Yes, I know that there has been plenty of backlash lately about “bedroom” recordings, and a desire for more “real” full bands. The reality of the situation most of the time in making music your career is that keeping a full band together and on the same page to write, record and tour until you get that big break is damn near impossible, especially without having a label deal, booking agent, PR person or something helping to propel you forward. And varying personalities certainly come out and clash in close quarters on tour even if you have all that (just ask Canadian art-poppers Women). So what’s a songwriter to do? Keep writin’ songs with whatcha got! That’s why a little computer generated sounds to help fill out an artist’s vision is welcomed in my book. (And this is coming from someone who once refused to see any band that didn’t make all their sounds playing their instruments, but life like music is about change. Just think of all the amazing bands and DJs that I would have missed out on because of my own stubbornness.) Clotworthy is a recent noteworthy example of a unique songwriter that I might have missed out on. I discovered this new project from Andrew Clotworthy in our DIY calendar (see we do check out the calendar so keep on using it – that’s what it’s there for), and his new LP Buddy is just one of those albums that you can listen straight through again and again. Recorded over two months in his Manayunk bedroom, Buddy revolves around the central theme of loneliness. I think most of my favorite artists spend a lot of time alone. I have always said, “That’s how you become good at your craft.” Clotworthy creates these infectiously catchy indie pop sometimes electro rock tunes full of witty, raw, honest, introspective, self-deprecating humor that connects with the introvert in all of us through Ben Gibbbard-ish vocals and some Erasure-like synth lines. Show the guy that he’s not so alone. You can download Buddy here just name your price. – Q.D. Tran

Congrats to hometown Drexel University! They were voted as one of the best music business schools by Billboard. But we already knew that. Right!?! Kudos to the hard-working staff and students for making that happen! Cheers! – The Deli Staff

 

Long before the recent buzz from Lehigh Valley’s Soars and Allentown’s Pissed Jeans put the sleepy blue collar area back on the music industry radar, Easton’s John Telesky was laying the foundation for its indie music scene. First, with The Original Sins who were one of the early acts on Bar None Records, he recorded Big Soul which was hailed by The New York Times as one of the 10 best albums in the 80s. The Renaissance man has also received some critical acclaim for his series of self-published books and bizarre commemorative stamp style paintings. Now, he’s spent over decade releasing his latest musical escapades under the moniker Brother JT. Telesky will be bringing his psychedelic pop tunes to JB’s tonight to certainly mess with your mind. Below is a strange but humorous video of the multi-faceted Telesky interviewing Espers’ Greg Weeks and Chris Smith for his Trippin’ Ballz video series. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9pm, $10, 21+ – H.M. Kauffman

Dangerous Ponies’ self-titled debut begins with a syrupy sweet keyboard intro leading into a frenzy of voices that are almost overwhelmingly ecstatic. At first, it seems to be a mission statement for the band if there ever was one. Their live shows are some of the most consistently joyful, high-energy affairs you’re likely to find in Philly, what with all the costumes and other theatricalities. But once you delve a little further, the true appeal of the band is apparent. Their songs are certainly exuberant, and maybe even cute, but they’re spared from the cloying quality that seems to plague many “cute” bands. Because even though this album is, more often than not, something you’ll put on just for fun, certain elements, particularly the vocals, indicate experiences that are sincere and intensely felt.

 

But the party always comes first, of course. The first half of the album is more or less what people think of when they think of Dangerous Ponies. Power-pop that’s sweet and fairly direct, with sugary keyboards and guitars that switch from spindly to grungy and back again. “On a Liner” Pts. I and II are bouncy, charming, and benefit from a horn or two. Then there’s the island shuffle of tracks like “I Only Wear My Favorite Clothes at Home” and “Ghosts”. From there things get a little more surprising. An interesting tonal shift happens in the form of “For Mikey Part I”, a down-tempo, acoustic strummer that swells with intimidating noise towards the climax. After the “Mikey” suite is “Get Out of Bed”, an orchestral-oriented song that reaches an unexpected level of grandeur.

 

Another surprise (though only slightly) is the production, which feels distant and crystal clear at the same time. It helps give a sheen and uniformity to an album that surely won’t disappoint fans, but isn’t afraid to take to take a couple risks either. Dangerous Ponies is available via Punk Rock Payroll. – Joe Poteracki

If you think rock ‘n’ roll is just for the boys, then you’re living in the dark ages (seriously), and that’s exactly why Girls Rock Philly is necessary for the music community. GRP is a yearly girls-only week-long summer camp geared towards young, ambitious musicians ages 9 – 17. It teaches campers the ins and outs of musicianship, from writing songs and playing instruments to creating handmade band merch, while building self-esteem, nurturing female empowerment and dispensing important women’s history in a positive environment. And this afternoon, you can witness the progress these excited rock ‘n’ roll campers have made during GRP’s second annual album release all-ages shindig for its Girls Rock Philly 2010 CD compilation and showcase DVD at Johnny Brenda’s (tots under five get in for free!). Celebrating the fruits of its largest camp turnout to date, the GRP show will feature camper and volunteer bands and DJs, as well as great prizes and giveaways of women in rock swag. And if you can’t make it to the show to hear what these rock stars in the making can do, then head over to the GRP website where video of the showcase will be streaming or just swing over to GRP’s CD Baby page to order a copy of the comp after today for yourself. Either way, support these future Chrissie Hyndes as they learn to nurture what they love. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 Frankford Ave, 12pm, $5, All Ages – Annamarya Scaccia

 

 

Striving for a bigger sound, the brothers McGowan (The Tea Club) enlisted the help of whimsical divas like Vinchelle Woods and Kate Foust as well as a cavalcade of talented musical misfits to form a new project in Virtual Virgin. They also recruited the help of other multimedia experts to create a barrage for the senses! Of course, the fact that their music often sounds like the end result of David Bowie brainstorming in a room with LCD Soundsystem and Massive Attack doesn’t hurt either. And when they play much beloved DIY space The Ox tonight, it’s guaranteed to feel like your walking into a whole other world altogether. To help them set the mood for the evening will be the folk-y new side project from Da Comrade! maestro Fletcher T. VanVliet, On the Water, which we have particular fondness for, and artsy indie pop Brooklyn outfit The Lisps. The Ox, (you should know by now or ask a friend), 8pm, $5, 21+

 

More shows to tantalize the senses…

 

Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) SAT Girls Rock Philly 2nd Annual Album Release Show

 

Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) SUN East Hundred and Turning Violet Violet

 

North Star Bar (2639 Poplar St.) FRI Levee Drivers and Andrew Jude, SUN Cheap Seats

 

The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Goodnight Lights, SAT Parachuting Apostles and Hamburger Hunt

 

Tritone (1508 South St.) FRI G. Calvin Weston, SAT Attia Taylor and Bells Bells Bells

 

Danger Danger Gallery (5013 Baltimore Ave.) FRI Dry Feet, SAT Creeping Weeds

 

Millcreek Tavern (4200 Chester Ave.) FRI Kickin Bear

 

The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) FRI Rasputin’s Secret Police and Karma Bat

 

JR’s Bar (2327 S. Croskey St.) FRI Kelly & The Ruths, Charlotte Littlehales

 

The Blockley Pourhouse (3801 Chestnut St.) SAT Tommy Conwell & The Young Rumblers

 

Murph’s Bar (202 E. Girard Ave.) SAT The Tea Club and The Nonstop Mints

 

Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) FRI Hired Guns Blues Band, SAT 722 Presents

 

Raven Lounge (1718 Sansom St.) FRI Clotworthy

 

Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9th St.) FRI Lightninging

 

The Barbary (951 N. Frankford St.) FRI Brown Recluse

 

The Rotunda (4014 Walnut St.) FRI Landing Pad

 

A classy take on ‘80s synth-pop and the opener to Attia Taylor’s Short Stories & Small Glories EP, “She’s a Mad Scientist” feels high-tech and retro, pairing precise vocals with fuzzy repeats via a Bill Nye flavored sample of the word “scientist”. Like quirky one-hit wonder – Thomas Dolby’s claim to fame (a.k.a. “She Blinded Me with Science”), Taylor’s clever spin on the focal point of its narrative breathes probable life to the illustrious “she” behind Dolby’s track. The thumping start of “Did I Look Like Myself” brings to mind acts like The Blow with its rhythmic pulse and lyrical brevity. Sincere and emotive, Taylor’s outlook springs from a point of resilience rather than that of a blind optimist. The words “I can’t predict everything you’re feeling” are followed by an “oh you’re feeling,” proving that Taylor’s concerns are relational, heartfelt. Tricked out with beats befitting M.I.A. (pre-Maya madness), “Make Me a Mixtape” proves to be more inventive than its cutesy title implies. With a blitz of clipped quick drumbeats, the song is multilayered, an audible collage in its own rite. The two-note keyboard intro of “Hezekiah and the Car” stretches like a thread through the song, connecting staccato clicks and resonant beeps, sandwiching catchy hooks and alto ah-ahs in-between. Something in the way Taylor delivers each line draws the listener in, carving her place in the tradition of St. Vincent or The Bird and the Bee. The confessional tell-all style of “Dresses on Tricycles” hums of childhood memories painted in hues of nostalgia and a side of disillusionment. Taylor’s breathy voice croons, “They tell me I’m not pretty enough, pretty enough, I’m not pretty enough”, while swirling instrumentation serves as the backdrop to this intimate candid flashback. Possibly the most emotionally raw track of the EP, the close proximity between Taylor and her audience through “Dresses on Tricycles” duration is skin to skin. Here, it is clear that her willingness to share her past and present with strangers through her songs makes her invincible and brave. With the same brilliant creative intuition of Elizabeth Ziman or the overplayed Ingrid Michaelson, Attia Taylor’s Short Stories & Small Glories is pretty enough and more. You can download the album for FREE here.

 

Attia Taylor will be sharing a Sugar Town bill this Saturday Nov. 6 at Tritone with Bells Bells Bells and Hilly Eye (featuring Amy Klein from Titus Andronicus) as well as Sara Marcus, who will be reading excerpts from and discussing her book Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot GRRRL Revolution (check out our recent interview for Where Is My Mind? with Marcus here).

 

Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot GRRRL Revolution is a lyrical narrative chronicling the powerful, and often misconstrued, radical ‘90s feminist era of Riot Grrrl. Written by Brooklyn writer and former Philly resident and City Paper contributor, Sara Marcus, it’s an unyielding movement, as the book suggests, “of pissed-off girls with no patience for sexism and no intention of keeping quiet”. Five years and 150 interviews later, Marcus uses an authoritative but prosaic voice to tell the tale through the intertwining stories of the girls on the frontlines of Riot Grrrl, making art and music, piecing together ‘zines, holding meetings, organizing conventions and doing whatever activism was needed to get the message across of female empowerment and that violence and discrimination against women are not OK. The Deli had a chance to chat with Marcus, who will read and discuss the book this Saturday for this month’s Sugar Town installment at Tritone, about Girls to the Front, what Riot Grrrl means as a scene and a movement and the future of feminism here.

 

Were you saddened by The Spectrum shutting down? Was it the place where you saw your first concert? Led Zeppelin? Eric Clapton? The Grateful Dead? Prince? Dr. J? Ron Hextall? Well, you can have your very own piece of the historic venue this Saturday! They’ll be holding an event called “If You Can Carry It, You Can Keep It”. It runs from 9am until noon, and for $25, you get a “commemorative Spectrum crystal” and access to all the memorabilia that you can get your grubby little hands on. But the catch is you can’t bring in any equipment (hand trucks, tools, etc.) to help you pry the items from the cold lifeless building, and there is no re-entry once you leave with your goodies. Tickets go on sale at 8am Saturday morning. Also, first come; first serve. So how dedicated/crazy are you? – The Deli Staff

 

Here’s a new music video from The National Rifle for “In the Weeds” from their recent album Vanity Press. It was created with the help of their buddies from Makeshift Media, and was filmed in and around Philly with special thanks to Danger Danger Gallery where they recorded a bunch of it. Can you guess the four bands that they are imitating? They’ll be performing Nov. 13 at Johnny Brenda’s w/Cheers Elephant and The New Connection for Bornpilot’s 7” release party (that’s what she said). (Photo by Tyler R. Westnedge) – The Deli Staff

Grandchildren are back at it again. Or should we say their PR machine? Below is the remix of “Saturn Returns” by Brooklyn’s Runaway that Grandchildren’s Aleks Martray mentioned in his interview for our Where Is My Mind? section here. You can download the instrumental dubberific track for FREE via RCRD LBL. Enjoy! – The Deli Staff