A songwriter
who’s out to save folk

Music Row
By Brian Rademaekers

In the world of folk rock and psychedelia, the last few years of the 21st century’s first decade have been a happening time. A whole bevy of young musicians has emerged with new songs, new sounds, and a movement of their own.
Of course, you probably wouldn’t guess that from watching MTV or reading most music magazines. But if you have spent any time listening to music in some of the city’s better venues, you’ve likely noticed a fresh cadre of scruffy balladeers renewing the tradition of greats like Neil Young, The Band and Bruce Springsteen.
That trend will be pleasantly clear at Johnny Brenda’s on Friday night. The Fishtown tavern-turned-top-venue has put together a bill bound to give any folk-rock junkie their fill.
Headlining the Friday night show is Philly’s own ambassador of the new folk movement, Adam Arcuragi.
Arcuragi broke onto the scene with his self-titled debut last year. Before that, he spent his time as a poet and a teacher helping adults get their GEDs at Fishtown’s Lutheran Settlement House.
Since the release of his album, Arcuragi has made a surprisingly quick ascension, getting airplay on National Public Radio and the University of Pennsylvania station 88.5 WXPN. He also got an unlikely break, appearing on a nationally released Urban Outfitters compilation alongside big acts like Franz Ferdinand and Interpol.
Hearing him, though, is all the explanation needed to understand his mounting acclaim. His voice is immediately captivating, carrying with it a strung-out urgency that is well-suited to Arcuragi’s rich lyrics.
Hitting exasperating high notes in the style of Neutral Milk Hotel, Arcuragi belts out songs loaded with images of the sacred, giving his creations the feel of modern folk-gospel jolted with rock energy. His background as a bard also delivers a sense of the literate usually only associated with the Decemberists, making his music a multi-layered philosophical experience.
That Arcuragi calls Philly his hometown is a lucky chance, and local fans of folk icons like Nick Drake and the dependable Damien Jurado should get to know this homebred talent.
And while Arcuragi is capable of drawing the biggest crowd on Friday, there are plenty of good reasons to show up early.
Openers These United States, the Cartright and the Creeping Weeds will add to a great show, summoning their own interpretations of modern folk and indie rock. These United States hails from Washington, D.C., and is part of a local music collective dubbed the Federal Reserve.
The collective features a rotating cast composed of various local bands’ members. Jesse Elliot, lead singer of These United States, is one of the more prolific, and his band has also been lauded as one of the more promising in the Reserve.
Providing a cool psychedelic sound that rolls smoothly forward while jangling bits of folk, blues and gospel into a happy little sonic caravan, These United States is a fun listen and as good an introduction as any to the current D.C. rock scene.
Dipping farther south, Friday’s show will also throw in a big chunk of Texas swagger with Austin’s Cartright.
A boisterous five-piece, the Cartright offers a gruff take on folk rock, with raspy, cigarette-choked vocals intertwined with southern guitar riffs and honky-tonk piano.
Playing songs from their self-produced 2006 album, A Tall Tale Grows Up, the Cartright will strut into Philly with the dust and grit of the Texas badlands captured succinctly in their tough-luck ballads.
Bringing things full circle, Arcuragi will be preceded by the Creeping Weeds, a local band that has made big waves since its debut three years ago. The quintet are well known to area music buffs for their mellow indie psych-rock sound touched with extended guitar freak-outs and dreamy coed vocals.
Falling closer to indie rock than folk, the Creeping Weeds will tie in nicely with These United States, giving an eclectic balance to the more Americana intonations of Arcuragi and Cartright. ••

See them play ...

Who: Adam Arcuragi
What: One of Philly’s most promising folk rockers joined by a handful of other must-see bands.
When: Friday, Aug. 3. Bands start at 9:30 p.m.
Where: Johnny Brenda’s, Frankford and Girard avenues in Fishtown. Tickets are $8.