Getting everything together for this poll is WAY intense, but it is always fun to see who digs what and to learn about new acts that might not have been on our radar (happens every year - we love it, and we hope you do too). We’re nearing the end folks, but we need your help to make it to the finish line! We just uploaded the full list of artists nominated for our Best of Philly Poll 2011 for Emerging Artists. It’s in the right column on this page and also HERE. Some bands in the list were selected through a submission process and some others were picked by our fine jury of local music lovers (list below), who could freely choose 3 bands each in order of preference. (BTW: If you were wondering why some more well-known names are missing from the list, that’s because we felt that they are already getting plenty of love from other national/international publications so we wanted to try and keep the list to acts that just might need the exposure more. Also past Best of Philly Poll Winners were excluded because you already know how much they rock!) Points have already been assigned to each band according to how well they did in the selection process. Now, the readers' and fans' votes will also influence the final chart. Each vote will count!
List of Jurors: Grace Ambrose (No Wavelength), Kate Bracaglia (The A.V. Club, XPN2, Phrequency/Philly.com), Abigail Bruley (Freelance Music Writer), Kyle Costill (BITBY), Mikele Edwards (Silk City), Gavin Hecker (PhilaMOCA), Ellei Johndro (Shadowscene), Leah Kauffman (Phrequency/Philly.com), Kevin Kennedy (The Swollen Fox), Josh T. Landow (Y-Not Radio), Brian McTear (Weathervane Music), Jeff Meyers (Kung Fu Necktie), George Miller (JUMP Philly), Brandee Nichols (Philly Mostly Vegan), Chris Perella (The Blockley), Gina Rienzi (The Rotunda), Rachel Russell (Pilam), Mark Schoneveld (YVYNYL), Stephanie Seiple (Tri-State Indie), Elliott Sharp (Philadelphia Weekly, The A.V. Club, Magnet, Prefix, Tiny Mix Tapes), Sara Sherr (Sugar Town, The Philadelphia Inquirer), Cliff Shumaker (Phonographic Arts Philadelphia), Jon Solomon (WPRB), Q.D. Tran (The Deli Magazine), John Vettese (XPN2, The Key, City Paper), Chris Ward (Johnny Brenda’s), Bruce Warren (XPN, Some Velvet Blog, The Key), Emma Zumberge (The World in a Paper Cup)
Here's summary of the progress of each one of our 11 regional Year End Polls for Emerging Artists. Due to high number of NYC submissions we organized that scene's results by genre.
BEST OF 2011 FOR EMERGING ARTISTS - LATEST NEWS: 01.27.2012 - Austin Submission Results Announced
01.23.2012 - LOS ANGELES READERS' + FANS' POLL LAUNCHED - HERE 01.24.2012 - NYC FINAL RESULTS ARE IN!!! - HERE 01.23.2012 - PORTLAND READERS' + FANS' POLL LAUNCHED - HERE
01.23.2012 - SF BAY AREA READERS' + FANS' POLL LAUNCHED - HERE 01.18.2012 - NASHVILLE READERS' + FANS' POLL LAUNCHED - HERE 01.17.2012 - PHILLY READERS' + FANS' POLL LAUNCHED - HERE 01.17.2012 - CHICAGO READERS' + FANS' POLL LAUNCHED - HERE 01.17.2012 - Portland OR Submission Results Announced
01.16.2012 - NEW ENGLAND READERS' + FANS' POLL LAUNCHED - HERE
01.12.2012 - DC AREA READERS' AND FANS' POLL LAUNCHED - VOTE HERE
*** See below for results full list and schedule ***
A big thank you to our sponsors for supporting our poll and providing prizes to the winners!
If there is one thing to adore about Ape School, it's Michael Johnson's unpredictability. In one instant, he'll throw you moments of poppy synth-psych fuzz that's made its way through a chunky shoegaze meat grinder. The next, you could be caressed by bittersweet, cloudy ambiance, like on his latest single, "Beneficiary (Don't Blame Me)." And then he may completely surprise you with a dark, rockin' set, like the one he played at the recent Union Transfer show with the War on Drugs. On paper, it may seem frantic, but in sonic art form, it's seriously enjoyable. If nothing else, Ape School is consistent with offering this intensely beautiful haze that's insidiously captivating. For that reason alone, diehards should be more than excited by his second LP, Junior Violence, slated to drop late spring/early summer. Johnson will preview some tunes from the new album Saturday night at Kung Fu Necktie, where he'll play with other adored local acts, Norwegian Arms and Nightlands. Expect Norwegian Arms to offer a twisted mix of freak pop, weird folk and alt-Americana, while Nightlands stretches out an empyrean blanket of polished, dream-time soundscapes. You're welcome. Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 8pm, $8 - $10, 21+ (Photo by Q.D. Tran) - Annamarya Scaccia
Other things to keep you entertained this weekend…
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Market East Record Release Show w/ Like Wild and The Mendles, SAT Ape School, Nightlands, Norwegian Arms, SUN Burden
The Level Room (2102 Market St.) SAT Charmaines Names, SUN Summer Love, Quiet Arcs, Fire in the Hearts and Minds
North Star Bar (2639 Poplar St.) FRI Whitewater Press, The Bailey Hounds, Sweet Eureka, SAT First Capital Funk, Sunshine Superman, Chail & The Beige Americans
The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Star Syndicate and Atrium Way, SAT Luther and One Win Choice, SUN Rasputin's Secret Police, Old People, Stinky Smelly
Tritone (1508 South St.) SAT Lust2Love, Butterscotch Grimm, Jurrassic Shark, SUN G. Calvin Weston
The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) FRI Pig Iron Theatre Company's Annual Benefit Cabaret and Auction, SUN Drake City
The Blockley (3801 Chestnut St.) FRI Splintered Sunlight, Philadelphia Brothers Reunion, Salsa Shark, SUN Caveman and Tha Itis
Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) FRI John Train, SUN Cowmuddy
World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI LP Stiles, SUN Stonethrown, Parachuting Apostles, The Lux, Sinners Saints, Mach 22, Modern Colour, Twenty 30, Mother
MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) SAT The Byways and American Schoolyard
The Legendary Dobbs (304 South St.) FRI Discount Heroes, Early Ape, This Way Home, Katie Barbato, Barakka, SAT Gray Fox, The Soundouts, The Good Excuses
Triumph Brewery (117 Chestnut St.) FRI Horizon Wireless and Fikus, SAT Coppertonic and Natural Selection
PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12th St. Philadelphia) SAT Bam Pow Vol. 3 Release Party w/Rasputin's Secret Police, Starwood, Northern Liberties
The El Bar (1356 N. Front St.) SAT Point Breeze, Bardus, Ratkicker
Little Bar (738 S. 8th St.) SAT Playboy Bunny Savage, Thee Sutdowns, Twisted in Graves
The Rotunda (4014 Walnut St.) SUN West Philadelphia Orchestra, The Horrible Department, Octomonkey
We love how Philly keeps it realz! Below is an episode of “Art Thoughtz” by Hennessy Youngman (a.k.a. Jayson Musson from Plastic Little) in which he shares with the Internet some of his hilarious thoughts about English artist Damien Hirst and Bono. Also check out his recent interview from earlier this week with Huffington Post HERE. Enjoy!
Vintage Brit-pop. Echoed harmonies. Bittersweet melodies. Stark soundscapes. Hamlet-town beauty. These are the sonic contents that make up Market East’s self-titled debut, released on Philly’s Santa Ana Records. The minimalist pop trio will throw a rouge fete tonight at Kung Fu Necktie in honor of their release with support from locals The Mendles and Like Wild. But before you trek north (or south/east/west depending on, you know, where you are), make sure to pickup Market East’s free debut EP HERE. It will help you enjoy the scenery and sounds that much more. Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St, 8pm, $8, 21+ - Annamarya Scaccia
We’re fans of Greg Porn’s work with Money Making Jam Boys and on The Roots’ undun. That’s why we’re lovin’ that he’s been stepping out into the forefront in 2012. Take a listen to his new track “Bella Moretti” below (and download it HERE), which was produced by Dameadelphia. BTW: If you are adverse to porn, let go of that Bible and lighten up! No, to each his/her own, but if you actual try googling this jam, you’ll probably find yourself in a sea of NSFW videos and pics. Enjoy (whatever you decide to check out)! Special thanks to Okayplayer for sharing.
Below is a dark new music video for The War on Drugs’ track “Brothers” off one of our favorite albums last year Slave Ambient. Do you think that she got away? We guess that it depends if you're an optimist or pessimist. Enjoy!
Check out the bromantic new music video from Sunny Ali & the Kid for the track “Two Girls.” The song originally appeared as a ukulele accompanied ditty on their album Kids, but since then, the duo has brought in drums and an electric guitar, and rerecorded at PhilaMOCA with Michael Chadwick (formerly of The Armchairs) a garage rocker. The video was directed/edited by Corey Cohen and shot by Sam Tuthill.
With a name like Folklore, you can expect tales to be weaved from lead songwriter Jimmy Hughes. A veteran of the Athens, Georgia music scene where Hughes performed with acts like Elf Power and Vic Chesnutt, he began writing songs under the moniker in 2005 as an outlet for unfinished fiction of connected stories that he had been working on which led to two conceptual albums, 2007’s The Ghost Of H.W. Beaverman and 2008’s Carpenter’s Falls, that blended a mini-orchestra with different vocalist for each song to tell his tale. Hughes moved to Philadelphia in 2009, and managed to regroup and recruit a new cast of players made up of talented musicians from our beloved local music scene. Tonight at Kung Fu Necktie you’ll get a chance to hear what he’s been up to lately when he is joined by the always hauntingly beautiful On the Water and Savannah’s Dare Dukes. Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 8pm, $5, 21+ - H.M. Kauffman
PO PO premiered a new track today called “Final Fight” via Fader. It will appear on the upcoming album Dope Boy Magick, which will be released on February 28 via Mad Decent. The band formerly consisting of a trio of brothers is now a solo project by the lone bro Zeb Malik. You can listen to and download the jam below. (Photo by Emily Rabbit)
A quick listen to Work Drugs’ official debut label full-length Aurora Lies (Bobby Cahn Records) yields sweet, sedate pop music great for, as the band would say, “dancing, boating, yachting, sexting and living.” However, a closer listen reveals a wandering, albeit smoothly executed take on the uncertainty and disconnection that must accompany being briefly marooned at sea - which as the folklore goes is when Thomas Crystal and Benjamin Louisiana had written all of the songs for Aurora Lies. The duo, who have known each other since kindergarten and began making music together in sailing school (more tales from the fanciful crew that are not yet truly verified), seem versed in the art of poring over the sketchy intermingling of open horizons, longing and melancholia without dwelling too much or too heavily. On “Catalina Wine Mixer,” much like other tracks on the album, Tears For Fears-era vocals and MGMT-esque production are blended together and soft-lit, highlighting Work Drugs’ tendency to keep it simple while avoiding saccharine. Peppy synths and drum machinations accompany the lighthearted lyrics on tracks such as “Daddy Bear,” and with lines like “Can’t keep my paws off you/These hives all look the same,” it is evident that the group are not prepared to take themselves too seriously, which is a good thing when it comes to such seductively sexified tunes. The LP’s title track, “Aurora Lies,” slows it down and offers up a somber dose of introspection that seems characteristic of the album on a whole. “Tell me what you want from me/Show me that the best of days/Won’t end up behind me,” and then added to clear up any question of the band’s carefree intent, “Hold on (we were just having fun).”
Work Drugs manages to veil end-of-summer melancholia under a much-needed dose of high-quality dream pop. Their timing could not be more impeccable. While boating and yachting are probably out of season in this neck of the woods, Aurora Lies may prove to be the best soundtrack for winter’s best leisure activities - namely dancing, sexting and living. You can purchase the album HERE. - Leslie Burnette
