The Key Studio Sessions ‘Homegrown Live’ Series: Cadre Noir

WXPN’s Homegrown Live! concert series returned in April of this year with a sold out free concert in the Lounge of World Cafe Live, showcasing musicians from the Philly region. The eclectic bill featured veterans as well as new faces, and a mix of genres too, with folk / pop from Eliza Hardy Jones sitting alongside indie rock from Toby Leaman, as well as a vibrant eclectic hybrid with the artist we’re featuring this week.

Cadre Noir makes groove-oriented music that mixes gripping psychedelic guitar rock with contemplative hip-hop energy and ethereal soul melodies. Their debut album Life’s Still Perfect was a highlight of last year, and the band previously showcased it for us on The Key Studio Sessions, and for the scene at large in a stunning set at Philly Music Fest. They returned to the World Cafe Live Lounge for this Homegrown Live show, this time with unreleased material in the mix: the suave “Finer Things” that opens the set, the bright “Beach Days” — a perfect summertime jam about finding escape from a world that’s always on fire — and a gnarly untitled instrumental in the set’s final act.

Life’s Still Perfect is out now; hear it at Bandcamp, and keep up on the band’s live dates at @cadre_noir_ on Instagram, or at the band’s website, lifesstillperfect.com. They’ll be at HG Beer Garden this Saturday, June 7th, and they’ll play Clark Park Music Fest on Saturday, June 21st.