Foxy Python's Flying Circus: 2010

12/25/10

Show Review: Chiddy Bang & Kingsfoil

On November 13, I got to see a blog-hyped artist that actually was everything they were cracked up to be. Philly's own Chiddy Bang-former Drexel students Chidera "Chiddy" Anamege and Noah "Xaphoon Jones" Beresin-have been pumping out tracks sampling MGMT, Passion Pit, Ellie Goulding, and a bunch of other names likely to be found on this blog and elsewhere, eventually getting signed by a major label after exposure on Pretty Much Amazing.

Live, Chiddy raps and Xaph plays a drum kit (which they ask the venue to provide, evidently). They did a set of old and new material, focusing heavily on the recently released EP The Preview, the only collection of Chiddy Bang material actually for sale. The others, mixtapes The Swelly Express and Air Swell, are available for free download [hint: click the titles]. "Pass Out", from the latter tape, was definitely a crowd favorite, probably because of the number of students who have spent time in England for study abroad and love Tinie Tempah. Lead single "Opposite of Adults", which samples MGMT's "Kids", got the biggest reaction, as expected. Interaction between songs was generally limited to the usual hip-hop hype-man antics, with the exception of an impressive freestyle method involving writing ideas from the crowd on paper plates and then handing them to Chiddy one after the other as he goes in.

Local stalwarts Kingsfoil opened after SAB agonized for weeks over the choice and ended up too late to do anything more in-genre (like my suggestions Brite Futures or B.Reith). They remind me for some reason of a cross between Bon Jovi and Switchfoot. The Swinging Bridge got an interview with them here (Chiddy said no interviews).

There was some controversy after the show, as memebers of Chiddy's entourage were racially profiled by local police and accused of smoking marijuana. No proof was found, but their car was impounded and the whole crew had to come back the next day to pick it up and pay a fine for smoking tobacco in a non-smoking area (i.e. Messiah campus). SAB's explanation (and lead-up article in the Bridge) can be found here.

Merry Christmas: The Best Dance Tracks of 2010

My criteria: I must have actually played this out at least once this year and it must have come out this year. Other than that it is purely subjective.

Originals:
1. Magic - B.O.B. featuring Rivers Cuomo
I've been following B.O.B. ever since I heard his dark, Beatles-sampling club anthem "Lonely People" a couple years ago, so when he not only blew up but dropped a single this addictive featuring Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, I lost my mind.

2. All I Do Is Win - DJ Khaled featuring Ludacris, Rick Ross, Snoop Dogg, and T-Pain
My love of T-Pain overcame my hatred of Khaled on this one, helped along by an insane Luda verse and a way-too-easy pause right before the hook to build dancefloor anticipation. Rick Ross keeps pace on his big year, and Snoop builds on his new strategy of dropping great albums no one listens to while keeping in the spotlight with throwaway guest verses.

3. F*** You - Cee-Lo Green
Watching the eccentric Cee-Lo come into his own over the years with Goodie Mob and Gnarls Barkley has been fun, and Motown-inspired production and a catchy Bruno Mars-penned hook provide the perfect counterpoint to his vocal. Post-breakup sendoffs should not sound this epic.

4. Blah Blah Blah - Ke$ha feat. 3oh!3
The two most-annoying-to-type artists in America convinced me with their domination of dancefloors in the UK. My Warped-Tour-kids-who-party friends put me up on 3oh!3 back in the day, and I've bumped every Benny Blanco beat since Bangers & Cash. Plus, it's interesting hearing hip-hop's overt gender roles flipped for once.

5. W.T.P. - Eminem
The concession to old Eminem on the recovered Eminem's album, this song is an anthem that will unfortunately never be a hit. Lines like "if your bellybutton's not an innie then I'm outtie" remind us why we liked Eminem in the first place while we warm up for what is sure to be an epic white trash party.

Remixes:

1. Forever [Nero Remix] - Drake featuring Eminem, Kanye West, and Lil' Wayne
One of the definitive posse cuts gets the dubstep-lite treatment, switching up the order to get Em's return to form in earlier. The only way this could have been better is the inclusion of Kardinal's verse from the original mixtape version. It does manage to squeeze in the ubiquitous Degrassi star, the most infamous tweeter, and everyone's favorite recently released convict.

2. Bottoms Up [Emynd Atlanta Bass Remix] - Trey Songz featuring Nicki Minaj
Gotta get Nicki in here somewhere, and where better than on a party anthem that needed a bump up in tempo. Trey has had a big year (notice him farther down) and I always love Emynd's work; I spent my 21st birthday at his monthly The Bounce putting a few too many bottoms up.

Trey & Nicki "Bottoms Up (Emynd Atlanta Bass Remix)" by Emynd

3. Last Night [Kolstrom Remix] - Peter Bjorn and John
A kid I met in Paris who was also spending a semester abroad in England picked up more than just a taste of dubstep; he got the skills for it too. Whenever I want explain dubstep to someone, I play Caspa, Rusko, Flying Lotus, Skream, and this. It helps out that almost no one has heard it, so they're all shocked when the huge drop comes in on an otherwise mellow PB&J track.

Peter Bjorn and John - Last Night (Kolstrom Remix) by kolstrom
4. Dancing with the DJ [Chiddy Bang Remix] - The Knocks
I came across this prepping for the KNO Clothing launch party, and I love the indie disco feel of the O.G. Knocks track, Chiddy, and his take on it. Chiddy has been everywhere this year (including a show at Messiah), with spot on production and remixing by Xaphoon Jones. I'd love to include "Pass Out" but I haven't dropped it live yet so it doesn't fit the criteria.

Chiddy Bang - Dancing With The DJ (Remix) f/ The Knocks by Pretty Much Amazing
5. Say Ah [Emynd Edit featuring Reef the Lost Cauze] - Trey Songz
Trey again, this time with my favorite underground rapper, Reef the Lost Cauze, courtesy of Emynd (again). This song was just a bit too catchy, got overplayed, and then the opportunity to showcase some local Philly talent let me bring it back into sets. Emynd does a great job cleaning it up, at least compared to the version on Reef's recent Raiders of the Lost Art tape.

Trey Songz "Say Ah" (Emynd Edit ft Reef The Lost Cauze" by Emynd

12/24/10

Show Review: SALT House #2/Fox and the Hound Live

My second time providing audio for a SALT House Concert was actually at the Reconciliation House. Phil had booked Jamie Kent & the Options and Chicken Little to play on a Tuesday night, and then found out he had to go on a required field trip to NYC for a class that day. Resulting lack of publicity and coordination led to Jared and I hanging out with Jamie Kent and his band at the Recon House until more people got there. When "more people" meant one girl, one guy who lived there, and Chicken Little, we decided it would be better to kick this punk rock style and have them play an unauthorized show onstage at the Union.

Jamie Kent & the Options captured the attention of those eating and studying around the room quickly with their breezy, upbeat blues-folk, good humor, and a singalong Beatles cover. Their set ran into the time for our radio show, so Jared went and kicked things off on-air while I watched their merch. Just after Chicken Little took the stage to play what I can only describe as polka punk, I took Jamie's trio into the V to set them up for a live performance. The duo had the Union clapping and stomping along in no time; I only wish I had gotten to see more of their set.

Having two bands on air was complicated by the fact that we already had two artists scheduled to come on the show to interview/perform to advertise an upcoming show at The Station: Stacey Dee and Suzi Brown. Somehow we managed to squeeze in a few songs from each artist, DJing occasionally in between. Stacey and Suzi collaborated on each other's singer-songwriter material and Suzi played some intense fingerstyle guitar (a la Kaki King), and we ended the night by recording all of them doing a liner for The Fox and the Hound Show that you should be hearing on air next semester.

Fratrap & Joey AX

DJ a couple of bangers for Alpha Gamma Rho at Penn State, beatbox at the Friday Freestyle cyphers at Temple, and drop some tapes from an up-and-coming white rapper and you just might end up an expert on fratrap. Fratrap is what happens when you put hip-hop music, beer, and a bunch of white guys in a house on a regular basis, like what happens in most frat houses all across America. Eventually somebody gets up and starts rhyming. Some of them are actually pretty good, usually the ones who emulate true-school hip-hop the most, and at the very least it's not just radio music playing at the parties anymore. On the spectrum of white rap, it's a lot closer to Asher Roth-who was himself part of the fratrap scene at West Chester before dropping out-than Eminem, Mike Shinoda, or Yelawolf.

Guide to this video: what is wrong with fratrap, Joey AX, his producer Michael Piffington
One such scion of the fratrap scene is Joey AX, who hates the radio, Jersey Shore, and the false American dream our parents bought into so much that he is denouncing it all on concept street album The Goodbye America Project. Lead singles "Swagger Thru the Speakers" and "She's Gone" feature sample-based production and what sounds like live drumming, two signs that this just might be true-school hip-hop instead of imitation "I Love College". Download the mixtape he and Mike Piff, Joey's producer and fellow MC, dropped for free here and judge for yourself.

12/22/10

Show Review: Go Tell It On The Mountain Tour

My friends at the Restoration House and in Earthkeepers arranged for the Go Tell It On The Mountain tour to drop by SouthSide Cafe one Tuesday night. The tour, sponsored by Christian environmentalist group Restoring Eden, featured a multimedia presentation on mountaintop removal coal mining, accompanied by soulful bluegrass and folk by singer-songwriter Aaron Lee Martin.

For those who aren't familiar, mountaintop removal involves blowing up the tops of mountains to access the coal beneath, destroying ecosystems and ruining air and water for the surrounding communities. This practice has been ruining Appalachia for years, so what better way to protest than with the folk music its people are famous for? Martin's plaintive melodies provided the perfect backdrop to the deeply sorrowful images and videos on the screen, though he lightened the mood with a follow-up set later on.

Since I provided the audio equipment for the show/presentation, we were able to have Aaron come perform live later that night on The Fox and the Hound. Since it was our first live on-air performance, we jury-rigged it, pointing one mic at him and the other at his guitar. Just as we expected, our listeners loved it, and we've been playing tunes from his album on the show ever since.

DJ News: KNO Clothing Launch Party

My friend Liz DeJesus, aka DJ DeJesus, was tapped to provide the music for the launch of KNO Clothing. KNO is the brainchild of two Messiah graduates who want to help the homeless. Basically, you buy a t-shirt or hoodie and 50% of the cost is either donated to homeless shelters or used to provide direct aid, like warm clothing, to local homeless people. They wanted some hipster music Liz didn't have, so she asked Jared (The Hound) and I to come along. Between presentations by the founders and a formerly homeless man, we pumped out jams by Phoenix, Passion Pit, Chiddy Bang, and LCD Soundsystem while the guests socialized, ate delicious food courtesy of venue Passage to India Restaurant, and watched as the KNO line was modeled by various friends of the company. We threw together this special "Foxy Jesus" edit of Matt & Kim's "Daylight" and the Ninjasonik rap version for the occasion that got a pretty good crowd response.

Matt & Kim - Daylight [Foxy Jesus Rap Mix][feat. Ninjasonik] by thefoxandthehound

Show Reviews: SALT House Concert

Now that I'm moving into the SALT House in Harrisburg, it may seem a little late to cover these as an outsider, but since I was supposed to run audio in both cases it doesn't make much difference. My friend Phil Wilmot, formerly of hardcore act Judges as well as folkies The Legacy of Joseph-Michel Montgolfier [reviewed here], used some contacts in the underground house-show scene to get touring bands to drop by on their way to more important places in exchange for a place to crash.

The first show I was involved in warmed up with acoustic sets by Kyle Rictor, Nathan Leigh, and local Trunks & Tales in an apartment before moving downstairs for the sonic assault of punks Run, Forever and post-rockers Deadhorse.

Rictor, a Messiah dropout based out of Nashville, performs with backing vocals by his wife Kelsey in an intimate style perfectly suited to the small room. Their intertwining voices mesmerized the small group that gathered with gentle guitar accompaniment that belied his imposing frame. His songs have since been regularly featured on The Fox and the Hound Show, and will soon make it onto a mixtape for my girlfriend.

Nathan Leigh is Brooklyn to the core, splitting time between indie-pop outfit Super Mirage and Latin post-punk band A Thousand Ships. With day jobs designing sound both for musical theater and Keroscene Records, his sheer output of work is incredible. Though on record much of his solo work is electronic-inflected, Leigh live is an engaging acoustic act, filled with anecdotes about his songs peppered with a biting wit. He has also received some airplay from my radio show, and "Letters, Postcards, Telegrams" will be on the aforementioned mixtape.

Letters, Postcards, Telegrams by nathanleigh

Trunks & Tales, once a duo, is now the solo project of Daniel Anderson, whose negative songs about touring are only matched by willingness to play shows. His most recent effort is an album of covers of everything from Further Seems Forever to Counting Crows, which, like the rest of his music, is available at whatever price you choose to name on Bandcamp.

[insert reference to previous Monty Python reference and how much more appropriate it would be here if I hadn't already used it in the previous show review]

I actually did run sound for Run, Forever, putting my 1100 watts to use to make the vocal audible over their guitar and bass amps and drum kit in the tiny space of the SALT House lobby. After a brief but enthusiastic set, my task switched to making a keyboard audible over the wail of postrock guitars being put out by Deadhorse. Since their enormous amps and proclivity for walls of distortion made this virtually impossible, it did not surprise me when we were shut down after a song or two due to noise ordinances of some kind. I probably would have been more impressed with both acts in a larger room, but in such close quarters their emphasis on noise and disregard for my equipment began to make me feel like an old man.

Catching up with OnCue & CJ Luzi

You may remember producer CJ Luzi and OnCue, the rapper he most often works with, from my previous posts. Around Thanksgiving, OnCue dropped the cleverly-titled Leftovers, featuring tracks that didn't make the cut for Cuey Sings The Blues, including a few with beats by Luzi. You can find that tape for free download here.

[photo by Erika Ricchini of Troubador]
CJ and mutual friend and producer Bryan "Pianoboi" Porter, who was actually the entertainment during the dinner of my junior prom, were part of the iStandard producers showcase at Fluid just off of South Street, at which Luzi was dubbed the crowd favorite.

The biggest development is the launch of cjluzi.com, the front page of which links to the two OnCue tapes and my personal favorite track, "Lucifer and Friends", Luzi's contribution to Mick Boogie & Terry Urban's Viva La Hova re-release. For those who didn't cop it the first time out, Viva La Hova is a mixtape mashing Jay-Z vocals with Coldplay-sampling instrumentals. For those who did, make sure you grab the remastered version here, and especially the bonus tracks to get this jam from Luzi.

Show Reviews: December B-sides

Due to Christmas break, there were only two shows in Messiah's b-sides series this month, but lack of quantity was made up by quality. The first of these two trios was The Wiyos, a nostalgic-folk act that made me feel like I was seeing all the best bits of my grandparents' record collection performed live. Fresh off a national tour with Bob Dylan, who handpicked them to open, the tightly harmonizing multi-instrumentalists enthralled us with a ridiculously wide variety of original compositions ranging from bluegrass to polka, including a soon-to-be recorded suite based on The Wizard of Oz. Their impressive array of instrumentation included everything from upright bass to kazoo, the latter even managing not to come off kitschy; kitsch could hardly come from such impeccably dressed, consummate professionals.

As John Cleese was fond of saying, "And now for something completely different..." The Andreas Kapsalis Trio is an instrumental group centered on guitarist Andreas Kapsalis, who plays a percussive fingerstyle not far removed from that of Alex Brubaker, a friend of mine who has been covered here before and was influential in bringing him to Messiah. Not content to play solo, Kapsalis spices things up with a pair of percussionists, adding propulsive polyrhythms to his original film scores and interpretations of other improvisation-oriented musicians' work. A perfect close to the semester, the trio provided excellent background music for those studying for finals while captivating those who needed a break with an intense and technical performance.

12/4/10

My Remixes

Those of you who have heard me DJ may have been lucky enough to hear one or two of my exclusive edits of various tracks. I just got a Soundcloud, so here are my first and most recent remixing efforts for your listening/downloading enjoyment:

Lollipop [Foxy Remix] by thefoxandthehound

Like A G6 [Foxy Remix] by thefoxandthehound

12/3/10

Show Reviews: November B-sides

The month of November was packed with goodness here at Messiah. First up was Chicago reggae outfit The Drastics with frequent collaborator Fada Dougou. They began the set with a short instrumental set before Dougou joined them onstage to add vocals to the guitars, horns, and electronics that got the party started. The diversity of reggae-based styles the band is able to play is amazing-from dub to ska and everything in between. Fada's lyrics, both written and improvised, kept a positive vibe going throughout as we danced late into the night. The track they are performing in this video has become a regular on The Fox and the Hound Show and in our live sets:

Reminding us that b-sides is not just a weekly dance party, singer-songwriter Griffin House brought his smoldering bluesy folk to us the following week. The ladies were enthralled and the gentlemen sufficiently entertained as well. Enough description from me-this tune is sure to find its way onto a mixtape for my girlfriend Ashley soon enough, and captures the atmosphere fairly well:

The party was not to be stopped, however, and Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang were the next act to charm both eyes and ears in Larsen Student Union. Complex polyrhythms kept all but the hardcore few from the dancefloor, but rewarded those of us that persisted with a virtually unstoppably energetic interactive performance from the aging patriarch of Bubu music. Janka Nabay was a star in war-torn Sierra Leone before run-ins with both rebel and government forces forced him to emigrate to the United States, where he hooked up with Ohio-by-way-of-NYC Afrobeat collective Skeletons, lending them some African street cred and appropriating their instruments into his "Bubu Gang". Attempting to replicate the sounds of an ancient Ramadan processional with Western instrumentation cannot be easy, but the Gang seems to do fairly well judging by the exuberance of their semi-traditionalist frontman. Nabay's enthusiasm is infectious, and hopefully he will continue sharing his beloved Bubu instead of my beloved Crown fried chicken as he did in Philly before finding his way into the Brooklyn music scene.

11/12/10

The New Division

My girlfriend's best friend's boyfriend (wow that's a mouthful) is in an excellent band out in California called The New Division. I was able to hang out with them a little bit while I was out there visiting her, and they are putting out some genuinely quality stuff, heavily influenced by New Order and Joy Division. They are doing so well, in fact, that high and mighty Pitchfork has graced their latest single, "Starfield", with their stamp of approval - giving you a free download in the process, just a few days after my own Fox and the Hound Show did so with some East Coast airplay.

Starfield by The New Division

Become a fan on Facebook for more info and definitely see them live if you're out West, I'm told it's quite the experience.

Show Reviews: October B-sides

B-sides this past month was quite the mixed bag. Clare and the Reasons led off on October 6th with soothing chamber pop. To be honest, it provided a pleasant background to socializing more than anything else, mostly due to a lack of rhythm. I would highly recommend them as homework listening. I almost they would return, rather than some of the more interactive acts that have been performing when I need to get work done.

Next up was local outfit Captain of Compliments, who apparently had broken up for months and chose this as their first show back. They evidently didn't think they needed much practice, and it showed. Their supposedly genre-defying sound just sounded like a disorganized collection of songs that didn't know what they were trying to be, an impression only increased by their spastic stage presence. I think it was the 5th b-sides I've walked out of in 3 years on campus.

If the first two shows of October weren't my cup of tea, the final one made up for it in spades. Not one but two up-and-coming hardcore acts graced the stage in Larsen Student Union on the 27th. New Jersey openers Where the Ocean Meets the Sky were the more impressive act from my perspective, with virtually flawless vocals, even while soloing and singing clean vocal simultaneously, showing the benefits of maturity. An Early Ending was definitely the crowd favorite, however, with a much bigger group getting on their feet and moving around a little (to the extent that pacifists mosh) when they hit the stage. A more youthful group, they are supposedly poised to be the next Texas in July (who are supposed to be the next August Burns Red), and evidently the local kids agree. I spent some time talking to both bands afterward, and they all seemed like genuinely nice guys.They were much less dissatisfied than I with the stillness of the crowd, swapping horror stories about various venues out on tour. And for the record, the frontman of WTOMTS is not Zach Galifianakis.

11/2/10

Kolstrom

I met Tim Kolstrom in Paris on my way back from Venice to England. We spent the day wandering the city and talking about dance music. Little did I know that his time in England would lead to the production of some filthy dubstep.

Dually based out of Penn State and his hometown of Hershey, PA, Kolstrom is poised to break out with flawless productions and excellent track selection. His remix of Peter Bjorn and John's "Last Night" has become a regular feature of Jared and I's Fox and the Hound Show:

Peter Bjorn and John - Last Night (Kolstrom Remix) by kolstrom

Make sure to become a fan of his Facebook page for updates and upcoming parties.

Show Reviews: September B-sides

Judging by the lack of feedback on the last show post, it isn't worth the effort to get back into that until I get some content back up to promote readership. In the interest of catching up on lost time, I will lump some posts together.

On September 8, atmospheric piano rockers Deas Vail provided one of the rare shows that completely fills the cavernous space of Larsen Student Union with sound. Their music can almost be described as an indie/emo stadium rock, and had many Messiah students rocking out in their best shoegaze poses, singing along with every lyric to well-beloved songs. Tiny frontman Wes Blaylock captivated the audience with his vocal ability and onstage theatrics, bringing a more popular focus to otherwise technical and spacious arrangements.

September 15 brought La Alianza Latina's Mexican Independence Day celebration, featuring dance lessons beforehand that did not fail to pay off when Jose Conde took the stage with his Afro-Latin jazz-funk combo. Propulsive beats and sexy guitar fills kept the dancefloor packed despite a late start and even later ending. Stuck in traffic on the way from NYC, Conde arrived late but insisted on playing a full set, concluding by bringing his dog out on stage for a song written about him, a Messiah College first to my knowledge.

The last b-sides of the month featured Greta Salpeter of The Hush Sound's new band, Gold Motel. Though often described as Californians (even by b-sides maestro Ryan Faus), the band actually hails from Chicago, and simply wrote much of their album Summer House in Southern California. That summery SoCal sound makes for a pleasant evening, and the band's sunny dispositions made for great conversation afterward as well.

10/1/10

Music Video: Letters from the Prom - Over the Moon

A few months back I went on a short California tour with Letters from the Prom. We shot a bunch of video footage, and Marc recently edited it all together to make a video for his song "Over the Moon" starring himself, me, my girlfriend, and her friend Brooke. Check it out:

Opulent October

Don't tell me you have nothing to do.

Friday 10/1
The B-52s, Gang, Robert Drake (of Sex Dwarf) @ Electric Factory 8 PM $42
OR
Jason DeRulo, Auburn @ Ram's Head Live 7 PM $28

Saturday 10/2
Letters from the Prom [show review here] @ Juice & Java 8 PM FREE
OR
Music For Malawa: Mark DeRose Band, The Mint, The Jellybricks, Tourmaline, Mycenea Worley @ The Abbey Bar 8 PM $10
OR
Valencia, Automatic Loveletter, Oh the Story [show review here], For the Foxes @ Ottobar 5 PM $10

Sunday 10/3
(21+) Born Ruffians, Winter Gloves, Toy Soldiers @ Johnny Brenda's 8 PM $12
OR
Switchfoot, The Almost @ Electric Factory 7:30 PM $25

Monday 10/4
Four Year Strong, Comeback Kid, The Wonder Years, American Fangs @ Starlight Ballroom (for venues without links see http://www.r5productions.com) 6 PM $17

Tuesday 10/5
The Hold Steady, Wintersleep @ The Troc 8 PM SOLD OUT

Wednesday 10/6
Ratatat, Dom @ Electric Factory 8 PM $24
OR
Clare and the Reasons @ B-sides FREE
OR
Mike Posner, Stephen Jerzak, 2 AM Club, Far East Movement @ TLA 7 PM $33

Thursday 10/7
Built to Spill, Love As Laughter, Revolt Revolt @ The Troc 7 PM $23 (or next day @ 9:30 Club)
OR
Ryan Cabrera, Michele Karmin @ Tin Angel 8 PM $15 (or next day @ Croc Rock)

Friday 10/8
The Roots @ Ram's Head Live 9 PM $45

Saturday 10/9
An Early Ending, To Speak Of Wolves, Holding Onto Hope, This Day Will Tell, Amateur Theory, Fear the Fallen @ Chameleon 5 PM $12

Sunday 10/10
Rookie of the Year, The Right Coast, Kids of Survival, Hiccup Helen @ Croc Rock 6 PM $12
OR
K'Naan, Paper Tongues @ 9:30 Club 7 PM $21
OR
Gorillaz, N.E.R.D. @ Susquehanna Bank Center 7:30 PM $62-112

Monday 10/11
Jimmy Eat World, We Were Promised Jetpacks @ Electric Factory 8 PM $32

Tuesday 10/12
Los Campesinos!, Johnny Foreigner @ Johnny Brenda's 9 PM $15

Wednesday 10/13
Enter Shikari, Haste the Day, Sleeping With Sirens, Ms. White, Lights Go Blue @ 1st Unitarian 6:30 PM $14 (or previous night @ Ottobar)
OR
Captain of Compliments @ B-sides FREE
OR
Deerhunter, Casino vs Japan, Ducktails @ Starlight Ballroom 7:30 PM $15 (or previous night @ 9:30 Club)
OR
Suicide Silence, My Children My Bride, Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza, Molotov Solution, Conducting from the Grave @ The Troc 6 PM $19

Thursday 10/14
(18+) Ghostface Killah, Sheek Louch (of the L.O.X.), Frank Dukes @ The Troc 8 PM $24
OR
Belle & Sebastian, Versus @ D.A.R. Constitution Hall 7 PM $40

Friday 10/15
Ingrid Michaelson, Guggenheim Grotto @ The Troc 7 PM $24 (or previous night @ 9:30 Club)

Saturday 10/16
Sara Bareilles, Greg Laswell, Holly Conlan @ The Troc 7 PM SOLD OUT

Sunday 10/17
The New Pornographers, Tokyo Police Club @ 9:30 Club 7 PM $32 (or previous night @ Ram's Head Live)
OR
Circa Survive, Codeseven, Animals as Leaders @ Recher Theatre 6 PM $20

Monday 10/18
All Time Low, Rocket to the Moon, City (Comma) State @ North Star Bar 7 PM SOLD OUT

Tuesday 10/19
(21+) First Aid Kit, Ferraby Lionheart @ Johnny Brenda's 9 PM $12
OR
The Dirty Heads, Among Criminals, Lukas JP & Nomad Clientele @ TLA 8 PM $27
OR
Senses Fail, Bayside, Title Fight, Balance and Composure @ Chameleon 6 PM $17

Wednesday 10/20
Mayday Parade, Breathe Carolina, Every Avenue @ TLA 6 PM $26 (or at Recher Theatre with Artist vs. Poet, Go Radio following night)
OR
The Rocket Summer @ North Star Bar 7 PM $15
OR
Cute Is What We Aim For, Mercy Mercedes, Phone Calls From Home, The Sunday Scene @ Chameleon 6 PM $14
OR
The Ataris @ Croc Rock 6 PM $14 (or 10/18 @ Ottobar w/ Don't Panic, Singleton, Run the Risk, Things That Fly)
OR
We the Kings, Cash Cash, The Getaways @ Recher Theatre 6 PM $15

Thursday 10/21
DeVotckKa, Mischief Brew, West Philadelphia Orchestra, Kruno Spisic @ Electric Factory 8 PM $28

Friday 10/22
(21+) Making Time w/ The Drums, Surfer Blood @ Voyeur 9 PM $15
OR
Guster, Eli "Paperboy" Reed & The True Loves @ Electric Factory 8:30 PM $30 (or @ DAR Constitution Hall following night)
OR
(18+) Rusko, Dirty South Joe, Flufftronix @ The Troc $15/20
OR
(21+) The Paste Tour: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Langhorne Slim, Jesse Sykes and Phil Wandscher (ex-Whiskeytown), Mimicking Birds @ North Star Bar 8 PM $18

Saturday 10/23
Bad Books (Kevin Devine & Manchester Orchestra), Right Away Great Captain! (Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra), Gobotron (Robert McDowell of Manchester Orchestra), Dead Confederate @ North Star Bar 6:30 PM $16 (or next night @ Ottobar)
OR
Mae (original lineup reunion)[show review here], Terrible Things (ex-Taking Back Sunday [show review here], ex-The Color Fred [show review here], ex-Hot Rod Circuit), Windsor Drive, The Mint @ Chameleon 7 PM $15
OR
Citizen Cope @ Croc Rock 7 PM $25
OR
Phoenix, Jenny and Johnny (Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley and Johnathan Rice), Wavves @ Tower Theater 8 PM $42-58

Sunday 10/24
Matt and Kim, Donnis @ Starlight Ballroom 7:30 PM $17 (or previous night @ Ram's Head Live)

Monday 10/25
Eisley @ North Star Bar 7 PM $17

Tuesday 10/26
3oh!3, Hellogoodbye, Down With Webster @ Croc Rock 7 PM $22

Wednesday 10/27
An Early Ending, Where The Ocean Meets The Sky @ B-sides FREE
OR
Preservation Hall Jazz Band @ The Whittaker Center 7:30 PM $39

Friday 10/29
Hey Monday, Cartel, The Ready Set, This Century, We Are The In Crowd @ 1st Unitarian 7 PM $15 (or 10/26 @ Recher Theatre)
OR
Jedi Mind Tricks, Freeway, Reef the Lost Cauze @ The Troc 7 PM $22 (or previous night w/ RA the Rugged Man instead of Freeway @ Recher Theatre)
OR
Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Tauk @ 9:30 Club 8 PM $25 (or next night again)(or 10/22 @ Ram's Head Live with Martin Sexton, Hill Country Revue instead of Tauk)

Saturday 10/30
Michael Franti and Spearhead, Bobby Long @ Electric Factory 9 PM $27
OR
The Summer Set, Stereo Skyline, Mod Sun, Austin Gibbs @ Croc Rock 6 PM $14

Sunday 10/31
Anberlin [show review here], Crash Kings, Civil Twilight @ 9:30 Club 4:30 PM $20

Show Review: Bess Rogers & Allie Moss

I was just reading a great article on a busy musician in Citypaper, which reminded me of a little tour that dropped by Messiah for our first B-sides this semester. A couple years back, indie-pop singer-songwriter (oh hyphens) Ingrid Michaelson played a big show here, and evidently the band enjoyed it. Last spring, Bess Rogers and Allie Moss, both members of Ingrid's touring band, were scheduled to play at B-sides when one of the Snowpocalypses hit and blocked all roads from NYC to central PA. As you may remember, I was managing Marc Seeley (aka Letters from the Prom) at the time, and he graciously played a second b-sides gig as a substitute.

Undaunted, the ladies rescheduled and joined us for the opening show of the fall semester on September 1st. Moss warmed the crowd up with intimate folk ballads, then Rogers batted clean-up with bouncier kernels of indie-pop goodness. Worth the wait? Probably.

9/9/10

The Fox and The Hound Show

My roommate Jared High and I have a weekly radio show on 90.7 FM WVMM, Messiah College Radio. Tuesdays from 9-11 PM you can hear us play whatever we feel like playing. Last week we gave away a pair of tickets to see Spoon and The Shackeltons in Harrisburg, as well as a pair for the Immature Comedy Tour at Carlisle Theater - both on September 11. Listen in to hear what we've been pumping through our overly large room sound system, special guest stars (most recently our roommate Matt Hannigan of local band House Exit), and possibly win more free stuff. If you don't live locally, listen online at http://www.messiah.edu/wvmm/listen.html

Show Review: The Juliana Theory Reunion

For those who don't know, The Juliana Theory was a Pittsburgh 6-piece act that participated in the huge growth of emo/screamo in the late 90s and early 00s before breaking up in 2006. The frontman went solo, and 3 other members formed a band called Vesta. This year they played 6 shows as a celebration of the 10th anniversary of their influential album Emotion Is Dead.

I was able to catch their show in Philly at The Troc (my favorite venue) with my sister. We have been listening to The Juliana Theory since about 2007, and always regretted not being able to see them live, so this was a phenomenal opportunity.

They took the stage a bit later than expected, but the sold-out crowd was mostly getting drinks in the upstairs bar section, an older demographic than the average show here. Opening with a set of favorites from their other albums, the band gradually overcame an initial awkwardness between frontman Brett Detar and the rest of the members. This discomfort was consistent with the rumors about his ego causing their split, and clearly evidenced by his obvious enjoyment of working the crowd, etc., while the instrumentalists seemed to slog through as one would a desk job. [edit: an insider assures me this is not the case and that the band thoroughly enjoys each others' company both onstage and off]

When they returned to play EID in its entirety, the crowd's excitement and their own love of the songs overcame their differences and led to much more showmanship and interaction from all of the band members. They easily surmounted the challenges of playing songs they'd never done live before, such as "Something Isn't Right Here", much to the crowd's satisfaction. The absolutely epic 'big rock ending' of "Goodnight, Goodnight" had hardly faded when crowd chanting brought them back for a further encore so lengthy as to almost be called a third set.

The band's comfort on stage, once it developed, was obvious, cracking jokes about a fight with security the last time they played The Troc and wondering why Philly always provides a better crowd than their home in Pittsburgh. Their showmanship throughout was phenomenal, with Brett's magnetic personality and elvish Michael Jackson appearance centering it all as the crowd sang along. I only wish I could go see them again like the multiple fans present planning on traveling to all 6 shows.

Free Download: Cuey Sings The Blues

OnCue just released his mixtape Cuey Sings The Blues on Tuesday, which you might remember from my previous post. It features extensive production by my man CJ Luzi, whose official website http://www.cjluzi.com is now up! You can find a download link on that page. Check them both out, give it a listen, and support hip-hop sampling from some different sources. Seems like big names are getting on board with this type of project now that Kanye has Bon Iver singing on his tracks and whatnot. This is the next big thing.If you like what you hear, get at them on Facebook: OnCue & CJ Luzi.