Aggressive dissonance nears reckless abandon between crashing cymbals and shouts of “I hate it”, in Omar’s abruptly ending “Larry I Love Ya, But Ya Blew It”, exuding an anxious energy that hums throughout “Jumping Jacks” and the punk-esque chants of “Nism”. Matched with the driving riffs and urban landscapes of “Day 8 (Trampoline Only)”, Omar’s anthems play out fast and fun, finding a common ground between post-punk nostalgia and lo-fi fuzz. Headliners Slutever set to crank out signature brat-punk ballads are prone to heat things up like “Sun Hot” while the tongue-in-cheek nostalgia of “Seventh Grade” and apathetic charm of “No Offense” makes slam dancing seem appropriate. Far from falling out of fashion, both acts go down smooth with Brooklyn-based Easter Vomit. Slut it up at Kung Fu Necktie (come on, don’t be shy)! 1250 N. Front St., 7:30pm, $5, 21+ – Dianca Potts
What started out as one man with a synthesizer has since evolved into a loopy and joyful musical experience, from his involvement with Need New Body, to the tripped out quirky tunes on Sugar Glider, Jamey Robinson, who records under the moniker Buffalo Stance, has been creating his own quirky brand of experimental pop. And the fun times are sure to arise when he plays Johnny Brenda’s tonight. Another act that you should get there early enough to hear is Lux Perpetua a.k.a. Justin Wolf. His melodies can quickly transition from country folk to indie rock(-ish) while keeping things down-home soulful, and he has spent ample time working with the likes of The Extraordinaires and Folkskunde refining his craft. Also on the bill will be Titus Andronicus’ former guitarist Andrew Cedermark, who released a personal and thought-provoking debut in Moon Deluxe. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9pm, $10, 21+ – Bill McThrill
No Wavelength gives you fun and interesting things to do off the beaten path. Tonight they’ll be importing Detroit’s Tyvek (In the Red Records) and Reading Rainbow besties, Roanoke, VA’s Eternal Summers (Kanine Records), to South Philly’s garage/warehouse/studio space Cha-Cha’Razzi. Local trio Moon Women will be representing our hometown this evening. The post-punk outfit has created a nice buzz off of their captivating, noisy rocker “Listen Closely” and its mysteriously intriguing music video (which they made from found footage at Philadelphia Public Libraries – you can check it out below). Moon Women have a limited edition cassingle out now and will be releasing a 7” on Ian Records. They’ll also be opening for Gang of Four and Hollerado at the TLA on Saturday, February 5 so this will be a good opportunity to catch them in a more intimate setting. No Wavelength’s Grace Ambrose knows the venue maybe a little difficult to find so she suggests that you head “between 16th and 17th and Mifflin and McKean” and keep a listen for some tunes. Cha-Cha’Razzi, 1918 S. Bancroft St., 8pm, $7, All Ages (No Jerks)
So many good shows to hit this weekend – just take your pick…
Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) FRI Audible and Ports of Call, SAT Buffalo Stance and Lux Perpetua
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Ladies Auxiliary, SAT Slutever and Omar, SUN The Armchairs, Virtual Virgin, Paper Masques
North Star Bar (2639 Poplar St.) FRI Grimace Federation, Cavemen, Somata, SAT Amnesia Star Hotel, The Codes, High Kick
The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Octopus For Yes, SAT The Electric Boa and Music Box Dynamo, SUN Phantasm
M Room (15 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Jacobs Hill, SAT Cadaveric Spasm and Old Head, SUN Northern Liberties, Sounds From Atlantis, The Non-stop Mint
Tritone (1508 South St.) FRI Ganto Barn, SAT Vintage Kicks
Indie supergroup Mister Heavenly is offering up a FREE digital single via the band’s website here (well, for the price of your e-mail address). It features two tracks, the eponymously titled “Mister Heavenly” and “Pineapple Girl” (which you can check out below). Still no Philly dates on their calendar yet, but if you’re jonesin’ to see them live, then you can head up to NYC and catch them at one of our favorite music venues, Bowery Ballroom, this Sunday, June 16 (or you can teleport yourself to Chicago tonight for Tomorrow Never Knows Festival). Enjoy! (Photo by Johnny Le) – The Deli Staff
Power Animal are ready to bring their found sound orchestrations to Danger Danger Gallery tonight. This percussive collage of samples, harmonies and various instruments is the brainchild of Keith Hampson and filled out live by a crew of members including Matt Hampson, Kevin O’Neill, Dave Ott, Chris Clark, and Marie Nicolo. Banjo and homemade vibraphones often act as bandleaders while dialoging with the spoken word samples. Power Animal’s fine LP People Songs is a series of musical nuggets that combine folk-pop orchestrations similar to Danielson or Tunng and sample-happy sound explorers The Books. Their sound is all over the place with hip-hop drum beats fitting perfectly under Hampson’s sleepy croon on “Sometimes” to the schizophrenic blasting of instrumental epic “Summer Came From Nowhere”. People Songs is one of the strongest and most slept on albums of last year, and it still doesn’t capture the power of their live show. Don’t miss this chance to see their big sound in a super intimate setting. Danger Danger Gallery, 5013 Baltimore Ave., 8pm, $5 – $10 Donation, All Ages – Adam G.
The stage looked like a small music store at Mercy Lounge Wednesday night, every square inch lined with cellos, violins, guitar amps, drums, xylophones and tubas. With an inch of elbowroom to spare, Kopecky Family Band took the stage to an eager crowd of heat-seeking Nashvillains; although the weather was bitter cold, the vibes were warm enough. Kopecky has garnered a lot of notable accolades over the past few years, including spotlights at SXSW and their critically acclaimed album “The Disaster.” The ambition in their sprawling compositions justifies the praise; the band members don’t look much older than their mid-twenties and are producing music most wouldn’t even attempt. It’s difficult to find the balance between harmony, discord, surrealism and authenticity, but Kopecky made it a cakewalk.
During the show, there was a lack of attention from the audience. When you write songs that feature long sections of droney strings, bass, and guitar with little to no percussion, it comes with a territory. While their music is brilliant on record, the songs that contain more upbeat rhythms and lyrics are the ones that translate better live. One great example is “God & Me,” highlighting intense fist-pumping rhythms and amazing vocal performances from lead singers Gabe and Kelsey. Their display of songwriting and musicianship was impressive, but it appears those merits don’t carry the weight of their audience’s attention in concert. – Marc Chirico
One thing I love about Portland’s music community is that it’s a real community. When the good times rain, they pour, and we all get in on the party. When the bad things come around, we help each other out. Sadly, it seems that the worst things happen to the best people. A couple of days ago, Drew Grow of Drew Grow and The Pastors’ Wives was in a very serious car accident, that left him broken, and with his upcoming hospital bills, probably heading towards broke. Thankfully, Drew will be alright in time, but pocketbooks don’t heal quite so quickly. A few benefit shows are coming up to help Drew out, including a show at the Doug Fir March 2nd. and if you’re in a place where you can help him out in any way, you can donate to the Paypal now! Our thoughts are with you Drew!
I remember seeing Grimace Federation when I first moved to Philadelphia in 2007 and being automatically struck by their intensity and technical skill. They were lost in themselves, casting this mesmerizing silky soundscape of opulent, textured, intricate post-rock that raged hysterically like a disciplined cyclone around the stage. It was as if we, the audience, were just mere outsiders who happened to stumble upon a mad scientist’s deliberate working and could do nothing but gawk in amazement. Well, it should go without saying (but I’ll say it anyways). Grimace Federation is one act that’s a must-see live so trek your ass up to North Star Bar, where they’re playing tonight with locals, the psych-jazz group Caveman, and electro-jam outfit Somata. North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St., 9pm, $10, 21+ – Annamarya Scaccia
DC’s True Womanhood have released the first song in their series REEL TOO REAL. Here’s what Thomas had to say about it. "The song is called MINAJAH and it was inspired by the recent creation of the Moombahton dance craze, right here in DC. We didn’t use Ableton like everyone else because we are idiots and we thought we could make electronic music using live instruments patched through effects pedals. Also, Stevie Wonder shook our hands the day we bought the synth that this song was played on and told us it was a good choice. His magic apparently rubbed off. (We are not kidding. This is a true story. His hands smell like sandalwood.)"
You might expect just another garage band by the look ‘em, but the windingly calm psychedelia of YOURS will move you so much further than the grunge of a half-stack on a summer’s day. The incredibly homespun warmth of weeping guitars arrested by hints of driving beats beside subtle vocal harmonies sweeping across songs like “Transformer Dream” will take you under a comforting wave of something to remember. It’s the kind of music that hugs your surroundings and sneaks that much closer to you. Yours recently finished recording their album, so keep your eyes on the presses for that to drop in the next couple months. Catch YOURS tonight at Holocene with Monarques and Arch Cape!
Finally you can all vote for your favorite emerging Bay Area artist of 2010 from the list on the right!
I know, it’s a I know, it’s a long list, but that’s what our jury of scene makers (see list below) passed us – there was hardly any consensus amongst them, they almost all voted for different artists, and that’s why the list is so long.
The band/artist from this list that wins on the poll’s composite chart (i.e. jurors + Deli writers + fans’ votes) will receive a plethora of prizes provided by the sponsors of The Deli. Right now all the artists in the list have accumulated some points from the votes cast by jurors and writers, now it’s the fans and readers’ turn!
Finally you can all vote for your favorite emerging Bay Area artist of 2010 from the list on the right!