(photo: The Shackeltons by Shana Novak)you know those days when you just really, really don't want to get out of bed? when you wake up with a glass of water and a piece of bread on your nightstand and you have no idea who put them there? or who put you to bed (it was my roommate, thank god)? the kind of day when you realize that it's 7pm and you still haven't left your room except to refill your glass of water? that's the kind of day i've had today. i wasn't really feeling doing anything, let alone walking the 11 blocks to the south street bridge to do my show tonight. but after i managed to put on some actual clothes, throw my dirty hair back and make the epic journey, i realized some things are worth getting out of bed at 7:30pm for.
what things, you ask? well, i'm glad you did. these things:
the shackeltons
i'm not even really sure where to begin with this band i love them so much. granted, they really don't need my plug...they've been impressing the shit out of people at rolling stone and spin, seattle's kexp, and chris walla. if you haven't heard them, listen to a song, and i bet you'll want to listen to a few more, because this is music that makes you feel like its epic rawness and urgency have grabbed you by the ear and thrown you inside the bass drum. and maybe that last sentence didn't actually make any sense, but in a world with the shackeltons as the soundtrack, it makes more sense than peanut butter and jelly. oh, and if they weren't badass enough already, they're from chambersburg, pa (read: the middle of fucking nowhere music-wise), yet they kick ass like they're scraping for money to pay next month's rent for their williamsburg loft. sarcasm intended.
RIYD: the pixies, early white stripes, aggressive arcade fire, fugazi, television, yeah yeah yeahs
the lisps
millcreek tavern (42 and chester) is a pretty great place. a fantastic brew selection and two blocks from my apartment (sweet brah), they also have great live music pretty frequently. a couple weeks ago i had the distinct pleasure of stumbling upon brooklyn's the lisps in my travels there. though i had gone to see drink up buttercup (see below), the lisps seriously caught my attention with their set of quirky folk. go their myspace now. play "brackish water." it is probably my favorite song i've heard this month. the rest of their stuff is a little more playfully dynamic, with the two vocalists - one petite darling female and one tall curly-haired baritone-y male - bantering back and forth through the lyrics, which is cute, especially cause they're exes. it's quite lovely, and they say they'll be back to visit us philadelphians this fall. which means you should get excited now, especially because they wear really cool costumes.
RIYD: banjos, streams, dinosaurs, trees and forests of musical goodness
drink up buttercup
imagine, if you will, if a clockwork orange's alex delarge had been the fifth member of the beatles. now think about what that music might have sounded like, if it actually existed. OH WAIT. IT DOES. bucks county's drink up buttercup is what that band would have been, except minus the ultraviolence and plus a few barely out of high school way-too-good-for-their-age boys. their drummer is 17, but these boys put on a show way beyond their years. i was seriously trippin out, and i don't take hallucinogens. listen to it now, cause they are starting to get some serious attention. the best part? they sound exactly like this live.
RIYD: trash cans as instruments, man man, bands that get off the stage and play in the middle of the crowd at the end of the show and make everyone stomp their feet for the rhythm section
the armchairs
as if i don't talk about them enough. but seriously they're just so great, and really wonderful guys - my favorite philly band. they were amazing at our show at the danger danger gallery april 18th, and everyone was freaking out to their greatness. about 15 people asked me about them afterwards. they're playing a free show at the trocadero balcony may 19th, and there will be free cookies, so if you're not there, well i don't know where you are, because it's the only place to be. listen to what they have up, but know that no recording can do any justice to how good they are live. it's like waking up on a sunday morning when you're 11 years old and mom bringing you a plate of nice warm cookies and milk, AND dinosaurs is on. that's how good it is. cookies!
RIYD: the kinks, of montreal, the zombies, sunday morning cartoons
...
it's always worth getting out of bed if there's something good to listen to.
