Laser Background has released the second installment of their Brighton Sound sessions. The candy-colored, kaleidoscopic video features “Magic Dust,” which will appear alongside “Fizzy Lifting Drinks” on the Philly band’s forthcoming Super Future Montage LP. Tonight, Laser Background will help Grandchildren celebrate the release of their full-length Golden Age at Johnny Brenda’s; tickets and information can be found here. Watch “Magic Dust” below and stay tuned for the band’s third and final session recording.
XPN welcomes The Bacon Brothers to the Keswick Theatre tonight. The Philadelphia natives were playing music together long before Kevin’s acting and Michael’s composing careers took off, though their last album of new material was 2008′s New Year’s Day. Tickets and information for tonight’s show can be found here. Watch a video of the brothers and their band performing live below.
XPN welcomes The Smithereens to the Landis Theater tonight. After putting out their tenth studio album in 2011, the New Jersey rock band has continued to tour steadily and will join Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers on the road this summer.Tickets and information for tonight’s headline show can be found here. Below, watch the video for 2011 single “One Look at You.”
XPN welcomes Steve Earle & the Dukes to the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville. Modeling himself after famed singer-songwriters Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, Earle has released fourteen records over the course of his career. The Low Highway was released this month through New West Records. Tickets and information for tonight’s show can be found here. Below, watch the video for “Invisible.”
UK alt folk trio Daughter headline Union Transfer tonight. Building buzz off of two EPs, the London outfit have finally released a hauntingly emotional debut album this week called If You Leave. Tickets and information for the show can be found here. Below, watch the video for “Still.”
Grandchildren celebrate their album release at Johnny Brenda’s tonight. Golden Age will be released on May 7th, and you can get an in-depth look at the orchestral pop band’s world surrounding the album in this week’s Unlocked series. Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show with The Lawsuits, Laser Background and DJ POW POW can be found here. Watch the video for “Sunrise” below.
North Wales recording space Brighton Sound Studio pulled in Philly psych / pop band Laser Background for their latest video series, produced by local venture Seven Knots Productions. The first of three recordings originating in the recent session, “Fizzy Lifting Drinks” is a song that will be featured on Laser Backgrounds new LP Super Future Montage. The Andy Moholt-led project looks and sounds great in the video, and you can be sure they will look and sound great at Johnny Brenda’s on May 3rd when they support Grandchildren‘s album release alongside The Lawsuits. Tickets and information for the show can be found here. Watch “Fizzy Lifting Drinks” below and stick around for the rest of the Laser Background series.
West Philly’s long-standing punk rock frat Pi Lam threw its annual Human BBQ celebration (35 years strong!) this weekend with a stacked lineup of Philadelphia favorites like Cold Fronts, Norwegian Arms and Ghost Light as well as out-of-town artists like Delicate Steve. Check out scenes from the day-long musical endurance test in the gallery above.
Local rock n’ roll trio Lantern will bring the noise to Kung Fu Necktie tonight. The amount of music the band has is immense, with nine releases available on their Bandcamp; the latest, Dream Mine, was released in May 2012. The band delves into both the psychedelic realm of rock, as well as its ripping and visceral nature with their heavy feedback and raw vocals. Dream Mine even goes as far as exploring the depth and haunting nature of ambient noise, and the crowd will surely be bobbing their heads furiously, as well as discovering a side of rock they may not have heard before. Tickets and information with Adult Content and Split Red can be found here. Below, check out the song “Out Of Our Heads” from Dream Mine.
Denver’s DeVotchKa bring their chamber orchestra project to The Trocadero tonight. After recording a live album with the Colorado Symphony at Red Rocks Amphitheater, the Eastern European-influenced quartet hit the road with a chamber orchestra to bring the full and intricate layers of an orchestral performance to smaller stages. The band is also testing out new material that will be recorded as a follow-up to 2011′s 100 Lovers. Tickets and information for tonight’s all-ages show with Pearl and the Beard can be found here. Below, watch DeVotchKa perform “All the Sand in All the Sea” live at Red Rocks with the Colorado Symphony.
Philly folk-freaks Norwegian Arms recently performed a few songs for Brighton Sound Sessions. The first installment is a performance of “Wolf Like a Stray Dog,” the title track from their debut full-length which was just released in January. You can catch them this Friday at PhilaMOCA with Scott Churchman – who is releasing his new tape, Ignore that Noise – Laser Background, and Circadian Rhythms. Find information on the show at the venue’s website.
Denver’s 
Philly folk-freaks