Check out Graces & Lies, the new album from Brooklyn-to-Philly transplants Family Band. The record is streaming in its entirety (below) via Aquarium Drunkard. Grace & Lies (No Quarter Records) drops July 24, and they’ll be celebrating its release on July 31 at the First Unitarian Side Chapel.

It seems that Grimace Federation has a flair for adventure. The Jaga Jazzist-esque combination of prog-jazz and post-rock from their 2010 release On Velvet reminds me of the original Rainbow Road. The wonder and grandness of the music recalls a vast expanse of stars, a black sky that stretches on forever juxtaposed against a dreamy splash of color. Since On Velvet, they’ve paired down to a trio with Chris Wood still leaving his drums bruised and battered, Jim Calvarese holding down the low-end, and Wes Schwartz tinkering with his laptop and electronic toys over his electric guitar, moving them further into the realm of grandiose electronica. New songs like “Auroville” and “LIGHTSABERTEETH” sound like they could be scoring modern two dimensional adventure games like Braid and Fez. This video-game parallel I’m drawing may seem a little out-there, but the way Grimace Federation’s music engrosses reminds me of the way a good video game engrosses: It conjures an alternative realm filled with wonder and adventure.

That adventure begins tonight at Kung Fu Necktie, where the band and their “Popular Science” series have taken up a biweekly residency. With a slew of different openers scheduled to accompany them each evening and Grimace Federation’s exciting new sound, the show ought to be reminiscent Daft Punk’s Discovery and Tron: Legacy, equal parts danceable and thoughtful. Get out there and save the princess, heroes. Kung Fu Necktie,1250 N. Front St., 8 PM, $8, 21+ – Adam Downer  

The Spinto Band will be sharing the good vibes tonight at Johnny Brenda’s when they open for Luke Temple’s Here We Go Magic. In May, the five-piece released their latest album Shy Pursuit on the band’s own label Spintonic. The group brings a simplified approach that combines vocally-lead tunes which harness narrative-based songwriting while incorporating the rich twang of country-influenced, finger-picking guitar with a progressive percussion which changes shape adapting to the mode of the individual track. On a track like “Keep Them Alive,” the serious subject of the lyrics is balanced by an upbeat and even playful music composition with steady drumming laying the base, which further highlights the extremely clean vocals. Their music is user-friendly engaging the listener from the onset with its catchiness, which stirs the memory and doesn’t feel repackaged, producing songs that are enjoyable from the beginning and only get better as they’re broken down. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 8pm, $12, 21+ – Michael Colavita

Congrats to Bleeding Rainbow for signing to Kanine Records! We already knew this was happening – just waiting for the official word, which came today. More deets about the album to come, but you can check out their upcoming tour dates with labelmates/besties Eternal Summers below.

Update: Bleeding Rainbow’s new album is entitled Yeah Right, and will be released on October 9. You can check out its promo trailer below.

Below is a new music video from lo-fi, acoustic trio Market East for the track “Genevieve” off their debut self-titled EP. It was directed and edited by Michael James Murray from Out of Town Films. Market East will be performing this Friday at Johnny Brenda’s as part of the Broad Beauty Tapes Launch Party. (Photo by Colin Kerrigan)

Dreams hold a certain thematic resonance in hip hop. You find them littered throughout the verses of upstart and established rappers alike – “the dream” referenced constantly as the motivation keeping hip-hop artists going. In The Dream Sequence, budding locals Young Gliss and De’Ko meld the metaphor to reality, creating a loose concept record following a “dreamer drifting through various stages of sleep,” “realizing his inner aspirations and gaining an understanding of the energy it will take to achieve them,” and leaving the dream world “with the feeling that he has the strength to fulfill his destiny.”

Before going further, it’s important to recognize that this EP was recorded in a day, which means some of the lines are a little rawer and less polished than I’d probably prefer. The grandiosity of the concept doesn’t quite come through, but Gliss and De’Ko’s laidback, stoner flow is solid, punctuating even lackluster lyrics with rhythmic consonance. Even if the rhymes tend to go by without holding focus, they still work in the context of the EP because The Dream Sequence does not make them the focus.

While the concept warrants giving the lyrics some critical attention, The Dream Sequence is truly the show of producers Geez Seven and Les Professionels. The idea of a dream world stems from them. Clever samples bookending the album help maintain the narrative, and on the whole, their intricate, jazz-tinged beats create a hazy atmosphere reminiscent of those conjured by rjd2 and Nujabes. The skillful flows of Young Gliss and De’ko get woven into this fabric, complimenting the stellar production with another layer of rhythm. In headphones, the record hypnotizes. Its hooks are catchy, and its style mesmerizing. It also flies by; at fifteen minutes, the record refuses to be turned off until “Silver Dreams” fades out. The Dream Sequence has the sound to be huge, and perhaps a collaboration with these producers given more time could be. All things considered, though, The Dream Sequence is pleasing and consistent – a phenomenal sounding EP that, though not quite a successful metaphor, is an exciting, chill-as-fuck collaboration from the underground of Philly hip-hop.

You can catch Young Gliss and De’Ko chasing their dreams tonight at The Lengendary Dobbs for Jam House with Dice Raw, Rone, Black Stars and Nicos Gun. – Adam Downer

Below is the new music video from Meek Mill for the track “Amen” featuring Drake. Unfortunately, there is no footage of them bustin’ a bottle to Chris Brown’s head, but you do see Meek (looking rather Kanye West-ish) and Drake hanging at the Art Museum steps (obviously not as good, but we’ll take some Philly love wherever we can get it).
 

We swung by Johnny Brenda’s this past Saturday for the sweet bill with Hop Along, Secret Mountains and DRGN KING. There were a lot of familiar faces from the local music community gettin’ down. DRGN KING came at us with some heavy guitar riffs courtesy of leading man Dominic Angelella, which were also intertwined with his anthemic pop hooks. The big surprise of the evening was Brendan Mulvihill’s hidden talent on the electric guitar. We already knew that he could tear it up on the mandolin, but his guitar and keyboard work fit quite naturally for his first outing with the band. Baltimore’s Secret Mountains rolled into town requesting the lights be dim to set the mood for their dark, psychedelic rock with plenty of grooves reminiscent of Portishead. Lead vocalist Kelly Laughlin’s powerful wails teetered back and forth between art-rock and radio-friendly pop vocals. Hop Along closed out the evening with a rollicking set that got the entranced audience moving. Frances Quinlan’s rambunctious yet achy vocals and unique, storytelling lyrics were the standouts of the performance that had the crowd cheering for more. You can check out our pics from the evening HERE.

It’s a humid, lazy Sunday, but you still have time to make it over to PhilaMOCA for Lake Butterscotch’s scorching, hot Nuclear BBQ. There will be performances by local natives Bandname, Slutever, Trouble Everyday, The Shakes, The Eeries and (((TACO))) from The Love Club (performing a set of Mexican Folk Songs) as well as Alabama’s Nightmare Boyzzz and Seattle’s Tacocat. They will also be grilling and providing complimentary beverages from Narragansett Beer, water ice and more. PhilaMOCA, 541 12th St., 1pm – 9pm, $10, All Ages – Alexis V.