Last night, The War on Drugs made a surprise appearance at The Boot & Saddle under the name "Dead Greg"! They performed to 100 or so people, and the set went about 90 mins. (You can check out some photos from the evening by Scott Troyan HERE.) If you missed out on yesterday and Friday’s "Free at Noon," then you have your final chance to catch them tommorow night at Union Transfer, before they head out on tour. However, don’t kill the messeger – it’s already sold out. But "where there’s a will, there’s a way." And some cash doesn’t hurt either. ;o)

Good morning! Did today’s snow and chill snap you out of your springtime daydream? Well, throw your middle fingers to the air, and bash the hell outta something to the soundtrack of Leather‘s lupine new record Easy! The band quietly dropped the nine-track album last week, and the release once again loudly demonstrates why the hardcore four-piece is the real deal from Philly with no need (or desire) for hype. (And Noisey’s Dan Ozzi definitely slept on these guys for his half-assed piece about the Philly punk scene.)

Below is the latest single, "Asha," from West Chester duo Vita and the Woolf, comprised of Jen Pague and Joey Anderson. The band’s name is derived "from the love relationship between writers, Vita Sack-ville West and Virginia Woolf." The track is off their upcoming album Fang Song, due out this spring. (Photo by Cameron Starr)

After a long two-and-a-half year wait, indie surf-punk four-piece Vintage Kicks finally released on March 1, Suburban Sunshine, the vibrant follow-up to their well-received debut King Geek. The end result is seven fast-paced riff-heavy and synth-laden indie-rock anthems that make for a head-bobbing good time. Vintage Kicks will be celebrating its release at Kung Fu Necktie tonight, and they’ll be joined by Black Dirty, who dropped their debut EP Dirty Water last year. Rounding out the lineup will also be alt-rock outfit The Sixties. Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 7pm, $5, 21+ – Bill McThrill

And now here’s another case this week of being puked on for "art." Check out Pine Barons‘ new music video for the track "Don’t Believe What They Told You" below! It’s off the group’s debut self-titled album. There are really a lot of great images captured and edited by Caitlin McCann. The band will be part of a solid lineup this evening at MilkBoy Philly that also includes Commonwealth Choir and Big Tusk, who are putting out a limited-edition cassette Philly Tapes Philly Vol. 1: Big Choir, where both bands perform on each other’s songs, and Broklyn indie rockers Vintage Villain.

The War on Drugs have already been gaining a tremendous amount of buzz for their newest album Lost In The Dream, and if you’ve had the chance to stream it in its entirety over at NPR’s First Listen, then you may understand why. In a time when many Philly acts are gaining a new found following at SXSW, The War on Drugs will be performing at World Café Live today for WXPN’s Free at Noon with loved ones, diehard fans and those who were smart enough to stay in Philly this year. Hopefully you reserved your spot on the RSVP list for the sold-out live taping. And if you’re one of the unlucky, you can at least listen to it on the XPN website while you purchase tickets to The War on Drugs’ record release show this coming Tuesday, March 18 at Union Transfer. World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St, 12pm, SOLD OUT, All Ages – Bill McThrill

We caught Ecstatic Vision‘s opening set at Johnny Brenda’s for Creepoid‘s record release show. Featuring ex-A Life Once Lost guitarist Doug Sabolick and drummer Jordan Crouse with Michael Connor on bass, the power trio demonstrated that they are seasoned and not afraid to go for it on stage, tearing through the silence of the room with their brand of heavy psych rock akin to groups like Amon Duul and Hawkwind. Below is a sampling, "Astral Plane," from a demo that they shared towards the end of last year. Their debut record Sonic Praise is currently slated for release in November.

I think that it’s safe to say our love for Radiator Hospital runs deep here at The Deli. The project’s creator and frontman Sam Cook-Parrott is a master wordsmith. Revealing so much heartache and emotion in every one of his lines, I can’t help but swoon and sway uncontrollably to his tunes. If you’ve caught Radiator Hospital live recently, then you should know that he has found a rockin’ band to back him since coming to Philly from Michigan; however, tonight, Cook-Parrott returns to his bedroom roots, performing solo this evening at Golden Tea House. Joining him on the bill will be power popster Spoonboy, Theo Grizol (of Defiance, Ohio and Nana Grizol), and melancholic duo Hot Tears. Golden Tea House, (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.), 8pm, $5 – $7, All Ages – H.M. Kauffman

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If you didn’t know already, Cruiser‘s Andy States has some serious skills when it comes to writing uber-catchy indie pop. Match his track, "Moving To Neptune" (from Cruiser’s debut self-titled EP) with the pipes of singer-songwriter Lucy Stone, and you have something that might be even more infectious than the original. Check out her rendition of the song for Root Down In The Shadow‘s Cover Club below!

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