Check out the beautiful, autumnal new Daytrotter session by Bad Braids (the moniker of Philly folk act fronted by singer-songwriter Megan Biscieglia) that was just posted today and available for free download (with membership) HERE! The recording consists of Biscieglia (guitar and vocals), Paul Christian (electric guitar and mandolin), Sean Yemchick (banjo) and Mike Bruno (drums). They’ll be performing next in Philly on November 9 at the side chapel of the First Unitarian Church opening for Cold Specks. Bad Braids will be releasing a new album in early December. (Illustration by Johnnie Cluney)

 

Jamtastic power trio Birds of Maya are coming together tonight to melt faces and make ears ring at Little Berlin. By now, you should know it’s always a treat and a lesson in music exploration when Mike Polizze (guitar), Jason Killinger (bass) and Ben Leaphart (drums) combine forces. You’ll also have the opportunity to grab their reissue of the soundtrack Ready to Howl (Agitated/Richie Records) on CD (ha…remember that format). Joining them this evening to provide introspective instrumentals will be experimental guitarist Chris Forsyth, who released his latest album Kenzo Deluxe (Northern Spy) this past summer, and psych-folk guitarist Daniel Bachman, who is currently on tour in support of his new record Seven Pines (Tompkins Square). Little Berlin, 2430 Coral St., 7pm, $5 – $7 donation, All Ages – Alexis V.

 

By now it is pretty obvious that hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan are one of, if not the most influential crews in the genre, so a tribute album to the legends comes as no surprise. However, the Wrecking Crew’s Wu Tang Pulp mixtape is not your average “tribute” album.

 

Wrecking Crew is made up of lifetime students of the killa-bees – Philly emcee/producer Has-Lo, emcee/producer Zilla Rocca and emcee Curly Castro. Like any great Wu-Tang project, Pulp has a long list of featured emcees to give the feel of the Wu’s nine-man posse. The mixtape’s full roster includes My Man Shafe, Floodwatch, Al Mighty, Disco Vietnam, Small Professor, BLKHRTS, Son Raw, Gee Dubs, Ethel Cee, Y?ARCKA, Deal the Villain, Castle, Alaina Nelson, Random, and Boogieman Dela.

 

Pulp is comprised of original reconfigurations of selected tracks from the Wu’s extensive back catalog of group and solo efforts and the track’s original samples. The way the team of producers on the tape add new samples and arrangements on the original Wu-Tang songs brings a fresh and original perspective to the legendary outfit’s material. The mixtape is a stimulating listen for the most die-hard Wu-Tang fans trying to pick up all the references to the Wu, as well as enjoyable listen for people who aren’t really familiar with the 90s hip-hop icons.

 

The tape’s highlights include re-workings of tracks from Method Man’s Tical, Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Ol’ Dirty’s Return to the 36 Chambers and the group’s legendary debut LP, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). The most interesting thing about the Wrecking Crew’s choice of songs is that they avoided the “classics.” For example, instead of “All I Need” off Tical, they go with an interpretation of “Bring the Pain” called “Pain Bringer,” and instead of ODB bangers like “Brooklyn Zoo” and “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” the collective goes with “The Stomp” reworked as “FCK YR LF.”

 

Other standout tracks are “Dedicated to the Winners and the Losers” (“Can It Be All So Simple”) from Enter the Wu-Tang and “Mystery Inside” (“Rainy Dayz”) from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.

 

Fans can stream the full album and download it on a name your price scale HERE. See how many references you can pick up and comment below with your favorites. – Dan Brightcliffe

Oh man – we are getting so pumped for our Halloweeniversary Party this Friday at PhilaMOCA! If you were there last year, then you should know why. Well, this year we have another stellar lineup of bands to keep everyone entertained throughout the evening. Headlining the festivities will be West Philly’s electro-pop wunderkinds GRANDCHILDREN, who will have plenty of rad new material to share with us from their upcoming album as well as old favorites. They’ll be supported by the hauntingly beautiful, introspective sounds of Barrett Lindgren’s GHOST LIGHT, who absolutely rocks live, and the psych-pop candy magic dreams of Andy Molholt’s LASER BACKGROUND, who are guaranteed to bring plenty of the weirdness that we love for Halloween. And we are proud to be importing for you the fuzzy grooves of our very special guests San Francisco’s SIC ALPS. We’ll also have plenty of more treats for you, but you are certainly welcomed to bring some of your own. Will this night rule? Fuck yeah – it will!

 

Psychic Teens love Halloween, and so do we. Last year they released an EP of Nine Inch Nails covers. This year they have taken on works by the Misfits, which they will be releasing on super limited edition (32 copies), square lathe cut 7” with screenprinted art by Mike Wohlberg (The Fat Kid Illustration) for their two big upcoming Halloween shows with Titus Andronicus & Ceremony (10/23) and The Dead Milkmen & MC Lars (10/31). Below is the new music video that Psychic Teens released for “London Dungeon” (which is a great rendition) that was created by Justin Miller (Video Horrow Show). You can also take a listen to, purchase and download the Misfit covers HERE.

Daytrotter recently posted a session with emotive indie rockers Kite Party, which you can listen to and download for free HERE (with a membership). The band swung by Rock Island and recorded it this past summer while on tour with Glocca Morra. They’ll be heading down this week to Gainesville, FL to perform on Saturday, Oct. 27 at The Fest 11.