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Wallis (Photo courtesy Michael J. Media Group LLC)
15 year-old Wallis, a heretofore unknown young singer/songwriter from Philadelphia, has continued to create and perform — despite the challenges of 2020 — by writing songs with her father.
“Lonely Christmas” is Wallis’ very first single, and the perfect tune for this unprecedented holiday season.
The Districts perform at 9:30 Club on March 10, 2020. (Photo by Casey Vock.)
Sometimes an album comes to life when a band needs it most, and the tour to support it is how the group actually reaps the spiritual, and financial, benefits of their work.
The Districts’ latest release — You Know I’m Not Going Anywhere — is said to have almost never happened: the band had nearly exhausted itself after an intense few years on the road and seemed to be searching for direction when founder and head singer Rob Grote isolated himself and put pen to pad to nurture the words that would comprise the newest LP.
The Districts (Photo by Shervin Lainez)
Philadelphia’s The Districts hit 9:30 Club on Tuesday, March 10, in support of You Know I’m Not Going Anywhere, their new album available on March 13 via Fat Possum.
Slaughter Beach, Dog performs at Baltimore Soundstage on Feb. 8, 2020. (Photo by Casey Vock)
Musicians naturally morph over the course of their careers — their tastes evolve, they’re shaped by their experiences, influences can come and go.
That change tends to be gradual and isn’t easily identified or documented. You can dissect only what the artist offers up for public consumption.
G. Love and Special Sauce perform at The Hamilton Live, Jan. 30, 2020. (Photo by Ari Strauss)
Eclectic blues/hip-hop artist G. Love was in DC recently with his band, Special Sauce, to play two shows at The Hamilton Live. The performances were part of a winter tour in support of his new album The Juice, which was released Jan. 17 via Philadelphonic/ Thirty Tigers.
G. Love (Photo by Sarah Ewalt)
G. Love released The Juice, his latest studio album, on Jan. 17 via Philadelphonic/Thirty Tigers. G. Love & Special Sauce performs at The Hamilton Live on Thursday, Jan. 30.
Son Little performs at Rock and Roll Hotel on Nov. 30, 2019. (Photo by David LaMason)
Philadelphia artist Son Little (the alias of Aaron Livingston), a sometime collaborator with The Roots and alternative hip-hop artist Rjd2, combines blues, soul, and hip-hop in his unique singer-songwriter style. Playing solo on acoustic and electric guitar, Son Little entertained a post-Thanksgiving crowd of music lovers at the Rock and Roll Hotel on Saturday.
David Bromberg (Photo by Joe del Tufo)
Noted roots artist David Bromberg appeared in a big band format at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue recently. His band included a horn section—trumpet, trombone, and sax — and strings — fiddle and banjo. But David honored his roots in the blues — he’s a protégé of the Rev. Gary Davis — growling and howling through numbers like his opener, which I think, was Robert Johnson’s “Walkin’ Blues.”
Meek Mill and Future perform at Jiffy Lube Live, Sept. 17, 2019. (Photo by Shedrick Pelt)
“Legends are made, not born.” Enter Meek Mill and Future — two of hip hop’s most powerful artists, crisscrossing the nation on a 20+ stop summer tour, that could only be done justice under the banner of Legendary Nights.
Kurt Vile and The Violators rock a sold-out Ottobar on July 23, 2019. (Photo by David LaMason)
There’s something about Kurt Vile that’s hard to pin down, but maybe that’s the point. Listen to any of his solo work that’s been released over the past 10 years and you might see what I mean. Although he has put out several albums over the past decade under both his own name and with various other artists, including Courtney Barnett, Dinosaur Jr’s J Mascis — and he is a frequent collaborator with the band The War on Drugs — Kurt creates the kind of rambling but layered music that’s hard to pull yourself away from (if you ever wanted to in the first place).
