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“I’ve just always wanted to make funk music. I wanted to make funk, soul, R&B,” says Kelsey Wilson, best known as one-half of the core of Wild Child, an Austin Americana outfit that has been putting out music since 2011. And although Kelsey tells me during a recent phone...
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“We’ve played like less than 10 shows, but at the ones we have played, we’ve gotten positive responses,” jokes Dorota Szuta, singer, songwriter, and guitarist of California trio Heavy Gus, who are about to kick off a short Fall tour that includes a September 7th stop at The Lounge...
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“The capacity to get destroyed is insane,” says John Famiglietti, bassist and electronic specialist for noisy industrial rockers HEALTH. He’s discussing the Psycho Las Vegas festival, where he recently found himself DJing cyberpunk and EBSM late into the night, alongside a plethora of PHILTHY’s favorite metal-ish acts, including Boris,...
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Yesterday Ryan Guldemond, frontman of “Canada’s biggest alternative-rock band,” Mother Mother, premiered the debut single from GLDMTH, a solo art project that combines Guldemond’s music, photography, videography, and poetry, and whose self-titled debut LP is set to drop September 24th on Warner Records. The song, “The People,” is somewhere...
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“Just the cheesesteaks alone, for that, you must hit Philadelphia… and to run up the Rocky steps, although I’ve never done that myself,” says guitar legend Zakk Wylde during a recent phone interview in which he appeared far more of a jokester than his classic Rock N’ Roll caveman...
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This Thursday, August 25th, indie folk outfit Florist will be playing The Lounge at World Café Live, our favorite listening room in the city and a far cry from their last local stop, which had them playing gallery space PhilaMOCA in August of 2019. And, during a recent phone...
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Next month the founders and all-time champions of goth rock, Bauhaus, will be playing their first show in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection in 24 years. Although we have seen the band’s individual members quite a few times in that period, both solo and in various...
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It’s hard to believe it’s been two decades since the emergence of Franz Ferdinand, about halfway between the death of Brit Pop and the mainstream popularity of what has come to be known as indie sleaze. The post-punk revivalists hailing from Glasgow, who find themselves somewhere between the two,...
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Not many musicians are acclaimed for their ability to excel in both country and R&B… and even fewer (if any… ever) can claim to be world-class yo-yo-ers… However, all of these things are true of Atlanta-based singer/songwriter Faye Webster, who grew up playing country in a family of Americana...
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“In terms of older songs, we play mostly what our fans want to hear, which some artists may think is a bitch move, but whatever,” says Derek E. Miller, guitarist/producer and one-half of Sleigh Bells (alongside vocalist Alexis Krauss), reflecting on the band’s current live show in relation to...
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Legendary Japanese experimental rockers Boris are currently celebrating their 30th anniversary, and today they released their third Heavy Rocks LP and second full-length of the year, Heavy Rocks (2022). Last week the band dropped their third single and video from the album (“My name is blank”) and later this...
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*Unfortunately, the 8/13 show at Silk City has been cancelled/postponed. “I’m pretty blunt, it’s there, you can hear it, it’s obvious. It’s not stream of consciousness stuff, like Bob Dylan. It’s not like that at all,” says singer/songwriter (and self-professed “Pancake King of NKY”) Jeremy Pinnell about his classic...
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Tonight L.A. Witch bring their self-described “REVERB-SOAKED PUNKED-OUT ROCK” to Johnny Brenda’s for their first headlining show in Philthy in more than half a decade. The Los Angeles trio were, however, in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection just last December, when they were supporting All Them...
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LA indie rockers Ian Sweet brought the sounds of their latest EP, Star Stuff, to Johnny Brenda’s on a particularly toasty Thursday night (7/28). Accompanying them on their tour, Chicago indie rock band BNNY shared the stage as their opener for the evening. ...
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The iconic Baltimore dream-pop duo brought their newest album, Once Twice Melody, to The Met stage on 7/24. Performing in front of starry screens and dazzling light displays that perfectly accompanied their dreamy sound, it was certainly a night to remember. ...
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“’You remind me of Joni Mitchell.’ I get that all the time,” says folk-pop singer/songwriter Jamie Drake, laughing. Drake is discussing the reactions she usually gets to her, “authentic Laurel Canyon folk vibe.” This June the Los Angeles-based musician released her sophomore LP, New Girl, via AntiFragile Music, and...
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After releasing Mood Valiant, their first new LP in six years, last year to profound critical acclaim, Australian jazz/funk outfit Hiatus Kaiyote are currently on a massive US tour, with an already-sold-out show this Sunday, August 7th, at Union Transfer. Additionally, Hiatus Kaiyote bassist Paul Bender released his first...
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Over the course of the past year the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection (along with the internet) has found a profound amount of love and affection for R&B artist Saleka. And the local singer/songwriter is literally about to take her show on the road as the opening...
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Montreal-based experimental metal trio BIG|BRAVE are about to kick off a tour where they (as immediate support) are sandwiched between post-metal supergroup SUMAC (featuring Baptists’ Nick Yacyshyn, Russian Circles’ Brian Cook, and Aaron Turner of Mamiffer and Old Man Gloom) and Tashi Dorji, their first U.S. tour since the...
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“It’s gonna fucking rip,” says Dan Wriggins, poet and frontman for Philadelphia Americana-tinged indie rockers Friendship, who will be playing a Record Release Show this coming Saturday, August 6th, at Johnny Brenda’s. The show is part of a co-headlining run the band are currently on with Chicago bedroom-folk outfit...
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“I’m really intrigued about Fargo. I’ve never been to North Dakota and they apparently have more weird laws than anyone else, like you can’t wear a hat inside while dancing,” says NYC-based singer/songwriter Scout Gillett, laughing. Gillett just announced the release of her debut full-length, no roof no floor,...
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During Cassandra Jenkins’ most recent stop at Johnny Brenda’s, just two weeks ago, she regaled the audience with tales of her recent UK tour supporting Mitski and realizing that waves of fans fainting in Beatlemania fashion had become about as common as Morrissey stage invasions for shows of the...
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This Friday, July 29th, gothic Western outfit Murder by Death will be releasing their ninth studio LP, Spell/Bound, which frontman Adam Turla tells me he is exceptionally excited about, during a recent phone chat: “I am really proud of this one.” Like most albums being released these days, Turla...
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If they’re not already, by the year’s end LA-based math-rock outfit standards (yes, all lower case) will surely be your new favorite instrumental band. Last week the group — led by guitarist Marcos Mena — released Fruit Town on Wax Bodega, their sophomore LP and follow-up to 2020’s Fruit...
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Although their third and latest LP (Entropy) came out in 2018, North Carolina folk-pop outfit The Collection have been dropping one-off pandemic singles for the past year-and-a-half, including “Blue Day,” “Loud,” “GET LOST,” and “Won’t Stop Yet,” which was released earlier this year. The song, a charmingly irreverent anthem...
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“It’ll be a little bit of a TED Talk, but mostly a concert,” says Ellia Bisker of her band’s upcoming performance in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection. Bisker is one-half of Brooklyn-based goth-folk duo Charming Disaster, who PHILTHY has been following since the release of their...
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“I think I would argue I’ve been touring too much for someone who doesn’t really have too many resources, but I was just so ready to get back out there after all that time,” says New York-based folk singer/songwriter Cassandra Jenkins. This May Jenkins was a featured artist in...
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“I am interested in healing, freedom, tenderness in relationships… I think about lyrics first and then build the song around that,” says Katie Bejsiuk. Bejsiuk is the former frontperson of Philly-based indie poppers Free Cake For Every Creature, who released her solo debut, The Woman on the Moon, last...
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“I always thought our old band got a pretty good reaction, but it was more like being impressed like, ‘Oh, they’re so young and they can play,’ and, ‘Oh, they can play for girls.’ And this time around, it feels like they’re generally surprised sometimes, and I feel like...
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“I realized my whole life I’ve been very dark, very witchy, and in the past six months to a year I’ve embraced it a lot more,” says ZouZou Mansour of her sartorial swagger as frontwoman of Philly-based retro hard rockers Soraia. You’ve likely seen Mansour clad in combinations of...
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Today English post-punks-turned-hard-rock-legends The Cult announced their 11th studio album, Under The Midnight Sun, set to drop on October 7th, courtesy of Black Hill Records. The album has co-founders Ian Astbury (vocals) and Billy Duffy (guitar) joining producer Tom Dalgety — known for his work with Pixies, Ghost, and...
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This year marks the 15th anniversary of Brazilian singer/songwriter Céu’s self-titled debut album’s U.S. release, and she’s celebrating with her first American tour since 2016, which kicked off this Sunday at Ottawa Jazz Fest and includes a stop this coming Saturday, July 9th, at City Winery Philadelphia, which will...
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Word on the street is that Bikini Kill’s July 13th show at Franklin Music Hall is just about sold out… More than two years in the making, it will be the recently reunited riot grrrl co-founders’ first show in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection in nearly...
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“I’d much rather sing about myself than talk about myself,” says local singer/songwriter Annalise Curtin. Although the folk-pop-leaning singer and guitarist hails from the area, after the release of her 2013 debut LP, Battle Against Me, Curtin relocated to Cleveland, Milwaukee, and...
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Since the release of their last full-length, 2018’s Constant Image, DC-based indie rockers Flasher have been through a few major changes. Bassist Daniel Saperstein parted ways with the band, leaving guitarist Taylor Mulitz and drummer Emma Baker (who share vocal duties) to continue on as a duo. Mulitz also...
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“My show is kind of like a punk show, but also a pop show, but not in a pop-punk way,” says Sizzy Rocket, laughing. Sizzy’s crass, club-ready bangers owe as much to the acts that made Max’s Kansas City and CBGB famous as they do to any of the...
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“I spent most of my pandemic sleeping, smoking weed, and crying,” says singer/songwriter Ambar Lucid, laughing. In March of 2020, the then-19-year-old Mexican-Dominican musician was preparing for the April release of her debut LP, Garden of Lucid, along with an accompanying US tour, including a date at The Lounge...
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Summer vibes will be aplenty this Saturday night in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection when sibling-led soul-poppers Lawrence bring their Sounds of Summer Tour to Franklin Music Hall, alongside co-headliners MisterWives and openers Winnetka Bowling League. The NYC eight-piece band are currently touring behind Hotel TV,...
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Having released their third LP, WOMB, in April of 2020, “future pop” connoisseurs Purity Ring never got a chance to properly tour the album’s songs, which each serve as a coming-of-age tale of a female protagonist as they are forced to face the deepest-cutting traumas of modernism, which Pitchfork...
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The New York Times has called Kate Bollinger, “an architect of chill vibes,” while NPR characterized her sounds as, “smart, melodic indie pop music,” and KCRW stated that she, “has a prowess for nuanced lyrics and earworm melodies.” The retro-leaning folk pop musician has spent the past year playing...
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I literally could not make out Vile’s face through the luscious veil of locks that he refuses to push out of the way. Vile is already a world class guitarist, that was obvious last Friday at Union Transfer, but playing through all that hair? I would call that a...
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Today sees the release of Sonder, the sophomore LP from pop rock troubadours The Wrecks (along with the music video for the album’s title track) and the catchiest and most pogo-able breakup album of the year, which vocalist/producer Nick Anderson tells me is the most potent batch of songs...
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This Saturday, June 11th, Nashville four-piece Betcha will be bringing their brand of alternative rock to Johnny Brenda’s. The band embraces the sounds of crunchy and punchy rock radio of the late ‘90s, along with some of the more introspective and moody pop of the 21st Century. They’re highly...
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This past Wednesday, June 1st, folk rocker Ray LaMontagne brought his Monovision Tour to the Metropolitan Opera House of Philadelphia, where he treated fans to 9 of the 10 songs of his Monovision LP, in addition to a number of fan favorites, from the stage of our city’s most...
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This Wednesday, June 8th, Montreal duo Blue Hawaii – comprised of Braids’ Raphaelle “Ra” Standell-Preston and Alex “Agor” Kerby (also known as Alexander Cowan) – will be bringing their dreamy, synth-heavy, often-ethereal, and always danceable brand of electropop to Johnny Brenda’s. The band are touring behind their My Bestfriend’s...
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Avi Kaplan’s impressively low vocals seems to never fail in captivating his audiences. Kaplan’s basso profundo range allows for a performance rarely ever seen, and has been a staple of his musical repertoire since his days with acapella super-group, Pentatonix. Like his voice, Kaplan’s stage presence is soft, meditative,...
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This Sunday, June 5th, the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection will have its live debut of two of 2022’s best releases when bedroom pop stars mxmtoon and Chloe Moriondo play Theatre of Living Arts. Headlining the evening is mxmtoon, who’s touring behind her second studio album, rising,...
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This month 4AD brought the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection a few of its best shows, including post-punk revivalists Dry Cleaning at First Unitarian Church and neo glam rockers The Lemon Twigs at Underground Arts. And next Friday, June 10th, 4AD recording artist Aldous Harding will be...
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“I’m just really excited about the new music. It’s a totally different genre and style,” says singer/songwriter Maddie Poppe. Poppe gained fame as the winner of American Idol’s Season 16 in 2018, before releasing her debut album, Whirlwind, the following year. The Iowa-born artist became known for a folksy,...
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Last year British-born, Berlin-based post-punk-leaning, avant-garde singer/songwriter Anika (real name Annika Henderson) released Change, her second solo album and first since 2010, on Sacred Bones. In September we chatted about the album (which was inspired in equal parts by ‘90s alternative music, the current state of politics, the pandemic,...
“I’ve just always wanted to make funk music. I wanted to make funk, soul, R&B,” says Kelsey Wilson, best known as one-half of the core of Wild Child, an Austin Americana outfit that has been putting out music since 2011. And although Kelsey tells me during a recent phone...
“We’ve played like less than 10 shows, but at the ones we have played, we’ve gotten positive responses,” jokes Dorota Szuta, singer, songwriter, and guitarist of California trio Heavy Gus, who are about to kick off a short Fall tour that includes a September 7th stop at The Lounge...
