PhilaMOCA is hosting an interesting event tonight, as local art-rockers Auctioneer will be live scoring two local film artists. First, Jesse Gorham-Engaard will be displaying samples from Peter Campus’ Double Vision, and then Chris Thomas will be providing improvised kaleidoscopic visuals – both projects being scored by Auctioneer. It’s a pretty rare showing of local skills in collaboration, and the opening act Heyward Howkins is just one more reason not to miss out. Howkins plays an eccentric yet earnest blend of indie, soul, folk, and rock, and is currently working on the follow-up to last years expansive The Hale & Hearty. This is the last installment of the Philly Area Music Showcase’s Tuesday Tune-Outs; the all-ages show begins at 7:30 p.m., admission is $7. Below, watch Auctioneer’s Shaking Through session.

Grammy Award-winning Country Music icons Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell have reunited for the first time since 1975, and will be playing at the Academy of Music tonight along with the Richard Thompson Electric Trio. The show is part of a three week tour of the east coast, as well as visits to Chicago, Toronto, and St. Louis. Harris and Crowell are supporting their new record, Old Yellow Moon, which was released at the end of February. Tickets and information on the show can be found at the WXPN Concert Calendar. Below, watch a video of Crowell and Harris performing at the Public Radio Rocks SXSW Showcase.

The Public Radio Rocks! showcase kicked off with gritty rockers Divine Fits; went into introspective mode in a collaborative set by Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, and a solo performance by Iron & Wine‘s Sam Beam; spotlighted classic soul showmanship care of Daptone Records all-star Charles Bradley; introduced the crowd to new soul-rock outfit Pickwick, from Seattle; brought perennial favorites Dawes out to regale the room with tunes from their new record; and wrapped up with Vampire Weekend playing to a massively packed house.

Check out scenes from the day in the photo gallery above, and watch videos of Vampire Weekend playing “A Punk” and Iron & Wine playing “Woman King” below.

WXPN has participated in past years on the SXSW Radio Day Stage with some fantastic bands like The Lumineers, Father John Misty and Caitlin Rose. This year, working with my colleagues, we’re taking it to the next level: great radio stations banding together to present great music. And we’re doing it in a way that’s unique for public radio audiences.

XPN has teamed up with NPR affiliates across the country for the day-long event including KUTX in Austin, KXT in Dallas, WFUV in New York and The Current in Minneapolis. The broadcast / webcast will begin at 1:00 p.m. EST on March 15th.  More information can be found here.  Below, watch a video of The Lumineers performing at last year’s XPN Showcase, filmed by Bands in the Backyard.

• Hanging Up My Heartby Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell from Old Yellow MoonDownload

Wooden Wand is James Jackson Toth, and singer-songwriter who has released over 100 recordings in almost every audio format but most recently in the form of this month’s Blood Oaths of the New Blues LP.  Toth carries the heritage of old-style country singers into current times with his back-porch twang and dusty ballads.  Stream and download “Outsider Blues” below.

This week The Key Unlocked local musician Joe D’Amico‘s A Short Time’s a Long Time.  The West Chester singer-songwriter, perhaps best known for his work with bluegrass / folk band Mason Porter, uses his solo material to experiment with a larger spectrum of sounds ranging from ambient to rustic to upbeat rock.  Stream and download “Where Does the Time Go?” below and then check out his Unlocked interview, album review and video.

The breezy lilt of Austin’s Tiger Waves calls to mind Real Estate mixed with 60s psychedelia on their just-released single “Fields.”  Giving nods to The Beach Boys, The Byrds and The Beatles as influences, the young five-piece completed a successful Kickstarter campaign last year, enabling them to tour the States over the next two months.  Tiger Waves will stop by Kung Fu Necktie this Wednesday, January 30th; tickets and information can be found here.  Below, stream and download “Fields” b/w “A Smirk & A Smile.”

Yellow Humphrey’s Gretchen Lohse stopped by to record a Key Studio Session this week, sharing four unreleased works in progress and one reworking of a Yellow Humphrey song.  Departing from her band’s intricate lattice-work compositions, Lohse’s solo work in this session is an intimate, stripped back approach to her classic folk sound.  Stream and download “Primal Rumble” below and then head over here for the full session.

• Primal Rumbleby Gretchen Lohse from The Key Studio SessionsDownload

Harris and Crowell are both legends in the world of country and folk music. The singer-songwriters have released seminal solo records over the years, but they began their working relationship way back when Crowell became a member of Harris’ Hot Band in the mid-’70s. Their new album of duets, Old Yellow Moon, sounds classic in every sense of musical accomplishment: from their gorgeous singing and inspiring studio performances to their excellent choice of material, including covers of songs by Roger Miller and Kris Kristofferson and originals by Crowell. It hearkens back to classic recordings like Harris’ Elite Hotel and Crowell’s Diamonds and Dirt, and brings the best out of the two veterans. WXPN Welcomes Emmylou and Rodney to the Academy of Music on Tuesday, March 26th with the Richard Thompson Electric Trio. Go here for tickets and more information about the show.

• Hanging Up My Heartby Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell from Old Yellow MoonDownload

For photos (and audio + video) of local artists performing at this year’s XPoNential Music Festival—including Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Jukebox The Ghost, Sun Airway, Matt Duke, Kuf Knotz, Nicos Gun, and more—take a look at our Local Spotlight posts.