Photos by Abi Reimold | AbiReimold.22slides.com Cit Hall Presents begins its new season next Wednesday, May 29 with Philly based Brazilian band Alo Brasil in the City Hall Courtyard at 5:30PM. City Hall Presents is a series of free performances that showcases the diversity and richness of the Philadelphia performing arts community. The events are free and take place every Wednesday at 5:30 in the City Hall Courtyard. WXPN has curated several of events this Summer including the opening event with Alo Brasil, followed by Cheers Elephant on June 5, and [...]
Award winning Blues guitarist and singer Super Chikan and the Fighting Cocks made the trip from his home in Clarksdale, Mississippi to Philadelphia last Thursday, May 16 in a double header Mississippi Blues Project concert as part of WXPN's Non-COMMvention with the Homemade Jamz Blues Band . Born James Louis Johnson in Darling, Mississippi in 1961, Johnson got his name from working with chickens on his family's farms, moving around the Mississippi Delta until they settled in Clarksdale. You can listen to the entire performance of Super Chikan and the Fighting Cocks here via [...]
Raymond Daniel Manczarek, Jr., known to most as Ray Manzarek, co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors from 1965 to 1973, has passed away . He was 74 and died from bile duct cancer in a clinic in Rosenheim, Germany. On May 1, 1970, The Doors played The Spectrum on a bill with The Staple Singer and Blues Image. The recording, Live In Philadelphia '70 , was released as part of the Bright Midnight Archives live music series. Below, listen to a few songs from the show, from a band in their prime. The don't [...]
Photos by Abi Reimold | AbiReimold.22slides.com It was a full house at Union Transfer on Saturday night as Philadelphia welcomed home Kurt Vile & The Violators for the last show of their U.S. tour. With strong openers and a career-spanning set list from the hometown hero, the night was jam-packed with stellar performances and a lot of love. There’s an image of a couch and a heart on Vile’s now infamous Fishtown mural that reprises the line “There’s a place in my heart for all of my friends” from [...]
Philly metal band Surgeon will release their new album tonight at Johnny Brenda's Kung Fu Necktie (the show was moved due to a water main break). Chemical Reign has been a long time coming for the local four-piece: we first got a sample of the new songs back in 2011 when the band stopped by for a Key Studio Session , a few years after their 2008 debut Angry Guest was released. Tickets and information for tonight's 21+ show with Swarm of Arrows , [...]
On their way to SXSW in March, Philly's Thee, Idea Men stopped by WRVU in Nashville, TN with tourmates Katie Frank & The Pheromones , Dan Orlando and WC Lindsay . The group of local musicians performed a cover of Amy Winehouse's "Valerie" live on the Vanderbilt University radio station, with Orlando on keys and Lindsay behind the camera. Check out the footage below and see Thee, Idea Men live at MilkBoy on June 13th. Dan Orlando will be at Kennett Flash on June 1st. Tickets and information for both [...]
Folk singer/songwriter Heyward Howkins plays Ortlieb's Lounge tonight. Howkins released a single in December 2012, entitled " Praline Country ", as well as his debut full length The Hale & Hearty in June 2012. Go here to watch a video of Hawkins playing his song "Flimsy Stock". Tickets and information for the 21+ show with Break It Up , Dreambook and Taggart can be found here . Below, enjoy the music video for "Sugar Sand Stitched Lip" off of Howkins' album [...]
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 [...]
This Wednesday, May 15 through Friday night May 17, the 13th annual Non-COMM industry and music conference is being hosted at WXPN. Many of the bands performing over the three days will be broadcast and webcast on XPN. Below is the schedule (subject to change). Wednesday, May 15 7 – 7:25 p.m. Gabriel Kelley 7:30 – 8:10 p.m. Steve Martin & Edie Brickell (video webcast) 8:10 – 8:35 p.m. John Murry 8:40 – 9:20 p.m. Tom Tom Club (video webcast) 9:25 – 9:55 p.m. Kurt Vile 10:00 – [...]
Remember The Scene ? Sure you do. It was that absolutely awesomesauce free gig at Blue Frog, Mumbai last month that featured the likes of The Lightyears Explode , Big City Harmonics and Skrat . Hell, we even released a zine about it with interviews and stories. The first in the monthly series was a huge success and it's back for the month of May. Version 2.o of NH7.in and Blue Frog's The Scene will take place on May 29 at Blue Frog, Mumbai, and once again, it won't cost you a dime! [...]
Drexel's student run Mad Dragon Records is celebrating their 10th anniversary with a concert at the The Trocadero on Friday, May 17. Performers include Cheers Elephant , Hoots & Hellmouth , Kuf Knotz , Andrew Lipke and the Prospects , Matt Duke , and Wild Rompit . Tickets are available here . The label will also be releasing a 10th Anniversary compilation 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 [...]
Trophy Wife | Photo by John Vettese The ball keeps rolling for Ladyfest Philly , a three-day event taking place around West Philly in June. Organizers of the festival recently shared an hour-long mixtape showcasing the stellar line-up and including contributions from local favorites Attia Taylor , Trophy Wife and Amanda X alongside national acts Screaming Females , U.S Girls and a dozen more. The festival, which is in its tenth year and celebrates women in arts, culture and activism, will also offer workshops on [...]
A week or so ago, Mumblr dropped their new four song EP Nutter . For those who love fuzzed out guitar riffs sprinkled with nasty bass tones, thriving drums, and a Weezer-esque vibe will enjoy this release. ( DISCLOSURE: The Key's intern Kyle Rossi plays in Mumblr, but we'd like them regardless. -ed. ) With four songs, and the longest song being roughly two minutes and thirty seconds, they pack a significant amount of depth into this EP. Not to mention the rock. Oh, boy, the rock. Mumblr started out as [...]
TJ Kong And The Atomic Bomb plays Johnny Brenda's tonight for Brat Aid: A Concert Fundraiser for local theater company Brat Productions . Playing a blend of rock and folk, TJ Kong employs heartfelt and soulful sounds to their music, and released a full length called Manufacturing Joy in September. You may also read a piece about Kong performing a Tom Waits cover set, and watch a video here . Tickets and information about the show with The Brat Cabaret and Isadora can be found here [...]
Funky dream pop band Twin Sister plays at Johnny Brenda's tonight. The band moves within elements of sound, all staying roughly onthe dreamy side, but also mixing indie pop with chillwave. Their album In Heaven was released in September of 2011. Tickets and information for the 21+ show with Lockets and Acres of Diamonds can be found here . Below, enjoy the music video for Twin Sister's "All Around And Away We Go" from their Color Your Life EP . [...]
All photos by Chris Sikich | countfeed.tumblr.com Shredding the night away, Marnie Stern and her crackling band headlined a night of indie rock awesomeness at Johnny Brenda’s on Friday. The tightness of the openers — phenomenal Philly locals Little Big League and the hard-rock stylings Barren Girls — readied the crowd for the entrancing guitar riffs and sweet yet edgy vocals of Stern, who was joined by bassist Nithin Kalvakota and drummer Joe Wong. By the second song, Wong’s shirt was off and the crowd was thrashing about, tossing [...]
Electronic singer/songwriter James Blake stops by the Theatre of Living Arts tonight. In April, Blake released his sophmore album Overgrown . The new album brings back Blake's beautiful voice and rhythmic electronics. Tickets and information for the all ages show can be found here . Below, check out the music video for "Retrograde" off of Blake's new album Overgrown . Singer/songwriter and producer Todd Rundgren plays the Trocodero tonight. Rundgren has helped produce songs for artists such as Meat Loaf and The Band, [...]
Mighty Radio , the "Sounds of Philadelphia Soul", is on the air and the web. Partially funded by the Knight Foundation , Mighty Radio includes an audio documentary project currently in production called Sound And Fury , an internet radio station , and a website honoring the legacy of Philadelphia’s Black broadcasters, the music they played and the stations they worked at, circa 1950-1979. Produced in association with Mighty Writers , Mighty Radio celebrates the contributions of some of Philly's greatest and most legendary DJ's including "Jocko" Henderson, Georgie Woods (the "Man With The Goods"), Jimmy [...]
The most recent episode of XPN's Indie Rock Hit Parade was a clearinghouse of sorts. Many of the bands we heard are either brand new or just breaking out, like Belfast's gloomy Girls Names and Chelsea Light Moving (the new project of Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore). There were some new local heroes, too: Waxahatchee and Bleeding Rainbow each got a moment in the spotlight. Stream the songs from the latest Indie Rock Hit Parade below, and preview a few tracks from the next all-new episode, starting tonight at 10pm on [...]
The 2nd annual Center City Jazz Festival takes place this weekend starting Friday, May 10th at the Philadelphia Art Museum with a performance from Cuban American singer-songwriter Venissa Santi . An incredibly talented Philadelphian, Santi was a 2008 Pew Fellow in Folk and Traditional Arts and is a graduate of the University of the Arts. She will perform with saxophonist and flutist Jane Bunnett, with Larry Kramer and Luis Bonilla. Also on Saturday, there are 20+ other performances at venues including Fergie's Pub, Milkboy Philly, Chris's Jazz Cafe, Time Restaurant (Upstairs and Downstairs). The headlining [...]
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