Music

Thirty seconds into “Flesh and Bone,” the opener on The Killers’ new album, “Battle Born,” it is easy to believe the band has not changed in eight years — the pop synths, edgy guitar chords and Brandon Flowers’ raspy vocals are reminiscent of their first studio production, “Hot Fuss.” Nonetheless, “Runaways,” undeniably the strongest track on "Battle Born," features high–soaring vocals and riveting drumbeats that showcase the group’s distinctive Springsteen and 80s rock influences in a completely new way.
September 27, 2012 at 5:26 am

Fishtown community music space The Boom Room celebrates its first birthday
September 27, 2012 at 5:20 am

Who’s Playing Philly This Week
September 24, 2012 at 5:22 am

With the release of their newest album, "Electric and Benevolent," Philly’s own indie quintet The Extraordinaires seems poised to chisel out their own niche in the brimming East Coast indie scene.
September 22, 2012 at 5:19 am

Indie bigwigs Grizzly Bear, St. Vincent (and David Byrne) and The xx all released new albums this week. Never heard of them? Allow us to break it down for you.
September 20, 2012 at 5:46 am

Some may cringe at her poppy anthems, but Carly Rae Jepsen's supporters beg to differ.
September 20, 2012 at 5:45 am

After three superb studio productions, the expectations for Grizzly Bear’s newest album were high.
September 18, 2012 at 9:46 pm

It didn’t seem possible for The xx to become more minimalist, but they may have succeeded in doing just that on their sophomore album, “Coexist.” The vocals of Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft have not lost their smooth and dreamy qualities, but instead of each song packing its own unique punch as they did on “xx,” the songs run in a nearly unchanging stream, both lyrically and musically, the sounds melting together in an indiscernible mix.
September 18, 2012 at 9:46 pm

Long understood as prolific collaborators, David Byrne and St.
September 18, 2012 at 5:49 am

Who’s Playing Philly This Week
September 17, 2012 at 7:57 pm

Enjoy our past playlists here.
September 17, 2012 at 6:25 am

In their sophomore effort, the Irish band reprise their catchy, clean–cut blend of indie rock and electro–pop, proving that in the two years since “Tourist History” they’ve matured without losing their upbeat energy.
September 16, 2012 at 11:02 am

Local musician Ben Runyan grows up, conquering heartbreak and Philly
September 13, 2012 at 5:51 am

If there’s one word to describe City Rain’s new EP, "Montage," it’s anthemic.
September 13, 2012 at 5:47 am

Stars, the Canadian baroque–pop quintet, are back this fall with their sixth full–length album, "The North." The album opens with “Theory of Relativity,” a track that’s classic Stars, weaving together singer Torquil Campell’s even notes with the high chimes of Amy Millan’s voice.
September 13, 2012 at 5:30 am

6/7–6/10 – The unwashed masses head to Manchester, TN for Bonnaroo 2012, featuring…pretty much everyone. 6/12 – Diplo releases his "Express Yourself" EP; starts Facebook photo competition. 7/2 – Girls frontman Christopher Owens announces he’s leaving the band; indie kids everywhere mourn. 7/10 – The Dirty Projectors release "Swing Lo Magellan"; indie kids everywhere rejoice. 7/15 – Korean rapper PSY releases "Gangnam Style," which quickly goes viral, gaining over 130 million views to date. 7/25 – Taylor Swift moves on to her second Kennedy. 7/29 – Animal Collective begin a weekly radio show leading up to the release of "Centipede HZ," complete with trippy visuals. 8/17 – Three members of punk–rock group Pussy Riot are convicted of hooliganism in Russia, sparking conversations worldwide about freedom of speech. 9/1–9/2 – NSO moves to Center City as Jay–Z & Co. take over Philly with Made in America fest; stay tuned for the Ron Howard directed documentary.
September 13, 2012 at 5:25 am

They obviously don’t care about their social status
September 12, 2012 at 5:45 am

In which childhoods are ruined and men are made
September 12, 2012 at 5:40 am

Enjoy our past playlists here.
September 11, 2012 at 5:47 pm

The lead track from the Sea and Cake’s forthcoming album Runner sounds like it was written on sequencers, which is always impressive coming from a band that started out specializing in African-inspired jazz fusion in the mid-90’s.  “Harps” breezes by amidst a backdrop of chimes, strings, and glowing synths which have a “happy gas” effect — nobody will be able to harsh your mellow after this one’s over.  Still, with lyrics like “I couldn’t let go” and “The sky was never blue,” frontman Sam Prekop never lets you forget what discomfort feels like.  It’s a dreamy dichotomy, par for the course for this indulgently creative albeit risk-taking group.
August 2, 2012 at 11:00 am