New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Dead Rider has released a new single called “The Sale” via Drag City. This is the first new music from Rittmann and co. since their collaboration with Paul Williams last year.
You can catch Dead Rider on August 24th at The Hideout with Karen Meat and Tan.
Cold Weather Kids believe that there’s life after a bad break up on their buoyant debut single, "Shaken." Led by Allison and Ryan Scottie’s passionate vocals, the pop-punk quartet counterbalance layers of electric guitar with start-stop rhythms as they keep their heads held high. The up-tempo romp sounds both familiar and inviting, crafting dynamic, energetic melodies that sound youthful and full of promise.
Catch the band perform live at Madame Siam on Thursday, August 1st. Juan Rodríguez
In line with her emotional and observational tendencies, the artist behind Florist, Emily Sprague, is talking to us and herself about fear in (soft)spoken word, making many references to death and life on earth. "My hair is dirty blonde," Florist begins. ". . . Sleep early, wake early," the lullaby continues. The monologue is visual and representative of the artist’s visions as she explores them on Emily Alone. The project, like the track, navigates stream of consciousness ideas with an emphasis on the elemental realm. "If I lose my mind, please give it back to the earth, fire, water, wind, earth, fire, water, wind, and lie down, lie down with me." Florist drifts in and out of song and line, passing between the two like there is no time for anything but also a vast wealth of it. Her mind is in the right place as she questions her body and spirit, waxing poetic and musing ideas.
Of the song, Sprague says: "’Celebration’ is a love song for darkness and the peaceful end to all things. A song in three movements: reality, fantasy, memory. In a lot of ways this song is the thesis to Emily Alone. Minimal arrangements – acoustic guitars, synthesizers, and voice accompanied by the ambient sounds of earth. Birds and water. The song begins with an experience of the now. It falls into imagining the way that things will always return to what they should be. It ends with a burial of negative forms and the acceptance of a beautiful new path towards growing from nothing."
Emily Alone is available for pre-order now and out on 7/26 via Double Double Whammy. – Susan Moon
Broken Robots released their second single of 2019, “Suckerpunch”, over the weekend. This follows the catchy “Fourteen to One” which was released back in May.
This is Funk/Rock/Hip Hop trio of Tony Baker, Kat Baker, Lonnie Phillips, and they burst on to the scene last year with their debut LP, Home Is Not a Place.
You can catch Broken Robots on August 3rd at The Gallery Cabaret.
Spiffed up and ready to take on the world are Boston’s Them Fantasies, a well-polished group with a brand spanking new debut record. The band’s Caffeine Queen is an alt-rock treat with an unquestionable aroma of jazz and hints of pop. "Hook-Up Culture" amps up the groove factor with a slithery-entrancing bassline while "Melatonin" lets the guitar solos and anthemic choruses fly for a double shot of alt-rock goodness. In "Acid Anna," the band shines as the jazz influences take over and provide comforting escapism from reality. From the speedy "Plastic Heart" to the reggae-soaked "Them Fantasies," it all comes together sumptuously. Having returned from an East Coast tour, Them Fantasies are sure to let the album’s steam propel them to the next set of gigs. Enjoy our favorite track from the new record "Acid Anna" below. – Rene Cobar
Harmony Woods just shared, “Ghosts,” the lead single from their forthcoming sophomore album Make Yourself at Home, which is scheduled for release on October 4 via Skeletal Lightning. The song gradually gathers speed as Sofia Verbilla existentially observes individuals and processes. Taking in the longterm view, while also remembering to live in the moment, the track is soothing in its poised, energetic poignance. Harmony Woods will be performing tomorrow evening at Everybody Hits, as part of a lineup that also includes Shannen Moser, Half Thought, and Jetty Bones.
This & That Tapes recently released Dreamlife: A Summer Mixtape & Zine to Benefit Womanly. The compilation includes music from Womanly Magazine founder and Strange Parts member Attia Taylor, as well as Philly contributors Remote/Control, Little Stray, Avery Cerulean, Emily Bate, and many others. The publication "provides accessible health information to women and non-binary people through visual and literary art." Each purchase of the album will also come with a download of the Dreamlife zine.
PK Flyer (aka Paul Kramer) is back with a new single called “It’s Over” b/w “Lines”. For this outing Paul has enlisted the talented Quinn Tsan to provide vocals. In addition to Tsan, Paul is joined by Andrew Trim of Hanami (Guitar), John Sutton (Bass), Brian Sulpzio (Drums), and Emma Hospelhorn of Outer Minds and Hollows (Flute)
These tracks were conceived of and track back in 2015 and finished in 2017, but were just released earlier this month.
Neo-Jazz band Resavoir has released a video for their single “Plantasy” from their recently release Self-Titled LP (International Anthem, June 2019). The video was directed by Jackson James of Weird Life Films and is the perfect embodiment of this beautifully complex song.
Resavoir is primarily the work of Will Miller (of Whitney) (Trumpet/Synth), Irvin Pierce (saxophone), Akenya Seymour (keys/vocals), Lane Beckstrom (bass), Peter Manheim (drums) and Jeremy Cunningham (drums).
Resavoir will be celebrating the vinyl release of their album on the Friday, July 26th, at Sleeping Village with Yadda Yadda and Lake James.
Neal Francis’ next album, Changes, is set to be released on September 20th via Karma Chief Records. This latest single from the album, “Changes, Pt. 1”, was released back in May, and further demonstrates that Francis has clearly traveled in time from another decade. This is vintage Leon Russell, Jackson Browne, Dr. John, etc., and it is so enjoyable.
Last week the release event for Changes was announced and it will be held at Scubas on September 21st with Alex Wasily’s Very Good Band.
Photo by Olivia Quinn
Daydream is an appropriate title for Brooklyn-based Pearla‘s first single from her upcoming debut LP Quilting & OtherActivities. Behind the band moniker, singer/songwriter Nicole Rodriguez reveals her most intimate thoughts through beautifully arranged emotional lullabies laden with metaphors and lush melodies. Recurring themes include love, evocative personal memories, the search for ways to escape darkness, whose emotional power gets boosted by her enchanting voice and a sparse but vivid production. Combining elements of folk, pop and psychedelia with a playful yet sober approach to songwriting, "Daydream" carries a wistful sort of confidence and a poetic power that’s rare to find.
In other Pearla-related news, the artist will be headlining Rough Trade on August 28th, celebrating the debut album release on Egghunt Records (Lucy Dacus, Camp Howard, Gold Connections). To hear the full EP, you’ll have to wait until the September 6th release. – Susan Moon
Philly singer-songwriter Abi Reimold recently shared their take of Brenton Brown/Glenn Robertson’s “All Who Are Thirsty”. A solemn, heaviness hangs in the air. Accompanied by guitar, Reimold stretches out a hand in an eerily inviting manner, as the weight of the words pile up. Allow it all to sink in. (Photo by Kathryn Rogers)
