Category: All Posts

Any and all content created by WKDU DJ’s (includes album reviews, show reviews, personal lists, opinion pieces, etc)

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)

Image courtesy of Run For Cover Records
Image courtesy of Run For Cover Records

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.

Concert Review: Devendra Banhart @ Union Transfer (June 10, 2013)

Image Courtesy of Nonesuch Records
Image Courtesy of Nonesuch Records

By Kirsten Becker

It’s been awhile since folk-­rocker Devendra Banhart performed a show in Philadelphia. June 10th marked his return to the city, playing a show at the Union Transfer. The night was one of only a handful of shows he will be playing in the US this year. His eighth record, Mala was released back in March and has been highly praised by many. His live shows are something of a spectacle and I was eager to see one for myself.

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Ladyfest Philly Brings Music and Activism Together

Courtesy of Ladyfest
Courtesy of Ladyfest Philly

By Nick Sukiennik

At a time when inequality and discrimination are rejected by current societal standards, what is the real state of women’s rights in this country? Ladyfest Philly, a festival of music, arts, and activism, challenges the notion that equality is a reality for all individuals, and aims to take some of the necessary strides to make it so this weekend, Friday, June 7th, through Sunday, June 9th.

A primary issue in this fight for justice, and one that Ladyfest intends to vocalize, is the notion that women, in addition to other underrepresented groups, should have the right to choose what is best for themselves.

I asked Sara Sherr, who co-organized the event and was active in the public relations and booking committees, about this standpoint. She explained: “On paper we have more opportunities than we’ve ever had, but there are people trying to take away that freedom.” This relates to the issue of “reproductive rights”, one of the most controversial topics of the past decade.

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Concert Review: Sun Ra Arkestra @ Johnny Brenda’s (May 25, 2013)

Courtesy of Ars Nova Workshop // Ryan Collerd
Courtesy of Ars Nova Workshop // Ryan Collerd

By Nick Stropko

Last Saturday, I stood on the balcony of Johnny Brenda’s, watching a pretty unusual setup—a couple dozen old men, adorned in sequin-covered outfits and strange hats, setting up chairs, music stands, and sheet music on the cramped stage. As they continued to stick chairs in an increasingly claustrophobic-looking formation, musicians actually began setting up beside the stage, lining the floor with percussionists, the keyboard player, and a dancer. Yeah, it was pretty bizarre. However, it was also a fitting tribute to Sun Ra, the namesake and deceased former leader of the Sun Ra Arkestra.

See a full gallery of pictures after the break

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