The Lumineers | Photo by Joe Del Tufo | www.joedeltufo.com

The Lumineers‘ career has skyrocketed in the year since we first met them, so we’re excited to announce that the Denver folk-pop five-piece will headline this year’s XPoNential Music Festival on Saturday, July 27 at the Susquehanna Bank Center with our friends Dr. Dog. Tickets for reserved seats will go on sale this Friday, February 8, at 10 a.m.

The festival takes place from July 26 to July 28 at Wiggins Park, and the full Wiggins Park lineup will be revealed on April 16th. As with last year, three-day pass holders will be admitted to the lawn seat area at the Susquehanna Bank Center show on July 27. Go here for more information about tickets.

The Lumineers were one of the first bands to take the stage at last year’s XPoFest; watch a video of them performing “Stubborn Love” below.

This month, John Vettese (below, on the right) and The Key are hosting the Tuesday Tune-Out shows at PhilaMOCA and they kicked off their portion of the ongoing series with an amazing show.

Dr. Dog drummer Eric Slick, who also drums for Norwegian Arms, Ape School and others, performed a solo show set to a video he produced (with the help of his Norwegian Arms bandmate Brendan Mulvihill and friend Andy Molholt). The video, titled Primal Essence, featured Slick in a dream sequence – in which he had a romantic liaison with a slice of pizza.

He drummed live on stage in collaboration with his on screen character. It was surreal and amazing.

Michael Johnson (bottom image) from Ape School and Jonathan Pfeffer from Capillary Action opened the show.

The crowd alone was a who’s who of the Philly music scene. Among those in attendance were Adam Granduciel from The War on Drugs, Frances Quinlan from Hop Along, Dominic Angelella from DRGN KING, Mike Sneeringer from Purling Hiss and Scott McMicken from Dr. Dog.

Next week, Vettese and The Key will present Zilla Rocca. Find show details here.

The War On Drugs | Photo by John Vettese

The War on Drugs ring in the new year with streamers, space jams and jello shots [link]

Philly folk project Bad Braids premiers a new song called “Ships” [link]

Local punks Glocca Morra kick off 2013 with a bang and a Key Studio Session [link]

Read The Key’s most-viewed stories of 2012 [link]

Dr. Dog rocks a Captain Beefheart cover with Magic Band guitarist Denny Walley [link]

Heyward Howkins releases an iPhone-recorded new song and it sounds great [link]

Watch the trailer for Chill Moody‘s new album RFM [link]

Free Energy releases a music video of montaged scenes from Can’t Hardly Wait [link]

Photo of Toby and Scott of Dr. Dog by Joe Del Tufo

here’s a special treat that i’ve been saving just for today. dr. dog featuring captain beefheart guitarist denny walley performing “her eyes are a blue million miles”. we learned it that evening so there’s a couple mistakes…hah!

I don’t know, it sounds pretty rad to my ears. Give a listen below. The song was recorded live at The Masquerade in Atlanta on November 16, 2012.

The unofficial cover art to Birdie Busch's unofficial instrumental album Oh You Who Believe, which was released in 2011 (unofficially)

By now, you can probably tell that we’re devout fans of the local music-and-film showcase Tuesday Tune-Out, held every week at PhilaMOCA. Some of the best music minds in Philly have curated this thing so far – Herbie Shellenberger of Pet Milk and Black Circle Cinema; Fred Knittel from Folkadelphia; fellow bloggers and local music enthusiasts The Deli, The Swollen Fox, JUMP Philly and Bands in the Backyard. It’s totally good company, a great event that enriches the city’s music and arts scenes, and we’re super excited to join the ranks by curating the month of January.

We’ll begin January 8 with an exciting solo set by Dr. Dog drummer Eric Slick, continue on January 15 with some funky noir-hop from Zilla Rocca, present an improvisatory instrumental set from Birdie Busch and Carl Cheeseman on January 22 and conclude on January 29 with a rare solo performance by Frances Quinlan, frontwoman of Hop Along. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. at PhilaMOCA, 531 N 12th St., are all-ages, with $5 suggested donation for admission. After the jump, get details about each show with links for more information.

January 8
Eric Slick

Best known as the drummer for Dr. Dog, Eric Slickis a longtime Philly multi-instrumentalist and frequent musical collaborator who also performs with Ape School, Norwegian Arms, Paper Cat, Lithuania and more.

For his Tuesday Tune-Out, Slick will perform a live / improvisatory set to “Primal Essence,” a film he’s preparing specifically for the event. The interactive short follows a day in the life of Eric Slick, and will blur the lines between film and live performance.

Short opening sets will be performed by Capillary Action and one more TBD, more information (and RSVP) at the show’s Facebook Event Page. Below, watch a Madoff Productions drummer profile on Slick.

January 15
Zilla Rocca

Philadelphia MC Zilla Rocca built a name for himself in 5 O’Clock Shadowboxers, a rap duo that creatively sampled tracks from Espers, The Velvet Underground, Neil Young and Elliott Smith.

His solo work moves in a more mysterious direction. Self-described as “noir-hop,” Zilla samples funky tracks and aggressive beats, mixed with clips from hardboiled detective films from the 1940s and 50s. He followed up last year’s Nights and Weekends EP with the new Party Like Villains, and was most recently seen collaborating with fellow rappers Curly Castro and Has-Lo in The Wrecking Crew, which released a Wu-Tang Clan homage called Wu-Tang Pulp this fall.

After his set, Zilla will screen a darkly comedic 2005 thriller starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. For more information (and to RSVP), go to the show’s Facebook Event Page. Below, watch the music video for “Full Spectrum.”

January 22
Birdie Busch and Carl Cheeseman

Over the past ten years, Birdie Busch (http://birdiebuschmusic.com/) has proven herself a standout among Philadelphia’s vastly talented pool of folk-inspired singer-songwriters. Her songs are honest, whimsical, yearning and uplifting, and her arrangements on albums like 2008′s Penny Arcade and the new Birdie Busch and the Greatest Night are stunning.

Less known about Busch is her improvisatory, freeform side. The new album was largely born out of jams with her longtime backing band, and back in 2011 she recorded an album of instrumental compositions with versatile guitarist Carl Cheeseman.

For this very special Tuesday Tune-Out appearance, Busch and Cheeseman will improvise a live score to a film TBA, more information (and RSVP) at the show’s Facebook Event Page.

Below, watch a home-recorded video of Busch performing “Penny Arcade.”

January 29
Frances Quinlan

As frontwoman for Hop Along, Frances Quinlan writes haunting, expressive, vaguely surreal songs matched perfectly with punk-infused instrumentation and her striking, singular vocals.

The band’s full-length release Get Disowned was, in the humble estimation of this curator, the best album of 2012 – it’s music resonates just as easily for listeners who like a challenging narrative and unconventional arrangements as it does for those who want a good poppy hook to rock out to.

For this installment of the Tuesday Tune-Out, Quinlan will perform a rare solo set, testing new Hop Along songs out for the first time, digging into the band’s back-catalogue and hopefully dropping one of her trademark covers.

Following Quinlan’s set will be a screening of a 1950s Fellini movie that one of Hop Along’s early songs was named for. For more information (and to RSVP), go to the show’s Facebook Event Page. Below, watch Hop Along performing “Young And Happy!” at Death By Audio earlier this year.

Watch The Shins / Dr. Dog on PBS. See more from Austin City Limits.

1. Be The Void
2. The Sun
3. What A Fool
4. Exit For Sale
5. Wild Race

These guys can’t do anything musically wrong.

If that sounds like a good time, then make sure to get to Morgan’s Pier early on Saturday; Norwegian Arms are opening the show at 6 p.m.! For more info on the event visit R5′s website here.  In the meantime, cool off from the Philly summer heat with Norwegian Arms’ track “Tired of Being Cold” off the band’s new album, Wolf Like a Stray Dog.

Photo by Nicky Devine

• Lonesomeby Dr. Dog recorded for World Cafe Download

The partial lineup for the 2012 XPoNential Music Festival—which will take place on July 20th-July 22nd at Wiggins Park and Susquehanna Bank Center on the Camden Waterfront—has just been announced. The headlining acts include Wilco, The Avett Brothers, Dr. Dog, and Counting Crows; you can check out the rest of the lineup below. You can get full ticket info on three-day passes, early-bird tickets, and benefits for WXPN members here.

*Wilco – The Avett Brothers – Dr. Dog – 7/21 at SBC
*Counting Crows – 7/22 at SBC
The Hold Steady
Kathleen Edwards
Diego Garcia
War On Drugs
John Wesley Harding’s Cabinet of Wonders
Patterson Hood
Mike Doughty
Ozomatli
Lee Ranaldo Band
JD Souther
The Lumineers
Good Old War
JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound
JD McPherson
Work Drugs
Delta Rae
City Rain
Matt Santry Band
Dana Alexandra
+ more

Photo by Richie Wireman

WXPN Welcomes Wilco, The Avett Brothers and Dr. Dog to the Susquehanna Bank Center on Saturday, July 21st. Wilco are headlining the show. Tickets go on sale today at 10AM EST. Purchase tickets here.

For more photos by Eric Ashleigh, visit his website.

Lovers of all things crude and crazy are Odd Future-fanatic shoo-ins. Originating from L.A., this hip-hop group is composed of rapper Tyler The Creator and the smooth-voiced Frank Ocean, among other rising lyricists. Odd Future (Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, also known widely as OFWGKTA) capitalizes on well-produced, bass-laden beats while simultaneously freaking out its listeners with straight-forward, often violent wordplay. (Not to mention the group’s nightmare-inducing music videos, brimming with creepy crawlers, digitally manipulated centaurs, and insane plotlines.) Most distinctly, the deep, fluid voice of 21-year-old Tyler The Creator contrasts the vulgar banter of the verses that have already earned him a cult-like level of popularity. Weird as Odd Future is, its music blasts speakers with an unmistakably laid-back Californian flow. Odd Future performs at 8:30 p.m. at Electric Factory; tickets to the all-ages show are $30. —Lisa Henderson

Also Playing: Bruce Ice Cream And The Freeze Street Band + Adult Content at Johnny Brenda’s (9 p.m., 21+, $15); Miniature Tigers + Geographer, The Chain Gang of 1974, Pretty And Nice at Milkboy Philly (8:30 p.m., 21+, $12–$14); Dave Barnes + Andrew Ripp at World Cafe Live (8 p.m., all ages, $17–$25)

SATURDAY, MARCH 24th
Dr. Dog at Electric Factory (8:30 p.m., all ages, SOLD OUT); Polica + Sweet Lights at Kung Fu Necktie (8 p.m., 21+, SOLD OUT); Psychic TV/PTV3 + Kim Phuc at Johnny Brenda’s (9 p.m., 21+, SOLD OUT); Thomas Dolby + Aaron Jonah Lewis, Ben Belcher at World Cafe Live (8 p.m., all ages, $21.50-$41.50);

SUNDAY, MARCH 25th
Dr. Dog at Electric Factory (8:30 p.m., all ages, $23); Andrew Lipke And The Carpe Diem String Quartet at World Cafe Live (7:30 p.m., all ages, $20); Members Only + DRGN KING, Stinky Smelly, DARK at The Fire (5 p.m., all ages, $8); Son Step + Tygerstrype, Banned Books, United Kingdom at Kung Fu Necktie (8 p.m., 21+, $8)

Photo by Chris Crisman

This week, we’ve got a pair of tickets for Dr. Dog’s performance at Electric Factory on Sunday, March 25th (as well as a limited-edition screen print poster). For a chance to win, all you have to do is leave a comment below by 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 21st. We’ll select the winners at random that evening and notify them via email; once you’ve confirmed that you and your guest will be attending the show, your names will be added to the venue’s guest list. (Just make sure to use a valid email address when posting your comment; we promise not to sell your contact info or sign you up for anything—we just want to be able to get in touch with you if you win.)

Photo by Chris Crisman

Dr. Dog will help celebrate 14 years of Portland, Oregon tradition by headlining this year’s Pickathon Festival at Pendarvis Farm from August 3–5. Other acts to appear include Typhoon, Neko Case, Heartless Bastards and Blitzen Trapper. The Pickathon Festival, a combination of music, art, and camping is also an annual push for eco-friendly options and sustainability awareness. Though many traveled far and wide to attend last year’s Pickathon, others were able to view a free live broadcast of the event through Seattle’s KEXP; a broadcast will be available free of cost for this year’s event as well. The festival’s ticket information is available here. For those who want to catch Dr. Dog sooner (or don’t want to drive across the country to do so), the band performs at The Electric Factory in Philadelphia on March. —Lisa Henderson

Photo by Chris Crisman

From the band’s new album, Be The Void. In his recent review of the album, XPN2′s John Vettese singles out “Warrior Man” and offers some serious praise: “The [album's] focus is on the present in the lyrics, as well as the playing. The band locks in like pros early on, and keeps it up as Be The Void progresses…It all comes together on ‘Warrior Man,’ where rhythms from percussionist Dmitri Manos mix with Zach Miller’s Hammond organ to slam the ensemble into a stack harmony overdrive of epic proportions.” You can read the rest of the review here. Dr. Dog performs at Electric Factory on February 24th and 25th.

“I don’t want to fight, but constantly I’m ready,” sings Scott McMicken on “That Old Black Hole,” the lead-off single from Be The Void (released last Tuesday on Anti- Records). It’s surprising enough to hear McMicken, he of the ordinarily placid demeanor, discuss fighting and inner tension with such grounded candor. But the biggest shock is the point when you realize through the sonic grit and humming amplifiers, the peaked vocal counterpoints and smashed drumbeat shuffling the music along, that what you’re hearing is punk-rock surface dressing for a timeless rock-and-roll song beneath. Yes, Eric Slick’s blown-out drum tones may aesthetically recall the drums on “The World May Never Know” (which opened Easy Beat), but this is some next-level stuff here. It’s also evident in “These Days,” powerhouse bassist Toby Leaman’s true entrance on the album. (He sings the opening track “Lonesome,” but that song is a simplistic drag of a false start and I recommend starting listening on “Black Hole.”) The addictive beat of “Days” zooms along as guitarist Frank McElroy instrumentally harmonizes with McMicken, and Leaman’s bass chug-a-lugs to an instantly memorable melody and emphatic vocal: “I hate when people say ‘those were the days.’ Well, what are these then?”

The focus is on the present in the lyrics, as well as the playing. The band locks in like pros early on, and keeps it up as Be The Void progresses. Leaman gets down and dirty on the lusty boogie of “Vampire” (possibly the first rock song to make a metaphor out of Marcellus Shale), while McMicken explores his odd soul leanings on the sing-song “Heavy Light.” It all comes together on “Warrior Man,” where rhythms from percussionist Dmitri Manos mix with Zach Miller’s Hammond organ to slam the ensemble into a stack harmony overdrive of epic proportions. It gets loud, and then yields to the quiet, contemplative dénouement of “Turning The Century.”

Be The Void might sound like a return to the raw, spontaneous early days; it might also capture the fantastic-live-band thing better than any Dr. Dog release since the early ’00s. But it’s not an album that the Dr. Dog of the early ’00s could have possibly made. This is the product of a decade of growth, of learning, of progressing from being decent songwriters to great ones, from being basement eight-track buddies to seasoned professionals. This is the sound of Dr. Dog growing into the band that it is, while it sentimentally yearns to sound like the band it was.

Photo by Joe del Tufo

In late January, Philadelphia’s own Dr. Dog stopped by World Cafe Live for a sold-out Free At Noon concert. As we mentioned in our review, the band played eight tracks off its new album, Be The Void; the recording of that performance was made available over at NPR Music later that afternoon. However, after the band’s eight-song set, it launched into an 10-song encore that lasted longer than the original set. Today, The Key is happy to present Dr. Dog’s full Free At Noon performance, including the extended encore; all told, the performance clocks in at just under an hour and a half. And happy record release day to Dr. Dog; their new album Be The Void is out today.

You can listen to the the show in its entirety here.

Be the Void comes out on February 7 via Anti- Records; you can listen to the album in its entirety here.

Photo by Joe del Tufo

This afternoon, Dr. Dog played two Free At Noon shows at World Cafe Live. Their first show was the scheduled and recorded NPR debut of eight tracks from the band’s new album, Be The Void (due February 7th). Once the recording was over, Dr. Dog was invited to play another song or two for the live audience. So, the group played two more songs…and then two more after that. Six songs later, the encore had grown longer than the set. The band only left the stage because another act was coming in. Not every group could pull this off, but Dr. Dog is a beloved local act with nearly 13 years of history, dozens of songs, and a following of the highest fidelity. Schedule-permitting, Dr. Dog probably would have gone on to play another ten songs.

Dr. Dog formed in 1999 and has seen a few line-up changes. Their current line-up features Scott McMicken, Toby Leaman, Zach Miller, Eric Slick, Frank McElroy and Dmitri Manos, rounding them out to a six-person group for their current tour. The band claims another 20-some-odd people as “honorary members” who have been involved over the years. This large number of people, each with diverse influences and tastes, can be heard in the eclectic music of Dr. Dog. The group takes inspiration from The Beatles, David Bowie, Neil Young and Pavement, among many, many others. Dr. Dog’s work can seem almost erratic, packed with tone shifts and genre benders. Yet, it always sounds distinctly Dr. Dog.

Dr. Dog’s newest album, Be The Void, is no exception to this. It does, however, have a stronger consistency with Dr. Dog’s live performances than previous albums. For this album, the band recorded on electric guitars, trying to recreate the energy and excitement of their live shows. Today’s show burst with that energy as the band showcased material from Be The Void. Dr. Dog’s new album promises grand jams, heavy with guitar, and also softer, blue grass and waltz infused numbers, the diversity that landed the group tours with fellow genre benders, My Morning Jacket and the Raconteurs. Though the first set was a sneak peak of new tracks, the 10-song encore was all about favorites. When Dr. Dog played “Shadow People,” the homage to West Philadelphia from 2010’s Shame, Shame, the lyrics asked “Where do all the shadow people go?” If “shadow people” is code for Philadelphians, the answer is clear. Based on the number of people packed into World Café for the Free At Noon, we go to see Dr. Dog and we stay long past the end of the show. –Naomi Shavin

Set List:
1. That Old Black Hole
2. These Days
3. How Long Must I Wait
4. Warrior Man
5. Lonesome
6. Over Here, Over There
7. Vampire
8. Do The Trick

Encore:
1. My Friend
2. Hang On
3. Big Girl
4. Shadow People
5. Heavy Light
6. What A Fool
7. Control
8. Easy Beat
9. Die Die Die
10. The Way The Lazy Do

Photo by Joe del Tufo

From NPR Music:

Philadelphia’s Dr. Dog has drawn glowing comparisons to legendary groups — The Beatles, Pavement, Guided by Voices — across the spectrum of rock. Formed in 1999 as a side project of another band, the group soon became a local favorite, eventually breaking out after touring with My Morning Jacket‘s Jim James in 2004.

Dr. Dog’s subsequent albums achieved critical success; on Fate, the group recalled elements of psychedelic pop, while on Shame, Shame it embraces the slacker rock of the early ’90s. The band’s next record, Be the Void, comes out on Feb. 7. Hear Dr. Dog preview its new record live in concert from WXPN and World Cafe Live.

You can listen to the performance here.

Set List
“That Old Black Hole”
“These Days”
“How Long Must I Wait”
“Warrior Man”
“Lonesome”
“Over Here, Over There”
“Vampire”
“Do The Trick”

Photo by Chris Crisman

Dr. Dog just released the new song “Lonesome” (via Paste) from the upcoming album Be The Void (due February 7th on Anti-). You can listen to it below. Dr. Dog performs at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, March 24th, and Sunday, March 25th; tickets to the shows are $30.85.

Dr. Dog – Lonesome by antirecords

Photo by Chris Crisman

So, seriously, you can stop hitting refresh every five seconds, trying to get the Free At Noon RSVP page to work. Please. We’re begging you. The show is SOLD OUT. Really. Tickets are no longer available.

In related news, you should no longer experience any technical difficulties while attempting to visit xpn.org.

Don’t adjust your speakers, as the saying goes: Purling Hiss is supposed to sound like that. Across the better part of its recorded output, the Philly shred-core trio offsets hooky, timeless rock and roll songs with caustic, abrasive noise and production values. Which is one hell of a gauntlet to throw down – “we’re going to write this music you’ll immediately love,” they’re essentially saying, “and then we’ll make you work hard to love it.” Fortunately, the payoff is totally there in the end, and if you see the Hiss live before you grab its albums, you’ll find it all the easier to get what they’re doing. This month, the band hits the road with Dr. Dog – getting to play before some well-earned mass audiences – and its last gig before departing is tomorrow night, Jan. 20, at Pi Lam in West Philly. To wish it a good sendoff show and happy / thrashy trails ahead, today’s Philly Local Phile digs into an early favorite from the Purling Hiss catalogue: “Run From the City,” the lead off track on 2009′s Public Service Announcement LP on Woodsist Records. For some compare / contrast fun, see how that number sounds alongside the version Purling Hiss recorded at its Key Studio Session almost a year ago.

• Run From the Cityby Purling Hiss from Public Service AnnouncementDownload

• Run From the Cityby Purling Hiss from The Key Studio Sessions, March 2, 2011Download