Photo by Bo Hakala

The rapper/spoken word artist Dessa (of midwest collective Doomtree) will be performing at Sellersville Theater tonight with Philly hip-hop artist Kuf Knotz. Dessa is celebrating her newest album Parts of Speech, released on Doomtree Records. For more information on Dessa, check out a piece from The Key here. Alongside Dessa will be Philly native hip-hop artist Kuf Knotz, who blends elements of blues, rock, and other genres with his hip-hip. Tickets and information for the all ages show can be found here. Below, watch Dessa perform “The Man I Knew” for MN Original.

Folk musician Jesse Sparhawk plays PhilaMOCA tonight for Yvynyl’s Tuesday Tune-Out. Sparhawk’s last release was in August of 2012, a single entitled “Hummingbird”. You can check out a Fokadelphia session Sparhawk did here. Tickets and information for the all ages show with Strawberry Hands can be found here. Below, check out a video of Sparhawk playing his song “Hummingbird”.

Canadian shoegaze band No Joy play Kung Fu Necktie tonight. In April of this year the band released their newest album, Wait to Pleasure on Mexican Summer. Playing a similar style as bands such as My Bloody Valentine and Whirr, No Joy’s music is dissonant and atmospheric. Tickets and information for the 21+ show with Psychic Teens and CASSAVETES can be found here. Below, watch No Joy perform their song “Ghost Blonde” on KEXP.

The label will also be releasing a 10th Anniversary compilations of previously released and unreleased material from bands that have recorded for the label. The CD will be distributed at the show and will be made available for sale following the concert. Track listing below:

MDR 10th Anniversary Compilation
1. Hoots & Hellmouth- You & All of Us (from the Holy Open Secret)
2. Matt Duke- Tidal Waves (from Winter Child)
3. Andrew Lipke & The Prospects- Get It Over With (from Motherpearl & Dynamite)
4. Kuf Knotz- Fame Us (from Boombox Generation)
5. The Redwalls – Modern Diet (from The Redwalls)
6. Motion City Soundtrack- Severance (from Making Moves)
7. A Great Big Pile of Leaves- Writing Utensils (from Making Moves)
8. Goldrush- Settle Down (from Making Moves)
9. The Skies Revolt- For Your Health (from Making Moves)
10. The Company We Keep- Right/Wrong (from Making Moves)
11. The Swimmers – Hundred Hearts (from People Are Soft)
12. Toy Soldiers – Throw Me Down (from Whisper Down the Lane)
13. Trisha O’Keefe- Never Enough (from Star Burns Brightest)
14. Jules Shear- Used To It (from Dreams Don’t Count)

Bonus Tracks – New Tracks – Previously Unreleased by MAD Dragon Artists
15. Hoots & Hellmouth- Off to Sea (previously unreleased)
16. Kuf Knotz- Runnin’ (previously unreleased)
17. Matt Duke- Dead Meat (previously unreleased)
18. Andrew Lipke- The Old Man and the Sea (previously unreleased)
19. Andrew Gray- Take It Easy (previously unreleased)
20. Sean Hoots- Boy of Leaf (previously unreleased)

Post-punk quartet Parquet Courts headline an eclectic line-up at PhilaMOCA tonight.  Back in Philadelphia for the third time this year, Parquet Courts continue to tour in support of their debut full-length Light Up Gold, which just got a proper label release through indie label What’s Your Rupture.  Tickets and information for tonight’s all-ages show with Scott & Charlene’s Wedding, Amanda X and Household can be found here.  Watch Parquet Courts perform “Master of My Craft” and “Borrowed Time” live on WNYC below.

One of the stand-out bands at March’s SXSW, Sir Sly make their way to Philadelphia tonight for a show at Johnny Brenda’s.  With an EP plus a few more tracks released, the band has quickly made it clear that they will operate in the realm of expansive, catchy pop hooks.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show with JMSN and The Last Royals can be found here.  Watch a new video for “Found You Out” below and download “Gold” here.

Local Brazilian band Alo Brasil plays Underground Arts tonight.  More than just a performing band, Alo Brasil features an interactive live show influenced by African rhythms like samba, maracatu and more.  Though often accompanied by costumed dancers, for their recurring “Underground Sessions” Alo Brasil has a refreshed line-up of musicians.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show can be found here, or on the Facebook event page here.  Watch a promo video for Alo Brasil below.

Lentil Fest continues at The Fire tonight, with performances by Kuf Knotz, Nicos Gun, Reef the Lost Cauze, Mike “Slo-Mo’ Brenner, Gedeon Luke and Brady & the Bear.  In support of Lentil the french bulldog (born with a cleft pallate), all proceeds will benefit the French Bulldog Rescue Network, Street Tails Animal Rescue and ccakids.org.  Tickets and information can be found here.  Watch Kuf Knotz perform at the 2011 XPoNential Music Festival below.

Also happening: XPN welcomes The Smithereens to The Sellersville Theater; XPN welcomes Free Energy to the North Star Bar.  Tickets and information for both shows can be found on the XPN Concert Calendar.

Pointdujour explains the song over e-mail:

I got the riff from Kenny Dorham‘s “Bansheers Dream.” The verse lyrics talk about things that I use to face – my work and as well as fears. The chorus is a prayer. I find solace in the fact that we all push ourselves to attain our goals. Were all on the same level at the end of the day.

He adds that working with Kuf Knotz was also a dream come true. “Once I finished composing the demo and positive lyrics, I was determined to get him on the track,” Pointdujour says. “He really liked the track and came to the studio with a ton of lyrics. I love every word he spit on it. We had a great vibe. Cant wait to work with him again.”

Listen and grab an mp3 below, and check out an in-studio video of the song being recorded after the jump. Blayer is heading to South By Southwest this year, and is throwing a tour kickoff show at MilkBoy on March 9th with St. James and the Apostles, The Parachuting Apostles and the Joe Jordan Experiment. Tickets and information about that show can be found here.

Recent Run For Cover Records additions Modern Baseball play The Fire tonight.  Their 2012 debut LP Sports is getting the reissue-treatment by the new label and will be released on March 12th.  The local band also contributed to a benefit 4-way split for Topshelf Records this week along with Philly friends The Hundred Acre Woods, Maryland’s Julia Brown and Old Gray, with proceeds go to global anti-violence charity V-Day.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21= show with Cayetana, Marietta, Smoother and Cool Points can be found here.  Watch a stripped-down version of “The Weekend” from Sports below.

If you, like most of us, missed out on the super fast selling tickets for Mumford & Sons‘ show at Susquehanna Bank Center this weekend, have no fear.  Sit back and enjoy the British invasion event from the comfort of your home or car by tuning into WXPN 88.5 or streaming it online at XPN.org and sing along to favorites from 2012′s stand-out Babel and 2009′s debut Sigh No More.  Opening acts include LA sister trio HAIM and current BRIT Award nominee Ben Howard.  More information can be found here.  Below, watch Mumford & Sons perform “The Cave” live at Bonaroo in 2011.

Over a dozen local favorites are joining to together for a go at Song Reader: Twenty New Songs by Beck tonight at World Cafe Live upstairs.  As previously reported, influential music man Beck Hansen released his latest album in the (not so) traditional format of sheet music, intended for individual interpretation by those who wanted to hear the otherwise-unrecorded songs.  Tonight’s bill is a near-comprehensive list of Philly’s major players including Sean Hoots, Andrew Lipke, The Districts, Toy Soldiers and Kuf Knotz.  Tickets and information for the event can be found here.  For a full list of participating bands go here.  Below, watch local singer-songwriter Ben Smith perform his take of “Last Night You Were a Dream” from the Reader.

Elk Rhythms will perform tonight at the North Star Bar‘s New Music Showcase.  The folk project of Andy Ellison, Elk Rhythms’ audible influences on 2012′s self-titled EP range from The Grateful Dead (“Forty Days“) to Fleet Foxes with some unexpected Animal Collective playfulness thrown in (“Sleepwalking“).  Also playing tonight are Twenty Minute Tango, The Pretty Dittys and Devil’s Triangle.  Tickets and information for the 21+ show can be found here.  Below, stream and download Elk Rhythms’ “Gone Away.”.

The Broad Street Ministry

One of the many wonderful things about the Philadelphia music community is its desire to rally around causes and make a difference in the city.  As cliched as that sounds, its true – the latest example being hometown musician John Francis‘ new City of Love Festival, benefiting Broad Street Ministry and their “Breaking Bread” hospitality initiative.  Amidst debate over whether or not outdoor meal services for the homeless should be allowed in Philadelphia, the Broad Street Ministry has created its own safe haven for the city’s homeless men and women where they can receive a hot meal and a variety of services (including medical attention, art therapy and assistance for veterans) every Thursday afternoon.

Francis founded the secular City of Love Festival to help Broad Street Ministry pastor Bill Golderer reach his goal of increasing servings to nine hot meals a week in 2013.  The festival will be a bi-annual event, with the first concert happening on Friday, January 12th at Underground Arts.  The bill for the evening includes sets from The Districts, Levee Drivers, The Lawsuits, Caleb Hawley, Sean Hoots (of Hoots & Hellmouth), Kuf Knotz, Ross Bellenoit Band, Ryan Tennis, Blayer Pointdujour & The Rockers Galore, Zach Djanikian and John Francis & The Midnight Choir, plus special surprise guests.

The City of Love Festival is presented by the Philadelphia Folksong Society and is free for PFS members, with a suggested donation to aid in the Broad Street Ministry’s efforts, and $12 for non-members.  The event is 21+; more information can be found here.  Below, watch John Francis perform “Who” in Nashville.

“The songs here are as unfailingly exciting as you’d expect from their author, but if you want to hear “Do We? We Do,” or “Don’t Act Like Your Heart Isn’t Hard,” bringing them to life depends on you.”

Over a dozen local musicians have accepted Beck’s challenge and will perform their interpretations of the compositions at World Cafe Live on Tuesday, January 8th.  The line-up so far includes Sean Hoots, Johnny Showcase and the Lefty Lucy Cabaret, The Levee Drivers, Killer Whale, Modern Inventors, Kuf Knotz, Penrose, The Districts, Juston Stens and the Get Real Gang, Satellite Hearts, The Great Unknown, The Bailey Hounds, and Chris Kasper, with more to be announced soon.  Tickets and more information for the show can be found here.

Touring together for the first time since 2004, Neil Young & Crazy Horse will perform at The Wells Fargo Center tonight.  The legendary band gave fans reason to celebrate with two new releases this year, the first a collection of American classics called Americana and the second the original-material studio album Psychedelic Pill.  As if Neil Young & Crazy Horse weren’t enough on their own, they’ve invited Patti Smith to open the show.  Tickets and information can be found here.  Below, watch the music video short film for “Ramada Inn.”

Oakland’s High on Fire storm into Union Transfer tonight.  The “stoner metal” band released their sixth studio album De Vermis Mysteriis on E1 Music in April, a record that references the work of early twentieth-century writers Robert E. Howard, Robert Bloch and H.P. Lovecraft.  Tonight’s show will open with Goatwhore and Primate.  Tickets and information can be found here.  Below, stream the sludgy title track to De Vermis Mysteriis.

Cambridge, MA natives Passion Pit will play The Electric Factory tonight (moved from The Liacouras Center).  The synth-pop band released their eagerly-anticipated sophomore record Gossamer earlier this year, a record that sees them return to their doom-glitter aesthetic.  Opening for Passion Pit tonight are Ra Ra Riot.  Tickets and more information can be found here.  Watch Passion Pit perform “Carried Away” on Saturday Night Live below.

Noir Hop emcee Zilla Rocca stops by Kuf Knotz’s BoomBox Collective at World Cafe Live tonight.  The South Philly rapper released his Party With Villains EP a few weeks ago on the heels of the Wu-Tang Pulp project, and the EP is chock-full of Rocca’s signature comic book references and pulp fiction b-movie samples.  More information about the free show can be found here.  Below, listen to “Nothing in the Bank” aka The Funky Bank Heist song.

The Dead Milkmen will take the stage at Union Transfer for a Halloween show with Psychic Teens and MC Lars.  The Philadelphia-born band has been working on a new album at Miner Street Recording Studio and you can check out teaser clips on their website.  Tonight’s show is also the first in the Philadelphia Poster Guild’s lineup with a festive poster designed by Thom Lessner, which you’ll be able to pick up at the concert.  Tickets are $25 for the all-ages show and doors will open at 7:00 p.m.  Listen to some spooky vibes from the band’s recent recording sessions below.

Over at The Fire, it’s A Tribute to Halloween with members of Polar Ice Cap, The Stammer, The Best Westerns, The Extraordinaires, The Really Cooks and Dangerous Ponies.  The bands will be undercover as they perform cult favorites from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Pixies, Joy Division and more.  Tickets are $5 for the 21+ show here.  Doors will open at 8:00 p.m.  Stream Dangerous Ponies’ track “Ghost” below.

Get your Halloween hip hop on with Kuf Knotz’s BoomBox Collective at World Cafe Live.  Featuring soul singer Brian Owens, tonight’s event will have live music, dancing and a costume contest.  The party will begin at 8:00 p.m. and is free for all ages.  More information can be found here.  Meet Brian Owens in the promotional video below.

Photo by Theresa McCullough | tresmackproductions.tumblr.com

To celebrate its one-year anniversary, Fishtown recording studio Boom Room has booked a monster of a show.  Headlined by hip hop group Camp Lo, The W.E. featuring R&B singer Jaguar Wright, psych-jazz trio Grimace Federation and Kuf Knotz, the event will have an outdoor stage, an indoor dance party and an after party.  Complementary food and beverages will be provided by Vitamin Water, Pabst Blue Ribbon and the Local 215 food truck so really, you have no excuse to not dance your feet off.  Tickets are $30 and can be purchased here for the 21+ party, which kicks off at 1:00 p.m.  Below, watch a promo video for Boom Room Studios.

Nick Zammuto is back with a new band called…Zammuto.  Formally of the avant-garde duo The Books, the Vermont-based guitarist pulled in three new band members for his new project and subsequently released a self-titled album in April.  The experimentalists will take the stage tonight at Johnny Brenda’s with Lymbyc Systym and Hermit Thrushes.  The show is 21+ and tickets are $14 here, with doors opening at 9:30 p.m.  Stream tracks from Zammuto’s album below via Soundcloud.

WXPN welcomes Maysie’s Farm Fest to Ludwig’s Corner in Chester County.  Autumn is a time for celebrating the last good days of the year, and Maysie’s Farm wants to help you do just that.  Featuring some of the best in local music, food and art, the festival will showcase sets by Cheers Elephant, Kuf Knotz, Andrew Lipke, Hezekiah Jones and many more.  There will also be children’s activities, local artists’ tents and local food vendors.  Tickets are $20 at the gate, $16 after 6:00 p.m.  Children under 13 are free and the event begins at 1:00 p.m.  Watch Cheers Elephant’s video for “Doin’ it Right” featuring the streets of Philadelphia below (and you can download their latest album for name-your-own-price here).

If there’s one breakout song that took the world by storm in 2012, it’s Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know.”  Locking in a performance on Saturday Night Live and playing many sold-out shows across the country, the Australian singer certainly made his mark.  Tonight, WXPN welcomes Gotye back to Philadelphia for a show at the Tower Theatre with Missy Higgins.  Tickets for the all ages show are $20 to $45, available through Live Nation.  Doors are at 8:00 p.m.  Watch the viral video for “Somebody That I Used to Know” below.

WXPN welcomes Melody Gardot to The Merriam Theatre tonight.  The Grammy-nominated singer culls influences from jazz singers of yore like Ella Fitzgerald and Judy Garland but puts an Astrud Gilberto spin on the traditional sounds.  Following a period of international travel, Gardot released her latest album The Absence in May.  She returns to her hometown tonight to perform at The Merriam Theatre.  For tickets and information visit the venue’s website here.  Watch a documentary short about The Absence below.

Photo by Grace Dickinson

After one full year of throwing private events and hosting bands in its recording studio and practice space, the Philly venue Boom Room Studio will be celebrating its one-year anniversary with a blow-out party on September 29th. The event will feature food, drinks, and a slew of live performances. Confirmed artists include rap group Camp Lo, former Roots and Jay-Z backup singer Jaguar Wright‘s new band The W.E., Grimace Federation, BAM!, Kuf Knotz, Nex Millen, DJ Lina Luv, Cultureal, and the Magic Message DJs. The indoor/outdoor event starts at 3 p.m. and goes until the wee hours with a late night dance party hosted by the Magic Message DJs. For more background info on the space from owner of the Boom Room, watch this short behind-the-scenes documentary below.

A big addition to the festival’s main stage in the Piazza is Philly hip-hop impressionist Lushlife (listen to his Key Studio Session here). The Poplar stage now opens with a set from soulful songwriter John Francis (hear his Key Studio Session here), feisty Philly rockers Purples (their Key Session can be downloaded here) and ubiquitous MC Kuf Knotz (he did a Key Session too, and it’s here). Also on Poplar are mind-blowing Baltimore psych heads Secret Mountains, as well as DJ DNA of Johnny Brenda’s popular gospel brunch and twangy rockers Brooke Shive and the 45s.

Last, there’s the Fairmount Stage, which is pretty much entirely new additions. Two Philly dance troupes will perform – Philareyto, which specializes in Puerto Rican dance, as well as Fuego Nuevo, a group preserving Aztec dance and culture. Opening that stage will be The Webbs and a jam session with John Fuhr, as well as a set in the middle of the afternoon from the Philly School of Rock.

The 2nd Street Festival runs from noon to 10 p.m. along 2nd street in Northern Liberties; the day also includes craft and food vendors, is free and open to the public. More information at 2nd Street Fest’s Facebook page.

Central Pennsylvania’s own Dana Alexandra kicked off the third day of the XPoNential Music Festival with an energetic performance at the Marina Stage. Philadelphia rapper Kuf Knotz joined her onstage for a song, and Alexandra enthusiastically interacted with the crowd, cooling them off with water balloons and water pistols. Check out a photo gallery above, and see the setlist below. here (via the WXPN media player).

Ribbons & Bows
Wash Your Mouth Out
Summer Song
Where We Started
Radio Up
Under Dog
Sugar & Spice

Last night, Philadelphia’s SoFAR Sounds chapter welcomed Wilmington indie-poppers The Spinto Band, London folk-rockers The Brute Chorus and Philadelphia poet K.P. Brown to a living room in Olde Kensington. This is the third installment of the new house concert series – which has previously featured sets from The Lawsuits, Peasant, Alessi’s Ark, Lightning Jar, The Spinning Leaves, Hezekiah Jones and spoken word artist Ms. Wise. The night drew a bustling crowd, both players in the Philly music scene (ubiquitous hip-hop artist Kuf Knotz and North Star Bar programmer Andrew Miller were in attendance) as well as curious music fans. But the very act of calling it a “house concert” might be selling SoFAR (Songs From a Room) short. Performances were streamed live on the internet, and documented by a video crew for an archive on the London-based organization’s central website. The operating philosophy is unconventional as well. It doesn’t actively advertise; you have to like its Facebook page to find out the date and time of the next event, RSVP for the location, and typically don’t know who’s performing until you arrive. Victor Gennaro of Philadelphia rock outfit Mountjoy was the evening’s MC (it was his house the crowd was filing into) and while he got the show underway, The Key spoke with Carolyn Lederach, regional coordinator of SoFAR, about the program’s underground approach to supporting artists…in between pauses for her to answer the front door and ask new arrivals to make themselves at home.

The Key: How were you introduced to the SoFAR Sounds series and what inspired you to bring it to Philly?
Carolyn Lederach: I have a friend, Rebecca Pierce, who’s really involved in music. She knew [SoFAR] was trying to start a branch here in Philadelphia, so she just got me in touch with them and it worked out. This is like the 15th city they’ve started it in.

TK: What other cities have it?
CL: It started in London. Here in the U.S., they have it in Dallas, L.A., New York, Minneapolis, and there’s ones in Europe and India too.

TK: Have you gone to any of the other cities, the London one?
CL: I have not. I’ve been meaning to go to the New York one, so one day soon. We actually did get help from the MCs up in New York, they came down here and gave us a hand starting things. This is actually our first solo run at it.

TK: When you’re programming each event, what do you look for in the musicians as well as the spoken word artists?
CL: We pretty much just look for something different, we try to mix everything to get a different genre and feel for every night. You have upbeat things, and you try to think about what would sound good in an intimate acoustic room. So obviously the artists would have to be able to strip down the music in some way, and still be fun and interactive. SoFAR has had different artists who use loop pedals and some electronica kind of stuff too. They’ve kind of tried all different things throughout the network.

TK: Do you choose the artists personally, or is it more of a committee?
CL: Everyone does a little bit of everything. Everyone in all the different cities will maybe hear a band and then suggest it because they might be [touring] in a different area. So for example, the girl who runs things in L.A. sent us some suggestions of bands she thought of, and bands will submit things. There’s word-of-mouth, or someone will see a band open for someone else. So it’s a bunch of things really.

TK: How do you find the houses you use as venues?
CL: Well, this is actually the second time we’ve been at Victor’s place. The first one was at Victor’s too; we found it because The Lawsuits [who played that show] were trying to help us find a spot. We had a couple people at the last one come forward with interest in opening up their place. I guess it’s all kind of word of mouth too, different people hear about it and think it sounds like a cool opportunity.

TK: There are a lot of similar DIY shows, house show operations, things of that nature going on in Philly. What do you feel sets SoFAR apart?
CL: Because it’s the global community of SoFAR, it’s beyond this one night. They usually have a live stream set up – we have the computer set up now to run the stream of the show online so people can log in anywhere and listen to it. And then we have the videographers and photographers and stuff, and those videos and photos will be sent around online to the SoFAR sites. So everyone kind of gets a feel for it.

TK: I think it’s interesting that you don’t really announce who’s performing; people who show up don’t necessarily know who they’re going to see. Why is that?
CL: That’s a good question! It’s about the musical community, and sometimes you have bigger artists come through, and you don’t want the huge crowd to come just for them. You want someone to come and appreciate the music itself, as opposed to just one artist. You want someone to sit down and just enjoy the whole night and not really care who’s playing. Or trust the SoFAR experience that we’re going to provide a great group of music.

TK: If you were to sum up the overall goal of SoFAR, how would you do it?
CL: The whole SoFAR thing started with the ideals of bring musicians out of clubs, where people might not really respect them as much. You pay to get into a show and you might be standing there trying to listen to your favorite band and the group next to you is talking, or on their phone. It’s about bringing music out of that medium and into this intimate setting where you have people sitting and collectively listening to what’s there.

PREVIOUSLY: Watch a video from new Philly house concert series SoFAR, featuring The Spinning Joneses and Ms. Wise.

• Sweet Thingby Lizanne Knott with Kuf Knotz from Philly Sings In The Key Of Love 2012Download

Photo by Justin Clowes

One half of Philly noir-hop duo 5 O’Clock Shadowboxers, South Philly MC Zilla Rocca recently dropped his latest solo outing, Nights and Weekends. This week he celebrates the EP’s release with an appearance at Kuf Knotz’ monthly Boombox Collective showcase at World Cafe Live. Grab a free download of the single “Black Cherry” below; listen back to his Key Studio Session with the Shadowboxers here; and catch the free show this Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 8 p.m. upstairs at World Cafe Live.

For more photos by Eric Ashleigh, visit eashleigh.com.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3
This weekend, WHYY will sponsor a free concert at the River Stage at the Great Plaza in Penn’s Landing as part of its 2011 Connections Festival. Saturday’s line-up includes a host of local favorites, including Toy Soldiers, The Baseball Project, and Kuf Knotz. Dr. Dog will headline the show, going on at 7:30; the group (originally from West Philly) is currently touring behind their latest album, 2010′s Shame, Shame. The festival, which starts on Friday at 9:30pm, will also feature film screenings and visual art displays. Check the festival’s website for more information and a full listing of the bands involved.

Also Playing: Polar Bear Club + Fireworks, Balance And Composure, Make Do And Mend at First Unitarian Church (6 p.m., all ages, $12-$14)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
XPN Welcomes The Camden Backyard BBQ at Wiggins Waterfront Park And Marina (2-10 p.m., free)

Kuf Knotz offered a nice change of pace to the festival with his clever, well-crafted hip hop. As the first band to take the River Stage for the day, Kuf Knotz certainly did not disappoint. Together with his fantastic backing band, Kuf Knotz’s frenetic, organic hip hop was the perfect way to kick off the day at the River Stage. —Max Ufberg

You can listen to the audio of the full performance here; videos are here. Last November, Kuf came into the WXPN studio to record a Key Studio Session, which you can find here. Kuf also appears on our new Key Studio Sessions 2011 XPoNential Music Festival Sampler (which also features exclusive tracks by Johnny Miles And The Waywards, Nicos Gun, Matt Duke, and Andrew Lipke).

Set List
World Today
The Currency
Fame Us
Soul Music
Clock Tickin’
Sunny Philadelphia

Visit Kuf Knotz’s band page at the XPoNential Music Festival website for complete coverage.

Watch the full episode. See more On Canvas.

Watch the full episode. See more WHYY Presents.

Left: Kuf Knotz and his cousins (courtesy of the family). Right: Kuf with his mother, Sylvia Thornton (photo by Helen Leicht)

In honor of Mother’s Day, XPN Middays host Helen Leicht has launched a five-part series called “M.O.M.s: Mothers On Musicians.” Helen spoke with the mothers of local musicians, including Amos Lee, Kuf Knotz, Mutlu, Brian Kenneth Anderson (of Fooling April) and Matt Duke. The first interview is with Sylvia Thornton, Kuf Knotz’s mom; you can listen to it here (and watch the video below). New interviews will be posted on The Key each Wednesday (after they have aired on XPN Local With Helen Leicht on Tuesday night).

Tickets to the XPoNential Music Festival are available now for members only, and start at less than $12 a day (for a three-day pass purchased in advance). Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, May 16th. Go to XPN.org’s support page (or call 1-800-565-WXPN) to become a member; if you pledge $24 per month, you’ll receive a pair of weekend passes, two festival t-shirts, and an XPN membership that gets you free beverages and artist meet-and-greets all weekend long.