Photo credit: Carol Simpson
It’s only been a few weeks since we’ve heard something new from TIOGA. As it turns out, the Philly new wave revivalists had one more trick up their sleeves in the summer of 2019.
Hear the Single
These summer nights are for falling in love. Let us play Cupid, then, with a song that will help you fall hopelessly and with reckless abandon.
Hear Thursday’s Daily Spinn
After gathering with Alex Mery & The Townsmen and our community partners at Fig Bethlehem Thursday night for mysterious activities…
Spin Radio, the Lehigh Valley’s alternative station at 107.1 FM (94.7 FM in Allentown), has announced that it is now accepting submissions from local artists as part of its new Homegrown Spin campaign.
I recently had the honor and privilege of joining Bryan Tuk, CEO of Performing Arts Live, Inc. and founder of Allentown JazzFest, for the latest episode of his podcast, Creative Confidential. Creative Confidential features conversations with filmmakers, artists, musicians and non-profit CEOs about their professional and artistic journeys, their influences and the challenges they have faced along the way.
LAUNCH Music Conference & Festival will return to Lancaster from April 13-16, and is keeping with tradition by bringing in music industry executives to share their expertise with up-and-coming artists.
I was going to take photos to accompany a write-up of Thursday night’s Cypher at Allentown’s Coffee House Without Limits but, truth be told, I was having too much fun participating.
Bethlehem’s own VoirVoir is celebrating the release of its album, “There Are No Good Goodbyes,” with an official, DIY video for its lead track, “I Wanna.”
The video features surrogate footage of the “Rock-afire Explosion” band from the vintage Showbiz Pizza restaurant chain. The high-energy, anthemic track is itself an indie rock explosion, restless in nature as vocalist/guitarist Matt Molchany sings about busting loose and reaching beyond the status quo.
Stream the album in its entirety — and read a killer review — by visiting WXPN’s The Key, and check out the video for “I Wanna” below.
Artist: Shawn Cav Ensemble
Album: Glass Houses (Pre-order)
Release Date: Jul. 30, 2016
Genre: Jazz Fusion
On July 30, break out your good headphones and listen to everything happening on Shawn Cav Ensemble’s “Glass Houses.” The eclectic Easton quartet showcases its musicianship and improvisational abilities to speak volumes without saying a word.
The band displays its ability to move between ideas – and even genres – on the new release. A perfect example is opening track, “Four Years in a Box,” which is underscored by groovy rhythms and a tradeoff between Steve Collins’ guitar and Matt Truscott’s tenor sax that walks a tightrope between jazz and rock.
Another highlight is “Faces,” a funk-fueled track with a hooky bass line where Collins and Truscott both take turns speaking lyrically through their instruments. In contrast, title track “Glass Houses” is mellow in a way that ties the effort together, revolving around Shawn Cav’s bass to build a climax and achieve the EP’s resolution.
Track listing
Four Years in a Box
New Beginnings
Faces
Roll Call
Looking Busy
Glass Houses
In three months…
…and we’re just getting warmed up!
When I first hatched the idea for Lehigh Valley Underground, I did it because I believed in the talent and passion of our music community. I knew that our original music scene was on the verge of exploding, and it just needed some unifying forces to make the people aware of everything happening in their backyards.
We have a lot of work still to do. However, I must say that, in three months, I’m impressed with and inspired by how far we’ve come together.
Through Lehigh Valley Underground, artists have become aware of opportunities to perform and have their music heard by local and worldwide audiences. Lesser-known venues have received some much-needed and deserved spotlight. There was always a strong arts community here in the Lehigh Valley, but I would like to think that LVU has made it just a little bit closer-knit. So far, so good – we’re adhering to our mission, and we have big ideas to make this resource even better in the months to come.
Of course, it all starts with the beginning of another week. A new episode of The Quinn Spinn will hit sometime tomorrow and you’ll hear about the week’s Can’t-Miss Shows. In those two instances alone, you’re guaranteed to learn something you didn’t know before.
This isn’t any ordinary week, though. Allentown JazzFest kicks off Friday night with Al Chez & the Brothers of Funk. As an official media partner of the festival, you can be sure that we’ll be at that show and many others over the course of ten days.
Thank you for joining us as our #UndergroundSwell continues to grow. Stick with us, because the best is yet to come!