Know what’s been on my mind lately? Local music! Lots of it. I just caught the Purling Hiss bug last week . Just got handed the new Prowler CD by my favorite bartender at Memphis Taproom, Keith. Ran into Ports of Call there, too. Snagged the new Woe disc. Watching Shaking Through videos with Party Photographers and Reading Rainbow. (Give Shaking Through some money, okay?) Picked up the new Sun Airway LP. Need to get that Nightlands record ASAP. Turns out there’s more to the Philly music scene than Dr. Dog. Who knew?
Lots of people did. I’m literally the last guy to the party. Why? Never paid much attention to the local scene when I was coming up as a rock critic because Doug Wallen had that beat covered like a blanket and I wasn’t all that impressed with what was happening back in the mid-’00s, apart from bands like Man Man and Espers. That’s changed. And how.
Sure, some of it can be chalked up to me not being paid to care about music anymore. Listening to new music became a chore. Feel like I missed lots of great stuff because I tuned out, but now I’m back with open ears. In fact, I’m arranging interviews with some of the bands listed above now. Can’t wait to chat with some of these artists and showcase a renewed Philly music scene!
So tell me: who are your favorite local bands?