New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Poison Boys released a new 7” EP earlier this month called “Poppin’ Eyes and Flashing Feet” via White Zoo Records. This is the throwback rock sounds of Matt Dudzik (vocals, guitar), Adam Sheets (Bass), Steve Elfinger (Guitar), and Matt Chaney (Drums). This is the band’s third 7” in as many years.
The boys released a music video for the EP’s lead track track “Bustin’ Out” over the summer which was directed by Michael Gasher of Gasher Film Works.
With an internal monologue that spills out in shimmering, experimental openers, Goodbye, the debut EP from Scotty, has arrived. Acoustic strums and off-kilter keys intermingle as a confessional quality emerges. Isolated observations, brightened by the morphing, instrumental backdrop, generate a zoomed in, but not closed off world. Balancing the stuck-in-your-own-thoughts familiarity with quirky twists, the album is both a place one’s seen, but never been.
It’s hard in our contemporary technological landscape to appreciate all of the new music released on a daily basis; existing artists roll out albums with increasing speed, and it’s never been easier for new bands to release music independently. Sam Barron, frontman and guitarist of New York post-punk (or maybe post-garage?) trio The Come On can relate in a personal capacity – fueled by an anger of necessary breakneck art consumption, he wrote the band’s newest bop, “Checker Charlie,” simultaneously lashing out at society’s lessened attention spans and smartphone-induced social habits. Fittingly, “Checker Charlie” is a scorched-earth scream into the heart of darkness that is the recording industrial process, a track bolstered by discordant guitar riffs and sing-speak lyrics by both Barron and keyboardist-vocalist Mimi Oz. It’s an earworm rebuke of the present made stronger by the track’s reliance on classic rock and roll energy.
If you also share a strong desire to abandon social media and destroy your iPhone, you can catch The Come On at The Bowery Electric on 10.18. Before you do that though, watch their video for "Checker Charlie," directed by Dylan Greenberg, below. – Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt)
Fuzz Rock band Blake released their debut album, Return Me To The Sea, last week. This is the work of Peter Norman, Spencer Quigley, Danny Burke, and Nick Cvijovic.
Directed by Austin Elston and Emily Gallagher, the video for Gracie Martin‘s "Siren Song" immediately draws you in. The beautiful contrast between the darkness of the night and the glittery glow of the makeup highlights the tranquil warmth of her vocals. Then, as the scene shifts to the joy of dancing and performing in the streets, there’s a grace and freedom on full display. Martin will be performing next Friday, October 26 as part of the University of Pennsylvania’s Noontime Concert Series. (Photo by Amy Hernandez)
Brooklyn indie-pop five-piece LEGS are back today with a new single called “Buddies,” a moody track with ominous visuals to match. Opening with a sparse vocal part, “Buddies” slinks into a slow-building electro breakdown about halfway through. The Juan Miguel Marin-directed video finds frontman Tito Ramsay in (presumably) a cab as he watches vignettes of the city from the vantage point of the backseat. As the track picks up, so does the speed of the car; the lights and images of the city at night blur and flash by, creating a real sense of momentum both sonically and visually. Sara Nuta
Grand Canyon sound like seasoned veterans on "Lucinda." There’s a clarity and a richness to the roots rock outfit’s first single, which reaches deep into the heart and soul of traditional rock n’ roll with an open-hearted resonance. Led by the songwriting team of Casey Shea and Amy Wilcox, the band tap into a wide tapestry of eighties pop rock and Americana influences with its expansive, blue-collar-leaning sound. But such descriptors are an afterthought to what is essentially a love song through and through, a yearning, bittersweet ballad that is otherwise performed with a tuneful grace.
"Lucinda" is featured on Grand Canyon’s forthcoming self-titled debut record, which is out on November 9 via Bodan Kuma Recordings. Catch them at the Bootleg Theater on November 7. Juan Rodríguez
Whatever they decide to call themselves, John Dwyer and his gang, Oh Sees, are one of our all-time favorite non-Philly acts, and they’ll be bringing their Left Coast brand of psych-punk to Union Transfer for the first time this Saturday, October 20, with Merge Records’ Escape-ism, featuring Ian Svenonious (of D.C. outfits Nation of Ulysses, The Make-Up, Weird War, XYZ, and Chain and The Gang). To enter for a chance to win a pair of tix, just send an email to thedelimagazinephiladelphia@gmail.com with the subject line "a.k.a. Thee Oh Sees, OCS, The Oh Sees, etc." Please also include your cell number in the body of the message (in case of an emergency). Good luck!
Wax Wav’s sophomore EP, aptly titled EP2, is out now. With Lynna Stancato (formerly of The National Rifle and Bondage & Discipline) joining the fold, the band hits the ground running, addressing societal issues and how they affect our personal lives. Finding a balance between frustration and aggression, the music pushes ahead with an optimistic composure, calling listeners to action in anthemic union. You can catch the band at The Pharmacy on Saturday, November 10, as part of a lineup that also includes Breaklite, Gallons of Pork, and The Valets.
The brainchild of Meghan Rose and Jake Ripp-Dieter, NYC alt rockers Loud Soft Loud inhale different music styles and breath out something that’s both accessible and edgy. Bringing to mind a blend of Queens of the Stone Age’s heavy riffs and Joan Jett swagger, their new song/video combo ‘Date With Myself’ is an ode to self-love which perfectly demonstrates the band’s searing distorted sound and Meghan’s powerful voice. They’ll be performing next at the Footlight on Sunday 10.28. – Evan Zwisler
The world needs bands with brilliant names, so thank goodness for Taco Mouth, who will release their new EP A Deafening Silence on October 26th at The 5 Spot. Taco Mouth formed in late 2017 as the brainchild of Erica Sellers and Angie Lese, two friends who started playing music together as CatFight in Louisville in the early 2010s. Nashville indie vets may know Sellers and Lese from The Dead Deads, the spiritual predecessor to Taco Mouth. Their music still sears eardrums with its punk inspiration; they seek to create songs that would’ve captivated audiences at CBGB or the Troubadour back in the underground’s first golden age. Watch the video for Taco Mouth’s first single "You Say" below, and catch the release party for A Deafening Silence on October 26th. – Will Sisskind
The trio of Kelsey Stewart, Andy Staszkiw, and Zack Sternwalker, a.k.a. Potential Gospel, recently shared a new single. "Song of Sweetness" emerges from the chill of morning with an enchanting folk-surf feel. It serves as an invitation to connect on a personal level with a dream-like/mythical ambiance. Take an affectionate stroll, and let the peripheral world temporarily wash away.
