As the country basks in the afterglow of celebrating its 250th anniversary, WXPN is keeping the party going the best way it knows how: through music.
The station continues to provide the soundtrack to America’s semiquincentennial with the announcement of Philly Anthems, a new project supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage that brings together five acclaimed Philadelphia musicians and sevenemerging local artists to write and record 12 original songs.
Inspired by the enduring themes of freedom and independence, the project will feature new music by Christian McBride, Devon Gilfillian, Eliza Hardy Jones, Lady Alma, and The Hooters’ Eric Bazilian, who kicked off the series earlier this week with his stirring new single “Better Times.”
“I was honored to be asked to be a part of the Philly Anthems project,” Bazilian said in a statement. “I considered it a challenge to write something from a modern and relevant perspective about the state of our union. I put heart and soul into ‘Better Times,’ and hope that it lands well for the listeners of WXPN, and wherever people are listening.”
Alongside the five artists that represent the region’s rich musical landscape across jazz, rock, soul and folk, the project will also feature songs from seven emerging artists.
Among them are Grace Gardener, Black Buttafly, The Bul Bey, James Everhart, Sug Daniels, Moustapha Noumbissi and The Flying Vees, who were announced this week on-air as the winners of the 24 Hour Song Challenge – Philly Anthems Edition.
Earlier this summer, nearly 350 songwriters accepted the challenge to write and record an original song in just 24 hours, inspired by the prompt “Freedom.” As the grand prize winner with the composition “Workman’s Song #1,” The Flying Vees will receive a $5,000 honorarium, a performance slot at this year’s XPoNential Music Festival and Philly Music Fest, and a song on the upcoming “Philly Anthems” album.
“Workman’s Song #1″ explores how working people in America often must defer their experience of freedom because they have to work so hard just to get by.
“We received a lot of positive feedback during the voting process, and it felt validating to have our song resonate with so many people and to have the support of the city we love so much,” The Flying Vees collectively said. “This song embodies the spirit of Philadelphia, which is a community of working-class people. No snobs, no phony balonies. That’s what this song is really about: having to work hard and putting off your leisure time to another day.”
Philly Anthems is the newest chapter in WXPN’s four-part Soundtrack to America’s 250th initiative, joining The Philly 250, World Cafe’s Sense of Place: Philadelphia, and Sound of History in celebrating the region’s musical legacy and its continuing influence.
“As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, we wanted to do more than look back,” WXPN General Manager Roger LaMay said. “Philly Anthems is about creating something new, giving Philadelphia artists the opportunity to reflect on themes in the Declaration of Independence that resonate today through original music and add new songs to the city’s remarkable musical legacy. We’re excited to share their songs and stories with audiences over the coming months.”
New Philly Anthems songs will premiere throughout the rest of 2026, with the project culminating in the release of a 12-song vinyl album on Record Store Day 2027 and two concerts to be announced at a later date.
Vinyl of the Week
Keep an eye on this spot as each week, we’ll be looking at new or soon-to-be-released vinyl from a variety of artists. It might be a repressing of a landmark recording, special edition, or new collection from a legendary act.
This week, it’s a best-of collection supplanted by a “rest of” from one of the most popular synth-pop acts in music.
New Order: “The Best & The Rest Of New Order” (COURTESY OF LONDON RECORDS)
New Order: “The Best & The Rest Of New Order”
New Order has just released “The Best & The Rest Of New Order,” bringing together, for the first time, the band’s acclaimed compilations “(The Best Of) New Order” and “(The Rest Of) New Order.”
The new collection features fully remastered audio alongside an expansive selection of remixes, including many previously unreleased, from the likes of Sub Sub, Richie Hawtin and Joe T. Vannelli.
Both albums will be released Fiiday as separate vinyl formats with remastered audio cut at Abbey Road.
In addition, the three-LP set “(The Rest Of) New Order” compiles all 12 songs from the CD and original vinyl release for the first time. Both are pressed on 140-gram vinyl.
Additionally, there is colored vinyl exclusively available from neworder.com, with “The Best Of” pressed on blue vinyl and “The Rest Of” on pink.
Released in 1994, “(The Best Of) New Order” brought together a definitive selection of the band’s singles from 1985 onward, featuring 7-inch mixes alongside four newly created ’94 mixes.
The compilation featured many of their most iconic tracks, including “True Faith,” “Bizarre Love Triangle,” “Blue Monday 88,” “Regret” and “World in Motion.”
The companion remix album, “(The Rest Of) New Order,” followed in 1995, reimagining the band’s catalog, most notably featuring “Blue Monday-95,” remixed by German electronic duo Hardfloor.
Both albums achieved major commercial success, reaching the UK Top 5 and further cementing the band as one of the most innovative and influential synth-pop acts in music history.
“(The Best Of) New Order” and “(The Rest Of) New Order” can be found online and from all respectable retailers who carry vinyl.
To contact music columnist Michael Christopher, send an email to rockmusicmenu@gmail.com. Also, check out his website at thechroniclesofmc.com.