With the temperature on the rise for an unusually warm Christmas in Philly, the thought of the release of a new EP this winter, titled Summer, doesn’t sound like such an odd idea. The latest album from Illinois features a DJ Skipmode remix of their single and its original, which can originally be found on the band’s full-length record, Shine, that was released towards the beginning of this year. It also includes the previously unreleased track "2020." Illinois will be performing next in Philly on Saturday, January 30 at The Fire.

Sorry, we’ll just be in the corner bouncing around to this Bad Canoes video. It’s a live performance of "Radio Without Rules," which was recorded at the Shellshag Record Release on December 12, 2015 at The Bell House in Brooklyn. BTW: If you didn’t hear frontwoman Marissa Paternoster (of Screaming Females) correctly – "If you don’t like it, get the fuck out!"

Singer-songwriter Candice Martello (ex-Omar, ex-Ghost Light), a.k.a. Hemming, headlines this evening’s installment of Weathervane Music’s residency at Boot & Saddle. Cut from a personal cloth, Hemming finds Martello’s naturally compelling tone aiding in her captivating storytelling ability. A rolling, folk-rock tumble sets the music in motion. Martello takes the reins, exhibiting strength around every bend, whilst simultaneously exposing a magnetizing sensitivity. Harnessing emotion for a zoomed in view, Hemming reveals the booming force of an earnest approach. The lifting harmonic warmth and delicately-crafted, indie-folk of Rosu Lup fortifies the lineup. Boot & Saddle, 1131 S. Broad St., 9pm, $10, 21+ – Michael Colavita

Wig Money, the latest release from Recording Club, occupies a delightfully eclectic sonic landscape. It’s part garage-rock, part oddball circus nostalgia – loose and experimental (and as a result) somewhat unpredictable. Each song jumps off the page as a non-linear, intriguing image, making up their collage of a musical story. The band doesn’t appear to be tied down to a particular style, simply creating a fun, off-center sound.

Krust Toons: "Being a Promoter" by Teddy 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.

Jeff Zeigler has been successfully sculpting sound for years now – both as a musician (Arc in Round, Mary Lattimore & Jeff Zeigler) and producer (The War on Drugs, Kurt Vile, Nothing, etc.). Over the years, you may have caught him tinkering on his Korg solo as well; however, this past Saturday at Spacin’s record release celebration at Everybody Hits, Zeigler performed as Valley Exit for the first time. Below is also his ominous, futuristic, alien invasion-sounding, debut track released under the moniker, entitled "No Dana, Only Zuul," which you can stream and download for free.

We are seriously looking forward to some holiday vacation time. That’s what makes this Monday morning so fuckin’ unbearable. Well, we’d like to liven everyone’s spirits so we can boogie our bad selves into the New Year. Take this new track from Motherer called "chout." for a spin. We’re feelin’ the early-Beck vibes on this one. It’s off the Philly four-piece’s latest EP Beachbirth.

Vicky Speedboat (the combination of Modern Baseball/Steady Hands’s Sean Huber and W.C. Lindsay’s Will Lindsay) delivers the goods on their debut EP Two Years No Basement. The emotive fire rages in these impassioned anthems. Bottling up pressure through personally-tinged, relatable narratives and instrumentation that sprints forward in an unfiltered, exhilarating release, Vicky Speedboat have set the bar for their collaborative project, exulting stormy memories of youth. They’ll be making their debut live performance tonight at Bourbon & Branch, and will be joined by a blaze of guitar licks, setting the path for Lansdale rockers The Sixties. Like-minded, Lansdale-rooted, local trio Birthday Boy percolates a rumbling gritty honesty, while the pensive sensitive rock of Newark, Delaware’s Ringfinger gathers steam, working through matters from soft to searing. Bourbon & Branch, 705 N. 2nd St., 8pm, $10, 21+ – Michael Colavita

Within a year of releasing their first EP together, Philly locals Beach Slang have already captured national attention from music-lovers, and generated enough hype from bloggers and critics to have a seemingly bright future ahead of them. Join them for their homecoming show at the First Unitarian Church tonight before they jet off to the UK to start their 2016 European tour. The show is sure to be charged with the energy and vivacity that playing to a familiar homefield audience brings, and Beach Slang’s distinctively anthemic wistful punk rock will surely instill the same cathartic relief in you. The band combines the reflective melancholy of The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart with the deadend-deadbeat party drive of young hipster nihilism, and shapes it into something that is as approachable as it is isolating – something that instills community through a mutual sense of estrangement. Sharing the stage with Beach Slang and effectively providing his formal endorsement will be Tim Kasher of legendary emo/post-hardcore band Cursive as well as Field Mouse. First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St, 8pm, $15, All Ages – Bryce Woodcock

The battlefront appears strategically aligned in Baroness‘s new record Purple, which was released yesterday via the band’s newly founded label Abraxan Hymns. The reconfigured lineup, which has emerged in the aftermath of their catastrophic 2012 bus crash, marches forward with an excellent, triumphant album – one that attacks with precision. The pounding percussion/bass combination push forward, given an additional dimension by the somberly smooth keys, anthem-esque personal persevering vocals, and white-hot scorching guitar work. There’s a marriage of metal menace and resurgent joy. Tonight, Baroness will be aided by the all-in, top-speed, battering-ram metal of Virginia’s Earthling who exhibit a potent possessing sound. Get to JB’s early. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 8pm, $20 (Sold Out), 21+ (Photo by Jimmy Hubbard) – Michael Colavita

Eliza Hardy Jones (Buried Beds, Nightlands, Strand of Oaks) will release a solo record Because Become. The single “Criminal,” produced by Nick Krill (The Spinto Band, Teen Men) couples her ambient synths and enchanting vocals, with Krill’s hard-searing guitar and the pace-setting steady backend thump of Eric Slick (Dr. Dog, Lithuania) and the album’s co-producer Dave Hartley (The War on Drugs, Nightlands). It premiered earlier today over at Stereogum. Eliza Hardy Jones will be headlining Boot & Saddle on Wednesday, January 6 with support from The Dove & The Wolf.