Philadelphia’s Dave Hause will open for Flogging Molly tonight at The Electric Factory.  The former roadie started local punk outfit The Loved Ones in 2004 with Mike Sneeringer (also of Purling Hiss) and Michael Cotterman (formerly of Kid Dynamite) while working on what would become his solo debut Resolutions in 2009.  In 2012 Hause released a series of five EPs, each featuring two new versions of Resolutions tracks alongside covers of labelmates’ songs.  Tickets and information for tonight’s all-ages show can be found here.  Watch the video for “C’mon Kid” below and download an acoustic version from The Key archives here.

XPN welcomes The Stray Birds to World Cafe Live upstairs tonight.  The Lancaster trio craft honest, traditionally-based folk music with tight harmonies, wandering fiddle solos and a knack for writing both emotionally charged and fun, lighthearted lyrics.  For this week’s Key Studio Session, The Stray Birds shared four songs from 2012′s self-titled LP and one from 2010′s Borderline EP; stream and download the session here.  Tickets and information for tonight’s show with Beaucoup Blue can be found here.  Below, watch The Stray Birds perform “Dream in Blue” for Folk Alley.

Sour Mash are one of those rambling, hardworking bands that are difficult to pin down because they never stop moving.  But that’s a good thing for us because it means they’re always playing their fast-paced, smile crackin’ bluegrass somewhere.  Tonight, it’s at City Tap House for a show presented by T.J. Kong.  For more information, visit the Facebook event page here.  Below, watch the local band perform “How Mountain Girls Can Love” and stream the newly posted Sour Mash EP on their Bandcamp here.

We music lovers read, browse, skim, agree with, disagree with and soon forget so many of these lists this time of year. But if you’re a rock/punk/alternative lover from in or around Philadelphia, hopefully you’ll remember this one.

Collaborations amongst hard-working artists are undoubtedly how the best music is made. And in a time when folk, hip-hop and electronic music seem to top most of these other lists this year, I wanted to highlight the local singers, instrumentalists and producers who work together to do what they love despite what’s popular.

Collaborations are also where we see scene veterans training or complimenting emerging talent, and vice versa. Whether it’s bringing them out on tour or asking them to provide guest vocals on a new track, it’s great to see bands helping each other, or big-time producers working diligently on what they think should become the next big thing.

Here are five examples, in no particular order, of just how much love and talent the city of Brotherly Love has to go around.

1. Jon Simmons of Balance and Composure providing guest vocals on Terrible Thing’s “Last Look.”

West Chester native Fred Mascherino, the stand-out guitarist formerly of Taking Back Sunday and The Color Fred, recently released an EP with his newly reformed project, Terrible Things.

The album’s emotional first single “Last Look” was written about the week Mascherino’s wife spent in the hospital. Despite the personal nature of the song, Mascherno tapped Balance and Composure vocalist Jon Simmons to lay down some gruff guest vocals. Along with twangy guitars, the Doylestown hardcore bandleader almost helps give the song segment a country feel.

Mascherino is quoted saying he is a big fan of Jon’s voice, and that “him singing on that song brings it to another place and makes it really special for me.”

2. Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem playing with Dave Hause at XPonential Festival

Photo by Jaci Downs

I was lucky enough to attend the XPoNential Festival this past summer. Among the great local bands and headliners that took over the Susquehanna Bank Center stage, one collaborative set still stands out in my memory.

Before The Avett Brothers and Wilco rocked the main stage, Philly singer-songwriter Dave Hause gave a stunning performance on the small Key Stage set up on the center’s concourse.

As Hause started tearing through his hits like “C’Mon Kid” and “Resolutions,” I noticed that his guitar player looked pretty familiar. When I realized it was Fallon, it hit me how lending his skills for Hause’s set not only helped out his friend and fellow musician, but made people like me that much more excited to listen to The Gaslight Anthem’s new record (which didn’t disappoint, either).

3. The wonders of producer Will Yip – Title Fight and Circa Survive

Nearly everything that Will Yip produces in this genre turns to gold, and the bands invited to work in his Conshohocken studio find themselves on the yellow brick road toward greater success.

His handiwork provided two near-Philly natives with beautiful albums this year: Title Fight’s “Floral Green” and Circa Survive’s “Violent Waves.” Yip had worked previously worked with each of these bands in the past, but graduated from mixer to producer and recording engineer for both releases.

It seems musicians and music fans based locally and elsewhere are starting to realize he has the Midas touch.

4. Brianna Collins of Tigers Jaw providing guest vocals on Young Statues’ cover of “A New England” by Billy Bragg

The sweet youthfulness these two vocalists bring to a song that talks about being a young 20-something is fitting, and a stark contrast to the grittiness and sparseness of the original.

Philadelphia-based Young Statues provides a similar brand of indie pop rock to Scranton band Tigers Jaw, but this collaboration for Young Statues’ recently released “Covers” EP was refreshing and unexpected.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see this song performed live on a local stage sometime soon.

5. Shane Henderson and Trevor Leonard, formerly of Valencia, teaming up with Will Noon of fun. To form Shane Henderson and The Future Perfect

As a long-time fan of Philly pop punk band Valencia, I was sad to see them announce an “indefinite hiatus” late last year. But frontman Shane Henderson was clearly not done making music, and recently made a much happier announcement about his new band, Shane Henderson and The Future Perfect.

Fellow Philly natives Trevor Leonard and fun. drummer Will Noon fill out this three-piece and the acoustic pop rock sound the band seems to be going for. With only one single out so far, I’m excited to see what’s to come for this and many other Philly bands in 2013.

The Key’s XPoNential Music Festival 2012 Sampler
1. Dana Alexandra “The Summer Song” (live from Free at Noon)
2. City Rain “Real Good” (Key Studio Session)
3. Dr. Dog “Lonesome” (Live at the World Cafe)
4. Good Old War “Better Weather” (live from Free at Noon)
5. Work Drugs “Third Wave” (Key Studio Session)
6. The Bailey Hounds “Those Devils Don’t Scare Me” (Key Studio Session)
7. The War on Drugs “Brothers” (Key Studio Session)
8. Dave Hause “C’mon Kid” (Key Studio Session)
9. City Rain “I’m Gone” (Key Studio Session)
10. The Bailey Hounds “Along The Gallows” (Key Studio Session)
11. Dana Alexandra “You Will or You Won’t” (live from Free at Noon)
12. Work Drugs “Curious Serge” (Key Studio Session)
13. Good Old War “Calling Me Names” (live from Free at Noon)
14. The War on Drugs “Black Water Falls” (Key Studio Session)

Photo by Mike Drzal

This just in from Dave Hause‘s tour van, heading our way from points west: joining him on guitar for his XPoNential Music Festival appearance on Saturday evening will be one of his current tourmates: Brian Fallon of New Brunswick, NJ rockers The Gaslight Anthem. Hause hinted at this yesterday, tweeting “Getting fired up to play @wxpnfm festival on Saturday. Gonna be full band, but im gonna need to find a guitar player….”, following up with “Guitar players. Guitar players. Well, I am riding on the bus with a few of them after all….” Today, he was more direct:

To me, the pairing couldn’t be more perfect. Both artists have roots in DIY punk rock, both broadened their sound over time with excursions into Americana tones and ambitious pop-rock arrangements, and both have a natural knack for hooky songwriting and singalong anthems. The only thing that could make this more of an insanely satisfying collaboration is if some of The Menzingers somehow hopped onboard, but that might be too much awesome for me to take. As it is, I’m calling it: Hause’s set on Saturday is sure to be a sleeper hit of XPoNential Festival. Below, you can see Hause starring in The Gaslight Anthem’s video for “Bring It On,” and download an exclusive acoustic version of “C’Mon Kid” that he recorded for The Key last year. Dave Hause, backed by Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem, plays The Key Stage of the Susquehanna Bank Center at 9:20 p.m. on Saturday, July 21.

• C'mon Kidby Dave Hause from The Key archivesDownload

Photo of Dave Hause by Mike Drzal

Listen to Dave Hause’s cover of Kathleen Edwards’ “The Cheapest Key” below.

Kevin Slack

Tonight, XPN Welcomes The Loved Ones’ lead singer Dave Hause to Johnny Brenda’s. Opening for Hause is Cory Branan and Turning Violet Violet. Doors open at 8 p.m.; show at 9 p.m. Tickets to the 21+ show are $10 – $12. We spoke with Hause last April about Hause’s recent solo album, Resolutions (released last January) and his work with his punk rock band, The Loved Ones. You can read the interview here. Below, watch the video for the song “C’mon Kid.”

Photo by Jesse Deflorio

This week, we’ve got a handful of tickets for Dave Hause‘s performance at Johnny Brenda’s on Tuesday, December 6th. (Cory Branan and Turning Violet Violet will open.) For a chance to win, all you have to do is leave a comment below by 5 p.m. Friday, December 2nd. We’ll select the winners at random that evening and notify them via email; once you’ve confirmed that you and your guest will be attending the show, your names will be added to the venue’s guest list. (Just make sure to use a valid email address when posting your comment; we promise not to sell your contact info or sign you up for anything—we just want to be able to get in touch with you if you win.)

Click here to read our interview with Hause from earlier this year (in which he discusses his debut solo album, Resolutions). Below, you can watch him perform “Pray For Tuscon.”

Dave Hause

Dave Hause – “Resolutions” by paper + plastick