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I had the fortune of seeing this band a few times before. But nothing prepared me for last Saturday night. Temple University’s bar, The Cherry Pit, sprung to life with acts B$, The Once Was, and Swift Technique.

The Once Was blew me away with their song-writing, the carefully structured guitars that played off each other, and the harmonies throughout each song.

Then Swift Technique came on the stage next and blew me away as well. This time in a different manner. As far as stage presence and playing ability, they just got it. Their music is unique placed in North Philly yet at the same time, completely fitting for the college circuit. This band has got it made. The musicianship is ace. Not to mention the 3 part horn section that also sings backup! The bassist was most ridiculous. I have not heard a better bass player besides Flea shred like that. And yes, I mean…shred. The guitarist did the craziest solos of which I can only think of Mike McCready weeping. The drums were the tightest and best sounding I’ve heard for a local act. The MC was having a blast shouting out phrases the crowd would sing along to. The brass section literally hung from the rafters, when they weren’t standing on tables or in the mosh pit. No wonder they’ve been making noise around town. This band is sick!

The Once Was

]]> http://abern.wordpress.com/2009/02/25/swift-technique/feed/ 0 B$ swift-technique2 http://abern.wordpress.com/2009/02/24/bright-hope-choir/ http://abern.wordpress.com/2009/02/24/bright-hope-choir/#comments Tue, 24 Feb 2009 05:45:04 +0000 abernardin http://abern.wordpress.com/?p=186 ]]>

If I was more awake, church would’ve kicked ass! But the choir still did! Every solo was spot on. Every message they sent, surged through my heart. The crowd was getting into it like it was Bonnaroo…err…minus the drugs. They were high on God and his word. The music, the singing, the percussion was all driven by him. The passion…I cannot explain how mesmerizing it was.

The one guy a few pews in front of me would get up and shake it like no tomorrow on certain numbers. This seemed usual for other members as well. Everyone was having a blast. It was very refreshing to see these kinds of people and how deeply connected they were to their faith. I kept waiting for certain things to happen (me being a Catholic and all), such as the Eucharist. All I got was more music.

Even though I was a bit tired from Saturday night and a little bit confused as to why I was at a Baptist church in the ghetto on a Sunday morning, the two and a half hours felt like thirty minutes. Judging by the people there, I am sure they would want to take that experience home with them and that is why this choir needs to be signed to a label and taken into a studio immediately.

Bright Hope Baptist Church

Meet Mike. The coolest guy of all guys in Philadelphia. Mike owns a record store! A few classmates and I headed down to 2nd and Market to check out one of the few standing record stores in Philadelphia. aka Records is one of the best places on earth, unless you count that dive used vinyl store somewhere in West Philly on 43rd and Spruce?  (trust me. It’s sweet!).

I got the fortune to talk to Mike and see his perspective on the upside world people recognize as the music industry (I still believe it’s just a hoax).  I asked him how long he’d been in the business. “25 years. I started out mail ordering out rare vinyls. Eventually that gained momentum and I opened up my own record store.” It’s now been 10 years since aka Records first opened. Indeed it has grown, with a wide variety of cds, dvds, and…

I spent the better part of a half hour running through all the shelves and came out with Elliott Smith’s self-titled. There was a ton of variety at this store and the more I walked through it, the more I, yes, I, a 21 year old, reminisced about the good old days of record stores back home (I think ‘Downtown Music’ still exists actually. It was a kickass store).

I asked Mike what he thought about the bigger record store chains and if they were a threat to him. He shot back with a question. “Do you mean they are a threat to us or if we’re a threat to them?…Just look at what’s happened to some of the other chains such as Sam Goody and Tower. The big stores are going to wilt away. They’re only concerned with what sells. They’re just treating this as a commodity.” As far as other record stores in Philadelphia, he likes to have the widest variety of genres possible.

Not so at aka Records. Mike’s store is booming and not only is he selling product, he’s holding shows. This past year such acts as Pete Yorn and Kim Dawson have performed.  The place can hold a good amount of people and even has a stage atop the racks.

Before we said goodbye, I asked what the best new venues are in Philly are for bands and a good time for the public. His associate Leah mentioned Johnny Brenda’s right away. I have a feeling I’ll be heading over there soon.

On 2nd street right off of Market. (going away from Chestnut)

THE AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT

If you have not yet heard of this band, you will. They have a huge following from LA and they have now reached the East Coast. A few weeks ago they were the featured band on Letterman, and their single “Sometime Around Midnight” has had huge radio success, being in regular rotation on KROQ before the band was even signed. Their self-titled debut may put some people off that heard the single though. The whole record centered around heartbreak and coping contains 3 chord punk songs very sarcastic, biting, and bleak. Joe Strummer could’ve written the music, Robert Smith the lyrics, except it’s good. I swear.

Founded in 2006, frontman and novelist Mikel Jollet sat down to write a story about the experiences he had just had: mother diagnosed with cancer, a bad break-up, his diagnosis of a genetic Autoimmune disease. The story ended up becoming the lyrics to this energetic debut. The entire record runs just under 40 minutes, each song with as much punch as the next one.

Strong points:

Wishing Well: Opening the record, this song keeps building with strong dynamics, and a yearning to lose yourself in the moment. Jollet sings “…You wanna run away, run away, just get on the fucking train and leave today…like you were just a wish that could turn out well…”

Papillon: Jollet makes the listener known that he is a mess even if the music is the happiest it can be. It even gets a fun keyboard interlude! “You say ‘How are you holding up my friend? Are you sitting around getting drunk again?’ And I hear the desperation of those lines. The wasted hours. All this wasted time. ‘Oh yeah. I’ve been just FINE!’

Gasoline: This is probably deemed the second single as well it should be. It’s probably the catchiest track on the record, besides its first single. “And these years I’ve seen so many imitations turning green. Each like the last, they go right past like credits on a screen. But your memory blazes through me burning everything like gasoline.

Happiness Is Overrated: Starting off with a surf guitar and an over-dramatic over sarcastic vocal, this song like the last, keeps the theme going. It sadly loses my interest half-way through. As does the rest of the record.

Sometime Around Midnight: starting with an overpowering string section, the guitars soon come in hollow and thin while Jollet pulls you in with the first line, the song buildng until it hits the ceiling and you feel like you’ve become the story itself. “And it starts sometime around midnight, or at least that’s when you lose yourself for a minute or two… You just have to see her, you just have to see her, you just have to see her, you know that she’ll break you in two.”

Innocence: The song takes awhile to kick in, with another sad string arrangement, and is the longest track on the record, (there’s a longer version on their acoustic series). The opening line…“Well I lost my innocence today…” ending the record just as depressing as it began.

If it weren’t for the amazing words and voice of Jollet, or the catchy melodies of the band, I might fail this record and deem it emo. But it passes for the sheer emotion and energy by the band. It is a solid debut effort similar to Oasis’ “Definitely Maybe” or Blur’s “Leisure”. This band has potential to be bigger than they already are.

Check this performance. I mean…even Letterman was floored?!
And the violinist breaks a string towards the end. That is motherfucking badass!