Root Down in the Shadow

#PhillyPresents started in 2013 as a way to honor our favorite bands and allow them to continue to share other new bands with their fans and Root Down In The Shadow fans. As a band, what could be better than an opportunity to write a little about what’s going on for you, maybe tell some stories and to share with fans about a band you love?    No Good Sister BAND NAME: No Good Sister Style: Rootsy Americana with Rockin' 3­part harmonies Years on the Scene: With No Good Sister: 2, however between the three of us, we've been collaborating with other Philly bands and artists for several years. Members: The core of the band is the three ladies on vocals: myself ( Meaghan Kyle ), Maren Sharrow , and Jess McDowell , who also holds down rhythm guitar. We are super fortunate to collaborate with some of our favorite local musicians. When we're at full band capacity, that includes: Phil D'Agostino on bass, Hoagy Wing on drums, Anam Owili­-Eger on keys, and Mike ...

#PhillyPresents started in 2013 as a way to honor our favorite bands and allow them to continue to share other new bands with their fans and Root Down In The Shadow fans.  As a band, what could be better than an opportunity to write a little about what’s going on for you, maybe tell some stories and to share with fans about a band you love?     BAND NAME: A Fistful of Sugar Band Name: A Fistful of Sugar (That's "Fistful", not "Fist Full". And "A" because there's just one of them and it's a nonspecific fistful we're talking about. Not THE fist, just A fist.) Style: Space-age Bachelor Pad Music...no, wait, that's Esquivel . More like brassy, sassy, harmony-heavy alt-folk. We draw a lot on traditional sounds from the old-timey, bluegrass, country swing, and gypsy jazz palettes, but we try to keep it modern and fun. * Perspicacity by A Fistful of Sugar * Years on the Scene: Lisa, Mike, and Meaghan formed A Fistful of Su...

Name: Mat Burke Photo by: Elizabeth Thorpe Style : Bloody folk rock Current Project: Just finished a new EP with Josh and Brian of The Lawsuits.  It's currently being mastered and will be released late this summer.  Members : Mat Burke - Clumsy chords, screaming harmonica, bitter words Most unique show : I'll play almost anywhere (ya know because I'm a whore) and when I was asked to play a variety show in Birmingham I jumped on the opportunity. I had never heard of any of the other bands in the lineup but was up for anything and excited to hear them. I opened the show, did my thing, and then headed to the bar.  Everyone was super nice and cool. The band playing next even picked up my bar tab. My back was turned away from the stage while they set up so I was shocked when I turned around to see two grown men rapping in bunny outfits. It was like Donny Darko mixed with country rap... I would open for them again if they asked (ya know beca...

Band Name : Christopher Davis-Shannon Photo by Kettle Pot Tracks Style : Dance Music for the Old at Heart Years on the Scene : 3 performing under my own name...a lifetime performing with others such as Lover's League and Bill Haley Jr. and the Comets. Members : Yours Truly Any New Album Projects : Currently in the studio hashing out the first of a series of recordings witha full band, with the first bits intended to trickle out this summer with a full length to follow in the fall. Recent or Most unique Show : So many to choose from, but I think most recently has to be in Auckland. We were about halfway through our second set when a 60 year old man in a leopard print jacket decided he should hop up on the five foot stage and have a dancing contest with me. Life is an odd thing sometimes. He won. Upcoming Shows : I'm at the Twisted Tail the 13th and 20th next month solo! Also there is the Lover's League CD release on June 26th with Hezekia...

Band Name : Jake Lewis and the Clergy Style: Indie Folk Rock . We like to take it down, real low. Years on the scene : 2 Members : Jake Lewis - Guitar/Vocals, Josh Gibbel - Bass, Katie Seifarth - Drums/Vocals, Anthony Harnish - Keys, Taylor Brandt - Violin/Guitar * GOSSIP by Jake Lewis & the Clergy Any new album, projects or sessions in the works? We’ve been working on a new album for a while now. This past winter we started writing some of our darkest/danciest songs yet, and just about a month ago we started tracking. You can hear it around the end of summer. Most unique show? Most recently, Cafe 49 in Annapolis MD. We had just finished playing a packed out show with Marshall Crenshaw at the Rams Head , and 15min later the booker was leading us out the backdoor, down an alley and in through another back door and pushing us on stage at Cafe 49. She had arranged for us to play ANOTHER show to a packed house. Such a kind, fun, pretty city. Philly Music Hero:...

Band Name : Chris Kasper Style: Singer/Songwriter - Roots/ Blues/ Americana Years on the Scene : I moved here from West Virginia in 2004 and put out FlyingBoy in 2006. Current projects and/or members : In Sept 2013, I released the 4th Chris Kasper record entitled Bagabones The band included Kiley Ryan , Phil D'Agostino , and Daniel Bower . Kiley and I also released a collaborative record of original songs titled Foxhound in June 2013. This coming year we have a Daytrotter session in March as well as a film idea we're pursuing. Most unique show: Most unique show was probably Sunrise Set at The Frendly Gathering Festival in Windsor, VT.  It's a summer fest run by professional snowboarders Jack Matrini and Danny Davis . It's held at a defunct ski resort and they invited us to play at the top of the mountain during sunrise. At 4AM Jack and Danny met us at the bottom with an ATV Mule Gator thing. We held on for dear life and they gunned it straight u...

Your band name:   Dominic Angelella/Drgn King Style: Kitchen Sink music. I like loud guitars and synthesizers and cool lyrics. Years on the Scene: I moved here nine years ago to come to college and have moved through countless bands and met lots of interesting and nice people.   Current Project and/or Members: Drgn King is my child and I love it.  Joe Baldacci plays drums, Steve Montenegro plays bass, Brent Reynolds plays synths and tambourines and oversees all the music.  Brendan Mulvihill (current Philadelphia expatriate and member of Norwegian Arms ) plays guitar.  Zach Goldstein is our engineer and he's been helping us record at Kawari Sound in Elkins Park.   Any new album projects? Sessions in the works? We released our first record Paragraph Nights earlier this year and tour a good amount. We're recording our new record which will probably be out next summer at Kawari Sound, which is an amazing studio. Recent and...

Photo by Lindsey Borgman Your band name: Sean Hoots/Hoots & Hellmouth Style: Anything with passion/fire/vibe. My general approach can be expressed by the formula Soul + X, where X represents any number of mixable styles (rock, folk, electronic, noise, etc.). Years on the Scene: Many years, to be sure. 8 with Hoots & Hellmouth , but I've been around a lot longer than that doing a whole host of musical things. Current Project and/or Members:  Hoots & Hellmouth is currently on a bit of a pause. 8 years of hard touring requires a breather at some point! In that space, I am exploring a variety of music, involving a variety of folks, everything from solo singing and soundscape-making to ensemble playing with some of Philly's best (and cutest), including Todd Erk , Jaron Olevsky , Tom Bendel and Carl Bahner . Any new album projects? Sessions in the works? All kinds of stuff in the works...I just did a trio session/show at Carl Ba...

#Philly Presents: The Late Ancients by Dan Cooper of Song Dogs Your band name: Song Dogs Dan Cooper of Song Dogs on the drums! Your style: Prairie Heavy/Americana Rock Years on the scene: 4 total; 1.5 with current line-up Current members: Sam Conver : Bass; Vocals Dan Cooper : Drums Ryan McCloskey : Guitar; Vocals Mariama O’Brien : Percussion Emily Southerton : Keys Mike Southerton : Guitar; Vocals Website : wearesongdogs.com ( facebook.com/wearesongdogs ) Current Project: We are going into The HotBox Studios to film a HotBox Session that will be released in a very special, very exciting format that even we have a hard time believing is actually happening! Look for the videos as part of a major release later this summer. We are also in the process of writing new material after releasing our debut LP, Wild Country , this past January. Recent and/or most unique/exciting show : Definitely the most exciting Song Dogs show for me was our album release show i...

Your band name : I'm not in a band but I work with a bunch of them. My name is Marley McNamara , manager at Levee Drivers , The Districts and Ali Wadsworth , booker/promoter (independent and for World Cafe Live ) Style : whatever sounds great. Years on the Scene : 4.5 years Current Project and/or Members : Managing The Districts, Levee Drivers and I recently took on Ali Wadsworth. Also, President of For The Record Management . Recent and/or most unique/exciting show : I would have to say it's a toss-up between the Levon Helm Tribute that Ron Gallo ( Toy Soldiers) and I put together last summer downstairs at World Cafe Live, which featured about 17 locals artists who all joined together to commemorate the life and work of Levon Helm and The Band (including Eric Slick of Dr. Dog assisting almost everyone on drums) and the Beck Song Reader show I organized this past January. I asked 20 local bands of all different genres to learn one song out of Beck...

#PhillyPresents: by Ron Gallo Your band name: Toy Soldiers   Style: Rock N’ Roll Years on the Scene: 5 years Current Members:  Dominic Billett - Drums, Vocals Bill McCloskey - Bass Matt Kelly - Guitar Luke Leidy - Keys Ron Gallo - Vocals, Guitar   Any new album projects?  Sessions in the works?  We just finished a full-length album entitled, The Maybe Boys with Philly record-making mastermind Bill Moriarty that’s looking to be out in September alongside a documentary called, The Maybe Trails, that our pal, Seth Klinger made about life on the road.  In the meantime we also did a live session at Converse Rubber Tracks Studio in Brooklyn which we’re releasing as an 7” on July 4th this year!   Introducing : Thom McCarthy Why he's an inspiration.. why you like listening to and watching him? I really think Thom is a genius in every sense of the word.  He’s extremely unique, humble and often a nervous wreck ...