Icebird is the new project from rjd2 (a.k.a. Ramble John “RJ” Krohn) and Aaron Livingston (The Mean). They just released their debut full-length album The Abandoned Lullaby last week and wrapped up a mini-tour as a five-piece band in support of it with RJ pulling double duty opening and headlining. Icebird is also running a remix competition for their latest single “Charmed Life,” where you can win some neat prizes. (You can check out the deets for the contest HERE which ends at 11:59pm on October 31.) The friendly duo was nice enough to meet with us before their debut Philly performance this past Friday at Union Transfer. It was a fun interview where we found out some things that you probably didn’t know about the tandem like oddly what you might find RJ doing to unwind after a show or what song Aaron’s mom slapped the shit out of him for singing when he was little or even knowledge for your next trivial pursuit game like what chaff is. You can learn about all that and more in our interview with Icebird HERE.

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up that The Deli and Bands in the Backyard will be premiering BITBY’s October Episode featuring Arc In Round this Friday, October 21 at our event’s new home Little Bar (738 S. 8th St.). We’ll also have live sets from Ages, Renderers, Sore Eros, and Not Fur Longs as well as DJ sets from the BITBY crew, Faux Slang, and Arc In Round. And as always, please enjoy the tasty beer special provided by our sponsor Sixpoint Brewery. We look forward to hanging with you sooner than later. Cheers!

Below is a new track from Wigwams called “For Isabel Castillo” which is on their upcoming debut 5-song EP International that will be available on October 31. They’ll also be celebrating the albums release and Halloween at the TLA opening for Battles and Nissenenmondai.

Promising to “dance with the devil by the pale moonlight” tonight at the Little Bar, the minimalist synth-pop/Cold Wave project Void Vision’s eerie futuristic sounds may actually harken old Beelzebub to venture into South Philly’s newest little music hotspot. Once spooky dance partners with Hayden Payne, Shari Vari (a.k.a. Shari Volin) has now journeyed off alone into the abyss of the music world. But this evening she’ll be sharing the newly built Little Bar stage with fellow Brooklyn Cold Wavers Dream Affairs and NYC Kraut-punkers The Men. Ha…expect to see plenty of people dressed in black kind of dancing. Little Bar, 738 S. 8th St., 8pm, $6, 21+ (Photo by Zinc Inc.) – Alexis V.

Weird Hot, the new project of Shawn Kilroy, is a surreal and romantic art-rock experience. His debut under the current moniker is at times dreamy, psychedelic folk, and other times slow-burning rock such as “Metal Demon” which sounds like Neil Young backed by Tran Siberian orchestra. The album is concise but explores a multitude of different genres. And those guitar solos! They are playing tonight at Johnny Brenda’s opening up for Philly’s most unlikely successful musical duo in Slo-Mo and Mic Wrecka. Led by Mike “Slo-Mo” Brenner on slide guitar and vox and featuring Mic Wrecka, these dudes got popular with “My Buzz Comes Back” that song you heard a billion times when it was released. Come check it all out and bring an extra face, because I expect some seriously face-melting guitar solos tonight. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9pm, $10, 21+ – Adam G.

Mimeograph by Weird Hot

rjd2 is opening tonight at Union Transfer for, well…himself. Actually, he’s paired up with Aaron Livingston (The Mean) for his latest soulful project Icebird, and this evening will be their Philly live performance debut. Icebird just dropped their new full-length album The Abandoned Lullaby earlier this week, and have been on a mini-tour as a five-piece band testing out the material. But rjd2 will also be throwing down for his fans to close out the evening. You should definitely get there early to catch show opener and another brilliant hometown sound artist Lushlife (a.k.a. Raj Haldar). Things are goin’ to be poppin’ at UT so be prepared to boogie! Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden Street, $15 – $17, 8:30 pm, All Ages – Brandi Lukas

Arrah & the Ferns are digitally releasing a new 6-song EP entitled Soldier Ghost. The band has gone through many changes since their humble beginnings in Muncie, Indiana (HUDSUCKER PROXY!), but what has remained constant are their infectiously fun, upbeat tunes and the truly charming vocals of the former Midwestern Christian turned Philly agnostic songstress, Ms. Arrah Fisher. And though she was welcomed to our City of Brotherly Love with a mugging at gunpoint, her songwriting still remains hopeful. Arrah & the Ferns will be celebrating their release tonight at PhilaMOCA with other Deli faves Univox and Conversations with Enemies (who will also be performing for free tomorrow at noon with Algernon Cadwallader for Philly Against War at Independence Mall), but before this party gets started, we had chance to get a little more personal with Arrah HERE.

Pumpkin by Arrah & the Ferns

Awww…the weekend is almost here, and we hope that this weekend’s fun comes close to last weekend, but we highly doubt it. Well, below is a video that brings smiles to our faces from our 3rd Anniversary Bash at Kung Fu Necktie last Friday. BTW: Where is that giant menorah that they’re talking about? We want in!