Paste Magazine mPlayer

As the music director of WVMM my sophomore year at Messiah, I was encouraged to read Paste as a way of determining what music we should be putting on the playlist and purchasing for the library. I was hooked. A magazine covering pop culture in all its aspects, focusing on independent manifestations thereof rather than the ordinary industrialized bits. Unfortunately, I caught the tail end of this wonderful trove of culture, as Paste ceased its print publication in September 2010. While I have still followed their blog(s) and e-mail blasts, I've missed the long-form pieces (like this) especially.

It turns out I'm in luck, as Paste is returning as a weekly multimedia subscription service called the mPlayer. It will be in beta for free all summer and start up in earnest in the fall. (via Paste)

The Fox and the Hound Show - Last Time on the V

Alas,all good things must come to an end, even The Fox and the Hound Show on WVMM. This was our final show, broadcast during senior week after pretty much everything at school had already been shut down. We will be looking for another station that will allow us at least a modicum of freedom in the future, but for the time being are on indefinite hiatus. Our live DJing, while substantially different, is still going on.

In more positive news, Mixcloud now has an iPhone app, so go download that to take The Fox and the Hound with you wherever you go.

The Fox and the Hound Show - 4/26/11

The last time we had Bishop's Garden perform on the show, we crammed their full band into the green room of the WVMM studios. They rocked a bit too hard for such a small space and the microphones couldn't quite handle it, which left our listeners with an incorrect impression of the Annapolis outfit's sound. This time around, frontman Joe Memmel and guitarist/songwriter Paul Bowers gave us a stripped-down acoustic performance that left us even more impressed than we had been previously.

The Fox and the Hound Show - 3/29/11

This week's show was supposed to include guest DJing by Jared "The Hound" High's parents, who were kept away by weather, and a live performance by Natalie Ness, who was under it. It did not, but it did include the usual inane joking and bizarre 3-song genre explorations. Listen & enjoy (?)

Be sure to catch Natalie, Jeff Waters & Matt Wagner at First Fridays [RSVP here] and Iron & Wine coming through this area later this month (Philly, Bmore, etc.) If you want to hear more dance music from us, Matt Pfeiffer and myself will be 'spinning' for Relay for Life here at Messiah next weekend.

The Fox and the Hound Show - 2/8/11

This week's radio show was a blast, minus some technical difficulties. Remember to become a fan of The Fox and the Hound on Facebook!

The Fox And The Hound Show - 2/8/11 by The_Fox_And_The_Hound on Mixcloud

The Fox and the Hound: Mixcloud

The Fox and the Hound Show is now on Mixcloud! We will be posting our 2 hour show each week (9-11 PM Tuesdays) there for your listening pleasure. Here is our first show back from our Christmas/J-term hiatus:

The Fox And The Hound Show - 2/1/11 by The_Fox_And_The_Hound on Mixcloud

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.

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

All Your Radio Needs

While Flying Circus Radio is on hiatus, listen to my once and future roommate Jared High, his cousin Bryce Stever, and other fabulous people on the PB & J show Thursdays from 10-midnight EST on 90.7 FM WVMM, Messiah College Radio, or online here. They'll be playing some Letters from the Prom and other wonderful tunes on the regular. Enjoy!

Show Review: Margot and the Nuclear So and So's (by Alex Brubaker)

Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s first appeared in at the V sometime in the spring of ’08. They were in with the new music and had some neat little description for themselves, so I gave them a try. Instantly I was blown away by a whimsical soundscape of awesome. They reminded me of a slightly less timid, more folksy Anathallo, whom I had seen around that time at a B-Sides.
Needless to say, when I heard that they were going to be playing B-Sides this spring, I was ecstatic. When the day finally arrived, I showed up early and further put off studying for a rather important final. They were a little slow to get to the stage, but it was well worth the wait once they walked on.
Not doing my research prior to seeing them, I was rather surprised to see that they were an 8 piece including a separate guy on percussion, a brass player, and a guy who played both lap steel guitar and violin. Many times you see these sorts of additions as gimmicks, but these were extremely talented musicians who tastefully added to the songs with every note both played and omitted. Despite having so many members, it’s not like there was so much going on in the music that it was hard to follow.
Afterwards I got the pleasure of talking to the brass player for a little bit. We discussed the band’s sound and imaginative writing as well as touching on a few of the oddities of the band’s sound. For instance, the suitcase used by the percussion guy. Inside the suitcase is a trigger. The trigger goes to the percussion guy’s drum pad. When triggered, the drum pad samples a recording of the suitcase… A rather round-about way of getting things done, but if it’s more reliable, why not?
This was an extremely strong ending to an excellent year of B-Sides provided by Margeaux. Ryan will definitely have a lot to live up to as next years B-Sides director, but I’ve got faith in him. Anyone who missed the B-Sides this year, especially Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s, definitely missed out.
Here's a video of them performing on Conan:


Interesting Side Note: In their contract, the band states that they can be paid in alcohol if money is a problem. Messiah just opted for the cash…
-Alex Brubaker

May Mayhem

It's that time, kids. Here's the schedule of shows in the Philly/Messiah area this month... New feature: I'm going to note in parentheses on some bands why I know them/you should go see them.

Friday 5/1
Bat For Lashes (WVMM playlist), Lewis & Clarke @ 1st Unitarian $14
OR
SOLD OUT Lady GaGa, White Tie Affair, Chester French (WVMM playlist), Cinema Bizarre $23
OR
Peter Bjorn and John (WVMM playlist) @ World Cafe Live $18
OR
Parkway Drive, Stick to Your Guns, My Children My Bride @ Croc Rock $14
OR
Fear Before the March of Flames, Every Minute Can Kill, Visions of Another, By Sundown @ Hangar 84 $12
OR
Alex Brubaker (Homeboy Music) @ The Coffee Company FREE
OR
Hoodwink (Bamboozle Covers Show) @ The Meadownlands $27 ($117 for 3 day pass)
OR
The Dead @ Wachovia Spectrum $54-482
OR
Alkaline Trio, Saves the Day, Single File @ Sonar $23 (or $22 5/5 @ Chameleon w/ Nightmare of You)

Saturday 5/2
Runner Runner, Liam and Me, Cheezy and the Crackers, Luminous, The Super Guys, Andrew Jude @ Hangar 84 $12
OR
Bamboozle Day 1 @ The Meadowlands $57 (will probably be rained out)
OR
The Dead @ Wachovia Spectrum $54-482
OR
Silverstein, Norma Jean, Blessthefall, Before Their Eyes @ Rams Head Live $20
OR
Sum 41, Inward Eye, American Taxi @ Sonar $15 (or 5/6 @ Chameleon)

Sunday 5/3
Del the Funky Homosapien (Ice Cube's indie conscious cousin), Mike Relm, Bukue One @ 1st Unitarian $14
OR
Adele (Grammy), The Script (WVMM playlist) @ Electric Factory $34.50
OR
Gojira, The Chariot (ex-Norma Jean), Car Bomb @ TLA $20
OR
Bamboozle Day 2 @ The Meadowlands $57
OR
India Arie @ Rams Head Live $32.50

Monday 5/4
There For Tomorrow, Versa Emerge, Conditions, Alert the Media @ Hangar 84 $12
OR
The Used @ Chameleon $19

Wednesday 5/6 (I will be DJing a film festival after party)
Junior Boys, Max Tundra (Buzz Band) @ 1st Unitarian $14
OR
Franz Ferdinand, Born Ruffians @ Electric Factory $28
OR
Fischerspooner, Drop the Lime @ TLA $22 (or $20 5/10 @ 9:30 Club)
OR
Margot & The Nuclear So-and-so's @ B-sides FREE

Thursday 5/7
Lady Sovereign, Chester French (WVMM playlist), Hollywood Holt @ 1st Unitarian $14 (or $20 5/9 @ 9:30 Club or $15 5/11 w/ Ninjasonik & DJ DLake @ Sonar)
OR
Forgive Durden, Anarbor, You Me and Everyone We Know, The Goodnight Anthem @ The Barbary $10

Friday 5/8
Mastodon, Kylesa, Intronaut @ TLA $? (could be sold out, also $20 5/12 @ 9:30 Club)
OR
Forever the Sickest Kids, White Tie Affair, Mercy Mercedes, Tina Parol @ Croc Rock $15
OR
The Bouncing Souls, The Loved Ones, Black President, Detournement @ Chameleon $20

Saturday 5/9
Lamb of God, As I Lay Dying, Children of Bodom, Municipal Waste, God Forbid @ Electric Factory $40 (or $40 5/11 @ Rams Head Live)
OR
Ben Harper & Relentless7 @ TLA $? (could be sold out)
OR
KRS-One @ Sonar $25

Sunday 5/10
Holiday Parade, Great Wings, Agree to Disagree, Cityscapes, Lisa Cavallaro @ Hangar 84 $12

Monday 5/11
Philadelphia Slick (b-sides last year), Akil the MC (of Jurassic 5) @ World Cafe Live $10
OR
Protest the Hero, Misery Signals, The Number 12 Looks Like You @ TLA $16 (or $14 5/8 @ Sonar w/ Fall From Grace, Arlington Sleeps added)

Tuesday 5/12
SOLD OUT Animal Collective, Grouper @ Electric Factory $23 (also sold out 5/11 @ 9:30 Club)
OR
Watch Out! There's Ghosts & more TBA @ Hangar 84 $12
OR
Leonard Cohen @ Academy of Music $133-850

Wednesday 5/13
Oh Sleeper, Vanna @ Croc Rock $12
OR
B-52s @ Rams Head Live $45

Thursday 5/14
The Ataris, Troubador (Homeboy Music), more TBA @ Hangar 84 $12
OR
Jagermeister Tour: Pennywise, Pepper, Authority Zero, The Supervillains @ Electric Factory $27 (also $25 9/13 @ 9:30 Club)
OR
(21+) E. Ness & a million other people @ The Troc $15

Friday 5/15
Innerpartysystem, Jealousy Curve, DJ Q-ball (of Bloodhound Gang), The Four Year Sin, Always Second Favorite, Above Yesterday, Six O'Clock Saints @ Croc Rock $12
OR
Peaches @ TLA $23
OR
House Exit (Homeboy Music) & Alex Brubaker (Homeboy Music) @ Trez Music FREE

Saturday 5/16
The Shins, Delta Spirit @ Electric Factory $36 (minus opener $35 @ Rams Head 5/15)
OR
(21+) The Features, Dexateens, The Shackeltons (b-sides last year), Ceramic @ Khyber $8
OR
Watch Out! There's Ghosts, And Then There Were None, Sparks the Rescue, The Ready Set @ Croc Rock $10
AND/OR
Straylight Run (ex-Taking Back Sunday), Lovedrug, Good Old War @ Croc Rock $12

Sunday 5/17
Amber Pacific, Houston Calls, Farewell, Fight Fair, Alamance @ Croc Rock $14
OR
The Ting Tings, Static Brigade @ Sonar $23 (main stage)
OR
Lift Me Up Tour: Kate Voegele, Angel Taylor, Brannon Powers @ Sonar $15 (club stage)

Tuesday 5/19
The Secret Handshake, The Morning Of, My Favorite Highway, The Bigger Lights @ The Troc $12
OR
Madina Lake @ Croc Rock $12 (or $14 @ Chameleon w/ The Sleeping, Closure in Moscow)

Wednesday 5/20
Duff McKagan (of Guns'n'Roses & Velvet Revolver) @ Croc Rock $12
OR
Easy Star All-Stars (WVMM playlist), Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad @ World Cafe Live $15
OR
Keane @ Tower Theater $38-160

Friday 5/22
Butterfly Boucher, Lauren Hart @ World Cafe Live $7

Saturday 5/23
mewithoutYou (record release!), Danielson, Urban Sophisticates @ The Troc $14

Monday 5/25
Holy F***, Crocodiles (WVMM playlist), TBA @ Kungfu Necktie $12

Friday 5/29
The National, Colin Stetson @ Electric Factory $24 (also $25 5/24 @ 9:30 Club)

Saturday 5/30
(21+) A Camp (WVMM playlist), Gentleman Reg, Blame the Patient @ Johnny Brenda's $12 (all ages w/ Zee Avi instead of Blame the Patient 5/28 @ 9:30 Club $15)
OR
Gillie Da Kid @ Croc Rock $20
OR
An Early Ending, more TBA @ Champion Ship $tba
OR
House Exit (Homeboy Music), Hello Hawk, Noel McCleary @ Dillsburg Firehall FREE

Sunday 5/31
Santigold, Trouble Andrew, Amanda Blank @ Rams Head Live $25

Enjoy the shows! And whatever you do, don't tell me you were bored...