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.

XPN welcomes Johnny Marr to The Trocadero tonight.  The former Smiths guitarist is currently promoting his first solo effort The Messenger.  Following the break up of The Smiths in the late 80s, Marr has worked on recordings with The Talking Heads and J. Mascis and contributed in large part to the score of Inception.  Tickets and information for tonight’s show with ALAMAR can be found here.  Check out an interview The Key did with Marr here and watch him perform “Sun and Moon” at Coachella below.

U.K. singer-songwriter Tom Odell plays Johnny Brenda’s tonight.  Now touring in support of his 2012 debut Songs from Another Love EP and an upcoming full-length called Long Way Down, Odell got his start shlepping his keyboard to open mics night after night in Brighton before being discovered by Lily Allen.  He’ll be support by Jeremy Messersmith, who recently signed to Glassnote Records in anticipation of his new album.  Tickets and information for the 21+ can be found here.  Watch Tom Odell perform “Another Love” on Later… With Jools Holland below.

PhilaMOCA‘s Tuesday Tune-Out and the Cinedelphia Film Festival have teamed up with local experimental rock project Pattern is Movement to present the duo’s “album screening party.”  Set to scenes of Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood, the audience will get a full preview of Chris Ward and Andrew Thiboldeaux’s new album, as well as an inside look at the past four years of recording with a Q&A session after the screening.  Learn more about the listening party in an interview with Ward here.  The event is free – more information is available on the Facebook page here.  Watch a trailer for the event below.

Cinedelphia Film Festival‘s month of curating Tuesday Tune-Out at PhilaMOCA continues tonight with a screening of Loud! Fast! Philly!.  With its rare footage from the early 80s through today, the film uncovers and recalls Philadelphia’s hardcore punk history through the lens of bands and fans that were (and are) integral parts of the cultural environment.  Bands featured in Loud! Fast! Philly! include The Dead Milkmen, McRad, Decontrol and more – check out a preview of the film below.  Tickets and information for the 10:30 p.m. and showing can be found here (8:00 p.m. is sold out).

Liz Longley performs at Burlap and Bean tonight. Although now living in Nashville, Tennessee, the singer/songwriter is a Philadelphia native and will be coming home to play some of her songs in anticipation of her upcoming album entitled Liz Longley, and her new single “This Is Not The End” released on April 16th available through iTunes. She has also been The Local Pick Of The Day back in October 2010 with her song “Free”. Longley will be touring steadily through April, May, and June throughout the US. Tickets and information for the all-ages show with Seth Glier can be found here. Below, watch an acoustic session with Liz Longley playing her new single “This Is Not The End” from her upcoming album Liz Longley.

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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”.

This month, the MOCA hosts its inaugural Cinedelphia film festival – we’ll tell you more about that in an indepth interview with Bresler tomorrow – and it lined up a hefty five weeks of Tune-Out programming. After nearly a year of featuring events at his venue, we’re thrilled to welcome Bresler to this space to talk about the music and movies in store. All events are at PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12th Street), start at 7:30pm and are $5.

From Eric:

I always enjoy finding out about the personal interests of musicians that I like – the movies they watch, the places they hang out – so I thought it would be fun to invite a single musician or band every week who would perform and then screen a film of their choosing that somehow influenced their sound or approach towards making music.  Despite the crowds that PhilaMOCA events get, the city at large is still unaware of the space so I came up with the idea of rotating monthly curators as a means of introducing new segments of Philly’s populace to PhilaMOCA.  So the audience for, say, 8static is very different than the audience for BITBY or Folkadelphia, thus by the end of the month there are several bands that have played the space for the first time that have brought out their own crowds who may be visiting the space for the first time.  We’re really proud of the TTO series and seriously appreciate every guest curator and performer that has come out to support it.

Tuesday 4/2
Sweatheart with an 80s teen classic

I’m a big fan of Sweatheart and Brian Langan of Langor and numerous other Philly bands – he’s been a big help to the space, so I try to get him and his people involved whenever I can. They chose the film and its quite indicative of their sound. They do have this weird 80s-like party frat rock vibe, but they all dress like RPG characters! It’s a strange gimmick that’s all over the place, but its all cohesive. We’re not going to reveal the name of the film, but here’s a hint.

Tuesday 4/9
Divine Hand Ensemble with21st Century Classical Music

Divine Hand Ensemble is one of my favorite local bands. They’re led by Mano Divina, a Moog sponsored theremin player. They’re basically a chamber orchestra band that replaces lead singer with theremin, and I love that concept. And they don’t take themselves too seriously They’ll do the Highlander theme, stuff like that, but also classical pieces and original pieces too. This is the premiere screening of a documentary on them that’s several years in the making.

Tuesday 4/16
Farquar Muckenfuss playing a Monkees cover set with a screening of Head

Farquar Muckenfuss features members of Dead Milkmen and Mercury Radio Theater. The singer-guitarist F Woods and I, we go way back, and The Monkees were a frequent talking between us for many years. When I approached them about doing a Tune-Out, he suggested the Monkees, and I was thrilled. I’m doing the visuals that night, and I’ll be syncing up clips from tv series to their set, and then we’ll be watching the Monkees movie Head.

Tuesday 4/23
A screening of Loud! Fast! Philly! with appearances by many participating bands

I worked on this one with Joseph Gervasi of Exhumed Films, and he put on shows as the Cabbage Collective in the late 90s. It’s basically a visual history of Philly punk, from 1984 up to current house shows. It features at least 20 bands, many of whom will be in attendance, and we’ll show live clips and band members will come up and talk about it. The 7:00 screening is sold out, but we just announced a second screening at 10:30 the same night.

Tuesday 4/30
Pattern is Movement performing their new album synced to There Will be Blood

The band is getting ready to release its new album and There Will Be Blood inspired it, so they’re going to perform to scenes from the movie. This one is a free event, and sponsored by Pizza Brain.

Photo by Danny Clinch

XPN welcomes legendary blues musician Charlie Musselwhite to The Sellersville Theater tonight.  Over his almost 50-year career, Musselwhite has released over 20 records in addition to collaborating on efforts by Bonnie Raitt, Tom Waits and others.  Following the success of his 1966 debut, the 2010 Blues of Fame inductee moved to San Francisco where he and his unique blues-harp playing stood out against the counterculture backdrop. Most recently, Musselwhite collaborated with Ben Harper for 2012′s Get Up!.  Tickets and information for tonight’s all-ages show with Deb Callahan can be found here.  Below, watch Musselwhite perform “Blues Why Do You Worry Me?” live.

The Philadelphia Area Music Showcase brings Amanda X and Point Breeze to PhilaMOCA for tonight’s Tuesday Tune-Out.  Amanda X is an all-girl punk trio that manages to be both raw and catchy on their debut Ruin the Moment EP (free download here), which reflects the time of year it was recorded (August 2012) with heavy, humid percussion and hazy, distorted guitars.  Point Breeze is also a new punk trio on the scene, having released their quickly sold-out cassette debut Armchair Activist last October.  The two sets will be followed by a screening of 1994 indie punk film Half-Cocked.  More information for the all-ages show can be found here.  Below, watch Amanda X perform at Motel Hell in South Philly.

Local acoustic emo / punk outfit Modern Baseball play The Barbary tonight.  The band has been caught up in a flurry of activity this year, first signing to Run For Cover Records and announcing the re-release of their debut Sports LP, and subsequently being listed in Alternative Press‘ 100 Bands You Need to Know in 2013.  Check out a review of their recent appearance at The Fire here and watch the band perform “Play Ball!” on a rooftop below.  Tickets and information for tonight’s all-ages show with John Nolan (Taking Back Sunday / Straylight Run) and Connor Byrne can be found here.

You’ve seen Nikki’s byline here on The Key somewhat regularly; she also an editor for JUMP Philly, and runs her own music blog, Philadelphia Area Music Showcase, which is curating this month at the ‘MOCA. I’m pleased to welcome Nikki to this space (as an interviewee, rather than an interviewer) to tell us what’s in store. All events are at PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12th Street), start at 7:30pm and are $5.

From Nikki:

Coming into the whole Tuesday Tune-Out, I had two goals. One, I wanted to make sure I highlighted bands that weren’t playing out as much, but should – bands that people should know about and be able to hear. And two, I wanted to make sure every single night was compact. If you’re going, you’re going because you like this specific sound, and you’re not going to be let down by either of these bands.

Tuesday 3/5
Edison and Air is Human with film footage TBD

I thought it would be cool to get an instrumental band in the mix to have the video as well as this background music. If you’re more into what’s playing, or if you’re more into the band, you can switch back and forth. So with Air is Human, a two piece that does sci-fi instrumentals and ambient pieces, I think it’s going to be a good combination. And with Edison, I was looking for a band that would compliment the ambient, but also who had lyrics and vocals, because I figured an entire night of instrumentals would get droney. My friend Colin Kerrigan of Out of Town Films recommended Edison [Michael James Murray of Out of Town Fims plays guitar in the band - ed.], so I listened to them, and I liked their music as well. It’s going to be a stripped down set for them, but they’re going to put together a montage that they’re going to perform to. And we’re going back and forth about screening a movie afterwards or just playing a set of videos of past shows or atmospheric stuff.

Tuesday 3/12
Amanda X and Point Breeze with a screening of Half-Cocked

I like some harder punk, but for the most part you have to have something catchy in you that’s going to reach me. And the first time I heard South Philly’s Point Breeze, it was like this is a great band that’s easy to listen to. And Amanda X, they’re another cool new punk band; two Cats and a Tiffany who play power jams with Corin Tucker-style vocals. We’ve actually announced the film we’re screening for this one: Half-Cocked. It’s a black and white movie that was shot on 16 mm film, and its basically about a young twentysomething that lives in a punk flophouse. She wants to move, she doesn’t know what she’s doing with her life, so she steals her brother’s band’s van and makes a fake band with her friends so they can stay on the road. It’s cool, beautiful, and has some funny characters. And it fits! They’re both DIY Punk Bands, and this is a total DIY punk movie!

Tuesday 3/19
Cruiser and Younger Me with a film screening TBA

Originally I wanted it to be beach themed, I wanted this to be my summer show. Cruiser does hazy, warm-body, summer morning music, and Younger Me is eccentric, multi-instrumental bop-pop. But Cruiser is going to be playing to found footage that Andy States from the band put together, and they may play a movie afterwards, that’s still up in the air.

Tuesday 3/26
Auctioneer and Heyward Howkins with a video installation

Shaking Through: Auctioneer from Weathervane Music on Vimeo.

Craig is the first person I asked; I actually met him with the interview I did for The Key. I loved Auctioneer‘s music from the start, knew he was working on a new album. He’s been playing out a lot, and has been in the studio every single day from like 10 to 10 or something. As far as I know, the album should be coming out in the next two or three months. And with Heyward Howkins they’re both autumnal, they got the same vibe. And Heyward, I love how all of his lyrics are so visual, he tells such a good story with all his songs.

Craig’s inspiration with the movie was the Nightlands set that Bands in the Backyard did. He siad I don’t want to do just a movie, I want to do something super interesting and creative and off the wall. And I was like “I trust you completely.” He’s enlisted two local filmmakers, Jesse Engaard and Chris Thomas, and they’re going to do a multi-projection installation, six of Jesse’ short videos at once with Chris doing live video mixing.

Broad Indications from Jesse Gorham-Engaard on Vimeo.

Mardi Gras may have been last week but Philly funk ensemble Swift Technique are bringing Bourbon Street to The Blockley tonight.  Celebrating their fifth year as a band, Swift Technique have traveled far and wide and have shared the stage with many top-tier acts, including The Meters, Questlove and The Fela! Band.  The seven-piece also recorded a Key Studio Session last summer, which you can stream and download here.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show with Earphunk, Dirk Quinn Band and Black Stars can be found here.  Listen to “Route One to Route One” by Swift Technique below (it was the most-listened to track of The Key’s Volume 5 compilation last year).

Philadelphia-via-Boston folk trio The Gallerist play Kung Fu Necktie tonight.  The project of singer-songwriter Mike Collins, The Gallerist released their debut album A Falling Waltz in 2011.  The traveling roots of the band may have anchored in Philly’s terra firma for now, but A Falling Waltz betrays The Gallerist’s roaming desires with gypsy-esque rhythms and lyrics of faraway places like the Delta.  In recent months, the indie outfit has been playing a tight show circuit including an appearance at January’s intimate Sofar Sounds event.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show with Tan Vampires, Old Abram Brown and The Sun Flights can be found here.  Below, watch The Gallerist perform “Old Skin” at Sofar Sounds.

Divers

Chipocrite is the performer for tonight’s Tuesday Tune-Out at PhilaMOCA, curated by 8static.  An exuberant fan of The Big Lebowski, Chipocrite will be performing a Dude-themed set of electronic, video game-based tracks followed by a screening of the movie.  Admission for the all-ages show is a suggested $5 donation at the door.  More information can be found here.  Below, watch Chipocrite perform at MAG Fest 11.

XPN welcomes the 2013 Northern Liberties Winter Music Fest at The Fire with a Van Morrison Tribute show tonight.  The event features a cavalcade of local singer-songwriters and rootsy bands including Reverend TJ McGlinchey, John Francis and special guest Ben Arnold, all honoring the Belfast Cowboy’s discography with old favorites from Astral Weeks, Veedon Fleece and more.  Tickets and information for the 21+ can be found here.  Below, watch a video of Van the Man performing “Tupelo Honey,” which The Fire claims you will definitely hear tonight.

Photo by Kent Moore

February curators 8static present Saint at PhilaMOCA for this week’s Tuesday Tune-Out. Saint is the moniker of Dain Saint, Philly resident and co-founder of audio game development company Cipher Prime Studios.  Saint’s musical style echoes his day job with its chiptune production and video game soundtrack melodies.  Admission for tonight’s Tune-Out is a $5 suggested donation at the door.  More information for the all-ages music and film evening can be found on the Facebook event page here.  Below, stream “Fog of War” from Saint’s Pieces of 8. More information for the 21+ show can be found here.

Memory Tapes makes a rare live appearance at Johnny Brenda’s tonight.  The otherworldly project of New Jersey musician and producer Dayve Hawk celebrated the release of Grace / Confusion at the end of 2012, an event documented by The Key’s recurring Unlocked series.   Memory Tapes has proven to be an apt moniker for Hawk – he describes his compositions as being “representative of the time and place in my life” and “having an anthropological worth” – and from that viewpoint Grace / Confusion takes on an entirely different level of depth from other electronic / dream pop records.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show with Gracie and TEEN can be found here.  Download “Neighborhood Watch” here and watch the Grammy nominated video for “Yes I Know” from Player Piano below.

XPN welcomes local acts Free Energy and Cold Fronts to The Depot in York, PA tonight.  The upbeat pop / rock sound of Free Energy was captured in this year’s Love Sign LP, an album that quickly wiggled its way into the hearts of both new and old fans with feel-good, party ready tracks like record-starter “Electric Fever.”  Philly rockers Cold Fronts released their infectious Pretty American EP last spring and followed it up with “Know it All” last week, a rocking tune with great guitar layers and sing-a-long lyrics.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 18+ show with Younger Me can be found here.  Below, watch Free Energy’s video for “Electric Fever.”

Lambeth, London’s Palma Violets play Kung Fu Necktie tonight.  The punk band has built a strong following through playing live shows, despite having released only a handful of songs.  One track, “Best of Friends,” was voted NME’s song of the year for 2012.  Palma Violets have also been nominated for BBC’s Sound of 2013 poll.  Blending garage punk with psychedelic rock influences, Palma Violets have a debut album set for release on February 25th through Rough Trade.  Tickets and information for the 21+ show with Dreambooks can be found here.  Below, watch the new video for “Step Up For the Cool Cats.”

Guitarist Chris Forsyth will perform at Johnny Brenda’s tonight.  The local musician blends many styles of guitar playing, including art rock, folk and blues to create a hypnotic experience of textured layers and international influences.  Moving on from being part of Peesseye to primarily working solo, Forsyth has collaborated with Meg Baird, Steve Gunn and others.  2012 saw the release of Kenzo Deluxe on Northern Spy, a paired down approach to his electric guitar compositions.  Tickets and information for tonight’s 21+ show with Ben Seretan and The Neighborhood Choir can be found here.  Watch Chris Forsyth perform “Downs and Ups” from Kenzo Deluxe below.

Canadian outfit Purity Ring stop by Union Transfer tonight.   The duo put an airy, dreamy pop spin on bass drenched electronica with glittery synths and Megan James’ sweetly innocent vocals.  With instrumentalist Corin Roddick, Purity Ring broke off of Born Gold when Roddick began exploring production techniques and beat making.  Last year’s Shrines LP was Purity Ring’s debut and was released on 4AD.  Tickets and information for the all-ages show with Young Magic can be found here.  Watch the video for “Fineshrine” below.

XPN Welcomes The Amazing with Market East tonight at MilkBoy.  The Amazing released Gentle Stream in 2012, a misty, psychedelic effort that could pass as a long-lost ’70s Laurel Canyon record with its tight but fluid guitar ramblings and steady groove.  Joining the Swedish quartet are local boys Market East for their first hometown show in several months.  In another nostalgic vein, Market East released a doo wop-informed self-titled record last year that blends acoustic surf vibes with classic a capella harmony interludes.  Tickets and information for the 21+  show can be found here.  Below, listen to “Flashlight” from Gentle Stream and download “Elena” from Market East for free here.

This month, John Vettese (below, on the right) and The Key are hosting the Tuesday Tune-Out shows at PhilaMOCA and they kicked off their portion of the ongoing series with an amazing show.

Dr. Dog drummer Eric Slick, who also drums for Norwegian Arms, Ape School and others, performed a solo show set to a video he produced (with the help of his Norwegian Arms bandmate Brendan Mulvihill and friend Andy Molholt). The video, titled Primal Essence, featured Slick in a dream sequence – in which he had a romantic liaison with a slice of pizza.

He drummed live on stage in collaboration with his on screen character. It was surreal and amazing.

Michael Johnson (bottom image) from Ape School and Jonathan Pfeffer from Capillary Action opened the show.

The crowd alone was a who’s who of the Philly music scene. Among those in attendance were Adam Granduciel from The War on Drugs, Frances Quinlan from Hop Along, Dominic Angelella from DRGN KING, Mike Sneeringer from Purling Hiss and Scott McMicken from Dr. Dog.

Next week, Vettese and The Key will present Zilla Rocca. Find show details here.

Over a dozen local favorites are joining to together for a go at Song Reader: Twenty New Songs by Beck tonight at World Cafe Live upstairs.  As previously reported, influential music man Beck Hansen released his latest album in the (not so) traditional format of sheet music, intended for individual interpretation by those who wanted to hear the otherwise-unrecorded songs.  Tonight’s bill is a near-comprehensive list of Philly’s major players including Sean Hoots, Andrew Lipke, The Districts, Toy Soldiers and Kuf Knotz.  Tickets and information for the event can be found here.  For a full list of participating bands go here.  Below, watch local singer-songwriter Ben Smith perform his take of “Last Night You Were a Dream” from the Reader.

Elk Rhythms will perform tonight at the North Star Bar‘s New Music Showcase.  The folk project of Andy Ellison, Elk Rhythms’ audible influences on 2012′s self-titled EP range from The Grateful Dead (“Forty Days“) to Fleet Foxes with some unexpected Animal Collective playfulness thrown in (“Sleepwalking“).  Also playing tonight are Twenty Minute Tango, The Pretty Dittys and Devil’s Triangle.  Tickets and information for the 21+ show can be found here.  Below, stream and download Elk Rhythms’ “Gone Away.”.

XPN welcomes Raul Malo to World Cafe Live tonight for a special solo acoustic holiday show.  Holiday music has been a part of Malo’s catalog throughout his career and in 2007 he released Marshmallow World & Other Holiday Favorites, which he recorded with his three sons helping out on vocals.  The Cuban musician reunited with his longtime band The Mavericks recently and the country group will be releasing a new record in January called In Time.  Tickets for Raul Malo’s show with Seth Walker can be found here.  Below, listen to Malo’s version of “Blue Christmas.”

Philadelphia multi-instrumentalist Gretchen Lohse performs at Johnny Brenda’s tonight.  Lohse may be better known as the front-woman for the local psychedelic folk outfit Yellow Humphrey, though lately she’s been striking out on her own, contributing a set to Folkadelphia’s Tuesday Tune-Out series in August and paying tribute to Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman at the Ron Gallo Revue in September.  Currently, Lohse is recording a solo record expected out next summer.  Gretchen Lohse opens for Sera Cahoone and Rayland Baxter tonight.  Tickets and information for the 21+ show can be found here.  Below, listen to “Primal Rumble.”

I knew that I dug what these guys were up to as soon as I saw their video of Ages playing in the back of Johnny Brenda’s. In the year and a half since then, they’ve faithfully documented the Philly scene in videos that range from lo-fi immediacy to multi-camera productions, showcasing the town’s up-and-coming acts as well as buzzing national bands that make their way through. I’m happy to welcome them to this space to talk about what they have in store for the December Tune-Out. All events are at PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12th Street), start at 7:30 p.m.

From Kyle and Dave:

After hearing about the series from John V. at XPN and checking out Pet Milk when Herbie curated we thought it was a really cool idea and contacted Eric at PhilaMOCA about getting involved. We were offered December, so here goes…

Tuesday 12/4
Nightlands performing to 2001: A Space Odyssey – $14 admission

Nightlands is Dave Hartley from The War on Drugs. All of us at BITBY love Nightlands so naturally he was the first person we asked. Dave was super excited to do this when we asked him to participate and he knew right away he wanted to do 2001: A Space Odyssey. Yes, the whole movie, on the big screen, with the dialogue from the film accompanied by an original score performed live by Nightlands. There will be an intermission and we will be serving Narragansett Beer. Jeff Ziegler will be joining Hartley as well. We really wanted to be able to bill the show as Nightlands doing a score to 2001:A space Odyssey and in order to that we had to buy the rights to screen the film for the night which is costly, that is the only reason tickets are a bit pricey for this show. It will be well worth it, though. The super talented Mikele Edwards from Arc In Round will perform a short set before the screening as well.

Tuesday 12/11
Thee, Idea Men with Katie Frank

Two bands we have been seeing a lot of at BITBY lately are going to make this show a fun night. Thee, Idea Men are awesome and we love having them play shows. They are always full of energy and get the crowd going. Katie Frank is the latest release on our BITBYmusic label and her debut Coverd Bridge Road EP will be available at the show. Katie rocks and you will instantly fall in love with her, trust us. After two quick sets from the bands, a classic Cusack film will be shown.

Tuesday 12/18
Ex-Friends

Last in our series we have Ex-Friends (featuring members of Plow United). Awesome punk rock from awesome people. The movie will be announced the day of the show.

Hope to see everyone out at the shows!

Thanks
Kyle, Dave and the rest of BITBY.tv

For their final installment of PhilaMOCA‘s Tuesday Tune-Out series, JUMP Philly signed up indie quartet The National Rifle.  The local band is gearing up to release their first full-length Almost Endless, recorded with Brian McTear (Shaking Through Series, Sharon Van Etten) and Jon Low (Twin Sister).  Tonight’s set at PhilaMOCA will be followed by a screening of 1979 cult action film The Warriors; more information can be found here.  Below, stream “Coke Beat,” The National Rifle’s first single from their upcoming album.

Singer-songwriter Shelby Lynne brings her “Up Close and Personal” tour to World Cafe Live tonight.  Lynne will perform a solo acoustic set of songs from her recent Revelation Road Deluxe Edition release, her thirteenth studio album.  The record’s making-of documentary will also be screened, followed by a Q&A session with Lynne.  Tickets and more information can be found here.  Below, watch Shelby Lynne perform the title track to Revelation Road.

Experimental dream-pop group Twin Sister play Union Transfer tonight with School of Seven Bells.  The Long Island band released their most recent album, In Heaven, last year.  Twin Sister also participated in Weathervane Music’s Shaking Through Series, recording “Meet the Frownies” for Volume I Episode 8.  Tickets and information for tonight’s show can be found here.  Below, watch Twin Sister’s Shaking Through episode.

Modern Inventors will open for South Africans Civil Twilight tonight at The Note in West Chester.  The release of Modern Inventors’ debut album Trains & Aeroplanes is just one month away and you can get a taste of the Philly duo’s sound with the record’s first single “Hello” below.  Tickets and information for tonight’s show can be found here.

PhilaMOCA‘s Tuesday Tune-Out series continues with curators JUMP Philly bringing in Blonde Gang and DJ Lisa Love to help celebrate the launch of the magazine’s winter issue.  The Philadelphia via Los Angeles Blonde Gang are a collective of musicians and artists with a singular goal of making people happy, which they achieve with their eclectic mix of dance/hip hop/rock music. DJ Lisa Love, a Philadelphia institution who has DJ’d for Jill Scott and LL Cool J, will be on hand to spin alongside one of her DJ school proteges.  For the film portion of the evening, Blonde Gang will screen an 80′s break-dancing sequel called Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo.  The Tuesday Tune-Out is open to all-ages and there is a $5 suggested donation at the door.  More information can be found here.  Below, watch Blonde Gang’s video for “Red Light Green Light.”

Kung Fu Necktie will play host to Thee Nosebleeds tonight.  The West Philadelphia trio makes thrashing rock music that’s every mosh-pit enthusiasts’ dream, fronted by Kermit Lyman III’s “gluttonous tone” and backed by “the nastiest rhythm sections this side of The Cramps.”  Thee Nosebleeds will open for Screaming Rattler and Clamfight; doors open at 8:00 p.m. for the 21+ show.  Tickets are $8 and more information can be found here.  Below, listen to “Valhalla Express” from Thee Nosebleeds latest album Brown Liquor for Blood Brothers.

Perennial songwriting favorite Duncan Sheik brings The Sunset Sessions Tour to World Cafe Live tonight.  Sheik’s recent projects include writing the music for the Tony Award-winning musical Spring Awakening and releasing an 80s cover album, which he remixed this year and released as Covers 80s Remixed.  Also performing is Laura Warshauer.  Tickets to the all-ages show are $23-$33 and doors will open at 6:00 p.m.  More information can be found here.  Below, watch Sheik perform “Half a Room” for The Song That Changed My Life series.

Philadelphia indie psych outfit Jackie Paper plays The New Music Series at the North Star Bar tonight.  The project of Joshua Dowell, Jackie Paper pulls bits and pieces of influence from psych-rock bands and shoegazers, landing their April 2012 EP in the realm of a dusty Western shot in outer space.  Also featured in tonight’s New Music Series are Dirty Cartoons, Sonja Sofya, The Externals and Nicholas Piccari.  Tickets are $7 for the 21+ show, and more information can be found here.  Below, watch Jackie Paper’s video for “All is All.”

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.”

When the quarterly magazine launched in 2011, I immediately dug what it was doing. For a media outlet covering the Philadelphia music scene, it was spotlighting all the right artists, and in an impressive range of genres – its writers crawled around in basement-show punk dives one minute, visited classical music halls the next, explored secretive hip-hop cyphers the next. Doing so as a print medium was all the more admirable, and I’m pleased to welcome editor and publisher G.W. Miller III to this space to share what he’s and the crew have planned for November. All events are at PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12th Street), start at 7:30pm and are $5.

From George:
If you haven’t seen JUMP mag around, hit us up (jumpphilly@gmail.com) and we’ll get you a few copies. We print quarterly, and we only document the Philly music scene. We have a new issue dropping in a few weeks, so we’re pretty excited to be curating the Tuesday Tune-Out series this month.

Tuesday 11/6
Chalk & The Beige Americans

If all goes well, by the time our portion of this great music and movies series begins, the presidential election will be over (the voting at least) and the world will return to normal. No more annoying campaign advertisements on TV means I can actually turn my TV back on. Whew.

To celebrate, we invited Chalk & The Beige Americans to perform. These guys have a great Philly sound – full of funk and soul, though they can’t easily be classified in a musical genre. It’s definitely a groove, and the band is known for improvising, jazz-like, during performances. (Check out the story we wrote about the band in 2011 here.)

Tuesday 11/13
The Astronauts

We found these guys last year after they did this video/song with Chill Moody. The bass line was so addictive and the rhyme style so old school. Listen to the lyrics and you hear that these guys just love hip-hop.

The Astronauts are actually a collective, with Pace-O Beats and Mont Brown as the principals. Pace and Mont are just a couple of smart kids from Southwest Philly. They named themselves after Guy Bluford, a West Philly native who overcame many obstacles and became the first African-American astronaut to enter space.

It’s hard not to root for these guys. The film we’ll present on this night is Tailor Made: The Bucky Davis Story. It’s a locally-produced documentary about Mont’s father, who was involved in Philly’s ultra-violent drug cartel, the Junior Black Mafia.

(Read the story we did about The Astronauts in the summer 2012 issue here.)

Tuesday 11/20
Blonde Gang & DJ Lisa Love

This is our official winter issue launch party and we’re thrilled to have Blonde Gang, the issue’s cover artists, performing. These guys are another collective and their styles run the gamut – from dance tracks to more rap-oriented hip-hop. When these guys perform though, things get wild. They are bright and colorful and they get the crowd into the action.

DJ Lisa Love is a longtime DJ who spins and scratches like the old days. And she’s a great story – a Southwest Philly girl who overcame struggles and went on to DJ for the likes of Jill Scott, LL Cool J, Musiq Soulchild and others. She also runs a DJ school, and she’ll bring one of her young protégés to spin.

This will be your chance to grab a copy of the winter issue of JUMP, which is loaded with good stuff. It’s our annual visual issue and we have stories about Keith Greiman from Prowler, DJ PHSH, Harsh Vibes, The Downtown Club, Sunny Ali & The Kid, DJ Damage, Modern Inventors, Band Name, Norwegian Arms, Tutlie and much, much more.

We’ll be presenting the sequel to an 80s breakdancing classic as well, so you really have four reasons to attend.

(Here’s the story we did about Lisa Love.)

Tuesday 11/27
The National Rifle

These guys recently recorded a new album, set to drop in late January. They’re an indie rock band, I guess, but their music is all over the place. Some of their newer stuff has a real 80s post-punk feel, which is pretty awesome. Everything they do is loaded with energy and you will dance.

In addition to showing a late 70s cult classic, we’ll also be presenting two episodes of the locally produced Sadie, a web series produced by Nicole Agostino. The show features a young woman who sneaks into music shows around Philly and stumbles across adventures, romantic and otherwise. Most of the soundtrack for the show features local artists.

Photo by Kyle Dean Reinford

At another record release show, folk-rock six-piece Kopecky Family Band take over MilkBoy Philly tonight to celebrate their first full-length Kids Raising Kids.  Though not a biological family, the Nashville collective has been making music together since 2007, building a strong following thanks to non-stop touring and down-right fun live shows.  Tickets for tonight’s get-together are $10 here.  Doors will open at 8:00 p.m. with Marigolds and Juston Stens and The Get Real Gang kicking things off at 9:00 p.m.  Check out the video for the infectious “Heartbeat” below.

XPN Welcomes Rufus Wainwright to The Pullo Center at Penn State York.  The son of musicians Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle returns to Philadelphia after entertaining XPN fans at Penn Park last May for the XPN Listener Appreciation Free at Noon, which brought the 2012 Non-COMMvention to a close.  Shortly before, Wainwright released his most recent album called Out of the Game, which was produced by Mark Ronson.  Tickets for tonight’s show with special guest Lucy Wainwright Roche are $48 here; doors open at 7:30 p.m. for the all-ages performance.  Below, watch the video  for the title track to Out of the Game (featuring Helena Bonham Carter).  You can also listen back to Wainwright’s set at WXPN’s Non-COMMvention in May via the XPN Media Player here.

If you haven’t checked out this month’s Tuesday Tune-Out series at PhilaMOCA yet, now would be a great time to change that.  Curated by The Swollen Fox, the series continues tonight with a set from local Americana/folk band The Lawsuits followed by a screening of a surprise movie.  The Lawsuits will be releasing an acoustic EP called Numbers soon; you can check out a video for “Fine Quality (Coffee Flour Sugar Tea)” below.  Admission for tonight’s all-ages event is $5 at the door.  Music begins at 8:00 p.m.

Durham, North Carolina’s Des Ark will perform at the Goldilocks Gallery above Morimoto tonight.  The project of one-time Philadelphia resident Aimée Argote, Des Ark released its sophomore LP Don’t Rock the Boat, Sink the F*cker on Lovitt Records last year.  Argote sings about “awkward subjects” in a straightforward and confident way, connecting with her audiences by breaking silences.  Tonight, Argote will perform with The New Trust and Xanax.  Tickets are $8 for the 9:30 p.m. show; for more information, go to the event’s Facebook page.   Watch a live video of Des Ark performing in Boston below.

The Swollen Fox’s Tuesday Tune-Out series at PhilaMOCA continues tonight with a set from DRGN King followed by a movie screening.  The Philadelphia psych/indie duo signed with Bar/None Records last month and they have a new album in works for early 2013.  Doors for tonight’s event open at 7:30 p.m. and the music begins at 8:00 p.m.; admission is $5 at the door.  Below, watch a video for the upcoming album’s first single “Holy Ghost,” which will be released as a limited edition 7″ on October 23rd.  You can also listen to and download DRGN King’s 2011 Key Studio Session here.

Buzzing North London trio Daughter make their way to Kung Fu Necktie tonight.  Daughter is the vehicle for Elena Tonra’s music, a blend of piercing heart-on-her-sleeve lyrics and moody, chrystalline melodies.  Tonra has recorded two EPs with her bandmates, including 2011′s Communion-backed The Wild Youth (though the music you’ll find on either EP is not your average folk).  Daughter perform tonight alongside Choir of Young Believers and local musician Lucy Stone.  Tickets are $10 for the 21+ show and the doors open at 8:00 p.m.  Below, watch Daughter perform “Youth” on The Late Show With David Letterman.

Photo by Ryan Jay

This month’s Tuesday Tune-Out series at PhilaMOCA is curated by The Swollen Fox’s Kevin Kennedy, so you know each night will feature some stellar local acts (read an interview with Kennedy previewing the series here).  Tonight’s event is a doubleheader with Thom McCarthy and Toy Soldiers’ Ron Gallo each playing a set, followed by a screening of a film that “may not be directed by (and starring) a legendary silent-film era comedic star.” The event is open to all ages; doors are at 7:30 p.m. and the show starts at 8:00 p.m. with the movie screening beginning at 9:00 p.m.  Tickets are $5 at the door.  Below, watch Thom McCarthy perform his song “Tiempo” at PhilaMOCA from May 2011.

Dispatch, the stereotype-defying trio from Boston that has disbanded and re-banded a few times over the last decade, has joined together once more for the release of Circles Around the Sun and a national tour that brings them to The Tower Theater tonight.  Even after so many years they’re still a little bit reggae, a little bit funky and totally rock ‘n’ roll as fans happily experienced at the band’s Free at Noon performance back in August.  Tonight’s show is with local favorites Good Old War.  Tickets are $46 and available here; doors open at 8:00 p.m. Watch a new video for the title track from Circles Around the Sun below.

After headlining the first show at Union Transfer last year and playing the XPoNential Music Festival a couple of months before that, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah come back to Philly to play a special show at the First Unitarian Church tonight.  The partially-local rock band released their latest album, Hysterical, last year.  Tickets to tonight’s show with SKATERS are $20 and available here.  Doors open at 8:00 p.m. and the event is open to all ages.  Below, watch the video for Hysterical‘s title track.  (You can also download a free EP from Skaters here).

Hysterical from CYHSY on Vimeo.

When it comes to covering Philly’s live music scene, Kevin is a machine – he runs what’s arguably the most comprehensive concert calendar in the city, and when he’s not listing or announcing shows, he’s attending them, keeping meticulous setlists, and generally being a consummate concert-watcher. (He’s also a fun dude to hang with at shows, trade his Bonnaroo stories for my South By Southwest stories, and nerd out over craft brews.) I’m happy to invite Kevin to our corner of the internet to give an overview of what he’s got in store for the five Tuesdays of October. All events are at PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12th Street), start at 7:30pm and are $5.

From Kevin:
When I first heard about PhilaMOCA’s Tuesday Tune-Out series back in June, I was very excited about the idea. Music and film are a great combination, and I thought it was especially cool that the musicians would be selecting the films. When Eric Besler asked me to curate a month, I was both honored and excited. It was a new and fun experience to put together October’s lineup, and I’m very excited for what’s in store this month. I’m also grateful to John Vettese for asking me to Guest VJ and let The Key’s readers know more about this month’s lineup. So without further ado, here are some videos and thoughts.

Tuesday, 10/2:
August John Lutz II (of Levee Drivers)

When putting together the lineup, October 2nd was the last date left to fill, and I was so excited when August John Lutz II agreed to solidify the lineup. His band, Levee Drivers, have been around the Philly music scene for a few years now, deservedly gaining recognition after winning the 2009 Beta Hi-Fi Festival and The Deli Magazine‘s “Best Philly Emerging Artist” poll in 2010. We’re excited to see him kick off our month tonight with a solo set and a film by a recently-departed English director.

Tuesday, 10/9:
Ron Gallo (of Toy Soldiers) & Thom McCarthy

When I started to think about who I wanted to invite to play this series, Ron Gallo and Thom McCarthy were two of the first artists to pop into my head. I had seen McCarthy open for Gallo’s Toy Soldiers not long before and was completely blown away. He is truly one of Philadelphia’s best kept secrets, an amazing writer and performer. His friend Ron Gallo is another one of Philadelphia’s finest singer-songwriters (and tireless workers) and we couldn’t be more excited to have these two fantastic entertainers on the same bill. The film these two chose or may not be directed by (and starring) a legendary silent-film era comedic star.

Tuesday, 10/16
DRGN KING

I first saw DRGN KING this past February at Johnny Brenda‘s. They were the first opener on a bill that included Fort Lean and NICOS GUN, and they didn’t take long to convert me into a fervent fan. In a crowded music scene both in this city and on the internet, DRGN KING stand out as a truly original band with a great sound and fun live performances. They’ve also often had a projected visual component to their live show, which was one of the reasons I thought to ask them. The band’s film selection may or may not have been scored by Neil Young.

Tuesday, 10/23
The Lawsuits

As a music fan, I’ve always been drawn most to talented singer-songwriters and front men and women. While I love many different genres, my resting pulse is in the americana/folk/rock arena. The Lawsuits are another band with a great songwriter leading the way, Brian Dale Allen Strouse. It doesn’t hurt that he’s got a talented band joining him, and together the group knows how to put on a great show. They also know how to pick a movie, which we can only tell you features one of the 80s most beloved characters (who may or may not wear a bowtie).

Tuesday, 10/30
The Bailey Hounds

When I was putting together this series, it somehow failed to dawn on me that the final Tuesday of the month fell on the night before Halloween. Luckily, this detail did not make it past The Bailey Hounds, who immediately jumped at the idea and suggested a Halloween-themed show. We’ll be decorating PhilaMOCA for the show and showing a classic 70s horror film that was remade almost 10 years ago. Don’t worry, we’ll be screening the original.

Funky Philadelphia jazz collective, Swift Technique will be playing a show tonight at The Blockley. Their ability to combine old favorites of jazz and funk with a modern R&B curvature makes them a group then everyone can enjoy. They recorded a Key Studio Session with us earlier in July which you can check out here. Also playing at The Blockley are  The Stooges Brass Band, a contemporary brass band that is recognized for their high energy and traditional “N’owlans” sounds. Tickets to this 21+ show are $6-8, the performance kicks off at 8 sharp. Check out a video taken by The Swollen Fox of Swift Technique performing at The Blockley back in December.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecigd9kuOrU&feature=related

Last night at PhilaMOCA, the lead singer of Yellow Humphrey, Gretchen Lohse, put on a beautiful and intimate solo set. Check out a photo recap of the performance in the gallery above.