Grandchildren

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April 29, 2013 | 2:49 PM | By

Unlocked: Download “End Times” by Grandchildren, stream their new album, Golden Age (playing Johnny Brenda’s this Friday, May 3)

Grandchildren_4331web (2)

When talking to Aleks Martray, singer, guitarist and band leader for the orchestral pop band Grandchildren, he said, about his role in the band: “I feel kind of like The Wizard behind the curtain in The Wizard of Oz.”  The cinematic allusion is fitting, given the small stature of the front man and the massive, sweeping compositions he creates. Grandchildren’s new album, Golden Age, finds the band both refining and expanding upon the distinctive sound and dynamics from their 2010 debut album Everlasting. The album, produced by Chris Powell (Man Man) and Bill Moriarty, is coming out on Ernest Jenning Record Co. on May 7th.

This week, we are delving into Golden Age for our Unlocked series, where we feature in-depth coverage of new releases from notable Philadelphia-based artists. Today, we are getting the ball rolling with the pulsing, hypnotic track “End Times”, where Martray’s commanding tenor and the bands fervor reintroduce you to a reinvigorated Grandchildren. Below, download the track below and stream the full album via here via Allmusic.

Grandchildren celebrate their record release this Friday, May 3rd at Johnny Brenda’s with support from The Lawsuits, Laser Background, DJ POW POW (Man Man’s Chris Powell).

FILED UNDER: Artists, Downloads, News, Recordings, Grandchildren, Unlocked
April 19, 2013 | 10:18 AM | By

Laser Background record a new song for Brighton Sound Sessions (playing Johnny Brenda’s on 5/3)

LBNorth Wales recording space Brighton Sound Studio pulled in Philly psych / pop band Laser Background for their latest video series, produced by local venture Seven Knots Productions.  The first of three recordings originating in the recent session, “Fizzy Lifting Drinks” is a song that will be featured on Laser Backgrounds new LP Super Future Montage.  The Andy Moholt-led project looks and sounds great in the video, and you can be sure they will look and sound great at Johnny Brenda’s on May 3rd when they support Grandchildren‘s album release alongside The Lawsuits.  Tickets and information for the show can be found here.  Watch “Fizzy Lifting Drinks” below and stick around for the rest of the Laser Background series.

FILED UNDER: Artists, Concert Previews, Events, News, Scene, Brighton Sound Session, Grandchildren, Johnny Brenda's, Laser Background, The Lawsuits
April 4, 2013 | 10:20 AM | By

Grandchildren premiere video for “Sunrise” on Consequence of Sound

GrandchildrenTaking some much-deserved downtime until the May release of Golden Age, Philly chamber-pop outfit Grandchildren rolled out a new video for “Sunrise” via Consequence of Sound this week.  The video seems to parallel that of 2010′s “Saturn Returns” with a protagonist, in this case a young girl, making her way through a reality-blurred forest with taxidermied animals and mysterious figures in a technicolor structure.  Check out the video below and stay tuned for the impending release of Grandchildren’s sophomore effort.

FILED UNDER: Artists, News, Grandchildren
March 25, 2013 | 1:57 PM | By

Watch Grandchildren perform “End Times” for the Choice/Cuts Session Series

Grandchildren | Photo by John Vettese

Grandchildren | Photo by John Vettese

Philly art-pop seven-piece Grandchildren is taking it easy a for a bit – their sophomore album Golden Age doesn’t come out until May, and the only shows on their agenda between now and then are two gallery appearances in Brooklyn – but that doesn’t mean there’s not more new music to be heard. Last week we got another taste of the album in this performance of “End Times” from The Deli Magazine and HotBox Studios‘ resurrected Choice/Cuts session series. Check it out below, and watch their performance of “Sunrise” (part one of the Grandchildren feature) here.

FILED UNDER: Artists, Recordings, Grandchildren, HotBox Studios, The Deli Magazine-Philadelphia
March 21, 2013 | 11:01 AM | By

The Week So Far: 11 must-read stories on The Key (incl. Amos Lee, SXSW and Purling Hiss)

Photo: Gary Miller/FilmMagic

Photo: Gary Miller/FilmMagic

Dave Grohl gave an inspiring and insightful Keynote Speech at last week’s SXSW [link]

Cursive and The Good Life frontman Tim Kasher came to Folkadelphia in his solo acoustic capacity for this week’s live session [link]

Mondays’ My Morning Download featured L.A. five piece The Lonely Wild and their track “Everything You Need” [link]

Florida / NYC duo The Saint Johns were highlighted for XPN’s Gotta Hear Song of the Week with their song “Your Head and Your Heart” [link]

Barenaked Ladies, Ben Folds Five and Guster announced a date at The Mann for July 18th [link]

Purling Hiss are the focus of Unlocked this week; their major label debut Water On Mars was released on Tuesday through Drag City [link]

Philly bands Vacationer, Grandchildren, Lantern and more invaded Austin for SXSW with an impressive showing of hard work and talent [link]

Appel Farm announced a line-up for the June 1st festival that includes Brandi Carlile, Low Cut Connie and Delta Rae [link]

The Philly Drum Project will celebrate its first anniversary at World Cafe Live on April 23rd [link]

Get an exclusive listen of Amos Lee covering “Some Days Are Diamonds” from The Music Is You: A Tribute to John Denver [link]

Slingshot Dakota‘s positive, upbeat pop / punk songs shine in this week’s Key Session [link]

FILED UNDER: Artist Profiles, Artists, Concert Previews, Downloads, Events, News, Recordings, Scene, Amos Lee, Appel Farm, Barenaked Ladies, Ben Folds Five, Dave Grohl, Grandchildren, Guster, Lantern, Philly Drum Project, Purling Hiss, Slingshot Dakota, SXSW, The Lonely Wild, The Saint John's, Tim Kasher, Vacationer
March 18, 2013 | 4:32 PM | By

Go H.A.M. or Go Light? Philly favorites take different approaches at SXSW (incl. Grandchildren, Lantern, Free Energy and more)

Free Energy | Photo by John Vettese

Free Energy | Photo by John Vettese

The SXSW PHL showcase wasn’t the only place to see musicians from the Delaware Valley last week. A wide variety of musicians from the region made the trek, with a wide variety of approaches. For instance, Wilmington’s New Sweden took the barn-burning powerhouse approach, not only playing a packed tour on the way down, but jamming in an impressive (and as yet unquantified) number of SXSW showcases into its itinerary between Monday and Saturday. Other artists took it light, by comparison.

Vacationer | Photo by John Vettese

Vacationer | Photo by John Vettese

We caught Kenny Vasoli’s Vacationer in their last show of South By Southwest on Saturday night at the infamous Hype Hotel venue, sponsored by The Hype Machine. It was the breezy electronic pop band’s second of two shows, and the relaxed pace left Vasoli in the most exuberant of exuberant moods during their set.

“This has been the best experience I’ve ever had at South by Southwest,” he reminded the crowd at uber-frequent intervals. Like, seriously, in between every song of their 30-minute set. “It’s been such a great few days, and I’ve got all of you to thank for that.” Back in his old pop-punk band The Starting Line, Vasoli probably got swept awat in the hammering gauntlet that the industry festival can be – hence the easygoing approach this time. He’s not alone. Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Artists, Events, Interviews, Free Energy, Grandchildren, Lantern, New Sweden, sxsw 2013, T.J. Kong And The Atomic Bomb, Vacationer
March 1, 2013 | 10:00 AM | By

Tonight’s Concert Picks: Grandchildren at Underground Arts, Black Horse Motel at Kung Fu Necktie, Up The Chain at Milkboy and more

GrandchildrenTonight at Underground Arts, local experimental pop band Grandchildren will kick off their spring tour and give fans a taste of their new album Golden Age, which is slated for a May release. Yesterday, The Key’s Adam Gould talked to Grandchildren about five things that have changed about the band since their 2010 debut Everlasting; read the interview here. Opening the 21+ show are Buried Beds and Son Step, more information is available at the WXPN Concert Calendar. Below, watch Grandchildren performing “Sunrise” for The Deli and Hot Box Studios’ Choice/Cuts session series.

Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Artists, Concert Previews, Events, Black Horse Motel, Cheers Elephant, Foxygen, Grandchildren, Keepers, Kung Fu Necktie, Milkboy, Underground Arts, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Up The Chain, waxahatchee