The Key » KC Jones

Download Philamixington II, featuring Norwegian Arms, Radiator Hospital, Catnaps and more

Julie Miller — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:18:49 +0000

Matt Marchinowski of Big School Records is moving out of Philadelphia. To celebrate his time here, Marchinowski has pieced together a snapshot of the local music scene with a 27-track mixtape called Philamixington II, available as a free download via his Tumblr. The second installment in the local music mixtape series, this collection samples various genres, circles and side projects with tracks from radio favorites like Cheers Elephant (pictured), basement staples Roof Doctor and The Hundred Acre Woods and new-projects-from-old-buddies like Avery Rosewater. From Marchinowski:

Although April will see my moving out of Philadelphia for the peaceful confines of the sticks I will still consider its scene ‘home’. It wasn’t easy narrowing this collection down to 27 jawns but I can assure you it won’t be the last notch in the Philamixington series.

Download the full mixtape for free on Beat the Indie Drum here and stream a sampling of the tracks below. The first Philamixington set can be downloaded here.

Tonight’s Concert Picks: DRGN King at PhilaMOCA, The Great Unknown at Johnny Brenda’s, XPN Welcomes Martin Sexton to The Landis Theater, Nightlands at Arden Gild Hall

Julie Miller — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 15:01:40 +0000

Philly’s DRGN King are celebrating the release of Paragraph Nights tonight at PhilaMOCA. The full-length debut from the psychedelic power pop outfit was released through Bar / None Records on January 22nd and runs the gamut of infectiously good songwriting from the slick “Holy Ghost” to the party-ready “Wild Night.” More information for the all-ages show with Dangerous Ponies, Walking Shapes and Idle Idols can be found here. Stream Paragraph Nights here and watch DRGN King’s Dominic Angelella perform a solo, stripped-down version of “Holy Ghost” at Sofar Sounds from last weekend below.

The Great Unknown are also celebrating a record release tonight over at Johnny Brenda’s. The local five-piece are setting forth So Strange and Loud into the physical world, following the album’s digital release last May. With reflective melodies and intricate arrangements, the The Great Unknown strive to make connections with their audiences both through live performance and recorded material. Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show with KC Jones and Ali Wadsworth can be found here. Below, stream “The Laws of Energy” from So Strange and Loud.

The Laws of Energy by The Great Unknown

XPN welcomes Martin Sexton to The Landis Theater tonight. The singer-songwriter is a quintessentially American musician, blending a variety of traditional playing styles including country, rock, gospel and R&B. Following up his 2010 LP Sugarcoating, Sexton released his Fall Like Rain EP last year. Both efforts come after his commercial breakthrough with 2007′s Seeds, which debuted at #6 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. Tickets and information for tonight’s all-ages show with The Alternate Routes in Vineland, NJ can be found here. Below, watch Martin Sexton perform “Can’t Stop Thinking ‘Bout You” with John Mayer.

Dave Hartley continues his busy start to the year with a Nightlands show at the Arden Gild Hall tonight. The solo project of the War on Drugs’ bass player, Nightlands released its sophomore effort Oak Island last week. The album fuses Hartley’s affinity for mystery and sci-fi with rollicking melodies and percussion, creating layer upon layer of rich textures through overdubbing and tape machine manipulation. Hartley spoke with ArtInfo recently to share some of his recording techniques and tricks; read the full interview here. Tickets and information for tonight’s show with School of Seven Bells can be found here. Below, watch the video for “I Fell In Love With a Feeling.”

Download Sounds From the West from local multi-instrumentalist KC Jones (playing Johnny Brenda’s on 2/2)

Julie Miller — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 22:04:37 +0000

Drawing influences from Talking Heads, Spiritualized and local 20th century painter Andrew Wyeth, Philly’s KC Jones has created a body of work that continues to reveal its complex nuances many listens in. 2012 saw the release of his Reckless EP, an exploration of drifting, ambient rock with some surprising instrumentation; the title track pairs the slow drawl of a violin and a pizzicato coda with a War on Drugs-esque bass line that Dave Hartley would be proud of. Throughout the EP, Jones’ vocals recall those of Tim Showalter (Strand of Oaks), with a weary but sturdy grasp on life and all its tribulations.

Moving forward to 2013, KC Jones released the full-length Sounds From the West just last week. West takes Jones’ sound in a new direction, moving from the electronic pop of lead track “So Sad” to the rock-structured “Hiding Behind Glass.” Named for Andrew Wyeth’s painting “Christina’s World,” West “follows a singular journey through the disconnect of life in a time of social and political strife.”

KC Jones will play Johnny Brenda’s on Saturday, February 2nd with The Great Unknown (celebrating the release of So Strange and Loud) and Ali Wadsworth. Tickets and information for the 21+ show can be found here. Stream “I.O.U.D.” from Sounds From the West below and download the name-your-price album on Bandcamp here.

Hiding Behind Glass by KC Jones

2nd Street Festival announces its 2012 lineup (includes Man Man, The Great Unknown, Blayer Pointdujour )

John Vettese — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 17:35:59 +0000

The annual 2nd Street Festival returns to Northern Liberties on August 5th, bringing with it a hefty and eclectic lineup ranging from Man Man‘s freaky art-rock to Blayer PointduJour and the Rockers Galore‘s body-moving kompa, and The Great Unknown‘s classic Americana.

The music portion of the day-long festival – which will also showcase local arts, crafts, and food vendors – takes place on the stage of the Piazza at Schmidt‘s, and is presented in conjunction with the Philadelphia Folksong Society. The initial lineup announced today includes:

Man Man
The Great Unknown
The Spinning Leaves
Blayer Pointdujour & The Rockers Galore
Auctioneer
Chris Kasper
The Kalob Griffin Band
The Doublewides
KC Jones
Norman Taylor
Mikey Jr.
DJ Matt Beck

Watch our Key Studio Video session with Blayer PointduJour and the Rockers Galore below.

Key Studio Sessions #2 – Blayer PointduJour & Rockers Galore from WXPN FM on Vimeo.