New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Faux Co. have shared the A-Side of their forthcoming debut 7” “Set the Record Straight” b/w “Prozac Spaceman”. The single will be released on October 5th via Dark Circles Records. This is the ’60’s pop -influenced work of Ben Mackey, Trevor Pritchett, Alex Reindl, and Chris Lee.
You can help Faux Co. celebrate the release on October 5th at Cole’s with Peach Fuzz and Space Gators.
Lava Mentality has released a second single, “Cleopatra”, the follow-up to “Coffee Queen” which was released earlier this month.
This song expresses the trio’s clear desire to be Cleopatra and find their own Ceasar. Isn’t that everyone’s true desire?
Back in October, The Mary Veils’s Slacker Paint was our Record of the Month – chock full of fuzz-inflected, garage grit and a loose, contagious, surf-psych approach that hums along at a comfortable clip, until it’s time to turn up the heat. One sinks into the humid slacker saturation, absorbing the perpetual buzz. However, just when things appear to normalize, it shifts into overdrive. Nothing appears quite as it seems, because once one commits, the marker is moved. That threshold, between laying into it or letting those frenzied riff-charged explosions take the reins, embraces the calm and the storm. Tonight, at Boot & Saddle, The Mary Veils will be opening for the slick, space-navigating ,psych-pop of former Deli Philly’s Featured Artist(s) Poll Winner, Nematode, and the mysterious undercurrent that lies in the breezy, melodic adventures of Long Spells. – Michael Colavita
More places to hang this Labor Day weekend…
Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Long Spells, Nematode, The Mary Veils, SAT Madalean Gauze
Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) FRI/SAT/SUN YallaPunk Festival & Conference
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) SAT Matthew Law, DJ AMH, SUN FLOTE, iunnowho, Josh Hey, Small Professor
Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) FRI CKY
The Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal St.) SUN Dirty South Joe
The Foundry (1000 Frankford Ave.) SAT DJ Diamond Kuts
World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI (Upstairs) The Wonder Junkies, SUN Prince + Questlove: Under The Cherry Moon (Video Premiere/DJ Set)
The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) SAT Moonwalker (Album Release), Twentythreenineteen
MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) FRI The Elysiums, Magnificent Birds of Prey, The Stone Eye
Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3rd St.) FRI Bryant Eugene Vazquez, Broke Body, Smellco, SAT Honeytiger, Secret Nudist Friends/Stop Not Playin’ DJ’s
Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2nd St.) FRI Oldermost, SAT Vilebred, The Parameters, The Tisburys
Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI Rich Medina, SAT DJ Deejay, SUN Brendan Bring ‘Em
Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SAT Tyler Fantini, SUN Rusty Cadillac
Voltage Lounge (421 N. 7th St.) FRI DJ Mighty Mike Sag, Elijvh Vrms
Morgan’s Pier (221 N. Columbus Blvd.) FRI DJ Beatstreet
Frankie Bradley’s (1320 Chancellor St.) FRI Craig Dash, SAT Ed Christof, SUN Honeygasm
Century (1350 S. 29th St.) FRI Eterue, Cage Flight, Aphid Daughters, SAT The Spirit World, Deluxedo, Jaxy & the Three 57s
The Grape Room (105 Grape St) FRI Fuzz King, Cosmic Lottery, Rabbit Heart, SAT Erin Incoherent, SomaRai
Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) FRI Splintered Sunlight, Under The Oak
The Pharmacy (1300 S. 18th St.) FRI Gringo Motel, Breaklite, SAT Midfield (EP Release), 4th QTR
Made In America (Ben Franklin Parkway) SAT Meek Mill, Armani White, Orion Sun, Louis Futon, SUN Petal, Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, Zahsosaa
Flora released their debut album, A Sword of Holly, back in June. The album blends heartfelt storytelling with unique elements of jazz, pop, soul, and rock. From the first listen it was clear we had to find out more about this duo, their writing, and what the future holds for Flora. You can read our full interview with Flora here.
You can catch Flora at Cole’s on September 8th with Fay Ray and Red Scarves.
Here at the Deli, we vibe with all different types of music, and today I have something slightly out-of-the-box for you. The SoundCloud hashtags describe it pretty well, so let’s take a look at those: #jam , #theremin , #funky …you get where this is going? The Uberphonics new album Apogee definitely encompasses a mixture of jazz, funk, psych and rock. There are moments when the album feels trippier, such as in "selenocentric" and "overview effect," and then there are tracks where drums and guitar really let loose into all-out psych-rock jams ("Everybody’s Famous" and "Body Buzz"). Once in a while, it’s nice to listen to music for melodic lines and textures rather than for lyrics and structure. And Uberphonics have given us so much sonic detail to take in. –Geena Kloeppel
The biggest take-away from Logan Ashley’s new single is that no one should have time for drama. The 22-year-old singer-songwriter sure doesn’t, as the sweet, soulful arrangement of "God Save The Drama Queen" demonstrates. The song is full of clever lyrics, but my favorite is one of the names Ashley calls the gossipers: the "steal-your-man, Jolene, Jolenes". I had to chuckle at the clever nod at Dolly Parton’s hit song "Jolene." Ashley’s soft, unphased vocal perches nicely atop acoustic guitars and other tinkling textures, but the notable thing about "God Save The Drama Queen" is that it isn’t preach-y. There may not be an audible shake of the head in the song, but I can imagine Logan Ashley smiling to herself, unphased. –Geena Kloeppel
Millennium Development Goals/Under Blood Red MOON-LITE – or MDGUBRML – is the project of Derek Liedel (ex-Katana Girl). From the jump, Liedel introduces joyful moments of fever-dream meltdowns, fitted within the album’s well-executed synthesis of lo-fi folk and house music. History of Chemicals sounds like a Spotify shuffle that gets occasionally interrupted by absurdist departures into transcendental noise, starkly contrasting the bliss of familiarity with the existential challenge of the unknown. In a small amount of time, the EP offers plenty of cheerful headspaces and a good bit of indie pop splendor that’s also playfully disassociative. Take it for a spin. – Josh Kelly
After twenty years of performing together across the country, the minds behind New Indiana — guitarist Randy Bergida and cellist Topu Lyo — have distilled their many conversations, musical adventures, and friendship into Darkness Sunshine, their new LP set to drop on September 1st. There is little production on this record besides a bit of reverb, but neither fancy effects nor overmastering seem necessary to bring out the magic in Randy and Topu’s voices and instruments. Their simple music opens up worlds of drama and calm, of full heads and empty hearts, despite its quiet nature. Think Simon & Garfunkel at their darkest; the vocal harmonies of New Indiana may invite some comparisons. To mark the release of Darkness Sunshine, New Indiana will perform at Rockwood’s Stage 3 on September 1st — the album’s release day — at 10:15 pm. Listen to the title track from Darkness Sunshine below. – Will Sisskind
Electronic production duo Cafe Disko released a new single, “Everyday”, last week via Dirty Blonde Records. The track features Aes Waves blending elements of EDM and Hip Hop.
This is the duo’s third single of 2018.
A tormenting surge of psych-punk is welded together on Ow My Mynd, the latest EP from Mack Enemy. A degree of instrumental menace surrounds and streams ahead as the primal vocals rain down. Unrelenting intensity blends within a trippy, celestial component, creating a bridge to a new place of discovery. The immediate jolt of each song spins off into the mystery of the unknown. Who knows what will present itself next along the path.
Big Bliss has long carved its place in the dark, tense world of post-punk but the trio’s latest single sees the group continuing to develop upon that sound. “Surface” plods along with a drive reminiscent of fellow New Yorkers Interpol and British ’80s band Psychedelic Furs. The melodic bass, dour vocal delivery, and sparkling guitars atop don’t veer far from the group’s previous sound, but it’s a welcome polishing up. “Surface” serves as the first single to announce Big Bliss’ new album At Middle Distance, due October 19 via Exit Stencil Records. The release party is scheduled for October 20th at Alphaville, but they’ll be performing before that on September 5 at Union Pool. – Cameron Carr
Qajaq has gone through a few transitions over the years, but are back as a trio of David Shay, Dave Mantel, and Erica Johnson. They are preparing to release a new album, “A Canopy Above Our Endless Sky”, on September 3rd, their first album since 2015.
You can preorder the album here and hear the LP’s lead single “The Bad Year” below. They also recently released an acoustic video for “What They Could Give You, I Could Not Give You Better” from the new album.
You can catch Qaiaq as part of Bloodline Fest in South Bend, IN on Nov. 9th and 10th.
