We hear the notes of a piano, the clinking of glasses, the murmurs of a crowd and then a voice, “good evening ladies and gentleman, welcome to Philadelphia’s liveliest spot in South Philly: Emerson’s Bar and Grill” says the announcer, before introduc …Read more

With New York’s Film Forum presenting a restored version of The Beatles film A Hard Days Night (1964) from July 4-17, it’s time we took a look back at some of the world’s best music films and documentaries.  Here are ten must-sees: 1. This Is Spinal …Read more

The new Broadway cast recording of “Violet,” starring Sutton Foster as the title character, is like a present you’ll want to unwrap slowly and carefully. On the surface, the show sounds gruesome, and a bit silly (a girl seeks a spiritual healing on a …Read more

Being sister to Broadway’s original Spider-Man and great-niece to Oscar-winning actor Art Carney, it seems as if it would’ve been impossible for Paris Carney to stay away from show business (her other brother Zane, is also an actor and musician), but …Read more

Experimental electronic music isn’t exactly a mainstream affair. Its unconventional, ambient tonalities so often alienate listeners of EDM and synth pop alike. This is why Taylor McFerrin’s brand of exploratory, electronic jazz is such an enigma: it …Read more

This new collection of songs by indie pop musician Eric Frisch is essentially campiness on overdrive. Frisch’s main influences are The Beatles and The Beach Boys; he’s managed to cultivate the most mawkish aspects of these influences and crystallize …Read more

“The original blues masterpieces written and recorded by Howlin’ Wolf and Willie Dixon in the fifties really need an update,” said no one ever. But here they are anyway. Tomás Doncker, a veteran of New York’s soul and roots music scene, has put toget …Read more

Behind every shoe-gazing poet in rock there stands a star-gazing conjurer of sounds. This relationship — usually between a singer and guitarist — is commonplace: Robert Plant had Jimmy Page, Anthony Kiedis had John Frusciante, and Morrissey had Joh …Read more

The Japanese atmosphere of the lovely Kitano Hotel faded away as the Libby York Quartet took to the stage Wednesday evening. A timeless jazz club suddenly appeared out of the Asian mist. York, elegantly dressed in black, dazzled. The performance was …Read more

Darkness and light, melancholic and cheerful. These two pairs of words may seem diametrically opposed to one another but they come to mind in equal measure when the sound of Volker Bertelmann a.k.a. Hauschka’s prepared piano reaches your ears. Prepar …Read more