Market East shared a new song called "To Walk With You" ahead of the release of Children of Summer , out May 27th [ link ] The 52nd annual Philadelphia Folk Festival line-up is jam packed with sets by Richard Thompson, Toy Soldiers, Black Prairie and more [ link ] Alo Brasil brought tropical sounds and rhythms to their Key Studio Session earlier this week [ link ] The National debuted the first video for their upcoming LP with the song "Sea of Love" [...]
Local electro dream / pop duo Lockets are at it again, this time with a new release and a show at Johnny Brenda's coming up soon. "Surrender" is Dani Mari and Todd Mendelsohn's first offering of new material since their 2012 debut LP Camera Shy and will be included on a 73 being released this summer via London's Beautiful Strange. Vibe-ing on some galactic synth sounds and vocals that hint at Dido or Natalie Merchant, "Surrender" is a dreamy, hazy song that could turn any environment into a luxurious rooftop lounge on a warm [...]
Text and bottom images by G.W. Miller III . Top image by Marie Alyse Rodriguez . This article originally appeared at JUMP . Tucked away in a parking garage in the heart of West Philly, in a living room-sized studio next to the rehearsal space of a thrash-metal band, you’ll find the headquarters of some of Philly’s best party people. The Illvibe Collective DJ crew members have been throwing parties around the city since 2000, selling out venues and winning competitions, like the Red Bull Public [...]
Grandchildren 's Golden Age is featured in this week's Unlocked series [ link ] It's been a big week for show announcements, with The Monkees [ link ], Patty Griffin [ link ], Pet Shop Boys [ link ] and The Olms [ link ] unveiling Philly dates Joe Pug played a show at Johnny Brenda's this week - check out a free download of five tracks from the Chicago singer-songwriter [ link ] Khari Mateen will kick-off Brewerytown's summer jazz concert series on May 15th [ link [...]
Laser Background has released the second installment of their Brighton Sound sessions. The candy-colored, kaleidoscopic video features "Magic Dust," which will appear alongside " Fizzy Lifting Drinks " on the Philly band's forthcoming Super Future Montage LP. Tonight, Laser Background will help Grandchildren celebrate the release of their full-length Golden Age at Johnny Brenda's ; tickets and information can be found here . Watch "Magic Dust" below and stay tuned for the band's third and final session recording.
Since the Final Fridays of each month are Land of the Lost territory on WXPN, the Indie Rock Hit Parade was presented in a compact, hour-long format this past week. Despite the time constraints, we still got to hear plenty of fresh tracks from Iggy & The Stooges , The History Of Apple Pie , Andrew Wyatt of Miike Snow and more! Stream a Spotify playlist of the show below! And here are a few tracks you're sure to hear on the next Indie [...]
Kurt Vile roams the empty streets of Philadelphia in his new video for "Never Run Away" off of his sublime Wakin' On a Pretty Daze LP and premiered by NPR's All Songs Considered . Clad in white and surrounded by white busses, Vile is depicted in a series of shots inspired by classic 70s album covers and videos. From directing duo HARRYS: Kurt's music, to us, has carried on the lineage established by musicians like Neil Young, Harry Nilsson or Tom Petty.... We wanted to make a video inspired by [...]
Philly is getting it's first official Music Hack Day organized by Drexel's ExCITeCenter and The Echo Nest , one of the world's leading technology and music intelligence companies. Music Hack Day starts Saturday, May 18th at 10AM and ends Sunday, May 19th at 5PM. Just what is Music Hack Day? Music Hack Day is an international 24-hour HACKATHON where programmers, designers and artists come together to conceptualize, build and demo the future of music. Software, hardware, mobile, web, instruments, art - anything goes as long as it’s music. For music and tech geeks, Music Hack [...]
So, you haven't been paying attention to pro hoops this season? Fear not, I have. Here's what you need to know: Lebron James is really good at basketball. If you stopped caring after Michael Jordan retired, here is your reentry point. Lebron is currently enjoying a level of sustained dominance we've only seen from Michael Jordan (if you don't believe me, check out the advanced metrics ), but in a totally different way. His preposterous speed, power and finishing ability gets lots of deserved ink and SportsCenter real estate, but it's the little things [...]
SRUTI: The India Music and Dance Society The musical adaptation of Rocky won't be the only Philadelphia-centric theater production to hit the stage in the near future. Thanks to the Knight Arts Challenge, a collaboration between Dr. Dog and the Pig Iron Theatre Company is one of 43 Philadelphia arts projects to be awarded grants by foundation this year. The local band and innovative performance group sit alongside music education initiatives, art installations and experimental spacial projects on the list of funding winners. Check out a sampling of [...]
XPN welcomes Johnny Marr to The Trocadero tonight. The former Smiths guitarist is currently promoting his first solo effort The Messenger . Following the break up of The Smiths in the late 80s, Marr has worked on recordings with The Talking Heads and J. Mascis and contributed in large part to the score of Inception . Tickets and information for tonight's show with ALAMAR can be found here . Check out an interview The Key did with Marr here and watch him perform "Sun and [...]
Matt Marchinowski of Big School Records is moving out of Philadelphia. To celebrate his time here, Marchinowski has pieced together a snapshot of the local music scene with a 27-track mixtape called Philamixington II , available as a free download via his Tumblr . The second installment in the local music mixtape series, this collection samples various genres, circles and side projects with tracks from radio favorites like Cheers Elephant (pictured), basement staples Roof Doctor and The Hundred Acre Woods and new-projects-from-old-buddies like Avery Rosewater . From Marchinowski [...]
Photo cred: Ally Newbold Photography http://www.allynewbold.com/ Philly's Girl Scouts are a trio that blend math rock and emo together to create a dynamic sound. Watching them perform live is a treat because the level of skill and coordination they have is exciting, especially for being a young band. Barely in their 202s, it's inspiring to see young musicians who are as talented as they are. Girl Scouts put out their first two song release entitled thanksalot in August 2011. In December 2011, they released a split [...]
Local pop / rock outfit The Fleeting Ends have shared a video for "I'm Like That," a track off of their new LP Our Eyes Are Peeled . The video features the band playing the laid-back and lackadaisical (and incredibly catchy) song against a lava lamp backdrop interspersed with cuts to a colorful ballet dancer. The Fleeting Ends will play a free show at The Kimmel Center tonight to help bring PIFA to an end (more information can be found here ). The Philly band will also perform at the XPoNential Music [...]
On Cinco de Mayo, Sunday May 5th from 2-6pm, North Bowl Lounge N’ Lanes is having its first Record Bazaar. With over 30 participating vendors, the record "swap and sale" will include businesses and individuals coming together for some serious crate digging and vinyl buying pleasure. From Philly’s A.K.A. Music, Reptilian Records, Sit N’ Spin, Record Breakin’ Music and Milkcrate Café to Open Crates Vinyl Culture Collective to DJ Frosty Crates, the event will feature plenty of hot wax and plenty of food and drink specials as well. Go here for more information.
Rhett Miller, playing tonight at World Cafe Live Singer/songwriter Rhett Miller stops by World Cafe Live tonight. His fifth album, The Dreamer , was released last year in June. Miller is also the lead singer for the Dallas alternative country band, Old 972s , and plays in Serial Lady Killers, which you can watch a video of the band performing "Singular Girl" at last year's XPo Fest here . Tickets and information for the all ages show with Cliff Hillis can be found here . Below, [...]
Text and image by Megan Matuzak . In the latest edition of JUMP Magazine , writer Megan Matuzak profiles producer Kyle "Slick" Johnson of Fancy Time Studio . Check out the profile below. He’s worked on albums by indie and punk heavies like Wavves, Modest Mouse and The Hives . He produced the first Cymbals Eats Guitars record while in New York City in 2008. Dennis Herring of Mississippi’s Sweet Tea Studio couldn’t get enough of him, yet Kyle “Slick” Johnson landed here in our [...]
Building up the anticipation for their forthcoming record To Suzie , local country outfit Morning River Band have made lead single "Lefty's Last Blues" available for streaming. With sauntering, strummy acoustic guitars and twangy pedal steel guitars backing up some down-home, porch-swinging vocals, the initial summery sound of the track hides the seriousness of its message, namely the consequences of alcoholism. Morning River Band will release To Suzie on May 21st and will celebrate with a show at MilkBoy Philly on May 17th with John Train and The [...]
Philly-bred multi-instrumentalist / producer Andrew Balasia released his latest EP as Gracie yesterday through Small Plates Records . Now based in Brooklyn, the experimental pop musician teased the release several months ago with a mid-fall Key Studio Session appearance , performing the EP's lead track and first two singles. Bleeder comes a little over a year after Gracie's last Treehouse EP and expands Balasia's signature chillwave style to anthemic proportions, especially on album single " Creature Pleaser " with its subtle nod to Rod Stewart's "Young Turks." Stream the [...]
With so many performances and surprises happening all over the city last Saturday for Record Store Day , it was impossible to see every great moment. Luckily, the Bands in the Backyard crew staked out a spot at AKA Music in Old City for the store's showcase of local music by Heyward Howkins , Mikele Edwards , Bridge Underwater and Restorations . Check out two videos BITBY filmed during the day featuring Bridge Underwater and Restorations below.
The Key
Listen to Daft Punk’s “Horizon”, the Japanese bonus track for Random Access Memories
On The Cover Of A Magazine
Diplo Clarifies His Thoughts On Daft Punk’s ‘Random Access Memories’ Via Lengthy Facebook Letter
Lil Bibby – IDGNF
