Jeff Mangum @ Irvine Auditorium
[These pics are from Jeff Mangum's Paramount Theater performance last October. Due to the strict no-photo policy, images are difficult to come by]. Last night's Jeff Mangum show will be the last for the foreseeable future in our area, and it brought most of the 1000+ at Irvine Auditorium on the campus of UPenn to tears. This was our sixth show, including the five-song mini set in NYC two years ago, and it proved to be one of the most memorable. It was our second time with balcony seats, as the only show in Philadelphia sold out in 34 seconds ...
The Fishpork 20: Favorite Albums of 2011
This list may fly in the face of most "best of" lists for 2011. Excluded are the overrated Bon Iver, James Blake, and the array of wince-inducing rap projects that have been embraced by particular hipster circles. Included are some albums that have been relentlessly bashed by the indie blogosphere, but ones we loved, such as The Strokes, Radiohead, and White Lies, as well as some that were completely ignored this year (Feersum Ennjin and Saul Williams). We don't call 'em the best, just our favorites. These are the records that got the most plays on our iPods this year, ...
Fishpork’s 25 Favorite Tracks of 2011
Jeff Mangum came out of hiding to officially release some brilliant old tracks from the archives, Keaton Henson put out an achingly powerful single from 2010's self-released Dear..., and a lot of deaf music reviewers shit on The Strokes latest collection of songs (except for us, of course). 2011 welcomed back our all-time favorite artists and introduced us to new favorites. Narrowing down the year's best was especially difficult this time around, but here is our very biased list of 25 favorite tracks from 2011 (give the page a minute to load the embedded clips): 1. Neutral Milk Hotel - "Ferris ...
Keaton Henson Presents “Forts” Live Stream
The intensely introverted UK artist/musician has no plans to play live shows any time soon ... at least in the traditional sense. On the heals of a successful 2011 spurred on by positive word-of-mouth from newly hooked fans, Keaton has decided to stream live online performances in what he's calling his "Forts" series. These streaming shows will comprise of a hybrid that mixes live performance with elements of the music video. We're warned that all is not what it appears ... with a twist. We were lucky enough to catch the first rare streaming performance by Keaton Henson this afternoon ...
Fishpork’s 10 Favorite Shows of 2011
While 2010 may have been the year we got to see Jeff Mangum play five songs, who would have thought we'd get to see three full Mangum sets in 2011?! It's hard to compare that experience even in a year that was loaded with unforgettable performances. We were also lucky to catch James Murphy bid farewell to LCD Soundsystem, Tapes N' Tapes proved why they are one of the best live bands on the planet, and Portishead blew the roof off of Asbury's Convention Hall twice in ATP headlining performances. ATP recently announced that it will be returning to Asbury ...
Live Shows
Jeff Mangum @ Irvine Auditorium
[These pics are from Jeff Mangum's Paramount Theater performance last October. Due to the strict no-photo policy,...
Avey Tare @ Johnny Brenda’s
While I have never big a huge fan of Black Dice, Eric Copeland’s opening set was a brilliant mindfuck. Drowned...
The Sea and Cake @ Union Transfer
Last night, we finally made our way over to Union Transfer, Philadelphia’s newest venue for live music. Brokeback,...
Amon Tobin @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple
Amon Tobin’s music has always taken on a cinematic characteristic. With his current ISAM Live tour, Tobin’s...
Read More Lives ShowsInterviews
The Only Boy at the Party: An Interview with Pikachunes
We first got word of New Zealand native Miles McDougall’s Pikachunes...
Building a Radio Mast on the Frosted Tundra: An Interview with 65daysofstatic
British electronic outfit 65daysofstatic are preparing the North American...
From Freakout to Articulation: An Interview with Fool’s Gold
Fool’s Gold started as a ten-piece musical project between friends...
Something Seriously Fucked: An Interview With Tobacco
Tom Fec (aka Tobacco), the mastermind behind experimental psychedelics...
Read More InterviewsRecord Reviews
Album Review: Monkeytown
With Monkeytown, Berlin-based electronic maestros Modeselektor have released their best album to date. Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary’s tastes are beyond eclectic. In an interview, the pair labeled Modeselektor as “happy metal, hard rap,... [Read more of this review]
Album Review: Burst Apart
To attempt to follow up Hospice, The Antlers magnificent, near-flawless 2009 concept album, with another emotionally-draining, concept-heavy release would have been a mistake, if not impossible. Burst Apart is certainly emotional and serves as one of... [Read more of this review]
Album Review: Volcanic Sunlight
Some reviews have called Saul William’s latest effort, Volcanic Sunlight, a misstep. I’d call it more of a sidestep and would argue that it’s his bravest, if not best, release to date. The Trent Reznor-produced The Inevitable Rise and... [Read more of this review]
Album Review: Nine Types Of Light
Return to Cookie Mountain is one of my all-time favorite records, so I’m with the minority of those who were not completely enamored by the band’s last release Dear Science. Yet, in Nine Types of Light, TV on the Radio has made a bold, unpredictable... [Read more of this review]
Album Review: Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy
Dredg’s new direction may be an inspired attempt to recreate their progressive sound, but it’s not a record that will be on my playlist very much this summer. The news of Dan The Automator (Loveage, Gorillaz) as producer raised expectations... [Read more of this review]
Album Review: Tomboy
Panda Bear follows up the all-time great Person Pitch, an effort that won him unanimous critical acclaim, with a moody, guitar-driven collection of hit-or-miss anthems. The album serves as a near-perfect soundtrack to the summer but doesn’t warrant... [Read more of this review]
Read More Record Reviews