Standing well on her own two feet, Emma Ruth Rundle has released the first single from her forthcoming solo album, due out May 20 on Sargent House. She is best known for her work in Red Sparowes and Marriages, but this first listen feels like a necessary endeavor. The opening is wistful and ghostly, as her voice and guitar stand solitarily in reverberant space. The sparse arrangement pierces straight to the heart and leaves no room for doubt that her melancholy cries for comfort and redemption are an exorcism of sorts. Gently in the background, the strings moan like a tortured soul calling from the grave for deliverance. Her beautifully tortured cry of "please deliver me from all the evil I’ve done to myself and deliver me to arms I know so well" acts as a prologue to the story that is to unfold through the rest of her album. If these goosebumps are telling, it is sure to be amongst the top in those year end lists. – Jacqueline Caruso
Fox Bay debut performance at Johnny Brenda’s April 7th
Michael Prince aka Fox Bay steps to the forefront making his solo debut this evening in the intimate confines of Johnny Brenda’s. The South Carolina-born transplant (of Bottom of the Hudson & The Cobbs) is branching out on his own. The Fox Bay moniker is a nod to the area in South Carolina where his familial roots run deep. His single, “Divided Subtraction” is an inviting track, which paints heartfelt narrative-driven lyrics over a textured instrumental canvas. That layered orchestration creates a mobile vibe that one can’t help falling into. Fox Bay will be accompanied on the bill by Atlanta/Austin- based whimsical pop/folk outfit King of Prussia whose new double-album Zonian Girls & The Echoes That Surround Us All will be released tomorrow. The Swedish synth –pop of Case Conrad will open the show. Johnny Brenda’s 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9pm., $10, 21+ -Michael Colavita
Wrong Body accomplishes “BIG” things on debut full-length
When Wrong Body celebrated the release of its latest album, BIG, it sold out O’Brien’s Pub in Allston (that’s a neighborhood of Boston, for all you non-Bay Staters), so it’s clear that the guys have struck a chord with their 90s-alternative throwback style. There are plenty of highlights across BIG’s cascade of tight riffs and gruff vocals. For instance, take a listen to the beautiful layered guitars that span “Medal of Merit,” at times scored by vocalist Bryan Mastergeorge’s cries of, “Will you carry me? Will you bury me?” The band slows things down later on “King Krusher,” replacing the shouts with a charming falsetto and a sea of guitars both distorted and acoustic. If you’ve been dreaming of a grunge revival album that hits all the right notes, download BIG on Bandcamp now. – Jake Reed
Adiós Ghost unveils new video + plays Littlefield on 04.10
The song "Fernseher" from Bed-Stuy-based quartet Adiós Ghost‘s EP is contradictory in an intriguing way. Sunny surf/tropical-infused rock is the backbone for some seriously melancholy themes. The lyrics are similarly gloomy: "The sun is always setting and I don’t know why /To think that I could chase it, just give it a try/You know you can’t erase it just by telling lies.” Take this duality and add in its striking new video (created by Brooklyn filmmaker Nathan Punwar), and the song becomes that much more layered. Armed with a floor lamp, a girl peers into what seems to be an earlier time, literally Illuminating the past. What exactly she’s looking for in this hazy realm is a mystery, but the effect is ghostly and isolating — she’s watching this all unfold from the other side, through a lens of sorts. And that’s appropriate given the song’s name — "Fernseher" means TV or television viewer in German. The solitary observer can’t seem to crack the code, but it’s beautiful to watch her try. See Adiós Ghost live at Littlefield on 04.10. – Corinne Bagish
Live Review: Jeremy and & Harlequins, Twintapes, paris_monster and The Bothers at Mercury on 04.05
The Mercury Lounge hosted a show last Saturday (April 05) involving three NYC bands we have been following closely in the last few months – and a fourth one called Jeremy & the Harlequins that (having generated 80k+ views with the recently released video streaming below) SHOULD have been under our radar. Well, better late than never!
Twintapes got the Mercury Lounge audience to put on dancing shoes at their show this Friday, with another Deli favorite, paris_monster as the opener. Both bands pride themselves on playing rather complex electronic music without relying on the help of onstage laptops – although paris_monster’s “third member,” a sultry analog sequencer, often fills out their sound with an arpeggiator pulsing behind their live drums. Twintapes transported the audience with their peculiar tunes that sound a little like a chilled-out version of disco, drenching their synths in effects, and combining them with soulful, wise sounding melodies and up-tempo but sparse drum grooves.
After the synth bands had their say, a radical change of scenario: two groups of guys with slick back hair, aviators, leather jackets and plain white T-s (recent Deli Artist of The Month The Bothers and Jeremy & the Harlequins) strolled in and begun to set up for their anachronistic set. Both devoted to revisiting the Rock & Roll and Rockabilly sounds and antics, the bands recycled the genres’ signature tricks, stop-times and familiar chord progressions, revitalizing them with a punk-esque attitude in the drumming and vocal departments. For those who like me stayed through the night, the aforementioned dancing shoes came handy for a friendly round of moshing! – Paul Jordan Talbot
We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best Alt Rock/Revival Rock songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!
New Video: “On the Clouds” – Purples
Here is a new video from eclectic, indie pop outfit Purples. The song, “On the Clouds” is off of their long awaited debut LP, Nancy, which came out just last week. The video features a moppy haired youth slowly drinking an orange soda, with lyrics from the song over-laid and some trippy colored effects to boot. The song, as well as the rest of the album is available for streaming right HERE.
Human BBQ XXXV at Pilam on April 5th
Pilam erupts with its thunderous Human BBQ for its unprecedented 36th year today, and the music frathouse features a stacked lineup of 18 bands playing its basement and 1st floor. The event will be headlined by Brooklyn buzz band Total Slacker, and will feature other noteworthy out of towners like NYC’s Total Slant and Betlehem’s indie duo Slingshot Dakota. But Philly will be very well represented by the like of Cold Fronts, who should be seeing big things coming their way after recently signing to Sire Records. The ongoing psych rock project of booking wizard Andy Molholt, Laser Background will bring their synths stylings to the party. Mumblr will bring the fast paced fuzz punk, and Secret Plot to Destroy the Entire Universe will bring their hard-hitting, emotive anthems. Add in 11 more bands of varying style, plenty of meat and veggie BBQ options, and the Human BBQ’s tendency for delivering surprise performers; and you have a stacked day of music. PiLam, 3914 Spruce St, 12PM, $15 21+ – Bill McThrill
Weekend Warrior, April 4-6
If you’re in the mood to shake your ass tonight and extend last week’s East Coast Beard and Moustache Championships, Night Panther will be kicking off their April residency at Bourbon and Branch with Purples and Nicos Gun. Hailing from Doylestown and fronted by the seductive Farzad Houshiarnejad, Night Panther has been making Philadelphia sexier over the past year, named one of the top bands in The Deli Philly’s Best of 2013 Emerging Artists Poll and catching the attention of ABC’s Mixology, who has commissioned the band to song write. Warm up to the intoxicating hustle of “Fever” and wet your whistle for $1 Narragansett pounders till 10pm, free alcoholic gummies by Rebel Gummies, and drink specials by Sailor Jerry and Art in Age. Bourbon and Branch, 705 N. 2nd Street, 8pm $10, – Jaime Pannone
Grass Is Green, Knights Templar, Snoozer, Loose Tooth
Weekend Round-up
While the Deli doesn’t like to confuse our readers with too many good live music options almost as much as it doesn’t like confusing its cats with a laser pointer, it is a neccessary and fortunate evil. Be forwarned: the breadth and scope of events for next weekend is roughly doubled (also, if the cats are reading, get ready for some Garage Camping!)
Friday:
Tom Pappas Collection Single Release Show at The High Watt, 9:30pm,
Year of October, Hot Mess Loves You, and No Fun Intended open for Black Market Research at the Mercy Lounge, 8:30pm, $7
Earl Burrows with Devil May Care and Dean Jackson (members of Deer Tick and Turbo Fruits) at The Basement, 9pm, $5
The Goddamn Gallows Live Cd Recording Party at Exit/In with JD Wilkes and the Dirt Daubers, Phil Hummer and the White Falcons, and the Whiskey Hill Swillers, 8pm, $12
Black Cat Sylvester, Fistikuffs and Al-D at The End, 9pm, $5
Arkansas Elvis at Springwater Supper Club with Eyes Like 20 and Nobody’s Leaving, 9pm, $5
#RAPCLUB presents Big Lo with kidDEAD, Mountainwalker, The Trinity Schill Kill, and Chris tha Skytrotter at the East Room, 10pm, $5
Saturday:
The Grayces at The East Room with Hot Mess Loves You, Blue Matches, The Simpletons, 9pm, $5
Rock out and raise money for a good cause with Kink Ador, Hollywood Kills and The Opposed at 12th and Porter, 9pm, $10
The Daily Howl join The Wooly Mamas and The Greg Bachman Band at Springwater Supper Club, 9:30pm, $5
Future Unlimited with Forget Cassettes, Friendship Commander and Patrick Baker at Mercy Lounge, 8pm, $10
Tipper Whore with Birdcloud and Penicillin Baby at The Stone Fox, 9pm, $5
Sunday:
Dan Rossen (of Grizzly Bear) and William Tyler at Mercy Lounge, 8pm, $15 advance, $20 DOS
Adia Victoria, Elise Davis, Idle Bloom, and SC pop band The Explorer’s Club at The Basement, 8pm, no cover
Weekly Features: Christine Hoberg plays Cake Shop on April 07
Christine Hoberg impressed mightily on her 2011 release "Moonlight Never Shined So Bright" with its bluesy, minimalist instrumentation showcasing her considerable songwriting chops and fragile-but-effective vocals. Having spent the intervening period collaborating with artists such as Flight Facilities and Kiings (she describes the last year as a huge learning curve), this February she released follow-up and fourth album overall, "World Within," which stretched the Brooklyn resident’s sound, testing new areas ranging from ambient to soul. You can experience her sparse, intimately experimental music at Cake Shop on April 7
LINKS: Dean Van Nguyen’s interview with Christine Hoberg.
Weekly Feature: Slim Wray plays Hank’s Saloon on 04.16
Blues rock duo Slim Wray, which is Ryan Houser (guitar/vocals) and Chris Moran (drums/backing vocals), is all about reviving what rock is supposed to be. Their debut album "Sack Lunch" was released late in 2013, featuring their rockin’, grungy single ‘Bear,’ which was enough to get our attention. Their sound mimics that of what would be an early Nirvana/Jack White mix with a little more positivity. For a two-piece garage band, their loud energy can transform a live venue into an atomic explosion of punk, power-blues and grunge. You can experience this at Hank’s Saloon on April 16.
LINKS – Michael Haskoor interview with Slim Wray.
The Deli Philly Featured Artist(s) Poll Winner: Calamity Jane
What started on a whim at DIYPHL’s First Time’s the Charm, evolved quickly into our Features Poll Winners, the punk rock quartet Calamity Jane. This female-fronted crew is lo-fi and like it that way. They boisterous, unashamed sound fits in well with bands like Cayetana and Tacocat, who they unsurprisingly mention as an influence. We caught up with Ivy (bass), Madeline (guitar and vox), Dan (guitar and vox), Shelby (drums) to talk about their unique start, the Philly scene, and the future of Calamity Jane. Be the first to check out the interview with the band HERE: