Olivia Price, a.k.a. Fossil Jane, recently shared a new track, “Saturday (Umm)”. The initial start of a synth beat is rounded into form by keys and guitar as the softly delivered vocals swim overtop. Sorting through a series of thoughts, it seems to capture a waking dream state. (Photo by Brian Walker)
NYC
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RIP NYC Indie Hip Hop pillar Majesty
We learned that MC Majesty passed away this past week. Along with Dayv “Mental” Cino, Majesty helped found Legendary Cyphers, a weekly free all-ages event every summer Friday in Union Square park since August 2013. Majesty was family to many in the scene, known to be supportive, positive, and an embodiment of everything that is Hip Hop culture. The NYC Hip Hop community mourns the loss of his vibrant energy today, but his spirit still resonates in the beats and the concrete, in the hearts and elevated minds he helped cultivate. Catch him spark off this promo for the first season:
Philadelphia
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New The Fantastic Imagination Album Available for Streaming & Purchase
The Fantastic Imagination (featuring members of A Sunny Day in Glasgow, Valley Exit, This Radiant Boy, and Faux Slang) create an epic prog/psych musical adventure with the release of Good Knight, Sweet Dreams. Available on golden cassette, the fantastical collection of songs is a triumphant escape from the norm with its playful, grandiose compositions. Way to keep Philly happily weird, lady and gents!
Portland
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Zone out with WL’s “Disintegrate”
Beautifully tackling loss and acceptance in a nutshell, WL‘s newest tune and accompanying visuals have the power to bring on mental calm and necessary contemplation. It’s soothing reel of waves pairs perfectly with Misty Mary’s ethereal vocals, creating a layers of hazy, intrinsic texture.
"Disintegrate" comes off of WL’s sophomore album titled Light Years, due out on the 28th of this month on XRAY Records. The composition of the album is a point of interest, as it was originally intented to be performed live alongside ‘Gandahar,’ a French surrealist animation by Rene Laloux. WL decided to team up with various local artists in creating their own visual element to Light Years, using stop motion animation, stereoscopic photography and 3D point cloud scanning as some of the mediums and techniques.
A screening of Light Years the film will be at Laurelhurst Theater on October 26th, with their album release show taking place on November 11th at the Spare Room.
Guitarist and keyboardist Michael Yun spoke on "Disintegrate" to the Grey Estates, who premiered the track just last week:
‘Disintegrate’ is a song about loss. It’s a goodbye with no goodbye, it’s a possibility that becomes impossible. It’s when the weight of the ocean is over you and you give in to it. The video is a simple meditation on the movement of waves. It’s a single shot, from a single point with altered time. We filmed hours of footage in both slow motion and time lapse, but this continuous shot just fit the feeling perfectly.
Portland
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From YouTube to your ears, Echos share “Take” and debut album
After amassing over 20 million YouTube views from their numerious singles garnering many a reshare, Echos is finally giving electronica lovers the gift they’ve been waiting for – their official debut.
Coming up on October 14th, Echos will be releasing their self titled EP on Seeking Blue Records. Their collaborative relationship began a little over three years ago and with the singles they’ve churned out together so far, it’s sure they’ll continue giving us quality sounds from the electronica underground.
Today we’re sharing "Take," the third single to come off of their upcoming EP. It premiered on Clash late last month and thematically teases a melancholic romanticism that’s a prime focus on the rest of the EP.
Philadelphia
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Bryant Eugene Vazquez Invoking the Spirit of Early 90’s Shoegaze at The Pharmacy Oct. 9
Bryant Eugene Vazquez delves into the darker depths of noise on his new album, Grey Expectations. Invoking the spirit of early 90’s shoegaze, Vazquez resuscitates the genre with a fury and piousness that makes The Church sound like “Joy to the World” sang by a choir of castratos – pure grit that spits in your face and then lovingly wipes it away with a black velvet handkerchief. Always a conceptual artist, Bryant Eugene Vazquez’s Grey Expectations is the second in a trilogy of albums that explore various genres and do so in a thoughtful manner. Vazquez will be performing this evening at The Pharmacy, where he’ll be joined by Chicago’s Absolutely Not, Janelle, Altes Shwert, and Glazer. The Pharmacy, 1300 S. 18th St., 7pm, $5-$7, All Ages – Keith Kelley
Philadelphia
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Prowler EP/Beer Release Show at Ortlieb’s Oct. 8
Twisted transmissions from an alien planet, Prowler invades Ortlieb’s this evening. The band cultivates an intoxicating blend of oddball rock and funk; a satisfyingly strange, soul stew riding the space boogie. Tonight, the crew celebrates their collaboration with Highway Manor Brewing Co., “Funky Prowler” (a dry Irish stout), with a bottle release show. A free glass of Funky Prowler comes with your admission, while bottles of the brew will also include their new EP Hand Disease. With a new EP Good Knight, Sweet Dreams freshly released on cassette, the enchanting psych pop-rock of The Fantastic Imagination emerge from a mysterious magical territory, while the kaleidoscope jams of Hueman Group and the comic styling of Greg Trout fill out this slate. Ortlieb’s, 847 N. 3rd St., 8pm, $10, 21+ – Michael Colavita
Philadelphia
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Weekend Warrior, October 7 – 9
This Saturday, Philadelphia’s Electric Factory will be hosting the fourth and final installment in Pabst Blue Ribbon’s roving national showcase of musical talent called Project Pabst. This year’s host-cities have been Denver, Portland (Oregon), and Atlanta. Philly’s installment in particular is dubbed the CityWide Fest, sporting a no-nonsense lineup that includes local favorites Hop Along and Beach Slang, along with fellow national touring acts such as Downtown Boys, Animal Collective, Mac DeMarco and Guided by Voices. The event features some aptly branded outdoor attractions housed in tents such as the PBRcade (full gaming arcade), VANdalism (tag up a van that gets donated to charity), and Pabst Wax (mobile music recording, pressing live recordings to vinyl on the spot). The music kicks off at 1pm and runs late into the night, if you’re counting the after-party featuring performances by Son Little and Vulfpeck. Beyond the scope of the day’s events, Pabst runs the PBR Music Society, which is a program for artists that are actively seeking financial support. Participants are asked to produce a video submission, and each month an artist is selected to receive support. For more information on PBR’s efforts and ticket details, you can head HERE. Electric Factory, 421 N. 7th St, 1pm, $40 (Full Day)/$19.50 (After-party)/$55 (combo), 21+ – Josh Kelly
A shitload of other places to enjoy this weekend…
Electric Factory (421 N. 7th St.) SAT Project Pabst Citywide Festival: Hop Along, Beach Slang/(Afterparty) Son Little
Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) SAT The 5th Philly Opry with Birdie Busch and Special Guests
Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Balance And Composure (Record Release), Wicca Phase Springs Eternal
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) The Clap, Combat Crisis, Infant Mortality/Tough Shit, No Venom Radio/DJ Deejay, SAT Legendary Divorce/The Preps, Explosive Head/Crazy Bull, SUN Ominous Black
PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12th St.) SAT Mary Lattimore
Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) FRI Spank Rock
The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) SAT Dave P
Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2nd St.) FRI Electric City i/iAlive, DJ Skipmode, iLLit, Lawrence Arnell w/ iLLit, SAT Full Bush, Spring Onion, Sheena & Thee Nosebleeds
World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI (Upstairs) David Newman and band, SAT (Upstairs) Christine Havrilla & Gypsy Fuzz
The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Honeytiger, Grayling, The Disgruntled Sherpa Project, Foxster, SAT Dumal, Skulsyr, SUN King Zimm, The Cultour
MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) SAT The Chris Paterno Band, Ode to Omni
Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3rd St.) FRI Vincent John, Spirit Haus, SAT Highway Manor Brewing Co. “Funky Prowler” Bottle Release: Prowler, The Fantastic Imagination, Hueman Group
Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI DJ Dav, Read Streets, SAT DJ Deejay, SUN Francisco Collazo
Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SUN Rusty Cadillac
Tin Angel (20 S. 2nd St.) FRI Grace Bernicker
Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9th St.) FRI Limecell, Brain Candle, SAT Mach22, Dr. Beardfacé and the Spaceman, Endless Taile, SUN Ryan Weidman
Voltage Lounge (421 N. 7th St.) SUN Ill Dill Tha Vill, Track Jumpas, Trey Day, Beno Ridez
Frankie Bradley’s (1320 Chancellor St.) FRI Franky’s Foxes with DJ Chris Urban
The Foundry (1000 Frankford Ave.) SAT Suburban Living
The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI Wyldflowers, The Parameters, Jam Traffic, SAT Kenny Price
Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) FRI The Boiled Owls, SAT Travel Lanes
First Unitarian Church (2125 Chestnut St.) FRI Palmas
Everybody Hits (529 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Japanese Breakfast, Mercury Girls, Swanning
The Pharmacy (1300/02 S. 18th St.) FRI Mannequin Pussy, Ursula, Yankee Bluff, SUN Janelle, Bryant Eugene Vasquez, Altes Schwert
Berks Warehouse (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Tether, Wolf Dem, Sommelier, Diamond Girl (DJ)
Icebox Project Space (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Girls Rock Philly 10th Anniversary Gala: Black Quantum Futurism (Moor Mother + The AfroFuturist Affair), DJ Haram and Marcelline of ATM
All Nite Diner (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Semiotics, Past Life, Very Bad Vibes
Bond Villian (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Spacin’, Louie Louie
Penn Treaty Park (N. Delaware Ave. & E. Columbia Ave.) River City Music Festival SAT Deb Callahan, Ben Arnold, Creem Circus, TJ Kong & The Atomic Bomb, Amanda X, Creepoid
NYC
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Bridges & Powerlines release new LP ‘National Fantasy’ on 10.14 at Pianos
In NYC, bands are born and die on a daily basis. Sometimes, though, they return. Bridges and Powerlines has been making records since 2007, which means that they have been around for at least a decade (congrats are due). The band plays a brand of indie pop that interestingly blends elements of folk,rock and synth-pop, although the rootsy factor is definitely more pronounced in the upcoming LP’s first single and title-track ‘National Fantasy,’ whose video is streaming here. The storyline follows a backpacking skateboarder on a quest for direction, appropriately referencing Spaghetti Western bothvisually and sonically. The band will be celebrating the new release with a show at Pianos on October 14th. – photo by Mara Abols
NYC
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Mountainwalker brings genre bending folk to Acme Feed & Seed on 10/11
Combining trippy, layered back beats with smooth vocal hooks, Mountainwalker is a genre-bending folk musician whose rich lyricism has us totally hooked. Utilizing complex rhyme schemes and elements from psych and indie rock the Nashville-based artist’s musical approach is unique if not a little unorthodox. Either way, we’re major fans. Check out Mountainwalker at the Acme Feed & Seed 10/11 alongside The Medium and Devon Gilfillian and listen to "What You Got" off his latest release Parlor Songs streaming below.-Olivia Sisinni
Philadelphia
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Slow Mass @ Landland
Post-hardcore quartet Slow Mass is Dave Collis, Josh Park, Mercedes Web and Josh Sparks. Sparks and Park have been in the bands Into It. Over It. and Former Thieves, and Collis was in Stay Asleep and My Dad. Initially formed as a collaborative effort between Collis and Sparks, over the past two years, the group has expanded, and recently shared its debut EP Treasure Pains (which you can stream HERE). A portion of the profits from the limited vinyl release will be donated to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance of Greater Chicago. Slow Mass is currently on tour, and will be wrapping things up tomorrow night at Landland with Xerxes. Check out out their latest video below for the single "Portals to Hell," which premiered via Funny or Die! (Photo by Madi Ellis)
Philadelphia
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New Suburban Living LP Available for Streaming & Purchase
The pillowy propulsion of percussion, keys and bass outline the musical framework of Suburban Living’s new album Almost Paradise, available now via 6131 Records. Piecing together instrumental elements into the light-as-a-feather sheet of sound, the band develops a head-floating, dream-pop environment, while exploring a cavernous emotional depth. You can catch Suburban Living and their new tunes tomorrow night at The Foundry with Sunflower Bean and The Lemon Twigs. (Photo by Emily Dubin)