Longtime music pals Kurt Vile and Steve Gunn have collaborated for the first time in the studio with their new EP, which is part of Three Lobed Recordings’s Paralellogram series. The album was recorded and mixed by Jeff Zeigler at Uniform Recording. The six-song release features covers of John Prine’s "Way Back When," Randy Newman’s "Pretty Boy," & Nico’s "60/40" along with originals, and contributions from Mike Sneeringer on drums and Mary Lattimore on harp and piano/synth.

Grandchildren take intricate orchestration, giving it an omnipresent percussive backdrop. The resulting sound is synchronized. Layered to establish complex grooves, rejecting gravitational force and instilling a floating ethereal quality. Providing a natural lift, this well-oiled machine offers palatable precision that can be broken down by the connections of its parts but succeeds in unification. Tonight at Bourbon & Branch, the casual folk/surf melodic warmth of Outside Eyes and Canadian indie-rock vets The Stills complete a lineup that will help you escape the weight of the week ahead. Bourbon & Branch, 705 N. 2nd St., 8pm $10, 21+ – Michael Colavita

Grab your dancing shoes, white sports coats and sunglasses: Work Drugs are back this Saturday for their 5th annual Holiday Spectacle at Johnny Brenda’s. With their glossy, tantalizing electro-funk rhythms, the group has established themselves over the years as prolific dance-pop songwriters, creating tunes that aren’t just extremely groovable, but also at times, glazed with an introspective melancholy that can still maintain perfect pop sensibility. They’ll be joined by the endearingly candid storytelling of Kississippi, who recently dropped their label debut We Have Know Future, We’re All Doomed (Soft Speak Records), and siren-esque electro-pop singer-songwriter Kate Faust. Begin your holiday celebration early tonight! Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 8pm, $10-$12, 21+ – Bryce Woodcock

Adrenaline-triggering, thumping bass and space-age synth frame Janelle’s “No Maps.” Found on their latest release JNL, the video for the single depicts a rider, who starts off in his tighty whities, intensely pedaling away on a stationary bike as a series of odd illuminating surroundings are projected behind him. However, despite the intrigue, he’s “not gonna turn around.” Janelle will be performing this Saturday at The Pharmacy for their tape release celebration with The Whips, Groovy Movies, and Sean McGuinness (of Pissed Jeans), where those in attendance will receive a free copy of the JNL tape (available via Suicide Bong Tapes) with the price of admission.

Vulnerable while exhibiting commanding strength, Chrissy Tashijan’s emotively powerful vocal style demands one’s attention. Reinforced by the ever-percolating rhythm section and opportunistic, memorable guitar riffs, Thin Lips sound is potently short-fused. One steady charge after another bursting with narratives that touch on frustration and heartache with a fierce edge. Shannen Moser’s delicate, honest approach gets things started, inviting you into a transfixing intimate space. With captivating lyricism and instrumentation that can be minimal and at others moments a force to be reckoned with, former Philly native Des Ark (a.k.a. Aimée Argote) headlines in support of her new record Everything Dies. Everybody Hits, 529 W. Girard Ave., 8:30pm, $10, All Ages – Michael Colavita

Work Drugs‘s Thomas Crystal shares a woozy, "Michigan-era, Sufjan-inspired" cover of The Weeknd’s "Can’t Feel My Face." It’s off the Canadian artist’s latest chart-topping LP Beauty Behind The Madness. Crystal will be joining the rest of the band tomorrow night at Johnny Brenda’s for their 5th annual Works Drugs Holiday Spectacle with Kississippi and Kate Faust. 

A raunchy guitar riff spearheads the assertive attack of Weekender’s “Loving/Hating.” The song, which will be featured on their new EP Floaty Feeling, Blue, scheduled for release on January 15 via PaperCup Music, melds a heavy psych vibe with a daydreaming haze, echoing Tame Impala. They’ll be at Kung Fu Necktie tonight with Vug Arakas, Sam Kogon, and O-Face.

Dogs on Acid and Year Of Glad kick off their winter tour with a showing this evening at Ortlieb’s. Dogs On Acid’s self-titled debut is ripe with hook-laced pop punk that rouses in energetic anthem form. Penetrating lyrics coupled with a melodic, determined, forward-thrusting, loose-flowing yet tightly constructed sound, it approaches the personal through an exuberant filter, deflecting the guttural punch. Speaking of excellent self-titled releases, Year Of Glad’s riff & rumble jolt combines with multiple-fronted, harmony-textured vocals causing equilibrium. Adding to this already interesting equation, garage-pop quartet Marge, whose rough-around-the-edges instrumentation, melds with softer-spoken sincerity. Tamar Dart, a.k.a. Little Strike, delivers perpetually positives via her electropop, completing a lineup of local talent you won’t want to miss. Ortlieb’s, 847 N. Third St., 8pm, $10, 21+ – Michael Colavita

After opening for Jessica Lea Mayfield last month, singer-songwriter Abi Reimold shared her take of "Standing in the Sun," off Mayfield’s 2014 album Make My Head Sing… Reimold’s singing creates an even more somber atmosphere than the original before static-y synths and electric guitar rip through the ending, leading way for fading, layered vocals. You can catch her performing live in Philly next on Sunday, December 27 as part of the a Walla Fest music & art event at The Pharmacy.

Madeline Meyer and Dan Colanduno split vocal duties in Littler’s latest single “Not My Market,” which you can stream over at Post-Trash. The song serves as a precursor to the band’s spring scheduled album release Of Wandering, which finds Swearin’s Kyle Gilbride in the producer role and will be available via Brooklyn indie label Birdtapes. Sprung by casual rolling backend the calm vocal interplay shines, and are met by rushes of instrumental aggression. That duality of the force and finesse ultimately concludes with a final push toward the finish line – “You’re not my market anyway.” Littler is set to perform at Everybody Hits on Monday, December 28, along with Free Cake For Every Creature, Sedna’s not alone, and Sports. (Photo by Emily Burtner)

A.M. Mills, featuring Blood Feathers‘s Drew Mills, who is also backed by some of his former cohorts, is headlining Ortlieb’s this evening. Mills’s latest project continues his journey down the path of roots music but with a maturation. The tempo has been slowed down to a late-night crawl, easing old bones while providing plenty of time for contemplation. Though Mills has been pretty quiet for over a half of a decade now, finding solace in being a background player, he has completed a full-length album that was recorded with Terry Yerves and mixed by Quentin Stoltzfus (Light Heat, ex-Mazarin), so expect to hear more from A.M. Mills soon. Ortlieb’s, 847 N. 3rd St., 8pm, $10, 21+ – H.M. Kauffman