The Lawsuits

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May 2, 2013 | 10:00 AM | By

Download The Key Studio Sessions Vol. 7 (feat. Waxahatchee, Pissed Jeans, Ruby the Hatchet + more)

kss vol 7

The latest edition of our Key Studio Sessions compilations is out today – now streamable and downloadable from Soundcloud!  Check out this year’s in-studio appearances with The Key Studio Sessions Vol. 7, including the down-tempo folk stylings of Waxahatchee, the thrashing punk of Pissed Jeans and the all-out rock jams of Ruby the Hatchet.  Thanks to production assistants Fred Knittel, Madeleine Lesperance, and Dan Malloy as well as photographers Rachel Del Sordo and Kate McCann, and videographers The Angry Mountain, HotBox Studios and Out of Town Films for sharing their work.

FILED UNDER: Artists, Downloads, Recordings, Anjuli Josephine, Cayetana, Everyone Everywhere, Free Range Folk, Glocca Morra, Gretchen Lohse, Juston Stens and the Get Real Gang, Modern Inventors, Pissed Jeans, Ruby The Hatchet, Ryan Tennis, Slingshot Dakota, St. James & the Apostles, The Key Studio Sessions Vol. 7, The Lawsuits, The Naked Sun, The Stray Birds, waxahatchee
April 23, 2013 | 4:21 PM | By

Lentil Fest! benefit with Kuf Knotz, Nicos Gun, Reef The Lost Cauze, Sean Hoots, The Lawsuits, and more at The Fire on May 4

seanhoots On Saturday, May 4th and Sunday, May 5th, The Fire plays host to a benefit with proceeds going to The French Bulldog Rescue Network, the Street Tails Animal Rescue (STAR), and the Children’s Craniofacial Association. Performers on Saturday, May 4th include: Kuf Knotz, Nicos Gun, and Reef The Lost Cauze. On Sunday, May 5th, the lineup includes: The Lawsuits, Spirit and Dust, North Lawrence Midnight Singers, Anjuli Josephine, Attia Taylor, and Sean Hoots. Go here for tickets and more information about the shows.

FILED UNDER: Artists, Events, News, Anjuli Josephine, Attia Taylor, Kuf Knotz, Nicos Gun, North Lawrence Midnight Singers, Reef The Lost Cauze, Sean Hoots, spirit and dust, The Lawsuits
April 20, 2013 | 11:00 AM | By

The Week’s Best MP3 Downloads, incl. Oldermost, Ruby the Hatchet, The Lawsuits

oldermost

In advance of their upcoming debut full-length, local five-piece Oldermost dropped a download of two free tracks earlier this week. “Close to the Fire” and “Once I Left” display two distinct moods of the band, recalling dreamy Americana favorites My Morning Jacket and Lord Huron. Stream the songs below and download them on Oldermost’s Bandcamp here.

New Paradise Laboratories have announced that they will put their production of 27 back on the stage this spring.  The play takes a surreal and improvised look at music’s “27 Club” with portrayals of Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain.  Narrator / musical accompanist Alec MacLaughlin stopped in the WXPN studios for an interview and improvisation session during the play’s run last fall – download his appearance below.

Tuesday’s My Morning Download featured Philly’s The Lawsuits and their new single “Onion.”  The track, and the album it will appear on, was recorded by Bill Moriarty.  With the release of Cool Cool Cool happening this summer, the band has some free time on their hands, which they will fill with a few shows next month – catch The Lawsuits at Johnny Brenda’s on May 3rd, at The Fire on May 5th and at Hard Rock Cafe on May 10th.  Tickets and information for all shows can be found here.  Download “Onion” here and check out the Key Studio Session version below.

Ruby the Hatchet stopped by to record this week’s Key Studio Session, reprising two songs from their wild Ouroboros album that was released last fall and previewing a new one, “Paralyzed,” which you can stream and download below.  The Angry Mountain was also on hand to capture the local band’s performance of “Paralyzed” on film.  Ruby the Hatchet will be at Kung Fu Necktie on April 25th – tickets and information can be found here.  Check out the full session here.

Ruby The Hatchet “Paralyzed” from The Angry Mountain on Vimeo.

Local art rock outfit The Chairman Dances shared their new two song Michael and the Prophetess EP this week.  The free download is “a song cycle steeped in biblical language and set in a fictionalized 1950s era Brooklyn” and follows the band’s longer form concept efforts A Promise and Long Lost / A History of Iniquity.  The Chairman Dances will perform at Kung Fu Necktie on June 14th; tickets and information can be found here.

FILED UNDER: Artists, Downloads, Recordings, Alec MacLaughlin, New Paradise Laboratories, Oldermost, Ruby The Hatchet, The Chairman Dances, The Lawsuits
April 19, 2013 | 10:18 AM | By

Laser Background record a new song for Brighton Sound Sessions (playing Johnny Brenda’s on 5/3)

LBNorth Wales recording space Brighton Sound Studio pulled in Philly psych / pop band Laser Background for their latest video series, produced by local venture Seven Knots Productions.  The first of three recordings originating in the recent session, “Fizzy Lifting Drinks” is a song that will be featured on Laser Backgrounds new LP Super Future Montage.  The Andy Moholt-led project looks and sounds great in the video, and you can be sure they will look and sound great at Johnny Brenda’s on May 3rd when they support Grandchildren‘s album release alongside The Lawsuits.  Tickets and information for the show can be found here.  Watch “Fizzy Lifting Drinks” below and stick around for the rest of the Laser Background series.

FILED UNDER: Artists, Concert Previews, Events, News, Scene, Brighton Sound Session, Grandchildren, Johnny Brenda's, Laser Background, The Lawsuits
April 16, 2013 | 8:48 AM | By

My Morning Download Local Music Premiere: “Onion” by The Lawsuits (playing Johnny Brenda’s and Hard Rock Cafe in May)

Photo by Matt Smith of HotBox Studios

Photo by Matt Smith of HotBox Studios

From Philadelphia, The Lawsuits are songwriter, guitarist and lyricist Brian Dale Allen Strouse, lead singer Vanessa Winter, bassist Brendan Michael Cunningham, Josh Friedman on drums and Noah Skaroff on guitar, banjo, saxophone and various other instruments. The band is getting ready to release its new album, Cool Cool Cool, this summer. Produced by Bill Moriarty, “Onion” is the first single from the new album. Download the song for free below. The Lawsuits are opening for Grandchildren’s CD Release at Johnny Brenda’s on Friday. May 3rd. They are co-headlining with New Sweden at the Hard Rock Cafe in Philadelphia on May 10th. In early March, The Lawsuits recorded a Key Studio Session in March that you can download here.

FILED UNDER: Artists, Downloads, News, Recordings, The Lawsuits
March 10, 2013 | 1:28 PM | By

The Week’s Best MP3 Downloads, incl.The Lawsuits, k.s. Rhoads and a YVYNYL mixtape

LawsuitsThe Lawsuits were our featured artists for this week’s Key Studio Session.  Highlighting tracks from their upcoming debut LP, the rootsy band recorded four songs, alternating between the upbeat, rocking numbers we know and love them for and the more reserved and beautifully arranged slower tracks that appeared on their recent Numbers EP.  Stream and download “Onion” below and check out the full session here.

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FILED UNDER: Artists, Downloads, Recordings, k.s. Rhoads, Kyle Swartzwelder, The Delfonics, The Lawsuits, yvynyl
March 8, 2013 | 12:30 PM | By

Introducing: The Hot Philly 15

Photo of Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee by Rachel Del Sordo

Photo of Kate Crutchfield of Waxahatchee by Rachel Del Sordo

The Hot Philly 15 is a completely subjective list of Philly-made and Philly Local music happenings we love this week. It’s somewhat informed by what we’re playing on the radio, what we’re blogging about and what you’re talking about.

1 – Waxahatchee: With an excellent new album, Cerulean Salt, a fantastic Key Studio Session, a high profile upcoming gig at SXSW with NPR Music, and Best New Music on Pitchfork, we’re in love. You should be too.

2 – The Delfonics – Who would have thought 45 years after the release of “La La Means I Love You,” William Hart would still be kickin’ it? Listen to Adrian Younge Presents The Delfonics here. Download the new song, “Enemies” here.

3 – Keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel: Philly Bands heading to SXSW include: DRGN KNG, Blayer Pointdujour and The Rockers Galore, Creepoid, Lantern, Bleeding Rainbow, Norwegian Arms, A Life Once Lost, Dangerous Ponies, The Fleeting Ends, Lushlife, The Kalob Griffin Band, Katie Frank & The Pheromones, Nothing, Cold Fronts, Free Energy, Thee Idea Men. If we forgot you, sorry. We never got your press release.

4 – Chill Moody: We want him to be the mtvU Freshmen Video of the Week. Vote for him here.

Lawsuits

The Lawsuits | Photos by Matthew Smith | Montage by Bryan Schreck

5 – The Lawsuits Key Studio Session – listen to it here.

6 – Heavy Rotation: The Fleeting Ends release their poptastical new album, Our Eyes Are Peeled, on March 22nd. It’s getting lots of advance play in the office here.

7 – The Hotbox Studio (video) Sessions recently kicked back into action with Cheers Elephant and Grandchildren

8 – Tayyib Ali dropped his new mixtape, Keystone State Of Mind 2. Download it here.

9 – Tara Murtha’s Philly Weekly cover story on the closing of Fluid. Read it here.

10 – Stereogum premiered a new jam from our friends Free Energy. Download it here.

11 – Questlove and D’Angelo get down at the Brooklyn Bowl here. Okay, so the Brooklyn Bowl isn’t Philly. Neither is D’Angelo. But Quest is.

12 – Mike Slo-Mo Brenner gets all world music on our asses with a new collection of Indian slide guitar music he recorded in Calcutta.

WD13 – Duet of the moment: Juston Stens and Jessica Lea Mayfield, “Strange Love.” Download it here.

14 – Entertainment Weekly debuted the new Purling Hiss video for the song “Mercury Retrograde” here. It’s psychedelic, baby.

15 – Work Drugs: The Philly smooth-fi music machine drops yet another new single, “Sunset On High Street.” Download it here and don’t miss them tomorrow night with Night Panther at Kung Fu Necktie.

FILED UNDER: Artists, Scene, Adrian Younge, Chill Moody, Free Energy, Juston Stens, Mike Brenner, Purling Hiss, Questlove, Tayyib Ali, The Delfonics, The Fleeting Ends, The Hot Philly 15, The Lawsuits, waxahatchee, Work Drugs