Posts Tagged ‘Philadelphia’

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – ” Thunder Road ” at Clinton Rally

Posted: November 9, 2016 in MUSIC
Tags: , , ,
0

BRUCE_WRECKING_PRESS14_p2.jpg

Bruce Springsteen played a three-song set Monday night outside Philadelphia’s Independence Hall at a rally in support of Hillary Clinton. Springsteen performed “Thunder Road“, “Dancing In The Dark” and “Long Walk Home“.

“The choice tomorrow couldn’t be any clearer. Hillary’s candidacy is based on intelligence, experience, preparation and of an actual vision of America where everyone counts,” Springsteen told the crowd,  “Men and women, white and black, Hispanic and native. Where folks of all faiths and backgrounds can come together to address our problems in a reasonable and thoughtful way. That vision of America is essential to sustain, no matter how difficult its realization.”

Bruce Springsteen took the stage at a star-studded Hillary Clinton rally in Philadelphia the night before Election Day. Watch Springsteen perform “Thunder Road” acoustic similar to the version played at the end of his shows this past year.

LITTLER – ” Of Wandering “

Posted: November 7, 2016 in MUSIC
Tags: , ,
0

bnb-littler

Being young is hard. Your twenties are basically just a series of personal, professional, and romantic fuck-ups, a decade of fumbling towards something resembling adulthood. Sometimes it feels like the only thing to do about it is complain over some loud guitars, and that’s the approach that Littler take on their debut album “Of Wandering” . The band recorded the LP with Swearin’s Kyle Gilbride, which places them in an impressive lineage of punky, poppy DIY rock that also includes Waxahatchee, Radiator Hospital, All Dogs, and Sports. But Littler’s fuck-ups are all their own, and so are their triumphs, “Of Wandering” being one of them

http://

HOOTS and HELLMOUTH – ” In The Trees “

Posted: October 31, 2016 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
Tags: , ,
0

Philadelphian band Hoots and Hellmouth are serious about melodies and creating atmospheres on the band’s new album, “In the Trees”. due out 28th October. The band teamed up with engineer Nathan Sabatino, who has worked with fellow Philadelphians Dr. Dog, for an album that touches on folk, country rock, and maybe even a dash of twisted gospel.

“Our new album began to take shape over two years ago in a transformed silversmith mill in the little Philadelphia suburb of Clifton Heights,” frontman Sean Hoots wrote. “Our more acoustic sound is certainly present, but as with each record, In The Trees has pushed us beyond the borders of what came before. While not written around a premeditated theme, each star in this album’s constellation seems to gather about the axis of the sacred and profane; an sensitivity to spirit gives way on more than one occasion to a full-blown physical freak-out. For every blissfully still moment of somber reflection there exists an equal and opposite reaction of explosive self-indulgence.

http://

The AFTERGLOWS – ” The Afterglows “

Posted: August 28, 2016 in MUSIC
Tags: , , , , , ,
0

Philadelphia duo The Afterglows have released a self-titled album of lo-fi indie rock that has nods to power-pop, punk and a kind of warped, mournful Americana.

Philadelphia power-pop songwriters Sam Cook-Parrott and Michael Cantor each helm their own bands: Cook-Parrott is the force behind Radiator Hospital, and Cantor’s main project is The Goodbye Party. Both write songs that range from sparse and intimate to lush and joyful, driven by DIY aesthetics and thoughtful lyrics. Now, they’re collaborating under the name The Afterglows, Cook-Parrott says the project came together slowly over the past two years, while he and Cantor were living together and working on records for their respective bands. After realizing how similar their sonic and aesthetic tastes were, they decided to record a stripped-down album of new songs and “a few strays” from their other bands. The resulting album is atmospheric and melancholy; it’s less immediately poppy than the duo’s other projects, but similarly easy to get lost in, anchored by the interplay between Cook-Parrott and Cantor’s voices.

“Angels In The Sunshine Hotel” is the first track the duo is releasing from the new album. It relies on layers of sound that build and coalesce around aching vocals, all built on the repetitive riff lying below. Cook-Parrott and Cantor’s carefully executed harmonies help balance the song’s bright moments and moody overtones.

Cantor explains in an email that the song was inspired by a story he heard about a tenant in a New York City flophouse called The Sunshine Hotel. The tenant moved to New York to study philosophy and answer life’s eternal questions, but an insistent focus on his metaphysical journey made him lose his grip on reality. He ended up penniless, living in the hotel. “There’s this idea that as a musician, if you’re serious enough about what you do, you’ll eventually quit your day job and just try to make it work,” Cantor says. “I guess this story was just a dark reminder that it’s easy to end up sacrificing too much if you aren’t careful.”

Available on a  pay-what-you-want deal from Bandcamp, it is a fine listen that we’re thoroughly enjoying. Grab it here or listen to a couple of tracks below first, Spitting Blood and Punks From The Past.

http://

 

HAGGERT McTAGGERT – ” Haggert Mctaggert “

Posted: August 26, 2016 in MUSIC
Tags: , , , ,
0

Haggert McTaggert | photo by Casper Rudderow

There’s so much to love about the complex dream that is Haggert McTaggert‘s self-titled debut. Haggert Mctaggert is the songwriting outlet of Braden Lawrence. While he plays drums in The Districts and sings and plays guitar in Straw Hats, his unique style of creativity is most vulnerably expressed in this particular project. For the album, Lawrence combined with the endlessly imaginative brain and performance/production talents of Pine Barons  Keith Abrams. Together, the pair transformed eight love confessions and life ruminations into a sparkling landscape of mid-tempo pop.

Every sound on the album was carefully chosen, whether it be from an object traditionally considered an instrument or not. Bubbles percolate amongst the wavering “Annie Hall” while the galactic synths of “Home Rule” fit suitably as a dampening backdrop. No song is swallowed by the cushion of accouterment but rather enlivened. “2ndDoorFloor” expands gradually from a structured acoustic guitar riff to include guitars pinging from all directions, swelling harmony, and even a little bit of saxophone.

The album’s layers of tinkering build triumphantly and fade gracefully around the core: a constant sense of gilded isolation. In “TBS,” Lawrence’s weary voice straddles soft reflective verses and a howling chorus all stuck in the same enveloping tedium of his daily routine. Fighting the odd balance between distance and intimacy, Lawrence’s thoughts are personified in distorted echoes and unexpected bursts of fervor. “Landmines” is a slow welcome home with a haunting refrain that is the antithesis of the barreling whirlwind of “Tick.” As a whole, Haggert Mctaggert blossoms into an enchanting world of pop ideal for escaping the monotony and heartache that inspired it.

http://

RESTORATIONS – ” See / Sea “

Posted: August 12, 2016 in MUSIC
Tags: ,
0

I don’t know how Restorations aren’t bigger, or at least known throughout Planet Earth every single song feels like the best song they’ve ever written, the amount of energy and determination in each song is so full on and has that Born-To-Run esque wall of noise. These two songs are no different, at only five minutes long each, they take you on a complete musical journey, trying to cram so much in and pulling it off. A must have.

It’s time for an experiment. Here are two new songs, “See” and “Sea”. These are self-released, Bandcamp-exclusive,

These were recorded with our own money with longtime collaborator/6th member Jon Low. If you enjoy the tracks, kick in a couple bucks on our Bandcamp page and you’ll help fund future releases and tours. We intend to make music this way for a little while. Share hard please

http://

BEACH SLANG – ” Punks In A Disco Bar “

Posted: July 16, 2016 in MUSIC
Tags: , ,
0

Philadelphia’s Beach Slang seem to exist in a state of constant tumult A breakdown a break up on stage was soon followed by assurances to the contrary that was soon followed by a band member leaving . During a tense and volatile set in Salt Lake City, frontman James Alex declared the band over on stage. Guitars were thrown, words were exchanged and the whole thing was posted on the internet within minutes. “It was a molehill that became a mountain,” Alex says sheepishly.

As far as I’m concerned it would be a true goddamn shame if Beach Slang were to break up right now, having seen them perform a storming set at the Bodega in nottingham just a few weeks ago , The Band are making some really great rock music, and it would be a shame to lose that. But the band chaos is oddly consistent with the lineage into which Beach Slang have inserted themselves. This is exactly how the Replacements behaved at their own artistic peak (it’s no accident that the Replacements’ 1985 live album was titled The Shit Hits The Fans. And yeah, you can hear plenty of Westerberg in “Punks In A Disco Bar,” but you’re missing out if you think Beach Slang are just replicating the Replacements. There’s a whole history of anthemic guitar-rock written into this thing . The song’s title sounds like a scene from Richard Linklater’s “Everybody Wants Some” .

http://

DAR WILLIAMS – ” Folkadelphia Session “

Posted: June 30, 2016 in MUSIC
Tags: , , ,
0

Photo courtesy of the artist.

Dar Williams is something of a legend. Placed in a special reserved space in my music heroes, occupied by few, whose names are said with inherent pride, whose music is deeply coveted, and whose work is held up as an example for all. In my case, this mostly plays out on regular basis that when I hear “Dar Williams, such and such,” I think, “Man, Dar Williams is great,” or, if I see news or a link to her music, I’m very inclined to click. Small, but significant gestures in an ordinary life. I think many people out there are right with me in my Dar Williams’ feeling.

On her ninth album, Emerald released last year, Williams continues to be a songwriter of incredible quality. Of course, this is reflected in what she sings about and what is presented on her albums, but also what she stands for and chooses to do with her creative energies. For Emerald, Williams moved on from her long-standing record label business relationship to pursue an independent route, more than successfully dealing directly with her fans and supporters via a Pledge Music campaign. Emerald is also insanely collaborative featuring a wide range of artists like The Milk Carton Kids, Richard Thompson, Jill Sobule, members of the Hooters, and that’s only naming a few. The result is a record of power and musing,.

Fresh off her album release, Dar Williams, accompanied by another excellent songwriter Jill Sobule on “FM Radio” (a song they co-wrote), brought the music of Emerald to the WXPN Studio for a Folkadelphia Session.

Dar Williams – vocals and guitar
Jill Sobule – vocals on “FM Radio”

http://

ABI REIMOLD – ” Wriggling “

Posted: June 16, 2016 in MUSIC
Tags: , , ,
0

Abi Reimold — Wriggling

“How can you be my refuge when we’re both full of refuse?” Abi Reimold asks on her masterful debut. And while the Philadelphia musician consistently illuminates her own flaws throughout the scathingly self-critical Wriggling, she’s definitely not full of shit. No, Reimold is the real deal, and Wriggling is the result of boundless creativity, passion and pain. She confronts imbalanced relationship dynamics, mental health, and a loss of control with the right amount of sourness and objectivity to beget healing. Reimold learns to move on by embracing the darkest parts of herself, even if it means combing over every feeling and memory with barbed wire

Abi Reimold: Songwriting, Vocals, Guitar, Kevin Paschall:Drums, Rob Devious:Keys on “sugar” Ian Amidon:
additional guitars, Nick Morrison:Bass

http://

Older Entries
Newer Entries