Photo by 215 Music Maggie Mae launched her Indiegogo campaign and today is the halfway mark to help her record her much-anticipated debut album. What was meant to kick off at the start of 2020’s pandemic and then had to be delayed for obvious reasons, Maggie Mae teased a full-length with the release of her single, “Hometown.” The song was an unapologetic thank you to anyone who’s ever kept her down, knowing that she’s destined for something bigger than the confines of the place (and the people) where you grew up. That “something bigger” is this album, and I’d love more than anything to see he ..read more

Graphic by Christian Ortmann By Christian Ortmann Emily and I haphazardly reunited at a Center City pub last weekend. It was a moment so serendipitous and pure that I almost didn’t mind being vacuum-sealed in an alley between sweaty dudes and a bar adorned with pictures of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. The last minute decision to go, the buzzing of friends on the move, and a clear night were the things that I missed the most about the city of Philadelphia. All of this was lovely and only made me that much more excited to move here eventually. For once, it was nice to gush over upcoming shows ..read more

Ceramic Animal, photo by Ford Fairchild  By Emily Herbein Doylestown psych-inspired rockers Ceramic Animal are celebrating tomorrow’s release of their fourth LP, “Sweet Unknown,” at Johnny Brenda’s this Sunday with Echo Kid, but arguably the biggest accomplishment is their secret signing to Dan Auerbach’s legendary Easy Eye Sound label last year. I feel really lucky to have watched this band rise through an insurmountable tragedy that resulted in the release of 2020’s “High End” LP, an album that I truly felt was untoppable and got me through most of the early pandemic’s quietest days ..read more

By Christian Ortmann I realized that this playlist series went off the rails before it ever really took off. The track selection was supposed to be random, or at least regardless of context. I began to wonder, like the Spotify shuffle algorithm itself, can I ever really pick something out of nothing? I have already consciously eulogized a couple of artists, and picked up themes for each month as I went along deciding how to fill out the ~hour length I would like these to be. Even in the very first month, I organized the songs in such a way to create a journey of sorts. I have no grand point to ..read more

Manaaki, photo courtesy of the artist By Emily Herbein Manaaki, a re-emerging sludgy blues rock project featuring members of Slomo Sapiens, Sixteen Jackies, Grave Bathers, and St. James and the Apostles releases another teaser single off their upcoming EP today, and headline a gig at Johnn Brenda’s with Brian Langan and The Mary Veils this Saturday. Ceallaigh Manaaki, Ian Staley and Davis Shubs come together to bring their respective smooth and sleek rock tones and blend them into something rough and provocative. Following the release of 2021’s single “Sever,” and 2019’s “Effigy” EP, Manaaki ..read more

By Christian Ortmann I’ve been looking forward to the October playlist for a while now. I saw it as my chance to say “no no no, these are the creepiest tracks for the Halloween season.” It must be the pretentious side of me that enjoys talking about them, because they are deliberately difficult to digest and hardly what I’d call enjoyable either. I think I appreciate these songs the same way I appreciate modern art. Sure, I don’t always “get” it, but I always will respect an artist seeking to push the boundary of convention and the very idea of what art can be. All of the songs I picked explor ..read more

By Emily Herbein Doylestown Distance Picnics have been a beacon of light throughout the last year and a half thanks to Joe Montone, an ambitious and ambivalent force in the local music community. Having curated several prominent acts like Anthony Green, Low Cut Connie, and Sixteen Jackies to headline performances during the summer, arguably the most poignant lineup for the next show of the season takes place this upcoming Saturday, September 25th. Featuring Illinois and Christina Ward, this show will commemorate Damien DeRose of Peasant, who sadly passed away in 2015. The performers were close ..read more

Katie Hackett of The Lunar Year By Emily Herbein Katie Hackett of The Lunar Year has been sitting on this delicately breathtaking LP, katie bird, for quite some time before releasing it with yesterday’s Bandcamp Friday. Their track “Mysterium” was recently seen on The Philly Holiday Album’s Valentine’s Day compilation, Philly Loves You, and The Lunar Year’s soft soprano vocal trills and intricately layered production efforts are only further emphasized with this new (old) LP. Sitting at nine tracks total, katie bird as a whole focuses on the process of rebirth, coming into your own skin, and ..read more

Stereo League, photo by Bob Sweeney By Emily Herbein Pulling classic camp elements from vintage cop shows, Stereo League teams up with videographer Bob Sweeney on the theatrical video for their most recent single, “Money in your Mouth.” It’s our first look at their forthcoming EP, Endless Mirage, and this driving track fully emphasizes the band’s synth-leaning, provocative R&B sound while still remaining consistently catchy.  Produced by Eraserhood Sound — also the band’s label — mixed by Dan Scott, and mastered by Ryan Schwabe, this track is truly the product of in-house collaborati ..read more

By Emily Herbein If you know me, you know that I have a longstanding affection for all things Circa Survive and Anthony Green. When I saw that he was putting out new music with this eclectic crew (Taking Back Sunday and Grouplove???) with the help of my favorite label Born Losers Records, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Since I last checked in with Mike Cammarata and Chris Radwanski, they’ve been pushing out release after release with Jaguar Sun, Thala, and Korine, usual suspects on their lineup. They also recently signed Philly’s Ali Awan to distribute his upcoming release, Moon Mode, due ..read more