Thursday, December 27, 2012

Baltimore Bands: Dan Deacon's "Wish Book Vol. 1"

As a post-Christmas present, here's a mix that Dan Deacon concocted during this tour this year. It's jam packed with glucose-sucrose-fructose enhanced melodies and bubblegum beats, an especially heady duo when combined with the insanity of pop hits from 2012 like Psy's "Gangam Style" in the first track (sweet Jesus, it's like a swarm of kaleidoscopic honey bees).


All completely original and completely confectionery, pop these sweets in your ear buds and get kickin' for the up coming new year. Hats off to ya, Dan Deacon. 

Friday, December 21, 2012

Best of Bandcamp, Christmas Edition: Marijke

Not only is her name fun to say, but her music is wonderful to listen to. Two simple songs put together with the accompaniment of an acoustic guitar, these holiday originals are exactly what you need to hum as you walk down a snowy path.



Cotton-soft clear vocals make "Just Isn't Christmas" as pure as silvery snowflakes and just as shining to listen to. Marijke's finger picked guitar melodies add a calming backdrop to the wintry scenery that her songs paint in watercolors.


Buy her Christmas songs here and add some peace and harmony to your winter break.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Philadelphia Bands: Lucy Stone

Sugary sweet and butterfly light, Lucy Stone's voice will soften your heart and warm you like chamomile tea.


Springy and bluesy, tip-toe melodies hold hands with Stone's rosemary vocals. With songs this gentle, you'll find yourself letting down your guard and opening up yourself to her various albums and EP of gorgeous music. Singer/songwriter, Lucy Stone, crafts handwoven lyrics that reveal a vintage hued world.



This folksy alternative music seems inspired by a mountain view or a vast open plain. Steady like a staircase, Stone's songs are just the thing to brighten your day. Check our her bandcamp and give her a try.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Events: BBC Xmas Party at the Ottobar

This is something you definitely don't want to miss. If you're in the Baltimore area on December 23rd, come down and party like you just survived the end of the world.


You don't want to miss electo-punk band The Death Set. With head nodding beats and catchy lyrics, they've got it all wrapped up with a Christmas bow.



Spank Rock will shake you up with some 80's inspired melodies and unmistakable vocals.


Get your tickets now here.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Outside Forces: Everything Ever

Music Review

Staten Island, NY/Haworth, NJ three-piece rock outfit, Everything Ever, blends some hints of ska-punk with  a contradictory energetic angst in their single, "Rock Bottom."


A quiet intro with lonely lyrics suddenly meet a zipper of guitars and banging drums that throws "Rock Bottom" into an upbeat, Bomb the Music Industry!-esque song, emotive vocals and all. Fingers run down the fret board like spiders in this song as a bassist and drummer provide the foundation for solid formation. Punk riffs join forces with the dry voice of the singer like a french braided tune. This song is one of many to come from this band, so be on the look out for Everything Ever and download their single here.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Best of Bandcamp, Christmas Edition: Illect Recordings

Hip-hop artists all around Seattle collaborate in Illect Recording's compilation album, "An Illect Recording's Christmas Recording" with ill results.



This album has everything it takes to get you gettin' your swerve on. Songs like "Jingle Bell Knock" have the poppin' percussion rhythm that provides the solid beat to your holidays, and artists Page One, Theory Hazit, MG! the Visionary, and DJ Because get hyphy in "We Three Kings" with some spittin' raps juxtaposed with the cheery jingle of bells.


Bring it back to relaxation this season with other tunes like L.A. Symphony's "Christmas Song," where smooth background melodies balance the sharp cut lyrics. Everything you could possibly want this hip hop holiday season is gift wrapped in "An Illect Recordings Christmas Recording".


As L.A. Symphony puts it, "too bad the season goes by so fast," so hurry up and get this album now here and get your groove on. 

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Serious Business


Outside Forces: Stickup Kid

Music Review

With intense guitar riffs and tumbling drums, Stickup Kid packs a punch in their album, "Nothing About Me."


Singer Tony Geravesh's vivid voice throttles the mic with a pure, raw passion that's unmistakably of human creation while guitarists Bo McDowell and Curtis Wallace bleed honesty through plastic pics and steel strings. And to tie it all together, bassist Jonathan McMaster joins forces with Cameron McBain on drums for an altogether wholly pop-punk rock set. Formed in 2009, Stickup Kid has since garnered the attention of fans locally and nationwide from their hometown of San Jose, California to right here in Philadelphia, and for good reason. These guys rule.



A slightly similar sound to bands like Title Fight, Stickup Kid's music is turmoil and pure, raw youth in action. Give their album a listen here and watch as blunt vocals and rough instrumental pierce you like a silver needle to the heart.

Mashup Playlist: Fruit Salad


Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Merry Crimbus with the Yin Yang Twins




So horrible that it's good.

Philadelphia Bands: OhBree

Showtunes made into alternative pop? OhBree breaks convention with their genre mishmash band, evidence only being further shown in their newest album, "We Miss You, Edward, Come Home."

What even is going on I don't why

Happy-go-lucky melodies combines with punchy, idiosyncratic vocals to create some bizarre Broadway-musical-worthy songs, like "Picture Perfect." The best I can think to describe OhBree's sound would be "fun, carefree, and with the personality of a secretive teenage boy winking." 


This is the kind of music a schizophrenic playwright would make. Upbeat and slightly insane, the members of OhBree know how to put together an album worthy of an audience in maroon booth seating. With catchy whistle-worthy tunes, OhBree puts together a winning collection of songs in "We Miss You, Edward, Come Home."

To hear more of their music, check out their bandcamp here.

Best of Bandcamp: Jonny Wanser

Music Review

Mashup artist Jonny Wanser kicks it up a notch with his newest mixtape, "#Hashtag Mixtape 2: Death to False Tumblr Wave​.​jpg".


You may know him for his work as a singer/songwriter, but if you haven't heard any of his mashups, you've been missing out. Mellow beats and slow-mo vocals provide an underwater viscosity to Wanser's mixes that makes you feel as if you're trekking through the galaxy in a heavy space suit.



Trippy and just wonky enough to make it quirky, Wanser's mashups are the kind of unusual creations that are chill enough to groove to. With exact proportions of LSD and top charters, he puts together the kind of music that plays like an animated 90's flick.



This multi-talented artist also has a more recent demo album released as part of his singer/songwriter category, called "Perspectives". Feathered guitars and a distinct but slightly quavering voice draw you into songs like "Jane's Perspective" as you bury your head into the puddle of emotional confusion. Velvety cymbals soften the edges and provide the background for the black and white shades of Wanser's compositions.



Give this guy a listen and follow the directions to his tumblr to download his releases.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Baltimore Bands: Mr. Moccasin

Music Review

Echoey vocals with sunny accompaniment blends into the stroll-in-Barcelona worthy music of Mr. Moccasin. A collective group of independent experimental folk artists, Mr. Moccasin has come out with an album that is  a musical coloring book.


The shining voice of singer Hanna Badalova melts into the bright stringed instrumental of Jared Fischer and Chris Martinelli as Greg Hatem's drums bring a staccato of crayon-infused color here and there. Songs like "Life is Boring" transport you to a simple street where pastel shops and hazy sunshine infuse your surroundings. With music this light and dreamy, you'll feel like a lazy robin flying low in the mid-afternoon.


Musically chartreuse, this band has a rosy tone that's ethnically spiced thanks to Badalova's singing as she threads Russian into her English lyrics. Bright percussion and washed tones combine in their album, "You Will Take a Trip to the Sea" with spectacular results, ranging from the urgent song "Tsuami" to the atmospherically plucked-with-violins "Himalayan Marmalade".


Take a trip down a stained glass corridor and enjoy these imaginative melodies by getting Mr. Moccasin's album here.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Best of Bandcamp, Christmas Edition: Toby Lightman

Holiday Music Recommendations

Original and cheery, Toby Lightman's Christmas five dollar album (what a deal!) is definitely gonna put her on the nice list.


With jolly, snowflake-sprinkled songs like "Snow Day", Lightman gets you in the mood to lock yourself in a room with wrapping paper, ribbons, and presents for you to wrap like Dr. Dre. Find your favorite person and dance around the room to this little Chris Kringle jingle.



Warmer songs with gentle instrumentals are mixed with the added spice of Lightman's husky, soulful voice, a distinct sound comparable to chestnutty wooden cellos. Plain percussion and minimal instrumentation create a simplicity to her music that brings your holiday break to a more peaceful, less complicated place where peppermint pine cone scents fill the air.



Get the album, "The Snow Day Collection", now and start celebrating the season of gift giving by maybe giving a little musical gift to someone special.

Philadelphia Bands A Fistful of Sugar

Music Review

Warm earthy vocals and a folky-bluegrass accompaniment combine in A Fistful of Sugar's music. Made up of members Meaghan Kyle, Jess McDowell, The Reverend TJ McGlinchey, Will Mills, Mike Shax, and Lisa Watson, this happy-go-lucky band has what it takes to get your heartstrings plucked out like a bass string. 


This ragtag crew of singers and musicians make some of the best toe-tapping tunes out there while also creating some of the sweetest, crooning melodies around. Full, rich vocal harmonies and traditional bluegrass instrumentals help to bring a variety to the sounds they create, which, as they put it, "range from the syrupy-sweet to the gritty and swampy." 




Songs like "Miss Impossible-to-See" have a lovely, lonely, yearning ring to them, while others like "Mourning Dove" get your fingers snapping along to the old fashioned country melody. I was lucky enough to be in the same studio as these talented artists during their official recording of "Mourning Dove", which sounds fuller with more layers of percussion and instrumentals. Hopefully A Fistful of Sugar will release an album soon for purchase so that I can get these guys on my iPod for some perfect driving-on-a-Sunday-morning music.



In the meantime, check out their ReverbNation and give their facebook a glance. This fun and friendly group of people have collectively sunny personalities and amazing talent that is only self-evident in their production of music. I hope to have an official recording of their song "Mourning Dove" available soon for you guys to check out, but trust me, it's definitely something worth waiting for.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Outside Forces: Crochetcatpause

Music Review

And now for something a little different; please welcome to the stage Crochetcatpause.


Adorable as the name sounds, expect only the weirdest shit from this experimental electro-punk band. Loopy voices that slide around like a trombone and synth bloops give their music a silly and almost absurd sound.


This insane crew from Detroit, Michigan, is exactly what "freaky" means. They know how to have fun and they'll be more than happy to let you join in on their caffeine fueled mania during their live acts. Energetic and noodly, their music will get you wondering, as you listen to their album "Coolteeth", what the hell is going on (but in a good way).

Check out their other weird shit on their bandcamp here

Friday, December 7, 2012

Philadelphia Bands: J Pre

Music Review

Sweet swirling sounds that pop like bubbles: that's about as best as I can get to describing the kind of music that electronic indie-pop fusion artist J Pre creates. With punchy rhythms together in his newest album, "Synesthesia", you'll find yourself lost in a new technicolor world of his creation.


Laid back but still vibrant, "Synesthesia" has songs that will pull you in like a pool of turquoise. Tracks like "Relax" will make you do just that; unwind and undo the mess that is the chaos of the modern world with J Pre as he takes you on a journey down acrylic paint avenues.



Complex chiming melodies make songs like "A Mind in Meditation" draw dreamy landscapes in your imagination. Synth tunes and gentle fuzz in the background create a soft atmosphere for thoughtful contemplation, a kind of peaceful introspection.



Soothe your soul and download "Synesthesia" here. Or better yet, get a copy of J Pre's album from the artist himself. Keep a lookout for him on Drexel's campus and demand a CD. I'm sure he'll be happy to oblige. 

Outside Forces: A Tribe Called Red

Music Review

Usually I try to focus my music blog on US artists, but I had to make an exception for this amazing crew from Ottawa, Canada. Watch out: here comes a new level of electronic music, and it is Pow Wow Step, a genre created by the musical artist collective called A Tribe Called Red.


Formed in 2008 by DJ NDN and Bear Witness with the later 2010 addition of DJ Shub, A Tribe Called Red is a crew that creates, according to their website, a "never before heard sound made up of a wide variety of musical styles ranging from Hip-Hop, Dance Hall, Electronic, and their own mash-up of club and Pow Wow music." Mixing together everything plus the kitchen sink, A Tribe Called Red takes Native American Indian music to a new dimension, taking it to the world of today with a twist. 




Unlike anything you've ever heard before, songs like "Tribe Awards" gives an ancient, ceremonial feel that's mixed with the modernity of moombahton that creates a completely new style. Unexpected chants and claps speckle A Tribe Called Red's music with a fantastic quality that is sure to get your musical mind turning. 




Expect nothing but the unusual and the creative from this experimental, Pow Wow Step fusion group. Though it takes some getting used to, this genre is already picking up speed and gaining the respect from worldwide communities everywhere. Like what you hear? Check out their soundcloud. You can even download their album by signing up for their mailing list here

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Baltimore Bands: Rapdragons

Music Review


Baltimorians Nick Often and Greg Ward join forces in 2009, forming the dastardly duet known as Rapdragons, a duo that spits lyrics that are sharper than switchblades. Their album, "End of the Weak," released in August of this year, plays like a crocheted net of words, handmade and original.


With fresh lines and catchy beats, Rapdragons play with language like it's a piano, creating some of the sickest lyrics around. A Beastie Boys kind of feel gives Rapdragons an old school sound to them that's made new with solid beats and wordplay. Seriously, we're dealing with some real ass motherfuckers over here.



Check out their bandcamp; they have their albums out for download for free. So lean your chair back a few inches and nod along to these sick rhymes tonight and download "End of the Weak" now

Outside Forces: L'Orange

With a film noir aspect to his music, L'Orange paints around you in sepia toned colors in his album, "The Mad Writer".


In using audio clips from old motion pictures, L'Orange creates a distinct feel of vintage authenticity that adds a level of sophistication to his hip hop. A North Carolina resident, he both creates and produces his own music that is inspired by 1920's and 1950's popular culture and media, an influence that is only apparent in the album artwork.



Find yourself getting lost in "The Mad Writer" as you delve deeper into the album of music as mysterious as its creator. Dark, sensual, and enigmatic, songs like "A Nice, Peaceful Scene" and "Imaginary Friend" are only two examples of the kind of gems you'll find in this collection of elegant melodies dressed in maroon velvet trimmed with gold.



Keep it classy and purchase L'Orange's album here. Enjoy it with a nighttime stroll through a dimly lit rose garden and let the music melt into you like an old dream. 

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Where did Joe Go part 2: Bomb the Music Industry Pics


Photography credit: Maclyn Bean Photography

Things to do this winter break (DECMBER): Baltimore/DC

December 14th:

  • Of Montreal/Foxygen/French Horn Rebellion @ 9:30 Club 

December 15th:

  • Secret Mountains @ The Windup Space
  • One Week Till the World Ends Blowout! (Craig Taylor (Lushfarm), The Shaky Experience, rioLinda, Hive Bent, Phlegm Zipper, Tim Avtar, Atomchild, MetiPod) @ The CopyCat Building

December 16th:

  • Streethlight Manifesto/Lionize @ 9:30 Club

December 18th:

  • Grouplove/MS MR @ 9:30 Club

December 19th:

  • The Hood Internet/Jerome Baker Iii/DJ Spicoli @ U Street Music Hall

December 21st:

  • RAC/Ghost Beach/Brett @ Submerge Pop-Up Space

December 22nd:

  • Free Xmas Dance Party (DJ Safe Sex, DJ Dad Weed) @ Golden West Cafe

December 23rd:

  • Baltimore Bass Connection Xmas Party 2012 (Live sets from The Death Set, Spank Rock, Le1f, Big Mouth, and BRAIDER. DJ sets from Chris Devlin (Win Win), Ron Darko, Roofeeo (TV on the Radio/The Death Set), Musa (Spank Rock/Obsession), HOFF (Agency DJ'S), Honor Titus and Money Honore (Cerebral Ballzy), & Adam Gonzo)

December 30th:

  • Little Feat @The Hamilton Live


Best of Bandcamp, Christmas Edition: No Coast Surfers

Holiday Music Recommendations

Get your groove on with some chill instrumental Christmas tunes from No Coast Surfers' new holiday EP, "A No Coast Christmas." 



Cheery and bouncy, these laid back tunes will get you in the mood for wintertime, whether you're in the snowflake or snow-cone weather. Rhythmic and smooth, this album is simple but packed with all the relaxation you need for this winter break. So put on your boots and shimmy to the left and right--it's time to get down with No Coast Surfers. Visit their bandcamp and download "A No Coast Christmas" and get groovin' tonight.

Best of Soundcloud: DJ BAHLER

Music Review

This mash-up artist does some of the chillest mixes out there, a species of mash-up that is severely lacking in today's world. With all the party mashes everywhere, DJ BAHLER mixes it up with some tunes that you can lounge to.

A Los Angeles native, DJ BAHLER is a solo artist who puts together combinations of songs to form something ten times better than the original. Don't believe me? Check out some of the comments people have made about his work:

(My personal favorite is "Hit em with the chopper yeeeeaaaaahhhh!!!!"). 

You get the point.

I originally discovered DJ BAHLER about a year or so ago with songs that would eventually end up on his "Free the Snares" compilation. Indie pop with hip hop never sounded so good. Like a looser version of The Hood Internet, DJ BAHLER makes music that you can groove and unwind to, whether it's at the workplace or in your favorite plush chair. 

Expect nothing but the illest and the chillest from this fly motherfucker. Follow him on soundcloud and check out the rest of his work. Pretty much everything he puts up is downloadable for free (how generous!) and it's all definitely worth listening to. 

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Philadelphia Bands: Bleeding Fractals

Music Review

A few seconds into their album, "The Dim Orange Lights", and you can already feel the intensity of this band. Bleeding Fractals is as fresh and real as a bloody nose.


With raw screams that ring in your ears long after you've put your headphones down, Bleeding Fractals creates nothing but true punk, math-rockesque music that will bring you back to the sweaty nights in a basement, rocking out like there was no tomorrow.



Songs like "Porches" sting like punches; with a steady guitar and a crescendo of clashing cymbals, you'll find yourself being pulled apart by the ugly reality that these songs smear in your face. Nowhere to hide, nothing to lose--this is the kind of music that tells no lies. A band like Bleeding Fractals can only be bested when heard live, so keep your eyes peeled for this crew. In the meanwhile, listen to "The Dim Orange Lights" and see what I'm talking about.

Things to Do this Weekend: Philadelphia


Thursday:
  • The Faint/Trust/Pujol @ The Trocadero Theater (tix)
  • Woe is Me/Chunk! No Captain Chunk!/Our Last Night/Capture the Crown/The Seeking @ Union Transfer (tix)
  • Bear Hands/Son Step/Mock Suns @ Kung Fu Necktie (tix)
Friday
  • Black Moth Super Rainbow/Casket Girls/Creepoid @ Union Transfer (tix)
  • Anthony Greene/Geoff Rickly @ Theater of the Living Arts (tix)
Saturday
  • Japandroids/DIIV @ Union Transfer (tix)
  • Kind Dude/Far Out Fangtooth @ First Unitarian Chuch (tix)
Sunday
  • Punk Rock Flea Market Holiday Edition! (more info here)

Free Stuff: Paste Magazine Holiday Mixtape

Get into the holiday spirit with this free mixtape download


Who doesn't like free stuff, especially when it's good music? Paste Magazine has put together a great sampler with songs from people like Sufjan Stevens, Hey Rosetta!, and Rosie Thomas. Sweeter than the gingerbread house in your grandmom's kitchen, this collection of songs will add a little sugar and spice to your winter break. So, what are you waiting for? Get it now!


Monday, December 3, 2012

Baltimore Bands: Weekends

Echoing vocals and underwater guitar melodies lift you to a new dimension when you listen to Weekends.





A two piece art rock band, Weekends the kind of fresh riffs and murky-watered singing that drowns you in a dream beyond this world. Having recently played at the Copycat with Super Vacations, Tremors II, and Spacin', this band has the kind of sound that will transport you and transcend you. Almost religiously ceremonial vocals create the atmosphere for the otherworldly in songs such as "Peer History" on the album "Acoustic Tape Vol. 1". The footsteps of the drums lead you down a path that parts from the ordinary, and reverberating tones wash around you like thin paint.



Check out their latest single at their bandcamp and buy their album while you're at it.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Where did Joe go?

BOMB THE MUSIC INDUSTRY/LAURA STEVENSON & THE CANS/LUTHER/GLOCCA MORRA @ FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH OF PHILADELPHIA


Keep an eye out for JOE THE GIRL, tonight at the FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH OF PHILADELPHIA if you're going to the concert tonight (which you should). Rock out tonight and get your life force sucked out with the purple haired boy-girl wonder!

un-famous unknown unheard-of

Tickets at the door, only ten dollars. Join me. Let's roll.

Best of Bandcamp, Christmas Edition: A Little Affair

Holiday Music Recommendations

For those riding through the northwest this winter, you might want to prepare yourself with a good playlist of Christmas themed music, and by good, I mean everything except the shit you'll find on the radio.






A Little Affair is a three piece alternative rock outfit from Woodstown, NJ, composed of members Ben Hughes, Ryan Buzby, and Tom Cochran. Having recently released a holiday album, "So This is Christmas", A Little Affair helps to make this December a month to celebrate, especially for us radio-weary listeners (anyone up for some more of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You"? Or perhaps another replay of that song about the kid who wants a hippopotamus for Christmas? No? I thought not). With songs like "Carol of the Bells", a winter classic, made fresh like newly fallen snow, it's easy to get that Santa spirit back.



Soothing vocals make A Little Affair's cover of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" something to listen to while curled up on a sofa with a blanket around you and a mug of cinnamon-sprinkled hot chocolate. The gentle but steady rhythm of the acoustic guitar softens the song into a tune that fills you up with a kind of warmth that can only be felt when holding the one you love.

Though you can download the album for any price you like, including zero dollars, I would personally recommend that you donate a little, even if only a dollar to buying it. All of the profits, and I mean 100% of them, goes to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund. Good cause + good music = good decision. Find their "So This is Christmas" at their bandcamp here and get it today.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Things to never listen to ever:

Bands that are Harry Potter themed or that base their music off of being a fan boy/girl. Exhibit A: Alex Carpenter.

One look at this bandcamp ought to explain it all.

There is such a thing as bad music, and this is it. The instrumental isn't that bad. It's got some rhythm and depth to it, but his voice and the lyrics just ruin it all. To top it off, he titles his songs with such titles that reveal his insane fan boying qualities: "Bow Ties are Cool" and "This Town (Ministry of Magic Cover for Charity)". Not to mention, this motherfucker covered "Friday", and my god is it horrible.

And if you think his recorded stuff is bad, wait 'til you hear him live. Earlier this night, the one and the same Alex Carpenter performed at Swarthmore College for their annual Yule Ball. By god, I never heard anyone sing so horrifically. Luckily, most people were chatting during his set, so there was some noise to cover up some of his "music". Let's just say it was more tragic than terrible.

I don't think I've ever had more disdain for any musician than I've had for this. Love me or hate me, this is my opinion, and I stick with it. It's one thing to like Doctor Who and Harry Potter and Hunger Games. It's another thing to become obsessed with it.