The electronic duo of Jeremy Lloyd and Sam Gongol, a.k.a. Marian Hill, just took a swing at covering Kanye’s “Love Lockdown,” and made solid contact. Their take strips down the 808s & Heartbreak classic, slowing it down and allowing the emotionally shredding lyrics to shine in a sensually soulful manner. Marian Hill will be performing next in Philly on Friday, April 24 at Boot & Saddle. (Photo by Shervin Lainez)

This new music video for The Spirit of the Beehive’s “I Smell Bud”, found on the group’s self-titled debut, visualizes the haze of the track while demonstrating brief snippets of a budding DIY community. Thus, the song filters through your head and offers a glimpse at where it comes from. The band performs as part of a bill that also includes Japanese Breakfast, Eskimeaux, and Blowdryer on Friday, March 20 at Great Indoors.

The Spirit of the Beehive // I Smell Bud (official video) from Federico R. Casanova

Sheer Mag has hit the scene hard due in large part to its lethal combination of raw-rocking tenacity and soulfully fierce vocals. That potency earned them The Deli Philly’s Artist of the Year honors and for good reason. This crew jumps on you from the first raunchy fuzzed-out riff. As that steady churning rhythm section locks in a propulsive groove, the guitar licks take on an ageless feel. Then, the emotive fireball, otherwise known as Christina Halladay’s vocals, enter the equation, tearing you up with her vigorous straight from the solar plexus soulful growl. Once you get a taste of this sound, you’ll undoubtedly be hooked. Below is a new single, Button Up, from the band’s forthcoming self-titled 7" (Katorga Works), and don’t be surprised to hear a Kiss cover added to Sheer Mag’s arsenal. Tonight, at Underground Arts, they will be joined by local power-pop trio Ruby Buff, who use a bass-setting pace with songs that touch on groovy surf rock with assertive punk flourishes. A pair of New York bands round out this bill, including the high octane classic garage-punk sound of Dirty Fences and the reverb-charged garage-pop of Brooklyn trio Boytoy. Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill St., 8pm, $8, 21+ – Michael Colavita

The Weaks recently released “Nevermind,” a single off their forthcoming record Bad Year, due out April 7 via Lame-O Records. Fueled by heavy guitar riffs and percussion, the song still finds a catchy side, balancing that strength with a pop-oriented punch. You can stream the track below, and pre-order the album HERE. (Photo by Daniel Lidon)

Cold Fronts‘ Craig Almquist lays it on the line, and declares his love for Alana Haim, a.k.a. @babyhaim on social media, the youngest of the sister group HAIM, in the band’s latest single "Baby Haim." There is also a lyric video coming in just case there is any confusion about these words. Hopefully he’ll find a pop-rock love connection. Cold Fronts will be doing a run of shows with The Cribs before heading down to SXSW. They’ll also be touring with River City Extension in April, and will close things out with a hometown show on Thursday, April 16 at Boot & Saddle.

Featured on Mike Bell & The Movies upcoming split 7” with Lizard Police due out March 31, via Major Bear/Messy Life/Songs from the Road, “Know It All” is a straight-ahead rocker with a fun pop touch. Utilizing vocals from ex-NONA‘s Mimi Gallagher to create a male-female interplay, corresponding to the song’s breakup dynamic, while also enlisting the services of bandmate and The Weaks‘ Evan Bernard and Chris Diehm (1994!, Quit). “Know It All” takes frustration, and flips the script .

Krust Toons: "Shout-out" 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 HERE.

Check out Hop Along‘s first single, "Waitress," from their forthcoming album Painted Shut! The record was produced by John Agnello (Kurt Vile, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., etc.) at Headroom Studio, and will be released on May 5 via Saddle Creek. The band is getting set to leave on tour at the end of this month with another hometown favorite The War on Drugs.

Rock trio Snoozer has been on a break from playing out while Mike O’Keefe, Paul Hewes, and Tom Moore have been working on some new tunes. You can take a listen to the band’s latest six-song EP Cottage Cheese, which will be available on cassette via Ranch Records. The album was recorded at West Philly’s Sex Dungeon. The group is also set to perform the songs live this evening at Bourbon & Branch. It will be Snoozer’s first show in a bit, and they’ll be joined by Brooklyn’s Leapling and Baked. Bourbon & Branch, 705 N. 2nd St., 8pm, $8, 21+ – Alexis V.

The Districts performed a "secret" show last December, under their alias Eight Legged Prawn, opening for mewithoutYou, who were also billed as Thy Foes Profanely Rage. Out Of Town Films was there to capture the rambuctious four-piece’s set with permission from the group’s record label Fat Possum. The video consists of live performances of the songs "4th and Roebling," Heavy Begs," "Chlorine," "Suburban Smell," and "Peaches." The band is currently touring the U.S., and will be heading over to Europe next month.

Sunday night – one could sit back waiting as Monday lurks in the horizon, or you could stretch the weekend for all it’s worth and head over to Everybody Hits where rambunctious rockers The Weaks spearhead a four-pronged attack. With their debut LP Bad Year scheduled for release April 7 via Lame-O Records, the band offers attitude injected pop-punk that pounces on you with tough yet infectious songs that methodically breakout providing a sense of power and polish. As a hard-driving backend meets precise guitar licks and ever inviting lyrics, the experimental pop-rock outfit Purples eases you into its musical mode with a sense of comfort amid oddball tendencies, placing one in a familiarly warped place. The dreary haze of Queen Jesus also casts a strange embrace, crossing a loner vibe while painting the scenery with swirling pieces of sound. Matt Scheuermann’s personal meditative songwriting finds a focused fortitude as the beauty of Roses locks in a loaded local lineup. Everybody Hits, 539 W. Girard Ave., 9pm, All Ages (Photo by Jessica Flynn) – Michael Colavita

With a forthcoming LP Correct already sitting in the can, Laser Background released a new EP Kelly Wisdom earlier this week. The album, whose recording was split between Lake Balaton, Hungary and a cabin in rural Pennsylvania, retains Andy Molholt’s slightly ajar, candy-coated, psych-experiencing sound, implementing synth and drum machine with his distinct, quirky, higher pitched vocals. However, these songs also touch on an internal searching/reflection, anchored beneath that dreamy spider web of instrumentation. This lineup runs deep including the four-piece ensemble of Myrrias, whom take synth-fueled dream pop and augment it with dark, jagged edges, creating hypnotic layers of brooding in the process. Drone Ranger develops a thick, hazy psychedelic atmosphere, inviting your mind to temporarily explore uncharted territory that is guided by a hard-rocking hand. The inventive yet pop sensible tunes of New York’s Zula complete a billing that asks you to reach out without pushing too hard. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 8pm, $10, 21+ – Michael Colavita