With their latest LP Relief appropriately scheduled for release this summer, June 24 (to be exact), via Downtown Records & Create/Control, Vacationer’s new single “In The Grass” is a casually breezy track that makes you longingly daydream for the days of lounging on a beach. It’s simply a reminding that summer is just around bend, but unfortunately, it’s still not soon enough for us.

Let the post-punk pairing of Alex Karaba and Dan Colanduno, a.k.a. Slow Animal, jump-start your week with “The Other Side,” the title track off their new EP due out today. Recorded and produced by Kyle “Slick” Johnson and Corey Wilson at Fancy Time studios, the song implements a short-fuse opening before explosively breaking out. You can download it for free below.

Congrats to local indie-rock power trio Beach Slang who recently signed to talent booking powerhouse The Agency Group! The band is made up of Weston guitarist James Snyder, NONA bassist Ed McNulty, and Ex Friends drummer JP Flexner. Beach Slang also just digitally released its debut four-song EP Who Would Ever Want Anything So Broken? (dig the title), which will be available on vinyl via Dead Broke Rekerds this late spring/early summer. You can stream the record in its entirety below. Cheers, fellas!

Stalker-y vibes are all around in Northern Arms‘ new video for the first single, "What You’ve Got On," off their forthcoming self-titled LP. The record will be available on June 17 via BITBY, and it contains tracks that were produced by Uniform Recording’s Jeff Zeigler, Miner Street Recordings’ Brian McTear and Mike Kennedy (Matt Pond Pa, BC Camplight). The band will be having an early celebration for the album’s release on Friday, May 30 at Johnny Brenda’s.

Enjoying this lazy Sunday morning with a performance of "Full Moon" by Grammy-nominated/Emmy winner Khari Mateen. It was recorded on July 27, 2013 at Chris’ Jazz Cafe. You can also listen to and download for free the original studio version featuring emcee STS, a.k.a. Sugar Tongue Slim, HERE.

When Mat Burke set out to record his new album at the end of the holidays, things took a turn for the worse when a robber broke into his house and stole $10000+ worth of equipment, including several pieces that he borrowed from the studio that he was recording at. Underground Arts were quick to help by offering up their space and staff for him to host a fundraiser, and tonight Burke and several of his friends from the Philly music community will attempt to recoup some of the money that’s needed to replace the stolen items. The multi-talented and vivacious Ali Wadsworth will be performing with her backing band as of late, Satellite Hearts. They are currently having a serious music love affair. Levee Drivers will be providing their patented booze-tinged, rural-boy swagger with a heart of gold for the evening, and Dan Bruskewicz, a.k.a. TJ Kong, minus the Atomic Bomb, will be crooning the audience with Tom Waits songs and music from his latest album KONG. The evening will also feature the Philly return of the Brothers Murphy of Penrose, who recently relocated to Brooklyn. Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill St., 9pm, $10 21+ – Bill McThrill

Upon our first listen to "Streetcat Bonfire" by I IM EYE MY, a new project from Al Creedon (Bleeding Rainbow) and Sean Hamilton (Spacin’, Acid Kicks), we knew it was something that we could really sink our teeth into. The hypnotic tribal percussions mixed with all the fuzzed-out noise, drone and ominous chants made us immediately press "play" again. You’ll be able to find it on their upcoming cassette, 7 Transmissions, is being released by LA-based Not Not Fun, which is due out this spring.

One of the first questions demanded by Pattern is Movement’s recent self-titled album (via Hometapes) is “why the hell is this the self-titled album?” Such a thing is typically reserved for a group’s freshman effort, and not only is this the band’s fifth album, but they’ve been putting out music since 2004. It’s unorthodox, to say the least. But upon listening to the record, the second since they broke down to a minimalist two-person outfit in 2008, it becomes rather clear; the self-titled is meant to define a band’s sound and create their baseline, and Chris Ward and Andrew Thiboldeaux consider themselves to only just now have reached that point. This is their way of finally defining themselves as a band, and it sounds wild and fantastic.

To summarize, the most recent development of the band’s sound is a difficult task, since it’s really a great deal more than the sum of its genres and musical elements. It’s definitively indie, but with elements of ambient, folk, experimental math rock and even soul, all blended into its DNA, with just a hint of European sensibility. It’s almost impossible to not draw a comparison to the band Beirut and not just because of how eerily similar the two vocalists sound. Pattern is Movement captures the same sense of almost exuberant melancholy, and even manages to surpass it.

It’s difficult to hear that the band is a two-man outfit without being at least a bit incredulous. The very idea that this group is limited in manpower in any way whatsoever is almost unbelievable; if anything, their most recent album sounds like the culmination of an Arcade Fire-esque indie rock orchestra, with a huge variety of instrumentals weaving in and out of one another seamlessly. Piano, accordion, bass, and a varity of string instruments all make appearances (all played by the singular Andrew Thiboldeaux) draped over Ward’s substantial percussion.

And it’s just as seamless that the band manages to blend highbrow orchestral folk with more accessible elements of indie shoegaze and math rock, creating a sense of real artistic unpredictability, while maintaining a consistent and enjoyable sound – not surprising from a band who once backed Annie Clark, a.k.a. St. Vincent. Pattern is Movement finds the line of balance between weird and familiar, and positively jumps rope with it. The band accomplishes the rare task of managing to sound lofty without ever coming across as pretentious. And special praise needs to be given to Thiboldeaux’s aforementioned vocals; they’re simply haunting. The crooning, Sigur Ros-esque lyrics are the center piece of the album, acting as the anchor for the bands increasingly outlandish instrumentals.

The result is heady, weird and even sexy (but in a confusing, subtle way), but at all times cool. Its soothing and enticing, and at times a bit morose. Pattern is Movement has a way of blending a sense of depth and an accessible tone for an album that begs repeat listens.

Below is an acoustic performance by Modern Baseball‘s Brendan Lukens and Jacob Ewald of "Rock Bottom," off the band’s latest LP You’re Gonna Miss It All. It was record at the group’s house for Philly-based Space Jam Sessions, which was created by Ally Newbold & Zac Suskevich. You can also view the duo performing "Two Good Things" from the same album HERE. The whole band will be performing next in Philly on June 1 at The Barbary.