This is a pretty sweet deal for all you economically challenged like us here at The Deli. The Electric Factory will be celebrating their 15th Anniversary this October so starting at noon on Friday, Oct. 15 until 6pm on Friday, Oct. 22, you can purchase tickets for $15 (some without service charges) for any show that isn’t sold out! While we fear that the ticket gods will have service charges on the shows that we’d like to see, we still definitely appreciate the sentiment. So grab your tix this Friday and don’t forget to head on over to JB’s that evening to celebrate The Deli’s Anniversary Party with The Extraordinaires, An American Chinese, Power Animal and us! Livin’ in Philly rocks! – The Deli Staff

 

Local siren Ryat (a.k.a. Christina McGeehan) stretches the limits of electro-pop with her recent full-length Avant Gold. Collaboratively paired with composer/boyfriend Tim Conley, Ryat’s “inter-dimensional” soundscapes create a universe of their own, luring listeners in with smoldering backbeats and dizzying synth. Expressive and pronounced, Ryat’s work is delicate, fierce, and daring, departing from the norms within her genre for destinations elsewhere. Heard in the decibels of last fall’s Street Noise Orkestra, Ryat’s songs are textured and rhythmic, built by an aesthetic mix of influence, outward and inner. “Polaroid” and “Interest Rate Lover” are emphatic with clipped beats and lines, sounding polished yet sincere. Similarly, Avant Gold shines.

 

The buzzing chords of “In My Face” frame Ryat’s bold but pretty vocals alongside a handclap-like tempo and resonating beeps. Delivered like a ballad, Avant Gold’s opener is infectious, bringing to mind the universal experience of letdowns and arguments. “The Gaze” feels global like M.I.A’s “Jimmy”, slow, fast, and engaging with Ryat’s voice rising above a flawless trail of synthesized beats, later fading from brief repetition into a well-crafted end. The calculated clicks of “Superficial Friction” add emphasis to sporadic notes on piano and dancey distortion, making the song’s rhythmic backbone bend away from the vocals in a disjointed yet constructive distance that nears charming dissonance. During “Bells” Ryat’s inner Bjork surfaces ringing out over a shuttering pulse of sound, suggestive of shuffling snare. Warm and ambient, “Bells” oozes allure, drawing in all ears to the duo’s uniquely formed composition. Dramatic, but appropriately so, “We walk slow, but as fast as they rush” begins with far off chords that focus into a concerto-like pairing of piano and strings. “Time Worn”, with its start/stop progressive intro, seems to mimic time itself through clock-like ticks and echoed loops. Closing with “Equipoise”, the album’s end settles into its listeners’ memory as Ryat softly sings “I think it’s time to let you go.” A befitting outro, Ryat’s breathy farewell leaves fans transfixed and optimistic for whatever comes next, whatever comes after gold. You can stream and purchase the album here. – Dianca Potts

 

The unapologetic female garage rockers/happyriotgrrrls Slutever will be taking the stage tonight for Temptaion!, a new dance night at Silk City by Button Up, Tighten Up (resident DJs Andrew Prinz and Jackie Slimm) that promises to bring some true Northern Soul to Philly. What does that mean? Well, they want to bring us "the best, rare and hard-to-find Wigan Casino and Motown-era classics, Mod favorites and true Soul standards, but also Haçienda and related artists like The Smiths, Pulp, and New Order". Shit – sounds good to me! There will also be an AVANT MIX exclusive preview, video trip by ISMISMS, and stockings + knickers by American Apparel. Silk City, 435 Spring Garden St., 9pm, $5, 21+ – H.M. Kauffman

 

mewithoutYou bassist Greg Jehanian takes center stage as Geology, an acoustically driven side project comprised of twangy banjo, crisp chords, and prolific lines. Recently seen rocking out as a member of Sleezer, this local troubadour proved the breadth of his repertoire with the late summer release of his Three Birds EP. Humming with undertones of Americana, Jehanian’s lyrical prose brings to mind holy texts and the Great Grey Poet, giving songs like “Not That of the Sun” and the uplifting “Living Things” a depth that is felt as well as heard. Less passive than Sufjan Stevens, Geology’s sound is rooted in honest vocals and heart-stirring refrains like those found in “It’s Alright!” and “For Us Who Are So Small”. Unfortunately his live sets as Geology are few and far between, making this JB’s performance a definite rarity. He’ll be sharing the stage with Mitch Fiction and Ducarriganigan (featuring Matisyahu’s guitarist Aaron Dugan and Jason Fraticelli on bass). Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9pm, $10, 21+ – Dianca Potts

 

 

When you listen to South Philly’s Dangerous Ponies, it’s a splendid, joyous experience. Their sunbeamy brand of ‘60s pop-infused, gang vocals adorin’ circus masquerade rock is the type that morphs you into a high-octane gale on the dancefloor. And the vibrant collective – consisting of frontwoman Chrissy Tashijan (vox/guitar), her brother Mikey (drums), Evan Bernard (vox/guitar), Chris Baglivo (vox/bass), Kyle Pulley (guitar) and hype-women Sarah Green (keyboard/vox) and Brooks Banker (vox/tambourine)—only intensifies their music on stage, making it hard for your body to resist their high-energy prowess.

 

With an EP already under their belt, last year’s Dr. Ponie Medicine Ponie, the 7-piece troupe will release their first self-titled full-length on hometown label mainstay Punk Rock Payroll. To support its release, the Ponies will trek across the country for a 25-city tour over the course of October and November, kicking off the ride this Friday, October 15 at Philly AIDS Thrift for their official CD Release Party (they’ll also be doing a run with label mates The Extraordinaires from November 7 – 14). We recently caught up with Chrissy to talk shop about the new record, the Ponies’ colorful personality, and what it means to be a queer-identified troupe in Philly. You can check out the interview here.

 

In the era of lo-fi bedroom recordings and chillwave, Purling Hiss (the side project of Birds of Maya’s Mike Polizze) will certainly be snapping listeners out of their blissful haze all across America. They’ll be hitting the road on an extensive fall/winter tour with hometown buddy Kurt Vile and Sand Diego’s The Soft Pack in support of their sophomore album Public Service Announcement due out Oct. 26 on Woodsist. The tour begins on Oct. 19 in Charlottesville, VA, and they’ll be back in town at Johnny Brenda’s on November 26. – The Deli Staff

 

Post Post is back in town after the recent release of their latest EP Residents. The Bryn Mawr/Haverford College outfit of guy and gals will be making their debut at the First Unitarian Church tonight bringing their catchy, heartfelt indie pop/rock to an already stacked bill. They’ll be opening for buzz heavy punk-popsters (or should we say pop-punksters) The Thermals and Staten Islands’ recent toast of the borough Cymbals Eat Guitars. So get ready to get sweaty! First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., 8pm, $14, All Ages (Photo by Justin Roman) – H.M. Kauffman

 

Weathervane Music, a new-ish Philly-based non-profit, aims to better society at large by lending a helping hand to musicians in the indie scene. With a new season upon us filled with up-and-coming artists, we wanted to catch up with founder and executive director Brian McTear to give us the nitty-gritty on how things got started, what’s wrong with the music industry, and future plans for Shaking Through, Weathervane’s new web series highlighting emerging artists doing what they do best. You can read more about McTear and Weathervane Music’s future projects here.

 

Though they could be said to verge on the "psychedelic," King Kong Ding Dong is far from the usual batch of 60’s noodlers, and they also don’t really fit in with the grimy disorientation we’ve come to expect from the current lo-fi scene. You’d also think, given that they share members with A Sunny Day in Glasgow, we’d have yet another shoegaze outfit cranking out swirling walls-of-sound. What we have instead is a band adept at spare, bright guitar tones and hypnotic rhythms that build and build until the tension gathered is irresistible. The opening strains of "Distant Drums" or "Jample" are examples of how a song can find the happy medium between pop precision and blissful looseness. Their name is a little unfortunate considering how good they actually are, but I can let that one slide. Also stay tuned tonight for So Cow and Scott Churchman. Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front Street, 8pm, $7, 21+ – Joe Poteracki

Try Harder, Sunny Ali & the Kid’s debut EP and former Deli CD of the Month (read the review here), is a sonic punch in the face. It’s not that it’s super heavy or increasingly intense, but the low key experiments from frontman Hassan Ali (ex-POPO) and drummer Abdullah Saeed are attention-grabbing minimalist garage-rock slaps that clock in less than two minutes each. There’s the dirty country sneer of the title track and closer “Fuck Me” the balladesque chimey fuzz pop of “The Best for You”, and the rockabilly-spritzed noise smack downs of “Cand Stand You” (honorary mention goes to their bouncy garage cover of Alice Deejay’s 2000 club hit “Better Off Alone”). It’s a swift incident but a worthy one and they’ll bring their self-proclaimed country punk to the Tritone tonight with fellow hometown motivators Prowler, who wield an unearthly affection for spasmodic electro-rock snickers. It’s all high-pitch wails and loutish boogie-funk for this full-throttle five piece that’ll be dropping their new album, Wooly Mammoth, in early December. It will feature appearances by local favorites Plastic Little and Reef and the Lost Cauze. They’ll also be joined by Washington, D.C’s art-rock outfit The Chance thrown into the mix. So go to it, brochacho. Tritone, 1508 South St., 9:30pm, $7, 21+ – Annamarya Scaccia