When The Fantastic Imagination promoted their final show last year, they mentioned that it would be the "last time" the group would be performing "in a while," which felt like very bad news for the band to me. Well, I’m happy to learn that the brief hiatus was actually to work on some new material. The Fantastic Imagination recently shared a track entitled "Slack Ghosts Get Stoned" to remind us "how weird" they are. Weird – maybe, but with the release of the group’s best recording to date, it also reminded me of the band’s serious creative potential. Check it out below! And catch them this evening at Boot & Saddle opening Francisco The Man. Boot & Saddle, 1131 S. Broad St., 8pm, $10, 21+ (Photo by Ben Morgan) – H.M. Kauffman

Chris Forsyth and The Solar Motel really know how to dish out expansive drifting rock with a melodic core. Case in point, the group served up a tasty take of Captain Beefheart’s “Alice in Blunderland” (found on the 1972 album The Spotlight Kid) at Johnny Brenda’s a couple of weeks back. Strap in, and enjoy the ride.

We are doing a ticket giveaway for this Wednesday at Underground Arts with A Place To Bury Strangers, Ed Shrader’s Music Beat, and Pinkwash. To enter for a chance to win a pair of tix, just send an email to thedelimagazinephiladelphia@gmail.com with the subject line "Bury Me in the Black Box!" Please also include your cell phone number in the body of the message (in case of an emergency). Good luck!

Krust Toons: "Murphy’s Law" 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.

Abi Reimold’ s music toes that grey threshold between beautiful reflections with an internal rage as that energy converts from potential to fleshed out unfiltered expression. As we await her forthcoming full-length Wriggling, she hits the stage this evening at Kung Fu Necktie. The tug-of-war sound that Reimold enacts in the instrumental volatility and lyrical component establishes an enticing honesty, representing the strength versus struggle dynamic at its core. Mumblr headlines tonight’s showcase, presented by The Guild, with their pop-punk blend weaving in and out between isolating emotives and their joyful unabashed rocking reactions. The quirky, catchy, unfiltered sledgehammer of punks Brown Rainbow may catch you off-guard, but it grows on you in a delightfully strange manner. Combustible Arkansas two-piece Radradriot wraps up the bill that will blanket this Monday’s deep freeze. Kung Fu Necktie 1250 N. Front St., 8pm, $6, 21+ – Michael Colavita

The tribal psychedelic noise-trance duo of Al Creedon (ex-Bleeding Rainbow) and Sean Hamilton (Spacin’, ex-Acid Kicks), a.k.a. I IM EYE MY, laid down a beautifully twisted in-studio set at WKDU, which you can stream and download for free below. It consisted of soundscapes from their Not Not Fun album 7 Transmissions ("Streetcat Bonfire," "Buying Forty Cattle with Weak Knees," and "Gotta Make the Hay When the Sun Shines") and previously unreleased "Order of the Asp" and "Wheelies in Bleakville." The live performance EP was recorded on air (January 11, 1015) by Adam Hendricks. They’ll be performing this Thursday at Underground Arts opening for Peaking Lights.

Cyberbully Mom Club, the lo-fi project from Shari Heck, has a new and noticeably more polished recording called "FRIENDS." You’ll find her backing band on the track for the first time providing crunchy power chords and a steady backbeat, while Heck delivers her usual charming lines like "And I got some friends that I can hold near. But Oh God – I miss the old ones too!" Cyberbully Mom Club has plans to concentrate on writing and recording new material this spring.

Refined tenacity that purposely explores, navigating through different avenues in a clean, trippy dance and consuming listeners in the process, Dave Brett, Jason Bachman, and Nick Apice, otherwise known as Busses, are set to release their new record Wizard of the Eye on Tuesday, February 17. Tonight, those gathered at Johnny Brenda’s will celebrate the album when the group occupies the middle slot of a bill headlined by Northern Arms and kicked off by Tinmouth. Busses seemed to have mastered their musical vehicle, harnessing a ferocious, spacey nature into focus rather than starting it up and seeing where it decides to go. Though they’re fully capable of drifting, the band always knows that it is in control, and the results are dynamic. With a mesmerizing cascade of vocals in a dimly lit serenading setting providing a spiritual atmosphere, the vast ensemble of Northern Arms gathers steam on their haunting pulpit/stage. With a new album Says scheduled for release next month, melodically loose pop-rock trio Tinmouth get the ball rolling. Johnny Brenda’s 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 8pm, $12, 21+ – Michael Colavita

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time for good things to come in twos. And that’s why the return of Two Piece Fest in its 8th year with a cast of 19 dynamic duos is so apt. Unfortunately, Pilam had to drop out from hosting last minute so it will be held at Girard Hall. The show may be starting early at 2pm, but arriving with a friend, significant other, or frienemy before Winnebago kicks off the festivities at 3:30pm means that both of you get in for the Duo Doorbuster Deal of $10.

After almost three years of silence, keytar-led robot rock outfit Mose Giganticus will be making a triumphant return. And for frontman Matt Garfield, it will be a reunion with his longtime Hulk Smash cohort and Red Planet Recording founder Joe Smiley. The riot grrrls of Trophy Wife should continue to preview some of the newer tracks that they’ve been recording while still whipping out tunes from their latest release All the Sides. Heavy Medical will explode your eardrums with their twisted noise-metal, the fuzzed-out experimental tribal trance of I IM EYE MY will surely mesmerize, and +HIRS+ will destroy all with their thrash ‘n’ grind. The lineup will also feature Lagomasino/Fishkin, This Temper, The Lopez, Slingshot Dakota, and plenty more. Girard Hall, (Please go HERE for more info.), 2pm, $10 ($10 for 2 before 3:30pm), All Ages – Bill McThrill

Deli Readers,

The Deli Philly’s Best of 2014 Fans’/Readers’ Poll for local emerging artists is over – thanks to all those who casted their vote in support of the emerging local bands and artists in our list of nominees! 

Stay tuned for the composite chart, to be released soon, which will include details about the points that our nominees accumulated from the jurors’ and Deli writers’ votes, and we’ll crown The Deli’s Best Emerging Philly Artist(s) of 2014.

Here are some tunes by the three top performers in this stage, and below are also the top 5 with links to each act’s music.

1. Ben Kessler (pictured)

—

2. Those People

—

3. The Mellowells

—

Here’s this poll’s top 5 chart, full results can be found here. 

PHILLY’S BEST OF 2014 – FANS’/READERS’ POLL RESULTS   Artists Votes   1 Ben Kessler 299 2 Those People 250 3 The Mellowells 172 4 Bondage & Discipline 145 5 Cave People 137

Cheers, 

The Deli’s Staff

With the exception of a few big shows, stoner metal quintet Ruby The Hatchet have recently been taking somewhat of a break from their usual active performance schedule. However, it’s been for a good reason since they’ve been hard at work recording their new album, Valley of the Snake, which they’ve planned on celebrating for the very appropriate date of Friday the 13th. With the day finally here, the band fully intends to pull out all the stops during their release show tonight at Underground Arts. The record will be officially available on February 24 via Tee Pee Records, but you can pre-order your copy HERE. They’ll be joined by local friends Gondola, Brooklyn’s The Golden Grass, and San Diego’s Joy. Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill St., 9pm, $10, 21+ – Bill McThrill