Wrapping Up The Week

April 9, 2007 by · Leave a Comment
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What I’ve been listening to most this week : LCD Soundsystem – Sound Of Silver, The Fratellis – Costello Music, Nine Inch Nails – Year Zero, a lot of iPod shuffle time, and even some radio(WXPN).

K’nise Connections’ pick of the week is the indie alternacoustic sounds of London’s Grand Central. Think Midlake meets Coldplay and you’ll have an idea of what they sound like.

Some Things Coming Up This Week
The first Popped Festival takes place in Philadelphia this week. Although based on the numerous last minute venue and scheduling changes it hints at being a disorganized mess there’s still a lot of great music to check out, and almost all of it is all-ages events.
04/09/2007 08:00 PM – Make A Rising, Pattern is Movement,The Asteroid No.4, The Cobbs@ Johnny Brenda’s 1201 N. Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, 19125 – $10 21+ Event

04/10/2007 07:30 PM – StinkingLizaveta,Grandchildren,NormalLove,BearIsDriving,BarkingSpiders @ Avant Gentlemens Lodge 4028 Filbert St., Philadelphia, Oregon 19104 – $10

04/11/2007 07:30 PM – Notekillers, Low Budgets, Mtn.High,Northern Liberties, Bad News Bats @ Millcreek Tavern 4200 Chester Ave, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19123 – $10

04/12/2007 08:00 PM – Golden Ball, King Kong Ding Dong, The War on Drugs, Fursaxa, Fan of Friends @ TheParlor 1170 s. broad st., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – $10

04/13/2007 08:00 PM – Dr. Dog, The Spinto Band, Bardo Pond, Illinois
Starlight Ballroom, Philadelphia, Oregon 19123 – $15

04/14/2007 02:00 PM – Hail Social, Phil Moore Brown, Feather Mills, Public Record, and Movable Type
1000 N. block of Hancock St. btwn Front and 2nd St. & Girard and Laurel St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19123 – Free Philebrity Block Party

04/15/2007 06:00 PM – Pissed Jeans,Sharks With Wings,Birds Of Maya,Satanized,Affirmative Action Jackson, Drums Like Machine Guns – $10
originally at Red Warehouse, this show is now at the Firefighter’s Lounge. 415 N. 5th Street at Willow

Be sure to check their website or myspace for any last minute changes before you head out.

Amazing power pop band,The Celebrities start an ongoing Thursday Night residency at the 449 Room in Trenton NJ. From the bands myspace:
After performing all over the east coast with the likes of OKGO, Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes, The Pink Spiders, and even the legendary Beach Boys with their previous bands LUZER and Dr. Thunder, Timmy Sean (vocals/guitar/keys), Chris Volk (lead guitar/keys), Dan Seeth (drums) and Krishna “The Mania” Vasudevan (vocals/bass) officially formed The Celebrities ringing in the New Year on January 1. Since that time the band has written more than twenty songs, including the four tracks featured on “The Free Four All Demo”, a sampler EP available for free beginning April 7. The four songs can also be downloaded online from the band’s official MySpace page. “We’re really proud of our new music, and we just want as many people to hear it as possible…even if that means putting it out there for free,” says The Celebrities’ chief songwriter Timmy Sean.
MP3: The Celebrities – She’s Mine
MP3: The Celebrities – East Coast Girls

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Wrapping up the week

March 19, 2007 by · Leave a Comment
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So spring is about to roll in, here on the east coast we’ll be spending the next couple days continuing to thaw from what was our biggest ice/snowstorm of the winter. Bring on the global warming.

Here’s what I’ve been listening to most this past week: The Swimmers – Fighting Trees, Arcade Fire – Neon Bible, Julie Doiron – Woke Myself Up, Mary Weiss – Dangerous Game, Creeping Weeds – We Are All Part Of A Dream you’re Having, The Hold Steady – Boys And Girls In America, Wilco – Sky Blue Sky, !!! – Myth Takes, Neil Young – Live At Massey Hall, and Odawas – Raven And The White Night. Something new you think I should hear, leave a comment and let me know.

K’nise Connection‘s artist of the week is the O Brother Where Art Thou? styled folk music of Ian Thomas
[MYSPACE] [WEBSITE]

The shows where I’ll be this week:

Tuesday March 20 World Cafe Live Philadelphia PA
WXPN Philly Local presents The Swimmers,Sharon Little and Scott Sax,John Flynn, and Hail Social

The Swimmers
MP3: The Swimmers – Pocketful of Gold
Sharon Little & Scot Sax with their band
MP3: Sharon Little – Everybody Round Here
John Flynn
MP3: John Flynn – Who’s Whose
Hail Social (CD Release Party)
MP3: Hail Social – Heaven

Wednesday March 21 World Cafe Live Philadelphia PA
Hoodoo Gurus w/Shane

MP3: Hoodoo Gurus – I Want You Back
MP3: Hoodoo Gurus – Death Defying
MP3: Hoodoo Gurus – What’s My Scene

Saturday March 24, Tweeter Center, Camden, NJ
Snow Patrol, Silversun Pickups, and OK Go

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From The Mailbag : Matt Lutz, K’Nise’s picks, RIAA and more

March 11, 2007 by · Leave a Comment
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First up today is the latest solo album from Matt Lutz, the frontman for popular San Francisco indie-garage rockers The Herms. Matt’s disc is the appropriately named Seesaw, as the gamut of styles on it run from dark Bowieesque goth rockers to loungey instrumentals to the catchy pop number,Took Me A While that I have for you today. If you like this be sure to check out his myspace page for more tunes.

M4A: Matt Lutz – Took Me A While

[MYSPACE]
Big Thanks to Mona at MLC PR for the track.

K’nise Connection’s Pick of The Week(and Last Week)

K’nise‘s pick this week is the sultry, soulful,jazzy sounds of Toronto’s dazzlingly beautiful Emma-Lee. Not only is Emma-Lee an extremely talented musician she’s an impressive photographer as well. Hear her songs on her myspace page and make sure you check out her photographs as well.
[MYSPACE] [WEBSITE] [PHOTOGRAPHY]

Since I was on an unxpected hiatus last week and didn’t get to post much, here’s last week’s pick as well. The Hummingbirds are a sweet country duo from Ypsilanti, Michigan composed of Rachel Lynn on Vocals and Guitar and Stephen Grant Wood on Guitars and Vocals. Watch for their new album due out sometime in 2007
[MYSPACE] [WEBSITE].

RIAA WTF
If you like music on the internet, and especially if you’re a college student you’ll want to check out these two articles.

Recording Industry vs People Blog posted this open letter to the RIAA
Open Letter to Universities Whose Students Have Been Targeted by the RIAA

Jefito Blog posted this insightful piece on gizmodo.com’s proposed RIAA boycott
A Lovely Month for a Boycott

Way To Go Desmond !
Our former Artist Of The Day, bedroom four track sensation Desmond Reed has had his song Who I’d Like To Meet picked up by Manchester UK based Babyboom Records to be included on their next sampler cd due out March 19th.

Some places to be this week if you’re not in Austin Texas for SXSW

The Swimmers start their Sunday night residency at Pianos in NYC tonight and share the bill with Maria Taylor and Aderbat in Philadelphia on Thursday night.
Sun Mar 11 2007 9:00P Pianos [residency] New York, New York
Thu Mar 15 2007 7:30P FirstUnitarian Church w/ Maria Taylor and Aderbat Philadelphia, PA

In the mood for some blues ? Here’s where Jo Wymer will be this week :
Sun Mar 11 2007 02:00 PM – Travelling Poets Society – Espresso Joes, Keyport,NJ
Sat Mar 17 2007 08:00 PM – Twisted Tree Cafe Cookman Ave, Asbury Park, NJ

World Cafe Live has a pair of shows by Nanci Griffith followed up by one from the legendary Leon Russell
Wed Mar 14 2007 7:30P Nanci Griffith World Cafe Live Philadelphia PA
Thu Mar 15 2007 7:30P Nanci Griffith World Cafe Live Philadelphia PA
Fri Mar 16 2007 7:30P Leon Russell World Cafe Live Philadelphia PA

The Hold Steady are back from the UK with The Thermals in tow to continue their takeover of the Boys And Girls In America. If there’s one hot band to see now these guys are it.
Mon Mar 12 2007 08:00 PM – Club Downunder Tallahassee, FL
Tue Mar 13 2007 08:00 PM – The Bottle Tree Birmingham, AL
Wed Mar 14 2007 08:00 PM – Hi Tone Cafe Memphis,TN
Thu Mar 15 2007 08:00 PM – Off Broadway St. Louis, MO
Fri Mar 16 2007 08:00 PM – Music Mill Indianapolis, IN
Sat Mar 17 2007 08:00 PM – Newport Music Hall Columbus, OH

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From The Mailbag : Willie Herath,Greg Sears and more

February 25, 2007 by · Leave a Comment
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Willie describes his music as “Nod Your Head Beach Rock”!, a mix between Weezer & Jack Johnson. Harder than Jack, but softer than Weezer. I’d say he’s pretty much nailed the essence of it one sentence. His latest disc Cohgie Never Landed is classic alternative power pop music with an unmistakeable West coast flair. It’s pretty easy to imagine these songs blasting from boomboxes at beach parties or out of a car stereo in a convertible with the top down cruising down the coast. If you liked the sounds of the super hot blogger buzz band The Broken West that we recently featured, you’ll like this too. Put on your shorts and sunglasses, turn it up , kick back and party.

MP3: Willie Herath – Shake It Up Baby
MP3: Willie Herath – So Perfect

many thanks to Mona @ MLC PR for the songs

[WEBSITE] [MYSPACE] [iTUNES] [CDBABY]

Next up from the mailbag we have Greg Sears and his home recording project called Greg Sears and The Only Honest Ones Left. Greg has created all of the songs in his bedroom using the Garageband program. I especially liked the list of instruments he says he used for percussion – “pencil,pen,turtle(glass, don’t worry, no animal cruelty)”. The songs are earnest Conor Oberst style vocals over unmistakebly lo-fi music. It works especially to the advantage of his song Anarchy Man,where the ramshackle shuffle of the instrumentation is providing its own anarchic chaos beneath the vocals. Hear more songs on his myspace.

MP3: Greg Sears and The Only Honest Ones Left – Anarchy Man
MP3: Greg Sears and The Only Honest Ones Left – War On Love

[MYSPACE]

Some other things this week…


The lovely Audra Mae has been named the K’nise Connection’s Music Maker Of The Week!
~K’nise says : “What a voice. Wow. “Turn Around” is amazing. If you really want a jaunt of a song, listen to “Bottom Of Up”. Wow again! “

[K’NISE MYSPACE] [AUDRA MAE MYSPACE]


This Wednesday February 28th The Swimmers wrap up their Wednesday night residency at the Khyber In Philadelphia and move it to Sunday nights next month at Pianos in New York City. If you haven’t yet, get out and see them. Fighting Trees is by far one of best albums I’ve heard this year. Hear the whole thing at their website. Many more upcoming tour dates on their myspace page including DC,Chicago and Detroit amongst others.

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