It’s very difficult to explain to someone the power that music can have over you. Some will look at this ‘pick’ and wonder how in the world it could be my favorite show of the several dozens I have seen this year. Simply put, they opened the set with a request of mine that

The band released my favorite local music this year in two fantastic EPs, Gets Me Low and Sink or Swim. Either of the two release gigs in January and October could have made this list. I am choosing the earlier show not because it was better, but as I was standing amongst …

As if openers J Roddy Watson & The Business wasn’t good enough to be on this year-end shortlist, The Baseball Project ambled on stage and ‘hit it out of the park’! As I previously stated, during the show, I was really surprised to be enjoying it as …

This entire night, opener and headliner, was such a surprise to me that it had to make the year end list. I heard a little noise about this band, mainly from the not so subtle adulation of my man Scott Mervis. I was knocked over by the band’s first song, blistering out of the gate on a sunny early evening outdoors, no less. They never let up and despite the unusual setting for a hairy ‘bar band’ (I use that term with the utmost respect), ..

Koster’s indie cred is permanently cemented with his involvement in the band Neutral Milk Hotel. His current project The Music Tapes has been around for awhile, incorporating Koster’s immediately identifiable ‘singing saw’ on most tunes. They were opening for fellow Elephant 6 …

As I previously mentioned, this show was such a surprise to me AND to the band. There is an indescribable energy, that very rarely happens at shows, where the band and audience are in some sort of cosmic sync. This show had it in spades. I dug the album for sure but the feeling in the room was unexpected and as the band definitely brought it that night, the crowd returned ‘it’ back in kind…

This has been one amazing year for me. First off, music photography is my hobby. Don’t get me wrong, I take it very seriously but it’s in no way my ‘real’ job. That notion was blurred as I look back at the number of times I went out to shoot a band this year. To be in the remarkable position that I could request to ‘get in the pit’ at almost any concert I wanted made it way too tempting to turn down.

I have to be honest, I wasn’t the biggest fan of The Beach Boys. Sure they had some classic singles and their contribution to popular music was undeniable, it’s just that I always felt they were sort of ‘vanilla’. I grew up with psychedelic rock which was to surf music in the late ’60’s what punk was to prog rock in the late ’70’s. I always thought The Beach Boys were ‘square daddy-o’…

I was so excited to stumble upon this band. They are what I wish Fleet Foxes were. Indie psych folk that’s not all hype and has some substance. Nothing against Fleet Foxes, they just bore me. This band are able to effortlessly switch gears from song to song. At times lamenting ballad, other times folksy ramble,..

Ethan and Barbara Gruska are brother and sister. Their harmonies on this debut album are what keeps me returning to these songs. Sunny, slick, L.A, pop at it’s best. I actually previously ‘met’ Barbara briefly when she was drumming in Jenny Lewis’ band in ’09. By ‘met’ I mean I maybe said hello. You think I would have an ‘in’…

I listened to this wildly, wonderfully weird record a ton over the last year. I was way too psyched when they booked a show at Garfield Artworks in February. I haven’t been this excited to see a band in a very long time. I get to the venue and openers Ursa Major are setting up and I was wondering if the guys were downstairs or what? Turns out after …

Tristen Gasparadek is in her late twenties but sounds years more mature on this, her full length debut. She released a raw, self recorded CD a few years ago but with this album, her music is full of a new confidence and unmistakably beautiful vocal harmonies not found on the first collection of songs…

I ended up really liking this band. They are from Pittsburgh. Go check them out…

Arriving straight from The Hold Steady/Titus Andronicus gig in Braddock, I was only able to catch a minute or two of the band before they ended…

I arrived from the Host Skull/Donora gig to literally catch the last minute of the set. Bummer. I previously featured David and his other band KADMAN last November…

Traveling from Philly, what amazed me was how his bongo player, Eric George, learned his tunes on the spot…while they were playing!…

I arrived to hear the last two songs of her set and was wishing I heard more. I usually have a hard time getting a spot at Club Cafe but on this night the first three front tables were empty so…score one for the photog!…

As this was another “WYEP presents…” gig, I wasn’t all that familiar with his music. O.K., truth be told, I never heard of the dude before. He seemed cool enough with his acoustically suave love songs. I couldn’t hang for the whole set as I was running to the Delicious Pastries CD release gig…

I really had no desire to see this show, even though I had a massively popular ticket giveaway and that it was a “WYEP presents…“, I decided to at least check it out. I couldn’t imagine the amount of people crammed into the place (for two nights, no less) to see this band. I am certainly not familiar enough with their music but evidently, many others are. Crazy…

The band has only played four locals gigs this year and I made it my mission to see every one of them. Steve is even considering designating me the honorary fifth member of the band…