izzy

During the day Izzy Cihak teaches transgression, subversion, and revolution at Temple University. At night he haunts Philthy's best venues to cover worthwhile acts for Philthy Mag. Morrissey is everything to him and, in their own heads, all of his friends see themselves as Zooey Deschanel.
  • Salami Rose Joe Louis: “This year I felt really emboldened to get to play and explore.” (12/12 at WCL)

    You may have seen singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Salami Rose Joe Louis opening for Alice Phoebe Lou at Johnny Brenda’s in 2021, or supporting The Comet Is Coming at Underground Arts last year, but the former climate scientist, formally known as Lindsay Olsen, recently relocated to our neck of...
  • Scott McCloud Talks New Wet Kojak Reunion and the Next Chapter of Soulside (12/10 at JB’s w/ Scream)

    “I think, at a certain age, coming back around to all the different music you made in your life becomes important,” says Scott McCloud, guitarist of DC post-hardcore legends Soulside and Girls Against Boys (for whom he’s also the vocalist), whose New Wet Kojak just played their first proper...
  • Darren Weiss on the Return of PAPA and Playing Various Roles

    “I was doing the two-set-a-night thing, which I hadn’t done in a while,” says Darren Weiss, AKA PAPA, who recently wrapped a tour where he played the role of both drummer and opening act for Irish singer/songwriter Sorcha Richardson, which included an October 16th date at The Foundry.  The...
  • Pussy Riot: Riot Days Comes to Ardmore (12/3 at Ardmore Music Hall)

    More than two months since the announcement of the tour, I’m still in more-than-slight disbelief that Pussy Riot’s first-ever area appearance is not actually going to be in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, but at Ardmore Music Hall.  This coming Sunday, December 3rd, the Russian feminist...
  • Allison Russell Talks GRAMMY Noms, the Importance of Circles, and Her First Memoir (11/29 at WCL)

    “You can expect that it is going to be joyful circle work, where the audience is as much a part of the show as we are,” says Canadian-born/Nashville-based singer/songwriter and activist Allison Russell of her band’s current live show.  “I came up in roots music/Americana music, and it’s always...
  • Thanksgiving Pre-Party with Blondshell

    This past Wednesday, November 22nd, a leather-clad Liz Phair gave Gen Xers the perfect pre-Thanksgiving emotional cleanse with a performance of her seminal ’93 debut, Exile in Guyville, as part of the album’s 30th anniversary tour.  The “legendary albums” performance had the now-56-year-old Phair performing the lo-fi masterpiece at...
  • Welcome to the Surreal World of Karina Rykman (12/15 at MilkBoy)

    “It’s been such a surreal past few months.  It’s been hard to even make sense of it, to have these audiences know the songs and be singing them back to me is the greatest thing that could ever happen…  And it’s my debut record!” says Karina Rykman.  Rykman’s first...
  • Friko Talk Debut LPs (11/27 at KFN)

    Last week, Chicago duo Friko – comprised of vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Niko Kapetan and drummer Bailey Minzenberger – announced the release of their debut LP, Where we’ve been, Where we go from here, which is set to hit shelves February 16th.  The announcement came alongside their drop of lead single, “Crashing...
  • Lydia Loveless: “Lots of people are saying certain songs make them cry… I always love that!” (11/30 at JB’s)

    Later this week, alt-country singer/songwriter Lydia Loveless kicks off their first tour behind their sixth studio album, Nothing’s Gonna Stand In My Way Again, which dropped this September on their previous home, Bloodshot Records (previous LP, 2020’s Daughter, was released via their own Honey, You’re Gonna Be Late Records),...