David Smalt dropped his new single "dear old Earth", and it’s every bit as professionally tuned and yet DIY-esque and loose as his previous release, the 2018 debut LP Fragile Magick. Smalt’s vocal range and dreamy delivery shine on the new track, which features his sparse guitar strumming tucked into waves of dark synths and a clockwork drum machine. Though the first part of the song contains wonderful lyrics written in Smalt’s poetic style, the second half washes you away into a climax of chords and tremolo before sinking you into a watery soundscape and fading to a single note. It’s got the bedroom pop vibe that’s catching all the attention online, but "dear old Earth" shines in its execution and production. Don’t sleep on it; listen to the track below. – Will Sisskind
Weekend Warrior, January 18 – 21
The trio of Goldenaire celebrate their new EP Modern Meltdown with a release show this Saturday at Creep Records. The songs buzz and swirl enriched by the stabilizing force of melody. As the chaotic, dystopian tones of the world race around you, the vocals exhibit a tunneling, personal focus. Swept up in a tranquil, dream-gaze headspace, one finds a cloud which allows for temporary escape. With that sense of distance, one can more clearly organize their thoughts, embracing the refreshing, breezy qualities in the midst of a never-ending storm. Goldenaire will be joined by Matt Scheuermann, a.k.a. Lowercase Roses, whom cultivates a shimmering/jarring dynamic, and the ominous surging darkwave of SOLD, as well as the revving, roaring power of Oh, Are They?. – Michael Colavita
More places to escape this weekend’s unfavorable weather…
Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) FRI Void Vision, SAT STARWOOD, Medusa’s Disco, Mage Hand, SUN Beano French, Ki Brown
Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) SAT Flightschool, Bird Watcher
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Drama!, OverEasy, Along The Way/DJ Deejay, SAT St. Brendan, Hartline, Knightlife/DJSC
PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12th St.) SAT Chromelodeon , nmlstyl, Korine, SUN Chromelodeon, Chipocrite, Exmaid
The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) FRI The Company Corvette
TLA (334 South St.) SAT g1000oz, Run Up Rico
World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI (Upstairs) Little Strike, SAT (Upstairs) Johnny Shortcake
The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Tree Rats, The Sly Foxes, Kingsound Vibration, Camera Magic, SAT The Output, Famous & Fallen, South on Sunday, Evergo, SUN JT & The Stardusters, Jason Ager
MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) FRI Max Seidman, Maggie Mae, SAT Reef The Lost Cauze (Album Release), DJ Caliph-NOW
Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3rd St.) FRI Uncle Dan, Oh Jeezus, SAT St. James and The Apostles, The Bad Larrys
Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2nd St.) FRI The People, Namarah, iNFiNiEN, SAT Satellite Hearts, No Sailor, Kirby and the Vibe Tribe
The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave.) FRI Broke Body, SAT Joe Kenney, Della Chase / The Rectors, Canine 10
Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI Bo Bliz, SAT DJ Deejay, SUN Frank Sriracha, Og Juan Shinobi
Century (1350 S 29th St.) FRI Apt A, Dunning Kruger, Somnolent, SAT Goddamnit, Gozer, Poppy, Breaklite
Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SAT Hambone Relay, SUN Rusty Cadillac
Voltage Lounge (421 N. 7th St.) SAT Anytime Soon
Frankie Bradley’s (1320 Chancellor St.) FRI Ben Aire, SAT Ed Cristof
Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) FRI Box Of Rain, The Big Jangle
The Pharmacy (1300 S. 18th St.) FRI Johnny Football Hero, Primatives, This Kills Me, SAT Mattress Food, In Different Sounds
Creep Records (1050 N. Hancock St.) SAT Goldenaire (EP Release), Lowercase Roses, Sold, Oh, Are They?
No Face Studios (5213 Grays Ave.) SAT Snake Charmer, SwitchBlvde
The Mothership (602 S. 52nd St.) FRI Hallowed Bells, Mitch Esparza
Cousin Danny’s (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Solarized, Hirs, Dialer, Gaz
Bryson Cone: “Destination Nightmare”
Bryson Cone dropped his song “Destination Nightmare,” and it’s every bit as dreamy and jazzy as it sounds. This song takes you waltzing on the moon while a full band, complete with holographic keytars, plays in the background. The distortion of Cone’s voice is romantic and dreamy, but also has some more serious notes. He keeps the track, and thus the audience, focused. This in turn allows for a fuller appreciation of the song’s artistry. It is an intricately layered song, which makes sense given Cone’s background in mixed media and sound collage. Cone’s talent is made perfectly clear with “Destination Nightmare.” We can’t wait to see where he heads next.
By Avril Carrillo
Ohmme “At Night”
Ohmme announced this week that they will be releasing a new 7” single called “At Night” via Joyful Noise on February 1st. The b-side of the single will be their cover of the B-52’s 1980 classic “Give me Back My Man”.
Below is video of them performing this cover live at Thalia Hall.
You can catch Ohmme with Bunny and Cold Beaches on April 27th at Sleeping Village.
Mizan K, Queen Esther, and The Hornē Electric Band play The Revolution Vol. 35, 01.26
“The Revolution”, a showcase of emerging local artists hosted by The National Sawdust, will be celebrating it’s 35th rotation with three engaging new voices in the New York music scene. Queen Esther conjures the melancholy of black Americana with her take on country; The Hornē Electric band approaches their compelling brand of funk with a combination of technical savvy, creativity and a sense of humor; headliner Mizan K balances complexly fractured beats with soothing soul vocals, creating music with which she seeks to let people “know they are not alone”. Three very different creators to be sure, but each reflects the diversity of backgrounds and specialties housed by the artistic hub that is New York City. “The Revolution: Vol. 35” will take place on January 26 at 10:00 pm – you can listen to a playlist of the featured artists below, and buy tickets here. – Sunny Betz
New Reef The Lost Cauze Album Available for Streaming & Purchase
As last year drew to a close, local emcee Reef The Lost Cauze dropped a new LP. The Majestic embodies a take-no-prisoners assertiveness. Steadfast in the face of adversity, there’s a composed, genuine fight in these tracks. You can join Reef this Saturday, January 19 at MilkBoy, for the album’s belated release celebration, with DJ Caliph-NOW, The Philadelphia Project, and Skrewtape. (Photo by Jimmy Giambrone)
Drool
Post Punk duo DROOL released their latest album, DROOL II, today via Born Yesterday. The easy comparison for their sound is a modern and slightly more warped Joy Division, but their sound is fuller and more aggressive at times. This is am amped up and violent take on Joy Division with a splash of King Missile and early Sonic Youth.
Below is the video for the album’s first single “Civics II Honors”.
Former AOTM Jacques Le Coque release ‘Positively…’ exhilarating album & play Cafe Nine (1.25)
Former AOTM Jacques Le Coque, the Stamford-based four-piece, send a surge of electricity through the slacker rock genre. Their latest album Positively…, released on King Pizza Records, is an ode to classic rock and roll with kitschy song titles like "Getaway Car," "Roller Girl," and "I Only Want To Rock & Roll." The high-energy vocals, frantic guitar lines, and driving percussion on Positively… are the elements of garage rock greatness. You can almost feel the sweat of a live show on your face when playing through standout track "Crush" (streaming below) and the rest of the album follows suit. Jacques Le Coque will be heading to New Haven on January 25 to play at Cafe Nine with The Fleshtones. – Lilly Milman
New Soft Idiot LP Available for Streaming & Purchase
In the Long Light of the Failing Sun (Cicada Choir), the new album from Justin Roth-led Soft Idiot, officially arrived today. Introspective, evaluating folk exuberantly springs forward. Gently swaying or dashing in an energetic rush, there’s a reassuring honesty. Soft Idiot will be co-hosting a dual record release show with Screamcloud on Friday, February 8 at The Conservatory, where they’ll be supported by Dan Clifford and High Noon.
Jaymay, Desert Stars, Tom Shaner and Dan Lipton featured in Orion Pictures soundtrack released by Mother West
“Both music and movies tell stories and when they come together to tell the same one, something magical happens” says All These Small Moments writer/director Melissa Miller Costanzo. “I used to love running out to buy the soundtrack to my favorite movies so I could relive the film over and over. I could imagine the images that danced across the screen while a certain song was playing. I hope the songs we’ve chosen here, along with the songs we’ve written, and the score we’ve created will take the viewer back again and again to a place where they felt something real”.
When embarking on the soundtrack for her debut film, Melissa plucked NYC composer Dan Lipton from the theater world (conductor of The Band’s Visit and The Last Ship by Sting on Broadway) to write an original score that would breathe additional life into the characters. Shortly thereafter, she recruited music producer Charles Newman (The Magnetic Fields, The Bones of J.R Jones) to handle the music supervision and help find the perfect source music to not only compliment the story but to help shape it. What ensued was a partnership between Miller and Newman taking them on a collaborative journey of the senses. The result was an indie pop rock retro-americana mashup, with a dash of 80’s and shoegaze thrown in for good measure.
From the downbeat of the opening song “My Love Will Bring You Back” by Slow Runner (feat. Michael Flynn) the ear candy begins. Other featured tracks include Vermont troubadour Kris’s Gruen’s “Coming Down Around Me” which was co-penned by Miller- Costanzo for the film, Los Angeles’s Aloud contributes their 60’s inspired Beatlesque duet “Jeanne, It’s Just a Ride!” and NYC’s Tom Shaner contributes “Joe’s Airfield”. Other moments in the film are underscored by the Americana tones of Jaymay and Canadian darlings Birds of Bellwoods, while North Carolina’s Echo Courts and Jean-Luc add a healthy dose of garage rock and lounge vibes alongside New York City’s retro J-Pop group Gaijin à Go-Go. Lastly, David Sisko’s remix of the Cold Blood Club’s 2012 song “Down”, and Brooklyn’s Desert Stars add a modern sheen of 80’s electronica and lush shoegazey moments.
Dan Lipton’s indie folk score which is represented by 12 tracks on the album, was recorded live at Brooklyn’s Strange Weather studios with Lipton on piano, wurlitzer, mellotron, and an array of kalimbas and other accoutrements. The score features NYC musicians Mason Ingram (Cyndi Lauper, Bibi Bourelly) on drums and percussion, Logan Coale (Natalie Merchant, The National) on upright bass and Erik Della Penna (Joan Baez, Kill Henry Sugar) on guitars and mandolins.
The soundtrack album is being released on January 18th, the same day the film becomes available on demand.
Tensei “Constellate”
The production duo of Midas Wells and Chris Kramer, known as Tensei, is preparing to release their latest album Constellate on January 21st via Tokyo Dawn Records. The album will feature contribution from Liv Warfield, Sam Trump, Sulaiman, and many more.
The duo recently released the album’s opening track and lead single “Liquid Tongues” which features silky, soulful vocals from A. Billi Free.
New Hermit High Priestess EP Available for Streaming & Purchase
The duo of Anna & Dani, a.k.a. Hermit High Priestess, recently released their self-titled EP. Elegant strings, soulful, theatrical vocals, propulsive percussion, and compact, combustible, electronic sequencing combine forces. A richly detailed adventure unfolds – one which weaves precision and experimentation. Hermit High Priestess will be performing at PhilaMOCA on Saturday, February 9, as part of Syd Torchio and Debora Dias art opening, that will also feature Dr. Ketchup and Taupe.