Philly Indie

check this out. inwatermelonsugarband: Listen to gabriel ep...

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 23:46:00 -0500

check this out.

Listen to gabriel ep by In Watermelon Sugar.

Mason Porter is good ol’ sweet tea, mint julep sipping...

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 21:23:00 -0500

Mason Porter is good ol’ sweet tea, mint julep sipping country folk music. The music is sweet and smooth but with a subtle raw complexity. Love songs can swiftly become saccarine but not with these guys. You won’t find overly long and ambitious comparisons between eyes and oceans. Nor will you find a scratched record chorus comprised entirely of the word “baby.” Mason Porter writes simple but straight forward love songs, sung with a charmingly twangy southern accent and the occasional ear catching harmony.

Instrumentally, Mason Porter is bewitchingly well layered. The long mournful sigh of the slide guitar is complimented by the reverberant tones of an upright base. The prominently featured mandolin adds a higher pitched trill to run the gambit of tone and composition.

This music harkens back to a simpler time and place. Perfect for the mall. I mean, you’ve got to be able to escape the ear bludgeoning of holiday songs that you’ve been hearing since October. (Don’t get me wrong, I dig the christmas tunes but seriously ? Enough is enough.)

-AH

Leoce: Chill Jams for the Ride Home (or at least something to...

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 11:21:00 -0500

Leoce: Chill Jams for the Ride Home (or at least something to keep the murderous Thanksgiving road rage at bay).

I was in the mood to add some new blood to my driving-home-from-work sound track, so I was pretty amped when I began streaming Leoce’s This is Real, through my phone. These Richboro natives have Jack Johnson/Brett Dennen sort of folky tunes that have a some what surprising mix of ska and blues influence. Leoce isn’t as indefatigueably upbeat as Johnson but they do have that unmistakeable pop folk sound. Sean Ladden’s voice is neither bass nor is it quite what I would call a tenor, regardless he has one smooth tone, which pairs remarkably well with the low thrumming bass lines provided by Shawn Hogan. Kyle Walter plays the drums with such fluidity, that inspite of the fact that there is a lot of high-hat action going on in this song, it is not at all jarring. Instead the drums actually add a layer of unruffled cadence.

Also these guys are looking for more Philly gigs, so if you are looking for some talented artists, give these guys a holla’ (as it were).

-A.H.

THE SUNFLIGHTS (click photo to listen) The Sunflights, whose...

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 12:12:00 -0500

THE SUNFLIGHTS (click photo to listen)

The Sunflights, whose previous appearance was often made enchanting unsuspecting basement-show and dive bar dwellers, release their first EP today (FREE release show at North Star Bar 8pm along with Queen Anne and The Wild Carrot). We had the pleasure of listening to the self-titled release and were pleasantly surprised with the growth this band has achieved while still staying true to their minimalist, one-guitar-with-two-voices blueprint.

The first track, “I am a Robot” (click the photo above to listen) is our favorite of bunch; lush with a tapestry of words, harmonies, and guitar work that somehow seamlessly weave together the sentiment of the song sonically and lyrically. I have admittedly not been able to stop showing the song to whomever happens to be in my busted Toyota where this disc has been rotating since I received it. Sounding at times like a blue Joni record, and at others a taste of a slew of folk/blues and even sometimes sunny and brighter moments; this album is perfect for the schizophrenic Philadelphia weather in early November, before everything becomes definitively cold and dark, making this release date perfect for the effect of the record.

Beyond Natalie Butts and Claire Duncombe’s impressive chemistry for song-writing and harmonizing together, the Sunflights’ perhaps biggest strength is in the way the songs develop. The tempo, key, and guitar-picking style can seem to change 100 times in the song while somehow not sounding sporadic but instead more like a woven composition than the normal verse-chorus-verse acoustic folk songs that many bands of similar stylings produce. Another standout song is “The Clearing.” Similarly with the first track, the imagery in the lyrics as well as the composition of the song creates a great tune but also another testament to a definite maturation from prior demos.

So come out tonight, pick up this beautiful album (charmingly hand-crafted), and see these ladies live - you won’t regret it.

Say Yes to No : Yes, No, I would come back and see you if...

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 13:30:00 -0400

Say Yes to No :

Yes, No, I would come back and see you if you play Philly again. In fact I think that would be a brilliant idea ! Last night I went to the TLA to jam out to Work Drugs, a band that has been a consistent presence on Philly Indie, and see Electric Guest live. Heading in I read the sign with the head liner Electric Guest, followed by NO Work Drugs. At first I was pissed, no Work Drugs ?! They couldn’t have cancelled this late in the game…..Then I remembered that, NO, was the name of the other band playing that evening. ( Strangely I have similar problems like this when I was working at my college radio station. A caller asked for something by the Beatles. I said, “Ok anything you had in mind ?” to which he replied”….yeah ‘Something’ by the Beatles.”)

NO’s vocal styling is part Johnny Cash, with the deep sonorous baritone of lead singer Bradley Carter, and part Mumford and Sons with spell-weaving group harmonies. Their musical styling is quite frankly, an experience. The music is layered with complex melancholy melodies, the magnet drawl of a hazy electronic keyboard, and straight-forward brilliantly executed drumming. Although, this band hails from LA. I figured they deserved a shout out for repeatedly asking “If we come to Philly again, will you come see us ?” I can enthusiastically say Yes. Lets show them some brotherly love and see if we can get these guys to come back.

-A.H.

FAMILY VACATION - “WAITING CLOUDS (DEW)” (Click...

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 10:37:00 -0400

FAMILY VACATION - “WAITING CLOUDS (DEW)” (Click photo to listen)

Family Vacation could be described as Animal Collective meets Vampire Weekend with a touch of West Philly punk drenched in reverb and heads turned towards their shoes. We’d rather just say it’s good shit. The main singer’s vocals add a more unique quality to the sound and this newly formed Philly band made up of 4 Temple students will definitely make some waves. Check out their first single “Waiting Clouds (Dew)” and follow their Facebook for future tunes: https://www.facebook.com/familyvacationmusic

AUDREY BEAN - BONES (click photo to listen) I dig this not...

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 11:34:00 -0400

AUDREY BEAN - BONES (click photo to listen)

I dig this not only because Philly artist Audrey Bean counts off the tune in french, that she has the flawed indie girl voice that I am a huge proponent of, (that should not only be okay for male singers , people), but there is something gold here.

The swing vibe in conjunction with the mystical lyrics and the somehow-creepy-in-a-wondrous-way tone of her voice all flies by so fast that it will make you want to listen a few times just to catch all of the essence of just what Audrey Bean is feeling in this tune. I think it’s a good middle of the week song - upbeat yet minor.

fig-leaf: FEMME FATALE - Saturday 9/22 @ World Cafe Live Poison...

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 16:07:00 -0400

fig-leaf:

FEMME FATALE - Saturday 9/22 @ World Cafe Live

Poison Ivy Music presents FEMME FATALE PHILLY, a celebration of Philadelphia’s female artists, with…

The Northern Lights
http://www.TeddiTarnoff.com/
*ALBUM RELEASE SHOW!!!!

Fig Leaf
http://figleaf.bandcamp.com/

Julia Rainer
http://www.reverbnation.com/juliarainer

Starving The Tsunami
http://www.starvingthetsunami.com/

ALL AGES
$9 adv/ $11 dos
Tickets: http://tickets.worldcafelive.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=4220

——

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/events/331523800241180/

The Weekend by Modern Baseball mixes the punk sentiment of...

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 22:37:51 -0400

The Weekend by Modern Baseball mixes the punk sentiment of uncertain youthful angst with a more melodic indie vibe. Although “The Weekend“ is a single, it caught our attention because it taps into the feelings of uncertainty underlying youthful bravado. It’s the musical version of a freshman trying to introduce himself as James Bond , when you really know he’s more of a ”Jimmy.” Your heart goes out to him, regardless. Everyone has been there and Modern Baseball makes this single wonderfully relatable. The Weekend is certainly worth the listen. Especially if your friends are in the middle of a nostalgia driven Dawson’s Creek marathon -~~because the Netflix gods thought it would be a good idea to make that a possibility -~~ and you realize that, that ”I Don’t Want to Wait” theme song was cute the first time, but not the 17th time. So if you’re finding it hard to relate to TV dramatizations , listen to The Weekend for some real relatability.

-A.H., with contribution from K.

Word Up, Band Round Up ! Looking to see some of the...

Sat, 08 Sep 2012 12:43:00 -0400

Word Up, Band Round Up !

Looking to see some of the awesome artists we’ve written about in action ? Well here is the in-state September show round up of some of those very same bands !

Arrah and the Ferns: Saturday September 8th @ Milkboy in Philadelphia —> for Maasia Rising (check it out, it’s for a good cause !) http://www.facebook.com/events/452570908106693/

Roomtone: Saturday, September 8th (Record Release Party !!!) @ Maas Building, Philadelphia

The Fallen Troubadours: Saturday, September 8th @ The Tin Angel in Philadelphia.

Syrrah: September 12th @ Havana in New Hope, PA.

Dangerous Ponies: September 15th @ The Blockney in Philadelphia. Featuring River City Extension, Illinois, Brick and Mortar, Juston Stens, and Get the Real Gang

Toy Soldiers: September 27 @ Johnny Brenda’s for TJ Kong and the Atomic Bomb’s Album Release party. also featuring Double King and The Looks Of It.

*(cowboy image from HarveyMackay.com. We don’t own it, it just seemed relevant.)

PSSST.....

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 12:13:00 -0400

We are on Facebook and update regularly about shows and some of the bands that we write about on here. The purpose of our blog is to only share music that we think is great - no gimmicks, and the same goes for the shows. If you are looking for shows worth going for, like us on Facebook!

Thanks for everyone who has been supporting our blog and giving us lovely feedback so far!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/PhillyIndie

The Fallen Troubadours: Tall Tales Take one part of The Kinks,...

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 13:01:00 -0400

The Fallen Troubadours: Tall Tales

Take one part of The Kinks, Muddle in a spoon full of The Beatles, layer with folk flair, dash in some blues bitters and that rockin’ concoction can be called The Fallen Troubadours. The self-proclaimed “Jangle Rock,” band has a surprising variety of emotional tonality in their songs and packs their album Tall Tales with a patch-work of musical influences. The diversity of the earnest emotion of The Fallen Troubadours” spans from feel good brit-pop-esque head-boppers to hurts so good blues, while staying loyal to the chiming guitars that classify the Jangle Rock. Take, for example, the jovial spirited sound of the songs “When We Were Young and The Good Fight.” These are the kinds of songs that you’d play when you’re messing around like a kid with your girl/boyfriend in a park. Yet, the songs “To the Ground” and “Raisin In The Sun” have a bluesy raw folk sound, that tugs at that relatable bruised heart pathos. With the odd harmonica wailing like wind blowing through cactus pines, this is the side of the Troubadours’ music that would be better suited to a swaying dance with a beautiful girl or a leisurely smoke and drink with friends while ruminating on loves lost.

We suggest that you give’em a listen and add them accordingly to your Labor Day BBQ playlist. Try them somewhere near an up-beat Beatles song or perhaps and R.E.M classic, just to add a little unconventional spice to your crowd pleasing play list.

- A.H.

bikiniisland: It’s only fitting that one of the best local...

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 10:31:00 -0400

bikiniisland:

It’s only fitting that one of the best local shows all summer is the one to help celebrate the end of summer. We’re big fans of all three bands playing tonight so instead of blabbering on about how great they are I’ll let their songs do the talking. A couple things to note here:

Last time Work Drugs played in Philly, people were having sex in the middle of the dance floor

Skrillex is guest listed tonight (let’s start the hype!)

City Rain are celebrating the release of their Montage EP

There are a lot of tunes here so it should keep you occupied through the day. And once you’re done with the tunes be sure to make your way over to Johnny Brenda’s tonight!

We’ll be there. Tickets online (http://www.johnnybrendas.com/event/140458/) or at the door. <3 PHILLYINDIE

Song for rainy, humid Tuesday. (Click to listen) If you...

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 11:23:00 -0400

Song for rainy, humid Tuesday. (Click to listen)

If you didn’t feel like waking up today, throw this on.

Tibetan Pop Stars by Hop Along is a refreshing take on emotionally charged post punk overtones — just when you expect the excruciating whine that is associated with likeminded bands, the delicate but distressed vocals surprise you with an inexplicable contradiction of grace admist strife.

Think Algernon Cadwallader with a female’s touch.The instrumentals are very tight and the overall ambience of the song lets you harken the 16 year old that used to listen to musically that MIGHT possible be construed as some derivitive form of ”emo” — (just admit it, you miss it sometimes).

Czech ‘em out, I anticipate we’ll be posting more in the future.

Liz and the Lost Boys’ “All My Charm and...

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 19:50:00 -0400

Liz and the Lost Boys’ “All My Charm and Grace” album is, quite
frankly, very charming. The upbeat sounding jazzy lyrics have a
story-telling quality in the same way a Broadway play does ( It’s
pretty epic. like the poetry, not in the bro-ish way.). As if the
verses were a stream of consciousness set to music. The lyrics are
witty and not at all lacking the musical aspect that stream of
consciousness songs can get when they misses the mark. Lyrics like “
So do your drugs and drink your liquor and all the hard parts will be
over quicker, hey rock bottom’s not that bad we’ve got
glow-in-the-dark fish down here, that’s rad,” illustrates the playful
and yet unexpected quality of their songs. All My Charm and Grace
gives the listener an ethereal impression with a keyboard that sounds
like a music box accompanied by the ringing “birds taking flight”
sound of a harp. There are also undertones of blues harmonica, folky
guitar riffs and jazzy piano progressions that add a deeper feeling of
substance to the music. Percussion is entirely suggested which is
something not often heard in band music these days, and although I am
was skeptical at first, I found that I totally dig their vibe. All My
Charm and Grace would likely please fans of poetry and music that taps
into a collective pathos.

-A

————————————————————-

Addendum: Help our friend Liz record a full length - http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1534421307/liz-and-the-lost-boys-first-full-length-album

THE LAWSUITS, a band we’ve continually shared with you...

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 12:02:00 -0400

THE LAWSUITS, a band we’ve continually shared with you guys are playing TONIGHTFORFREE at Rittenhouse (7pm).

The weather is beautiful, go check it out. We’ll be there, will you?

takealookuplauren: grandchildren - everlasting saw them last...

Sat, 18 Aug 2012 11:55:21 -0400

takealookuplauren:

grandchildren - everlasting

saw them last night and can’t get this song out of my head; not mad about it.

Roomtone is certainly music that can set a relaxed tone in any...

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 14:02:00 -0400

Roomtone is certainly music that can set a relaxed tone in any room. It is seldom that I get a chance to hear bossa nova style without throwing on “The Girl from Ipanema,” so I was impressed when I came across Roomtone’s amalgamation of bossa nova, indie and pop music. The cool jazzy bossa nova sound adds a rythemic underlying guitar tone that melds seamlessly with a playful yet vaguely melancholy beatles-esque (think While My Guitar Gently Weeps) tambourine and drum beat. Alexander Yaker’s voice ebbs with warmth, adding an unhurried measured approach to the lyrics. It’s sort of like waiting for honey (trite as that sounds) to roll down the insides of that bear shaped bottle, sometimes you just have to slow down, relax and the good things will get to you. A good message to take a moment and calm down on a hectic Friday.

-A.H.

loveandsoundwaves: Even Out - Vintage Kicks This South...

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 11:46:21 -0400

loveandsoundwaves:

Even Out - Vintage Kicks

This South Jersey/Philly quintet delivers a punk sound that is unique to no other band that I have heard. It is a sounds that the Philly music scene has sorely needed. The group’s compositions contain a refreshingly hasty precision in both musical feel and lyrical content. Constantly releasing singles and gigging like mad, Vintage Kicks are definitely a band to keep an eye on.

MisterRo

Couldn’t agree with the above more! <3 Philly Indie

THE LAWSUITS - “THAT’S HOW” We were caught off...

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 12:08:00 -0400

THE LAWSUITS - “THAT’S HOW”

We were caught off guard by this new ethereal release by The Lawsuits (a band we’ve previously featured with a quite lighter live southern-folk-pop song). The aesthetics of the video are fun and mystical, but mostly digging this darker side of The Lawsuits with the overall “grave-digger blues” feel. Definitely a good Monday morning song, and we are digging the evolving versatility of this band.