Summer is here, and although Philly is pretty-much a “year-round” city, I do look forward to the uptick in music-related events and things that happen here in the warmer months. On the new releases front, a lot of acts are out on tour, but some folks are home, playing shows and releasing new projects. Here’s a quick round-up of some of my favorite local music-related events that occurred throughout June (and one for early July!).
Savan De Paul at Porchfest | still from video
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John Morrison’s Philly Top 5: June highlights from Richmond Street Flea to Vinyl Tap
As spring segues to summer and the temperature heats up, here are five things that caught John Morrison’s attention in the Philly region.
Richmond Street Flea
On the last Sunday of every month, a variety of vendors and stores come together for the Richmond Street Flea, an open-air market stroll that stretches from Clearfield Street to Allegheny Ave. in Port Richmond. My partner Melissa and I hung out for a bit at the June Flea, and it was lovely. There were vendors selling vintage clothing, @seed.philly and a few other folks selling plants, and of course, I bought records from Launderette Records and DJ Hardbargain.
The next Richmond St Flea is July 31st, time TBA but presumably 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Savan DePaul aka Ishtar Sr., Live @ Porchfest
I wasn’t able to catch Savan DePaul aka Ishtar Sr.’s set at this year’s West Philly Porchfest, but thankfully they’ve made the entire unique and eclectic set available for download on Bandcamp. Instrumentals like “Practice 4 Paradise (Reprise)”, and “Free Spirits” are rhythmic and textural gems, while “Full Metal Boa” features Savan dropping bars over a bass-heavy beat.
Forest Kids Collective
With 27 unique projects/musical monikers, Forest Kids Collective is the brainchild of Philly-based, one-man musical polyglot, Paul G. Marchesani. With a ton of releases available on Bandcamp, FKC’s sound spans the rich and melodic ambient sound of Crossing Bridges to Yiddie’s chilling, minimalist instrumentation.
Pyramid Dreams by the Forest Kids Collective came out on June 23rd.
Philth Spector Presents The Sounds of Philthadelphia Vol. 2
Philth Spector is a Philly-based sampling musician, and his latest is a tribute to Gamble & Huff’s Philadelphia International Records and the heavy catalog of songs that the label produced. Using classic PIR cuts as source material, Spector flips these beloved tracks into magical, head-nodding beats.
The Sounds of Philthadelphia Vol. 2 by Philth Spector came out on June 3rd.
Vinyl Tap 215 7/2/22 @ Amalgam Comics
Founded by my main man, DJ DuiJi 13, Vinyl Tap 215 bills itself as a group therapy session camouflaged as an all-vinyl DJ event. True to that stance, Vinyl Tap 215 feels like a monthly family reunion with DJs, friends, and fam coming together to get on the decks and spin records. The next Vinyl Tap 215 is coming up July 2nd and it’ll be hosted at Amalgam Comics (one of my favorite spots in the city). Come through and check out the music and vendors. I’ll be bringing some funky 45s to play.