February 2012
9 posts
6 tags
Dr. Dog: Be The Void
Having only been released yesterday, Dr. Dog’s latest album Be The Void has already offered a lot to discuss. In that sense, I’ll try to fit most of my thoughts into this blog post, though I’m sure I won’t get to all of them. I would be remiss though if I failed to mention the great amount of Beatles-interplay that happens throughout record, arguably more so than their usual stylistic...
6 tags
The Not So Little Sounds of Little Dragon
If you haven’t heard of Little Dragon, you need to re-evaluate your self-esteem, character, and humanity. This four-person electronic band hailing from Sweden has one of the most unique and generous sounds on the scene. Lead singer Yukimi Nagano’s vocals are dipped in a perfect blend of rasp and density having mastered the art of texture. Members of Little Dragon have collaborated...
4 tags
Don Cornelius – The Soul Train Derailed
The death of the legendary Don Cornelius hit many generations quite hard. For over forty years, Mr. Cornelius introduced the world, namely African Americans, to countless African American artists via his show Soul Train, which aired following American Bandstand on Saturday afternoons. Soul Train gave young blacks a sense of pride and introduced the “Soul Train line” which still shows up in...
10 tags
Modest Mouse and St. Vincent take “Portlandia”
Besides the usual nonsensical tomfoolery of Portlandia, a recent episode starring St. Vincent’s Annie Clark and Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock brought up incredibly important questions for any person trying to raise a “musically cultured” child (or whatever that means). Are Mike + The Mechanics the bane of rock history? Is Whitney Houston our generation’s Dante? Is Harry Nilsson the perfect...
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Jack White: "Love Interruption"
Now that Jack White has finally ran out of other people to work with, the vinyl traditionalist is free to strip it all back and put out a project under his own name. But that doesn’t mean he’s reinventing himself. Lyrically, his debut solo single, “Love Interruption,” exudes the same awkwardly macabre bitterness that White often turned to in both the White Stripes and the Dead Weather. “I want...
8 tags
"The SlapBack's" Battle Of The Week: Hollohan vs....
Before I go on to discussing the video below, I would like to mention the fact that this KingOfTheDot event entitled “Blackout2” is most definitely packed with the best production and “epicness” I’ve ever seen in a rap battle before. From the dramatic introduction interviews to the appearances from Raekwon The Chef and EpicMealTime’s Sauce Boss, this event is...
5 tags
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour @ Union Transfer (2/2)
Pairing funk-inspired rhythms with psychedelic synth and a healthy dose of brass, The Asteroids Galaxy Tour channel big band soul gone 21st century. The feel is perhaps best encapsulated by the glittering silver bow ties worn by the band’s two-man horn section: retro, futuristic, and a whole lot of fun.
The Danish sextet took the stage at Union Transfer on Feb. 2 as part of the tour marking...
9 tags
The "Awkward" Sounds of San Cisco
It’s amazing how often things that shouldn’t work together do. For example, as a true Australian, I love Vegemite and cheese— don’t try this at home, folks. This love, however, is intellectually counterintuitive; Vegemite should not be loved in conjunction with anything (to be honest, the thought of Vegemite by itself is, in a word, “vomitous”). On the other hand, unlike...
5 tags
Meet Mac Miller
As a Canadian, I often find it difficult to dissociate myself from my nation’s past time: hockey (although, contrary to popular belief, it is not Canada’s national sport). So this week I am bringing to you a little treasure that hockey brought to my attention. This season of the HBO show 24/7: The Road to the NHL Winter Classic followed the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers in the...
January 2012
15 posts
5 tags
Looking at Little People
Little People, in all seriousness, is neither little nor “peopled”, in the plural sense of the word. Rather, it’s one dude with a big sound. The one-man, trip-hop icon derives his inspiration from all things classic(al) — whether it be Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata (cue “Moon”) or old school funk (cue “Above the Clouds”), Little...
5 tags
Mary J. Blige: My Life II…The Journey Continues...
Born Mary Jane Blige on January 11, 1971 in Savannah GA, Mary J. was raised in the housing projects in Yonkers, NY. Mary got her musical start, when her stepfather passed along a tape she recorded in a karaoke machine in the local mall, to Uptown records. She was signed up with Uptown records as a background singer for local artist. While at Uptown, Sean “Puffy” Combs became her mentor and...
12 tags
Grimes: Visions
When I saw Grimes open for Austra last year, I saw a meek DIY artsy girl dressed in a grungy t-shirt and dark tights wail into a microphone while expertly mixing complex tracks to produce a seriously rhythmic dance spell. Now, as 2012 has unraveled before us, Claire Boucher, the Montreal-based mastermind behind Grimes, has become the “it girl” of the indie music blogosphere. Much more than just...
7 tags
The Shins: "Simple Song"
After 2007’s Wincing the Night Away, the Grammy-nominated album that established The Shins as the latest indie darlings to crash the mainstream, the band seemed destined for even bigger things. But James Mercer had other plans, teaming up with Danger Mouse to release an album and an EP as Broken Bells, which seemed more than a side-project vamp at the time.
And that’s why it’s such a delight...
4 tags
The SlapBack's "Battle of the Week": Q vs. Caustic
Over the past winter break, rap battle leagues took no vacation whatsoever. Leagues like “KingOfTheDot,” “GrindTimeNow,” “DontFlop,” and “Basementality Battles” continued to release top tier matches from headlining events. New battle leagues made their appearances with very impressive matchups as well. In all, there wasn’t really a “winter...
5 tags
Before the Concert: Die Antwoord-- A Listening...
The South African rap-rave phenomenon Die Antwoord is an endless fount of crude, brash and fantastically offensive media. Ninja and Yolandi Vi$$er, the frontmen of the band, brazenly spew filth from their mouths (give the 8 minute version of “Beat Boy” a listen, if you dare) while bombarding the hapless viewer with images of penis galore— boobs, too.
Despite these seemingly repellant...
9 tags
Of Monsters and Men
In retrospect, with a name alluding to the famous novella written by one of my favorite authors (John Steinbeck), it was inevitable that I would explore the music of the band Of Monsters and Men. This six-piece indie/folk band is just the latest Icelandic group to emerge from the small, remote island that seemingly produces more internationally-acclaimed musicians than it should, joining the...
5 tags
Blue Ivy Carter- Will She Be A Future Superstar?
Arriving on January 7, 2012 and weighing in at 7 lbs, Blue Ivy Carter has created quite a stir. Baby Blue Ivy, the newborn daughter of parents Beyoncé and Jay-Z, was met by family and friends at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. However, already Baby Blue has made her singing debut less than a month after her birth in a new single from father Jay-Z.
Proud father Jay-Z expressed his love and...
7 tags
Introducing Icky Blossoms
Over the past ten years, a recurrent question in my life has been: “What’s in the water in Omaha, Nebraska?” While the answer might be rocket fuel, arsenic or pesticides, Icky Blossoms, the newest recruit of the mighty label Saddle Creek Records, shows us yet again that there must be something else- a chemical X of sorts that grants parched tongues beautiful gifts.
Comprised of Tilly and the...
5 tags
Cults @ Union Transfer (1/13/12)
I’m skeptical of buzz bands, those haphazardly assembled internet music groups with something like two or three tracks to their name. They make their way around the blogging circuit, some even fortunate enough to have a feature on Stereogum or Pitchfork, while others fall into oblivion with a “one-hit wonder” that makes everyone’s summer playlist or party sampler. Is there anything to qualify the...
6 tags
Occupy Kurt Vile
If rock ‘n’ roll has always tried to distance itself from popular culture/ industry as much as it can (which may not be much at all, despite Johnny Rotten’s best efforts), indie rock has been particularly adamant in its (usually doomed) refusal. Indie rockers only support independent musicians at small venues, with iPhones in the pockets of our Urban Outfitters jeans. When faced with these...
4 tags
Album you probably missed…from 1995: Al di Meola,...
In most popular forms of music, collaboration between great artists doesn’t necessarily result in a sum of all participating parts (think, for example, of “Ebony And Ivory” or the Jagger-Bowie version of “Dancing In The Streets” – they are both downright creepy). In jazz, however, the best recordings usually happen when great musicians play together.
On Rite of Strings, the fusion gods bless us...
3 tags
Still Dreamin': Revisiting the lessons from Teen...
Rock n’ roll has lived an eventful life thus far. In the early years it was an adolescent, playing by the rules and mimicking blues and swing music. By the mid to late 1950s, though, it hit a rebellious stage and hardly looked back. It seems that every era of rock since has offered something musically and culturally defiant that has made parents cringe and kids go crazy.
But times have changed....
4 tags
The Vegetable Report's Song of the Year
Amidst a chorus of Nina Simone-like vocal loops, Memphis style horns and African drumbeats, Merrill Garbus brings down the motherfucking house. That’s the best way I can think to describe “Bizness,” the standout track from tUnE-yArDs’ W H O K I L L and hands-down the best track of 2011. On top of being an exhilarating shot of musical adrenaline, “Bizness” feels important. Experimental pop...
6 tags
Previewing Poliça
After the breakup of Roma di Luna, it seemed like the world would never be right again- that is until Poliça, the latest project from lead singer Channy Cassell, came strolling down this new dark, brooding alleyway. Pulling along one or two members of the supergroup Gayngs, namely the talented Ryan Olson, Poliça has recently put forth several tracks that will no doubt make great strides this new...
December 2011
9 posts
3 tags
Reign State's premier music video for "Mr. Mail"
Having just finished up working on their new music video, Brooklyn’s experimental/indie/soul band Reign State is proud to present their film for “Mr. Mail” off their debut EP “Neko Neko.” You can check out the entire video after the jump!
For more information about their work, feel free to contact Reign State at reign.state@gmail.com or see their blog.
“Neko...
10 tags
The Best and (Unfortunately) Worst Rap Albums of...
Wiz Khalifa, Lupe Fiasco, J.Cole , Lil Wayne, Jay-Z & Kanye West, Drake, Big Sean, Wale, The Weeknd
In 2011, rap music evolved and went to new heights and also some incredible lows. This was the year of the mixtape come-up, as many underground artists released official studio albums. While many already mainstream artists disappointed, some represented well and maintained their place in the...
8 tags
WQHS Interviews Jets and Eagles Players (12/18)
This past Sunday (12/18), Zack and Mike from WQHS’s The Zone got the chance to interview several players from the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles in the locker room after the game. Check out the interviews after the jump.
The interviews in order: Muhammad Wilkerson, Nick Mangold, Antonio Cromartie, Matt Slauson, Nnamdi Asomugha, and Nate Allen.
20 tags
WQHS's Best Albums of 2011
As 2011 comes to a close, the DJs of WQHS give you their top ten albums from this past year.
Check out the entire list after the jump.
[photo via birdswitharms.tumblr.com]
10. Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx - We’re New Here
Who the hell is Jamie xx and why is he so good at everything? With every remix released under that moniker, I just simply can’t believe the sheer talent that...
WQHS Presents Ceaser Live Soul (11/30)
Check out Ceaser Live Soul’s on air performance from November 30 with Shameka Sawyer on Guilty Pleasures with Savannah Bre (Wednesdays 4-6 pm on WQHS.org)
Welcome to the Underground: Philadelphia's Indie...
Here we are again my friends. Gathered here to read and witness what’s really going on in indie hip-hop music in Philly. Well, I have two hidden secrets that’s keeping the streets of Philly buzzing about hip-hop music. Because it’s the season for giving, I’m going to give you these two gifts early. You may have heard rap, but you haven’t heard it like this. Check out the article after the...
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The Devil Wears Prada this Saturday! (12/10)
Don’t forget to check out The Devil Wears Prada this Saturday (12/10) at The Electric Factory! Opening bands include Whitechapel, Enter Shikari, and For Today.
See the previous post for the remaining opportunities to win free tickets to this show on WQHS.org!
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The Devil Wears Prada Ticket Giveaway!
Tune in to the following shows for your chance to win a free pair of tickets to see The Devil Wears Prada this Saturday (12/10) with openers Whitechapel, Enter Shikari, and For Today at the Electric Factory!
12-1pm Monday, December 5th Rooftop Ruckus with Rachel Russel and Kelsey Cloonan
8am-9am Wednesday, December 7th MC^2 with Rosa Escandon
10pm-12am Wednesday, December 7th Go EZPASS! with...
7 tags
Welcome to the Underground: Philadelphia's Indie...
As many of us already know, Philadelphia is a huge melting pot that is filled with a rich history in the arts, theatre, and music. From Will Smith to The Roots, Philly is known to produce some extraordinary talent. What many of us don’t know is we have a very prominent and thriving Indie Hip Hop Movement that’s evolving in small clubs and hip hop battles around the city. As a DJ that focuses on...
November 2011
18 posts
4 tags
George Harrison: Living in the Material World
“Got up, went to Twickenham, rehearsed until lunchtime –left the Beatles—went home, and in the evening did King of Fuh at Trident studio, had chips later.”
Written by George Harrison in January 1969, this diary entry epitomizes Harrison’s indifference toward the Beatles and anything else that got in the way of his spiritual journey. It’s also one of many archival things in Martin Scorsese’s...
7 tags
Beach Boys: The Smile Sessions
For nearly a half-century, the Beach Boys’ SMiLE has been one of the greatest myths in pop music history. Brian Wilson’s unfinished symphony was a “woulda-coulda-shoulda” prospect all the way. The album that some insist would have dwarfed the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper and forever changed the course of popular music instead drove Brian into a career-destroying nervous breakdown.
Thanks to The...
8 tags
Rihanna: Talk That Talk
It took her six albums, several costume changes, a new hair color, and some major break-ups for her to release her best record yet. The sound speaks for itself. The moment her voice utters the first verse from her Billboard eleventh #1 single “We Found Love”- I knew that Rihanna was no longer the good girl gone bad. She was now the bad girl gone superstar. Her last album Loud was a feat that only...
5 tags
Rachael Yamagata @ World Cafe Live (10/31)
“I’ve been wanting to write a song like ‘Stick Around’ for a while now. I wanted to write a song you could have sex to. And I want to hear about it when you do…so post on my Facebook wall about it. It would make my day!”
The Rachael Yamagata I saw live on Halloween night at World Café Life was far from what I imagined. On first listen her albums give you an image of a slightly...
5 tags
Architecture in Helsinki @ Union Transfer (11/16)
If there’s one thing that an astoundingly older crowd at Union Transfer on a dreary Philadelphia Wednesday night could take away from Architecture in Helsinki’s bubbly set, it’s that the Australian five-piece doesn’t mind a bit of a boogie. With an impressive tour bus idling in the car lot and a decidedly depressing forecast keeping many punters away from a last minute, curiosity-fueled ticket...
10 tags
Drake: Take Care
After I heard it, my heart stopped. That was it. That was what I anticipated for over a year. It was the hip-hop soundtrack to the film Titanic. It was basically the perfect R&B album, but stuck with a hip-hop label. Aubrey “Drake” Graham said Thank Me Later with an incredible debut and we all did. Now with his sophomore release of Take Care-that is exactly what I want to say...
4 tags
Dizaster vs. DNA: Finally, it went down!
I was expecting to open up the KingOfTheDot YouTube page to find the above video uploaded last Monday- its reported date of release. Instead, the video was so long, it took another day and a half for it to drop. Finally on November 15th, it made its way to thousands of computer screens worldwide. But the question is, after waiting all this time for this video to be released, was my...
6 tags
WQHS Interviews Cameron Bird from Architecture in...
On November 16th, the darlings of the Melbourne indie scene, Architecture in Helsinki, arrived in Philadelphia amidst a whirlwind US tour that featured the cheeky use of synthesizers, extremely unsafe activities performed on exercise bikes and thick, thick, thick Australian accents. In between making a creatively nutritious smoothie and gearing up for his show at Union Transfer that night, the...
6 tags
The Postelles @ The Trocadero Theater (11/15)
After watching The Postelles open for The Kooks at The Trocadero Theater on the night of November 16, it was easy to see why the show was sold out. As I walked into the venue, they were just starting their first song, and I could immediately feel their contagious energy reverberating throughout the space. Stepping in a little further proved I wasn’t the only one who had fallen victim to lead...
8 tags
The World/Inferno Friendship Society @ Union...
Why don’t you rise me up?
Down by the pumpkin patch
I’ve been waiting all year just to get myself born,
I’ve been waiting all year just to meet you.
A crowded space. The smell of sweat. Smoke and booze. A man with a toaster on his head. A shoe against the side of my face. The World/Inferno Friendship Society. If you have ever attended Hallowmas, then you know exactly what I’m talking...
4 tags
The Saurus: All I Know Is That
For those of you who do not know The Saurus: go to YouTube, search his name, and explore some of the best that battle rapping has to offer. The Saurus has a resume that stacks up to only prove that he is at least in the top ten of anyone, if not everyone’s favorite battle rappers. He has teamed up with Illmaculate in the World Rap Championship… twice. He has also won the Scribble Jam...
6 tags
WQHS Interviews Tom McClung of WU LYF
WU LYF is nothing, four dumb kids calling out heavy longings for a place to call home, two brothers greet two brothers and play heavy pop. I don’t feel at home in this place, like your hearts drunk on kerosene and all you need is a spark. A lil’ flare of Lucifer.
Those four dumb kids from Manchester (but don’t call them a Manchester band), England made their North American debut at...
7 tags
Gregory Alan Isakov @ Union Transfer (11/3)
The inkling I got from his stage presence at Thursday night’s performance at Union Transfer was confirmed by my phone interview with him the following Sunday afternoon— Gregory Alan Isakov’s demeanor is just as sweet and unassuming as his music.
Isakov, who combines lush guitar chords with tender cello harmonies, the soft strum of the banjo, and the occasional longing strains...
WQHS Presents Maggie and Chris (10/29/11)
Take a listen to Penn’s own Maggie and Chris who performed live in studio during wizzard sleeve with Jason Oscar on WQHS.org!
6 tags
St. Vincent @ Union Transfer (11/2)
I have been a moderate St. Vincent fan since her 2009 release of Actor, so when I saw that her highly anticipated new album Strange Mercy dropped in September, I immediately downloaded it. Since my purchase (in mid-October, again as I said I am only a moderate fan), I have listened to the whole thing through at least twenty times- and every time it gets better. I became a true St. Vincent fan....
7 tags
WQHS Interviews Nick Sylvester of Mr. Dream
This Friday, November 4, Brooklyn punk rockers Mr. Dream will take the stage at the First Unitarian Church playing songs from their new album, Trash Hit. After making their quick transition from the music critiquing world to performing, they’re kicking off their Fall tour Friday night, opening for indie supergroup Mister Heavenly. WQHS DJ Aldrin Abastillas chats with drummer and producer Nick...
8 tags
SBTRKT @ Union Transfer (10/30)
Masks hide things. Some women spend hours before mirrors every week with blush and concealer masking their every imperfection. Rebels take citizens hostage, using balaclavas to hide their identities. Kids (and college kids) dress up on Halloween to disguise their various ulterior motivations: getting candy, getting laid. When it comes to SBTRKT - only the latest in a slew of pop culture figures...