Welcome to another edition of ”From The Phans“!

Each week it’s ”From The Phans” on Phillies 24/7. You can find it on your HD Radio at 98.1 HD-4 every Thursday at 3pm, or you can find it right here! If you would like to be a part of next week’s episode please email me at metroradioshow@gmail.com.

It’s a show about being a Phillies fan, made by Phillies fans.

This week we sink into a deep depression after a 5 game losing streak, plus get a look at the Rockies with our friends from PurpleRow.com

From The Phans

I try to write about music every week. It’s cathartic, gives me an excuse to sink in a little deeper, and I like to share. But this week we’re kind of stuck between a Miley and a Hard Place Kanye. This week rings a little hollow considering that we got the “song of the summer” last week and get the “hey lets talk about race” album next week.

There are a couple bright spots but nothing outstanding.

Jimmy Eat World – Damage

I remember falling in love with “Clarity” when I was in high school. I thought I was cooler than the room when I went back and found “Static Prevails“. In a landscape dotted with Blink 182 and Eminem, they were something special. They’ve grown, I’ve grown, and we are both a long way from listening to “The Middle” on Dave Eves porch.

“Damage” is described as “an attempt at making an adult breakup record” by Jim Adkins. In that it succeeds I guess, however it still needs a few listens to permeate in any real way. It sounds like shades of the last couple albums, and a hint of The Replacements. None of that is bad, but I thought I was listening to the “adult breakup record” back in 1999?

The Goo Goo Dolls – Magnetic

If you listen closely enough you can hear a woman in Buffalo losing her mind! There’s a new Goo album out and it’s not bad. It’s pop, it’s friendly, it’s Goo. Good grief, I have zero edge.

Look, Johnny Rzeznick has awful hair but can write a tight song. These songs are all ready for the trailer to the next Kate Hudson “man I wish I had time for love, oh wait, it’s been right here it front of me the whole time” movie…but it’s still a good pop record. You still sing “Iris” in the car, whu not try this.

Listen with your mom or girlfriend who still owns her high school band instrument.

Oh Yeah And…

If you’re feeling the call to dance and “Daft Punk is OVER!” for you, then check out Jagwar Ma. Whether you like Surfer Blood or not, listen to “Demon Dance“.

While you are waiting for Yeezus, experience a little of the Kanye magic with this “samples” playlist. He’s a Wizard. Be kind to yourself and each other.

Welcome to another edition of ”From The Phans“!

Each week it’s ”From The Phans” on Phillies 24/7. You can find it on your HD Radio at 98.1 HD-4 every Thursday at 3pm, or you can find it right here! If you would like to be a part of next week’s episode please email me at metroradioshow@gmail.com.

It’s a show about being a Phillies fan, made by Phillies fans.

This week we debate how excited to get over being .500 and the swagger of Dom Brown with Mike Bertha from Philly.com. Plus PEDs, the future of Roy Halladay, and the Zambrano era.

From The Phans

I’ve never danced with “Molly”, and never ever have I done a “line in the bathroom”…but I AM ”turnt up” enough to know that Miley Cyrus has released the early favorite for “song of the summer”. “We Can’t Stop” is perfect! Just enough hip hop and EDM without turning off the old folks, just enough drugs and homegirl asses to make suburban white kids feel dangerous. She’s evolving! They’ve learned how to open doors! Hold on to your butts!

For serious, this song will be blaring out of every stereo and boardwalk t-shirt shop you can find this summer. You can fight it, but for the same reasons that “We Are Young” from Fun. was huge, “We Can’t Stop” will touch every corner of your summer.

Now if you’re saying “Bro, I’m not listening to Miley Cyrus…I got squats to do and I’m not a chick”, I would say “Thanks for reading Roy Hibbert, here’s a few things that might better fit your sensitive palate”.

There’s a couple of albums this week that are worth it.

Queens Of The Stone Age dropped “…Like Clockwork” which is a lot of fun. More fun than I expected. Just a solid rock album in crunchy 70′s fashion, perfect for long drives. It’s a little dramatic at times, but it never gets too far away from the steering-wheel-drumming vibe. My standout track is “The Vampyre Of Time And Memory“.

Meanwhile, I don’t know if you have plans to be a stowaway on a railroad car this summer, but Houndmouth‘s “From The Hills Below The City” would be the perfect soundtrack. If not, maybe just pour a glass of whiskey and enjoy this dose of Americana. This is The Lumineers with a little more grit, with shades of The Band. But neither mention “freebasing” or “whips and chains” in their songs.

Also this week a new twist on Portugal. The Man with a little help from Danger Mouse, a hot single from Jadakiss, and a dance-your-face-off song off the Capital Cities album with a dose of Andre 3000. Enjoy!

Welcome to another edition of ”From The Phans“!

Each week it’s ”From The Phans” on Phillies 24/7. You can find it on your HD Radio at 98.1 HD-4 every Thursday at 3pm, or you can find it right here! If you would like to be a part of next week’s episode please email me at metroradioshow@gmail.com.

It’s a show about being a Phillies fan, made by Phillies fans.

This week we explore the rise of Dom Brown and the oblique of Chase Utley with former MLB Fan Cave member Gordon Mack, catch up with Cindy Webster on the state of Cole Hamels, and get ready for the Brewers series with Kyle Lobner from BrewCrewBall.com.

From The Phans

Welcome to another edition of ”From The Phans“!

Each week it’s ”From The Phans” on Phillies 24/7. You can find it on your HD Radio at 98.1 HD-4 every Thursday at 3pm, or you can find it right here! If you would like to be a part of next week’s episode please email me at metroradioshow@gmail.com.

It’s a show about being a Phillies fan, made by Phillies fans.

This week we ponder “the MRI” and Brad Lidge‘s retirement with Kevin Schilling, and get ready for the Nationals series with Joe Drugan from TheNatsBlog.com.

From The Phans

A few miles and many years north of Saves The Day, is another Jersey band that packs massive amounts of words and heart into three-minute pop songs.

This week, “Talon Of The Hawk“, marked the return of The Front Bottoms. Everything here is tighter and more focused than their full length debut two years ago. Gone is some of the violence and sex, making way for more pointed lyrical gems like “I want to be stronger than your dad was for your mom” and “goodbye future once so bright, meet my pregnant girlfriend“.

In other news, tell your girlfriend to check out the Laura Mvula album, and your little brother to check out Cam Meekins…but keep this one for yourself.

Last Friday night, Gordon and I went back to 1995 when Spacehog played Kung Fu Necktie in Philadelphia.

They put out a new album this year. It doesn’t have “In The Meantime” or “Mungo City” on it, soooooooo.

None the less, they ripped through a tight set, and I got to scream “From Mungo City!” in an appropriate setting for the first time ever.

After the show when Gordon wandered off to take care of some business, I noticed lead singer Royston Langdon sitting at the merch table. When the flow of picture-takers had slowed and I was clutching an empty “Natty Bo”, I decided to make my way over and talk with Royston for a bit.

This is that.

Royston Langdon Of Spacehog

Welcome to another edition of ”From The Phans“!

Each week it’s ”From The Phans” on Phillies 24/7. You can find it on your HD Radio at 98.1 HD-4 every Thursday at 3pm, or you can find it right here! If you would like to be a part of next week’s episode please email me at metroradioshow@gmail.com.

It’s a show about being a Phillies fan, made by Phillies fans.

This week we discuss the ups and downs of the season with Clinton Petty, and get ready for the Reds series with Kris Gardner from RedReporter.com.

From The Phans

Often in the back half of our twenties we get stuck between ideals. The consequences of life have become clearer and more ever-present. Not in a morbid way, but in a way that comes with a better understanding of the world. An understanding that you will never fully understand, but still feel around in the dark for the things that bring you peace. It’s then that the things that drive you shift, along with your views on life and love, how they commingle and make sense in the most confusing of times. You are rebuilding the castle with spare parts from the things you thought.

It’s a change between brooding self-interest to open minds for some. A more sincere love and a deeper examination of relationships, all born out of the recklessness of youth. But it’s not a life or thought that you graduate to. It’s a shaky upward climb. It’s a swerving ride across questions that you never thought to ask.

With that, we often spend this time with one foot intrenched in more than one mindset. Looking back with fondness but appreciating the lessons learned since. Holding on to loves past while you view missteps through a clearer lens, and shaking old habits of flawed thinking while discovering new worlds in plain sight.

There are things in our lives that are no longer infinite, so we better get to living while we can. We once thought we had things figured out, but we don’t. The good news is in learning that “figuring it out” is the journey worth taking. The question we never thought to ask is the life we were meant to live, and the loves that come and go are just a part of that question.

In my mind, Vampire Weekend has written a love letter to being in this place. It’s called “Modern Vampires Of The City“.

“Wisdom’s a gift, but you’d trade it for youth. Age is an  honor – it’s still not the truth.”

Along the way they explore time, religion, love, and self-understanding….but never come to a resolution. I think that’s the point, and why this album is beautiful. There is no resolution, just these words that leave you…

“you take your time, young lion”

It’s worth your time, no matter where you find your footing.

Grilled Chicken Sandwiches and Rock N’ Roll rarely go together. Nor should they. However at World Cafe Live these worlds often collide. I’m sure it makes sense as some acoustically croon from the stage in this beautiful venue, but it seems a little odd as Lady Lamb The Beekeeper slams her heart against echoing guitars and snare slams in songs such as “Bird Balloons“. It’s uncommon, but such is life for Aly Spaltro.

It was in full display as she played World Cafe Live in Philadelphia on May 12th.

Lady Lamb The Beekeeper is the stage name chosen by Spaltro. Her gut-wrenching descriptions of love were first conceived in the basement of a video store in Maine, then taken to Brooklyn, and unleashed to the mainstream this year in the album “Ripely Pine“.

Before the show we sat in a room and talked movies, music, and Maine.

Lady Lamb The Beekeeper

Scope this latest edition of ”From The Phans“!

Each week it’s ”From The Phans” on Phillies 24/7. You can find it on your HD Radio at 98.1 HD-4 every Thursday at 3pm, or you can find it right here! If you would like to be a part of next week’s episode please email me at metroradioshow@gmail.com.

It’s a show about being a Phillies fan, made by Phillies fans.

This week we explore the future of Roy Halladay and breakdown the week on the west coast with Mike Bertha from Philly.com and Cindy Webster. Plus ours friends from AZSnakepit.com are back to get us up to speed for the Diamondbacks series.

From The Phans

What do Des’ree and Lana Del Rey have in common? Almost nothing. But both will be remembered as the stand out tracks on phenomenal Baz Luhrmann soundtracks.

If you listen closely you can hear the 16-year-old girl pre-selecting “Young And Beautiful” as her wedding song for May of 2020. Which honestly, is a little misguided…like politicans entering campaign rallies to “Born In The USA“, but it’s still brutally beautiful.

That’s just the tip for the gem that is “The Great Gatsby” soundtrack. Jay-Z did his homework.

A couple of other standouts…

Jay-Z – 100$ Bill

It’s rapid fire, the drums are set to 11, and Hov likens himself to everyone he can think of throughout history. Like “We Didn’t Start The Fire” with a Rocawear belt buckle.

Emeli Sande – Crazy In Love

You realize what a solid song “Crazy In Love” is when you strip it down and jazz it up. Must have been tough doing Bey for Jay while Bey was with Dre 3K on another track though. I’m dizzy.

Editors Note: The only thing more dated then the Gatsby roaring 20′s in the lyric “got me hoping you page me right now”. Good grief Bell Atlantic!

Florence And The Machine – Over The Love

This song is special. It’s just for this moment, and once you see the world of Gatsby on film you can’t help but be transported back to his dock when you hear it. For serious.

The movie is great. The soundtrack is great. Dress like a flapper, get a cigarette holder, and throw this on the phonograph.

Oh yeah, and…

There’s a couple also-rans from this week.

She & Him – Volume 3

Are you over Zooey yet? I don’t want to be, but I feel like a little goes a long way. I was genuinely surprised this was still a thing. Part of me thinks she made it just to show Ben Gibbard she was serious.

Talib Kweli – Prisoner Of Conscious

He’s still one of my favorite MC’s of all time, I just wish Kanye was making more beats for him. Yeezy needs to be a little more Kweli and a little less 2 Chainz. PS – It’s worth it just to hear Busta Rhymes scream about pork on “Rocket Ships“

Straight No Chaser – Under The Influence

This is a real thing.

Vampire Weekend next week. Yeeeeeeeeeee! I mean “Fuck Yeah!”. But seriously, yeeeeeeeee!

I am nerded out for Vampire Weekend‘s “Modern Vampires Of The City” to come out on May 14th. I know…that’s the whitest sentence ever. What if I told you I was wearing a Lacoste polo and Sperrys as I wrote it?

There’s a lot of gems in the piece NPR did with them this week. Like for instance, the album cover is from the New York City smog problem of 1966 which you might remember from THIS Mad Men episode. Or that the band treats the three albums like a continuing story with the last track always meant to be followed by the following album’s first.

Someone just made my list of things to do that night.

But the real interesting thing to me was surrounding the song ”Step“. Which if you haven’t heard it yet…LISTEN!

It’s a special song, that I can’t wait to come to me via a device besides YouTube. But I had no idea of its origins.

Bob Boilen: “Step” has its origins in a song by the Bay Area rap group Souls of Mischief.

Ezra Koenig: Souls Of Mischief I’ve always loved. I kind of associate them with the first time that I really started become a music fan as a young teenager. This song apparently was recorded around the time of their first album, which was called 93 ’til Infinity, but it never made the record and it floated around as a bootleg for awhile. I only discovered it five or six years ago but it always really stuck with me, especially the chorus. I didn’t know where it came from but they’re kind of like scratching somebody saying, “Every time I see you in the world, you always step to my girl.” Slowly as I listened to this song, I found myself kind of writing this alternate song based on that phrase.

I see…

Ok, I can kick it, yes I can. Consider yourself added to the playlist. But wait…what? There’s more?

Ezra Koenig: Later we found out that that in of itself is a sample from a rapper called YZ. We didn’t know that at the time. This was kind of the inspiration to write this other song that became “Step.”

You can also hear how the vocal melody of our chorus kind of riffs on that saxophone sample that you hear on the Souls of Mischief song. We had to go clear the samples, and we had to find out where Souls of Mischief gathered all their pieces from. Like I said, that line, “every time I see you in the world, you always step to my girl,” comes from this rapper YZ. But that saxophone melody is actually a cover by Grover Washington Jr. of a song by Bread called “Aubrey,”

Wow. 1:25 mark if you will…

AND…

So that means that is this?

Breathe. You just got Inception’d by Vampire Weekend! May 14th countdown is on.

It’s a ”lets never go to Cleveland again” edition of ”From The Phans“!

Each week it’s ”From The Phans” on Phillies 24/7. You can find it on your HD Radio at 98.1 HD-4 every Thursday at 3pm, or you can find it right here! If you would like to be a part of next week’s episode please email me at metroradioshow@gmail.com.

It’s a show about being a Phillies fan, made by Phillies fans.

This week we recap the mess in Cleveland, talk with former MLB Fan Cave member Gordon Mack, and “Instant Baseball” author Brad Mangin.

From The Phans