Night Panther’s Farzad Houshiarnejad and Michael Cammarata first gained notoriety as part of the sadistic, carnival-esque sounding, trashcan-smashing Doylestown, PA psych-pop four-piece Drink Up Buttercup, who released their debut and only LP Born and Thrown on a Hook via Yep Roc Records. After parting ways with bassist Ben “Money” Mazzochetti, the remaining members Housiarnejad, Cammarata and lead vocalist/guitarist James Harvey reemerged as White Birds, a harmonious lo-fi 60’s pop throwback, and were also joined on stage by Drink Up Buttercup’s former manager Chris Radwanski, who had previously co-founded the band France On Fire. The new project seemed to be regaining some of the momentum that Drink Up Buttercup had created. Then, Night Panther’s infectious debut single, “Fever,” emerged from nowhere heating up the blogosphere. It soon became pretty silent in the White Birds camp until the track “I Had a Dream I Did Everything Right” was posted with an apologetic note from Harvey. By that time, Night Panther’s second track “Snudge” was being welcomed with more praise, and word of White Birds officially disbanding was made public the next month. On their self-titled debut full-length album (via Small Plates Records), Night Panther unleashes ferociously dance-friendly synth-based music that the group has quite precisely defined as “sex pop.”

In the opening of “Pleasure to Meet You,” the band, who also now includes Radwanski, casts a momentarily sacred/churchlike feel as the keys mimic an organ. However, after setting a brief ominous tone, the song’s synth emerges providing a transitional lightness that consequently meshes with percussion generating a subtle groove. “Fever” proceeds to bring with it an instantaneously addictive 70’s R&B style head-bobbing/booty-shaking vibe, letting bass and percussion lead the way while a brass feel and well-placed funky guitar licks tattoo themselves on your subconscious colored in by silky-cool falsetto.

“Snudge” shifts the point of emphasis to lyrics amid airy synths that, at times, suggest escape restriction and a yearning desire for independence – “Sneaking out at night, he meets a girl wearing red shoes/Creeping through the door, the wood is cracking and she caught you.” “Queen Bitch” (which isn’t a David Bowie cover) takes a simple piano lead and produces a genuine heartfelt plea – “You were always on my mind/now I’m waiting for our time.” As the piano and synth weave in out of each other, the sorrowful lyrics are elevated to a systematic variable pace in which they are approached and delivered. After the relative simplicity of “Queen Bitch,” “Lioness” cues a heavy, darker tone; synth comes to the forefront capturing a sinister edge that is part medieval and part futuristic. In “Fire,” Houseriarnejad expresses torn conflict – “Things are different when she’s gone and I know why… Now I told her just to lie, and I know why/I know there’s a fire under my nose, but when you’re near me, I let it burn me.” While the narrative unravels, the instrumental components grow in importance and volume before dropping out as a conclusion emerges. “It’s time for me to move on.”

Night Panther demonstrate the versatility of synth pop on their debut self-titled LP, producing songs that don’t merely provide an atmosphere worthy of dance, but rather the synths serve as a bridge or foundation allowing the band to touch on varying emotional/physical relationships. – Michael Colavita

Here’s new music video from Norwegian Arms for the title track to his LP Wolf Like A Stray Dog. It features frontman Brendan Mulvihill’s father and family, and was filmed at historic Rigby Manor by Out Of Town Films. Also below are a few words that Mulvihill (a.k.a. Keith Birthday) had to say about the song and its origin.

Inspired by the stray dogs who would mill about the main square of Tomsk, Russia, Wolf Like a Stray Dog is about feeling an outcast in a society, where one is viewed differently based on origin. In Siberia, songwriter Keith Birthday often felt like an oustider; misunderstood and falsely represented. He instead found himself identifying with the dogs that roamed the streets, who were acknowledged by passersby, but often shunned, looked down upon, or even beaten.

To his surprise, the dogs were often friendly, socialized, and accepting, and on some of his darker days, he would feel more kinship with the dogs than with his fellow humans. As a result, this song formed, a meditation, where he seeks to understand the dogs’ society from their perspective; which he believed to be feral bliss, constant discovery, and a non-stop hunt for food. 

Local indie-rock outfit Hop Along is currently touring North America and Canada with Cleveland, Ohio’s The Sidekicks, who they’ve spent a recent stint in Europe with this past spring. Though they’ve been battling some van problems on the road, Hop Along will be more than ready to get the all-ages crowd into a sweaty frenzy in the basement of the First Unitarian Church tonight. They’ll also be armed with two new songs that they’ve been testing out on the road. Also joining the R5 and The Guild co-presented bill this evening will be Philly’s own Luther and Ma Jolie. First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., 7pm, $10 – $12, All Ages – Alexis V. 

I’m not really sure why I don’t end up at Milkboy more often. Maybe it’s because I’m bad at life, but I doubt it. It’s probably because I’m bad at checking out event calendars. But after a dinner consisting of stale crackers, antibiotics and a rum cocktail, I was more than ready to check out Mac DeMarco’s sold-out show this past Thursday. Locals Mock Suns and Ape School opened for everyone’s new favorite Canadian slacker rock babe, and did a swell job of it. I had myself a really good time – infected spider bite and all! 

Mock Suns and their heady, playful revelry and what my discerning male companion described as, “agreeable, good-guy guitar-driven indie rock,” which I’m pretty sure was a compliment. If Phoenix and Real Estate and Lower Dens formed a jam band and afterwards wrote a screenplay in which Arnold Schwarzenegger birthed their unlikely child, you’d be looking at Mock Suns. And I refuse to apologize for that statement, because I have an infected spider bite and I liked Mock Suns, and would be psyched to see them again.

Ape School also ruled it, banging out a set of discerningly anthemic rock and roll that worked way more often than not. It was a more stripped-down Ape School than I’m used to with the band taking the stage as a four-piece. Michael Johnson and his smart, moppy pompadour closed out a fulfilling set with his angst-tinged, celebratory, “Be An Encore.” The audience would’ve been down for one more, at least; however, that luxury isn’t usually provided for an opener. Plus, don’t mess with a sound guy and his set times.

Mac DeMarco and his swaggery maneuvering of fine lines in his dirty skate shoes, shrouding his modus operandi as a not-not prolific musician in a cloud of scum and viceroy smoke. He is your future-ex-boyfriend. He’s the best dude you used to skate with. Demarco and his bandmates clearly give a shit about what they’re doing – just not in front of their audience. They’re simply too busy having fun. You can just tell by their ridiculous facial expressions. They’re preternaturally good-natured, rough, goofy and replete. It was a complete-feeling set of clean, hard-edged translations of his studio recordings that still retained their “stoned-on-a-leaking-waterbed-and-hey-perhaps-it’s-the-80s vibe.” They also pulled off a loud, shrieky cover of the Beatles’ “Blackbird” lead by bassist Pierce McGarry in a string of admirably insincere classic rock covers. All in all, DeMarco proved on Thursday evening that good music can make fun of itself and be better for it. (Ape School Photo by Leslie Burnette) – Leslie Burnette