The latest edition of our Key Studio Sessions compilations is out today – now streamable and downloadable from Soundcloud!  Check out this year’s in-studio appearances with The Key Studio Sessions Vol. 7, including the down-tempo folk stylings of Waxahatchee, the thrashing punk of Pissed Jeans and the all-out rock jams of Ruby the Hatchet.  Thanks to production assistants Fred Knittel, Madeleine Lesperance, and Dan Malloy as well as photographers Rachel Del Sordo and Kate McCann, and videographers The Angry Mountain, HotBox Studios and Out of Town Films for sharing their work.

In advance of their upcoming debut full-length, local five-piece Oldermost dropped a download of two free tracks earlier this week. “Close to the Fire” and “Once I Left” display two distinct moods of the band, recalling dreamy Americana favorites My Morning Jacket and Lord Huron. Stream the songs below and download them on Oldermost’s Bandcamp here.

New Paradise Laboratories have announced that they will put their production of 27 back on the stage this spring.  The play takes a surreal and improvised look at music’s “27 Club” with portrayals of Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain.  Narrator / musical accompanist Alec MacLaughlin stopped in the WXPN studios for an interview and improvisation session during the play’s run last fall – download his appearance below.

Tuesday’s My Morning Download featured Philly’s The Lawsuits and their new single “Onion.”  The track, and the album it will appear on, was recorded by Bill Moriarty.  With the release of Cool Cool Cool happening this summer, the band has some free time on their hands, which they will fill with a few shows next month – catch The Lawsuits at Johnny Brenda’s on May 3rd, at The Fire on May 5th and at Hard Rock Cafe on May 10th.  Tickets and information for all shows can be found here.  Download “Onion” here and check out the Key Studio Session version below.

• The Lawsuits - Onionby The Lawsuits from The Key Studio Sessions, March 6, 2013Download

Ruby the Hatchet stopped by to record this week’s Key Studio Session, reprising two songs from their wild Ouroboros album that was released last fall and previewing a new one, “Paralyzed,” which you can stream and download below.  The Angry Mountain was also on hand to capture the local band’s performance of “Paralyzed” on film.  Ruby the Hatchet will be at Kung Fu Necktie on April 25th – tickets and information can be found here.  Check out the full session here.

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

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

Local art rock outfit The Chairman Dances shared their new two song Michael and the Prophetess EP this week.  The free download is “a song cycle steeped in biblical language and set in a fictionalized 1950s era Brooklyn” and follows the band’s longer form concept efforts A Promise and Long Lost / A History of Iniquity.  The Chairman Dances will perform at Kung Fu Necktie on June 14th; tickets and information can be found here.

• Onionby The Lawsuits from The Key Studio SessionsDownload

Philly-based tastemaking music blog YVYNYL unveiled a new mixtape this week.  Curated by Mark Schoneveld, the free download of 24 tracks includes “Habits” from local favorite Gracie, “Wings” from up-and-comers (and My Morning Download alums) HAERTS and “Dropla” from Youth Lagoon’s latest LP.  Watch HAERTS’ video for “Wings” below and download the mixtape for free here.

Nashville’s k.s. Rhoads released a new album this week called The Wilderness, following up his debut five years ago.  “Orphans” comes from the 2013 LP and it’s an anthemic, majestic and transcendent song that is reminiscent of Sun Airway / M83 with astute lyrics and catchy hooks.  Watch the video below and then download the track in exchange for your email address.

William Hart, lead singer of Philly soul stalwarts The Delfonics, recently stepped back into the studio with Adrian Younge to record thirteen new songs for Adrien Younge Presents The Delfonics, out via Wax Poetics on March 12th.  Stream and download “Enemies” below.

Kyle Swartzwelder stopped by for this week’s Folkadelphia session.  In an exciting turn of events Kyle and his band recorded seven songs, including one that was worked out during the session.  Listening to the songs available for streaming / downloading here, you’ll notice a quit warmth that instantly relaxes.  Check out “An Acre” below and go here for the full session.

Photo of Kate Crutchfield of Waxahatchee by Rachel Del Sordo

The Hot Philly 15 is a completely subjective list of Philly-made and Philly Local music happenings we love this week. It’s somewhat informed by what we’re playing on the radio, what we’re blogging about and what you’re talking about.

1 – Waxahatchee: With an excellent new album, Cerulean Salt, a fantastic Key Studio Session, a high profile upcoming gig at SXSW with NPR Music, and Best New Music on Pitchfork, we’re in love. You should be too.

2 – The Delfonics – Who would have thought 45 years after the release of “La La Means I Love You,” William Hart would still be kickin’ it? Listen to Adrian Younge Presents The Delfonics here. Download the new song, “Enemies” here.

3 – Keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel: Philly Bands heading to SXSW include: DRGN KNG, Blayer Pointdujour and The Rockers Galore, Creepoid, Lantern, Bleeding Rainbow, Norwegian Arms, A Life Once Lost, Dangerous Ponies, The Fleeting Ends, Lushlife, The Kalob Griffin Band, Katie Frank & The Pheromones, Nothing, Cold Fronts, Free Energy, Thee Idea Men. If we forgot you, sorry. We never got your press release.

4 – Chill Moody: We want him to be the mtvU Freshmen Video of the Week. Vote for him here.

The Lawsuits | Photos by Matthew Smith | Montage by Bryan Schreck

5 – The Lawsuits Key Studio Session – listen to it here.

6 – Heavy Rotation: The Fleeting Ends release their poptastical new album, Our Eyes Are Peeled, on March 22nd. It’s getting lots of advance play in the office here.

7 – The Hotbox Studio (video) Sessions recently kicked back into action with Cheers Elephant and Grandchildren

8 – Tayyib Ali dropped his new mixtape, Keystone State Of Mind 2. Download it here.

9 – Tara Murtha’s Philly Weekly cover story on the closing of Fluid. Read it here.

10 – Stereogum premiered a new jam from our friends Free Energy. Download it here.

11 – Questlove and D’Angelo get down at the Brooklyn Bowl here. Okay, so the Brooklyn Bowl isn’t Philly. Neither is D’Angelo. But Quest is.

12 – Mike Slo-Mo Brenner gets all world music on our asses with a new collection of Indian slide guitar music he recorded in Calcutta.

13 – Duet of the moment: Juston Stens and Jessica Lea Mayfield, “Strange Love.” Download it here.

14 – Entertainment Weekly debuted the new Purling Hiss video for the song “Mercury Retrograde” here. It’s psychedelic, baby.

15 – Work Drugs: The Philly smooth-fi music machine drops yet another new single, “Sunset On High Street.” Download it here and don’t miss them tomorrow night with Night Panther at Kung Fu Necktie.

On the one hand, The Lawsuits are solidly part of the well-established Philly roots music scene. Their guitars twang, their vocals harmonize, and they gig more often than not with their like-minded bretheren in The Levee Drivers, Toy Soldiers and of late, The Districts. On the other hand, they’re a lot more, interweaving elements of reggae, a 60s pop flair, 80s rock anthemic refrains, highly literate lyrics and swelling arty crescendos. It’s a heady, eclectic blend that gets its first full-length showcase in the record presently wrapping up at producer Bill Moriarty’s East Falls studio, and in this week’s Key Studio Session, we get a taste of the progression the Bucks County band has taken since its uber-country Hot Love EP. For instance – compare the sparse and folky version of “In Deep With the Queen” from the Numbers EP with the swelling rocker we hear below. “Onion” and “Long Drive Home” are unreleased new ones that we’ll hear in their proper, finished versions on the album. We’ve even got some bonus footage of “Long Drive” care of Philly videographer Matthew Smith. Check it all out below, and catch the band in concert at Triumph in New Hope on March 16th.

• Onionby The Lawsuits from The Key Studio Sessions, March 6, 2013Download

• In Deep With The Queenby The Lawsuits from The Key Studio Sessions, March 6, 2013Download

• French Roastby The Lawsuits from The Key Studio Sessions, March 6, 2013Download

• Long Drive Homeby The Lawsuits from The Key Studio Sessions, March 6, 2013Download

Indie shoegaze / pop outfit Beach Fossils headline Johnny Brenda’s tonight.  According to an interview with Village Voice, frontman Dustin Payseur wrote 75 songs for the band’s just-released LP Clash the Truth before paring that number down to the fourteen found on the tracklist.  The final version of the album floats from basement-y shoegazing punk to gauzy pop, all within the sublime confines of a beachy vibe.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show with local bass / drum duo Heavy Medical can be found here.  Stream the title track from Clash the Truth below.

This week’s Unlocked feature with Penrose culminates tonight with a show at Underground Arts. The local blues / rock trio is celebrating the release of Circe, an album steeped in Greek mythology and blues traditions dealing with existential and philosophical themes.  Recorded with Bill Moriarty, Circe is the band’s second full-length, following up 2010′s Devil’s Grip.  Learn more about what went into making the record in our interview with the brothers here, then read the review here.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show with Levee Drivers, The Lawsuits and St. James & The Apostles can be found here.  Stream and download “Life of Mud” from the new LP below.

• Life of Mudby Penrose from CirceDownload

Erykah Badu will perform her debut album Baduizm at The Electric Factory tonight.  The soul / jazz singer-songwriter and activist was a prominent member of the Soulquarians in New York alongside Questlove, Robert Glasper and Bilal and she is credited with sparking the neo-soul genre with her first record, for which she won two Grammy Awards in 1998.  Badu’s most recent release was 2010′s New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh).  Tickets and information for tonight’s all-ages show can be found here.  Watch the video for “On & On” from Baduizm below.

Local roots-rockers The Lawsuits head out to Lancaster’s Chameleon Club tonight for a sure-to-be-rowdy show with Toy Soldiers, The Districts and People’s Blues of Richmond.  Taking a cue from Philly music leaders Dr. Dog and Man Man (just to name a few), The Lawsuits worked with local engineer Bill Moriarty on their forthcoming LP, following up November’s Numbers EP.  Don’t let the laidback and introspective nature of that recent release fool you though, The Lawsuits are just as loud and lively as always, as evidenced by their on-going collaboration with Philly hip hop outfit Ground Up.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 18+ show can be found here.  Watch The Lawsuits video for “Ebony Rose” below.

New York’s Double King play Kung Fu Necktie tonight.  Formerly of Philly band The Powder Kegs, Double King frontman Ryan Dieringer moved to New York after the band broke up and quickly started work on his new project, which released their debut self-titled LP on Kill the Messenger Records last September.  With a solid rock & roll sound, Double King take jaunts into the many facets of the genre over the albums eight tracks including the surfy “Runaway” and the twangier “Hurricane & Harriet.”  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show with Cold Fronts and TJ Kong can be found here.  Below, watch Double King’s video for “Monsters.”

Double King – “Monsters” [Official Video] from Couple 3 Films on Vimeo.