Tonight should be another enjoyable evening at The Ox. But I’m guessing it will feel a little more intimate than last night’s sold out Sun Airway show. The charismatic country boys, The Great Unknown, will be taking the stage performing their smooth, effortless folk rock ditties for us to enjoy. 2010 saw the release of a dynamic EP in The New Skin with the help of Milkboy Studios as well as exciting shows that included a featured spot with the ASCAP Songwriter Residency and an exciting show at the TLA to close out the year. The band will be returning to the TLA’s stage on March 3rd when they open for Carolina Chocolate Drops (and if you sign up for their mailing list you can find out how to get discounted tickets). But before all that the good ol’ boys are ready to warm up with a good old-fashion hoedown tonight at The Ox. They’ll be joined by whimsical power pop quartet When I Was 12, whose harmonious music is flat out sweet and endearing. Song like “S is For Subway”and “Make Believe Hearts”will have you tapping and singing along in no time. Rounding out the lineup will be Fishtown’s imaginative indie pop collective Conversations With Enemies. There debut concept album about zombie love and devil doings, Nowhere, OK, was a bright spot in local releases last year. The Ox, (you should know already or just ask a friend), 8pm, $5, All Ages – Bill McThrill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Otherworldly electro from outer space, Philly’s Planet Y channels the cosmic vibes of the universe with their sonic resonance by extraterrestrial landscapes, or as one half of the duo Yanni Papadopoulos stated in a recent interview, “alien”. You should already be familiar with Papadopoulos from his doom jazz metal band Stinking Lizaveta. Well, his Planet Y partner in crime Charles Cohen is certainly no newcomer to making music either. Cohen has been creating his unique compositions for several decades now using a very rare instrument: a 200 series Buchla Music Easel (only 14 of these made by synth innovator Don Buchla). Synthetically stellar and trippy, the experimental lo-fi of Planet Y ebbs and flows, leaving listeners with a sense of the night sky if viewed from Mars or a distant unknown star. The celestially inspired aftermath of Papadopoulos and Cohen’s collaborative genius will transport you light-years away from its origins within seconds of each buzzing beat and digital riff on guitar. So blast off tonight with Planet Y and headliner Brooklyn/Chicago trio Acid Birds who are brought to you by the non-profit organization Ars Nova Workshop! Kung Fu Necktie. 1250 N. Front St., 8pm, $8, 21+ – Dianca Potts

 

Our favorite pyrotechnician/Berklee dropout Chris Blassucci is back with his band Hair Rocket. They just released a new video for “OK Alright”, the first single from their upcoming LP Punishment Cookie scheduled for release in April 2011. Hair Rocket has received plenty of help from friends to make this album come to fruition, and they launched a Kickstarter campaign to pay back all their friends who have donated their precious time. Please check out their new music video below by Workers of the East and pay it forward. Thanks! – The Deli Staff

 

Cold Cave has a new album coming out on April 5 titled Cherish The Light Years via Matador Records. It was recorded with Chris Coady (Beach House, Islands, etc.) in NYC. They just released the opening track of the full-length, “The Great Pan Is Dead”. Wes Eisold stated, “It was also the first song I wrote after the group of songs that makes up Love Comes Close and it existed in some half-finished way in my head for almost two years.” You can check out the finished track below and download it for free here in exchange for your e-mail. (Photo by Austin Durant) – The Deli Staff

 

We were honored when asked this year to present “Aquarius Raging”! It’s a jam-packed showcase of talented folks brought to you by Danger Danger Gallery and the Grandchildren boys. “Aquarius Raging” was how Danger Danger started over 5 years ago at the original Danger Danger House. This year’s event is also doubling as a fundraiser to help support the gallery collective so they can keep making it an awesome place for live music to perform. The lineup of kind-hearted bands who are donating their time and talents this year are Dangerous Ponies, Gang, The National Rifle, Dinosaur Feathers, Spirit Animal, The Armchairs, Valleys and The Perfection!sts. We hope all who have shared in this special place will join us and show your support on Saturday, February 12 at Danger Danger Gallery. We look forward to “raging” with you! – The Deli Staff

 

The last time I saw Power Animal (a.k.a. Keith Hampson) perform solo was in the basement of South Philly’s Castle Gay. Hampson said that it would be a while until he’d do it again since he had a full band in the works. That was almost a year and a half ago. Since then, he released his highly-underrated full length People Songs on Waaga Records and has been impressing audiences with his percussive experimental six-piece outfit that he assembled with some talented close-knit friends from the Northeast. The Deli was also proud to have them perform at our most recent Anniversary Party with The Extraordinaires and An American Chinese. Well, Hampson is back to his roots tonight performing solo at Danger Danger Gallery so make sure to check out this rare opportunity. Scheduled on the bill will be Lux Perpetua, Scott Churchman, Caring Practice and Attic Abasement. I also wanted to give you a heads up on a killer lineup that I am super stoked about happening at The Ox on Saturday February 19. The full Power Animal band will be joining Grimace Federation, Ryat and Circadian Rhythms. I can guarantee plenty of The Deli crew will be out for that one and you should be too! Danger Danger Gallery, 5013 Baltimore Ave., 8pm, $5 – $10 donation, All Ages (Photo by Robert Aitken) – Q.D. Tran

 

This may make absolutely no sense to those living outside of my head, but when I listen to Arc in Round – the local “dark-pop” four-piece of Mikele Edwards, Chris Coello, Matt Ricchini, and producer/engineer Jeff Zeigler (Kurt Vile, The War on Drugs, Lymbyc Systym) – I envision a nomadic ghost among boisterous souls. As all-encompassing live as it is on their recently released debut EP, Diagonal Fields, their wall of sound is layer upon layer of starry-eyed vocal echoes and hazy blasts of drifting cadence. And tonight at Johnny Brenda’s, where they’ll open for New York’s psych-noise three-piece Violens, Arc in Round will debut their single “Slow Ceiling” from Diagonal Fields (it’s available on iTunes and Bandcamp, with the Bandcamp version offering the Pink Skull Remix of “Spirit” as a bonus track). Featuring Philly wunderkind Kurt Vile on trumpet and Man Antlers’ Pete Angevine on percussion (both of whom helped on the EP and impending LP), the five-minute instrumental is a creeping build-up of dizzying musical notes and swirling ambience – a kind of mystic display of technical prowess that’s bound to blow your mind live. Follow that with the mysterious shoegaze guitar-pop adventures of local six-piece Nothing, and it’s aces. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave, 8pm, $10, 21+ – Annamarya Scaccia

 

Just wanted to let you know that the Money Making Jam Boys’ (The Roots’ Black Thought, STS, Truck North, and Dice Raw) mixtape titled The Prestige: Jam Boy Magic drops today. You can download it for FREE via 10Deep. Check out the videos below where Black Thought and Dice Raw talk about the MMJB mixtape project. Enjoy! – The Deli Staff

 

 

It was a tight race again this year with one vote separating two fine labels, but the nod went to Ian Records for The Deli’s Philly Record Label of the Year 2010. It was hard to ignore what Ian Records has been doing for the local indie music scene. If you are not familiar with the Philly-based record label, it’s run by Ian Galloway who also works at the record store Beautiful World Syndicate. He specializes in releasing only music from Philly artists on vinyl. Galloway has helped material see the light of day on proper format from local artists like Party Photographers, Creepoid, and Far-Out Fangtooth. All of whom were nominated by one of our jurors in this year’s Best of Philly Emerging Artists Poll, which is pretty damn impressive. Congrats Ian Records! But we’d also like to acknowledge and thank Richie Records/TestosterTunes for simply releasing kick-ass tunes. Now, we know owner Richie Charles couldn’t give two shits about any awards, but maybe sometimes it’s nice to know that other people think you are badass too. Cheers to both labels for all their support of the local music scene! – The Deli Staff

 

Below is a happy club remix of Sun Airway’s “American West” by local Philly DJs Sammy Slice and Siyoung. You can check out the real thing this Friday when Sun Airway perform at their first all ages show with Golden Ages, CSLSX, Celebration and Savages at The Ox. Enjoy! (Photo by Ryan Muir) – The Deli Staff