Root Down in the Shadow

Bandade Music is very aware of the power of music in our lives. Formed in Nashville in 2015 and now located in Philadelphia, Bandade works to build community, raise awareness, and fight cancer through music. So far, they’ve had support from Alabama Shakes , Jason Isbell , Florence Welch , Sam Beam of Iron and Wine , and more; and since their move to Philadelphia, local artists are playing a major role in the Bandade community, helping to raise funds to fight cancer, and transforming an ordinary Wednesday night into an opportunity to be part of a larger purpose. Last month, Philly artists the dove & the wolf and Dirty Dollhouse highlighted the most recent Bandade benefit, and Root Down in the Shadow was there. Learn more about Bandade and see their calendar of upcoming shows at MyBandadeMusic.com . the dove & the wolf the dove and the wolf - photo by Dan McGurk Upon first listen, Paris turned Philly expats the dove & the wolf stir something gloriously familiar...

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Caleb Hawley is playing Milkboy: Philadelphia April 2nd 2014.  After years of relentless touring, open mics, and learning the business good & bad, Caleb Hawley has found his groove.  With a full band in tow, Caleb returns to his roots, ready to share his love of R&B. To get you ready for the show, here's some Q&A with Caleb Hawley and a few tastes of what to expect! Your career seems to be coming back around to your early influences (Ray Charles, Stevie etc).   How have the singer/songwriter circuits prepared you to come back to the full sound? Definitely have been coming back around to some of the influences that made me fall in love with music in the first place.  Maybe it's just a phase of the cycle, but I've been back in it for a few years now. I started off solo & stripped down because I was eager to tour and it seemed to logistically make the most sense.  I think the most important thing that I got from playing the sing...

Contributing writer Michael Southerton is back with more details on the Philadelphia scene.  One part writer - one part musician, Mike brings his unique voice to Root Down In The Shadow for a point of view only a musician could explain.  On assignment for his view on the Katie Frank release show, check out his assessment of openers Kevin Killen and the Lawsuits ; and headliners Katie Frank & The Pheromones : Kevin Killen Eventually on the Highway to Hell the vagabond will find himself at Robert Johnson ’s Crossroads. There, he must make his decisions; though not in haste: a soul is terrible price to pay for a fruit tree, however bountiful, after all. So rather than press forward to Rosedale, the vagabond may benefit from a few minutes listening to cautionary tales and wary words from Philadelphia’s Kevin Killen, who seems to have found a home at that very crossroads. With an old Ephiphone bluesbox and a voice that subtly hints of Brian Johnson , Killen blends vi...

Joe Fletcher at Milkboy recording for #CoverClub This week, the session of the new Philadelphia-centric music series #CoverClub, features a national act, Joe Fletcher , covering a local Philly band the Toy Soldiers .  It's an unexpected pairing of sorts with the road veteran covering the enterprising young bucks from Philadelphia, but there's more than meets the eye ear.   As Joe detailed their connection in the earlier post , it's clear that Joe gets a boost from these rockers.  After seeing the Toy Soldiers for the first time, " I believe they pushed us to give our best performance of the SXSW week." With Fletcher's tour dates in 2013 shared with many incredible artists such as Brown Bird , Deer Tick , Jason Isbell , Band of Heathens , Christopher Paul Stelling , Birdie Busch, and Patrick Sweany , hopefully there's a little push from each of the bands that Joe crossed paths with this year. With Joe Fletcher now based on Nashville, TN, the...

Earlier this year here at the indie Philly blog, Root Down In The Shadow, we started the fun series #Philly Presents , ...bands writing about other bands. The most common reaction from bands to this project: "Wait? Are we covering other bands?" And so #CoverClub was born!  Rewinding back a few months, Joe Fletcher the road warrior extraordinaire, was down in Austin, doing one of many SXSW shows!   At the showcase he heard the scrappy but bangin' fellas from Philadelphia, Toy Soldiers ! Joe Fletcher, explained,  "I first met Dom Billett and Matt Kelly at a show of mine in Lancaster, PA last fall, and after hanging out awhile after the show I could tell we were speaking the same language. I never got a chance to see Toy Soldiers until we were booked at the same SXSW showcase this past March. It was an event called Northern Exposure at The Taproom on 6th and Toy Soldiers went on right before my band. I was immediately floored by their spirit and t...

Those who wanted to extend their Halloween festivities into the weekend were in for a treat this past Friday.  Milkboy invited three local bands to cover well known artists.  And this wasn’t just covering a band – it was completely embracing it.  Song Dogs as Talking Heads ; Ross Bellenoit as Elvis Costello; and Val De Val as Alice in Chains . Ross Bellenoit  kicked off the night, taking the stage as Elvis Costello.  Ross decided to pay tribute to Elvis Costello by performing his 1986 album Blood & Chocolate cover to cover. Some might think this to be a risk mainly because it’s not well known. But in chatting with Ross he told me it was just something he had wanted to perform for quite some time and also was attracted to the challenge of performing this album on stage.  Joining him in this feat was   Patrick Berkery on drums, Joe Baldacci on guitar, keyboardist Matt Landis , Todd Erk on bass, and Sonja Sof...

Last Friday night, MilkBoy Philly hosted a stellar line-up of local acts to support national act Desert Noises .  The local line-up itself was solid in its own rights and here's what you need to know: Mike Southerton of Song Dogs The Bernhardts   Jerry Bernhardt / Kate Bernhardt The Bernhardts have to be one of Philly's biggest buzz bands right now.  Members have been all over town in as parts of other bands.  Kate Bernhardt is often found backing Ali Wadsworth , Ben Plotnik plays bass now for Levee Drivers , and Jerry Bernhardt can be found with Juston Stens and the Get Real Gang or sometimes with Mike McMonagle.   Regardless of whom else they team up with, when they get together the Bernhardts have an unmistakable draw.  In fact, the whole crowd stopped to watch just on the sound check they did right before their set. The songs are simple in nature, but it's not just a pretty voice and face playing with her b...