The silky pop sheen of Literature’s “New Jacket” is both dreamy and electric. On their latest track, the Philly band employs wavy riffing and jangly chord progressions that float through a speedily bobbing drum fill. Nathaniel Cardaci’s clouded falsetto blends into ‘60s power pop flourishes, only occasionally coming up for air and letting his voice slice through the song’s lush textures. The video is equally bright, layering shots of the band’s live performance with sunny, outdoor scenes of flowers and greenery.
Posts Tagged ‘Philadelphia’
LITERATURE – ” New Jacket “
Posted: January 2, 2015 in MUSICTags: Indie-Pop, Literature, Philadelphia, Slumberland Records
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CAYETANA – ” Nervous Like Me “
Posted: December 23, 2014 in MUSICTags: Caytana, Nervous Like Me, Philadelphia
Cayetana don’t fit in with the most notorious Philadelphia rock bands to emerge of late like The War on Drugs, Kurt Vile and the Violators, or Strand of Oaks. But, what the three punk rock mentality purists in Cayetana have in common with their city mates is a debt to the past and willingness to push beyond revivalism in order to create music that sounds necessary
Those competitors are clear from the opening seconds of “Nervous Like Me”: But after the first verse of “Serious Things Are Stupid”, the three-piece stomps on its distortion pedals, Cayetana place themselves apart from these contemporaries. They are direct and able to create simple pleasures both in the quiet-loud-quiet variety and the loud-all-the-way-through kind. For a band whose bio boasts about their novice musical abilities.
That being said, not all songs are created equally on Nervous Like Me. Despite the tongue-in-cheek title of the previously released “Hot Dad Calendar”, the song seems to literally be a matter of life and death, with singer Augusta Koch singing the song’s refrain with loose desperation: “You really want to make it out alive.” Likewise, “Scott Get the Van, I’m Moving” finds Koch’s voice hoarse and frustrated. There’s a point on the album’s opening song where Koch even lets out a squeak that is soft and fragile. All these moments on quite good songs humanize Koch and work to create an effect that is quite surprising on a pop punk debut: They allow listeners to care about Koch and care about Cayetana.
Keeping the collection from being deemed one-note is “Favorite Things”, the album’s slowed-down, nostalgic, romantic transporter. It’s a predictable turn for an album full of amped-up ragers, but its predictability doesn’t make it inessential, as the band needed to show they weren’t a one-trick pony. It helps that it is sandwiched between two of the album’s best moments for a run that masks the fact that the album sort of limps to a close rather than sprints to a triumphant finish. This is another difference between Cayetana and the other Philly bands named above. Of course, none of them recently released debuts. In fact, none of them ever released debuts as good as Nervous Like Me, period.
Tinmouth – This is what you call a power trio, Tinmouth’s angular indie rock jams aren’t fancied up with loop stations and keyboard sounds. There’s a place for that stuff, absolutely, What we’ve got is a booming, ballsy bass from Aaron Sternick; over on the drums, a rhythmic machine who goes by the name of Alyssa Shea; and leading the band, Timothy Tebordo, whose guitar lines and feedback walls add color and detail to the blend.
In terms of sound, these folks hit hard; in terms of songwriting, they look to the DIY scene of the 80s, channeling Yo La Tengo, Mission of Burma and a little bit of R.E.M. It’s poppy, but properly punchy, offering some grit with the sweet. Their debut LP Says is out early next year, and you should make it a point to see Tinmouth live the next opportunity you can.
VITA and the WOOLF – ” River ” Joni Mitchell Cover
Posted: December 20, 2014 in MUSICTags: Cover, Fang Song, Joni Mitchell, Philadelphia, Vita and the Woolf
Philadelphia’s newest electric soul-pop group Vita and the Woolf and their EP release “Fang Song” came out earlier this year. With Front woman Jennifer Pague is expected to impress the with her dynamic vocal range on tracks such as the passionate “Mary” and the circus-inspired “Slipping Hills,” both tunes off of their Fang Song EP, The eight-track record is result of Prague’s dedicated two years of writing. As Xmas approaches here is a superbly worked cover of the Joni Mitchell song “River ”
VITA and the WOOLF – ” Mm Chka Mm ” and ” Mary “
Posted: December 18, 2014 in MUSICTags: Jennifer Pague, Philadelphia, Vita and the Wolf
Vita and the Woolf – I remember sitting at my desk this June as a friend played me Vita and the Woolf’s single “Mary” for the first time. We stopped what we were doing, crowded around the laptop speakers and listened until its rapturous four minutes and 15 seconds were up. Frontwoman and pianist Jennifer Pague has a commanding voice and a knack for writing music that pulls you in. It’s soulful, its rocks out with abandon, it explores arty avenues as well as anthemic arenas. “Fang Song”, Vita and the Woolf’s debut, was a DIY recording project of Pague’s as she wrote a cycle of songs inspired by the romance between Virginia Woolf and Vita Sack-ville West. It’s lo-fi, but it shimmers. With the formation of a live band featuring Bobby Cleveland on bass and synth and Adam Shumski on drums,
Philadelphian vocalist Amanda X play a sort of punk with harmonies hover over the songs with their instruments merging as one sound, At times their is a similarty to the Cranberries the new album “Amnesia” is out now
RESTORATIONS – ” Separate Songs “
Posted: October 29, 2014 in MUSICTags: LP3, Philadelphia, Post Punk, Restorations
Your new favourite punk Band could be Philadelphian RESTORATIONS who take their influences from Rock, Metal and Shoegaze The new album LP3,listen to the song “Castles” the most unabashed shoot for the sky heart on our sleeve track with vocalist John Loudon’s gravel voiced, vocals the chugging Rhythm section and enough Riffing guitars.This track “Separate Songs” is about everyday work drudgery with heartland rock melody and stabs of rock bludgeoning over amped guitars
The LOVED ONES – ” Somebody To Shove “
Posted: October 16, 2014 in WE LOVETags: Brooklyn, Dave Hause, Indie. Rock, Philadelphia
PASSENGER , STU LARSEN with The ONCE – ” Sailing To Philadelphia “
Posted: August 24, 2014 in MUSICTags: Electric Factory, James Taylor, Mark Knopfler, Passenger, Philadelphia, Stu Larsen, The Once
the guys are on tour in the USA at the moment and stopped off to perform this gorgeous song. this is a beautiful song sung originally by Mark Knopfler and James Taylor this is the story of two English surveyors who travelled from England to America in the 1700’s where they established the border between Pennsylvania and Maryland now commonly know as the Mason Dixon Line, filmed at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia.
VACATIONER – ” Into The Grass “
Posted: May 29, 2014 in MUSICTags: Body Language, Philadelphia, Vacationer
Philadelphia band featuring members of the Brooklyn band Body Language, Slick indie music this track is from their second album Releif, Expansive Lush orchestrated Lounge Pop,
The Fat Angel Sings 