Music news from metro.us/philadelphia

Santigold: Master of her 'Make-Believe'

PAT HEALY, BOSTON — Wed, 23 May 2012 18:03:05 -0400

Santigold became cemented into the lore of summer music three years ago. It all started when an eccentric guy dancing alone on a patch of grass far away from the stage at the Sasquatch Music Festival attracted hundreds of ecstatic revelers to join him, and eventually 5.9 million viewers on YouTube. All the while, singer Santi White was chanting a triumphant chorus of "I've got to be unstoppable."

"That was amazing," says White, reflecting back on the moment. "When we were onstage, we noticed something far off in the distance and just saw this huge part of the crowd running across the field, and I remember afterward we were like, 'Did you see that? What happened?' And then when somebody sent it to me on YouTube I couldn't believe it. I've heard that the video has been used in leadership classes."

This moment is a good metaphor for everything that the music of Santigold represents. The songs are playful and fun, but they are firmly rooted in the notion of spreading positivity. Releasing a self-titled debut in 2009, Santigold toured for two years and built a loyal following, so that when she released her sophomore album, "Master of My Make-Believe" earlier this month, the response was not entirely unlike the dancers running across the field to join in on the fun.

"It's great as an artist, starting out, to just spend some time building a fan base," she says. "I was really grateful that the demand was there for so long."

The live show is equally deserving of that demand, with its cross of high energy and high camp. Robotic backup singers flank White and occasionally bust into funny, old-school dance moves. Backup musicians wear rubber flat-top wigs, making them look like comic book versions of ancient Egyptians. Oh, and there's also a two-person horsey that comes out to dance.

"I just closed my eyes one day and I saw lassos and a horse, and I was like, 'We need lassos and a horse!' and everybody looked at me like I was crazy," she says of the eureka moment. "And then me and my girls went online and we found this cool horse outfit and we were like, 'That's the one!' I wanted it to be theatrical in a very do-it-yourself sort of way, like a high school play."

'GO!' for it

"Master of My Make-Believe" opens in a call to arms, with the song, "GO!" Against electronic pulses and jungle drums, Santi White sings about how haters have tried to steal her power away, "but they couldn't take it."

"There's truth to all of these songs," she says, "and this one is just watching people in the super mainstream pick and choose and take bits of what's going on in the underground. ... Also, that song is kind of like a tongue-in-cheek fun song. They're kind of like mantra songs for me, where you just need to be like, 'I'm the best!' Especially when you're working on a new record, and you really don't feel like that. There's just times when you don't feel like that, and it's nice to be able to sing songs like that to make you feel good."

Music festivals; The best of the fests

LUKE O'NEIL, BOSTON — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:56:18 -0400

Long lines, loud noises, rubbing up against sweaty strangers -- and that's just the experience standing in line for the port-a-potties. That's right, folks -- summer music festival season is here. Instead of being exposed to one or two bands every other week or so like an entry level fan, festivals like the annual favorite Bonnaroo give you a chance to squeeze in all of the bands you ever wanted to see (and plenty that you didn't) in one musical cram-session. Not all summer music festival are created equal, however, so here are a few that we think are worth schlepping all the way across the country for.

Wakarusa
May 31-June 3, Ozark, Ark.
www.wakarusa.com
Supersized festivals like this one are usually just as much for die-hard music fans as they are for tent and dirt enthusiasts, which has made this long-running music and camping festival in Arkan-sas such a hit. That and the eclectic lineups -- this year the slate runs the gamut from heady electronic bro Pretty Lights, to neo-mod soul act Fitz and the Tant-rums, to indie beardos Blitzen Trapper, who were probably going to be hanging around nearby in the woods already anyway.

Electric Daisy Carnival
June 8-10, Las Vegas
www.electricdaisycarnival.com
For almost 15 years this has been one of the biggest electronic music festivals in the country. Now that EDC is bigger than ever, it makes sense that the festival would expand exponentially too. Big names like Avicii, Tiesto, Afrojack and David Guetta headline.

All Good Festival
July 19-22, Thornville, Ohio
www.allgoodfestival.com
Old people like music too, and while they may not do as many drugs as they used to, sometimes it's nice to go back and relive the glory days, if only for a weekend. Phil Lesh & Friends, The Flaming Lips, Bob Weir and Bruce Hornsby with Branford Marsalis, The Allman Brothers Band and your dad will all be there.

Pitchfork Music Festival
July 13-15, Chicago
Lollapalooza
Aug. 3-5, Chicago
www.pitchfork.com/festivals/chicago/2012
www.lollapalooza.com
The old marketing brand returns with a lineup that reads like the ghosts of Lollapalooza past (Red Hot Chili Peppers, At the Drive-In), present (Black Keys, Florence + the Machine) and future (Twin Shadow, SBTRKT). The stacked bill almost seems more Pitchforkian than the actual Pitchfork fest going on a couple weeks earlier featuring Grimes, Clams Casino, Sleigh Bells and Beach House.

Bonnaroo
June 7-10
Manchester, Tenn.
www.bonnaroo.com
In the past decade, Bonnaroo has become the ideal by which all other fests are judged, and a great example of what happens when you realize, whoops, you’ve become superpopular and need to book more than just jam bands. This year the likes of Skrillex, Radiohead, Mogwai, Das Racist, GZA, Santi-gold, The Roots and Foster the People give the nation’s hipsters a really confusing idea of what Tennessee is actually like. Luke O’Neil

Adam Lambert becomes first openly gay artist with no. 1 hit

REUTERS — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:20:23 -0400

Former "American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert pushed his fellow "Idol" alum off the top spot of the Billboard 200 chart on Wednesday to score his first No. 1 album with "Trespassing."

Lambert's second studio album sold 77,000 copies in its first week, a significantly lower debut than Underwood's "Blown Away" debut two weeks ago, which sold 267,000 copies to score the top spot on the chart.

"Blown Away" fell to No. 3 this week, behind Adele's juggernaut "21," which added a further 63,000 copies to its phenomenal sales record this week.

Lambert joins six other former "Idol" contestants who have topped the album chart -- Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, Chris Daughtry and Scotty McCreery.

Comedy rockers Tenacious D, comprising actors Jack Black and Kyle Gass, made an impressive debut at No. 5 with their third studio album "Rize of the Fenix," selling 44,000. Baltimore atmospheric pop band Beach House scored their highest debut to date with their fourth studio album "Bloom" at No. 7.

Fox's musical TV show "Glee" made its lowest chart debut to date, as their season 3 finale's "Graduation Album" sold 39,000 copies and clocked in at No. 8.

Newcomer Canadian pop star Carly Rae Jepsen broke Gotye's long-running streak at No. 1 on the Digital Songs chart with her infectious single "Call Me Maybe," which she performed at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday.

Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know" featuring Kimbra fell to No. 2, while the rest of the top five was rounded out by Maroon 5's "Payphone" featuring Wiz Khalifa, Nicki Minaj's "Starships" and fun.'s "We Are Young," featuring Janelle Monae, in that order.

'American Idol' recap: Phil Phillips will probably win, but who cares?

NICK DUSSAULT — Tue, 22 May 2012 23:31:56 -0400

If you blinked, you might have missed the final performances of the 12th season of "American Idol." If you actually watched, you may have been lulled into a deep sleep by the show's palpable lack of excitement. Either way, it's all over but the nailbiting results show Wednesday night.

The final showdown was billed as the battle of opposites: He’s a "21-year-old pawn shop worker and she's a 16-year-old powerhouse." Huh? Who writes this drivel?

After the judges made their grand entrance, the contestants began a grueling (for the audience) three round sing-off with little commentary from the panel (which was really a nice change).

In round one, they sang something chosen by the show's executive producer Simon Fuller. He must stand in line at the bank all day depositing his money. How else would you come up with Whitney Houston's 1993 single "I Have Nothing" for Jessica Sanchez? And why would you put her in a dress that she was so afraid to trip over she clutched it like a life rope tossed to a drowning man? Foreshadowing? Stay tuned.

Fuller chose the 1961 Ben E. King classic "Stand By Me" for Phillip Phillips. Must be another one of the muzak rotations in the bank. It's a 50 year-old song that’s been sung by everyone from John Lennon to Jimi Hendrix. He did a fine job, but it was hard not to wonder who would pay money to hear him sing this. Everyone who's ever strummed a guitar already has their own rendition.

Judges agreed round one went to Celine (er, Jessica) Sanchez. The rest of us were too busy yawning to care.

But before we go on, it's time for Jason Derulo’s triumphant return with his new song "Undefeated." The guy broke his neck rehearsing for a world tour. First night back he's covered in fog, standing on a folding chair and doing all sorts of things to prove he's in tip-top shape. The song, "Undefeated," is dreadful, but Coca-Cola is offering 10,000 free downloads. Based on this performance, it might hit 10,001 if girlfriend and "Idol" winner Jordin Sparks supports his work.

On to round two where the young pop-star wannabe chooses her favorite number from the season, "The Prayer." Again with the middle-aged woman music and the long dress. If she keeps this up, she'll be doing senior cruises before she finishes high school. Yes, she does have a great voice, but it takes more than that to make it. Ask Melinda Doolittle, if you can find her.

Of course, Phil Phil's choice for round two is the performance anyone of a certain age thinks he should be arrested for. You don't mess with Billy Joel's "Movin' Out." And if you must, it's "heart attack-ack-ack-ack-ack-ack. You ought to know by now." Judge Tyler mumbled "hatch or go bad." Nobody really knows what he was talking about. Round two was a split decision.

Following an ad for some new show called "The Choice," a hybrid of everything that's great about "The Dating Game" and "The Voice," it was time for the dueling duo to perform the song that will be their first single.

Typically, this has always been a horrific song that you'd have to be paid a million dollars to sing. Jessica's nightmare is called "Change Nothing." J. Lo called it a pop-ballad. Her eardrums must've popped. It actually sounds like dinner music on a cruise ship. Maybe Jessica should hang on to it after all.

Phil Phil fared much better with a song called "Home." It has a bit of a Simon & Garfunkel feel to it and we all know how contemporary that is. They pulled out all the stops for this one, however. Half way through the song 12 drummers drumming walked on stage in marching band formation and provided enough rhythm to wake the sleeping viewers just in time to vote.

Last year's winner, (see if you can name him), closed the show with a video montage. When it was all over, this viewer's phone was in the other room. Wasn't worth getting up just to vote. Looks easier to call than Reagan vs. Mondale. Game, set, match pawn shop boy. He's cute and he's got a guitar.

When it's all said and done, if the best thing you can say is that Seacrest is getting good at this job, perhaps it's time for “American Idol” to say farewell.

The sounds of summer: Philadelphia’s festival season has something for everyone

ELLIOTT SHARP, PHILADELPHIA — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:51:24 -0400

Roots Picnic
June 2 and 3 www.okayplayer.com
For the fifth consecutive year, the always-eclectic Roots Picnic lands at the Festival Pier at Penn's Landing. But this time it's bigger and better, with 20 performances spanning two days. As always, ?uestlove, Black Thought and the rest of the Legendary Roots Crew headline the picnic, but this year they also serve as the backing band for a performance by Golden Era hip-hop innovators De La Soul.

Must see: Indie-rock fans will be pleased to see St. Vincent and tUnE-yArDs take the stage, and for those craving frenetic dance music, don't miss former Philadelphian Diplo (who performs solo and with DJ Switch as Major Lazer) and James Murphy of the late LCD Soundsystem. But the weekend truly belongs to great hip-hop, with performances by emerging local Chill Moody, genre-smashing Power 99 DJ (and producer of Nicki Minaj's "Stupid Hoe") Diamond Kuts and experimental-rap duo Shabazz Palaces.

Riot Fest East
July 19-21, www.riotfest.org
Last year's inaugural Riot Fest East brought classic punk bands like X, The Descendants and Philly's Dead Milkmen to Penn's Landing. And this year, Riot Fest East expands to a three-day festival taking place at both the Festival Pier and the TLA on South Street.

Must See: Only the opening night has been announced so far, but it promises to be a wild one. Legendary Swedish punks Refused headline, followed by Midwest emo band The Promise Ring. Also on the bill is OFF!, the thrashing new punk quartet led by Keith Morris, who is a former member of Black Flag and the Circle Jerks. But the highlight of the first night will be the relatively unknown local band +HIRS+, who specialize in packing 30 second songs with unbelievable amounts of riot.

XPoNential Festival
July 20-22, www.xpn.org
Local Philly radio station WXPN's annual fest features more than 20 bands in three days at Wiggins Park on the Camden waterfront.

Must see: The lineup includes some exceptional bands: sometimes-experimental rockers Wilco, early '90s folk-rock stalwarts the Counting Crows, the hard-partying The Hold Steady, Canadian singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards and the new band led by Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo. But the local performers are the real highlights this year. Don't miss longtime West Philly favorites Dr. Dog, the jovial pop of Good Old War and the hard-traveling, pedal-to-the-metal rock 'n' roll of the War On Drugs.

Philadelphia Folk Festival
August 17-19, www.pfs.org
This longest continuously-running festival of its kind celebrates its 51st anniversary this year at Old Pool Farm in Upper Salford Township.

Must see: Roots-rock veterans Little Feat headline this year, with legendary songwriter and Grammy-nominee John Hiatt hot on their heels. First Lady Of Rockabilly Wanda Jackson, who made an immaculate comeback last year with the help of producer Jack White (White Stripes) on her album "The Party Ain't Over," brings her raucous twang down to the farm.

Summer at the Mann
www.manncenter.org
The Mann Center returns with its excellent summer concert series. The Philadelphia Orchestra takes over for three nights (July 19-21), and the Pittsburg Symphony performs music from the classic video game "The Legend Of Zelda" on July 25.

Must see: On June 23, Jill Scott hosts her Summer Block Party, which includes a performance by West Philly hero and Will Smith collaborator DJ Jazzy Jeff. The centerpiece of the Mann's summer series is two consecutive nights (July 29 and 30) with the ethereal Icelandic pop ensemble Sigur Ros.

Labor Day weekend: Made in America festival
Jay-Z's gigantic Labor Day weekend party on the Ben Franklin Parkway is gearing up to be the can't-miss event of the summer. On Sept. 1 and 2, nearly 30 artists will descend on Philadelphia for the Budweiser Made in America festival. "Everybody knows my love affair with Philly from the great artists I've signed from here," Jay-Z said at a press conference on the art museum steps. "It's going to be a great day in Philly."

'Hip Hop Squares' host Peter Rosenberg on finding 'the real gold'

PAT HEALY, BOSTON — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:21:24 -0400

When considering entertainers like Ghostface Killah, Fat Joe, Amber Rose and Bam Margera, the first word that comes to mind is not usually "square." But when Peter Rosenberg, host of the new MTV2 show, "Hip Hop Squares," talks about the celebrity participants on the show, this is the word he most often uses.

"There are all of these cool people in a situation where they don't have to try to be cool," says Rosenberg, who is best known as a DJ on New York City's Hot 97. "We had the hottest street and radio artist, 2 Chainz, and based on his persona, the idea of seeing him having fun and being casual is just awesome."

"Hip Hop Squares" is based on the classic game show, "Hollywood Squares." As was the case with that show, which reached peak popularity in the 1970s, nine famous personalities sit in the squares of a tic-tac-toe board. In this case though, most are affiliated with the world of hip-hop. While two contestants play tic-tac-toe against each other, they consult the celebs on trivia questions and can decide to take their advice or disregard it.

In one episode, Rosenberg poses the question: "Who is the female recording artist with the most No. 1 hits?" to which Nick Cannon, seated in the center square, excitedly shouts, "That would be my baby mama, Mariah Carey!"

The contestant disagrees.

"Those moments were awesome," laughs Rosenberg. "Every once in a while, we get moments where it's this no-brainer. ... And yet, people would still get it wrong. When those moments happen, that's when I think you get the real gold of the show."

It's hip-hop to be square

One of the slogans for "Hip Hop Squares" is "when the game show becomes a party," and it isn't unusual to see one of the "squares" with a drink in his or her hand.

"There was some partying," Rosenberg acknowledges. "There were episodes where it was out of control, but I don't know if I'd blame it on the partying so much as the cast of characters we had. It certainly had a feel that reminded me of the original ['Hollywood Squares']."

Tune in

"Hip Hop Squares" premieres Tuesday at 11 on MTV2.

Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb dies

REUTERS — Sun, 20 May 2012 19:18:30 -0400

Robin Gibb, who with his brothers Barry and Maurice formed the disco-era hit machine the Bee Gees, has died aged 62, his official website said on Sunday.

The singer had been battling colon and liver cancer.

"The family of Robin Gibb, of the Bee Gees, announce with great sadness that Robin passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery," a statement posted on his official website said.

"The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time."

The Bee Gees achieved superstardom in the 1960s and 1970s with a string of catchy love ballads and disco hits including "Stayin' Alive", "How Deep Is Your Love" and "Night Fever".

The band achieved album sales of up to 200 million copies, putting them in the same league as the likes of the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd.

Reggie Watts: Footloose and hands-free

LINDA LABAN, BOSTON — Thu, 17 May 2012 18:00:39 -0400

Wisely, Reggie Watts puts on a Bluetooth headset to chat as he's driving to LAX. It's comforting that he's chosen to go hands-free; to know he's safe. Except he's not actually driving.

"No, I have a professional to do that," he says somewhat aghast, like driving the strange L.A. streets is a preposterous idea. "I'm just going hands-free ... for no reason. I like hands-free."

Hands-free and ready to multitask at any moment, because that's how he works: improvising music live via good, old-fashioned on-the-spot recording, looping and beat boxing, and riffing in comedic turns at will.

And it's working for him. This spring, Watts' tour zips through the U.S.; his May-released live CD/DVD "Reggie Watts: A Live In Central Park," which premiered on Comedy Central, is joined by a second release, "Reggie Watts Live at Third Man Records," which was recorded at Jack White's Nashville Studio. Next month, he's in the cast of IFC's "Comedy Bang! Bang!" performing music with "Mad Men" star Jon Hamm, among other things. He just finished a cameo role in Steven Soderbergh's upcoming film "Bitter Pill," too.

"I did a scene with Jude Law. That was very weird, surreal. I was the crazy person on the street yelling," Watts laughs. "I want to do more film. There are a lot of studios asking me if I have any ideas. But I don't want things to be too contracty. I want things to be simple. I want to just keep doing some fun stuff."

Conan the helper

Watts, a Montana native who cut his performing teeth in Seattle before moving to Brooklyn, got a career leg-up when Conan O'Brien took him under his wing a couple of years ago. "Yeah, he did give me a boost and that really helps,"?Watts says. "I just like to tinker around and be happy performing."

'Queen of Disco' Donna Summer dead at 63

PAT HEALY/CASSANDRA GARRISON, NEW YORK — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:42:13 -0400

After a battle with cancer, singer Donna Summer passed away Thursday morning at the age of 63.

The singer, who was born LaDonna Gaines in Dorchester, Mass. was known as the "Queen of Disco" because of her string of mega hits in the 1970s, which included "Hot Stuff," "Love to Love You Baby" and "Last Dance." In a little more than a year she charted four No. 1 singles.

Though she reached superstardom and earned most of her five Grammy awards in the disco era, Summer's success stretched into more contemporary times. She landed No. 1 singles in the '80s, '90s, 2000s and even this decade: "To Paris With Love" topped the Billboard Dance Charts in October of 2010.

The singer will probably best be remembered for not only her contribution to disco, but her help in inventing the genre with producer Giorgio Moroder. The songs were often long symphonic suites with relaxed funky back beats and Summer's sexy coo breezing on the top layer.

But as the trend faded, Summer was able to distance herself from disco. She had one of her strongest hits in 1983 with "She Works Hard For the Money," an anthem of female empowerment that showed Summer was ready for the MTV age.

The singer had been diagnosed with cancer but had reportedly been well enough to work on an album in Florida until her health took a turn for the worse.

VIDEO: 'Don't Let Me Die': Bobby Brown's song for Whitney Houston on 'The Tonight Show'

CASSANDRA GARRISON, NEW YORK — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:50:11 -0400

An emotional Bobby Brown took the stage on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and performed a song that was clearly about dealing with the death of his ex-wife Whitney Houston.

The heartfelt lyrics offered a glimpse into Brown's regret about their fractured relationship and the hope that he doesn't suffer the same fate as Houston. The song is featured on Brown's new album, set to be released in June.

Whitney Houston died in February after a long history of substance abuse. Since her death, Brown has said in interviews that Houston was hooked on drugs long before she met him and he claims he "didn't get high" before meeting her, contrary to the popular public opinion that he responsible for her downward spiral into addiction.

But between interviews, Brown has apparently been busy song-writing, as he demonstrated last night. His song for Whitney features lyrics like:

I didn’t realize that every breath I took was from you ... You were my air.

Don't let me die, girl.

I guess I messed up pretty bad, I didn’t know who you were, I didn’t know what we had. Now I’m stuck living in the past, trying to get the pieces back, but I guess now you’re gone.

See the performance in the video below. Go to 38:42 to hear "Don't let me die."