Text and images by Rick Kauffman.
Each year, as JUMP sends writers and photographers down to SXSW in Austin mid-March, the goal remains the same: see as many bands as possible, both popular and emerging, while maintaining a focus on Philly-local acts participating in the showcase.
Tuesday began the third consecutive year of coverage and just like the previous years, the exhausting excursion in Austin offered one of the greatest music experiences in the world.
Between the awe-inspiring pipes of the Mohawk showcase finale with Angel Olson (above) or afternoon-delight Red Headed Indian, headcase hardcore group Cancer Bats slaying mid-afternoon or noise-pop quartet Speedy Ortiz slaying late-night, the choices were plentiful — it’s simply impossible to see it all.
We caught up with locals Waxahatchee, the alias of performer Katie Crutchfield, who to the delight of those in attendance was joined by twin sister Allison on stage — a throwback to their early days of performing. Son Little, alias of Aaron Livingston, cast a spell with his soulful set down on Rainey Street.
Krispy Kareem EP Release @ The Baker Bowl with Matt Holden, Second Marriage and Three Man Cannon.
Text and images by Diana Shalenkova.
In celebration of their new EP, Krispy Kareem (above) hosted a release show at the Baker Bowl last Friday featuring Matt Holden (from Legs Like Tree Trunks), Second Marriage and Three Man Cannon (ex-Tigers Jaw).
Opening the night with a solo Legs Like Tree Trunks set, Holden’s emotive voice captivated listeners.
Jokingly called the “house jazz band” by residents of The Baker Bowl, Second Marriage returned for the third time in the past month with their ever-addicting set of straightforwardly heavyhearted songs.
Among various unreleased songs, pop rock outfit Krispy Kareem played the entirety of their Cadillac EP, at times sounding mildly reminiscent of surf rock with underwater-sounding tunes.
Wrapping up the night, Three Man Cannon’s distinctly lo-fi pop sound put a definitive blanket of good vibes on the night.
Cheerbleeders: Girl Power Role Models.
Interview and top image by Rick Kauffman. Other images by Michael Bucher and G.W. Miller III.
Cheerbleeders is a band offering one thing: a view of girl power through punk rock. By their abrasive and unforgiving live show, it’s clear this foursome means business. The attitude embodied by lead singer Summer Rice, 23, is mesmerizing both in her shrill delivery and her naughty girl aesthetic, making it difficult to peel your eyes away.
Guitarist Caitlin Walker, 20, drives the machine from behind a curtain of flowing red hair. She strives to take the typical idea of punk rock and power chords and turn it on its head with noise reminiscent of underground hardcore and the sounds that influenced early punk, both borrowing from the past and paving her own road ahead.
Drummer Mare Lemongelli, 27, is both the human beatbox and the muscle of the band, the enforcer who protects her girls. To put it simply, she’d be the one to kick your ass when you get out of line.
And that leaves us with bassist Mike Ortiz, 40, the guardian of the bunch. An older brother of sorts, he offers both songwriting prowess and a journeyman’s knowledge of playing in bands. But make no mistake, he offers no restraint to the unbridled attitude that comes with three females looking to kick ass and play punk music.
Cheerbleeders is a band but their true desires lie in forming a platform to influence young women through feminist ideals and to prove that punk rock isn’t just a boys’ club anymore.
Pissed Jeans: Ferocious and Funny.
Text and images by Michael Bucher. Show photos by G.W. Miller III.
Monday nights are the only time members of Pissed Jeans can get together to practice and write new music.
With everyone in their early 30s and with wives or long-term girlfriends and at least one child, their lives naturally pull them in different directions. Tonight, it happens to be the icy rain keeping guitarist Brad Fry home in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, leaving the three South Philly residents, Matt Korvette, Sean McGinnis and Randy Huth, to forge ahead without him.
After a beer or two and a plate of nachos at Wishing Well, Korvette, whose last name is really Kosloff (he uses a stage name because he says rock music is supposed to be fun), kicks everyone into gear and suggests getting to the practice space.
They walk across the street in the cold, wet night to a nondescript door, buzz in and walk down a flight of stairs. The guy at the desk points them to an open room equipped with a drum kit and amps, muffled with a patchwork of sound proofing foam stapled to the walls and ceiling. The band next door can be heard practicing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” until McGinnis starts banging on the drums. This is followed up by a blaring riff on guitar from Huth – opting for guitar instead of his designated bass to help the band feel the music better.
“Let’s try the fast one again,” suggests Korvette, refocusing the group after finishing a song.
At this stage, they don’t have song titles yet so they must refer to the works in progress as “the fast one,” “the one we play live” or “the Low Rider one.”
Huth plays a note and begins to fiddle with dials on his effects pedal until he gets a muted vibrating sound. McGinnis begins counting time with his sticks.
“Could you give me a (motions with his hand for a cue),” says Huth, looking at Korvette. “For some reason it’s hard for me to follow this. I know the parts but…”
“Wait, you want me to direct?” asks Korvette, who is usually singing/snarling for the band but tonight is leaning against the wall, nodding along to the music.
“Like what you did before,” Huth says.
“Yeah, yeah, totally,” agrees Korvette.
As the guitar and drums run through the song, Korvette signals to Huth when the different shifts are nearing. Over the deafening music, Korvette mouths “other part” but Huth misses it and knows so judging by the grimacing look on his face. His guitar slowly comes to a rest.
“It goes six and then the one,” Korvette says. “Six and then the one. Six and then the four and then the one and then eight and then two.”
“Gotchu,” Huth replies.
It’s been more than a month since they last practiced and they sound like it. But at the helm is Korvette, a natural leader for the group. His penchant for questioning conventional wisdom and following his own sense of taste has helped steer Pissed Jeans into a uniquely successful position without seeking it out. Their music is both fun and insightful. Their live performances can be humorous, fierce and sometimes both.
Backed by discipline, which McGinnis cites as another core Pissed Jeans principle, the band has come to represent Philadelphia’s self-sufficient attitude. Read more…
Text by Jennifer Granato. Images by Conor Gray.
“Welcome aboard, ladies and gentlemen,” an electronic voice said as the lights dimmed at the Union Transfer last Wednesday.
Two figures entirely silhouetted by lights set themselves up behind a command center of knobs and wires and buttons that was shaped like streamlined, ultramodern, pilot’s wings. The floor started vibrating with bass and Flight Facilities took off. Read more…
Text and images by Breeanin Hansteen.
On Saturday, PhilaMOCA hosted Conversations, who celebrated the release of their new album, Totally Redeem Yourself.
Joe Jack Talcum from legendary punk band Dead Milkmen opened up the night with a solo set of Philly punk favorites. Talcum then stuck around while Dogs on Acid and Conversations rocked their sets.
Dogs on Acid kept the crowd warm with a short set that helped build the anticipation for Conversations’ performance.
It wasn’t long before tunes from Totally Redeem Yourself, meandered through the intimate space and pushed people to lighten up and bust a move.
Crowd members were personally invited to move a little closer to the stage once the band, formerly known as Conversations with Enemies, graced the stage. After a few tracks from the new record, the band performed covers of Radiohead’s “Creep“ and Beastie Boy’s “Fight For Your Right,” amping up the crowd even more.
It is obvious that this group was meant to entertain. Their presence immediately loosened up the audience. If there is one word to describe this group it would be FUN. Standing still while listening to this four-piece crew is not an option.
ZZ Top @ The Electric Factory with the Ben Miller Band.
Text and images by Lee Miller.
ZZ Top re-emerged into commercial and critical relevance in 2012 with their Rick Rubin produced La Futura album. It was their first album in 9 years and their first top 10 album in America since 1990. Perhaps most importantly, it re-established them as a band still putting out new and interesting material rather than a veteran band simply touring on the backs of nostalgia.
It is somewhat unbelievable. ZZ Top is rocking with the same lineup that laid down their first album (the appropriately named ZZ Top’s First Album from 1971). Unlike so many bands, it isn’t a reunion. They’ve never gone anywhere. They are survivors.
WIN FREE TICKETS! See Taking Back Sunday and The Menzingers @ The Electric Factory on Sunday, March 22.
Taking Back Sunday is playing two nights at the Electric Factory with The Menzingers and letlive next week. The Saturday (3/21) show is sold out and the Sunday will likely sell out soon.
We’re giving away tickets to the Sunday show!
If you want a pair of tickets, like us on facebook and email us at FreeJumpStuff@gmail.com (give us your name and put “TBS” in the subject line).
If you want to play it safe and get your own tickets, find details for the show here.
Chapter Three: The Darker Side of Voss.
Voss recently dropped the third installment of his Book of Michael series, titled Heavy is the Head, so our Greta Iverson caught up with him to discuss his music and how he’s grown as a rapper.
What inspired your most recent release?
Terrible things. I wrote the majority of the records on this EP during a dark time in my life, when I just wasn’t in a positive space mentally. It definitely shows. It’s my most personal and revealing work to date. I just felt this final chapter in the trilogy should be the most “raw” in that way, the most “real.” So I saved these seven songs for Heavy is the Head because it just made sense. It’s not a record you can listen to any time, for the most part. Definitely gotta be in a certain mood. But I wanted to give people something to relate to while letting these songs be my therapy, so I put it out there.
You called it the last chapter in a trilogy. Will you continue doing projects with chapters or sections in a similar way?
Not too similar. I don’t wanna overdo it to the point it’s gimmicky almost. Obviously my “book” is not finished yet and hopefully won’t be a for a while, knock on wood. But I thought since I had so many songs written for my album already it would be a good idea to take the ones that either had uncleared samples and/or just didn’t quite fit the aesthetic of the LP and still release them as EPs. The album won’t be in a chapter/section format, pretty sure I’m done with the book concept, although I do make some references to it in a couple lyrics on the album still. I’m about to release physical CD copies of the entire “Book of Michael” collection on one disc, all 20 tracks.
August Burns Red’s Frozen Flame Tour @ The TLA, with Miss May I, Northlane, Fit For a King and Erra.
Text by Vince Bellino. Images by Erin Marhefka.
Philly welcomed August Burns Red back to their home state for the final date of the Frozen Flame tour with a sold out show at the TLA on Sunday.
They brought along Erra, Fit For a King, Northlane and Miss May I.
Erra started the night off, promoting their 2014 EP Moment of Clarity. They played a mixture of old and new songs while the venue filled up.
Texas’ Fit For a King took the stage next, tearing into a surprisingly groovy set in promotion of their recent release, “Slave to Nothing.”
“Together, we will make the TLA shake,” frontman Ryan Kirby said as he ordered the crowd to jump.
Kirby also encouraged crowdsurfers to come up and high-five him. He high-fived every fan who got to the barrier and thanked security for keeping them safe.
Northlane, from Australia, followed. Though there appeared to be some microphone and sound level issues, they powered through and had fans singing along throughout the set.
Miss May I followed, immediately tearing into tried-and-true crowd favorite “Hey Mister.” The pit erupted with the first note and didn’t stop until the end. Frontman Levi Benton encouraged crowdsurfing throughout the set and at times there seemed to be four people coming over the barrier for every one security guard there to catch them.
A chant of “A-B-R” preceded August Burns Red, who tore through a massively heavy set that made the other acts seem quiet by comparison. Vocalist Jake Luhrs matched his thunderous roars with equally impressive spoken word moments, such as the band’s emotionally-charged rendition of “Spirit Breaker.”
Luhrs and bassist/vocalist Dustin Davidson stopped their set midway through to talk about the Eagles, Luhrs showing off his Eagles “For Life” shirt, lamenting about the loss of LeSean McCoy. The moment ended with an Eagles chant.
ABR then played “Back Burner” with Erra’s drummer, who Luhrs claimed had never practiced it with them before, played so tightly the change was unnoticeable.
They followed with a drum solo that went from being only Matt Greiner to four members of the band, each playing different drums in a near-tribal rhythm.
They left the stage after but came back for a two song encore, including “Empire,” but first brought all of the bands and technicians out for a large group selfie.
When an excited fan called out to the band, saying that she loved them, Luhrs replied, “We love you too. It’s pretty well known, I believe.”
As the band left the stage, Luhrs thanked the crowd.
“God bless you,” he told them before wishing them a safe trip home.
JUMP: The Philly Music Project 