Image courtesy of MAD Dragon. Text by G.W. Miller III.
Kuf Knotz will headline the MAD Dragon Showcase on Sunday at the TLA to celebrate the release of his Boombox Logic Deluxe Edition, a new version of his 2010 debut solo album.
Raised in Bryn Mawr as Ty Green, Kuf’s solo work runs the gamut from hip hop to soul, from indie rock to reggae. Before dropping Boombox Logic last fall, Kuf spent years working in collaborative efforts – the BurnDown All Stars, The Hustle and Subtle Ground.
Everyone who goes to the show on Sunday will receive a copy of the annual MAD Dragon artist compilation disc, Unleashed7. The event starts at 3 pm with numerous bands, including Hezekiah Jones, Swift Techniques and When I Was 12. Tickets are only $5.
Kuf is scheduled to perform around 9 pm. We spoke to him this week.
How did you get into music?
I think I unconsciously got into it. My grandmother, she was a gospel singer. My brother was an MC so he was rhyming all the time around the house. He had music on all the time, hip hop he was into – Kurtis Blow, KRS-One, LL, that era.
But you grew up in Bryn Mawr?
Yeah. I grew up there and then moved to the city for school.
Bryn Mawr’s not really a hotbed for hip hop.
No, no. Not at all. I had to search that out on my own.
Was there a scene out there?
There was a scene called UBF – United Break Force. It was a breakdance squad out there. They actually traveled all around the country. That’s what got me into it. They started this scene called “Scratch” that was at a place called Radnor Rolls. It was a roller skating rink. Every Wednesday, they would have Scratch. It was a big breakdance party and people would rhyme. People would dance. It was a whole big thing. I started going to that every weekend. I never rhymed. I was always too shy. But I took it all in and practiced it at home. Read more…
Sunday 6/5 @ The TLA: When I Was 12.
Adrianne Gold, lead singer of When I Was 12, is desperately trying to get her bandmate Carolyn Haynes on this conference call so the interview can begin.
“I’m not very good with technology, so we’ll see how this goes!” she says.
Eventually there is success and all is good.
When I Was 12 is the combination of four college students – two guys and two gals – coming together to make, as their Facebook description aptly puts it, “charming lyrics sprinkled on top of cute melodies.”
Fear not those wary of Apple and Starbucks ads. Don’t worry – it’s not like that. Similar to Belle & Sebastian at their quietest and Beat Happening at their most sincere, When I Was 12’s main objective is making your heart feel good.
They’ll be playing a record release show for their new 7-inch at the TLA this Sunday, June 5th, as part of the MAD Dragon Showcase. Kuf Knotz, Hezekiah Jones and many others are on the line-up.
What is it like balancing school and the band?
Adrianne: It’s really hard! Drexel runs on the quarter system, so it’s like, “You just took your mid-term … here’s your final.”
In music history, we go from Bach to the Beatles in two days.
Carolyn: It’s definitely hard because we’re trying to balance finals and preparing our summer tour. Luckily, our co-op this summer is our tour but next summer, we probably won’t be as lucky. Read more…
Lost in Company: “The Overly Diplomatic Blues Band.”
Text and image by Megan Matuzak.
Lost in Company lead singer Christopher Johnson comfortably slouches in his spot on a broken-in semi-circle couch, examining and smiling at the rest of the members of the band gathered around him.
Changito, better known as drummer Luis Santos, cracks a joke about his beginnings in Texas. Bassist Benjamin Contios, originally hailing from Massachusetts, admits to a more nomadic life, dictated by whereever music takes him. Guitarists Ryan Reese and Paul McCoy were long time friends of Johnson. Read more…
Making Grandchildren: Aleks Martray’s Influences.
Image by Ryan Treitel.
Our Christopher Brown asked Aleks Martray, frontman for Grandchildren, what influences him and the band’s eclectic music. Here are his responses:
Interstate 95
For years I was in constant commute between DC, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. I wrote music in all these places, but arranged most of it in my head on these drives. Moving across a landscape has and inspirational effect on the creative process, so does traffic.
Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto #2
Opened the doors to orchestral music for me. Completed at the turn of the century, it represents the modern edge of late Romanticist music that would become what we now recognize as soundtrack music, but before it lost its soul to Looney Tunes and Hollywood. It was also his “come-back” and marked a recovery from severe depression after the critical failure of his first symphony. Way to hang in there Sergei! You can hear the catharsis. I unknowingly steal ideas from this piece on a weekly basis.
Charlie Chaplin
The man invented modern comedy, political satire, and persona. He also scored and conducted most of his own soundtracks. A true visionary. His blend of playfulness and dark themes seems way ahead of its time when you watch his films now. I strive for that mixture of diversion and honesty.
Danger Danger
For over 2 years I lived in a house in west Philly called “Danger Danger” where we recorded, practiced and hosted shows for hundreds of bands from all over the world. I remember recording in my room while live music raged on throughout our living room, basement, and attic- jazz legend Marshall Allen, Dan Deacon, Maps and Atlases, etc. It was definitely a golden age of sorts unlike any other time in my life and this is where Grandchildren took form. Read more…
GANG: The Obsession(s).
Image by Brandee Nichols. Text by G.W. Miller III.
GANG was born in the suburbs of Philadelphia, just two kids, Jaclyn McGraw and Amanda Damron, singing along to Britney Spears and dancing to N’Sync. They were kind of obsessed with the pop music and the elaborate moves.
“Oh my God!” Damron screams, remembering when she and McGraw saw N’Sync in concert. “J.C. Chasez threw his shirt to you and that big fat fucker tore it out of our hands.”
“We wrestled that guy for like 10 minutes,” McGraw chips in. Read more…
The Fleeting Ends: New EP Coming Soon.
Image by Ben Davids. Text by Nick Brydels.
Matt Vantine and Matt Amadio were just kids back in 1999 when Vantine moved into Amadio’s Upper Darby neighborhood. Vantine’s mother had been in a folk group, Just Us, so she started teaching him how to play guitar.
Amadio wanted to play as well. He taught himself how to play guitar, with Vantine’s assistance.
“Matt was kind of intimidating to me back then,” Amadio says with a laugh. Read more…
Turning violet Violet: An Earnest Sense of Urgency.
Text by Kevin Stairiker. Image courtesy of Turning violet Violet.
Sarah Gulish is really, really excited about her band Turning violet Violet, and she has every right to be.
With two new singles dropping in June and an E.P. under their belts, T.v.V. is only just beginning to fashion a place for themselves in Philadelphia and beyond.
“The first seeds of the band were planted when I met Brandon Gulish when I was a freshman at Temple,” Sarah explains. “We didn’t decide to start T.v.V. as our own project until after we were married and had taken a little break from playing together.”
One by one, other members were settled into place. Not long after they officially formed in 2009, they began to record their first EP Fierce Remains. Read more…
Aime: “You Gotta Be Real With Yourself.”
Image of Verbatum Jones (left) and Aime by Brittney Bowers. Text by Sofiya Ballin.
See the companion story about Aime‘s protege, Verbatum Jones, here.
Aime arrives a little late.
The buzz surrounding his recently released video for the single “Who Can’t Rap?” has kept him busy, his hands glued to his phone.
He’s been promoting his new mixtape “Perfect Aime,” making sure the hard copies are in on time, planning for his next video shoot, talking to prospective management, doing interviews, and recording with other artists. Read more…
Mercury Radio Theater: New Album Coming Soon!
Text by Kevin Stairiker. Image by G.W. Miller III.
Since the advent of rock music, instrumental rock bands have thrived in a multitude of ways. Not being restricted to sacrificing parts to the whims of vocals melodies, bands as diverse as Dick Dale and His Del-Tones and Mogwai have been critically lauded for making incredible music without any vocals.
This is where Mercury Radio Theater come in, ready to blast away any pre-conceived notions music fans may have about instrumental music.
“I believe that instrumental bands are not viewed the same as bands with lead vocals or lyrics,” explains Joe Getz, Mercury Radio Theater’s drummer. “I really think it boils down to people who have an appreciation for music and can be open to new experiences.” Read more…
Image of Verbatum Jones (left) and Aime by Brittney Bowers. Text by Sofiya Ballin.
See the companion story about Verbatum Jones’ mentor, Aime, here.
“Yo, it smells like shit!”
Verbatum Jones’ face contorts until he points out a mound of manure fertilizer being used at a neighboring park. His attention shifts as the door opens behind him and he’s greeted by producer DCypher.
Jones walks into the apartment alongside friend Kayin Malcolm with self-assured uncertainty.
Posters of the Boondocks, Michael Jackson, and Kermit the frog decorate the walls.
Jones seats himself on the futon, elbows rested on his knees, hands articulating each word.
“I’m at the point in my life where I can make bad decisions,” he explains. Read more…
JUMP: The Philly Music Project 