The Budweiser Made In America Festival has been one of the crowning glories of Philadelphia since its creation by rap phenomenon and businessman Jay-Z in 2012. Held annually during Labor Day weekend, the music festival draws thousands of people to the Ben Franklin Parkway to see some of the hottest concert acts in the late summer heat. M.I.A traditionally features two big-name headliners, several up-and-coming acts, and a variety of hip-hop, pop, rock, rap, and alternative artists who are fairly established in the music industry. The concert series returns to the city on September 5 and 6 this year, with R&B royalty Beyoncé and The Weeknd set to headline on their respective dates. If you're one of the many Temple students attending Made In America, don't limit yourself to your longtime favorites. Here are five awesome artists you need to check out during the two-day party!
1. Halsey
She's currently one of the most buzzworthy musicians out there and she hasn't even made her official debut. Born as Ashley Frangipane, the 20-year-old New Jersey native has a huge following on Twitter and Instagram, where she unabashedly addresses generational issues and builds on her connection with today's super social online fans. Halsey's image is one of simplicity and raw emotion, manifested in dark electronic pop music. She has already released the successful Room 93 EP and will drop her full-length album "Badlands" on August 28 as she breaks through into the mainstream, so see her in concert while you still can!
2. Creepoid
The musical style of this Philly based rock outfit can be summed up in one word: noise. Their most recent album, June's "Cemetery Highrise Slum," is a rousing, anthemic punk record that sounds like the love child of Muse and Nirvana. The members of Creepoid quit their jobs and put their lives as thirty-somethings on hold in 2011 to focus on the future of the band; as drummer Patrick Troxell said in an interview with the Vice music blog Noisey, "[It] was legit all of us just jumping off a cliff together—and if you’re not going to jump, then you’re not coming." This group is the definition of self made success, and things can only go uphill from here for them.
3. Nick Jonas
OK, I know what you're probably thinking. Nick Jonas, as in that curly-haired, doe-eyed teen pop idol from the Jonas Brothers? Yep, the one and only! Jonas achieved superstar status as a solo artist when his chart topping song "Jealous" was certified 3x platinum in July, following his other platinum hit "Chains," both from his self-titled album. He also just released a new tune, "Levels," which is bursting with R&B and funk inspiration I admit that as a serious JoBros fangirl I'm a bit biased with this selection, but Nick J is the real deal. In the last year alone he's established himself as a mature, experienced, media-savvy artist whose soul-pop sound is radio friendly but still enjoyable for people of all ages.
4. Marian Hill
Marian Hill is a futuristic electronic duo consisting of Samantha Gongol and Jeremy Lloyd, both Philadelphia natives who met when they played Marian Paroo and Harold Hill in a middle school production of "The Music Man" and attended Havertown High School. They signed with Photo Finish/Republic Records earlier this year and put out Sway, a seven-song record packed with dreamy, sensual tunes inspired by the jazz age and set to strong hip-hop beats. Marian Hill blurs the lines of several different music styles all at once, and the result is a sexy sound full of distinct imagery and honesty. Gongol and Lloyd are destined for greatness, so be sure you don't miss them! If you can't get to them at M.I.A, though, no worries; Marian Hill is playing a hometown show at Union Transfer in October.
5. Death Cab for Cutie
Any alternative music fan will tell you that Death Cab is basically legendary, forever the quintessence of their genre. Led by frontman Ben Gibbard since 1997, their indie rock reign has spawned eight studio albums, six EPs, and countless singles. The band is well known for their 2005 Grammy-nominate album Plans, which features, gentle, poetic tracks such as "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" and "Soul Meets Body." Death Cab for Cutie's music focuses on telling the story of life and the intimacy of the relationships within it. This fall they will embark on a North American tour in support of their new record "Kintsugi" before taking the show around the world. Along with Modest Mouse, they're representing alt rock on the Made In America bill.
