SISTER ROSETTA THARPE: Up Above My Head

RADIO TIMES: Beginning in the 1930’s “Sister” Rosetta Tharpe was gospel’s original crossover artists — a vocalist and guitarist who influenced such rock and roll musicians like Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Issac Hayes. Our guest is GAYLE WALD, professor of English and author of a new book called “Shout Sister Shout: The Untold Story of Rock and Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe.”

POP IN TAPE: Hot Wax In The 215

THIS WEEK: A YOUNG PERSON’S GUIDE TO SYNTHETIC SPAGHETTI By MICHAEL FICHMAN Party people seem to fit in to three categories- music nerds, people who only want to hear music they know and people who like partying but don’t care about music. Needless to say I’m in the first category and the last two types of folks really grind my gears. But being a DJ is about compromise. You have to strike a balance between the plebian tendencies of the masses and your own conceit. It’s not unlike working food service, you kind of hate the people on the other […]

WE KNOW IT’S ONLY ROCK N’ ROLL BUT WE LIKE IT

THE SHINING: Divided Like A Saints, Aquarius Fest, Friday Night [FLICKR] EVA SAYS: Maybe it was the two tabs of Robitussin. Or the flu. Or the first 40. But probably it was all of the above plus the second 40, and the packed to the gills and the tripping balls atmosphere around Danger Danger on Friday night. But anyway, long story short, I got a little out of my head. I get there before midnight yet and already the place is rammed. I hear Normal Love playing upstairs, and I’m excited, but I’m only able to catch the tail end […]

NY Times Spotlights Philly DJ Crew Raided By RIAA

The Aphilliates’ inner circle, in their Atlanta studio, from left: Willie the Kid, DJ Drama, Jay Stevenson (the studio engineer), DJ Sense, DJ Don Cannon. By SAMANTHA M. SHAPIRO In 1996, Sense and Drama, then both freshmen majoring in mass communications, met in Brawley Hall, their dorm at Clark Atlanta University. C.A.U. is part of the country’s largest consortium of historically black colleges, directly abutting Morehouse and Spelman. Drama and Sense were both aspiring D.J.s, and they were both from Philadelphia. After they met, they competed in a local D.J. battle and became friends. The following year they met Cannon, […]

NOW PLAYING: NEON BIBLE by THE ARCADE FIRE

[NOW PLAYING ON PHAWKER RADIO: NEON BIBLE by THE ARCADE FIRE] Recently, we found a copy of the new Arcade Fire album under a rock somewhere, or maybe it was under the sea. It doesn’t really matter. The point is we think it’s REALLY FUCKIN’ GOOD, if you like that kind of thing. Just to be sure, we focus-grouped it with several key Phawker demographics. Here’s the feedback we overheard from behind the two-way mirror:

COMING ATTRACTION: Mr. & Mrs. au Naturale

On Friday, look for Phawker’s exclusive interview with the R. Crumb and Aline Kominsky-Crumb: Big butts, bigger boots, LSD, weird sex, piggyback rides, meeting the Beatles, leaving America, and growing up in Philadelphia…newly hired PHAWKER BOOK CRITIC Mavis Linneman‘s review of City Paper Editor Duane Swierczynski‘s The Blonde…FILM CRITIC DAN BUSKIRK‘s review of the hilarious hipster comedy of manners that is Mutual Appreciation. Plus, the new ARCADE FIRE on PHAWKER RADIO, NPR FOR THE DEAF, PhillyHistory Write-A-Caption contest, and, invariably, some wry riposte on the latest and seemingly regularly-scheduled snuffing of a human life by a gun. Damn.