25 O'clock

We've got eleven new tracks for you from Philadelphia artists, and there's always a little something for everyone. Check out the clickable playlist below, it'll take you to each artist's website/social media/etc, and you can support the music you love.  If you're a Philadelphia area band, you can submit your music to dan.drago@25oclockpod.com. Include a link to where the song can be downloaded, as well as any press sheets/EPKs/info about your band. We give all styles and genres consideration, it's just gotta be from around Philly.  King Pine- Work To Do Night Windows- In Circles Abi Reimold- Picking Stones Susan Werner- Eldest Daughter Brittany Ann Tranbaugh- Lucky Broke Girl Erin Fox- Raised The DelCobras- Get Closer Octopus Knife Fight- Eyes Up Comprador- Perfect Anyone Hit Like A Girl- Once And For All (I Gotta Forget You) Peace Fortress- Cool Nuns  

John talks with Maxwell Stern about growing up in Cleveland, the midwest punk scenes he began playing music in, moving to Philadelphia and finding a whole new community there, songwriting, and his love of The Clash (among many others).  Maxwell's latest LP, 'In the Good Light' is out now wherever you get your digital music, as well as on his Bandcamp page. Follow Maxwell Stern on IG to stay up to date on his releases and tour dates (including a big Philadelphia show at Johnny Brenda's on June 12th with Labrador and Old Souls).

We've got thirteen new tracks for your ears this month. If you're a band or artist in the greater Philadelphia area, send your music to dan.drago@25oclockpod.com, we're always happy to hear what's coming out. Check out the clickable playlist below, it links to you to every artist featured on this episode so you can support the music you discover and love.  Stone Cold Grace- You're Always Leaving Moonroof- Massachusetts Cadre Noir- Summer Cold James Haro- Take Your Medicine Flanimal- Black Ice Josh Craft- Reasons I Don't Like You Clover- Forever Getting To Know You Bright Kelly- Sitcom Women In Sports- Sunlight The Blackburns- A Reunion Show Brother Of Monday- Andy The Bret Tobias Set- Sepviva Shuffle Jackson Pines- Open Up the Door  

Sara Johnson is often known by her solo project Stone Cold Grace, under which she has been putting out music for quite. John Vettese sits down with Sara in her home to talk about her love of Jeff Buckley, her guitar playing journey, how to be creative in your spare time when you're also a creative for a living, Caring Less (the band she fronts), spinning epic 9 hour sets at 48 Record Bar in Old City, how her best writing comes out, and so much more. Sara performs an achingly gorgeous song called "Always Leaving" from her upcoming EP. The new Stone Cold Grace EP is out later this year, and the latest single, "To Die To Come Back To Die", is out now wherever you get your digital music. She has a preview event for the EP at 48 Record Bar on March 22nd. 

It's the first playlist episode fo 2026, and we are coming in strong. Lots of great Philadelphia artists have music coming out in the first few months of this year, and this is just a small sampling of what's out there. As always, click the playlist below to go right to the artists you love and make sure you support them.  Love? Said The Commander- Eventide I Think Like Midnight- Polydactyl Gladie- Car Alarm Mikeal Anthony Greto and The Flood- Fade Into The Night Barney Cortez- Jigsaw Puzzle Greg Etter- Driving Through The Dark Vocabularies- Patron Saint Ronald Reagan? The Actor?- Breach Stone Cold Grace- To Die, To Come Back, To Die Nicole Saphos Band- Consumed Jay Carlis w. Brittany Ann Tranbaugh- Things I Can't See  

Andrew Harris fronts The Naked Sun, a band that's been part of the Philadelphia community for over a decade. And when Dan hit him with the word "decade", Drew is still trying to wrap his head around it. Drew talks about the nearly three year process that went into making their newest LP, how their songwriting as a band has become more democratic and open, why he'll always return to Miner Street Studios to work with Brian McTear and Amy Morrissey, and how teaching literature and poetry helps him write some of his best lyrics.  'Mirror In The Hallway' is the newest LP from The Naked Sun, and will be available January 30th wherever you get music. The band will play a record release show at the Fallser Club in East Falls on January 30th, alongside McTear and Morrissey's band Bitter Bitter Weeks. 

2025 is closing out, and we're taking a look at music that we loved from the year, as well as sharing holiday and year-end messages from some of our contributors. Big thanks to Nate Runkel, Drew Harris, Phillip reese, and John Vettese for sending messages this year, and thanks to all the contributors at 25 O'Clock in 2025. We couldn't make this happen without everyone involved. Enjoy the ever-standard clickable playlist below, and have great holiday and a happy new year.   The Bret Tobias Set- For Christ's Sake Brittany Ann Tranbaugh w. Carsie Blanton- Office Christmas Party G. Love and Special Sauce- When I Bust Minka- Cowboy The Naked Sun- Dreamin' Polaroid Fade- Fisher Gardens Planette Automatic- Twins in the Caul Sug Daniels- Brand New Day Parts Work- Trenton Dear Forbidden- Spotted Tiger 

The Maks are a trio of veteran Philadelphia musicians who were just starting to maybe think about being a band when they ended up as the opener on a sold out show, and everything just took off from there. Long standing supporter of the podcast Maggie Poulos (and founder of boutique PR firm Mixtape Media) talks with all three Maks: Melissa Menago, Angelique Zuppo, and Karina Patricelli, as well as their manager, Wendy Rollins. The band talks about things moving fast, how they write, produce and perform, and what they want to see happen for them in the next year. They break down how they wrote their song, "The Boulder", for the WXPN 24 Songwriting Contest, and what each of them brings to the table in the trio. The Maks have multiple singles out now wherever you get your digital music, and are working hard at a full length for 2026. They'll be playing a benefit show called Hope In Harmony, benefitting Women In Transition, a domestic abuse treatment center in Philadelphia, at 118 North on December 21st with Alex

Philadelphia music has a rich and long history, spanning every style imaginable, from jazz and soul to art rock to opera to doo wop and everything else. And who better to helm a book about the city's extensive music offerings than Electric Factory founder, Live Aid/Live 8 co-creator and Cobb's Creek native Larry Magid. Dan gets back in the interviewer seat for the first time in a while to talk with Larry about the thing that drives them both: the ever expanding Philadelphia music story. Larry tells Dan about growing up in West Philly, dances, the Uptown, and early American Bandstand (before it went national). One Saturday night changed his life when he found himself in the DJ booth with Jimmy "Cannonball" Parsons, and his already rabid appetite for music became his path. Larry talks about the oft-overlooked Atlantic City Pop Festival in 1969 (just two months before Woodstock), early concerts at the Spectrum (and why bands loved that arena so much), and how he thinks Philadelphia audiences may be the most inf

After a few weeks break, we're back with another playlist episode. Enjoy these new tracks from Philadelphia artists, and remember to check out the clickable playlist below. Go support the bands and artists you love!   Cadre Noir- Beach Dance Rob Rapp- To the Flag Laura Feigin- Attic Kat Rivers and the Second Sight- RED The Blackburns- Chances On Love Sun Within- Synthesis + Realization Marielle Kraft- What Do I Do With Happy? Justin Kerecz- True Love Will Find You In the End The Circus Hearts- Why Should The Devil have All the Fun? The Dawn Drapes- Counterweight Zoe Lemon w. Ahna Ell & Abigail Dempsey- Summer's Over (Who's Gonna Tell You?) Parts Work- No Flowers Steve Gunn- Hadrian's Wall  

It's Philly Music Fest, and we wanted to highlight one more artist playing the fest this year. KulfiGirls are Abi, Joan, Adesole, and Stephanie, and they are all on the show. Nate Runkel of Yo That's My Jawn is sitting in the host chair this week, and he talks with KulfiGirls about it all: how they met, how they formed up as a band, all the work that went into their LP 'Divinity', the pain of mixing your own record (props to Joan on that one), and how they're constantly floored when people come up to tthe band and tell them how much their music means to them. It's a rare feat to get all members of a band on one conversation, and to have it flow so seamlessly. You'll have a love not only for their music, but for how they work together as a group.  KulfiGirls are playing Philly Music Fest on October 18th at Underground Arts with The Wonder Years and Caracara (who were guests way back on #230). Go to the PMF site for more info on that show and all the other shows this week at venues around Philadelphia. KulfiGi

John and Paige have a truly career spanning chat with Adam Shumski, drummer in Philadelphia bands like Planette Automatic (formerly The Lunar Year), and Brittany Ann Tranbaugh, as well as the newest addition to the New York based group Bodega. Adam talks about growing up influenced by his older brother's records, how studying jazz drumming made him ready to play anything, whether or not he'd ever be a "singing drummer", being encouraged to write more, and that he alway has time for "one more project". He also goes into detail about international touring life with Bodega, and working with Jim Eno (Spoon) on the new Planette Automatic LP. Planette Automatic is playing  Philly Music Fest on October 18th at The Fallser Club (their first yea as part of the fest) with Saide Gust, Chioke, and Catie Turner.  Photo by Paige Walter

September is almost gone, and autumn is nearly in full swing (at least in some places), and Philadlephia artists are putting out amazing music, as is to be expected. Dan presents you with 12 tracks from Philadlephia artists, so make sure you check out the clickable playlist below, and support the ones you love! 1. Work Drugs- On The Corner 2. DelCobras- Someday Soon 3. The Describers- I Ate The Sun and Sky 4. Zinadelphia- Call Nancy 5. Emily Drinker- Turn Your Face To the Sun 6. Fawziyya Heart- All I See (w. Megatronic) 7. Sadie Gust- Dopamine 8. Dear Forbidden- The Devil 9. Gnatcatcher- Hey Judas 10. Red Desert Motel- Dancing At The Country Bar 11. Right Half- Air Guitar 12. Algernon Cadwallader- Attn MOVE (Photo by Dan, Xponential Fest 2022)

John and Paige are back, and they're sitting down with Grace Koon of Grace Vonderkuhn. Grace talks about the music community in Wilmington, Delaware, and how being even just a little outside of the greater Philadlephia area can change the whole way you form and flourish as a band. She talks about her bandmates, Brian Bartling and DaveMcGrory, and how they've refined the sound of the band over ten years together. And she takes us all through the long process that it took to release their newest LP, 'In The Morning', out now wherever you get your digital music, and also available on vinyl from the band's website.  Grace is kind enough to play us an acoustic version of "Be Mine" from the new record. The band plays their release show on September 12th at Kelly's Logan House in Wilmington, and will head up to South Philadelphia on September 18th to play at Century.  Dan keeps you all up to speed with his life over in Hong Kong, and some of the upcoming shows he hopes to catch this year (Any of y'all ever heard

Back at it again with another playlist, featuring 11 tracks of new music from Philadelphia's finest artists. As always, check out the clickable playlist below, and go support the bands and artists you like. 1. Abi Reimold- High Tide 2. Jared Feinman- Bleeding Orange 3. Bel- Canadian Tuxedo 4. Brittany Ann Tranbaugh and Joe Plowman- See What Grows 5. Grace Vonderkuhn- Forever Loved 6. Planette Automatic- Wild Mountain Camp 7. Sug Daniels- Brand New Day 8. Bright Kelly- Playlist 9. The Circus Hearts- Honey Don’t 10. Grocer- El Toro 11. Naked Sun- Make Believe

Welcome our newest guest host, Judah Kim! Judah talks with Blue Barnett of Best Bear, and it's a very open and honest conversation about all the things that go into being an independent musician, a songwriter, and an anxious human. Blue talks about touring, both with Best Bear and as the touring bassist for Hit Like A Girl, and all the logistics and work that goes into making music on the road happen. Judah and Blue both discuss how they deal with being out of step with their peers and family when it comes to having such an unorthodox career in music.  The latest Best Bear album, 'When', is out now wherever you get your digital music. Judah Kim's latest single, "It's Less Dangerous" is also out now and available on all music platforms. Check out Judah's first appearance on the podcast back on #316 as a guest, it's an outstanding episode. 

July brings us 10 new tracks from Philadelphia artists. Be sure to check out the clickable playlist below and support the ones you like. In the meantime, Dan will let you know about shows, upcoing events, and how he survived a T10 typhoon this last wekeend in Hong Kong (a typhoon is a hurricane in the Pacific). Enjoy the music! 1. The Bret Tobias Set- Happiness Writes White 2. Automatic Love- Heaven You Must Be 3. Erin and Fox and John Faye- Swing And A Miss 4. Caroline Quinn- Lost For Words 5. Nervous Nikki and the Chill Pills- Nerves Of Glass 6. Suzanne Sheer- Me and My Friends 7. Moonroof- Can’t Say No To You 8. Dominic Angelella- Smoking At The Lakehouse 9. Jackson Pines- Evergreen ft Julia DiGrazia 10. Maria Mirenzi- Let It Steep  

Dan shares a conversation between The Flying Vees and Phillip Reese of Your Next Favorite Band. Originally airing back in April, the band members Brechyn Chase, Shannon Vasile, Caitlin Ramsey, and Hannah Taylor talk about how they all met and formed the band back in 2018. Even though they can go a while between times they see each other, they're able to dial in quickly when they get chance to rehearse and perform, and their harmonies and stage show are proof of how naturally this all comes to them.  The Flying Vees have a brand new EP coming out, and they'll be celebrating with a release show on Sunday, July 13th at the Philadelphia Ethical Soceity in Rittenhouse Square (an absolutely gorgeous space to see live music). Show starts at 5pm, so get there early to see the band that long-time Philadelphia music promoter Jesse Lundy prasies as "Cooler than G. G. Allin." Special thanks to Phillip Reese and the team over at Your Next Favorite Band for graciously letting us give this interview an encore release. Chec

Here are another handful of new tracks from Philadelphia artists for your listening pleasure. As always, check out the clickable playlist below, and support the artists.  There's a set of tunes in there that are all bands playing the Jam For Josh at The Fallser Club on July 18th. Josh Craft is the co-founder (along with his wife Jess) of Rock To the Future, a non profit group that brings after school music programs into Philadelphia city schools free of charge to the students. Josh is recovering from multiple surgeries and procedures that were needed due to the sudden onset of pancreatic cancer, and this concert will donate all of its proceeds to Josh and his family. Check out the bands, and support the event.  Enjoy the playlist, and send me your tracks if you're a Philadelphia area musician! 1. Dan Pell- fouNNt 2. The Indestructible Water Bear- Missing You   Jam For Josh Spotlight: July 19th at The Fallser Club 3. The Blackburns- Video Den 4. Plastic Soldiers- Borrowed Time 5. Roberta Faceplant- Big Dar

Sweet Juice Fest has been featured on this show since its inception in 2022, and this is the first year we get an in depth look at not just some of the artists that are playing, but the foundation and philosophy of the festival itself. John and Paige sit down with Shona Carr and Mel Harris, two of the festival's founders, to talk about this year's fest, the growth over previous years, and how Sweet Juice seeks to build and strengthen community and create a more audience-focused approach to music and art festivals.  Dan takes a look at some of the artists playing this year's festival, check out the clickable playlist: 1) ShyGodwin- American Circus 2) Little Hag- Show Me Your Head 3) KulfiGirls- Red Light Full lineup includes: Speedy Ortiz, Little Hag, Kulfi Girls, Sovei, Kai Davis, Ollie Goss, Cyrus K Stratton, and line dancing featuring Fist City and the Sweet Juice Fest House Band. Sweet Juice Fest is Saturday, June 28 at Awbury Arboretum in Germantown, and runs from 1:30pm to 9pm. Go to the festival's sit