Austin

Wojcik Brings Blue-Collar Work Ethic to Debut Releases

Posted on:

Like countless other Austinite musicians, Matthew Wojcik puts in long hours at his day job in order to keep his music aspirations alive. Playing revved-up folk music under his last name, Wojcik, Matthew isn’t shy about incorporating pop elements and alt-rock distortion into his repertoire, so that it proves a more distinct sound. Wojcik’s only other member happens to be his wife, Virginia Marceau, who helps in filling out harmonies with her refined vocals. Wojcik (the band) are laying the groundwork to begin self-releasing and promoting their new music, beginning with their new debut single "Growing Old or Passing On" which officially drops on August 17th, and then the full EP, "Winter Winds", which is slated for a September 21 release. Matt and Virginia worked on the upcoming EP for over two and a half years, with Matthew having written and performed almost all of the tracks except for some help from writer and tour buddy, Matthew Squires. Before the music is released in late Summer, you can catch Wojcik and Matthew Squires on a mini-Texas tour (dates listed below). Ambitious and hard-working, Wojcik, is the type of band that you can root for, because they would rather make their own luck than wait for a gift to fall from the sky.

July 25th – Hole In The Wall – Austin, TX July 27th – LowCountry – San Antonio, TX July 30th – The Lost Horse Saloon – Marfa, TX

Link to Debut Single – "Growing Old or Passing On" 

Nashville

Freddy and Francine release rhythmic new single “Half A Mind”

Posted on:

 "I’m paralyzed by the thought of you just passing by…" Freddy and Francine put into song that wonderful feeling of the early days of being completely in awe of another person. "Half A Mind," the duo’s latest single is a soulful, rhythmic, twang-infused love tune. Perhaps the best part of the song is its slow build, beginning with a bass line and vocals, then adding percussive textures and layering on the harmonies like layering a decadent chocolate cake with frosting. But when it really comes down to it, the song is sparse and restrained in all the right places- it could build into something like a full-band/drum kit throw-down, but it doesn’t. Perhaps the arrangement is a metaphor for those early days of a love that isn’t quite reciprocated yet. If "Half A Mind" doesn’t convince the other party to take the leap, then I’m not sure what will. –Geena Kloeppel

 

Nashville

You Drive’s first single “New” is like unwrapping a birthday present

Posted on:

 If you’ve been listening to Sylvan Esso lately, or perhaps Oh Wonder, or you just really like electronic music with thoughtful, evocative lyrics, you should be listening to You Drive’s first single called "New." Beware- on first glance, "New" is disguised by its simplicity. But if you take apart each synth, each hit on the driving rhythm, and really listen to what singer Jasmine Kaset is trying to say, there’s a depth and complexity that feels unparalleled in today’s electronic music scene. You Drive’s album is out August 3rd, and we’ll be listening to all of it with the same devotion as "New." –Geena Kloeppel

 

Chicago

Gia Margaret “Smoke”

Posted on:

The second single, “Smoke”, from Gia Margaret’s forthcoming LP, There’s Always A Glimmer, was released today. This is a stunningly beautiful piano ballad that perfectly showcases softness and grace in Margaret’s voices. This track almost reaches the ethereal sound of a Juliana Barwick, and shows exactly why this album need’s to be owned when it released on July 27th.

You can help Gia Margaret celebrate the release of her debut album at Hideout on July 26th with Brendan Losch and Advance Base.

Chicago

Arken Nino “Snakes & Ladders”

Posted on:

Arken Nino is back with his sophomore album, Snakes & Ladders, which is due out on July 20th via Seven Oddities. This is the follow-up to his 2012 debut Amphibious, and it features contributions from Clever One, Slarebody, Heidi Everfresh, and many more. The album’s first single is called “Coming Up" and can be stream below.

You can help Nino celebrate the release on the album on July 20th at Moe’s Tavern.

NYC

Psymon Spine to bring experimental psychedelic jams to Elsewhere on 07.25

Posted on:

On the surface, Psymon Spine may not seem like the kind of band that plays spiritual music, but they are a spiritual group. According to the bio on their website, the PSY part of their name stands for psychedelic parts of their music, while the MON stands for the harmonious nature in which they traverse genres of the past, present and future. The SPINE stands for the interconnected nature of the music: the connecting tissue between the band and the listener. The bio reads like scripture and the music embodies faith. A faith that a combination of folk, classical, electronic, drone, and plain old rock music will actually meld into a cohesive vision. And for the most part, this faith pays off. The songs that consist of their 2017 album You Are Coming To My Birthday find the familiar elements of each genre and amplifies them so the constant genre shifts and blurred hypnosis they conjure up always feels natural, if not engaging. It’s music that plays off the expectation of the listener in the best way; it lulls them into a dream state before inverting that dream into a wholly new creation to illustrate the beauty in everything. You can stream their album below and see Psymon Spine play at Elsewhere on July 25. -Tucker Pennington

Philadelphia

Weekend Warrior, July 13 – 15

Posted on:

A secluded sanctuary is orchestrated in the reimagined, intimate sounds of Quiet Slang. United in those reeled-in, resonating, personal narratives that ache and erupt, the songs demonstrate perspectives that generate power in a collective voice. As the lights turn down, a candlelit catharsis comes into focus. The delicate elegance of strings and piano amplifies the dramatic component in sweeping cinematic shots, allowing the weight of the words to embed and anchor. There’s a sweet sensitivity in play – one which pulls you apart at the seams and refreshingly makes you realize that you’re not alone. This Saturday evening at Underground Arts, Quiet Slang will be joined by the clairvoyant serenity of Abi Reimold, whose poetic tangles and instrumental volatility will hold one in suspense as the night begins. – Michael Colavita

Other places to find sanctuary this weekend…

Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) FRI Rockers Galore, SAT Quiet Slang, Abi Reimold

Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N Frankford Ave.) SAT DJ Mike Nyce, Lil Dave: Philly Loves The Jacksons, SUN The 1910 Chainsaw Company, American Trappist

Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Square Peg Round Hole, Grimace Federation, SAT Night Sins, Jo Kusy

PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12th St.) SUN Solarized

Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Sometimes Magazine (Issue 3 Release), Soft Crime, Grand Mantis/DJ Paul T, Sean Hearn, SAT Dreamswell, Supine/Fame Lust, SUN Tioga, Vanderlyle, Dominy

Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden St.) FRI Vacationer

The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) FRI Dweller, Palmlines, Nic Sanderson, SAT Mantis, The Defiance, Rat Rod, SUN The Naked Sun, Hoochi Coochi, Love? said the Commander 

TLA (334 South St.) FRI Bry Greatah

The Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal St.) SAT So Far Gone: Dirty South Joe, Gun$ Garcia, Magglezzz

The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) SAT Marion Halliday, SUN Fixation/Blasphemous, Silvanthrone

MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) FRI Heaven Man, SAT Primatives, Andorra, Knightlife, SUN Electric Kif, Vertical Current

Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3rd St.) FRI The Bad Larrys, Slomo Sapiens,Tulpa, SAT Bree and the Reeds, Trap Rabbit, SUN Mark Lanky

The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave.) FRI Last Full Measure, The Absolute Sky, The Stammer, SUN Freeze, Snake Charmer/Sweet Moves, Stoops

Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2nd St.) FRI Vital Stats, SAT Northeast Corners, Pet Cheetah, SUN Familiar Things, Goalkeeper

World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI (Upstairs) Solgazer, Ntive Flora, Obscure Identity, Betterducks,Radish, SAT Girls Rock Philly: Summer Rock Camp Teen Showcase

Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI  DJ Sylo & Astro 8000, SAT DJ Deejay

Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SUN Rusty Cadillac 

Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9th St.) SAT The Founders, Endless Taile, Whiskey Effect

Century (1350 S 29th St.) FRI Moros, Drones For Queens, Night Raids, SAT A Virgin, The Taste of Vomit

The Tusk (430 South St.) FRI Cthulhu Martini, Outlaw Pandas, SAT Erin Fox (Release Show), Rasan In The Heyday, Emily Mineo, At Best

Morgan’s Pier (221 N. Columbus Blvd.) FRI DJ Beatstreet, SUN Ear Me Now

Franky Bradley’s (1320 Chancellor St.) FRI Royale, SAT Ian St. Laurent, SUN Philadelphia Burlesque Festival

Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) FRI Hambone Relay

The Pharmacy (1300 S. 18th St.) FRI The Hook

Space 1026 (1026 Arch St.) FRI The Goodbye Party, Tact, Greg Electric

LAVA Space (4134 Lancaster Ave.) SUN Blowdryer, Unclaimed Diamonds

Tralfamadore (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Dani in Public, Rebecca Zimmerman

Planet Phitness (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Fred Beans, Rentboy, Gender Work

The Sound Hole (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT The Vernes, Haggert McTaggert

Tundra Dome (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SUN Rally, Countdown From Ten

Philadelphia

New mewithoutYou Live LP Available for Streaming & Purchase

Posted on:

The cathartic, communal nature of a band clicking on all cylinders in step with a hometown crowd has the makings of an excellent album. [A–>B] Live captures the complete performance from mewithoutYou on November 26th of last year at the TLA, as part of the 15 Year Anniversary Tour of their debut album. Embrace the undeniable energy and intricacies of the group as the power of their live performance is documented. The album is being released in conjunction with a concert documentary available via Arsenal Mediaworks.

NYC

YL & Roper Williams carry the torch with new album

Posted on:

There’s a new dynasty of artists that have emerged in the 2010’s that seem determined to carry the torch of “old school”, but various cities and artists have different interpretations about what constitutes “old school”. Mick Jenkins and Chance the Rapper have reinvented the soulful creations of Chicago, and YG fuses together a g-funk persona with modern day west-coast swagger. With YL & Roper Williams’ album friendofafriend, the same boom-bap approach that made Joey BadA$$ so popular is once again reinvented. This is not just another hip-hop album that derives its personality from New York’s history as rap’s epicenter; instead the thread of classic drum samples and RZA-styled beats has been pulled until it’s almost unrecognizable. Nocturnal and abstract, yet completely familiar, friendofafriend deals with common anxieties in a straightforward and intimate fashion. The machinations of the day-to-day are refracted through YL’s subtle wordplay that give the world of this album a personal feel. The ending “birdsfly” sounds especially poignant as uplifting choirs carry the verses with triumph. Together Roper Williams and YL have successfully carried the torch and altered east-coast tropes with a thoroughly enjoyable album. You can listen to friendofafriend in its entirety below.  -Tucker Pennington