Now Hear This

NOW SEE THIS: Patty Crash, "Negotiating wit TerrorisT"

POSTED: Tuesday, October 16, 2012, 8:30 AM

Filed Under: Music | Now See This | Now Hear This Philly Bands

I am loving this song. Total danceYou can download it for free at pattycrash.com.

Posted by Patrick Rapa @ 8:30 AM Permalink | Post a comment

CHORAL PREVIEW: The Germantown Institute for Vocal Arts performs Handel's "Messiah"

POSTED: Thursday, March 24, 2011, 1:00 PM

Filed Under: Just Do It Now Hear This

(St. Luke's Church)

Say what you will about organized religion, but it doesn't take more than a brief moment inside a majestic cathedral or a cursory glance at a Michelangelo to realize that some of humanity's greatest artistic achievements have been dedicated to the glory of the divine.

My personal favorite deity-inspired artistic work, by leaps and bounds, is Handel's "Messiah." Just thinking about it — shit, just typing it — is making me well up with tears like an old man who's just watched his ten year old grandson hit a game-winning grand slam. If you grew up Christian, you may remember feeling overwhelmed with goose bumps during the enthralling "Hallelujah" chorus at the end of Christmas mass. For me, "Messiah" is so much more than nostalgia for simpler intellectual times; its very composition radiates the sheer bliss that can only be felt with soaring, untethered faith.

In honor of the Bicentennial of St. Luke's Church in Germantown (5421 Germantown Ave.), the Germantown Institute for the Vocal Arts is performing Handel's "Messiah" on Sat., March 26, at 6 p.m.. St. Luke's Bicentennial Mass Choir features: Eleanor Macchia, soprano; Donna Walters, mezzo-soprano; Tyler Lee, tenor; and William Mayer, bass-baritone, and the Rittenhouse Ensemble with Nile Weber, organist and Cailin Manson, conductor. The performance will be free, with donations optional.

For more information, call 215-844-8544.

Posted by Ryan Carey @ 1:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Critical Mass

POSTED: Tuesday, December 14, 2010, 12:00 PM

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FREE SONG: Asher Roth w/ Nottz (and Colin Munroe)

POSTED: Friday, October 1, 2010, 6:00 PM

Filed Under: Music | Now Hear This Song

Click on the pic to download "Dontcha Wanna Be (My Neighbor)." (via mediafire).

Posted by Patrick Rapa @ 6:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

NOW HEAR THIS: Belle and Sebastian, "Write About Love?"

POSTED: Monday, September 6, 2010, 2:00 PM

Filed Under: Music Now Hear This

Posted by Patrick Rapa @ 2:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

NOW HEAR THIS: Pilot Cloud, "The Swell," w/ video slideshow

POSTED: Thursday, August 19, 2010, 3:30 PM

In early August, Nick Biscardi and Justin Lerner played their final show as Pilot Cloud. Well, I mean, nothing is really final anymore. But Biscardi enrolled in a pretty sweet audio engineering grad program out in Chicago, which will put the kibosh on any performances by his band for some time. But even a delay or de-prioritizing of their thrilling, Explosions In The Sky-style swell is something to be missed. Fittingly, the final number of their final show was also titled "The Swell." I caught the swan song at The North Star, which I present to you above, with audio, photo and lots of ambience. Dig it, and if you yearn for more, their full length In Transition and their EP Halcyon are available as free downloads from their Web site. Help yourselves.

Posted by john vettese @ 3:30 PM Permalink | Post a comment

NOW HEAR THIS: The Shackeltons, "Feet" w/video slideshow

POSTED: Thursday, July 22, 2010, 8:28 PM

Filed Under: Music | Concert Review | Now Hear This | Show | Song concert photos

Shake it up...

Chambersburg, PA post-punk dudes The Shackeltons recently played their first Philly show in almost a year. It was a late set at The Khyber a few weeks back, and I was there with a camera and a digital audio recorder. The setlist was entirely composed of brooding, propulsive new material from their forthcoming record, and we'll tell you all about it in next week's paper — they're returning to the Khyber on the 29th, after all. For now, dig the above-streaming scenes and sounds of a song called "Feet."

Posted by john vettese @ 8:28 PM Permalink | Post a comment

NOW HEAR THIS: Johnny Showcase and the Lefy Lucy Cabaret

POSTED: Friday, July 16, 2010, 7:00 PM

Filed Under: Comedy | Music | Now Hear This Philly Bands

Jamie Moffett

In this week's issue, Katy Bergen told you about Johnny Showcase and the Lefty Lucy Cabaret:

Johnny Showcase, the ringleader of a crew of eccentric performers known as the Lefty Lucy Cabaret, thinks he's hip. He gyrates to Prince in pale orange suits and periodically is joined by his secret lover Vicki Fastlane for slightly coarser versions of Heart's "Alone." ("You don't know how long I have waited to touch your tits and hold you tonight. ... ") David Sweeny, aka Johnny Showcase, created the breakout act that won over crowds at the 2009 Fringe Fest. This weekend the act is back for two nights of ridiculous takes on original and classic songs. We know you're achin' to experience Lefty Lucy hits such as "Sensual, But Not Sexual (Because I'm Married)" and "M. Night Shalamon."

And while Ms. Bergen's write-up was stellar, why tell when you can show? So turn up the volume as loud as you can and rock the fuck out: "Hit It from the Back" [audio:http://stream.citypaper.net/music/02%20Hit%20It%20from%20the%20Back.m4a] "M. Night Shalamon (future remix)" [audio:http://stream.citypaper.net/music/M%20Night%20Shalamon%20(future%20remix).mp3]

Johnny Showcase and the Lefty Lucy Cabaret, Fri.-Sat., July 16-17, 9 p.m., $15, Connie's Ric Rac, 1132 S. Ninth St., 215-279-7587, johnnyshowcase.com.

Posted by Molly Eichel @ 7:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

BREAKING: Jeff Tweedy to headline Folk Fest

POSTED: Thursday, April 22, 2010, 2:25 PM

Filed Under: Critical Mass | Events | Music | Now Hear This Show

Hot on the heels of Wilco's rapidly selling out, three hour epic appearance at the Electric Factory this spring, frontman Jeff Tweedy will return to the region in August to headline Philadelphia Folk Festival, organizers announced this morning. The festival takes place Aug. 20, 21 and 22 at Old Pool Farm near Schwenksville, Montgomery County; Tweedy's solo acoustic set will be the afternoon centerpiece concert on Sat. Aug. 21. Whether you're a Wilco-zealot or not, there's no denying they're one of today's hardest-working rock bands. Likewise, Tweedy's acoustic appearances are things of warmth, humor and so, so many songs; back-catalogue visits as well workshopped new material. This is going to be huge.

The Folk Fest lineup writ large is equally exciting â A.A.Bondy, Bonnie "Prince" Billy (Friday night concert), Erin McKeown, Richard Thompson (Sunday night concert), The Spinning Leaves, Taj Majal. Seriously, this festival keeps getting bigger and better each year. More at FolkFest.org.

Posted by john vettese @ 2:25 PM Permalink | Post a comment

NOW HEAR THIS: "Philadelphia Born & Raised" by Meek Mill ft. Freeway, Black Thought & Young Chris

POSTED: Monday, March 15, 2010, 11:29 PM

Filed Under: Music Now Hear This

Beefin' over cheese like Ishkabibbles! Meek kills it. And this is a much better use of a Fresh Prince theme song sample than Get Busy Committee's "Chillin' Out Maxin'," in my opinion.

Jesse D

Posted 2010-03-17 11:00:33

Yo! Why's Meek sporting a Yankees hat while reppin' the 215?
Does having the image reversed make it an anti-Yankees hat?

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 11:29 PM Permalink | Post a comment

PHILLY LOVE NOTES: An ode to Spruce Street
ICE CUBE: In Memoriam: Joe Tartaglia
Q&A with SHARI SOLANIS: "The goal isn't pornography"
CONCERT REVIEW & PHOTOS: James Blake @ TLA 5/11
SEXY TIME Q&A: I've never had an orgasm during sex with a man — and I'm 30!
Coming soon to Philly: Two cockamamie movie promotion schemes
What we're trying to do this weekend
Q&A with Tony Goldwyn: "Life is gray, and relationships are, too"
CONCERT REVIEW: Primus (3D & quadraphonic sound) @ The Tower 10/17
CONCERT PHOTOS: Marnie Stern @ Johnny Brenda's 5/10

About this blog

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.

Follow Critical Mass editors Patrick Rapa and Emily Guendelsberger on Twitter:

@mission2denmark | @emilygee

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