Last Saturday, World Cafe Live hosted a show called The Beatles in Bossa Nova, a reimagination of classic 60’s pop by the Brazilian-focused husband and wife band, Minas. The show opened to a venue crammed with extra chairs and excitement so tangible it took up any remaining elbow room. The crowd, which channeled its excitement […]
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Mike’s Picks – ‘The End of Comedy’ by Drugdealer
An interesting artifact: an album that sounds like it was written 50 years ago.. that’s only a year old. This is an exquisite pick-me-up album. When I first heard this album all the way through I was having a pretty terrible day: it was rainy, I was sick, and was totally swamped with work. […]
Live Review: tUnE-yArDs at Boot & Saddle
On Monday, tUnE-yArDs played at Boot and Saddle, a cozy Western-themed bar in South Philly, with opening act Miss Eaves on a tour preceding the release of their forthcoming album, I can feel you creep into my private life. Billed as a tour in which the group would be “returning to their club roots for […]
Hopeful Melancholy in QTY’s “New Beginnings”
Ever since their debut single “Rodeo” came out in October of last year, QTY have been constantly proving that they are here to lead the revival of classic rock and roll. The New York City duo crafts high-energy and addictive songs – jaw-dropping guitar riffs and fantastic honest lyrics are their trademark, and leave a […]
Rihanna Dropping Bars in N.E.R.D’s
Finally, the wait for new N.E.R.D is over and now we have the funk-rap group to thank for Rihanna’s new fire bars on the song “Lemon”. The group has not released any new music since 2010 and their new album, No_One Ever Really Dies, still does not have a release date. But fan’s should rest […]
The Maine: The Band that Keeps On Giving
Many bands don’t make it to their 5th year anniversary, let alone their 10th. And many don’t do so with a fan base as strong as The Maine. The Arizona-bred quintet has just released their 6th full-length album, lovely little lonely, as well as hosted a festival this past winter in celebration of the […]
Live Preview: The Beatles In Bossa Nova
After hearing the story of Minas, Philadelphia’s established Bossa Nova band, it’s hard not to believe in fate. At the band’s core are Orlando Haddad and Patricia King Haddad, couple whose musical and romantic partnership spans over forty years and reads like the blueprint of a fairytale. At first glance, it’s surprising that the […]
Concert Review: Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile @ Tower Theater
Jen Cloher opened up the night with a stripped down acoustic set of her usually more explosive music. She still managed to light up the room with her songs, interspersed with anecdotes about the words behind them. Cloher’s opening set complemented the rest of the concert well while also distinguishing herself as a songwriter with […]
Mike’s Picks – Songs of Her’s
Silky, enchanting vocals laid over a curiously complex aggregation of instrumental melodies. Overall this is a very reflective album, though there are a couple of breakaway songs that don’t place perfectly into the mood. It’s littered with longing choruses like: ‘Where did I go wrong?’, ‘You don’t know this guy’, and ‘I’ll try for […]
Walter TV: Your Daily Dose of Jangly Guitar from Mac Demarco’s Bandmates
Walter TV Walter TV is to Mac Demarco as Pond is to Tame Impala. The band shares and has shared DNA with Mac’s band (including having Mac himself play bass for them) and the two acts have a lot in common- jangly guitars, fat basslines, and a lot of baseball caps. Hailing from Canada, the […]