Companion | Photo by Chris Sikich | countfeed.tumblr.com

Brooklyn four-piece Companion visited Philadelphia last Thursday to play Kung Fu Necktie upstairs. Fronted by singer and songwriter Pepi Ginsberg – who had a short stay in Philadelphia in the mid-aughties – the band released its self-titled debut LP last fall. Joining them on the bill was surreal Oklahoma outfit Evangelicals. Josh Jones of Philly’s Univox also performed an opening set. Check out photos from the show in the gallery below.

The Chairman Dances: your fave library band (photo via Steady State Productions)

If the Philly music scene were a school, The Chairman Dances would be the library, an endless trove of information and stories; if it were a food court, they’d be an artisan bakery, selling handmade pastries crafted with care. The Philly art-pop foursome take a classical, craftsmen approach to songwriting—while other bands are getting stoned in the basement and jamming mindlessly, The Chairman Dances are fastidiously arranging string and horn parts, and working in allusions to their favorite literary works. It’s all in a day’s work for the band, whose members all boast music degrees, and whose new LP Michael and the Prophetess, out Friday, teems with lush strings, horns, and yes, allusions.

“We’re sort of library band,” says bassist Ben Rosen with a smile.

It’s an appropriate description, given that Rosen met vocalist/guitarist Eric Krewson while working at U Penn’s rare books department; the friends teamed up with drummer Mike Giuliana (a classmate of Krewson’s) in 2010, and The Chairman Dances were born. Guitarist Andrew Ciampa came on board earlier this year, rounding out the current line-up.

The band’s name is a nod to the 1985 outtake of John Adam’s opera Nixon in China, which Krewson (who adapted the moniker while still an undergrad), finds particularly inspiring. The rest of the band shares his fervor.  “Modern classical music has always had an influence on our songwriting,” says Ciampa.

As eldest statesman, Krewson is the band’s primary songwriter. A wiry, bookish type who graduated from Drexel’s music industry program, and Temple’s musicology program, he gushes about the influences of Mikhail Bulgakov (who Michael was named after), Vladimir Nabokov, and Gabriel García Márquez in his songwriting, and explains how Michael employs magical realism to access complex emotions.

“In some ways I think that [magical realism] can be more true than writing in a sort of Hemingway style,” he explains, noting how Michael fuses the magical and the mundane— “because I think when you make that leap, or use hyperbole in that way, it can resonate more emotionally.”

Michael tells the story of a young man growing up in 1956 Brooklyn, and peppers its narrative with supernatural elements. The record’s first single, “Prophetess” mentions angels and the sky “opening up”—details that Krewson says should be viewed metaphorically. “The Prophetess is actually a girl Michael had dated, who had gone away, and who he didn’t think he would see again,” he explains. “It’s sort of an awakening for Michael.”

Elsewhere, he includes specific references that place the story firmly in 1956 Brooklyn—a time and place Krewson says he was drawn to. One example is in wily guitar single “My Life and the Postseason Collapse of the 1956 Brooklyn Dodgers,” which details a particular game in the 1956 World Series.

“The year before the Brooklyn Dodgers had won the World Series, and then the following year it was the Dodgers and the Yankees,” explains Krewson, his face lighting up as he explains the epic borough vs. borough match-up. “And Brooklyn was up I think two games…and then Don Larsen threw a no-hitter in game 5, and the Yankees came back to win the series.” It’s a metaphor, of sorts, for Michael’s own downfall.

Chairman practice sesh

Of course, it’s possible to enjoy The Chairman Dances without knowing any of this—there are lush strings and horns to get swept up in, and recurring motifs that lend the record a breezy sense of completeness.

The arrangements are the forte of the rest of the band, who take Krewson’s song skeletons and flesh them out with complex arrangements. For Michael, this required finding a slew of other musicians to play on the record, most of whom were recorded separately via Rosen’s (who just graduated from the prestigious Peabody Institute Conservatory) large network of friends. “I roped a few of them in,” he says, noting that “the flutes were recorded in Baltimore” and “the violins were recorded in Chicago.” Other parts were tackled by local musicians—Krewson played the trumpet, and Dan from The Quelle Source contributed as well.

The large number of instruments allows for dense songs teeming with life—and more creativity in the arrangement process.

“There are little musical themes that pop up throughout different songs—melodies that might be in the violin part in one song, and the guitar part in another song,” says Rosen with an arranger’s knowing grin. “The very first song on the record for example, which is kind of like the prologue, functions musically as an overture. So I crammed a melody or theme from every other song  in the record into that song—into a little flute part, or trumpet part. It might not be obvious when you first listen, but the whole record is in that song.” He smiles again.

And while all band members are influenced by modern classical, musically, Michael covers a diverse palate, from the aforementioned wailing guitar lines in “My Life in the Postseason Collapse” to the shimmering, ‘70s sounds of “Prophetess” to the delicate, Belle & Sebastian-esque twinkle of “Well-Wisher.” Other tunes, such as “4700 Hazel,” employ raw, skulking guitar lines—a trait Ciampa says arises from his punk-rock roots (he also plays bass with punkers The Dolts.) “I definitely think that sort of lo-fi sound influences the way I play,” he adds. “I like crunchy, dissonant things.” It’s the fusion of the crunchy with the lush that makes Michael so effective.

The band will celebrate Michael and the Prophetess’s release this Friday, June 14 with a headlining show at Kung Fu Necktie, alongside The Quelle Source and Goodnight Lights. Then after that, it’s back to work! The band states they already have six new songs in the pipeline, and are working on a “special Joni Mitchell cover” as well.

“We don’t stop,” says Rosen, explaining that the foursome is constantly finding inspiration. “We’re sorta a sleep when we’re dead band.” Spoken like a true artisan.

The Chairman Dances play Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., this Friday, June 14. Tickets for the 21+ show are $10 and are available at the door. More info can be found via the venue’s website.

Marijuana Deathsquads play a late show at Kung Fu Necktie tonight.  Ryan Olson of GAYNGS and POLIÇA started the Minneapolis-based noise / hardcore-electronic band in 2009 and released three subsequent records.  Their first proper studio album, however, will be released this summer and is called Oh My Sexy Lord.  Like GAYNGS, Marijuana Deathsquads’ live shows have been known to include appearances by Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Josh Klinghoffer and Dirty Projectors’ Brian McOmber.  Tickets and information for the show can be found here.  Watch the video for “Crazy Master” below.

PhilaMOCA celebrates the one-year anniversary of Tuesday Tune-Outs with DIY promoters Guild Shows curating this month of Philly-centric events.  Tonight’s show features Kite Party and Three Man Cannon performing stripped down acoustic sets, followed by a screening of a film (possibly The Life Aquatic).  Kite Party’s 2011 debut full-length Baseball Season was picked up by Animal Style Records and reissued in 2012 on vinyl; watch a video of the band performing “Buried in Dogs” off of the album below. More information for tonight’s all-ages show can be found here.

Philly’s Ton-Taun play Silk City tonight with The Districts and Ben O’Neill.  The Lancaster natives released their third full-length Get Well last November after a string of singles.  With lyrical narratives that explore the causes and effects of loneliness, Get Well is a heavy album that is also entrancing thanks to rich arrangements and killer melodies.  Tickets and information for tonight’s show can be found here.  Stream “Color Me Impressed” below.

Tonight, Flobots and Kuf Knotz are sharing the stage at the World Cafe Live. Both are unique artists who explore jazz, rock, and hip hop with beautiful lyrics. Find more information and tickets for the 8 p.m. show here. Watch Flobots’ video for their song “Handlebars” below.

Hands is coming to the Kung Fu Necktie tonight.Coming from the LA scene, the feverish, alt-dance band has quickly made a name for itself for its endless looping melodies and mesmerizing riffs. Earlier this month, Hands premiered their music video for Brave Motion off of their new album Synesthesia. Find tickets and information about the 8pm show here. Watch the video for Brave Motion below.

Bringing a Celtic flair to their hometown, Burning Bridget Cleary is coming to World Cafe Live tonight. It’s their second release party for the new album Pressed For Time, and it will be a highly energized Celtic and folk event you don’t want to miss. Find tickets and more information about tonight’s show here. Watch Burning Bridget Cleary perform their song “Oh My Little Darlin” below.

Hennessey Bonfire celebrate the release of Let’s Get Carried Away with a marriage equality event and show tonight at World Cafe Live.  The new “world pop” effort is the solo debut for local musician Shawn Hennessey, who has invited fellow Philadelphians Ali Wadsworth, West Philadelphia Orchestra Horns and Mike “Slo-Mo” Brenner to join him.  The event is also a “Grand Bazaar for Marriage Equality” and will be supporting Hennessey’s IndieGogo project.  Learn more about the show here.  Tickets and information can be found here.  Listen to the title track of Let’s Get Carried Away below.

Local metal band Serpent Throne play Kung Fu Necktie tonight.  Made up of Philadelphia filmmakers, the members of Serpent Throne were involved with locally-based documentaries Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles and The Art of the Steal (about the Barnes Foundation’s move to the Parkway).  Musically, the band is inspired by Black Sabbath and is supporting their new Brother Lucifer LP.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show with Weedeater, Fight Amp and Old Wounds can be found here.  Stream the title track to the new record below.

Photo by Lenny Gilmore

White Laces come to Philly for a show at Kung Fu Necktie tonight.  The Richmond, VA group released their debut Moves EP last year and are following up the bouncy, colorful and bristly indie rock with a 7″ this summer.  On the roster of Speakertree Records, White Laces contributed a cover of current lablemates (and former Philadelphia-based band) Lilys to a tribute compilation  - check out their version of “Radiotricity” here.  Tickets and information for tonight’s show with Avery Rosewater and The Interest Group can be found here.  Listen to “Deep Moves” from Moves below.

Dani Mari heads to MilkBoy Philly to perform in the Philadelphia Folk Festival Co-Op Showcase.  Chosen as a finalist alongside James Day & the Fish Fry, Jersey Corn Pickers and M’Balia, the local singer-songwriter (and one half of dream pop outfit Lockets) will be competing for a slot at the August festival.  Mari released her latest single “Only” on Someplace Called Brooklyn back in March.  Tickets and information for the showcase can be found here.  Watch the video for “Only” below.

Georgia / Philadelphia metal band Baroness take over Union Transfer tonight.  On a European tour last summer behind their latest Yellow & Green LP, the band was involved in a bus accident in which several members were injured (watch them talk about getting back on the road here).  Ready to hit the road again, their headlining tour kicks off tonight.  Tickets and information for the show with Pallbearer and Tombs can be found here.  Watch Baroness perform “Take My Bones Away” below.

Japanese Guy perform at PhilaMOCA tonight.  The less-talked about side project of a Fleet Foxes member, Japanese Guy is the experimental / noise endeavor of Skyler Skjelset with Andrew J.S. and Chris Icasiano.  The trio released their self-titled debut in January of this year after recording the 8 song album in northwestern Washington last spring.  They’ll be joined by the local avant-garde / experimental projects of Nick Millevoi and Air is Human; tickets and information can be found here.  Below, watch Japanese Guy perorm “Glass Cave” and an untitled track live.

Femme Fest heads to the Sellersville Theater tonight.  Starring The Fabulous Miss Wendy with Hear Kitty Kitty, Sara Rae and Mahi Gato, the event is a showcase of Los Angeles’ top female-led rock bands.  The Fabulous Miss Wendy is touring in support of her recent No One Can Stop Me LP, which she recorded with Kim Fowley (Runaways, KISS).  Tickets and information for tonight’s 18+ show can be found here.  Below, watch The Fabulous Miss Wendy’s video for “Jailbait.”

Cruiser headline Ortlieb’s Lounge tonight.  The sunny solo project of Philadelphia’s Andy States was discovered by Jeremy Park, the engineer behind Youth Lagoon’s The Year of Hibernation, and subsequently released a debut self-titled EP a year ago.  In recent months, the band has opened for Matt & Kim and The 1975 and played a sold-out show with Work Drugs and Night Panther.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show with Faux Slang can be found here.  Watch Cruiser’s video for “Moving to Neptune” below.

Local electronic artist Telequanta opens for Beacon at Kung Fu Necktie.  The moniker of J. Termini, Telequanta released his debut EP Programmable Matter last year.  The downtempo compositions found on the effort are warm and intricate with an ambient quality that is soothing and hypnotic.  Termini will be following-up Programmable Matter with a new EP soon – check out a new track called “Chala” below.  Tickets and information for tonight’s show can be found here.

It was an epic night for JEFF fans, as the band—who for the past ten years has toured as a duo—debuted their expanded line-up for Philly, playing half their set as a two-piece, and half as a quartet. Early numbers were brash, rash, and frenzied, as the band tore through songs with abandon—while later ones were thick, heady, and dripping with psychedelics.

The brainchild of brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall, JEFF the Brotherhood came together 12 years ago in 2001, and gigged extensively before breaking through on the indie front in 2009. Early songs were released through their own Infinity Cat Recordings label; in 2011 they signed with Warner Bros. Records to release their seventh LP, Hypnotic Nights, produced by the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach.

Both early and later tunes were represented last night, as the band took the stage without a setlist, responding to crowd input and their own whims. The first half of the set saw the brothers shredding through ragers like “Heavy Days” and “Noo Sixties”—Jamin’s beats providing a solid foundation for Jake’s wily guitar licks—as well as easygoing jammers like “Mellow Out.” Clad in all white, with unshakable focus, Jamin was the band’s beating heart, while the devilish Jake, dressed all in black, with long hair and a custom-built, three-string guitar, was its impish, mischievous soul.

For the second half of the set, JEFF expanded its line-up to include a second guitarist (a regular six-stringer) and a keyboardist, whose added power allowed them to tackle more complex numbers, like the motorik-turned-electropop grower “Wood Ox” and the sludgy, Weezer-meets-Nirvana-esque “Dark Energy.” Single “Sixpack” was an easy highlight, with its fist-pumping chorus of “oohs”—while older tune “Heavy Krishna” allowed for maximum psychedelic indulgence, both brothers rocking with abandon for the equally hyped-up crowd. We love JEFF as a two-piece, but last night they proved the brotherhood includes all those who believe.

JEFF the Brotherhood might have tore the (metaphorical) roof off KFN, but early sets from Brooklyn’s Hunters and Philly’s The Bad Doctors were likewise shred-tastic. Hunters blew through the space like a wildfire, front woman Isabel Almeida shrieking and flailing like a pink-haired Karen O.—while The Bad Doctors combined metal riffs and Matt McDermott’s schreechy, impassioned vocals with electronic, new wave grooves to surprising effect. We can’t wait to experience it all over again tonight!

JEFF the Brotherhood plays Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., tonight, May 17, with Hunters and Bad Side. The 21+ show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are $15. More info can be found at the venue’s website.

JEFF the Brotherhood kick off a two-night stand at Kung Fu Necktie tonight.  The Nashville band of brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall got the music bug from their father, who has written / produced for Taylor Swift and Reba McEntire.  The younger Orralls’ brand of music couldn’t be much further from that of Swift’s though – with a raucous live show and a sound that inevitably finds itself described as grungy, scuzzy and sludgy, JEFF the Brotherhood attract attention through a barrage of loud and distorted but equally quirky and endearing rock songs on their latest Hypnotic Nights LP.  Tickets and information for tonight and tomorrow’s shows can be found here.  Watch them perform “Sixpack” on Late Night with David Letterman below.

XPN welcomes Josh Ritter to The Trocadero tonight.  Touring in support of his latest record The Beast in Its Tracks, Ritter has followed up his 2010 full-length So Runs the World Away with an album of deeply personal songs.  The time-frame of Beast covers the Americana / folk-rock singer’s recent divorce and a period of subsequent rebuiilding, though as NPR’s Stephen Thompson points out, the album has uplifting and happy moments to balance the darker ones.  Tickets and information for tonight’s show with The Felice Brothers can be found here.  Watch a live performance of “Joy to You Baby” on Late Night with David Letterman below and listen back to Josh Ritter’s World Cafe episode here.

Faun Fables play a show upstairs at Kung Fu Necktie tonight.  The project of Dawn McCarthy and Nils Frykdahl, the members of Faun Fables fancy themselves “songtellers,” blending the oral tradition of McCarthy’s background with experiential music environments like those of gypsies, field recordings and celtic culture.  Faun Fables are signed to Drag City and released their most recent effort, Light of a Vaster Dark, in 2010.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show can be found here.  Watch the duo perform “The Balland of Limpy Glen” below.

Photo by Bo Hakala

The rapper/spoken word artist Dessa (of midwest collective Doomtree) will be performing at Sellersville Theater tonight with Philly hip-hop artist Kuf Knotz. Dessa is celebrating her newest album Parts of Speech, released on Doomtree Records. For more information on Dessa, check out a piece from The Key here. Alongside Dessa will be Philly native hip-hop artist Kuf Knotz, who blends elements of blues, rock, and other genres with his hip-hip. Tickets and information for the all ages show can be found here. Below, watch Dessa perform “The Man I Knew” for MN Original.

Folk musician Jesse Sparhawk plays PhilaMOCA tonight for Yvynyl’s Tuesday Tune-Out. Sparhawk’s last release was in August of 2012, a single entitled “Hummingbird”. You can check out a Fokadelphia session Sparhawk did here. Tickets and information for the all ages show with Strawberry Hands can be found here. Below, check out a video of Sparhawk playing his song “Hummingbird”.

Canadian shoegaze band No Joy play Kung Fu Necktie tonight. In April of this year the band released their newest album, Wait to Pleasure on Mexican Summer. Playing a similar style as bands such as My Bloody Valentine and Whirr, No Joy’s music is dissonant and atmospheric. Tickets and information for the 21+ show with Psychic Teens and CASSAVETES can be found here. Below, watch No Joy perform their song “Ghost Blonde” on KEXP.

About a week ago we posted about a new Philly band, The Cloth. They had released a couple songs digitally, which are awesome; however, we’ve since acquired a physical copy which has three more great tracks on it, and now we want everyone to get to know this band. Word on the street is that they are killer live, and they play extremely loud, making the upstairs at Kung Fu Necktie an ideal stage. They will be playing there tonight, along with APE!, Tile, and Killer of Sheep (PGH). Show starts at 8pm and the cover is $8. Don’t miss out!

The underground kings of Nashville garage rock are back with a new track for a compilation EP called Garage Swim in partnership with Adult Swim and Dr. Pepper.  JEFF the Brotherhood get dark and sludgy on the guitar-slaying “Melting Place,” which be included on the free EP released through Williams Street Records on May 6th alongside offerings from Thee Oh Sees, King Tuff and more.  JEFF the Brotherhood will be in town for two shows at Kung Fu Necktie on May 16 and May 17; tickets and information can be found here.  Listen to “Melting Place” via Noisey here and watch their episode of Amoeba Records’ “What’s In My Bag?” below.

Oxfordian Oxonian folk / pop group Stornoway headline Kung Fu Necktie tonight.  Following up their 2010 debut Beachcomber’s Windowsill, the academically-minded quartet (led by an ornithologist) released Tales from Terra Firma earlier this month.  Field Report continue to tour in support of last year’s self-titled debut.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show can be found here.  Watch Stornoway’s video for “Knock Me On the Head” below.

Several local musicians come together at The Blockley tonight for a concert benefiting Lentil Fest.  Tommy Conwell, Pete Donnelly, Ben Arnold and Travel Lanes will perform sets in support of Lentil the French bulldog, who was born with a cleft palate.  All proceeds will be donated to a variety of charities including the French Bulldog Rescue Network and the Children’s Craniofacial Association.  Tickets and information can be found here.  Below, watch Pete Donnelly’s video for “Can’t Talk At All.”

West Philadelphia Orchestra brings their monthly Balkan dance party back to Underground Arts tonight.  As a collective of Philadelphia musicians, WPO blends traditional Eastern European influences withe modern jazz and classical sensibilities.  Tickets and more information for tonight’s 21+ show with Johnny Showcase and the Lefty Lucy Cabaret can be found here or on the Facebook event page here.  Watch West Philadelphia Orchestra perform “Burkan Cocek” below.

After posting on Facebook about their arrival to Philadelphia earlier this morning, Oxford’s Stornoway shared the new video for “The Bigger Picture.”  The song comes from the folk / pop band’s latest Tales From Terra Firma LP and the video depicts sweeping landscape shots and  photographs taken from The Evacuation of St. Kilda, courtesy of The National Library of Scotland.  St. Kilda is the outermost island group in the Scottish Outer Hebrides, which also lays claim to Stornoway’s namesake town.  Tickets and information for the band’s show at Kung Fu Necktie with Field Report are still available here.  Watch the video for “The Bigger Picture” below.

London’s Still Corners take a visual approach to their music, citing old films as influences and using projections during live performances to enhance the sensory stimulation of the already-cinematic compositions on their 2011 debut Creatures of an Hour.  The duo’s upcoming sophomore effort Strange Pleasures is equally cinematic, with its languid 80s synth / dream pop expressions.  Stream Strange Pleasures in its entirety via Pitchfork Advance here.  Still Corners play Kung Fu Necktie on June 13th; tickets and information can be found here.  Below, watch the video for “Berlin Lovers” and get a free download of the track here.

Field Report stopped by Dollhouse Studios in Savannah, Georgia recently while at the Savannah Stopover Music Festival.   The Wisconsin folk group recorded alternate versions of album favorites “I Am Not Waiting Anymore” and “Fergus Falls” in addition to previewing a new song called “40/40.”  Field Report will open for Stornoway at Kung Fu Necktie this Thursday, May 2nd.  Tickets and information for the 21+ can be found here.  Stream “40/40″ below and listen to the full session here.

In conjunction with Philly Tech Week, WXPN and Little Giant Media present The Intersection of Music and Technology at Underground Arts.  The free event will feature live performances by Lushlife (pictured), Khari Mateen and POW POW (Chris Powell of Man Man), DJ sets by DJ PHSH and Making Time’s Dave Pianka and a panel discussion / Q&A with Questlove and XPN’s Bruce Warren.  More information for free 21+ event can be found here.  Below, watch Lushlife’s video for “Magnolia.”

At World Cafe Live, it’s An Evening with Kaki King.  The guitar virtuoso has embarked on a retrospective tour, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the release of her debut album Everybody Loves You.  Recently, King released Glow, an instrumental record on which she collaborated with string quartet ETHEL.  Tickets and information for tonight’s all-ages show can be found here.  Below, watch her video for “Glow” and revisit her set at the 2012 XPoNential Music Festival via Archive.org here.

Buried Beds headline Kung Fu Necktie tonight with support from Auctioneer and Great American Canyon Band.  Bridging the gap between their most recent release Small Stories and an upcoming as-yet untitled release, local indie pop band Buried Beds have been detailing their recording experience with video clips and updates, including this one in which the members filmed a “huge drums” session.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show can be found here.  Below, watch Auctioneer’s Shaking Through episode.

Shaking Through: Auctioneer from Weathervane Music on Vimeo.

Wisconsin’s Field Report have been added as support to Stornoway‘s Kung Fu Necktie show, bringing the folk project of Chris Porterfield back to Philadelphia in support of their 2012 debut album.  Tickets and information for the 21+ show on Thursday, May 2nd are available here.  Listen back to Field Report’s appearance on World Cafe here and watch their Out Of Town Films video for “Fergus Falls” below, recorded during last year’s XPoNential Music Festival.

Philly country outfit Morning River Band perform at Kung Fu Necktie upstairs tonight.  When we last heard from the no-frills Americana four-piece they were appearing on Folkadelphia to perform a few songs off of their 2011 effort Between the Ocean and the Blues.  Since that time, Jeffrey Fields and his bandmates have been holed away in Gradwell House where they worked with Steve Poponi and Matt Weber to record their upcoming record To Suzie, slated for a release on May 21st.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show with Quiet Hollers can be found here.  Below, stream “Drinking Blues No. 2 (Drinking in Heaven with George Jones)” from their Folkadelphia appearance.

• Drinking Blues No. 2 (Drinking in Heaven with George Jones)by Morning River BandDownload

ECOMOG will share their sharply crafted hip hop with fans at The Trocadero Balcony tonight.  Always the innovators, the Philadelphia-based trio of Entity, Tonik and Epidemic have released a number of non-traditional albums including one that was comprised entirely of Kanye West samples (2009′s 808s & ECOMOG) and another that referenced and sampled several decades of television favorites (2010′s As Seen on TV).  ECOMOG jumped into the spotlight once again earlier this month with “Who Will Survive In America?” – stream and download the track below.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show with Kim Jong Ill, Killer Whale and Milton can be found here.

All the way from Japan, Acid Mothers Temple headline Johnny Brenda’s tonight.   The unconventional psych band has released dozens of records and has appeared in many configurations and off-shoots over their 15+ year career with an ever-changing cast of musicians anchored by founder Kawabata Makoto.  Orbiting the styles of noise rock, ambient rock, space rock and all things freak rock Acid Mothers Temple will release In Search of Lost Divine Ark in May via Important Records.  Tickets and information for the 21+ show with Tjutjuna can be found here.  Below, watch the band perform “Pink Lady Lemonade” during their 2011 Johnny Brenda’s appearance.

The music fit the scene outside – an intense torrent of hammering drums and swirling guitar riffs, with Jillian Taylor’s powerful vocal booming above the fray. It’s not music that celebrates aggression or destruction – just like a storm doesn’t necessarily have anything against you personally when it causes your basement to flood or makes trees fall on your roof – but it more provides a reflection of natural forces at work in an occasionally difficult world. But these are artists that can see the positive side too; the album I had cranked that September night, Ouroboros, takes its title from the mythological dragon eating its own tail, which metaphorically speaks to life moving in cycles. And for its part, Ruby the Hatchet donated proceeds from the record to Hurricane Sandy relief.

We have them in studio this week playing two amped up songs from Ouroboros – “Wicked Ones” and “The Lean” – as well as a brand new number, “Paralyzed,” a rager with a raucous Dead Weather / Motorhead drive to it. Check out the music below, and see a video of the band playing “Paralyzed” in our studio shot by Jeremy Quattlebaum and Sean Bolton of The Angry Mountain. As the band prepares its followup LP, you can catch them in concert next Thursday, April 25th at Kung Fu Necktie opening for the like-minded LA troupe The Warlocks. Tickets and information on the show can be found at the venue’s website.

• Paralyzedby Ruby the Hatchet from The Key Studio Sessions, April 17, 2013Download

• Wicked Onesby Ruby the Hatchet from The Key Studio Sessions, April 17, 2013Download

• The Leanby Ruby the Hatchet from The Key Studio Sessions, April 17, 2013Download

Ruby The Hatchet “Paralyzed” from The Angry Mountain on Vimeo.

Philly punk band Amanda X play Kung Fu Necktie tonight.  The all-girl trio was just added to June’s Ladyfest Philly lineup alongside the likes of Trophey Wife, Screaming Females and US Girls – no small feat for a band that’s been around for only a year.  But Amanda X demand that kind of instant attraction and admiration with their fuzzy riffs and understated vocals on debut EP Ruin the Moment, recorded at Headroom Studios.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show with Jackie Paper, Solid Attitude, Stiff Licks and Thelma and the Sleaze can be found here.  Watch the trio play a song at South Philly show house Motel Hell below.

The Appleseed Cast rolls into the First Unitarian Church tonight.  The post-rock threesome is touring in support of their upcoming LP Illumination Ritual, which will be released on April 23rd through Graveface Records.  Born in Southern California and later relocating to Kansas, The Appleseed Caste began as an emo project along the lines of Sunny Day Real Estate before transitioning to the more angular and affected instrumentation style they employ today.  Tickets and information for tonight’s show with Belgrade and Muscle Worship can be found here.  Watch a live performance of “Steps and Numbers” below.

Photo by Jon Van Dine

Philadelphia band Belgrade has released a sneak peak single off of their debut self titled album via Alternative Press this week, and, with every emphasis on the next two words: it shimmers. The dissonant echo, vulnerable yet resoundingly present, glistens the surface of the released song “Consolation Prize” so it plays as an atmospheric back drop to the rest of the organic sound.

Those of you who love bands like My Morning Jacket and The Appleseed Cast will find it easy to immerse your ears within Belgrade’s warmth. The beginning notes slip into the undercurrents of the consciousness, while the throbbing drums burst what can only be described by saying this band a profound sense how to write a song. “Consolation Prize” as a whole is a complete composition of mature song writing and beautiful emission of sound.

Belgrade’s debut self-titled album will be released digitally April 16th, and their record release show will be at the Kung Fu Necktie on April 26th; listen to “Consolation Prize” via Alternative Press here. While you’re at it, Absolute Punk also has released another song from their full length entitled “Protest” so check that out as well. And below, enjoy a free download of “Venice On A Map.”

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Mano Divina’s Divine Hand Ensemble will be presenting  their film 21st Century Classical Music at PhilaMOCA tonight for Cinedelphia’s Tuesday Tune Out. The film chronicles the group’s first year playing together and their desire to continue classical music in the modern era. The film was shot throughout Philadelphia and will show the group playing together, as well as a inside look into the group themselves. Tickets and information for the debut of the film can be found here. Below, watch the Divine Hand Ensemble cover The Specials’ “Ghost Town”.

XPN Welcomes Philadelphia native Mike “Slo Mo” Brenner” at World Cafe Live Tonight. Brenner has been playing music for years, as he was a member of Flight of Mavis and the Low Road, and has also recorded numerous tracks with numerous record labels. He began his career as a music writer, and then continued to tour with bands such as Ben Folds Five and Barenaked Ladies. He gained the nickname Slo Mo when he began to play with electronic beats. With a recently-released album of Indian slide-guitar music, Brenner plays World Cafe Live tonight. Tickets and information for the all-ages show with Sonny Landreth can be found here. Below, watch Mike “Slo Mo” Brenner covering Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart”.

Canadian electronic outfit Shout Out Out Out Out play Kung Fu Necktie tonight.  The six-piece crafts lighthearted synth, drum, bass and vocal compositions that blend disco melodies with math / chiptune sensibilities resulting in music that instantly makes you want to dance.   Shout Out Out Out Out have released three full-lengths over their near ten year career, most recently putting forth Spanish Moss and Total Loss in 2012.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show with Funeral Flowers can be found here.  Watch Shout Out Out Out Out’s video for “Coming Home” from last year’s Spanish Moss and Total Loss below.