The Key » Fleet Foxes

Watch: Bands in the Backyard sits in on a Light Heat rehearsal with with guest players Peter Bauer of The Walkmen and Skye Skjelset of Fleet Foxes

John Vettese — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:34:21 +0000

This is sweet – the Bands in the Backyard crew got to sit in on a Light Heat rehearsal in preparation for some dates the band has coming up in New York (January 12 at The Cake Shop) Philly (February 23rd at Johnny Brenda’s). Joining them are guest players Peter Bauer of The Walkmen on keys and Skye Skjelset of Fleet Foxes on guitar, and they’re rocking out to an as-yet unreleased jam from the pen of Light Heat mastermind Quentin Stoltzfus. Check it out below, find out more about the Johnny Brenda’s date at WXPN’s Concert Calendar.

Listen to Coldplay, Mumford & Sons, R.E.M., Fleet Foxes, Red Hot Chili Peppers and more on a new charity album for climate change awareness

Bruce Warren — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 00:52:19 +0000

Artists Project Earth (APE) is an international organization that, according to their website, “has funded over 300 projects and awareness-raising initiatives around the world that combat climate change and develop local resilience and solutions to climate injustice – and gives emergency funding for natural disaster relief.” Some of APE’s projects have been collaborations with musicians resulting in three fundraising albums to date including Rhythms Del Mundo Cuba, Rhythms Del Mundo Classics and Rhythms Del Mundo Revival. Next Tuesday Rhythms Del Mundo Africa is being released. It includes contributions from Coldplay, R.E.M., Fleet Foxes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mumford & Sons, Aloe Blacc, Beyonce, Eminem, and others, along with African musicians including Toumani Diabaté, Ali Farka Touré Band and Rokia Traoré. Listen to the album below. Go here for more information.

Tonight’s Concert Picks: The Sweetback Sisters at PSALM Salon, Ani Di Franco at the Keswick Theatre, Aspiga at The Balcony at the Troc, Frank Fairfield at Johnny Brenda’s, Lisa Marie Presley at Chameleon Club

Skye Leppo — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 17:32:33 +0000

Brooklyn rockabilly group The Sweetback Sisters are performing tonight at the PSALM Salon. The group’s 2011 album Looking For A Fight has a classic throwback sound to country legends like Carl Perkins with retro harmonies and lively melodies. Tickets for their all-ages show tonight can be found here. Below, watch the video for their single “Be Back Home Tonight.”

XPN Welcomes Ani Di Franco to the Keswick Theatre tonight. The feminist singer/songwriter is currently on tour supporting her seventeenth studio album, Which Side Are You On?, which was released earlier this year in January. Tickets for tonight’s 7:30 show can be found here. Below, check out a soulful a cappella version of “Which Side Are You On?” recorded for the Occupy This Album compilation.

New Jersey alt-rock band Aspiga will be playing at The Balcony at The Trocadero tonight. Aspiga, who just wrapped up their tour with Broadcaster, was recently signed to Paper + Plastick Records, which will be releasing Aspiga’s seven track, Every Last Piece, on November 20th. Tickets for their all-ages show tonight can be found here. You can stream Every Last Piece‘s single “Welcome To The Sympathy Party” below.

Welcome To The Sympathy Party by Aspiga

Johnny Brenda’s will be graced with Frank Fairfield’s down-home folk tonight. The banjo-playing singer from California has recently been playing with Craig Ventresco and Meredith Axelrod, and has also toured with Fleet Foxes. Stream his 2009 self-titled debut album here. Tickets for tonight’s show are available on our concert calendar here. Below, watch Fairfield perform “Nine-Pound Hammer” from his eponymous debut album.

Lisa Marie Presley will be playing at the Chameleon Club tonight supporting the May release of Storm and Grace, her first album in seven years. Her husky vocals and bitter lyrics make Presley’s third album her darkest, but also her best work yet. Tickets for tonight’s show are available here. Watch the video for “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet” from Storm and Grace below.

Tonight’s Concert Picks: Divine Fits at Union Transfer, Franz Nicolay and Erik Petersen of Mischief Brew at First Unitarian, King Tuff and Poor Moon at Johnny Brenda’s

Skye Leppo — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 13:00:21 +0000

Divine Fits are playing tonight at Union Transfer in support of their debut album, A Thing Called Divine Fits, which was released in August. An indie supergroup of sorts, Divine FIts is spearheaded by Spoon‘s Britt Daniel, New Bomb Turks’ Sam Brow, and Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade and Handsome Furs. Tickets for the all-ages show are available here. Below, check out the video for “Would That Not Be Nice.”

The multi-talented Franz Nicolay will be playing with Erik Petersen of Mischief Brew at First Unitarian Church tonight. Even though Nicolay’s sophomore album, Do The Struggle, just came out in August, the singer announced plans to release a 7″ split with English singer/songwriter Frank Turner entitled Double Exposure. Punk-folk frontman Petersen cites Mischief Brew’s 2005 album Smash the Windows as the beginning of his collaboration with Nicolay’s band Guignol, which led to the 2009 release of their collaboration Fight Dirty. Their show tonight starts at 8; ticket information is available here. Check out Nicolay’s new video for “Did Your Broken Heart Make You Who Are?” from Do The Struggle.

Vibraphone master Kyle Thomas, who goes by the stage moniker King Tuff, will be peforming with Poor Moon tonight at Johnny Brenda’s. King Tuff’s eponymous sophomore album, which came out last May, is all glorified garage rock with tracks like “Bad Thing” and “Alone’n'Stoned.” Poor Moon, the independent project of Fleet Foxes members Christian Wargo and Casey Wescott with brothers Ian and Peter Murray, released their self-titled debut album in August. The 21+ show tonight starts at 9; further details can be found here. Check out the video for “Bad Thing” from King Tuff below.

Father John Misty announces fall tour dates; playing Union Transfer in October

Rachel Barrish — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 20:32:43 +0000

Photo by Joe Del Tufo

The fantastical Father John Misty will once again grace us with his presence. Having played at SXSW this year, as well as our annual Non-Comm, we have grown fond of not just his debut album Fear Fun (which is spotlessly melodious, especially the master-crafted tune “Hollywood Cemetery Sings”) but also his live performances. The Father really knows how to get wrapped all up into his songs that discuss his pains and his pleasures, his sorrows and his irateness, and his feverish, wondrous dreams. He returns to Philadelphia on October 21st at Union Transfer with supporting acts including La Sera and Jefertitti’s Nile. Ticket sales TBA. Below, you can check out his live performance of “I’m Writing a Novel” from WXPN’s Non-Comm in May. You can listen to the entire performance here.

Photo Recap: Fleet Foxes and The Cave Singers at Tower Theater

The Key — Mon, 23 May 2011 17:25:39 +0000

For more photos by Eric Ashleigh, go to eAshleigh.com.

This Weekend’s Concert Picks: tUnE-yArDs, Odd Future, Fleet Foxes, Damon And Naomi, Punk Rock Flea Market

The Key — Fri, 20 May 2011 17:41:39 +0000

FRIDAY, MAY 20
Merrill Garbus, who performs as tUnE-yArDs, sees things in a million shades of gray. Her lyrics and interviews are filled with more questions than answers. Is she borrowing—or stealing—her beats and yelps from African music? Should she sing about the political views that are inherently a part of her personality, or will she come across as preachy? Should she make her music more confrontational to avoid having it played in Urban Outfitters? And if her music is even more confrontational, will it alienate the listener? That kind of ambivalence could bog a musician down. But Garbus has an ability to ask questions powerfully. Layers of explosive percussion drive the music; her voice ranges unpredictably. The result is music that lies off the beaten path of current indie trends. tUnE-yArDs performs with Buke And Gass at 9 p.m. at Johnny Brenda’s; tickets to the 21+ show are SOLD OUT. —Dave Simpson

Also playing: Odd Future at First Unitarian Church (9 p.m., all ages, SOLD OUT); Weird Al Yankovic at Keswick Theatre (8 p.m., all ages, $29.50-$59.50); Dredg + The Dear Hunter, Balance And Composure, The Trophy Fire at The Trocadero (7 p.m., all ages, $16); Small Houses + Chris Kasper, Tinmouth, Brittany Ann at Danger Danger Gallery (9 p.m., all ages, $5-$10)

SATURDAY, MAY 21
As one of the leaders of the folk-baroque resurgence, Seattle’s Fleet Foxes bring a harmony-laden, rustic approach to pop. The songs sound like hymns to rural Americana—they’re both a tribute and a wishful hope for a return to simpler time. Unfortunately, singer Robin Pecknold’s lyrics sometimes veer off into hokey territory, especially when he rambles at length about the poetry of snowflakes and sun-drenched orchards. But Fleet Foxes are highly listenable: both their first album and their latest, Helplessness Blues (which came out earlier this month), offer a dreamy, inoffensive soundtrack for an afternoon spent picking apples and wearing plaid. Fleet Foxes perform with The Cave Singers at 9 p.m. at The Tower Theatre; tickets to the show are SOLD OUT. —Kiley Bense

Also playing: Converge + Drop Dead, Trap Them, Burning Love, Cop Problem at Broad Street Ministry (7 p.m., all ages, $15); Damon And Naomi + Amor de Dias at First Unitarian Church (7:30 p.m., all ages, $12); Delco Nightingale + Sean Kershaw And The New Jack Ramblers at The Fire (9 p.m., $9)

SUNDAY, MAY 22
The Punk Rock Flea Market (10 a.m.-5 p.m., $3, 461 N. 9th St.); Neon Trees + The Limousines, Eastern Conference Champions at Theatre Of Living Arts (8 p.m., $18); The Cars at Electric Factory (8 p.m., $60.45)

Listen to a free stream of the new Fleet Foxes album; band to perform at Tower Theatre on May 21st

Bruce Warren — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 20:12:06 +0000

Fleet Foxes have a new album, Helplessness Blues, coming out on May 5th—and they’ll be stopping by the Tower Theatre on Saturday, May 21st, while on tour in support of the album. Complete ticket information for the show can be found here. You can also stream the entire album over at NPR Music here. In their review of the album, NPR Music says:

Still making intricate folk songs with otherworldly harmonies, Fleet Foxes’ members clearly wrestled with the fear of repeating themselves in making Helplessness Blues. Ultimately, they wind up letting go and doing what they do best, and the results are outstanding.

Fleet Foxes playing Tower Theatre on May 21st; download a new song and watch the band’s new video

Bruce Warren — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:20:48 +0000

Fleet Foxes are playing the Tower Theatre on Saturday, May 21st. Their new album, Helplessness Blues, is being released on May 3rd. Below, check out their new video for the song “Grown Ocean.” And if you’ve yet to download the gorgeous “Helplessness Blues,” you can do so below.

Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues by subpop

When Steve Lillywhite produced Fleet Foxes for World Cafe

Bruce Warren — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 15:02:18 +0000

Several years ago, acclaimed record producer Steve Lillywhite (U2, Dave Matthews) produced The Lillywhite Sessions for World Cafe with David Dye. Working at WXPN and Avatar Studios in New York City, some of the sessions he produced included The Pretenders, Dr. Dog, and She & Him. Yesterday—with the release of “Helplessness Blues” (a new song by Fleet Foxes, which you can listen to and download below)—we were reminded of a session that Lillywhite did with Fleet Foxes back in July, 2008.

Listen to Fleet Foxes: The Lillywhite Session here

Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues by subpop

Fleet Foxes release their new album on May 3rd on Sub Pop Records. The band plays the Tower Theatre in Upper Darby on Saturday, May 21st.