A pair of new tracks have surfaced from garage-psych trio The Retinas. “Back Alley Brats” is a fuzz-forward, percussive march in the night, as the vocals saturate through its narration. There’s a steadiness with an underlying turmoil that appears ready to erupt. “Come On Over” serves a personal invitation, delving into relationship roles and insights in an emotive yet even-keeled manner. Both songs seem placid on the surface, but the seed of agitation is present.

Fuck Hardcore is the new EP from Philly quartet PITHAIR. Digging into an immediate, musical menace, the guttural roar of vocals oozes with intensity. The raw and bare nature of the recordings encircles in volatile, earnest eruption. You can find PITHAIR performing next in Philly on Thursday, December 6 at Creep Records, where they’ll be joined by fellow locals Full Bush, Solarized, and Bike Crash.

Released via Good How Are You Records,“Meet at the Show,” the new single from Puppy Angst and first as a full band, navigates a hypnotic malaise. Getting lost and not being present while among a group of people can be a difficult, isolating experience. However, being aware of one’s distracted attention and communicating are valuable steps toward maintaining connection. The song escalates in a heavy haze of emotive relatability. You can catch Puppy Angst at Pleasure Mountain Ballroom on Sunday, December 2, as part of Great How’ve You Been Fest 18.

Dear Forbidden recently shared a new single, “Pledge”. The buzz of distortion mingles with the momentous build of the rhythmic backend to create a suspenseful sense of purpose. Expressing frustration over the ever-swirling, spiraling out of society that we’re witnessing in real-time, the song balances the chaos with a melodic foundation. The power trio will be part of a billing on Sunday, December 16 at Kung Fu Necktie that will also include Full Bush, Babe Grenade, and FuzzQueen.

Krust Toons: "…But It Wasn’t Really Historically Accurate" 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.

Swearin’ recently came back with the release of Fall into the Sun (Merge Records), their first LP in nearly five years. However, during the group’s hiatus, singer/guitarist Kyle Gilbride seemed to refocus his attention towards the studio, refining his recording and production skills while working on critically-acclaimed Waxahatchee releases, Cerulean Salt and Ivy Tripp, as well as with a plethora of talented acts like Yowler, Radiator Hospital, Dark Thoughts, and Mal Blum. It also appears that Gilbride has been working on new material of his own, under the moniker Missing Earth. We came across his fledgling project this past summer, with the interstellar track, "Mean Spirit," catching our attention. And now, you can stream and purchase his debut album, Gold, Flour, Salt, which is out via Salinas Records. The record also features Swearin’ bandmate Jeff Bolt on drums and Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee) and Maryn Jones (Yowler, Saintseneca, All Dogs) on backup vocals.

"Magic Coffin Ride" is the title track off Nyxy Nyx‘s forthcoming LP, due out on December 7 via BLIGHT. Records. The single combines the tranquil, sunsetting aura of Brian Reichert’s vocals with the steady, soft, supple plucks of acoustic guitar. Those weightless steps are countered by the fragments of raw fuzz that eventually fade into the distance as the "funeral procession" passes by. "Where this coffin is going, I don’t know, but I’ll ride this thing right out of this world." Have no fear.

Ahead of its release on November 23 via Sister Polygon Records, Brown Bunny, the new album from Florry, will be celebrated with a release show this Saturday at Tundra Dome. There’s a sense of personal intimacy in a relaxed, folky place, and then again there’s the exploration of tension in raw punk pockets. Intimate contemplations flow forward in combustible swells as the range of the vocals ride the ebb & flow of musicality. The sonic trek is not necessarily a linear one; there are soft-spoken, soothing moments of whimsy that are contrasted or balanced by frenetic flourishes of energy. That ability to build up pressure and release it at points of respite captures a vulnerable/tenacious dynamic. The trio will be supported by the dreary, candid, post-punk melodies of local quartet Corey Flood, the enchantingly earnest songs of Emily Yacina, and tourmates Time Stalkers. – Michael Colavita

More places to hit this weekend…

Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) FRI Square Peg Round Hole, SUN Strawberry Runners

Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI DJ Deejay, SAT Neighbors Complaint, Old Fezziwig, The Willies/The Donuts/DJ Dame Luz

The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) FRI Tev Geez, OddBall Nur , Finess Jewelz, SUN Wesley Curtis, JONILL, Joshua Bation 

The Foundry (1000 Frankford Ave.) SAT DJ SYLO, DJ Next, Astro 8000, AliceXtra 

Franklin Music Hall (421 N. 7^th St.) FRI Bri Steves

World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI (Downstairs) Philly Loves Animals II, SAT (Upstairs) Minas Presents: Tribute to Jobim & Cole Porter/(Downstairs) Rockdale Music:Fall Showcase

The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Black Tie Stereo, Menace Of The Canvas, The Boardwalk Kings, SAT Famous & Fallen, Mr. Lisp, Effusion 35, Weak Knees, SUN Second to Safety, Moment To Capitalize

MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.)SAT Jersey Dan’s 40^th Birthday Party!!! Live Band Karaoke w/Taggart

Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3^rd St.) FRI Fire In The Radio, Joy Riding, SAT Stealing From Thieves, Delmont, Rusty Pigeon

The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave.) SAT Dylan Jane, Langor, Elissa Janelle Velveteen, Mike Quinn, Punk Hands, SUN Sophie Coran, Spirit Haus, Mariah Del Rio & Logan Roth

Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2^nd St.) SUN Jus O, OneTakeDave, Jizza Raw

Frankie Bradley’s (1320 Chancellor St.) FRI Ben Aire, SAT Ed Christof

Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI Bo Bliz, SAT DJ Deejay, SUN Commonwealth Choir,

Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SAT You Go No You / Ethan Berkowitz, SUN Rusty Cadillac 

Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9^th St.) FRI Torito, Bern & The Bastards, Wormtooth, Revolution, I Love You, High Council, SAT Howling Fantods (Record Release), Prowler, Full Bush

The Tusk (430 South St.) FRI Dead Robins

Century (1350 S 29^th St.) FRI IATT, Cancer Priest, SAT Tile, Faking, Hover

Voltage Lounge (421 N. 7^th St.) FRI OverEasy, Sea Rae, SAT Sad & Boujee, SUN Fallout Music Festival

The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI Civil Hold Up, Saint Wilde, Missing Frets, SAT Jac with No K, Cowbell Superstar

Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) SAT Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers, Greg Sover Band

First Unitarian Church (2125 Chestnut St.) FRI (Sandy) Alex G, SAT (Sandy) Alex G

Everybody Hits (529 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Harmony Woods, SUN Bad Heaven Ltd, Tact, Half Thought

The Pharmacy (1300 S. 18^th St.) FRI Jesse Gimbel, Matt Tarka

Creep Records (1050 N. Hancock St.) FRI Interminable, Little Strike (Joint Album Release), Destiny X

The Art Dept Collective (1638 E. Berks St.) SAT Strange Parts

Tralfamadore (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SUN Brackish, Puppy Angst, Sleepy Freak

Tundra Dome (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Florry (Record Release), Corey Flood

Delirium (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Blueroom, Blame Jakob

The Root Cellar (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI The Poms, Mega Mango, Chill Dad, Earthboy

With a band name like Great Time, the trio of Jill Ryan, Donnie Spackman, and Zack Hartman have a lot to live up to, which they doubled down on with the naming of their debut LP Great Album – an eclectic mix of danceable grooves, soulful slow jams, and intimate bedroom pop, enhanced by hints of psychedelia, momentary rock freak-outs, and guest bars and vocals. The band is continuing to go all in with the construction of their very own recording studio on a farm outside of Philly, which was also supported by a successful Kickstarter campaign. Below is their latest video for the track “Lazy Lilly,” and you can catch them this upcoming Tuesday, November 20 at Johnny Brenda’s. But first, check out our recent Featured Artist(s) interview with the Great Time gang HERE!

Hauntingly beautiful strings set the stage for “Cemetery,” the new single from Austin Potter, a.k.a. Tapes & Tubes. The song has an eerie, fall mix of bright sun and a chilly breeze, as the scene is laid out in deep spoken-word detail. That desolate, quiet stillness of an old small town, imagining the lives of those who have passed on in prose form as one takes a moment to remember those who may seem forgotten. Bourbon & Branch will play host to a billing on Thursday, November 29 that will include Tapes & Tubes, C.M. Slenko, and C.R. Gennone.

AllegrA recently surprised us with a new song, “When the Powers Out”. Bathed in an intimate,  melodic, beach-surf aesthetic, the single washes over in a relaxed wave of warmth, expressing a sense of support from a distance, amid a disconnect of communication. However, there is a desire to bridge that divide. Compromise can be difficult, and so can watching someone work through things on their own. (Photo by Roxanne Friedman)

Out of the Ether is the forthcoming album from Philly sound sculptors Writhing Squares, which is slated for release on January 25, 2019 via Trouble In Mind Records. Exploring an extensive futuristic landscape within the free jazz jam of “A Whole New Jupiter,” the continuous thump of synth and percussion drives this progression. That relentless ferocity eventually branches off into pockets of intriguing experimentation. A heart-racing unpredictability finds a heaviness that manages to maintain a grounded cohesion no matter how far the nearly twenty-minute adventure spirals outward.