The Red Bull BC One B-Boy Battle @ The Rotunda.
Images by Luong Huynh.
A huge crowd gathered last night at The Rotunda in West Philly for the Red Bull BC 1 B-Boy battle. Sixteen performers competed in one-on-one dance-offs.
The winner of the local competitions will continue through to the regionals, nationals and ultimately the international competition in Seoul.
Skinny Lister @ The North Star Bar.
Text by Tim O’Donnell. Images by Luong Huynh and Tim O’Donnell.
It was a raucous good time Wednesday night, as English folk act Skinny Lister put on an enormously enthusiastic and entertaining performance, within the confined and intimate setting of the North Star Bar.
Lead singer Lorna Thomas danced around stage and sung her heart out, accompanied by a variety of instruments including acoustic guitar, mandolin, accordion, and upright bass.
The bands enthusiasm for the music, the venue and most especially the crowd inspired Lorna to jump down off stage and join in on the dancing. A cheering crowd gathered, as she grabbed multiple dancing partners and spun around joyously and effortlessly. This is a band that takes crowd engagement to a whole other level.
Their set ranged from upbeat, dancy folk rock, to a few softer, more intimate melodies. All in all, it was a fun and spontaneous evening at North Star Bar. Skinny Lister showed the crowd what it might feel like to get wild at a pub in the UK on a Wednesday night – or for the matter, any night of the week. Read more…
Mean Streets Navigating Power Pop.
Text by Brittany Thomas. Images by G.W. Miller III.
Walking into the cluttered basement practice space where Mean Streets magic happens is not unlike the band’s sound — a bit perplexing at first but nothing short of endearing. There’s the ’70s-era green and orange carpet and paint, a dusty piñata, random football memorabilia, broken lamps and a baby doll locked in a cage.
During practices, full-fury punk rock bass and drums kick in with the power to pin anyone to the back of their chair and it’s not just from the noise. The band is not that kind of obnoxiously amplified punk. They are more sanguine, and steady — even as a three piece.
Mean Streets is inspired by everything from early ’80s British power pop groups like The Records and The Incredible Kidda Band to ’70s glam rock from The Sweet to Slade, all the way back to the vocal harmonies of the ’50s. They rock what they call “garagey, mod, glam pop.”
The composition is never quite simple but never pretentious, and always respectably complicated for power pop, the most official genre to stick these guys in. Read more…
Fancy Time in Kensington With Kyle “Slick” Johnson.
Text and image by Megan Matuzak.
He’s worked on albums by indie and punk heavies like Wavves, Modest Mouse and The Hives. He produced the first Cymbals Eats Guitars record while in New York City in 2008. Dennis Herring of Mississippi’s Sweet Tea Studio couldn’t get enough of him, yet Kyle “Slick” Johnson landed here in our own backyard. Thanks to his tireless drive and handyman skills, Johnson’s Fancy Time Studio was born in Kensington and it’s reputation is spreading like some kind of necessary musical virus.
“At first, it was just letting people know that I was here and that I wanted to work on Philly bands,” Johnson says, adding that working on the first Creepoid record helped get his name out there locally. “I made no money on it and tried to make it as good as I could.”
Roof Doctor: Prescription For Happiness.
Text by Kevin Stairiker. Images by Abigail Reimold.
Mark Harper is a sad man. Well, he used to be.
Listening to the songs that comprise I Am Going To Die, the first album from Harper and his band, Roof Doctor, it’s hard not to be overwhelmed by the anguish of the lyrics and the quiet confidence of the man singing them. 
Read more…
Ryshon Jones: Rap To Make You Think.
Text by Niesha Miller. Top image by Tiesha Miller. Bottom image by G.W. Miller III.
Ryshon Jones’ music is not what many would expect to hear from a kid in Philly. The 21-year-old draws from personal experiences, artistic inspirations and trickery to paint vivid pictures and tell dynamic stories.
Hailing from North Philadelphia, Jones became interested in music when he was 8-years-old while listening to the tunes that bounced off the windows of his father’s car.
“As a kid,” he says, “my mom used to tell me that I would always sing any song that came on the radio when I was in a car seat.”
His first few bars were recorded on a tape recorder over a beat tape his cousin stole from a car he broke into.
“We were playing around with it and just rapping raps just to have fun,” he says. “But it always stuck with me.”
Klint Kanopka: Where Physics Reigns Supreme.
Text by Bree Wood. Images by G.W. Miller III.
Some may know Klint Kanopka better as the bassist of the local hardcore band Reign Supreme. But talking to him as Mr. Kanopka, as his students from Academy at Palumbo call him, you realize he is the teacher you all wish you had in school — truly passionate and loving what he does.
You would have to love everything you do to manage the crazy schedule Kanopka does. He is a full-time high school teacher who is also going to grad school at Drexel and he tours the world with Reign Supreme.
“It takes a lot of effort and I have to be organized,” he says. “But it’s all worth it.” Read more…
Born Ruffians @ Johnny Brenda’s.
Text and images by Grace Dickinson.
After two and a half years, Born Ruffians made their way back to Johnny Brenda’s for another show Saturday night. This time, it was sold out. And the crowd sang along to at least half the songs. They clapped. They chanted. They danced. They reached for the band members after the encore, where sweaty, lucky handshakes were given to a few.
“This is definitely the best Philadelphian show we’ve ever played,” said drummer Steven Hamelin. “Even with these anal beads tangling me up all night.”
The Ontario-originated band is on tour for their fourth album, Birthmarks, and after nine years of playing together, have a fan club now flocking to them.
Wearing Oxford shoes and a half-tucked, short sleeve button up, lead singer and songwriter Luke Lalonde is known to garner the attention of the ladies. His tall stature, chiseled face and floppy, short brown curls make him an easy frontman. Read more…
Metal Alliance Tour: Anthrax, Holy Grail, Exodus, Municipal Waste and Shadow Falls @ The TLA.
Text and images by Chad Sims.
After extensive experimentation, I have determined that attempting to take photographs while headbanging is really hard.
Unfortunately for photographers everywhere, this is a problem when attending an Anthrax show. At first, I thought it was just me who couldn’t stop my head from moving in time with the music. Then I looked to my sides and noticed it was all the photographers I could see.
The Metal Alliance Tour is a celebration of thrash metal new and old, where it is going and where it has been. Read more…
We’ve got a pair of tickets for you to see Boston party-rapper Sammy Adams at The Trocadero next Tuesday (4/23) with T. Mills.
Like us on facebook and email us at FreeJumpStuff@gmail.com to enter to win a pair of tickets (give us your name and put “Sammy Adams” in the subject line).
If you want to play it safe and get your own tickets, find details for the show here.
JUMP: The Philly Music Project 