Eat Your Birthday Cake recently unveiled an incendiary revamped sound. The first recording to feature their new sonic exploration, Enemies (which you can listen to in its entirety HERE), just dropped earlier this week and sets the ambiance for a summer of listening to sweet jams during road trips perfectly. To celebrate the release, Cloud Entertainment and the band will be breaking out the grills and hosting a block party on Mercer Street in Fishtown. It will feature plenty of veggie options, free juice from FUZE, live mural painting, and the projector + landscape music of Switzerland’s B Tong. But the afternoon wouldn’t be complete without more fine tunes that will be provided by Best Westerns who features members of Conversations with Enemies, The Wayfairs, The Josh and Pete Band, and Eat Your Birthday Cake. The lineup will also include the down home sounds of North Lawrence Midnight Singers, the soulfully unapologetic rock of Satellite Hearts, Derek Krzywicki of Cheers Elephant, and so much more. Enemies Central, 219 Mercer St., 1pm – 8:30pm, FREE, All Ages

 

More things to get you out…

 

Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) FRI Gods and Queens, SAT Sisters 3 CD Release party w/On the Water and Honey Watts, SUN Adam & Dave’s Bloodline

 

Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) SUN Split Red

 

North Star Bar (2639 Poplar St.) FRI Camp Arawak, SAT The Kalob Griffin Band, Oldermost and HighKick

 

The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Far Trio, SAT Cookie Rabinowitz and The Defog,
SUN Major League and Ghosts & Androids

 

M Room (15 W. Girard Ave.) SAT Synth Sircus, Audio Kings of the Third World, Coux Caroux, Time Ghost

 

Tritone (1508 South St.) FRI Pet Panther, Johnny & the Glutens, George Urgo,
SAT Epic Exposure and Transitshop

 

Millcreek Tavern (4200 Chester Ave.) FRI Cloud Make Sounds and The Formulary

 

The Marvelous (208 S. 40th St.) FRI Cannons

 

Tin Angel (20 S. 2nd St.) SAT Dani Mari

 

The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) FRI The Noid and Thee Nosebleeds

 

The Blockley (3801 Chestnut St.) SAT Somata

 

Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) FRI Ron Gallo

 

Danger Danger Gallery (5013 Baltimore Ave.) FRI First Friday, SAT Best Friends

 

Electric Factory (421 N. 7th St.) SAT The Shackeltons

 

First Unitarian Church (2125 Chestnut St.) FRI (Basement) Jukebox the Ghost, (Side Chapel) Nick Millevoi

 

The Legendary Dobbs (304 South St.) FRI Da Rezarekt, SAT Panic Years and New Motels

 

Triumph Brewery (117 Chestnut St.) FRI Boy Wonder and Dani Mari, SAT Buzz Universe

 

Clark Park (44th & Baltimore Ave.) SAT May Fair w/The Whippoorwills and The Old Fashioneds

 

Hong Kong Garden (Please contact one of the acts for details.) SUN Peter the Pianoeater and Hop Along

 

With avant-garde jazz punk trio Many Arms, Hassidic punk rockers Electric Simcha, chamber pop collective Make A Rising, and new music duo Archer Spade already on his resume, Nick Millevoi is a shredder with many faces who has soundly proven the versatility and variety of his musical horizons. But with the release of his debut solo guitar album, Black Figure of a Bird, which is the first of a series of three premier collaborative releases from DC’s New Atlantis Records and Sunmagi Records, he has transcended to whole new heights. And to get there, he collaborated with worldly flamenco guitar master and sound engineer, Eric Carbonara creating The Deli’s April Album of the Month. If you get to the First Unitarian Church tonight for his show with Dirty Projector’s Nat Baldwin in the Side Chapel, you’re guaranteed to be wowed when you hear the mastery of Millevoi on his electric twelve string guitar. First Unitarian Church – Side Chapel, 2125 Chestnut St., 8pm, $10, All Ages – Bill McThrill

 

A charming attempt at recreating the glory of the first wave of post hardcore bands, Gods and Queens create a well-rounded sound composed of early 90s emo song patterns, with a grunge-y, progressive angst. Having roots based in Philly, the three-piece aren’t afraid to experiment on their recordings like using clever samplings, such as the automated voice on Septa’s Elevated Blue Line. The humble trio will be opening this evening’s festivities at Johnny Brenda’s for My Disco and Young Widows. Gods and Queens will also be heading out on tour next week with Coliseum which will conclude on Tuesday, May 17 at Kung Fu Necktie. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9pm, $10, 21+ – Emma Branson 

 

The organizers of the 50th Annual Philadelphia Folk Festival held a media meet-and-greet yesterday to announce a partial lineup for some of the acts you’ll be finding at this year’s event (the rest will be announce in June). They also had Deli favorite Hezekiah Jones on-hand to entertain the folks while we filled up on a variety of tater tots and drinks (thanks to our new favorite bartender Molly). Runa, Brad Hinton, Burning Bridget Cleary, The Berrys, and The Give & Take Jugglers were among the list of local area acts that were revealed as well as former Philly natives David Amram and Kim & Reggie Harris. Other national/international artists that were invited are Arlo Guthrie, Justin Townes Earle, David Bromberg Big Band, Jorma Kaukonen, The Campbell Brothers, The Kennedys, Angel Band, Joel Plaskett Emergency, The Wood Brothers, Tom Paxton, Tom Rush, Dala, Tempest, Madison Violet, The Great Groove Band, Dan Bern, John Hartford String Band, The Battlefield Band, John Flynn, Elizabeth Butters, Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, Wilderness of Manitoba, Roy Book Binder, Footworks, and Caitlin Rose. Since this year’s festival is a milestone for the historic event, we were told that “collaboration” will be its key focus and to expect less contemporary acts as you’ve seen in the recent past years. The 50th Annual Philadelphia Folk Festival will be from August 19 – 21 at the Old Pool Farm in Upper Salford Township, PA. Daily tickets start at $46, and three-day passes are available for $110 HERE. – The Deli Staff

 

I don’t think I can sing–or, rather, shout–Prowler‘s praises anymore than I already do. On their last album, Wooly Mammoth, Prowler’s dance-noise-rock hybrid was so erratically funky, so overblown and spastic, it was hard to not want to burn down the house in sonic jubilation. And now back in the studio working on new material, they’re continuing down this righteous wave of party rock (download their latest single, "Skinny Bones", for FREE below). Tonight, in a blast of celebration, they’ll stir it up and shake it down with Pink Skull for their Shakedown Live Cinco de Mayo show at the Barbary (DJs Rob Paine, Willyum, and Jay Yo will spin throughout the night). Show up and drown yourself in free PBR until the well runs dry and dance ’til your feet burn but not before you read our interview with Prowler’s Tyler Griswald HERE, where we talk about their new jams and the relevancy of MySpace.

 

For fresh hip hop beats, look no further than tonight’s Flash Mob Production showcase at Kung Fu Necktie. Ever since Theotis Joe moved to West Philly, he has been honing his 80s – 90s hip hop influence into skilled production and directorial work. But he has also managed to fine tune his songwriting skills, which is apparent with the release of his breakthrough debut After Hours. Most recently, he cut a hip hop tune inspired by Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets of Philadelphia” in honor of the Boss’ 60th birthday, and it has been in heavy show rotation. He’ll be joined this evening by Headshop, which merges members of The Great Vibration and Illipsis, and versed emcee Yikes The Original. Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 8pm, $10, 21+ – Bill McThrill

 

CSLSX recently posted a new jam called “Keep on Shining”. It’s a feel good track for you on this dreary Wednesday. (Damn we’ve been spoiled by such good weather!) Take a listen to it for a little pick-me-up and download it for FREE below. Enjoy! – The Deli Staff

 

Local folk veteran and darling Meg Baird will be headlining Kung Fu Necktie tonight. Influenced by Appalachian music and contemporary outsider folk among others, the wispy songstress can easily captivate a room simply with her delicate, genteel vocals and guitar. It should also be a very special evening since she’ll be hosting the legendary Kath Bloom, who is also a Baird favorite (check out her cover of Bloom’s “There Was a Boy”). I’m hoping that they’ll have some interesting collaborative pieces planned for us this evening. (Please don’t let it be wishful thinking.) They’ll also be joined by another fine talent in Nebraska’s Ember Shrag. Expect the generally rowdy venue to turn into a listening room for this deserving bill. Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 7:30 pm, $8. 21+ – Alexis V.

 

The Powder Kegs have a lot to celebrate tonight at Johnny Brenda’s. They’ll have brand new vinyl pressings of their new release The Amanicans. The “folk-tinged indie psych-pop” album was produced by Jonathan Low who has been working with Brian McTear in Miner Street Studios (which is where The Amanicans was recorded) on the critically acclaimed Shaking Through series. This evening is the tour opener of The Powder Kegs’ upcoming extensive U.S. Spring/Summer tour which will find them trotting around the country in support of their latest effort. They’ll be joined at JB’s by the instrumental avant-post rock trio Paper Cat made up of Dr. Dog’s Eric Slick, Julie Slick, and guitarist Robbie Seahag Mangano and New Jersey’s Communipaw. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9pm, $10, 21+ – H. M. Kauffman

Blues rockers Penrose is teaming up with WXPN to present the “No Excuses! Summer Series”. Every first Saturday from June to September, the Murphy bros will be throwing a party at Danger! Danger! Gallery. The series kicks off on June 4 with Toy Soldiers and Conversations with Enemies. Other acts that will be joining the festivities later on will be local pals Cheers Elephant, TJ Kong and the Atomic Bomb, and El Fuego as well as NYC imports A Million Years and The Shakes. – The Deli Staff