Welcome back, readers. I hope the holidays were kind to you and the leftovers plentiful.
Yr pal,
Maria T
One of Mercer County's finest exports and fellow WPRB alum, Daniel DiMaggio, returns to Philadelphia with his ongoing musical concern, the singular sensation Home Blitz. Hard to believe it's been 4 years since his last release, All Through the Year (Sophomore Lounge), a stellar record that manages to channel Stands for Decibels and Shirley Collins as much as it does Taylor Swift. All's fair in love and (power) pop.
Every year Aimee Mann does a holiday variety show and this time around she's brought her Both collaborator Ted Leo for the ride. They're joined by Paul F. Tompkins, Nellie McKay, and Josh Gondelman. The laffs will ensue.
Way back in the 1980s, Robert Quine (Voidoids, etc.) and Fred Maher (The Dance, Scritti Politti) recorded an album full of slithery riffs and sludgy beats called Basic. On This Is Basic, the trio of Chris Forsyth, Nick Millevoi, and Mikel Patrick Avery pick up where Quine and Maher left off and send it into new directions with a polish of 4AD post-punk gloss a la Dif Juz. For the live lineup, Chris and Mikel are joined by bassmaster extraordinaire Douglas McCombs of Tortoise to keep these tunes grounded on their sonic travels.
The guy who runs local tape label Sludge People is turning 40, so he's throwing himself a concert. And it's one hell of a lineup: Cassie Ramone of the late great Vivian Girls returns to Philadelphia in support of her newest album, Sweetheart. On her third solo release, it's mostly an alt-rock girlypop affair, mostly recorded on her own save for one track featuring Mac DeMarco. Also on the bill are The Natural, Kip Berman's post-Pains of Being Pure At Heart project, and Brian Mietz (Not Fur Longs, 1910 Chainsaw Co.).
With his blend of James Dean and Jack Kerouac looks, musician Chet Baker emerged in the 1950s as part of the West Coast "cool" jazz scene. The Academy Award nominated 1988 documentary Let's Get Lost takes an intimate look at the highs and lows of his career, all through the eyes of renowned photographer Bruce Davidson. (Also: how glad are we that Lightbox Film Center found a new home? Third time's the charm.)
Sound Advice is a weekly newsletter highlighting upcoming concerts and music-related events in the greater Philadelphia area. Expect 1-5 shows of note, perhaps an occasional guest contributor or two, published on Thursdays.
Local concert listings can be found at the following websites because I am not a concert calendar:
Please support the artists who make this possible by buying their stuff and seeing their shows.
If you like this, tell a friend and/or buy me a slice of pizza.