Features – Page 10 – Communiqué

Over the past few months, I’ve been watching an amazing slew local shows being announced for the fall with frustration. You see, dear reader, while Philadelphia is about to have one of the best concert seasons in recent memory, I will be in Istanbul, enjoying the requisite college rite of passage that is study abroad (please, shower me with pity). Despite my infuriating inability to attend any of the following concerts, I have compiled a personal list of must-see shows for this fall.

Kishi Bashi @ First Unitarian Church Sanctuary, September 14 ($15)

Truthfully, I haven’t really given a good listen to Kishi Bashi’s only album, 151a. However, I did have the opportunity to catch him at the Church Basement as part of a WKDU Presents event, and it was stellar. Kishi Bashi creates little string ensembles with a lone violin and a loop pedal, which are combined with soaring vocals and occasional beatboxed vocals (it’s way less obnoxious than it sounds, I promise) to great effect. Throw in some whimsical stage decorations and a charmingly intimate venue, and I expect this to be a great experience.

Vampire Weekend @ The Mann Skyline Stage, September 19 ($35)

Okay, confession: I’m a huge V-Dubs fanboy. Huge. I’ve seen them five or six times, and Modern Vampires of the City is my album of the year right now. This being said, they’re a very tight, consistent band, and I’m very curious to see how much of their new material translates live. There’s really no gimmick here—just excellent songcraft and musicianship (and a steadily increasing touring budget, I suppose).

The Flaming Lips & Tame Impala @ Festival Pier, October 3 ($50–eesh)

A fortuitous pairing, to say the least. I’ve never really associated the psych stalwarts with the fresh faced up-and-comers, but I think the two bands will complement each other quite nicely. While the legendary nature of the Lips’ shows is already well-documented (they do seem to be adding some strange, disturbing elements to go with their dark new album, The Terror), Tame Impala proved to be a pretty excellent live band at their recent Electric Factory gig. I’m already a huge fan of both bands’ material, but I can guarantee that this will be a very entertaining show.

Making Time w/ Fuck Buttons @ Voyeur Nightclub, October 19 ($10)

The new Fuck Buttons album, Slow Focus, is a slice of dark, menacing, bass-heavy goodness. I really want to hear this thing pouring out of some overpowered subwoofers. Paired with Voyeur (possibly the most worthwhile nightclub in Philadelphia) and the fine folks at Making Time, I expect this to be a very, very good time. Be prepared to move.

Animal Collective w/ Dan Deacon @ Union Transfer, October 28 (Sold Out 🙁 )

This one’s already sold out, but it feels worth mentioning. Deacon’s manic energy, channeled through performing in the middle of the crowd, is not something to miss. I guarantee that you will dance, and you will love it. Animal Collective is notoriously spotty in their live performances, often receiving the complaint that their concerts are more about writing new songs live than performing old ones. That being said, apparently they’ve been playing more older stuff lately (they absolutely killed Peacebone when I saw them at the Mann a few months back), and I think the energy is going to be incredible. A second date has been announced sans Dan Deacon, which should also be cool, but if you can somehow manage to get into this show…do it.

Man Man @ Union Transfer, October 30-31 ($20)

Oh my god. Go to this. Go to this. I can only imagine what kind of hijinks Man Man have planned for back-to-back hometown Halloween shows. The band has put on some of the most entertaining live performances I have ever seen, and I fully expect this to surpass any previous shows of theirs. This one will be special.

Basia Bulat @ The Boot & Saddle, November 20 ($10)

I first encountered Basia as an opening act for Beirut at the Electric Factory last year. She’s an incredibly charming and talented folk artist who plays a variety of instruments, including a weird autoharp thing. It’s cool. Anyway, if you’re looking for an excuse to check out R5’s newest venue, this would definitely be it—warm music to provide respite from November’s cold.

All this being said, I’m just thankful that I’ll be here for Neutral Milk Hotel.

Concert Review: 7th Annual Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival @ Saunder’s Park (July 20, 2013)

By Nick Stropko

As I sat beneath the shade of a tent in Saunder’s Park last Saturday, slowly wilting from the midday heat, I couldn’t help but wonder one thing: why aren’t there more festivals in April? Despite the oppressive temperature (mid-90s and humid for much of the day), people were beginning to trickle in for the 7^th Annual Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival, a free concert that seeks to coax jazz out from its ivory tower and allow it to mingle with the community for an afternoon.

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Concert Review: Man or Astro-man? @ Underground Arts (June 22, 2013)

By Carolyn Haynes

A night of surf, sweat, and musical theatrics best describes the Man or Astro-man? show that took place on June 22 at Underground Arts. Fire-lit theremins, spacesuits, and background projections are what you’d expect from the 20(ish) years of experience of the headliners, but the use of fog machines and extreme beachwear weren’t lost on the openers.

Philadelphia Beach locals, Dry Feet, started the evening with a set of crunchy, reverb dusted surf rock. Tales of skateboards, eating too much, sleeping too little, and respect to the ladies of the world (including their mothers) filled the ears of many a head-bobbing beach bum. Perry Cola, Jay K. Shin, and Frizz B led the way to a surf paradise in their tie dye shirts, jumpsuits, and scuba masks.

Up next were Jacuzzi Boys, on a 10 day tour with Man or Astro-Man? who brought the Miami (…cough…Beach… cough) Heat. With a new self titled record on the way, the three piece played a set of fan favorites (“Glazin’,” “Crush,” “Koo Koo with You,” as well as some new singles “Double Vision” and “Domino Moon.”

Finally, the Man or Astro-Man? crew started the projections set up. The lights dimmed, the screens lit up, and the crowd cheered as the band walked to their places. Bassist/Theremin/electronics player Coco the Electronic Monkey Wizard was in full form; space suit, helmet, and space-ified bass were set to go. The full house at Underground Arts cheered and danced as the veterans of surf rock performed an amazing set reflective of their decades of experience.

Song Review: “Jessica” by Avi Buffalo

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIbLtFF5lVI&w=480&h=360]

By Nick Stropko

My story with “Jessica” began on November 2, 2009 in Long Beach, CA. In the midst of a show-filled senior year of high school, I managed to snag a pair of tickets to see Vampire Weekend at the Art Theatre–a tiny, independent movie theater–on their weird 2009 California tour of small venues (I seem to recall at least one VFW, as well as a skate park in Lake Elsinore, on the list of dates). After school, a friend and I rushed home to change out of our Catholic school uniforms (gotta look cool for the V-Dubz concert!) and made our way to Long Beach.

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Concert Review: Tigers Jaw @ First Unitarian Church (June 21, 2013)

By Nick Sukiennik

At this point, I can’t even remember how many times I’ve seen Tigers Jaw (maybe five?). Back in high school, I’d venture into the city to catch them at small venues like The Fire and Ava House. They would frequently play with another group of my favorite local emo-punks, Algernon Cadwallader. It was those shows that foreshadowed, and perhaps even sparked the fuse that led to my current musical tastes.

At first, I wasn’t sure if I’d still be able to appreciate Tigers Jaw as I used to, and was concerned that I’d feel nostalgic at best. However, it turned out that their music resonated with me just as much, if not even more, than it did before.

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Song Review: “April and the Phantom” by Animal Collective

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR6dngRhr5Q&w=640&h=360]

By Nick Stropko

Animal Collective may be a household name at this point (well, among WKDU DJs anyway), but they’ve been releasing their warped freak-folk in different incarnations since 2000. Their excellent first album, Sprit They’re Gone, Spirit They’ve Vanished, is unfortunately a lesser-known entry in their catalog. While it is credited to Animal Collective, their debut is largely an Avey Tare affair—Panda Bear provides “perfect percussion” (according to the album credits), but everything else is handled by Tare. Knowing Animal Collective, it’s not surprising that the album sounds nothing like the rest of their catalog.

“April and the Phantom,” the album’s second track (and my personal favorite) is fairly representative of Sprit as a whole. It’s a study in dichotomy—almost every element rubs against another to great effect. The song opens with a high-pitched, sugar coated synth line before running headfirst into loud, jarring white noise. The clatter cuts away to reveal Panda Bear’s distinctive percussion—it’s aggressive in the frequency of his hits, but is tempered by his use of brushes. Meanwhile, chirpy, cheap sounding synthesizers sing over the track’s high end while Avey Tare relentlessly strums his acoustic guitar. Tare’s singing ranges from timid, sweet falsetto to outright screaming, with everything in between present. The lyrics are very much up for interpretation, but seem to be a schizophrenic love story, with lyrics split between a narrator, April, and the Phantom—with each voice being sung in a distinct style from the last (I particularly like the phaser [I think?]-laden harmonies during the Phantom’s part).

“April and the Phantom” is entirely bizarre, extremely captivating, and absolutely worth a listen. Stream it above.