Category Archives: TVD Philadelphia

With a year well on its way and a new album in hand, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks are out on the road again. Wig Out at Jagbags is the first proper release from the band since 2011′s Beck-produced Mirror Traffic. The record has been well received by fans and media alike and continues to display Malkmus’ strength in crafting infectious hooks and melodies.

The band is currently on tour supporting the new LP and as they make their way down the east coast, the band will stop at the TLA tomorrow, March 1, to give Philadelphia a proper taste of the new songs in a live setting. Opening the show is New York City’s Endless Boogie.

As they were making their way across the country, I was able to chat with Malkmus’ longtime friend and collaborator, Joanna Bolme of the Jicks.

What was the biggest difference between working with Beck as producer on Mirror Traffic and Remko Schouten on Wig Out at Jagbags?

Well, before Mirror Traffic we had pretty much produced all the records ourselves with an engineer. Beck was the first person we ever brought on board to produce, so we let him do his thing. Remko has been doing our live sound for years, we didn’t really have to say much, he just got it all set up real quick like when we’re 2 hours late for load in.

How did recording in Belgium differ from recording in the US? What challenges did you and the rest of the band have to overcome?

It’s not really different than recording in the States, except there were ponies across the street and better cheese. When it comes down to it, it’s just the band and a room, you just play and hope the guys in the other room are doing their job.

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Local songstress Katie Frank and her band of rowdy Pheromones take over Milkboy this Friday night to celebrate their new album, Counting Your Curses. We were able to catch up with Katie and two members of the Pheromones, Josh Werblun and Jon McNally on the inner-workings behind their latest record. 

In just the short amount of time that has passed so far in 2014, the buzz behind, Counting Your Curses, the upcoming album from Katie Frank and the Pheromones, has quickly built to become one of the most anticipated new albums from within the Philadelphia music scene. The clever songwriting, soaked in a rustic Americana sound, has matured from their debut EP “Covered Bridge Road.”

On Friday, February 21st Katie Frank and the Pheromones will unveil to the world what they have been hard at work for much of the last year. WXPN, one of the leaders in Philadelphia radio, has taken a like to Katie Frank and company ever since getting a taste of “Covered Bridge Road.” Other local press outlets picked up on them as well and after a break out year in 2013, Katie Frank and the Pheromones have their sights set on making 2014 even better. This record release show is only the beginning.

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Philadelphia’s smoothest yacht rockers release their second single off of their upcoming album Insurgents along with a round of April tour dates. 

One of the hardest working independent bands in Philadelphia, Work Drugs, is keeping busy as the days lead up to the release of their latest album, Insurgents. It’s the follow-up to last year’s full length release Mavericks and will mark the 7th studio album released by Work Drugs (8th if you count their “Amore EP.”) Just last week they shared a new song, “The Good In Goodbye,” the latest off the group’s upcoming record.

“The Good In Goodbye” sees Work Drugs twist a bit of a tropical reggae sound into their blend of dream pop meets yacht rock. Kat Bean, lead singer of fellow local band Amanda X joins in on the fun.

Continuing to stick with all things DIY and choosing to do things their own way, Insurgents will be released on the band’s own Bobby Cahn Records.

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A trio of local acts share the stage at Union Transfer this Saturday showcasing the noisier side of the Philly music scene. 

After a busy 2013 that culminated with albums landing on many year-end lists, Pissed Jeans and Purling Hiss return this Saturday night for a hometown show at Union Transfer. Local two-piece outfit Trophy Wife round out a lineup that features some of the best that the city has to offer.

Eardrums be warned, this show will be a loud one. Since their beginnings Pissed Jeans have always leaned on the noisier side of the punk spectrum. Take any song off of last year’s release, Honeys as an example. And while there may be some limitations on the studio versions of their songs, each one is unleashed when they hit the stage.

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According to their Bandcamp, Pine Barons are “Children of the Forest; Conceived by the roots.”

I believe it. I saw it. I heard it with my own ears at Kung Fu Necktie last Sunday. The New Jersey born quartet was reeling out much more than just their roots though. A mix of every genre I’m not even going to bother naming couldn’t even describe the sticky magic that drips out of their instruments and coats the inside of your ears.

It’s songs like “Telescope” that will catch your immediate attention with its eerie groove and heavy breathing, and “Carnival” that will hold it with its rainbow filled lyrics and remind you there’s more to this band than writing a catchy melody.

The so-called Children of the Forest closed out their set with the last song from their self-titled debut, “Don’t Believe What They Told You,” taking listeners through a series of beautiful piano chords that have you feeling like you’re moving in slow motion. Only to end with a heart pounding chorus of “JESUS CHRIST’s” that will leave you curious as to what the fuck just happened and compulsively longing for more.

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Fadeaway Records returns after a 10 year silence with a massive 3 LP compilation to benefit cancer research.

It has been a long time since Fadeaway Records last released an album. But after a decade long hiatus the label is back, and they’re coming back in a big way. On February 25th, Fadeaway Records will be releasing, Friends, a giant 3 LP release with all of the proceeds going directly toward cancer research charities. It’s the first step that the label is making as they return as a not for profit label.

To help them get back into the swing of things, Fadeaway Records have gathered rare and unreleased songs from a bunch of their musically inclined buddies and will feature these songs on Friends. The first two records of the compilation will have unreleased material from a number of different bands. The third record will showcase a hand-picked collection of the top selections from Michael Dubin’s—one of the Fadeaway Record leaders—library of home recordings.

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New Jersey’s own The Early November are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their most influential album this Saturday at Union Transfer! 

In what will be a homecoming show of sorts, New Jersey residents The Early November will travel across the Delaware River Saturday night to make their way to Union Transfer. There, they will be playing to a sold-out crowd who are not there to hear new songs. Instead, it will be to hear the band’s biggest album, The Room’s Too Cold, in its entirety. It’s been a decade since it first came out, but it’s clear that it has not gotten lost amongst the numerous other albums released in the years following.

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No, it’s not a third grader’s grammatical nightmare. Their / They’re / There are three guys taking a break from their mainstays to come together for something new. Friday marks their Philadelphia debut, and it is going to be a show not to miss.

Separately, Mike, Evan, and Matt have already left, and are continuing to leave, a huge, influential mark on the emo scene. They each have played in a number of different bands, and each have played in numerous cities multiple times across the country and beyond. But recently, Mike Kinsella, Evan Weiss, and Matthew Frank decided to start writing music together to see where it would take them. Two EPs later, they are embarking on their first tour together as Their / They’re / There.

On Friday, December 20, the trio of emo vets will play their first show together in Philadelphia in the infamous basement of The First Unitarian Church. Joining them for the night are Mansions, Birthmark (which features Mike’s cousin Tim Kinsella), and Marge. In a time where every music website has written an article on the “emo revival,” this tour has packaged the best of the past, present, and future in the scene all in one nice, little present. And we here in Philly get to unwrap it on Friday!

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