The Key » Psalmships

The Week So Far: 11 must-read stories on The Key (incl. My Morning Jacket, Morrissey, and Jamie Lidell)

Julie Miller — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 23:30:04 +0000

Elliott Sharp digs into the history and methods of two local guitar effects pedal companies TSVG and smallsound/bigsound [link]

We kick off a new regular feature XPN’s Gotta Hear Song of the Week with “Do Yourself a Favor” from Jamie Lidell – he’s playing Union Transfer on 4/14 [link]

Sera Cahoone stopped by for a Folkadelphia session, highlighting her knock-out 2012 release Deer Creek Canyon [link]

Check out photos and a review of Conor Oberst’s reunited Desaparecidos at Union Transfer [link]

My Morning Jacket cover “Leaving On a Jet Plane” for The Music is You: A Tribute to John Denver [link]

Local folk project Psalmships contributes a cover of “Before We Retire” to the Long May You Run, J. Tillman tribute album [link]

Morrissey announces a show at the Tower Theater for 4/6 [link]

We highlight local blues-rock trio Penrose and their Circe LP in this week’s Unlocked feature [link]

Mike “Slo Mo” Brenner released Tripti after returning from India, where he studied Indian slide guitar [link]

The Philly Drum Project begins fundraising for their high school workshop DrumPhil [link]

Waxahatchee goes acoustic in her Key Studio Session ahead of a record release party at Golden Tea House on Friday [link]

Philly’s Psalmships featured on a tribute to Long May You Run, J. Tillman

John Vettese — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:36:20 +0000

New folk blog Slowcoustic has compiled a tribute to Long May You Run, J. Tillman, the second album released by the singer-songwriter you now know better as Father John Misty. Among the artists covering songs from the 2006 album are Philly’s own Psalmships, the minimal folk outfit of Joshua Britton, taking a stab at the song “Before We Retire.” Slowcoustic blogger Sandy Smansmith writes “When [Britton]…sent me the track he indicated that he felt it was possibly a bit haunting. This 7 1/2 minute track creeps into you and haunts you exactly the way it is supposed to.” Listen to it and grab a download below.

Tonight’s Concert Picks: Adam Arcuragi at Kennett Flash, Sunset Recorder at Kung Fu Necktie, Ray LaMontagne at The Tower, The Helio Sequence at Underground Arts, The Feverfew with Psalmships at Burlap and Bean

Skye Leppo — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 15:30:18 +0000

Adam Arcuragi will be performing tonight at Kennett Flash. The death gospel singer will be returning to Philadelphia on his tour supporting the January release of his third full-length album, Like A Fire That Consumes All Before It…, which you can stream here. Tickets and information for the all-ages show are available here; doors open at 7. Below, watch Arcuragi and the Lupine Chorale Society perform “You’d Think This Was Easy,” the first single from Like A Fire That Consumes All Before It….

Local lo-fi surf rockers Sunset Recorder are playing at Kung Fu Necktie tonight. You can listen below to the band’s poppy four-track album, Tuning Into The Universe, or downloaded for free on their Bandcamp page. Go here for details and tickets for tonight’s 21+ show.

Tuning Into The Universe by Sunset Recorder

XPN Welcomes celebrated folk singer Ray LaMontagne to the Tower tonight. LaMontagne’s raw, whiskey-drowned vocals and earnest lyrics gave way to his Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album for 2010′s God Willin’ & The Creek Don’t Rise. Go here for details about tonight’s all-ages performance, which starts at 8. Below, watch LaMontagne’s Live At Abbey Road studio sessions of “Trouble” and “Jolene” from his 2004 album Trouble.

Touring in support of their fifth album Negotiations, which dropped in September, The Helio Sequence will be playing at Underground Arts tonight. The Portland duo has been performing together since the ’90s but didn’t gain fame until the breakaway success of 2009′s Keep Your Eyes Ahead. Tickets and details for tonight’s 21+ show can be found here; doors open at 8. Below, watch the new video for “Hall of Mirrors” from Negotiations.

Brooklyn / Philadelphia acoustic pair The Feverfew will be performing with Psalmships at Burlap and Bean in Newton Square tonight. The Feverfew’s honest lyrics have earned them comparisons to fellow indie folk musicians Cat Power and Patti Smith. Some of the songs from The Feverfew’s 2011 album, Lost Song Orphanage, can be downloaded for free on their Bandcamp page here. Tickets for tonight’s show can be found here; doors open at 7:30. Below, check out the video for “Goodbye Blue Monday” from 2004′s Apparitions.

The Week’s Best MP3 Downloads, incl. Gracie, Rachael Yamagata and Zilla Rocca

Julie Miller — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 18:30:15 +0000

Electronic-pop outift Gracie lent some songs to our Key Studio Sessions series this week. Andrew Balasia, the man behind the moniker, stopped by the studio on his way to a show at Johnny Brenda’s and recorded three tracks off of his upcoming Bleeder LP. Download the Key Sessions rendition of “Creature Pleaser” (the album’s first single) below and check out the full session here. Gracie has hinted that he will be back for a show in Philly before the month is finished, so stay tuned for more information on that and the release of Bleeder.

Creature Pleaserby Gracie from The Key Studio Sessions Download

Rachael Yamagata released a ten-track EP on NoiseTrade this week ahead of her upcoming tour. Yamagata’s emotionally intimate and relatable style is made even more charming on the seven acoustic and three studio tracks. The sampler also includes a song called “It’ll Do” off of Yamagata’s forthcoming Heavyweight EP, out on November 20th through her own label. Stream and download the NoiseTrade mixtape below; Rachael Yamagata will bring her tour to the First Unitarian Sanctuary on December 7th. Tickets and information can be found here.

Self-described as ghost folk, Philadelphia’s Psalmships make haunting, stripped-down music with an emphasis on storytelling. The project of singer-songwriter Joshua Britton, Psalmships digitally released their beautifully aching upcoming EP Hello, Traitor on their Bandcamp ahead of its official release on November 20th. Stream and download “Heart Carries Blame” below, and then celebrate the EP release with Britton and friends at Burlap and Bean on Saturday, November 17th.

Philadelphia pop favorites Work Drugs released a new track this week called “Beyond Greenpoint”. Featuring the smoothest of saxophone solos and Work Drugs’ signature breezy vocals, “Beyond Greenpoint” is a reality check song “about life outside the bubble that is micro-bloggers, designer dogs, and high priced haircuts.” Download the track here and watch the video below, directed by Italian visual artist Marco Scago. Work Drugs plays Ortlieb’s Lounge on December 8th. Information can be found here.

Philly “noir-hop originator” Zilla Rocca dropped his Party With Villains EP last week, and it’s chock-full of local crime lore and comic book references. Rocca grew up in South Philly during the mob wars of the ’80s and ’90s, and that experiences seems to have a creative mark on the MC. Below, stream the South Philly mobster-inspired “Ron Previte.” Rocca Zilla will be a part of Kuf Knotz’s Boombox Collective at World Cafe Live on November 29th. Tickets and information are available here.

Download Hello, Traitor, a new EP from Psalmships (playing Burlap and Bean on 11/17)

John Vettese — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 16:26:07 +0000

Psalmships is the haunting indie-folk outfit of local singer, guitarist and visual artist Joshua Britton. With minimal arrangements, lo-fi production and a resonant voice much indebted to Johnny Cash, the band spins musical yarns that are heartrending, but simultaneously uplifting – think Red House Painters, or Cat Power. The latest Psalmships EP, Hello Traitor, releases on Tuesday, November 20 – with a pre-release party at Burlap and Bean coffeehouse on Saturday, November 17 – but you can listen to it now in the streaming player below. If you like what you hear, grab a free download of “Heart Carries Blame” and dig into Britton’s back-catalogue on Bandcamp.

Hello, Traitor by Psalmships