Family Vacation | Photo by Rachel Del Sordo
Family Vacation | Photo by Rachel Del Sordo
Family Vacation | Photo by Rachel Del Sordo
Family Vacation | Photo by Rachel Del Sordo
Family Vacation | Photo by Rachel Del Sordo
Placeholder | Photo by Rachel Del Sordo
Placeholder | Photo by Rachel Del Sordo
Placeholder | Photo by Rachel Del Sordo
Philly’s Family Vacation got their house show on this week at The Billiards Room with emo crew Placeholder. Check out up-close scenes from the show in the gallery above.
With just two weeks remaining in 2012, it’s come time to look back at the year that’s just passed us by, look ahead at the year just ahead of us, and generally reflect on stuff that got us excited – in music, and in general.
But if you’re like me, you find best-of lists a little boring. I mean, they’re kind of a necessary evil, in terms of the cultural community putting the past 12 months into context. That said, after the fifty-billionth iteration they can almost become a chore to read and to put together. So for The Key’s year-in-review, we asked our trusted sources – our writers and photographers, XPN’s on-air staff, fellow bloggers in the Philly scene and even a few musicians – to send us their Top Five Whatevers. Could be the traditional music route – albums, songs, concerts of the year – or it could be only loosely connected.
We’ll be sharing these recaps every day through to the end of the year. Today, I’ll get things started with my top five Philly music discoveries of 2012. Coming across an exciting emerging musician I’ve never heard before is easily a highlight of my job, and there was no shortage of that this year. (See the incomplete honorable mention section.) With this list, though, I tried to focus on the less-discussed acts, the ones you won’t find on a show every weekend. Some artists hit the ground running this year, and that’s great – these artists are ones that are worth your time to seek out. Continue reading
Joey Sweeney | Photo by Marie Alyse Rodriguez
Last month we introduced you to a very new Philadelphia band called Family Vacation. The jangley guitar-pop and airy aesthetic of their song “Morning Clouds (Dew)” won me over right away, and today we’ve got even more to share. The band’s entire debut EP is now available as a free download, just as Family Vacation is gearing up to play a release party at The Fire on December 1. The set is great; “Sunrise Surf Club” has a cool Wavves vibe, and “Vacations” is a nice contemplative come-down, but the seasonally-appropriate, hummable prog-pop tune “Winter’s Wind” is winning me over all over again. Listen below, and get your free download at Bandcamp.
This week’s Key Studio Session featured the transcendent acoustic folk project of Bad Braids. The moniker of Megan Biscieglia, Bad Braids’ session was recorded during a visit to XPN2′s Folkadelphia show and features Biscieglia on vocals and guitar with Mike Bruno on an assortment of backing instruments (including percussive mortar and pestle). The four songs recorded for the session will be included on an upcoming LP expected for release this winter on Haute Magie. Listen to the full session here; stream and download “White Mane” below. Check out upcoming dates for Bad Braids on their Bandcamp.
Photo by Kelly McArdle
Family Vacation is new to the Philly scene. Like, really really new. When the band contacted me earlier this fall, they only had a few DIY shows under their belt, and were in the process of recording a debut EP (due out next month). But the song they presented me with was impressive enough that I didn’t think twice about showcasing it. Made up of Temple students Matthew Kerr, Luke Harsel, Cody Bluett and Adam Shumski – at least one of whom is a music student or at least has access to the practice rooms in Presser Hall – their song “Waiting Clouds” rocks a fierce drumbeat and bass groove, guiding you into a five minutes of watery Youth Lagoon-ish production and breezy My Morning Jacket-esque vocal tones. They’re a new enough group that their influences are still very apparent, but that’s the cool thing about it: if the band already sounds this good while it’s still working to find its voice, imagine how great it will sound a little ways down the road. Download the track below, and keep an eye out for more from Family Vacation this fall.
