London

Johnny Brenda’s has hosted several exceptionally quick sell-outs of soon-to-be superstars this year, notably hyperpop chanteuse Hannah Diamond and queer country icon CMAT.  However, none have seemed to be quite as destined for superstardom as Dublin-born, London-based singer/songwriter Orla Gartland, who played an immediately sold-out show on her immediately...

“We’re gonna have a big old fat party!” says Serra Petale, songwriter and guitarist of London-based quartet Los Bitchos, who kicked off a seven-date North American tour last night in DC and will be headlining our very own Underground Arts tonight, 9/23 (And Petale admits to being a big...

US audiences have now been patiently waiting for almost nine months for London singer/songwriter Marika Hackman’s first North American tour in more than five years, announced late this January, shortly after the release of her self-produced (along with Sam Petts-Davies and longtime collaborator Charlie Andrew) fourth LP, Big Sigh,...

The last time we saw Arlo Parks in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection was last May, when the West London-raised, Los Angeles-based soulful indie pop singer/songwriter played an exceptionally intimate performance for WXPN members that provided one of the highlights of last year’s NON-COMM at World...

I recently documented 20 of the hardest-to-believe-they-ever-happened Philadelphia shows of the past 20 years, which included Caroline Polachek fronting Chairlift for a crowd of about 30 at KFN in 2009, Charli XCX playing to under 20 at North Star Bar in 2012, and Billie Eilish’s first-ever Philthy appearance, which...

This past Saturday, November 4th, the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection got a live preview of next year’s most anticipated album, Prelude to Ecstasy, at what very well might be remembered as a legendary show in the very near future.  The album is the first full-length from...

Earlier this month London-based singer/songwriter Naima Bock (formerly of Goat Girl) released “Lines,” a stand-alone single on Sub Pop/Memorials of Distinction.  The track was engineered and produced by Ali Chant in 2022, and is the follow-up to Bock’s solo debut, Giant Palm (released last year on Sub Pop), which...

This July London-based, internationally bred pop outfit Superorganism released World Wide Pop, the year’s most unabashedly candid collection of songs, and also one of the year’s best.  New York Times called the band’s sophomore album, “An explosion of bubble-gum hooks, wild production ideas and genuinely poignant reflections about growing...

London-based Postmodern pop prodigy Tiberius b got the gig opening TOPS’ current US tour in kind of an interesting way: “Part of the reason I’m touring with TOPS is because they had one space left in their van, so they said if I can perform my stuff solo, I...