Player Piano, the second release from home-based electronic recording artist Memory Tapes, is a very welcome continuation of the gentle pop-electronica that the sole musician Dayve Hawk crafted in 2009’s Seek Magic.  Like the last album, this one is rich with clear pop-melodies that jump playfully around, constructing a sound that’s both melancholy and charming, and both old and new.  Hawk himself describes the music on the album as ‘keyboard-based psychedelic girl group songs, a sort of motown suicide note’. If that sort of description eludes you, I doubt you’re alone in that.  There is something elusive about the sound on this album, partly because it does seem like a throwback, but one that still keeps the novelty of chill-wave.  What eludes me on this album is the conflict beneath the surface, like with the pleasant synth sounds and high-pitched vocals that pull in a sunnier direction, but with lyrics that explore much more stressful that don’t seem to fit with the airiness of the music, including painful relationships and the inability to mend them.  But I think its real success lies in Hawk’s ability to organize the different moods together flawlessly on each song, to make it all seem nonchalant and easy.

“Wait in the Dark” introduces the layers of synth-noise, clean bass and real percussion present on the rest of the album.  It’s hard to deny the sadness of this one, though it still has an upbeat rhythm and a mobile instrumentation that implies cheeriness.  “Today is Our Life” and “Yes I Know” sound like the music could delve into the sadness that‘s implied, but they end up sounding as pleasant and nonchalant as the others.  Hawk has said himself about his recording style that “the music is my better nature, and the lyrics are me shouting myself down with self-loathing and cynicism. You end up somewhere between a genuine smile you’re trying to hold back, and a false smile you put on for a show.”  That’s a really good description of the double-life of this record, or on a lot of chill-wave for that matter.  The music is so well packaged and planned that it doesn’t cross the boundary that separates “chill” from anything else, but often it does imply something heavier, like in the lyrics.  In a song like “Sun Hits,” there’s not even an attempt at getting at any other mood: it’s all candy.  But with the last five tracks, Hawk does pull forward at the darker stuff in the music, with “Fell Thru Ice” and “Trance Sisters.”  I was glad to hear the cataclysm and the desperation of the synths on these tracks, partly because it seemed like that’s what he was trying to get to the whole record, and partly because it shows that he’s capable of breaking those boundaries for himself.

All in all, this is a great second album in itself and for the interesting questions about recording that it inspires.  One of the interesting things about the music is that Hawk records it all himself with live instruments, without a sequencer to help him.  However, on this summer’s tour, he has been playing with two other musicians in a guitar-bass-drum set-up.  This Wednesday, he’ll be playing at Johnny Brenda’s in Philadelphia, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it’ll translate live.  I’ll be writing a review of the show later this week, so stay tuned!

Memory Tapes will be playing in Philadelphia at Johnny Brenda’s. Doors open at 8PM.

This July 4th weekend, indie-rock champions and local WPRB favorites the Feelies are playing three shows at Maxwell’s in Hoboken.  Born out of Haledon, New Jersey in 1977 by Glenn Mercer and Bill Million, The Feelies have been mainstays of indie-rock ever since they began playing shows in their hometown and New York in the late 70s.  When I was in high school, I looked desperately for bands that had the same meticulous and precise energy as Talking Heads, and The Feelies were one that I very happily found.

Their classic 1980 album Crazy Rhythms is a mixture of a twangy, interweaving, and bright guitar work with drums that ascend, descend, and drop off completely, making the album sound haunting and clear (like it might’ve been created in a laboratory somewhere in North Jersey).  The band was weirdly dissimilar from both the sound of punk and new wave popular in New York at the time, but retained some qualities of both genres in their sound, and created a unique style that really lasted in my memory.  They stayed popular in the underground music scene early on, and they recorded three other equally great albums through 1991, each having a huge impact on indie music at large.

It was only three years ago that the band officially reunited after a 17-year hiatus, playing a few shows at Maxwell’s before playing a much-anticipated opening for Sonic Youth at the River to River festival in Battery Park, and then playing the entirety of Crazy Rhythms at the All Tomorrow’s Party music fest a year later.  Since then, they began writing new songs and recorded Here Before, again showing what they can do with their minimalist approach and all that pretty guitar work.  This weekend they play Maxwell’s for the 4th year in a row on the Fourth of July, as the band has consistently played shows on national holidays since it began (yet another interesting and folk-lorish detail you might want to know).  What a better way to celebrate our nation’s history than with these American pioneers of indie-rock…  The first two shows are sold out, but tickets are still available for Sunday’s show.  Check them out!  I’ll be going to Sunday’s show and will be writing about it next week.

Just when you thought Sundays couldn’t get any cooler, the 5th summer of Jelly NYC’s Pool Parties is upon us! This year’s schedule has been posted on their website, and it’s pretty stacked.  I went to one of these in the McCarren Park Pool (drained) several years ago that rocked my flippin’ socks off. Anyway, check it out. I’m sure you won’t be able to resist at least one of these…

http://thepoolparties.com/

Have you been searching your entire life for a concert experience that is as awesome and diverse as WPRB? Well you need to look no further than our home state of New Jersey, as the All Points West festival in Jersey City has delivered again. In its second year, the festival boasted the headliners of Jay-Z, Tool, and Coldplay, with daily line-ups that made even our music senses tingle. Furthermore, it is the first festival of its size to have the entire show filmed in 3D, using brand new technology from Cinedigm. Although the weekend’s weather was unpredictably harsh, ushering in Woodstock-reminiscent ponchos and mudslides, the fun just could not be rained out. So grab a cup of coffee, lean back in your recliner, and read on as I tell you the tale of the second annual All Points West festival.

All Points West is the east coast’s largest festival, drawing almost 75,000 people over three days. Unlike some other festivals, it does not allow entrants to pitch tents or stay overnight, leaving the focus on the music. Not to leave out any details, there were a number of pieces of artwork adorning the park, including a fiber-optic mirror-crested fountain, a shaded misting oasis crafted from wooden crates, and an amorphous lavender-tinted “solar pavilion.” However, this festival was all about the performers.

Friday

New this year, each day was brought in by a string of comedic acts, with the first day featuring the comedians Bo Burnham, Eugene Mirman, and Arj Barker. Following months of doing almost nothing, I was able to walk shuffle between the enormous distances between stages to catch most of the musical acts. The music started almost immediately as the Heartless Bastards attracted an indie rock crowd on the Bullet Stage, while The Knux tore up the main stage, the Blue Comet Stage, bringing fans up on the stage to dance and “put it in the air.”

Shortly after, I was able to experience one of the most interesting acts of the day, Shearwater, who played an entrancing set with members trading and picking up different instruments between nearly every song while singer Jonathan Meiberg’s Celtic vocals led the pack – definitely an act not to miss. As they lured in fans, Seasick Steve played his 3-string guitar on the main stage, getting the audience dancing with the tap of his foot, and holding dearly his bottle of Jack Daniels in between songs. I was able to catch a bit of Telepathe, two energetic girls playing psychedelic electronic music, before hurrying over to see Fleet Foxes, definitely one of the highlights of the day.

Their chorus of voices and celestial sounds seemed to awaken the gods, as dark clouds set in and the rain started for the day. “I feel like we’re a guild of wizards here to deliver an ominous warning,” joked frontman Robin Pecknold. Although the drizzles set in, the fun continued with indie band Ra Ra Riot delivering a lively and overall fun set of songs, complimented by the sight of two female string players, and the National had me tapping my foot to their good old American music. For the remainder of the day, one of the two second stages was dominated by popular hip-hop acts Organized Konfusion, Pharcyde, and Q-Tip. Not exactly my style, but they seemed to keep the audience going for hours on end.

The other second stage, the Queen of the Valley stage, featured multi-instrumentalist Xavier Rudd, popular LA rock band Carolina Liar, and ended with a number of hip hop/electronic acts. The nonstop dance music turned All Points West into a rave, with Flying Lotus, Peanut Butter Wolf, and hit duo MSTRKRFT, who kept the audience alive into the night until the city curfew put an end to the fun. Meanwhile, on the main stage, the band Vampire Weekend gave the audience what they were looking for after almost two hours of non-stop rain, turning the park grounds into a giant pit of mud. However, Vampire Weekend, who I was seeing for the first time, lifted my spirits with their lively and popular rock music, ending their set with a rendition of “Walcott” as their very own ode to Jersey.

After the rain stopped, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs stole the show and had the audience screaming as vocalist Karen O tore up the stage with her piercing and smooth voice. My personal favorite from them was a beautiful acoustic performance of their hit song “Maps.” Finally came the headliner, Jay Z, an artist not usually played on WPRB. He was a last-minute performer, filling in for the Beastie Boys, who couldn’t make it due to MCA’s recent cancer diagnosis. However, I must say that I was surprised with the quality of Jay-Z’s performance, bringing a full band on stage and enough energy for everyone in the audience of however many 20,000 people. As I left on Friday, I may have brushed a little dirt off of my shoulders, but my feet were nonetheless covered in mud.

Jay-Z, larger than life.

Saturday

Good news came Friday night for concertgoers, as the All Points West management allowed Friday ticketholders to come back either Saturday or Sunday for free because of the weather, just out of the good of their hearts, so a round of applause to them for actually caring about the audience. Thankfully Saturday started out with the sun shining, and the beautiful weather kept the day enjoyable, although the muddy grounds were just as gross as the day before. The comedians of the day included Jim Jeffries, Judah Freelander, and TV Duo Tim & Eric. Meanwhile, I took the chance to checkout Brooklyn locals Black Gold, an up-and-coming band whom I really enjoyed and had the chance to meet later in the day. Their performance was highly entertaining, as several girls painted in gold threw beach balls into the growing audience, and they kept the energy all throughout the weekend by offering ever-popular free massages at their own air-conditioned tent, the only band to have their own tent. Following them was a very melodic performance by …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, sporting two drummers for that extra bit of LOUD.  The main stage featured the local stylings of the White Rabbits and a very hardcore performance by Cage the Elephant, as the frontman showed off his screaming vocal abilities.

Crystal Castles singer Alice Glass gets the party started.

Following them, the Cool Kids kept it cool with the main stage’s hip hop for the day. Speaking of hip hop, Ice-T made a surprise appearance as a backup rapper for performer Kool Keith. Enjoying his time as a hypeman, Ice-T also performed some of his own songs a cappella, to a huge audience response. They were followed by St. Vincent’s airy vocals and glassy guitars, with female-fronted folk group Neko Case finishing the day’s set. On the Queen of the Valley Stage, I was able to check out Chairlift, with their angelic dual vocals and synth-filled soundspace, as they belted out slow-aced yet heart-pounding  electro rock. Following them, popular young group Tokyo Police Club was a great indie break in the electronic music of the stage, keeping it lively and rocking. However, Crystal Castles stole the show with a barrage of bright strobe lights and their recognizable electronic music that had everybody dancing.

Gogol Bordello's Eugene Hutz keeps it real.

Over on the main stage, the Arctic Monkeys played a great set, which was to be expected, but Ukranian group Gogol Bordello took the cake for the night with possibly the most enjoyable performance of the festival. Their gypsy music consisting of accordions, violins, and folk guitar was transformed on stage by pounding drums and the insurmountable energy of singer Eugene Hutz, easily matched by the rest of the band. I must admit that his performance had my hands in the air and my old feet doing new tricks.

I was not able to catch the next show by My Bloody Valentine, but from what I heard they were unimpressive at best, although I’m sure fans enjoyed them all the same. The headliner for the day was the unclassifiable Tool whose performance was, in a word, metal. Their performance was loud and heart stopping, with frontman Maynard Keenan remaining in the back of the stage, while gruesome artistic videos covered the stage and screens. I left this overwhelming performance with only The Ting Tings ringing out on second stage to cheer me up.

Sunday

Sunday, the third and final day of the festival, started with a bang. Of thunder and lightning. As soon as I arrived at the festival, eager to head over to the press tent for an interview, the rain came pouring down and the gates remained closed. A few minutes later, the entire crowd was forced into the nearby ferry terminal as part of safety precautions due to the storms. But fans waited patiently for the comforting voice of the police megaphone, assuring us all that the show would go on. The gates finally opened about three hours later, a little after 4, and the crowd rushed in to the giant mudpit once more.

Brian Aubert of Silversun Pickups gives an astounding performance, starting the festival's last day with a bang.

The day’s music was started by the Silversun Pickups, a personal favorite, who absolutely rocked the main stage and kept the crowd in high spirits for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, this meant that a bunch of the bands scheduled to play earlier were canceled, including hometown favorites Steel Train and the Gaslight Anthem, both bands that I was looking forward to seeing. On the Bullet stage, We Are Scientists continued with a blast of upbeat music, not leaving out their humorous antics in between. They were followed by Swedish band Mogwai, who played a series of great instrumentals, and the Black Keys, keeping things alive with only a guitar and drums. The energy they gave off made it seem like much more than just the duo. The Queen of the Valley stage featured an impressive lineup of electronic-type bands, however, my poor little feet were too tired from three days of rocking to walk over.

We Are Scientists charm the audience with their humorous antics and stylish haircuts.

For all you electro-rock fans out there, you would surely have enjoyed the lineup of Hey Champ, La Roux, Lykke Li, Ghostland Observatory, and Etienne de Crecy. Back on the main stage was a series of English bands, started off by Elbow, who are quickly gaining popularity in the US and played a set that proved exactly why. Following them was Echo & the Bunnymen, who brought back the 80s UK punk era for just a little bit. A rare appearance in these parts, many fans came to see Echo alone.

Last but not least, were headlining superstars Coldplay, who drew probably the largest crowd of the event and did nothing but deliver great performance after performance for the rest of the night. They played all of their hits, and had the audience singing and dancing along, even in the giant pockets of mud that had formed throughout the day. On the second stage at the [poorly planned] same time, were the young and great MGMT, who couldn’t help but have the audience going crazy throughout their set, even playing a brand new song. Even though the day started in disappointment, the show surely did go on, and many of the big name acts delivered harder than ever to call this last day of the festival a raging success.

Mud, Music, and People Having Fun = All Points West 2009.

Along the way, I was able to speak with Gregg Flotlin from Free Yr Radio, who informed me that a number of interviews and recorded content will be available to us in the near future, so stay tuned for all of that great stuff coming to you on WPRB. And for those fans who were unable to make it to the festival, but want to cherish the good times anyways, all of the main stage acts were filmed in 3-D, which should prove for an interesting, if not tantamount experience, when it hits the big screen this fall. All in all, although the weather tried to get us down, All Points West still turned out to be one of the best concert experiences I have had, so watch out as it comes back next year, and be sure not to miss a minute of it!

What a wonderful show! Before the show, we got to meet the band, who are so awesome and sweet (just like their music). WPRB bonded with Kip and Peggy of TPBPH over college radio. In fact, Kip grew up in Philly listening to WPRB, so he told us stories of how he loved listening to Shellac on WPRB. Peggy, who grew up in uptown New Orleans, talked about how she loved being DJ and music director at Tulane’s station. Just as much as we loved meeting the band we love to listen to, TPBPH was excited to meet the college radio kids they once were. We had a wonderful time talking with the band; the interview with the band will air in the very near future, so stay tuned for details.

The opening band, Zaza definitely mastered the art of using loop machines. While the band only consists of a guitarist, a bassist, and drummer with a cymbal, floor tom, and a snare, the band used loop machines to create a full and dreamy sound.

After Zaza, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart played a set of mostly songs from their self-titled album. The band was so adorable! They also played their latest single, “103,” which they dedicated to WPRB. Kip, before playing the song, mentioned to the audience how much he loved WPRB and that their latest single was for WPRB, which shares its frequency with the song title.

Overall, it was a very fun show, filled with awesome shoegaze and dream pop! What did you think?

Stay tuned for more fun this summer — we’ve got a bunch of great shows lined up!

Gang Gang Dance, an experimental music group from New York, delivers great dance music through an interesting fusion of electronic music with a unique, almost tribal sound. Their fourth and most recent album, Saint Dymphna (The Social Registry), was repeatedly ranked as one of the best albums of 2008. Unfortunately, in the recent past, the drummer was shot at and their musical equipment was completely destroyed in an electrical fire in Amsterdam. We will see how phenomenal the show will be despite their recent misfortunes.

Opening for Gang Gang Dance is Princeton’s own Miracles of Modern Science! While wearing futuristic space suits, the group members play an assortment of instruments, including an electric cello and a mandolin. An interesting medley of string players accompanied with a drummer, MOMS never fails to make beautiful yet vibrant music.

The show will be held at Terrace F. Club on Washington Rd. on the Princeton Campus.
Doors at 11:30 pm
Miracles of Modern Science 11:45 pm
Gang Gang Dance 12:30 am

This show will be open to the public (21+) before midnight. If you are under age or cannot arrive early, please email pnp@wprb.com. After midnight, the doors will be open only to University students.

WPRB & R5 Productions are proud to present, for your listening pleasure, a night with The Rosebuds, with The Love Language and National Eye. It’s going down on Thursday, 1/15 at Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave) in Philadelphia! Come out for this 21+ show! Starts at 9 PM!

Husband and wife duo The Rosebuds hail from North Carolina and write songs full of infectious pop will strike a chord with you. We’ve been jammin’ on their new record, Life Like (Merge Records), for a while now!

Also on the bill are The Love Language (another N.C. band) and Philadelphia’s own National Eye. Come out early and leave late — it’s a Thursday night you won’t want to miss.

Stay tuned to WPRB because we’re giving away tickets to the show!

Let us know if you’re gonna be there… stop by the WPRB booth and say hi!

» RSVP on Facebook!

Shhh — do you hear that sound? It’s the sound of WPRB’s brain collectively melting. We can’t believe Jonathan Richman is coming to Philly, and we get to bring this show to you.

“Jonathan Richman has been writing songs, making records and performing live for most of his life, winning fans and making friends around the world with his guileless honesty and playfully catchy compositions. He’s revered by countless fellow artists, and has built a remarkably loyal international audience through his tireless touring. His deceptively straightforward songs embody timeless qualities of humanity, optimism, emotional insight and a boundless sense of humor, untainted by cynicism or transient notions of hipness.”

That’s what his official bio says, and well, we can’t argue with it. At all.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! Will we see you there? Let us know in the comments!

WPRB & R5 Productions are proud to present an evening with post-punk legends WIRE on Friday, October 10th at Johnny Brenda’s (1201 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia). This is a 21+ show, and the night kicks off at 9PM!

Since 1976 Wire have, if we may crib from Roxy Music for a sec, remade and remodeled punk in ways that continue to impact thousands of bands today. Pink Flag, Chairs Missing, and 154 sound just as fresh as they did back in the day. But don’t mistake Wire today as a mere reunion act. Send (2003) and the Read and Burn series (2002- ) hold up amazingly next to the rest of their storied discography.

We couldn’t be more psyched about this show, and we hope to see you there! Stop by the WPRB table to say hi!