WXPN Local Picks – Week of September 2, 2025
Bands that cross genre lines and draw influence from the greats are in the Local Picks mix this week.
Every weekday afternoon in the 1:00 hour, WXPN celebrates the Philly-regional music scene with the WXPN Local Picks. That’s when midday host Mike Vasilikos presents a hand-picked new song by an artist rooted in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Delaware. Here’s who Mike has on deck this week! Tune in to hear these songs on the radio every day at 1 p.m., and for more Philly music, don’t miss the WXPN Local Show with John Vettese every Tuesday night at 8 p.m.
Tuesday 9/2: Ben Smith – “Wild Love”
West Chester singer-songwriter and educator makes pop music infused with worldly wisdom, and his latest album Outro recalls Brian Wilson, Randy Newman, Jeff Tweedy and more. We’ll hear “Wild Love” on Tuesday as Ben gets ready for two local shows: this Saturday, September 6th, at the Kennett Square Mushroom Festival, and next Saturday, September 13th, at the Midnight Mountain Music Show festival in Blakeslee, PA.
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Wednesday 9/3: Magic America – “play the drums”
Hazy, dazy Philly indie pop three-piece Magic America shares their name with a classic Blur song and makes dreamy songs that blur genre lines and get stuck in your head. Their album, Get In The Truck, just came out on August 29th, and we’ll give you a snapshot of it with the incredibly catchy single “play the drums.”
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Thursday 9/4: Mae Weaver – “I’m Sorry I Ruined Your Night”
In the spirit of yearning, reflective indie rockers like Julien Baker and Soccer Mommy, the Philly area singer-songwriter Mae Weaver just released her debut EP Talk Like You’ll Stay. We’ll introduce you to Mae this Thursday with the opening track, “I’m Sorry I Ruined Your Night.”
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Friday 9/5: Carmen Perry – “Pictures”
As lead singer and co-songwriter of Philly area indie rock four-piece Remember Sports, Carmen Perry makes rock music that’s simultaneously rambunctious and introspective. Perry’s terrific new solo record, Eyes Like A Mirror, continues with the introspection but stretches out the dynamics even further, mixing high energy with soft serenity. “Pictures” falls in the middle, sounds wonderful, and we’ll hear it to close out the week on Friday; Remember Sports plays a free concert at Spruce Street Harbor Park next Thursday, September 11th.
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