With songs like “Enemies”, “When We Were Young”, and “To the Ground”, the best way you can describe the sound blasts hammered out by The Fallen Troubadours is rollicking. The Hamburg-based six-piece’s version of roots music takes the noble parts of troubled folk, the beefy parts of vintage Americana, and a sultry dash of ‘50s good-girl soul to produce catchy, barefaced rock ‘n’ roll that’s ready for a good toe-tapping, bottle-smashing good time or a swell lunch date at a misty diner. They’re currently working diligently on their debut album for Candy Colored Dragon (even taking a general break from performing to do so), which, while originally set for a fall release, is now slated to drop later this month. In the meantime, strap on your boots and waltz over to Johnny Brenda’s where The Fallen Troubadours will stomp open the stage tonight with fellow Pennsylvanians and folk-rock enthusiasts Frog Holler. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 8pm, $10 – Annamarya Scaccia

 

What’s at the top of our list this weekend? R5’s Punk Rock Flea Market is this Saturday! We know. That’s not a show. But fuck it – a chance to win a lifetime pass to all future R5 shows deserves to be at the top of any list! Yes, we secretly want no one to show up to increase one of our chances, but you should really go and support an organization that has been positively supporting the local indie music scene for years. And we want to keep it that way! Plus there will be 250 tables of cool shit to purchase, look at and play with. And if you are still buzzing from your shopper’s high, swing on by The Blockley and get really HIGH for our real Weekend Warrior pick with The Armchairs, Illinois, Da Comrade!, Arrah and the Ferns, and The Deli. We know that college finals are wrapping up, but before you head back to living a boring life at home again with your parents (sorry, recent twenty-something graduates for reminding you), it’s time to toast the evening away with plenty of good friends and good tunes. This is The Deli’s second last sponsored event of the year. (BTW: We also hope to you this Thursday at Kung Fu Necktie for the debut of The Deli’s Pipeline Series with The Notekillers, Electric Tickle Machine and Creepoid.) The count down is on! The Blockley, 3801 Chestnut St., 8pm, $6 adv/$8 door, 21+

 

More local flavors…

 

Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) FRI Strand of Oaks, SAT Frog Holler and The Fallen Troubadours

 

Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI The Tulanes and Mean Streets, SAT Blood Rhythm

 

North Star Bar (2639 Poplar St.) FRI Dirty Diamond’s 4th Annual Vagina Jam w/ Handsome Petes, SAT Atomic Square and Defog, SUN New Kings and Local Dub

 

The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) SAT Igor’s Egg and Flux Capicitor, SUN Dangerous Ponies

 

M Room (15 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Hamburger Hunt, SAT The Midnight Beat

 

Tritone (1508 South St.) FRI Jukebox Zeros and Full Blown Cherry, SAT The Mighty Paradocs and Joe Jordan Experiment, SUN The Sound of the Kaleidoscope and Blackhawks

 

Millcreek Tavern (4200 Chester Ave.) FRI Chrononaut, Dirt Worshipper, Wizard Eye

 

The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) FRI Where’s The Band After Party w/ Pulling Punches

 

The Ox (you should know by now or ask a friend) SUN Agent Moosehead and Tongue Sculptors

 

World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) SAT Kuf Knotz and Lizanne Knott

 

Greenline Café (4239 Locust St.) FRI Uke Ellington and Kevin James Holland

 

Danger Danger Gallery (5013 Baltimore Ave.) FRI Dangerbird CD Realease Party w/Mikingmihrab

 

Younglove (5011 Baltimore Ave.) SAT Party Photographers and Sea Soft

 

First Unitarian Church (2125 Chestnut St.) FRI Jukebox the Ghost

 

It’s always nice to see positivity flow through the Philly community. Well, yesterday we finally received some national attention other than cheese steaks, duck boats and Michael Vick. CNN ran a nice piece on Philly rappers Freeway and Young Chris taking a stand against violence in the schools. Check it out here. Thanks CNN! (Photo by Dominic Savinni/Salvatore Fullmore) – The Deli Staff

 

If you thought that their debut album, Let Live and Let Ghosts, was just a slice of heaven, then you’ll be happy to know that Jukebox the Ghost have more sugary confections for you with their latest Everything Under the Sun. Of course, it didn’t hurt that they had help in the kitchen from producer Peter Katis who has worked with the likes of The National and Jonsi. But the piano pop masterminds also spent countless hours in studios, basements, and hotel rooms crafting the 11-song album as well as keeping up with their hefty 150+ shows per year touring schedule. At the Church tonight will be their last show in Philly for the year, but rest assured. They already have plans for more shows in 2011 which includes a sold out one in NYC with fellow D.C. natives and newly reunited The Dismemberment Plan as well as Guster and Barenaked Ladies (we know guys – sometimes ya gotta do whatcha gotta do). First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., 7:30pm, $10 adv/$12 door, All Ages – Bill McThrill

 

As Strand of Oaks, Tim Showalter crafts devastatingly brave and unsettlingly idiosyncratic folk – unnerving moments lay bare in both his howling acoustic homilies and absorbing synth fables. Just listen to Pope Killdragon and you’ll understand within seconds. There’s something so restless and poignant in the way Showalter melts the numinous with the doleful that it’s almost too difficult to put into words. In fact, catching his gig tonight with North Carolina’s Crooked Fingers (featuring Archers of Loaf’s Eric Bachmann) and Maryland’s Cotton Jones might be all the description that you’d need. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9pm, $12, 21+ – Annamarya Scaccia

Post-finals rager Too Cool For School Winter Fest sets to start winter break with a bang. The perfect combo between house show meets house party, tonight’s celebration includes an impressive lineup of Philly’s next generation of lo-fiers for the affordable price of FREE. Dreamy tracks like “Smile” by Gypsy Death and You fit the mood of the occasion with upbeat chords and optimism while the two-piece’s fuzzed-out revamp of Jesus and Mary Chain’s “Something I Can’t Have” plays out lush and loud. Boy plus girl punks Omar (Candice uses picks and Nick uses sticks and they both lalala) might incite a blitzkrieg bop with fast paced anthems like “Triracial Cat” and “Jumping Jacks”. Add in self-proclaimed "shit-fi" compliments of Slutever with washed out pop by Slow Animal and you’ve got the perfect prelude to the freedom of yet another semester’s end. Too Cool For School Winter Fest, (we know but just ask a band or a friend), 8pm, All Ages (Photo by Corinne Ryan) – Dianca Potts

 

By now, you may have seen founding members of Philly Folk Parade, The Spinning Leaves and Hezekiah Jones, play shows together in several venues throughout the city and on the road. However, you have never seen them take part in a bit of a role reversal for a whole show. But that’s exactly what’s going to happen at The Ox tonight for a very rare occasion, where you’ll be introduced to The Hezekiah Leaves and Spinning Joneses. If there are any two Philly bands out there who know the other’s music as well as their own, it’s this tight knit folk family. And while putting that bond to the test, they went as far as to work on an album that will be released on Mad Dragon Records. Tonight you’ll here plenty of different spins on the songs that you know and love, but you might also hear some new material including songs from Hezekiah Jones’ upcoming album Have You Seen Our New Fort?, which is due for release in February on well-respected folk label Yer Bird. Tonight’s show will also feature music from Toy Soldiers and Papertrees. The Ox, (you should know by now or ask a friend), 8pm, $5, 21+ (Photo by Lisa Schaffer) – Bill McThrill

 

Fellow Philly scene watchers Phrequency will be celebrating their 2nd Anniversary tonight at Vincent Michael Gallery, and they have three promising local acts to help get everyone movin’ as well as some FREE social lubrication provided by Pabst. Nicos Gun should be a name that you are getting familiar with here at The Deli. You can’t help but notice that the psychedelic electro rock crew loves them some Prince (as everyone should). The fellas of Nicos Gun sent us their new music video for the track “Party Cult”, which you can check out below. It was directed by Joe Belack. They’ll be joined tonight by Hennessy Youngman (Jayson from Plastic Little), who’s probably still buzzing from hosting last night’s new wildly successful monthly dance party “Magic Moments” at KFN, and indie pop newcomers Dragon King. You’ll also get a sneak peak at the latest gallery show, “Sneaker”, which features work from Thomas Buildmore, El Toro, Papermonster, Nosego, Hilary White (Lion Versus), and more! Vincent Michael Gallery, 1050 N. Hancock Street (The Piazza), 7pm, Free, All Ages – H.M. Kauffman

 

By most standards, Cheers Elephant produce some pretty easy-going stuff. Just take a good listen to the rollicking rhythms and delicate finger-picking of tracks like "Dharma" or "Como Es La Vida". This, however, doesn’t mean they show any hesitation in kicking out the snarling riffs. "Cocaine" certainly sports some rumbling distortion and spirited yells. They’ll probably be using tonight’s show at the M Room as a warm-up for their upcoming Midwest winter tour and album release party on January 8 at World Café Live. And if you’re looking for some new face on the local music scene, there’s Vintage Kicks, who just formed this past May. Halfway between world-weary and explosive, they manage to make the garage rock revival of the early 00s (remember that?) sound fresh again. "King Geek" makes an infectious meld of impassioned vocals, just-right distortion, and subtle synth flourishes. Also keep an eye out for Motel Motel. These Brooklyn natives create tightly composed tunes rooted in Americana. M Room, 15 W. Girard Ave, 8pm, $10, 21+ – Joe Poteracki

 

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Chang Chang (a.k.a. Jon Rehr). But he’s back! Though Chang Chang has “been sitting on his ass” a lot, he’s also been “working his ass off”, and is ready to drop some new tracks for us which include a collaboration with Hennessy Youngman (Jayson from Plastic Little). Well, all this will be going down at Kung Fu Necktie for the sophomore event of “Magic Moments”, which is FREE by the way. Chang Chang will also be sharing the fun with DJ Copout, Strawberry Mansion DJs and your host with the most Hennessy Youngman. They promise that “it’s gonna be crowded, it’s gonna be sweaty, and everyone is going to feel violated”. To get you in that “Magic Moments” mood, below is a promo video for this evening from Chang Chang and Thomas Larochelle. Cheers! Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 10pm, FREE, 21+ (Photo by Ryan Scott) – Q.D. Tran