Krust Toons: "Canada Building a Wall" 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 punks Soul Glo forms profound, rapid-fire prose, hell-bent on exposing the everyday realities experienced in the black community to the masses. "Underneath my will to live clings tight my will to die, the silent secret of my strength is all the shame I’ve centralized." Pulling from the influences of noise, rap and hardcore, the group makes powerful, eye-opening statements with their latest album, The Nigga In Me Is Me, which is now available via SRA Records. Press play, and get educated.

Undeterred, raunchy riffs and snarly, sweaty vocals fuel the Narcos Family Band. A raw refinement converges as the runaway momentum of the instrumentation plays out like a bull rampaging through a China shop. The rhythmic push pummels everything that dares to enter its path. This Sunday night at Haus of Yarga, they’ll be joined by the agitation-releasing, quick-hitting garage-hardcore hybrid of Trash Knife. A pair of Midwestern punk outfits in Michigan’s Werewolf Jones and Wisconsin’s Fire Heads aid in amplifying the evening, which is also rounded into form by Ghoul Friends. – Michael Colavita

More places to rock at this weekend…

Haus of Yarga (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Regothereshego, High Noon, SUN Narcos Family Band, Trash Knife

Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) FRI Rosali, SAT Live Band Karaoke with Pat Finnerty & The Full Band

Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) SAT  American Trappist (Solo)

Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Mute Host/DJ Deejay, SAT The Dull Blue Lights, The Naked Sun/Fame Lust

Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) SUN Ruby The Hatchet

Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden St,) SAT Petal

TLA (334 South St.) FRI Ultimate Live Evil

World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI (Upstairs) Jesse Ruben/(Downstairs) WXPN’s Decades Dance Party & Live Broadcast, SAT (Downstairs) Basement Party With Lady V & DJ Touchtone

The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI The Wordsmith Experience, SAT Tortuga, The Sea Tease, Upstream Color/Ashes ToVanity, Ghost of the Mill, Rambone, SUN Future Stars MetalFest 

MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) FRI Heaven Man, Mirrorsigns

Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3^rd St.) FRI Joey Sweeney & The Neon Grease

The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave.) SAT The Shakedown

Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI DJ Dav, Reed Streets, SAT DJ Deejay

Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) FRI Live Band Karaoke, SUN That Totally Unnecessary Drink with Pat Finnerty’s Live Band Karaoke/Rusty Cadillac 

Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2^nd St.) FRI Midwestern Exposure, SAT Kenty Love, Maskao, SUN Hazard Sizer 

Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9^th St.) FRI Riverside Odds, Molly Rhythm, SAT The Ancient Mariners, Night Mission

Voltage Lounge (421 N. 7^th St.) FRI Sad & Boujee: The Emo Meets Trap Dance Party, SAT Unloveable – The Smiths & Morrissey Tribute Band, DJ Chas Paris, DJ Rich Russo

Morgan’s Pier (221 N. Columbus Blvd.) SAT DJ Lean Wit It, SUN Ear Me Now

Frankie Bradley’s (1320 Chancellor St.) FRI The Martha Graham Cracker Cabaret/DJ Chris Urban, SAT DJ Ed Cristof

The Tusk (430 South St.) FRI Hallucinogenic Bulb, Serpent Blight, SAT The Tone Bandits

Century (1350 S. 29^th St.) FRI The Whips, Zapf Dingbats , SAT Wormtooth, Gristmill, The Magnificent ShitHawks Of The Greater Northern Americas

The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI Whackbat, Jordan Flaherty, JKannon, Tom Monari&Sara, Danny Varughese, SAT Superunknown, Delmont, Knightlife, The Good Mess, Candice Lee

Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) FRI Jeff Thomas’ All-Volunteer Army, SAT Billy Joel Tribute (Benefitting Alzheimer’s Research): Mikey B & Friends

Creep Records (1050 N. Hancock St.) SAT Nematode

Green Line on Locust (4426 Locust St.) SAT Benefit Show for March to End Rape Culture: Snakeboy Gang

Warehouse on Watts (923 N. Watts St.) FRI Solomonic Sound System, House Of Roots

The Mothership (602 S. 52^nd St.) SAT The Invasive Species (Tape Release), Cult Objects, SUN Drums Like Machine Guns, The Beeps, Foxy Doxies

Tralfamadore (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Impressionist, Buddie, Puppy Angst

Planet Phitness (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SUN Susie Derkins, In Trouble, A Million Dollars

Gay Baby Jail (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Space Donkey and the Moonbouncers, Mesén Around, Twin Beds, SAT Rego, ASCXNSION, HUEY, the Cosmonaut, Jewelssea, Magnetic The Shaman, Calo

Anthorna Gallery (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Marcelyn, Elaine Rasnake, Eeden,SAT Yellowhammer Fund Benefit Show: Three Man Cannon, SUN Douse, Computer Dating

The Bass Mint (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Blushed, Qwark

Truck (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Brackish, Noera, Overwinter

Secret World (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SUN Michael Cormier, Ana Woulfe

Heavy Banding, the new album from Slingshot Dakota, recently arrived via Community Records, Specialist Subject Records & Stiff Slack. Keys and drums unite to create a constant, thumping heaviness. When coupled with Carly Comando’s affecting vocals, the message is unquestioningly delivered. The duo continues to be an undeniable, sonic force coming out of the Lehigh Valley.

Boys by Girls is the new EP from Phily’s own Instupendo, a.k.a. Aidan Peterson. Absorb the ethereal, electro, dream-pop ambiance. Those minimalistic beats, balanced by lyrical emotives, creates a weightless yet alluring collection of recordings. Instupendo will be performing next in Philly on Saturday, July 6 at Kung Fu Necktie, along with NYC’s Glassio and Brisbane, Australia’s Golden Vessel.

Cheerleader has returned with a new single “Bang, Bang”. Directed by Evan Henderson, the group’s animated video intriguingly peels away layers, revealing playfully bizarre imagery. Luminous, dreamy psych-pop is on full display. You can catch Cheerleader performing this evening at Ortlieb’s, supported by Buddie and Kirby Sybert.

demo 01 (songs, raps and ideas), the new release from HUEY, The Cosmonaut., captures a mellow, smooth melding of hip hop and R&B. Against those accessible, jazz-oriented beats, incisive, authentic storytelling reaches out an inviting, musical hand. You can catch HUEY this Saturday, June 8 at Gay Baby jail, as part of Magnetic The Shaman’s album release celebration that also features ASCXNSION, Rego, and Damiano The Don/The Miserable Genius. Keep a look out for more recordings coming from HUEY, The Cosmonaut. in the not so distant future.

“Fault Line” is featured on Riverby‘s debut EP, The Guide to Oversharing. It’s a delightful, radio-friendly throwback from a bygone era with Sophia Greenberg delivering a warm yet heart-aching tale. Depicting temporary happiness and the long-term, melancholy aftershocks, the song characterizes how one disregards the long view in favor of the moment. And with that, a sense of loss, rather than a memory of joy, remains. You can get the feels with Greenberg and company tomorrow evening at Connie’s Ric Rac, where they will be joined by Dweller and Patrick Donovan.

Graceful, the new full-length album from Curtis Cooper, exhibits an honest, emotive vulnerability – one that reveals a vast, genre-traversing elegance. While touching on turbulent times, Cooper also exudes perseverance and positivity. The album holds one’s attention with compelling narratives and a charming, calm/intense dynamic. Along with Lucky Cat, they are scheduled to support Mal Blum on Sunday, July 21 at PhilaMOCA.

Wired Wrong is the new LP from punk quartet The Barren Marys, and is available via Violated Records/Suicide Bong Records. Sprinting out of the gates, the album meshes an innate, adrenaline-fueled intensity with a light-hearted (at times) lyrical approach. Mirroring daily life, it addresses serious issues, while still finding time to have some fun. The Barren Marys are slated to perform next in Philly on Saturday, July 27 at Connie’s Ric Rac, with The Lot, Conmen, and Mala Vista.

Krust Toons: "Touring the Northeast" 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.

Active Listening: Night on Earth (Get Better Records), the debut full-length album from the quartet of Empath, immerses the listener in a chaotic, cathartic sonic world. The awakening sounds of birds chirping give way to Emily Shanahan and Randall Coon’s assertively warped combination of electro-bass and synth on album opener, “Soft Shape”. Catherine Elicson’s vocals hover between a restrained hushed tone and a more pronounced power. The instruments weave creating a complex yet streamlined sound, before Garrett Koloski’s drumming is unleashed, stepping to the forefront and bashing away towards the song’s conclusion.

Spring-loaded “Pure Intent” toys with tempo, constructing an exuberant, disorienting environment, with brief, calming, vocal moments of respite. Caught up in that whirlwind, everything becomes so hazy; however, after the storm, reassuring keys and softly strummed guitar conceive a serene backdrop, before the abrupt kick-start of “Hanging Out Of Cars,” with its jagged-guitar rev. Joined by bustling percussion and the contrasting, softer key tones, the track blends a rugged, uncompromising approach that is exuded in the blunt, raw force of the guitar-percussion combination. “Where I take you is where I take myself, an empty is left most I ever felt.” Halfway through, the traffic disappears, and the road opens up as a soothing, electro-reverberating clarity emerges.

“Roses That Cry” appears to mesh theories on learning to accept and deal with the present, (“They say everything aging all the time together/As the clutter comes alive, comes in bed, nowhere to hide/Don’t waste your time judging kindness/“We say hell is forever, and what is the cost? Is this it?”), while also expressing optimism and nostalgia (“Are you coming around?/You’d like to, but you don’t know how/Remember when that tree fell on your car”). There’s a sense of hopeful warmth and memory illuminating the song, amid the swirl of noise. A blitzing, brutal instrumental brightness hits on “Rowing”. There’s no slowing down, as the track races with compact precision, appearing ready to fall off the rails, while still maintaining a melodic connection. 

With “Heaven,” there is an impactful interlude into the psyche, as brief thoughts are delivered in a free-flowing manner. “I just want to get to heaven.” Clairvoyant, floating keys form an ethereal atmosphere throughout “IV,” as the rest of the instrumentation provides a more detailed texture. “Decor” marches fantastically forward in an inviting manner. The vocals retain a soft, assuring nature. “Deep down, nothing changes where you’ve been.” The LP returns to form with “Redeo Fever” surging ahead as Elicson sings: “Say a little prayer, the most that I could bear/All I have to glean is the experience.”

Empath’s latest collection of recordings exudes a thoughtful, noise-infused intensity – one that requests an intent ear and rewards the listener in the process. (Photo by Troy Memis) – Michael Colavita