by Adam B. & Ultrasound Radio USA
Author: shannengaffney
“New” Matt’s top albums of 2014
by Matt Scottoline
The following are the albums released this year which I spent the most (or at the very least, some) amount of time with. The list is numbered, however, if I’m being honest, after about #4 or #5, they all fall into the category of “albums where I’ve enjoyed songs but don’t really feel an affection for on any deeper level.”
To say I really loved 10 or however many albums this year would be untrue. But I also always find myself going back to albums from any given year and finding that love in places I wouldn’t have expected. I guess what I’m really trying to say is none of these lists matter that much. Or at least mine doesn’t. But you’ve already read this far, so it would be kind of silly to stop now, right?
So, here is my list for 2014. Some of these albums I really love (#1 and #2) others I’m very fond of (#3 and #4) and the rest had –at the very least– songs that I enjoyed.
A Playlist from The Wytches
English three-piece surf-psych band The Wytches dropped the killer Annabel Dream Reader this August on Partisan Records, and stopped by at WKDU on November 21st while on the tail end of their US tour.
Check out their playlist below featuring Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Esperanza Spalding, Converge and more!
Costume Contest Ends Tonight!
It’s not too late to enter our #hallowkdu costume contest! All you have to do (on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook) is tag us in your costume photos and use the above hashtag. Here’s an entry from our Personnel Director Maren!
Prizes will include a WKDU T-shirt and comp cassette, this Cloud Nothings slip mat sticker & pin, and this Twin Peaks tour poster!
Winners will be announced tonight so get on it!
POND at Johnny Brenda’s 10.16.2014
by Kirsten Becker
Spearheading the neo-psychedelic rock movement, Australia’s Tame Impala has brought a fresh and exciting new sound to indie rock within the past five or so years. Their lesser-known, wild-partying young brother, Pond, has been doing just the same while staying just below the radar. With five albums already under their belt, the Perth-born and bred band is something of a cult favorite. Featuring both former and present members of Tame Impala, including at one point mastermind Kevin Parker, it’s no wonder Pond has garnered an incredibly loyal fanbase.
The October 16th performance at Johnny Brenda’s was their first time back in Philly in two years, having played at the same venue back in March 2012. Lead singer Nick Allbrook had fond thoughts about the city, pausing many times between songs to say he loves Philly because the city knows “how to let loose.” And let loose the crowd did that night. Leading the charge,Pond, visibly intoxicated the moment they arrived, brought a feverish energy that was reciprocated through the venue. Each song was played with a flawlessly rough vibe, with jarring solos and descents into musical madness interspersed in each epic track. Allbrook at one point went on about how he is terrified of America and his lack of knowledge of the Pumpkin Spice craze. The band also continued their love for Philly saying that most of their knowledge of the city comes from repeated watchings of Always Sunny.
The set included a composite of songs throughout their career, featuring newer songs from Hobo Rocket like “Xanman” to those of my personal favorite, Beard, Wives, Denim like “Fantastic Explosion of Time” and “You Broke My Cool.” They even reached into the archives and played some of their first songs recorded from Psychadelic Mango, including “Don’t Look at the Sun or You’ll Go Blind.”
The rousing finale of “Frond” was filled with rocking anthems and wild crowd surfing and energy. Pond’s performance was one of the most energy-filled shows I have seen in quite some time and one of incredible creative and nutty genius. Pond is slated to release a new album, Man, It Feels Like Space in January 2015.
Introducting ExCITeCast
By: Maren Larsen
ExCITeCast, the official podcast of Drexel University’s Expressive and Creative Interaction Technologies Center (ExCITe), is coming to WKDU!
The ExCITe Center houses a unique piano which has been retrofitted with an array of sensors and electromagnets. This allows it to produce music with the timbre of a piano and the creative capabilities of other stringed instruments, like vibrato and pitch bending. On it, you can play music that ExCITe’s beat-sensing robots can dance or play along with. Those robots are outfitted in sleek protective armor created on the digital knitting machines housed in the center’s Shima Seiki Haute Technology Lab. All of this is located at 3401 Market Street–right on Drexel’s campus.
The ExCITe Center also houses the Drexel App Lab, the Entrepreneurial Game Studio (known for its involvement in the Cira Center’s giant Tetris and Pong games), a digital inclusion lab, and space for various other multi-disciplinary, highly-collaborative projects.
Pretty ExCITing, right? (ed note: groan.)
ExCITeCast airs the first Tuesday of each month at 9 a.m. on WKDU. I, Maren Larsen, Civic Innovation Co-op at the ExCITe Center and DJ of “What The Folk?” on WKDU, am the host of the program.
Each episode focuses on one of the center’s many projects. The first ExCITeCast, at the beginning of October 2014, highlighted the collaboration between the Shima Seiki Lab and our Hubo robotics researchers to create a technologically-advanced protective armor for the robots, allowing them greater mobility and durability. In case you missed it, it can be found on ExCITe’s SoundCloud.
November’s ExCITeCast will feature an interview with the Digital On-Ramps team, part of the Digital Inclusion Group based at ExCITe. Digital On-Ramps is in the process of developing an ePortfolio for jobseekers to store their resumes, work samples, and digital badges. They are also building career pathway maps for Philadelphia’s biggest industries so that those looking for jobs can see the next steps in their careers.
Join us on Tuesday by tuning in at 91.7 FM or wkdu.org!
Not To Miss @ CMJ 2014
The CMJ marathon starts today! If you’re as confused as we are about how you’re going to make time for all the great artists this year, consult our list of artists we’re most excited for below. Will we see you there?
Repping Cheeseteaks: The PHILADELPHIA CREW
(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧
AMANDA X
– Moody post-punk from Siltbreeze Records
Catch their set: Tuesday @ Cameo Gallery, Saturday @ Knitting Factory
DARK BLUE
– Punk from members of Ceremony, Paint It Black, and Purling Hiss
Catch their set: Sunday @ Rough Trade
– Alt-rock straight out of 1995 from Tiny Engines Records
Catch their set: Saturday @ Baby’s All Right
PURLING HISS
–Lyrically poignant punk from Drag City Records
Catch their set: Thursday @ Cake Shop, Friday @ Baby’s All Right
BANDS FROM EVERYWHERE ELSE
(〜￣▽￣)〜
TWEENS
– Cincinnati trash pop trio singin’ about boredom, love, and weed. Listen our live session with them here.
Catch their set: Wednesday @ (the soon-closing) Death By Audio, Thursday and Friday @ Baby’s All Right
DUSKY
– British house/techno duo
Catch their set: Thursday @ Verboten
MATTHEW DEAR
– Experimental dance pop from Ghostly International
Catch his set: Saturday @ Verboten
– Shoegazy rap from West London
Catch his set: Thursday @ Brooklyn Bazaar;
Thursday @ Rough Trade
FRANKIE COSMOS
– Fun and sentimental twee pop from NYC
Catch her set: Friday @ Brooklyn Bazaar
VULTURE SHIT
– Brooklyn sludge punks
Catch their set: Thursday @ Shea Stadium
–Eighties British shoegaze pioneers return after 20 years of silence
Catch their set: (Sold out!) Thursday @ Terminal 5
THE WYTCHES
– Psych punk from the UK
Catch their set: Wednesday @ (the soon-closing) Glasslands; Thursday @ Baby’s All Right; Friday @ Baby’s All Right
OBN IIIS
–Garage punk from Austin
Catch their set: Thursday @ Baby’s All Right;
Friday @ Cake Shop
PANEL AND SCREENING HIGHLIGHTS
TODAY:
Ripping off the Band-Aid: Why Feminism Matters in the Music Industry
WEDNESDAY:
The Color of Noise: Amphetamine Reptile Records Documentary with Q&A from director Eric Robel and Haze XXL
THURSDAY:
All Through A Life: Emo’s Revival
& of course, the College Radio Awards!
– Among the nominees for Station of the Year, Promoter of the Year and Best Taste in Music lies Best Community Resource. Check out what we’ve recently done for the Philadelphia community here and vote WKDU!
FRIDAY:
Beautiful Noise: Documentary screening and Q&A with Nick Chaplin and Simon Scott of Slowdive
See you in New York!
