Ahead of its August 24 release date, Dance On The Blacktop (Relapse Records) the new album  from Nothing is available for streaming via NPR’s First Listen. The searing-soothing dichotomy the shoegazers channels the tug and pull between the hope that we can turn it around and the dreariness that we witnesses daily. One can brace for the bleakness of  the storm, and remember that the potential of positivity lies in its aftermath. On Saturday, August 25, a day of music, fun and food for all ages will be had , with a rad record release block party that will be taking place at the blocks of Livingston and E. Lehigh in Port Richmond. This serves as a precursor to Belly Of The Beats – a fundraiser for The Pennsylvania Prison Society, presented by WXPN and R5 Productions on Saturday, October 6 at Union Transfer, which also includes Swirlies, Big Bite, and Smut.

Power Animal bandmates Megan Gouda and Matt Hampson further their creative collaboration as Bodyguard. The duo’s debut EP, Allow Yourself The Frame, merges electro-r&b in a crisp, futuristic-leaning manner. Vocals sync in serene unity, and at other points, offset in staggered directions, creating a theatrical dynamic. Ethereal harmonies, which hone in on specific points, are countered by the adventurous, beat-driven leaps, landing in unexplored territory.

“Big Crime,” the closing song from Moor Mother x Mental Jewelry‘s EP Crime Waves, has been remixed by fellow Philly sound sculptor Madam Data. The solemn, foreboding tone is enhanced by the rapid-fire, glitchy noise elements. The clarity of Moor Mother’s vocals plays off the electronic shards/threads that fray the edges, adding a sense of uncertainty, as if caught in the moment. You can find Madam Data this Friday, August 17 on an All Mutable showcase at the Tundra Dome that also includes Embarker, Garvin Kelly, and Cleo Miao x Trngs.