WXPN Welcomes
American Babies
The Great Unknown, Chris Kasper
Sat, July 30, 2011
9:00 pm
The Blockley$10.00 - $12.00
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American Babies
Since 2007 American Babies has been the mouthpiece for Philadelphia based musician Tom Hamilton. After spending the early 2000s building a national fan base fronting the electro-rock band Brothers Past, releasing two critically acclaimed albums and averaging 150 shows a year, a change was in order. Hamilton looked to shed the electronic “bleeps-n-boops“ production that had become his calling card and make an album that was loose, rolling and full of vibe.
“Being in a band can get to be very political, where everyone needs to be happy. That doesn’t always lead to artistic fulfillment,” Hamilton says. “I had a vision I wanted to follow but felt that going solo as a singer/songwriter wasn’t a very comfortable fit for me. Then it dawned on me to just start another band where I’m the only real constant member. Problem solved.”
So Hamilton moved to Brooklyn and enlisted friends Joe Russo (Benevento/Russo Duo, Grateful Dead offshoot Furthur), Kevin Kendrick (Fat Mama), and brother Jim Hamilton to hit the studio with producer Jon Altschiller (Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Rachael Yamagata) and a dozen songs that spawned American Babies self-titled release (2008 Sci Fidelity).
“Being in a band can get to be very political, where everyone needs to be happy. That doesn’t always lead to artistic fulfillment,” Hamilton says. “I had a vision I wanted to follow but felt that going solo as a singer/songwriter wasn’t a very comfortable fit for me. Then it dawned on me to just start another band where I’m the only real constant member. Problem solved.”
So Hamilton moved to Brooklyn and enlisted friends Joe Russo (Benevento/Russo Duo, Grateful Dead offshoot Furthur), Kevin Kendrick (Fat Mama), and brother Jim Hamilton to hit the studio with producer Jon Altschiller (Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Rachael Yamagata) and a dozen songs that spawned American Babies self-titled release (2008 Sci Fidelity).
The Great Unknown
Philadelphia’s The Great Unknown coaxes gentle, nuanced alt-country from the convergence of five voices, riding atop a plethora of stringed instruments that gracefully dance in and out between an amiable backroads shuffle. When it cuts loose, the quintet rocks convincingly, adding soundtracks of rowdy to postcards of roadside attractions.
Chris Kasper
Chris Kasper is quietly distinguishing himself from the crowd as a gifted singer/songwriter who follows neither genre nor format.
As part of the music community in Philadelphia, Kasper is regarded as a favorite by radio and fellow songwriters. A subtle showman, his songs, records and shows lift from the ground and surround. He has received some national critical acclaim from outlets such as iTunes, Ragged Magazine, ABC and has opened for Amos Lee and G. Love among others. Most recent news includes the completion of his latest recording The First Hundred Years Are The Hardest (due out 2011) produced by friend and peer Andrew Lipke. This collaboration has pushed Kasper's signature sound into further corners of the singer/ songwriter label and opened new possible directions for future efforts. While Chasing Another Sundown proved to be a meticulous production (Jeff Hiatt) with the thread of sweeping pedal steel by Adam Davis, The First Hundred... is sonically more electric and stylistically more varied. Like FlyingBoy, most of the instruments were played by Chris and Andrew with the occasional help of some key guest players including Fred Berman (Amos Lee) and Chris Giraldi (Rachel Yamagata).
As part of the music community in Philadelphia, Kasper is regarded as a favorite by radio and fellow songwriters. A subtle showman, his songs, records and shows lift from the ground and surround. He has received some national critical acclaim from outlets such as iTunes, Ragged Magazine, ABC and has opened for Amos Lee and G. Love among others. Most recent news includes the completion of his latest recording The First Hundred Years Are The Hardest (due out 2011) produced by friend and peer Andrew Lipke. This collaboration has pushed Kasper's signature sound into further corners of the singer/ songwriter label and opened new possible directions for future efforts. While Chasing Another Sundown proved to be a meticulous production (Jeff Hiatt) with the thread of sweeping pedal steel by Adam Davis, The First Hundred... is sonically more electric and stylistically more varied. Like FlyingBoy, most of the instruments were played by Chris and Andrew with the occasional help of some key guest players including Fred Berman (Amos Lee) and Chris Giraldi (Rachel Yamagata).