Local Support 70: Don't hold your head down. We got you covered.

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Local Support 70: Don't hold your head down. We got you covered.

POSTED: Friday, January 23, 2009, 8:33 PM

Listeners! Sit back, put your feet up and toast wineglasses of iced chai to Obama, because here is Jon Solomon’s new line of ethereal indie cats, tasty techno beats and other assorted goodies. He even put in this new percussion/poetry thing. I've never heard of it before, but I think he is calling it “rap.”

Formerly known as Relay, shoegaze band Arc In Round starts Episode 70 with arching guitar chords in the ambient “II”. Reef the Lost Cauze combines a little neo-soul and street-wizened rhymes to form "I Ain't No Rapper.” The Lehigh Valley’s St. John's Alliance harmonizes, Lennon/McCartney style throughout "My Last Girl.” Apparently, when Alka’s Bryan Michael is laying down his sick electronic tunes, he is primarily inspired by science and scenery. Here, he explores the terrain with "Subset Sixteen.” Next is a brand-new band — Evening Magazine. Founded by ex-BC Camplight guitarist David Disbrow and recording engineer Kevin Francis, they channel some Broken Social Scene-like vocals and piano riffs for "On The Corner.”

One of my favorite Philly-area bands, Illinois, seems to be getting better and better. They’re on chapter three of their story tale-style EP The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe. The song here is titled "Are You Coming With Me?" The answer is a definitive “Yes!” (Check out their accompanying YouTube videos to get the full effect.) Alphabet Army says that they’re influenced by Daft Punk. We can tell in their electro-pop single "Indie Anna Indiana.” Rarebird’s Carolynne McNeel does some soul searching in the slow and heartrending “Be Cruel.” Now for the Rare Birds — though their name is practically identical to that of the Rarebirds, their sounds could not be any more different. Gregg Foreman leads this instrumental band. Which rare bird/rarebird do you dig more? Scranton’s resident rock band, Das Black Milk, goes all White Stripes and rock anthem on us in "Likeable Music.”

Brown Recluse Sing’s "Foreign Correspondent" drifts by, all lullaby-like, with lyrics to match the lazy tone (“Reclining at the bottom of a tide pool on Cape Cod/With some hermit crabs”). The National Football League Marching Band lays down some Philly pride in "The Eagles' Victory Song,” as well as some hope for the Birds’ 2010 season. Singer-songwriter Patrick Mellon is the sole member of Bridge Underwater, who offers the lo-fi, experimental "New Dish.” Frank Clement reps underground rap in "Dutch & Spades: One Night Only.” South Africa native turned Philly front man Andrew Lipke brings some quality rock to the table in "The Barker Song.”

Pilot Cloud goes all spacey on us in "Ex Astris Scientia.” Sounds like they’re really channeling some “knowledge from the stars” as the song title suggests. (Yeah, I have mad Latin 4 skills.) Hakujin is just messing with my mind with heavy-yet-fuzzy beats and assorted weird-ass/frankly uncategorizable sounds coming from instruments (or possibly kitchen appliances) in "Kechak II.” Upsincefriday finishes the podcast off right, bringing us back down to earth with the rock ballad "Latent Ability vs. Patent Technology.”

Arc In Round — "II"
Reef The Lost Cauze — "I Ain't No Rapper" — A Vicious Cycle
St. John's Alliance — "My Last Girl" — Swiftwater Sessions 86/87
Alka — "Subset Sixteen" — Building A Better Robot (c)
Evening Magazine — "On The Corner" — The Ride Across Lake Constance

Illinois — "Are You Coming With Me?" — The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe: Chapter 3
Alphabet Army — "Anna "Indie Anna" Indiana" — People Are Alone & Happy
Rarebirds — "Be Cruel" — Flight Patterns
Rare Birds — "R&B Of Memory (demo)"
Das Black Milk — "Likeable Music" — Split single with Kid Icarus

Brown Recluse Sings — "Foreign Correspondent" — Selected Hymns (Of The Evening Tapestry)
The National Football League Marching Band — "The Eagles' Victory Song" — The National Football League Marching Songs
Bridge Underwater — "New Dish" — The Music In Your Mind
Frank Clement — "Dutch & Spades: One Night Only"
Andrew Lipke — "The Barker Song" — Motherpearl & Dynamite

Pilot Cloud — "Ex Astris Scientia" — In Transition
Hakujin — "Kechak II"
Upsincefriday — "Latent Ability vs. Patent Technology" — We'll Raise This Bell Now Any Day

MiketheWaiter

Posted 2009-01-24 20:10:26

along with you, I regale at the promise and hope that this new president inspires for the nation and the world.  Peace to you from Indiana, USA, mTw

Posted by Jasia Kaulbach @ 8:33 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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