Serengeti, Live @ Union Transfer

Tags

Anticon, Chicago, concert video, Dennehy, kDZ, Kenny Dennis, live music, live philly concerts, R5 Productions, Serengeti, Spotify link, Union Transfer

This one goes out to my girl Jules. 

If you know David Cohn (stage name Serengeti), you know what I am talking about.  This enigmatic story spinner is a genius by some estimations.  We talked to him.  We definitely support the crazy genius definition.  Serengeti is an artist who certainly cares about his fans and produces copious amounts of amazing output.  Think I am kidding?

Albums

1. Dirty Flamingo (F5 Records, 2002)
2. Noodle Arms Whimsy (The Frozen Food Section, 2005)
3. Gasoline Rainbows (Oarfin, 2006)
4. Thunder Valley (Audio 8 Recordings, 2006)
5. Race Trading (Audio 8 Recordings, 2006)
6. Noticeably Negro (Audio 8 Recordings, 2006)
7. Dennehy (Bonafyde Recordings, 2006)
8. Don’t Give Up (Audio 8 Recordings, 2007) (with Polyphonic)
9. The Boredom of Me (Audio 8 Recordings, 2008) (with Renee-Louise Carafice & Tony Trimm, as Yoome)
10. Friday Night (Breakfast Records, 2008) (with Hi-Fidel, as Friday Night)
11. Terradactyl (Anticon, 2009) (with Polyphonic)
12. Conversations with Kenny / Legacy of Lee (Golden Floyd Records, 2009)
13. There’s a Situation on the Homefront (Breakfast Records, 2010) (with Hi-Fidel & DJ Koufie, as Tha Grimm Teachaz)
14. Saturday Night (Breakfast Records, 2010) (with Hi-Fidel, as Friday Night)
15. Family & Friends (Anticon, 2011)
16. Shtaad (Blank Records, 2011) (with Sicker Man, as Shtaad)
17. C.A.R. (Anticon, 2012)
18. Saal (Graveface Records, 2012) (with Sicker Man, as Shtaad

EPs

1. Bells and a Floating World (Anticon, 2010) (with Polyphonic)
2. There’s a Situation on the Homefront EP (Chopped Herring Records, 2011) (with Hi-Fidel & DJ Koufie, as Tha Grimm Teachaz)
3. Davis (Leaving Records, 2011) (with Matthew David, as Davis)
4. Beak & Claw (Anticon, 2012) (with Son Lux & Sufjan Stevens, as S / S / S)
5. Kenny Dennis EP (Anticon, 2012)
6. C.A.B. (Anticon, TBA)

24 releases since 2002.  On many of these Serengeti spits his verses through alter-egos channeling their thoughts and delivering at a pace to match the character.  These alter-egos have themes which are thoroughly explored in his music. This could be explained in depth – there is plenty of depth to it – but encourage you to explore on your own if interested.

++ Serengeti on Spotify ++

On the 14th of September 2012, Serengeti delivered tracks from C.A.R., Family & Friends, and Dennehy among other albums. Active out of Chicago since 1993, he showed why he has been able to stay around for so long while never substituting quality for gimmicks.  While most of the crowd were uneducated on the talent before them, we knew what it was about and think most everyone that left knowing also.  Check out some of our video below:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zQQFUoK5YA]

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euGAVs9xxWQ]

Why?, Live @ Union Transfer

Tags

Anticon, cLOUDDEAD live, concert video, Doseone, Etc., live music, live philly concerts, Mumps, R5 Productions, Union Transfer, Why?, Yoni Wolf

The indie/alternative hip-hop set dispatched one of it’s trophy constituents on a world tour that stopped in Philly on September 14th, 2012.  The group in question was Why?.  Since 1997, Jonathan “Yoni” Wolf has displayed a talent that bends genres to which he is tied.  Traditional hip-hop stylings are put on hold while folk and indie rock textures are substituted in.  This amalgam makes Why? an ideal component of the Anticon record label.

The Philly show was a showcase for Why?’s new album Mumps, Etc. Drawing heavily from this album, Why? illustrated through lyrics the imagery which defines and has defined their tracks.  Touching on some classics and performing with Doseone on a classic cLOUDDEAD track, Why?’s Yoni delivered the performance we all hoped for in a larger venue than he had played in Philly last.  Union Transfer proved to be a great stage for the California based artist as the videos below will surely attest.  Enjoy:

 

El-P, Live @ The Trocadero

Tags

concert video, El-P, Killer Mike, R5 Productions, Spotify link, The Trocadero, Trocadero Philly

El-P is a brilliant pioneer that explores sound textures and rhythms outside the mainstream hip-hop pallet.  Short for El-Producto, El-P has carved out large swaths of today’s alternative hip-hop movement in a vernacular that is hardly paralleled.   His work can be seen not only in solo projects but in that of the collectives to which he was a member, productio9n and beat-work on the albums of contemporaries,  and the shepherding of the seminal record label Definitive Jux.

++ El-P – Cancer 4 Cure on Spotify ++

On the heels of his new banger Cancer 4 Cure, El-P rolled into Philly from Brooklyn, NYC with Killer Mike in tow and lit up the Trocadero stage with tracks new and old.  We caught8 of them which you can see below:

Dice Raw, Live @ Johnny Brenda’s

Tags

concert video, Def Jam, Dice Raw, Dj Sugar Shay, johnny brendas, Karl Jenkins, live music, live philly concerts, Local Philly Band, Lushlife album release party, Money Msking Jam Boys, Philly Rapper, Spotify link, The Roots, The Roots Crew

Philly Hip-Hop legend Dice Raw (aka Karl Jenkins) with Roots crew affiliation and Money Making Jam Boys ilk rhymed like a gold-medaler for the Lushlife album release party at Johnny Brenda’s in Fishtown on April 17th.  Spitting verses from his DeNiro-eque career track credits, Dice came across as an authority to the craft in a performance most moving.

++ Dice Raw on Spofity ++

Taking the stage in a vintage-looking grey and black power suit and glasses, vodka in hand, Dice Raw was total class act.  Verses were prepared with quiet effort and care with beats supplied by DJ Sugar Shay (sp?); Dice’s new set DJ.  Diverse, powerful, moving, searching, and clever samples combined with Dice crowd engagement made this a must see set.  One of the greatest Rap performances we have ever seen.   Sufficed to say, there was no mumbling on the mic.  The crisp sound of JB’s lent itself well to Dice’s flow and Sugar Shay’s turntableism.  Check out our video below and witness a Philly star.  Also, Gotye is sampled in the second video.  I know you will like this:

Lushlife, Live @ Plateau Vision Album Release Party :: Philly

Tags

bands to watch, concert video, johnny brendas, live music, live philly concerts, Local Philly Band, lushlife, Lushlife album release party, lushlife artist, Plateau Vision, R5 Productions, western vinyl

Lushlife delivered an energetic and immensely convivial performance at Johnny Brenda’s on April 17th in support of his new LP, Plateau Vision, now out on Western Vinyl records.  Exercising his ability to energize crowds while concurrently operating lyrical talents, sample selection and electric drums, Lush continued to prove why he is Philly’s pre-eminent cloud-rapper.

With a very positive review by Pitchfork, and numerous glowing articles in print and digital media alike, there was much hype surrounding the set.  Lush brought the goods.  Digging into tracks off his new album, mixtape, and his first album (Order of Operations), he played songs we had not had the enjoyment of hearing live before.  These tracks were topped off with covers of both classic Jay-Z and Nas which were excellently reconstructed.

Lushlife’s live performances are never to be missed – and we never do when he plays at home in Philly.  You shouldn’t either.  Watch out as Lush continues to blaze new trails and carve out musical originality in his own vein.  We have every confidence that Plateau Vision will be a jumping off point for greater and greater success in the future.  Watching his energy live and hearing that raw energy translate onto wax is a thing of magic.  Go out and purchase the album and check out some of our video below:

Doomtree, Live @ Union Transfer

Tags

cecil otter, concert video, dessa, Doomtree, laserbeak, live music, live philly concerts, Mike Mictlan, Minnesota, P.O.S., Paper Tiger, pos, R5 Productions, Sims, Union Transfer

Doomtree is an amazing hip hop collective out of sunny Minneapolis, Minnesota.  For those of you who don’t know, Minnesota is chocked full of talented musicians and indie labels.  The Doomtree collective is comprised of numerous adroit Emcees, DJs and Producers:  P.O.S (Stefon Alexander), Sims (Andrew Sims), Dessa (Maggie Wander), Mike Mictlan (Mike Marquez), Cecil Otter (Kyle Smith), Paper Tiger (John Samels), and Lazerbeak (Aaron Mader) comprise the current roster.

I could write a book about these guys.  They are that good.  Instead of doing that, I simply present to you a few videos from their February performance at the Union Transfer in Philly and let you judge for yourselves:

F. Stokes, Live @ Union Transfer

Tags

Chicago, concert video, F. Stokes, F. Stokes artist, live music, live philly concerts, R5 Productions, Union Transfer

F. Stokes of Chicago, IL is a Hip-Hop, Spoken Word, and Blues performer whose live performance dwarfs his recorded material we have heard to date.  No disrespect to the material of his which is currently available digitally and physically; it is a testament to F dot’s ability to work a crowd and deliver a believable performance.

Coming on strong at the Union Transfer stage, F dot caught his groove as far as we were concerned about two songs in.  At this point, the show had gotten personal and a hooper named Halo was brought on stage as a set accouterments dazzling the audience with the vibrant light and motion of her hula hoop.  F dot rolled through songs creating little vignettes with each.  First sitting on the edge of the stage when no bar stool could be delivered to him and addressing those in the pit while they we sitting down (a request had been made for us to do so, and the audience naturally obliged).  Going between rhymes and spoken word with a DJ filling in the blanks, F dot joined those of us in the pit and proceeded to deliver all but his last songs from this location.   He worked the crowd like a true pro having us circle around him and having audience members complete song verses while addressing others specifically.  It was an amazing experience to be sure.  First of a kind at the Union Transfer for LPC.

At the end of the evening, we really felt we knew this guy – F. Stokes – a man who wears his heart on his sleeve and is not afraid to be different and be judged for it.  A man who appreciates his audience and has no intentions of putting himself on a pedestal around them.  F. Stokes is a real person, a real performer, and a real musician.  Check out some video from the evening below:

Lushlife, Live @ Union Transfer (2/2012)

Tags

bands to watch, concert video, live music, live philly concerts, Local Philly Band, lushlife, lushlife artist, R5 Productions, Union Transfer, western vinyl

Lushlife brought his up-beat and increasingly honed performance to the Union Transfer stage on February 15th.  With SXSW coming up, an invite to play the Pitchfork party, and a new full-length LP on Western Vinyl set to come out this year on the heels of the mixtape, No More Golden Days, the man is busy.  With all this going on, and so much more, we appreciate Lush’s dedication to performance perpetually on exhibit and the passion behind it.  Lushlife continues to amaze us with his multi-faceted skill set and devotion to his craft.  Never shy about engaging his fans, Lush is poised to capture an even wider audience and do his home city of Philadelphia proud.  Check out the new Lushlife single, Big Sur, below and some of our video from the evening after the iframe.

 

Lushlife, Live @ Kung Fu Necktie

Tags

bands to watch, concert video, kung fu necktie, live music, live philly concerts, Local Philly Band, lushlife, lushlife artist

Lushlife put on yet another fantastic performance at a pre-Christmas KFN party on December 23rd.  By now, you know we love this guy.  On this evening we were treated to multiple tracks off his new Mixtape, “No More Golden Days”, Bottle Rocket off “Cassette City” and No Foundation off of “Order of Operations”.  Lush topped it off with some NAS for the set closer.  Amazing piece of work in total.

2011 was another stepping stone in Lushlife’s path to greater and greater notoriety.  As 2012 approaches, we eagerly await new shows and count ourselves fortunate to have been witness to so many of his performances in 2011.  Make sure you don’t miss Lushlife in the New Year, download “No More Golden Days” for free off his bandcamp and enjoy some of our videos below:

 

Lushlife, Live @ Johnny Brenda’s

Tags

concert video, johnny brendas, live music, live philly concerts, Local Philly Band, lushlife, lushlife artist, no more golden days, rockaphilly event

Last in our 3 part series of reviews from rockaphilly‘s stellar F*ck Chill Wave event (but certainly not least) we again caught Lushlife hot on the heels of the release of his new mixtape; No More Golden Days.

It should be noted that we have never reviewed a show from the same artist twice and we cannot think of a better one on which to break the streak.  Lushlife, aka Raj Haldar, once again put on a sick performance working between his machinery and mic.  A broken laptop didn’t hold him back as he delivered his verses crisply to the enthused concertgoers.  We were super stoked to hear so many tracks off his new tape and to see him in a more intimate venue; one at which he could use background imagery to complete his live show picture on the JB backdrop screens.  An amazing performer, writer and musician, check out our video from the show and DON’T MISS HIM at these upcoming concert dates.  Seriously, don’t miss him:

Nov 17

Brooklyn Bowl

Brooklyn, NY

Dec 07

North Star Bar

Philadelphia, PA