Live Review: Psalmships, The Feverfew at Burlap and Bean (11/17)

Posted on 18 November, 2012 by OneFan — No Comments ↓

Saturday night Psalmships played to an intimate audience at Burlap and Bean. This time Psalmships was a solo, acoustic performance by Joshua Britton on guitar and vocals. Psalmships was joined by Kyle Swartzwelder (on guitar) for a few songs including a cover of Hayden’s “Bass Song”. The set list ranged from older material, Hymn of Lions, Hello, Traitor (release November 20, 2012) to brand new material. All of Psalmships’ music is bursting with emotion from the softly subtle sung moments to the louder more powerfully performed moments. And it all sounded so good being played in that venue on Saturday night.

[VIDEO] Psalmships – “Hello, Traitor” LIVE at Burlap and Bean (11/17/12)

The atmosphere was perfect Saturday night at Burlap and Bean to host an acoustic, singer-songwriter night. Burlap and Bean has always been a nice place to hear live music but they have really upped their game. They have a real stage, no drink service during the performances, and the audience is asked not to talk while the artists are playing. All this goes into making Burlap and Bean an excellent listening room and a great place for a music fan. MAN, I really need to visit Burlap and Bean more often.

Earlier in the night The Feverfew opened the show with a solo acoustic set as well. The Feverfew was armed with a guitar, tambourine tied to one foot, and an amp that was picking up some random radio station. The “radio amp” was an odd, unplanned phenomenon that The Feverfew just decided to go along with. The “radio amp” definitely added a very unique and comical quality to The Feverfew’s set. That and some nice storytelling helped to brighten up The Feverfews admittedly dark songwriting.

Psalmships: Website | Facebook | Twitter
The Feverfew: Website | Facebook | Twitter
Burlap and Bean: Website

Album Review: Psalmships – Hello, Traitor (EP)

Posted on 12 November, 2012 by OneFan — No Comments ↓

Psalmships
Hello, Traitor
(release: November 20, 2012)

Track List
1. Hello, Traitor
2. Heart Carries Blame
3. I’m Never In Love
4. Lapwing + Grizzly Pt. 2

Hello, Traitor is the forthcoming release from Psalmships available on November 20th. It’s a 4 song EP with brand new material from Joshua Britton (Psalmships) featuring Brad Hinton (on lap steel and keys). Hello, Traitor is the intertwining of sad lyrical subject matter and inspiring music; a delicate blend that Psalmships is known for. Psalmships holds true to the incredible Ghost Folk, near-country sound but this release has an ever so slightly lighter feel. The lyrics come across so genuinely that they’ll make you wonder how true to life they really are. And the music is never too overwhelming but layered perfectly with beautifully flourishing undertones. The absolute best part about this album, Psalmships’ music, and great music in general is that it haunts you long after the music stops. Whether it’s those lyrics you can’t get out of your head “but my heart’s not that strong it’s just limping along as I quietly try to deny that I’m not in love and I’ll never be”, a melody sample that loops in your mind like the outro on “Lapwing + Grizzly Pt. 2″, or the brilliant tone to Joshua Britton’s voice — the music of Hello, Traitor is lasting (as it should be).

To have all of this packed into 4 songs might be a musical feat for some but it’s simply what we’ve come to expect from Psalmships. Thank you, Psalmships for never ceasing to amaze us musically. It’s highly recommended that you catch Psalmships live this Saturday (11/17) at Burlap and Bean.

[FREE DOWNLOAD] Psalmships – “Heart Carries Blame” from Hello, Traitor

Psalmships: Website | Facebook | Bandcamp

Album Review: A Victim of Good Times – The Summer (EP)

Posted on 4 October, 2012 by OneFan — No Comments ↓

A Victim of Good Times
The Summer (EP)
(released: July 24, 2012)

Track List
1. Loyalton
2. So Nice
3. The Good Life
4. Red Red Red
5. No Fooling

On The Summer (EP), A Victim of Good Times really achieve a dead-on 90s indie rock vibe. The 90s likeness is almost unreal but you might question it on “Loyalton”. That violin might just snap you out of your 90s daydream and you’ll realize A Victim of Good Times are true indie rockers not afraid to experiment with different sounds. Don’t be alarmed by the screaming on “So Nice” and “No Fooling”, just know that it’s well placed rage. On the other hand, “The Good Life” and “Red Red Red” sound less threatening and not as intense. I believe A Victim of Good Times saved the best for last with the song “No Fooling”. It has a great guitar sound, just the right amount of soft vocals mixed with intensity, and a decent lyrical message. “Trying to figure out. What it means to me. You know…”

If the thought of 90s college radio doesn’t excite you on a nostalgic level at least then maybe you’ll enjoy A Victim of Good Times’ The Summer (EP) for its indie rock charm. You can catch A Victim of Good Times October 13 at Connie’s Ric Rac.

“Loyalton” from The Summer (EP) by A Victim of Good Times
<a href="http://avictimofgoodtimes.bandcamp.com/track/loyalton">Loyalton by A Victim Of Good Times</a>

A Victim of Good Times: Website | Facebook | Bandcamp

Best Of Fest at The Fire this weekend (Fri 9/21, Sat 9/22)

Posted on 20 September, 2012 by OneFan — No Comments ↓

Best of Fest is bringing some of the best local acts from the Philadelphia Folk Festival to The Fire this Friday (9/21) and Saturday (9/22). So for two nights you can relive that Folk Fest fun.

The Fire
412 West Girard Ave
Philadelphia, PA

Friday, September 21, 2012 | 9PM
Foxhound
Kevin Killen Band
Johnny Miles
Marc Silver Band
Eye To Eye
21+
$8, or $5 with Folk Fest ticket stub

Saturday, September 22, 2012 | 9PM
Andrew Lipke
Griz
Saint Mad
Amanda Penecale
Rev. TJ McGlinchey
21+
$8, or $5 with Folk Fest ticket stub

More information can be found here.

Album Review: Adrien Reju — Lucky Ones

Posted on 10 September, 2012 by OneFan — No Comments ↓

Adrien Reju
Lucky Ones
(2012, Adrien Reju)
1. All to Myself
2. In Too Deep
3. Good Man
4. Crazy
5. The Lucky Ones

Lucky Ones is a charming and much anticipated new release from singer-songwriter extraordinaire Adrien Reju. This 5 song EP is quality music and a real listening treat. Reju’s voice is beautiful, vibrant, and showcased perfectly in these songs. Reju’s songwriting is strong, emotional, and intelligent. I love how the overall sound quality on this album is polished, pure, and pristine. Yes, sometimes the sound quality alone is something to be applauded.

I love and appreciate Lucky Ones for all the things mentioned before but I must say — oh my, isn’t “The Lucky Ones” the most perfect song!?! Excellent use of piano, real emotional feel, strings, too many awesome lyrics to quote, Reju’s optimistic voice, angelic backing vocals, and a “to be continued” musical end. Wow! I also like the diversity of style on this album. “All to Myself” and “Good Man” ring true of a more pop feel. “In Too Deep” and “Crazy” are reminiscent of Reju’s earlier work (A Million Hearts). Oh well, any way you slice it it’s all good music.

Music that moves you is the best kind of music there is. Thank you, Adrien Reju for Lucky Ones — a wonderful new release.

[LISTEN] “All to Myself” from Lucky Ones by Adrien Reju

Adrien Reju: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Upcoming Show: Adrien Reju – CD Release Party! on Saturday, October 13, 2012 at 9:30PM at MilkBoy Philly (Philadelphia, PA) | Tickets: $12-$15 | With: Zach Djanikian | Ages: 21+

Did You Hear? Railroad Fever performs “St. Dorothy’s Shame” live at Tied & Twisted Fest

Posted on 17 August, 2012 by OneFan — No Comments ↓

Ok, we all know “better late than never” when most of us really believe that “never late is better.” Well, Billy Brock was nice enough to share some audio with me from the Tied & Twisted Fest that took place this past June. I did not attend the fest so hearing this audio was a nice treat. I’ve been holding on to this audio just waiting for the perfect time to share it with you. Or, maybe I forget I hadn’t posted this audio yet so now is the time.

Thank you, Billy Brock for always taking the time to capture the essence of live music – the live music itself.

This is a live recording of “St. Dorothy’s Shame” by Railroad Fever as heard at the Tied & Twisted Fest (June 9, 2012). I just love this song and if you haven’t checked out Things You Lost you can read our review here.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

** This recording was during Railroad Fever’s second set in the wee hours of the morning. It features Brad Hinton on lap steel. **

Video: Chris Kasper performing “Reason to Believe” at Union Transfer (8/6/12)

Posted on 7 August, 2012 by OneFan — No Comments ↓

Monday night Chris Kasper and band (Phil D’Agostino, Daniel Bower, Kiley Ryan and Pat Hughes) opened the sold out show with Good Old War at Union Transfer (Philadelphia, PA). Here’s a video of Chris Kasper performing “Reason to Believe” a song from his most recent release The First Hundred Years Are The Hardest. All in all, that was an excellent show.

Chris Kasper: Website | Facebook | Twitter

2nd Street Festival on Sunday, August 5th — lineup includes: Man Man, The Great Unknown, Lushlife, The Spinning Leaves, and many more

Posted on 4 August, 2012 by OneFan — No Comments ↓

The Fourth Annual 2nd Street Festival will be held Sunday, August 5th, 2012 from noon until 10 p.m. The Festival takes place on North 2^nd St. between Germantown and Green Streets in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia, PA. The street will be filled with workshops, art, food, beer gardens, and other merchandise vendors. There will be four music and events stages, all programmed by the Philadelphia Folksong Society.

The full lineup includes: Man Man • The Great Unknown • Lushlife • The Spinning Leaves • Blayer Pointdujour & The Rockers Galore • John Francis • PURPLES • Auctioneer • Chris Kasper • Kuf Knotz • The Kalob Griffin Band • Secret Mountains • The Doublewides • KC Jones • Norman Taylor • Orion Freeman • Mikey Jr • DJ Matt Beck • Brooke Shive and the 45s • The Webbs • DJ DNA • DJ Snakpak • Fuego Nuevo • Philareyto • DJ Rocdaspot • Jam w/ John Fuhr • Philly School of Rock

I’ve yet to experience the 2nd Street Festival for myself but with so many great acts (and several of my favorite artists) on the lineup I think I owe it to myself to check this festival out. And hopefully I’ll see you there too.

Visit 2^nd Street Festival (www.2ndStFestival.org) or Philadelphia Folksong Society (www.pfs.org) for more information.

Live Review: Cliff Hills CD Release Party at World Cafe Live w/ Modern Inventors (8/1/12)

Posted on 4 August, 2012 by OneFan — No Comments ↓

If you’re a music enthusiast like myself and enjoy live music then you know CD Release Shows/Parties are a must. That’s when we officially get to check out new material from artists. I find that CD Release Shows tend to bring out the best live performance in an artist and are usually the most exciting shows. Then again, the chance to see any of my favorites play anywhere is exciting.

Wednesday night at World Cafe Live (Philadelphia, PA) was the CD Release Party for Cliff Hillis‘ new album, Dream Good. I’ve enjoyed Hillis’ music for several years now and I’ve always admired his ability to create intelligent power-pop/rock music with strong songwriting. Wednesday night’s performance was Cliff Hillis with his band, The Forward Thinkers. I was so glad that I got to see Cliff Hillis & The Forward Thinkers perform again because it’s been quite some time. Oh my, those guys are great and they delivered a terrific performance. I finally got to hear some of Hillis’ new material and I like it. I picked up a copy of his new album, Dream Good, at the end of his set so it looks like that’s another album I’ll be reviewing soon enough. Although I always prefer an artist’s original material it’s nice to hear a good cover every once in a while. So, to end the set and to tie-in the Dream Good connection to Woody Guthrie — Cliff Hillis & The Forward Thinkers covered “California Stars” and it sounded great. Thank you, Cliff Hillis & The Forward Thinkers, for all the excellent music.

The opening act was Modern Inventors, a band that was recently put on my radar. Coincidentally, I had just seen a stripped down, duo version of Modern Inventors the night before at The Grape Room. I walked away from their The Grape Room show thinking “I like Modern Inventors but I wonder how they sound as a full band?” Well that question was answered on Wednesday night and I can honestly say that I like Modern Inventors and that band might just be one of my new favorites. Modern Inventors create indie rock goodness with wonderfully displayed skills musically, good songwriting, and some beautiful vocals.

Music, too much is not enough.

Upcoming Shows:

Cliff Hillis
8/17/12: Kennett Flash (Kennett Square PA)
9/08/12: Johnny Brenda’s (Philadelphia, PA)

Modern Inventors
8/04/12: World Cafe Live at The Queen (Wilmington, DE)
8/10/12: Nightcat (Easton, MD)
8/14/12: Eagleview Summer Concerts on The Square (Exton, PA)

Live Review: XPoNential Music Festival — Friday (7/20)

Posted on 22 July, 2012 by OneFan — No Comments ↓

I haven’t been to the XPoNential Music Festival since 2009 (my first XPN festival). I remember seeing The Hold Steady, The Low Anthem, Illinois and more at Wiggins Park on the Camden Waterfront in New Jersey. I decided to venture out this year because I had to see The Lumineers and The Hold Steady (again). We were lucky this year because the cloudy weather kept the sun and heat away and there was only a misty rain for a short period of time.

Ok, I’m just going to touch on some personal highlights from Friday’s performances. If you were not at the festival I hope you got to hear it live on XPN or you can stream some of the archives. So, here I go…

XPoNential Music Festival 2012 - City Rain

I like City Rain because their rock, electro-pop, dance beats seems to bring out the inner dancer in most people and their live stage energy is infectious.

XPoNential Music Festival 2012 - The Lumineers

The Lumineers were absolutely awe-inspiring and I loved hearing songs from their self-titled debut album live. Of course the crowd went wild over “Ho Hey” but “Classy Girls” is my jam. Plus, that Sawmill Joe (a fellow Colorado native) song, “Ain’t Nobody’s Problem But My Own” sounded great. Also, I liked the use of that bass drum (kickdrum) at center stage. I must say, Wesley Schultz has a wonderful voice. Thank you, The Lumineers, for an incredible performance and for making me an even bigger fan.

The first band on the River Stage was The War On Drugs. Honestly, I was so far up on the hill and distracted by the chatter of so many conversations that I really didn’t give their music my full attention. Sorry, guys — hopefully I will see you some other time.

Then it was back to the Marina Stage for JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound. Wow, those guys are amazing entertainers. JC Brooks got a bit upset when he thought about people not registering to vote and I don’t think he used “radio language” to express his anger. The Weed Dance — oh my, did I really witness that?

Dawes is Dawes and that is awesome. Aww, hearing everyone sing-along on the chorus of “When My Time Comes” was unreal and perfect. By the way, I didn’t know the drummer sings too.

This was my first time seeing Ozomatli and I enjoyed it. Ozomatli is an LA band with a Latin, rock, hip-hop style of music. The members of the band take turns on lead. I like the “trumpet scat play it back” portion of their set. The drumming tricks were interesting and it was nice to hear some rap mixed in.

XPoNential Music Festival 2012 - The Hold Steady

The concert ended at the River Stage with a set by The Hold Steady and all I was thinking (as I’m sure many others were) was I hope the weather holds off so they can finish their set this time — and it did. I love The Hold Steady’s music because it’s brilliant rock music. And it’s so much fun to watch Craig Finn on stage because he acts so hyper and acts out every song. The encore was “Stay Positive” a fantastic song and who doesn’t love those “whoa, ho, ho’s”.

Maybe next year I’ll get to see all three days of the festival.