Root Down in the Shadow

Less than a week away, the XPoNential Festival looms large on the summer music horizon.  The schedule has been released and it's time to start plotting out your must see bands, meeting with friends, and where to put your chairs each day! Luckily for us, some of the festival performers have put in their two cents on which bands are worthy of your attention.  Israel Nash Sunday 1:40pm - JerseyArts.com Marina Stage Band Most Excited to Share the Festival Stage with : Courtney Barnett: ( Sunday 3:55pm - River Stage) "Courtney's done so much lately. I’ve been a fan for a little bit, as we keep crossing paths on the circuit, SXSW etc. To keep seeing Courtney, on the lineup, at all these festivals is awesome! Somehow I haven’t been able to catch her set yet, so this will be the first time to see her live. Her new album ( Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit ) is great. Courtney Barnett is such a great poet, while doi

Welcome to Season Two of Philly-centric video series, Cover Club. Cover Club is best conceptualized as “A special brand of Philly covers”, akin to The Onion’s AV Undercover series but with one caveat: the song being covered must originally be from a Philly artist.  Vita and the Woolf - photo by Lindsey Borgman Jennifer Pague- Photo by Dan McGurk It's an exciting time for the young band Vita and the Woolf !  Last fall they released their debut EP Fang Song, played a Sofar Sounds: Philadelphia , kicked ass at the Communion Club Night , recorded a Key Session , took part in Philly Sings Philly, played all over town, and were featured in an in-depth interview with WXPN's the Key . If that cross-section of their recent schedule wasn't enough, on-tap is an even crazier next month.  According to Jennifer Pague , the principal member of the band, "What's next is March Tour down to SXSW . We are hitting 10 states and playing a bunch of shows. Then we a

Add caption Sofar Sounds: Philadelphia celebrated a fabulous 3 years this November!  With an as-always diverse line-up the super-secret house concert showcase continued to delight fans.  From burgeoning talent, to genre hopping to the unexpected, the November show was a night to remember! First up was Matt Phillips , a young pup hailing from North Carolina.  While he looks young enough to have ridden his BMX to the show, he's got the chops of an old-timer.  Nary opening his eyes during the whole set, his happiness was infectious as he played solo with his acoustic guitar.  "Move" was a vibrant number with his fingers all over the neck as he sang along.   His "Mediterranean Blues" had a simplistic vocal style reminiscent of James Taylor , while he played with a soulful innocence and his heart on his sleeve. Matt Phillips MATT PHILLIPS - Setlist November 2014 - Sofar Sounds: Philadelphia Coffee                               unreleased original