The Key » Joseph Arthur

The Week’s Best MP3 Downloads, incl. The Postal Service, Grandchildren, Joseph Arthur, Mount Moriah, and more

Julie Miller — Sun, 05 May 2013 15:00:43 +0000

Photo by Myriam Santos

XPN’s Gotta Hear Song of the Week featured Joseph Arthur and his new song “Saint of Impossible Causes.” The track comes from Arthur’s upcoming album The Ballad of Boogie Christ. Stream and download the song below, and learn more about Ballad here.

Wednesday’s My Morning Download featured a quartet from Nashville called The Features and their song “The Disorder.” The band is a musical chameleon, drawing their quirky sound from classic rock, indie rock, southern soul and more with ease. They’ll be at MilkBoy Philly on Wednesday, May 8th; go here for info.

Mount Moriah delivered a stirring performance for this week’s Folkadelphia session. The North Carolina band performed songs from their recent Miracle Temple LP – download the full set on Folkadelphia’s Bandcamp here, and listen to “White Sands” below.

We got a double dose of Key Studio Sessions this week. Liz & the Lost Boys turned in a preview of their upcoming LP on Wednesday, with jazzy harp-playing and theatrical vocals. Thursday saw the release of the Key Studio Sessions Vol. 7, featuring tracks from Waxahatchee, Pissed Jeans and more. Download the compilation here, grab the full Liz & the Lost Boys appearance here and stream their song “I’ll Stay” below.

Liz & the Lost Boys - I'll Stayby Liz & The Lost Boys from The Key Studio Sessions, May 1, 2013 Download

In advance of its release on May 7th, Grandchildren‘s Golden Age was the topic of this week’s Unlocked series. The in-depth look at the local band’s new album kicked-off with a download of “End Times.” Revisit the full feature here and download “End Times” here.

Finally, The Postal Service are celebrating the 10th anniversary release of its album, Give Up. From it, download one of the two new songs from re-release, “A Tattered Line Of String.”

A Tattered Line of Stringby The Postal Service from Give Up Download

XPN’s Gotta Hear Song Of The Week: “Saint Of Impossible Causes” by Joseph Arthur

Bruce Warren — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:05:29 +0000

Photo by Myriam Santos

This week’s Gotta Hear Song of The Week is a new song, “Saint Of Impossible Causes,” by the prolific singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur. Arthur’s new album, The Ballad of Boogie Christ is out on June 11th and he’s asking his fans to help support and fund the project through a Pledge Music campaign. The album includes guest appearances Ben Harper, Garth Hudson, Joan Wasser (Joan As Policewoman), and Jim Keltner, Arthur calls the release a psychedelic soul record, a “concept album with a story arc about a man falling apart and coming back together in insanity and enlightenment.” Download “Saint Of Impossible Causes” below. We think you’ll agree with us that it’s some of Arthur’s finest, richest work to date. Below the song, watch a video from Arthur explaining about the album.

Get two-for-one tickets to the Musicians on Call benefit concert with Birdie Busch, Joseph Arthur and Shemekia Copeland

John Vettese — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:36:32 +0000

This Thursday brings the 9th Annual Musicians on Call benefit concert, a fundraiser show for the local nonprofit that brings live music to the bedsides of hospital patients in the Delaware Valley. Performing are Philly’s Birdie Busch and the Greatest Night (pictured), Joseph Arthur and Shemekia Copeland, and for the next 24 hours, you can get two-for-the-price-of-one tickets. Just enter the promo code “KEYMOC” when you purchase your tickets. Below, watch Busch’s video for “These Banks.”

Download “This Must Be (reprise)” from Birdie Busch and the Greatest Night (playing Musicians On Call Benefit at World Cafe Live on 3/14)

Julie Miller — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:23:34 +0000

Photo by Lisa Schaffer | skylerbug.com

Atmospheric and dreamy, this previously-unreleased instrumental from local singer-songwriter Birdie Busch is a great little add-on to what is already one of the year’s best albums. Birdie suggests adding it to a favorite “drive in the desert” playlist, but for those of us on the east coast it could do just as well on any early morning driving-back-from-the-greatest-night mix. Stream and download “This Must Be (reprise)” below and listen to Birdie Busch and the Greatest Night here. Tickets and information for the Musicians On Call Benefit Concert with Shemekia Copeland and Joseph Arthur at World Cafe Live on March 14th can be found here.

Tonight’s Concert Picks: Hop Along and Kite Party at The Fire, RNDM at Union Transfer, Now Now Opening for Motion City Soundtrack at TLA, Milk Carton Kids at Tin Angel

Skye Leppo — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 15:30:34 +0000

Hop Along and Kite Party will be performing tonight at The Fire. Hop Along released their debut full-length album Get Disowned earlier this year in May, while fellow local band Kite Party have the entirety of their first album Hand Claps Music available as a free download here. The all ages show tonight starts at 6:30; tickets are available here. Below, watch Kite Party performing “Buried in Dogs.”

RNDM is the newly formed bluesy alt-rock brainchild of singer/songwriter Joseph Arthur, drummer Richard Stuverud from Three Fish, and Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament on bass. The supergroup will be performing tonight at Union Transfer fresh off the release of their debut album Acts, which dropped last week. Fans listening will recognize that Acts is heavily influenced from the bandmembers’ other projects, with nostalgic lyrics and rhythms and Ament’s mesmerizing bass lines on tracks like “Darkness” and “Cherries In The Snow.” Tickets for the 8:30 show are available here. Watch the video for “Walking Through New York” below.

Now Now, formerly known as Now Now Every Children, will be opening for Motion City Soundtrack tonight at Theatre of the Living Arts. The midwestern indie rock trio released their second full-length album, Threads, in March. Jukebox The Ghost, who previously toured with Now Now supporting Hellogoodbye’s winter tour last year, will also be performing tonight. Tickets for the 6 pm show are available here. Below, check out Now Now’s video for the title track from Threads.

XPN Welcomes The Milk Carton Kids to Tin Angel tonight.The folk duo, which is Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan, released two albums in 2011, Retrospect and Prologue, both of which are available as free downloads on their website here. Tickets for the 21+ show tonight can be found here. Watch The Milk Carton Kids perform “Michigan” as part of NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert Series below.

WXPN broadcasting Non-Commvention shows with Grace Potter, War On Drugs, Willie Nelson, Rufus Wainwright, Brandi Carlile, Polica, Norah Jones and more

Bruce Warren — Thu, 10 May 2012 01:06:04 +0000

Next Wednesday, May 16th through Saturday, May 17th WXPN’s annual music conference, the Non-Commvention, rolls in to World Cafe Live and WXPN. This is the 12th year for the industry conference started by WXPN’s Dan Reed when he worked at WFPK in Louisville, Kentucky. Hundreds of music industry personnel will be in town from various radio stations across the country alongside industry publicists, labels representatives, digital media folks, managers, and listeners and members of WXPN. The lineup for this year’s Non-Comm includes dozens of bands who will be performing at World Cafe Live Wednesday through Friday night, and a listener appreciation Free At Noon on Saturday at Penn Park. WXPN will be broadcasting and webcasting the following sets live:

Wednesday, May 16
8:00 PM – The Key Studio Sessions Live with Graham Alexander, Find Vienna
10:00 – Grace Potter & the Nocturnals

Thursday, May 17 Free At Noon
Noon – Joseph Arthur
12:30 – Citizen Cope

The NPR Music Stage
8:30-9 – Father John Misty
9:35-10:05 – Beth Orton
10:45-11:25 – The War On Drugs
12:05-12:45 – Polica

Friday, May 18 Free At Noon with Brandi Carlile, Norah Jones, Willie Nelson

The NPR Music Stage
8:30-9 – Diego Garcia
9:35-10 – Nada Surf
10:40-11:10 – Good Old War
11:50-12:30 – J.C. Brooks & the Uptown Sound

Saturday, May 19 – Listener Appreciation Free At Noon from Penn Park:
12-12:20 – Dex Romweber Duo
12:25-1:05 – Rufus Wainwright
1:15-1:45 – Sons of Fathers
1:55-2:25 – Elle King
2:30-3 – Nick Waterhouse

My Morning Download: “Travel As Equals” by Joseph Arthur

Bruce Warren — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:15:40 +0000

Photo by Oliver Krato

Singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur has released a new double album for free called Redemption City. Download the albums here. Below, download the song “Travel As Equals.” Here’s what he has to say about the albums:

Part 1
Is complete as a record and for those who are generally against the idea of an artist making a double record (of which there are many) you can stop there and you have it.

Part 2
Is the deep cuts, which would have otherwise remained on the cutting room floor or else been leaked out over time in various ways, fragmented beings with no brothers or sisters or home. I think both parts serve to strengthen the whole. They are relating to each other and breathing back and forth. They are each other’s shadow and hold hands when no one is watching. It’s true that often less is more but sometimes more is more and that is something that, in this case, will be down to taste.

With the Internet and new ways of releasing music it seems that the doors are open to broader perspectives on what’s too much. Here you have both a double and a single record, depending on how you want it or your level of interest. Also it’s not important (or possible!) to listen to all of it in one sitting. Take in Part 1 and then move slowly into part 2.
It’s a city. There are lots of avenues and side streets, Abandoned buildings and bodegas,
Cars parked on the side of oblivion with cats in them. Come in and walk around.

Travel As Equalsby Joseph Arthur from Redemption City Download

WXPN’s Mike Vasilikos interviews Citizen Cope, Gary Clark Jr., and Joseph Arthur

The Key — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 18:45:16 +0000

Joseph Arthur

Yesterday, WXPN’s Mike Vasilikos interviewed 2011 XPoNential Music Festival headliners Citizen Cope as well as Gary Clark Jr. and Joseph Arthur. You can listen to the full interviews by clicking the links below.

Interview with Citizen Cope

Interview with Gary Clark Jr.

Interview with Joseph Arthur

Photo Recap: 2011 XPoNential Music Festival, Day 1

The Key — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 15:30:09 +0000

Photos by Eric Ashleigh, Mitch Berger, Jaci Downs, and Jim Rinaldi.

Here’s two reasons why you don’t want to miss Gary Clark Jr. at the XPoNential Music Festival

Bruce Warren — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 14:56:04 +0000

Every year at the XPoNential Music Festival we introduce you to some new musicians. This year, one of those artists is Gary Clark, Jr. from Austin, Texas. Clark can sing some sweet R&B but mostly he’s a blistering blues and rock artist at heart. Check out the two videos below that from a live performance he did at Bardot in Hollywood, California. Clark recently signed to Warner Brothers records and he peforms on Friday, July 22nd with the North Mississippi Allstars Duo, Joseph Arthur, Citizen Cope, The Smithereens, and locals Nicos Gun, Johnny Miles and The Waywards. Purchase tickets to the festival here.

Just Announced: Dar Williams, Citizen Cope, Joseph Arthur, and Gary Clark Jr. added to the 2011 XPoNential Music Festival

The Key — Tue, 31 May 2011 15:02:26 +0000

Dar Williams

Dar Williams, Citizen Cope and Gary Clark Jr. have been added to the lineup for the 2011 XPoNential Music Festival presented by Subaru.

You can get the full details regarding the festival here.

“WXPN, the nationally-recognized leader in Triple A (Adult Album Alternative) music and a noncommercial radio service of the University of Pennsylvania, today announced that tickets for the XPoNential Music Festival presented by Subaru are now on sale to the general public. More than 30+ bands will play the weekend festival at Camden County’s Wiggins Park located on the Camden Waterfront, from Friday, July 22nd through Sunday, July 24th.

Early Bird prices for festival tickets will be available from May 16-July 15. Early Bird prices for a daily pass are $15 for WXPN Members and $25 for non-members. Early Bird prices for 3-Day Pass are $35 for WXPN Members and $50 for non-members. Early Bird tickets can be purchased online, by phone (215-222-1400). Starting May 23rd, tickets can also be purchased at select retailers in WXPN’s listening area including the Greater Philadelphia region, Southern N.J. and Central Pa. The full list of retailers can be found online.

Beginning July 15, WXPN Members will pay $20 for a daily pass and $45 for the 3-Day Pass; non-members will pay $30 for a daily pass and $65 for the 3-Day Pass. A children’s ticket (ages 2-12) is available for daily admission for $5. Regular-priced tickets can be purchased online using the print-at-home feature or at the gate.”