The Cave Singers headline Johnny Brenda’s tonight.  Splitting their four full-length releases between Matador and Jagjaguwar, the Seattle based band are celebrating the March release of Naomi with this current tour.  The Cave Singers have a jug-and-washboard-folk style that is at once mysterious and authentic, walking a line between old-soul and modern sensibilities.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show with Bleeding Rainbow and Wrong World can be found here.  Watch the Cave Singers perform “Swim Club” at Pickathon below.

90s hard rock outfit Living Colour plays The Keswick Theater tonight, celebrating the 25th anniversary of their breakout album Vivid. The show begins at 8 p.m. with the School of Rock allstars opening, tickets and more information can be found at the venue’s website. Below, watch the music video for Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality.”

“We recorded Oblivion during the first of three recording sessions for our album Yeah Right,” bassist and singer Sarah Everton tells Rolling Stone. “We wanted to take our harmonies to the extreme – we were listening to a lot of Everly Brothers at the time – and as a way to create tension that’s broken by the pop chorus dropping in.”

Listen to “Oblivion” below. Bleeding Rainbow returns to the Johnny Brenda’s stage next Thursday, April 4th, when they open for The Cave Singers. Tickets and information on the show are available at the venue’s website.

Bleeding Rainbow at SXSW 2012 | Photo by John Vettese

The music portion of the Austin’s annual South by Southwest festival kicks off today, and many of our city’s finest up-and-coming bands have been spent the last week crammed in hatchbacks or vans with amps and instruments, making their trek to Texas. Several have, over the past couple years, recorded Key Sessions in our studio, and today we present you with a downloadable sampler of artists who are repping Philly in in Austin this week.

Beginning with a snappy performance of “Jackie” by Philly pop-rockers Cold Fronts, who won a JanSport competition to be a SXSW featured artist, all the way to the doom-y “Downward Years to Come” from Nothing, it showcases some of the rock (Cheers Elephant), hip-hop (Lushlife) and punk (Lantern) Philly bands on the various bills across Austin. Listen to the set below, download at Soundcloud. And check out some bonus video after the Jump – West Philly’s Waxahatchee performs a ton of shows this week, including an NPR Music showcase with Nick Cave tomorrow, while Bleeding Rainbow is making the rounds as well. See videos of the former playing “Dark Moon” in our studio and the latter tearing up “Get Lost” at Johnny Brenda’s.

Waxahatchee “Dark Moon” – Key Studio Session at WXPN from WXPN FM on Vimeo.

Photo by John Vettese

Bleeding Rainbow’s Yeah Right is the featured album in this edition of Unlocked. Stream spotlighted single “Waking Dream” in Monday’s post; read Tuesday’s album review; see a live vid of “Pink Ruff” Wednesday’s post and read yesterday’s interview. And stay tuned to The Key for future album spotlights on Unlocked.

via East Village Radio

For Philly’s Bleeding Rainbow, it must finally feel like the past year and a half of hard work is paying off. The four-piece band’s third full-length, Yeah Right, dropped last month to their largest audience yet, thanks in part to new record label Kanine. And thanks in part to the sort of quirky, hooky back story that bloggers and music geeks can’t resist: that the name change (to Bleeding Rainbow from Reading Rainbow) was inspired by a disparaging remark from Carrie Brownstein.

The Carrie Brownstein story, it turns out, is mostly embellishment. “It’s barely true,” says one half of founding duo, Sarah Everton (more on that later), who also adds that it’s “total coincidence” that the change coincided with line-up changes (the band grew from a three-piece to a four-piece.) “I actually didn’t like making so many changes at once,” she explains. “Because I didn’t want people to dissociate everything we did before with what we’re doing now. … I didn’t want people to think we were a new band. We would have continued to evolve anyway, even if it was just me and Rob, or me and Rob and Al.”

Rob and Al are, of course, Rob Garcia, Everton’s husband and guitarist/vocalist, and Al Creedon, guitarist. Together with drummer Greg Frantz, they craft the sort of wicked, mind-bending jams that rile live audiences and reel in headphoners—the final and key ingredient to Bleeding Rainbow’s growing fan base.

The band’s decision to add a fourth member grew from the Yeah Right recording process—a year-long journey of nurturing and development that began in late 2011 when they started writing songs as a three-piece—and ended nearly a year later, after a whirlwind of re-recording and refining.

“We spent almost a month in January 2012 recording 12 songs, back when we were still a three-piece,” says Garcia, delving into the details. “Sarah, Al and I played all the drums on the record. And we had just three more songs we were gonna record with [Philly producer] Kyle “Slick” Johnson…and we realized while we were recording that we needed a drummer.”

After trying out a few drummers, they clicked with Frantz, and recorded three new songs. “We were really excited about everything,” recalls Garcia. But when they went label-hunting at last year’s South by Southwest festival, Kanine dug what they heard, but wanted it remixed. So it was back to the drawing board, and another month in the studio with Johnson.

Luckily, everyone agrees, the delay was worth it. “We knew we wanted a certain aesthetic, and certain vibes for the songs, and Kyle was right there to help us,” says Garcia.

The finished product was certainly worth the wait—Yeah Right is the band’s most nuanced record yet, full of high-energy, harmony-laden ragers, and hazy, shoegaze burners. The expanded line-up means songwriting is more complex and evolved—though Creedon notes that “the heart of a song is almost always [still] Rob or Sarah coming up with a riff or a melody, which we then take and start poking at.”

Being a four-piece is more fun too, especially when it comes to live performances.

“I used to get super nervous before every show, because being the drummer, there’s so much pressure,” says Everton, who played drums live before Frantz came aboard. “Now I just get really excited.”

To help ward off stage fright, she briefly dabbled with alternative methods previously: “A long time ago Rob and I would do this thing where we would carry around quartz crystals,” she says, explaining that the crystals were supposed to bring them luck. “And then there was that one time where we both forgot our quartz crystals. And we played the show…and then afterwards I was like, ‘It wasn’t the crystals! It was us all along!’”

Quartz crystals might not factor into the band’s success anymore, but the city of Philadelphia still plays a huge part in their mindset and process. Creedon jokes that folks from Philly “got the struggle,” and Garcia points out that most local bands are working class, and have to work extremely hard to find success.

“Sarah and I moved here 6 years ago,” says Garcia, who previously resided in Virginia. “And I just feel like: Philadelphia is not New York City. Philly has a lot of struggle and we all have the biggest chips on our shoulders because nothing is ever handed to us. With our band, we never had any contacts, and spent years playing house shows before we even got paid. You can hear it in the music.”

Everton agrees. “I get annoyed when people think we’re from Brooklyn,” she adds, noting the flood of buzz bands hailing from said borough. “I’m always like, ‘No! We’re from Philly.’” She continues. “Brooklyn has all these bands, and all these record labels—including our record label—and as a result, the labels are able to scoop up whatever bands are playing up there all the time, and develop these trendy rosters.” She pauses. “I’m bitter. It’s a Philly thing.”

Creedon grins, and clarifies that they actually have nothing against Brooklyn or Brooklyn labels. “We talk a lot of trash,” he says. “We’ll just sit around and talk trash sometimes. But we also give credit where credit is due.

When Bleeding Rainbow aren’t playing shows (or talking trash), they all have small part-time jobs. “But,” says Garcia, “our band is our life.”

Everton nods. “Rob and I were talking the other day about how having a band is like owning a small business. It’s funny…because you meet people who own small businesses and you’re always like Woah, that’s so crazy. That’s all they do! And you wonder: aren’t they gonna get burnt out? But then…Rob and I probably talk about our band 85% of the time. And when you put it like that, it makes it sound really unhealthy and weird. But it’s not.” She smiles.

Up next, the band is heading out on tour and to SXSW again, with plans to record an EP when they return. “Other than that,” says Garcia, “it’s just looking ahead and trying to figure out how we can do music as much as possible.”

So now back to the Carrie Brownstein rumor.

“The entire story kinda cracks me up,” says Everton, who admits the band allowed the media—including label Kanine—to run with the tale.

For the four of them, however, the whole thing is really one big joke. “Back in the beginning of 2010, she [Brownstein] was blogging for NPR, and had contributed to an All Songs Considered podcast,” explains Everton. “And she chose one of our songs to feature in an episode about…I think it was about new releases that year that she was excited about.” She continues. “And when she introduced it—well first of all, she called us Reading Rainbows, which is already funny—she said something like, ‘This next song is by a band called Reading Rainbows, which is not your first choice of band name in the band name grab bag.’ Or something. And I was like, ‘Oh man, Carrie Brownstein doesn’t like our band name.’”

She goes on. “So anyway, that was a few years ago. And then when we did change our name, I just thought it was funny to include that incident on our list of reasons. It actually had nothing to do with the change.”

Garcia concurs. “Really, we were mainly afraid of the threat of a law suit. And we were really sick of reviews that talked about LeVar Burton, and Reading Rainbow, and Star Trek. It’s just something people got hung up on.”

Now that the band’s laid these rumors to rest once and for all, they sincerely hope that people will move beyond them. The Carrie Brownstein story might have attracted attention initially—but it’s what really matters—the music—that make Bleeding Rainbow a lasting force.

Bleeding Rainbow plays Johnny Brenda’s tonight, February 14. The 21+ show begins at 9:00 and tickets are $10; more information can be found via the venue’s website.

Yeah Right is the featured album in this edition of Unlocked. Stream spotlighted single “Waking Dream” in Monday’s post, read Tuesday’s album review; see a killer live vid in yesterday’s post, and check back tomorrow for a special musical surprise from the band.

Still riding high from the release of their debut full-length a few weeks ago, Philly’s Bleeding Rainbow headline Johnny Brenda’s tonight.  The duo-turned-quartet signed to Kanine Records last fall and though the release date was pushed back several months, the noise-punk band put out their gloriously shoe-gazey Yeah Right LP in January.  Yeah Right is The Key’s featured album for this week’s Unlocked series, which means you can dig into it with a review here (and an interview later today).  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show at Johnny Brenda’s with Pet Milk and Ghost Light can be found here.  Watch a new video for “Waking Dream” from Yeah Right below.

On the other Kung Fu Necktie stage tonight, you’ll find local harpist Mary Lattimore performing with Jeff Zeigler. This collaboration is but one on each musician’s long list of projects, Lattimore’s including work with Thurston Moore, Kurt Vile and Meg Baird and Zeigler’s expanding with his band Arc in Round and production work for The War on Drugs, Ape School and others.  When the two pair up for nights like tonight, though, the result is about as far away from those other projects as possible.  Lattimore’s dreamy harp compositions and Zeigler’s warpy but gentle synth layers froth with emotion and understanding.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show with Trummors, Fred Thomas and Morning River Band can be found here.  Stream Mary Lattimore and Jeff Zeigler’s improvised Folkadelphia session below and learn more about Lattimore’s debut full-length The Withdrawing Room here.

Philebrity and BITBY.TV have teamed up to bring you the hoppin-est Valentine’s Day variety show in town at Underground Arts tonight.  WIth love-themed sets by Juston Stens & The Get Real Gang, Blayer Pointdujour, Katie Frank & The Pheromones, J.M.M. Sweeney Jr. (Mr. Philebrity himself) and others, the event lays claim to being “the city’s only destination for old school-style slow dancing,” with the groove being set by DJ Langor.  More information for the 21+ show can be found on the Facebook event page here.  Stream and download “Strange Love” by Juston Stens & Jessica Lea Mayfield (part of the With Love, From WXPN Philly Local sampler).

Also happening:

XPN welcomes New Jersey rockers The Smithereens to World Cafe Live in support of their 2011 self-titled record.  At The Sellersville Theater, XPN welcomes long-standing rock ‘n’ roll act Soul Asylum.  And finally at The Fire, XPN welcomes the Northern Liberties Winter Music Fest with American Babies, The Fleeting Ends, Ross Bellenoit, Joe D’Amico Band and Miz.  Tickets and information for all shows can be found here.

Photo by Rachel Del Sordo

Happy Valentine’s Day from Helen Leicht – get free downloads of Philly Local love songs [link]

Philly punks Pissed Jeans ravage the Key Studio Sessions [link]

Indiepop five-piece Catnaps releases a prom-themed music video for “Novelty” [link]

WXPN will broadcast Sunday’s Mumford & Sons concert from the SBC in Camden [link]

Bleeding Rainbow‘s new LP Yeah Right is the subject of the Unlocked showcase [link]

Philly’s Abi Reimold is spotlighted in a Folkadelphia session [link]

See photos from Toro y Moi‘s appearance at Union Transfer [link]

Five Things That Inspired Mary Lattimore’s Debut Album, The Withdrawing Room [link]

Watch local actors, fashion designers and musicians Khari Mateen and Elegant Animals collaborate in a video called The Living [link]

Explore Philadelphia with Dave Hartley of Nightlands and BlackBook Magazine [link]

Kurt Vile announces a headlining Union Transfer show, shares a free download [link]

Philly space-rocker Brendan Codey shares a new track called “Twin Chimney” [link]

UK experimental trio Beak> plays Underground Arts on a snowy night [link]

Photo by Sam Leung | Impose Magazine

“This video cracks me up because you can hear the fog machine,” says Everton. “All that stuff is so goofy. It’s like… ‘Look at us on stage! This is a ROCK show!’”

Leave it to Bleeding Rainbow to make cheesy seem totally punk.

Experience the raucousness yourself tomorrow night when the band plays Johnny Brenda’s. Vibes guaranteed; fog machines optional.

Yeah Right is the featured album in this week’s edition of Unlocked; check out spotlighted single “Waking Dream” in Monday’s post, read yesterday’s album review and check back later in the week for more on Yeah Right.

The dark, dreamy vibes are well-suited for the subject matter as well—Yeah Right teems with images of stars, and space, and drifting along, and songs like “Drift Away” come to life with wiggly guitar and hazy, far-away vocals that feel like they’re wafting towards you in the vacuum of outer space. Opener “Go Ahead” grows from straight-forward rocker to dense, fuzzed-out rager, vocals emerging from the fog to conclude—like a ray of consciousness invading sleep— “it’s all a dream that won’t go away.” And “Cover the Sky” (previously released as a 7” two years back) is thicker and fuller this time around, as if muddled by the very clouds it describes.

“Waking Dream” (featured as a song stream yesterday) is a record high point, with radiant harmonies that bloom and expand, and a breathless chorus that drips with yearning. Its bleary psychedelics hearken back to Prism Eyes, while the skulking bass line and dynamic range showcase a newly formed powerhouse, not afraid to rage. In general, Yeah Right sounds best when it matches its dream pop aesthetic with real momentum and passion—like on early single “Pink Ruff,” which combines Everton’s wailing with a wall of guitars. Closer “Get Lost” punctuates rock guitar with shrill vocals, and “Inside My Head” likewise pairs snarky lyrics with a metronomic beat. These moments of epic build-up and release arise organically, and—the band tells me—are partially inspired by the struggle of city living, and because “nothing in Philly is ever handed to you.” (For more on their thoughts on Philly, stay tuned for our in-depth interview on Thursday.)

The non-ragers, conversely, simmer with intensity—the dark, droning “Shades of Eternal Night”; the muddled, drafty “You’re Not Alone.” While still solid nodders, these tunes, to me, feel less unique, more standard shoegaze fare (though let us not forget the Yeah Right “influences” pie chart was 75% My Bloody Valentine). Still, their quiet intensity makes cathartic moments that much more transcendent, and adds a welcome layer of grunge to a band previously (mis)labelled as “cutesy.” Overall, Yeah Right is an impressive next step from a band that refuses to limit itself—and will undoubtedly continue to grow and evolve in the future.

Yeah Right is the featured album in this edition of Unlocked; hear the spotlighted single “Waking Dream” in yesterday’s post, and check back later in the week for interviews, video and more.

photo by Lily Chou

2013 is already shaping up to be a big year for Philly rockers Bleeding Rainbow. Last month saw the release of their third record and “big” indie debut Yeah Right, which launched the previously little-known foursome to solid buzz band status. It’s the band’s first release since they morphed from a duo to a quartet—and from Reading Rainbow to Bleeding Rainbow—and with the new record comes a new sound. Compared to its predecessors, Yeah Right is thicker, moodier, and dreamier, recasting the band as Philly’s new purveyors of shoegaze.

This week, we’ll be exploring Yeah Right every day on Unlocked, The Key’s regular showcase of new and significant releases from Philadelphia-area artists—in advance of the band’s Valentine’s Day show at Johnny Brenda’s. Tomorrow I’ll review the album; later in the week we’ll share a live video, and chat with the band. Today, we feature a stream of “Waking Dream,” an undeniable record highlight, and sunny journey through beaming guitars and resplendent harmonies. Check it out below — then check back all week for more Yeah Right on Unlocked.

Vacationer bring their inaugural monthly gig to Underground Arts tonight.  The electronic dreamscape creators released their full-length Gone last March.  And though the production is totally 21st century, the album crackles and pulsates with a golden-aged nostalgia for childhood summers and excursions to exotic places.  Also playing tonight are Robert Delong and Cruiser.  Tickets and information for the 21+ show can be found here.  Below, watch Vacationer’s video for “Trip.”

Local pop-rocker Shorty Boy Boy plays MilkBoy tonight.  After releasing 2006′s LP Kicking Your Ass, Then Smoking Your Grass, Shorty Boy Boy’s Josh Pannepacker announced his retirement from music “to focus on getting paid.”  The retirement eventually proved tiresome and Pannepacker was back in action in 2010 with a second LP titled Tru Luv in the works (expected out this spring).  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show at MilkBoy Philly with The Quelle Source and Seamus Browning can be found here.  Watch the video for Shorty Boy Boy’s “Closer” below.

If you were at yesterday’s Free at Noon, you know this already: it is impossible to not smile at a Free Energy show.  The dudes know how to get the crowd dancing with their catchy pop / rock songs.  If you don’t believe me, just listen to their recent full-length Love Sign and see how many beats it takes before you’re on your feet singing into a hairbrush.  Or you could check them out tonight at the Arden Gild Hall when they play with local shoegaze-inspired punks Bleeding Rainbow, who also have a brand new record out called Yeah Right.  Tickets and information for the all-ages show in Arden, DE can be found here.  Below, watch Free Energy’s video for “Girls Want Rock” and listen back to their Free at Noon performance here.

Free Energy – Girls Want Rock (Official Video) from Free Energy on Vimeo.

Philly’s Ape School and The Interest Group join forces tonight at Johnny Brenda’s.   Ape School is the brutally honest, relentlessly sarcastic and incredibly infectious project of man-about-town Michael Johnson.  In addition to recording LPs under that moniker, Johnson has played or recorded with a continually expanding list that currently includes Lilys, Kurt Vile, Nightlands and The War on Drugs.  Most recently, Johnson released his excellent second LP as Ape School called Junior Violence.  Meanwhile, The Interest Group will be premiering a new band and new songs at tonight’s 21+ show with Ramona Falls.  Tickets and information can be found here.  Watch Ape School’s video for “Weak in the Teeth” below.

Photo by Pete Troshak | flickr.com/photos/petryfrompa/sets | twitter.com/shak74

The lineup for the 6th Annual Roots Picnic includes Gary Clark Jr., Lushlife and more [link]

Dave Hartley‘s Top of the Key returns to tell you why the NBA should #LetBonnerShoot [link]

Folk-inspired Philly songwriter Gretchen Lohse records a stunning Key Studio Session [link]

The latest album from Joe D’Amico gets the Unlocked treatment [link]

Portland dance-rock artist ONUINU chats about his upcoming show at Kung Fu Necktie [link]

Get your vote on in The Deli and Tri-State Indie‘s year-in-review polls [link]

Pitchfork gave Bleeding Rainbow‘s new LP a bad review, then premiered it anyway [link]

UK pop singer Jessie Ware played Union Transfer, reminisced about World Cafe [link]

Listen to Simian Mobie Disco recorded live on Making Time RADio [link]

Elder grunge statesmen Soundgarden brought their reunion tour to The Tower Theater [link]

Listen to Yo La Tengo cover The Spinners’ classic “I’ll Be There” from Free at Noon [link]

Ohio singer-songwriter Dolfish is spotlighted in this week’s Folkadelphia session [link]

To be fair, P4K is a big enough machine that it’s naive to expect a universal, definitive opinion from it. The dude assigned to write about the album may not have cared for it, but they can certainly highlight it in other ways. That said, this seems confoundingly polarized. But polarization is what Pitchfork does well. It gets readers and music fans worked up, gets them talking, gets them going to their site. And we’re going to join in the fray and direct you there right now, since I find it almost impossible to believe that Hayden listened to the same album I did when he sat down to review Yeah Right. So make up your own mind, and listen to it here.

(To his credit, Hayden and Bleeding Rainbow Twitter-keeper Sarah Everton had an animated dialogue about the review this morning – and even though I don’t agree with his slant on the album, I appreciate him openly working it out it with her.)

For the non-fazed, Bleeding Rainbow plays Johnny Brendas on Feb. 14 with Ghost Light and Pet Milk. Tickets and information can be found here.

Birdie Busch‘s latest LP, Birdie Busch and The Greatest Night, gets profiled in Unlocked [link]

World Cafe‘s Sense of Place series explores the musical heritage of Memphis [link]

Philly synth-poppers Vacationer announce a monthly music showcase at Underground Arts [link]

Gracie releases a free download and EP details [link]

Emo four-piece Everyone Everywhere records a Key Studio Session [link]

My Morning Jacket’s Jim James announces a solo appearance at Johnny Brenda’s [link]

Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic gives Bleeding Rainbow a shoutout via Twitter [link]

Catnaps premier a playful new music video for “Cherry Lips” [link]

Shorty Boy-Boy also premiers a video for the ultra-catchy “Closer” [link]

Download a song from Kurt Vile‘s reissued Hunchback EP [link]

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds release a lyric video for “Jubilee Street” [link]

Brooklyn singer-songwriter Jason Myles Gross appears in a Folkadelphia session [link]

It was pretty straightforward; Novoselic simply said “I like this band – Bleeding Rainbow” and linked to their Waking Dream 7″ on Bandcamp. But as anybody who has listened to music in the last 20 years knows, that’s a badass endorsement to have. Bleeding Rainbow manager Dryw Scully Instagrammed the tweet, saying “I never repost. But holy shit @rainbowbleeding that dude played bass in a band called Nirvana..” True that.

Bleeding Rainbow’s full-length Yeah Right is out on January 29 on Kanine Records, by the way, and it rules hard. Check out the video for “Drift Away” below.

DRGN KNG Photo by Nicky Devine

Who’d we forget? Probably dozens more. Our apologies if we left you out. We hope you get the point though; these days, Philly is miles deep and miles wide with talent and creativity. If 2012 was a “ten,” here’s 15 reasons why Philly’s music scene is about to go to 11 in 2013.

1. The highly anticipated Kanine Records debut from power punk rockers Bleeding Rainbow, Yeah Right, out on January 29th.

2. Not wanting to be out powered by their noise brothers and sister – Bleeding Rainbow – Purling Hiss tear the blisters off their fingers when they release Water On Mars on Drag City on March 19th. Hiss guitarist Mike Polizze redefines the concept of “shredding.”

3. Not from the old school or from the new, rapper GrandeMarshall is from his own trippy, ethereal school of hip-hop. Recently signed to Fool’s Gold, his 800 mixtape was one of the best of ’12, and there’s more to come in the one-three.

4. The recent return of Reef The Lost Cauze with Reef The Lost Cauze Is Dead.

5. Don’t call it a comeback he’s been here for years: William Hart, lead singer of The Delfonics is back with the sounds of symphonic soul with Adrian Younge.

6. Roots collaborators Greg Porn and Truck North are in serious music making mode.

7. Dr. Dog drummer Eric Slick and singer-songwriter Brendan Mulvihill, aka Norwegian Arms, release their new Wolf Like A Stray Dog album on January 15th. It’s a collection of wonderful wierdworld indie-folk.

8. Pattern Is Movement will release its new album, There Will Be, next year. PIM performed new material at this show recently and by all indications the new jawns are mind blowingly funky and right on time. Rumour on the street is that new record was inspired by drummer Chris Ward and keyboardist Andrew Thiboldeaux listening to thousands of hours of Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange. When they hear the new PIM album, the Dirty Projectors will attempt to make a record like Drake’s Take Care and fail.

9. We’re pretty certain that Work Drugs will continue to release at least one new song a month. If not, we’ll be disappointed.

10. Not familiar with the mind blowing pianotechnics of jazz pianist Elew? Well you should be. This past summer he released Elew Rockjazz, Volume 2, and we’re just saying that his takes on rock classics will take you to another planet, which is a good thing. Originally from Camden, NJ and a graduate of Overbrook High, Elew is Eric Lewis. He’s toured with Wynton Marsalis, Josh Groban, Cassandra Wilson and many others. His musical world Is a planet where Thelonius Monk, Keith Jarrett, Michael Jackson and The Killers all make sweet music together. Don’t lose sight of this guy.

11. The Fleeting Ends is a trio who release their second album, Our Eyes Are Peeled on January 29th. Their attention to pop detail, songwriting and arrangements is frighteningly good, bordering on obsessive. Oh yeah: string arrangements by the legendary Larry Gold.

12. Dominic Angelella and Ritz Reynolds are DRGN KNG. The geniuses at Bar None Records were smart enough to sign them and are releasing Paragraph Nights on January 22nd. Oh yeah, did you catch that nice little writeup in Rolling Stone?

13. Ron Gallo and his band of merry ramshackle roots rockers Toy Soldiers release their new album next year. Produced by Bill Moriarty, Maybe Boys promises to deliver on their fun live performances and Gallo’s knack for writing songs that bring to mind a Sun Records meeting of The Band.

14. Our pals Free Energy unleash their new collection of bubblegum indie-rock, Love Sign, on January 15th. More infectious than The Cars and the Ohio Express.

15. When he’s not bassing it up for The War On Drugs, Dave Hartley, has his own groovy musical project called Nightlands. Hartley releases Oak Island on Secretly Canadian on January 22nd. While we are certainly amazing by his musical talents, Hartley is also a pretty sharp basketball fan and shares his insights with us in his basketball column for us, Top Of The Key.

Guitarist and founding member Rob Garcia has joked that Yeah Right is approximately 75% influenced by My Bloody Valentine, but Friday night’s performance felt decidedly more Sonic Youth. Opener “Wasted Youth” exploded like a volcano of pounding beats and energy with Greg Franz attacking his drum set, while early single “Pink Ruff” showcased bassist Sarah Everton’s vocals, emerging like a light from a grungy guitar haze. Compared to the songs on previous release Prism Eyes (completed when the band was just a duo), the new material felt denser and more complex, although certain elements (Garcia and Everton’s perfect minor harmonies, pounding drum lines) remained intact.

New tune “Monochrome” was a set highlight, as Garcia and Everton swapped instruments and Everton bounded into the crowd, wailing, while follower “Losing Touch” felt achingly cathartic, as if the band raged to rid themselves of pain. And Yeah Right closer “Get Lost” proved an epic set-ender, as the lights flashed, Everton laid on the floor, attacking her bass, and guitarist Al Creedon railed about like a madman. It’s no surprise that after such a showing, the band forewent an encore — they had already poured their souls into the tunes, and playing encores is so not punk rock.

Setlist:
Wasted Youth
Pink Ruff
Shades of Eternal Night
Monochrome
Losing Touch
Always on My Mind
Drift Away
Cover the Sky
Get Lost

Philly psych-rockers Far-Out Fangtooth opened the show, their dark and relentless tunes transforming the venue into a vortex of goth-y doom. Dual vocalists/guitarists Nick Kulp and Joe Kusy wove bleak, angst-y soundscapes — the former channeling Robert Smith a bit with his spiky hair and brooding demeanor — while drummer Vince Alvaré pounded his floor tom and Tania Mesterhazy held things down on bass. The band’s 40-minute set passed like a fantastical trip into psych rock’s dark underbelly, shifting between insular and searching, merciless and aggressive, but remaining uncompromisingly spellbinding.

Bleeding Rainbow – “Pink Ruff” from stereogum on Vimeo.

Prolific progressive rock band Rush take over The Wells Fargo Center tonight in support of their latest (and nineteenth) record Clockwork Angels.  The band was just nominated for the 2013 Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame ballot (which you can vote for here). Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. show are $43 to $123 via ComcastTix.  Watch the official lyrics video for Rush’s single “The Wreckers” below.

Calexico bring their Latin-Americana stylings to Union Transfer tonight.  The Arizona band released their seventh full-length album called Algiers in September and won favorable reviews from many music tastemakers for their hybrid south-of-the-border sound.  Though historically they have been tied to the southwest (they are named after a border town in California after all) Calexico relocated to New Orleans to record this latest record.  Tickets are $20 here and Dodos are the supporting act; doors open at 8:00 p.m. for the all-ages show.  Watch the video for “Splitter” below.

XPN Welcomes John Hiatt and The Combo to The McCarter Theater in Princeton, NJ.  The prolific singer-songwriter has built an extensive catalog over a career spanning almost four decades, and he released his latest record called Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns through New West Records last year.  Tickets for tonight’s all-ages performance are $38 to $48, available here.  Doors open at 8:00 p.m.  More information can be found here.  Below, watch a video with John Hiatt as he talks about the making of “Adios to California” off of Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns.

We shot on 16mm color reversal (Ektachrome 7285) in Rob and Sarah’s basement with each of the four band members sitting and posing in a bust shot. We had intense lights with color gels moving around the band members, video and overhead projectors, a fog machine and a sequence with plastic wrap in front of the lens.

When we got the film back from the lab, we discovered that much of it was misregistered in the camera and out of frame. The footage was even more abstract than was planned, but luckily it fit with the theme. Michael Tom edited the footage with lots of fast cuts, chopping it up to match the intensity of the song.

Check out the video below, and scope the band’s tour dates in our earlier post from today.

Bleeding Rainbow – “Pink Ruff” from stereogum on Vimeo.

Local noise rock foursome Bleeding Rainbow just announced a slew of new tour dates that bring them back through Philly to play Johnny Brenda’s on October 12th. The 21+ show features support by local band Far-Out Fangtooth, tickets are available here for $10. below check out the full list of tour dates and listen to “Pink Ruff,” the a-side of Bleeding Rainbow’s new 7″.

29 Aug / Brooklyn Bowl / New York, NY
31 Aug / The Bishop/ Indianapolis, IN
1 Sep / Schuba’s Tavern / Chicago, IL
2 Sep / The Frequency / Madison, WI
3 Sep / Gardner Lounge / Grinnell, IA
4 Sep / 7th Street Entry / Twin Cities, MN
5 Sep / The Aquarium / Fargo. ND
8 Sep / Sunset Tavern / Seattle, WA
9 Sep / The Waldorf / Vancouver, BC
11 Sep / Doug Fir Lounge / Portland, OR
12 Sep / Bottom of the Hill / SF Bay Area, CA
14 Sep / Bootleg Theater / Los Angeles, CA
15 Sep / Soda Bar / San Diego, CA
16 Sep / Constellation Room/ Oxnard, CA
18 Sep/ Club Congress / Tucson, AZ
20 Sep / The Mohawk / Austin, TX
21 Sep / Bryan Street Tavern / Dallas, TX
22 Sep / Fitzgerald’s / Houston, TX
24 Sep / Circle Bar / New Orleans, LA
25 Sep / 529 / Atlanta, GA
26 Sep / Haunted Mill / Belmont, NC
27 Sep / Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar / Charlottesville, VA
28 Sep / The Crust / Williamsburg, VA
11 Oct / Mercury Lounge / New York, NY
12 Oct / Johnny Brenda’s / Philadelphia, PA
19 Oct / Cameo Gallery / Brooklyn, NY
20 Oct / Duke Coffeehouse / Durham, NC

Photo by John Vettese

When they were planning their first full-length as a four-piece, Philly’s Bleeding Rainbow drew up a pie chart.

It had healthy slices of Sonic Youth and Wipers, a sliver of avant-garde composer Glenn Branca, and about a three-quarters heaping of My Bloody Valentine. Band founders Rob Garcia and Sarah Everton meant it as a guide, a reference point for the folks they were working with – producers Brian McTear and Jonathan Low at Miner Street Recordings in Fishtown, Kyle “Slick” Johnson at Fancy Time Studio in Kensington – as well as a notation of their personal goals.

On Monday, the band got to hear the finished version of their new record Yeah Right for the first time, and Garcia reports that the pie chart plan succeeded.

“We think it came out pretty excellent,” he said when we caught up with him by phone yesterday afternoon.

Bleeding Rainbow is the latest phase of the band that Everton and Garcia began upon moving to Philadelphia in 2008. Back then, it was called Reading Rainbow, it was just the two of them, and it was very pared down fuzzy indie pop on an album called Mystical Participation. Their 2010 followup Prism Eyes blew the gates off and made their sound bigger and bolder. But when it came to performances, the band remained staunchly minimal.

“When we were touring off that album, it was just Sarah and I in the car, driving from show to show,” Garcia recalls. “So we got really into listening to Wipers, to Sonic Youth and Glenn Branca, and it hit us – we need more guitars. We really need to make this more complex.”

That yearning for growth creeped out in interviews during that time, and on their various online outlets, where the duo (mostly Everton, a savvy and often hysterical Tweeter) reacted to being pigeonholed as a cutesy-poo married couple making loving pop songs. They saw themselves as something much heavier than that. So they gave their friend Al Creedon a call. He worked with the band on some of their earliest recordings, and they knew that if ever they were going to bring in a third member, Al would be the guy.

“We taught Al the guitar parts to almost all of our songs while we were on tour,” Garcia says. Last summer, they began playing shows as a three-piece. Over the winter, they announced (to the astonishment of many) a name change, and swelled to four – with Greg Frantz stepping in on drums and Everton moving up to bass.

Creedon in particular is an explosive addition, a force of nature on guitar that quickly began pushing the band in the direction Everton and Garcia longed for on those car rides during tour. His hair hangs in a mop covering his eyes, his wrist is a blur as he wails away on chords and notes, he does splits and flails around and generally looks like a dangerous dude. When I caught them at South By Southwest this March, he swung his guitar around so intensely during closing number “Shades of Eternal Night,” hammering its neck against a windowframe and scraping it along the venue wall, that the instrument’s headstock actually split down the middle. (He’s actually a pretty reserved person when he’s not rocking out, as I found out from his soft-spoken conversational voice as the band loaded offstage.)

Between his energy, the fierce backbeat provided by Frantz, and Everton’s bright harmonizing and emphatic co-fronting duties, the band has very much shed its former self in the onstage realm. And based on the montage of songs from the new album released in a trailer yesterday, the same could be said for their recordings as well.

“We knew our next album is pretty much all or nothing,” says Garcia. “So we went for it.”

Yeah Right comes out on October 9 on Kanine Records, which also put out the last few records by Eternal Summers, close comrades of Everton and Garcia from when they lived in Richmond, Va.

“We’ve been friends with Eternal Summers for a long time, and we know through them that Kanine is going to be a really good home,” Garcia says.

Check out the album art and track listing below, and keep tabs on Bleeding Rainbow on Facebook.

Bleeding Rainbow Yeah Right (Kanine Records)

1 Go Ahead
2 Pink Ruff
3 You’re Not Alone
4 Drift Away
5 Shades of Eternal Night
6 Fall Into Your Eyes
7 Inside My Head
8 Waking Dream
9 Losing Touch
10 Cover the Sky
11 Get Lost