Andrew Earles on Writing Music

Andrew Earles writes, speaks and promotes music nearly everywhere you turn. From his just-published book, Hüsker Dü: The Story of the Noise Punk Pioneers Who Launched Modern Rock, to his frequent appearances on WFMU’s The Best Show, to his writing in blogs, newspapers, magazines and zines fromTennessee’s The Memphis Flyer to ubiquitous hipster tattler Vice, Earles has a unique voice as critic, humorist and writer. Join prolific writer Andrew Earles as he talks about the challenges and techniques of writing histories, the methods and craft of music journalism, his influences and the process of writing and publishing.

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Book cover of Hüsker Dü: The Story of the Noise Punk Pioneers Who Launched Modern Rock

Andrew Earles

November 3, Rock and Roll with Barrelhouse Literary Magazine

Philly-area authors read rock and rolling stories, essays, and poems about growing Bob Dylan’s beard, the unromantic side of sex, touring with Nick Cave, and the middle-aged tepid glory of Night Ranger. Barrelhouse Literary Magazine presents short readings on Rock & Roll, engaging the audience while embracing the attitude. Barrelhouse is a biannual print journal that bridges the gap between serious art and pop culture and features fiction, poetry, interviews, and essays about music, art, and the detritus of popular culture. Stories originally published in Barrelhouse have been featured in the Best American Nonrequired Reading, Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy, and the Million Writer’s Award.

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Reviews Reviews Reviews Barrelhouse has quickly established itself as a refuge… where irreverence and humor take precedence over traditional literary forms DCist.com Barrelhouse offers the best of both worlds. The material is literary and meaningful while maintaining broad appeal. Newpages.com

Book cover of Barrelhouse Issue Nine illustrated in graphic novel style: two vertical panels with close up of a woman's face in top panel and a man's eyes at bottom

Music by the People, for the People, of the People: Philly Jazz, Gospel, and Mummers

The music of the Mummers, jazz and gospel have this in common: all three are original, American musical forms created, celebrated and listened to in Philadelphia. Join Patricia Anne Masters of George Mason University, Carol Muller of the University of Pennsylvania and Diane Turner of Temple’s Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection in a program that celebrates the diversity of Philadelphia music and the creation of unique musical cultures around Mummers Day, jazz and West Philadelphia gospel.

Masters is a professor of sociology and anthropology at George Mason University, and author of The Philadelphia Mummers: Building Community Through Play (Temple University Press). She spent more than five years with the Mummers, observing their lives and rituals as she took part in their preparations and parades. Through the prism of their century-long history, she writes on how communities retain their identities and how they are affected by larger cultural trends.

Carol Muller is a professor of music at the University of Pennsylvania who has published widely on South African music. At Penn, she has run academically based community service projects linking music and spirituality in West Philadelphia. Her classes have studied traditions of gospel and Islamic music in the neighborhoods surrounding Penn. Musical Echoes: South African Women Thinking in Jazz (Duke 2011) with Sathima Bea Benjamin and Focus: South African Music (Routledge 2008) are some of the books Muller has authored and edited.

Diane Turner is a historian and the curator of the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection. Her publications include My Name is Oney Judge and Feeding the Soul: Black Music, Black Thought. She has produced exhibitions at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, where she served as a curator, and the Rosenbach Museum and Library, where Look Again: African-American History is American History was the first exhibit of African and African American items in the museum’s history.

Book cover for The Philadelphia Mummers by Patricia Anne Masters with illustration of City Hall and Mummers parade.

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October 12, Larry Magid of the Electric Factory in Conversation with Jim Cotter of WRTI

Join WRTI’s Jim Cotter in Conversation with Larry Magid, one of the founders of Philly music-scene fixture, the Electric Factory and Electric Factory Concerts. A pioneer in the concert industry and a fixture on the Philadelphia concert scene for more than forty years, Larry Magid opened the Electric Factory in February 1968 with a show featuring the Chamber Brothers, who declared, “My soul’s been psychedelicized!” He has produced more than 15,000 concerts, orchestrated such Philadelphia milestones as Live Aid in 1985 and Live 8 in 2005, won two Tony Awards, and produced Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays—the largest grossing non-musical in Broadway history. At Paley Library, Magid will share the most memorable moments from his over four decades in the music business in conversation with WRTI’s Jim Cotter. After the program, he will sign copies My Soul’s Been Psychedelicized, a spectacular photographic history of the acts that have performed at the Factory and in Factory-produced concerts. The book includes concert posters, photographs, and promotional items featuring both rising stars and established performers, such as Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Bette Midler, Elvis Presley, Tina Turner, Pearl Jam and many, many more. Since 2002, Jim Cotter has been WRTI’s arts and culture reporter and then editor. And since 2003, he’s been the host and producer of Creatively Speaking! the much-acclaimed Saturday morning arts and culture program that has been the recipient of several awards and commendations including two Philadelphia A.I.R (Achievement In Radio) awards and an Excellence in Broadcasting award from the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters. Facebook logoRegister on facebook Like us too! REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS “Music buff and music historian alike will find a lot to be intrigued about with the coffee-table book dedicated to one of Philadelphia’s premier music venues…. [A]n entertaining read and a nice slab of visual music history.” Philadelphia Gay News “An entertaining new book…a profusely illustrated trip down memory lane.” The Philadelphia Daily News

October 6, Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution

Paley Library Lecture Hall Author Sara Marcus discusses researching and writing her extraordinary Girls to the Front, the first-ever published history of the seminal 1990s Riot Grrrl movement. She will address the culture, the music, and the art that have made an indelible impact on music and feminism today, the personalities that brought this movement to the forefront, and how the Riot Grrrl story lives on. The past few years have seen a resurgence of interest in Riot Grrrl, and a renewed appreciation for the music, art, and politics of this vital cultural movement.

Sara Marcus is a writer and musician living in Brooklyn, New York. Her prose and poetry have appeared in publications including Artforum, Bookforum, Slate, Salon, the San Francisco Chronicle, Death, and EOAGH. She is a founding editor of New Herring Press. Riot Grrrl roared into the spotlight in 1991: an uncompromising movement of girls with no patience for sexism and no intention of keeping quiet.

Young women everywhere were realizing that the equality they’d been promised was still elusive. In response, thousands of riot grrrls published zines, founded local groups, and organized national conventions, while fiercely prophetic punk bands such as Bratmobile, Heavens to Betsy, Huggy Bear, and Bikini Kill helped spread the word across the US and to Canada, Europe, and beyond. Facebook logoRegister on Facebook! Like us, too!

REVIEWS, REVIEWS, REVIEWS Girls to the Front is the first meticulously researched book about Riot Grrrl… I think this book is pretty on. Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill and LeTigre A historical rockument of the revolutionary 90s counterculture Riot Grrrl movement. . . . A rousing inspiration for a new generation of empowered rebel girls to strap on guitars and stick it to The Man. Vanity Fair Feminism seems to change every five years. It’s hard to grasp the movement. But you don’t have to live a lifetime to get the idea and energy of it, and Sara Marcus’s book channels what it is to make it your own. Girls to the Front is not just a keeper of the flame but brings you to your own fire.

Sara Marcus  Sara Marcus

September 29, Legendary Bob Perkins: A Conversation on Jazz with Terell Stafford, Dawn Warren Evans and Orrin Evans

Paley Library Lecture Hall This is BP with the GM! That’s legendary jazz broadcaster Bob Perkins (BP), bringing you the Great Music (GM) that is called jazz straight from Paley Library Lecture Hall this September. Talk with legendary radio broadcaster Bob Perkins and jazz musicians Orrin Evans, Terell Stafford and Dawn Warren Evans on the status of jazz music today. Is it alive and well? What affects the way jazz is produced, distributed and listened to today? That goes for both new music and classic jazz. Don’t miss Philly’s most renowned jazz broadcaster in conversation with other scholars and jazz musicians at Temple University Libraries.

Bob PerkinsBob Perkins was born and raised in South Philadelphia. His career as a radio broadcaster began in 1964 in Detroit, and he returned to Philly five years later. In his 46 years of broadcasting, Perkins has amassed dozens of awards and much recognition, including a Kal Rudman Milestone in Radio Award and a Mellon Jazz Community Service Award in recognition of keeping America’s indigenous art form alive through his columns on jazz and his hosting of jazz music programs on radio. In 2003, Bob was inducted into the Philadelphia Broadcast Hall of Fame.

Dawn Warren EvansDawn Warren Evans is an artist of varied tastes and musical interests; she has jammed with Roy Hargrove and Joshua Redman, sang with reggae, R&B, and rap bands and written and recorded in various genres. She also has extensive training in classical piano. Her professional debut took place in Paris where her ability to sing in French, Swahili, Woloff, and Lingala made her a sought after performer. Dawn continues to perform as a vocalist and is the founder of Imani Records. She has also been managing, booking and promoting jazz artists for 10 years.

Orrin EvansA 2010 Pew Fellow in the Arts, pianist Orrin Evans is a gifted improviser, noted composer, and seasoned bandleader. He has worked alongside jazz veterans such as saxophonist Bobby Watson and drummer Ralph Peterson. In addition to collaborations with artists ranging from hip-hop stars Common and Mos Def to noted poet Sonia Sanchez, Evans is the founder of Imani Records and 88 Keys Productions.

Terell Stafford is one of today’s most celebrated jazz trumpeters. He is the Director of Jazz Studies and Chair of Instrumental Studies at Temple University and a member of the GRAMMY-winning Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, drummer Matt Wilson’s group, “Arts and Crafts,” and drummer Alvin Queen’s group, “Alvin Queen and the Organics.” Stafford has recorded six albums as a leader, including the critically acclaimed This Side of Strayhorn, and is heard on over 90 albums as a sideman. Stafford also serves as a clinician for the prestigious Vail Foundation in Colorado and Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington Program. He has also served as a member of the faculty for the Juilliard Institute for Jazz Studies and is a board member of the Jazz Education Network.

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Libraries to Help Host Philadelphia Technology and Humanities Camp

Temple University Libraries are one of many local cultural, historical and educational organizations throwing their hat in the ring to make Philly’s first THATCamp a reality. THATCamp is a collaborative, collective, two-day session that brings together technology and the humanities. Participants are selected via application. Anyone can apply. THAT Camp will happen September 23 and 24. Location TBD Apply or get more information

UPDATE–Check out the full list of clips for September 13, Sound and Vision at the Piazza!

The Piazza at Schmidts 2nd and Germantown Aves, below Girard Temple University Libraries, Urban Archives presents a look at hidden stories of music and sound in Philadelphia. It features some of the more distinct characters, traditions and venues in the city’s recent history. The screening will feature: free…-jazz performer Sun Ra and his Arkestra, David Bowie visiting Veterans Stadium, synthesizer expert Gerson Rosenbloom, Philadelphia International soul legends McFadden & Whitehead, punk/new wave stalwart Kenn Kweeder at the Hot Club, the organist at the Spectrum sports and entertainment venue, jazz-vibraphonist Khan Jamal, Mummers new years string bands, the original Electric Factory concert venue and more! The program consists of unique footage from the Urban Archives’ collections including unaired news footage, television broadcasts, news magazines and documentaries from local networks WPVI 6 and KYW 3. This highlights recent preservation and digitization work done on our film and video holdings and is curated by John Pettit and Kathryn Gronsbell. Open to the general public and FREE! Facebook-Logo.png Register on facebook

 

Sun Ra, Visions, WPVI Public Affairs- 24:34 Performances by Sun Ra and his “Science-Myth Arkestra” are interspersed with his observations on music, life and the African-American experience.

Kenn Kweder, Evening Magazine, KYW – 6:40 Kenn Kweder, self-proclaimed “country singer from Southwest Philadelphia giving you pure rock and roll” is interviewed at the Hot Club where he gives us his personal background and defines the genre of music he plays.

Westinghouse Radio Giveaway, KYW Newsfilm, August 6, 1966- 1:07 A short promotional piece found amongst the news footage promoting Westinghouse portable radios and amplifiers.

Gerson Rosenbloom, Music Makers, WPVI Public Affairs 7:13 A segment from a show called “Music Makers” within our WPVI Public Affairs collection. Gerson Rosenboom, from Medley Music demonstrates ARP synthesizers and explores the implications for musicians. Gregg Hall, host

Spectrum Organist, Evening Magazine , 7:23 Alan Paller, takes host Teresa Brown up to his perch atop the Spectrum to experience his unique position. He plays a few tunes including the Flyers game classic “Oh Dem Golden Slippers” along with observations on how to play to a crowd.

Philadelphia Orchestra, KYW Newsfilm, 9:34 Through unedited 16mm news footage, we see construction of a news piece where Philadelphia Orchestra members are shown preparing for a concert at the Academy of Music. Meandering sounds from the players alternate with orders barked from by the producers of the footage. This footage was shot to provide B-Roll in a story about a conflict between the players union and the orchestra administration.

McFadden & Whitehead, Visions- 7:44 Evening Magazine A Vernon Odom produced segment featuring Philadelphia International Records staff writers Gene McFadden and John Whitehead. They talk about their Philadelphia roots and careers since leaving Philadelphia International.

David Bowie, Evening Magazine– 5:56 One of the many chapters in the David Bowie’s history with Philadelphia. A segment on David Bowie’s press conference and BBQ at Veteran’s Stadium to promote his “Glass Spiders” tour.

Electric Factory, KYW Newsfilm – 6:03 Silent footage from the original, 1968 Electric Factory concert venue. Originally located at 23rd and Arch Streets, the venue featured many of the times most prominent acts. Many of the unique features of the concert experience are shown.

Khan Jamal, Visions, WPVI – 7:38 Philadelphia based, jazz-vibraphonist Khan Jamal offers his observations on jazz music. The footage is cut with performances from Jamal and his band and him in both the Wissahickon Valley and home in the northwest section of the city.

Twist, KYW Newsfilm – 1:57 Little is known about the undated footage aside from the “Twist” found on the box and a sign indicating it as a “Twist-A-Thon”. A dance with strong local ties through its popularization through Chubby Checker and American Bandstand.

Check Out Our Full Fall Schedule!

Welcome back to campus everyone! We’ve got a really exciting fall schedule to share. Check out all our programs, RSVP on facebook, and share with your friends:

  • Philadelphia Sound and Vision, Sept. 13, 7:30 PM, the Piazza at Schmidts Temple University Libraries, Urban Archives presents a look at hidden stories of music and sound in Philadelphia, featuring Sun Ra, David Bowie, Kenn Kweder and other musicians in the City of Brotherly Love. All footage is from the Urban Archives KYW and WPVI collections.
  • WRTI’S Legendary Bob Perkins: A Conversation on Jazz, Sept. 29, 2:00 PM, Paley Library Lecture Hall This is BP with the GM! That’s legendary jazz broadcaster Bob Perkins (BP), bringing you the Great Music (GM) that is called jazz straight from Paley Library Lecture Hall this September. Talk with legendary radio broadcaster Bob Perkins and jazz musicians on the status of jazz music today. Is it alive and well? What affects the way jazz is produced, distributed and listened to today? That goes for both new music and classic jazz.
  • Sara Marcus on Girl’s to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution, Oct. 6, 3:30 PM, Paley Library Lecture Hall Author Sara Marcus discusses researching and writing her extraordinary Girls to the Front, the first-ever published history of the seminal 1990s Riot Grrrl movement. She will address the culture, the music, and the art that have made an indelible impact on music and feminism today, the personalities that brought this movement to the forefront, and how the Riot Grrrl story lives on. The past few years have seen a resurgence of interest in Riot Grrrl, and a renewed appreciation for the music, art, and politics of this vibrant feminist subculture.
  • My Soul’s Been Psychedelicized–Larry Magid of the Electric Factory in Conversation with WRTI’s Jim Cotter, Oct. 12, 5:30 PM, Paley Library Lecture Hall Join WRTI’s Jim Cotter in Conversation with Larry Magid, one of the founders of Philly music-scene fixture, the Electric Factory and Electric Factory Concerts. A pioneer in the concert industry and a fixture on the Philadelphia concert scene for more than forty years, Larry Magid opened the Electric Factory in February 1968 with a show featuring the Chamber Brothers, who declared, “My soul’s been psychedelicized!” He has produced more than 15,000 concerts, orchestrated such Philadelphia milestones as Live Aid in 1985 and Live 8 in 2005, won two Tony Awards, and produced Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays—the largest grossing non-musical in Broadway history. At Paley Library, Magid will share the most memorable moments from his over four decades in the music business in conversation with WRTI’s Jim Cotter. After the program, he will sign copies My Soul’s Been Psychedelicized, a spectacular photographic history of the acts that have performed at the Factory and in Factory-produced concerts. The book includes concert posters, photographs, and promotional items featuring both rising stars and established performers, such as Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Bette Midler, Elvis Presley, Tina Turner, Pearl Jam and many, many more.
  • Music for the People, By the People, Oct. 28, 2:00 PM, Paley Library Lecture Hall The music of the mummers, jazz, and gospel have this in common: all three are original, American musical forms created, celebrated, and listened to in Philadelphia. Join Patricia Anne Masters of George Mason University, Carol Muller of the University of Pennsylvania and Diane Turner of Temple’s Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection in a program that celebrates the diversity of Philadelphia music and the creation of unique musical cultures around Mummers Day, jazz, and West Philadelphia gospel.
  • Rock and Roll with Barrelhouse Literary Magazine, November 3, 3:30 PM, Paley Library Lecture Hall Philly-area authors read rock and rolling stories, essays, and poems about growing Bob Dylan’s beard, the unromantic side of sex, touring with Nick Cave, and the middle-aged tepid glory of Night Ranger. Barrelhouse Literary Magazine presents short readings on Rock & Roll, engaging the audience while embracing the attitude. Barrelhouse is a biannual print journal that bridges the gap between serious art and pop culture and features fiction, poetry, interviews, and essays about music, art, and the detritus of popular culture. Stories originally published in Barrelhouse have been featured in the Best American Nonrequired Reading, Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy, and the Million Writer’s Award.
  • On Music Journalism: The Founding Editors of JUMP: The Philly Music Project; Decibel, the Nation’s only Monthly Metal Magazine; Cowbell and Grid Magazines Tell All Followed by JUMP Release Party Featuring Local Bands, including Violet Turning Violet November 16, 3:30-5:00 PM—Panel 5:00-7:00 PM—JUMP Release Party Paley Library Lecture Hall What does it take to publish successful music writing today? How do you follow the music scene in the age of basement shows, myspace and internet memes? Where do you begin to gain access to bands, and what is the value of publishing print magazines in an information universe of blogs, tumblrs and youtube? The founders and editors of some of today’s most influential and interesting music journalism projects will answer these questions, and more, at Paley Library. George Miller founded JUMP: The Philly Music Project, a magazine dedicated to music makers of all genres who hail from and create music exclusively in the City of Brotherly Love. Alex Mulcahy has launched Grid, Decibel and Cowbell magazines. Grid has a Philly cult following, and reports on culture, sustainability and the environment. Mulchay’s Decibel is the nation’s only monthly metal magazine. Cowbell is his latest venture in music publishing. After the panel stay for the launch of JUMP’s November issue, a reception featuring local musicians including Violet Turning Violet. (www.myspace.com/turningvioletviolet) More musical entertainment will be booked.

Check sites.library.temple.edu/libraryprograms