Although it’s hard to imagine Philthy’s bastion of EDM, Rittenhouse’s Coda, garnering more excitement for an event of the non-white-DJ variety than Stevie Wonder’s recent free performance at the club, in support of Hillary Clinton, I think 2016’s runner-up (… pun… intended?) will take place this Saturday, November 19th, when CRX (fronted by Nick Valensi, guitarist of The Strokes, and also featuring Richie James Follin of Guards and Willowz), headlines the room on their first US tour. CRX made their television debut a little more than a month ago on Jimmy Kimmel Live and their debut, album, New Skin, dropped late last month on Columbia Records. The album, produced by Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, blends ‘80s new wave synthetics with the sentiments of former power-popping singer/songwriters, for a brand of the “infectiously accessible” that manages to dodge anything in the realm of a guilty pleasure. Additionally, the show will be opened by PHILTHY-favorites Street of Laredo, also known for their amalgam of alt sounds of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Before the show, watch CRX’s recently released music video for “Ways to Fake It” and read my July chat with Streets of Laredo’s Dan Gibson here.
