Spazz Presents‘ Jeff Blinder will be hosting his birthday bash this evening at Philamoca. Blinder states, "I’m at my happiest when running a fun event for awesome traveling musicians so that’s my gift to myself. Your gift to me would be coming out and being part of this night!" The festivities will kickoff with local folk rock trio turned quintet, Roof Deck, who has crafted a darker edge to its sound with the addition of synths and cello. Headlining the night is the brooding, intensely hypnotic sounds of Sarasota, FL/Sparta, NJ’s Teach Me Equals. Also helping Blinder celebrate his special day will be Atlanta noise-pop sextet Spirits and the Melchizedek Children & Baltimore experimental electroacoustic singer-songwriter, Jonathan Badger. PhilaMOCA, 531 N. 12th St., 8pm, $6, All Ages – H.M. Kauffman
Freshly re-banded Rainer Maria bring their quality emo to St. Vitus on 07.02
While the word "emo" – when applied to music – has been getting somewhat of a bad rap because of some overly produced, unbearably pompous break out bands, there are still a lot of great, authentically punk emo bands out there, and Brooklyn via Wisconsin Rainer Maria is one of them. Not new to the scene, this trio churned out records for a decade starting from their formation in the mid 90s, and, after an eight year hiatus, re-banded at the end of 2014 with a New Year’s Eve show at Bowery Ballroom. You’ll have a chance to see them live at St. Vitus on July 2nd: anticipate that mosh pit inducing experience by checking out the impeccable live version of "Anyone In Love With You," streaming below.
Ticket Giveaway: The Very Best, Heems (of Das Racist), and STS at Underground Arts This Tuesday
We are doing a ticket giveaway for tomorrow night’s show at Underground Arts with The Very Best, Heems (of Das Racist), and STS. To enter for a chance to win a pair of tix, just send an email to thedelimagazinephiladelphia@gmail.com with the subject line "Give Me The Very Best of Heems & STS" Please also include your cell number in the body of the message (in case of an emergency). Good luck!
Solo Sexx Prepare for Summer Tour
Most people probably wouldn’t normally associate Amherst, MA with early-90s hip hop, but the rap duo Solo Sexx is looking to change that. Their most recent release, Party Musik EP, is full of well-produced beats and sharp, witty lyrics.
My favorite track from Party Musik is "Hipsta Chick". The beat sounds like it came straight out of 1993 and the lyrics are some of the most accurate, entertaining and absolutely hilarious I’ve heard all year.
With lines like: "I’m fashionably hatin’ on her rich kitsch/she’s lookin’ like a Christmas decoration/now it’s time to face the nation/hope she’s ready with her carol/singing God bless the U.S. of American Apparel", I felt an imediate bond with the group over our mutiual dislike of over-priced t-shirts and cut-off jean shorts.
Solo Sexx are currently raising funds for a small sumer tour, kicking off June 26 at Brighton Music Hall in Allston, MA. For info about their GoFundMe campaign, click here. For more updates about Solo Sexx, check out their Facebook page.
-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)
Party Musik EP from solosexx on Myspace.
NYC genre hoppers Bone Gunn play Bar Matchless on 06.10
The brainchild of guitarist and songwriter Bryan Kane’s, Bone Gunn is an excercise in defying musical labels, in most cases without venturing outside the ‘rock music’ umbrella. While listening to their repertoire you’ll find songs (and sections of songs) influenced by psychedelia, electronica, ambient, hard rock, but also stumble upon mellow ballads and moments of pure cacophony. You’ll have a rare opportunity to see them live at Bar Matchless on June 10.
New Music Video: “In Your Arms” – The Stammer
Below is the latest single, "In Your Arms," and music video from The Stammer. The band proclaims, "It is the perfect summer soundtrack for driving your car straight into a brick wall or, alternatively, off of a bridge… The lyrics are inspired by countless film noir movies and the writings of Philadelphia native David Goodis." The Stammer are getting set to release their upcoming full-length album, Days In Between, on July 31, and will be celebrating the record’s arrival with a concert on the same evening at The Fire accompanied by Blood Sound, Mock Suns, and Exiles.
Dock Street Scavenger Run & Free Music Fest at Dock Street Brewery June 7
As Philly Beer Week draws to a close, Dock Street Brewery hosts the 7th Annual Scavenger Run & Free Music Fest. Jason Henn, a.k.a. Honey Radar, continues to deliver soothing, jangly, lo-fi garage-psych rock. With songs that seep under your skin, finding their way into your head, Honey Radar provides a platform for your mind to temporarily shed the routine concerns of everyday life, allowing you to drift while still maintaining a foothold. Pushin’ It 2 the Limit dispenses sprinting flashes of pop-punk, while the rock quartet of Flightschool takes aim at developing from a traditional base, which loosens up over time. Local dance group, Women’s Revolutionary Vagime, focuses on dispensing a positive message and empowering women via choreography. RoseMary Fiki’s soulful vocals serve as the foundation for music that branches out covering multiple genres. Dock Street Brewery & Restaurant, 701 S. 50th St., 4pm, Free, All Ages – Michael Colavita
Telepathic Is in Your Head at The Great Indoors June 6
The trio of Telepathic, the latest musical concoction from former Bleeding Rainbow members Rob Garcia & Sarah Everton (Blowdryer) with Paul Brinkley, performs tonight at The Great Indoors. On their EP Powers of Ten, Telepathic embraces a straight-ahead hard-driving, riff-oriented punk approach, allowing their crisp interlocking vocals to ride the steady wave of guitar and flow-perpetuating percussion. It has a solid mixture of experienced refinement, while still retaining an edge one’s ear can grab onto. The group will be joined by The Guests, a local four-piece whose EP Red Scare ’15, is filled with catchy slices of new–wave deep baritones, sleek synth, and that backend rhythm section propulsion, providing the space for clean jangly guitar. The adrenaline injection of hardcore outfit Socialite, featuring Perry Shall (Hound, Dry Feet) and Ian Dykstra (Little Big League, ex-Titus Andronicus), takes hold, fusing raunchy guitar and storming percussion with furious vocals. Tenacious Tallahassee hardcore trio Ex-Breathers completes the bill. The Great Indoors (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.), 7pm, $7, All Ages – Michael Colavita
Mexican Slang @ the Garrison TONIGHT
Muy Bueno. If you like your rock n roll mean, sleazy, noisy and edgy, you’ve found home. Mexican Slang pounds out cavernous, beautiful tunes driven by reckless sludgy guitar and garage-rock drums, with sickly sweet Annabelle’s vocals front and centre for the whole ride. The energy and the grime of their A-side “Fever” paired with the erie pulse of “Goatlord” makes for a quick and dirty tumble through 5 minutes of adrenaline and attitude. There doesn’t seem to be any one defining influence over these three, other than a strong love for fuzztones and brevity, getting the point across loud, proud, and in a hurry. You can catch them in their all their distorted glory at The Garrison, Saturday June 6th. -Cody Wright
Instrumental rock band Pretend wants you to be honest with yourself, playing Pehrspace 6.6.15
Pretend are as haunting and majestic as the verdant monoliths of their home in Thousand Oaks. Members Luke Palascak, Timothy Ramirez, Michael Russell, and Joel Morgan have played together since 2005, and in winter of 2007/2008 they spread laid their roots and branched out in every direction, with shades of Slowdive, American Football, Sonic Youth, and Prefab Sprout influencing, but never overtaking their creations.
Melodic counterpoint, cymbal swells, and calculated dynamicism will bring listeners to their knees with reverence, hands outstretched and grasping. Songs are atmospheric and epic, so masterfully produced that fans of Owen, Caspian, and This Town Needs Guns will think it a travesty that Pretend are not more well known. They released the debut LP Bones In The Soil, Rust In The Oil late 2010, and have been quite secretive, but despite their lack of social media presence the group’s emotive shows in Westlake, Sherman Oaks, and Ventura have gained a cult following throughout Los Angeles and around the world.
Pretend will be performing the final night of Young Lovers’ residency presented with DKFM Radio at Pehrspace with SHEER and Nick Reinhart (Tera Melos) & Eric Gardner (Dot Hacker) — definitely a night you don’t want to miss. Their newest album Tapestry’d Life will release October this year. Listen to "Patternless Tide", part of a 2014 compilation from San Diego’s Topshelf Records. – Ryan Mo
The Deli’s picks for Make Music Pasadena 2015
LA County’s kickoff festival is here: Make Music Pasadena is happening tomorrow, June 6th, with over 150 bands playing at the heart of downtown Pasadena! Along with main stage big-timers like Kishi Bashi, How To Dress Well, Sir Sly, Nick Waterhouse, and rising stars Jr., Kera & The Lesbians, and Autumn in June, music & arts collectives around the county will also curate some of the tastiest home-grown acts. The main stage activities end with Pasadena Symphony & Pops’ grandeur performance, but these side venues will be going strong late into the night.
You can find the complete schedule here on MMP’s site, and we definitely recommend hitting up these side-stages below:
All Scene Eye presents two live stages at Armory Center for the Arts: check out Kat Myers & The Buzzards, The Electric West, Draag, Holland Belle, Tashaki Miyaki, and more.
Sherpa Music MGMT, One Question Sessions, and De La Vie TV presents at Old Towne Pub: DARK FURS, Crystales, Sanglorians, LA Takedown, Le Cos, and more.
For Friends Of Sound presents at Der Wolfskopf in the evening: OYLS, Kid Bloom, Slow Graffiti, GDNA, and more.
Montecito Music and Media presents at Shoppes at Stats: Shattered Skyline, Cool Face, The Wild Reeds, Valley Queen, bed, and more.
Open Kanvas presents at Club 54: Veteran Assassins, Noah V, Kennis Clark, Born Allah, and more plus a surprise headliner.
Remember: this music festival is FREE and starts at 11 AM. Parking structures are dotted across the city, but will definitely fill up soon, so make it out early! – Ryan Mo, photo credit: Chris Molina
Bony post-punk from Brooklyn: Ritual Humor plays Alphaville tonight (06.05) + Otto’s on 06.19
We rarely post cover versions on this blog, but in the case of Brooklyn’s Ritual Humor, their reinterpretation of Alien Sex Fiend’s ‘Dead and Buried’ really sounds like a different songs: if the original’s rough edges are smoothed out by Celeste Carballo’ warm voice, the bony, tribal, and droney arrangement keeps the track in pure post punk territory. Mathew Petronelli’s grating synth sweeps add an interesting electronic feeling to the song, without ever compromising its "dirtiness" – but actually adding to it. Ritual Humor is playing tonight at Alphaville with Bambara.