The eclectic eight-piece As The Sparrow creates music that is instantly classic, as seen on their newest release Vacation Forever. The album thrives off of ironic twists, often pairing sardonic lyricism with a surprisingly warm sound, bolstered by full harmonies, fun violins, and quirky synths. As The Sparrow will be celebrating the release of this edgy, yet dance-friendly album at Thunder Road in Somerville on June 22. Until then, stream the full LP below. – Lilly Milman, photo by Erin DeFuria Stark
Toronto
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Joan Smith & the Jane Does – “Normalize” Music Video Premiere!
Joan Smith and her new band came in hot last month with the release of their debut EP “Normalize.” The title track is an absolute ripper with crisp electric guitars, tight rhythm throughout and vocals that go from slow n’ eerie to completely wailing as the song progresses. Today The Deli is pleased to premiere the official music video for this track. I’d say if you’re being followed by a strange hoodlum in the night then this would be the tune you need to fire up and chase down that sumbitch yourself. Don’t fuck with Joan Smith and the Jane Does. Listen to “Normalize” on Spotify or buy the album here. – Kris Gies
Philadelphia
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Weekend Warrior, June 22 – 24
So Cool, the new split EP from Blushed & Secret Nudist Friends, arrived today via Good How Are You Records, and tonight, their collaborative release will be commemorated with a show at HH Ranch. A sunny, surf setting converges with a coarse, sandy texture in the sound of Blushed. The quartet finds a happy medium between relaxed, adrift waters and spirited, rumbling waves, which threaten to engulf, unless one climbs on board. It’s calm with a capricious volatility that keeps one’s head on a swivel. With Matty Klauser and Missy Pidgeon serving as the common/shared threads, Secret Nudist Friends cultivate a laidback, garage-psych headtrip, which momentarily spins off course in a jam-fueled spectrum and then pleasantly sways you into submission. They’ll also be supported by the buoyant indie rock of Church Girls and NYC alt-rock three-piece Warpark. – Michael Colavita
Other places to go this summer weekend…
HH Ranch (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Blushed, Secret Nudist Friends (Split EP Tape Release), Church Girls
Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N Frankford Ave.) SAT Deadfellow, Ali Awan
Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Lower Wolves, Unloveable, SAT Chestnut Grove, The Dull Blue Lights, SUN Thorazine
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI DJSC, SAT Girls Rock Philly benefit: Goodnight / Goodluck, Taxes, Booklegger / Blood Sound, Kiss of the Whip/ Homegirl
Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden St.) SUN Kaonashi
The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) FRI (Balcony) Nicky Bruh, Figgadelli, SAT Evan Wize, Night Bloom
The Foundry (1000 Frankford Ave.) FRI Fame Lust, SAT Minka, SUN Air Is Human
The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Plague Dogs, Devil Master, SAT The Output, Nothing To See Here, The Evergreen Drive (EP Release), Scars Like These, SUN Hellings, Jamie and the Guarded Heart, St. Brendan
MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) SAT American Trappist
Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3rd St.) FRI Machine Gun Joe, SUN Douse, Cheap Seats, Pithair
The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave.) FRI Control Top, Chronic Anxiety/DJ Deejay, SAT Doug Wartman, Cave Women, Full Bush/Transmission
Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2nd St.) FRI Departures: Salvo, John Raffaele, Deana Sophia, TPATT, SAT Matt McAndrew, Matthew Schuler, Joshua Howard
Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI DJ Aktive, SAT DJ Deejay
Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SAT The Mallory Project, SUN Rusty Cadillac
Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9th St.) FRI Sonny Knockout, Behind The Grandstand, Magnificent Birds of Prey, SAT Mikie May
Voltage Lounge (421 N. 7th St.) FRI Thunder & Glory, SUN DJ Mighty Mike Saga
Morgan’s Pier (221 N. Columbus Blvd.) FRI DJ Beatstreet, SAT Lean Wit It, SUN Ear Me Now
Franky Bradley’s (1320 Chancellor St.) FRI Philly’s Foxes: DJ Chris Urban, SAT Take It Off: Burlesque Battle
The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI The Parameters, The Tisburys, SAT Parsnip Revolt, Chaos Theory, Minerva
Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) FRI Broken Arrow, The Newspaper Taxis, SUN Greg Sover Band
The Pharmacy (1300 S. 18th St.) FRI Camp Candle, Gender Work, SAT Space Pizza, Nightjar
The Tusk (430 South St.) FRI Suicide Conspiracy, SAT False Front, Loafass, Beer Me
LAVA Space (4134 Lancaster Ave.) FRI Bike Crash, Twelve Gardens
Festival Pier (601 N. Christopher Columbus Blvd.) SAT Dr. Dog, (Sandy) Alex G
Century (1350 S 29th St.) FRI Dumal, Necrosexual, SAT Eastcoast Noisefest, SUN Trash Knife, Atomic Cretins, Roadkill, Demodex
Tralfamadore (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Erik Kramer, Very Bad Vibes, Screamcloud
Planet Phitness (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI June Gloom, Teen Spaceship
NYC
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Color Tongue release “Adult Lessons” from upcoming EP + plays Elsewhere 07.08.
Those who sit at college radio boards at two o’clock in the morning will find their new favorite song in Color Tongue‘s "Adult Lessons", the latest from the band and the first single from their upcoming EP Bealing Bells. Why will sprouting DJs fall in love with the opening crescendo of syllables and pounding drums signifying oncoming fear and demise? Because, building on the band’s visual album "Us and the Bugs" out last fall, "Adult Lessons" creates a bubble of emotion rife with fading screams. Then, the bubble bursts in a joyful prance of synth arpeggios and a relentless crashing drum beat, while the quartet’s vocals sing a twelve-note refrain to the heavens. It’s fine meditation music for a dimly lit radio studio or studio apartment late at night – or at any time of day, in fact. Bealing Bells hits the Internet later this summer, but you can catch Color Tongue live at Elsewhere’s Zone One on July 8th. – Will Sisskind
L.A.
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The Millennial Club unveil new single “Santa Barbara”
The Millennial Club hit our Artist of the Month poll back in May, and we are happy to announce the release of their newest single, “Santa Barbara,” as of today. A long and breezy drive back to the future as if it was painted by Bob Ross himself, The Millennial Club brush a dreamy, warm pastel of lush, atmospheric pop that will streamline you back into the 80’s. Radiant and passionate lyrics, paired with a smooth synth bass that floats you up and down the coast, will leave your ears ringing for more. Lead vocalist Andres Owens sings about raw and unfiltered love, matching a relationship every one of us has come to know. Owens is backed by a beautiful ensemble of instrumentals that can be heard from bars to cars in an instant without ever noticing a change of scenery.
The Millennial Club are set to drop their forthcoming EP, "She’s So Insane," later this summer. Kayla Hay
NYC
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Dream pop duo tiny deaths release video for new single “Always”
Dream-pop duo tiny deaths have released the video for their latest single, "Always". The single from the Minneapolis-Brooklyn group dropped last month, taking listeners on a echoing journey of growing pains. The accompanying music video — which seems to take inspiration from the classic one for Kate Bush’s "Running Up That Hill" — depicts the song’s themes in the form of interpretive dance, showing a younger and older woman in various stages of tenderness and at ever-changing distances. Vocalist Claire de Lune layers her voice in soothing harmonies over producer Grant Cutler’s beat-keeping bass and drums. The pulsing single is part of the band’s upcoming LP, which will hit shelves this fall via Handwritten Records. Watch the video for "Always" below. – Will Sisskind
Philadelphia
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New Music Video: “(My Name Is) Planet 9” – Jo Kusy
Featured on his new EP Planet 9 Rhythms, Jo Kusy has also provided rad visuals for his single, “(My Name Is) Planet 9”. Saturated in shades of DayGlo, the song embodies a psych-dance mind meld. Locked into that house beat, there’s a loose, slightly odd element in the air, which reflects its creator. Kusy is slated to perform next in Philly this Sunday, June 24 at the Lucky 13 block party, and you will also be able to find him at Boot & Saddle on Saturday, July 14, along with Night Sins, The Warhawks, and Forever Chasing Honey Bees.
Chicago
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Emily Blue “Blackberries” Video
Emily Blue has released the video for her 2017 single “Blackberries”. The video was directed by Emily and was shot and edited by Matt Bordman.
You can catch Emily at Ravenswood on Tap on June 23rd at 4pm and at Taste of Chicago on July 15th.
NYC
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The Saxophones release stunningly intimate debut LP
The debut full-length release, Songs of The Saxophones, by — you guessed it — husband-and-wife band The Saxophones is a tender and timeless piece of work. Filled with reflective and vulnerable lyrics (like “I know it’s not supposed to stay; / but still, I want my way.” from “Aloha,” and “I’m starting to lose / I’m falling asleep and I am sorry again” from “Singing Desperately,”) this work flickers like a candle flame. Sonically delicate and endlessly pleasant, this is a debut to remember. The Saxophones will play their next show in Los Angeles on July 14 at The Hotel Cafe. Stream the full album below. – Lilly Milman
NYC
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The Mallett Brothers Band release genre-defying ‘Vive L’Acadie!’ & play The Lakeshore House (6.23)
The newest album, Vive L’Acadie!, by the Maine-based Americana staple group The Mallett Brothers Band is a simple and effective exploration of the soul. Blending southern influences with a New England state of mind, the group creates refreshing and rugged country rock that interrogates the genre while keeping a good tune — as exemplified but the opening and title track (streaming below). The Mallet Brothers Band is currently on tour and will be playing at The Lakeshore House in Monson, Maine on June 23. – Lilly Milman
Chicago
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Diagonal @ Empty Bottle (7/2)
Diagonal announced this week that their new album, Tomorrow, will be released on July 2nd via Midwest Action. Diagonal is Psych Rock of Dan Jarvis (Guitar / Keys), Alex Brumley (Guitar), Andy Ryan (Vocals), Dale Price (Bass), Silas Mishler (Guitar / Vocals), and Chris Detlaff (Drums).
The new album feature their two 2017 singles, “Control” and “True”, and a track from their 2016 self-titled debut, “Wide Eyed”.
You can help Diagonal celebrate the new album at Empty Bottle on July 2nd with Plastic Crimewave Syndicate, Lake of Fire, and Black Road.
Chicago
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Matthew Lux’s Communication Arts Quartet
Matthew Lux’s Communication Arts Quartet is releasing their debut album, Contra/Fact, on vinyl this Friday, June 22nd, via Astral Spirits Records. The Quartet is Mikel Patrick Avery, Ben Lamar Gay, Jayve Montgomery, and Matthew Lux. The album was previously released in 2017, but this version is an entirely new edit of the album by Leroy Bach, complete with a new running order, and transitions.
Below is a Kim Alpert directed video for “Paw Paw” from Contra/Fact.