Last year, White Birds alums Farzad Houshiarnejad and Mike Cammarata emerged as the groove-pop outfit Night Panther, leaving us wondering what became of singer and songwriter Jim Harvey. An apologetic White Birds song late last year was the final blip from him in this incarnation, before he re-emerged this week as Forever Evers.

Got all that? It’s okay, we’re a little confused too. Basically, what you need to know is Harvey is still making music, his singing is still soaring and melodic, Houshiarnejad is still working with him (they’re brothers, after all) and the tone is still echoed-out, but with a dance-pop sensibility that we didn’t hear in either of his previous two bands. Grab a free download of Forever Evers’ song “I Could Stay” below.

While XPN2 is helping us celebrate the holiday season with Jingle Jams, the weekly Folkadelphia show has moved over to The Key in the form of downloadable in-studio sessions.  This week’s guest was Black Dub vocalist and solo musician Trixie Whitley, a powerful singer with a captivating delivery.  Listen to the full session below and download it via Folkadelphia’s Bandcamp.

Bobby Long premiered a track off of his upcoming Wishbone LP this week over on Paste.  The British singer-songwriter will release the follow-up to last year’s debut LP A Winter’s Tale in February through ATO Records.  Listen to “In Your Way” below and download it here.

Garage-pop four-piece Cold Fronts were our featured band for this week’s entry in The Key Studio Sessions.  The Philly bred outfit recorded four authentic, sweaty rock songs including a new one called “Sum Girls.”  Listen to the track below and download the full session here.  Check out Cold Fronts live when they play Kung Fu Necktie on December 12th; tickets and information can be found here.

• Sum GirlsInsert caption hereDownload

Philly’s White Birds shared a new song called “I Had a Dream I Did Everything Right” earlier this week, a track that frontman James Harvey describes as his apology to the people who mean the most to him.  Give it a listen below and download the track from White Birds’ Bandcamp.

From the band’s upcoming limited-edition cassette, When Women Played Drums (featuring new music, art, and more), due June 10th via Grizzy Records. (“Waters” premiered earlier today over at My Old Kentucky Blog). You can give it a listen below.

Matthew Saville

Australian psychedelic rockers Pond release their new album Beard, Wives, Denim on March 6th. Pond includes members of another Australian psychedelic rock band, Tame Impala. The band is playing at Johnny Brenda’s on Tuesday, March 20th, along with Oberhofer and Philly’s White Birds. Below, stream Pond’s forthcoming album in its entirety (via Hype Machine):

Kelly Kurteson http://www.kellykurteson.com/

Today, the members of White Birds release their debut full-length, When Women Played Drums. Born out of the ashes of Drink Up Buttercup, White Birds is James Harvey, Farzad Houshiarnejad, Mike Cammarata and Chris Radwanski. Where the music of Drink Up was quirky psychedelic pop, White Birds’ songs are lush sounding, reverbed pop tunes that bring to mind Fleet Foxes and the Beach Boys. Though the band’s gorgeous harmonies are enveloped by a Phil Spector-esque “Wall Of Sound,” the songs never get lost in the haze. The band plays Johnny Brenda’s on Tuesday, March 20th, with Pond and Oberhofer. Tickets and more information about the show are here. Last November the band recorded a Key Studio Session, which you can listen to and download here. Listen to and purchase When Women Played Drums below.

Tycho

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3rd
Scott Hansen is an artist with a vision. Before he debuted on the music scene as electronic composer Tycho, Hansen was known by his graphic design pseudonym, ISO50. As ISO50, Hansen produces intricate, often illusionary water color pieces—images that make an appealing first impression and grow more complex when scrutinized. His songs sound about the same. Hansen’s 2002 EP, Science Of Patterns, and the 2004 album Sunrise Projector hinted at his musical ideas, but it wasn’t until his 2011 album, Dive, that Tycho seemed to communicate in music what ISO50 did in visual art. Not surprisingly, Tycho’s current tour features a video component, which Hansen appropriately debuted on the ISO50 blog. Hansen will be playing both his music and visual art tonight in a show that’s certain to be sunny and synesthetic. Tycho performs with Beacon at 8:30 p.m.; tickets to the all-ages show are $5–$15. —Naomi Shavin

Since forming from the remains of Drink Up Buttercup, the members of White Birds have been quick to separate themselves from their former endeavor. Where Drink Up was fast and frantic, White Birds is slow and mellow. The band’s self-titled EP demonstrated just how much the members have evolved, with a dreamy tone and echoing harmonies. White Birds’ new album, When Women Played Drums, expands the fuzzy pop sound; the album comes out February 14th, but you can pre-order it now on Bandcamp. White Birds be joined at Kung Fu Necktie by Univox, whose Key Studio Session we posted earlier this week. White Birds performs with Univox and Tutlie at 8 p.m. at Kung Fu Necktie; tickets to the 21+ show are $10. —Nicole Soll

Snowmine front man Grayson Sanders has received praise for his mellow and melodious voice, with many noting similarities to both Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes and Jim James of My Morning Jacket. The Brooklyn-based indie pop band’s debut album “Laminate Pet Animal” is obviously a tribute to all things natural and lullaby-esque, what with the use of odd instruments (including arbitrary household items, such as dish brushes and brooms) that help create a cultured sound. The band was featured as Weathervane Music’s Shaking Through artist for the month of November, and brings its Fleet Foxes-caliber potential to Johnny Brenda’s for the Philadelphia Bandcamp Hunter showcase. Snowmine performs with Gracie and Tours at Johnny Brenda’s at 9:15 p.m; tickets to the 21+ show are $5. —Lisa Henderson

Augustana had a rough 2011. The San Diego-based quartet was dropped from its label, Epic, following disappointing sales of its third album, had to cancel a summer tour with Jack’s Mannequin, and lost several of the original band members. But just as rumors of the band breaking up surfaced, lead singer Dan Layus announced he and the remaining members would continue making music under the name Augustana. Dan Lamoureux, who had previously played keyboard with the band, returned on drums, and Augustana released dates for a short winter tour. Despite the changes in the band, Augustana’s rock sound remains the same, and their set will feature both new music and hits off previous albums, such as “Boston” and “Sweet and Low.” Augustana performs with Graffiti6 at 8 pm at Theatre Of Living Arts; tickets to the show are $17. —Nicole Soll

Also Playing: Arctic Splash + DJ Deejay at PYT (10 p.m., free)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4th
Brown Recluse + Acres Of Diamonds, Instamatic at Milkboy Philly (9:30 p.m., 21+, $8–$10); Jedi Mind Tricks + Diabolic, B. Lynch at Union Transfer (8:30 p.m., all ages, $18–$20); Jack’s Mannequin + Jukebox The Ghost, Allen Stone at Theatre Of Living Arts (7 p.m., $30.50); SOJA + The Movement, Fear Nuttin Band at Electric Factory (8 p.m., $25.95)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5th
Rock To The Future Benefit featuring Polar Ice Cap + The Danger O’s, Fast Car, Jampa! at World Cafe Live (7 p.m., all ages, $7)

Kate Bracaglia

This past summer, Drink Up Buttercup morphed into White Birds featuring three of the Buttercups; James Harvey, Farzad Houshiarnejad, and Mike Cammarata. The White Birds’ four-song debut EP on Grizzly Records is a gorgeous, Fleet-Foxes-meets-Beach-Boys’-Surf’s-Up collection of breezy pop songs. The band recorded a Key Studio Session in November, which you can listen to here. The song “Floating Hands”—recorded during that session—is also available on our new Key Studio Sessions Compilation Volume 3, which also features songs by DRGN King, Blayer Point Du Jour, Black Landlord, mewithoutYou, and others.

• Floating Handsby White Birds from The Key Studio Sessions, Volume 3Download

Psychic Teens

This week, we’ll be taking a look at several WXPN/XPN2 staff members’ Best Of 2011 lists. Today, The Key editor Matthew Borlik’s five favorite local albums of the year.

1. Psychic Teens, Teen (Golden Voyage Records) Listen to Psychic Teens’ Key Studio Session

2. Meg Baird, Seasons On Earth (Drag City)

• The Finderfrom Seasons On EarthDownload

3. Creepoid, Horse Heaven (Ian Records) Listen to Creepoid’s Key Studio Session

4. Arches and Banned Books, Split 10″ (Magic Death Records) Listen to Arches‘ Key Studio Session

5. White Birds, White Birds EP (self-released) Listen to White Birds’ Key Studio Session

Honorable Mentions:
Break It Up’s self-released single “Excavate,” which the band posted on Bandcamp earlier this year and is easily my favorite local song of 2011. Had it received an official release this year (either as a 7-inch or on a full-length), it definitely would been included on my list. Unfortunately, it looks like we’ll have to wait until next year for the band to release its debut. Listen to Break It Up’s Key Studio Session

Lantern and Dirty Beaches’ self-released live album, Live At Glasslands—because live albums don’t count. Listen to Lantern’s Key Studio Session

DRGN King

The Key Studio Sessions Compilation Volume 3—which you can download for free here—features one exclusive track recorded at the WXPN studios by 18 local acts, including DRGN King, Blayer Point Du Jour, Plow United, Weston, Surgeon, Break It Up, Black Landlord, Crills Wilson, Psychic Teens, The Bad Doctors, Ben Smith, The Tressels, Saturn Never Sleeps, White Birds, Andrew Lipke, Ports Of Call, mewithoutYou, and Young Statues.

Special thanks to all of the bands for coming to our studio, and to John Vettese for recording them. We’d also like to thank volunteer production assistants Zachary Deveraux Fairbrother, Jake “Rabid” Nisenfeld
Jeremy Quattlebaum, Joshua Pannepacker, and Maureen Walsh, as well as photographers Eric Ashleigh, Michael “Kraus Phade” Béon, Kate Bracaglia, Michelle Holshue, Mattias Nilsson, Eric Schuman, and Rachelle Lee Smith for sharing their work.

Click here the download the 18-track compilation in its entirety as a .zip file. Want to hear more? Click here to listen to the full sessions by all 18 local acts; you can also download The Key Studio Sessions Compilation Volume I and Volume 2.

Track listing:

DRGN King, “Holy Ghost”
Blayer Point Du Jour, “Mansion Party”
Plow United, “Martin”
Weston, “Love And Rockets”
Surgeon, “Greed”
Break It Up, “Subterranian”
Black Landlord, “Last Night”
Crills Wilson, “Grifter”
Psychic Teens, “Red”
The Bad Doctors, “Sisyphus And The Gate”
Ben Smith, “Love Potion No. 10″
The Tressels, “Cold Blue Eyes”
Saturn Never Sleeps, “Hearts On Fire”
White Birds, “Floating Hands”
Andrew Lipke, “Sleep Like A Child”
Ports Of Call, Ballinora
mewithoutYou, “Tie Me Up! Untie Me!”
Young Statues , “Athens”

Also Playing: XPN Welcomes Sam Roberts Band + Zeus, Canadian Invasion at North Star Bar (9 p .m., 21+, $15); XPN Welcomes Marin Sexton at Sellersville Theater (8 p.m., $33–$45)

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3rd
XPN Welcomes Jukebox The Ghost, The Spinto Band, and White Birds at Union Transfer (8 p.m., all ages, $12–$14) You can watch Jukebox The Ghost’s new video for the track “Half Crazy” off the band’s 2010 album, Everything Under The Sun; the video was shot in South Philly by local animation production company Juggling Wolf. You can check out White Bird’s recent Key Studio Session here.

Also Playing: XPN Welcomes The Roches: Suzy And Maggie Roche with a Holiday Twist at New Hope Winery (8 p.m., $30–$40)

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4th
XPN Welcomes the 6th Annual Lizanne Knott And Friends Philabundance Benefit at World Cafe Live (8 p.m., $10)

Listen to this week’s Key Studio Session and count the ways the guys in White Birds impressively play off one another. There’s vibey ensemble moments: Mike Cammarata’s minimal floor tom percussion provides the broken heartbeat to the tales of loss singer Jim Harvey spins thru a 60′s pop loom (“Floating Hands”). Chris Radwinski’s strolling bass line strikes a harmonic counterpoint to the scene in “Hondora.” But the breezy Bucks County psych band also works at the simplest level: “No Sun” and “Veins Lined With Rust” are carried by breathtaking harmonies between Harvey and his brother Farzad Houshiarnejad. It’s a far cry from the spastic carnival music these guys delivered as Drink Up Buttercup, but the band says you shouldn’t be fooled by the downtempo approach of its debut EP (or this session). It’s catalog runs broader, since it’s preparing to release a full length next year, and when White Birds opens for Jukebox the Ghost on Saturday, it promises energetic rock-out moments to break up the mellow mood. Get the full story when their session and interview plays back on The Key Studio Sessions Hour on XPN2 tomorrow night at 7. White Birds opens for The Spinto Band and Jukebox the Ghost Sat. Dec. 3 at Union Transfer. Tickets to the all-ages show are $14, more info at UTPhilly.com.

• Floating Handsby White Birds from The Key Studio Sessions, Nov. 30, 2011Download

• Hondoraby White Birds from The Key Studio Sessions, Nov. 30, 2011Download

• No Sunby White Birds from The Key Studio Sessions, Nov. 30, 2011Download

• Veins Lined With Rustby White Birds from The Key Studio Sessions, Nov. 30, 2011Download

Earlier this month, the local fuzz-pop act White Birds dropped by the XPN studios to record a Key Studio Session. Kate Bracaglia (of Underwater Explosions) was able to take a few photos during the session, which you can check out above; we’ll post the session itself on Wednesday, November 30th. You can also listen to the band’s four-song EP below.

• The Sheriffby The Spinto Band from Biba! One Island, 879 VotesDownload

When it comes to indie-rock bands that are composed of romantically involved couples (Mates Of State, The Rosebuds, Handsome Furs), Hank And Cupcakes offers something slightly off-kilter. For one thing, the married pair hails from Israel; for another, along with their silly adopted monikers, the two sport a cheerfully irreverent sensibility. The video for “Hit” features Hank And Cupcakes cavorting in nothing but body paint. With growing popularity and a new album in the works, Hank And Cupcakes is poised to spread its dance party aesthetic beyond the band’s Brooklyn base. Hank And Cupcakes performs with Gang and Pink Skull at 9 p.m. at Milkboy Philly; tickets to the 21+ show are $10. —Kiley Bense

Also Playing:
Blayer PointDuJour + The National Rifle, Adam And Dave’s Bloodline at The Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art (8 p.m., $10)
Purples + White Birds, Mike Quinn at Johnny Brenda’s (9:15 p.m., 21+, $10)
Mutlu + George Stanford at World Cafe Live (Downstairs) (8 p.m., $21–$31)
The Zombies + Acoustic Strawbs at Keswick (8 p.m., $29.50-$48.50)
Ian Axel, Bess Rogers and Allie Moss at World Cafe Live (Upstairs) (7:30 p.m. $10 plus $3 service charge) Download a tour sampler from Axel, Rogers and Moss right below.

Photo by Kyle [BITBY] Costill • bandsinthebackyard.com

Hazy, fuzz-pop trio White Birds might be a new kid on the scene, having played its very first show just two months ago—but the band has already proven it has the chops to make it big. Which is no surprise, considering all three members previously logged time in Drink Up Buttercup, a zany psych-pop act known for its pounding circus beats and frantic stage show. Sadly, Drink Up Buttercup called it quits back in June, but three of the four members (James Harvey, Farzad Houshiarnejad, and Mike Cammarata) quickly re-formed as White Birds, a change they attribute to changing tastes and the desire to expand their sound. (Bassist Ben Mazzochetti did not join White Birds, citing different visions.)

With White Birds, we see the city’s much-loved hooligans growing up, and offering a mature and refined sound. Think of White Birds as the Abbey Road to Drink Up’s Magical Mystery Tour: it’s elegant, whimsical, and dreamy where the latter was quirky, trippy, and playful. And much like Drink Up, it’s accompanied by an exuberant live show that’s just as fun to watch as it is to listen to. Since forming, the band has won over crowds at Pianos and Glasslands in NYC, and scored an opening spot for poppy shoegazers Asobi Seksu on an upcoming tour. I originally fell in love with White Birds when I heard the first single “Hondura,” a sun-drenched, harmony-laden vintage groove. Since then, the band has prepared a self-titled cassette of four songs, including “Hondura,” the excellent “Bee Hive” (a fuzzy slow jam whose echo-y harmonies swarm like bees around the beat), and the dreamy ’60s charmer “Floating Hands.” The cassette will be available in a limited run on September 23; for now, you can stream the whole thing via Bandcamp. You can also catch the guys live Saturday, September 17, opening for Purples at Johnny Brenda’s. —Kate Bracaglia of Underwater Explosions.

Crooked Fingers

Sometimes people just need a bit of time to themselves, no matter how cool their ‘90s indie-rock band might have been. Such was likely the case for former Archers Of Loaf lead singer Eric Bachmann, whose darker and more melodic solo project Crooked Fingers will be stopping by Kung Fu Necktie tonight. Despite the fact that his new solo album Breaks In The Armor is set to be released in October 2011, June has actually been a busier month for Archers Of Loaf. Merge Records announced that they will reissue all four of the group’s studio albums, including their acclaimed 1993 Icky Mettle, and the band also made its television debut this week. Opening the show with their debut performance will be White Birds, a new local group featuring Jim Harvey, Farzad Houshiarnejad, and Mike Cammarata, all formerly of Drink Up Buttercup. The trio has plans to release an album later this year. Crooked Fingers performs with White Birds at ­­­­­­­­­8 p.m. at Kung Fu Necktie; tickets to the 21+ show are $12. —Claire Fishkow

North Lawrence Midnight Singers are a local band through and through. Named for the address where the five-piece was founded, these rockers are firmly rooted both in Americana and Philadelphia. They’ve been compared to Bob Dylan; their sound is a kind of cross between The Jayhawks and Roy Orbison. Beyond an attachment to classic Sun Records releases, North Lawrence is very much a Philly band. Both North Lawrence records were made in Philly (one with Bill Moriarty of Dr. Dog and Man Man fame), and their most recent effort was named one of 2010’s best local albums by the Inquirer’s Dan DeLuca. North Lawrence Midnight Singers perform with The Spinning Leaves and Birdie Busch at 6:30 p.m. at Penn Treaty Park; tickets to the all-ages show are free. —Kiley Bense

Drink Up Buttercup

Two weeks ago, we heard the murmurs about the Philly rock quartet Drink Up Buttercup possibly breaking up. Were the band members calling it quits? Were they changing the band’s name (and/or sound)? Nobody seemed to have any actual answers, so we took the initiative and, you know, called the band to find out what was going on.

Lead singer Jim Harvey told us that the band had decided to perform its last show under the Drink Up Buttercup name at The Fire on May 28th as part of the Sundrops Arts And Music Festival. As we reported back then, Harvey, Farzad Houshiarnejad, and Mike Cammarata planned to move on on as White Birds, having made a clean break from their relationship with bassist Ben Mazzochetti late last year. The trio had already written a full-length album’s worth of new material, which they had been trying out during the final Drink Up Buttercup shows (and plan to release later this year).

Earlier today, the folks over at Kung Fu Necktie announced that the band’s first official show as White Birds will be Wednesday, June 29th, opening for Crooked Fingers. As the venue mentioned, this show will likely sell out. You can buy advance tickets here. White Birds performs with Crooked Fingers at 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 29th, at Kung Fu Necktie; tickets to the 21+ show are $12/$14.

Sometimes, growing pains for bands can be really painful—especially when they involve three of the four members choosing to move in a new direction, leaving the fourth behind. “Honestly, it was harder than breaking up with a girlfriend,” said Jim Harvey, lead singer of Philly’s Drink Up Buttercup, who confirmed today that the band will be performing its last show under that name at The Fire on Saturday night (as part of the Sundrop Arts And Music Festival). Harvey, Farzad Houshiarnejad, and Mike Cammarata will be moving on as White Birds, having made a clean break from their relationship with bassist Ben Mazzochetti at the end of 2010.

“When we stopped touring, and started recording our second album at the end of the year, we just really weren’t enjoying it anymore,” said Harvey. While Drink Up was trying to produce and record the album on their own in a rented house in Doylestown, Harvey said Mazzochetti wanted to keep going in the Drink Up direction, but the others disagreed.

“By the end of the year, we were just decaying,” Harvey said. With powerful personalities and irresolvable differences of opinion, he said the group decided to part ways with Mazzochetti, but has been playing shows as Drink Up Buttercup to honor previous performance agreements since the end of last year. During that time, they’ve also been trying out new White Birds material, to be released sometime later this year, slowly easing themselves into their new sound.

After writing the whole White Birds album in a week, Harvey, Houshiarnejad, and Cammarata knew they were a lot more passionate about pursuing White Birds than they had been just months before about Drink Up. Where Drink Up was theatrical and quirky, Harvey describes White Birds as “pretty” and “seriously musical,” allowing the three to mature as musicians. Today, the band will finish recording the last of 11 songs for its self-titled debut, which should be ready for release by the end of the summer.

“We really just wanted to make music that people want to make out to, fall in love to, or fall asleep with your headphones on to,” said Harvey. Fellow Philly musician BAnanas Symphony, who says he’s close friends with the band, called “Hondora”—one of three songs up on White Birds’s Bandcamp—“the make-out tune of the year, nay, a lifetime” on tumblr last week.

Harvey couldn’t confirm, but suspects that White Birds will also be announcing some concerts in the coming months, so keep an eye out. —Danielle Wayda