Tonight at MilkBoy is the record release show for Ben Runyan’s brainchild, City Rain. The ethereal, anthemic suites that make up Take Me To The Void do not shy away from being maximalist, but embrace the glistening bombast within the elctro-pop tunes Runyan has crafted. The EP, which is apparently focused on a breakup, does not spend any time mourning, but rather exploring. There are elements of M83, Coldplay and The Killers, a confluence of epic stadium-status influences. Runyan does commercial work, teaches amateur DJs and licenses work, so the tunes are squeaky clean and pitch perfect. Also on the bill for the evening Minka, a dancy, Talking Heads-lovin’ (presumably) Philly rock quartet. MilkBoy Philly, 1100 Chestnut St., 8:30pm, $10, 21+ – Adam G.
New Congenital Death LP Available for Streaming & Purchase
With a jarring, explosive nature, Fucklove: Prophet of Death, the debut full-length record from grindcore outfit Congenital Death, takes little time to announce its presence. Available via Ranch Records and Hydrogen Man Records, the trio’s blistering instrumentation is a much-needed jolt to the system. Press play, and let the ensuing attitude adjustment occur. (Photo by Gabe Coffey)
Leapling releases ‘Suspended Animation’ at Sunnyvale on 06.18
The brainchild of singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Dan Arnes, Leapling plays a brand of indie pop that’s at once subtly quirky and gently touching. The young man surrounded himself with local musicians to complete the project’s second full length album, a "mid-fi" home recorded work whose release will be celebrated at Sunnyvale on June 18th. The record, entitled ‘Suspended Animation,’ defies categorizations without resorting to fireworks, offering the contrasting interplay between the edgy arrangements and Dan’s serene melodies and vocal delivery. Check out our favorite song "Shakin’" – streaming below.
Rich Ruth explores with refreshing curiosity on “Thruster”
Generally uneasy and slyly experimental, when Rich Ruth’s Thruster settles down for a moment, it likes to ease into a minimal funky groove like if Parliament had temporarily replaced George Clinton with a Gameboy. But that’s only one sound of many to be found here—there’s off-kilter folk, off-kilter new wave, off-kilter world influences, and other assorted sounds that generally leave the kilter at home, whatever that is in the first place. It’s an enjoyable listen all the way through, sparse but never short on new ideas, and you can give it a listen below. –Austin Phy
Harpooner previews “Rose Park” with a pair of far-out singles
Rose Park by Harpooner is probably a solid approximation of what it’s like to do psychedelics on the beach. Upbeat but unabashedly weird, the singles available from Rose Park sound like Harpooner is going to be working with their own hopped-up version of that mid-2000s Strokes sound that seems to be making a comeback. The album will be available in full digitally or on a, one has to assume, beautiful transparent red vinyl on June 24. –Austin Phy
GURUS sings about cults + plays at Union Pool on 6/22
A band with a name like GURUS, that claims to be "singing about a cult and at times resembling one," certainly creates musical expectations that go against the current indie rock trends, centered on the slacking antics of punk, garage and 90s’ revival. Listening to their debut album Unconditional Surrender, expectations are met: GURUS’ sound is controlled, mostly electronic, somewhat ascetic, recalling the semi-dark pop sobriety of bands like Depeche Mode and Talk Talk. In their single "Believers" (streaming below), the band sticks to its promises, bluntly singing about the belief of being different from other humans in an intense (and rather convincing) fashion. The heavy percussive elements (present throughout the record) add a tribal quality to the song that further expand its exoteric overtones. For what is guaranteed to be an interesting experience, check them out at Union Pool on June 22th as they join WILD ARROWS. – Madeleine Grossman
New JANK PULSE Community Fund Single Available for Streaming & Purchase
JANK just released a new single, and all proceeds will go to the PULSE Tragedy Community Fund on GoFundMe. "Alligator" and "Ralph" will also appear on the band’s upcoming EP. The tracks were recorded, mixed and mastered by Jake Checkoway at UArts Studio. (Photo by Julie Gomez)
The Bul Bey Opening for Black Milk at JB’s June 16
With a youthful sense of intensity drawn straight from a soul-injected center, The Bul Bey strikes forth, converting listeners with a composed confident tenacity. Tapping into a tireless energy, Bey delivers authentic, smooth rhymes that echo where he’s from, while suggesting where he wants to go. That down-to-earth, daily sincerity, further molded by widespread ambition, creates a relentless follow-the-leader vibe that’s a mix of grime, celebration and ambition. With new material on the way, he hits Johnny Brenda’s this evening, slotted after local emcee Has-Lo, whom may have a new EP on the horizon this summer. They set the table for Detroit native Black Milk, who, with Nate Turner, develops an all-consuming, soulful brand of hip hop. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 8pm, $15, 21+ – Michael Colavita
B Boys talk about guitar pedals on Delicious Audio
Brooklyn B Boys came seemingly out of nowhere in March 2016 with debut EP ‘No Worry No Mind‘ (on cult local label Captured Tracks). The album caught immediately a lot of attention (certainly ours) also thanks to the promotion the band received from touring with Parquet Courts soon after the release. The three gentlemen would have found themselves at home in Ohio around 1977, when seminal bands like Devo and Pere Ubu were making music so cool that semi-forgotten by God places like Akron and Cleveland became suddenly the epicenter of the rock’n’roll world. B Boys blend those influences with a sound that flirts with the reverberations of surf music and the gritty fuzziness of garage rock. In line with the DIY scene’s ethos and budget, the band’s guitarist Britton Walker has a few, trusted, mostly borrowed pieces of gear, we asked him a few questions about them in our blog Delicious Audio (link below). Check out their second official single ‘Seagulls’ below.
New Track: “Bug Juice” – Bad Canoes
Found on Bad Canoes‘ new EP She’s Too Strong, “Bug Juice” is paced by the casual, creepy combination of keys and percussion. Marissa Paternoster’s (Screaming Females) vocals vary, rolling through and then hitting with brief screams of impassioned intensity. Before going on an indefinite hiatus, the band will head out on a mini-tour that will wrap things up at Goldy’s on Sunday, July 10 with Beth Israel, Turnip King, and Neolibz.
Bishop Briggs unveils gospel-tinged new single “The Way I Do”
The first thing that truly stands about Bishop Briggs is her striking voice, a goosebump-inducing bellow that sizzles with a soaring gospel feel. Comparisons to Florence and the Machine are inevitable, but Briggs gives her new single “The Way I Do” a different treatment: the neo-soul anthem uses a trap-influenced beat to express her utmost desires in a simple and effective manner, anchored by an impeccable soundscape that agrees with her sanguine delivery. She’ll potentially be filling up stadiums in no time.
“The Way I Do” is currently streaming on your favorite streaming service. Briggs will also make a few live appearences in mid-August, where she’ll be opening for two nights at the Rose Bowl for saccharine stalwarts Coldplay.
Dana Falconberry & Medicine Bow Walk You Through the Enigmas of Nature on “From the Forest Came the Fire”
The result of the latest collaboration between Dana Falconberry and her band Medicine Bow is the folksy album From the Forest Came the Fire (Modern Outsider), in which Falconberry tells tales of her days exploring the forests. Released this past April, this effort is one more quality addition to Falconberry’s repertoire of lyrical tunes with vivid imagery of nature and wildlife.
Each song from “From the Forest Came the Fire” is beautifully composed and filled with rich textures paired with elegant harmonies. On these tunes pushed by unbroken rhythm, Falconberry (who has experience playing classical music) effortlessly describes the uniqueness and tranquility of the landscapes in the United States.
Falconberry brings Medicine Bow along with her on this aural journey, said band being a musically diverse group of expert players that consists of Karla Manzur (keys), Gina Dvorak (banjo, guitar), Lindsey Verrill (cello), Christopher Cox (bass), and Mathhew Shepherd. With this group, Falconberry is able to retain the traditional sounds of a folk tune, while also experimenting outside those boundaries to bring out a truly fresh sound.
Along with using strings and humming to enhance her music, Falconberry takes us through an ethereal and passionate experience lyrically, as she takes up the rivers, trees, and mountains as characters to describe her story. One comes away from this lyrically-focused music feeling closer to nature, which seems to be Falconberry’s very point in making it.
If you too would like to vicariously explore the enigmas of nature through music, give three selected tracks from the album a listen below, and check the groups’ Facebook for their current tour dates to hear it performed live.
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Chandana Kamaraj