I took a lot of photos and pretty much they all tirned out like crap but here's few anyway from last night's joyous reunion show with Philadelphia's The Friggs at the Tritone on South Street. Part girl group, part sixties style garage rockers, they had the packed house dancing from the word go like they'd never been gone.

The Friggs - Shake
Buy Today Is Tomorrow's Yesterday

Some brand new music from Blitzen Trapper that picks up on the backwoods country rock vibe where Wild Mountain Nation left off. The title track from the upcoming album Furr due September 23rd on Sub Pop.














Blitzen Trapper - Furr
Buy Furr

[WEBSITE] [MYSPACE]

Hey Philadelphia music fans you'll want to be sure not to miss this week's Wednesday Night's FREE Concert In The Park at Rittenhouse Square with Gildon Works and Capitol Years. Gildon Works just released an amazing new CD called Artful Rifle and also turned in one of the best sets at this year's Philly Popped! Festival. Capitol Years are a long time Philly favorite and recently backed up Daniel Johnston on a number of his tour dates. Should be a fantastic night of music for a summer evening.
And be sure to come back in upcoming weeks as there are plenty more great nights lined up with Bitter Bitter Weeks, Jotto and more coming your way.

7-9PM Wednesday nights in Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia.

Gildon Works - Artful Rifle
Capitol Years - It's Not Okay

If you're a James Brown fan, I highly recommend this new 3 dvd set that was released about a week ago. Two amazing performances from 1968. I mostly know James for his music, but the Live At Boston Garden show from April 1968, the Night after Martin Luther King was shot, shows just how much power James also weilds as a proponent of civil rights. The documentary disc really puts the show in its historical context. The third disc is James live from his now legendary run of live shows at the Apollo in Harlem in March 1968. Fantastic stuff, still just as powerful over forty years later.



BUY I Got The Feelin’: James Brown in the ‘60s

DISC ONE:
The Night James Brown Saved Boston (Director’s Cut)
A film by award-wining filmmaker David Leaf and executive produced by Shout! Factory CEO Richard Foos, David Leaf Production and VH1, The Night James Brown Saved Boston focuses on one of the most historic moments in Boston and America’s musical social and political history. The night Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, rioting began to tear at the fabric of America’s cities. Everybody wondered if there was anyone who could stop the violence, who could bring peace to the streets? The truth is, there was only one man – James Brown. So, on April 5, 1968, the night after Dr. King was shot and killed, James Brown took the stage for a previously scheduled show at the Boston Garden for a concert that was televised live on Boston’s public station WGBH, televised for just one reason---to keep the citizens of Boston off the streets, to try and stop a riot from starting. James Brown, a great artist at his peak, was thus thrust on to the center stage, facing the crucible moment of his career. He wasn’t known at that time as an activist, but that night, he rose to the occasion and kept Boston spell-bound with a musical tour-de-force, a performance that is considered so legendary that forty years later, Bostonians still regard it as the greatest concert the city every hosted.

Through the actual performance footage and the personal reminiscence of James Brown’s band members, the recollections of James’ friends like activist Al Sharpton and personal manager Charles Bobbitt, Boston citizens, those who attended the concert, politicians (like former Boston Mayor Kevin White) and Newsweek’s David Gates, The Night James Brown Saved Boston tells the compelling story of an artist at the absolute peak of his powers using his artistry for the greater good.

This film, which premiered at SXSW 2008 and broadcasting on VH1 on April 5, is an amazing look back at one heroic moment in James Brown’s life as a performer, a public figure and a man.

The Night James Brown Saved Boston Bonus Content:
Additional interview footage with
Rev. Al Sharpton
Dr. Cornel West
Anecdotes with Charles Bobbitt who worked with James for 40 years

DISC TWO:
James Brown Live At The Boston Garden
With cities around America reeling from sorrow, shock and anger, this is the actual April 5, 1968 concert James Brown gave at the Boston Garden as it was filmed and broadcast that fateful night. Boston PBS station WGBH agreed to televise the performance in an effort to keep the streets of Boston from erupting into violence.
Bonus Content:
Additional audio from radio simulcast
Additional interview footage with WGBH’s Director and Producer of the concert.

DISC THREE:
James Brown Live In The ‘60s – The T.A.M.I. Show, 1964 & Man To Man
The T.A.M.I. Show: James Brown’s 1964 performance of “Out Of Sight”

James Brown Live at the Apollo Theater 1968 – This was one of a series of concerts James Brown performed at the Apollo in Harlem in March 1968. This performance was taped in color and broadcast on television as Man To Man.

Photo by SinABox Photography 08.02.08 The Poison Control Center @ World Cafe Live

"Never judge a book by it's cover", I'm sure someone semi-famous probably coined that phrase, or maybe it really was my mom, or maybe it really was your mom, but it's definitely a credo you should follow. Last Saturday night I had tickets to see Apples In Stereo, when I checked the schedule, the opening band was someone I'd never heard of, a band called The Poison Control Center, all apologies to the band(who are all amazingly cool), but a name that screams "they suck, show up late". Well trust me when I say that would have been the wrong decision by a wide, wide margin. Hailing from Ames, Iowa, they put on one of the best shows I've seen in a while. Fantastic rocking songs with non stop action on stage including full somersaults by both guitar players without missing so much as a single note, and a boundless, charming stage presence. This song is not from their excellent newest disc, A Collage Of Impressions, but it was one of my personal highlights from the show. Enjoy, and check them out if they play near you,trust me you won't regret it, they're excellent. I know I won't be missing them when they come through town again.

The Poison Control Center - Upper Darby
Buy Glory Us

[WEBSITE] [MYSPACE]

A moment of tribute today for legendary Philadelphia musician Robert Hazard who died unexpectedly August 5, 2008 at age 59 after surgery for pancreatic cancer at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. While Robert is probably best known for his song Girls Just Wanna Have Fun covered by Cyndi Lauper and more recently by Miley Cyrus, early songs like Escalator Of Life and Change Reaction established him as one of Philadelphia's finest. A great loss indeed.

Robert Hazard - Troubador
Buy Troubador

Sorry about the lack of posts over the past few days, Google's automated web scanning misidentified the site as a bag of spam and quarantined me for a few days until they could verify it was really legit. Back today with a special treat, a Bag Of Songs exclusive from Philadelphia's Canadian Invasion who have taken the track Public Witness Program from Fugazi's
In On the Kill Taker and covered it with their own decidedly cool Brit Rock spin. Brilliant.
Keep your eyes peeled as well for their upcoming full length, Three Cheers For The Invisble Hand, I've heard it, and it's one of the year's best records on it's way to a release date real soon.

Canadian Invasion - Public Witness Program (Fugazi cover)

[WEBSITE] [MYSPACE]

Some more shoegazey melodies for you today. Check out The Hectors going all cosmonautical in the new video for their song Carol and Sanford. Spacey coolness extraordinaire.


The Hectors - Carol and Sanford

Hey shoegazey pop fans, BOS favorites and former Philadelphians now via Chicago-ites, the infinitely cool Panda Riot, have just announced a short run of summer tour dates that will bring them back east for a few shows in the next couple weeks. So make it a date and get on out and show them some love.

Tour Dates
Aug 7 Rehab (formerly Club Midway) 8pm NY,NY
Aug 8 Metro Gallery 8pm Baltimore, MD
Aug 10 M Room 8pm Philadelphia, PA
Aug 13 Athens Popfest August 13-16 8 pm Athens, GA
Aug 23 KALAMASHOEGAZE Kalamazoo, MI

Updating the post a bit today with a brand new song for you !!!!

Panda Riot - Streetlights And You And Me

and one older one

Panda Riot - Art School Girls Of Doom
Buy She Dares All Things

[MYSPACE]

My apologies to Lillie Ruth Bussey for missing her set as I arrived at Johnny Brenda's this past Thursday Night for Aderbat's Cd Release party just as Bitter Bitter Weeks was taking the stage. They opened with one of my personal favorites of theirs, Lo-Res and the night was off to excellent start. Bitter Bitter Weeks jangly shimmering guitar pop sounded excellent despite the fact that Brian McTear was having some trouble with his voice going out early into their set. Next up was an hotly anticipated set by East Hundred, the crowd in the room seemed to double as they prepared to play. Fronted by the charismatic and charming Beryl Guceri their audience seems to be growing everytime I see them. They have a keyboard driven sound with an early eighties feel that would not sound out of place alongside bands like Echo and The Bunnymen or Siouxsie And The Banshees. Aderbat was up next, kicking off their set with We Belong To The Sea, the title track from their brilliant new album. Aderbat's music is a finely woven tapestry of melody and soft dynamics that draws you in deep and keeps you there. Frontman Matt Taylor has a look similar to a young Bob Dylan and voice I can best describe as somewhere between Jeff Buckley and Nick Drake. Imagine all that together and you'll have an idea of what they kind of sound like. An excellent night of music all around.

Bitter Bitter Weeks

East Hundred
Aderbat

A random pick from the inbox todaythat caught my attention, a band from Nashville called Magic Wands. I'll let them tell their story. Enjoy.

Here's their info:
Magic Wands are a Nashville based girl/guy duo fronted by singers/guitarists Chris and Dexy.

The first time they met, the two only spoke briefly outside a show on in Hollywood in 2006 when Chris was visiting Los Angeles. They wouldn't talk again for over a year.

In 2007 while living in Nashville, Chris found a song on Myspace that he listened to repeatedly, day and night. Soon he discovered it was a song by Dexy, called Teenage Love. He sent her a message, and soon the two began talking and exchanging mp3s of their music.

Having recently both quit playing punk music, they both agreed they wanted to start something completely different. For fun they began recording songs together over the internet, the first being a song Chris wrote for Dexy called Kiss Me Dead.

Most nights that summer they were on the phone until dawn, 2000 miles apart and talking about things like music, magic, love and dreams.

They would also send packages to each other—gifts such as toy lions, old records, handwritten poems, candy, clothes, plastic rings and one glowing heart lamp.

Quickly they decided they had to be together. So Chris came to L.A. to meet up with Dexy at an old bed and breakfast in the Hollywood Hills. They instantly hit it off— playing guitars, visiting old churches and wearing crowns they bought at a magic shop on Hollywood Blvd.

After Chris left, they decided they were destined to be. Two weeks later he was back in L.A. helping Dexy pack up her old Mercedes Benz for a trip across the country.

When they arrived in Nashville they began recording under the name Magic Wands, taken from one of Dexy's favorite things that Chris sent her—a magic wand.

Currently Magic Wands are living together in Nashville and will release a ltd. EP in the Autumn.

Magic Wands - Black Magic
Magic Wands - Teenage Love

[MYSPACE]

[Photo By Nina Stiller]

Proving that Switzerland is more than just fine chocolate, cheese and numbered bank accounts, here's one I stumbled across while randomly traversing the wide, wide, world of the interwebs recently. It's the third release from Swiss band My Name Is George entitled Black and Blue and it was released back in May. It's twelve songs of garage-y, new wave-y, guitar and keyboard driven ear candy running the whole gamut from the rocking(Why Won't U B My Love, Mary Jane,C'mon C'mon), to the slow and soulful(Honey B,Dancing In The Fire(Free Falling)) to songs like Flowers(When I'm Gone) which could easily pass for one of MGMT's dancey numbers. Or, as they say in Switzerland "dass die Rock and Roll!"










My Name Is George - Why Won't U B My Luv ?
Buy Black And Blue

My Name Is George:
Albert den Dekker - Vocals
Daniel Gisler - Hammond, Rhodes, Synth
Philip Harrison - Guitar, backing vocals
Stefan Traxler - Bass, backing vocals
Mathias Kräutli - Drums, backing vocals

They're not hitting the US anytime soon but there's plenty of shows coming up to check them out :
Sat 26. Jul 2008 - Pfadi Bundeslager, Unterlager 3
Fri 15. Aug 2008 - Open Circle Festival, Spreitenbach
Sat 16. Aug 2008 - Frischluftkultur, Muri
Sat 23. Aug 2008 - Out In The Kraut, Schangnau
Fri 29. Aug 2008 - Monkey Honeymoon, Herznach
Sat 30. Aug 2008 - Clanx, Appenzell
Sun 31. Aug 2008 - Musikfestwochen, Winterthur
Fri 3. Oct 2008 - Schüür, Luzern
Sat 4. Oct 2008 - Scala, Wetzikon
Thu 8. Oct 2008 - Centre Fries, Fribourg
Wed 9. Oct 2008 - Bierhuebeli, Bern
Fri 17. Oct 2008 - Bären, Münchenbuchsee
Sat 18. Oct 2008 - KIFF, Aarau
Fri 24. Oct 2008 - Werkstatt, Chur
Fri 31. Oct 2008 - Kammgarn, Schaffhausen
Fri 14. Nov 2008 - Gare De Lion, Wil
Sat 15. Nov 2008 - Kaff, Frauenfeld
Fri 21. Nov 2008 - Talhof, St.Gallen
Sat 22. Nov 2008 - ZAK, Jona
Fri 28. Nov 2008 - Kuppel, Basel
Sat 29. Nov 2008 - Kofmehl, Solothurn
Sat 13. Dec 2008 - Kraftwerk, Krummenau

[WEBSITE] [MYSPACE]

Just about a year ago, I saw David Vandervelde play one of the best shows I witnessed in all of 2007. He was touring in support of his first album, The Moonstation House Band, a melodic swirling, psychedelic, glamrock gem steeped deep in the influence of artists like Marc Bolan and and David Bowie. For his new one, Waiting For The Sunrise, David softens the focus a little bit an comes up up with a twist on that sound that ends up falling somewhere between the seventies California sheen of Fleetwood Mac and the midwestern alt country pop of The Jayhawks, and even includes a song co written with Jay Bennett of Wilco. If you're currently digging on the new folky sounds of bands like Fleet Foxes or Midlake, this is one you won't want to miss.

David Vandervelde - I Will Be Fine
Buy Waiting For The Sunrise (release date August 5th, 2008)

Upcoming Tour Dates
07/18/08 Chicago, IL KEXP Live From Chicago with Cheryl Waters
07/27/08 Chicago, IL Schubas
07/31/08 Nashville, TN Mercy Lounge w/ Grizzly Bear
08/31/08 Los Angeles, CA Fuck Yeah Fest

[WEBSITE] [MYSPACE]

Although Dan Dyer's musical career has taken him from Austin, Texas to New York City and back again to Austin to record his new album,it is drenched in a deep southern, swampy, gospel soul sound that is more hot, humid, New Orleans night than a sound associated with either of those cities. A sound typified by artists like The Neville Brothers or Dr John, whose Walk On Gilded Splinters Dan does a smoldering cover on the new self titled disc. Never fearing to embrace his influences, Dan is no imitator, his smooth, soulful voice stakes it's own place in keeping a genre alive for a new generation.

Dan Dyer is being released nationally on August 26, 2008 via Fat Caddy Records but you can pick a special limited edition release now via Fat Caddy's website.

Dan Dyer - Love Chain
Buy Dan Dyer(ltd edition early version)

[WEBSITE] [MYSPACE]

Some photos from the early afternoon portion of this weekend's WXPN XPoNential Music festival at Wiggins Park on The Camden NJ waterfront. Cheers Elephant kicked the day off on the Marina stage in fine style with an outstanding set, followed by new wavey sounds of Zolof The Rock And Roll Destroyer and then the rhythmic indie rock of Delaware's Spinto Band on the main stage.


Cheers Elephant

From the opening guitar strum and, the softly spoken intro "Reservoir Park, 1, 2, 3, 4" to the closing sing along at the end of Armageddon Time, "Now I've got you by my side, and I'm feeling alright" The Dutchess And The Duke's, debut full length She's the Dutchess, He's the Duke careens along in it's lo-fi immediate glory like a combination of Bob Dylan, The Mamas & The Papas and early Rolling Stones swagger. With the familiar warmth of a lost 60's classic and the jagged edge of a modern recording, everything old is new again and sounding better than ever. Kimberly Morrison(aka The Dutchess) and Jesse Lortz(aka The Duke) holed up last fall at Magical Basement Studios in West Seattle with Bryan Standridge behind the board of an 8- track and recorded a modern folk classic. It's chock full of strummy acoustic guitars and percussion with more than enough pure pop melodies and sing along vocal harmonies to have you hooked after just one listen. I'm not the first one to sing their praises and I certainly won't be the last, jump on the bandwagon now, because this record really is as good as all of the buzz you've been hearing about it. One of my personal favorites of the year so far.

The Dutchess And The Duke - Reservoir Park
Buy She's the Dutchess, He's the Duke

The Dutchess And The Duke are out on tour now with fast rising folky buzz band of the moment, Fleet Foxes.
Be sure check them out when they come to a city near you.

07.07.08 - Washington, DC - Black Cat Backstage #
07.08.08 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church #
07.09.08 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom #
07.10.08 - Brooklyn, NY - Union Hall #
07.11.08 - Brooklyn, NY - Academy Records in-store
07.12.08 - New York, NY - TBA
07.13.08 - Brooklyn, NY - Charleston Bar & Grill $
07.14.08 - Cambridge, MA - The Middle East Upstairs #
07.16.08 - Cleveland, OH - Now That's Class
07.17.08 - Lafayette, IN - Zoolegger's ^
07.18.08 - Rock Island, IL - Huckleberry's Pizza Parlor
07.19.08 - Chicago, IL - Cobra Lounge %
07.20.08 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry #
07.22.08 - Denver, CO - Hi-Dive #
07.23.08 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court #
07.25.08 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir #
08.09.08 - Seattle, WA - Sonic Boom (Capitol Hill)
08.09.08 - Seattle, WA - Wild Rose

# - w/ Fleet Foxes
$ - w/ Pink Reason. I hear you get a free slice of pizza when you buy a beer there.
^ - w/ The Mans, Big Willie & Lil' Suzie
% - w/ Sang des Loups

[WEBSITE AT HARDLY ARTS] [MYSPACE]

Some photos from this past Sunday's Bag Of Songs night at the M Room in Philadelphia. Fantastic sets from RunRunner, Secret Life Of Sofia, New Motels and Adam & Dave's Bloodline for an enthusiastic and appreciative Sunday night crowd. If you missed this you missed a hell of a good time. Big, big, thanks to all of the bands, the M Room, and everyone who came out on a Sunday for making it a hugely successful and fun night.
RunRunner
Secret Life Of Sofia
New Motels
Adam & Dave's Bloodline

Some photos from Sunday, June 22, Day 3 of Philadelphia's Popped! Festival at World Cafe Live. The home team made up the bulk of the lineup today with some of Philly's best bands playing. I arrived in plenty of time time to grab a Grimbergen Dubbel Abbey Ale from the bar and stake out a prime spot to catch Cheers Elephant kick off the days proceedings with a dazzling set in the upstairs bar, showing why they are one of Philly's hottest bands right now. Spent some time chatting with Jessica from Popwreck(oning) in between sets. Next up were The Vandelles, a band I had not only not seen before, but had never heard of. Well, I won't be forgetting them anytime soon because their reverb laden psychedelic laced sound was amazing, with a sound falling somehwere between Jesus And Mary Chain and The Black Angels. They also delivered the "girls can rock too" moment of the festival in the powerhouse rhythm section of Suzanne Pagliorola and Lisha Nadkarni on drums and bass respectively. Then it was downstairs for Gildon Works who delivered one of the best sets of the weekend, their shoegazey psychedelic blend was absolutely massive sounding. Then it was back upstairs for one of my favorite Philly bands The Swimmers, who despite having to use a fill in bass player for the afternoon, sounded as fantastic as always. At this point the downstairs stage took a weird turn toward the performance art side with one man avant garde poet guitarist PWRFL Power up next. Three songs and it was back upstairs for me where I spent some time hanging out with Carly and Royce from Girl About Town for a bit while Takka Takka prepared to play. Caught most of Takka Takka's interesting set before heading back downstairs to see the much buzzed about Tickley Feather. More avant garde performance art tinged music that continued the theme started earlier. Although much more great music still remained, it was at this point I had to jump ship and make my way across town to the M room for my Bag Of Songs night, more on that coming soon...
Cheers Elephant The Vandelles Gildon Works The Swimmers PWRFL Power Takka Takka Tickley Feather The Downstairs Stage

Shawn Fogel Live At The M Room 5-25-08
Shawn Fogel's excellent One Day In The Desert EP has been in the constant rotation here at Bag Of Songs since I got a hold of it last fall. Shawn was also one of the artists who played for us at a recent Bag Of Songs Presents night which happen monthly at The M Room in Philadelphia. So needless to say, we love us some Shawn Fogel here.

So I'm proud to bring you an exclusive track today from Shawn's upcoming as-yet-unnamed new album which was mixed by Peter Katis, who has also worked with artists such as Spoon, The National and Interpol.

Shawn Fogel - The Fight At The End Of The Tunnel
[WEBSITE] [MYSPACE]

Backtracking a bit today to catch up on a few photos from the beginning of my 20 bands in 3 days musical weekend that started off Friday night at The Millcreek Tavern in West Philadelphia. The Annuals, Hymns and Philly's own East Hundred all played outstanding sets on a steamy first official night of summer.

East Hundred
Hymns
The Annuals
The Annuals
The Stage Setup