January 27th, 2012 12:15 pm
Go See It This Weekend: J Dilla Tribute, JJ Grey & Mofro, Ape School, Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band And More
Friday, January 27th
LP Stiles: J Dilla Sessions
J Dilla, one of hip-hop’s most innovative producers, died at age 32. Always the experimentalist, Dilla gave the artform a sonic workout from which it, thankfully, never recovered. From Slum Village, his first rap group started with two high school pals, Dilla moved on to produce for Pharcyde, De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. Along with Philadelphians Questlove, Bilal and James Poysner, in the late 1990s Dilla formed the Soulquarians—a neo-soul/hip-hop collective with rotating members including Common, Talib Kweli, Mos Def and Erykah Badu. Dilla deserves a tribute, and tonight he gets one when local jazz/funk quartet LP Stiles performs his work with guest MCs/vocalists Mic Stew, Kuf Knotz, Lee Mekhai, Aime and Na’Mean. -Elliot Sharp
8:30pm. $15. World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St. 215.222.1400. worldcafelive.com
PLUS JJ Grey & Mofro with Monkey Junk at Union Transfer, AND an early Market East (Record Release show) with KC Jones, Like Wild, and the Mendles at Kung Fu Necktie, AND Class Actress with Prussia at Johnny Brenda’s, AND Free Agents Present Breathe Groove Shake at Milkboy, AND Love My Life Entertainment Launch Party with 5 & A Dime, DJ Adrian Hardy, E-Hos and Pat Donovan at the Blockley, AND Falling In Reverse with Oh, Sleeper, Skip The Foreplay and June Divided at the TLA, AND Jeanne Robertson comedy at the Keswick, AND Whitewater Pass with The Bailey Hounds, Sweet Eureka and the Kensington Sound House at North Star Bar.
Saturday, January 28th
Ape School
Michael Johnson got his start with Holopaw, the whispery, tremulous Florida band picked up by Sub Pop at the urging of Isaac Brock in the early ’00s. Relocated to Philadelphia a few years ago, Johnson has collaborated with two notable local Kurts—Vile and Heasley—and parlayed an admiration for Daedelus into a recording deal for Ninja’s Counter imprint. Wail to God, out in January, is his first album as Ape School, its fuzzy, old-school emotive pop braced by sharp, funk-into-disco guitars and subtle electronic accents. But the best thing, by far, about “Wail to God,” is the video, which views public transport, teenage lust and the woes of the 99 percent through a cartoon monkey’s eyes. -Jennifer Kelly
8pm. $8. Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St. 215.291.4919. kungfunecktie.com
PLUS a later set with Science Face (Dave from The War On Drugs) at Kung Fu, AND Grey Area with Luther, The Reveling, Nightmares for a Week, and One Win Choice at The Fire, AND Carsie Blanton with Mark Erelli at Milkboy, AND Splintered Sunlight (Grateful Dead tribute) with Philadelphia Brothers Reunion and Salsa Shark at the Blockley, AND Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band (founding member/drummer of the Allman Brothers Band) with Billy Martin and Marco Benevento at the TLA, AND Kathleen Madigan comedy at the Keswick, AND First Capital Funk with Chalk & The Beige Americans and Sunshine Superman at the North Star.
Sunday, January 29th
Drake City with Free Grizzly Bear Rides, Hotel Man, Hey Kid! Nice Bike!, and N.C.A. are at the Troc, AND Abigail Williams with Immolith and Burden at KungFu, AND Caveman with The Itis and The Bansai Bills at the Blockley.
January 26th, 2012 1:42 pm
Gossip Roundup: Disney, Perfume Genius, Odd Future, M.I.A., Videos and Fiona Apple
CONTROVERSY
>>First, SOPA and PIPA. You know the legislation that we mentioned last week? Well, shit came to a boiling point and Megaupload was taken down by the government, but then the hacker group Anonymous took down a half-dozen sites themselves. They hit ‘em hard: the Department of Justice, Universal Music Group, plus the Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America. The legislation’s been altogether abandoned for the time being.
>>Did you hear that Disney’s selling a Joy Division t-shirt? Not anymore. But for a minute you could buy a Mickey Mouse-in-the-shape-of-Unkown Pleasures t-shirt.
>>Also, Perfume Genius is a talented gay musician signed to Matador. His new video stars a porn star and, well, it’s not terribly scandalous. However, Google/YouTube won’t allow the filthiness of an ad for the record to appear on their sites because it’s not family-friendly. Whatever. Even Michael Stipe’s not amused.
CONCERT ITEMS
>>Odd Future announced some concert dates and, yup, they’re comin’ to Philly! Hooray! But, uh, they’ve decided to play the Electric Factory. Womp womp. March 23rd will be Odd Future day in Philadelphia with an alleged pop-up shop and a screening of their Adult Swim programming screened (somewhere).
>>Also, Low announced they’ll be tagging along with Death Cab on their orchestral tour including a Philly spot at the Tower. Now maybe that $120 nosebleed seat feels a little more worth it!
SINGLES AND SHIT
>>M.I.A. is set to release a single next week. The new mommy’s been working on music and, well, it seems like she’s been working with people we’d like to see her work with: DANJA = Timbaland, Madonna, and Justin Timberlake? Seriously, that’s how this Pitchfork news item makes it seem. Her newest full-length is supposedly set for a summer release.
>>There’s a new Andrew Bird single you can listen to in order to get excited about his new album’s spring drop. It’s called “Eyeoneye” and it’s quite solid.
>>Also, Miike Snow collaborated with Lykke Li and the song that came from their sexy boot-knocking is delightful. It’s called “Black Tin Box” and you should go listen to it now.
SO. MANY. VIDEOS.
>>Maybe because no one is putting out records, they’ve all holed up in a studio to make music videos for the albums they already have out. Stereogum’s a veritable music news website and their news feed is pretty much “XYZ has a video” over and over. So let’s see: there’s Mastadon’s “Dry Bone Alley,” Kate Bush’s “Elder Falls at Lake Tahoe,” Sleigh Bells’ “Comeback Kid,” Cloud Nothings’ “No Future/No Past,” Justice’s “On’n'On,” The Internet’s “Fastlane,” Porcelain Raft’s “Unless You Speak From Your Heart,” Xiu Xiu’s “Hi,” The Cranberries’ “Tomorrow,” Nicki Minaj’s “Stupid Hoe,” and Active Child’s “Hanging On.” To name a few.
NEW FIONA AND A NICO JAAR CONCERT!
>>OMG, explosions of the mind and heart. Fiona Apple didn’t say anything about it, but L.A. Reid Tweeted “Lots of good music coming from @Epic_Records in the next few weeks. Stay tuned music fans. Welcome back Fiona!” He wouldn’t mean that bitch from the Shrek movies, would he? Ms. Apple hasn’t put out a record since like 2005.
>>If you didn’t know, we’re huge Nicolas Jaar fans ova heah. And if you’re like us and were craving the opportunity to see some songs performed live, you might just have it now. He’ll be doing a MoMA (PS1 in Long Island City) show with the help of Pitchfork on February 5th (1pm-6pm). A five-hour performance with video art and stuff!
R.I.P. Etta James And Johnny Otis
>>Etta James, born Jamesetta Hawkins, passed away at the age of 73 on January 20th. She was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010. Boy, could that girl blow. Even though she was hooked on smack in the ’60s, she put out the now legendary Tell Mama LP in ‘68. But mostly people know her for the legendary “At Last.” It’s a good one. Did you play it at your wedding?
>>Mr. Johnny Otis was once deemed the Godfather of R&B and was famous for “Willie And The Hand Jive.” Strangely enough, he’s said to have launched the career of Etta, plus Big Mama Thornton and the Coasters. He died Tuesday in L.A. at the age of 90.
January 25th, 2012 12:36 pm
Aimee Mann’s Coming To World Cafe Live Tomorrow Night
Back in ‘99, Paul Thomas Anderson made a little film called Magnolia. Remember? It was the movie where Tom Cruise was a motivational speaker who wanted to help men SEDUCE AND DESTROY, or, “respect the cock and tame the cunt.” It’s also a film in which Aimee Mann’s songs are prominently featured, and even proved to be somewhat of the inspiration for the movie. See, Mann and Anderson are friends and, to many, her version of Harry Nilsson’s “One,” and the stunning “Save Me,” were two highlights of that year in film. And tomorrow night she’s downstairs at World Cafe Live.
It was almost 15 years before Magnolia that Mann’s band, ‘Til Tuesday, released the single “Voices Carry.” It was a top ten single and stayed on the charts for 22 weeks. Plus that video. The video is a brilliant little mini-movie in which Mann’s high-class lover demands that she give up on her dream, forget being a musician and just accommodate his upper-crust image. It became a huge hit via MTV and she looks like approximately $1,000,000 in it.
‘Til Tuesday proved to be a bit of a flash in the pan, but Mann herself would go on to write and record seven solo albums, incredibly finding the time somehow while pulling full time work as a maid in Portland. Her style certainly evolved from her new wave/’80s moment on MTV; from collaborating with Rush to a more indie, artsy and independent vibe a la Liz Phair or Suzanne Vega. Her sound might’ve been influenced by her husband, Michael Penn, a lesser-known but fantastic singer-songwriter in his own right. He’s the brother of Sean and Chris Penn and they live in Los Feliz – they’re so L.A.
Mann’s most recent solo record is one of those records with a curse in it that they block out with symbols: Fucking Smilers becomes @#%&*! Smilers, or sometimes just Smilers. But she’s been focusing on a concept record she put out in 2005 called The Forgotten Arm. It’s about a young, “kind of white trash” girl named Caroline, who falls for Vietnam vet and boxer, John, back in the 1970s at the Virginia State fair. They try to run away from their lives together but John’s alcoholism flares and Caroline’s patience fades. “It’s a character study and a relationship study,” Mann’s said. And now she’s working on a musical adaptation of the record, but may have put it on hold due to the similarities to that damn Marky Mark movie “The Fighter.” However, she posted on Facebook back in December that she’s just finished a record. Ooh, what’s it gonna be!?
All of this is to say, she will undoubtedly be putting on a fascinating set tomorrow night. With ‘Til Tuesday, soundtrack songs and solo records to choose from, she’s got a huge catalogue to play with. But she’ll also probably debut some new material and talk about a boxing musical. Go and find out!
January 24th, 2012 4:32 pm
Hennessy Youngman Interviewed By The Huffington Post
Philly’s own Hennessy Youngman, who made a hilarious cameo on Spank Rock’s Everything Is Boring and Everyone Is A F*cking Liar, has a stellar interview up on the HuffPost today. His Art Thoughtz YouTube clips have been “innanet” sensations, with his musings on everything from making it as a black artist to Damien Hirst. Check out the interview HERE, his YouTube channel HERE, a Tumblr HERE and a Bandcamp THERE, and a particular favorite below:
“Hennessy Youngman is the sharp-eyed, sharp-tongued prankster gangster behind the YouTube series ‘Art Thgouthz.’ The videos feature Youngman “waxin’ poetic” on art world hot topics, from Damien Hirst to relational aesthetics, through the hilarious and enlightening perspective of an outsider hip-hop fan. Art In America called him “Ali G. with an MFA.” We have become obsessed with this amateur through which serious criticism flows with a sick beat. We decided to ask him a few questions about his work…”
January 24th, 2012 12:33 pm
Philly-Loving Lamb Of God Sell Out Thursday’s Trocadero Show
Sometimes metal feels like a genre in trouble. Artists self-identifying themselves as metal practitioners don’t work with the same listening pool as a Katy Perry or even T.I. Pop and hip-hop are IN. Even country music sells like crazy with the vast stretches of Republican red from coast to coast. But metal mavens are working in a pretty niche market. So it’s no small feat when bands like Lamb of God sell upwards of 65,000 units in their first week of release, which they did with 2006’s Sacrament and 2009’s Wrath. Now, on the heels of a brand new release, their seventh studio album, Resolution, they’ve sold out the Trocadero.
LOG are part of a new wave of modern metal that transcends stereotypes and expectations that surround heavy metal. Mastadon, Monotonix and Dillinger Escape Plan are others bands in the fold, while while old dinosaurs like Metallica, Korn and Rob Zombie are still kicking, and constantly cashing in on name recognition. But Lamb of God and Mastadon stand out as ambassadors of Southern-born metal; Mastadon’s from Georgia, LOG from Richmond, Virginia. And as it turns out, LOG has loads of Philadelphia ties, history and love.
In the early days, back when they were shedding the band name (and style) of Burn The Priest and becoming Lamb of God (in the late ’90s), they had help from Mikey Bronsnan of Legion Records. He fed the young band into the Philadelphia DIY scene. Almost 10 years later, with the release of Wrath, they dedicated it to Bronsnan, who was killed in November of 2008 by a drunk driver. Drummer Chris Adler’s said “Without Mikey, we’d very well might not be a band today.” Oh, and then in 2005, they released a DVD called Killadelphia, an Epic Records film of two nights at the Trocadero in October of 2004 from the Ashes of the Wake tour. They’ll revisit the Troc on Thursday night on the heels of the release of their seventh studio album, Resolution.
These guys have come a long way since Mikey Bronsnan was getting them dates at Philly-area metal shows. They’ve toured with Metallica, earned comparisons to Pantera and Slayer, and been nominated for a handful of Grammy’s. Their sound isn’t 100% darkness and thrash – they use tempo changes, instrumentals and atmospheric interludes expertly. Dig it:
January 23rd, 2012 12:26 pm
10 Things We Saw, Heard And Learned At The Cass McCombs Show Last Night
It was a sold out night at Kung Fu Necktie last night for Cass McCombs. The 35 year-old California-born nomad’s built up a devoted following, and they crammed themselves into his Fishtown set.
1. It was cold as a witch’s tit and rumors were afloat that Kung Fu had lost their liquor license. Well, they got it back, and hallelujah to that. The opener, Frank Fairfield, played until nearly 10:15 with McCombs slated to go on at 10:30. His banjo and fiddle music read Appalachia and Gangs of New York, and could really only be tolerated with a beer in hand. Thankfully, the headliner had a full band and turned up the volume (a bit).
2. The trouble with Kung Fu is that damn ramp by the men’s room. It elevates the concert stage room from the rest of the bar, creates a bottleneck effect, and if you’re not big on pushing your way into a crowd, you’re screwed. Thankfully, the pushing your way in part wasn’t too much of a struggle. A couple near the bottom of the ramp concurred: “I could push my way in, I used to go to hardcore shows,” a woman told me. “Something tells me you don’t have to worry about that with this crowd,” her partner added. No, it wasn’t the toughest set of concert-goers.
3. One of his first songs was “Buried Alive” from last year’s Wit’s End. A slow burn that’s a slightly creepy, psychedelia-tinged quiet folk number. I won’t deny that I was concerned: much of his catalogue is like this—subtle, hushed, emotional and delicate. Would these songs translate into an engaging live set? In a tight little room, with his talent obvious and evident, they did (to a degree). But also because he had a three-piece band behind him. I’m not so sure if it would’ve been digestible without them.
4. Another track early in the set was Catacombs‘ “Don’t Vote.” A rhythmic story about his uncle’s political ideas, which are simply “if you don’t vote, you have nothing to complain about.” The track is supported by a simple, unrelenting percussion line with what sounds like maracas. His voice is as beautiful, smooth and easy as ever, but I was struck by the song’s evenness. There’s very little arc; no build-up, rise or fall. And that’s what you get with his records sometimes, it seems—tracks that plod along, albeit sonically pleasant, but lack a little impact.
5. “Love Thine Enemy” came next from his most recent, Humor Risk. The opener from the dense 8-track LP is a rich one with its humming, electric pulse in the simple, bouncy electric guitar line. But it’s funny how a little electric guitar can give a song a life it wouldn’t normally have. The modest but powerful guitar part gets a humble, controlled solo halfway through the song, and it was spot-on last night. This has to be one of the liveliest songs of his most recent records and perhaps of the night.
6. “To Every Man His Chimera,” also from Humor Risk, has got to be one of the saddest, strangest songs in his catalogue. The slow beat is carried by a woosy drum part and bluesy guitar billows. The odd ambient sounds on the track add a little quirk factor, which is nice, but live it just screamed of deep, dark angst. “The cat left a rat’s carcass on my front step,” the last verse goes. “Once again, I’ve been seduced / Now it looks like my chickens have come home to roost,” he sings. There’s no denying that McCombs is a talented, gifted songwriter with a golden voice. But it was at this point in the show that I simply wrote “Man, this is sad” in my notebook.
7. He wouldn’t NOT play “County Line,” and he delivered. The opener from Wit’s End, that’s even got a video full of interstate travel, Native American dance and Mardi Gras, is another slow, delicate number. It kind of drifts along for five minutes with a sheen of retro organ tinkles. It has a golden, ’70s, soft adult contemporary pop vibe to it that manages to cut the pungent sense of doom in this song: “You never even tried to love me / What did I have to do to make you want me?” he sings. I should’ve known this night would be full of beautiful misery.
8. Having Spotified Cass for a few days leading up to last night, I was hopeful for more from the earlier records, simply because they’re more energetic. 2007’s PREfection and Dropping The Writ are littered with a sound that sometimes seems completely absent in his 2011 records; touches of punk, ecstatic rock and urgency. We finally got one of these tracks later in the night, but I had already checked out by the swaths of gloom.
9. In taking some flash-heavy pictures, I really pissed off a girl in front of me with her boyfriend. She gave me stank looks and uttered a not-at-me but totally-at-me “Really!?” I think I underestimated this man’s legion of followers. Everyone seemed enraptured and mesmerized. I was struggling not to wander over to the loud and funky jam rock seeping out of the mystery house across the street from the Kung Fu corner. Sounded like a party.
10. There WAS a lesson learned, no doubt. Only go to shows at Kung Fu when you don’t care about actually SEEING or PHOTOGRAPHING the act. And if the act is a loud, high-energy kind of thing that you can enjoy from the adjoining room, I’m in. That stage room is built for 50 worshipers to have the time of their lives for a couple hours, but if you fuck with their flow they will be so pissed at you.
January 20th, 2012 11:54 am
Go See It This Weekend: Dancin’, Liquor Store, Inzinzac, and Twin Sister
Friday, January 20th
DJ Deejay
DJ Deejay has been spinning local love in Philly since 2000, and has garnered an impressive following with pop-focused parties that channel a playful sense of abandon. His signature party, “Beyonce, Britney, Gaga” vs. “Katy, Ke$ha, Rihanna” returns to kick off 2012 right. After a series of widely attended Moshulu parties, the cold is no deterrent for Deejay, who’s bringing the action indoors to Sisters nightclub. Burn up the dancefloor with your best “Single Ladies” routine, but be ready for Mario of Fame Lust to photograph your wildest dance moves. -Kyle Bella
10pm. Sisters, 1320 Chancellor St. 215.735.0735. sistersnightclub.com
Liquor Store
When they first busted out of North Jersey, Liquor Store sported almost a dozen guitar players, a few bass players, and one hard-working drummer. They looked and sounded like an open tryout for Eddie Van Halen’s successor. By comparison, last year’s Yeah Buddy (Almost Ready Records), a double-album featuring just three lead guitarists, is downright lean and restrained. In this formation, the band pumps out lobotomized hard-rock anthems with provocative titles such as “Pumpin’ With Red Rock” (a song about throwing iron), “Oilin’ Up My Boy” (self-explanatory), and “Proud to be an American Man” (ditto). With the snotty, decadent concerns of the Jabbers or the Gizmos weighted down by the heft (and balls) of all those top-tier Arena Rock acts whose T-shirt designs never go out of style, Liquor Store stand poised to be the next great party band. For a good time, take a peek at their music video for “Banned From the Block” and see just how high rock ’n’ roll can get’cha. -Richie Charles
8pm. $7. With Purling Hiss, Home Blitz + Foul Swoops. PiLam, 3914 Spruce St. yarga.net
PLUS Fujiya and Miyagi at Johnny Brenda’s (s’a good show), AND The Ball featuring Philly International Remixes with DJs Apt One, Del, and DJ Bruce at KungFu Necktie, AND Where’s The Band? (a wonky supergroup) at the TLA, AND Levee Drivers with Last Good Tooth, Andrew Winter & The Reckless Dodgers, The Lawsuits, and Former Belle at the Trocadero Balcony, AND Archives of Oblivion (performing Jerry Garcia’s “Garcia”) with North Lawrence Midnight Singers and Andrew Gray (of Hoots & Hellmouth) at Milkboy, AND Anthony Green with The Dear Hunter at Union Transfer, AND Akron/Family with Bad Weather California and the Dangerous Ponies at the Blockley. WOW!
Saturday, January 21st
Inzinzac
It’s not easy to categorize the raw, cerebral music of this trio, but “highbrow garage” is a start. The band name alone offers a kind of onomatopoeic clue. But what, really, is “Inzinzac”? Philly guitarist and composer Alban Bailly, originally from France’s Brittany region, named the trio after a small town where his brother lives. He and his partners, soprano/tenor saxophonist Dan Scofield and drummer Eli Litwin, cite progressive rock, free jazz and Balkan music among their myriad influences. If that doesn’t explain it, their 2011 High Two debut Inzinzac will. It’s raging stuff, with links to the music of Many Arms, Normal Love and others in Philly’s experimental underground. -David R. Adler
8pm. $6. Angler Movement Arts Center, 1550 E. Montgomery Ave. 215.922.0866. museumfire.com
PLUS Wildlife with Adam and Dave’s Bloodline and Satellite Hearts at KungFu (an early show), AND Collie Buddz at the TLA, AND The Legwarmers (an ’80s tribute band) with Bo Bliz at the Troc, AND Man Man (!) with Deatfix and NAH at Union Transfer, AND Sun Ra Arkestra with West Philly Orchestra and Impressionist at the Blockley, AND comedy from Demetri Martin at the Kewsick.
Sunday, January 22nd
Twin Sister
Not so long ago, Twin Sister’s Andrea Estrella was working the dream-pop angle, ethereally diffuse, moon-eyed, bobbing back and forth distractedly in a raccoon hat. Her band’s live set was an exercise in hard-to-pin-down good feelings, swirling with Cocteau Twins-style indefinition and pulsing with Stereolab-ish groove and drone. Lately, Twin Sister (pictured above) has acquired a harder, dance-funk edge, with last year’s In Heaven turning up the sexual heat and adding disco and even Blondie-style rap. “Bad Street,” the single, thumps with bass and burbles with synths like it’s 1985 at Studio 54, and if you missed the disco reference, Twin Sister often reinforces it with a cover of La Bionda’s Italo-dance chestnut “I Want to Be Your Lover.” -Jennifer Kelly
8pm. $10-$12. With Ava Luna. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave. 215.739.9684. johnnybrendas.com
PLUS a sold out Cass McCombs set at KungFu Necktie, AND The Last Remark with United We Fall, No Regrets, and Wrong Turn Horizon at the Troc, AND Ports of Call with Low Roar and Soporus at Milkboy, AND Aviatorz and TeamWavy present: I’m Wavy showcase featuring Philly Hip-Hop and R&B at the Blockley, AND Dead End Kids present: Horror Show with Wrong Answer, Bunk and Break Away at the First Unitarian Church.
