1. A Ghost Walks into a Supermarket (0:03)
2. New Front Porch (3:03)
3. It's Okay to Carrot (5:34)
4. Frozen Moo Cow (9:27)
5. Interview (12:19)
BAND PICK: zekibird
Recorded December 2014 in Bethlehem, PA.
1. RDS (0:03)
2. Lazy Flames (3:30)
3. I Lust What I Lust (7:13)
4. Sweat Hound (11:35)
5. Interview (20:56)
Recorded in August 2014 in Bethlehem, PA.
Bethlehem band Explorers, recorded in September 2014.
1. Bear (0:03)
2. Lysis (6:19)
3. Add Vices (8:40)
4. Saltwater Testaments (12:21)
5. Interview (17:44)
H O R S E (Band Pick):
https://whorse.bandcamp.com/
Explorers:
https://soundcloud.com/theexplorers
"Punk gospel family freakout" is a phrase used by this Philadelphia-based band to describe their music, and it's as good as any. St. James & The Apostles is truly a family affair, with all three members being related. Picking up with the garage rock stylings of vocalist Jamie Mohon's previous band, The Three Four Tens, St. James & The Apostles adds the feel of an exuberant church service to their live performances. True to their name, Mahon has the style of a preacher and it feels like he's testifying to the crowd. Another essential ingredient in the band's sound is provided by organist, Mike Kiker, who uses three keyboards stacked together to fill the sonic space of another guitarist and bass player. Rounding out the group's rhythm section is drummer Jeff Castner who provides a heavy-handed back-beat.
St. James & The Apostles are no strangers to the Lehigh Valley, having performed at The Funhouse in Bethlehem in July 2014 with Poor Luther's Bones, a great Valley band. They joined us at Shards in September 2014 and performed songs off their recently-released album, Via Dolorosa.
1. 90 Day Chip
2. Rent Boy Blues
3. Till Yr Gone
4. St. James Infirmary
5. Interview
Midwestern Exposure (Band Pick):
https://midwesternexposure.bandcamp.com/
St. James & The Apostles:
https://stjamestheapostles.bandcamp.com/
In June 2014, the four members of Sing, Bird of Prey had only played one official show before coming to Shards to record their session. Tape Swap's Matt Molchany happened upon the band in their Kresgeville, Pennsylvania practice space in a hunt for audio equipment and immediately invited the band to record. Sing, Bird of Prey's psych rock inclinations never venture too far into ambling haziness. Instead, the band seems to keep a cohesiveness structure to their songwriting in the back of their minds at all times.
This focused ambition seems to run all throughout what Sing, Bird of Prey does including being meticulous about their live sound at performances . "We want everything to be heard because it's a little more complex than what we're used to." It's this complex sound that is the reason the band wants to move away from playing basement punk shows that some of the band members' previous projects frequented. "Even though we're straying away from the punk scene, we're still writing songs from the heart." Ultimately, the band hopes to connect with listeners in a real way. "That's what we want to get across--the raw emotion that's put into it. That's what I'd like, and we'd all would like, people to feel when they go see us or listen to us."
1. Wild Type
2. Microsatellite
3. Downstream
4. Crystal Embryo
5. Interview
The Holy Mess (Band Pick):
http://fucktheholymess.com/
Sing, Bird of Prey:
https://singbirdofprey.bandcamp.com/