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Archive for the ‘XPN Fest’ Category

Balak + Michaël Sanlaville + Bastien Vivès–LastMan 5: The Order (2014) [translated 2016]

Posted in #10yearsof01, Alexis Siegel, Balak, Bastien Vivés, Drugs, Edie Brickell, Esmé Patterson, First Second :01, Foreign Books, Funny (ha ha), Funny (strange), Graphic Novel, Marriage Trouble, Michaël Sanlaville, Politicians, Revenge, Series, Sex, Supernatural, Threats, Tiny Desk Concert, Translation, Violence, War, XPN Fest, YA Books, Yuck! on March 24, 2017| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: ESME PATTERSON-Tiny Desk Concert #598 (February 10, 2017).

I saw Esmé Patterson at the XPNFest last year.  Her live show was dynamic and fun and she was really charming.  I got to meet her briefly after the show and she was super friendly as well.

This Tiny Desk Concert (in which she has totally shaved off her big wavy hair), is a somewhat quieter, but overall accurate representation of her live show.

I love that she’s playing a big echoing guitar while the rest of the band Alex Koshak (drums); Jeremy Averitt (bass) and Jake Miller (lead guitar) support her perfectly–the lead guitar lines especially.

I have listened to her record a few times and I never considered that she sounds a bit (vocally) like Edie Brickell.  Well on “No River,” the comparison is apt.  Especially given the lyrics.  But the cute squeak in the vocals is quite endearing.

“Wantin’ Ain’t Gettin” is a cool song with a surprising twist on the theme of the lyrics:

When I ask if you love me / And you say that you might
…
I’ve got your love wrapped around me / So I put up a fight
Cause I wanna believe you
…
But I’ve heard that
Wantin ain’t gettin
No, wantin ain’t getting.

I like some of the staggered moments in the song too.  And she’s adorably smiley, throughout, even after singing a fairly dark song like that.

“Yours And Mine” has some great flanging echo on her guitar.   It’s a slow sweet song with nice guitar harmonics throughout.

[READ: January 20, 2017] LastMan 5

This book was originally written in French (and called Lastman there as well).  These editions were translated by Alexis Siegel.

Book five opens by returning to the Village of Kings (the home of Adrain and Marianne–where the first two books were set).  Everyone is despondent at the loss of the Velbas. Master Jansen–spurned by Marianne has been inconsolable and all of his students have left him.  Although Elorna has stayed faithful and is ever training (although she thinks that Marianne is a ditz for falling for Richard).

A meeting with the leaders also shows that Richard’s arrival has meant nothing but trouble for them.  They believe that the iguana queen resides in the canyon at the edge of their village (the one that Richard and Marianne crossed).  They believe that a medieval king closed the opening when he sacrificed himself by jumping in.  And he insists that they reinstate the Royal Guardians at once. (more…)

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Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Brooke Allen–Lumberjanes: Vol. 2: Friendship to the Max (2015)

Posted in Adventure, Boom! Box, Daredevils, David Bowie, Diane Coffee, Feminism, Foxygen, Funny (ha ha), Grace Ellis, Graphic Novel, John Allison, Jon Bon Jovi, Jurassic Park, Kel McDonald, Lissa Treiman, Mick Jagger, Noelle Stevenson, Summer Camp, Threats, Tiny Desk Concert, Unfinished series, XPN Fest on December 14, 2016| Leave a Comment »

lumberhjanes2 SOUNDTRACK: DIANE COFFEE-Tiny Desk Concert #483 (November 2, 2015).

dianeI first heard of Diane Coffee from NPR.  The band’s song “Spring Breathes” is bizarre and wonderful–simultaneously difficult and catchy.  I was especially excited to see them play at XPNFest, but sadly we arrived just as they finished up and I missed my opportunity to see singer Shaun Fleming all glammed up (in a sailor suit).

This Tiny Desk Concert is a bit more mellow (and acoustic), but it is hardly Tiny as there is a string trio, a drummer and a guitarist.  As well as a bassist and keyboardist in addition to Shaun Fleming with acoustic guitar and vocals (and blue eye shadow).  Fleming was the drummer in Foxygen and does a lot of voice over work.

“Spring Breathes” is not as dramatic as on the record (which has some cool electronic drops and changes of tempo). But it sounds great with the strings (I love the pizzicato parts).  This version also has a very glam-era David Bowie feel.  Fleming’s voice is great–powerful and full, completely unaffected and spot on (the part where he sings the descending riff near the end of the song is fabulous).  And the harmonies are all perfect, very 1970s.  The song retains its several parts (I love when the song shifts to a quick funky bass section) and the band handles it perfectly.

“Not That Easy” is a mellow song with Fleming singing primarily in a gentle falsetto.  It’s a fairly simple song but the joint guitar solos are really beautiful.

For something a little more upbeat, they play “Mayflower.”  Fleming doesn’t play guitar on this one, but he dances around (rather like Mick Jagger).  He is wonderfully flamboyant both in motion and in singing (he’s got a cool raspy 1970s singing style for this song). And again the harmonies are great.

He is quite out of breath after this song, which is funny. They are going to play one from their first album, a song called “Green.”   His voice sounds particularly familiar on this one–I’m thinking like when Jon Bon Jovi really belts out his lyrics–and it’s just perfect for the song.

Fleming has a charming persona.  I really enjoyed this acoustic version and I’m glad to hear that he can convert the studio magic into a live setting.

[READ: March 22, 2016] Lumberjanes 2

I love the premise behind Lumberjanes.  The Lumberjanes are a kind of Girl Scout/Wilderness Adventure group.  They have been around for a long time and the Janes must follow the manual to achieve their various badges.  I love the way the book is set up around an “actual” field manual from 1984 (tenth edition) which has been:

Prepared for the Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for [written in] HARDCORE LADY-TYPES.

I was really excited to read this second volume since I loved the first one so much.  But I was a little disappointed by this one.

I feel like we could have used a short reminder of who all the girls were–there were a couple who I couldn’t tell apart [I know if you’re reading the issues as they come out that’s not a problem, but how much work can it be for collected volumes?].

What I didn’t like was the way the story went in a totally unexpected direction.

It started promising enough with the girls’ counselor being shocked and afraid after the recent supernatural events. She wants them to just stay around the cabins and make friendship bracelets to get the Friendship to the Craft badge. (more…)

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XPN Fest: Overall thoughts: mostly highs, and not just temperature (Wiggins Park, Philadelphia PA, July 22-24, 2016)

Posted in Colvin & Earle, Darlingside, David Wax Museum, Esmé Patterson, Father John Misty, Kids Corner, Kississippi, Kurt Vile, Marina Stage, Mavis Staples, Philadelphia, PA, River Stage, The Districts, The Felice Brothers, The Record Company, The Revivalists, Tommy Stinson, Wiggins Park, WXPN 88.5 FM--Philadelphia, PA, XPN Fest on July 25, 2016| 1 Comment »

[ATTENDED: July 22-24, 2016] XPN Fest

2016-07-24 15.34.58Even though I go to a lot of shows, I don’t really love Festivals.  I actually enjoy concerts too much to enjoy Festivals.  Which sounds dumb, but I’d rather see a band I like on their own play for a full set than for 30 minutes with a bunch of people who don’t really want to see them.

I’ve been to a few festivals over the years, and I have thought about going to other ones, but since I typically don’t want to spend a few days in the sun (and a few hundred dollars), I don’t go.

But the past two years we have seen some great headlining acts at XPN Fest.  And we thought it would be fun to go for the day, bring the kids and just have a fun day outside with music and vendors.  We bought tickets before the lineup was even announced.

WXPN members get half-priced tickets (which is cheaper than some of the regular shows I’ve been to) and kids’ tickets are $15 for the three days.  Perfect.

In the past, I have loved most of the headliners, but this year I didn’t really like any of them. The three day pass includes lawn seats to the headliners, but we wound up not using them at all. (more…)

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David Wax Museum–XPN Fest: Marina Stage (Wiggins Park, Philadelphia PA, July 24, 2016)

Posted in David Wax Museum, Marina Stage, Philadelphia, PA, The Districts, Wiggins Park, WXPN 88.5 FM--Philadelphia, PA, XPN Fest on July 24, 2016| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: July 24, 2016] David Wax Museum

2016-07-24 15.58.23 David Wax Museum was supposed to play on Saturday.  Then it rained.  Really really hard.  For us, as we waited it out under a tent, the momentum was gone.  The kids were wiped out.  They kicked everyone out of the park because of thunder and lightning.  So even when the sun came back out, we decided to go home.

Well, it turned out that David Wax’s show was cancelled, but they were able to stick around until Sunday and the organizers squeezed them in and we got to see them anyhow!

I knew of David Wax Museum from a Tiny Desk and a Newport Folk performance broadcast on NPR a few years ago.  They played really fun, upbeat music (and used a donkey jaw bone as an instrument) and I was really psyched to see them.

Their set started literally just as The Districts finished up, so we had to hustle over.  And we caught them for the middle of their first song “Yes Maria,” a song I know pretty well and a wonderfully upbeat number.

2016-07-24 15.42.42And then they continued to have one of the most fun sets of the weekend.  Their songs have a Mexican flavor (co-lead singer Suz Slezak was wearing a  (very hot looking) poncho foe the set while Wax was wearing a very sharp looking pseudo-mariachi suit.

They talked to the audience a lot. They said they had driven to the show on Friday night from North Dakota (can that be right?).  Since it was the final night of their tour, they were actually kind of happy that the previous night was cancelled and rescheduled.  They only had to drive from the hotel nearby.  Suz said that it was the first show that they were really well rested for.

Their set included a bunch of sing-alongs, big clapping sections and lots of lyrics in Spanish.

Wax primarily plays the jarana, a Mexican instrument similar to a tiny guitar.  Slezak plays keyboards and fiddle as well as singing along.  And she’s the one who plays the quijada, a percussion instrument made from a donkey’s jawbone.  And yes it was great to see it in action.

Sarah told me after the show that it was her favorite set of the weekend.  I was pretty excited to get their latest album and then, to our surprise they cam over to the merch booth (instead of the meet and greet tent) and signed out disc.  I chatted with them a few minutes, and they were super nice.  Suz showed Tabby her necklace which has one of the teeth from the jawbone.  And their adorable daughter was there too.  She’s 2 and it was the first show of theirs that she got to watch (although I think mostly she was just hot).

I’m so glad that they were able to play and, as with The Districts, I’d love to see them in a smaller venue where they get a longer set.

See some colorful photos and stream their set here.

Setlist:

Yes, Maria, Yes

Dark Night of the Heart

Forgiveness

Harder Before It Gets Easier

Blood Jump

Chuchumbe

Don’t Lose Heart

Born With A Broken Heart

Colas

Guesthouse

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The Districts–XPN Fest: River Stage (Wiggins Park, Philadelphia PA, July 24, 2016)

Posted in Philadelphia, PA, River Stage, The Districts, Wiggins Park, WXPN 88.5 FM--Philadelphia, PA, XPN Fest on July 24, 2016| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: July 24, 2016] The Districts

2016-07-24 14.47.59 Despite the heat of Saturday, we were prepared to go back to the Fest on Sunday–with plans to pop into the Aquarium before the show.  I had wanted to see three artists on Sunday, but we only managed two.

I knew The Districts from WXPN , and I’d heard that their shows were a lot of fun.  And that was spot on.

This was the only show we watched at the River Front stage–the larger of the two.  Rather than fight the sun, we hung out on the periphery in the shade and, while we weren’t all that close, we could see the band fine and the sound was outstanding–it was actually a little better off to the side then in the front where it was  little ear-piercing.

Unlike the other bands we saw, The Districts were there to rock out and rock out they did. (more…)

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Esmé Patterson–XPN Fest: Marina Stage (Wiggins Park, Philadelphia PA, July 23, 2016)

Posted in Esmé Patterson, Marina Stage, Philadelphia, PA, Wiggins Park, WXPN 88.5 FM--Philadelphia, PA, XPN Fest on July 23, 2016| Leave a Comment »

2016-07-23 13.16.33[ATTENDED: July 23, 2016] Esmé Patterson

I had originally intended to see five bands on Saturday of the Festival.  Because of a number of unexpected hiccups, I wound up seeing only two.  (More about the hiccups on Monday).

Of the five bands, I definitely had a couple that I wanted to see more than others.  And Esmé Patterson was one of them.  I knew her from All Songs Considered, and although I’d only heard one song, I really liked it and was excited to see her rock out.

We arrived in time for her set, put out our gear, and had a great time.

Esmé has a fun stage presence (and is really kind–she was worried about us all burning in the hot sun), she sings wonderfully and her backing band was totally solid. (more…)

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Darlingside–XPN Fest: Marina Stage (Wiggins Park, Philadelphia PA, July 23, 2016)

Posted in Darlingside, Marina Stage, Philadelphia, PA, Wiggins Park, WXPN 88.5 FM--Philadelphia, PA, XPN Fest on July 23, 2016| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: July 23, 2016] Darlingside

2016-07-23 14.21.10 Although I had wanted to see five bands on this day, my main focus was Darlingside, a band who sings beautiful songs with wonderful harmonies.

Because we had the kids with us and they were feeling a little wilty from the heat, we spent some of their set walking around looking for shade.  This was less than optimal in terms of enjoying the set, but since the sound was really good, there was no denying how great they were.  Their harmonies were right on and even in a big opened air setting, they still sounded amazing.

What I didn’t expect was how funny and lighthearted they were.  (more…)

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