Introducing POP IN TAPE: HIP-HOP IN THE 215

SOMEBODY’S ON THE CASE — THEY BETTER GET ON THE JOB BY MICHAEL FICHMAN It’s not easy for a scene to stay relevant in the era of the 24-hour news cycle and the iPod attention span. Trends eat their tails so fast these days. Underground rap went from “knowledge equality” to rapping about rapping and bitching about shiny suit syndrome. It faded into obscurity. Furthermore, bloggers and barflies want to be the first to dig up a fad and then be the first to put it down as plebian and overwrought. Rick Ross rose and fell before summer 2006 had […]

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

GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN: Lily Allen, Theater Of Arts, Last Night [FLICKR] BY AMY Z. QUINN I was beginning to worry about this whole Lily Allen thing. Yeah, the songs are catchy and definitely danceable. And in videos, she sparkles, a cutie-pie in a prom dress and matching sneakers. But the few times I saw her singing live on TV, she just kind of stood there, all dressed up and doing not much more than a Dusty Springfield midriff-twist thing. And maybe it was the threat of cabin fever from the looming snowstorm, but the crowd at the sold-out […]

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THE POLICE: Can’t Stand Losing You

LOS ANGELES — The Police 30th Anniversary reunion world tour will kick off May 28 at Vancouver’s GM Place and travel through North America until early August. The official tour announcement will be made this morning at legendary Sunset Strip club Whiskey A Go Go by singer-bassist Sting, 55, drummer Stewart Copeland, 54, and guitarist Andy Summers, 64. Ticket prices are expected to be in three ranges — approximately $225, $90 and $50. Police to hold press conference to announce tour at the Whiskey A Go Go this morning. Philly date inevitable. DEVELOPING

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GRAMMYS: Free Speech Makes Comeback Of The Year

Connecting past and present, one-time folk protest queen Joan Baez introduced current freedom-of-speech fighters and five time Grammy nominees the Dixie Chicks, still “Not Ready to Make Nice” to the country conservatives and spineless radio programmers who totally abandoned them for criticizing (barely) the President’s pre-emptive war tactics. An hour later, the same tune was named Song of the Year, a recording industry affirmation that left the group’s usually outspoken Natalie Maines speechless “for the first time in my life,” she declared. But by the time the Chicks returned to take Best Country Album for “Taking the Long Way,” Maines […]

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NOW PLAYING: NEW MAGNETIC WONDER

[NOW PLAYING ON PHAWKER RADIO] REVIEWED BY AMY Z. QUINN The last time Apples in Stereo released an album was in 2002, not long after being featured in a New York Times piece about the then-growing trend of indie rockers selling their music for advertising. In early 2001, when the piece ran, the Apples were still angsty over deciding they needed things like baby furniture as much as artistic cred. Half a decade later, that baby furniture is probably still serving Hilarie Sidney and Robert Schneider’s child well, so in terms of the small world of their own family, they […]

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EARLY WORD: I Am An American Aquarium Drinker

An evening of incendiary duos with Wilco’s Nels Cline and some of Philadelphia’s most idiosyncratic performers. Featuring percussionist Toshi Makihara (Eugene Chadbourne, Thurston Moore), Stinking Lizaveta guitarist Yanni Papadopoulos, and two of Philadelphia’s most accomplished jazz musicians, trumpeter John Swana and guitarist Rick Iannacone. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9 NELS CLINE + TOSHI MAKIHARA CHARLES COHEN + YANNI PAPADOPOULOS RICK IANNACONE + JOHN SWANA 9PM | $5 ADMISSION AVANT GENTLEMEN’S LODGE 4028 FILBERT STREET

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