Toy Soldiers @ (The Former) Meth Beach Studio.
Very cool night at the studio formerly known as Meth Beach, home of Dr. Dog. The space is now shared by a handful of bands, including Cold Fronts and Toy Soldiers, who performed 8 songs during a short but spirited set.
The performance was arranged by Out Of Town Films, who shot video of the performances for a soon-to-be released video.
Just last week, Toy Soldiers celebrated the release of their latest album, The Maybe Boys. Over the next few weeks, the guys will be touring the Midwest.
You can download “I’m Your Woman” from the new album here for free.
Cuddle Magic, Lushlife, Heliotropes and Johnny Showcase and the Lefty Lucy Cabaret @ The Red Bull Sound Select.
Text and images by Luong Huynh.
Last night, the Red Bull Sound Select took over Sigma Studio at 212 n. 12th Street.
Sound Select hopes to “elevate music scenes by bringing together artists that matter, fans that care and tastemakers that support them both.”
The Philly edition was curated by Tayyib Smith, co-publisher of two.one.five magazine and co-owner of Little Giant Media. His handpicked acts consisted of Lushlife, Johnny Showcase and the Lefty Lucy Cabaret, Cuddle Magic and Heliotropes.
Fans were encouraged to use a video station to “throw digital love” at their favorite act from the night by recording a quick clip of themselves and voting for their favorite act, and to upload photos to Sound Select’s Twitter photo stream.
Little Big League: The Dynamics of Team Spirit.
Text and top image by Megan Matuzak. Bottom images by Jonathan Van Dine.
Michelle Zauner, lead singer and guitarist for Little Big League, has never seen the movie her band is named after.
“I don’t like sports, I’m an indoor kid,” states Zauner, who is miniature in stature compared to her three male, sports-loving bandmates: drummer Ian Dykstra, guitarist Kevin O’Halloran and bassist Deven Craige.
Alt-J @ The Electric Factory.
Leeds indie rockers Alt-J took over the Electric Factory last night, filling the venue with a sea of colors and sometimes beautiful, sometimes haunting music. Check out the fantastic photos by our Mina Lee.
The Philadelphia Cultural Fund Distributes City Money to Arts Organizations.
June O’Neill is the manager of The Philadelphia Cultural Fund, a not well-known organization that financially supports the arts in Philadelphia using tax dollars allocated by the city government. G.W. Miller III spoke to her about the 22-year-old organization and what they look for in applicants.
What does the Cultural Fund do?
The Cultural Fund distributes the city money that’s allocated every year to support arts and cultural organizations in the city.
How much money is set aside for the arts?
$1.84 million this fiscal year, 2013-2014.
Four years ago, we had $3.2 million. They’re putting out not even $2 million and, just in tax revenue, $119 million is coming back to the city (according to a recent economic prosperity report). Even if they brought our budget up to $5 million, it’s like a pimple on the face of the city budget. Our budget should be more like $10 million. It’s a hard message to make people understand. The arts are still seen as something that is extracurricular.
Beano: From The Choir to Center Stage.
Text by Niesha Miller. Top image by Tiesha Miller.
Barton Joseph French, Jr., better known as Beano, sits on a stone wall in the center of Rittenhouse Square. A man he doesn’t know approaches him, congratulating him on his recent success and hard work.
“You don’t know how often that happens,” says the 24-year-old wearing a maroon and green AnmlHse fitted cap, khaki colored pants, Jordan sneakers and a blue camo hoodie.
He is modest and grateful after the acknowledgement. Before appearing on Chill Moody and Hank McCoy’s Valentine’s Day mixtape Who Do You Love? and performing in front of a sold-out crowd at the Hard Rock Cafe with his Talent Island collective of artists, the singer was once known for performing at open mics at the Walnut Room.
But Beano’s performance experience started in his church choir when he was 13-years-old.
The Evolution of Sean Agnew.
Text by Nikki Volpicelli. Images by Jeff Fusco.
“I’m a baby when it comes to beer,” Sean Agnew says as he orders a pint of pale ale.
Nothing too heavy from the beer sheet at Center City’s Strangelove’s gastropub, which has a list that could wrap around the nearby block of 11th and Walnut. He’s wearing a white T-shirt and basketball shorts and looks more like a gym teacher than a stakeholder in three notable Philly music venues. Still though, he looks more like he could fit that role than the grungy, DIY basement showman that he once was – or still is.
“They had shows up here, actually in this room,” he says about the space that was once Doc Watson’s, where kids were notoriously allowed to drink before they turned 21.
Then he goes on to tell about the mid-show bust.
“One time it got raided,” he says. “They got all these underage kids and locked them in a room and were kind of like, ‘Shh, be quiet.’ The kids were like, ‘Woah, let us the fuck out.’ When the cops came, they heard all of this screaming and they opened the door and it’s like, 20 high school kids running out. That was kind of the end, the tipping point for this place.”
Don’t Mess With Wes Smith at Union Transfer.
Text by Ashley Coleman. Image by Rachel Barrish.
Wes Smith is not quite what you would expect from the head-of-security type – you know, the frowning, tough guy, waiting for a fight? He’s not that. He’s fairly soft-spoken, a reader and a self-proclaimed “nerd.”
Whether he defies your expectations or not, his calm demeanor still makes you think twice about wanting to push his buttons.
Cayetana: Three Arrows of Friendship.
Text by Brittany Thomas. Top image by Krtistin Guessford. Bottom images by Jessica Flynn.
If one were seeking a female, indie-punk band representative of the real, raw, 21st century 20-something woes and wows of life, Cayetana would be the go-to.
This three-piece, South Philadelphia, Vespariding gang is a charming group of gal pals with a sweet demeanor off-stage. On stage, vocalist Augusta Koch, drummer Kelly Olsen and bass player Allegra Anka are a boisterous force to be reckoned with.
“The running theme of our music, I guess, is life,” says Koch, who also plays guitar. “Being alone, dealing with change, being stressed out, friendship, Philadelphia.”
As one fan once told them, they sound something like “if Alanis Morissette fronted a punk band.” But Koch’s vocals are a tough thing to pin down – she definitely has her own unique cadence for words. The band’s music as a whole forces listeners to let go of that desire to name an influence and instead invites them to just give Cayetana their full, undivided attention.
Lyrispect: A Spectrum of Talent.
Text by Aneesah Coley. Image by G.W. Miller III.
“I wonder sometimes at what point do you get to claim the place you’ve been in for so long,” says Nina “Lyrispect” Ball, a Baltimore native who has lived in Philly for more than 12 years. “You know, because no disrespect to Baltimore – I love where I’m from, I’m proud of where I’m from. But I’ve been in Philly since I was 18. I’m 30 now.”
Lyrispect says that the community of artists here is like a family. She was instantly swept up by the local art scene upon her arrival to study at Temple University. DJ Ryva Parker saw her and invited her to perform spoken word at the famed Black Lily, a weekly showcase of female musicians and artists.
“I ended up coming about three times even though I was underage,” Lyrispect recalls. “She would always get me in and I would always hit the stage. To be a part of that legacy was amazing.”
JUMP: The Philly Music Project 