The Magnetones & Silas Piper (Nostalgia Fishtown)

THE MAGNETONES

The Magnetones are an instrumental ensemble founded in Philadelphia by trumpeter and composer John Slavin. His sound took shape across two cities and a continent. Growing up immersed in Philadelphia’s indie rock and jazz scenes, he later spent a decade in Austin, where the city’s eclectic music community and a summer studying music in Ghana left a lasting mark on his ear for rhythm. Funk and soul records were the through-line, the gravity that pulled everything else into orbit.

When Slavin returned home to Philadelphia, that mix of influences became the spark for something new. The Magnetones draws from classic soul, New Orleans funk, West African highlife, indie rock, and psychedelic fusion, channeling these threads into music rooted in rhythm, interplay, and live energy. Built as a tight seven-piece ensemble, the band features trombonist Harry Forlenza-Bailey, guitarist Thom McCarthy, keyboardist Joe Veltri, bassist Chris Baglivo, drummer Austin Marlow,…