This evening may be the record release party for Conversations debut full-length, Totally Redeem Yourself. But it’s business as usual for the two founding members of Conversations with Enemies, Josh and Jessica Craft, who have teamed up with Paul Montgomery and Ian Zolitar of the folk radio show Bridging the Gap for their latest project. Thus far, the quartet has had a heck of a warm up already opening for the legendary Beach Boys. The nine-song album was reorded at Headroom Studio with Joe Reinhart, and was mastered by Alex Santill of Spice Hounds Sounds. It features vibrant multi-part harmonies, folk-pop tunes, and uncanny chemistry between all four members. Tonight will also be a good chance to catch veteran folk-punk crooner Joe Jack Talcum before he and the Dead Milkmen depart for tour in April. The show will also feature the latest project from members of Algernon Cadwallader, Dogs on Acid. PhilaMOCA, 531 N. 12th St., 8pm, $10, All Ages – Bill McThrill
Philadelphia
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Weekend Warrior, March 13 – 15
There are few (if any) shows in town that are going to be better this weekend than this Sunday’s bill at South Philly’s A House Named Virtue. Headlined by NYC transplants via Connecticut and New Jersey, Mannequin Pussy, the trio of Marissa Dabice (guitar/vocals), Thanasi Paul (guitar), and Kaleen Reading (drums), perform with such ferocity that you just can’t help but instantly become a fan. Well, that’s if you enjoy being obliterated by loud, aggressive punk; however, they also have the ability to create haunting, anthemic melodies that lie under their thick wall of noise. Ex-Dangerous Ponies’ Chrissy Tashjian, Kyle Pulley, and Mike Tashjian are back together again with Thin Lips, a project that holds on to the combination’s ability to write infectious pop hooks, while giving Pulley room to unleash his inner hardcore kid. Cousin Brian, with their new lineup, will be performing their first show since Halloween. Also joining the house party are Boston’s Ben Katzman’s Degreaser and Miami’s The Jellyfish Brothers. A House Named Virtue (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.), 8pm, $5, All Ages – Alexis V.
Other places to enjoy the better weather this weekend…
Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) FRI Serpent Throne, JJL. Randall of Nazareth, SUN Bondage & Discipline
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.)FRI Lover’s Secret Domain/Profligate, Decade, SAT Bozai/The Parameters, Missing Elements, SUN Vektor/Satellite Hearts
PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12th St.) SAT Conversations (Record Release), Dogs On Acid, Joe Jack Talcum
Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) FRI The Underwater Sounds, SAT Friends With Wolves Fest: Rosu Lup, Square Peg Round Hole, The Chairman Dances, Sympathy & The Lion, Gretchen Lohse, Sierra Cooke, John Vetteese (DJ Set)
Bourbon and Branch (705 N. 2nd St.) FRI A Fistful of Sugar, The Late Saints, SAT Corporate Hearts, Mat Burke, Rob Clancy (of Cold Roses), The Stonewall Vessels, SUN Alec Stewart, Ross Bellenoit
The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) FRI (Balcony) Whiskey Kitten Cabaret, Vilebred, Jantones, Sun (Balcony) EPOD, Mr. Bad Dreams
TLA (334 South St.) FRI G. Love & Special Sauce, SAT G. Love & Special Sauce
Electric Factory (421 N. 7th St.) SUN The Menzingers
World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI (Downstairs) John Byrne Band, No Irish Need Apply, SAT (Downstairs) Minas, SUN (Upstairs) (6pm) Giovana Robinson/(9pm) Widow Maker Social Club
The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Mimos, The Poet, Ebenezer, The Mellowells, SAT Hollander Crouse Duo, Red Means Run, The Late Greats
MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) FRI Drone Ranger, Son Step, SAT Seismic Thrust
Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3rd St.) FRI Locals, Hello and Yes, SAT Mercury Radio Theater, Evan Cory Levine
North Star Bar (2639 Poplar St.) FRI North End, War on Orchids, SAT Upperfields, Delco Pacers, Pilkington
Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) SUN Skeleton Lipstick
Tin Angel (20 S. 2nd St) FRI Man About A Horse, Valley Creek
Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SAT Dave Steel Blues Band, SUN Rusty Cadillac
The Legendary Dobbs (304 South St.) FRI C. Lynne Smith, Bosom Band/Wild By Law, SAT Transistor Rodeo/The Band of Rivals, Music Box Dynamo, Thee Glitter Bombs, SUN Mazzerati
Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9th St) FRI Curtis Jr., Cold Roses, Modern Colour, Visoon, SAT The Phonies, Brosef Gordon-Levitt, Poster Child
The Grape Room (105 Grape St) FRI Matt Gauss Band, Jason Ager, SAT Kenny Price & Friends
Ardmore Music Hall SUN A Tribute to Jerry Garcia: Steve Kimock & Friends
Beaumont Warehouse (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Eric Petersen, Dark Watchers, Shitty Sumer, Westboro Baptist Choir
The Pharmacy (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Severed, Incisor
Black Vulture Gallery (208 E. Girard Ave.) SAT Jenkem
Cha-Cha’razzi (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Problems, Material, Cannons, The Cloth
Baker Bowl (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Krispy Kareem, Three Man Cannon, Matt Holden, Second Marriage
Lava Space (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Soul Glo, Pinkwash, Space Chumpy
The Petting Zoo (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Marcus & Rome
Chicago
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Filligar “Keepsakes of the Interior”
Filligar are preparing to release their new album, Keepsakes of the Interior, via their own label Decade Records on April 21st. Over the last few
The band is currently touring the midwest and you can find their dates here.
NYC
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Crying’s 8-bit/pop-punk pixelates the Brooklyn Night Bazaar on 3/27
NYC, are you ready for more SUNY Purchase grads who know how to rock? 8-bit/pop-punk band Crying is cute in a way that won’t make you puke. It’s Princess Peach in roller derby gear—it’s that Lemuria/Hello Goodbye crossover I secretly have always wanted. Their latest record, “Second Wind”, is seriously fun and filled with glittery angst. They’ll be playing Brooklyn Nigh Bazaar on March 27th. With lyrics like “karaoke’s ready, bring her down” you’re already invited, so who’s carrying the DDR? – Leora Mandel
NYC
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NYC garage rock band Big Huge heads to SXSW
Close your eyes when listening to Big Huge’s latest record “Don’t Be Shy” and you’ll be transported to a big old couch in your neighbor’s garage (just play along here)—the cushions are a bit sunken in from jumping and the beers are fizzy, warm, and plentiful. It’s not a bad place to be. The sound is fuzzy and upbeat, the rhythm driving, and the vocals excitable. Big Huge is a 5-piece NYC rock band. They’ll be heading to SXSW this March to play this and other shows, but they love you and will without doubt be coming back to local NYC venues this Spring. Big Huge made our recent list of Best Emerging NYC Bands. – Leora Mandel
Chicago
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AyOH
AyOH released their latest album, Dangerous Questions, earlier this month. The band is currently heading down to Austin for SXSW. You can find their showcase listing here.
NYC
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Friend Roulette brings their chamber pop to Palisades and Pianos on 3/20 and 4/12
Brooklyn chamber-pop group Friend Roulette’s 2014 EP “Grow Younger” is a victory in synchronicity. The band, comprised of multiple singers and drummers as well as featuring a string section, EWI, and bass clarinet, could be a mess of a lunch date, but the record never feels like a crowd. Lead singer Julia Tepper marches through proclamations of magic and dawdles into meditations on mortality. With influences like early 2000’s Vanessa Carlton, a pack of dogs, and space travel, Friend Roulette has managed a unique cohesion. They will be playing shows at Palisades on March 20th and Pianos April 12th. – Leora Mandel
Chicago
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Geronimo! Farewell Show @ Beat Kitchen
Geronimo! released a new track this week called "They Put a Hook Inside of Me" and announced that they will be releasing a new and final EP, Buzz Yr Girlfriend: Vol. 4 – Why Did You Leave Me? , via Exploding in Sound Records on March 31st.
The announced back in the fall that they would be breaking up, and they will perform their farewell show on March 28th at Beat Kitchen.
NYC
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NYC roots artist on the rise: Odetta Hartman announces “222” LP + plays Baby’s All Right on 03.29
We are not entirely sure why, but the name "Odetta" fired up jazzy expectations the instant we stumbled upon it. Those expectation were not betrayed by East Village native Odetta Hartman‘s music, a heterogeneous brand of orchestral folk, enriched by jazzy influences. The 25 year old lady can play pretty much any instrument with strings on it, from guitar to banjo to violin, and after three releases with band, is about to release he first strictly solo album, entitled "222." She recently premiered first single "Creektime" (streaming), which reveals a sparser and more succint approach to songwriting, but also a more experimental and intense sound, incorporating samples from field recordings, and shifting her melodic angle from the distracting melodies of jazz to the simpler but more intense ones of its cousin blues. You can see Odettal live at Baby’s All Right on March 29th.
We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best roots songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!
Philadelphia
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Krispy Kareem EP Release Show at Baker Bowl March 13
The pop-punk trio of Krispy Kareem celebrates the release of its EP Cadillac with a performance tonight at Baker Bowl. The group’s vibrant loose style offers a light accessibility that’s easy to gravitate towards. That relaxed approach, with a dash of surf-rock sounds, translates into tunes that assimilate into ones mind in a rapid fashion. Krispy Kareem rides an amusing wave that you’ll want to catch. The melodic melancholy of Second Marriage will also make an appearance, while Pittsburgh transplant Matt Holden (Legs Like Tree Trunks) will open the night with an acoustic set of emotive math rock. Melding gut-torn melodies with instrumentation that smoothly weaves comforting packages and yet is prepared to shred and tear away at the seams, Scranton transplants Three Man Cannon headline. Tennessee’s Mouth Reader ships in thick riff-oriented garage rock jumpstarted by active percussion and augmented by psych-stretching vocals. Baker Bowl (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.), 8pm, $3, All Ages – Michael Colavita