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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Top Played Artists 5/28/13 – 6/4/13

1 DEERHUNTER Monomania (4AD)

2 WILD NOTHING Empty Estate (Captured Tracks)

3 RESTORATIONS LP2 (SideOneDummy)

4 MIKAL CRONIN MCII (Merge)

5 LAURA STEVENSON Wheel (Don Giovanni)

6 THEE OH SEES Floating Coffin (Castle Face)

7 BORN RUFFIANS Birthmarks (Yep Roc)

8 TERA MELOS X’ed Out (Sargent House)

9 SAVAGES Silence Yourself (Matador)

10 GRANDCHILDREN Golden Age (Earnest Jenning)

11 MOUNT KIMBIE Cold Spring Fault Less Youth (Warp)

12 WAVVES Afraid Of Heights (Warner Brothers)

13 ALPINE A Is For Alpine (Votive)

14 IRON AND WINE Ghost On Ghost (Nonesuch)

15 TELEKINESIS Dormarion (Merge)

16 KURT VILE Wakin On A Pretty Daze (Matador)

17 FLAMING LIPS The Terror (Warner Brothers)

18 IO ECHO Ministry Of Love (Iamsound)

19 BROTHERS IN LAW Hard Time For Dreamers (WWNBB)

20 FRONT BOTTOMS Talon Of The Hawk (Bar/None)

21 MAL BLUM Tempest In A Teacup (Betterweather)

22 SHE AND HIM Volume 3 (Merge)

23 JAMES BLAKE Overgrown (Republic)

24 THERMALS Desperate Ground (Saddle Creek)

25 AKRON/FAMILY Sub Verses (Dead Oceans)

26 STILL CORNERS Strange Pleasures (Sub Pop)

27 GENERATIONALS Heza (Polyvinyl)

28 KATE NASH Girl Talk (Have 10p)

29 SHANNON AND THE CLAMS Dreams In The Rat House (Hardly Art)

30 BOMBINO Nomad (Nonesuch)

Top Played Artists 5/21/13 – 5/28/13

1    DEERHUNTER    Monomania  (4AD)
2    RESTORATIONS    LP2  (SideOneDummy)
3    THEE OH SEES    Floating Coffin  (Castle Face)
4    LAURA STEVENSON    Wheel  (Don Giovanni)
5    TERA MELOS    X’ed Out  (Sargent House)
6    MIKAL CRONIN    MCII  (Merge)
7    TELEKINESIS     Dormarion  (Merge)
8    WILD NOTHING    Empty Estate  (Captured Tracks)
9    WAVVES    Afraid Of Heights  (Warner Brothers)
10    BORN RUFFIANS    Birthmarks  (Yep Roc)
11    SAVAGES    Silence Yourself  (Matador)
12    IRON AND WINE    Ghost On Ghost  (Nonesuch)
13    ALPINE    A Is For Alpine  (Votive)
14    KURT VILE    Wakin On A Pretty Daze  (Matador)
15    FLAMING LIPS    The Terror  (Warner Brothers)
16    SHE AND HIM    Volume 3  (Merge)
17    BLEACHED    Ride Your Heart  (Dead Oceans)
18    GRANDCHILDREN     Golden Age  (Earnest Jenning)
19    JAMES BLAKE    Overgrown  (Republic)
20    BROTHERS IN LAW    Hard Time For Dreamers  (WWNBB)
21    MAL BLUM    Tempest In A Teacup  (Betterweather)
22    GENERATIONALS    Heza  (Polyvinyl)
23    KATE NASH    Girl Talk  (Have 10p)
24    NO JOY    Wait To Pleasure  (Mexican Summer)
25    BLACK ANGELS    Indigo Meadow  (Blue Horizon)
26    PISSED JEANS    Honeys  (Sub Pop)
27    YOUTH LAGOON    Wondrous Bughouse  (Fat Possum)
28    FRONT BOTTOMS    Talon Of The Hawk  (Bar/None)
29    THE KNIFE    Shaking The Habitual  (Mute)
30    STILL CORNERS    Strange Pleasures  (Sub Pop)

Interview with Charli XCX (May 17, 2013)

Photo courtesy of Atlantic Records

By Shannen Gaffney

Charli XCX‘s accessible British electro-pop sound is what makes her fan base so varied. Her new release True Romance is well written, has some awesome production, and is extremely addicting. I got a chance to speak with her via phone:

Shannen Gaffney: So your latest album True Romance got an 8.3 on Pitchfork and has been doing well at college radio. Though your music is definitely very pop, your style is unique and you have been successful in a bunch of different markets. How would you describe your music?

Charli XCX: I definitely describe it as pop music. I went out to make a pop record, not like a hipster record or anything like that. I really wanted to make the record sound super lush and like, very angelic in terms of the production. So I think I’d probably describe it as angel pop music or the way that I see the record – I often see my music in colors – when I think of this album I see the color purple, so I guess I’d kind of describe it as purple pop music, too.

Continue reading “Interview with Charli XCX (May 17, 2013)”

Concert Review: Deerhoof @ Union Transfer (April 15, 2013)

Image courtesy of Four Paws
Image courtesy of Four Paws

By Kirsten Becker

Deerhoof played the last show of their tour right here in Philadelphia at the Union Transfer. Known for their bombastic, jarring, noisy sound, Deerhoof performed a very distinct set, living up to the playful and weird image they’ve created for themselves over the course of their 19 years as a band.

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Song/Video Review: “Stare At The Sun” by Eleanor Friedberger

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74-iyAoMa6Y]

By Shannen Gaffney

Eleanor Friedberger is back with a new single, titled ”Stare at the Sun”! It’s an upbeat springtime track that will make you want to ditch your work and go play frisbee with someone’s dog. Friedberger’s unmistakable voice will likely be stuck in your head for awhile after listening, but you probably won’t mind. The funny video seems to be mocking typical hipstery video production of late (in a loving way, of course). As she sings, “If that was goodbye, then I must be high / You know I’ll be seeing you soon,” a cute teenage girl loosely translates in sign language, then plays air guitar in between verses. I’ll definitely be adding this song to my ‘Wake Up’ playlist!

Friedberger has a pretty extensive tour planned for the month of June (though sadly there are no dates in Philly), along with her second solo album, titled Personal Record, coming out on June 4th.