Tiff Yoon

Utilizing Youtube

2011-01-24T17:14:00.002-05:00

Working on quickly editing and uploading some videos I've collected over the past year. Here's two to start.

My Dad's Records: Korean Folk and More

2011-01-18T20:59:00.004-05:00

I recently inherited my dad's record collection and along with some expected LP's like Simon and Garfunkel, Abba, Bee Gees, Neil Diamond and the Carpenters came these gems. I've only been able to listen to a few so far, but I haven't really had the time to absorb them in yet. From what I've heard so far I can't say I like much of it, but I'm still waiting to be pleasantly surprised.

Electricity: Coming soon to Big Mama's Warehouse

2011-01-18T20:33:00.003-05:00

Taped these up myself last night. Eager to not have surge protectors and extension cords taking over the house anymore. Thanks to my Uncle Sam, a certified union electrician, we're upgrading our electricity and learning a few things along the way.

Working on It

2011-01-08T21:48:00.008-05:00

I've amassed a massive collection of videos and photos over the past year and have neglected to post anything to this blog. This isn't the first time I've fallen behind in posting and I'm sure it won't be the last, but oh well. Here we go again.

Here's a video (it's long!) of my roommates and I exchanging our secret santa's at our annual Big Mama's Murray Christmas.

Also, photos of Bean and Greg opening their gifts, since I started recording after they had opened theirs.

Greg decorating the Christmas Trees

Kyle loves dogs

Damon - a preview

2010-01-25T22:01:00.002-05:00

Damon and I shot this on Sunday afternoon. This photo is just one out of a series, but the rest will have to wait until after I finish my reading for class.

This is my second shoot with Damon, and I hope it's not our last together. He's a great model to work with.

Phillies - NLCS champions

2009-10-22T12:02:00.019-05:00

I started my night grabbing a drink with some co-workers/old timer old time friends. After leaving no-libs Cantina, Dos Segundos, we head to the Piazza to finish watching the game. You could hear the crowd roaring from blocks away. We turned the corner and stumbled upon all of this.

As soon as the game ended, I biked home, grabbed my camera and hopped in my car towards City Hall. The police were more than prepared this year, which I'm sure you've heard . There weren't any attempts to climb the poles, but a large crowd still managed to gather around Broad and Walnut streets.

Above Robinson luggage, I kept watching a lone cameraman that had set up wayy earlier to capture everything safely behind a wall of glass, while we all got pummeled around by over-anxious stick happy cops. I also noticed the police force had their own photographer and videographer. Maybe to teach future police how to deal w/ riots.

Last year, I don't think the horse brigade was brought in until much later in the evening, but when I arrived at City Hall last night, they were ready and waiting.

I didn't see any cars flipped or anything on fire. There were a couple girls that were screaming when they were thrown up and forced to crowd surf, but other than that and some rough housing the riot was kept under control. I did see one guy get arrested for lighting off fire-works, and then another for smoking a blunt in public. I felt bad, because the blunt smoker had come out of the safety in numbers of the crowd saying, "don't push the shorty" when the police had shoved me around a bit, and then he got arrested.

After getting pushed around a bit, I decided to call it a night and head home. I imagine the preparations for a potential 2nd World Series win are already in effect. If people want to riot this year, they're going to have to get creative.

Costume Photo shoot

2009-10-11T16:02:00.007-05:00

My friend Kat asked me to take some photos for her for this Game Expo Steampunk Art Competition, in which she entered with a costume/character she created. Her character, named "id", used to be a nice homely girl until some mad evil scientist kills her husband and turns her into a mechanical, calculating assassin with throwing knifes. Or at least that's what I got from her quick description. Pretty awesome. Really endearingly nerdy.

Anyways, we shot it at her boyfriend's warehouse in fishtown, using the engine/gear room for an elevator that no longer works. We had to run extension cords all the way up to the roof (where the engine room was located) and we were using 3 clamp lamps. I really wish we had more time to take photos of the set up, because we jerry-rigged almost everything, using a broomstick and at one point my cell phone charm to dangle from the ceiling.

We were running really short on time, because the deadline was midnight last night and Kat needed more time to put the finishing touches on her costume. We were running around with extension cords disregarding everything going on around us, because the warehouse was also hosting a show with a band from Seattle with a full house crowd. There was also what seemed like a multi-purpose open discussion/ community forum.

I walked through the main room to overhear discussions on the relationship between bikers and motorists in Philadelphia, but then the second time I walked through they were projecting a porno and prepping to discuss the different themes and styles of pornography. I, of course, had no idea they were doing this and embarrassingly walked through obnoxiously asking the room "what the fuck are we watching". It was embarrassing, because I didn't mean to be so outright about it, but was just so shocked... just running through to grab more equipment for the shoot on the roof. Apologies to anyone we/I may have offended.

The roof of the warehouse is also where everyone goes to smoke cigarettes, so we got plenty of questions from out of towners or even the guys that lived in the warehouse. As Kat and I were shooting, we heard this loud shutter from a cell phone go off behind me and immediately freaked out. It was one of the guy's from the band from Seattle (sorry, don't know the name) and he meant no harm, but it was just a creepy thing to do.

Anyways, we had a lot of fun with this. Kat was a great model to work with and I loved the space. I just wish we had more time Thank you to Dan Hughes and the rest of the guys in the warehouse for letting us use the space and Dan for letting us use your computer. Dan, I left a note for you somewhere on your computer that I hope you don't find for another week or so, haha. I'll let you figure it out.

Sunn O)))

2009-09-21T14:48:00.002-05:00

Vivian Girls at the Barbary

2009-08-27T13:32:00.013-05:00

Similar to the Abe Vigoda show, I was flustered with Red Lights last night, but I'm actually pretty happy with how these turned out after some minor color correcting. I put in heavy tones of green to balance out the red lights, the blue tones didn't do much but neutralize the whites of the lights and make them less yellow. The green overlay and Cassie Ramone's overall "look" produced photos that remind me of polaroids. I didn't intend for this result, but I'm pleased none the less.

I really try not to mess with my photos as much as I can, but this was an opportunity for some good post work practice.

Here are some before and after photos to show the color correcting:

More photos and a write up coming up on Phrequency.com. I'll post the direct link once it's up.

[edit] DIRECT LINK to Phrequency Coverage of the show

Btw, my posts on this blooog of mine have been so out of order, and I apologize now, because I don't know when I'll have time to remedy that. I still need to post about lots of past shows, the phrequency block party, xmas in july, APW, MDBP and just my regular day to day. One day I will catch up, then it's onto updating my website, haha. You can check it out here, it's just tiffanyyoon.com, though there's only one photo up right now. My flickr too, has become stagnant. :(

Final Neighborhood Choir Show

2009-08-05T11:52:00.012-05:00

This was the Neighborhood Choir's final show as a band together. They plan to collaborate with one another in the future, but the Neighborhood Choir formally as a band is no more. They played their final show at the Danger Danger Gallery in west Philly. It was a really good turnout and the crowd seemed to enjoy it. I just don't know what the hell this guy's problem was:

Abe Vigoda and Red Lights

2009-08-04T18:15:00.005-05:00

I'm posting these photos to present a reoccurring problem that I can't seem to find a solution to. RED LIGHTS... They look great for setting a mood for stage lighting, but they're a pain when it comes to photographing bands. I hate using flash, but find I'm often left without a choice to do so, but even with a strobe the red light seeps through.

Abe Vigoda played the Barbary for an all ages show during the day, but you wouldn't of been able to tell from inside. It was super dark inside with black curtains covering the glass door and then these red lights were put on. It was a great show, and it had been almost a year since I saw these guys play in Philly at the Starlight Ballroom.

Eagles Cheerleaders in Eco-Friendly Bathing Suits. Yes, Really.

2009-08-04T16:19:00.009-05:00

After shooting photos of Damon on Poplar, my next destination was the Prince Music Theater on Chestnut st. in Philadelphia. I was assigned by Phawker.com to shoot photos of the Eagles Cheerleaders. It was a sneak peak of a sexy bikini-clad calendar that was shot in Aruba in which all of the ladies are wearing swim suits made of eco-friendly materials.

I can't begin to explain my state of disbelief when I got the email for this assignment. I don't think Eagles, Cheerleaders and Eco-Friendly are three words that are normally thrown around together, but then again everyone's going green these days. Why not the team that bleeds it... right?

Needless to say, I was the only female photographer at this event and there were plenty of old men sitting in the very front waiting for these girls to come out half-naked from backstage. Everyone that attended the event was given a copy of the calendar, but we weren't allowed to show it to the girls, because the cover girl hadn't been revealed yet. They wanted it to be a surprise.

Sorry guys, I already gave my copy away.

Cover Girl, Devan West

Damon

2009-08-04T14:07:00.008-05:00

My friend Damon and I have agreed to shoot photos together over the next couple of months. He gets free photos for his modeling/acting portfolio, and I get extra practice and a handsome face for my photo portfolio. I'm not exactly accustomed to shooting in the style he's portraying, i.e., fashion, portraits, advertising, etc, but I figure I might as well try it out. I don't think these would have come as nicely as they have if it weren't for Damon's experience, but considering this was the first shoot together, I'm pretty happy with the results.

We found this wheat pasted graffiti. To be honest I just wanted to shoot photos of this, because it was so funny, but Damon and I tried to use it for our shoot. It's obvious the focus is lost and this photo is no longer about Damon.

We're hoping to do a night shoot next. These photos were shot under the el around 9th and poplar in Philadelphia. If you have any suggestions for interesting places to shoot, please, pass 'em along.

Also, Thanks to Jordan Aune for holding a reflector for me. Jordan was skating in the playground near by and I coerced him to hold a reflector for some of the shots.

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-04T14:14:00.003-05:00

My Day off

2009-07-02T06:43:00.004-05:00

On my day off I sat on my computer editing and worrying until Patrick coerced me into actually enjoying my day off with a long bike ride. I'll have to thank him later.

We biked West, taking Kelly Drive most of the way up and then cutting over onto some park trails... I'm not sure what park we were in. I think Wissahickon. Just as we had entered the park a tree had blocked the path.

I found a dead snake. It looks like it was stomped to death.

On our way home, we found this drunk little guy on American Street. After last night's rain he may have washed away, but this was from last night, see if you can still spot him. Drunk Bear.

Grandchildren Photoshoot

2009-07-02T06:34:00.003-05:00

Grandchildren is a West Philadelphia band made up of members of Rad Racket, formerly Red Rocket. These guys run the shows at the Danger Danger Gallery.

Check out their music here: www.myspace.com/grandchildren

These are unedited, but here are some shots from a photo shoot I did with Grandchildren on Sunday night.

more to come...

I need to update

2009-05-04T13:35:00.001-05:00

so much has been going on.. I don't know where to begin to catch this blog up to speed... so here are some photos from stuff I've been working on the past couple of months

I've been working with a film crew for Noah Grant Levine's Senior Project. The Film is called Counting Teeth We made a blog for the photos, but we just created it so the content isn't up to date yet. Here's a link, http://countingteeth.wordpress.com/ Here are a couple I shot for now:

most of the film crew at Bruce's property in West Chester

Bob

Turning the Barn into a church

Bruce's property in West Chester

I went south for SXSW taking photos for Phrequency.com and the Philadelphia Inquirer. The trip was a lot of fun, but overall it was a big learning experience. I got back from Austin with two speeding tickets and the lingering feeling that the trip wasn't really worth all the trouble, but I can only hope to be better prepared next year! Here are some photos of bands, but also of my time in the city:

gold

tourism

Toadally Krossed Out & Malucamala

Show on Pedestrian Bridge: Annihilation Time/Trash Talk/Vivian Girls

Aftermath of the mad decent showcase in an old Salvation Army

Peter Bjorn & John @ the Fader Fort

Wavves @ Fader Fort

Franki Chan & Curt from Flosstradamus @ Pure Volume

Little Stevens @ the Four Seasons hotel

A Cat in Tennessee

Kid Sister @ Fool's Gold Party

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart @ Fader Fort

I've been shooting shows, lots and lots of shows... getting beat up, thrown around like a rag doll, going deaf and smiling all the while. Some great shows I've been to lately:

Ladytron @ the Trocadero

Hoots & Hellmouth @ Fishtown Shadfest

Dead Milkmen @ Penn's Pi Lam

Blues Control @ Danger Danger Gallery

Crystal Stilts @ Kung Fu Necktie

Kurt Vile @ Penn's Pi Lam

Kurt Vile @ Penn's Pi Lam

Simian Mobile Disco @ Pure (Making Time)

Cold Cave @ Kung Fu Necktie

Dan Deacon @ the First Unitarian Church

Dan Deacon @ FUC

King Khan @ FUC

Damien Jurado @ FUC (Chapel)

Bat For Lashes @ FUC (Sanctuary)

Bat For Lashes @ FUC (Sanctuary)

Here are some portraits I've shot in the past couple of months. I hope to shoot more. I'm not sure why everyone in these shots looks like they're up to no good, but I promise, they're not, and I'm open to anything. If you want a photo with a unicorn and a rainbow, we can arrange that. haha.

John Emory & Brendan O'Connor of Badmaster Records for Phawker.com

Dirty South Joe & Derek for Blood Brothers mixtape

Jeff Deeney: Writer

DJ Sega - New Jack Philly mixtape

what I'm listening to at the moment

2009-05-04T12:52:00.002-05:00

shows I'm looking forward to in the next week or so:

Junior Boys - Wednesday, May 6th @ First Unitarian Church
Rodriguez / War On Drugs - Thursday May 14th @ Johnny Brenda's

a quick update

2009-05-04T12:40:00.004-05:00

I had Andy and Matt help me with my final lighting project. We went out to this late night fishing spot back in my hometown of Langhorne and stayed out there till around 3am. It was a lot of fun. There was a Japanese family fishing on the dock next to us most of the night.

I had these ambitions of diving head first into the water and getting these amazing actions shots, but that was before I realized how shallow the water was, how gross it was and not knowing what exactly was squishing beneath my feet under the opaque waves. I'm still pretty happy with how these turned out, but I'd definitely like to go back to shoot at this spot again.

Military Marketing to Youths, if you thought progress could happen overnight...

2008-11-29T10:01:00.004-05:00

I met Daniel Denvir at the Rocket Cat Cafe on election day hours before the results rolled in and it was announced that Barack Obama will be inaugurated this January. It was a day bringing hope, but it's obvious there's still work to be done. This email Daniel sent me reinforces just how far we have to go...

Hopefully we can all learn something and question the motivations of the actions occurring around us.

Philly's Military Amusement Park

Free Speech Radio News (FSRN)

Listen here: http://www.phillyimc.org/en/phillys-military-amusement-park

Facing recruitment shortfalls in urban areas, the US Army has
increasingly turned to video games and combat simulators to attract
teenagers. A new $12 million video gaming entertainment complex in
Philadelphia has taken military marketing into uncharted waters. The
Army Experience Center is a two-year pilot program that, if deemed
successful, could be replicated in other cities. FSRN's Daniel Denvir
reports.

Daniel just moved here to Philly from Ecuador and he and his friends collaborate on a quarterly that you can find here.

Not only Turkey this week...

2008-11-25T07:52:00.003-05:00

The Day after Diplo

2008-11-19T17:27:00.007-05:00

So... I took photos at the Diplo show last Friday at the Starlight Ballroom and continued with more photos at the Mad Decent Mausoleum for the after party.

You can check out more photos here

ANYWAYS, the next morning, after very little sleep and with the lingering taste of whiskey on my tongue, I had to get in a car with my mother to attend my eight year old sister's birthday party. I never really felt like I went to bed, more like my night was just continuing.

This was no ordinary eight year old's birthday party. It was a bowling and intense Lazer Tag party, and I found it strange and disturbing how familiar the party felt when thinking of the night before.

It was bizarre, because this place had crazy lights and smoke machines (photos above)and they were playing kids versions of poppy dancey club music... so, because I was running around taking pictures of these kids... I felt like it was just a continuation of my night before, it's just that everyone's in line for soda instead of beer or Sparks, oh and everyone's half my height.

It was an unsettling moment for me.

photos of my little sister Connie (Conster the monster) and her pals below:

none of us have really grown up.

Deerhunter show last night

2008-11-06T11:41:00.008-05:00

Bradford Cox and his gang put on a great show, with a monster bill including "Never Stops", "Nothing Ever Happened", "Agoraphobia", "Calvary Scars" and more from their new album Microcastle, easily in my top five albums of the year. "Hazel St." (a dear favorite of mine) off of Cryptograms was also played and Octet after a special request was yelled out from the crowd.

I know it wasn't an Atlas Sound show, but I couldn't help but hope that some of Cox's own songs or some of the songs off the Deerhunter blog would be played. If you haven't already done so, check it out. There are free downloads and you can get to know even more of Cox's quirky but sweet personality through his writing. The Halloween Micromix is fantastic, and I'd also recommend Avey Tare's micromix, which is a couple posts back, but well worth the clicking.

I couldn't understand how this show wasn't sold out, but I can only guess with the Phillies winning the World Series, Barack Obama winning the presidential election (yes!!!), it was easy for anyone, even loyal fans, to forget Deerhunter had a show last night. Not to mention the shitty weather.

Cox seems to love Philadelphia, but always associates it with scrapple and pneumonia. Two very different things, and they don't exactly have a cause and effect relationship, but when Bradford Cox thinks of Philadelphia, these two words come to mind. I think he may tell these stories every time he plays a show in Philly, or at least every time I've seen him he's retold these stories, but anyways let's start with the scrapple.

So apparently, Bradford Cox, so he says, didn't know what scrapple was, and he was at a diner (it's been speculated that it was Melrose Diner for you South Philly readers). So he orders scrapple thinking it was some sort of combination of cinnamon and apple, kind of makes sense, I suppose. Then when it was delivered to him he thought that it had been combined with some sort of french toast, due to the square shape and brown color. No, he didn't get pneumonia from this, though I wouldn't be surprised. He got pneumonia a different time he came to Philadelphia.

Also, for any big geeky fans out there. If you were at the Atlas Sound show last winter when the band's van broke down and the show didn't start till 11:30, Bradford Cox had to borrow equipment from the Dirty Projectors that night. I knew they had borrowed equipment, but I didn't realize it was from the Dirty Projectors, whom Cox says has the "weirdest fucking equipment ever". He also said their first show in Philly was opening for Lightning Bolt, apparently a huge mistake, since anyone at a Lightning Bolt is only there to see Lightning Bolt and could give a shit about any opening bands.

Cox told us these details as he stood with his hand on his hip and occassionally put his left foot on his right knee like a flamingo. A favorite stance of my own, and I only wish my camera battery hadn't died at that moment.

The show ended with a short encore, ending with "Twilight at Carbon Lake", a perfect song to end a set with. It has a slow lead up and then explodes like the rays of sun at dawn, hitting you harder than you ever could've expected.

massive update(s) coming soon!

2008-08-03T16:14:00.004-05:00

For now, here's a sneak peak of what's to come:

Awesome Short Film with Oldschool Synthesizer

2008-04-17T10:03:00.003-05:00

The keyboardist, Alex Tyson, of the Philly band Brown Recluse Sings has created a great short film: "CHARLES COHEN AT THE BUCHLA MUSIC EASEL". Shot with a lens that reminds you of Michel Gondry and may make you doubt that you haven't eaten shrooms today, Alex Tyson does a great job of capturing the beauty of a purely analog synthesizer. Read more on the Buchla Music Easel's history HERE.

Press Release:

This colorful video features sound artist Charles Cohen improvising music on a 1970's Buchla Music Easel.
This extremely rare instrument is one of Don Buchla's 200 series. Buchla (a founding father of synthesis) only manufactured 14 units.
The entire film clocking in at 5:25 was edited from an hour-long set of free improvisation, with audio taken directly from the sound board.
All of the photography and editing was produced by Alex Tyson, a sound and video artist from Pennsylvania.
The film was shot in 16:9 720p High Definition format, using a 35mm LensBaby 3GPL.

At this time the film is only available online. While you can stream it in HD, it is best viewed on DVD.
Please contact the filmmakers for hard copies if interested.
Alex can be reached at alextyson (at) gmail.com

With bleeps and bloops,

Alex Tyson & Charles Cohen

/ / / Viewing with headphones or a stereo source is highly recommended / / /

CHARLES COHEN AT THE BUCHLA MUSIC EASEL from Alex on Vimeo.

Health Review/Interview

2008-04-06T22:47:00.008-05:00

Photo creds: me

After playing Philly at Dave P’s Making Time, Health ventured north to Canada to finish off their tour with Crystal Castles and then returned for a second time to play the Danger Danger Gallery in West Philly. They were amazing at Transit on March 22nd, crushing our eardrums and moving our feet, but watching them in the intimate setting of the DDG felt more appropriate for these DIY guys.

I came to the DDG a bit late, getting off of work, but came just in time for Health’s set in the gallery. They started their set off with one of my favorite tracks, Triceratops and moved through the rest of their self-produced album without missing a beat or taking a breath. The hits were played, including Crimewave, a single that’s become popular for it’s remix by Crystal Castles and others, such as //M\\ and Glitter Pills, one of their lower energy songs. I especially enjoyed the live rendition of Courtship, which features drum circle-like beats and screams and ends with a chanting chorus.

The Danger Danger atmosphere was perfect, because instead of the band getting lost in the glitz and glam vibe that Transit sometimes puts off, devoted fans were given the DIY intimacy that Health and the roots of its growing music scene and genre originally emerged from; in basements, houses turned venues and anywhere a group of creative people put their motivations and energies towards generating music that wasn’t simply innovative, but completely new. These guys are at the forefront of a movement that’s connected bands coast to coast, and they’re working their asses off to do it.

Bj, the drummer, had carefully tied back half of his long curly locks before they began their set, but by the end his efforts to remain somewhat neat seemed futile, because he, John, Jupiter, and Jake were covered in sweat and panting for air. They jumped from track to track with the audience barely able to keep up with the lack of transitions and the energy that Health was putting off. They danced around dangerously close to the crowd and quickly switched instruments just in time to keep up with Bj’s drum beats for the next song. I spoke to Jake and Jupiter briefly after their show, and they were still sitting on the ground, backs to the wall, waiting for their heartbeats to slow back down to a normal pace. They responded through gasps, and through my fleeting thought of what the rest of their night still entailed, loading up equipment and cleaning up, I felt a deep appreciation for their efforts.

Before their show at the Danger Danger, I had the opportunity to speak to John, the lead vocalist, as he and the rest of Health re-crossed the Canadian border back into the states. They had just completed their tour with Crystal Castles on April 1st only to continue on the rest of their massive tour. As he explained at the beginning of our phone call, “I am really rough right now… I’ve been deathly fucking ill”. Despite John’s decline in Health, he managed to answer a few simple questions I had for him:

How do you guys like Philadelphia and its music scene?

John: We’re totally down with that[Philly’s DIY] scene , we’re part of the culture, so it’s pretty natural [connecting coast to coast]. We really like Tickley Feather. When we first came here, we met her. She had mentioned that she had a band, but we didn’t check it out till much later. And we were like Jesus! It’s really Fucking good! We weren’t expecting that.

What are some of the band’s musical influences?

John: We’re not taking any direct influences from bands anymore. We know our sound now, and we’re just trying to correct what our music is lacking or what it needs. It’s always difficult to take in influences, without regurgitating something or doing the obvious. There has been a lot of electronic influences that we’ve been listening to lately.

So what direction do you guys think you’ll be taking your music next, like for the next record?

John: We’ve been working on a lot of new material, but we don’t even know what we’re planning to do next. We’ve been on tour so long. We want to incorporate some sort of groove intermixed with our experimental sound. We want to go… like More… like More hardcore… More dancey… More noisy… More Pop. Everything…just MORE. We want to make a great record. We want everything better, faster and More. Basically, harder, better, faster [laughs]

Do you think you’ll self-record/produce the second album like the first?

John: Although we self-recorded our album, we want to eventually work with a sound engineer, just because when we were self-recording we were learning a lot as we went. It was really frustrating, because we didn’t even know what we were doing at first. Then again, it seems like now a days, you can spend a lot of money, and get someone who knows what they’re doing, but it can still sound like shit. With us doing it ourselves, we didn’t really know what we were doing, but we could at least have more direct control over if it sounded like shit or not.

It doesn’t look like the guys from Health will be coming back to Philly again anytime soon, but I’m sure they’ll play here again, because of the parallels of the music culture that they share with Philadelphia. If you missed them both times in Philly… first of all, shame on you. Second of all, don’t fret. They’ll be back to the east coast for two shows, one in New York and one in New Jersey:

1. April, 25 2008 at EXPERIMENTAL MEDIA AND PERFORMING ARTS CENTER @ RPI
110 8th St, TROY, New York 12180

2. April, 26 2008 at PRINCETON UNIVERSITY w/ Monotonix
PRINCETON, New Jersey

long due updates coming soon...

2008-03-31T23:45:00.005-05:00

for now...

Enjoy this ridiculous photo of Chelsea Clinton as she attempts to win over commuters at Olney Terminal in North Philly.

photo credit: Tiffany Yoon, more photos on http://flickr.com/photos/eternalreturn/

I overheard her saying something along the lines of: "Hi, good morning. Are you going to vote for my mom?"

Btw, if you caught the Inquirer today, there was a photo of her pep rally at Woody's from sometime last week. Man.. I wish I was at THAT media frenzy to snap some photos.

The Human Be-In

2008-02-19T00:33:00.002-05:00

This event is BYO, but it's definitely worth checking out!

Hope to see you there

dokkemand - lumpa

2007-10-07T23:32:00.001-05:00

New favorite of the moment, Dokkemand

2007-10-07T23:28:00.000-05:00

I usually don't like finding music through myspace. Something about putting more money in the pockets of Rupert Murdoch and all.. just kind of gives me a dirty feeling, but it's a vehicle that helps promote artists, music, etc.. and it works. Who am I to oppose the market economy and uphold any anti-capitalistic morals. I can't do it alone, but maybe in time we could all work to change that (*wink, for another time).

Anyways, I was sent a message by this band in Norway via myspace, and I checked them out. It's very simple and electronic, but that's why I couldn't stop listening. Maybe it's just the mood I'm in, but it was just what I felt like listening to. It was a strange transition, because I had just been listening to Patrick Wolf via Hypemachine for the past hour.

Dokkemand, this band I currently can't stop listening to, is Marius Grotterud Egenes. My favorite by him so far is his remix of Kate Havnevik, a fellow Norwegian artist. I've also posted the music video for his song Lumpa, next in line on my favorites list.

The video makes me think of these little forest creatures from the Japanese anime Princess Mononoke. If you've ever watched the movie, you'll remember their heads twitching with a clicking noise. Well the video for Lumpa made me think of these little guys, because of the twitching lights.

Anyways, check him out. He's from Norway, a country known for it's pop and electronics with such bands as Annie (Anne Lilia Berge-Strand, the Madonna of Norway) and Datarock (talking heads meets Devo). He's not as poppy as these other Norwegians, but I think he's still worth listening to.

Split

2007-10-04T10:41:00.001-05:00

It's a bit trifling to have to get back into the groove of the semester with all the great shows playing this fall. It's especially frustrating when you're helpless to discover two great shows playing during the same night. Why R5, oh why.. would you schedule a band like Animal Collective the same night as Devendra Banhart (I heard he was spotted at the Callowhill Whole Foods on Sunday btw). Holy Moly We Are In Israel Rolly Polly Call Me Ishmael.

That's all passed now, but now.. R5.. why oh why.. would you schedule The Go! Team, a posse boasting 6 (including 2 drummers), the same night as Sweden's beloved Jens Lekman.

Both are known for their achievements in pop, and both heralding retrospective tributes and influences. Perhaps this is more of a personal dilemma, but I'm sure there are more fans out there that are with me between a rock and urm.. a hard place.

I suppose you could still try to catch Lekman in New York on Friday (October 27th - New York City, NY - Webster Hall), because The Go! Team's show in New York the next night is sold out:

Oct 27 2007 8:00P Bowery Ballroom SOLD OUT New York <<<<<----- The Go! Team

The Chinatown Bus transportation's cheap, not always that reliable.. and they might do some drug deals in the process (at least it's been rumored and sworn to have been witnessed!), but small sacrifices in the name of going to a great show. pish posh. ha.

The fans are torn, and so am I. Bleeding. Everywhere.

the pipettes - your kisses are wasted on me

2007-10-02T12:14:00.001-05:00

The Pipettes

2007-10-02T11:36:00.000-05:00

Much to the dismay of fans, this trio of lovely ladies won't be gracing Philadelphia (or the rest of the country in fact) with their presence until another month due to a complication with the band's travel visa's.

The Pipettes, made up of RiotBecki, Gwenno, and Rosay are backed by The Cassettes, which include Bobby Barry (Monster Bobby), and Jon and Seb Falcone.

According to the band's website:

29 Sep 07
North American tour postponed
Unfortunately, we have to push back our North American dates due to our visa paperwork being delayed. We're doing everything we can to fix this but we're going to have to delay the start of the tour until October 25.

The tour will now kick off on Oct 25 at the Echoplex in LA and the first week of dates (up to Vancouver) are unchanged. The rest of the cities will be:

Los Angeles
San Diego
San Francisco
Portland
Seattle
Eugene
Vancouver
Denver
Austin
Atlanta
Baltimore
New York City
Philadelphia
Boston
Montreal
Toronto
Pittsburgh
Cleveland
Chicago

We'll post more information on Monday with details on the new dates and what to do if you already bought tickets.

We're really sorry to be forced to postpone the dates this close and can't wait to get out on tour to make it up to you.

The good news is the ladies have released a North American full-length debut today, entitled "We are the Pipettes" (Cherrytree/Interscope).

Also, be sure to check out Monster Bobby's solo album: Gaps (Hypenote), which was released over this summer. His vocals make me think of Magnetic Fields, but
the synths and instrumentation is simple and poppy like Casiotone for the Painfully Alone.

Fujiya & Miyagi

2007-09-25T00:28:00.000-05:00

I first came across this band when they opened for Peter Bjorn and John last May 3. The night was interesting, because it was a night full of trios. Au Revoir Simone opened, Fujiya & Miyagi were next, and then Peter Bjorn and John headlined the set. Before Fujiya & Miyagi came on stage I had overheard people in the crowd sharing their knowledge on the band, most of the gossip encircled around their music video for Ankle Injuries, which is a pixilated/lego-made looking video (very pleasing to the eye and imagination). Anyways, before the band dawned on stage I was expecting some Japanese guys to come out, because as much as I had Heard of the trio, I had never Seen a photo of them. They are not Japanese, in fact, they're from Brighton, England. An area by that sea that I've been picking most of my favorites from lately, including The Pipettes, Bat for Lashes, and now these Karate Kid fanatics.

Fujiya & Miyagi is made up of Steve Lewis, David Best, and Matt Hainsby. The band is made up of synths and programmed beats by Lewis, Bass and Korg (A Japanese company name famous for making electronic instruments) by Hainsby, and guitar and Korg by Best. All three contribute vocals, but Best leads them and does it best with emphasizing hand motions during songs. Lewis and Best were the original creators of the band, and then they were joined by both Grunder and Matthew Avery for a while, but have finally settled on a three piece with Hainsby who is supposed to represent the ampersand (this sign→ &) in between Fujiya Miyagi. However, their website tells of exciting news of a drummer being added to the three-piece, Lee, who will be joining them during live shows next year.

If you're into Krautrock (a movement of experimental German music that began in the 1970's) and what I like to call electronic-disco-funk, then Fujiya & Miyagi are the band for you to see tonight. They're a stripped down version of most electronic dance records, featuring simple beats and hi-fi synths, but beats that are so perfectly placed and constructed that it makes me think in a "well, it's quality, not quantity" type of manner. Their latest album "Transparent Things" came out earlier this year under Tirk Records (UK) and Deaf Dumb & Blind Recordings (USA), and it begins like most of their live shows with Ankle Injuries. It plays as a metronomic beat that follows throughout the entire song and then the vocals start up with a repetitious chant of Fujiya Miyagi. Overall, this band is beautifully simple and concise in instrumentation and beats, but they manage to accomplish more musically than most full four or five piece bands. I wouldn't miss this trio if I were you, especially because they're playing with a great band from Brooklyn, Dirty on Purpose.

Fujiya & Miyagi, Dirty On Purpose: Wednesday, September 26; 9 p.m.; $10; Johnny Brenda's; 1201 N. Frankford Ave., Philadelphia; 215-739-9684.

Bat For Lashes - Whats a Girl To Do

2007-09-17T17:31:00.001-05:00

Bat for Lashes

2007-09-17T17:15:00.000-05:00

Bat for Lashes captures the little kid in all of us, but with a sense of maturity that can only be achieved through a life of experience. This band takes a retrospective and nostalgic dip back into a land filled with wizards, dragons, princesses, and innocence. However, the scope in which they retreat back to childhood is darkened by the weight of life today. No longer can we remain in an egocentric world in which we can create our own universe around us. No longer can we remain in a depicted reality in which our self-worth isn’t equated by how much we can produce. Their music is heartbreaking, but it is also a therapeutic remedy for our Heavy adult lives.

Natasha Khan is the mastermind behind Bat for Lashes. She’s a Brighton based singer/songwriter, but she spent some scattered periods in Pakistan with her father as child. During her childhood, she was raised in a strict religious fashion that now influences her story telling abilities in lyrics. Khan went to university and graduated with a degree in film and music, but her time in school was crucial because it allowed her to experiment in multi-media and animation. After graduating, Khan became a nursery school teacher, which further supports her retreat into an innocent childhood. While helping children appreciate their childhood to its full extent (a time period we can all pertain to as fleeting) by teaching them about unicorns and rainbows; Khan began to write music for her first album.

Bat for Lashes isn’t only Khan, she’s also backed by Ginger Lee, Abi Fry, and Lizzy Carey. Together, they released an epic album entitled, “Fur and Gold,” which was released on September 11 of 2006. Khan gained inspiration for the album with her first song “Horse & I” when she dreamed of a black horse sending her on a momentous quest. The album was released under the record company Echo and it was nominated for the 2007 Mercury Prize (an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the UK or Republic of Ireland). Unfortunately, the band was beat out by the Klaxons, but the album has become a favorite of a prestigious music elite that includes: Bjork, Thom Yorke and Devendra Banhart.

I first discovered this band when a friend had showed me a music video of “What’s a girl to do”, which entails Khan biking down a lonely rural road with an entourage of hoodie wearing half–animal-half-boy bmxers. I was hooked, and I have found myself watching the video (sometimes on more than one occasion) daily. From then on I had to hear more. So I bought the album and listened intently finding new reasons with every song and lyric to attribute more attention to detail. The album has catchy pop hooks, but accompanied by thunderous drums, harpsichord, hand-claps and simple beats. Khan’s voice is captivating and from the video footage alone I’m sure her stage presence is more than mesmerizing. I’m counting the days until this show, and I suggest you make your way out to Fishtown this weekend for an endearing show.

Bat For Lashes, Lewis and Clarke: Sunday, September 23; 9 p.m.; $10; Johnny Brenda's; 1201 N. Frankford Ave., Philadelphia; 215-739-9684.

VHS or Beta

2007-08-29T17:22:00.000-05:00

I've been waiting for this band to come to Philadelphia since last winter. A friend introduced me to these guys and until I gave in and opened an ear he wouldn't stop ranting about them. Now, I'm here to spread the word and I'm eagerly encouraging you to attend this show on Friday. As the time for this band to put on a show in our humble city approached the buzz about VHS or Beta increasingly became more frequent and I discovered a plethora of devoted fans that were anticipating the arrival of Beta. About a year ago, all I knew was that I liked the band name, and isn't that always a good hook to at least get you listening? It worked for me, and I promise these fellas have more to impress with than just catchy monikers. Beta (not Beta Band, sorry to disappoint) is lead by Craig Pfunder, the band's lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter. He's joined by Mark Palgy (bass), Mark Guidry (drums) and Mike McGill (guitar, vocals). They're also supported by Chea Beckley, who handles keyboards and tech stuff, but he's not considered a core member.

That friend I referred to earlier loves poppy dance music, and if you and he share that same affection for four-on-the floor beats then I think we may have a match. Beta is a disco influenced rock pop band from (much to my surprise, no offense) Louisville, Kentucky. It's such a shock, because it's a contradiction of two functions within my brain; the battle between my logic and my hearing. My logic being the preconceived stereotypes that inevitably influence what I think I know about the Southern/Midwestern cultured states. I suppose I always made the general assumption that most Indie music coming from south or west was more Folk influenced. These guys however, emanate that oh so danceable French disco pop that Daft Punk made so popular. These guys are rooted in house and disco, but they still have riffs of rock guitars combined with new age electronics. It's a collaboration sampling from several genres meshed into one very catchy band.

Beta just recorded a new LP entitled "Bring on the Comets" (Astralwerks Records), and it was just released yesterday! I suggest you run, jump, skip to the nearest record store you can and purchase yourself a copy. Be sure to check out VHS or Beta at Johnny Brenda's this Friday. It should be a night filled with swinging hips and poppy beats.

VHS or Beta, Walter Meego, Dj Shawn Ryan: Friday, August 31; 9:30 p.m.; $10; Johnny Brenda's; 1201 N. Frankford Ave., Philadelphia; 215-739-9684.

Tiny Vipers

2007-08-29T16:58:00.000-05:00

Life is never about planning or organizing, because that nonsense is a façade giving us false hope that we actually have full control over our lives. Sorry to burst anyone's bubble (or ego) but we don't. We meticulously calculate our upcoming days and weeks, but in doing so we predict that all will go well and according to our will. Unfortunately, life doesn't work the way we intend it to and it's full of unexpected disappointments and surprises. Therefore, we have to expect living a life of adaptation and flexibility rather than one of anticipation of the products resulting from the extension(s) of our actions/decisions. Inevitably, all of our plans and strategies will have to be altered or changed. We are not capable of predicting all of the results of our actions, but we still attempt to enforce order on our disordered lives.

This perspective is what drove Jesy Fortino to create the music she has under the name Tiny Vipers. She poetically expresses grief in her songs and they often focus on choices we make in life and the consequences of them, whether planned or not is left ambiguous. She stresses how a simple decision could have life altering repercussions, and how a decision made by one individual has much influence over the lives of other people. You can vicariously relate to Fortino's lyrics, but her songs give the effect that her sorrow is heavier than yours, because she radiates a deep guilt for people in her songs. In the words of two robot frenzied Frenchmen, Fortino reminds us that we are "human after all".

Fortino is a self-taught acoustic guitarist, but you would never guess that she never had any formal training after listening to her perform. She has a voice similar to Psychedelic folk queen Joanna Newsom, but her voice also reminds me of the Decembrists' front man Colin Meloy's vocals. Fortino is a solo acoustic Indie/psychedelic folk female singer songwriter (whew*), but despite being alone she's made bold strides touring the Northwest in the past two years locally releasing EP's and playing shows. She was eventually picked up by Sub Pop Records and has just released an LP entitled "Hands Across the Void" with them, which was recorded in Seattle at Red Room Studios and released late last month with help from friends Chris Commons and Ben Cissner. The album features minimal guitar as each song has a vocal-centric aesthetic with subtle self–harmonizing. It gives each song a haunting effect but it's coupled with a sense of beauty in the face of despair.

Tiny Vipers is a gorgeous blend of one woman's vocals, poetic grief, and simplistic guitar. She has the ineffable ability to express your life's endeavors better than you could ever hope to, so I suggest you make your way over to the First Unitarian Church on Saturday to listen to a talented soloist that could bring some humanitarian enlightenment into your life.

Illuminea (formerly Illumina)

2007-08-14T00:01:00.000-05:00

I'll be quite honest. Initially, I had only heard of this band as opening for this set or playing with this band or that band, but I had never really taken the time to get to know Illuminea for them. After getting to know this band for their charm and elegant greatness, I won't let you make the same mistake. To do so would be hoarding away a Philadelphia/New York based Indie Pop band with a multitude of talents all for myself, and good music (as you know) is meant to be shared. You may have heard of this band under the name Illumina, but due to another band already claiming the name for their own fame and Final Fantasy nerds confusing the band for a sword in the video game, this seven piece from Philadelphia was forced to add an e. However, the extra syllable, all induced by some legal copyright battles, contributes an air of grace, even to the name.

Illuminea is Jen Appel (lead vocals, guitar), Marc Alan Goodman (lead vocals, guitar), Minna Choi (lead vocals, keyboards), Pete Angevine (drums, percussion), Maura Diberardinis(violin), Timothy Nelson (bass), and Matthew Edwin Stein (contrabass). I really like this band, because they're doing something different than the enclave of bands waiting in the long line of Indie stardom. There aren't many Indie bands out there with a mini orchestra, and if there are they're usually under the name of The Go! Team, or one of the many side projects of Broken Social scene, but this band is taking the presence of such bands and packaging their music in a completely different way. By different, I'm referring to how reviewers so commonly place artists like Tom Waits, Captain Beefheart, Man Man, etc in the same category because even though they sound different from one another, they're all in that category of music that pitchfork fascists haven't come up with a name for yet, so we'll just settle on different. Their music is sweet and endearingly intimate, especially with the vocals of Appel and Choi, but it also takes bold strides in a new direction for music with the band's tonal shifts, beats, and choices in instrumentation. It's rare to find a band that can physically make your chest swell up as your heart readies itself to burst from the sudden surge of life it hasn't felt in years. Illuminea makes me feel this way, and they have that unique ability to move listeners, on the dance floor and in their hearts as they experience a band refreshingly new.

These musicians began as a two-piece between classmates Appel and Goodman, and thankfully grew into what I introduce you to today. This band has already had a taste of fame, but as a backdrop for live performances of bigger names such as The Book of Knots (Anti- records), which features such artists as Tom Waits, Joel Hamilton, Tony Maimone, and more. They've also already played with one of my favorites, Benjy Ferree from D.C. and the 1900's, and they've also opened for Philly's own The Spinto Band. Even just from their track record of accompanying artists it's evident that this band has a wide spectrum of influences and composition to choose from as each member of the band contributes his or her own preference and it's all melded together. Collectively this seven piece is breathtaking, but they're also a lot of laidback fun.

Illuminea is having its record release party at Johnny Brenda's this Friday of their newest album "Out of Our Mouths" (High Two Records), which was produced by Joel Hamilton (Frank Black, Sparklehorse, Elvis Costello). Forget whatever else you had planned for the night, because I'm giving you the opportunity to get to know a band on an intimate level that can only inevitably blow up. Fellow bloggers and writers; we were just handed a silver platter. If for some reason you absolutely can't make it to JB's this Friday, Illuminea will also be playing with Dirty Projectors at Johnny Brenda's again Thursday, September 27, and their album will be released next Tuesday, August 21.

Illuminea, The Swimmers, Whales and Cops: Friday, August 17; 9:30 p.m.; $8; Johnny Brenda's; 1201 N. Frankford Ave., Philadelphia; 215-739-9684.

Heirloom Projector

2007-08-13T23:51:00.000-05:00

You'll instantly fall in love with this band, and this week you'll have two opportunities to experience Heirloom Projector. They're involved in Acoustic Philly, which helps promote various Philadelphia-based bands at multiple venues every month. Acoustic Philly has succeeded in catching my attention with this band, comprised of Erin Douglas (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Craig Maquire (guitar, vocals), Emi Oka (drums), and Brendan Maquire (bass). Unfortunately, because Brendan is fairly new to the band, he's not featured in the above photograph, but give this band some time. They began with Douglas and Oka in 2004 after the two ladies met in a literature class and through Oka, Douglas and Craig came to know one another in 2006. So goes the conception of Projector. Now with Brendan contributing, this Philly band has come together to produce some great Indie folk rock music for fans in this city and nationwide.

Earlier this summer they independently released an EP entitled "Darkest Light", and already they have a sound that resonates like a band you've always known and loved. They're not signed yet, but they'll be scooped up soon enough. Especially after they participate in the Beta Hi-Fi Festival at the World Café, which runs from August 19-25. According to WCL's website: "Upstairs Live at World Cafe Live will continue the tradition of providing a platform for the best of Philadelphia’s Emerging Artists with a week-long showcase of the region’s finest… culminating in a line-up of over 30 performances throughout the week that will serve as a showcase for industry professionals as well as for fans looking to discover new artists." So be sure to check them out and vote for them!

They kind of make me think of if Sonic Youth went folk, especially with the guitar in their song "Darkest Light" off the EP. Some songs I can't help but anticipate a banjo twanging in, but instead it's replaced by a rock guitar solo, and at other moments I half expect Kim Gordon to start chiming in. This band has brilliantly accomplished capturing the best of Indie rock and folk and combining the efforts to create Projector's unique presence. They're folk traditions wrapped up in Indie rock beats and guitars. Folk made for our time and for our city as Philadelphia's Indie folk rock scene is on the rise. Be sure to make it out to at least one of this band's shows and don't forget to vote!

Heirloom Projector, Boy Obrien, Liz Fullerton, Nick Ludovico and the Greyjacks: Thursday, August 16; 10 p.m.; Tritone; 1508 South St.; Philadelphia; 215-545-0475.

Folk By Association, The Kazoo & The Tambourine Repair, Heirloom Projector, West Philadelphia Orchestra, Eric Mace: Tuesday, August 21; 7 p.m.; World Café Live; 3025 Walnut St.; Philadelphia; 215-222-1400.

Wolf Parade

2007-08-13T23:35:00.000-05:00

These fellas have become a personal favorite of mine. Especially since their latest EP from 2005 was produced by Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock (also a personal favorite). These talented guys have accomplished a lot since they came together in 2004 and began recording DIY style, until they were picked up by Sub Pop Records by Brock himself. Wolf Parade is made up of four forever interesting Montreal guys with lots of innovation and hilarity mixed in their fun loving personalities and tunes: Spencer Krug (piano/vocals), Dan Boeckner (guitar/vocals), Arien Thompson (drums), and Hadji Bakara (electronics) who joined the troupe just before "Apologies to the Queen Mary" was released. These guys have also had help from friends like Dante Decaro (ex-Hot Hot Heat member) and members of the Arcade Fire. Decaro actually joined up with Parade in 2006 and is now a permanent member.

It's no secret that these guys have talent, but I find that many people haven't had the opportunity to listen to the pack (the wolf allusions were inevitably going to make their way in here, excuse the corniness) as much as they should be or at all. It's a shame, because many have reported confusing the band with so many other bands with the name Wolf in it; such as Wolf Mother, Wolf Eyes (also under Sub Pop), Cry Wolf, Patrick Wolf, etc. Don't let the confusion stop you from listening to some great music though, because these guys are worth being differentiated from the rest of the lupine aficionados. They've had their mighty Midas paws dipped into other bands such as Sunset Rubdown (Spencer's side project), Frog Eyes, Atlas Strategic, Johnny and the Moon, Handsome Furs, and Swan Lake, and I'm sure more are to come. But let's not get too ahead of ourselves. As they say, it's quality not quantity.

Their music has components of electronics, drums, keyboards, electric guitar riffs, and two vocalists (Krug and Boeckner) that from song to song can either compete for the spotlight due to their individual talents or completely harmonize with one another. There are definitely influences of Brock, especially from " The Lonesome Crowded West", but there's also influences of punk in the form of what I'd like to describe as holky. It really is quite unique, and despite the many side bands and projects these fellas are in they've maintained keeping Parade distinct. I've been tracking this band's tour and anticipating them coming to Philly for a while, so I recommend you make your way out to the Fillmore on Monday for an epic night.

Wolf Parade, Plants and Animals, Noot: Monday, August 20; 7 p.m.; $20; Theatre of Living Arts; 334 South Street, Philadelphia; 215-922-1011.

Tokyo Police Club

2007-08-08T23:31:00.000-05:00

It's hard for me not to want to gush when telling people about this band. It almost pains me when a friend hasn't heard of these loveable guys and I'm hit with the ever so urgent impulse to share all that I can about these artists, because to me its almost a crime not to have heard such a multi-talented band that I've come to love and cherish. I suppose by now you can tell how hung up I am on these four guys from Canada. Tokyo Police Club is Greg Alsop (drums, percussion), Josh Hook (guitar, percussion), Dave Monks (vocals, bass), and Graham Wright (keyboards, vocals).

These guys have intelligent lyrics, catchy rhythms, and great guitar riffs that make their live and recorded songs absolutely infectious. They feature rock instrumentation and have a vocal-centric aesthetic usually supported by rants/claps/tambourines/snare as a harmonizing backdrop. I find myself putting these guys on in almost any setting. Whether it's for a play list for a party or a quiet night of reading. I can't get enough of these guys. Their lyrics, especially on "A Lesson In Crime" (2006, Paper Bag Records), aren't just about relationships or girls as so many guys are inspired to write about women after being burned by one too many temptresses in their adolescence. Instead, Police Club seems to focus more on philosophical and/or political issues; like the mechanization of western civilization during and after industrialization, which is evident in "Citizens of Tomorrow" off "Crime". I almost burned a copy of that song for one of my philosophy teachers, because it seemed to perfectly correlate with Thomas Carlyle's "The Mechanical Age", but I was out of blank cd's (and felt like too big of a dork). The thing is, with their catchy and raucous beats and riffs you wouldn't realize that these guys are singing about some pretty serious shit.

This band came together like so many other bands in hopes of rock stardom do; by starting in many other bands that unfortunately failed to make it or stay together for whatever reasons. Luckily, the dream went on and these guys continued to play just for fun. They played in smaller venues around Montreal and buzz of their great live shows began to spread around the Canadian grape vine, which eventually lead them to play in Pop Montreal's festival. After the festival their reputation began to precede them and they were asked to sign under Paper Bag Records with which they released "Crime". Since then the band has released a digital EP entitled "Smith". They've also released a non-album single entitled "Your English is Good" in early July of this year. Earlier this summer Police Club met with Indie music giants Saddle Creek Records, which harbors such artists as Bright Eyes and The Faint. The guys of Police Club signed with Saddle Creek and all are in anticipation of a winter 2008 LP being released, which I can only hope will be followed by another tour.

I wouldn't recommend waiting until their upcoming LP is released to at least take a listen to what these guys are like. Police Club has a reputation for putting on great live shows, because their even more boisterous and rowdy then their recorded songs already imply. Be sure to make it out to Johnny Brenda's this Thursday and not only for my ever endearing affection for the boys of Police Club, but also because their playing with two other great bands that I've been hearing great blog and press coverage about lately.

Tokyo Police Club, Ra Ra Riot, Vampire Weekend: Thursday, August 9; 9 p.m.; $10; Johnny Brenda's; 1201 N. Frankford Ave., Philadelphia; 215-739-9684

Pretzel Ride! Pretzel Ride! Pretzel Ride!

2007-08-08T23:27:00.000-05:00

Every week my friends and I excitedly text and type these words to each others’ myspaces, facebooks, and phones, and its become something I look forward to every week. So, just what is the infamous South Philly Pretzel Ride? Well, the magic all happens at Center City Soft Pretzel Co. (816 Washington Ave., 215-463-5664), and to put it simply; it’s a midnight bike ride to get some piping fresh and hot soft Philly pretzels. It happens at midnight, because that’s when the Pretzel Co. starts making pretzels to fill orders for the next day. They’re at the inexpensive price of 30 cents each (4 for a dollar) and the Pretzel Co. offers plenty of mustard and cheese whiz to accompany the hot tasty treats. It’s recommended that you bring your own drinks, or there’s also a 7-eleven around 11th and Washington ave.

The original pretzel ride started on a cold winter night in 2004 when Laura Csira, a Temple University Student, gathered up some friends and made Tuesday the official Pretzel Ride night. Bikers meet around 11:30 p.m. at the foot of the Art Museum steps and then collectively depart at 11:45 in the name of hot soft pretzels. So it’s not necessarily the pretzels alone that give incentive for the ride (although they’re still pretty tasty), but it’s the joy in the ride to south philly itself that makes it special. It’s the idea of gathering a bunch of bikers together with the same objective at hand, soft pretzels, and it makes you feel like you’re really a part of something.

You don’t have to go on a Tuesday, Pretzel Co. is open every night, save Saturday, and you can still get these doughy hot treats for the same low cost. Friends and I will go on almost any night that we can get enough people together and we’ve made it our own by sometimes making a stop to Franklin Fountain (1st and Market) beforehand). If you don’t have a bike, the Pretzel Co. is still a great place to go after hitting bars. Check out the pretzel ride for yourself, and most importantly, enjoy the ride.

Dappled Cities (Fly)

2007-08-08T23:12:00.000-05:00

In a time when the label Indie is utilized on a spectrum running from folk to pop, it can sometimes be difficult to grasp what a band sounds like on the genre tag alone. Dappled Cities, sometimes referred to as Dappled Cities Fly, is one of those infamous indie rock bands that is amongst a sea of many, but they’ve still managed to set their musical composition apart from the others suggesting a hint of avant-garde innovation with every song. Each member of Cities contributes to their creative indie sound that they’ve gained the reputation for: Hugh Boyce (drums), Ned Cooke (keyboard, sampler), Tim Derricourt (guitar, vocals), Alex Moore (bass, bird screams), Dave Rennick (guitar, vocals, keyboard/sampler). I think they have the eccentric innovation of more psychedelic bands like Animal Collective (just slightly) combined with the Australiasia (not the Pelican album) charm similar to Pete Bjorn & John mixed in with the grandiose of bands like The Flaming Lips and The Shins.

These Australia natives have been making music for approximately a decade now, and their latest album “Granddance” (Dangerbird/Speak ’n’ Spell) is pretty damn good. I don’t say great, because one element that attracts me to this band is their eminent potential for progression. The music they make now is good, but I know that each album is just going to get better as each band member begins to fully grasp his craft. Boyce has already been praised by bloggers as a unique uninhibited drummer, most obviously in “Work it Out” and it’s also pretty evident in “Holy Chord” (my favorite), but like the other fellows in this band, his talent has just gotten a breathe of newborn fresh air. These humble guys are well aware that there’s nowhere to go but up from here: “Over 6 years, we went from being not very good to being quite good. We couldn’t really play live when we started and no one really understood our songs.’” (From their band website) They’ve come a long way with their falsetto vocals and pedal effects.

Their music has the epic ability to express great periods of regret and anguish but with a hopeful lift of spirits in regard to those lapses of distress and sorrow. Everything about this band is about a romantic progressive look towards a hopeful future, and I wouldn’t miss them playing Johnny Brenda’s on Saturday if I were you. Their latest album was produced by Jim Fairchild (of Grandaddy) and mixed by Jaquire King (Modest Mouse, Kings of Leon). These guys are only at the forefront of a long career of making refreshingly ground-breaking music, but I suggest you let them become a frequent visitor in your ipod/stereo/computer/whatever you listen to music on, because I guarantee they’ll quickly win over your ennui heart.

Dappled Cities, All Smiles, Adam & Dave’s Bloodline: Saturday, August 4; 9:30 p.m.; $8; Johnny Brenda's; 1201 N. Frankford Ave., Philadelphia; 215-739-9684.

The Franklin Fountain

2007-08-08T23:08:00.000-05:00

I love this place. Just envision having the worst day at your 9-5 job. You leave the office in hopes of an overtaking relief to take hold, but the heat and humidity from the hot summer day are not so kind. You're flustered and cranky and need something to take that edge from your horrible day off. Instead of hitting up the nearest bar or tavern… why not relinquish in a once treasured childhood joy. Ice Cream.

What better place to get a sense of old American charm and grace coupled with great ice cream than The Franklin Fountain? This ice cream parlor and soda pop shop is owned by brothers Eric and Ryan Berley, and it has become one of my new favorite hot spots. The Berley brothers have dedicated their efforts to experimenting with different ice creams and treats all in the hopes of carrying on Benjamin Franklin's dream… all efforts are meant to benefit The People.

They have a vast selection of ice creams, sodas, sundaes, splits, pies, and cakes, and they're all amazingly delicious. The brothers have worked hard to maintain the historic value and tradition of the building and treats. Their service is exquisite and polite, and they're dedicated to bringing every customer the best in every sip or bite. They're located on 116 Market Street in Old City, and are conveniently open until midnight every night.

Fior Fiero

2007-08-08T22:47:00.000-05:00

I’ll be frank. You’ve probably never heard of this band before. Don’t worry I’m not pretentiously trying to make you feel dumb (promise), I’m not Pitchfork. These guys are fresh to me too, but despite being noobs they deserve your full attention now. You’ve probably never heard of these guys before, because they’re the newest project from the members of Dark Side of the Cop, a band that once made an album to play along with “Beverely Hills Cop” (seriously); similar to how Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon is supposed to correspond with MGM’s “The Wizard of Oz” (I swear, it’s true!) Anyways, the Eddie Murphy loving guys of Cop broke up back in February of this year, but two members continued to make music under a different name, which brings us full circle to Fior Fiero: Roger Thomasson (electronics, keyboards, songs) and Marco Panella (guitars, vocals, songs).

Thomasson and Panella are Vermont natives now living in Philadelphia, and together they’ve formed this electronic rock pop band. They’re having their EP release show this Wednesday at the North Star Bar. The EP is entitled “The Satellite EP” (Auger Down Records), which comes out August 28th and its featured on CMJ’s New Releases list. When these guys were formerly in Cop they were described as a creepy version of the Postal Service due to their subtle use of vocal harmony, major key tonality, and intricate melodic phrasing, and I would say that the comparison still applies to Fiero except I think they have a strong rock based composition. I don’t mean hard/grunge rock like Pearl Jam or Nirvana; I’m referring more to folk and psychedelic rock, like Pink Floyd (well I think that’s pretty evident) or Bob Dylan. As a more contemporary comparison I’d say they’re an electronic/pop version of old Pete Yorn, especially “music for the morning after” (2001).

I’ve done a little research, and I’m not positive if I have it right, but I thought I’d take a stab at the origin of the band’s name. Okay, here it goes. Fior can either mean flower in Italian or authentic/original in Gaelic. Fiero, also in Italian, means proud. However, Fiero was also the name of a cult car made by Pontiac between the years 1984 and 1988. So either the name could mean Proud Flower, Authentic Flower, or Authentic Pontiac Fiero. Guess which one I picked. Here’s my reasoning: If Thomasson and Panella were formerly in a band that paid homage to the great 80’s film “Beverely Hills Cop” then it exemplifies their affection towards films during that era. Another film made in the great eighties is “Back to the Future” and guess who designed Pontiac’s Fiero, the same man that shares the name of Marty and Doc’s time machine, John Delorean.

My interpretation of the band’s name may be wrong, but I think it makes sense. If you have the opportunity to experience these guys this Wednesday, why don’t you ask them for yourself and check out some great music at the same time? They may not be well known yet, but once their EP is released I’m sure you’ll be hearing more creditable praise about this band.

Fior Fiero. The Red Romance: Wednesday, August 1; 8 p.m.; North Star Bar; 2639 Poplar St., Philadelphia; 215-787-0488.

The Slits

2007-08-08T22:34:00.000-05:00

Once upon a riot grrrl time ago, The Slits were the Brit-punk legends made up of Ari Up (Ariana Forster), Tessa Pollitt, Kate Korus, Suzy Gutsy, Palmolive (Paloma Romera), Viv Albertine, Bruce Smith, and Budgie. Forget everything you think you may know about “girl punk”, especially during our generation. Punk isn’t just about what over-protective mothers worry about when they drop off their children and see “punks” at the mall with tattoos, Mohawks, and piercings. It’s not about Avril Lavigne having a tie for a necklace or sporting skull and crossbones, and it’s certainly not about Ashley Simpson (pre massive plastic surgery) making our ears bleed with the two syllabled La La. These women are not “The Donnas”, who wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for Ari and company who inspired so many young girls to pick up a guitar and open up and speak their minds.

These ladies had it right from the beginning. This band formed in 1976, and by 77 they were already on tour with The Clash on the White Riot Tour, but much to the dismay of fans they broke up. Last year, the band reunited with some young fresh faces and in the absence of other former members. The members of The Slits since 2006 are Ari Up, Hollie Cook, Adele Wilson, NO, Tessa Pollitt, and Anna Schulte. They’re back and time hasn’t changed a thing about their reputation for being brash, bold, loud, and unrepentant. These girls are heavily reggae influenced, dub heavy, and punk rock, and they’re a lot of fun. They’re reggae beats are coupled with Ari’s yelps and coos.

Ari and Pollitt reformed the band last year with their EP “Revenge of the Killer Slits”, which features former Sex Pistol Paul Cook (father of Hollie Cook) and Marco Pirroni (ex-Adam & The Ants, Siouxsie & The Banshees). They’ve also re-released some former favorites such as “Cut” (Island Records), which was a highly influential punk album that was released in ’79, and its one of those albums that was essential for a lot of the music we have today. Strangely enough, it was released in the U.S. for the first time in 2005. Be sure to catch these girls at the World Café this Friday, but if you miss them while they’re in Philly make sure to catch them on Saturday in Brooklyn as they play McCarren Park with Sonic Youth.

Also check out this music video: "Typical Girls"

The Slits: Friday, July 27; 7:30 p.m.; World Café Live; 3025 Walnut St.; Philadelphia; 215-222-1400.

Illinois

2007-08-08T22:22:00.000-05:00

To give you a grasp of what to expect with Illinois, they played with Man Man (and are under the same record label, Ace Fu Records) at the beginning of the month in Brooklyn at McCarren Park Pool and they’ve played with other Philly bands such as The Teeth and Dr. Dog. I don’t mean to drop names with the bands, but in reviews I’ve read, its been impressively speculated that this band has out staged these already well-recognized Philly bands, and when you listen to these four talented young men it’s not difficult to see why.

Despite the misleading name, none of the four guys from Illinois are actually from there or anywhere Midwest. In fact, Chris “Archie” Archibald (guitar, keys, banjo, vocals), Martin Hoeger (bass, backing vocals), Dru Lee (guitar, keys, backing vocals), and John Paul Kuyper (drums) are from the suburbs just north of Philadelphia in lower Bucks County, Pa. They grew up in an area that (until more recently) was always more famous for its Goodnoe’s ice cream, unique New Hope shops, cows, and aliens (thanks to M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs) than its independent music scene, but Archie and his troupe have worked hard to bring some recognition back home with their indie folk rock that’s reminiscent of The Beta Band (a Scottish musical group) that’s evident with their trip 2-step hop sound. Overall, they’ve accomplished remaining hard-to-categorize with melodies and beats that cover a wide spectrum of genres, which leaves the door for potential open for Illinois.

These Bucks guys caught the attention of Ace Fu Records when they independently released their first EP “Revenge of Some Kid”, which set the wheels in motion for their latest album to be released “What the Hell Do I Know?” back in March. The favored single is “Screendoor”, but my favorite is “Alone Again”, which immediately gets you humming and tapping your foot. They’re playing the Fire this Saturday, with Ezra Furman, who ironically enough is from Illinois.

Ezra Furman, Illinois, The Swimmers, Goes Cube: Saturday, July 21; 9 p.m.; $7; The Fire; 412 West Girard Ave.; Philadelphia; 267-671-9298.

Bishop Allen

2007-08-05T16:23:00.000-05:00

Bishop Allen is a collaborative work of Justin Rice, Christian Rudder, and samplings of friends far and near. The band’s name stem’s from Bishop Allen Drive, where the two were roommates in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Allen formulated from their longstanding friendship that developed while being under the same roof. These two along with their friends can boast about their EP’s more than most other bands. In the past year, Allen has put out 12 EP’s, four songs for every month of the year of 2006, and they did it independently under their self-titled record company Champagne School. That’s 48 completely new songs that show little evidence of the two settling for anything less than perfect.

This band has a melancholy happy-go-lucky sound that’s packaged nicely with an indie pop charisma that inevitably will cause you to feel all warm and cozy inside. They feature piano, glockenspiels, banjos, ukeleles, and other instruments that help conceptualize the innocent sweet sounds of 60’s bands in a contemporary format.

Bishop Allen has proven itself to be self-sufficient, but despite the impressive feat, they’ve been signed under Dead Oceans’ label in anticipation for their newest album release “Bishop Allen & The Broken String” that will be available in stores starting Tuesday, July 24. Their EP Project was a complete success and fans have been eager to get their hands on the new album featuring 12 songs that should sound even more dynamic than the last 48 releases (whew!).
Rice and Rudder’s other ex-roommate Andrew Bujalski, a film director, has also used both the boys in some of his films. Mutual Appreciation (2005) received the most acclaim featuring Rice in a giant metal armored pigeon costume. Ha. I doubt he’ll be sporting the outfit on stage, but whether you go for the hilarity, the music, or both, be sure to make it to the North Star Bar. Bishop Allen is also playing with the two notable Philly bands The Teeth and Page France.

The Teeth, Bishop Allen, Page France: Saturday, July 21; 9 p.m.; North Star Bar; 2639 Poplar St., Philadelphia; 215-787-0488.

Battles

2007-08-05T16:07:00.000-05:00

Battles

If you missed the bandwagon to Chicago for Pitchfork’s Music Festival this past weekend, don’t fret. Thanks to the ambitions of these four young men, you don’t need Pitchfork and you still get an opportunity to see one of the best bands from the line-up as they continue promoting their latest album “Mirrored” (WARP Records) on their massive tour. Let me introduce you to Battles: John Stanier (drums), Ian Williams (guitar, keyboard), Dave Konopka (guitar, bass), Tyondai Braxton (vox, keyboard, guitar). The members of this band are always introduced individually as ex-member of this band or that band, because all of these guys are multitalented instrumentalists that don’t hesitate in implementing their wide variety of musical genius.

Even if you haven’t seen or heard of Battles before, on first listen you can tell these guys would put on an amazing live show. Their music makes you want to dance with its array of metronomic beats that have pinned Battles as a math rock band, but to much dismay many fans find that they can’t bop to the atypical rhythmic structures of the heavily layered instrumentation without feeling like they’re having some sort of minimal seizure. Again, don’t fret. Battles and their music are likely to have you losing more inhibitions than just dancing like a fool in public.

Battles essentially takes the background of heavy rock and creates a mechanical avant-garde sound that kind of makes me think of if Robocop made music. Hmmm… just think about that for a minute. Ha, to explain, what I mean is the welding of human flesh and bone with the equipment of musical instruments. Especially with Braxton’s falsetto voice that has been compared to Oompa Loompa’s, Elves, Snow White’s Seven Dwarves, and even chipmunks. Battles’ has such an artificial and synthetic sound, but despite the gene splicing resonance their music has never made me feel more organically natural. When you experience their music, your body just kind of Has to move and it somehow already knows what to do (even if you do feel epileptic).

There’s been a lot of hype around this band, but no words, not even mine, can do this band justice. You just have to see them for yourself. I admit, most people will probably be confused when listening to these guys for the very first time because while they’re not the first math rock band, they are the first ones to do it so methodically well, but that also deems them unusual to those virgin ears. You’ll be hooked once you get past that initial moment of alien discomfort. Just try watching “Atlas” on youtube without wanting to watch it again. It’s impossible. Be sure to make it out to the First Unitarian this Thursday for a breathtaking show.

Battles, Fucked Up, Singer: Thursday, July 19; 8 p.m.; $12; The First Unitarian Church; 2125 Chestnut St.; Philadelphi

Dirty On Purpose

2007-08-05T15:49:00.000-05:00

You may have heard this band before and not even realized it, but after you see these guys next Monday I'm sure you'll never forget this band. This four-piece Brooklyn band had songs featured on Laguna Beach: the Real Orange County on MTV with songs such as "Girls and Sunshine", "Spider Eyes" and "All New Friends", but MTV isn't their only prestigious accomplishment (If you call MTV a prestigious company). They've played at SXSW and CMJ, and their latest album "Hallelujah Sirens" (North Street) was nominated for "Best Indie Rock Album" at the 2007 PLUG Independent Music Awards. They've played with noteworthy bands such as Arcade Fire, The Album Leaf, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and the Decemberists. These four guys from Brooklyn Doug Marvin, Joseph Jurewics, George Wilson, and DJ Boudreau (occasionally Jaymay is featured on tracks) are the cleverly named Indie band Dirty On Purpose that pokes fun at the styles and mannerisms of the NY (more specifically Williamsburg) hipsters, which (personally) makes me love them more.

Their music has been described as Indie, pop, and even shoegaze, but it all depends on the song. They've been heavily compared to Bedhead, a Texas-based Indie rock band from the 90's, because of their subdued polyphonic sound. "Car Without a Driver" sets the mood for Sirens, which depicts long drives of contemplation and self-reflection (no doubt in the company of A lot of hand rolled cigarettes). I can't remember when or where, but when I first heard "Spider Eyes" I was hooked. I'm not sure if it's because I felt like I could relate to these guys and their lyrics, or if it was the catchy heart-felt rhythms, but I suggest you head out to Johnny Brenda's next Monday and find out for yourself.

The Besnard Lakes, Dirty On Purpose, The War on Drugs: Monday, July 16; 9 p.m; $8; EVENT: DESCRIPTION; DAY, MONTH X; TIME; PRICE; Johnny Brenda's; 1201 N. Frankford Ave., Philadelphia; 215-739-9684.

This is obviously an old post, but be sure to catch Dirty on Purpose with Fujiya & Miyagi Wednesday September 26th. They'll be playing at Johnny Brenda's again at 9 p.m.

Blog Buildup

2007-08-05T15:39:00.000-05:00

It seems I've been a little too lax in putting new posts up.. so get ready for a flood of posts. Many of these will be about shows that have already passed, but I would still recommend checking out the bands that I'll have up.

In the meantime... enjoy some Marcel Duchamp. A friend of mine brought his works to my attention so I thought I'd pass it on : )

Casiotone For The Painfully Alone

2007-06-25T20:48:00.000-05:00

Owen Ashworth is the one-man outfit known as Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, and he will pull Hard on those apathetic heartstrings still managing to subtly beat in all of our hardened hearts. He's here to let us all remember, "Hey, you're not the only one experiencing anguish and unhappiness with Life as we call it… we're all in this together." The difference between his expression of pain and our own being that his is packaged so beautifully in the folds of lo-fi pop beats and his baritone voice grazed by cigarettes.

Ashworth started off solely using a battery powered Casiotone keyboard, electronics recorded to 4-track cassettes, and his voice. Since he first began making music in 1997 he's remained consistent in utilizing his casiotone and synths, but he was finally given the opportunity to expand his musical talents on a larger spectrum of instruments with his newest release "Etiquette" (Tomlab), which featured musicians and producers Jherek Bischoff (The Dead Science) and Jason Quever (The Papercuts). With the influences of these two, Ashworth's music began to include strings, organs, pianos, flutes, pedal steel guitars, and drums, but he still stayed true to his casiotone and drum machine roots.

He was originally a student at the American Film School, but he decided to drop out opting to make music instead of films. He wanted to tell stories through film, giving audiences the ability to embrace his characters and their emotions, but he decided music was just as capable (and more cost-efficient) of accomplishing the task. The simplicity of his instruments of choice is almost baffling when listening to his music, which convey such complex burdens in everyday life.

I wouldn't say his music is depressing or pessimistic… I think the more accurate word to describe his lyrics and beats is Realistic. In other words, don't immediately get turned off from his form of music just because you're anticipating a night listening to some depressed guy. I promise you, that's not what he's all about. His ability to communicate these emotions is not meant to dishearten you, but to give you some hope… you are not alone in your endeavors, and he is simply just a voice for the masses. Be sure to check him out at The First Unitarian Church this Sunday for a night of POP music that for once… isn't just about dancing.

Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, Trtl Soup: Sunday, July 1; $10; The First Unitarian Church; 2125 Chestnut St.; Philadelphia.

White Stripes USB's

2007-06-25T17:13:00.000-05:00

Hopefully you haven’t gotten your copy of The White Stripes’ new album Icky Thump yet, because Jack and Meg have given you a cool new way to plug in. Instead of ripping a copy of your friend’s or even importing it through a cd… why not just plug Thump directly into your USB drive?

Jack and Meg have made it all too easy for you; distributing these pre-loaded (in Apple Lossless format) USB’s with Icky Thump. It’s every computer geek’s wish come true. Relish in the convenience. Plus these little Jack’s and Meg’s (3,333 of each) will inevitably become a collector’s item seeing as they’re a limited edition. These drives have 512 MB of memory and are compatible with both Windows and Macs. So not only can you use it to save info on the go, but you can also listen to this Sick new album on any computer. USB Jack or Meg are separately $58, but if you buy them as a pair they’re discounted at $99 (It’s hard to tear these two from one another, even in your pocket).

Quintero

2007-06-18T19:24:00.000-05:00

Time to embrace another great band from your very own city. Meet Quintero, with members Ish (Guitar, Bass and Keys), Bevin Caulfield (Vocals and Keys), Matt Bell (Drums), and Daniel Putrino (Bass). This band has that down-tempo electronic that made you fall in love with Portishead , and you’re in for a treat if you’re looking for a nice down-tempo night. Caufield’s voice is smoother than Beth Gibbon’s, but that doesn’t pull from her ability to move listeners. Her lyrics are pumped with meaning and conveyed and packaged beautifully with electronic beats.

The conception of Quintero occurred when Ish and Caufield met through a mutual friend and decided to collaborate on Ish’s solo project. It was to be called “The Forbidden Word”. Together, these two recorded about eight songs up until Ish took some time off in South America. When he returned, the duo decided to form a full band instead of limiting their talents to a pair. They ran auditions in search of a drummer and bass player, and found Bell and Putrino after about a month and a half. The members were all collaborated, but a band name was still needed. According to the band’s bio, “Quintero comes from the word "quinta" which means farmstead, and a quintero is someone who works the land. Indeed, the Earth is our common ground.” The name was fitting for both Ish and Caufield who have been working and striving to make and convey some sort of difference in Philadelphia’s music scene.

They released an album just last month, entitled “The Forbidden World”, changing “Word” to “World” from Ish’s solo works. It was mastered by Peter Humphery at MasterWorks Inc., whom Quintero met through Caryn Lindsey. If you can’t make it to The Fire next Tuesday, they’re playing every Tuesday during the month of June. It’s a shame to miss a great band once, but don’t let the mistake prevent you from experiencing these talented musicians.

Costanza, Quintero, Natalie Walker, April Smith: Tuesday, June 26; 9 p.m.; $7; The Fire; 412 West Girard Ave.; Philadelphia; 267-671-9298.

Talkdemonic

2007-06-18T19:10:00.000-05:00

I know what you’re probably thinking… you feel like you’ve heard of this band before, but you’re not sure where. Well let me refresh your memory. If you hadn’t heard of this Portland duo when they released “Mutiny Sunshine” back in 2004, perhaps you heard of “Beat Romantic” from last year. Still not ringing a bell? How bout when this duo teamed up with The Thermals , Menomena, and The Blow to help release Holocene Music’s local Portland compilation entitled “it's importland to me to be one step further than one step beyond”. OR, maybe you’ve heard of Lisa Molinaro from Talkdemonic when she became a tour member (prospectively a permanent member) of The Decemberists last winter. Well if none of this is sounding familiar to you, then you definitely need to get to Johnny Brenda’s next Monday to experience this epic duo.

Molinaro and her band mate Kevin O’Connor have created a genre of music that they like to call folktronic hop, using only drums, viola, and a laptop. However, much like Do Make Say Think and Explosions in the Sky they have that unrelenting ability to capture and express those human emotions so deeply embedded in our hearts without the use of vocals. O’Connor handles the electronics while Lisa covers the viola. Together, they’ll have you crying on your knees or dancing on your feet.

Talkdemonic began as O’Connor’s solo work, but after already featuring recordings of Molinaro and her viola with his laptop, he convinced her to create a small band that continues to make momentous strides. They’ve also opened for such worthy bands as M83 and Hood. This pair is touring with The National, for at least half of their tour dates this summer, but I wouldn’t let this band slip by until next time if I were you.

Grandchildren, Talkdemonic, Gemini Wolf: Monday, June 25; 9 p.m.; $8; Johnny Brenda's; 1201 N. Frankford Ave., Philadelphia; 215-739-9684.

Ezra Furman and the Harpoons

2007-06-18T19:00:00.000-05:00

Ezra Furman and the Harpoons reminds me of friends’ bands, because their music conveys an intimate connection with the band. They’re approachable, their music is fully accessible, and they don’t take themselves too seriously. Ezra & the Harpoons are made up of Ezra Furman (vocals/songwriter/proprietor), Jahn Sood (guitar), Joe Mukkada (bass), and Jordan Kozer (drums). They have a very Dr. Dog sound to them with a subtle use of vocal harmony, meandering melodic phrasing, and mild rhythmic syncopation. Plus, Furman’s voice doesn’t stray too far from Scott McMicken’s own. However, you can’t limit Furman or the rest of these guys to one genre and they are no means a Dr. Dog cover band; Furman is constantly experimenting with different styles of songwriting.

These four guys aren’t only talented musicians; they’re pretty smart too. They’re all students at Tufts University where the band was formulated, and my how they’ve progressed. In June 2006, they independently released their first album, “Beat Beat Beat” … recording in Tufts University dorms and Sood as the record’s producer; Dave Kant from Outtake Records assisted him. They’ve been signed to Chicago’s big indie label Minty Fresh Records, which boasts such artists as The Cardigans and Liz Phair. They’re currently working on their new album, which will be produced by Brian Deck (Iron and Wine, Modest Mouse, Josh Ritter, and former Red Red Meat). If you check out their myspace they have a clever and hilarious rockumentary about themselves and Ezra’s debate over going electronic or not. Oh college guys… haha, but you can’t help but love ‘em. Be sure to check Furman and the rest of the guys this Saturday. Should be a hell of a show.

The Current, Bryce Woodall, Ezra Furman and the Harpoons, Art of Persuasion: Saturday, June 23; 9 p.m.; $7; The Fire; 412 West Girard Ave.; Philadelphia; 267-671-9298.

Brown Recluse Sings

2007-06-12T07:39:00.000-05:00

I have to give credit to The Pipettes for this find (or whichever Recluse member gave them the cd), but how I found these guys isn’t significant, I’m just grateful that I have. With all of the new music and bands coming out sometimes it’s easy to lose one between the cracks, even if they’ve been in your backyard all along. Luckily, this gem of a band from Philadelphia wasn’t letting their name be forgotten.

Brown Recluse Sings is Timothy Meskers (also in The Harbor Lights), Mark Saddlemire, Herbert Shellenberger (Herbie, also in Brrr), Alexander Tyson, Jess D. Todd (Esquire), and Ryan M. Todd (Gentleman). They’re a collaboration of talented musicians that successfully produce contemporary Indie-Pop-folk with a mix of psychedelic, but I’d set them apart from other bands in this genre in one word, elegance. Their songs exude a simple yet sophisticated grace about them, with catchy rhythms and melodies that have the ability to lighten anyone’s mood. Considering at least one of the members of the band was at the Pipettes show last Sunday I can’t help but correlate an influence. I wouldn’t say that they’ve directly influenced Recluse, but in songs like “Margo Left In Bed” the guitar sounds like a 60’s band but made for our time. Brown Recluse Sings is a lot of fun, interjecting songs with bongos, guitars, clapping, and whatever else these guys find necessary to produce the great sound that sets them apart from other bands within their genre. They’ve been compared closely to Page France and the former Math & Physics Club, which by no means are bad bands to be compared to, but Brown Recluse Sing’s retrospective sound exuded with such graceful yet fun elegance distinguishes them from the others.

If you hadn’t guessed yet, their name stems from the elusive brown recluse spider, or the Loxosceles reclusa, which is a poisonous spider native and exclusive to North America. These spiders are pretty common in the southern Midwest parts of the states, but don’t let their domestic frequency fool you… these are dangerous spiders. Their venomous bites can cause necrosis, which is a breakdown of cells and consequently tissue in the infected area. If left untreated, the necrosis will spread, as dying cells release chemicals that may harm other uninfected cells, which in turn will eventually lead to death (Thank you Wikipedia and National Geographic). So… you’re probably wondering why a band would name themselves after a deadly spider. According to their myspace, Meskers writes: “I liked the idea of contextualizing the country from whence we formed in addition to adding a gruesome sense of rustic menace to seemingly unobtrusive 'pop' music.” As for the ‘Sings’ at the end of their name, Meskers has an explanation for that too: “the inclusion of the word 'sings' in our name is a reference to the market-driven posturing of real humans in the music industry; by preceding it with 'brown recluse' it becomes a comical abstraction which conjures up confusing surrealist imagery.”

These guys have already had a taste of fame from when their song (also my favorite) “Western Meadowlark” was featured on the show Veronica Mars back in February of this year. Unfortunately, for the CW and for Recluse Sings, the show was canceled. Fortunately, the Philly boys haven’t given up yet. In fact, they just toured in NYC for NYC’s Popfest 2007 back on May 26 at the Knitting Factory. So whether you have dinner plans with daddy for Sunday’s Father’s day, or you’re planning to do something else I suggest you clear the night for Saturday, June 16 and get yourself to the TLA. It won’t be long before you won’t be able to see these guys at a more intimate venue. Be sure to pick up their EP "Black Sunday" featuring six great tracks.

Fat City Reprise, Brown Recluse Sings: Saturday, June 16; 6 p.m.; $15; Theatre of Living Arts; 334 South Street, Philadelphia; 215-922-1011.

Apostle of Hustle (AOH)

2007-06-12T07:33:00.000-05:00

I think I fell in love with this band when I first heard “Energy of Death” off their album "Folkloric Feel" back in 2004, but that single was just the beginning of my affection for Julian Brown (Mile End), Dean Stone (East End), Justin Mctavish (No End), Danielito Patanemo (“el suerte”, meaning “The Luck”) and of course the main proprietor of the band Andrew Whiteman (Dead End). Whiteman is also one of the core members of the ever so popular indie-band Broken Social Scene, and yes Apostle of Hustle is one of the many many side bands that the troupe can boast to be a part of. But trust me, despite Whiteman being a huge contributor in both bands, these two have distinctly different sounds that sets them apart from one another, but also makes their records epic in their own regard. Apostle of Hustle wasn’t born in Toronto, Canada like Broken Social Scene or even Justin Small’s Lullabye Arkestra, it was born after spending two months on the shores of Cuba while Whiteman spent some time at his godmother’s.

Whiteman picked up a lot of positive influence from Salsa and traditional Cuban music, but instead of attempting to pay homage to them he and the rest of Hustle created a form of music that didn’t seem to exist yet. A tres cubano is frequently used by the band on a couple of songs, such as “Sleepwalking,” “Lorca,” “They Shoot” and “Folkloric”, but it has become frequently used during live shows. A tres cubano is used in traditional Cuban music and Salsa and it’s used kind of as a piano substitue in a style known as Tumbado. Although Cuban influence is what is purported most frequently when regarding Hustle, it is impossible to define the myriad and collage of influences that this band has so skillfully packaged. Be sure to pick up their newer album "National Anthem of Nowhere" and take full advantage of watching them perform at the World Café this Friday, June 15.

Apostle of Hustle: Friday, June 15; 11 p.m.; $13; World Café Live; 3025 Walnut St.; Philadelphia; 215-222-1400.

Heartless Bastards

2007-06-12T07:27:00.000-05:00

So what's that you say? You can't make it to Lollapalooza in Chicago this year? Well why not check out a band on the lineup before they head out west? Heartless Bastards is Erika Wennerstrom, Mike Lamping and Kevin Vaughn. They're a blues-rock band with that new contemporary Indie twist required by a growing population of scenesters out there. Wennerstrom was the creator of the band, and she makes her presence known with her Judy Garland-esque voice packaged to express the anguishes and afflictions of today.

This Ohio native band started back in 2003 when Wennerstrom moved to Cincinnati and had acquired Lamping as a bassist and Vaughn as the band's drummer. The trio set up a small tour that started off in Akron, OH where they met Patrick Carney, the drummer of the Black Keys. They always says if you want to get anywhere it's all about who you know. Well luckily for the Bastards, Carney had informed Matthew Johnson of Fat Possum Records of the trio, and the Bastards suddenly found themselves recording in NYC. Their first album entitled "Stairs and Elevators" was released in February 2005, but their newer album entitled "All This Time" released in August of 2006 is an epic leap of progression from their 2005 album.

Heartless Bastards, East Hundred, Viva La Foxx: Friday, June 15; 9 p.m.; North Star Bar; 2639 Poplar St., Philadelphia; 215-787-0488.

Benjy Ferree

2007-06-05T01:29:00.000-05:00

Let me introduce you to Domino Record’s newest member. That’s right, Domino Records, the same label that harbors such worthy bands as Animal Collective, Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, Junior Boys, Quasi, and even Elliot Smith. So, what makes Benjy Ferree so special? He’s the first artist under this Britain native label to do an American worldwide signing and he’s managed to captivate the big wigs of Domino enough to make them recognize the value of the traditions of American folk music. Essentially, he’s the shit.

Ferree is quite an interesting fellow. He was an aspiring actor before he became a musician, and his dreams and failures of making it on the big screen fit into the script of the typical trials and errors that you always hear about; moving out west and getting distracted from that big dream by picking up other odd jobs (gotta pay the bills somehow). Ferree was from Washington, D.C., and he moved out to L.A. in hopes of becoming a star. Unfortunately, for Ferree, the closest he ever made it to making it big was being an au pair for David Lynch under the nickname of “Hairy Poppins”, ha. However, the experience wasn’t a total loss. Ferree found his real passion during his nanny days with Lynch’s children while covering Bob Dylan and The Beatles to entertain them. As much fun as it was for Ferree to watch over the Lynch children, he had to move on.

After L.A didn’t work out, Ferree returned to his hometown and became well known as the heavily bearded bartender at Black Cat nightclub in D.C. (local fame is better than no fame I suppose). He began working on his album “Leaving the Nest” with a friend Dennis Kane and with the help of Brendan Canty of Fugazi the EP was produced under Washington’s Planaria Recordings and Philadelphia’s Box Theory Records. Luckily, the owner of Box Theory Records happened to pass it on to the big wigs at Domino, and still captivated by Benjy’s ever endearing voice, they gave him a call to sign as long as he produced four more songs. Despite Ferree’s close encounters with the stars in Hollywood, he’s quite a humble and modest guy. Needless to say, he didn’t believe Domino when they called and thought it was a prank by some of his friends. Thankfully, they didn’t give up on him.

His style of music is folky, yes… but hear me out, Ferree is unique, because he takes the influences of his hardships and couples them with lyrics that stem from a Faulkner mode of writing. In other words, his lyrics are dense and meandering, but the ambiguity that he pushes throughout his songs leaves the significance to be found by his listeners. Basically, anyone can relate. Also like Faulkner, Ferree pays close attention to meticulous diction and cadence that blend surprisingly well with the Beatles-esque harmonies that are evident in his songs, especially in his hit single “In The Countryside”. Ferree’s style of music makes you miss the good ol’ days of the countryside, but he’s part of a movement in folk music that no longer limits its melodies to the porches looking out to the white picket fences and cows. This form of folk music is accessible to anyone, even the most avid and hip city-dweller. So go… grab his album and sit on your city stoops and try to embrace what it was once like to have a naturally beautiful simple life. Ferree’s been through the superficiality of it all, and if he can go back to his roots, then so can you.

Benjy Ferree, 1900s, Illuminea: Wednesday, June 6; 9 p.m.; $8; Johnny Brenda's; 1201 N. Frankford Ave., Philadelphia; 215-739-9684.

Electrelane

2007-06-05T01:20:00.000-05:00

These Brighton bands seem to be my new kick, ha. Meet the girls of Electrelane: Verity Susman, Emma Gaze, Mia Clarke, and Ros Murray. However, these weren’t always the girls of Electrelane. This band has been through a lot since Susman and Gaze started it back in 1998 when they had bass player Tracey Houdek and guitarist Debbie Ball. However, they’ve gone through multiple switchouts with band members, Susman and Gaze being the only permanent members until now. Despite all the discrepancies, these girls have managed to formulate their own label, Let’s Rock, thanks to funding by the distribution company 3MV.

Electrolane is heavily influenced by Sonic Youth, Stereolab and The Velvet Underground, yet they still manage to differentiate themselves from the stereotypes of the genre of post-rock/post-punk bands. These girls constantly strive to break the barriers that anyone attempts to put on them as a band and as women. Much like The Pipettes, these girls stem from a post Riot Grrrl era, but although they express their individuality and independence as women they don't impose their political opinions too heavily in their songs, except for in their protest song entitled "The Partisan" (before the U.S.'s 2004 presidential election, ha) off of Axes in 2004.
They've progressed since their first album "Rock It To The Moon" with their hit single "Film Music" and are finally getting much deserved recognition with their newest album that was released last may entitled "No Shouts, No Calls". If you missed these girls last month when they toured with Arcade Fire then I suggest you take advantage of their show this Saturday, June 9.

Electrelane, Tender Forever, Relay: Saturday, June 9; 9 p.m.; $12; Johnny Brenda's; 1201 N. Frankford Ave., Philadelphia; 215-739-9684.

Califone

2007-06-05T01:06:00.000-05:00

If you can't make it Pitchfork's Music Festival this July, why not check out Califone while their touring in Philadelphia? This Chicago band has been around since 1998, but their newest album "Roots & Crowns" under "Thrill Jockey" is their best album to date. The members Tim Rutili, Ben Massarella, Jim Becker, and Joe Adamik are the men of Califone, but you may have heard of Rutili from Ugly Cassanova when he collaborated with Modest Mouse's front man Isaac Brock. Rutili is the proprietor of Califone when he started the band as a solo project after Rutili's blues-rock band Red Red Meat broke up. If you're still not sure if you've heard of these guys maybe you heard their song "Bottles & Bones" from the Stranger Than Fiction film soundtrack last year.

Califone essentially takes American roots of folk music and synthesizes and tweaks the hell out of it. They take folk sounds like those found on The Anthology of American Folk Music and make it organically accessible to the scenesters out there. As the lead songwriter and frontman, Rutili makes sure to take the traditions of American folk and collage it with intricate instrumentation paired with influences of Ezra Pound's imagist literary skills in the lyrics.

These guys are finally getting the full recognition that they've always deserved and I hope to see them advance even further in their efforts. If Isaac Brock recognized Rutili's musical genius back in 2000 I don't understand what took everyone else so long to realize the great music that they've been missing. Then again, Modest Mouse didn't become fully recognized or appreciated by mainstream music audiences until 2004 with Good News for Bad People. Hopefully, Rutili and the rest of Califone are simply following in Modest Mouse's footsteps to success. They should be awesome this upcoming July in Chicago at Pitchfork, but why not take advantage of seeing them in the intimate setting of Johnny Brenda's?

Califone, The Bitter Tears, Buried Beds: Friday, June 8; 9:30 p.m.; $15; Johnny Brenda's; 1201 N. Frankford Ave., Philadelphia; 215-739-9684.

Datarock

2007-05-26T17:03:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for a quiet mellow night of subtle foot tapping and light head bobbing Datarock is not the show for you to see. These guys are full of upbeat rhythms bursting with synths and drums that will just have your body aching to bounce and jump around. Yes, they're a pop band, but don't let the horrid memories of such artists as Britney Spears or the Spice Girls leave you running in revulsion. It's unfortunate that Pop in the states has a rep that is usually encountered with skepticism and maybe even a little bit of vomit, just in the back of the throat… creeping up in the most disgusting way as your face cringes with disgust at that simple one syllable word, Pop. But hey, these guys are really good. So forget what you know about American pop and welcome to the electro-beats of Bergen, Norway's next hottest duo at the peak of pop evolution. I'd call their take on pop Indie Disco Dance with a reverence to the past but with a progression towards a future. Someone has to try and give pop a good name again and these guys seem up to the challenge.

Datarock is Fredrik Saroea (Vocals, guitars, drums, keyboards) and Ketil Mosnes (Bass, programming, keyboards, backing vocals), but according to their website Mosnes seems to prefer going by Ket III. They manage to combine the appeal of fun pop with the timeless tunes of classic rock and are heavily influenced by Talking Heads and Devo. These guys aren't exactly producers of life changing lyrics overflowing with deep meaning, but who ever said that good music had to be so serious? Saroea and Kett III are a lot of fun, especially as they perform in their matching red tracksuits and traditional wrap around Porsche sunglasses. Similar to Devo, they have a presence that ties back to kitsch science fiction themes. Meaning, they may look ridiculous on stage (especially if they bring out their BMX's), but these guys know what they're doing and maintain a deadpan mannerism throughout. You're tempted to laugh and you're tempted to question it all, but aren't sure how to react because Saroea and Ket III don't seem to find anything strange or wrong. But relax, it's supposed to be a little weird and avant-garde, because it's supposed to be different and a little postmodernist. Think of it as one big satire of real life and/or other bands. So go ahead, dance and laugh at the brevity of your own life… don't be so serious and just enjoy yourself.

They made their debut In December of 2000 at Anne Lilia Berge-Strand's (better known to the pop world as Annie) "Pop Till You Drop", a monthly club night, and they've been going strong ever since. They've produced three albums, "Datarock Datarock" (2005) and the EP's "Computer Camp Love" (2005) and "See What I Care" (2007), all albums under Datarock's own label, Young Aspiring Professionals (YAP). In reverence to Talking Heads, one of their songs off "Datarock Datarock" is called FaFaFa, which are lyrics from Head's Psycho Killer.

So… whether you're a fan of pop music or not, I think anyone could come to appreciate these guys and I highly suggest seeing their show at Johnny Brenda's. I don't doubt that these two will get big and fast so why not take the opportunity to see them at an intimate and awesome venue. Better to start the bandwagon now instead of hopping on later.

Datarock, Yeasayer: Friday, June 1; 9 p.m.; $10; Johnny Brenda's; 1201 N. Frankford Ave., Philadelphia; 215-739-9684.

The Pipettes

2007-05-26T16:44:00.000-05:00

The Pipettes are a seven-piece lo-fi retro pop girl group from Brighton, England and they're going to change what you may think you know about retro. Their songs exude a kind of playful innocence, which plays out when the three lead vocalists Rebecca Stephens (RiotBecki), Gwenno Saunders, and Rose Dougal (Rosay) are so cutely swaying in synchronized choreography in matching polka dot dresses winking in your direction. They bring you back to Happy Days and The Wonder Years with that Phil Spector girl group pop sound but with a modern and contemporary twist. The three girls are backed by what they cutely call "The Cassettes", which include Bobby Barry (Monster Bobby), Jon Falcone, Seb Falcone, and Joe Beaumont (Robin of Loxley). To tie together the look and feel of the group, The Cassettes usually wear yellow tank tops with their initials sewn onto them during live performances. Monster Bobby, the group's lead songwriter, recently released his own solo album entitled "Gaps", but he's still a member of the band.

This powerpop group falls under that category already defined by other pop groups such as The Go! Team and I'm From Barcelona, which is all such feel good dance around music, but theshttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gife ladies combine that feeling with reverence to groups such as The Ronnettes or The Shangri-Las. These girls were certainly listening to their Riot Grrrl records growing up, as they sing about contemporary issues that they feud with as modernist women.

They've contributed on compilations and have had countless singles released, but have only recorded one full-length album entitled "We are the Pipettes" with Memphis Industries in 2005. However, they've recently unleashed their latest EP "Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me" with Cherry Tree Records. So go… search your closet for polka dots or yellow tank tops and clear the date for Sunday June 3. These girls will win your heart with their sweetness and leave you piping for more.

The Pipettes, The Booze, Monster Bobby: Sunday, June 3; 8 p.m.; $10; The First Unitarian Church; 2125 Chestnut St.; Philadelphia.

Canadian Invasion

2007-05-22T20:52:00.000-05:00

Canadian Invasion's name is in reference to the many popular Canadian bands pouring in from the very Americanized town of Toronto, and these guys are fun because they're basically saying, "Hey, we can do that, and we can do it better". Lead singer Andy Paull went as far with their satiric name as going by Andy Canadian. These guys are considered indie pop rock, but it's difficult to limit this band to one genre, because each song seems to resonate a different influence. They're a band borrowing from sounds of Britpop, but still managing to keep it in the realms of American tradition with rock and a slight hint of good ol' country folk.

The guys of Canadian Invasion, Paull (Canadian), Jim Foley, Eric Miller, George Groves, and Chris Morita have been through a lot in forming this up and coming band. It all began with Paull and his friends Joe DeSantis and Matt Wanamaker, when they performed a cover of the Beatles' "Don't Let Me Down" for a high school English Project, but they've come a long way from just being a cover band. In 2003 they released their first EP entitled "Blame The Robots" and as their popularity picked up some steam in the welcoming arms of Philly indie fans, they were able to release another album in 2006 entitled "Songs for the Atco Ghost".

If I had to make a direct comparison, I'd definitely choose Wilco as their biggest contributor of inspiration. Especially with the title of their newest album. "A Ghost is Born", "Songs for the Atco Ghost". Coincidence? I think not. But that's just my guess. Anyways, similar to Wilco, these guys have a wide range of talent to choose from and I anticipate them to progress and continue reestablishing themselves as a band and a genre. They have songs like Red Line Shady Grove that have you humming and tapping your foot like a Wilco song, but then Gemini Drinking Island makes me think of Kings of Convenience meets Jeff Tweedy. Then again, I've been listening to some of their tracks that could potentially be on their newest upcoming album, and they seem to have some more electronic influences. Their next show is with Nick Krill of The Spinto Band, and Suburban Death Trap off their Myspace is screaming an Oh Mandy impact. Even though these guys pull in from their influences, I don't doubt that they too will soon be influencing other bands. You can hold me to it, but I can definitely see this band going somewhere as they continue to flex their muscles of musical knowledge and raw talent.

Canadian Invasion with soft People, The Bikini Carwash Co., Aaron MoDavis and Nick Krill: Wednesday, May 23; 8 p.m.; $8; The Khyber; 56 S. Second St., Philadelphia; 215-238-5888. www.thekhyber.com

US Funk Team

2007-05-22T20:33:00.000-05:00

US Funk Team has by far become one of my new favorites. Why you ask? Maybe it's because I'm a Huge Modest Mouse fan, but don't be mistaken… this isn't Modest Mouse and no, Isaac Brock hasn't created a new side band abandoning Johnny Marr and his dispute with Morrissey. Even though it can be pretty easy to make the mistake from a first listen (especially with Jay's vocals). This is a band right from your own beloved city, Philadelphia, and they've come to win your hearts with their intricate lyrics coupled with their Oh so catchy rhythms. So come, check out some local music and add another Indie rock band (yes another one) to your list of favorites. This band will get you up and dancing at the first beat and will keep you moving all night long. However, despite their dance party appeal, they manage to accomplish fully expressing their sad endeavors through the guise of happy beats.
These guys may be new to you, but Jay Trazka, Matt Bergman (Tank), Jeremy Gecker, and Joe Reinhart have been playing together for years now. Their road to rock n roll and local fame is similar to most bands. It all began in a basement (not a garage this time!). Trazka and Bergman (Tank) first began writing songs in Tank's basement, and they eventually came to take on Jeremy and Joe. And so it began… US Funk Team was born. These guys really strive to produce the best, holding expectations for themselves in regards to The Beatles and Pavement, but still managing to bring the fun and entertainment back to rock. With Jay's Isaac Brock-esque voice wailing and the catchy rhythms reverberating through your eardrums you'll come to love the guys of US Funk Team.
US Funk team isn't signed yet, but they've created their own label entitled Hardly Art Records and released a collection of their demos on their album "You Can't Destroy What We Came to Save" in 2004. However, their label is not to be confused with Sub Pop's new sub-label Hardly Art, which just recently signed Arthur & Yu. It is rumored that Sub Pop's founder contacted Jay from US Funk Team for rights to the names, but the details on the whole ordeal seem to be pretty ambiguous. In other words, possibly expect a record label name change from these guys in the future.

US Funk Team with Mellow Veneer; Saturday, May 26; 8 p.m.; $8; The Trocadero; 1003 Arch St.; Philadelphia; 215-922-LIVE; thetroc.com

CocoRosie's band in jail, tour dates canceled

2007-05-07T17:46:00.000-05:00

So... today was my last day of finals, and I was planning to top off my night at the TLA watching CocoRosie. However, a friend of mine luckily informed me that according to Pitchfork and their myspace CocoRosie was arrested, and they've canceled all of their tourdates up until May 15th and they're having a free show in NY on May 19th. It seems, all tourdates will be pending until the band is released. Who knows what these sisters did to get arrested, or their band, but I'm curious to find out what occurred. It seems these Rainbowarriors may have gotten too rowdy.

Here's what the sisters wrote on their myspace bulletin:

"dear loves
we are so sorry to announce that we cannot play the rest of the us tour dates
the band got arrested, thats all i can say
we love you all
we are playing a free show in New York on may 19th
please come if you can
we are crying
say a prayer for our band
love
Sierra and Bianca
later..."

I find it upsetting that Sierra and Bianca say "we are crying", but I can't help but laugh imaginging the two behind bars crying in the absence of unicorns and rainbows. It would all be the most ridiculous sight to see, or the most depressing. It would be like seeing two children behind bars. It's so strange that you can't help but sort of laugh.

I promise, I'm not a terrible person. ha

Stay tuned for more details on the crime(s) committed.

Rarebirds Record Release Party

2007-04-27T09:11:00.000-05:00

So I started this unpaid internship... and my first day on the job they decided to throw me to Johnny Brenda's, expensive camera in my hands and my knees a'shakin.

Anyways, it was Rarebird's record release party on April 26, 2007, and they finally let Burial at Sea out of the cage. They were backed by another Philly band, Audible and Jersey natives Surefire Broadcast. Also check out Audible's website along with Surefire Broadcast's website, Broadcast's site is poorly updated, but it has some more information. Rodney Ibarra (guitar & vocals) of Broadcast informed me that they don't have many pictures together as a band so he and Lisa (bass & vocals) of Broadcast seemed pretty psyched that I was clicking away with my editor's camera.

I got there in a pretty nervous state, and I was almost positive I wouldn't be able to get in (seeing as I'm not 21 and all). However, thanks to Rarebirds lead singer and mastermind Carolynne Mcneel, I was able to bend the rules for a night. It was pretty desolate at first, so it gave me the perfect opportunity to chat it up with some of the bands. It turns out Rick Hass (keys) from Rarebirds is actually a T.A at Temple for psychology, and my roommate has actually had him as a teacher. ha, oh man, if that doesn't make me feel really young or him feel old I don't know what wouldn't. Adam Herndon (bass) from Rarebirds may actually be leaving the Birds pretty soon, due to a bad breakup between he and Carolynne, but hopefully they can come to some sort of compromise. Keith Forsythe (guitar) from Rarebirds seemed pretty miserable with a headache when I first got there. He seemed pretty eager to get his hands on some coffee, a feeling I'm sure most of us are all familiar with. Despite the hopeless search for a cup O'Joe and broken hearts, the show went on.

Surfire Broadcast started us off, with Lisa so cutely strumming on her bass alongside Rodney Ibarra while Dan beat away at the drums. Unfortunately, Brenda's had barely even filled up yet, but that didn't stop Broadcast from putting on a great performance and that certainly didn't stop the members of Rarebirds and Audible from fully supporting them. They did great live renditions of hey baby and my favorite through a red door, both from their 5 song ep Live from the A.M.. Rodney informed me that they were playing Tritones the following night on the 27th, for Go Back to those Gold Sounds, but I'm pretty sure you needed an i.d. for that show too, and I thought I had pressed my luck enough for the week. However, if you like what you hear and want to see them live, Rodney, Lisa, and Dan are playing the M Room (literally down the street from Brenda's) on May 20th. Hopefully I can get myself an i.d. and can attend, but for those legals out there, I suggest since you can, go. They have somewhat of a shoegaze style, I say somewhat, because it's difficult not to find yourself dancing to their songs, so difficult that Rodney and Lisa could not help but partake in it.

Rarebirds surprisingly weren't the headliners for the night. They opened up the second set beautifully. Carolynne had bells around her boot, tapping her foot to the beats of each song. Rick Hass, my roommate's former psychology T.A, was jamming away on keys, as some of his friends from the audience screamed out "Yeaah! Piano Man!" haha. Adam Herndon seemed to purposely blend into the background, playing more out of obligation than wanting to. And despite his headache from earlier, Keith Forsythe was pretty chipper throughout Rarebird's performance. I always feel like the drummers of bands get the least amount of recognition, but because I didn't speak to Rarebird's drummer Dave Dworanczyk very much I won't be doing much to change that, I'm just throwing his name in here because I feel bad excluding him. He was awesome. haha. Anyways, although I personally couldn't find myself fully embracing Rarebirds, I can't deny their talents. They have a sound that will take you back to the days of The Cranberries, but with a folky yet poppy twist. Carolynne's lyrics are complex and full of experience, but her portrayal throughout her performances are what defines them. I remember taking photos of Carolynne and trying to capture her presence on film, but the camera just couldn't do her any justice. She would only let her vulnerability peak out throughout songs occassionally, and that was what made each song really unique, she had the ability to let her audience vicariously experience her anguishes. Unfortunately, I failed to capture those rare moments from Rarebirds lead singer Carolynne Mcneel.

Audible was by far my favorite. However, I regrettably had to leave in the middle of their set, because my editor picked me up asking for the camera back. Sunday Bell is an amazing song from their album Sky Signal. And be sure to check out their new album Weekend, I'd suggest The Fireman. Also, because my editor stripped me of his camera (that I had grown comfortably fond of), I don't have pictures to post from the show. I'm not sure if/when, but if you check PlayPhilly there should be photos posted or printed at some point. Once I get a better idea of when I'll post it on here.

Isn't it nice to get to know more local talent?

Spinto Band and Dr. Dog

2007-04-25T22:41:00.000-05:00

So.... Philly POPPED! eh?

Unfortunately, we completely missed the opening band at Starlight Ballroom (9th and Spring Garden), but it was even more unfortunate that we came in the middle of the second band's set. It may sound harsh, but I didn't even bother finding out the name of this band. I felt like my ears were bleeding and some friends and I ended up dashing out for a cigarette break and a little relief for our now slightly damaged eardrums. I did appreciate their attempt at incorporating a flute, but it was like a Do Make Say Think influence gone horribly wrong. Perhaps Justin Smalls and his pretty girlfriend Kat decided to make another side band. Sorry guys, not embracing this one either.

Anyways, on a lighter note. The Spinto Band, with their famously catchy song Oh Mandy, saved us from the torment of the first two bands and triumphantly got us ready for Dr. Dog. Many would say that they may have even out-performed Dr. Dog, the more well known band and headliner for the night, but let's discuss why there's disparity in this evaluation:

To put it quite generally, there were two main stereotyped groups of people under the roof of the Starlight Ballroom, they were the new on the rise somewhat uncouth music elitist hipsters of Newer music; and then there was the older group of smelly (also music elitist!) bike riding show-goers. Essentially, there was an older crowd vs. a younger crowd; the youngsters in more support of Spinto Band. There always seems to be a divide between the loyalty one holds for older bands and the curious indulgence one must take in newer bands, and in this case it seems (at least for a majority of the audience) our inclination for the sparkle of Harder Better Faster Stronger things took over. Spinto Band was just so catchy and fun to dance to. It was a Friday night, the bar was packed and buzzing, and everyone just wanted something to bounce around to. Not that you can't to Dr. Dog, but it's different. To fully illustrate the age gap, I talked to one older guy that compared The Spinto Band to a young Talking Heads, while a younger critic compared Spinto Band to The Islands.

Dr. Dog played a great set. I'll admit I'm a fan, but I'm not really the Biggest fan (I know, I should be scorned for not Fully embracing a Philly native band), but they played a fantastic live show. The guys of Dr. Dog include: Taxi (Scott McMicken), Tables (Toby Leaman), Text (Zach Miller), Trouble (Juston Stens), Thanks (Sukey Jumps), and they all came on stage dawning a pair of shades. They put on an epic rendition of Wake Up and had the audience screaming "duey ooey op bah bah". It was a packed show, but I couldn't help but feel like the audience was more lively and crowded during Spinto Band's set. Maybe the younger audience just didn't have the stamina to stay out past their bedtimes. The show ended around 1-1:30 am! By the end of it we were all either stumbling from physical exhaustion, inebriation, or a combination of the two.

Here are some photos for your enjoyment, I apologize for the poor quality. I had to zoom a lot because we had gotten there so late.

The Spinto Band

Dr. Dog

Wandering the streets with Junior Boys

2007-04-13T08:42:00.001-05:00

Epic night. It was my first time in the basement of the church, and San Serac warmed us up for Junior Boys. It took some time for the audience to embrace the disco house beats of San Serac, but after his somewhat awkward intro of corny 80's style dancing, people finally started moving. Serac kind of resembles a skinnier mustache wearing Jimmy Fallon, and with his dancing antics I couldn't help but think of the beginning of Serac's set as a skit on SNL. He has a Prince persona, with beats that bring you back to the days of side ponytails, big bangles, and gaudy clothing. If you're a firm believer in the comeback of eighties-eque music and styles, San Serac is the man for you. I wouldn't say that I could listen to one of Serac's albums straight through, but he does have an easily accessible album (Professional) that would be perfect for any dance party you're planning.

Junior Boys was surprisingly joined by a live drummer on stage, his name I can't quite recall, but Jeremy (vocals/guitar) said it wasn't all that important anyways. I barely recognized Jeremy Greenspan and Matthew Didemus; Jeremy shaved his burly beard and Matt grew one in his place. However, aside from the switcharoo of appearances on the part of the Boys, Jeremy and Matt didn't display much live innovation for their show. Don't get me wrong, I love So This Is Goodbye and could listen to the Boys from Toronto for days on end, but their live performance didn't really differentiate from their recorded stuff. Matthew seemed indifferent to the performance as he hovered over synths, his Apple powerbook (G4) : ), and keyboards. Jeremy was the only member that really seemed enthused during the show, and he had the pitt stains to prove it. Everyone in the audience was pushed up to the stage, dancing and bouncing to the beats of Junior Boys, but I felt like I was at a house party with someone blasting the album. I'll defend them by saying that their albums are really amazing enough that Jeremy and Matt shouldn't have to resort to any gimmicky antics, but perhaps after watching Serac shamelessly bop his heart out I was expecting the same from the Boys. Other than the lack of live innovation, the Boys put on a great show; they made sure to hit up the Favs of fans, such as In The Morning and Birthday. If you like what you hear, I suggest you check out Hot Chip and their remix of some Junior Boys songs, such as their take on In The Morning. It has a long intro, but I've found myself listening to it on more than one occasion a day, and it has an intense ending with a beat that you'll inevitably find yourself bouncing to.

After the show, my two friends Adoff (yes, like Hitler, just with two f's instead of an l) and Kim and I stuck around to check out the merchandise and snag some photo ops. We ended up talking to Jeremy for quite some time and convinced him and the crew of Junior Boys to hang out with us after they were done packing up. The wheels had been set in motion for an Epic night. We went to Medusa Lounge (great dive bar!) on 21st and Walnut, although Jeremy and Matt didn't come inside, they still met us there. To be honest, my friends and I didn't expect them to come, and we had figured they were just humoring some overzealous fans. They ended up proving us wrong, and helped further support my faith in smaller shows and bands. That connection made between the fans and the members of the band just can't be made as intimately on a larger scale. Anyways, once the Boys showed up we decided to ditch Medusa Lounge (due to some crazy ass trance fans taking up the dance floor) and started our nine block trek to Sal's on 12th and Walnut. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way I got sidetracked and ended up heading home for the night, but Kim and Adoff spent the rest of their night with Junior Boys at Sal's and finished off at one of the many Midtown Diners in center city (I still feel bad for not properly saying goodbye to the Boys, and hopefully they've accepted my apology via myspace, but I hope to see them again.) During our trek to Sal's I did get to talk to Jeremy before I ended up parting ways with the Boys. We discussed some of their favorite venues to play in the area, and how the audience's attitudes have differed according to where they were. He didn't have anything particularly bad to say about Philly fans, although he and Matt both agreed that they disliked playing the Troc, which surprised me. Their reasoning seemed to be the acoustics and stage set-up, but I didn't get them to elaborate much further.

It was an epic night, despite my abrupt departure, and I hope to wander the streets with Jeremy and Matt from Junior Boys again soon.

Happy and Hip-Hop

2007-04-12T13:54:00.000-05:00

I'm a little late on the update, but I apparently became an R5 productions groupie for half of last week.

Last Wednesday, April 11th RJD2 and Busdriver played the Starlight Ballroom at 9th and Spring Garden. This harmless scrawny-looking guy opened up for the show with stripped down versions of his own songs from his newest album Lovers Come Back. His name is Happy Chichester, and boy was he happy and quite the chester, ha. I couldn't help but notice his diverted attention towards a drunken girl stage right. I'd look at him glance over towards her every once in a while, and who knows how old she was. But Hey, whatever keeps you Happy.

Anyways, Happy wasn't exactly embraced during his solo performance, but people weren't too cold... I don't think it was his music that made people give him a chance. It was his innocent charm that didn't allow the audience to go in uproar. Gorgeous piano, but for some reason I found actually watching him was distracting. I just felt like Happy was a little kid on too much Sugar or Candy.. perhaps some Nose candy? I point no fingers..

Busdriver was the second set. I have to admit I wasn't that excited to see Busdriver, because I always found his music kind of hectic and could never really understand what he was saying without difficulty. However, I've been proven wrong before, and he completely surprised me. His live performance was just so intense and fun that you couldn't help but find yourself dancing. Busdriver just reminds me of Outkast and any weird videos by Ludacris, like when he has a giant head and everything is purposely distorted. Just watching what he has to do to get that abstract hip-hip sound that he wants was interesting too. He used two mics for most of his performance, one distorted his voice, and at many points he held both up to his lips that generated a solid effect. Also, He and his DJ were sporting elastic birthday hats throughout their entire performance.

RJD2 finished us off with a great performance. Again, I was surprised, because I had heard from friends that RJ's performances were kind of boring. My buddy Luke said you just watch RJ at the turntables putting on records and preparing for the next, but thanks to his newest album The Third Hand, Rj wasn't limited to the tables. However, more than a few times I heard members of the audience scream out "GO back to the turntables!" It seemed not everyone was as excited to see RJ try something new. Happy Chichester reappeared on stage by the side of RJ, again smiling at the girl stage right, and everyone seemed Happy to see him again with his goofy charm. Rjd2 played some favorites, like ghostwriter and chicken-bone circuit, but he intermixed his older more popular stuff with his new songs, like Have Mercy. Even when Rj was at the tables he managed to keep everyone entertained with his beats and some crazy ass slideshows at his back-drop. To give an example there was a clip of a guy in a yellow rain-coat dancing on crutches. He also had a camcorder set up so we could get an up close look at his turntable skills. It was a great show, but Rj's encore was kind of lame. He finished off the show with You Never Had It So Good, off The Third Hand, but I don't think I was alone in wanting one last Hurrah to dance to before his departure.

Rj hung out stage left after the show and was signing stubs and bags, and he wasn't shy to meet his fans. Busdriver stuck around too, but one guy seemed to be hogging him from the other fans, and his Dj manned a table with some merch to sell. I had the opportunity to talk to RJ, but due to the long line behind me, I only got a couple words in of "hope to see you again soon, great show". How lame...

Andrew Bird

2007-04-10T21:54:00.000-05:00

Beautiful violin and voice. I've always loved the combination of orchestral strings with contemporary music. I was just recently introduced to him by a friend, but the moment I heard him I was already getting my debit card out to purchase a ticket. I know it's a little late, but he'll be on Letterman tonight, April 10th at 11:30. He's coming to Philly at the TLA, check ticketmaster for details. He's coming May 18th, should be an awesome show. I already have my ticket, do you have yours? Be sure to get his latest album, Armchair Apocrypha.

Check him out on youtube Live at Bonnaroo and if you want to hear more check out his myspace

Thou Shalt Always Kill

2007-04-09T15:08:00.000-05:00

I have to give credit to Adam for this one, but I figured I'd blog about this UK poet Scroobius pip that teamed up with DJ Dan Le Sac because it seems a new unique duo is on the rise. Finally! It's refreshing to find that there are still artists out there doing something completely different and being fully confident in doing it. He makes claims like "though shalt not stop liking a band just because they become popular" directed at the music elitists out there, but even through his criticizing intricate lyrics he manages to exude some modesty with "though shalt not make repetitive generic music". When I first saw this youtube video the first thing that came to mind was the streets, Matisyahu, and maybe even Ali G. He's clever, he's new, and I'd like to see him blow up, not only on the UK scene, but here in the states as well. Be sure to check out his latest album "No Commercial Breaks". I suggest you check out his website which directly links you to bleep.com, a handy website that let's you sample mp3 clips.

Holy shit, Daft Punk on tour and in NY

2007-04-09T14:23:00.000-05:00

The tickets for daft punk went on sale Saturday, March 31st and I'm sure they'll be gone quick, so I suggest you buy your tickets now. According to ticketmaster the tickets are about $45.00, that is, if you don't buy them online. Then they're an estimated $55.00. It may be reaching deep into your pockets, but I guarantee it'll be one dance party well worth the scrounging. They're playing with the Rapture from NYC and Sebastian and Kavinsky from France. Kavinsky does an awesome remix of Klaxon's Gravity Rainbow, which is like the stinking hot-shit band of the UK right now. They'll be playing at Keyspan, a ballpark in Brooklyn, NY which means Plenty of room for dancing your little techno-loving hearts out. Save the date, Thursday, August 9th.

Canada Eh?

2007-04-03T16:58:00.000-05:00

So I went to Do Make Say Think's show at the First Unitarian Church last Friday and discovered that their guitarist Justin Small has created another side band. As if the members of DMST couldn't make enough side bands (a.k.a. Broken Social Scene and the drummer James Payment's Gesundheit) called Lullabye Arkestra. Justin Small makes a change in this band and does drums and vocals instead of guitar, but from what I heard it was not a change for the better. He's teamed up with Katia Taylor who rocks a bass and looks good doing it, but doesn't quite sound as good. They were also joined by some of the guys from DMST on trumpets. I feel bad, because apparently the day of the show was Kat's birthday, but the crowd at the church just really didn't seem to be feeling the soul/metal/hardcore vibe. I mean, they were performing for a bunch of mellow hipsters that came to hear the laid-back instrumentals of Do Make Say Think in a church. Did they really expect to be embraced? I'm sorry, but it just wasn't much of a Killswitch crowd. It's a shame because Kat has some real talent. She plays a really mean bass and has a unique voice, kind of a Karen O thing going on, but she has a long way to go. Justin and Kat just really need to work on developing songs that better suit her voice... catchy name though. Kind of makes you feel like you've heard of her before, but I think the confusion lies in Cat Power and James Taylor. And Justin, after watching him play with his new band, looked out of place amongst the more refined looking DMSTers during their performance. Especially when he was still jamming like a pumped up college guy playing guitar hero next to Julie Penner playing violin; it just didn't look right. I try to give every band a chance, so I'm not saying don't check them out, because they have their good points and everyone has different tastes. I'm putting a link to their myspace (top right corner where it always is!) so I suggest to check out Nation of Two (Heavy bass intro). It's kind of hard to pick a favorite, because there kind of isn't one, but that song shows off Katia's bass skills. Yea, just listen to this song and picture the mayhem and disappointment on the faces of the tranquil hipsters sitting around me and you'll understand. Better luck next time guys..

Second set. I have some good things to say, but this band too, needs some work. Elliott Brood. I actually loved Mark Sasso's voice (lead vocals) and kind of fell in love with him... just for a moment and from afar after hearing it... but then returned to my senses. ha. They're a folk rock/acoustic/soul group featuring clapping, acoustic guitar, drums, sometimes banjo sometimes ukelele sometimes more guitar. When you hear them you just expect them to start singing about the devil with their holky southern O'Brother Where Art Thou sound, but maybe that had to do with sitting in the pews of the Church. When these guys first came on, I think the audience was so fed up with the hardcore that they were more than willing to welcome Mark, Casey and Stephen with wide open arms (suddenly it really did look like we were at church!). However, the longer their set went on the more bored everyone seemed to get. It was really difficult to differentiate between their songs other than if Mark switched from banjo or guitar. There was even a guy yelling smartass comments in the back (isn't there always) pleading for more banjo, and everyone seemed to agree. Everyone wanted more variety, something different. We wanted to know what set this band apart from others, and I don't know if Elliott Brood ever truly proved what it was. Plus their songs were underdeveloped. They were so good, believe me.. sooo good, but with every song I felt like they would just start to get to the climax and progress and get even better, but then each song would just disappointingly end. It was like a teen's first sexual experience... like these guys were just too anxious and would get a song over with. Sorry guys, can't satisfy anyone that way. I did end up buying their LP, Ambassador produced by Six Shooter Records, so I'm still encouraging to give them a listen. Also check out their EP, Tin Type. Apparently the Brood guys are eco-friendly, because Tin Type is made of brown paper bag and Stephen Pitkin's drums are made of a plastic suitcase. Just trying to make the world a better place, one drum at a time. Again, top right corner for their myspace.

Headliner. Do Make Say Think. Honestly, I really liked Elliot Brood and thought they did alright until I heard DMST and heard how a show should really be put on. Everything just went perfectly, despite Justin Small's somewhat distracting reappearance on stage. Although during The Universe (off their latest album You You're a History in Rust) Small did redeem himself on guitar and his antics seemed more appropriate. Like Akron/Family, these guys just have the ability to evoke so much emotion in one song, and they too have the tension build-ups and releases that just make you feel so good inside. No wonder they featured on Akron's latest album Meek Warrior. It seems the two bands have learned quite a bit from one another. Also, similar to Akron's bird abuse, Do Make Say Think got creative. During the show, Charles Spearin (bass, guitar, trumpet) asked everyone in the audience to take out their keys. Suddenly, we could participate! With Keys! He lead everyone in a simple beat that we kept up with throughout the entire song... happily jingling along. Unfortunately, I can't recall which song it was so I can't encourage you to try it at home : (. Everyone had to go home sooner or later, but when DMST left the stage the crowd then got creative. Everyone of course stood up and clapped and stomped in hopes to persuade Spearin and his buddies back, but a couple pews in front of me some guys decided to stomp and clap to a beat. Sure enough, everyone followed along and we were making our own music. Do Make Say Think returned with Spearin telling the crowd that we were awesome. At least DMST got a better impression of Philly fans than Akron/Family did. Maybe they can help persuade Johnny Marr and Brock to play more shows here. We shall see.

!Fairyland!

2007-03-24T01:42:00.000-05:00

let me just start this off with... hahhahahahhahahahha

I went home for the weekend and found this ridiculous anime that my sister and I used to watch when we were kids. I just have vivid memories of Fantasia-esque scenes, classical music, and the feeling of.. what the hell is going on? Although, it's kind of cool because it's all centered around music. Plus, there's a knock-off Hello Kitty drifting around as an anime extra, apparently making a suble cameo appearance.

"A Journey Through Fairyland - Lose yourself in the beauty of it all"

I have no idea how this even came into my family's possession, but I just thought I'd share it with everyone. It's a children's movie, but Hey.. it's fun, and it features masterpieces such as Flight of the Bumblebee and Walts of the Flowers from the Nutcracker.

Well check it out.. I'm going to go watch it with my little sister and relinquish in my childhood : )

Modest Mouse jipping Philadelphia

2007-03-21T23:24:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I've been a fan of Modest Mouse for some time now..and they just announced their new tour. As I went to find out where they were playing near by I found myself utterly disappointed. They're playing one show in Philadelphia on Thursday May 3rd, (tickets go on sale this Saturday for those interested) which completely conflicts with the only show Peter Bjorn and John are also playing in Philly. As a college student, it's difficult to justify going to shows when it conflicts with a heavy workload, but if the bands are worth it... who wouldn't skip out on a night of studying to go to a show? Anyways, my personal conflict is that I have tickets to Peter Bjorn and John already, and want to attend both. The only other show Modest Mouse seems to have in close proximity to Philly is in NYC's United Palace Theatre, but it's also on a Sunday and Monday night.. basically the week before finals. Man oh man.. The difficulty of maintaining loyalty to older bands and giving new up and coming bands a chance. So the question is.. make a trek to NYC and risk failing out of college? Or give up seeing a band that may not go on tour again anytime soon, if at all.. From what I've heard from friends, Modest Mouse actually doesn't put on that great of a show.. So I think putting my academic status on the line isn't really worth it.
Alright, let's say we give up Peter Bjorn and John and opt for Modest Mouse in Philly instead. They'll be playing the Electric Factory. Not exactly what you would call an intimate setting... something I've grown to prefer. Peter Bjorn and John on the other hand, are playing the Theatre of Living Arts on South Street, still a pretty big venue, but more intimate than the Electric Factory. From my experience, the setting has so much to do with a show's overall success. Like Akron/Family's performance at Johnny Brenda's compared to the one at Haverford's Lunt Basement. I suppose once a band gets big, like Modest Mouse obviously has, it's kind of impossible for them to play small venues anymore. It's a shame, because if you're not at the forefront of a band's popularity, you miss out on a real experience. You as a fan, feel more important... like you're helping cultivate a band's potential to make it big. Not only that, at a smaller venue with less known bands.. you're sharing an experience with people that are there for the right reasons.. for the music. The band's appeal isn't lost in people's mixed agendas for going... whether it's to drink (like at Akron's Haverford show) or for their own bragging rights of going to a well known band's show. People ruin things when they start caring more about their own egos.

Bottom line, I'm sorry Modest Mouse (especially you Isaac Brock), but as loyal as I am to your music, I'd rather go to Peter Bjorn and John where I feel like my presence will make a more significant difference. A jip for a jip : ). Isaac, I just hope you don't let Johnny Marr skampering away from Morrissey affect the future of Modest Mouse. Band's egos (or its individual members) are just as detrimental as the fans... Can't Andy Rourke mediate this ongoing dispute? He just played in Philly with Badly Drawn Boy at the TLA. I'm sure Marr's old Smiths buddy (Rourke) could tell him just how great this city is... at least for the sake of the fans. *sigh.. well, as disappointed as I am, I'm sure Philadelphia fans aren't alone in feeling scorned this tour.

St. Patrick's Day

2007-03-18T19:25:00.000-05:00

Through my drunken haze I found this amazing band at World Cafe Live. Jukebox the Ghost

I don't have much to say because I still don't know much about them, but their music is poppy with some piano and a lot of fun to dance to. The guys Ben, Jesse, and Tommy are from D.C. You can hear influences of Queen in the piano and you can hear influences of Muse in some of the chamber music-esqueness. I totally just made up that word, but I hope you get the idea. You can clearly hear what these guys are influenced by, but it doesn't just sound like a replication of past bands.. they took something good.. made it their own.. and made it better. I see a lot of potential for these guys in the near future, because they're true to their indie roots, but don't stray too far from a mainstream sound that everyone can come to appreciate. I'm not saying they're mainstream, if you're thinking of that term in a negative sense, but that they have the potential to be liked by a larger audience and aren't limited to faithful hipster fans.

Much like Akron/Family.. these guys have a lot of enthusiasm and don't take themselves too seriously. I loved that right before "Hold it in" Ben, the pianist, stood up and had everyone clap in increasing successions. I see a lot of potential for these guys so I suggest you attend one of their shows if you can, but if you can't.. at least check out their myspace.

I had the opportunity to hang out with these guys after the show and although it was a bit of a blur with the festivities.. I remember that they're a lot of fun.. on and off stage.

Akron/Family

2007-02-20T23:17:00.000-05:00

I'm not even really sure where to begin with this one..

I Finally got to see a show at the newly renowned Johnny Brenda's on Frankford and Girard last Thursday.. and hands down experienced an amazing performance by Butane Variations, Like Moving Insects, and the headliner Akron/Family. All three of these bands resonated an old folk charm intermixed with an indie modernity that could only be perfectly cultivated through the intimate setting of Johnny Brenda's. Perhaps it's because I was a first timer at the venue, but I can't imagine that the show would have been as momentous at any other place. You had the opportunity to converse with the bands in between sets.. were upfront and center as they performed.. or listening from a balcony where you found yourself waving or smiling at the guys on stage... or maybe that was just me, ha.

- A K R O N / F A M I L Y -
My buddy Luke and I had the opportunity of briefly meeting the guys of the Family at the end of the night, and when given the opportunity to speak to Ryan Vanderhoof (vocalist/guitarist).. Luke just had one thing to say to him, "You just made me feel so good"... and then he and I both Hugged and Squeezed him in our esteemed appreciation.

These guys just know how to put on an F'n GREAT Show. These fun-loving guys started their set leading the crowd in some stretching and breathing exercises that served as a perfect ice breaker. It made the setting more intimate and really proved that these guys weren't the types to take themselves too seriously. It seemed like their entire show was on a whim... improv.. inexplicable mistakes that just happen to come out with perfect fervor and emotion. Don't be fooled though, each one of these artists is a master in his own craft. Watching them play together was experiencing a collaboration of four individually talented musicians that just happen to come together and form a revolutionary sound. Their music can be described as being derived from Bob Dylan and Jeff Buckley, but with a hint of what I can only describe as "Holiness". Their transitions within one song can go from led zeppelin-esque psychedelic anomalies to remnants of the Beatles to catchy folk beats that you can't help but find yourself clapping your hands to and jumping/dancing around. It was like being at hoedown, but a cool one, ha.

Throughout their set, they fell into these lapses of intense white noise. For the Jesus camp kids out there, think back to any retreat you've ever been to.. when everyone starts going ballistic and screaming and chanting. Or when it becomes deadly silent and no one moves a muscle. That's what these lapses were like. They would get so intense with their static noise that it would almost get to the point where the audience couldn't take it anymore.. but almost like the band could vicariously sense the tension building in the air, (and the impatience of some) they would abruptly transition into their holky melodies again. You could almost hear the sighs of relief from the audience, but in retrospect it effectively makes you appreciate the whole experience of just one song. That's what I loved about these guys... each song they had featured different movements. And each movement has significance. Whether it's the lapses of static or silence, both, I swear, are completely intentional. It's left for listeners to either find their own significance or for Akron's own to be found. As if realizing they could not adequately reflect human endeavors through one genre of music within a song, they simply threw out the traditional rules and made their own. Although, it is understandable that not everyone is appreciative of these lapses. I didn't attend Akron's show at Haverford's Lunt Basement on the 24th, but Luke went, and he said it was not pretty. Apparently some drunk guys in the audience just started wailing during one of Akron's static lapses and they were forced to start Sorrow Boy without their tension building startup. It's a shame, because if you're patient and let the band do what it has to do.. you really get the full effect. These drunkards ruined it for everyone.

Birds. I remember laughing at the beginning of the show when I saw some knock-off looking beanie baby birds perched on top of one of the amps during Butane Variations and Like Moving Insects sets. They remained untouched during both, and I just assumed they were decoration. However, during Akron's set their relevance became known. In the middle of a song, Seth walked over and started squeezing them.. one by one. It was hilarious, each bird had it's own pitch. So Seth, still following the beat of the song, was squeezing and squeezing these poor birds. Everyone loved it.

Circle. Triangle. Square. These were the only lyrics of their last song that was total improv. The boys of Akron pulled up members of the audience, gave them tamberines, goards, those wooden flutes you can remember from elementary school music classes... basically anything that would make noise and had them join in on the fun. Butane Variations came on stage too, and everyone in Johnny Brenda's was clapping and screaming "Circle. Triangle. Square". Along with the lyrics came YMCA-esque hand motions. It may have looked ridiculous with everyone belting out these basic shapes coincided with the shape formed above their heads with their arms, but it was an amazing experience. These guys don't take themselves too seriously, and they let everyone else forget about their own egos too. It was nice to not care about what anyone else thought, not care if you looked or felt stupid doing it, you just did it and invariably loved it.

Aside from the bird squeezing, Akron's own Dana Janssen, Ryan Vanderhoof, Seth Olinsky, and Miles Seaton are nice guys. Please, if you go see them in person, just be patient and let them do their thing. Instead of fighting the static or the silence, just embrace it, because if you don't, you'll miss out on the good stuff.

Be sure to check out their latest album Meek Warrior, featuring Do Make Say Think's Justin Small, Ohad Benchetrit, and Charles Spearin.

Here's some photos from the show. Some of these are of poor quality because they're from my phone. Unfortunately, my camera battery started dying 3/4 into Akron's set.

Butane Variations from Brooklyn

The guys from Butane decided to educate the audience on musical vocabulary and theory

Like Moving Insects from Philly

Akron/Family

They began with some stretching exercises, right arm first
Now left..
Shake it out..
And they begin...

Circle! Triangle! Square!

Ryan came up to the balcony with us. That's Luke on the left and Drew on the right. These guys weren't scared to get up close and personal.

Miles decided to run up to the balcony too... drumming on a column
Butane Variations and members of the audience join Akron
Join in on the fun : )

Don't you love rediscovering music you've forgotten about...

2007-02-13T18:43:00.000-05:00

I was browsing through my music today.. making a mix for a friend, and I stumbled across this album. I couldn't believe I had forgotten about this band, and since I had promised to do some album reviews.. I thought what the heck, I'll start with this. So here it goes : )

- S l o w b l o w -

I went to see this band two year's ago at the First Unitarian.. and I was blown away. The funny thing is I had never heard of them until my friend Jim called me up with an extra ticket and a request for company. At the time, they were like nothing I had ever heard before, and they still manage to maintain that title in my book. They stray from the typical, whether it's with their lyrics, "before, the night was an open book. the pages all white, as white can be. but then someone starts filling them in. the ink is black. the words are green."... or if it's their choice in instruments... I can distinctly remember seeing what looked like a child's old piano, a musical saw, and a drum that seemed to be a used wash bin. They also use the sounds of automated sewing machines and creaky old organ pumps. This icelandic band made up of Orri Jonsson and Dagur Kári Petursson have a unique sound to them that can evoke all kinds of emotion... even from the most apathetic and cold heart. They feature rock beats, electronic influences, and a bit of a folk twist. This particular self-titled album features the vocals of Mum's Kristín Anna Valtysdóttir. Her eerie child-like voice strays from what most people may be used to, and I have to admit during the show it did get extra creepy at times, but it completes the effect of the sound that this band exudes. To describe her voice... I'd have to say it was almost like a whisper, but I found myself imagining the girl from The Ring sounding terrifyingly similar, but I think it had more to do with her presence on stage too. When/if you decide to take a listen to this album.. just picture Kristin with her long dark hair cascading her face standing stark in the middle of stage and you'll know what I'm talking about.

Some of my favorite tracks are Very Slow Bossanova, Happiness in Your Face, Second Hand Smoke, and Aim for a Smile. Aim for a Smile is also featured on a soundtrack for the independent Icelandic film Noi Albinoi, which was directed by the band's very own Dagur Kári Petursson. At the show I purchased that album too.. and it too.. is awesome, although it does serve a better purpose as background music.

I definitely suggest you check this album out.. whether this genre of music is right up your alley or you're just looking for something different and new.

Coming soon... Akron/Family review. I know you're just squirming in anticipation.. I know I am : ).

First post

2007-02-13T02:18:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my very first blog post... ever.. ha. I know it's still kind of rough around the edges, but I'm working on what exactly I want to put up here. If you have any suggestions, by all means.. leave a comment of what you'd like to see and what you wouldn't. So far (if you notice to your right), I've put up some books I suggest you take a peek at. These books were either assigned to me in class, suggested by friends/family, or they were just mistakenly found in a book store... just my luck : ). I'd like to point out that Seven Types of Ambiguity is my favorite.. so I suggest you start with that.

I've also put up some suggestions of places to eat in Philly... If you're a sushi fan, I definitely suggest Raw. They may be a bit pricey.. depending on what you order.. but believe me, it is well worth the dough. I planned my sister's surprise birthday dinner there two weekends ago and it couldn't of gone smoother. And I swear, I'm not only promoting them b/c she bartends there.. haha.

Anyways, like it says in the description... I made this blog to share one very important thing.. music. I listen to a pretty eclectic mix of music and I basically find music the same way that I find books... through friends, family and whatever I happen to come by.

It's a little late, so i won't be posting about any albums just yet.. but here's something to look forward to:

I'm watching Akron/Family, Like Moving Insects, and Butane Variations at Johnny Brenda's this upcoming Thursday, February 15th. It should be a kick ass show. I'll have a review of the bands up sometime Friday, but I'm sure I'll be posting some of my fav albums at the moment before that.

Well until then.. good night : )