Randy Alexander passes along this shot of the Jackson 5 with Leon Huff and Kenny Gamble, back when the Philly International Records producers helped the crew record and write two albums, The Jacksons and Goin’ Places. PIR is apparently going to be releasing some long-lost video footage of the fam’s sessions, too

Standing L-R (click image to enlarge): Tito Jackson, Randy Jackson, Michael Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Jackie Jackson. Seated L-R: Joe Jackson, Leon Huff, Kenny Gamble.

?uestlove asks a very good ?uestion. The Roots were invited to throw out the first pitch at the Indians-White Sox game in Cleveland last night. (I believe Kamal did the actual throwing.) Isn’t it time the Phillies made a call to the Roots bullpen? Put em up on the mound at Citizens Bank Ballpark! They’re our Hip-Hop F. Champions! Give ’em the ball!

Meanwhile: What is up with this fuzzy monster? (Not ?uesto, the other one! No I didn’t!)

twitter.com/questlove

Don’t know what to do tonight? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Well, first of all, we have to admit that we’re not too excited about most of the acts playing tonight — and unless 311 or Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars are your bag, you won’t be either. (And maybe they are. I can’t blame you too much for wanting to listen to reggae during the summertime.) Also, it being that strange week before July 4 where Philly essentially says “fuck it” and heads to the Jersey Shore, there isn’t much else besides music, fireworks and fests going on. That being said, we stumbled onto Caravan of Theives and find their bluegrass-inspired, Decemberists thing rather charming. It should be a good night for fiddle music.

Tue., June 30, 8 p.m., free, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400, worldcafelive.com.

A South Philly resident called 311 to tell the proper authorities that there was a huge stinky pile of garbage at the corner of Wharton and Clarion streets. Some 68 hours later, it was still there. So they decided to make a video of the trash. Note to filmmaker: Shooting in the choppy, ominous style of Dateline — complete with spooky re-enactment-of-the-murder music — was a brilliant decision. However, further reporting would’ve been nice, since it’s pretty obvious one of your neighbors either moved out or started a renovation project and dumped all that crap on a non-trash day. Also, the video’s a bit too long. This is the Internet, by the time we get to minute two, we’re expecting to see a human hand or a giant rat in there. Otherwise, I dig the video.

Photo | Michael M. Koehler

Perhaps playing off the massive popularity of our “Riding Dirty” cover story wherein yours truly, photographer Michael M. Koehler, videographer Elan Gepner and Dominic Mercier journeyed down the tidal Schuylkill (read it | watch it), Mayor Nutter yesterday announced a free kayaking program — in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation — that’ll go down at the Penn’s Landing marina this summer. Details will be forthcoming at tidaltrail.org or delawareriverwaterfrontcorp.com

The official word is that the program is “part of City of Philadelphia’s efforts to reconnect
residents to the river, and part of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council’s efforts to increase recreation opportunities on the tidal portion of the Delaware River.”

Which they can say all they want. We know where they got the awesome idea.

Official release after the jump.

Remember how we used to gush about Adam Arcuragi around here? We called his first album the awesomest. We kept blaring that “1981″ song. We put the dude on the cover. Well guess what? The new album is frickin amazing, too. Seriously. Listen to I Am Become Joy, which is being put out by High Two. It’s an earthy, dreamy, Neutral-Milky, catchy-but-not-too-catchy little epic. Apparently he lives in L.A. now, so catch him tonight while you have the chance. This video’s kinda choppy, but the sound is sweet.

Adam Arcuragi plays tonight, Thursday, June 25, 9 .m., $10, with Gianmarco Cilli and Peasant, Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 866-468-7619, johnnybrendas.com.

Uwishunu

Well, get ready to eat your words, cause Uwishunu just dropped the news that The Roots will be joining her at the free July 4th concert at the Parkway. Have cognitive dissonance much?

Don’t know what to do tonight? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Wow. I’m girl crushin’ big on Tiny Vipers. She’s got a beautiful, Southern blues-y alto that reminds me of Cat Power’s best days. She also just got signed to Sub Pop Records, and has a badass haircut to boot. Get to this seated show — at the Church’s chapel, where only 50 people will be seated — immediately.

Tue., June 23, 8 p.m., $10, First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., 866-468-7619, r5productions.com.

We have two sets of tickets to see The Fray tomorrow night, June 24, at the Susquehanna Bank Center.

The tickets are FREE to the first two people who complete this form. Hurry.

This quick-witted 18-year-old rapper has quite a track record already. She is a frequent collaborator with Diplo, Afrikan Boy and fellow Bmore native Blaqstarr. Now a protégé of M.I.A., Rye Rye is dropping her debut album on the Sri Lankan mama’s label, N.E.E.T., this month. (I think the soundtrack to some movie about an Indian kid winning a lot of money came out on that label, as well.)

Tomorrow night at the Barbary, Rye Rye’ll perform with Thunderheist along with the Mad Decent DJs. This is your chance to see her at a small club before she blows up M.I.A./Santigold style.

Sat., June 20, 9 p.m.-2 a.m., $8, The Barbary, 951 N. Frankford Ave., tickets here

Don’t know what to do tonight? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

It’s a choice between two musical acts tonight, which, frankly, on a Monday, you should be grateful for. There’s Ida Maria — aka senior editor Pat Rapa’s crush, which he wrote about on Critical Mass — a very solid option. She’s got a hell of an enthralling voice, but the show is at the North Star, which is kind of a dungeon. (This bar is right around my house, though, so that may be why I always expect more out of it.) There’s also The Mural and The Mint, a sort of poor man’s The Decemberists, playing at the Piazza at Schmidt’s. And that’s practically the opposite of a dungeon. Plus, it’s free.

Mon., June 15, 7 p.m., free, the Piazza at Schmidt’s, Second Street and Germantown avenues, atthepiazza.com.

Don’t act like you don’t care, GaGa fans and pro-Aguilera Brit Haters. THE CIRCUS STARRING BRITNEY SPEARS is coming to the Wachovia Center Aug. 30, with tickets going on sale this Friday, June 19, at 10 a.m.

Hopefully there’ll be more of this (NSFW) than that.

Don’t know what to do tonight? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

John Vanderslice is known for twitchy, studio-tinkered pop songs but on his seventh album Romanian Names (Dead Oceans), he’s ventured out of his Tiny Telephones studio and into his basement where he developed the basic song structures before adding the more complicated elements. The album benefits, focusing more on melody and introspective narrative and less on sonic trickery, as evidenced by the sparse, gorgeous closing track, “Hard Times.”

Thu., June 11, 9 p.m., $12, with The Tallest Man on Earth, Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 Frankford Ave., johnnybrendas.com

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