Paper Cat‘s provocative instrumental jams reside somewhere between current post-rock and the more "classic" prog gods of yore like Mogwai and King Crimson. Brother and sister Julie Slick and Eric Slick (formerly of the Adrian Belew Trio; Eric now drums for Dr. Dog) teamed up to specialize in pulsing, ominous bass combined with angular, face-melting riffs (from guitarist Robbie “Seahag” Mangano), and crisp drums. Headlining the bill, Vernon Reid (of Living Colour) is a beast on guitar, which means you don’t want miss his free-flowing jazz/funk outfit Free Form Funky Freqs. He’s also joined by legendary human drum machine G. Calvin Weston. You’ll probably hear few other bands that can shred so diligently on their instruments, while still maintaining a crucial subtlety. Just listen to that bass on "The Binds That Tie". Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave, 8pm, $15, 21+ – Joe Poteracki

 

 

With the promise of a full-length and three records already under their belt (2008’s The Antique Sessions EP, 2009’s The Corrina Sessions EP &2010’s A Collection of Love Songs LP), The Lawsuits stir a medley of genres into their scorched Americana sound. From riverside blues sermons (“Talk You Down”) and barroom booty rock (“Hot Mama Blues”) to secluded, forlorn folk (“Beautiful Anger”) and vintage coastal pop-rock (“Heart Grown Cold”), the local four-piece – and idée fixe of singer/songwriter Brian Strouse – wears their sonic influences on their sleeve. But it’s not an ode to what’s been. Instead, The Lawsuits’ workhorses are contemporaries, modernizing a pastoral sound that’s threaded deep into the fabric of America’s sonic blanket. You can watch the outfit weave itself into musical history tonight at West Philly’s Millcreek Tavern for the Philabundance Benefit (also on the all-local acts bill: brooding indie rock troupe Lightninging, female-fronted alt-rock/soul mashup VeNT, and neo-soul rap star Manchilde). Along with the cover charge, bring several canned goods to donate to the food bank and hunger relief organization and help feed the number of hungry families this holiday season. Millcreek Tavern, 4200 Chester Ave, 9pm, $8, 21+ (Photo by Stephanie Juris) – Annamarya Scaccia

 

Most bands only strive to release one album a year. But ambitious singer/songwriter Joshua Britton, otherwise known as the mastermind behind Psalmships, dropped a big resolution when he revealed that he’ll be releasing 3 in 2011. One will be Thorns a direct follow-up to his dramatic opus Black Forest Withers, and is even considered its vocal companion. Meanwhile he’ll also be unveiling a split EP with Kettle Pot Black that features Dutch diva Liz Fullerton in wrapping up the big LP titled Hymn of Lions. But even though it isn’t set to be released until September, Britton looks forward to unveiling a special set list that features several songs from it when he opens for Do You Need The Service?, a band whom he’s been looking to play with for a year. DYNTS took a bit of a hiatus after celebrating the release of I Hurl Myself Towards Glory, but they might just perform some of the new music they’ve been unfolding during their last show of 2010. Joining both bands on stage tonight will be metal maniacs Clamfight. Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 7:30pm, $5, 21+ – Bill McThrill

 

So we’re pretty damn psyched for our last showcase of the year! The debut of our Pipeline Series will be kicking off tonight at Kung Fu Necktie. The Deli Magazine’s Pipeline Series was created to bring together some of our favorite music acts from different Deli cities so that they can connect with other artists and their fan bases. Creepoid will be opening the festivities and bringing in their beautiful moments of darkness and light to our ears in one of our favorite venues in Philly. They just finished mixing their upcoming debut full length Horse Heaven yesterday which was produced by Kyle “Slick” Johnson, whose engineering and producing credits include Modest Mouse, Wavves, Fischerspooner, Cymbals Eat Guitars, and many more. The album is scheduled for release on January 11 via Ian Records. Electric Tickle Machine will be our full fledged NYC import. Their care-free, raucous tunes contain the best parts of being young, which is most likely one of the reasons why they are a KEXP favorite. As the night gets later and we get drunker and higher, the legendary Notekillers are here to help scramble our brains with their experimental surf-noise rock that was a “big influence” on Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore. You can take a gander at our recent review of their latest ambitious album We’re Here to Help here. The long-overdue new effort from our musically talented do-gooders was already named to Philadelphia Inquirer music critic Dan Deluca’s list of Best Local Albums of 2010 (which had plenty of stiff competition this year). The Notekillers’ David First was also recently interviewed by Pitchfork, which you can check out here. We’ll leave you with a few videos below to get you in the mood for tonight, and hopefully the kick-ass bands on the bill, the multiple shots of Irish whiskey and the piles of herb that you consume later will help take you the rest of the way. Cheers! Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Frankford Ave., 8pm, $8, 21+ (Poster by Annamarya Scaccia)  – Q.D. Tran

 

UPDATE: No more Night Train tonight so we get some extra time – FLETCHER C. JOHNSON from KING TUFF added to open!

Reading Rainbow will be celebrating the release of their split 7” with Brooklyn’s Coasting tonight at Danger Danger Gallery. They’ll also be embarking on a mini northeast tour of DIY spaces with their record mates. You can check out the purposefully “super LOW BUDGE looking” video for the track “Euphoria” off of their latest release below. It was shot and edited by their good buddy Aaron Debruin. Now, if you are little more settled with children but still like to rock, then you’ll also get a chance to catch Reading Rainbow on January 8 at World Café Live for KidROCKERS. They’ll also be touring with Dum Dum Girls on their way down to SXSW. Looks like the much buzzed about couple are ending the year with a bang, but the busy bees will still have plenty to look forward to in 2011. Promising fledgling and somewhat mysterious post punk act Moon Women will be getting the festivities start so make an effort to get there early and catch their set. Danger Danger Gallery, 5013 Baltimore Ave., 8pm, $5 – $10 donation, All Ages – H.M. Kauffman

 

 

The Lightning Bug Situation had the most casual victory ever in our poll. It must have been the lazy, hazy imagery of our favorite flying summer insect that helped propel Brian Miller’s non-glacial project forward or most likely the impassioned tracks that he laid down for his latest effort Call. We also have to give him props for the positive comment that he had for the music of another competing contestant (Virtual Virgin). It seems that the vibe of his good sportsmanship has carried over to our most recent poll. We have to say how much joy that it brings us to see other bands getting excited about discovering new music too. We hope that they will share future bills together. Bravo, Mr. Miller! You are a class act. Check out our recent interview with Brian Miller here. We think that you’ll agree.  

 

Straight up – there is a lot of craziness in this world. I’m honestly afraid to have children because I fear what the future may hold for them. But we can’t curl up in the corner in a ball of fear. As Da Mayor profoundly said (Spike Lee’s character, certainly not Nutter), “Doctor, always try to do the right thing.” (Good words to live by.) So head over to the 24 West Management benefit show tonight for Turning Points for Children at JB’s! Turning Points for Children works with over 3,000 children in the area through after-school family programs, teen parent education, and assistance to caregivers providing critical resources, life skills and supportive partnerships needed to build stronger families and raise children with hope for brighter futures. Tonight Steve and Krista from The Swimmers, Toy Soldiers, Brooklyn’s Raccoon Fighter and CBS Records’ Sharon Little will be performing. Please remember to thank them for donating their time and talents. All ticket proceeds from the event will be going to Turning Points for Children. Thanks! Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9pm, $10, 21+ – Q.D. Tran

 

Timothy Showalter a.k.a. Strand of Oaks just launched his own Kickstarter campaign to bring his most excellent album Pope Killdragon to vinyl. If you want him to perform at your home, it can happen! Kickstarter seems to be where the indie artists are going to raise backing for their projects these days. While we have come across plenty of naysayers on the internet calling Kickstarter a scam (after all it is the internet – there is always someone who hates what you believe in behind their keyboard), we’ve only heard good things from artists who have been able to fund their projects and then some. Keep paying it forward to the arts and collect your good karma points. Cheers! – The Deli Staff

I know. All you’ll probably hear about in town today, and I’m sure for a while is that the Phillies signed Cliff Lee. Nice! Now all Ryan Howard has to do is hit the ball in the post season (I kid, I kid). But if you don’t give a shit or are just looking for a place to celebrate, head over to the North Star Bar for their New Music Series. You’ll find two young acts that have definitely been holding our interest for a bit now here at The Deli so we are excited that they’ll be sharing the same bill tonight. Looks like experimental indie pop darling Ms. Attia Taylor will be closing out the evening. We’ve been having a cerebral and aural love affair with Attia for a while now, and we’re really proud of all the wonderful press that she’s received this year. And I’m happy to see Vintage Kicks are immersing themselves more in the Philly music scene. Thanks to the North Star for conveniently gathering quotes by our Q.D. Tran and Adam G., which you can check out here for a better description of what you might hear tonight! Also check out the videos by our featured artists below. Enjoy! North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St., 8pm, $7, 21+ – H.M. Kauffman

 

Listening to an instrumental outfit can sometimes seem off-putting. There’s a certain tedium that most fall to – a recurring loop of indistinguishable murmurs, buzzes, and kicks that drone on into oblivion. Really, it can get pretty damn boring if you’re absolutely restless and need some type of vocal interaction – or if you’re just not into musical circle jerks. Fortunately, though, instrumental avant-rock trio the Notekillers fails at the ennui and mundane on their first full-length, We’re Here to Help.

 

We’re Here to Help was over 30 years in the making. The dual-habituating Notekillers (they’re from Philadelphia and Brooklyn) thrashed it out with the superlative no-wave instigators in late ‘70s New York City, only officially dropping the self-released 7-inch, The Zipper. The record unknowingly culled major players as fans for the trio. Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore cited the Notekillers as a “big influence” for him and others in his evolving music scene in an interview with Mojo Magazine (the trio eventually made an archival release on Moore’s Ecstatic Peace! label).

 

We’re Here to Help, released on Prophase Music, is both an extension of and break away from The Zipper. Its erratic behavior is more developed, but still has that experimental free-spirit which helped to shape a generation and music genre. There’s chaos and there’s refinement, zeal and calm. We’re Here to Help is a multi-layered and complex album made up of star-burst moments that fly every which way in bright spurts, but there’s still a very distinct pattern. While fierce, wild arrangements are always present throughout this nearly 40-minute effort, not every song is a sonic freak-out like the album’s definitive track, "Flamenco" – a raucous number where the guitars shred furiously to the point of a high-pitched fever and havoc is unleashed on the skins. "Eyelash" curls to the surf rock mystique that the Notekillers might be best known for, with rumbling guitars and rolling drums powering into a catchy, rhythmic melody, and if this track strikes your fancy, then face-melter "Papers" may have the angular riffs and walls of distortion that are here to help make your day. We’re Here to Help proves that the stigma of instrumental rock is something to be defied. – Annamarya Scaccia

OK, so we’ve run into ?uestlove grabbing some grub a number of times at Ishkabibble’s (mmm…cheese fries), but it must be a deserved dinner break from the studio because besides releasing one of their best albums in years (not Wake Up!) and learning all those tunes to perform with Jimmy Fallon’s guests each night, you can add scoring a movie to their 2010 credits. The Roots composed and performed the music for Night Catches Us, which was filmed in sections of Germantown and has the return of Black Thought to the big screen. It is currently showing at the Ritz in Philly and in other cities. You can check out the official trailer below. – The Deli Staff