Canadian-born singer-songwriter Anjuli Josephine has been making music out of Philadelphia for a couple years now, and just released her whimsical self-titled debut EP. With mix of emotional, introspective lyrics and a poppy sensibility, Josephine fondly recalls performers like Regina Spektor, Ingrid Michaelson and Fiona Apple, and her backing players – Karl Rieders on bass,
Al Daniels  on keys, and Nate Kowalski on drums – are top notch. The band plays The Tin Angel this Saturday, March 30th, and gave us a taste of the set they have in store in this week’s Key Studio Session. Check it out below – it’s a wide-ranging set, from the bopping “Can’t Keep Up” to the drifting, lilting closer “Heart Heart Heart Hurt” – and get more information on the show here.

• Can't Keep Upby Anjuli Josephine from The Key Studio SessionsDownload

• Starvingby Anjuli Josephine from The Key Studio SessionsDownload

• Bby Anjuli Josephine from The Key Studio SessionsDownload

• Tigerby Anjuli Josephine from The Key Studio SessionsDownload

• Heart Heart Heart Hurtby Anjuli Josephine from The Key Studio SessionsDownload

New York’s Dull Edges headline Kung Fu Necktie tonight.  While staying true to their lo-fi, drone roots, Dull Edges cross-over into melodic psych-rock in an epic way on 2012′s Half Shattered.  The Deli-NYC describes the album-oriented drone record as “built for anyone looking to escape Earth’s orbit by amp wattage alone” and it’s a safe bet the wall of sound will be thick when they play alongside Sic Bacchus and Living in Error tonight.  Tickets and information for the 21+ show can be found here.  Below, stream “Washed Out” from Half Shattered.

Emo-inspired South Jersey four-piece By Surprise are making a rare concert appearance tonight at The Barbary, in advance of the January 15 release of their second LP, Criteria. The all-ages show begins at 5 p.m., more information is available here. Below, listen to the title track from their new album.

Lead MC of the Legendary Roots Crew, Black Thought, is playing a solo set tonight at The Blockley in University City. This gives some hope that his long in-the-works solo LP, The Talented Mr. Trotter, might see the light of day. Or it could just be an excuse for him to jam out with a stellar lineup of his friends and contemporaries, including Reef The Lost Cauze (who released the great Reef The Lost Cauze Is Dead on Christmas). The 21+ show begins at 8 p.m., more information can be found here. Below, watch vintage footage of Black Thought freestyling with ?uestlove from the 2000 documentary Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme.

XPN Welcomes quirky / funky singer-songwriter Mike Doughty to The Tin Angel for two shows tonight. The one-time Soul Coughing frontman released his latest solo effort, The Flip Is Another Honey, back in November. The 7:30 show is sold out; tickets still remain for the 10:00 show, more information can be found here. Below, watch Doughty performing “Na Na Nothing” on KEXP.

Philly party-rap duo Moosh & Twist headline the First Unitarian Church tonight. Their latest mixtape, Back To the Basement, is due out in January. For more information on the show, check our concert calendar here; for more on what Moosh and Twist have been up to, read our interview here.

Photo by G. Widman | GPTMC

With 2012 wrapping to a close, there aren’t many more questions that have to be answered this year. One that you should definitely think about, though, is which concert you will be attending on New Year’s Eve. The two-night stand at Johnny Brenda’s from Philly’s The War on Drugs is sold out as of this morning, but we’ve got a round-up of what else is going on. So now all you have to worry about is how many friends will be begging to tag along!

Schoolly D at Ortlieb’s Lounge
Resident Original Gangsta Schoolly D is ringing in 2013 in his hometown of Philly at Ortlieb’s Lounge. Given the rapper’s rep as a trailblazer for acts like Public Enemy and Jay-Z, this concert is going to be an event you won’t want to sit out. Tickets for the 21+ show start at $45, which includes a buffet and an open bar from 9 p.m. to 2  a.m. Go here for more tickets and information.

Nico’s Gun, El Malito, The Fleeting Ends at Milkboy Philly
Funky pop rockers Nico’s Gun are bringing the party to Milkboy Philly on the one year anniversary of their debut full-length PLUSH. When former bits and pieces of Philly band Cortez, Cortez teamed up with producer Harry Zelnick, the mission was just to create tracks for hip-hop samples, but the Nicos Gun’s psychedelic rhythms and catchy lyrics caught attention as a worthy stand-alone act. Stream PLUSH here, and find tickets for the 21+ concert here.

Brothers Past, The Heavy Pets, Disco Sucks at The Troc

Indie psych band Brothers Past are jamming out at the Trocadero with Florida reggae rockers The Heavy Pets and DJ project Disco Sucks. One of the most celebrated independent acts from Philly in the last decade, Brothers Past has released three full-length records, including 2005′s This Feeling’s Called Goodbye. You can listen to their live recordings including their show at Union Transfer last spring here, and order tickets for the New Year’s concert on our calendar here. Doors for the 18+ show open at 8. Watch Brothers Past’s performance of “Squeeze” from their Union Transfer show above.

Jane’s Addiction at House of Blues

Alt / psych frontrunners Jane’s Addiction will be rocking the Atlantic City House of Blues for a New Year’s Eve showcase after the wild success of their Theatre of the Escapists tour this year, supporting 2011′s The Great Escape Artist. Between the band’s tumultuous on-again, off-again history and breaking barriers for alt-rock’s shift into mainstream attention, Jane’s Addiction have made their mark as one of the most influential bands in the last 20 years. Find tickets for the all-ages concert here; above, check out the video for “Irresistible Force” from 2011′s The Great Escape Artist.

PhillyBloco at World Cafe Live

Brazilian beat masters PhillyBloco are bound to get your groove on this New Year’s Eve at World Cafe Live. The music and dance ensemble draws its roots from blocos of Rio de Janeiro with vibrant, infectious rhythms and energetic performances, bringing heat to any dance floor in Philadelphia. Find tickets and information for the celebration here.

Devil Makes Three and Brown Bird at TLA

Devil Makes Three and Providence duo Brown Bird are crooning at the Theatre of the Living Arts for a festive celebration. Devil Makes Three, a folk punk trio from California, are known for their unique style encompassing ragtime, indie rock and rockabilly. Their most recent album, 2011′s Stomp and Smash, peaked at number 4 on Billboard’s Grass Charts. Brown Bird’s Salt For Salt, which you can stream here, has a dark folk sound in the vein of acts like The Civil Wars. Tickets for the show are available here, and below you should watch Brown Bird’s 2011 performance of “Thunder & Lightning” at WBUR Studios above.

The Making Time New Year’s Eve Hyper-Rager at Union Transfer

DJ Dave P and his buddies in the Making Time crew are bypassing the featured-live-guests thing for New Year’s Eve, instead presenting an assortment of the city’s best DJ crews in various nooks and crannies of Union Transfer. The Sorted crew brings the indie-dance, Rock Tits does garage rock nuggets for the masses, Broadzilla hits hard with electronic beats and Dave P himself brings an assortment of futuristic sounds for a Making Time hyper-rager. Tickets and information can be found here.

…and then there’s:

Ben Arnold at Steel City Coffeehouse

XPN Welcomes Americana rock singer-songwriter Ben Arnold to Steel City for a special all-ages New Year’s concert celebrating the release of Arnold’s “Circle ‘Round The Sun” album. Arnold’s steady blues rock sound has made him an WXPN favorite, so take the opportunity to check out his music here, and find information and tickets to the release party here. 

Francis Dunnery at The Tin Angel

English singer-songwriter Francis Dunnery will be at the Tin Angel for a very intimate New Year’s Eve performance. Dunnery, who got his start as part of It Bites and a revival of The Syn, released his latest album, Made in Space, in 2011. The album is Dunnery’s first without any guitar and features vocals from Dorie Jackson. You can find tickets for Dunnery’s 21+ show here.

Goodie New Year’s Eve at Underground Arts with Fur Coat, Someone Else, Rob Paine & Dirty (Worship Recs)

Venezuelan electro / dance duo Fur Coat are bringing their game to Underground Arts for New Year’s, supported by the smooth beats of Someone Else (Get Physical) and techno act Rob Paine & Dirty. The 21+ dance party starts at 9 PM; check out tickets and information here. 

Octane, Kid Felix, Bong Hits for Jesus, & The Endless March at the Electric Factory

The Electric Factory is bringing you a very alt-rock New Year’s Eve with performances from Philly’s own Octane, Kid Felix, Bong Hits for Jesus, and The Endless March. Post-metal Octane’s 2006 release When All Is Said and Done churned out cult favorites like “Pure” and “Gasoline”–maybe 2013 will see a new generation of headbanging…maybe? If you’d like to be part of that revival, find tickets and information for the all-ages show here.

For a complete list of more concerts in the region not shown above, visit our calendar here. May 2013 bring you fun, happiness, and another year of sweet, sweet music.

Delaware-via-Brooklyn trio The Spring Standards are playing tonight at Arden Gild Hall. The band, who originally started performing together as high school students in the tri-state area, reunited after all moving to New York in their twenties only to hone their unique oldies rock/pop-meets-folk sound. Their unconventional style was mirrored by their decision to release a double EP this year instead of a full-length album. The collection, Yellow/Gold, was released in May before their tour with The Serial Lady Killers this past summer. Tickets for tonight’s show are available here; check out their video for “Here We Go ” from Yellow/Gold below.

Pop powerhouse Marina & The Diamonds will light up the stage at Union Transfer tonight.  The Welsh-Greek singer Marina Diamandis released her second full-length Electra Heart earlier this year, a record that debuted at #1 on the UK Albums chart and features production work from Philly-based producer Diplo on “Lies.”  Tickets and more information for her show with Icona Pop can be found here.  Below, watch the video for “Primadonna” from Electra Heart.

New York singer-songwriter Ari Hest brings his record release show to The Tin Angel tonight.  We featured his song “The Fire Plays” as yesterday’s My Morning Download, an intimate track from the Gerry Leonard-produced new album of the same name.  Tickets and information for the 21+ show can be found here.  Below, watch the video for Ari Hest’s song “If I Knew You’d Say Yes” from last year’s Sunset Over Hope Street.

This week’s New Music Series at The North Star Bar brings in Philly shoegazers Forest Fools.  Just over one-and-a-half years old, Forest Fools released their debut Daydreamer EP this past June, an album that inspired Xross Media to say “So these guys are from Philadelphia, USA? They sound like they would be more at home in the rainy suburbs of Manchester, England in the 1990′s”.  You can download the EP for free from the band’s Bandcamp.  Also playing are Folly Fields and Brianna Judge.  Tickets and more information for the 21+ show can be found here.  Below, listen to the title track.

Chicago singer-songwriter and Pitchfork darling Angel Olsen plays a Folkadelphia presents show at Studio 34 in West Philadelphia tonight. Olsen recently released her acclaimed debut Half Way Home on Bathetic Records. Joining her tonight is Philly space rock explorer Brendan Codey, and haunting singer-songwriter Meg Baird, playing her last show as a Philadelphia resident before moving to San Francisco (read our exit interview with Baird here). The show begins at 8 p.m., tickets and information can be found here. Below, watch Olsen’s music video for “Acrobat.”

The Tuesday Tune-Out continues at PhilaMOCA tonight with November’s curators, JUMP Philly Magazine, bringing Southwest Philly hip-hop collective The Astronauts to the gallery, along with a screening of the locally-produced documentary Tailor Made: The Bucky Davis Story. The all-ages show begins at 8 p.m., tickets and more information can be found here. Below, watch the music video for “High Top Fade,” a song they collaborated with Chill Moody on.

From indie rock goddess to disco siren, Mirah has covered a lot of ground in her twelve-year career (get an overview in our interview here). Recently relocated back to the east coast, she plays Johnny Brenda’s tonight with Mount Moriah. The 21+ show begins at 9 p.m., tickets and information can be found here. Below, watch Mirah’s 2010 music video for “The Forest.”

Long-standing Canadian five-piece The Tragically Hip return to Philadelphia tonight for a performance at The TLA. The band is touring in support of Now for Plan A, released in October. The all-ages show begins at 7 p.m., tickets and information can be found here. Below, watch the band’s clever video for “The Lookahead.”

Also Playing: XPN Welcomes JC Brooks And The Uptown Sound + Blayer Pointdujour And The Rockers Galore, New Motels at Kung Fu Necktie (7:30 p.m., 21+, $10–$12); The Heat Run + The End Of America at Milkboy Philly (10 p.m., 21+, $8–$10); The Slackers + The Pietasters, The Snails at Union Transfer (8:30 p.m., all ages, $15); The Maine at First Unitarian Church (7 p.m., all ages, SOLD OUT)