Josh Ritter

Tonight’s Concert Picks: JEFF the Brotherhood at Kung Fu Necktie, XPN welcomes Josh Ritter to The Trocadero, Faun Fables at Kung Fu Necktie

JEFF the Brotherhood kick off a two-night stand at Kung Fu Necktie tonight. The Nashville band of brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall got the music bug from their father, who has written / produced for Taylor Swift and Reba McEntire. The younger Orralls’ brand of music couldn’t be much further from that of Swift’s though – with a raucous live show and a sound that inevitably finds itself described as grungy, scuzzy and sludgy, JEFF the Brotherhood attract attention through a barrage of loud and distorted but equally quirky and endearing rock songs on their latest Hypnotic Nights LP. Tickets and information for tonight and tomorrow’s shows can be found here. Watch them perform “Sixpack” on Late Night with David Letterman below.

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FILED UNDER: Artists, Concert Previews, Events, Faun Fables, JEFF the Brotherhood, Josh Ritter, Kung Fu Necktie, The Felice Brothers, The Trocadero

March 12, 2013 | 3:47 PM | By Bruce Warren

AUDIO

Download a free live album from Josh Ritter (WXPN Welcomes Josh to the Trocadero on May 16)

Photo by Laura Wilson

Josh Ritter fans, you don’t want to miss this one. Below, in exchange for your e-mail address, download for free Live At The Iveagh Gardens, 20 plus songs of massive Josh-ness doing what he does best. It was recorded at the Iveagh Gardens in Dublin in July, 2010. Josh plays The Trocadero on Thursday, May 16th with the Felice Brothers. Go here for tickets to the show.

FILED UNDER: Artists, Downloads, Recordings, Josh Ritter

March 7, 2013 | 11:27 AM | By Julie Miller

The Week So Far: 12 must-read stories on The Key (incl. Wild Belle, Petula Clark and Neighborhood Choir)

Eels | Photo by Michael Bucher

Check out photos and videos of Eels‘ knock-out appearance at World Cafe Live [link]

Local acoustic musician Kyle Swartzwelder recorded a stirring session for Folkadelphia [link]

Download “Joy To You Baby” from Josh Ritter‘s new LP The Beast in its Tracks, which is also XPN’s Featured Album of the Week [link]

XPN’s Gotta Hear Song of Week welcomes the return of Petula Clark with “Cut Copy Me” off of her new album Lost in You [link]

The Lawsuits recorded a rocking, eclectic Key Studio Session this week [link]

Guest VJ Nikki Volpicelli shares Philadelphia Area Music Showcase‘s line-up of local acts for this month’s Tuesday Tune-Out series at PhilaMOCA [link]

Neighboorhood Choir‘s Bennett Daniels talks roadtrips, recording and roughing it in an interview with Brian Wilensky [link]

The Key premiered Wild Belle‘s instantly captivating and mystical debut album Isles [link]

Peter Murphy will perform the music of Bauhaus at The Trocadero on May 9th [link]

Watch a video of Norwegian Arms performing “Wolf Like a Stray Dog” at Brighton Sound Studios; they play an all-ages show at PhilaMOCA tomorrow [link]

Preeminent Philly soul group The Delfonics are put in the spotlight once again with Adrien Younge Presents The Delfonics; stream the new collaborative album via NPR [link]

Steve Earle and the Dukes announce a May 3rd show at Phoenixville’s Colonial Theatre [link]

FILED UNDER: Artists, Concert Photos + Videos, Concert Reviews, Events, Interviews, Recordings, Eels, Josh Ritter, Kyle Swartwelder, Neighborhood Choir, Norwegian Arms, Peter Murphey, Petula Clark, Philadelphia Area Music Showcase, Steve Earle, The Delfonics, Wild Belle

March 4, 2013 | 8:19 AM | By Bruce Warren

My Morning Download: “Joy To You Baby” by Josh Ritter (XPN Welcomes to the Trocadero in May)

Photo by Laura Wilson

Today’s download is “Joy To You Baby” by singer-songwriter Josh Ritter from his new album, The Beast In Its Tracks. Josh’s album is our Featured Album of the Week. WXPN’s Mike Vasilikos writes:

The songs that unfold on The Beast in Its Tracks are the stories of Josh. It’s the most personal collection he’s ever created. It’s an album that documents his recent divorce and what it took to get back on his feet. And while writing about himself may be something that’s been outside of Josh’s comfort zone, this period of time served inspiring as far as songwriting is concerned. While on paper, the typical “breakup” album usually calls for a collection of sad songs, yet The Beast in Its Tracks doesn’t give in to this formula completely. Songs like “Hopeful” and “Joy to You Baby” both fit into the arch of the album and at the same time offer just enough optimism moving forward.

WXPN Welcomes Josh to the Trocadero on Thursday, May 16th with the Felice Brothers opening the show. Go here to purchase tickets for the show.

Listen tonight at 8PM here for a live webcast from Josh and his band from Le Poisson Rouge in New York and NPR Music.

Below, in exchange for your e-mail address, download “Joy To You Baby.”

FILED UNDER: Artists, Downloads, Recordings, Josh Ritter, My Morning Download

February 25, 2013 | 6:45 AM | By John Vettese

AUDIO

Listen to Josh Ritter’s The Beast In Its Tracks via NPR Music First Listen (playing The Trocadero on 5/16)

Ritter Even though his Josh Ritter‘s new album The Beast In Its Tracks was written in the wake of his divorce, it doesn’t sound like a breakup album. The album is out on March 5th via Pytheas Recordings, and as NPR Music points out in its First Listen premier of the record, “gentility and empathy are wired into Ritter’s songwriting” so much that the album can be upbeat and even funny while also being profoundly sad. NPR’s Stephen Thompson writes:

The Beast in Its Tracks mostly hovers in a fascinating spot, where Ritter’s emotional timeline is concerned: Even in the album’s darkest moments, he’s more bruised than wounded, yearning to compartmentalize and preserve the happy memories that remain, and recovered enough to delight in fresh romantic encounters. He’s a man trying on newfound wisdom and finding that it doesn’t always fit, but he lands in a meaningful place: processing a breakup as the necessary catalyst for a new reality in which everyone has a shot at happiness.

Josh Ritter and The Royal City Band play The Trocadero with The Felice Brothers on Thursday, May 16. Listen to The Beast In Its Tracks in its entirety here.

FILED UNDER: Artists, Concert Previews, Events, Recordings, Josh Ritter, The Trocadero

December 21, 2012 | 1:45 PM | By Kevin Kennedy

The Key’s Year-End Mania: Kevin Kennedy’s five albums The Swollen Fox can’t wait to hear in 2013

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, one of our favorite Philly bloggers, Kevin Kennedy of The Swollen Fox, shares his five albums he can’t wait to hear in 2013.

It’s been a great year for music fans, but it’s time to start looking ahead to 2013. While you ponder your new year’s resolutions, take some time to look at upcoming concerts and releases—there’s a lot of stuff to get excited about. Some of my favorite artists are putting out new albums next year, and most have already scheduled Philly shows as well. Here’s a list of the 5 albums I’m most excited to hear in 2013. Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Artists, Dawes, Frightened Rabbit, Hey Marseilles, Josh Ritter, Local Natives, The Swollen Fox, Year-End Mania 2012

December 11, 2012 | 10:48 AM | By John Vettese

VIDEO

Just Announced: XPN Welcomes Josh Ritter to The Troc with The Felice Brothers on 5/16 and listen to a new song, “Joy To You Baby”

Acclaimed singer-songwriter and XPN favorite Josh Ritter is back with a new album and a tour for 2013 that brings him to town in May. In a string of dates announced today, Ritter inluded an appearance at The Trocadero on Thursday, May 16 with special guest The Felice Brothers opening. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, December 14 at noon. Ritter will also release his seventh full-length album, The Beast In Its Tracks, on March 5. In interviews, he’s described it as his post-divorce album, but the music isn’t as much of a downer as that might lead you to believe. A mix of introspective ballads and uptempo rockers, it stands up as a catchy and accessible work despite its weighty subject matter – a testament to Ritter’s songwriting prowess – and is sure to mix well with his lively onstage persona. Below, watch a fan-made montage of Ritter’s Free at Noon performance from 2010; listen to his set from the 2011 Musicians on Call concert here (via the WXPN media player), and listen to a new song “Joy To You Baby” from Josh’s forthcoming album.