Now Playing: LOVE, LOVE, LOVE On Phawker Radio

A few questions we NEVER thought we would have the occasion to ask: I have a blog, perhaps you would like to read it? And I have the NEW Beatles album, perhaps you would like to hear it? But without a doubt, NEVER EVER in a million years did we ever think we would have the occasion to say: Would you like to hear the NEW Beatles album on my blog? This just fell into our lap somehow but we seem to have the worldwide Internets exclusive on this, at least for, oh, another five minutes or so. Maybe longer. […]

We Know It’s Only Rock N’ Roll But We Like It

THE FADING CAPTAIN SERIES: Robert Pollard, World Cafe Live, November 14th, 2006 [FLICKR] EVA SAYS: He drank tequila straight from the bottle, and smoked half a pack of cigarettes, and kept dipping into the cooler by the drum-kit for yet another Miller Lite, like a bear dipping paw into a honeypot. He did high kicks and cute little backflips and twirled his mic in the air like a helicopter. Backstage, he polished off the last of the tequila and gave his most ardent acolytes a boozy, back-slapping audience, some high-fives included. You?d think it was Pete Doherty at a Libertines […]

FAREWELL NOTE: Plain Parade’s Long Tall Goodbye

Dear Everyone, EVERYTHING’S ENDING HERE Well, it’s finally upon us — our week-long swan song. To state the obvious: please come out and support the bands, support us and in general, have an awesome time. We’re positive this weekend is going to go down in the history books — You don’t want to miss this! Let’s give the City Paper a round of applause for naming us “Most Missed Rock Curators” in this year’s Choice Awards: So long, fair ladies of Plain Parade. Your tiny happy shows were the most lovingly booked, your tastes were impeccable. Four years of giving […]

ILLEBRITY: Our New 215 Hippity-Hop Column, HOLLA!

THE WOOK REPORTS: There’s nothing more talked up in the 19147 than the fact that after the news cycle moves beyond ’06’s murder rate come January, the tale of woe that is the city’s condo market glut is gonna blow up bigger than J-Hova‘s eagerly anticipated long-player. For the record, the Mayor‘s hit squad best get on this potential crimp — our city’s status as an up-and-comer with the seriously well-invested may just be on the line, my people’s people!!! Now not that I’m qualified to be the Mayor’s chief of staff or nothing, but if I was one Joyce Wilkerson, […]

We Know It’s Only Rock N’ Roll But We Like It

Twilight’s Last Gleaming: Broken Social Scene, Electric Factory, November 9th, 2006 [Flickr] EVA SAYS: Canadians are nice people. Nice people with good bacon, good whiskey, and yes, even better bands. Which is how I’d describe a Broken Social Scene show: nice n’ good, but no more and no less. Like Canada, their songs are pleasant and familiar enough, but live, they lack anything particularly unique. Sure, Kevin Drew was nice, endlessly thanking Philadelphia as if he truly believed we were largely responsible for the band’s success. He then graciously thanked the sound guy, all nine of the other band members, […]

NOW PLAYING: The NEW IMPROVED Phawker Radio Winter Folk Companion, Scarf Still Not Included, But Now With Even MORE, um, Folkiness! Yum-Yum!

Finally got our folk music editor off his lazy frog ass and made him do some work. His full name is Arlo Richelieu Prick, he’s French of course, but we don’t hold it against him. Besides he knows wine and how not to look like a complete ass in a beret. Says things like: If it’s not folk it’s, howyousay, SHEEEEET! And we’re like yeah, you tell ’em Pepe Le Pew, but what are you gonna do about it? Eat quiche? You know, between you and the rock critic we just hired who only writes in Italian, we are really […]

NOW IT CAN BE TOLD: Valania Column Killed By PW For Too Much ‘Old’ Valania And Not Enough ‘New’ Valania; Runs BREAKING News On Azusa Plane Instead

HEAR NO EVIL Sweetheart Of The Rodeo The best album of the ’90s has just been reissued with a live-in-Philly bonus disc. By Jonathan Valania Five years ago, this very paper PW ran the following breathless gush of superlatives from a handsome young go-getter: Lucinda Williams is the beloved revolutionary sweetheart of the alt-country rodeo. All of us literate roots-rock boys daydream about her the same way we used to daydream about Liz Phair. We know all about her because we read The New Yorker. We know about her father’s literary standing and her mother’s madness; we know about her […]

LOCAL BOY MAKES GOOD: Music Man Hal Wilner Phones Home, DeLuca Accepts The Charges

On this Saturday afternoon, Willner, the record producer renowned for daring multi-artist albums such as his new The Harry Smith Project: Anthology of American Folk Music Revisited, is wearing his hat as music director of Saturday Night Live. On his desk at 30 Rock, there are Cecil Taylor and Jelly Roll Morton CDs, and across his T-shirt Chuck Berry is doing the duck walk as Willner goes about the nerve-wracking task of scoring a live television show that is being rewritten as the day goes on. […] His far-ranging musical sensibility makes Willner, 49, the perfect man for this job […]

FIGHT CLUB: Beanie Strong Like Bull, Takes A VIP Lickin’ And Keeps On Motherf*ckin’ Tickin’

BEANIE SIGEL caught a beatdown from fellow rapper Mike Knox at a party at the First District Plaza (3801 Market) the weekend before last, sources say. Although the Powerhouse concert at the Wachovia Center — which had Allen Iverson and our girl Lil’ Kim among a capacity crowd – was thrown by Power 99, it was rival station 100.3 The Beat that threw an afterparty. Beanie, aka Dwight Grant, of South Philly, was in the VIP area and when Knox entered, Beanie, we’re told, began talking trash to Knox, who lives in Logan. Eventually, Beanie threw a punch, and Knox […]