“Better Than You” is the first single off Magic Gone, the forthcoming album from Petal, which is due out on June 15 via Run For Cover Records. Juxtaposing the rough grit of the instrumentation with the clarity of the vocals, provided by Kiley Lotz, a narrative of personal/private struggle against the external projection emerges. Finding a balance between the bright and the bleak, it’s emotively energetic. Petal, along with Body Guard, will be support for Cave People’s record release celebration on Thursday, April 12 at Boot & Saddle.

Lucy Stone (Vexxed, formerly of DRGN KING) teamed up with Max Steen (Cold Fronts, Vexxed) for her new single “Lucid Dreaming”. Before the backend kicks in, a laidback guitar pattern sets the stage for a pensive, bedroom-pop scene. Waking up from a dreamy haze, one gravitates toward the languishing yet hopeful, solitary melody. You can catch Stone opening for Hop Along this Saturday, April 7 at Johnny Brenda’s, with DJ Clark Baechle (The Faint). (Photo by CJ Harvey/Single Cover by Jana Kirn)

Lofeye, the new album from Lojii, is out now via Youngbloods. Minimalist instrumentation illustrates a shadowy sense of scenery. A theme of optimizing one’s output in spite of limited resources unfolds, guided by a smooth intensity. Balancing appealing, classic, boom-bap beats with an experimental edge, the LP is a nod to the past with a hint of what’s to come in the future.

Krust Toons: "Forgot to Turn Off My Bluetooth" by Tedd Hazard – please feel free to drop him a line at teddandthehazards@gmail.com if you dig or have any funny ideas. You can also check out more of his illustrations and animation shorts HERE.

Philly indie darlings Hop Along just shared their highly-anticipated fourth album Bark Your Head Off, Dog, which is now available for streaming via NPR’s First Listen. The album officially drops this week on April 6 via Saddle Creek Records, and the band just announce that is has added a last minute show this Saturday, April 7 at Johnny Brenda’s. Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10AM HERE. Hop Along will also be joined by Lucy Stone and DJ Clark Baechle (of The Faint). (Photo by Tonji Thilesen)

Three Man Cannon‘s sublimely sun-soaked anthems pair perfectly with the onset of spring. Equal parts introspection and melodic, the Scranton/Philly four-piece’s brand new self-titled full-length, which is now available via Lame-O Records, is filled with warm vocals, luminous chords, and fervent sentiments.

The album opens with the relaxed yet lush sincerity of "Sun Poison." Picturesque in a nearly tangible way, the LP’s first track is heartfelt without feeling heavy-handed or blindly optimistic. Lines like "I put my headphones in and listen to you sing/I hear nothing else" feel autobiographical as "Sun Poison" progresses. "Building Broken Steps" makes the most of repetition and cyclical instrumentation – two stylistic elements that give listeners an insular sense of intimacy. Here, the lyricism, accented by sparing shakes of tambourine, elicits empathy and a cognizant understanding of how life’s ups and downs can shape us.

The steady tempo of "Bird" unfolds with an irresistibly persistent urgency. Perhaps indicative of the song’s namesake, it aptly takes flight around the minute and a half mark, blossoming into a crashing swell of buzzing guitars, hissing cymbals, and throbbing drums. Inarguably cinematic, “Bird” is equal parts drama and subtlety, while "How A Mouse Could" is moody and infused with a swagger reminiscent of Interpol circa Turn on the Bright Lights and overplayed yet beloved B-sides like The Killers’ "Change Your Mind." A tongue-in-cheek examination of nostalgia and affection, the track is a befitting metaphor for how we cope with the passing of time and its erosion of what we cherish.

"Feeling Shot" is a temperate yet brooding ballad, whose brevity amplifies the weight of its blunt but relatable ambivalence. It’s the sort of song meant to be listened to more than once. With the eerie start of "Hopeful Again," the recording is unexpected but fitting. It becomes a nuanced hymn of sorts, honoring the way a memory, forgotten or remembered, can haunt you. While "Apple Tree" starts slow, the song gradually eases into an impassioned pastoral yet mellow homage to honesty and the dissonance that often coincides with romance. Dark but in an affirming way, “Apple Tree” is refreshingly raw.

Doubly sincere and cynical, "Hollow" brings to mind the coy pessimism of The Good Year and the level-headed frankness of Conor Oberst’s "A Little Uncanny". And with Three Man Cannon’s final track, “Crow” is soul-searing with echoey vocals framed by psyched out riffs and subtle organ. Contemplative in a metaphysical way, the song feels like a prophetic omen that begs its listener to reach toward the future no matter what lies ahead.

Whether listened to once or habitually, Three Man Cannon’s LP will stir something inside. Their songs have the capability of thawing a wintery heart. (Photo by Craig Scheihing)  – Dianca London

Today, via Topshelf Records, Dig Yourself, the new album from Queen of Jeans, surfaces, and tomorrow evening, Underground Arts will be hosting their record release show, with support from Katie Ellen and Harmony Woods. The album is one that’s layered waves of sound continuously wash over you, gaining personal traction with each additional spin. Much like the ocean’s edge, where the band’s melodic, daydreaming, surf-pop haze transports one’s headspace to, these songs retain a personal warmth and refreshing aesthetic. Exploring the full arc, ranging from the beauty of beginning love, through the dangers of losing your own identity in the process, to the breaking up point, there’s an elegant, charming openness of emotion. An infectious, alluring backbeat and the heart of vocal harmonies breathe life into one’s lungs. Whether it’s marking the highs or lows, there’s a passionate, musical perspective that sticks throughout. In the ongoing evolution and evaluation of yourself, there’s never a bad time to dig in. – Michael Colavita

Other places where you can hide out from your family this Easter weekend…

Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) SAT Queen of Jeans (Record Release), Katie Ellen, Harmony Woods, SUN Jesus Piece, Year Of The Knife

Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) FRI Carroll, SAT DJ Emynd, Bo Bliz

Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Mutlu, Aaron Parnell Brown

Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI A Victim of Good Times, Your Ghost, The Age Of Truth/DJ Mighty Mike Saga/Philly Soul Syndicate, SAT Wax Wav, Breaklite/Atomic Cretins, Urban Resist/Billa, Diamond Girl, Lisa/DJ Phsh, DJ Hvnlee, SUN B-roc The Prophecy, Normal Gene/Black Urn

PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12^th St.) FRI 5G, 9K,RIP Eternal, Reece Night

The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) SAT OT The Real, Alex Catrambone

TLA (334 South St.) FRI The Dean Ween Group

The Foundry (1000 Frankford Ave.) FRI Coffin Dust, Fame Lust

World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI (Upstairs) Rusty Blue, Endless Taile/(Downstairs) Oblivion Her Majesty, Vital Stats, The Off Switch, Ariel, SAT (Upstairs) Butch Zito & The Prine Time Players

The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Hooded Leaders, StateSchoolGIrl, SAT Please Die/The End A.D., Decontrol

MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) FRI Ill Fated Natives, Ill Doots, SAT Milton, Cypher Clique

Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3^rd St.) FRI Honeytiger, SAT Oolala, Jacopo De Nicola, Dirty Soap Blues Band / Suburban Living (DJ Set), SUN Knightlife, Brick Nova

The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave.) FRI Pray To Keep, Children’s Books, SAT Karmalatta, Nothing Vital

Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2^nd St.) FRI Trap Rabbit (EP Release), Darla, SAT Josh Miller, Marc Silver, Nicky P

Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI Rich Medina, SAT DJ Deejay

Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SAT David Cope, SUN Ben Vaughn Quintet/Rusty Cadillac

Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9^th St.) FRI Lonesome Crow, Old Fezziwig, T.C. Benjamin, Paul Kurrey, SAT Riverside Odds, Audio Impulse, Roxy Rollz

Voltage Lounge (421 N. 7^th St.) SAT One Take Dave, Alexis Marche, Dahi Divine, C.Jae, Suzanne Sheer, Chill Moody

Frankie Bradley’s (1320 Chancellor St.) FRI Shawn Ryan, SAT Craig Dash

Coda (1712 Walnut St.) FRI Instupendo

The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI Chad Jenkins Band, 46 Shermans, Knightlife, SAT Wolf Accent, The Local Smokes, Cookie Rabinowitz

Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) FRI Hardwork Movement

First Unitarian Church (2125 Chestnut St.) SAT Moor Mother

The Pharmacy (1300 S. 18^th St.) FRI Big Nothing, Kinda Alright, SAT Jesse Gimbel, Adventure Lost/Greg Mendez, Puppy Angst

The Sound Hole (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Los Ricos

The Loft (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Kate Dressed Up, Wack Cheddar, Rachel Andie & The V Element

An air of murky mystery looms throughout Gotcha, the new album from Matt Oleksa (of St. Peter’s Dog). That haunting, suspenseful level of intrigue sends chills as dim, danceable synth illuminates the corridors and those ghostly, gravelly vocals lurk over your shoulder. Something seems just a bit off as one slips into the album’s sneaky sonic trance. However, that could have been the plan all along, because just like that it’s gotcha.

Flower Girl Records will be releasing Autobiologist, the forthcoming solo debut from Adam Ackerman (Small Circle, Sorority Noise, Old Gray), on April 6. Gently opening up, acoustic guitar and piano mesh and meander. The narrator envisions sitting down and hypothetically writing an emotive, expository letter. "Four Notes" chronicles a blueprint to finding better personal footing. It may be a delayed explanation that also serves as a thank you to its intended subject.

Philly punk outfit Soul Glo recently shared a new trio of tracks as Tour Tape 2K18. What was meant to be a stream only on Soundcloud is now available for download "due to legal shit in Missouri." While we hopefully continue to evolve and grow as a society, events such as the one that occurred to the band serve as an example of how more change is still necessary – right now! Delivering powerful, personal messages in tight musical windows, there’s a thoughtfulness that’s packed with raw emotion on the band’s latest release. The collection of songs was recorded in October/December of 2017 by Cameron Konner at The Knife Lair.

Produced by Roldy Clark, “New Age People,” the debut single from Ryan McDevitt, crafts a mellow, mesmerizing trance. A steady key/percussive-steered beat stabilizes the movement. However, despite McDevitt’s self-assured, semi-spoken delivery, an acknowledgement of insecurity lurks in the lyrics. Displaying outward confidence as the stress of isolation spins within, the track irresistibly sneaks up on you.

Liberating Guilt And Fear, the new tape from the trio of Empath, is now available via Get Better Records. An inviting, pop glow peers through the rambunctious noise. That refreshing, uplifting element, infused with adrenaline rush of controlled/harnessed chaos, rejuvenates. The EP closes by immersing one in the bird-chirping musical maze of atmospherics, as swirling noise creates a beautiful/brutal dynamic. Before heading out on the road with Control Top, Space 1026 will play host to Empath’s record release show this evening, where they’ll be supported by their tourmates, Dark Thoughts and Ursula.