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Articles by Max Bennett
The Flying Vees release crushing new song on Election Day
As voters head to the polls to cast ballots in the midterm election Tuesday, The Flying Vees dropped a new politically charged song that takes aim at monsters, and not the type that live under beds and in fairy tales. “Monsters” made its debut at this year’s XPoNential Music Festival after the group—comprising Hannah Taylor, Shannon Vasile, Brechyn Chace, Caitlin Ramsey—performed their 24 Hour Song Challenge winning tune, “Workman’s Song #1.” Now, it’s gotten a proper release on Election Day.
Kurt Vile plays ’99 BPM’ on the ‘Tonight Show’
Well, well, well, if it isn’t our friend Kurt Vile making a late night talk show appearance. Vile and the Violators stopped by 30 Rock to perform a song from his new hit album, Philadelphia’s been good to me, Monday night on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Watch “99 BPM” live below: The performance was filled with effortless lead guitar licks and riffs from Vile, who delivered them with ease and nonchalance on top of his laid-back vocals.
This Is Lorelei | Artist to Watch — November 2026
Hometown: Chicago by way of St. Johnsbury, Vermont Why They’re WXPN’s Artist To Watch: The solo project by Water From Your Eyes guitarist Nate Amos, This Is Lorelei just released its third album, The Singer in My Band, in three years. But This Is Lorelei came to life well before 2024. Amos—whose father and sister perform as a bluegrass duo—has been dropping mixtapes and EPs under the This Is Lorelei name since 2014.
Come watch local indie rockers Queen of Jeans play Free At Noon
This week’s Free At Noon is featuring a local Philly indie rock favorites Queen of Jeans. For 10 years, Queen of Jeans has been serving up some serious tunes. Their fourth album, hard/SWEET, dropped Oct. 9 and was celebrated with a release show at PhilaMOCA the same day. Chances are you’ve heard some of the new record on our airwaves; “Still Learning,” “Sweet Devotion,” and “Bucks County,” namely. And they’re no strangers to XPN: we’ve featured them in various capacities over the years.
Beatrix Thorn’s genre-defying debut album ‘rabbit’ is heavy—lyrically and musically
Beatrix Thorn recorded and released her first EP Worm Moon in her bedroom closet using GarageBand on her iPad back in 2022. It got a proper release on Spring Garden Records—the official record label of the Community College of Philadelphia—in 2025. Now, Thorn’s first full record, rabbit, is out and signals a major moment in the singer-songwriter’s growing career. “It’s really exciting,” Thorn, real name Natalie Gebhardt, said.
Kevin Basko’s prolific production is propelling Philly acts to stardom
Star Moles this week got a shout-out from John Mayer. Sam and Louise Sullivan—our October Artist to Watch—are growing bigger daily, as well. As their stars rise, one has to look behind the curtain a bit to see their mutual friend and frequent collaborator Kevin Basko pulling the strings. Rather, working the board. Basko is the founder of Historic New Jersey Recordings.
Tune in to Richard Thompson’s SOLD OUT Free At Noon
Tune in to Richard Thompson’s SOLD OUT Free At Noon English folk rocker Richard Thompson is stopping by WXPN for a Free At Noon performance fresh of the release of his 20th album, Hippies, Thugs, and Heroes, kicking off the Halloween weekend (for which we have some special programming in store). The demand to see Thompson perform was so high, fans scooped up reservations darn near immediately after they became available last week.
WXPN’s Concert Picks: Fruit Bats, Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam, AJJ, more
WXPN’s Concert Picks: Fruit Bats, Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam, AJJ, more Friday and Saturday: Built To Spill at Ardmore Music Hall with Quasi & Melanie Redford ’90s indie rockers Built To Spill are putting on not one, but two shows at Ardmore Music Hall over the spooky weekend. Check out our review of their 2023 show at Union Transfer here. Sunday: Suzanne Vega at The Queen Folk pop singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega will kick off the holiday season with a solo show Sunday in Wilmington.
Celebrate Halloween with special programming from Robert Drake and Eric Schuman
We’re in the thick of spooky season. Well, at least for about 48 more hours as of this publication. But while the autumn air is rife with specters and the streets filled with ghouls and goblins, we’re getting in on the Halloween fun. This weekend we have two special Halloween programs in store for you ghastly listeners. From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, we’ll be broadcasting Land of the Lost Presents: The Dark Side of New Wave with host Robert Drake.
Bryn Mawr Film Institute Executive Director Scott Fisher picks Philly Soul, Sinatra, The Stones, more for Ears We Trust
With our 885 Countdown of the Greatest Songs from Movies and TV looming (submit your songs here), we wanted to branch out for Ears We Trust and ask someone in the cinema world to chime in. Scott Fisher, Executive Director of the Bryn Mawr Film Institute is up for this installment. BMFI—a non-profit, member-supported film and education center—reached a milestone in 2026: the historic venue turned 100 and has been celebrating A Century of Cinema all year long.
Osees Bring calamity and chaos to Union Transfer
You may know them as the Osees, that is, if you only read the name on your ticket stub at Sunday night’s Union Transfer show. But hardcore fans know them as Thee Oh Sees, The Oh Sees, or sometimes just OCS—a character-bending method developed by frontman John Dwyer to fool journalists and separate themselves from their past work. The air above Spring Garden was ripe with the smell of dying leaves and cigarette smoke that night.
Japanese Breakfast, Alex G, Speedy Ortiz, more make new ‘Rolling Stone’ list
Local Grammy Award-winning producer Will Yip in June said Philly is the center of indie rock music on World Cafe. And with the local scene’s increasing prominence in the modern music atmosphere, we’re happy to tell you that a handful of local acts have just been shouted out in a new, extensive list from Rolling Stone. The storied publication released its list of “The 200 Greatest Rock Songs of the 21st Century So Far.” Nine Philly acts are representing the scene in the list.
11 fictional artists whose music hit the charts
Screenwriters over the years have created numerous artists and bands to serve their scripts. Some may only get a passing mention, while others are fully fleshed out with albums, singles, and tours under their belts. With that in mind, and as the voting in our 885 Countdown of the Greatest Songs from Movies and TV wraps up Friday, we’re sharing 11 fictional bands and artists whose songs and albums have charted. But that begs the question: are they actually fictional if they had a real-world impact?
Hey, Nothing win over Philadelphia at TLA
Hey, Nothing might be from Georgia, but after their show at the Theatre of Living Arts, I’m ready to make a case for honorary Philadelphia-band status. Between Harlow Phillips sporting an Eagles jersey, several Eagles chants, and even more declarations of love for the city, the duo made quite a compelling case. The night started with Brother Bird, who opened with a stripped-back set built around her voice and a drummer.
Sam and Louise Sullivan wow packed Free At Noon crowd with the Historic New Jersey crew
We here at WXPN are all in on Sam and Louise Sullivan, the breakout brother-sister duo who we named our October Artist To Watch, and the extended members of the Historic New Jersey Recordings family. Lucky for you (and us), the siblings and their band treated a packed Ardmore Music Hall crowd to a stellar Free At Noon set on a gorgeous day in the Philly area.
Don’t miss our two live Philly Anthems showcases
Don’t miss our two live Philly Anthems showcases This year, we launched our Philly Anthems project, which tasked established and emerging local artists with composing original songs about freedom, identity, belonging, and hope. All the songs are available to stream online here. But you know what’s better than streaming them? Seeing them performed live in person! We’re hosting two free live performances featuring our Philly Anthems artists, and you can register to attend the first show now.
We’re taking your song requests for Public Radio Music Day
WXPN on Oct. 28 will join public radio music stations across the country for Public Radio Music Day. This year’s theme is “Sounds Like Home.” So we thought what better way to show what that means than by sharing the airwaves with the listeners who make XPN possible? Use the form below to submit your song request and tell us why your picks matter to you, and if there’s a specific time you’d love to hear it, be sure to include that, too.
WXPN’s Concert Picks: John Oates, Dev Lemons, Friko, Bruce Cockburn, more
Allison Russell | photo by Danielle Ciampaglia for WXPN Friday: Jesse Welles at The Met with Hudson Freeman The man who’s brought protest songs back into pop culture (and was our April 2025 Artist to Watch) is coming through Philadelphia again for a Friday night gig at The Met. He’s being joined by Hudson Freeman, who skyrocketed to fame with his viral song “If You Know Me” last year. Both Welles and Freeman are no strangers to WXPN.
Michael Cammarata of Born Losers Records shouts out new wave, Milli Vanilli, jangly pop rock for Ears We Trust
Born Losers Records is one of the Philly area’s most popular independent record labels. Their roster includes local favorites such as Anthony Green, Wax Jaw, Johnny Dynamite, Euphoria Again, Bleary Eyed, and more in addition to a slew of other non-Philly artists; Zeta, Layzi, Hard Chiller, and Veronicavon to name a few. For this week’s Ears We Trust, we asked co-founder Michael Cammarata to share what he’s been listening to lately for obvious reasons. Check out his selections below.
They Are Gutting A Body Of Water cancel tour after cancer diagnosis
One of the Philly music scene’s brightest rising stars has suffered a major setback after some recent big victories. Shoegaze act They Are Gutting A Body Of Water Tuesday said their upcoming tour has been canceled due to frontman Doug Dulgarian’s cancer diagnosis. “I was diagnosed with cancer last Friday, same day we put out [KOOL FAITH/LOOSIES II],” Dulgarian said in a social media post. The vocalist/guitarist said he begins treatment next week and that their tour, which was set to kick off Oct.
After bassist Jennifer Finch’s death, feminist punk rockers L7 to play Philly one last time
L7 | Photo by Andreas Lawen, Fotandi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons In a 1992 interview on MTV’s Headbangers Ball, host Vanessa Warwick chatted with Los Angeles alt-rock legends L7. The interview is exactly what you’d expect: snarky and funny, with Warwick asking questions about the band’s career, touring, and the challenges of being an all-female band in the male-dominated world of rock music.
Free At Noon, more WXPN events still happening despite World Stage’s impending closure
Free At Noon, more WXPN events still happening despite World Stage’s impending closure News broke Monday about the impending closure of World Stage, the venue with which WXPN shares a physical space at 3025 Walnut St. Philadelphia Inquirer music writer Dan DeLuca reported the venue will close after Oct. 31. While this news has elicited many reactions from music fans online, we’re here to offer some reassurance: all of WXPN’s previously scheduled events at the venue will continue as planned.
Philly’s Eraserhood Sound creates new-school grooves with old-school gear
Founded in 2019, Eraserhood Sound is a Philadelphia-based studio and record label putting a contemporary spin on the sounds of ’60s and ’70s soul, funk, and psychedelia. Founded by musicians/producers Maxwell Perla and Vincent John, EHS operates out of a studio originally built for Questlove.
Sadie Gust’s 24 Hour Song Challenge-winning track gets a music video
Last year, Sadie Gust was crowned the winner of our 24 Hour Song Challenge, earning herself some money, gear, and spots on the 2025 XPoNential Music Festival and Philly Music Fest bills.
WXPN’s Concert Picks: The Tallest Man On Earth, Mike D, The Jayhawks, More
The Jayhawks | photo by Ellen Miller for WXPN Friday through Sunday: Philly Music Fest final shows Philly Music Fest is wrapping up its 10th year with four shows over three days. On Friday, Sweet Pill, Remember Sports, Wax Jaw, and Midfield will play at Underground Arts, while Owen Stewart, Nik Greeley, Sug Daniels, Roberta Faceplant, and The Flying Vees will play the same night at The Fallser Club. Saturday’s got Marietta, Bleary Eyed, Euphoria Again, and Máty at Underground Arts.
Gregory Alan Isakov Brings Two Intimate Sets to Ardmore Music Hall
There’s a lot to love about Philly Music Fest. It brings together artists and fans alike in a celebration of Philadelphia’s music scene, raises money for local music organizations, and even hosts networking events in the form of Inside Hustle for creatives looking to break into the industry.
10 songs that upstaged movies they were written for
Prince onstage in 2009 | photo by Kristian Dowling/Getty Images The cinema is the epicenter of sight and sound colliding to give us thrills, stir up emotions, offer a new perspective on life, and even make us jump right out of our seats. While the main attraction is what’s on screen, music in movies is key to helping evoke stronger reactions from audiences. Much of that can come from songs written specifically for movies, too.
Wesley Stace plays the new and the old at Free At Noon
Wesley Stace – Free At noon 10.9.26 English expat Wesley Stace has called Philadelphia home for some time, and on Friday he stopped by Free At Noon for a hometown show hot off heels of his latest album’s release. One Last Heist dropped in early September, marking his sixth album as himself. Under his forgone stage name, John Wesley Harding, he released nearly two dozen albums. Altogether his discography makes him one of the most prolific musicians still at it.
Star Moles drops bonus track and music video, announces headlining tour, signs with Dead Oceans for vinyl release
The name of Star Moles‘ 2026 album Highway to Hell is rather fitting, given the Philly artist is on fire right now. Star Moles—the music project from Emily Moales and part of the Historic New Jersey Recordings extended family (which also includes our October Artist to Watch, Sam and Louise Sullivan, and founder Kevin Basko’s Rubber Band Gun)—has earned tons of love from the music press after dropping a bonus track titled “Born Again” to the aforementioned album.
DJ Shadow talks ‘Endtroducing…..,’ radio career, and more with John Morrison
Released in fall 1996, the debut album from DJ Shadow, Endtroducing….., is rightfully considered a landmark in sample-based music. Constructed from a wide array of sounds spanning jazz, funk, metal, hip-hop, psychedelia, and beyond, the album is a sprawling, musically diverse patchwork.
Philly Music Fest founder Greg Seltzer shouts out acts in this year’s lineup for Ears We Trust
Philly Music Fest is celebrating 10 years in 2026 and starts Monday with Gregory Alan Isakov and Caiola at Ardmore Music Hall. So for this week’s Ears We Trust, we got a hold of PMF founder Greg Seltzer to see what he’s been spinning lately. And what do you know: he’s shouting out acts that are set to perform at this year’s festival! “I don’t always listen to music from Philly, but when I do, I listen to the bands playing Philly Music Fest,” he said. Check ’em out below.
WXPN’s Concert Picks: Dogs In A Pile, Jessie Ware, Philly Music Fest, more
The Tisburys | photo by Paige Walter for WXPN Thursday through Saturday: The Tisburys at The Grape Our June 2025 Artist to Watch is throwing a weekend of shows in Manayunk they’re calling “Tisburys Anniversary Weekend.” We usually start this list off with Friday shows, but since the hometown fellas are going all weekend long with support from bands such as Planette Automatic, Makeshift Hammer, and Archawah, we’re shouting out all three nights.
Medium Build brings maximum joy to Theatre of Living Arts
Some artists are clearly destined for greatness. Seeing them in smaller venues feels like a little secret you’re being let in on, and following their growth is its own special adventure. Admittedly, I felt late to the party at Medium Build’s Philadelphia show, having only found his music this year. Theatre of Living Arts was packed with fans who have been with him since his early days.
WXPN hosts name their top 10 songs from movies & TV
WXPN hosts name their top 10 songs from movies & TV As you think of songs to include in your list of the Greatest Songs from Movies and TV (submit yours online here), we’re here to share with you what the hosts you know and love chose for their lists. A common comment we’ve heard from folks who’ve submitted lists is once their list is locked in, they think of a handful of other songs from movies and TV that they could have included.
Inside the visual world of Making Time ∞ with Klip Collective
Four projectors are pointed at a giant parabola at Making Time ∞, the annual Philadelphia festival that takes over Fort Mifflin each September. It is, in Ricardo Morales’ words, “projection mapping in its most fucked up form.” Morales founded Klip Collective, the Philadelphia-based visual production company behind much of the Making Time event’s projection and lighting.
Local emerging artists release their Philly Anthems
Local emerging artists release their Philly Anthems All summer, we featured established local artists’ commissioned songs as part of our Philly Anthems project. We asked Eric Bazilian, Lady Alma, Devon Gilfillian, Eliza Hardy Jones, and Christian McBride to compose original songs stemming from their perspectives on freedom, identity, belonging, and hope. All five of those tracks are out now. And we’re here to share Philly Anthems from eight emerging local artists who we assigned the same task.
Robert Drake’s Philly Phlashback: Zombie Prom at the Troc
First of all, welcome. It’s widely known that I have an insane amount of love for my hometown, Philadelphia. Born in Kensington, raised in various parts of the Great Northeast and finally landing in Center City in the fall of 1980 (once I graduated from George Washington High!), I have spent decades exploring the city’s underbelly, both figuratively and literally. My first job while a senior in high school was working in the newly opened Gallery at Market East.
WXPN Free At Noon
For two decades, Free At Noon has been the stage where emerging stars and music icons connect with fans—up close and personal. Open to all and always free, it’s a celebration of live music that brings audiences together in an intimate setting. Attend in person, or tune in to experience the power of live music wherever you are. Sign up for the next show, explore select performances in our video archive, or join our email list for early updates. Free music. Real connections. Only at WXPN.
Watch Improvement Movement’s Free At Noon performance live right here
Atlanta’s Improvement Movement dropped their new album, Your Perfect Real Life, today. And we’re lucky to have them stopping by for a Free At Noon performance as they tour on the new record. If you can’t make it to the Music Hall at World Stage by noon Friday, you can still enjoy their set in a few ways. The show will be broadcast live on WXPN 88.5 FM and on any page on the WXPN website (even this one). For those who want to hear and see the show, be sure to watch the livestream in the player above!
The Folk Show to feature special second-hour programming
As you know, longtime and beloved Folk Show host Ian Zolitor left WXPN after a decade of serving up folks tunes to listeners. While we search for a permanent replacement, we’ve got a rotating slate of hosts you know and love who will be spinning for the Folk Show: David Dye, Bruce Warren, and Jim McGuinn are filling in Sunday nights from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Together, the trio decided to create some special features in the second hour of their shows each week over the next month-plus.
Sam and Louise Sullivan | Artist to Watch — October 2026
Hometown: Portland, Oregon (but they call Philly home now!) Why They’re WXPN’s Artist To Watch: This brother-sister duo has quickly become one of the hottest indie acts in the scene right now. While their first and sophomore albums are great spins, it’s their latest, Love & Devotion, that created a fervor around the band that’s part of the ascending South Philly-based Historic New Jersey family (which includes Star Moles, Rubber Band Gun, and more).
WXPN’s Concert Picks: Bright Eyes, The Linda Lindas, Phantom Planet, more
Friday: beabadoobee at The Liacouras Center Bedroom pop rocker-turned festival and arena-headlining star beabadoobee is set to bring the house down on Temple’s campus Friday night with Wisp as part of her world tour that’s supporting her fourth album, Pylon. She discussed the new record on World Cafe.
Long-running Philly venue The Fire closing
It’s the end of an era for the Philadelphia music scene: The Fire on Girard Avenue in Northern Liberties is closing at the end of its last show Wednesday. Owner Karen Lauria Saillant said she was closing the venue after opening it in 1999 inside Philadelphia Bar & Grille. “I am not able to continue after the death of my beloved son, Christian Bygott, who was our manager & our backbone,” she said in announcing the closure. Saillant, who bought the space in 1988 with her late husband Bernard F.
Zach Roumaya of Rising Sun Presents goes doom, punk, more for Ears We Trust
During XPoNential Music Fest we ran into our friend Zach Roumaya, Marketing Accounts Manager at Rising Sun Presents. As someone who’s deeply involved in the local music scene, we asked him to jump in for an Ears We Trust. Despite being a jam band fan, Roumaya leaned into some doom metal, psych rock, punk, garage rock, and more. Check out his selections below. Philadelphia punk rock mannnnn! I’ve been relying heavily on Dark Thoughts to keep my own ‘dark thoughts’ at bay these last few months.
Lost in Phoebe Bridgers
After experiencing Phoebe Bridgers and Alex G live, I’m tempted to just say, “It was incredible. You had to be there.” That being said, I’ll try to let you in. The show’s phone-free atmosphere highlighted a generational shift that came with cellphones and, even more so, social media. When we sensationalize and monetize the ability to go viral, every experience can become a competition. We find ourselves grasping for curated documentation rather than reality.
Full moon, full MUNA
A full moon broke through the clouds overhead as a cool breeze moved across the lawn. By Saturday morning, a nor’easter would sweep through the region, canceling events throughout the Northeast. But that night, the breeze, clouds, and moonlight functioned as stage lighting as thousands gathered on the hill for a night that felt equal parts loving reunion, cathartic release, and completely unrestrained dance party.
BAILEN celebrates their album release date at Free At Noon
Bailen | photo by Paige Walter New York sibling trio BAILEN released their new, independent record SWIM!!! today, and the crowd at Free At Noon were among the first to hear it live. If you’re new here, BAILEN are proper WXPN regulars dating back to their 2019 NON-COMMvention set. Station members will also remember their 2023 XPoNential Music Festival performance. At Free At Noon today, the band gave listeners the thoughtful folk/rock and natural harmonies they were expecting, plus more.
Buzzcocks’ Steve Diggle talks 50 years of punk with Dan Reed
Steve Diggle | Photo by Brian Marks Steve Diggle – 9.24.26 U.K. punk legends Buzzcocks have been in the rock and roll game for 50 years and led the charge of bringing punk music to the masses. The band is out on tour to celebrate their milestone fifth decade, and as part of that tour, they’re plating Underground Arts Sunday night with post-punk new wave act Mind’s Eye.
WXPN’s Concert Picks: Mt. Joy, Fastball, Ted Leo, Dito van Reigersberg tribute, more
Friday: Mt. Joy at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion Local stars Mt. Joy are hosting a hometown-ish gig to kick off the weekend (and autumn, sort of) across the river in Camden. We go way back with Mt. Joy, as they performed for us on three occasions the same year as their debut album. They’ll be supported by fellow beloved Philly band SNACKTIME, who just dropped a new single earlier this month.
Kelsey Lu faces a reckoning on ‘So Help Me God’
Kelsey Lu | Courtesy of the artist For Kelsey Lu, losing the cello they’d played for 20 years was more than the loss of an instrument. Stranded on an island during the pandemic, Lu was forced to confront decades of memories. They say it’s an experience that would help shape their new album, So Help Me God. Lu calls the record a reckoning. Raised in a strict religious household, Lu found themselves wrestling with faith, belief, identity and authority.
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