25 O'Clock

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.

1. The Bret Tobias Set- For Christ's Sake

2. Brittany Ann Tranbaugh w. Carsie Blanton- Office Christmas Party

3. G. Love and Special Sauce- When I Bust

4. Minka- Cowboy

5. The Naked Sun- Dreamin'

6. Polaroid Fade- Fisher Gardens

7. Planette Automatic- Twins in the Caul

8. Sug Daniels- Brand New Day

9. Parts Work- Trenton

10. 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 Alexis Cunningham and Stone Cold Grace.

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 influential audiences of the rock and roll era. They also discuss the new book of Philadelphia music history that Larry organized, covering nearly every corner of Philadelphia music over the years.

"The Philadelphia Music Book: Sounds Of A City" is out now via Camino Books, and is available wherever you buy your books. It features over a dozen contributors on a wide variety of Philadelphia music genres, and all the proceeds go to support the Philadelphia Music Alliance, an organization that creates, support and sponsor programs that enrich and strengthen Philadelphia's musical community.

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!

1. Cadre Noir- Beach Dance

2. Rob Rapp- To the Flag

3. Laura Feigin- Attic

4. Kat Rivers and the Second Sight- RED

5. The Blackburns- Chances On Love

6. Sun Within- Synthesis + Realization

7. Marielle Kraft- What Do I Do With Happy?

8. Justin Kerecz- True Love Will Find You In the End

9. The Circus Hearts- Why Should The Devil have All the Fun?

10. The Dawn Drapes- Counterweight

11. Zoe Lemon w. Ahna Ell & Abigail Dempsey- Summer's Over (Who's Gonna Tell You?)

12. Parts Work- No Flowers

13. 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. KulfiGirls will also be at Milkboy on November 19th, and in Brooklyn at The Meadows on December 13th. The album 'Divinity' is available now wherever you get your digital music.

In honor of Philly Music Fest, all sales of our compilation, 'Want To Play A Song?: Live On 25 O'Clock Vol.1', go to strengthen the charitable giving of the festival. If you can't make it to a show and still want to support the work of PMF and their contributions to the music charities of Philadlephia, you can buy a digital copy of the compilation at our Bandcamp.

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 of the Clockenflap?). Enjoy the beginnings of fall wherever you are. We'll be putting out a new playlist episode at the end of this month, so if you're a Philadelphia artists and have new material that you want to share, send it our way to [email protected].

Episode photo by Paige Walter

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.