WXPN Radio

The premier guide for new and significant artists in rock, blues, and folk - including NPR-syndicated World Cafe ®

Listen Xpo

24/7 Musical discovery. A unique mix of emerging and heritage blues, rock, world, folk, and alt-country artists.

Singer Songwriter Radio

Featuring classics from heritage troubadours to new musicians and bands in the singer-songwriter tradition.

Folk Radio

Folk music radio streaming on the web; Americana, Roots Music, recordings, and stories from folk's best.
Listen Live

Good Old War - Come Back as Rain - Sargent House

Few bands have the natural chemistry that you’ll find on Come Back As Rain, the new album from XPN Artist To Watch, Good Old War. The latest album from the Philadelphia trio is all at once a comfortable, feel good collection and a fresh step forward. Keith Goodwin, Tim Arnold and Daniel Schwartz capture liveliness on Come Back As Rain that they’ve been applauded for onstage and translate it somewhat effortlessly in the studio.



In so many ways Good Old War is a band that is easy to root for. Besides being genuinely affable, they’ve worked extremely hard building a fan base the old-fashioned way through continuous touring and captivating live performances. However, that work ethic doesn’t take a break when they hit the studio. Come Back As Rain is the perfect next step for the young trio. It’s an album that is reflective of what we’ve come to know of the band, each member playing a vital and significant role. Their three voices become one on this record and in effect there is a ‘sing-a-long’ quality to the full album that magnetically pulls you in as a listener. You’re drawn around the campfire on songs like “Loud Love” and can’t help but get a feel for life on the road after a lap through “Can’t Go Home.”

Much of Come Back As Rain from a storytelling perspective does deal with the realities of taking it to the next level as a band and literally living most of your days on the road. And while that subject matter doses produce both optimism and longing, the band’s performance is so upbeat and playful it ultimately makes these songs difficult to resist. Fair to say good things are on the horizon for Good Old War upon the release of Come Back As Rain.

Good Old War's Come Back as Rain
CD of the Month April 2012

Join the CD of the Month Club today.

Pick up Good Old War's Come Back As Rain from Amazon.com. Your purchase that starts here supports WXPN Public Radio.

Non-COMM Recap: Going introspective with John Murry (photos, audio, setlist)

With just his guitar and his voice, Bay Area by way of Mississippi songwriter John Murry played an emotional, powerful set Wednesday...Read More

Non-COMM Recap: Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside dabble in retro rock (photos, audio, setlist)

Portland retro group Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside showed the Non-COMM crowd its rockability in a feisty set that closed out...Read More

Non-COMM Recap: The late night gets weird with Foxygen (photos, audio, setlist)

Quirky upstate New York four-piece Foxygen got crazy in a late-night Non-COMM set yesterday that blended Doors-esque poppy psychedelia...Read More

Non-COMM Recap: Robert Randolph makes steel strings sing and the crowd dance (photos, audio)

Slide guitar wizard and XPN favorite Robert Randolph got the downstairs crowd at World Cafe Live dancing in his Non-COMM set....Read More

Watch Surgeon perform “Greed” at Garage Mahal (playing Johnny Brenda’s on Sunday)

Local thrash / metal band Surgeon has been readying its long-in-the-making new full-length Chemical Reign for the past couple years...Read More