Michael J Epstein Memorial Library, Golden Bloom And Neutral Uke Hotel At Philadelphia Film Festival

Boston, MA (Top40 Charts/ Green Light Go) Michael J Epstein Memorial Library, Golden Bloom and Neutral Uke Hotel will join the epic and eclectic line-up of the second annual Philadelphia Film & Music Festival when the festival takes over the over 15 indoor and outdoor venues in Fishtown and Northern Liberty September 22 - 25. Included in this year's schedule is Riotfest East, which will feature Descendents, Dead Milkmen and X performing Los Angeles in its entirety. Other featured artists include: Deadmau5, Marissa Nadler, Hoots and Hellmouth, Thao With The Get Down Stay Down, Reading Rainbow, Nicos Gun and Viva Voce. A full four days worth of films will also be shown during the festival, including Better Than Something a documentary about Jay Reatard.

They may look like shy bookish types, but the librarians of the baroque indie pop group Michael J Epstein Memorial Library know how to make some noise. Their songs are sweet with tinges of darkness and bring to mind Magnetic Fields and Arcade Fire. Michael J Epstein Memorial Library's, Volume One, which is full of cleverly written tunes taken from true stories, hit the shelves May 10. It features a haunting cover of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' "The Weeping Song". Both Epstein and Tanya K. Palit sing their own harmonies in this conversation between father and son that was chosen because its darkness would draw people's attention to the lyrics and ideas on the rest of the album

Neutral Uke Hotel took the world by storm last summer with their live performances of Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over The Sea. Neutral Uke Hotel isn't your average tribute; they play this beloved album entirely on ukulele. The band has been playing sold out shows to enthusiastic crowds who were encouraged to sing along. Epstein, who also fronts Michael J. Epstein Memorial Library, said, "People were encouraged to sing, clap, and stomp along... and they weren't shy!" Never fear, avid Neutral Milk Hotel fans, Fogel, front man of Golden Bloom, and the rest of Neutral Uke are quite reverential for Jeff Magnum's classic. Shawn Fogel says of his project, "It's one of my favorite records ever, and the album doesn't just have fans. The people who love that album are obsessed with it. The goal of the project: to strip these songs down and get people in a room to share their love for this album.''

March to the Drums, due out August 16, the follow up to Golden Bloom's Fan the Flames (2009); which was compared favorably to Summerteeth-era Wilco, The New Pornographers, and Big Star and loved by critics and fans alike. On this new EP, Fogel has worked with long-time studio counterpart Ryan Ball as well as in-demand producer Peter Katis (Frightened Rabbit, The National, Interpol and Tokyo Police Club) again.

The second annual Philly F/M festival will take place over four days, Sept 22-25th, 2011, largely in the Fishtown / Northern Liberties neighborhoods of Philadelphia, which in recent years has become a cultural center for music and arts in the city. This year's festival will feature multiple indoor and outdoor venues and will host a wide variety of local, national and international independent artists and films.