Sometimes in the midst of the external consuming chaos, one can tap into music as a means of temporary solace. Tonight’s show at Union Transfer provides such an outlet. In celebration of Tired Hands Brewing fifth anniversary, an evening of heady heaviness is on tap. Nothing provides soothing, cloudy melodies, while the grimy, backend rumble punishes in space-clearing fashion and the scorch of guitar engulfs one’s mind. They’ll bridge the divide between the ever-abundant, riff-laced, Arkansas quartet, known as Pallbearer, and the finely-threaded, menacing mayhem of Baroness.

This Saturday, across three stages, Festival Pier hosts the tenth annual Roots Picnic. Along with the event’s namesakes – the legendary Roots crew, the star-studded lineup includes the likes of Pharrell, Lil Wayne, Thundercat, Solange, Noname, etc., while Tunji Ige and PNB Rock reinforce the local link.

Rather than slowing down, the duo of Kevin Nickles and Daniel Provenzano, otherwise characterized as The Writhing Squares, steps into Johnny Brenda’s for a genre-melding, space-boogieing sojourn, with psych-blues trio Fully Glazed setting the table. In support of their new record Vibe Killer (recently released via No Quarter), the snarly, boozy blues-psych of Endless Boogie brings it home. – Michael Colavita

Directed by Haftom Khasai and Nick Morgan, Dena Miller, a.k.a. Deer Scout, recently shared a new music video for “Sad Boy”. The song instantly adheres as keys, bass and percussion unite in a bright infectious bounce, while lyrically providing a personal point of view that exhibits self-assurance and confidence. A neon glow mirrored by Miller’s blue lipstick and video game backdrop permeates throughout. With commentary on the varied perceptions of vulnerability, the track aims, and hits directly.

Beyond the glow of a blue screen, a new world comes into view, a space unbound from the material conventions of health and wealth – one’s knowledge and technical prowess act as the key to foraging for content. Free from the traditional constraints that have plagued musicians for decades, there is more room available for experimentation, for tooling around with parts until a flash of understanding allows oneself to arrive at new avenues for conveying one’s art. Software is increasingly accessible and powerful, while platforms such as Bandcamp and Soundcloud allow artists to self-publish and organically develop a following. Alex Giannascoli, the 24-year-old Philly recording artist behind the moniker (Sandy) Alex G, is a prime example of what can be accomplished when making music and making it available is placed in the hands of the artist. Over the past 6 years, Giannascoli has gone from bedroom-pop aficionado to indie-rock sensation, recently releasing his latest album, Rocket, via Domino Records.

The record exhibits a rare sophistication in arrangement, hosting a range of compositions that span from sunny bluegrass and folk ballads to more challenging songs that pummel the listener under a heavy sonic fist. “Horse” and “Brick” hit fast, and play into one another, an off-kilter rhythmic barrage of kaleidoscopic guitars that fold into an industrial head-bobber complete with frantically swirling strings and screaming. This moment of intense catharsis is cut cleanly with piano and auto-tuned vocals, leading eager listeners by the hand in an act of assurance and faith in the album’s direction. Tracks such as “County” and “Guilty” incorporate jazz modalities that are woven in with lush, pop palettes, showcasing his sensibility for meshing a variety of influences into one clean package. “Bobby” and “Proud” open up the space of the record to work in endearing Americana and elements of country, demonstrating his seemingly effortless mastery of melody.

Taken under a microscope, Rocket is composed of a host of genres, yet from start to finish it eludes classification. An understanding of the principles respective to each style at play grants Alex the ability to draw from the wealth of Western guitar-pop to occupy a territory unique to the project, a space that is respectful of his predecessors while making a statement that is characteristically his own. – Josh Kelly

In advance of their forthcoming album Face In Peril, The Stammer released a fresh single, “Over and Over”. Rather than meandering in the melancholy of infidelity and a subsequent breakup, the track offers an upbeat opportunity to get loose. Semi-spoken/sung lyrics reconcile with the past as a means to move forward. It’s an energetic jolt, resetting the emotive system. The Stammer are slated to perform on Wednesday, June 21 at The Pharmacy, on a billing that also includes Talk Louder!, Happy Abandon, and Fluorescence.

Marietta offshoot, Narra has released its self-titled debut. The quintet rushes ahead, shifting between melodic restraint and rapturous bursts that trend in a screaming trajectory. Free-flowing waves of calm are countered by heavier surges. That constant tug and pull gives the album an enticing unpredictability.

Friendship recently shared its new EP F​/​V Hope via Sleeper Records. From an unguarded point of solitude, this collection of country/folk-flavored songs tap into an emotive position of reflection and internal pensions. The sparse but precisely utilized instrumentation characterizes an aching comfort and dusty-ticking percussion with warm hues of steel guitar, reverberating acoustic strums, etc., all adding detail to the imagery of personal narrative. The album draws you in close and holds you for a little while. (Photo by Abi Reimold)

Bass and guitar stream out in unison as “Suzie Lee,” the new single from RFA, settles in. A youthful, yearning tale strolling on anecdotes of adolescence, the song joyously jogs before catching instrumental fire. It’s the type of song that’ll lift you out of these back-to-work blues. RFA is part of a tri-pronged billing tomorrow night at PhilaMOCA with Dear Forbidden and The Coax. (Photo by Rocco Avallone)

Born In The Viper Room is the new EP from MINKA. Channeling the casually suave voicing and insatiable funky combinations of Bowie/Byrne, the band sits in a happy medium of loose, undeniably danceable compositions. Those delightful, demanding grooves, steered by crowd-commanding, eye-connecting vocals, set the wheels in motion. You can catch them live, in the flesh, at The Barbary on Thursday, June 15.

Singer-songwriter Orion Freeman captures an isolated vulnerability and warmth on his latest record Morning Son. Sparse instrumentation ventures into the dimly-lit memories and thoughts of one’s mind. In the midst of those continuous evaluations, an ember of hope remains. The storytelling and heartfelt harmony soak in and ruminate.

Krust Toons: "The Alt-Right" 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.

Childhood pals Marisa Dabice and Thanasi Paul formed Mannequin Pussy during their time in New York City. The group went through multiple configurations before bringing in Kaleen Read to take over drumming duties and solidifying their sound with the addition of Colins Regisford (a.k.a. Bear) on bass. The congruous, musical union inspired the band to return to the studio and record the follow-up to its debut LP Gypsy Pervert. Mannequin Pussy had already been building a reputation in the punk/DIY music community as a must-see on billings, and with the release of 2016’s Romantic, they began to garner deserved national/international critical acclaim, which eventually brought them top honors in The Deli Philly’s annual Best Emerging Artist(s) Poll.

Now, the quartet is all set to embark on their first European tour this weekend, and we had a chance to connect with Dabice before the start of this exciting, momentous occasion to talk about her and the band’s past, present, and future. It was a truly enjoyable exchange with the thoughtful Mannequin Pussy frontwoman, which you can check out HERE.

The Rotunda hosts a daylong hardcore/punk affair this Saturday; Break Free Fest hopes to shine a light on those that have been marginalized within the scene. Among the plethora of artists from near and far, the undeterred raw emotive eruption of Soul Glo holds nothing back, capturing an intensity soaked in sincerity. After recently releasing their new EP Modern Mutants, Complex bombards the airwaves with the combination of Spanish-English that steadily rips at its core. Exposing the walls of injustice, the quick-hitting onslaught of S-21 tears at the foundation, while the murky, rumbling, noise-etching, pressure-building punk of Solarized and genre-melding, noise-filtered, dance-driven, sonic-concoctions of DJ Haram set off a day of excellence. – Michael Colavita