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Music
Lots of concert photos at davetavani.com.
I’m posting standout tracks/videos every night at midnight for some reason. (Click here to see them all so far.) The Metz album is excellent. This video sorta makes me feel like maybe all human beings are disgusting.
I’m posting standout tracks/videos every night at midnight for some reason. (Click here to see them all so far.) Samson is also the lead singer of the Weakerthans. This is possibly my favorite rock song of the year. Looove the beginning of the second verse where the music drops out for a little bit.
I’m posting standout tracks/videos every night at midnight for some reason. (Click here to see them all so far.) These Swedish sisters kicked ass this year with their folky/pop/Led Zep thing. This song was an easy choice.
When Japandroids came to Johnny Brenda’s in June, Celebration Rock had been out for less than a month. On Saturday night, frontman Brian King kept repeating how surprised he was by the size and energy of the Union Transfer crowd compared to the earlier show. That says something about the power of their second album, which sounds tighter than their debut, Post-Nothing, without sacrificing any of its natural rawness. The Vancouver-based duo gave the fans what they wanted, opening with Celebration Rock’s “Adrenaline Nightshift” and “Fire’s Highway.” The first two songs brought the crowd to its peak level of aggression, as the mosh pit went from semi-violent to barely violent over the course of the night. David Prowse’s relentless drumming was on full display during hits “Younger Us” and “The House That Heaven Built,” but was particularly evident during his furious solo on “Evil’s Sway.” The two seemed to be enjoying themselves on stage, with King donning plush reindeer antlers at one point and Prowse genuinely smiling at a few of the reckless stage-divers.
I’m posting standout tracks/videos every night at midnight for some reason. (Click here to see them all so far.) Young British folk/rock/soul singer Lianne La Havas wooed me with this and all the kooky, pretty songs on her debut, Is Your Love Big Enough? I have a feeling her next album's going to be weird and amazing.
I’m posting standout tracks/videos every night at midnight for some reason. (Click here to see them all so far.) Regina Spektor’s What We Saw From the Cheap Seats didn’t make my top ten this year, but her show at the Tower was pretty amazing. I like the tension in this song, and that ol' odbball Spektor charm.
My laundry list of preferred tracks goes marching on. (Click here to see them all so far.) Yeah, this is just Will Oldham re-covering Johnny Cash but 1) This version is great 2) This video is one of the best things I saw all year. Look at the skeleton man dance.
The Philly-Brazil connection runs deep, with the major local movers in the scene traveling frequently to study with players in Rio and beyond.
The Pandeiro Repique Duo — see my album review — are part of that cultural exchange. Alex Shaw (Alô Brasil) studied with Bernardo Aguiar (pandeiro, a frame drum with jingles) and Gabriel Policarpo (repique, tenor drum) and introduced them, knowing these two young men would make a good team. Check the video to see that his instincts were correct. Another AB member, Jim Hamilton, got to hear the unadorned audio tracks they had laid down and decided right away that the world had to hear them. He also knew that the recording needed to have something for those who don't appreciate just drums and voice, so a second CD is part of the package, with tracks from the folks like Carlos Malta, fifer, with whom they played Carnegie Hall last week as part of Pife Muderno. The CD was launched Tuesday night, on Hamilton's Tension Rod label. Malta loves these young men enough to have come to Philly and played with them at Underground Arts — quite a distance from Carnegie Hall — for the release party of their self-titled CD. Better yet, those who lingered after the formal presentation got a chance to bang out rhythms batuque na cuzinha style on anything that could make an audible sound with Malta dancing and piping like a Brazilian Kokopelli.
All this week the PRD has been giving master classes at places like University of the Arts and Julliard. Sooner or later they must return to Rio, but not without Philly sambistas will giving them a farewell party of epic proportions. Members of Alô Brasil, Capoeira Roda and DJ Ginga will take part in Brasil in Philly, showcasing one final performance by the PRD.
TONIGHT, Fri., Dec. 7, 8 p.m. $10, 7165 Lounge.
My laundry list of preferred tracks goes marching on. (Click here to see them all so far.) Okay, I promised there would be some hipster bullshit on parade, so...
ADDENDUM: Dan Deacon called me out on Twitter for the "hipster bullshit" comment. Yeah, it was a dumb thing to write. "Hipster" is in the eye of the beholder and pretty much never used in a meaningful way. "Bullshit" just makes no sense, considering I like the song and video enough to name it a favorite of the year. My apologies for the affront, Mr. Deacon.
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