There is way too much going on this weekend in Philly, and it looks like the weather is going to be fan-fuckin-tastic! So what’s on our agenda? Psych outfit The Spirit of the Beehive have been on an extensive tour of the U.S. for the past month and a half, bringing the wonderful weirdness of their LP Pleasure Suck (Tiny Engines) to the masses. They’ll be returning home this evening to finally celebrate the record’s release among friends at Everybody Hits, where they’ll be supported by Three Man Cannon, YT, and Old Maybe. Laser Background will also be holding an album release party of their own for Dark Nuclear Bogs this Saturday night with good pals Norwegian Arms, Breathers, and YCIB at Baird Mansion Atrium.

Get Better Fest 4 will be taking place over the weekend at the First Unitarian and PhilaMOCA, as well as Glitter Galaxy. The two-day event taps the talented and socially conscious Philly punk community to raise donations this year for the Trans Assistance Project, Youth Emergency Service, and Women Against Abuse. At the showcase, you’ll find Deli faves +HIRS+, Thin Lips, Radiator Hospital, Amanda X, Soul Glo and many more (view the full lineup HERE) raging out for good causes. And of course, there is the NFL Draft going on at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, and besides seeing some future NFL millionaires, you’ll be treated to performances from rising stars in the local music community such as Strand of Oaks, The Districts, Tunji Ige, Chill Moody, and Good Old War. So get out, and take advantage of living in such a rad city! – Alexis V.

Calling to mind a hybrid of the Davids – Byrne & Bowie, Ari "Dick" Rubin, Max Perla, Joe Flack, and Barney Cortez (Nicos Gun, Rich Mystics), better known as MINKA, are gearing up to release their new EP Born in the Viper Room. The title gives a nod to infamous Sunset Strip club (once owned by Johnny Depp), where the late, great River Phoenix took his last breath that fateful Halloween morning of 1993 (and is supposedly where Cortez, the band’s most recent addition, was born). Take a listen to the Philly electro-rockers’ latest single, "Company Man," from their forthcoming album, and look out for the MINKA dance party/carnival coming to a venue near you!

After an extended absence, Quinn Arlington Waters, a.k.a. Caffeine Machine, has returned with a new album, The Grey Man. Densely layered orchestration cuts through with sticky, hazy grooves akin to MMJ. Utilizing gear-shift tendencies whether ramping up or simmering to a sway, the album heads in unpredictable directions, but remains cohesively on course. Listen as the plot twists.

Former Cousin Brian members Sean Caruthers, Shane Olsen, and Jake Cheesseman, collectively known as The Junto, have released their debut self-titled EP. The trio embraces loose, rolling, bass grooves and infectious melodies in a calming manner, brimming with rowdy potential. It’s a joyfully sticky collection of songs that you’ll probably want to spin more than once, and we’ll be looking out for the fledgling outfit on upcoming bills.

Like most of the music community, we were absolutely devastated by the news of Prince’s passing last year. And though time may heal all wounds, we still get a bit choked up everytime we hear one of his majestic tunes. If you feel the same way too, we’d like to celebrate his life and music with you this Sunday, April 30 at the TLA with his beloved band The Revolution. We hope to bring a little joy to someone’s life this weekend. To enter for a chance to win a pair of tix, just send an email to thedelimagazinephiladelphia@gmail.com with the subject line "Purple Reign". Please also include your cell number in the body of the message (in case of an emergency). Good luck!

Trumpet-wielding Koof Ibi (West Philadelphia Orchestra, The Extraordinaires) has combined forces with songstress Vessna Scheff. While the tandem goes by the abbreviated Koof & Vessna, their sound is far from it, as seen in their video for “Echoes”.  Combining colors on a musically blank slate, Scheff’s clear-strolling mandolin and pensively powerful vocals are further extracted by the increasing suspense and sonic shape, as a percussive, rhythmic intensity aided by strings and horn blasts develops keen auditory imagery. The duo is set to perform at Bourbon & Branch on Saturday, May 6 with Caroline Reese and Lizzie No.

We first came across Michael Baker as part of Philly folk duo The Spinning Leaves. He later took on the funktastic alter-ego of Rumi Kitchen in party band Johnny Showcase & The Mystic Ticket. The over-the-top persona has continued to take on a life of its own, bringing us the riff-heavy glam rock of Oolala. Bow down to the awesomeness of their debut music video for "Falling Out of the Universe," the first single off the group’s forthcoming album The New RockRoll Cosmology (The Giving Groove). And catch Oohlala in the flesh at their record release show on Saturday, May 27 at Boot & Saddle with MINKA and Carol Cleveland Sings!

Bad Hand, the new EP from quartet Littler, will be released on both 7” (Disposable America /Yellow K) and cassette (Disposable America/Anxiety Pop) on April 28, but you can stream it now at The Fader. Interspersing mellowing waves of acceptance, while also exhibiting aggressive points of raw, emotive venting, the album continually shifts perspective. In the midst, they find a melodic middle ground between peaks of peacefulness and potency. The band has a series of West Coast dates (including a record release show) that start next week.

With her take of the Carole King’s soulful staple “It’s Too Late,” Sad13, a.k.a. Sadie Dupuis (of Speedy Ortiz), kicks off GRLMIC: VOL 1, a benefit compilation of covers, whose proceeds will go to Planned Parenthood and Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls. Speckled in synth, shreds of guitar, and cosmic, electronic beats, the song takes a journey outward. Coated in a gritty sweetness, this version resonates with the original, while feeling like a spaceship transmission. Give it and the entire compilation a spin, and support a couple of excellent organizations in the process. (Photo by Chad Kamenshine)

We are psyched to get a chance to send you to an extraordinary evening of music this weekend. Former Hüsker Dü and Sugar frontman Bob Mould is set to bring his intimate solo electric tour to Underground Arts this Saturday, April 29, and he will be joined by Philly indie darling Frances Quinlan (of Hop Along). You know that you don’t want to miss this one. To enter for a chance to win a pair of tix, just send an email to thedelimagazinephiladelphia@gmail.com with the subject line "Patch The Sky". Please also include your cell number in the body of the message (in case of an emergency). Good luck!

The clouds continue to perspire, but don’t let it bring you down. Rather, soak in Superposition, the latest release from chamber-folk troubadours On The Water. The EP takes on an adventurous, instrumentally-quilted mythos with a gutturally earnest grip, toeing the threshold between ragged-precision. Currently in the midst of a tour, the band heads straight into labyrinths of musical depths, inviting one to explore beside them.

Always up for testing musical boundaries, Laser Background‘s Andy Moholt fearlessly journeys from birth to death while taking a deep look within for his new album Dark Nuclear Bogs. The ten-song LP just might prove to be his most cohesive and enjoyable release to date under the moniker. Dark Nuclear Bogs officially drops on April 28, and will be available via Mutual Crush/Endless Daze, but you can now stream it over at Stereogum. The band will also begin its extensive tour of the U.S. and Canada this evening, which will be making a stop home this Saturday, April 29 at Baird Mansion Atrium for the group’s album release celebration with Norwegian Arms and Breathers.