Quilt, Live @ Johnny Brenda’s

Tags

brooklyn, Burger Records, concert video, johnny brendas, live music, live philly concerts, mexican summer, Quilt, Quilt band, R5 Productions

Quilt weaves a refreshing psych-folk sound with both laid back and cut loose guitar and drums.  The Boston-based trio joins several projects producing quality throw-back stylings ripe with variation, texture and originality.  John Andrews, Anna Rochinski and Shane Butler have put music out on several of our favorite labels including Mexican Summer and Burger records and perhaps for this reason drew our intense interest initially. Only highly listenable tracks could sustain it.

Playing numerous songs off their late 2011 release, Quilt, as well as new tracks to be on a yet to be releases album, the band put forth a solid first Philly performance.  We wish the time honored tradition of no encores by an opener was ignored.  More tracks would have been welcomed and enjoyed.  As Anna switched back and forth between guitar and organ while providing vocals, John toiled away mesmerizing on the skins and John flowed between solo and beat chiming in on vocals as well, time stood still and we felt lucky to be there.

White Fence, Live @ Johnny Brenda’s 0518

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bands to watch, Drag City Records, indie music, johnny brendas, live music, live philly concerts, Los Angeles, R5 Productions, Spotify link, white fence, white fence band, woodist records

White Fence is one of Tim Presley’s stunning projects hailing from the sunny left coast.  In addition to The Strange Boys, Hair,  and Darker My Love, Presley delivers a garage sound that culls upon tones from an era gone by, namely the late 60’s, while concurrently sounding grounded in 2010’s garage folk punk revival (now we are making genres up). This was the second time we have caught his act at Johnny Brenda’s and we dare say it was even better than the last.  His current effort Family Perfume volumes 1 & 2 is chocked full of sturdy tracks and is an amazing listen.  It would seem there is no stopping the waterfall of music being produced.

++ White Fence on Spotify ++

White Fence played a sick set of tracks that laid out the red carpet for two tracks he would play with Ty Segall in their Hair project.  Since it is impossible to really overshadow ones-self, we simply point out that which was better was irrelevant.  White Fence alone made the show worth every penny and more.  We had been following the project since its eponymously titled debut in 2010 and our liking has only grown with each release – now on number three.  As such, we are proud to present several videos from that May 18th performance performance at JB’s in Philly.  Do yourself a solid and go see him shred:

The Spinto Band, Live @ Kung Fu Necktie

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bands to watch, concert video, delaware, kung fu necktie, live music, live philly concerts, spinto band, Spotify link, the spinto band, the spinto band residency

The Spinto Band is one of those amazing local bands we have caught on numerous occasions but had never filmed.  We finally got our act together and did so the second night of their May 2012 Kung Fu Necktie residency.  What a show it was.  What a band they are.  A shining star rising from the first state, The Spinto Band are definitely one of our favorite bands to come out of Delaware in awhile – and they have been doing so for well over a decade.

++ The Spinto Band on Spotify ++

The six piece consisting of Jon Eaton on Guitar, Nick Krill on Vocals & Guitar, Thomas Hughes on Vocals & Bass, Jeff Hobson on Drums, Sam Hughes on Keyboards & Vocals, and Joe Hobson Guitar & Vocals is not new to laying down catchy tracks.  Now with 14 plus years behind them, The Spinto Band can look back upon a catalog of 10 LPs and multiple EP’s.  The band has hit an energetic stride over the last 6 years and picks up steam with age.  Their new album Shy Pursuit was just released this year.

This residency will see The Spinto Band playing 4 shows at KFN this may and the videos below are from the second.  You still have 2 Tuesdays left to check them out and we strong suggest you do.  Beat the crowd though, they pack the place and a few notes in it is clear why.  Check out some videos because these are worth more than a thousand pictures.

 

The Wave Pictures, Live @ Kung Fu Necktie

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concert video, kung fu necktie, live music, live philly concerts, Moshi Moshi Records, The Wave Pictures, United Kingdom

The Wave Pictures from Wymeswold, England have been making music since 1998 with their first label release coming in 2006.  Through this time, David Tattersall on vocals and guitar, Franic Rozycki on bass guitar, and Jonny Helm on drums (and solo vocals in one song recorded live that evening) have honed their performance and built up a large catalog of music.  April 25th 2012 brought Kung Fu Necktie this solid act fronted by Tattersall who has mastered the guitar solo – almost, if not every, track contained one of varied style.

The band has a Smiths-esque aesthetic to it but it does not come close to defining them.  Their recipe is more complicated than mimicking anything at all.  The previously mentioned diversity in guitar solos ensure that.  There is also a more upbeat feel to the tracks with muted cowbell included on a track or two.  Track lyrics sku abstract and we love it.  Still on tour in the US for a few more weeks, Philly was lucky to catch them on the second show of their Stateside tour.  If you have a chance, go support these guys.  If you need convincing, check out our vids below:

 

Poor Moon, Live @ Johnny Brenda’s

Tags

Casey Wescott, Christian Wargo, concert video, Ian Murray, johnny brendas, live music, live philly concerts, Peter Murray, Poor Moon, Poor Moon band, R5 Productions, Seattle, Sub-Pop

The massively talented quartet Poor Moon consisting of Christian Wargo (Fleet Foxes, Crystal Skulls) Casey Wescott (Fleet Foxes, Cystal Skulls) and brothers Ian and Peter Murray (The Christmas Cards) played JB’s in Philly on April 15th. The band was named for frontman and primary songwriter Christian Wargo’s favorite Canned Heat song and seems to abstractly encapsulate the group’s constitution.

++ Poor Moon on Spotify ++

Now on Sub Pop records, the band produces a hybrid jug band type of music, sans jugs – that is to say, they play a music ripe with tradition and new era instrumentation.  Born out of a long distance exchange of ideas and sounds, Poor Moon has grown into a mature sound that is certainly multi-faceted.  We truly enjoyed their set and are pleased to present you with multiple videos below:

Son Step, Live @ Johnny Brenda’s

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concert video, johnny brendas, live music, live philly concerts, Local Philly Band, Son Step, Son Step band

Playing Johnny Brenda’s on January 5th 2012 was a magically eclectic sounding Son Step from our own Philly.  Infusing elements of funk, garage, folk, soul and more, Son Step played an inspiring set.  The four piece is comprised of jon coyle on vocals, little drums, electrics, pat lamborn on vocals, guitar, chris coyle on bass and matt scarano on big drums.  Check out their bandcamp and website for some of their recorded work.

Like nuclear evolution Son Step’s sound morphed on stage moving the listener in and out of chord and tempo changes and delivering an awesome experimental type sound. We enjoyed many things about the Son Step set; but perhaps most was the originality of their compositions.  Check them out when you have a chance and take a peek at our video from the evening below:

Gregory Alan Isakov, Live @ Union Transfer

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Bluegrass, concert video, Gregory Alan Isakov, live music, live philly concerts, R5 Productions, Telluride Troubador winner, Union Transfer, Westword Best Singer Songwriter

Gregory Alan Isakov and his band came through the Union Transfer in Philly on November 3rd delivering a lovely and arresting performance.  Playing through songs new and old, Gregory delivered them with great presence and conviction.  His work reminds us of a unique blend of John Prine, Leonard Cohen and Jeff Buckley (among others) but none of it can be singularly attributed to one sound relation.  It is unto it’s own like any great musician.

Gregory Alan Isakov was born in Johannesburg,  South Africa and raised in Philadelphia.  Isakov later moved to Boulder, Colorado where he currently resides.  His musical style is that of a folk singer and he has award winning lyric honors to his credit.  In addition to sharing the stage with many notable acts and on his own, he has also had his songs featured in film and television productions, including his track “If I Go, I’m Goin'”, which was used in the fourth season of television show Californication.  Hearing him live, even in a loud venue such as Union Transfer, was an honor.  Take the time to review Gregory Alan Isakov’s work and get out and support him at shows.  You can find some video we took from the evening below:

Head on over to LPC on YouTube for a few more videos from Gregory Alan Isakov,’s performance. 

Icebird, Live @ Union Transfer

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concert video, Icebird, Icebird band, indie music, live music, Local Philly Band, R5 Productions, RJ's Electrical Connections, RJD2, Union Transfer

Philly’s own Icebird, a brilliant combination of Aaron Livingston and RJD2, played the Union Transfer on October 15th to a packed crowd.  Icebird plays an incomparable blend of Soul, Rock, Folk and Hip Hop and their first single Going and Going, and Going is a doozy.

This was the fourth stop on their first major tour and they pulled out all the stops for the hometown crowd.  Rolling through pretty much every track on their new album, The Abandoned Lullaby, Icebird had a huge backing band including RJD2 on keys and others on guitar, cello, drums, and bass.  Though the sound was not loud enough through the start of their set, by the time they returned to stage for an extra encore at the end of RJD2’s set, everything was on point.  Aaron directed the crowd who repeated his verses and moved organically to the sound having been brought back on stage by RJ.

Icebird plays an end-of-show encore post RJD2 performance

Icebird plays a dynamic range of songs from fast to slow paced and, by in the large, the crowd responded well.  While the buzz we heard was mostly of curiosity as to their origins, we have no doubt that soon many more will be familiar with this stellar Icebird project.  In the end, as the near capacity crowd poured out the doors, all in attendance with a pulse had been moved by Icebird’s performance.

Check out some video from the show including Going and Going, and Going, Charmed Life, & Just Love Me:

Matt Pond PA, Live @ Johnny Brenda’s

Tags

acoustic music, Altitude, Altitude Records, concert video, indie music, johnny brendas, Lancaster Records, live music, live philly concerts, matt pond, matt pond pa, polyvinyl

With great fortitude, Matt Pond took the stage on September 20th at JB’s in Philly with a broken leg he acquired just five days into his 2011 tour. Staring his first song standing up on crutches, he continued the rest of the show in a chair managing to sing, play the guitar and work the pedals – a testament to his desire to play music and please fans. It would have been easy to cancel the tour and abandon his tour-mates and fans but Matt played on. This is the nitty-gritty Matt Pond from Philadelphia, PA we love. Not the one Pitchfork so mercilessly tares apart in its’ reviews – reviews I consider to be unfair and one dimensional.

Matt Pond PA formed his band in Philadelphia, PA (thus resulting in the PA suffix) but has been writing and recording in New York since 2003.  They have released eight LPs and eight EPs since 1998 and currently reside on the Altitude Record label.  His band’s current line up consists of himself on vocals, guitar, Chris Hansen on guitar, vocals, keys, Leslie Sisson on guitar, vocals, George Souleidis on bass and Dan Crowell on drums.

Matt Pond PA’s performance on this night was captivating and we were excited to hear at least one forthcoming single (Hole in My Heart) played.  His broken leg did not slow him down but rather added emphasis on the kind of person he is.  It did, however, force an encore to be played without the typical departure and return to stage – a fact which he mentioned prior to playing his final song.  This performance was a homecoming of sorts and it was certainly befitting of that description.  Matt should be commended for his ability to generate quality material while ignoring the critics and satisfying his audience.  To that end, we present to you some clips from his most recent show in Philly:

Navigate on over to LPC on YouTube to catch a few more tracks from this show such as From Debris, A List of Sound, and Remains.

Rocky Votolato, Live @ Johnny Brenda’s

Tags

acoustic music, Alt Country, Barsuk, concert video, indie music, johnny brendas, live music, live philly concerts, Rocky Votolato

Rocky Votolato is a folk/alt-country/indie artist out of Seattle, Washington. He appears on stage solo and with a backing band and is great to hear in either scenario. On this occasion, he performed both ways and we have been told that this is common. His song lyrics are great story telling and through such amazing writing and performance has been able to attract musicians from bands such as Red Stars Theory, Sharks Keep Moving, The Blood Brothers, Death Cab for Cutie, Pedro the Lion and Rosie Thomas to guest on his studio albums. Beginning in 1999, Votolato has released 11 LPs, EPs and 7″ records.

Rocky Votolato’s performance at JB’s on September 19th was an engaging affair and his skills as a musician and writer came through in each song’s delivery. Check out some video from his performance including one video in wich he describes events on their current tour – more to come on that story in a later post about Matt Pond PA.

Find more Rocky Votolato video over at the LPC YouTube page