At first, Bucks County favorites Illinois might seem like your average indie-pop band, crafting the sort of warm, laid-back tunes that manage to jump from meditative, folk-inflected pop (“Where’s My Woman”) to synth-heavy R&B excursions (“Hang On”) and back again without breaking a sweat. But you’d be quite mistaken to assume they aren’t ambitious. Just last year they completed their grand narrative The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe, six EPs now available as one album and accompanied by a short movie. Though frequent lineup changes in recent years have plagued the hard luck indie fuzzy folk rockers, hopefully Arch and the gang will have some sexy costumed ladies doin’ “the brick dance” tonight at The Blockley where they’ll be joined Stereolab-esque Rubblebucket and earthy soul entertainers Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds. Blockley Pourhouse, 3801 Chestnut Street, 9pm, $10-$15, All Ages – Joe Poteracki

Millcreek Tavern is normally known to bring the Halloween ruckus with its annual Halloween Hellride show (which will be coming back in full force on Sunday with Total Fucking Destruction!). But the bar decided to start off its festivities a little early this year. Between blending songs of zombie love and vampires with full moon gypsy folk, dressing up in costumed finery when a good chance arises, and releasing albums that come with full length graphic novels, Conversations with Enemies is a band that’s easily in their element when they usher in Halloween weekend. And the happy-go-lucky quintet will be dressed to impress with their whimsical pop and blaring trumpets. Joining them on the line up will be comical misfits The Josh & Pete Band and quirky Eat Your Birthday Cake. Millcreek Tavern, 4200 Chester Ave., 9pm, $8, 21+ (Photo by Perry Julien) – Bill McThrill

 

Dani Mari is a self-professed former band geek, but if technology has taught us anything, it’s that the geeks shall inherit the earth (or at least make a shitload of money while they destroy it). However, on her debut full length Impulsive, you find the steely-eyed beauty growing into her own skin. The sometimes playful, sometimes sultry and often times lonely drawl of the folk-y hearted songwriter stands in the forefront on her latest offering supported by some clean production work and instrumentation from her local music pals. She’ll be celebrating the release of Impulsive tonight at Connie’s Ric Rac with South Philly buddies The Discount Heroes and Fishstick. Connie’s Ric Rac, 1132 S. 9th St., 9pm, $10, 21+ – H.M. Kauffman

 

This one is for you rabid Dr. Dog fans. Special thanks to Philly-to-Denver transplant John Hendrickson, who runs The Denver Post’s music blog Reverb, for sharing this with us. It’s nice to see Philly folks spreadin’ the music love all over the place. Below are two videos from a semi-secret acoustic performance by Dr. Dog of “County Line” and “Jackie Wants a Black Eye” two days ago for a Reverb acoustic session. It was originally planned to be filmed at the Pearl Street Mall during lunchtime, but wind squashed that idea so here they are for happy hour at Conor O’Neil’s Traditional Irish Pub. – The Deli Staff

We are full of videos today. But who doesn’t love a little visual stimulation with their music? Not any of us. Well, our favorite sons Grandchildren released a new video today via The Fader for “Saturn Returns”. Yes, they just released one last week already, but this one is definitely the more professional version with Canadian short filmmaker Chelsea McMullan at the helm. Glad to see someone is laying down some cash to help get these guys more exposure. They deserve it. Enjoy! – The Deli Staff

Donny Smeads of "The Donny Smeads Show" is back with our freedom rock lovin’ jokesters Free Energy for another two minutes and fifty-nine seconds of the “Free Energy Power Hour”. Did you ever wonder where you could get your favorite cassingle refurbished? Or your VHS and Beta collection of porn? Well, here you go. – The Deli Staff  

Yay! We love “Throw Yourself Apart” by Lehigh Valley’s Soars! Now, they have a new video for it which you can view over and over again below. In keeping with their eerie cinematic sound, they sample scenes from the 1960 Japanese horror film Jigoku. The video was directed by Jaimie Harley. You can check out our review of their self-titled debut album here and our recent interview with the whole band here. You’ll also be able to catch them live on Nov. 7 at Pilam w/Hot Guts and Nov. 27 at JB’s w/Aunt Dracula. Enjoy! – The Deli Staff

On the cover of their third full-length Autumn, Again, in large, definitive typeface are the words “POP SONGS – 2010”. For A Sunny Day in Glasgow, that’s both an attention-grabber and a reminder, of course, that “pop” is a pretty relative term. Either way, it’s appropriate, as the band has never sounded as concise as they do here. The tracks are generally shorter and more tightly constructed, and the multilayered vocals are now far sharper, having been lifted out of the murkiness that once characterized them so strongly.

           

This doesn’t mean that ASDIG has lost any of their soft, ethereal qualities, however. The band has always been (and still is) firmly rooted in the shoegaze/dream-pop tradition, but comparisons to My Bloody Valentine (which doesn’t seem to mean anything anymore, frankly) never seemed as telling as ones to Slowdive, Lush, or Curve. In the case of Autumn, Again, the delicate, reverberating textures of the first two are fused with the prominent electronic elements of the third. In fact, it seems like ASDIG has gone from being a band with electronic undercurrents to a full-blown electro-pop act without sacrificing any of their dreaminess.

 

Breathy, feminine vocals interweave, meld with percolating synths, odd snatches of guitar, and sturdy industrial beats. The opening motorik rhythm of “Sigh, Inhibitionist (Come All Day with Me)” is pleasantly reminiscent of Yo La Tengo, and the first few vocal lines of “Drink Drank Drunk” are quite catchy. Although there are no clear singles (except maybe, again, “Drink Drank Drunk”), the “POP SONGS” declaration still isn’t surprising. Whereas earlier releases were content to wallow, quite beautifully, in their own fuzzy headspace, their latest release strives to do not only that, but also create a pointed, self-encapsulating piece of work. Autumn, Again is available for free download or donations here. – Joe Poteracki

As severe metal goes, Philly’s Woe has some serious balls – just listen to their coveted sophomore release on Candlelight Records, Quietly, Undramatically. Fronted by Chris Grigg, founder of Phillymetal.com (read The Deli’s FYI on DIYs in PHL with Grigg here), Woe takes hard-hitting thrashes to the extreme, employing melodic undertones, prog-rock leanings, and throaty, high-pitched screeches. They’ll share the stage with New Jersey’s slow-driving, slugging metal veterans and label mates Kreig, who returned full swing to the scene in 2008 and is releasing their sixth full-length, The Isolationist, on Candlelight, which they will be celebrating its release tonight at KFN. Need more? Philly distorted and fast-driving metal quintet, Infernal Stronghold, is set to open, and the show is FREE. They call that awesome. Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 8pm, Free, 21+ – Annamarya Scaccia

 

We are already getting pumped up for this Halloween when we co-present with Spaten Beer TJ Kong’s Halloween Costume Ball Rock and Roll Murdershow (that’s a mouthful – that’s what she said)! There are a slew of up-and-coming local artists already announced on the bill (check out the poster above) as well as a mystery headliner that will surely bring the “young ladies”. There will also be FREE Spaten Beer, costume prizes, food, dancing, fire, virgin sacrifices, and much more! Tix are $10 in advance and $15 at the door so don’t be a sucka. Purchase them in advance here or from any of the participating bands. We look forward to seeing what you’ll be wearing (or not wearing)! – The Deli Staff

 

Congrats to Drexel University’s WKDU 91.7FM for winning “Station of the Year” and “Champion of the Local Scene” honors at this year’s CMJ, and they were also picked as one of “The 9 Best College Radio Stations” by The Huffington Post! We are so proud to see that the hard working students and employees at the station are finally getting some recognition. We also think that a large part of their success can be attributed to the enthusiastic students in their Music Industry program. I wish that they had something like that when I was in college. Maybe I might have shown up for more classes. Maybe. Cheers! – Q.D. Tran

 

After listening to Future Weather, the follow-up to The War on Drugs’ breakout full length album, Wagonwheel Blues, from Indiana-based label, Secretly Canadian, it’s extremely fitting that the Philly trio – comprised of frontman Adam Granduciel, drummer Mike Zanghi and bassist Dave Hartley – released their 8-song EP on October 26. Continuing on the Americana nuances of The War on Drugs’ previous records, Future Weather takes on the rhythms of classic America and adds a jangly twist, giving off a vibe that is serene, brisk and almost chilly – the soundtrack to a lonely, rainy night in a strip mall diner. In other words: Future Weather is perfect for a late autumn love affair.

 

Opening with the under-a-minute buzzed out ambience of “Come to the City #14”, the nearly 30-minute EP, with Granduciel’s old-soul, far-off twangy intones in full effect, is magnificently awash with surging soundscapes and murmuring cadence from start to end. The ‘80s-influenced Americana fuzzbox of “Baby Missiles” coasts down the open highway, showcasing an energetic harmonica alongside a layered audio backdrop of spirited pulses. “Comin’ Through” and “Brothers” are both pensive and starry-eyed – two tracks that are relaxed yet lush, courting a hazy simplicity that evokes a peripatetic abandon. And Future Weather’s latest “single”, “The History of Plastic”, is a raw experimental number that spotlights a droning harmonica and burns leisurely on your fingertips, bursting into a dissonant array of sonic shakes and controlled freak outs that blanket Granduciel’s vocal slurs. And, throughout, it flows between the whirring kick-off and the abrasive zenith until it fades out to black. But it’s “A Pile of Tires” that’s the most noteworthy. Performing like it’s spinning on a dusty gramophone, the track feels forlorn. Its muted scratches hover above raspy vowels and ever-present guitar chords.

 

And like Wagonwheel Blues, the tracks on Future Weather are divided by three instrumentals: opener “Come to the City #14”, the corporeal seconds of “Comin’ Around”, and the dense “Missiles Reprise”, a mired psych-surf number that lasts over two minutes and features muted guitar wops and intensely austere drums. Overall, Future Weather plays out like polished tunnel busking, which isn’t to say that it’s a bad thing. Instead, it’s like music hidden underneath a street bustling with busy urbanities too oblivious to notice its beauty. – Annamarya Scaccia