WXPN Features The Lumineers as the XPN Artist To Watch for April

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Created on Monday, 02 April 2012 19:41

PHILADELPHIA, PA - April 2, 2012 - WXPN, the nationally-recognized leader in Triple A music and non-commercial radio service of the University of Pennsylvania, names The Lumineers as its April Artist To Watch. WXPN Music Director and Host Dan Reed presented the first of the month's on-air segments today, April 2, in the 4 p.m. hour.

After leaving the hustle and bustle of New York City for Denver, front-men Wesley Shultz and Jeremiah Fraites found a third member in cellist Neyla Pekarek and began playing at the basement club Meadowlark for a lively audience. The Lumineers have since created a name for themselves with their eclectic mix of melodic stomp-and-clap acoustic rock, classic pop, and front-porch indie folk music all rolled into one intriguing sound. With such a combination of musical styles, channeling such sounds as created by the Avett Brothers and Ryan Adams simultaneously; The Lumineers create a unique listening experience that has really taken audiences by storm. After receiving rave reviews at SXSW and playing the XPN Radio Day Stage at SXSW in March, they have built even more of a following nationally. The Lumineers release their debut full-length album on April 3rd and play Johnny Brenda's on April 24th.

"We're digging the band's debut album, however coming off of several high profile SXSW shows, I was really impressed with the band's live performance, particularly at the WXPN Radio Day Stage performance," says Bruce Warren, Assistant General Manager of Programming for WXPN. "Musically the band fits right in between The Civil Wars and The Head and The Heart. The Lumineers' blend of melodic acoustic rock and pop and front porch indie-folk is a winning combination. I think this band will really appeal to XPN listeners."

"You'll find yourself singing along to their song `Ho Hey` after one listen," says Dan Reed, "and that's what they do best - craft rootsy, sing-along tunes that remind you of a whole lot of things, but nothing in particular."

For more on the XPN Artists To Watch series and this month's featured artist click here.

Since 2003, the XPN Artists To Watch series has been a reflection of WXPN's commitment to nurturing fresh, new talent and exposing listeners to the best new music. Each month, the XPN Artists To Watch series spotlights a different up-and-coming performer who has produced an album or body of work that demonstrates outstanding vision, creativity and songwriting ability. Month-long on-air promotion is combined with online features to help audiences discover each artist.

WXPN, the nationally recognized leader in Triple A radio and the premier guide for discovering new and significant artists in rock, blues, roots and folk, is the non-commercial, member-supported radio service of the University of Pennsylvania. WXPN produces World Cafe®, public radio’s most popular program of popular music hosted by David Dye and syndicated by NPR, and the Peabody Award winning Kids Corner hosted by Kathy O’Connell. WXPN also produces XPN2 as its secondary radio channel in HD. WXPN serves the greater Philadelphia area at 88.5 FM, the Lehigh Valley at 104.9, Worton/Baltimore at 90.5 FM, Lancaster/York at 88.7 FM, Harrisburg at 99.7 FM and the world via online streaming at XPN.org.