Philadelphia

Chillin’ with Mirador at The Fire July 15

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Some trippy shit’s goin’ down at The Fire tonight. Mirador is coming in like apparitions from a buried past, chiseling through the grime of everyday life as they build soundscapes with ebbing piano drops, echoing guitar lines and atmospheric samples. Dreamy and somewhat ominous – they still manage to find sci-fi type grooves. Chillwave? Definitely. The Fire, 412 W. Girard Ave., $7, 9pm, 21+ – Katie Bennett
 

 

Philadelphia

The Khyber Plans to Be Ready in September

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Yes, Twitter was all ablaze today when news of The Khyber posting on their website that they would not be booking shows after July 31, which was obviously a bad sign. Well, it seems owner Stephen Simons had fired his booking agent, Andrew Miller (Sunny Day Music), who also books the North Star Bar. Simons plans to have a new booking agent ready for September. And a new sound system, please? – H.M. Kauffman
 

 

Philadelphia

It’s That Time of Year Again – Camp Bisco 9 July 15 -17

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OK, tree-thuggers and wookies – it’s that time of year again. The time when you gather up all your drugs and dogs, and head North to Mariaville, NY for Camp Bisco, the three-day party/live music festival hosted by former Penn boys The Disco Biscuits. Camp Bisco has really evolved from it’s origins as a little electronic jamband fest in central PA to one of the premier summer concert festivals on the east coast by bringing in such artists as Snoop Dogg, The Roots, Nas, MSTRKRFT, Thievery Corporation, Damian Marley and Shpongle just to name a few. This year looks like it will be carrying on the tradition with a lineup packed with plenty of big bangers like "Wu Massacre" (Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon), LCD Soundsystem, Ween, Thievery Corporation, Diplo, Major Lazer and Girl Talk, but don’t miss out on sets by Holy Fuck, Caribou, Rusko and Pretty Lights as well as locals Dieselboy, Grimace Federation and Brothers Past. Hopefully the weather will hold up better this year. – H.M. Kauffman

 
Philadelphia

Waterfront Wednesdays Opening Event Postponed!

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Ugh, this weather is awful! Well, tonight’s opening event for Waterfront Wednesdays, the free Wednesday concert series in Penn Treaty Park brought to you by the New Kensington CDC, is postponed. Check out the flier above to see who will be performing this 2010 season. We’re guessing that things will get shifted. Damn weather, it’s exactly why The Deli hasn’t done any outdoor events yet! – The Deli Staff

 
Philadelphia

Sunny Ali & the Kid Wanted at The Ox July 14

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Upcycling the late ‘90s dance hit “Better Off Alone”, Sunny Ali & the Kid’s revamp of Alice Deejay channels the quirky vibes of Happy Birthday with the nonchalance of the Ramones. Cutting the track’s original length in half, Ali and Saeed instinctively emphasize its lyrical core alongside jaunty riffs and hissing snare. Easily read as indifference, “Better Off Alone” is vocally precise, and it’s brief repetition and harmonized end capitalizes on the song’s sweet brevity. A mix of buzzing psych folk meshed with surf drenched pop, Sunny Ali & the Kid’s latest EP Try Harder is a easy charmer with song titles like “I’m a Skinny Fucker” and “Fuck Me.” Filling the parentheses between lingering high school frustration and 20-something bliss, this local duo is fun and cathartic. Become their new number one fan when the join local funk fiends Prowler and Altered States at The Ox tonight. The Ox, 2nd & Oxford St., 8pm, $5, All Ages – Dianca Potts
 

 

Philadelphia

Where Is My Mind?: Man Man’s Honus Honus (Part 2)

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We welcome you back to the second half of Where Is My Mind? with Man Man’s Honus Honus.
 
TD: How has the Philly music scene changed since you became involved with it?
 
HH: More of on a national level. It’s great. People know good (and strange) music comes from the city. I’m proud of how much Philly’s scene has grown and grown to be appreciated.
 
TD: What is your favorite Philly band right now?
 
HH: Grandchildren. Very sick.
 
TD: You guys have a lot of antics on stage, but what about puking on stage?  Is that totally rock star, or just gross?
 
HH: I vomit on the stage quite often. But then I have to swallow it and keep singing. I’d say that it’s pretty gross. Totally "Rock Star" would be drowning in your own vomit in a hotel. I’ve yet to experience that, but I won’t rule it out.
 
TD: When we chatted briefly earlier, you spoke of an album that you had recorded with Nick Thornburn (Islands, The Unicorns) and its intriguing Doom Wop classification. When can we expect that and will there be any touring in support?
 
HH: Have low expectations and you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Nick and I split up main vocal duties and my buddy Joe (Modest Mouse/Shins/Blackheart) handles the drums. We’ll play some shows here and there whenever our 3 schedules will allow. Keep your ears peeled. We’re looking to record the album this winter and get it out there sometime next year. If you can imagine a collision of Nick and my own songwriting styles packed into 3 minutes and under per song, then you’ll get an idea for the sound of the band. Next year is gonna be busy for sure.
 
TD: What is your favorite historical mustache?
 
HH: Linda Lovelace.
 
TD: Are robots the future or the end?
 
HH: Cannot compute.
 
TD: If you could invent an instrument, what would it look/sound like, and what would it be named?
 
HH: Adam Gould. I’d string it up and beat it like a balloon.
 
TD: What sandwich do you order at the deli?
 
HH: Knuckle. 
 
– Adam G.
 

 

Philadelphia

Party with Y-Rock On Ex-pn ex-DJs at The Troc July 13

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I’ll be the first to admit that I’m usually the last in on technology. I was harshly reminded of it this weekend at Making Time when Adam G., one of our writers, said, “Damn, for someone who is an editor at The Deli, you have a ghetto-ass phone!” I do. It’s a flip phone that’s hanging off the hinges. What can I say? I’m not sure if I want to renew my contract with Sprint for another phone. Well, I’ve been making an effort to be better at this “technology thing”. I hear that the internet might catch on. I’ve been trying to check our Twitter account more often though I sometimes find it rather ridiculous (I love you ?uestlove, but how does any human find that much time to tweet?), but I have to admit that I do love retweeting free downloads and shows to people. This was tweeted to us courtesy of Pattern Is Movement’s Chris Ward, and it looks like a fun time for albeit a somewhat sad occasion. It’s a party for the ex-DJs from Y-Rock. As you’ve probably read, XPN made some major cuts recently dropping one of Philly’s few rock stations from their on-air programming. Tonight you’ll get a chance at The Troc to thank the Y-Rockers for, well, rockin’! There will be plenty of drinks served up (out of your pocket) and performances by local favorites Pattern Is Movement, Gang and The Swimmers. Admission is FREE so don’t be stingy and by the Y-Rock folks some shots! Update: I’m guessing tonight’s event will be a good chance for Josh T. Landow and the crew to let their friends and fans know that they will be coming together again at internet radio station Y-Not Radio. The battle wages on. The Balcony at The Troc, 1003 Arch St., 6pm – 11pm, FREE, 21+ – Q.D. Tran
 

 

Philadelphia

Odd Couple Motorcycle Maus and The Circadian Rhythms at DDG July 13

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It’s hard to imagine how the harsh electric static of experimental post-industrial outfit Motorcycle Maus and the corporeal, rustic swinging blues-folk bumps of The Circadian Rhythms will pair together in a debauched West Philly basement venue. These adored hometown beat-factories make for strange bedfellows, really, especially when Tennessee’s revolving AM radio-pop quartet Children of Spy comes into play. But what brings these three very different (and, trust us, different is an understatement) acts together is that underlining wave of infectious pop sentimentality. So it’s kinda like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in musical form – peachy-keen, crotchety old (wo)man to awe-inspired, self-reflecting 30-something to spry, bouncy, not-yet-jaded young adult – and that’s not something you’d want to miss. Danger Danger Gallery, 5013 Baltimore Ave., 8 pm, $5 – $10, All Ages – Annamarya Scaccia
 

 

Philadelphia

Where Is My Mind?: Man Man’s Honus Honus (Part 1)

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At The Deli’s Best of Philly Showcase this year with Reading Rainbow, Grandchildren and Levee Drivers, I ran into Ryan Kattner, better known as the grizzled and bombastic Man Man ringleader Honus Honus. After picking his brain a bit and unsuccessfully sedating him enough to tuck my dick between my legs to convince him I was my twin sister who was a sucker for “mustachioed taxidermy enthusiasts”, he agreed to talk to us for the debut of our artist interview series Where Is My Mind? all the way from Omaha where he and his cohorts are hard at work on the new Man Man LP. 
 
The Deli: For the past six years you have been reliably releasing an album every two years, does that mean we can expect a new album in 2010 to follow in that tradition?
 
Honus Honus: We spent a good deal of last year (between tours) working on the new material, and we just started road testing it in March. We’re recording now actually, and we’re just trying to get it sounding the best it can. Been here in Omaha since mid-May, and we’re still tracking here heading into July.
 
TD: Your music is carnivalrous. It is full of fireworks and covered in mud. The songs also contain lyrical depth that is thoughtful and dark. The question may be a bit too broad, but how did you come to this balance and how intentional was it?
 
HH: If you write from the heart it’s gonna come out however your heart is designed. Perhaps mine is muddy, dark and a bit of a fire hazard. If the center (heart) of the song ever feels plugged in and sculpted as just another "part", I have no interest in making that kind of music. People aren’t dummies. They can tell, regardless of how good something sounds or how clever something is, if it’s real or not. If it ever feels like "going to the well" with this band, I quit. Even if a lyric sounds abstract, I wouldn’t know how to fake the energy to get there. With that said, it’s very important to me to retain the balance of playfulness and sincerity and objectivity. It’s a pain to get all those working together. It really is. 
 
TD: You sound like you could be a soundtrack to a fantastic puppet show, do you have any interest in scoring and have you gotten any offers yet?
 
HH: Scoring would be interesting for sure. We haven’t received any offers yet, at least not ones that would pay and allow us the time to focus. I’d love to do soundtrack work because we could do very diverse things. There are many layers to this onion. Puppets? Oh man…
 
TD: What are the goals for the new album, musically and dynamically?
 
HH: The same as it never was.  
 
TD: What are Man Man’s plans for the summer?
 
HH: Recording, recording, recording. Shows here and there. Water ice. 
 
TD: How would you describe the Philly music scene? 
 
HH: Very vibrant and idiosyncratic. It’s cool that people in Philly don’t tend to ride any particular "sound" and allow themselves the confidence to just chase down whatever inspiration catches them. We’re talking about a city that’s spawned everything from Gamble & Huff to Sun Ra to Hall & Oates to the Roots to Beanie Sigel to Pissed Jeans. That’s a pretty diverse scene.  
 
TD: Do you consider yourself part of the Philly music scene? 
 
HH: Proud to be from Philly and representing this tough city. Philly can be brutal and real and I love it.
 
Stay tuned for more Where Is My Mind? with Man Man’s Honus Honus! We guarantee that it gets a lot weirder.
 
– Adam G.
 

 

Philadelphia

Kurt Vile Finds Some Real Estate at JB’s July 11

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Our hometown boy Kurt Vile is coming back to Johnny Brenda’s tonight, smackdab in the middle of his impressively long summer tour. If that’s not the highlight of your weekend, what is!?! It’s been a crazy year or so for the long-haired rocker professionally and personally, having signed to Matador and released his full-length Childish Prodigy as well as having a “childish prodigy” of his own and buying his first home. He also just dropped his Square Shell EP while he works on finishing up a new full length tentatively scheduled for release this October. He’ll be hosting Jersey’s favorite dreamy beach-goers Real Estate. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave, 9pm, $12, 21+ – Joe Poteracki
 

 

Philadelphia

Adrien Reju and Charlotte Littlehales Get It On at The Fire July 11

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Swing by The Fire tonight for a little girl-on-girl action! Did I get your attention? Good, but I lied. However, their will be a couple of adorable ladies ready to entertain you. Adrien Reju is not just another self-taught aspiring singer-songwriter toting her mom’s old guitar. This pixie-cut, homemade scarf sporting songbird, with a degree in classical guitar from Ithaca College, will make you take notice with her unrestricted vocal capabilities and jaunty musical accompaniment, including rootsy guitar flourishes, muted trumpet, and swinging piano chords. Joining her will be Charlotte Littlehales, the girl at the coffeehouse who pulls lovers and intellectuals away from passionate conversations over steaming cups of Columbian and demands unbroken attention. The Fire, 412 W. Girard Ave., 9pm, $8, 21+ – Katie Bennett
 

 

Philadelphia

Bardo Pond Always Ready for a Freak Out at JB’s July 10

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Holy oldhead show Batman! For close to 20 Years, Bardo Pond have been the superstars of the underground psychedelic movement in the City of Brotherly Love. But their sound is just as fresh and innovative as it’s been during the bands early inception. So much so that it guaranteed them a spot on upcoming mega shows such as the Jim Jarmusch curated ATP Festival in New York. And the Nightmare Before Christmas event headlined by Godspeed You! Black Emperor in Minehead, UK! Is that a big deal? Fuck yeah! But before they engage themselves towards the future, the band is ready to ignite Johnny Brenda’s with a trance filled explosion tonight. They’ll be joined by Caterpillar, who were at the forefront of the Philly music scene in the 90’s before going on a 9 year hiatus. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9pm, $10, 21+ – Bill McThrill