Philly’s Busses just premiered this new live video on YVYNL and I really like the feel of the new jam. Busses is one of the local acts I really dig – a little more with every listen. There is much to be said for their restraint, instead of blowing all their sound out they let it trickle out over guitar lines that strut and lyrics that build slowly and effectively.
The next show on their calendar is this Thursday at Rogues Gallery in Philly.
LIAR (live) from Busses on Vimeo.
LIAR (live) from Busses on Vimeo.
[MP3] Stationary
Philly was the second stop of The Dismemberment Plan’s much anticipated reunion tour last Thursday and no amount of snow, ice, stress or unfinished work could have kept me from going. I’m not cool enough to say that I have been a D Plan fan since their beginnings (or even during the ten years they were together) but sometime over the last few years they popped up on my radar and it was love at first listen. So, when they announced that they would do a brief tour to support the rerelease of their legendary album Emergency & I on vinyl tickets were immediately acquired. That was some four months ago and when Thursday night came I could hardly contain my excitement.
The 2011 Shaking Through season has begun with the first selection from session 1 curator Elise O from Pixlehorse. She’s coming out strong with Italian group A Classic Education, a six piece long over due for wider adoraiton. During their Philly session at Miner Street – one crammed in to a whirlwind CMJ/NY recording trip last fall- they chose to lay down their song “Night Owl.” It should surprise no one that the track sounds fantastic and puts A Classic Education’s fabulous indie pop sensibilities on grand display.
They recently released a Hey There Stranger an EP of similarly smart tracks which is definitely worth your time but if that doesn’t totally scratch that itch then check out the many videos on the Shaking Through website capturing the entire process of creating and refining “Night Owl.” They’ll be back in the US this spring with a stop at SXSW so keep your eyes out for their names appearing on your local venue calendars.
[MP3] Gone To Sea
Weathervane released this trailer for Sharon Van Etten’s session recorded in December. Pairing such a fantastic artist with this incredible project can lead to nothing but brilliance.
Shaking Through: Sharon Van Etten – Coming Jan.26, 2010 from Weathervane Music on Vimeo.
In addition, Weathervane announced a partnership with WXPN on Shaking Through an extension of the Project Series bringing independent artists from around the world in to the Weathervane studios and recording the magic that happens. This is a great new phase for the ambitious Weathervane crew, and I couldn’t be more excited to see what is yet to come.
One of the reasons I chose to move to Philadelphia was the local music scene. Leaving Minneapolis’ well of phenomenal acts (LifterPuller, Atmosphere, Tapes n’ Tapes, Prince, etc. etc.) was rough but Philly’s equally rich and underrated musical culture made it an leap I was eager to make. Never would I imagine its offerings would continually awe me. What makes is even more fantastic is the affordability of shows and quality small venues. I have had the pleasure of catching some of the better known native acts ( The Roots, Dr. Dog, These United States [I consider Md part of the package]) as well as some of their lesser knowns. Since I makes my livins promoting, building and supporting small local businesses I feel compelled to spread the love to the music world.
This weekend I capped off the weekend with a show at the M Room. My friend Max’s group Deadly Technologies was performing with a strong set of openers. DT’s show was a display of robot amazingness. They are playing Lit Lounge this Thursday and if you’re in NYC you should go for a taste of their synthpop magic. One of the acts that opened for em was Chang Chang . A philly native who, with a bit of careful spelunking of the indie hip-hop scene, could turn his talent into a viable gig. His tracks are witty, boppable and intelligently honest, you can’t help but smirk when listening. He’s not the typical wrap package which is what initially grabbed me when kept me listening was his self-depreciating well thought out rhymes. The demo he gave me is further evidence there’s more than meets the eye. If he can lock in some attention with what he’s got now and continue to push himself and improve I could see him going places. Speaking of which, he and his mannequin are headed to SXSW so if you see Chang Chang on the line up stop in.
My friend Keith has been responsible for introducing me to some solid new acts lately. The first of which was Jotto, a gang of his friends who have actually turned their cliche’ college band into a viable (and touring) act. I have listened to the breadth of their work and you can hear the refinement of their talent and sound. They’re moving towards a well balanced rock sound. Their combined musical talent (and well crafted lyrics) is sturdy enough to propell their sound through a taste of synthy experimentation on their new EP Good Friend Electric. The new edge sounds good on them and pushes them into a sound that is more distinctly their own. I haven’t seen them live yet but I’m looking forward to the opportunity since I’ve heard good things about their live show as well.
Perhaps the most well know of these three is Drink Up Buttercup. These guys rock a sound that reminds me a little of later Beach Boys, mixed with some of the Manchester UK acts out there right now and a pinch of Animal Collective. What continually strikes me about their music are the strong vocals. Not to say their instrumentals aren’t tight but they obviously know the intricacies required to harmonize while building catchy riffs whithout letting either side step on the other. Even when they get a little fuzzy (in a good way) they maintain this balance which is what makes songs like Mr. Pie Eyes and Gods & Gentlemen irresistably singable. A characteristic that has made their live shows a lot of fun. They too are Austin bound for SXSW.
Here are some tasters for your listening pleasure but please PLEASE pay for the rest of their stuff. These guys are the ones who need what little cut they get from your .99!
Chang Chang-
Couples Shouldn’t Break Up They Should Break Apart
Whatever Gets You F*%#
Jotto-
KissinKissin
Bang Shoot Shoot Bang
Drink Up Buttercup-
Gods & Gentlemen
Mr Pie Eyes
It was crazy fireworks in the street, planters destroyed, bikes lit on fire, cars flipped, dj’s spinning on top of buses. Combined with Halloween yesterday was a strange day in Philadelphia. In honor of the absolute chaos that overtook this city I share with you a tune I grabbed from the MadDecent blog.
>>>MadDecent<<<