Slave Ambient starts with a buzz and a warm, acoustic hum that swells into something reminiscent of the Broken Social Scene’s glory days. The latest effort by Philly four-piece, the War on Drugs, sonically fits into Secretly Canadian’s aesthetic, striking the same emotive chord as label mates Throw Me the Statue or Here We Go Magic. A cohesive fusion between indie pop and what feels like lo-fi folk, the hybridity of their sophomore LP release amplifies the War On Drugs’ ability to create lyrical texture and sound.

The alum’s opener, “Best Night,” is subtle and unfolds cathartic. A tempered mix of vocals and instrumentation frame the core appeal of the song. It is honest, lush, and memorable, much like lead vocalist Adam Granduciel’s diction. Effortlessly, “Best Night” eases into the following track, “Brothers.” Atmospheric wind premises jangly chords that seem to drip with harmonization. Granduciel’s delivery brings to mind Bob Dylan or a young Lou Reed, rendering the song into an apt anthem for autumn in the wake of summer’s decline. “I Was There” slides in with rustic distortion and vibrant melodies that swoon romantic to the tune of its harmonica and twangy riffs while “Your Love Is Calling My Name,” with its almost instantaneous tempo and rushing sounds, resembles the cinematic feel of traffic or the brilliance of a city skyline at dusk. The shift from “The Animator” to “Come to the City” is flawless and organic, occurring without a shred of disconnect or dissonance. Latter tracks like “It’s Your Destiny” glisten and feel prophetic with echoey vocals and persistent beats, making instrumental cuts like “City Reprise” feel like a less strung out AnCo laced with the skill of a psyched out Mogwai. “Baby Missiles” harbors a pop-friendly charm while “Original Slave” is an introspective revisioning of melodies rampant throughout the album’s length. Closing with “Blackwater,” the War On Drug’s Slave Ambient stands as a testament to earnest longings and the band’s prolific potential from start to end.

It may have been an excruciatingly long wait for the full-length follow-up to Wagonwheel Blues, but one that is worthy to be treasured. You can purchase Slave Ambient via Secretly Canadian HERE. – Dianca Potts

Coup Couroux are no strangers to winning. They emerged victorious in last year’s Beta Hi-Fi competition at World Café Live, and just recently won our Featured Artist(s) Poll. We had a chance to throw our get-to-know-you questions at the band so check out HERE the story of their somewhat mythical beginnings as well as the band’s likes and dislikes that includes Philly’s infamous problem with chicken bones (which also ranks at the top of our list of things we hate about Philly). They’ll be performing next in town on September 10 at Kung Fu Necktie.

“ACID KICKS is made up of 3 bass players and 1 drummer. 3+1=4. The rest that you hear is just another part of the punk rock american dream.” And tonight at the Little Bar that one drummer will be Creepoid’s Pat Troxell. He’ll be filling in this evening while Acid Kicks search for a new drummer to replace Alex Zilinski who has moved to New Orleans to join Dead People on tour. (Any takers ready to step up to the skins?) If three bassists sound like overkill to you, then you need to check out Acid Kicks and experience how wonderful being bombarded by heavy artillery fire of low-end can feel. They might just be the band that you’ve been looking for your whole life, but never even knew it. Acid Kicks will be joined in the cozy Little Bar by Baltimore’s Witch Hat and Weekends as well as locals Fire in the Hearts and Minds (ex-The G, Gods and Queens). Little Bar, 736 S. 8th St., 8pm, $5, 21+ (Photo by Sam Levine) – Q.D. Tran

While we generally stay in the Philly area, we do enjoy discovering and giving exposure to other Pennsylvania bands who come perform to our great music city and don’t happen to have a Deli branch in their town. After all, we might have missed out on interesting acts like Soars (Lehigh Valley), Strand of Oaks (Wilkes-Barre, at the time, but he might have made it to Mount Airy by then – you know how everyone stopped updating their MySpace, and he hadn’t made a Facebook or Bandcamp page yet), and all the fine Bucks County groups. Well, indie pop-rockers Edelweiss are from Stroudsburg, PA, and they’ll be headlining an all ages show tonight at The Fire. The quartet will be releasing its debut EP Pre-Columbians, which was produced by Jeremy Sklarsky (Freelance Whales, Teenage Fanclub, The Morning Benders), on September 13. Edelweiss delivers a delightfully smooth sound with multitudes of textures and a captivatingly casual play between bass and guitar. And they are still in high school so you (older Deli readers) may not want to go backstage with them to avoid any run-ins with the law. The Fire, 412 W. Girard Ave., 7pm, $10, All Ages – Brandi Lukas