Philadelphia

POPPED! Music Festival Pre-party at JB’s Sept. 16

Posted on:

POPPED! Music Festival is one week away, and they’ll be celebrating tonight with a pre-party “Pop the Lid Off!” that is also part of Johnny Brenda’s 5 Year Anniversary festivities. This evening’s showcase will feature sedative-wave/smooth-fi local natives Work Drugs (who will be wrapping up their September mini-tour of Philly), multi-instrumentalist Blayer Pointdujour (formerly of Phil Moore Browne, Kid Kreyol, Miss Argentina, The Ghouls), and Brooklyn’s J. Viewz (the multi-genre electronic project of producer Jonathan Dagan). You’ll also be treated to tunes from DJ Bearbait (a.k.a. Pattern Is Movement’s Chris Ward) and DJ Shmitten Kitten (a.k.a. Anna Goldfarb) as well as free chips and salsa provided by Brooklyn Salsa Company. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9pm, $10, 21+ – H.M. Kauffman
 
Philadelphia

Dragon King Headlining an Early Show at KFN Sept. 16

Posted on:

What began as a studio project and exercise in collaboration between songwriter Dominic Angelella and producer Ritz Reynolds has blossomed into a live performing four-piece band. Dragon King will be headlining an early show tonight at Kung Fu Necktie performing their genre-hopping tunes driven by Angelella’s learned, dynamic guitar work and assisted by the bombastic bass lines of Ms. Julie Slick. They’ll be joined by good pals (and sibling) Eric Slick (a.k.a. Dr. Awkward) and Brendan Mulvihill (a.k.a. Keith Birthday) who have combined forces to make up freak folk outfit Norwegian Arms. Also on the bill are Saratoga/Brooklyn’s experimental popsters Railbird led by the lovely vocals and songwriting of Sarah K. Pedinotti. Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 7:30pm, $5, 21+ – Alexis V.

NYC

Weekly Feature: Akron Family

Posted on:

Currently split between NYC, Portland and Tucson, Akron/Family emerged from the Brooklyn experimental folk scene of the mid 2000s. Over the past six years they have been noisily doing their own thing, including flirtations with free jazz, art pranks and some seriously out-there mysticism. Their latest album, released earlier this year, is called "S/T II:The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT", the meaning of which remains obscure even to the band. Though the three core members are now flung across the country, their approach to music remains as cohesively fresh as ever. The Deli caught up with founding Akron Miles Seaton, shortly before a rousing set at the Festival de Musique Émergente (FME) in northwestern Quebec. – Read Jeremy Simon interview with the band here.

NYC

Weekly Feature: The High Highs

Posted on:

The High Highs don’t attempt to make a grand entrance. They’re more subtle than that. But don’t mistake that for a lack of passion or talent, because their hooks are solid and their melodies are sweeping. These guys began as a studio project, and they don’t mess around. Their single “Open Season” features a video that perfectly compliments their sound, sun-washed and through a vintage lens. The song itself paints vivid pictures, then revokes them by saying "it’s all in your mind." The piano part is a bright accompaniment to an otherwise faded sound, a delicate contrast to the breakdowns. Their overall presentation channels a mellow demeanor, with strumming guitars and some lovely harmonizing, lyrics bittersweet and haunting. – Read Allison Levin’s interview with the band here.

NYC

Healthy dose of “Nu 90s”: Lightouts live at Union Hall on September 22

Posted on:

Gavin Rhodes claims his band Lighouts is, “like Smashing pumpkins, when they were good.” There is a resemblance in Lightouts thick layered guitar and bass lines, playing in perfect precision, but Lightouts vocalist Greg Nelson’s disciplined tenor is a far cry from the nasal madness of Billy Corgan’s haunts and howls. Lightouts latest single “Eloise Suite” is like an  angsty and fresh walk through a 90s scrapbook, with fuzzy guitars supporting Nelson’s new wave vocal inflections. Catch Lightouts performing on September 22, at Union Hall in Brooklyn. – Ed Guardaro

San Francisco

K.Flay On Young The Giant Remix EP, On Tour

Posted on:

SoCal band around MTV VMA town Young The Giant just released an EP of remixes, succinctly titled Remix EP, via their Facebook page.

None other than San Francisco’s very own lady rapper K. Flay scored a slot on the mix. Her reworking of “My Body” can be all yours, along with a slew of other Young the Giant remixes, if you simply head over to their fan page here and press the like button.

Catch K.Flay live at Popscene on Friday, Sept. 16 at Rickshaw Stop with Teddybears (DJ set) and fellow locals TIGERcat, or on national tour.

 –Justine Fields

Chicago

Kid Static and The Album

Posted on:

Kid Static is working on his second solo album which will be called The Album. As you will hear in the video below, Static has been working on this project for years, and is looking for support to get it finished. Below the video is a track he recorded with Alpha MC and VerBS called "Carry The Sister". Static relocated to LA a little while back, but he has a long history in the Chicago hip hop scene. You can show you support for Kid Static here.

L.A.

Vanish Valley Releases “Get Good” This Month!

Posted on:

After some soul-searching, career changes, and moving to three different states in the matter of a few years, Vanish Valley’s founder, Andrew McAllister, has finally settled down in the warmth of sunny Los Angeles. The singer/songwriter wrote and recorded Vanish Valley, his first album under the moniker, back in 2008, with the help of some fellow L.A.-based musicians. Upon this release, life took McAllister on a rollercoaster ride that eventually returned him to the City of Angels, where he recruited a drummer, bassist and keyboardist, and assembled a proper band for his country-folk outfit. On September 27, the quartet is set to release its sophomore album, "Get Good", on Hard Bark records. And if the foursome’s first single, “Races,” is any indication of the album’s sound, expect heartfelt lyrics barked by McAllister floating atop twangy guitar riffs, harmonicas, rhythmic percussion and campfire-like backing vocals. – Katrina Nattress