New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Glass Lux is Alfonso Mayen and Emily Morse, and together they have been making music for a couple of years. The duo has been building hype for their debut release for awhile through their live performances and due to their first single "I’m A Machine".
You can catch Glass Lux on Feb 27th at Empty Bottle with Love & Radiation and The Deer Tracks.
Haha…below is an awesome new music video for Free Energy‘s "Hold You Close." It was made from found YouTube footage by the band’s bassist Evan Wells.
San Francisco based instrumental post rock band Form and Fate have emerged from a long live performance hybernation to play the DNA Lounge on March 6th. After a two year hiatus, Form and Fate will be sharing a bill with Boston based art rock, nugaze metal band, Junius, Death Valley High and Silver Snakes. Do your best not to miss this show. For ticket information, click here:
http://www.dnalounge.com/calendar/2013/03-06d.html
South Philly’s The Eeries are back from a winter tour in support of their full-length album Home Alone that was released via Evil Weevil Records and on cassette via Burger Records. The garage rock trio will be bringing their fine, homegrown vocal harmonies and endearing, melodic hooks to the DIY-esque upstairs space at Kung Fu Necktie. They’ll be part of a packed lineup that includes Philly’s own David Mitchell Esparaza, a.k.a. (((TACO))) from The Love Club, and visiting troops “bumpkin punks” Hellshovel, space punks Acid Baby Jesus, Southern rockers Niche, and shadowy Americana outfit Devil at My Side. Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 8pm, 21+ – H.M. Kauffman
Waxahatchee, the project from Katie Crutchfield now with the help of Swearin’s Keith Spencer and Kyle Gilbride, just premiered their new album Cerulean Salt on NPR Music‘s "First Listen," which is available for streaming in its entirety HERE. The record will be out March 5 via Don Giovanni Records, and they’ll be kicking off their tour down to SXSW with a show this Friday, March 1 at West Philly’s Golden Tea House.
"Black House" leads off Brooklyn band Eraas‘ self-titled album with an under two-minute instrumental of sustained textures. The track starts out mysteriously pensive, but ultimately transforms to a more dark and foreboding mood. This unsettling feeling is a theme that runs throughout Eraas’ entire repertoire. Vocals are delivered in hushed cadences. The rise and ebb of percussive pulses and sustained sound washes create tension and anticipation. The band just left Brooklyn for an extensive North American tour with French like-minded electro-goth veterans Trust. Dave Cromwell asked them a few questions before their departure here. Check out also their suspenseful video for Ghost, treaming below.
New York’s Generator Ohm have been generating quite the buzz with their 2012 debut album, Upon the Me Om I. Not as relaxed as "ohm" might indicate (wait… that’s NOT a reference to meditation you say?), the band melts grunge heaviness and progressive intricacies and drives the energy to a punky, frenzied state. In twelve tracks, Generator Ohm, made up of Willie Chen (guitar, bass, vocals), Ernest D’Amaso (guitar, bass and vocals), Mike Morales (drums), Stephen A. Woodzell (guitar, keys) showcase their adrenalized style. – Read Meijin Bruttomesso’s interview with the band here.
Slander‘s dual signal release was met with a bit of a buzz, getting coverage on a few blogs including Stereogum. Following that burst of success they’ve released the video for the two singles – a longform black and white video. The video, directed by Ellery Twining, does a good job of bringing the singles to life. Before seeing the video, I was already feeling the retro Fleetwood Mac vibes from the twangy guitars and take-no-prisoners drums. Magnets definitely shines in the forefront, with an especially energetic intro and catchy hooks up the wazoo; from "You wanna be alone" to "I can make you want it" yelped and wailed by frontwoman Julia Farrar. Ghosts takes it down a notch with a slower pace and a less puncuated and more drawn out feeling than Magnets, but the two singles play off each other well. – Hillary Anderson
Kids: it’s time for a short history lesson. Once upon a time, there existed a movement. Guys would tour the country in rundown passenger vans, from dive bars to basements to rock clubs, spreading their gospel of punk rock… or at least how they thought it to be. Similarly, they wore rundown converse, and their bad haircuts were considered badges of honor. In this long ago time, emo, as it was called, was a small respected slice of the punk rock pie. Today, the effigy that was once a fixture in alternative music is but a shell of its former self… tainted by chunky highlights and side-swoop bangs. But in the basements of Philadelphia, one can experience the same sincerity and thoughtfulness that existed back then. Philly-based Kite Party, willing and ready to lead the charge, deliver us from the era of contractual agreement with their own bastarded punk rock child. Drawing reminiscence of Jawbreaker, the playful wrestling of clean bass lines and complementary guitars build an admirable backdrop for Russell Edling’s oddly hypnotic muttering. Supporting New York’s Bridge and Tunnel, it’s home field advantage for these Guildsmen tonight at The Fire. Bring your older brothers and cool slightly-younger-than-your-dad uncles, as this set will appease any purist with a yearning to return to the Golden Age. The Fire, 412 W. Girard Ave., 7pm, $8, All Ages – Ed Newton
When we first discovered Kristen Sylvester, she was still in high school writing music under the moniker Spirit and Dust and performing out as a trio. That was toward the beginning days of The Deli Philly. Since then, her band has expanded to an eight-piece, and she’s finally releasing the follow-up to her debut LP Delight (a former Deli Album of the Month) entitled Shore to Shore, which is a concept album. Below are a few words from Sylvester about her latest record.
“Shore to Shore is a story about two people who– in the heat of life– have fallen apart. The story is from the perspective of one individual who at first struggles to find solace but eventually is able to gain a perspective shift, realizing that when things get heavy, you have to make them lighter; a journey towards the other shore. Become a living anachronism as your journey takes you to fantastical new places!”
She’ll be celebrating the release of her new full-length tonight at the charming West Philly multipurpose space Studio 34, performing the LP in its entirety with casted parts and several original monologues and letters which will be incorporated into the performance. Spirit and Dust will be supported by Small Houses (a.k.a. Jeremy Quentin), who will also be releasing his new album Exactly Where You Wanted to Be, Sean Hoots (of Hoots & Hellmouth), and DJ Slowpoke (a.k.a. Birdie Busch) on the ones and twos. This evening is a Folkadelphia-presented event. Studio 34, 4522 Baltimore Ave., 8pm, $10, All Ages – H.M. Kauffman
Andy Ferguson with Peter Valois are finally releasing their self-titled debut as Scrimshander. With big beats and echoing vocals they bring to mind Lord Huron, but with fatter rock strides and shuffling tambourines One of the stand-out qualities of Scrimshander is their ability to combine folk, pop, and electronic elements using looping and a tapping drum machine. It makes for futuristic, lonely cowboy music, such as the dirty, foreboding guitar followed by banjo, fiddle, and content vocals in "Head Hang Low". "Don’t Be Afraid of Me" ends in dreamy synths like dust settling after being awarded an epiphany at the end of a desert vision quest. The songwriting and deep sounds provide solace before bright, clashing breakouts into oblivion. Ferguson’s day job is as a children’s storyteller/song leader, and both he and Valois show a love of puppetry. Tonight, along with their album, they release their first music video for "Forest Fire", made with local marionette and stop motion extraordinaires Belly & Bones. – Brandy Crowe
Someday Lounge with Desert Days(formerly Pigeons), and Fanno Creek
Scrimshander: Forest Fire from bellyandbones on Vimeo.
Back before Philly became the thriving indie music scene that it is today, Mazarin was one of the very few beloved bands on the verge of breaking out to a wider national audience. Unfortunately, the group disbanded the year after the release of their final album We’re Already There (2005). Frontman Quentin Stoltzfus disappeared from the limelight, but still continued privately writing and recording his own music and helping friends produce theirs while working as a professional mover. In 2012, to the surprise of most of us, new material began to surface from Stoltzfus, who is now recording under the moniker Light Heat, and earlier this week, the announcement came about an official release date (June 25) for the project’s new self-titled album, which will be available via Ribbon Music. This Saturday night, you’ll be able to preview songs from the forthcoming record at Johnny Brenda’s where he’ll be supported by psych-garage rock Deli faves Spacin’ and gifted John Fahey-influenced Brooklyn guitarist Steve Gunn. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9pm, $10, 21+ – Q.D. Tran
