Now that we have hit the midpoint of the year, it is time to highlight some albums that were released in the first half of 2023. In my opinion, these projects were some of the most exciting, inventive and enjoyable that I have discovered so far. With each album, I have chosen a few tracks that I think represent the full body of work, or could be intriguing to new listeners. 

Lana Del Rey – “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd?”

While Lana Del Rey has been a mainstream name since she changed pop music with her 2012 debut “Born To Die,” her most recent project felt like her biggest and most popular since 2019’s “NFR.” On “Ocean Blvd,” Del Rey continued to work with producer Jack Antonoff as well as past collaborators Drew Erickson and Zack Dawes, who helped shape her 75-minute genre-hopping experience. Long-time fans have found familiarity in Del Rey’s trademark songwriting, while also being treated to surprises, such as a remix of the classic “Venice Bitch” closing the album.

Listen to: “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd,” “Sweet,” “A&W,” 

Mac DeMarco – “Five Easy Hot Dogs”

DeMarco delivered one of the most comforting albums of 2023 with “Five Easy Hots Dogs,” an instrumental comeback album that was recorded over the course of a road trip in early 2022. This album sounds like a soundtrack with no movie: certain songs begin to tell parts of a story that you have not been told before. It has been fun to watch DeMarco ditch any remaining ounce of mainstream formality that he had this year. 

Listen to: “Gualala 2,” “Vancouver 2,” “Edmonton 2,” “Rockaway”

feeble little horse – “Girl with Fish”

This Pittsburgh group erupted this year with a breakthrough album on the renowned record label Saddle Creek; not long ago this group was hitting Philly basement shows. feeble little horse embodies the distortion-obsessed indie-pop sound that feels like the present and near future of DIY rock bands, incorporating elements of shoegaze and folk here and there. We can only hope that the group is doing alright with this album’s success, as they abruptly canceled  their summer tour days before it started. 

Listen to: “Tin Man,” “Steamroller,” “Heaven,” “Paces” 

JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown – “SCARING THE HOES”

As one of the wildest and most creative hip-hop albums of the year so far, “SCARING THE HOES” features incredibly detailed production from JPEGMAFIA and eccentric verses from him and Danny Brown. This album serves as a check-up on Brown’s 42-year-old rapping abilities after a four-year album drought. For JPEGMAFIA, it is an ultimate stamp of approval from a hip-hop veteran, effectively verifying his status as a forward-thinking and distinctive creator in the rap lexicon. The duo also just released an “DLC Pack” for the album on July 11 with four new tracks.

Listen to: “Fentanyl Tester,” “Kingdom Hearts Key (feat. redveil),” “Where Ya Get Your Coke From?”

KAYTRAMINÉ – “KAYTRAMINÉ”

From the moment this collab was announced on April 4, the world knew a fun, summery album was on the way. Similar to the previous entry on this list, this duo gelled and complemented each other’s styles. Kaytranada brought out the dance elements uncommon to Aminé’s solo work on tracks like “Sossaup,” and in return he pushed the producer to create more rap-leaning beats; see “K+A.” Not to mention, they also managed to bring Big Sean back into prime form. 

Listen to: “4EVA,” “Master P,” “Sossaup,” “UGH UGH”

King Krule – “Space Heavy”

Archy Marshall is not as his most experimental here; however, “Space Heavy” delivers a welcome refreshing of new tracks in his trademark sound. The album contains warm, garage-like guitars and slow tempos as usual, except with more hints of accessibility than usual. It is not a “classic” King Krule album, but it could be a good starting point for new listeners. Also, the Raveena collab makes so much sense in an “opposites attract” kind of way.

Listen to: “Seaforth,” “Tortoise of Independency,” “Seagirl (feat. Raveena)”

Lil Yachty – “Let’s Start Here.”

Lil Yachty executed one of the most contrasting and well-received departures from rap in recent years with January’s “Let’s Start Here.,” a psychedelic stab at a rock concept album. Since 2016, Yachty has been releasing rap albums with a few varying flavors. However the underlying creativity always seemed apparent, from his striking style choices to random out-of-character songs (see his Tame Impala “Breathe Deeper” remix and multiple Diplo features). He does not feel out of place over production from the likes of Magdelena Bay, Mac DeMarco, Teo Halm and Alex G.

Listen to: “the BLACK seminole.,” “running out of time,” “drive ME crazy!”

Liv.e – “Girl In The Half Pearl”

With an earlier release this year, Liv.e’s standout experimental electronic RnB album may have gotten overshadowed by bigger, more publicized projects as 2023 continued. The 25-year-old Dallas artist’s sophomore album is fun, eerie and futuristic, containing mind-bending tracks such as “Snowing!” alongside digestible, chill songs like “Wild Animals.” Liv.e is most definitely someone to watch, as she continues to innovate and get more recognition. 

Listen to: “Gardetto.,” “Ghost,” “Wild Animals,” “Glass Shadows”

Mana – “Mana” 

Fresh on to the scene out of Indianapolis, IN, the five-piece dream-rock band dropped one of the best projects of the year so far in their debut EP. Fronted by the multifaceted music genius Kevin Krauter, the band brings hard-rocking hooks and fuzzy guitars as well as introspective, somber lyrics on their six-track self-titled EP. Many of Mana’s songs feature background vocals from guitarist Nina Pitchkites, adding an awesome, blurry harmony effect to the already echoey vocals. 

Listen to: “Hard To Kill,” “Happy Days,” “Attitude,” “Love Is Everywhere”

Wednesday – “Rat Saw God”

This band has already been praised by numerous publications for this album, but it does deserve the recognition. Singer/songwriter Karly Hartzman penned some gripping stories and scenarios for “Rat Saw God,” which are backed by indie rock and country influenced instrumentals. Why do almost half of these albums contain music based around distorted guitar tones? Because they are in right now and lo-fi is cool. Wednesday is more than that, though. Listen to: “Hot Rotten Grass Smell,” “Formula One,” “Chosen to Deserve,” “Quarry”

North Carolina rock band Wednesday headlined Union Transfer in Philadelphia Saturday, June 17. The band’s 35-stop, self-titled USA tour is in support of their newest album “Rat Saw God,” which was released April 7. This project, released via Dead Oceans, had a notably warm reception from critics and fans alike, obtaining Pitchfork’s “Best New Music” distinction and an average of 3.55 out of 5 from over 3,700 ratings on Rate Your Music.

The opening acts for Wednesday’s Philadelphia show were a special bunch. The band Tenci, along for the second half of the US tour, began the night at 8:01 p.m. with around a half-hour set. This band had a laid-back presence but featured ear-raising vocal inflections throughout their twangy songs courtesy of lead singer Jess Shoman. The band members treated the crowd to some extremely awkward commentary in between songs regarding the audience’s shoes, however they seemed self-aware of this. 

Tenci also has been highlighting queer and trans rights organizations during this tour by taking donations to the Campaign for Southern Equality as well as featuring specific local groups in Philadelphia, Toronto, Chicago and Nashville. After their set wrapped, they introduced Brian Graves from The Attic Youth Center, who informed the crowd of the group’s mission to create a safe and supportive environment for LGBTQ+ youth in Philly. It was a thoughtful gesture that will hopefully become more common in the touring industry, as it took less than five minutes in total out of the night. 

At 8:51 p.m., the Columbus-based group All Dogs took the stage for the first time since 2016. Later in the night, Wednesday’s lead singer Karly Hartzman explained that she had played All Dogs’ music on the University of North Carolina Asheville’s student-run Blue Echo Radio during her college days and that she was very thankful and honored to have them reassemble for the show. Philadelphia was the only city on Wednesday’s tour to feature the All Dogs reunion set. 

The five-piece headlining band took the stage at 9:54 p.m. with a packed crowd that had grown significantly since the first act. Wednesday consisted of Hartzman as lead singer and guitarist, MJ Lenderman on electric guitar and backing vocals, Xandy Chelmis on pedal steel, recently-joined member Ethan Baechtold playing a five-string electric bass and Alan Miller on drums. 

Wednesday’s performance began with the song “Hot Rotten Grass Smell,” which also opens their album “Rat Saw God.” The band’s setlist contained various tracks from their three original projects; their 2020 debut “I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone,” “Twin Plagues (2021)” and 2023’s “Rat Saw God.” Aside from their albums, they also covered Gary Stewart’s “She’s Actin’ Single (I’m Drinkin Double),” which had been included on a compilation project of unoriginal songs titled “Mowing the Leaves Instead of Piling ‘em Up.”

Hartzman stated that this may have been “the biggest show ever” for the band, while simultaneously hyping up the city by saying “Philly always shows the f*ck up for us.” They then broke into some older tracks by playing “Cody’s Only” and “Twin Plagues” from the eponymous album. From there, Wednesday delved into their newer material, playing “Formula One,” “Bath Country,” “TV in the Gas Pump” and “Chosen To Deserve.” The last of these four, a single released on Jan. 18, received some preemptive background from Hartzman. She explained how such vividly revealing lyrics had been distressing to play for family initially, as the song covers topics such as irresponsible drug use at her parents’ house and early hook-ups in cars. 

The band’s sound combined twangy elements of country and folk music with loud, fuzzy guitar tones of modern rock and shoegaze. Aside from his role as Wednesday’s guitarist (and Hartzman’s romantic partner), Lenderman has established himself as a solo act playing in this sonic territory with his notable 2022 album “Boat Songs.” 

The stage was not decorated in any way besides with the gear needed to create the band’s sound. Each member wore casual outfits, with Hartzman describing her own as “cartoon, middle school bully” attire. At one point, she took a moment to congratulate her sister Maura’s boyfriend Chase who had apparently just graduated from Drexel University that week. The band also performed the song “Maura” from their debut album, which Karly dedicated to her sister who was in attendance at the show. She also gave her band members a “break to pee” while she gave a rare performance of the single “Feast of Snakes” by herself, after playing “Maura” and “Quarry.”  

Leading up to the night’s closing, the crowd awaited the performance of “Bull Believer”; Wednesday’s eight-and-a-half minute long, leadoff single released on Aug. 7, 2022. Attendees had shouted the song’s name earlier in the show, to which Hartzman told them that it would be coming later on. Before performing the track as their final song, the band stated, “We don’t do encores because we think they’re lame.” It was a grandiose move that also felt well-earned. 

Wednesday’s stop at Union Transfer was the 35th show that the band had played since April 26, as the band had also taken on an 11-stop European tour from late May to early June. Their headlining tour ends on July 1 with a return to Asheville, NC only to continue their tireless year on the road with more fall dates in Europe, a three-show stint with Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit and multiple festival appearances including WXPN’s XPoNential Music Festival in Camden, NJ on Sept. 23. 

SETLIST (some info from Setlist.fm)

”Hot Rotten Grass Smell” (“Rat Saw God”)

”Cody’s Only” (“Twin Plagues”)

“Twin Plagues” (“Twin Plagues”)

“Formula One” (“Rat Saw God”)

“Chosen to Deserve” (“Rat Saw God”)

“She’s Actin’ Single (“I’m Drinkin Double”)” [Gary Stewart cover]

“Bath County” (“Rat Saw God”)

“Billboard” (“I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone”)

“TV in the Gas Pump” (“Rat Saw God”)

“One More Last One” (“Twin Plagues”)

“Handsome Man” (“Twin Plagues”)

“Maura” (“I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone)

“Quarry” (“Rat Saw God”)

“Feast of Snakes” (solo) [Single]

“Gary’s” (“Twin Plagues”)

“Got Shocked” (“Rat Saw God”)

“Fate Is…” (“I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone”)

“Bill Believer” (“Rat Saw God”)

Here is a list of albums that are planned to release during this summer term, along with any accompanying tours these artists will bring to Philadelphia, or the surrounding area. More detail will be provided for highly notable releases or unusual circumstances surrounding the events.

TODAY’S RELEASES (Friday, June 30)

The Alchemist – “Flying High” 

This project was first announced on Monday, June 26 at around 11 a.m. by many artists on Instagram, simply showing the expected album cover and release date. The Alchemist has released thirteen collaborative projects since the beginning of this decade, many with artists he also tagged on his “Flying High” post (Boldy James, Earl Sweatshirt, Larry June). This appears to feature many different artists throughout its tracks. 

The Japanese House – “In the End It Always Does”

Tour: Nov. 1 @ Union Transfer

Lil Uzi Vert – “Pink Tape”

Uzi has finally announced “Pink Tape” after years of teasing the album’s title. After revealing the half-cartoon, half-CGI “Pink Tape Movie Trailer” on July 26, the album became available for pre-order online. “Pink Tape” consists of 26 tracks, including the hit single “Just Wanna Rock.” 

Toro Y Moi – “MAHAL (Live from Big Sir)”

Lucinda Williams – “Stories From A Rock and Roll Heart”

JULY

7/7: Gus Dapperton – “Henge”

Henge Tour: Oct. 19 @ XL Live (Harrisburg, PA)

7/7: Dominic Fike – “Sunburn”

The future of this Internet-age star’s music career was questioned after his large role in Euphoria’s second season and the slightly disappointing reception of his debut album “What Could Possibly Go Wrong?” Fike’s upcoming album “Sunburn” appears nearly identical to his debut in song length and amount, while the singles share a pop produced, vocal-driven approach. This release outcome could heavily influence the direction of Fike’s career. 

Don’t Stare At The Sun Tour: July 16 @ The Mann

7/7: PJ Harvey –  “I Inside the Old Year Dying”

Established creative PJ Harvey will return with a brand new album for the first time since “The Hope Six Demolition Project” in 2016. Since the start of the 2020s, Harvey has released a project of demos for eight of her nine previous albums. The new project’s two singles feature inmate vocals, puzzling songwriting and distant acoustic instruments.

7/7: Little Dragon – “Slugs of Love”

Tour: Oct. 12 @ Theatre of the Living Arts

7/9: Taylor Swift – “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)”

7/14: Claud – “Supermodels”

Singer-songwriter Claud has developed an impressive list of co-sings over the past few years, including Jack Antonoff, Clairo, boygenius and Ethan Gruska. Their new album “Supermodels” will ditch the cartoon themes of their 2021 album “Super Monster” for an older, more confident image. 

Tour: Sept. 15 @ The Foundry 

7/14: glaive – “i care so much that I don’t care at all”

Tour: Aug. 11 @ Theatre of the Living Arts

7/21: Various Artists – “Barbie The Album”

The soundtrack for 2023’s summer blockbuster will be released on July 21 along with its parent movie. Besides the star-powered singles that have already been released, the soundtrack will contain songs from HAIM, Charli XCX, Tame Impala, Khalid, FIFTY FIFTY and many more.

7/21: Blur – “The Ballad of Darren”

7/21: The Arcadian Wild – “Welcome”

For fans of more traditional, acoustic folk music, The Arcadian Wild may be a familiar name. This quartet delivers formal, detailed compositions that feel mystical, adventurous and progressive. “Welcome” is The Arcadian Wild’s first album since 2019, and spans twelve tracks.  

7/28: George Clanton – “Ooh Rap I Ya”

Tour: Oct. 10 @ Union Transfer

7/28: Post Malone – “AUSTIN”

If Y’all Weren’t Here, I’d Be Crying Tour: Sept. 25 @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion (Candem, NJ)

7/28: Aphex Twin – “Blackbox Life Recorder 21f / in a room7 F760”

Legendary electronic act Aphex Twin is set to release a four-song EP on July 28; his first new work since the “Peel Session 2” EP in Nov. 2019. Richard James, the mind behind Aphex Twin, has been dropping boundary-pushing electronic music under this moniker since 1992. 

AUGUST

8/4: The Front Bottoms – “You Are Who You Hang Out With”

Tour: Sept. 30 @ Franklin Music Hall

8/18: Genesis Owusu – “Struggler”

Tour: Oct. 21 @ Underground Arts

8/18: Shamir – “Homo Anxietatum”

Following his major breakthrough with the 2022 album “Heterosexuality,” Philly-resident Shamir will release the 11-track “Homo Anxietatum” through the Kill Rock Stars record label. The singer will also be headlining the Sweet Juice Festival in Germantown on July 22.

8/18: Hozier – “Unreal Unearth”

Tour: Sept. 29 @ The Mann 

8/25: Spanish Love Songs – “No Joy”

8/25: Melissa Menago – “Echo the Optimist”

Drexel University alum and adjunct professor Melissa Menago will release her album “Echo the Optimist” on Aug. 25. Apart from her role as the lead singer for the band June Divided, Menago has released one solo project titled “Little Crimes” in 2016. The album’s title track will drop as a single on July 14. 

Album release show: Aug. 27 @ City Winery

8/25: Victoria Monet – “JAGUAR II”

SEPTEMBER

9/1: Slowdive – “Everything is Alive”

Yet another long-running band is returning this summer with a new project. While not as long as their 22-year hiatus from 1997’s “Pygmalion” to 2017’s self-titled album, the shoegaze pioneers broke a six-year silence with their single “kisses” on June 20. “Everything is Alive” will contain eight tracks and will be released on the record label Dead Oceans. 

Tour: Sept. 29 @ Union Transfer

9/8: Róisín Murphy – “Hit Parade”

9/8: Olivia Rodrigo – “GUTS”

After one of the most successful debut albums in recent history, pop-rock phenom Olivia Rodrigo is returning with the album “GUTS.” While not much is known about this album currently, its leadoff single “vampire” (out today) will hopefully give fans a sense of sonic direction for the project. The single is produced by Dan Nigro, who played a very large role in the production of “SOUR,” Rodrigo’s debut album.

As the 2022-2023 academic year winds down for the summer, the Drexel University departments are hosting events to highlight their seniors and their final projects before graduation. The Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design is putting on WestPhest 2023: 12 events showcasing art from the Westphal departments taking place from June 2 – 17 in locations mostly around Drexel’s campus. 

Along with these art exhibitions, there will be seven live performance events from Drexel’s ensembles and performing arts groups ranging from the all-college choir to an outdoor music jam night. All of these shows will take place on Drexel’s campus from June 9 – June 11.

The first WestPhest event was the Drexel University Photography Senior Thesis Exhibition from 6-9 p.m. on June 2. The event took place at the Leonard Pearlstein Gallery in the URBN Annex building on 3401 Filbert St. The showcase featured themed collections of photography from sixteen different seniors. Each thesis consisted of around six to 20 photographs, while one student was given a small room to display nearly 50 polaroids, three video screens and multiple physical display elements. 

The projects explored themes of nature, humans, personal interaction, wildlife, food, gender and architecture. The photographs had variation in editing and color choice; black and white photos were a common aesthetic while many others went after bright, vibrant colors. It was great to see fellow students as well as relatives showing up to support the graduating seniors. The lobby of the URBN Annex was alive with chatter as people enjoyed the complimentary beer and wine along with a delicious spread of snacks inclusive to all diets. 

As of June 9, there will be ten more upcoming exhibitions included in WestPhest 2023. The Digital Media senior showcase was held on June 4 from 2-6 p.m., and featured work from the “Animation & Visual Effects, Game Design & Production, and Digital Media & Virtual Production programs, along with members from the College of Computing and Informatics,” according to the WestPhest website. However, the event can be viewed after the date through a livestream on the Drexel Westphal YouTube channel. 

For the complete list of WestPhest 2023 events as well as additional info on each exhibition, visit Drexel Westphal’s website.

A complete list of spring performing arts exhibitions can be seen on Drexel’s Performing Arts webpage. 

Salt Lake City alternative rock band The Backseat Lovers performed at The Fillmore Philadelphia Friday, May 31 on their Waiting to Spill World Tour. The tour is named after the band’s most recent album “Waiting to Spill,” which was released Oct. 28, 2022. The band consists of lead singer/guitarist Joshua Harmon, lead guitarist/vocalist Jonas Swanson, bassist KJ Ward and drummer/background vocalist Juice Welch. The venue was packed to the brim, with people on the floor spilling towards the doors, and people on the balcony as well. Excited chatter settled over the crowd as fans eagerly anticipated the band’s performance. 

The opener, indie folk artist Field Medic, took the stage at 8 p.m. as a three-piece band. He started his set with “i want you so bad it hurts” off his 2020 album “Floral Prince.” The trio continued to play songs such as “mood ring baby” and “FULL GROWN.” However, the set was halted multiple times in order to help people in the crowd who were in distress. The last three songs of the set had to be stopped three different times. 

Field Medic’s twangy, acoustic style of music is not commonly associated with unsafe concert scenarios. After his set ended around 8:45 p.m., a staff member at The Fillmore made an announcement that people over 21 could be upgraded for free to the venue’s VIP balcony area due to the rising heat and overcrowding of the General Admission floor section. The staff proceeded to give out wristbands for the upstairs area to people in the 21+ bar area in the lobby of the venue. The Fillmore states a 2,500 person capacity online, but does not specify how many people the GA floor alone can fit.  

The Backseat Lovers took the stage at 9:06 p.m., opening with an intro jam that faded into “Know Your Name” from “Waiting to Spill.” Red lights engulfed the stage as Harmon shredded on the electric guitar, feeding into the crowd’s energy. The band continued to play the songs “Pool House,” “Growing/Dying” and “Heavy,” all of which are from separate releases. The band currently has two studio albums titled “When We Were Friends” (2019) and “Waiting to Spill” (2022), along with one live album recorded at the Troubadour in Hollywood, CA on Sept. 17, 2021. They also have one EP from 2018 called “Elevator Days,” and two standalone singles from 2019 and 2020 titled “Just a Boy” and “Heavy” respectively. 

It is worth noting that guitarist Swanson was not wearing shoes during the set, instead showing off his space-themed socks to the crowd. Each member of the band wore comfy clothes that seemed appropriate for an early, outdoor festival campground. The stage was covered by large carpets, and featured a minimal set design that mostly consisted of backlights and large, colorful LED strips that shuffled through movements during the show. A sole, red neon sign read “WAIT” to the right side of the drum kit, and the kick drum was illuminated with a warm hue that gave off a moon-like image through the calftone drumhead. 

At one point the band members took a break and Harmon performed the song “Address Your Letters” from the band’s 2018 EP by himself, drenched in a spotlight. When announcing the track, he referred to it as the “sad boy song.” In traditional ballad performance fashion, people in the audience waved their phone flashlights to the song and a somber vibe settled over the crowd. It was an intimate moment that contrasted with the show’s loud, full sound, and Harmon nailed the chorus of the song, showing off his impressive vocal range.

Following this he stated, “Alright you goofy goobers,” and the band dropped into their trademark song “Kilby Girl.” This is by far their most streamed song on Spotify with currently over 236 million plays. The song’s chorus also became popular on TikTok, increasing the overall popularity of the band. Harmon could have gone without singing the chorus, as everyone in the venue was shouting along with electrifying enthusiasm. The hit song is fun and infectious, featuring an instrumental outro that outperformed its recorded version live in concert. 

Later in the set the band performed “Slowing Down,” a more eerie song that eventually progressed into a nearly ten-minute long jam. A visual of a drawn airplane flying through the sky appeared on the stage screen while a red spotlight settled over Harmon. Following this they would play fan-favorite “Maple Syrup” and EP track “Still A Friend” before leaving the stage through deafening applause. The audience clearly wanted more, and began chanting for “Sinking Ship,” the closing track of “Wish We Were Friends.” Within a minute of leaving the stage, the band reappeared.

Harmon said to the crowd that his voice was nearly shot from their long touring this year. Beginning on April 18 in Vancouver, the Waiting to Spill North American tour had been going for twenty shows before landing in Philadelphia. While according to Setlist.fm, the band usually plays two encore songs each night, Harmon opted for one: crowd request and routine encore song, “Sinking Ship.” There was a fleeting moment before the last chorus of the song where the stage lights fell away, and Harmon was illuminated as he sang gently, before launching into the high energy end of the song. 

The U.S. leg of the Waiting to Spill Tour comes to an end on Aug. 2 with a final show in Portland, ME. After their Maine show, the band can be seen this summer at Lollapalooza in Chicago, IL (Aug. 3-6), the Osheaga Festival in Montreal, QC (Aug. 4) and Endless Sunshine in Denver, CO (Sept. 8). This band’s talent, passion and emotion is what will get them far in the industry, and have them selling out even bigger venues on future tours. 

Setlist (according to Setlist.fm):

Intro Jam

Know Your Name

Pool House

Heavy

Growing/Dying

Watch Your Mouth

Address Your Letters

Pictures

Kilby Girl

Out of Tune

Close Your Eyes

Slowing Down

Maple Syrup

Still a Friend

Encore:

Sinking Ship 

The iconic Roots Picnic festival took place at The Mann Center in Fairmount Park from June 2 to June 4, and featured 35 different artists as well as 10 podcast hosts. Since its start in 2008, the festival has grown to be one of the most influential rap and R&B events in Philadelphia. The festival was created by the Philly collective The Roots, which has successfully constructed a space highlighting Philadelphia-natives, and Black and Brown artists in a wide variety of genres. While I was only able to attend June 3 and 4, The Roots Picnic hosted a standup event, with Dave Chappelle at the Wells Fargo Center June 2.

The event had an impressive setup with an even more impressive lineup. The biggest stage, labeled the Park Stage, hosted the more famous acts leading up to the headliners at the end of each day. The Presser Stage, located near the back of the venue next to the Skyline Lawn, was the second biggest stage featuring the smaller acts. Settled in between both stages next to the food court was the Podcast Stage. The venue was large with different booths, lounges and plenty of food vendors to choose from. At first glance it was a bit overwhelming, but by the second day it became easier to navigate the quickest routes to each performance. 

The first day started off a bit rocky, with the doors scheduled to open at 1 p.m. but delayed until 1:30 p.m., pushing all acts back by at least 30 minutes. Nevertheless, Mike Phillips kicked off the festival at the main stage followed by Uncle Waffles, Adam Blackstone, Coco Jones, The Soulquarians and the Isley Brothers, Lil Uzi Vert and headliner Ms. Lauryn Hill. At the Presser Stage, performances began around 3 p.m. with Philadelphia rapper Fridayy followed by DVSN, Rare Essence, GloRilla and Syd.

While there were definitely highlights of the day, each performer delivered a unique and entertaining performance. Before being joined by the Isley Brothers, Questlove Supreme began drumming and introduced the group by saying: “On guitar, one of the greatest axemen of all time… Ernie Isley on guitar, and of course, the one and only, the legend, the smoothest… Mr. Biggs himself, Ronald Isley.” Once on stage, both groups opened with a soulful rendition of “Choosy Lover,” followed by some of their other hits like “Living For The Love Of You” and “Footsteps in the Dark.” It was hard to look away from Ernie Isley’s playing, and Ronald Isley’s personality easily showed through his captivating stage presence.

Another heavy-hitter from day one was Lil Uzi Vert. Immediately after getting on stage, Uzi wasted no time energetically performing “Do What I Want” off of their 2016 album “The Perfect LUV Tape.” As this was their third Roots Picnic appearance, it was clear that Uzi was used to giving an unforgettable performance, using the entire stage and encouraging the crowd to sing with them. Uzi continued to play crowd pleasers from multiple albums including “Money Longer” and “444+222.” 

The final and most anticipated performance of the night was Ms. Lauryn Hill. After an electrifying instrumental introduction, Ms. Hill opened her set with “Everything Is Everything.” After performing other hits like “When It Hurts So Bad,” “Final Hour” and “Nothing Even Matters,” Ms. Hill stopped the show to say to the crowd “25 years of The Miseducation, but ironically… there was another 25 anniversary that we intended to celebrate, but we didn’t get to because of COVID… So what I did was I decided to bring some friends out with me,” before bringing out Wyclef Jean and Pras for a Fugees reunion. The group performed show-stopping renditions of “Ready Or Not,” “Killing Me Softly With His Song” and “Fu-Gee-La,” a perfect closer for night one.

Day two, while still slightly behind, was smoother than the first day running only 15 minutes late. Similarly to day one, the lineup was stacked with artists like Saucy Santana, City Girls, Ari Lennox, Busta Rhymes, Lucky Daye and Usher.

The first day, there were a few acts that I was slightly disappointed in. I was able to catch a little of The Office XIV at the Podcast Stage around 3:40 p.m., where the five hosts asked each other questions like “Would you rather share your group chat messages or your DM’s?” and “How do you feel about sharing your location?” While my unfamiliarity with the group might have played a factor in my enjoyment, I felt that their set was a bit awkward in a live setting. Similarly, I was not fully impressed by DJ Drama’s set at the Presser Stage. I was expecting him to play a few full songs he had worked on, but he instead played roughly 15-30 seconds of multiple projects with interjections in between. The small sections of songs made it difficult to fully immerse myself and enjoy the experience.

Despite this, the enjoyable artists more than made up for the very few mediocre acts. Both Saucy Santana and City Girls performed upbeat sets that kept the crowd engaged and dancing throughout. Lucky Daye was another high point in the day, cutting his autotune and showcasing his incredible vocal range and debuting two songs off of his next album. 

At 7:30 p.m., Busta Rhymes took to the Park Stage with The Roots co-founder and lead rapper Black Thought. Easily some of the best crowd work at the festival, both Black Thought and Busta Rhymes alternately stole the show and hyped each other up. Busta Rhymes was full of energy, spraying water into the crowd and performing songs like “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See” and “Scenario.” The peak of his performance came when he did his legendary verse on Chris Brown’s “Look At Me Now.”

As the second and final headliner, Usher performed on the Park stage at around 9:30 p.m. starting with “Good Kisser” joined by Black Thought. Usher then performed other hits like “U Don’t Have to Call” and “Yeah,” as well as surprising the audience by bringing out Jazmine Sullivan and Eve to perform their rendition of “U Got It Bad.” Usher’s set was fun and lively, an ideal end to a great weekend.

The 15th annual Roots Picnic lived up to its reputation with two jam-packed days filled with so much talent that it was difficult to find something you did not enjoy. As it was my first music festival, let alone my first festival as a writer, I can happily say that it was an unforgettable experience with something for everyone.

New duo KAYTRAMINÉ, consisting of rapper Aminé and electronic artist Kaytranada, released their debut self-titled album on May 19. Both Aminé and Kaytranada took to Instagram on April 4 to announce their upcoming project, captioning their post “KAYTRAMINÉ by KAYTRAMINÉ, coming soon.” Fans got a taste of what was to come after the duo dropped two singles: “4EVA,” featuring Pharrell Williams, on April 7 and “Rebuke” on May 15.

Both Kaytranada and Aminé have led impressive careers preceding the release of KAYTRAMINÉ. Under the alias Kaytradamus, Kaytranada began producing music in 2010 until changing his name in 2012. His critically-acclaimed first album “99.9%” with features like GoldLink, BADBADNOTGOOD and Syd launched him into the spotlight, and he has released two albums since. Aminé gained immense popularity from his single “Caroline” in 2016 off of his debut album “Good For You.” Since then, Aminé has released three other albums: “ONEPOINTFIVE” in 2018, “Limbo” in 2020 and “TWOPOINTFIVE” in 2021. Kaytranada’s high-energy production mixed with Aminé’s distinct rapping style made it difficult to rank each song off of KAYTRAMINÉ, but here are just a few of the standout tracks.

“UGH UGH”

Probably my favorite off the album, “UGH UGH” is a smooth track that focuses on both Kaytranada’s production abilities and Aminé’s different flows. The song begins with choppy, droning synths and mellow electronic drum beat. Aminé comfortably raps about both his and Kaytranada’s success in the industry with lyrics like “K sent me free beats back in 2015 / Now it’s 2023 and we got racks in our jeans.” At around 3:20, Kaytranada introduces a more upbeat instrumental beat switch before transitioning into the tenth track on the album. “UGH UGH” is perfect if you are looking for the more laid-back and lyrically-focused tracks off the project.

“Westside”

“Westside” is one of the darker songs off of the album, complimenting the rest of the high-energy album well without feeling out of place. High piano accents and strings against Aminé’s calm delivery build an intimidating mood, something rare across the warm project. “Westside” keeps the listener on their toes while still keeping the overall integrity of the project.

“Rebuke”

While “UGH UGH” and “K&A”’s lyrics focused primarily on the industry success of both Aminé and Kaytranada, “Rebuke” is a short track where Aminé reveals his struggles with love and watching someone move on. His rap verses are briefly broken up when Aminé sings: “Giving up, I refuse / That’s the type of feeling I rebuke”. Accompanying his softer lyrics, Kaytranada incorporates soft harmonies and twinkly guitars to create a dream-like atmosphere.

“K&A”

“K&A” serves as the perfect closer for the project. Sampling Jermaine Jackson’s “Castles of Sand,” Kaytranada creates yet another upbeat track with a heavy bass and muted synth strings. Aminé’s confident lyrics compliment Kaytranada’s bright production consistently throughout the five minute piece. In a triumphant goodbye, “K&A” ends with a beat switch around the three minute mark as Aminé raps about the current and future success of KAYTRAMINÉ.

From Aminé’s lyrics and vocals to Kaytranada’s skillful production, it is hard not to appreciate KAYTRAMINÉ and look forward to what comes next. Listen to the full album and their individual discographies on all streaming platforms.

What could be better than a concert, planned and executed by Drexel students, at a historic Philadelphia DIY music venue that also benefits a local Philadelphia charity? If you – like myself – can’t think of anything, then you do not want to miss Oroboro Fest, a concert event bringing together music and charity in Philadelphia. 

Oroboro Fest is the culmination of five Entertainment and Arts Management (EAM) students’— Samuel Spira, Batuhan Kesici, Sukari McGee, Matt Kuruvilla and Jack Quinn’s — hard work and dedication throughout their time as Drexel students. Inspired by their passion for the arts, music and producing live events, the five knew they wanted to use their talents for good. The group explained, “According to a report by the Philadelphia Inquirer in August 2022, 16 out of 100 families in Philadelphia struggle with food insecurity, underscoring the urgent need to take action,” so take action they did. The Oroboro Fest team worked closely with EAM alumna Victoria Wilson, co-founder of Sharing Excess, a Philadelphia non-profit that “partners with grocery stores, restaurants, wholesalers, and farmers to collect and distribute over 120,000 pounds of food every week,” in an effort to address food insecurity within Philadelphia communities. 

Hosted at Milkboy in Center City, an integral venue in the Philadelphia DIY music scene, Oroboro Fest will be headlined by the band Moonroof, and feature performances by Noah Richardson and Tea Head. Moonroof is an indie-pop band featuring David Kim, Kevin Randolph, Dan Rendine and Francis Convery, whose EP “Dream State” debuted in 2021 at #2 on the Alternative List on Apple’s iTunes charts. 

Noah Richardson is a singer/songwriter from Philadelphia, whose most recent single “7 Minutes in Heaven” was released last month. Richardson got his start after winning Blake Mclain’s YouTube songwriting series “The Producer” in 2021, after which he released his debut track “lowercase letters”. 

Tea Head is a Philadelphia-based indie-alternative rock band popular in the DIY music scene, featuring Gabe Sagherian, Johnny Fordyce, Joe Bucci and John McDermott. After writing and recording through the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, their debut album “Bachelor” was released in October, 2021. All three artists are signed to Philly-based independent record label Free Dive Records.

Regarding the creation of the live music event, Oroboro Fest’s organizers shared, “We’re

thrilled to be able to bring Oroboro Fest to Philadelphia. Not only will attendees have a great time listening to some amazing music, but they’ll also be making a difference in the lives of those less fortunate.”

Oroboro Fest is an incredible example of these five students’ dedication, creativity and commitment to their EAM and Drexel community, as well as art’s essential role in bringing people together to give back to the community. 

Oroboro Fest is a 21+ event and will take place on May 17, 2023, at Milkboy in Center City. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and the event begins at 8:00 p.m.. If you want to see firsthand all that Oroboro Fest has to offer, tickets can be purchased on Milkboy’s website. General Admission tickets are priced at $12.00 plus fees, and all of the concert’s proceeds will be donated to Sharing Excess. 

To learn more about Sharing Excess, visit their website at sharingexcess.com.

R&B singer Dreamer Isioma dropped their latest project “Princess Forever” on April 21. This project caps a brief absence since their last album “Goodnight Dreamer” from Feb. 2022. Their “Princess Forever” album cycle began only seven months after “Goodnight Dreamer” was released; the lead single “Dumb In Love With You” dropped on Oct. 5, 2022.

Coming from Chicago, Isioma’s indie soul and R&B sound gained popularity in early 2020 with the release of their song “Sensitive”. Since then, the “Valentina” singer has worked with artists like MAVI, Luni Li and redveil. While the entire album is pretty strong, here are just a few of the standout tracks from “Princess Forever”.

“Ah”

Isioma kicks off the album with “Ah”, a slow and dreamy track where they struggle with new love and all of its uncertainty. Reverbed drums and bubbly synths lead into the first verse where the “Starz” singer questions their current relationship, and if they can even call it that. Lyrics like “I need you right here, right by my side, dear/ Is it a yes? Is it no?” address this inner turmoil all while accompanied by soft harmonies and subdued keys. As the song continues, intensity grows through the chorus and post-chorus. It is not until the 1:55 mark that the beat switches, and Isioma seemingly grows more confident in their lyrics. While the song is short, it serves as a perfect introduction to the album and the themes within it.

“Why Pray To God”

More upbeat than the previous track, “Why Pray To God” is a passionate ballad where Isioma urges their partner to fully embrace their feelings. Isioma’s silky vocals are reminiscent of Kali Uchis’ as they sing lyrics like “But that’s no excuse for how you say my name/ Don’t be ashamed of what you want.” One of the standout aspects of this track is the instrumental. At around 1:20, an electric guitar solo takes charge while Isioma vocalizes through the rest of the piece. “Why Pray To God” encapsulates the intensity of giving in to love through both its lyrics and instrumental. 

“Touch Your Soul” (feat. Merlyn Wood)

“Touch Your Soul” is another track that stands out from the rest of the album thanks to its instrumentation. The drum beat, bass and quiet bell chimes give this song a dance-like feel different from other songs off of “Princess Forever.” As the album progresses, it seems as though Isioma finds more self-assurance through their love life. In “Ah”, Isioma grapples with their dependence on their partner. By track seven, however, Isioma’s newfound confidence is prevalent in lyrics like “No shade but I could pull any babe/ It is you, you are the one that I adore.” Merlyn Wood (formerly of boyband BROCKHAMPTON) perfectly complements Isioma’s voice and helps to push the overall message of the song through his guest verse. Almost directly in the middle of the album, “Touch Your Soul” is a great diversion from the feel of the previous tracks while still making the album feel cohesive.

“Kiss Me”

Closing out the album, “Kiss Me” is another slow, groovy track. The instrumental is relatively simple with hushed strings and electric guitar which allows for Isioma’s vocals to remain the focus of the song. After starting the album off with uncertainty about love, “Kiss Me” has romantic lyrics like “I wanna see you/ Heavenly so divine there ain’t nothing to refine” that feel like a full-circle moment for the album. While not their strongest track, “Kiss Me” highlights Isioma’s unique voice.

“Princess Forever” gives the listener an insight into Dreamer Isioma’s experience with love and all of its many forms. From their smooth vocals to space-like production, this album delivers both sonically and lyrically. To find more of Isioma’s work, check out the rest of their music on all streaming platforms.

The basement of the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia was crowded on Thursday, April 13 as the rapper MIKE took the stage. Born Michael Jordan Bonema in South Livingston, NJ, the 24-year-old artist/producer was welcomed back to Philly by his fans and many family members who were in attendance. 

This show was the penultimate stop of MIKE’s Ipari Park Tour, which wrapped in Brooklyn, NY on April 14. The tour shares its name with the seventh track off of MIKE’s 2022 album “Beware of the Monkey,” although very little is known about Ipari Park. Searches for the term lead to this tour and song, along with places in Hungary. The word “ipari” means “industrial” or “technical” in Hungarian, so the title could be referencing the city landscape that MIKE has spent most of his life in. 

The sidewalk surrounding the church was crowded and fragrant on the night of the show; there was a calm sense of community in the laid-back nature of the venue. Besides the music, the 79-degree evening weather was far more appealing than the hot basement. 

Upon entering, I anxiously made my way to the merch table to pick up a tour-exclusive CD copy of “Beware of the Monkey” that MIKE had teased on his Instagram in March. Tragically, the CDs had been sold out since the April 4 show in Austin, according to the merch vendor. He explained that they had made 500 CDs for the tour, but also assured me that there would be more physical copies of this album in future. 

Around 8:45 p.m. the music began. This stop featured support from CRUZIN, Sideshow and Slauson Malone 1. The former two artists had similar music to MIKE, but with a bit less sample focus. Their casual stage presence and performance style was fitting for the less professional venue setup. The stage was shallow and barebones, and the room looked like it could have been an old school lunchroom. 

Slauson Malone 1’s performance stood out from the entire bill. Consisting of Jasper Marsalis as a vocalist, guitarist and producer plus Nicholas John on cello, the act was extremely experimental. Their compositions were long, drawn out and dynamic, taking unpredictable turns into sections that sounded improvised. Marsalis would often scream distortedly through many effects, even entering the crowd at one point to create his own mosh pit. 

At 10:05 p.m. MIKE took the stage, accompanied by a girl we would come to find out was his niece Skylar. He danced around the stage to the song “Water No Get Enemy” by Fela Kuti, building anticipation as the instrumental grew. MIKE also introduced many of his family members who were there including his “pops,” who he lived with in Philadelphia during his early teenage years, according to Pitchfork. 

MIKE kicked off his setlist with “As 4 Me” from his newest album, which is currently the most popular track from the project on Spotify. His chorus line “Thank God I’m living” radiated emotion with the context of the moment; he was closing out his tour with his family and friends on stage. He told the crowd that they had been on the road for thirty days as his friends brought out beers. 

MIKE then delved into his back catalog, performing “fortune teller,” “World Market (Mo Money),”

“*storm & the calm,” “Aww (Zaza)” and “Evil Eye.” It was especially impressive to witness MIKE not only spitting his wordy verses from memory, but also doing so without any backing vocals as most modern rappers do live. Recent single “Stop Worry!” was played next, and the crowd sang along to Sister Nancy’s iconic outro.

The setlist features many of the songs from “Beware of the Monkey,” such as “Swoosh 23,” “What Do I Do?,” “Closing Credits,” “No Curse Lifted (rivers of love)” and the eponymous track “Ipari Park.” During fan favorite “nuthing i can do is wrng,” someone must have stepped on an important cable, and the instrumental dropped out. The DJ along with MIKE’s other friends scrambled to fix the audio as MIKE said to the crowd “I’ll run it back if it turn back on.” Thankfully, it turned back on. 

At one point, MIKE gave an emotional speech regarding his mother and passionately performed a few songs that appeared unrecognizable. These songs featured the lyrics “Save my heart when they cut me into pieces” and “I woke up in the name of god this time.” It is possible that these tracks were from older projects, unreleased or even freestyled. 

MIKE also performed the song “no, no” from his 2020 album “weight of the world,” and ended his set with the 2019 single “Numbered Dayz.” His friends joined him on stage as he dedicated the song “Over” by Drake to their homie Ian. Throughout the entire show, love was given and received by MIKE, the audience and his family. 

The night wrapped up around 11 p.m., and it was still 71 degrees outside. Despite missing out on the coveted CDs, MIKE’s Philadelphia concert did not disappoint. The lineup of artists was diverse, and MIKE proved yet again to be one of the most talented rising artists in hip-hop. “Beware of the Monkey” is my favorite rap album of the 2020s so far, and it is going to be difficult to top. 

Set list:

As 4 Me

fortune teller 

World Market (Mo Money) 

*storm & the calm 

Evil Eye

Stop Worry!

Aww (Zaza)

Ipari Park 

Swoosh 23

no, no 

“Save my heart when they cut me into pieces”

“I woke up in the name of god this time” 

What Do I Do?

Closing Credits 

nothin I can do it wrng 

No Curse Lifted (rivers of love)

Numbered Dayz