While I tend to shy away from the larger shows these days and prefer to hide out at home or in the local smaller music venues, I can’t help but be drawn to the warehouse space of the Electric Factory tonight for Gogol Bordello. Eugene Hutz will be in town with his caravan of musical misfits spreading the gospel of their old world meets new world order Gypsy punk which should be reason enough to pull me out of this winter hermit-ish state that I’ve been in (hard not to be with all this goddamn cold and snow!). But admittedly, I’ll really be there for our local madmen clad in white Man Man. It’s been a while since we’ve had a chance to catch a live performance from Philly’s favorite sons. They’ve taken a little hiatus from touring this past year working on their upcoming new album in Omaha. And leading purveyor of chaos Honus Honus a.k.a. Ryan Kattner has certainly been staying busy recently with his new side project and indie supergroup Mister Heavenly, which also features Nick Diamond (Islands and Unicorns) and Joe Plummer (Modest Mouse). Mister Heavenly announced that they signed to Sub Pop at the end of last month even before playing a single show (that I know of), but it’s not surprising with each members’ indie music pedigree. And when they finally made their first appearance opening for Passion Pit on the Left Coast, the band had in tow actor and Diamond’s buddy, Michael Cera, on bass, which created quite a furious media storm on the internet. Also judging by the live footage of Mister Heavenly’s new material, the tunes are pretty badasssss with Kattner and Diamond trading off on vocals accompanied by their self-proclaimed “Doom Wop” arrangements. I’d suggest all to catch Man Man when you can because you never know what Kattner’s busy calendar will hold for their live performance schedule in the future. But luckily with a new Man Man album in the works for Anti- Records, there should be at least a tour to follow. Toms River, New Jersey’s (and I wish that they were Philly’s) River City Extension will also be opening the evening which is definitely an added bonus. I had a chance to catch them last year at The Fire, and could instantly tell that their folk-ish sound fuel-injected with plenty of horns had a bright future. Glad to see River City Extension getting their opportunity on the big stage in front of what should be a lively audience. Already wishing right now that the local support acts will have longer sets. Electric Factory, 421 N. 7th St., 8pm, $37.40, All Ages (Photo by Shawn Brackbill) – Q.D. Tran

 

 

Weathervane’s “Shaking Through” Kickstarter Fundraiser Part Deux is coming to a close. You have a few more days to contribute to the homegrown music/video project as well as the chance to own some neat items from your favorite “Shaking Through” artists like Reading Rainbow, The Antlers, Sharon Van Etten and many more. And if you have some serious bucks ($2,000), you can actually receive “Executive Producer” credits for an episode of your choice. But we know. Times are tight. Donate what you can. It will still be greatly appreciated. You can also help out tonight by showing up at KFN. Turning Violet Violet have offered to donate their earnings from this evening’s performance. All donations are tax deductible. (Well, maybe not for tonight’s show. But if the IRS actually hunts you down for a measly $5, then there are definitely some serious problems with government spending that we should all be worried about. However, we think Brian McTear shouldn’t mind printing up a receipt for you.) Thanks. – The Deli Staff

 

So how were everyone’s holidays? Even though they’re just about over by now, that doesn’t mean the mood is over. Machine Gun Joe clearly know what’s up. Even in their noisier moments, there’s a kind of wintry hush in their music. The detached quality of the vocals, the low-key acoustics and occasional banjo, offer a taste of that universal feeling of driving home in the stillness of the snow at the end of the holiday. The lyrics seem intensely felt and at least a little confessional. Like "Excuses" which talks about (you guessed it) excuses and mistakes. "Summer Sun" may point to the contrary as far as the whole winter feeling goes, but even the quieter spaces in that one prove the most affecting. But don’t forget about Levee Drivers though. They prove themselves just as capable of balladry, but a little more fiery overall. Like Johnny Cash electrified and revamped. Also, stay tuned for Polar Ice Cap. Head on over to the Millcreek Tavern to warm up, and you’ll probably be glad you did. Mill Creek Tavern, 4200 Chester Ave, 9pm, $8, 21+ – Joe Poteracki

 

Your Children is Beautiful (great fuckin’ band name) may look like a scraggly bunch of hipsters that make the dirtiest lo-fi garage rock, but you know what they say about books and covers. Instead, you’ll find the sweetest indie pop tunes that wrap you in a surprisingly delicate blanket of sensitivity and song craftsmanship goodness. But don’t worry – it’s not that bland overly sensitive singer-songwriter crap that makes you want to cut yourself to feel something more than absolute boredom. Simply stated (and grammatically incorrect): Your Children is Beautiful’s songs is beautiful. Check out our interview with them below and discover a band that is a good argument for why Northeast Philly might not be that cultural wasteland that you know and dislike.

 

The Deli: How did the band start? 

 

Your Children is Beautiful: Well, we have all been playing music together in various bands (i.e. 100 ACRES, Seven Twins, Friends and Family) for about 7 or 8 years.  

 

TD: Where did the band name Your Children is Beautiful come from?

 

YCiB: It is hard to explain. We couldn’t decide on a name for a while, and we played one show under the name GNARNIA which no one was really into… So, we were driving down to our friends’ warehouse to record the song Lightning Bug, and we saw a seemingly sweet lady walking across the Roosevelt Boulevard with a bunch of kids. We were really hyped in the car, probably listening to today’s hip-hop and R&B, and we yelled out to her…Your Children Is Beautiful! Then we just decided that the whole moment and feeling of what had just happened was a suitable name for our music. We also enjoy grammatical errors. 
 

TD: What are your biggest musical influences?

 

YCiB: We all listen to a ton of different music. We’ll just name drop a bunch of stuff. Caboder, Space Needle, Blink 182, pretty much any 90s garage rock sounding stuff, Stevie Ray Vaughan, MGMT, Black Flag, Broken Social Scene, The Beach Boys, Ariel Pink, Katy Perry, I don’t know. We listen to Hardcore too… It’s more about the feelings that we get from music than the actual music itself.

 

TD: What artists (local, national and/or international) are you currently listening to?

 

YCiB: Caboder, Kanye West, Mew, Agitator, Saves the Day, Buddy Holly, Broken Social Scene, The Cure, Ugh God.

 

TD: What’s the first concert that you ever attended and first album that you ever bought?

 

YCiB: Albums: Blink 182 – Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, Outkast – Speakerboxxx/The Love Below; Concerts: Creed (with my Dad *no shame*), One:21

 

TD: What do you love about Philly?

 

YCiB: We love Northeast Philly, WAWA, $4.63 PALL MALLS, awesome friends, the fact that we have lived here forever, the Phillies, $5 movies on weekdays at Franklin Mills Mall, Steve’s  Prince of Steaks, Five Guys, basement shows are fun, graffiti, the 76ers when they had Iverson and they were good, and bands that are amazing but never get any recognition.

 

TD: What do you hate about Philly?

 

YCiB: We hate the accent (even though we kind of have it), aggressive drivers, the 58 and the 22 bus, The Greater Northeast, middle-aged men, Mayfair, getting robbed/mugged, cops, and bands that are amazing but never get any recognition.

 

TD: What are your plans for 2011?

 

YCiB: We’re touring East Coast-ish starting january 2nd. Releasing a full-length, hopefully.

 

TD: What was your most memorable live show?

 

YCiB: The show was at "Castle Gay" with Mega Bog, Christmas, and one of Hermit Thrushes projects I don’t know what they called it… It was really fun and it was one of our first shows.  

 

TD: What’s your favorite thing to get at the deli?

 

YCiB: Tuna hoagie with mad stuff on it.

 

– The Deli Staff

 

Party starters Prowler are on the move recently unleashing their third LP. Rhythmic, gritty, with a provocative twist, Wooly Mammoth aims to draw sweat from its listeners by way of the dance floor. Guest appearances by Reef the Lost Cauze and Plastic Little, keep already hot tracks like “Nighty Nightlife” and “More Spooky Pussy” ultra-fresh. In the face of a chilly winter, Prowler aims to keep you warm.

Starting off with thick vibrations compliments of  “Alligator”, Wooly Mammoth’s first shreds hard with tight percussion and enigmatic vocals à la Keith Greiman. In a less abrasive take in the spirit of acts like The Blood Brothers (i.e. “Cecilia and the Silhouette Saloon” – nix all the screaming), the intro to “Alligator” builds piece by piece, each component easing flawlessly into the other throughout the song’s progression. “Automagically” is lyrically advantageous beside electro chords and funky riffs. Lines like “I do what I want to, I’m out to get you” casts Prowler as audible predators, ready to strike track after track. “Doo Doo Get Down” sizzles with handclaps while “Nighty Nightlife” plays out as a clever snapshot of Philly’s local nightlife through the eyes of the lurking band members and hip hop heavy-hitter Reef the Lost Cauze. Needless to say, sick beats ensue. “Saturnalian” is fabulously spacey with synth and staccato shakes, allowing the musical outfit to make the most of a nearly instrumental track amped up via vocals mid-song. “Kiss My Face” and “Shatter the Moon” make comparable quirk smiths like Rafter seem lacking due to Prowler’s knack for crafting aural treats. “More Spooky Pussy” feels like a club jam. The meshing of Plastic Little’s verses and Greiman’s vocals with fantabulous beats makes this electro hip hop track a standout on the album. “Sweet Tooth” is sparse in terms of instrumentation, yet eerily moves. Topping off Wooly Mammoth with OdinSmith’s remix of the album’s opener “Alligator”, the album ties up loose ends and leaves all with a sense of Prowler’s potential to create tunes that can simultaneously assault and seduce its listeners. – Dianca Potts

 

Being snowed in had its fun moments for us once our crazy relatives left and we made it past those Shining thoughts. It gave us an excuse to be lazy and get a chance to check out artists that have been popping up on our DIY Calendar that we’re not familiar with. Cookie Rabinowitz was certainly a sweet surprise! It’s a new music project/animated series from Schoolly D, Kevin Hanson and Julius Curso. Combining sexified jams with outlandish can’t-help-but-make-you-grin lyrics, it’s like watching a sci-fi mash-up of South Park and Flight of the Conchords with a cartoon Dwight Shrute as the star. Come on Adult Swim – pick this shit up already! They’ll be playing the final show of their December residency at the Grape Room tomorrow night. Hopefully there will be enough cash in Philly’s government budget to clear the roads by then. Check out one of their hilarious videos below. You can also view the rest of the series here. Enjoy! – The Deli Staff

 

It’s Christmas Eve, and we’re getting ready to be gluttonous with family and friends! We’ll be back very soon. We might be a little sporadic with postings next week. We’re taking advantage of the holiday lull to take care of some administrative and maintenance work that has been a long time coming. But then again, we might get bored and have plenty of things to help you get through this holiday season. Anyhoo, we make no promises, and we are psyched to take a break from behind our computers to have a little holiday fun of our own, but we’ll definitely be back in full force next year. And we are sure the Philly music scene will be as well. There’s a lot of great local music to look forward to in 2011 so get ready for good things to come! – The Deli Staff

 

We mentioned Black Thought’s new project Money Making Jam Boys and shared with you their recent video for “Judgment Day”, which has us excited for their upcoming mixtape. Well, Truck North, one of the MMJB crew, just dropped the track “Y’all Know Who”. Its backdrop should be a familiar beat for you (from Jay Electronica’s “The Ghost of Christopher Wallace”). Special thanks to Okayplayer for sharing the jam with us. Check it out below and enjoy! – The Deli Staff

Looks like one of those heavily packed local bills will be taking over The Fire tonight with some of the usual suspects. We have Mad Dragon breakouts (and partially broken-up) Toy Soldiers coming together to infuse their trademark whiskey-and-tight-jeans blues-soaked roots rock. There’s also the eccentric folk of Michael McShane, a.k.a Cowmuddy, who, under the moniker, twists weird alt-Americana harvest tales that’s more grounded earth than bemoaning spectacles. And we can’t forget North Lawrence Midnight Singers,who just released their latest effort, Last Great Saturday Night, last month. Their polished urban country allegories blend willowy pastoral melodies with wistful indie sanguinity. But the most electrifying set – and slightly unusual for this bill – may come early from Girls Rock Philly alum Attia Taylor. With her feathery vocal echoes gliding over infectious cosmic digital lip smacks, Taylor’s minimalist twee-pop is delightfully explosive, despite its unadorned tresses. Tack on the dark, brooding folk rock of Kingston’s The Ends of the Earth. It’s bound to be a good night, y’all. The Fire, 412 W. Girard Ave, 9pm, $5, 21+ – Annamarya Scaccia

 

 

Get into the holiday spirit of donating to a good cause while checking out some local talent in the process! Rock to the Future is a brand new and very needed free afterschool music education program that opened to Philadelphia School District students this fall. This program strives to improve cognitive & creative thinking, socialization skills, and more by giving kids the chance to attend musical seminars and workshops. Tonight World Café Live hosts a very special benefit that donates its proceeds to this cause that will feature an assortment of exciting musicians. Troubadours The Josh & Pete Band will not only be playing in the headlining slot, but some of their members will also be taking part in a set from collaborative The Best Westerns (which also features members of Eat Your Birthday Cake and Conversations with Enemies). New Motels will be bringing the good time tunes from their album Tilbury Sweat, which was recorded with gifted producer Bill Moriarty (Man Man, Dr. Dog, Drink Up Buttercup), that you shouldn’t miss if you plan to make it this evening. You can check out the music video for their very radio-friendly track “My Radio” below. Rounding out the lineup will be stone cold alt-rockers Big Terrible. World Café Live (Upstairs), 3025 Walnut St., 8pm, $12, 21+ – Bill McThrill