Music

Going bananas for an up-and-coming Philly musician.

It’s been rolling for weeks now. You click on an interesting link–Keira Knightley upskirt photo, per chance–and you find yourself instead watching the video for Rick Astley’s 1987 transatlantic No. 1 hit “Never Gonna Give You Up.” You’ve just been Rickrolled–as have an estimated 13 million others. The gag–started on 4chan.org, the website...

Just when you thought Mars Volta couldn’t get more strange, more alien, they let long-dead spirits write the lyrics for their new album The Bedlam in Goliath. And not just any long-dead spirits. Evil long-dead spirits. Ask anyone who knows (Art Bell, Ray Parker Jr.). They’re the worst kind. The story goes...

Alvin and the Chipmunks Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Razor and Tie) Hearing imaginary chipmunks sing Daniel Powter’s power ballad “Bad Day,” complete with dramatic echoes, is creepy and quite possibly evil. It’s also a lot like those Kidz Bop versions of Top 40 hits sung by a choir of children–absurd but possibly...

Young folks in Philly have embraced Baltimore club music as their own, but they’ve had very little to do with the production end of the genre’s sound. Enter Dante “Dwizz” Winn, Philadelphia’s first bona fide party music artist and club music pioneer. Dwizz’s original tracks “Salt Pepper Ketchup & Hot Sauce” and...

“If you can’t rip it, you got ripped off!” A tall black-haired kid thrusts fliers into the hands of people passing by Tower Records on South Street. He’s being loud. But he’s not advertising any promotion at Tower. In fact, Tower employees emerge from the store shortly after he starts handing out...

… Chamillionaire Real name: Hakeem Seriki Age: 26 Hometown: Houston. Some background: Chamillionaire started off on Houston’s Swishahouse label with Paul Wall. They left in search of more money, put out the Get Ya Mind Correct mixtape and eventually parted ways on bad terms. Before his major label deal, Chamillionaire’s Mixtape Messiah (2004) was infamous on the streets and sold...

Various Artists Listen to What the Man Said: Popular Artists Pay Tribute to the Music of Paul McCartney Oglio Coming Up: Independent Artists Pay Tribute to the Music of Paul McCartney Oglio While these two tributes to Sir Paul are dominated mostly by out-of-towners-some better known (Barenaked Ladies) than others (the Jellybricks)-there...