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, XPN Morning Show host Michaela Majoun shares her five most sonically addictive songs of 2012.
By which I mean songs you just can’t get out of your head, not necessarily because of lyrical content or musical depth, but because of a sound that hooks you. I suspect it has something to do with repetition and viscerally-felt clapping or drum noise and the other things noted below. There are studies about why music is addictive – read more here and here. Continue reading →
The Lumineers | Photo by Joe Del Tufo | www.joedeltufo.com
Longtime XPN favorites Dave Matthews Band and new XPN discoveries The Lumineers played a sold-out show at Wells Fargo Center last night, wrapping up their fall 2012 tour. Check out a photo recap of the night in the gallery above. The Lumineers will be back in the area this February, playing at The Tower Theater.
It’s been almost a year since The Lumineers literally got their first play on WXPN. On Monday, January 9th, 2012, the band was featured as a World Cafe: Next artist and that evening during XPN’s weekly new music show, the 8 O’Clock News, XPN’s Mike Vasilikos played “Ho Hey.” Little did we know then that the song and the band would go on to the well deserved success it’s had this year. The Grammy award nominated Brooklyn-to-Colorado indie-folk rockers have become one of XPN’s most popular break out bands of 2012. When the band played the XPoNential Music Festival last July it’s song “Ho Hey” was just starting to get mainstream radio play but we could feel the excitement from the crowd that watched their set that they were watching a band that would go on to “really big things.” The band released their self-titled debut on April 3rd and since then “Ho Hey” has skyrocketed to the top of the radio charts and sales charts. They’ve been touring almost non-stop since last Winter; in fact they played a SXSW live broadcast last March in Austin for XPN on a bill that included Father John Misty and Delta Spirit. Tonight, the band are in town opening for the Dave Matthews Band; The Lumineers are playing the Tower Theatre on February 9th, 2013. Tickets to the show are sold out. Let’s take a moment to look back on the year long history of XPN’s love affair with The Lumineers. Welcome back to Philly and we raise our glasses to their continued success! Continue reading →
It’s a little bit rainy today, if you haven’t noticed. All but three of tonight’s concert options have been called off due to Hurricane Sandy, and really, it’s a safer and dryer bet to bunker down at home and pretend you’re at a stormy concert. So here’s our favorite one of those in recent memory: Dawes‘ performance in the rain from this summer’s XPoNential Music Festival. You can listen to the set in its entirety here (via the WXPN media player) – the mega-singalong to “When My Time Comes” is magic. And while you’re digging into our festival archives, we suggest getting ready for this Friday’s Free at noon by listening to J.D. McPherson’s set, and celebrate the return of The Lumineers in January by hearing their set. Keep dry and rock on!
Denver trio The Lumineers are returning to Philadelphia at the Tower Theater on February 9th. The roots-pop group, who are currently scheduled to play with Dave Matthews Band at the Wells Fargo Center December 22nd (tickets available here) took off this year with the breakaway hit, “Ho Hey.” Although the group has been together since 2005, their self-titled debut album was released in April. Tickets for the February show will be available starting at 10 AM Friday, November 2nd here. Below, watch the video for “Ho Hey.”
Dave Matthews Band just announced a run of winter tour dates with XPoNential Festival alums The Lumineers opening; the tour brings them to the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on December 22, and tickets go on sale to the public on October 19 at 10 a.m. Below, watch a video of Dave performing “Black Jack” at the Atlantic City stop of the Caravan Festival in 2011.
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, XPN Morning Show host Michaela Majoun shares her five most sonically addictive songs of 2012.
