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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,...
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Unfortunately, Chicago trio Dehd’s show scheduled for this past Sunday at Union Transfer had to be cancelled with someone in the group’s touring party testing positive for COVID…. But, just today they announced more than a month of Fall dates, including an October 22nd stop at Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia. ...
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“It’s Interesting coming back into the world with this pandemic; things are different. It’s great to see friends again, and do our thing, finding good coffee and finding good food,” says Stephen McBean of finally getting back on the road. Although best known as frontman of Vancouver psych rockers...
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Although Slayyyter’s May 25th gig at The Foundry at The Fillmore is technically sold out (along with much of the rest of the tour), as of right now, there are “Verified Resale Tickets” currently going for $23. The date is the second-to-last of her current US headlining tour, which...
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“I’m really excited to play Firefly. I’ve never played a festival before,” says Jordana Nye (better known as simply Jordana), the bedroom-pop-star-turning-legit-alt-pop-sensation behind “I Guess This Is Life” (which has more than a million streams on Spotify). Just yesterday the singer/songwriter released her latest LP, Face The Wall, courtesy...
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I bought a NoSo t-shirt instead of getting a Lyft home. Given the fact I didn’t know who NoSo was before the show last Wednesday, my redirection of cash should speak to how much I enjoyed their set. NoSo’s music is a pure, genuine expression of the emotional spectrum...
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This Saturday night, May 21st, Johnny Brenda’s will likely be rocking quite a bit harder than usual… Portland-based quartet Blackwater Holylight will be bringing their doomy, gloomy, ultra-heavy psych rock to the Fishtown venue best known for hosting darlings of indie pop and experimental rock (not that there’s anything...
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Singer/songwriter Al Olender describes the songs of her debut album (Easy Crier, which dropped this past Friday, May 13th) as, “Storytelling truth bombs,” and, “Folky, indie, yummy earworms.” “I just want to connect with as many people as I can,” she tells me during a recent phone chat. The...
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Over the course of their last three albums (and several interviews with PHILTHY MAG) Minnesota-based experimental indie pop outfit Cloud Cult has played World Café Live, Johnny Brenda’s, Prince Music Theater, and The Foundry (In that order, actually…) However, on their upcoming run of dates, which will have them at our very...
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This Friday, May 13th, 4AD retro Rock N’ Rollers The Lemon Twigs will be headlining Underground Arts… But we’re even more excited about opening act, Tchotchke… Tchotchke are a New York-based trio who kick out sunshine punk jams that would be right at home in a John Waters movie...
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This Wednesday, May 11th, indie pop singer/songwriter Molly Burch returns to the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection when she headlines The Foundry at The Fillmore. However, we’re equally excited to see opening act NoSo, who is currently on the road supporting Burch. NoSo (shorthand for North/South) is...
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Earlier today NY indie rock trio Sunflower Bean premiered their latest single and music video, “In Flight.” The single is yet another preview to their third LP, Headful of Sugar, which drops tomorrow on Mom + Pop (The band had previously released videos for album tracks “I Don’t Have...
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“POP PUNK IS NOT DEAD!” shouted Simple Plan lead singer, Pierre Bouvier, on Monday at The Fillmore. Seeing the crowd that night, hearing them scream every single word, I can say for certain that Pop Punk is alive and well. Simple Plan kicked off the night with a burst...
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This coming Monday, May 9th, contemporary noise rock legends A Place To Bury Strangers return to Johnny Brenda’s. However, I’m actually far more excited about the opportunity to see Glove, who will be providing direct support. Glove are a four-piece, hailing from Tampa, Florida who, earlier this year, released...
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Last month Nashville-based country pop singer/songwriter Caitlyn Smith released High, her third LP and the follow-up to 2020’s Supernova. And while Smith’s biggest credits still come from songs she’s written for others (Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton’s “You Can’t Make Old Friends,” Cassadee Pope’s “Wasting All These Tears,” Meghan...
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South London-based quartet Dry Cleaning are likely the most qualified band of their generation to bring the “post-punk” tradition to moody, morose, and musically nerdy teens and twentysomethings that can’t find a feel for contemporary fads. While their music is far from any sort of overpowering nod to the...
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Last week Australian dream pop singer/songwriter Hatchie released her sophomore LP, Giving The World Away, courtesy of Secretly Canadian (Cherry Glazerr, Faye Webster, Skullcrusher). Although the album follows-up 2019’s Keepsake, Hatchie has said it feels like a restart of sorts. Without losing any of the charm of Keepsake or...
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Montreal indie rockers Land of Talk released their last LP, Indistinct Conversations, in the summer of 2020 and are already working on a follow-up… Yet, in addition, they managed to churn out a four-song EP in-between. Calming Night Partner was made possible thanks to some extended time at home and...
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This coming Friday, April 29th, Baby Tate (formerly known as Yung Baby Tate) is set to drop dual single “Dancing Queen”/“Yasss Queen,” also known as The Queen Pack. However, the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection was treated to live renditions of the two tracks last Monday, April...
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*Unfortunately, Kevin Devine’s April 29th show at the First Unitarian Church has been cancelled due to positive COVID tests. Last month singer/songwriter Kevin Devine released his 10th studio album, Nothing’s Real, So Nothing’s Wrong, courtesy of Triple Crown Records. Although written prior to the pandemic, the album was largely...
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Over the past decade, New York-based art-rock outfit Guerilla Toss has gained a reputation for more or less reinventing themselves with every release… And last month the band released Famously Alive, their fifth full-length and first on Sub Pop. The album, while embracing the noisier elements of their past,...
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Friday, April 29th, Nashville-based singer/songwriter Caroline Spence will be releasing her fourth full-length, True North (via Rounder Records), which has already produced some of the year’s best Americana singles (“Clean Getaway,” “The Gift,” and, most recently, “Scale These Walls.”) Although her headlining show at MilkBoy was cancelled after the...
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Tomorrow night (April 23rd) 21st Century glam legends The Darkness will be bringing the Rock N’ Roll spectacle back to the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection. The band are currently touring their seventh studio album, Motorheart, which dropped last year. They’ll be playing (and possibly defacing, rearranging,...
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Two weeks ago The Weather Station (Tamara Lindeman) was named as support for a week’s worth of Mitski’s upcoming tour, including her long-sold-out rescheduled date at Franklin Music Hall on Sunday, July 24th. However, the folk singer/songwriter will be playing her biggest headlining show in the City of Brotherly...
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This Friday one of Coachella’s most impressive sets (at least according to the seven songs that appeared on the livestream) came from experimental R&B singer/songwriter Raveena. The Indian artist (who grew up on America’s East Coast) released her sophomore album, Asha’s Awakening, earlier this year. The LP is, “a...
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Beyond-bourgeoning pop star Rina Sawayama’s first-ever Philadelphia headlining show has already undergone more updates and upgrades than she has proper releases… The Japan-born, London-based songstress originally sold out The Foundry’s 450-capacity almost instantly, and quickly did the same with the 1,000-capacity upgrade to Theatre of Living Arts. However, two-plus...
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Although MØ’s recent stop at Union Transfer last Wednesday (April 13th) didn’t leave quite the impression on the city as a whole that Waxahatchee’s two sold-out shows at the venue did earlier that week, for the modest crowd in attendance, the hour-long performance seemed to pack a profoundly satisfying...
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“I’ve been looking forward to this show for so long, for years now,” said Katie Crutchfield, better known as Waxahatchee, four songs into her set last Sunday night, before launching into “The Eye” off of the indie rock singer/songwriter’s 2020 album Saint Cloud. The performance was the first of...
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Last month Australian duo Good Morning – who Stereogum characterized as, “Chill and organic indie rock” — announced the re-release of their entire back catalogue (“six records of varying sound and length”) courtesy of Polyvinyl Record Co., slated for May 27th (with pre-order available now). Coinciding with this announcement,...
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Shilpa Ray’s recent singles “Heteronormative Horseshit Blues” and “Bootlickers of the Patriarchy” obviously reflect a focus on recent social tumult (She’s described her latest single, “Lawsuits And Suicide,” as, “a diss track to my abuser from a relationship I had suffered through in my mid to late 20s.”), despite...
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Grungy, garage-y alternative rockers Slothrust have been playing the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection for about a decade now, from house shows to the mega-stage of The Fillmore, where they opened for Manchester Orchestra last October. Last September the Boston band released their fifth full-length, Parallel Timeline,...
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We first met twen in November of 2019, when they were on the road supporting Welsh retro alternative rockers The Joy Formidable on their most intimate tour in a decade. The Nashville-based (at the time), Boston-bred indie poppers – led by vocalist Jane Fitzsimmons and guitarist Ian Jones —...
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Last week Lindsey Jordan, better known as Snail Mail, played her first post-lockdown show at Idaho’s Treefort Music Festival. The performance was the first since Snail Mail’s critically acclaimed sophomore LP, Valentine, and since Lindsey had surgery to correct vocal cord polyps, which delayed the tour. However, the album,...
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“Whenever you do something really specific and personal you don’t know if people will be able to relate to it, so to see it resonate with people is so great,” says Charlie Martin of True Love, the latest LP from Texas indie pop duo Hovvdy. The album dropped last...
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Last Fall Chicago-based musician Lala Lala (Lillie West) released one of our very favorite pandemic albums, I Want The Door to Open, via Hardly Art. The album, the artist’s third, has already received a plethora of critical acclaim. Pitchfork said, “I Want the Door to Open slips into new...
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...
“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...
