acts, Jehenian also makes thoughtful, home-spun indie rock under the name Geology, and just last week released his latest EP, The Neighboring Sea. You can stream the percussive title track below, download the entire thing at Bandcamp, and keep tabs on Geology’s Facebook page for news of one of Jehenian’s irregularly scheduled live appearances.

From the folks at LLM:

On Saturday, May 12, 2012 Loves Local Music is proud to present the inaugural Philadelphia Local Music Day, featuring the music recordings of Work Drugs, Buried Beds, The Extraordinaires, Cheers Elephant, and Bandname. On Philadelphia Local Music Day, local businesses throughout Philadelphia will be playing the recordings of the five featured local bands in their establishments for one full workday. Philadelphia Local Music Day aims to bring awareness to Philadelphia’s vibrant, talented arts community and encourage Philadelphians to support the city’s local culture and economy.

Businesses throughout Philadelphia will be playing the music recordings of the featured local bands in their stores on Philadelphia Local Music Day, including Federal Donuts, Honey’s Sit ‘n Eat, Johnny Brenda’s, The Abbaye, Honest Tom’s Taco Shop, The Marvelous! Music Record Store, Rocket Cat Café, Trophy Bikes North, Lola Bean, Ultimo Coffee, Green Aisle Grocery, Repo Records, Smak Parlor, and Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.

You can find more information at the Loves Local Music website.

Watch Buried Beds’ Key Studio VIDEO Session
Listen to Works Drugs’ Key Studio Session
Listen to Cheers Elephant’s Key Studio Session

Photo by Madeleine Lesperance

This month’s Key Studio VIDEO Session spotlights Buried Beds, a staple of West Philadelphia’s indie-rock community fronted by singer-songwriters Brandon Beaver and Eliza Jones. In our interview, Beaver and Jones tell us about the friendship that led them on a journey from folk duo to rock ensemble. They also discuss their fondness for meticulous, challenging, prog-rock style playing, and perform three songs from their new Small Stories EP. Watch the video below, and download a track from Small Stories here.

Key Studio Sessions #8 – Buried Beds from WXPN FM on Vimeo.

Islands

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24
Islands‘ fans were shown some love on Valentine’s Day with the release of the Canadian indie-rock band’s latest full-length album, A Sleep & A Forgetting. Yet blissful romance is hardly the album’s focal point: it was written following the end of frontman Nick Thorburn’s thorny relationship. One of the album’s earlier tracks, “This Is Not A Song,” is a somber telling of the past, and is indicative of most of the album’s tone. Not much has changed, however; we’re still graced with the same enchanting vocal harmonies and dreamy piano-pop feel. Due to popular demand, a second Philadelphia performance was added to the tour—and, with both shows now sold out, the men of Islands should be feeling plenty of love. Islands performs with Idiot Glee at 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. at First Unitarian Church; tickets to the all-ages shows are SOLD OUT. —Lisa Henderson

Also Playing: 1964 The Tribute at Keswick Theatre (8 p.m., all ages, $35-$40); Galactic + The Soul Rebels Brass Band at Union Transfer (9 p.m., all ages, $25); Zee Avi + Geology at Milkboy Philly (9:30 p .m., 21+, $12–$14)

NOTE: The The Twilight Sad + Forest Fire and Micah P. Hinson show at Johnny Brenda’s has been CANCELED.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25th
Buried Beds is no stranger to the local music scene. In fact, the band has been around for quite a while, having received recognition as “Best Band” in Philadelphia Magazine’s “Best of Philly” issue all the way back in 2004. The band has always had a knack for switching things up, whether it’s alternating male and female leads on vocals or adding a whopping six members to its live orchestral ensemble (complete with piano and strings). More recently, the band has made guest appearances on albums by other local artists such as mewithoutYou and Dr. Dog. Perhaps, as Buried Beds continues to slowly but surely gain the recognition it deserves in Philly, it will eventually start turning some heads outside of its hometown. Buried Beds performs with The Spinto Band and The Building at 9:15 p.m. at Johnny Brenda’s; tickets to the 21+ show are $10. —Lisa Henderson

Slutever, Little Big League, Dear Althea, and Mannequin Pussy: four bands on the same bill at Kung Fu Necktie, all of which are rooted in the Riot Grrrl and punk scenes. The noisy punk duo Slutever sounds like it was directly transported here from the early ’90s. The recently formed Little Big League, meanwhile, finds itself on the mellower end of the angst spectrum—which is to be expected from a group composed of Michelle Zauner and Kevin O’Halloran of Post Post, punk rocker Ian Dykstra of Titus Andronicus, and Deven Craige of Strand Of Oaks. It wouldn’t be a local Grrrl Punk showcase without the Sleater-Kinney-inspired Dear Althea. (Listen to John Vettese’s recent Philly Local Philes featuring Little Big League and Dear Althea.) Rounding out the show with the most rage is Mannequin Pussy, which brands itself as “childhood pals turned degenerates,” and sounds exactly like that. Slutever, Little Big League, Dear Althea, and Mannequin Pussy perform at 8 p.m. at Kung Fu Necktie; tickets to the 21+ show are $8. —Naomi Shavin

Also Playing: 1964 The Tribute at Keswick Theatre (8 p.m., all ages, $35-$40); Blayer Pointdujour + The Reckless Dodgers, Faux Slang at The Level Room (9:15 p.m., 21+, $10); Heartless Bastards + Hacienda, Devin Therriault at Union Transfer (8:30 p.m., all ages, $16–$18); The Pink Floyd Experience at Electric Factory (8:30 p.m., all ages, $26); Laura Mann And The Lifeboys at Tin Angel (21+, $10)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25th
John Condron + Mickey Harte at Tin Angel (7 p.m., 21+, $10); Modern Inventors + Boom Chick, The Best Westerns at Kung Fu Necktie (8 p.m., 21+, $8)

Buried Beds “Children of the Sea” from Small Stories by Riot Act

From the band’s publicist:

In the midst of all this action Buried Beds found to time to craft a 32 minute film piece with friend and filmmaker Nate Johnson, entitled Small Stories. Part live performance, part love letter to their hometown and all of the friends and collaborators it contains, Small Stories takes the viewer through one long, steamy July day in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park. The band performs 6 brand new songs in several bucolic locations around Lemon Hill Mansion, an early 1800s summer estate built for a prosperous merchant. Many familiar faces from Philadelphia’s vibrant music scene pop up doing handstands, singing backup, or banging on drums. The joy and camaraderie are undeniable, but the music steals the show. The DVD release of Small Stories will occur on January 20, and the film will be sold with an accompanying EP of several live recordings from the film as well as a brand new studio track from the band’s next full-length album.

Below, you can watch the trailer for the film and listen to a pair of tracks off Tremble: “Ivory Towers” and “Breadcrumb Trail.”

Small Stories Trailer 1 from Nate Johnson on Vimeo.

• Ivory Towersby Buried Beds from Tremble The SailsDownload

• Breadcrumb Trailby Buried Beds from Tremble The SailDownload

Mirage was Fleetwood Mac’s first studio album after the release of Tusk and was released in 1982. It featured two songs that were mega-pop hits for the band including “Gypsy,” “Hold Me.” Why Mirage? Charlie Hall says:

“Mirage is a trove of wonders – some of the strongest Mac songs in the canon as well as some total head scratchers and ones that I never realized how great they are. It’s neither the ”Rumours II” as some claimed nor was it a repository for discarded solo songs as others claimed. There’s sheen for sure and there’s mysteryand beauty through and through. It’s got everything. This isa gorgeous record that is deserving of more attention and appreciation.”

Below, check out the video for “Gypsy” by Fleetwood Mac, and a video of the Appreciation Society doing “Tusk” and “Never Forget” from their May, 2010 show at Johnny Brenda’s. Yes, that’s Dave Hartley (Nightlands/War On Drugs) on bass in the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7E0uA0WrDk

Tremble the Sails comes as a pleasant surprise — the sort of old acquaintance you’re happy to see pop up on Facebook after a mysterious absence. Buried Beds’ sound has naturally evolved in the intervening years, fleshed out and spiked with a bit of anthemic urgency: “Steady Hand” opens Tremble the Sails on an auspicious note, building majestically as its strings, guitars and boy-girl harmonies combine to form a sweetly soaring roar. It’s a lovely surprise to be reminded of this under-exposed sleeper, and to revel in the end of its self-imposed silence.

Earlier this month, the West-Philly-based folk/chamber-pop ensemble Buried Beds wrapped up a short tour in which it opened for Dr. Dog. Today, the band heads back out on the road—this time with Bloomington, Indiana’s Murder By Death. The three-week tour is in support of the band’s sophomore album, Tremble The Sails (which celebrates its national release on March 1st), and includes a show at Johnny Brenda’s on March 2nd.

Below, you can listen to a pair of tracks off Tremble: “Ivory Towers,” which the band just released online, and “Breadcrumb Trail,” which the band made available a while back.

• Ivory Towersby Buried Beds from Tremble The SailsDownload

• Breadcrumb Trailby Buried Beds from Tremble The SailsDownload

Dates with Murder By Death:
02.24.11 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
02.25.11 – DeKalb, IL @ The House Cafe
02.26.11 – Lansing, MI @ Mac’s Bar
02.28.11 – Morgantown, WV @ 123 Pleasant St.

03.01.11 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
03.02.11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
03.03.11 – West Chester, PA @ the Note
03.04.11 – Baltimore, MD @ the Ottobar
03.05.11 – Boston, MA @ Middle East
03.07.11 – Norfolk, VA @ Jewish Mother Backstage
03.08.11 – Atlanta, GA @ the Earl
03.09.11 – Orlando, FL @ the Social
03.10.11 – Tampa, FL @ the Orpheum
03.11.11 – Gainesville, FL @ Common Grounds
03.12.11 – Savannah, GA @ TBA
03.13.11 – Charleston, SC @ the Oasis
03.14.11 – Asheville, NC @ Stella Blue
03.16.11 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
03.17.11 – Madison, WI @ the Annex
03.18.11 – Indianapolis, IN @ Radio Radio
03.19.11 – Bloomington, IL @ the Castle Theater

Just last week we were mentioning that the West-Philly-based folk/chamber-pop ensemble Buried Beds—who opened the second of two sold-out shows featuring headliner mewithoutYou—were an opening act worth keeping an eye on. Turns out we aren’t the only ones who think so: local psych-rock heroes Dr. Dog have elected to bring Buried Beds along with them on a week-long road trip, which runs from late January to early February (dates posted below). From Buried Beds’ publicist (warning: gushing and cliché-ridden promo-speak content ahead):

“Formed a few years back as a duo, the voices of Eliza Jones and Brandon Beaver instantly strung together with a mesmerizing chemistry. Since then, Buried Beds has grown into a five piece featuring a raucous mix of big percussion and electric guitars, mixed with viola, piano and and a heavy dose of three part harmonies. Their debut album, Empty Rooms, won them many fans and accolades including Best Band in Philadelphia Magazine and a spot on Believer Magazine’s yearly music compilation.

Buried Beds recently put the finishing touches on their sophomore album, Tremble The Sails, which trades their previous outing’s delicate banjos for dueling guitars to create a landscape where love, death and your future-self throw a party. The album will see release in early 2011 but, prior to that, the band is insanely excited to road test all of their new material on an East coast tour with Dr. Dog starting in late January. Big things are to be expected from this young, ambitious outfit in 2011!”

1/29/11 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
1/31/11 – Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theatre
2/1/11 – Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall
2/3/11 – Charleston, SC @ The Music Farm
2/4/11 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
2/5/11 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom

In a year where London folk acts have been doing Americana way better than America—Mumford And Sons, Laura Marling, and Johnny Flynn, in particular—Tunng has been no different in their field of freaky electro-folk mishmash. Performing as a trio at Johnny Brenda’s, the band spun through moments of barebones acoustic soul (“With Whiskey”) just as poignantly as it did with bloops, loops, and splattered texture (“October”).

Tunng has a rare ability to take a tight hook and build something stronger than your average three-minute pop song. Mike Lindsay, Becky Jacobs, and Martin Smith were fascinating when their individual parts shined without trying to do too much – a theme present throughout …And Then We Saw Land. On “The Roadside,” Smith manned the piano keys for five minutes, Lindsay marched in place, counting beats while plucking his acoustic guitar, allowing Jacobs to take vocal reigns. Heads in the crowd nodded in time despite the complete absence of a rhythm section. Not to say that Tunng isn’t brilliant outside of this sound—”Roadside” might not even be their best song—but this kind of songcraft sinks into your ears. —Chris Zakorchemny

Tunng

Tunng

The 1900s

The 1900s

Buried Beds