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This was the launch party for Jump magazine, a new publication that covers vast corners of the Philadelphia music scene. It was held after a panel discussion at a lecture hall in the basement of Temple University’s Paley Library. The panelists included Eric T. Miller from the recently re-launched Magnet magazine as well as Alex Mulcahy, the former editor-in-chief of sustainability magazine Grid and the head of Red Flag Media, as well as Jump’s founder George Miller.
Appropriately enough for this event, two Philadelphia-based bands were invited to play the show. The first of these was Bedroom Problems, the band fronted by longtime WPRB DJ and Plain Parade co-founder Maria Tessa Sciarrino. Honestly, it was my first time seeing them and I thought they were great from the first few notes. A few songs reminded me heavily of Liz Phair‘s Exile in Guyville, though in general the sound is heavily indebted to ’80s and ’90s indie-pop (the Homestead and Harriet labels are common references when used to describe their sound and it’s not hard to figure out why upon listening) and the lyrics involve being single in your 30s and involve the appropriate amount of self-deprecation. This is their last show with the current lineup as the rhythm section is leaving, but hopefully Sciarrino and guitarist Mary Beth Ray can find another lineup to play out. And look for new recordings soon as well!
The cleverly-named Turning Violet Violet, on the other hand, were a moodier, more restrained take on modern indie-rock that at times recalled Ra Ra Riot or Stars with instrumentation that included flute and a toy piano. I enjoyed their set as well.
The above photo of Bedroom Problems was taken by Poliana Irizarry and the photo is used with permission. You can find her here.
