Nnamdi Ogbonnaya has been a busy man lately. He released a video for “Hop Off” from his 2017 LP “Drool” last month, but has been producing video and songs for a wide array of musicians. The latest is a fantastic remix of Tel Aviv’s Noga Erez and her song “Dance While You Shoot”.
Philadelphia
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Weekend Warrior, September 29 – October 1
Synths interlaced with in-touch storytelling; Brandon Can’t Dance takes a cue from (Sandy) Alex G, demonstrating a keen intimacy with a somewhat laidback aesthetic. However, within that unreserved, let-loose, open-book approach, an unpredictability is preserved. What on the surface appears somewhat casual is twisting sonic textures in a playfully serious manner. Tonight, at The Inconvenience Store, he’ll be joined by Marge, whose ability to simmer in tranquil, fuzz-tinged melodies with scorching capabilities. The quintet of Past Life reels ya in via hard, searing guitars cooked into transparent, hook-laced narratives. This triad of locals is fortified by the bedroom folk of Molly Drag and the candy-coated songwriting of Abbie Kats, a.k.a. Chubby Bunny. – Michael Colavita
Other places to enjoy this fall weekend…
Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) FRI Levee Drivers, The Lawsuits, SAT DJ Emynd, Bo Bliz
The Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Son Little, SAT Son Little, SUN M.A. Kingston
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Roger Harvey, Mark Lanky/Stab & Grab, SAT Common Ground, Bad Bye, Polar Bear Lars/Vacation James, Virgouts, Science Book/Diamond Girl, BPMF, Speaking Parts/Francisco Collazo, DJ Royale, SUN Slenko & McKeys, The Ryssells, Shrill
Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) FRI Callowhill
The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) FRI Blum Bros
The Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal St.) SAT Agent Zero, SUN Tigers Jaw
World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI Wave Radio, SAT (Upstairs) Hello I Must Be Going, SUN (Upstairs) Pigpen Theatre Company/(Downstairs) Somethin’ Divine, Granz, Vanderlyle, Mirrorsigns, Groundwork, The Fifth Side, Sitting In Cars
The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) SAT Space Kamp, Adlib, SUN Chalk and The Beige Americans, Gringo Motel, The Sideshow Prophets
The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave.) FRI Revolution, I Love You, Alright Junior, MC Blackwolf, SAT Honey Tiger, Trash Boy
MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) SAT Matt Santry
Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3rd St) FRI Kiska, Joy Riding, SAT The Three 4 Tens, Brother JT, Mr. Unloved
Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI Rich Medina, SAT DJ Deejay
Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SAT David Cope, SUN Rusty Cadillac
Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9th St.) FRI Topical Disease, Baffle The Cat, Camera Thief, SAT Scars Like These, Disoriental, Decontrol, The Prisoners
Voltage Lounge (421 N. 7th St.) FRI Krispy Kareem, SAT Dell-P, Jonny Bell, SUN Cypher Clique, Internal Rhyme
The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI Uncle Dan, Jumping Juvies, Rasan in the Heyday, Slow Reader
Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2nd St.) FRI Midwestern Exposure, SAT Mo Lowda & The Humble
Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) SAT Steal Your Peach, Cabin Dogs, SUN Square Peg Round Hole
Morgan’s Pier (221 N. Columbus Blvd.) SAT DJ Beatstreet
First Unitarian Church (2125 Chestnut St.) FRI Harmony Woods
Everybody Hits (529 W. Girard Ave.) SAT Data, Wilt
The Pharmacy (1300 S. 18th St.) SAT Gavin Riley Smoke Machine, Mavis The Dog / ey Matt Kelly, Tubey Frank
Space 1026 (1026 Arch St.) FRI Big Nothing, Yankee Bluff
Tralfamadore (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Elaine Rasnake, Elissa Janelle Velveteen
Broken Down Palace (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Shannen Moser, Curtis Cooper, Dan Anderson, SUN Get Well
The Mothership (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Little Strike, Cranes Are Flying
The Inconvenience Store (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Brandon Can’t Dance, Marge, Past Life
NYC
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Maneka cassette release show at Sunnyvale on 09.30
Gasping beneath scuzzy guitars and fried drums beats, there is a just audible voice in Maneka. We’ve all heard it before, waiting for the subway or walking alongside traffic, struggling to be heard over the cacophony of roars and clanks and screeches. Devin McKnight, the mastermind of Maneka, orchestrates the chaos like a symphony. Grunge era fuzz, squealing noise, and lo-fi production meld into one on the former Speedy Ortiz guitarist’s debut album Is You Is. In celebration of the official cassette tape release on Exploding In Sound Records, Maneka performs at Sunnyvale on September 30th. – Cameron Carr
NYC
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A Deli Premiere: Veda Rays share video for new single “Shadow Side”
Ahead of the October 6th release of their new single “Shadow Side,” Brooklyn art rockers Veda Rays are premiering in our blog the video for the record’s titletrack (streaming below). The single marks the band’s first recorded material since 2014, and serves up a mix of organs, open electric guitar chords, and percussive tour-de-force, pulsating under deep, dramatic vocals. With images of faces crossfading with ominous looking trees, the video introduces a lugubrious, dreamlike atmosphere. While the song progresses to deliver an ample hook in the chorus, the mood remains dark and mysterious, with the video now showing dark, full body figures with covered faces and rabbit masks, and a shrouded female dancer, all in white. Referring back to the track’s title, the band describes this symbolism as “a subliminal reaction to the projection of our collective shadow.” “Shadow Side” will be released on their own Alleged Records imprint. – Dave Cromwell
Philadelphia
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New Levee Drivers LP Available for Streaming & Purchase
The long, long wait is over; Levee Drivers‘ new full-length album, Motel City Honey, has arrived. Steeped in guttural, rabble-rousing, country-blues, the collection of songs taps into a swaying sensitivity. Whether it’s a road-worn yearning or an uptempo rumbler of love lost, the visceral magnetism draws one in. Traveling home in the twilight, the tunes continuously matriculate ahead, but lament in an emotive sense of the past. Levee Drivers is set to celebrate its release this evening at Johnny Brenda’s, supported by local pals The Lawsuits and and Virginia’s The Dawn Drapes. (Photo by Bob Sweeney)
Philadelphia
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New Dreambook Album Available for Streaming & Purchase
Unfortunately, Hidden Underneath, the new album from the quartet of Dreambook, will also serve as the band’s swan song. Reverberating riffs are catapulted by a murky, rhythmic march. Creeping even further into the darkness, the mysterious vocals lure and simultaneously serve as a beacon, illuminating the footpath. The album delves into a desolate-dream state that you can’t escape.
L.A.
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Sure Sure let their funky selves free on “Hands Up Head Down”
Art pop quartet Sure Sure first caught our attention with songs like "New Biome" and "The Expert," both of which brought a slick pop sound with an inventive stroke. A year later, the band is expanding their reach with their latest single, "Hands Up Head Down," where they let their funky selves free with a slinky groove that recalls the sumptuous prog-pop of Genesis and Steely Dan. The track benefits from these odd sonic contrivances that add to its overall playfulness, but never do they lose sight of a catchy, earworm chorus that might just place them on commercial rock radio. Even if they light the room with a breezy and easygoing disposition, their careful attention to detail on "Hands Up Head Down" proves they’re intent on writing songs that are flat-out fun without undermining their own intelligence.
Sure Sure are playing The Fonda on January 28, 2018 supporting Hippo Campus.
NYC
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Cru the Dynamic releases new single, “New Things”
Cru the Dynamic (aka Steve Bryant) drops “New Things” on Detroit-based label Heavy Young Souls. There’s start & stop breakbeats. There’s hip-hop and drum & bass. Both genres intersect at the true core of Bryant’s influences: jazz performance. The fusion is soulful and assured. Cru weaves his influences skillfully. The end result is really beautiful. -juan leon
NYC
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Beshken releases “Force of Evil” music video
Beshken’s inventive chill wave-esque melodies on “Force of Evil” show off a virtuoso kind of buoyancy that can be felt in every stutter step backbeat. “Faceless,” his 2016 track with 20-year-old singer Gus Dapperton, might be even better. There’s a lightness and poignancy to Beshken’s arrangements that gels thrillingly with Dapperton’s dreamy vocals. –juan leon
Chicago
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Song Premiere: For the Last Time by Two Sets of Eyes
We are proud to premiere the debut single, “For the Last Time”, from Two Sets of Eyes. Featuring members of The Phantom Broadcast, Splor, and Groove Cartel, Two Sets of Eyes brings an eclectic mix of post punk, hip hop, pop, and jazz.
You can catch Two Sets of Eyes at The Burlington on October 9th with How It Got Burned, Fallow Land, and Wild Amphora for their first ever live show.
NYC
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Q&A with Poppies, see them live at Mercury on 10.09
Poppies have managed to gain a generous following with their introspective, melodic sound. Singer/guitarist May’s childlike, delicate vocals, perfectly blend with the band’s enigmatic, dreamy instrumentals. The quartet recently unveiled a new video for single ‘Devin’ (streaming below). Our friends at Delicious Audio wanted to dig in to the band’s sound and story, you can read the Q&A at the link below. Their next show is at Mercury Lounge on October 9th.
Philadelphia
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New Cherry LP Available for Streaming & Purchase
Led by Russell Edling (ex-Kite Party), Cherry‘s debut LP, Dumbness, is out today via Lame-O Records. Meshing the fuzzy, folk melodies of youth with current adult contemplations, the album is nostalgic but forward-thinking. Leafing through a mind of memories without rewinding the clock, there’s a natural ease/grit to these songs. Boot & Saddle will be hosting Cherry’s record release show on Saturday, October 7, where they’ll be joined by Yankee Bluff and Clasp.