Girls Chat Room, the creative collaboration between Carolina "Babystar" Leis-Usher and DJ James Weissinger (Making Time, Zillas on Acid), has returned with a new EP. The Sugar Stomach, which was released via 100 Years of Solid Dudes, was recorded over the phone between Philadelphia and Denver. Sugary bubbles of hyper-kinetic grooves, entrenching electro-experimentation, disperse within seamless, synth-sampling recordings. The heat is turned up, and demands that you dance. You can catch Weissinger as part of the upcoming Making Time New Year’s Eve at Union Transfer.
NYC
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Love at first listen with The Six Seven’s “Watch Your Head”
Yes yes yes! Poppy, punky and some solid rock n’ roll, The Six Sevens are working some justice on their new album, “Watch Your Head.” We’re glad to have snagged them from down in Santa Barbara, whose beachy skater vibes sneak into a couple tracks in just the right way. Influenced by groups like Joyce Manor, The Front Bottoms and The Districts, their songs have funny, youthful lyrics, a refreshing mix of old school harmonies and guitar ticklings that remind us of the Strokes with a touch of Weezer. Shout out to track “San Francisco” for obvious reasons and “Back to the Start” for those killer melodies. It’s an album that’s easy to fall for on the first listen and it was all written, mixed and produced in their garage. We’re glad to have these boys around to play the local scene. Stay tuned for details on their next show in Oakland this January. And ‘til then, crank it. – Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor
Chicago
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Arthhur “Lost In The Walled City”
Arthhur released a new album today, Dec. 14th, called Lost In The Walled City. This this trio of Mike Fox, Matt Ciani, and Luke Dahlgren. On this album they are bringing the a danceable brand of Disco Punk that could be compared to vintage Talking Heads.
As with the their last album, Come Meet The Opposite Committee, they have released a full list of the equipment they used to record this album. This gives the young musician or someone just starting out a sense of what goes into creating to creating a certain sound and an album.
Philadelphia
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Weekend Warrior, December 14 – 16
Sometimes, it’s easy to be consumed by personal circumstances, to feel that your individual situations are unique. Hence, you justify insulating yourself, turning your back on the outside world, when that may be the remedy to breaking the cycle. The portal of connection that you forge with others, via empathy, is a vital component in establishing a sense of community. Thin Lips find a way to maneuver through personal trials and tribulations, exposing vulnerability and insecurities in an unflinching emotive fervor. Harnessing that raw force with a melodic, pop-punk orientation, the plots play out in heavy yet refined swells; controlled, explosive songs tear down self-imposed walls, revealing that we’re all in this together. Billowing with emotion, the quintet of State Champs rolls ahead in composed, impactful waves, setting the stage for the collective, anthemic outpouring of local legends The Starting Line this Saturday at Franklin Music Hall. – Michael Colavita
Other places where you can avoid shoppers this weekend…
Franklin Music Hall (421 N. 7th St.) SAT The Starting Line, Thin Lips
Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) SAT Photon Band, American Trappist, Mt Vengeance
Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Dreamswell, iAlive
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Charley Coin/DJ Lil Dave, DJ Shango, SAT The Fleeting Ends/DJSC, SUN Full Bush, Dear Forbidden, Babe Grenade
Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) SAT Automatic 253
The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) SAT The 8th Annual Philly Hip Hop Awards, SUN Screamcloud, Big Handsome, Tiger Oil, Ascension Drive, Social Ruins, Dinosaur Diner, Mrs. Kitching
The Foundry (1000 Frankford Ave.) SAT Danny & Mary
World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI (Upstairs) Toby Lightman, SAT (Upstairs) School of Rock Philadelphia/Dukes of Destiny
The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI The Virus, Batallion Zoska, Stolen Wheelchairs, The Asthmatix, SAT Last Minute Hero, Moonflower, SUN Earth7, Familiar Things, Voltheque
MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) SAT Civil Holdup
Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3rd St.) FRI The 1910 Chainsaw Company, Joey Sweeney, SAT Hotbed, Tetra, Dolphin Hotel
The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave.) FRI Full Bush, Grace Vonderkuhn, SAT Adventure Lost, Mirrorsigns
Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI DJ Sylo, Astro 8000, SAT DJ Deejay
Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SUN Rusty Cadillac
Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2nd St.) FRI Stella Ruze, Pete Hill, John Gilbride, SAT 56 Men, SUN Tiffany Janell, Séana Bailey
Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9th St.) FRI The Eighth Fish of Christmas, SAT The Eighth Fish of Christmas
Frankie Bradley’s (1320 Chancellor St.) FRI Royale, SAT Ed Christof, SUN A Celebration Of Nerds
Century (1350 S. 29th St.) FRI Secret Cutter, Bandit, SAT Thorazine, The End A.D.
The Tusk (430 South St.) SAT Wrong Planet, No Nothing, Belt Fed
The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI Stealing From Thieves, Delmont, Bohemian Mule, Goodthief, SAT Atomic Sky, The Band Sheep, Sonny Knockout, The Phazers
Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) FRI Morgan Pinkstone, SAT Jeff Washington Band, SUN The Newspaper Taxis
Creep Records (1050 N. Hancock St.) SAT Goalkeeper (EP Release), Midfield
Green Line Cafe (4426 Locust St.) SAT Swanning, Greg Electric, Psychic Flowers
The Pharmacy (1300 S. 18th St.) FRI No Mere Machine, Snakes & Vultures, The Year End, SAT Overeasy, Blue Velvet
LAVA Space (4134 Lancaster Ave.) SAT Pinkwash, Iffy, Todd Killings
No Face Studios (5213 Grays Ave.) FRI Inspector Moon, Noera, In Trouble, Scyphozoan
The Music Ward (5101 Grays Ave.) FRI Port Arthur, Elaine Rasnake, SAT Internal Rhyme, PRLM CHLD
Living Room Show (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SUN Alec Ounsworth
Chicago
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Philmore Greene
Philmore Greene dropped a powerful new album this week called Chicago: A Third World City. The album feature some intense rhymes from Greene over beats primarily produced by Rashid Hadee. Through out the album there are also appearances from Neak, Yarbrough, FLYKelly, Peter Jericho, and Slot-A.
NYC
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Tempers finds an audience in Europe + releases concept LP about consumerism
A Brooklyn band that was born to be appreciated in the triangle of land enclosed between Manchester, Milan and Berlin, Tempers has been slowly finding recognition… exactly there. Proponents of a brand of coldwave (aka synth-post-punk) that most Americans will find unnecessarily depressing, the duo has released an excellent debut album in 2015 that – like all good records – has not stopped conquering hearts just yet (it’s called "Services"). After spending four years touring and promoting that release, the duo has finally come out with their sophomore full length, which takes their lugubrious electronic music to new levels of abstraction and intellectual exploration. Presented as "a concept album about the architecture of consumerism," the record features conversations with iconic dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and a more explorative sound that’s less influenced by the canons of the electronic new wave of the ’80s. Check out the video for single "Love at the Mall."
NYC
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Sun Parade break through the winter blues & head to NYC to bring in the new year
Northampton’s Sun Parade can do it all. Last year’s Shuggy Mtn Breakdown was the perfect blend of tender lyricism, fun pop-leaning harmonies, explosive guitar breakdowns, and playful melodies. Their September release, the upbeat single "WUNNANUTHR TIME" (streaming below), grooves in a different way. Built on a simple, danceable beat, the track incorporates a more psychedelic side, while also nodding towards some elements of disco. It sounds just as fresh as it did back in the spring when it was released, and it’s exactly what we need to look back on to get us through another New England winter. Sun Parade will be shipping off to NYC to accompany Blac Rabbit on their two-night New Year’s Eve run at the Mercury Lounge. Bring in the new year with Blac Rabbit, Sun Parade, and Huck (a Deli NYC favorite) on December 30. – Lilly Milman
L.A.
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Ruby Throated are at their best on inspired new single, “My Worst”
Ruby Throated spin around with regretful acknowledgment on "My Worst." The positively brainy new single by the progressive pop four-piece sounds as flummoxed as the song’s conflicted subject, where their fractured time signatures give an air of distress to someone whose hopeless endeavor to make things better makes them fall deeper and deeper. Led by Jocelyn Raulston’s playful vocals, the band introduce oft-kilter meters over eclectic jazz elements – it serves to mention that all band members come from academic musical backgrounds – with an otherwise agile simplicity. But nothing about "My Worst" sounds too studious or elaborate, as they let their free-spirited groove guide them with a joyful release.
"My Worst" is the first single off of Ruby Throated’s forthcoming EP, Breakfast Table Omen, which will be self-released on January 4. Juan Rodríguez
Chicago
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Chrissy Martin “Body Puzzles”
Chrissy Martin has released a new piece called “Body Puzzles” via the Michigan label 1473. This is a part of a larger project she is calling “Sound Moves” which explores the relationship between movement and sound, voice and body.
The audio was recorded live during the performance that you can watch below.
Philadelphia
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Debut Puppy Angst EP Available for Streaming & Purchase
Tiny Thoughts, the new EP from the quartet of Puppy Angst, is out now via Good How Are You Records. With an uninhibited, stream-of-consciousness style of lyricism, an endearing, relatable quality is present. Working through situations while acknowledging ones imperfections, the recordings stew between subdued moments and grittier, aggressive, shoegazy noise-pop. It finds balance between the cycle of replaying thoughts and stepping out to let off steam.
Chicago
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Kevin Czaja “Past, Present, Future”
Kevin Czaja has released a second composition, “Past, Present, Future”, from his forthcoming album. This is cinematic classical music that allows you to close your eyes and imagine the epic battle scenes and aerial shots this music was meant to accompany.
This is a far departure from the instrumental metal sounds of his rock duo Mad Martyr.
Austin
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Black Fret Ball Gives Back to Austin Artists
Black Fret’s fifth annual Black Fret Ball set a few different milestones this past Friday night, not the least of which was surpassing over $1 million in grants to local bands as well as upgrading the event venue to the ACL Live Moody theater. Black Fret co-founders, Colin Kendrick and Matt Ott, have made progress by leaps in bounds since inception by not only growing the charity organization in Austin but also expanding to other cities as well. Moving the Black Fret Ball venue from the Paramount Theater, where it was held last year, to ACL Live could have meant a lot of empty seats. Instead, the crowd was massive and members and attendees flooded the venue in impressive fashion.