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Archive for the ‘Quarantine’ Category

clipping. / Cartel Madras (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, May 17, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Canadian Music, Cartel Madras, clipping., Coronavirus, Daveed Diggs, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine, The Flaming Lips, Underground Arts on May 17, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: May 17, 2020] clipping. / Cartel Madras

indexS. and I saw clipping. open for The Flaming Lips.  It was an unlikely pairing to be sure.  clipping. are a noisy glitch hop band fronted by Daveed Diggs.  Their songs are noisy and violent and more than a little unpleasant.

I won’t say that I enjoyed their set, but I was thoroughly engaged by it.  I’d be very curious to see what they are like as a headliner–more noisy, more abrasive even less pleasant, but a total experience, I’m sure.

clipping.’s new album “absorbs the hyper-violent horror tropes of the Murder Dog era, but re-imagines them in a new light.”  I have to assume the live show for this album is very intense.

Cartel Madras is a Canadian hip hop duo from Calgary, Alberta, consisting of sisters Priya “Contra” Ramesh and Bhagya “Eboshi” Ramesh.  Both sisters emigrated from Chennai, India and identify as queer women of colour.  They classify their music as “Goonda Rap”, a play on a term used in South Asian circles to describe a “thug.”

Their music has an original sound underneath it and I’ll be they are dynamic live.

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Terry Moore–Five Years #4 (2019)

Posted in Abstract Studio, Ashley McBryde, Bombs, Coronavirus, Death, End of the World, Environmentalism, Graphic Novel, Military, NPR/PRI/PBS, Quarantine, Russia, Strangers in Paradise, Terry Moore, Tiny Desk (Home) Concerts, Tiny Desk Concert, Unfinished series, Violence on May 17, 2020| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: ASHLEY McBRYDE-Tiny Desk (Home) Concert #21 (May 14, 2020).

Ashley McBryde is the latest country singer who I enjoyed very much until she started singing.

Ashley is charming and funny.  She tells us that she and her band mates self-quarantined and then washed their hands in front of each other for 20 seconds.  And she is so happy they did because she had taken it for granted hearing other people sing with her.

She even drew her own little Tiny Desk sign (she googled it) because she was supposed to be behind the Desk but was denied.

We were scheduled to host a Tiny Desk performance by Arkansas-born country singer Ashley McBryde on March 31. Obviously, we had to postpone McBryde’s visit.

McBryde sang four songs (which I assume is one more than she would have gotten at an actual Tiny Desk).  All four songs are country songs.  Which means they are catchy and have (mostly) interesting lyrics, but that Arkansas twang is just too much for me.

The first song,

“Hang In There Girl” which opens both the album and this set — is a perfect song for this moment, not that there’s ever a wrong time to hear someone sing, “Trust me when I say, you’re doing fine.”

Matt Helmkamp plays a solo, so I guess it is nice to have three guitars.  Chris Harris sings nice backing vocals.

Before the next song she says that they are playing live and she even made a setlist.  But that she misspelled “One Night Standards” as “Standars”  NPR called it “one of our Best Songs Of 2019.”

For “Velvet Red” Harris switches to mandolin and has to tune all eight strings–“it was in tune when he bought it” and they play the bluegrass- (and wine-) inspired love story featuring “basically all of the rule-breaking.”

McBryde is sporting a “Wash Hands Please” T-shirt, and encourages everyone to follow CDC guidelines before ending the set with “Sparrow.”

She’s very funny and I’d enjoy watching her banter between songs.  If she is going to have a proper Tiny Desk soon, what songs will she play if she played all of these already?

[READ: May 16, 2020] Five Years #4

This book’s voice over is by Kachoo.  In addition to getting everyone up to speed about the Phi bomb, she has been sitting on the beach for hours.

Francine doesn’t like it.  She knows what a visit from Tambi means (I haven’t seen Francine this angry in a while–I didn’t like it).

Francine is distracted so the girls get to take advantage of it: “can we have ice cream [for breakfast]?” “Mm Hmm.”  The scenes with the girls are the only levity in this dark issue. (more…)

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Karina Rykman / Heaven Man (Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, May 16, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Coronavirus, Heaven Man, Karina Rykman, Marco Benevento, Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine on May 16, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: May 16, 2020] Karina Rykman / Heaven Man

indexI know Karina Rykman as the bassist for the Marco Benevento band.  She is without doubt the happiest musician I have ever seen.  She is also so much fun to watch and just exudes how much she loves what she does.  Her bass playing is fantastic as well–such a great sound.

I really don’t know much about her solo music.  She has two songs out and they are kind of electronic (and neither one is all that exciting).  There’s no jamming bass work or anything.  But who knows what she’d do live.

If it was a choice between her and The Lemon Twigs (playing the same night), at first it would have been her, but I think The Lemon Twigs would have won out.

Heaven Man is a Philadelphia based trio who plays a kind of psychedelic garage rock. I’ve listened to a few songs and rather like them musically (I’m not sold on their singer though).

I have to wonder if this was her choice for opening act, if she was going to play similar music.

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The Lemon Twigs (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, May 16, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Cancelled, Coronavirus, Philadelphia, PA, Quarantine, The Lemon Twigs, Underground Arts on May 16, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: May 16, 2020] The Lemon Twigs [moved to May 13, 2022]

indexI feel like this show was announced about five days before it was cancelled.  I hadn’t heard about it and I was certainly interested in seeing them.

I really liked The Lemon Twigs’ Do Hollywood album and their follow up EPs showed even more development.

They are about to release a new album (although that was also delayed because of the Coronavirus).

Their glam rock sound is really great and I imagine that they would be a ton of fun live.  I hoe the new album is good and that they come back around soon.

 

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City and Colour / Katie Pruitt (Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA, May 16, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Alexisonfire, City and Colour, Coronavirus, Franklin Music Hall, Katie Pruitt, LGBTQ, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine on May 16, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: May 16, 2020] City and Colour / Katie Pruitt [moved to October 7]

indexCity and Colour is Dallas Green, the clean singer from Canadian band Alexisonfire.  I liked them a lot (especially his parts).  I’ve also enjoyed some of his solo stuff, which tends to be more folkie.

I’ve often thought it would be interesting to see him live.  He seems like a decent guy and I imagine is shows would be enjoyable.  But I have to say that i am shocked that he could headline Franklin Music Hall.  It just seems way too big for him.  Do more people in the States know who he is than I realize?

I’d guess he’d be more of a Boot & Saddle-sized performer.  So, good for him.  I wouldn’t want to see him in such a large place, but maybe someday he’ll come somewhere smaller.

Katie Pruitt is a folk/country singer from Nashville.  She has a wonderful song called “Loving Her’ that she released for National Pride Day (with a great video).  She veers a little too much into the country twang for my tastes, but if she can get country music to embrace the LGBTQ community, then, I’m all for her.

city color

city-and-colour

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Sheer Mag / Young Guv (Boot & Saddle, Philadelphia, PA, May 15, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Boot & Saddle, Coronavirus, Fucked Up, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Quarantine, Sheer Mag, Young Guv on May 15, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: May 15, 2020] Sheer Mag / Young Guv [moved to August 20 & 21]

indexI saw Sheer Mag a couple of years ago and found their set to be fun and energetic.  I haven’t gotten any of their music because they refuse to put anything out as a CD.

Their sound is so strangely old school rock that it’s hard for me to believe they are a new band made up of young musicians.

I didn’t think I’d need to see them again, but it’s always fun to see bands at Boot & Saddle, especially with a home town crowd.  They have rescheduled for two dates in the fall and fortunately my ticket will be applied to the night I am free.

Young Guv is Ben Cook, the guitarist for Fucked Up.  I had no idea what kind of music Young Guv made, but what I imagined turned out to be nothing like what it actually is.

Young Guv’s music is poppy and light in an indie rock sorta way. It’s really catchy, too.  I’m looking forward to seeing him again.

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Restorations / Hurry / thank you thank you (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, May 15, 2020) [CANCELLED]

Posted in Band of Horses, Cancelled, Coronavirus, Hurry, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, Quarantine, Restorations, thank you thank you on May 15, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: May 15, 2020] Restorations / Hurry / thank you thank you

indexI feel like this Restorations show was kind of dropped out of nowhere recently.  It’s not part of any kind of tour because they were going to play Europe and then just this one Philly Date (hometown date).

I saw them open for Band of Horses four years ago, and they were great.  Like with many opening bands, I thought it would be great to see them headline (especially in a small place like Johnny Brenda’s).  This show happened to be on the same night as Diet Cig who I really really wanted to to see, so I wasn’t going to be able to go, but I hope they reschedule another home town dhow soon.

Hurry is a band from Philadelphia, originally the solo project Matt Scottoline.  They are described as 90’s rock revivalists and all of their influences are bands I like.  Some of their songs online are a little slower than I expected, but they do have some uptempo ones as well.

I can’t find out anything about thank you thank you except that they are based in Philadelphia, they have one song on band camp (a piano ballad) and that the email address for the band is to Tyler Bussey.

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Diet Cig / Sad13 / Thin Lips (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, May 14, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Coronavirus, Diet Cig, First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA, Philly Music Fest, Postponed, Quarantine, Sad13, Speedy Ortiz, Thin Lips, Union Transfer on May 14, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: May 14, 2020] Diet Cig / Sad13 / Thin Lips [moved to November 4, First Unitarian Church]

indexI have wanted to see Diet Cig ever since I saw them on a Tiny Desk Concert–they are a bundle of energy and the duo play super catchy pop punk.  I wanted to see them before they lost their energy.

I missed them the first time they came around and last time around they played at the First Unitarian Church, a venue I dislike.  So when they announced this show at Union Transfer I was so excited.  This cancellation was a major bummer for me.

Especially since now that they rescheduled it is apparently being moved to the Church again (does this mean sales are really poor?)

Sad13 is the solo moniker of Sadie Dupuis the singer of Speedy Ortiz.  They were wonderful live (and I was right in front of Sadie to watch her terrific guitar work).  I don’t really know much about the Sad13 songs but I assume they will be great if she is behind them.

I saw Thin Lips at the Philly Music Fest and they were absolutely fantastic.  I loved them and was looking forward to seeing them again.  They play catchy pop punk with pointed lyrics.  Outstanding.

So, I sure hope all three can come around for the postponed date (and I hope it sells better and has to get moved out of the Church into a bigger venue).

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Terry Moore–Five Years #1 (2019)

Posted in Abstract Studio, Art, Bombs, Braxton Cook, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Coronavirus, End of the World, Environmentalism, Graphic Novel, NPR/PRI/PBS, Phony Ppl, Quarantine, Sex, Strangers in Paradise, Terry Moore, Tiny Desk (Home) Concerts, Tiny Desk Concert, Tom Misch, Unfinished series, Violence on May 14, 2020| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: BRAXTON COOK-Tiny Desk (Home) Concert #20 (May 8, 2020).

I thought I didn’t know who Braxton Cook was, but I have actually seen him as support in three different Tiny Desk Concerts: Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah in 2015, Tom Misch in 2018 and Phony Ppl in 2019.

Braxton Cook is a Juilliard-trained, genre-jumping artist whose music feels both contemporary and timeless. This time around, Cook takes the center seat, so to speak, from the comfort and safety of his sunny New Jersey home.

He plays four songs and all kinds of instruments in this concert.

Cook says he usually performs his original work with a full band, but obviously that isn’t an option in the time of social distancing. So instead, the ambidextrous talent uses loops to support his vocals, saxophone and guitar throughout the laidback set.

“Shooting Star” is set to a backing saxophone loop as Braxton plays guitar and sings.  It’s a smooth jazz song and he plays a sweet solo over the end while the loops slowly fade.

For “We Major” he starts a saxophone loop, lays down some keys and then plays a sax solo over the top.  It’s a pretty instrumental and the saxes intertwine nicely.  I love that he manages to get the whole song to stop abruptly on time.

For his Tiny Desk (home) concert, Cook jumped around his discography, performing tracks from his 2017 album, Somewhere in Between, all the way up to his latest project, 2020’s Fire Sign.

“Never Thought” is for his wife.  He’s got a looped guitar and a live guitar.  He sings a smooth R&B love song and then lays down a sax solo at the end.

Closing out this cozy session, Cook dedicates the stirring “Hymn (for Trayvon Martin)” to everyone affected by the current pandemic.

I feel like I have heard “Hymn (for Trayvon Martin)” somewhere before. It’s anj instrumental in essentially two parts.  It begins as a fast and pretty saxophone piece.  After a bit, he stands up and begins a lengthy looping section.  It’s slow and mournful and really lovely–the sax is the perfect instrument for it.    melody.  He loops a slow part and then plays a beautiful slow solo over the top.

[READ: May 14, 2020] Five Years #1

I loved Strangers in Paradise.  I started Rachel Rising, but now realize I never finished it.  I saw that Terry was creating Five Years, but I had no idea it tied in to the rest of the stories in any way.  Apparently it brings all of his different stories together.  So, I’m glad I discovered this just as he finished Issue 10.

I clearly need to start, if not the whole series, then at least the other two series to fill in some missing pieces, because this story went from vengeance and personal vendettas to global annihilation.

This issue opens with Katchoo, Francine and their two girls on a beach.  The voice over talks about nuclear bombs including the fascinating detail that there were so many nuclear explosions in the ’50s that two new isotopes are now in the atmosphere that didn’t exist before Hiroshima.  Oil paint made since the war contains these isotopes, It has become a foolproof way of testing for forgery in the art world.

That is fascinating. (more…)

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Half Waif / Ian Chang (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, May 13, 2020) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Coronavirus, Half Waif, Ian Chang, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, Pinegrove, Postponed, Quarantine, Son Lux on May 13, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: May 13, 2020] Half Waif / Ian Chang [moved to October 24]

indexHalf Waif is the project of former Pinegrove singer Nandi Rose.  I find her music very pleasing.

I only found out about this show recently before it was cancelled.  I had no plans of going to the show because I already had tickets to Bikini Kill (very different vibe) that night.  But she is someone I’ve thought about seeing.

A rescheduled date in October sounds wonderful.

Ian Chang is a drummer for Son Lux and a dozen other bands.  He is a phenomenal drummer, instantly recognizable and wonderful to watch.  The addition of him as a opening act makes the show a lot more interesting for me.

I’m glad to see that he is opening for the rescheduled date as well.

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