Short-lived electro-disco group Future Bible Heroes turned out to be not so short lived after all. Returning from an eleven-year hiatus, the Stephin Merritt led project has announced details of a new album called Partygoing and an accompanying tour, which will stop in Philadelphia at World Cafe Live on July 25th. The album comes after the trio's 2002 Eternal Youth LP and sees fellow Magnetic Fields vocalist Claudia Gonson and frequent Collaborator Chris Ewan return alongside Merritt. Tickets and information for the all-ages show in July can be found here . [...]
With the release of Trouble Will Find Me just a couple of weeks out, The National have shared the album's first video with "Sea of Love." Staged in what looks like an empty laundry room and occurring in one continuous shot, the band rocks out with the help of an air-guitaring kid before politely bowing and making their exit. Trouble Will Find Me is set for release on May 21st, and the Brooklyn band will join Dirty Projectors at The Mann Center on June 7th. Tickets and information can be [...]
Photo by John Vettese In terms of personnel, instrumentation and sheer sound, Philadelphia-based traditional Brazilian ensemble Alô Brasil might be the biggest band we've recorded for The Key Studio Sessions. The photo above gives you a sense of just some the stuff they brought to WXPN the other night: multiple percussion instruments, including the conga, the timbau, the pandeiro and the quinto. Melodic accompaniment including guitars, cavaquinho, keys and horns. Eleven players - including band leader Alex Shaw - weaving in between the instruments to create a massive, emotional eruption of body-moving sound. The [...]
British punk rock band Palma Violets stage a return to Philadelphia tonight with a show at Johnny Brenda's . The South London-bred four-piece is touring in support of their debut album 180 , named for a venue in Lambeth, London where the band got its start. To get a sense of their raucously wild live show, check out a recap of Palma Violet's SXSW house party here . Tickets and information for tonight's 21+ show with The Orwells can be found here . Watch their Beatles-esque video for "Last of [...]
Photo by B+ for Mochilla.com Only 20 years old when he released his now classic and influential Inspiration Information in 1974, Shuggie Otis dropped out of sight until recently when he announced a tour and a reissue of the album with a second disc of previously unreleased material, Inspiraton Information/Wings Of Love . The son of Johnny Otis, Shuggie released his debut album in 1969. He was 15 when he collaborated with Al Kooper on Super Session, Vol, II , played bass with Frank Zappa [...]
Tom Jones with Paul McCartney, Dusty Springfield and Ringo Starr The legendary Tom Jones has released a new album, Spirits In The Room , that includes covers of songs by Joe Henry, Bob Dylan, The Low Anthem, Blind Willie Johnson, Leonard Cohen, Paul McCartney and others. Jones plays WXPN's Non-Commvention on Thursday, May 16. His set will be broadcast live and webcast. The following night, Friday, May 17, Jones will play the TLA . Go here for tickets to the show. Below, listen to "Hit [...]
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 compilations of previously released and unreleased material from bands that have recorded for the label. The CD will be distributed at the show and will [...]
Photo by Richard Dumas http://www.agencevu.com/photog raphers/photographer.php?id=32 Savages have announced a tour in the States with a stop at Union Transfer on Sunday, July 14th. The London four piece just released its debut album, Silence Yourself , on Matador Records. Already shaping up to be one of the year's best releases, lead singer Jehnny Beth, guitarist Gemma Thompson, bassist Ayse Hassan and drummer Fay Milton bring fresh intensity and distortion to their post-punk clamour; they're a band to be seen and heard. Tickets to their Union Transfer [...]
Ron Gallo prepares to perform a Sonny Boy Williamson song as Gene Shay kicks off the Folk Fest press conference; Gallo's band Toy Soldiers perform on Friday | Photo by John Vettese In addition to showcasing returning favorites like Richard Thompson and Carolina Chocolate Drops, as well emerging names like Frank Fairfield and Spirit Family Reunion, the 52nd annual Philadelphia Folk Festival is taking a community-oriented (and growth-oriented) approach to programming this year. A generous helping of the lineup of the August 16 - 18 festival announced in a press conference at [...]
As far as Philly Local musicians go, Mike "Slo-Mo" Brenner needs no introduction. But we'll introduce the guy anyway. A versatile guitarist whose career has spanned folk to raga to slide guitar blues, he's been a player in town for close to twenty years. In the 90s, he was in the breakout roots ensemble The Low Road; he also collaborated with Marah, took part in genre-spanning collaborations with DJs in the early 00s, and embarked on a hip-hop project with Mic Wrecka (playing XPoNential Festival and other XPN events). Most recently, Slo-Mo traveled to India to [...]
Photo by Rachel Del Sordo Talk about an ideal match-up. Philly proto-punk aficionados Pissed Jeans , who released the hard-hitting Honeys earlier this year on Sub Pop Records , will tour with their labelmates and sonic ancestors Mudhoney. If you've spent any time with Honeys - particularly "Cathouse" or "Teenage Adult" - you know the bands will play totally well off one another. There might even be some possibility of Pissed Jeans, with their well-earned reputation for live ragers, upstaging the headliners. But don't be so sure on that last [...]
Country music staple Hayes Carll will be passing through Sellerville Theater tonight, along with opening act Warren Hood & the Goods. Carll hasn’t released a new record since 2011’s KMAG YOYO, but that hasn’t stopped him from touring as much as he can. The Texan singer/song-writer will take his rootsy country tunes down the east coast before playing a handful of shows in his home state. You never know when an act like this will be coming back around, so don’t miss your chance to see this award-winning country crooner in the lovely Sellersville Theater. [...]
Yeah Yeah Yeahs have debuted a new video for "Mosquito," the title song to their new album . The band plays the Firefly Festival June 21-23. Tickets on sale here . Watch the "Mosquito" below.
Happy Record Release day to Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, AKA She & Him . Today they release Volume 3 of their duets on Merge Records . They'll be playing The Mann Center on Tuesday, July 9th with Camera Obscura opening the show. Go here for tickets to the show. Below, download "Never Wanted Your Love." Never Wanted Your Love by She & Him from Volume 3 Download Purchase the She [...]
Boston's Bad Rabbits are coming to town and playing Union Transfer on Saturday, August 10th. Tickets go on sale this Friday, May 10th at Noon. Fans of the funk and the rock don't want to miss these New Jack R&B, rock and roll swingers who release a new album, American Love , next week. Since the band's debut in 2009 with their Stick Up Kids EP (download it for free here ), the five piece have toured with the likes of Mos Def, the [...]
Photo by Tom Gralish http://articles.philly.com/201 3-04-08/news/38348689_1_ned-ec khardt-rowan-university-docume ntaries Yesterday, XPN Sleepy Hollow host Keith Brand did his final three hour Sunday morning Sleepy Hollow from 8AM-11AM. Listen to the show below, and in descending order (his last song to the first), check out Keith's final playlist from the show. 10 am The Hix - Is that all there is - Sweet Sunny South Lilvingston Taylor - Never can say goodbye - Ink Bob Dylan - It's all over now baby blue - No Direction Home Vera [...]
New York based guitarist and songwriter Steve Gunn releases his new album, Time Off , on June 18th on Bachelor Of Paradise records. He'll be touring this summer opening for Kurt Vile , and playing in Kurt's band, the Violators. Gunn, who was raised in Philly (Lansdowne), cites Jack Rose and the Grateful Dead as several of his influences is an extraordinary guitarist who draws on a a variety of musical styles and plays at Union Transfer on Saturday, May 18. Go here [...]
The Swollen Fox music blog (and the man behind the XPN Concert Calendar) has announced an excellent show with Goodnight, Texas , The Districts and Satellite Hearts . The show is on Friday, July 19th at World Cafe Live Upstairs in Philadelphia. Go here for tickets to the show. Four & Four by The Districts Cost of Living by Satellite Hearts
Peter Murphy at the Granada Theatre via https://www.facebook.com/peter murphyinfo This Thurday night, May 9th, WXPN's Land of The Lost, hosted by Robert Drake, Welcomes Peter Murphy to the Troacdero . Murphy is performing all material from Bauhaus , the influential goth-rock band. We asked Drake, who spins new wave and Rock of the 802s on his monthly Land Of The Lost , to choose 5 songs we hope Murphy plays on Thursday night. Watch them below. Go here for tickets to the show.
Peter Murphy at the Granada Theatre via https://www.facebook.com/peter murphyinfo This Wednesday night, May 9th, WXPN's Land of The Lost, hosted by Robert Drake Welcomes Peter Murphy to the Troacdero . Murphy is performing all material from Bauhaus , the influential goth-rock band. We asked Drake, who spins new wave and Rock of the 802s on his monthly Land Of The Lost , to choose 5 songs we hope Murphy plays on Wednesday night. Watch them below. Go here for tickets to the show.
The Key
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