Geisha Facade, a.k.a. Jordan and Zoe Dupree, put their many talents and DIY ethos on display in the duo’s latest track, "Head". A dark sadness eminates from Zoe’s lovely vocal rasp that is reminiscent to a subdued sounding Amy Winehouse, eventually floating off into the ether before the thump and rattle percussions intensify and disintegrate. It’s the new single off their forthcoming album, You Went To Space, Good Bye Dear, scheduled for release this month, and they are also currently planning a Midwest tour.
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The Deli Philly’s January Record of the Month: a cheap close-up of heaven – So Totally
Philly four-piece So Totally gives listeners the ideal soundtrack for winter sadness with the release of their debut EP. Equal parts moody reverb and poetic gloom, a cheap close-up of heaven is a brutally candid depiction of unfiltered millennial feels.
Opening with the swell of “i can’t wait,” So Totally prove that not all twenty-somethings are afraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves. Heightened by lyrical concision and atmospheric riffs, the song is a melodic rumination on uncertainty and intimacy. On “lead & alchemy,” the universal need to be loved takes center stage amidst crashing riffs and lines like “I want to taste the real thing, follow me home” just before the track “rare form” pairs the sincerity of early aughts emo with the unfettered intensity of mid-90s shoegaze.
Infused with well-tempered nostalgia, “rare form” is the perfect summation of both genres’ devotion to doomed love and self-loathing – two themes further explored in “late gloomer”. Brutal like a best friend’s honesty, it is a ready-made wake-up call for anyone prone to self-induced sorrow or prolonged bouts of sulking. Comprised of hissing snare and reminders like “no one cares if it’s raining out, no one cares if you hate yourself,” the song is a bitter pill to swallow, but in a good way, while “easy leave” is a grunge-y hymn about the necessity of escapism, despite its limitations, and the frustration of temporary lows. a cheap close-up of heaven ends with the somber burn of “zoetrope,” a bleak but breathtaking portrait of human closeness eclipsed by apathy, a befitting end to an EP that isn’t afraid to find light at the center of an existential abyss.
The tracks on So Totally’s debut are ready-made mantras for the New Year, a collection of anthems for realists and romantics alike. With a combination of nostalgia and sincerity, a cheap close-up of heaven might not help you live your best life, but it will make you feel less alone, giving even the staunchest pessimist a glimmer of hope. (Photo by Austin Crostarosa) – Dianca London
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Krust Toons: “Police Navidad” by Tedd Hazard
Krust Toons: "Police Navidad" by Tedd Hazard – please feel free to drop him a line at teddandthehazards@gmail.com if you dig or have any funny ideas. You can also check out more of his illustrations and animation shorts HERE.
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Q.D. Tran’s Favorite Philly Albums of 2016
2016 will be emblazoned in most of our memories – whether for good or bad (most likely bad). However, from vaped weed, you make weed butter, and we will all find joy again, as well as sadness – I’m sure – thus, the cyclicality of life. So working on this year’s list has been a therapeutic endeavor for me, and I really hope that you find as much joy and solace as I have in these rad Philly albums.
“Music as social glue, as a self-empowering change agent, is maybe more profound than how perfectly a specific song is composed or how immaculately tight a band is.” – David Byrne
Happy New Year! Much love to all the extremely talented artists that we have lost this year. And Fuck You, Trump!
Sincerely,
Q.D. Tran
1. Mannequin Pussy – Romantic (Tiny Engines)
Mannequin Pussy was already on my radar before they relocated to Philly so I was looking forward to getting more familiar with the three-piece turned quartet this past year. Romantic effortless shifts from heartfelt pop-rock to blistering punk, while capturing the ferocity of the band’s live performances. Clocking in at under twenty minutes, I have to agree with their record label Tiny Engines. The LP is “all killer, no filler.”
2. Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band – The Rarity of Experience (No Quarter)
Chris Forsyth had already been building his reputation around town for years as a gifted guitar maestro. Now, with the backing of The Solar Motel Band, they have united to become a jamming tour de force, melding his love for the sounds of such inventive artists as The Grateful Dead, Television, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Popol Vuh, and Richard Thompson. The Rarity of Experience takes you on a glorious journey through music history, beautifully curated by the experimental rockers from Philly.
3. NAH – Michael (Ranch)
Hip hop and punk have always been rather strange bedfellows, bonded together at NYC clubs in the early days. Though the marriage of the two can sometimes lead to disastrous outcomes, NAH, a.k.a. Mike Kuhns, successfully bridges the gap, with his raw, palpable intensity and imaginative compositions. Michael is an album that should not be slept on.
4. The Retinas – chaba (Self-released)
On chaba, The Retinas really caught me off-guard with their songwriting skills. Ear-burrowing melodies combined with creative, disenchanted, slacker lyrics buried under just the right amount of fuzz are what drove me to book them this year for The Deli Philly’s Anniversary Bash (which absolutely ruled). I also was introduced to a lot of their kick-ass new material that night so hopefully you’ll be hearing more from them sooner than later.
5. Moor Mother – Fetish Bones (Don Giovanni)
I feel like Moor Mother’s Fetish Bones is a reflection of what I have become in 2016: politically charged and pissed off. Now, as I leave this god-awful year behind, I am encouraged to see how our art community will respond to this dystopia that now lays before us. The fight has only just begun.
6. Lushlife + CSLSX – Ritualize (Western Vinyl)
7. Them Jones – A Mountain of Nonsense (Self-released)
8. The Original Crooks and Nannies – Ugly Laugh (Self-released)
9. Japanese Breakfast – Psychopomp (Yellow K)
10.Tunji Ige – Missed Calls (Brainbandits/Bad Habits)
11. Great Thunder & Radiator Hospital – The Great Thunder Radiator Hospital Wedding Album (Stupid Bag)
12. Cherry – Gloom (Lame-O)
13. Needle Points – Feel Young (NeedLove)
14. So Totally – a cheap close-up of heaven (Self-released)
15. Suburban Living – Almost Paradise (6131)
16. The Afterglows – The Afterglows (Salinas/Stupid Bag)
17. Modern Baseball – Holy Ghost (Run For Cover)
18. Nothing – Tired of Tomorrow (Relapse)
19. American Trappist – American Trappist (Self-released)
20. Jo Kusy – You Break Me (Kooze Kontrol)
21. Purling Hiss – High Bias (Drag City)
22. Spring Onion – please relax (Self-released)
23. Abi Reimold – Wriggling (Sad Cactus)
24. Creepoid – Burner (WavePOP)
25. The Writhing Squares – In the Void Above (Siltbreeze)
26. Wild At Heart – DEMO (Sensual World)
27. Slaughter Beach, Dog – Welcome (Lame-O)
28. Hezekiah Jones – Har! Har! Har! (Self-released)
29. Gorgeous Porch – The Champagne Laugh (Self-released)
30. Permanent Body – Permanent Body (Self-released)
31. Hello Shark – Delicate (Orindal)
32. Beach Slang – A Loud Bash Of Teenage Feelings (Polyvinyl)
33. Pinkwash – Collective Sigh (Don Giovanni)
34. Myrrias – Spectra (Soft Dystopia)
35. Queen of Jeans – Queen of Jeans (Third Uncle)
36. The Fantastic Imagination – Good Knight, Sweet Dreams (Self-released)
37. Pill Friends – Child Sacrifice (Out of Breath)
38. Residuels – Hurricane (Self-released)
39. Mary Lattimore/Jeff Zeigler – Music Inspired by Philippe Garrel’s Le Revelateur (Thrill Jockey)
40. Thin Lips – Riff Hard (Lame-O)
41. The Dove & The Wolf – I Don’t Know What To Feel (Self-released)
42. Ghost Gum – The Past, The Future, Dwelling there like space (Self-released)
43. Valley Exit – Valley Exit (Soft Dystopia)
44. Hurry – Guided Meditation (Lame-O)
45. Sad13 – Slugger (Carpark)
46. Camp Candle – ERE (Self-released)
47. Shelf Life – Alright, Okayy (Self-released)
48. Sheer Mag – III (Wilsuns RC/Static Shock)
49. Mumblr – The Never Ending Get Down (Fleeting Youth)
50. Honey Radar – Blank Cartoon (What’s Your Rupture)
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Weekend Warrior, December 30 – January 1
A new year represents aesthetically a clean slate, the chance to turn the page and let the past whether, recent or not, behind. Of course, the past may also hold cherished memories that one wishes to carry into the future. Either way, Saturday night serves as an opportunity to celebrate, for some, the year that was and for others the year that one hopes 2017 will be.
Now, my first instinct when I enter any environment is to look and listen; if there’s music, that’s typically a solid forecaster of good fortune. With that criteria, here are a few places one should consider spending the last hours of a trying 2016.
The high-octane ragged barrelhouse blues of TJ Kong and the Atomic Bomb will be headlining Boot & Saddle, paired with the earnest Americana of Levee Drivers, and the playfully bizarre, eclectic Mercury Radio Theater. If funky R&B and soul are your aspirations, Underground Arts is the destination. The brass beacon of Balkan beats, known as West Philadelphia Orchestra, and the retrograde soul-funk engine of Johnny Showcase once again come together for sweaty, good time. And channeling the silky authoritative dance-inducing vibes of Byrne & Bowie, MINKA enters the fray, which also starts with the funky instrumental slices of Muscle Tough.
The spellbinding folk-psych of Kurt Vile brings his mellow/mercury-spiking spectrum to The Fillmore, where he’ll be joined by psych-folk outfit Woods and Nathan Bowles. Ortlieb’s will host the mobile-layered, grooving, melodic sojourn of Mo Lowda & The Humble, as well as the atmosphere-altering, future-traversing experimentation of Air is Human, and a DJ set from Suburban Living, who will be pulling double duty that evening performing at Franklin Hall with Vacationer and CRUISR. BTW: Speaking of DJ sets, Lushlife will also be occupying the decks at Johnny Brenda’s.
Wherever you’re headed, embrace the joy and stay safe. – Michael Colavita
Other places to spend this last weekend of 2016…
Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) FRI Grubby Little Hands, Tutlie, SAT Kevin Manning/Lushlife (DJ Set)
Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Oh, Are They? (Record Release), Belgrade, Honeytiger, SAT TJ Kong And The Atomic Bomb, Mercury Radio Theater, Levee Drivers
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Riverside Odds/Momma Hankton, Rexedog, Erik Kramer, SAT Eaten Alive/Fame Lust
Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) SAT West Philadelphia Orchestra, Johnny Showcase, Minka, Muscle Tough
Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden St,) SAT Making Time
TLA (334 South St.) SAT Cabinet
The Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal St.) FRI Louis Futon, SAT Kurt Vile
World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI (Upstairs) Philadelphia Jug Band, The Theologicals, SAT (Upstairs) Phil Nicolo’s Eve of Destruction, Darla / (Downstairs) Marc Silver
The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI The Loud Company, Commonwealth Choir, The Last Brontosaurus
MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) FRI Kingsound, GhettoSongBird
Frankford Hall (1210 Frankford Ave.) SAT Vacationer, CRUISR, Suburban Living
Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3rd St.) SAT Mo Lowda and the Humble, Air is Human, Suburban Living (DJ Set)
Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI Rich Medina, SAT DJ Deejay
Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SAT Brown Sugar
Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9th St.) FRI Laura Cheadle Family Blues Band
The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI Solar Circuit, Naps Past Noon, Max Seidman Band, Los Festingos, SAT Matt Duke, Andrea Nardello, Quixote Project
Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2nd St.) FRI Chalk & the Beige Americans, Shy Boyz, Dirty Soap Blues Band
Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) FRI Nik Greeley & The Operators, SAT Start Making Sense, Band From Mars
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New Horsecops LP Available for Streaming & Download
Philly four-piece Horsecops grabbed our attention with its heady four-song debut Dog, and before 2016 gets tossed in the can, the band has dropped its first full-length album, Annie, via Bald Spot Records. With most of the LP being recorded at Big Mama’s Warehouse by Evan Bernard (of The Superweaks, ex-Dangerous Ponies) and at the group’s home, Horsecops traverses between crunchy fuzz rock and lo-fi synth-noise on its latest offering, creating an oddly balanced, enjoyable collection of recordings. Take Annie for a spin below.
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mewithoutYou’s Brother, Sister 10-year Anniversary Show at Boot & Saddle Dec. 29
Last month, Philly post-hardcore outfit mewithoutYou shared a mysterious tweet about a show at Boot & Saddle for the 10-year reunion of a band called The Sun & The Moon Band. A group with no record beyond perhaps the late 80’s brit-pop album of the same name by Chameleons founder Mark Burgess, fans quickly discerned that the show is an intimate performance of mewithoutYou’s 2006 album Brother, Sister. The playful nature of the announcement carried through to the supporting act, dubbed “Rush 2.0”. Fellow Philadelphians Hurry announced the Rush 2.0 set via Twitter as well in tandem with mewithoutYou’s initial post, so it is speculated that they will be performing a Rush cover set. The show is currently sold out, but I’m always a firm believer in the idiom – “where there is a will, there is a way,” especially when it comes to getting into events. However, if that old adage doesn’t exactly work for you, mewithoutYou will be back in town on Friday, January 13, where they’ll be supporting Circa Survive on their On Letting Go anniversary tour. Boot & Saddle, 1131 S. Broad St., 7:30pm, $30 (Sold Out), 21+
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New Video: “Radio Kids” (AB Session) – Strand of Oaks
Strand of Oaks strips away the arena-rock veneer of his latest single "Radio Kids," opting for an intensely intimate solo performance on a piano for the video series AB Sessions, recorded in Brussels. At its core, you find a song that really doesn’t stray far away from the deeply haunting ballads found on earlier releases like Leave Ruin and Pope Killdragon, which is certainly a good thing for those just tuning in. His new LP Hard Love officially comes out February 17 via Dead Oceans, and he’ll be back on stage in Philly on Friday, March 10 at Union Transfer.
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Rosali Concludes Her Residency at Ortlieb’s Dec. 28
Rosali concludes her month-long residency at Ortlieb’s this evening. After a brief reprieve from the bone-chilling canvas of winter, the local singer-songwriter offers soothing clarity in the form of folk-based songs gently gliding over the hillside. On her debut album Out of Love, Rosali’s recordings are fueled by floral vocal harmonies and a wandering touch of twang-infused psychedelics. The duo of Kevin Nickles and Daniel Provenzano, also known as The Writhing Squares, will firmly orient their opening set in another world, touching down on intertwining threads of noise-rock, garage, free jazz, etc., while unleashing a sensory-loaded spectrum of space sonics. It’s just what you need to get over the final hump of 2016. Ortlieb’s, 847 N. Third St., 8pm, Free, 21+ – Michael Colavita
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New Steady Hands Charitable Live Album Available for Streaming & Purchase
Modern Baseball‘s Sean Huber, a.k.a. Steady Hands, put out a compilation of his first four EPs and a new track on a double LP, titled Rude Boys Of Bar Rock, earlier this month via Lame-O Records. He also posted a new music video for the single, "Under The Rug," which starred the "#1 daug," Bruce. And in the spirit of giving this season, he has shared a live performance album that will benefit Wags Rescue & Referral, "an organization in Pennsylvania that saves dogs from gassing shelters in the south and brings them to foster homes until they can find a forever family," where we’re assuming that he found his adorable best friend. Steady Hands – Live at Ortlieb’s was recorded on December 4, 2016 by Jeff Travitz at Huber’s recent hometown release celebration, held at the Fishtown watering hole. (Photo by Punks in Vegas)
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Soul Glo Opening for Dangers at The Church Dec. 27
With the deep-gouging, volatile release of unrestrained, pensive-streaming emotion stampeding downhill, encircled by menacing, tension-building, experimental post-punk surroundings, Soul Glo entrenches their heavy sound in the First Unitarian Church this evening. The band strips away any coating of pretension in favor of the a raw, abrasive experience, which immediately affects the listener in a heart-and-head-pounding transfer of ideas. With their latest album, The Bend in the Break, available via Topshelf Records, the pummeling, pissed off, poetic arsenal of Dangers, as well as the noise-shrouded hardcore/hip-hop hybrid of Kids, will help knock off any residual holiday remains. You definitely won’t find any Trump-voting family members there. First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., 8:30pm, $10, All Ages (Photo by Luke Mouradian) – Michael Colavita
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Krust Toons: “Alright, We Get It…” by Tedd Hazard
Krust Toons: "Alright, We Get It…" by Tedd Hazard – please feel free to drop him a line at teddandthehazards@gmail.com if you dig or have any funny ideas. You can also check out more of his illustrations and animation shorts HERE.