CJ Dunleavy, a singer-songwriter hailing from nearby Doylestown, reached out to us to bring our attention to his ‘Philadelphia Indie‘ Spotify playlist, which celebrates its first birthday this Friday, January 12.
Since we’re in the mood for celebrating birthdays lately, we figured we’d have a listen.
Artist: Andorra
Album: What You Wanted, What You Got
Released: November 21, 2017
Genre: Alternative
Saturday night marked the beginning of a partnership (outside of our usual First Friday fun) with the legendary Godfrey Daniels. To celebrate, we brought in two of the region’s most prolific and versatile jazz pop artists.
Artist: The Wayside Shakeup
Album: Can’t Control the Night
Released: November 10, 2017
Genre: Roots rock/Americana
Artist: Ceramic Animal
Album: The Cart
Released: Aug. 30, 2016
Genre: Psych pop/indie rock
Sorry. We just couldn’t resist the irony that we were just behind the 8-ball enough to bring you a video for a song titled “Late October” on November 1.
Fun fact: I’ve been following Philadelphia’s Foxtrot & the Get Down for years. We originally crossed paths back in 2014, in the old days of The Quinn Spinn. We’d play their tunes on the show and, as a matter of fact, they even trekked all the way to North Jersey that June, where we were based at the time, to perform at an American Cancer Society benefit that we produced called “Entertainment For a Cure.”
Philadelphia-based psych rock favorite and ArtsQuest “Artist in Residence”, CERAMIC ANIMAL is headlining the Fowler Blast Furnace Room at SteelStacks on Thursday, November 9.
The band’s previous appearances in the Lehigh Valley include Musikfest performances in 2015, 2016, and 2017, along with an opening slot ahead of Father John Misty’s 2017 Bethlehem debut, Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks, South Side Arts & Music Festival, and an opening slot for Jukebox the Ghost.
There is still much buzz about their debut full-length, The Cart, attaining more than 37,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and more than 1.4 million streams across various platforms. The retro-fitted, psych-pop four-piece is continuing to hone their craft and wow live audiences while working on their sophomore album.
The band has captured audiences around the globe; their tune “Dreams Via Memories” has received much attention specifically, with more than 221,000 views on YouTube and upwards of 525,000 streams on Spotify. Watch it below.
CERAMIC ANIMAL will be joined on the bill by Lehigh Valley locals, Pool Radio. Doors open at 7 p.m. for a start time of 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. For more information, head to SteelStacks.org.
South Jerseyan and singer-songwriter Marc Ambrosia released “Let Me Be Your Secret” — a big, shimmering single — earlier this year.
Now, how about something visual to go along with it?
Artist: Church Girls
Album: Hidalgo
Released: Sept. 15, 2017
Genre: Alternative
Philadelphia indie rock quartet Church Girls have been looking forward to the release of their album, “Hidalgo,” for quite a while. Upon a first listen, it’s easy to hear why. These 11 tracks of dreamy, new wave-fused alt-rock comprise a strong effort, complete with the shimmering ambiance that gives this band its unique place in the indie landscape.