On My Dearest Sea Witch, Danimakesmusic, a.k.a. Dani Mullen, demonstrates strength in simplicity. Combining the snap and thump of percussion with low-key synth guidance to set the parameters and the wheels in motion, the vocals/lyrics become the focal point. Emotive-triggering lines are serenely delivered in a hushed elegance, sometimes multiplied to create harmonic power. There’s an approachable beauty meshing singer-songwriter, personal narratives with an ear toward experimentation.

Zeitgeist, the forthcoming album from the duo of Tommy Bradel and Johnny Fissinger (a.k.a. Damn Right), will arrive this December. Featuring guitar work from Wes Schwartz (Grimace Federation), the record was produced by Jesse Miller (of Lotus), whom also contributed on bass. Its lead single, “Our Love is Blue,” operates from a shimmering, backend groove, as one envisions a tunnel toward the object of affection. Whimsical waves of sonics carry you further out, as the song drifts to its fading conclusion.

Local imprint FDH Records recently issued the self-titled EP from hardcore quintet Trash Knife. Resonating with a snarly sense of immediacy, these songs continuously push the pace, while demonstrating a tacky-tongue-twisting lyricism. Aggressively grabbing the reins in a firsthand, contemporary commentary, the album drives its points home quickly. Directly hammering to the point, it’s both fun, and gone in a flash.

Meg McCauley, a.k.a. Slow Ref, recently released a new self-titled EP, which is available on cassette via Albany’s Bee Side Cassettes. Featured on the EP, “Crying” tries to pull an emotional response from its subject. With delicate melodies and a bedroom-pop feel, the song captures a sweet albeit secluded tone. Slow Ref will be performing next in town on Thursday, October 5 at an intimate South Philly house show, where she’ll be joined by Woodsists recording artist John Andrews and fellow locals Neutral Shirt.

Krust Toons: "No Doubt" by Tedd Hazard – please feel free to drop him a line at teddandthehazards@gmail.com if you dig or have any funny ideas. You can also check out more of his illustrations and animation shorts HERE.

The surf-psych brilliance of The Mary Veils is an answered prayer for Philly fans of Ty Segall and Thee Oh Sees. Fuzzed out and awash in reverb, Slacker Paint, the debut from Brian Von Uff’s solo project, tows the line between invention and pure nostalgia, reaffirming the blueprint of garage rock’s seemingly unending revival.

Opening with the atmospheric dissonance of “Alter Alone,” the album’s start mimics the sensation of being transported. Whirs and humming chords engulf the listener before dissipating into licks of guitar and Von Uff’s echoed croons of “She’s fever, she’s fever.” Recounting the decay of a romance, “Alter Alone” is seductively bittersweet. “Time” reveals itself as a thematically worthy successor to The Chamber Brothers’ iconic ‘67 single, exploring the temporal limitations of mortality with an urgency that makes each harmony and crash of cymbal immediate and nearly tangible.

The ironically titled “Carefully Carefree” is a less pensive alternative to fraught apprehension of Happy Birthday’s interiority and Kurt Vile’s, at times, somber introspection. An earworm with heart, the track accurately captures the ups and downs of everyday life, without feeling trite or cliché. The LP’s title track, “Slacker Paint (Summertime Jesus),” channels  the nonchalant aggression of No Bunny and the “Beach a Go-Go” swagger of Hunx and His Punx, a pairing that results in a catchy ballad bound to make listeners reminisce about warmer days. Its buzzing riffs alone are as memorable as its seasonal namesake.

Von Uff’s diction on “Who Are You” and “Lime” brings to mind Twins and Mikal Cronin, while “Believer” and “Emily” feel like a darker rendition of King Tuff’s moodiest cuts. The brooding pulse and electric shreds of “See You Run” and “Feel the Air” are dance-ready anthems for psych and garage lovers alike. As Slacker Paint nears the homestretch with a haunting ode to the West Coast and desire, the sparseness of “Cold As A Knife,” the closest Von Uff gets to acoustic, highlights his strength as a lyricist and storyteller.

With “Good Night,” the album shifts back to full throttle, each drumbeat and swirling riff re-energizing the audience, before giving way to the contemplative and delectably moody closer, “The Mope.” Familiar yet inventive, Slacker Paint will undoubtedly become a fall favorite that you’ll return to again and again. – Dianca London

"’Aqualamb’ is an open letter to the man in the White House (who shall not be named)," HOUND frontman Perry Shall shares. "It is written from the perspective of all the people whose lives he is trying to destroy." And with a chorus that pays homage to Harry Nilsson’s "Jump Into the Fire," the band’s latest single is a riff-heavy denouncement of the Cheeto-in-Chief. The protest anthem can be found on HOUND’s forthcoming album, BORN UNDER 76, due out on October 20 via Let’s Pretend Records, and you can rock out with the power trio that very same evening at Space 1026 with Dialer.

Synths interlaced with in-touch storytelling; Brandon Can’t Dance takes a cue from (Sandy) Alex G, demonstrating a keen intimacy with a somewhat laidback aesthetic. However, within that unreserved, let-loose, open-book approach, an unpredictability is preserved. What on the surface appears somewhat casual is twisting sonic textures in a playfully serious manner. Tonight, at The Inconvenience Store, he’ll be joined by Marge, whose ability to simmer in tranquil, fuzz-tinged melodies with scorching capabilities. The quintet of Past Life reels ya in via hard, searing guitars cooked into transparent, hook-laced narratives. This triad of locals is fortified by the bedroom folk of Molly Drag and the candy-coated songwriting of Abbie Kats, a.k.a. Chubby Bunny. – Michael Colavita

Other places to enjoy this fall weekend…

Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.)  FRI Levee Drivers, The Lawsuits, SAT DJ Emynd, Bo Bliz

The Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Son Little, SAT Son Little, SUN M.A. Kingston

Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Roger Harvey, Mark Lanky/Stab & Grab, SAT Common Ground, Bad Bye, Polar Bear Lars/Vacation James, Virgouts, Science Book/Diamond Girl, BPMF, Speaking Parts/Francisco Collazo, DJ Royale, SUN Slenko & McKeys, The Ryssells, Shrill

Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) FRI Callowhill

The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) FRI Blum Bros

The Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal St.) SAT Agent Zero, SUN Tigers Jaw

World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI Wave Radio, SAT (Upstairs) Hello I Must Be Going, SUN (Upstairs) Pigpen Theatre Company/(Downstairs) Somethin’ Divine, Granz, Vanderlyle, Mirrorsigns, Groundwork, The Fifth Side, Sitting In Cars

The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) SAT Space Kamp, Adlib, SUN Chalk and The Beige Americans, Gringo Motel, The Sideshow Prophets

The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave.) FRI Revolution, I Love You, Alright Junior, MC Blackwolf, SAT Honey Tiger, Trash Boy

MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) SAT Matt Santry

Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3rd St) FRI Kiska, Joy Riding, SAT The Three 4 Tens, Brother JT, Mr. Unloved

Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.)  FRI Rich Medina, SAT DJ Deejay

Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.)  SAT David Cope, SUN Rusty Cadillac

Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9^th St.) FRI Topical Disease, Baffle The Cat, Camera Thief, SAT Scars Like These, Disoriental, Decontrol, The Prisoners

Voltage Lounge (421 N. 7th St.) FRI Krispy Kareem, SAT Dell-P, Jonny Bell, SUN Cypher Clique, Internal Rhyme

The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI Uncle Dan, Jumping Juvies, Rasan in the Heyday, Slow Reader

Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2^nd St.) FRI Midwestern Exposure, SAT Mo Lowda & The Humble

Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) SAT Steal Your Peach, Cabin Dogs, SUN Square Peg Round Hole

Morgan’s Pier (221 N. Columbus Blvd.) SAT DJ Beatstreet

First Unitarian Church (2125 Chestnut St.) FRI Harmony Woods

Everybody Hits (529 W. Girard Ave.) SAT Data, Wilt

The Pharmacy (1300 S. 18^th St.) SAT Gavin Riley Smoke Machine, Mavis The Dog / ey Matt Kelly, Tubey Frank

Space 1026 (1026 Arch St.) FRI Big Nothing, Yankee Bluff

Tralfamadore (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Elaine Rasnake, Elissa Janelle Velveteen

Broken Down Palace (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Shannen Moser, Curtis Cooper, Dan Anderson, SUN Get Well

The Mothership (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Little Strike, Cranes Are Flying

The Inconvenience Store (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Brandon Can’t Dance, Marge, Past Life

The long, long wait is over; Levee Drivers‘ new full-length album, Motel City Honey, has arrived. Steeped in guttural, rabble-rousing, country-blues, the collection of songs taps into a swaying sensitivity. Whether it’s a road-worn yearning or an uptempo rumbler of love lost, the visceral magnetism draws one in. Traveling home in the twilight, the tunes continuously matriculate ahead, but lament in an emotive sense of the past. Levee Drivers is set to celebrate its release this evening at Johnny Brenda’s, supported by local pals The Lawsuits and and Virginia’s The Dawn Drapes. (Photo by Bob Sweeney)

Unfortunately, Hidden Underneath, the new album from the quartet of Dreambook, will also serve as the band’s swan song. Reverberating riffs are catapulted by a murky, rhythmic march. Creeping even further into the darkness, the mysterious vocals lure and simultaneously serve as a beacon, illuminating the footpath. The album delves into a desolate-dream state that you can’t escape.

Led by Russell Edling (ex-Kite Party), Cherry‘s debut LP, Dumbness, is out today via Lame-O Records. Meshing the fuzzy, folk melodies of youth with current adult contemplations, the album is nostalgic but forward-thinking. Leafing through a mind of memories without rewinding the clock, there’s a natural ease/grit to these songs. Boot & Saddle will be hosting Cherry’s record release show on Saturday, October 7, where they’ll be joined by Yankee Bluff and Clasp.

The trio of Weller will release their debut self-titled full-length album on October 20. Its lead single, “Learning Curves,” rolls forward as a reflective tale of continuous evaluation while overthinking consumes one’s mind. Sometimes you can get stuck in an endless loop of self-sabotage, and it’s best to take a step back and reevaluate. Weller will be holding a record release celebration on SAturday, November 4 at JJ’s Diner, supported by Three Man Cannon and Allegra. (Photo by Emily Dubin)