By Chris

Published: December 16th, 2006

Remember when rock and roll was fueled by nothing but raw energy and emotion (and often copious amounts of alcohol), providing that perfect outlet for an unbridled release from all the bullshit that overshadows the truly important things in life? Well I was pleased to find out that there are still bands out there rockin' out to those very principles, and loving every minute of it. Enter Jonny Lives! Fronted by former NYU philosophy major Jonny Dubowski, Jonny Lives! takes classic Brit-pop, fuses it with a twist of rhythm n' blues, and adds a touch of punk, creating original sing-along anthems that have left fans and critics alike in awe over their energized stage performances. The three-man outfit, hailing from Lower ...

By Chris

Published: December 3rd, 2006

The sun has set on Hip Hop History Month 2006... And a slew of inspiring events held throughout November has shown doubters that the culture is alive and well here in the 215. Fortunately for Philly heads the momentum will continue to pick up seamlessly into December without missing a beat. This coming week on Wednesday and Thursday nights, The Rotunda - home of Philly's longest-running Hip Hop event, The Gathering - will hold two very important events that are not to be missed. On Wednesday December 6th, Hip Hop for Palestine is going down to raise awareness and funds for Slingshot Hip Hop and Temple University Students for Justice in Palestine. The event will feature performances from some of the area's ...

By Chris

Published: November 16th, 2006

It's been 33 years since Kool DJ Herc threw the humble, yet legendary, back to school party at Sedgwick Avenue and Cedar Park in the Bronx back in August of '73. Playing back to back break beat records on two turntables and moving the crowd with his booming shout-outs, Herc single handedly planted the seed that would soon flower into what we now know as Hip Hop. That night in the Bronx, the tall Jamaican native unknowingly sparked what would become one of the most important cultural movements of the 20th century. Since its birth, Hip Hop has grown from a lifestyle without a name to a world wide phenomenon, and a multi-billion dollar industry. With the help of mass media ...

By Chris

Published: October 25th, 2006

Very similar to our mission, Jeremy Kaplan always keeps things fresh and forward-moving with everything he gets his hands into. An accomplished artist, event promoter, and entrepreneur, Jeremy supersedes these conventional roles by creatively intertwining efforts to better humanity on a whole. Sounds cheesy, but one of the most intriguing things about Jeremy are the concepts and projects he develops to help disadvantaged groups of people that often get overlooked by society's [often absent] collective watchdog. He's become a staple in the Philly arts and culture scene, and we wanted to have a chat with him to go a little bit deeper into what he's been up to... How long have you been actively involved in the Philly music and arts ...

By Chris

Published: October 18th, 2006

As you may know, Freshout has been steadily on the grind producing memorable events around the Philadelphia area for a hot minute now. We strive to bring you the freshest live artists, expose important cultural issues, and create a truly unique atmosphere at each and every show we stamp our name on. With that said, you definitely do not want to miss the next event we're throwing this Thursday at World Cafe Live (3025 Walnut Street - W. Philly) at 9pm. This time around, we've reached out to Keep A Child Alive (KCA) to draw awareness to the plight of AIDS in Africa. KCA is a non-profit organization providing life-saving treatment to children and their families with HIV/AIDS in Africa. Opening ...

By Chris

Published: October 7th, 2006

Graff writers are a special breed. They’re ballsy as hell, have an important message to get out, and will do whatever it takes to get their art seen by as many eyes as possible. Such is the case of Philadelphia native and art renaissance man, Mikey Madnez – aka Seus. A professional lighting designer who has worked Philly clubs and venues for years, Seus is no stranger to the spray can. In fact, he’s been writing in Philly for almost 15 years, bombing everything in sight, from freights to billboards, as well doing murals and other side projects, including a piece for PETA and The Roots. I could keep going, but let’s get right into the interview. How long have you ...

By Chris

Published: September 26th, 2006

Hip hop and punk rock are as opposite as haikus and opera to the untrained ear. Although the two genres differ sonically, take a closer listen to the lyrics of politically charged hip hop and punk groups, and there you'll find overlapping themes of societal disregard, poor living conditions, and corrupt government practices. As early as the 1970s, cats like Afrika Bambaataa sparked a union between these two rebellious sub-cultures, welcoming the punks from Lower East Side Manhattan to the Zulu Nation gatherings in the Bronx. Although alliances such as these have dwindled over time, there are still artists fighting to preserve this unique culture mix today. In Philly, The Mighty Paradocs have been holdin' it down for the punks and the ...

By Chris

Published: September 3rd, 2006

When it comes to hip hop music, creative experimentation can either be a beautiful exploration in new sounds, or a tragic attempt at expanding mass appeal. Taking such horizon-broadening risks, a group usually either wants to sell out their style to the pop generation hypnotized by MTV (i.e. Black Eyed Peas), or they are simply tired of being confined to the parameters set by their initial success (i.e. Common). For 7L and Esoteric, the tag team duo hailing from Boston, this pivotal stage in their musical journey has come to fruition on their newest release, A New Dope (Baby Grande). Breaking away from the golden era style of boom bap beats and battle raps, 7L and Esoteric experiment with synth-heavy, Kraftwerk-inspired ...

By Chris

Published: July 21st, 2006

So I unfortunately wasn't able to make it out to Russel Simmons' Hip Hop Summit at U. Penn's Irvine Auditorium last Wednesday, but after reading Kia Gregory's synopsis on it in today's PW I felt compelled to speak on it. Simmons' goal is to spend the summer registering 10,000 of Philly's hip-hop voters, ages 18 to 35...which is respectable without a doubt that he's doing such a campaign. But the question is, does rallying thousands of young hip-hop fans, most of them there to be in the presence of their icons - not necessarilly to become politically and socially active - really effect change? Isn't there a disconnect when the majority of what you hear from Simmons' artists is lust ...

By Chris

Published: May 30th, 2006

American culture is prevalent--and all too relevent--in Paris. French derrieres don iconic Levis jeans, and advertisements for the "Los Angeles fashion" available at Galeries Lafayette decorate the walls of Metro stops. It's only time now that Americans reciprocate this love and become full-blown Francophiles. And if bands like NYC's La Laque keep breaking onto the music scene, it won't be too hard to embrace Francophone culture. Though the band's members are all American boys and girls, La Laque channels a certain je ne sais quoi that--until now--only the French have mastered. The band is fronted by a film-noir-vamp of a singer named Devery whose whispered vocals hint at the activities of the boudoir; it may not be a literal translation, but ...

By Chris

Published: May 15th, 2006

Soul Jazz presents the most prestigious record label in the history of reggae music: Studio One. Soul Jazz has released a series of commemorative discs and box sets to honor possibly the most innovative record label to cater to the Caribbean’s most noted sound. One of the box sets is called Studio One: Story, which contains a CD of select songs sampling the range of music Studio One had to offer, a documentary DVD telling of the history of the label and its founder Sir Clement Coxsone Dodd, and a small book of facts and the history of the label. For any fan of good ol’ yad musik this is a must have. But this post focuses on one of the ...