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When considering an entity such as Rock’N’Roll, based almost entirely on youthful passions and transgressions, it’s worth noting that those best fit for it are, themselves, youths. Last month Australian trio, The Goon Sax, who were (according to their latest press release) 19 at the time, released their second...
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Last Friday it was announced that indie rock singer/songstress Mitski had officially, prematurely, sold out every single date of her US tour behind her fifth and latest LP, Be The Cowboy. That tour kicks off tonight at our very own Union Transfer, where she will return next month for...
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This past Friday, October 12th, Arleigh Kincheloe, better known as Sister Sparrow, bandleader of blues rockers Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, released her first-full-length since 2016’s The Weather Below. The album, Gold, is Kincheloe’s first release as a mother and her first solo album. The Dirty Birds are...
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As excited as we are to have Minnesota indie poppers Now, Now back on the road and with new music, we’re equally excited to see former Now, Now vocalist/guitarist Jess Abbott’s solo project, Tancred, thriving for more than half a decade now. Tancred’s fourth full-length, Nightstand, dropped this June on...
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This Saturday, September 29th, Neon Gold is celebrating their 10th anniversary with a massive concert/party at the 3,500-capacity Knockdown Center in NYC. The celebration will include live performances by Marina, The Knocks, Broods, St. Lucia, and Alex Winston (among others), in addition to DJ sets from Captain Cuts, Noah...
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As you all know, a lot of the ‘90s biggest and best bastions of alt rock have been reuniting in recent years… like bordering on a joke… But to those of us born in the ‘80s, simply wishing we could attend Lollapalooza back in the day, while we were actually...
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Just last December singer/songwriter extraordinaire Angel Olsen graced the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection with a two-night stand at Union Transfer. However, she’s already back and this time things are going to be a little different. This Thursday, September 27th, Angel Olsen will be playing solo, as...
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Although SYML are yet to release a full-length LP, they are currently on quite a big tour that will have them headlining the impressively large basement of The First Unitarian Church this Friday, September 21st. SYML is the solo project of Brian Fennell, previously best known as a member...
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Canadian “avant-rock trio” Motherhood have apparently actually been kicking out jams for the better part of a decade. However, they just made their way to America for the first time earlier this year, and their first time in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection will be tonight,...
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Earlier today our very favorite singer/songwriter, post-riot grrrl British vixen Kate Nash, released her newest music video, “Hate You,” the latest single from Yesterday Was Forever, her fourth full-length, which dropped this March. The video, directed by Aidan Zamiri, takes on a seemingly ‘80s-inspired, hyper-camp horror aesthetic, which would...
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This Tuesday Kevin Ogilvie (also known as Nivek Ogre, Ogre, and the lead singer of Skinny Puppy), will be headlining the stage of Underground Arts as ohGr, his primary solo output (which also includes Mark Walk, who has been a member of Skinny Puppy for the past decade and...
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This June NY experimental outfit Gang Gang Dance released their first album in seven years. Kazuashita (which roughly translates to “Peace Tomorrow”), is the follow-up to 2011’s critically acclaimed Eye Contact (both brought to us by 4AD). Although the band are best known for their improvisational techniques, Kazuashita has...
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Tonight, our very favorite nearly-Center City venue, Boot & Saddle, is hosting a stellar lineup. Opening the evening is local, post-riot grrrl rocker extraordinaire, Madalean Gauze, and headlining is ineffably quirky Chicago noise poppers, Ohmme. However, we may be most excited (but not by a lot) for Renata Zeiguer,...
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Last month Seattle trio Wimps, hailed by The Stranger as, “Almost-catchier-than-the-Beatles,” released their third LP, Garbage People, likely the best punk album of the year. The album, which dropped courtesy of Kill Rock Stars, resembles many of the label’s most legendary accomplishments (perhaps none more so than Bratmobile), in...
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This Monday, August 13th, Sparta (led by At The Drive-In alum Jim Ward) are playing a surprisingly cozy show at Johnny Brenda’s (Sorry, it’s sold out), after taking quite the hiatus (They’ve released a couple of songs in the past year, but their last album remains Threes, released way...
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This Saturday, July 14th, local punk rock hero James Alex is returning to the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection for an extra special hometown show. Although best known as the vocalist and guitarist for raucous rockers Beach Slang, earlier this year Alex released Everything Matters But No...
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It’s been nearly a year to the day since the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection last saw indie poppers Now, Now. Last July the Minneapolis duo went on tour and played a super-duper-sold-out show at Boot & Saddle, after a hiatus that lasted nearly half-a-decade. Fans lined...
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TOMI may have just released her second EP, but she has been writing and playing music for the vast majority of her life, since she was a child. Earlier this year the Brooklyn-based songstress released What Kind Of Love on RCA Records, the follow-up to 2017’s debut EP, Used...
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Last Sunday a super-sold out Johnny Brenda’s was feeling extra nostalgic (for a time prior to the births of the vast majority of the capacity audience). Headlining the evening was Austin quartet White Denim, who kicked out a two-hour, 23-song set of their extra-jammy, prog-infused, Southern Rock (the majority...
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Caroline Rose has been a dear friend of ours (and mine, personally) for quite a few years now… However, for the majority of our friendship, she was known for Americana balladry and roots rocking, which normally placed her at World Café Live. However, about a year ago I got...
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Although Oklahoma-born singer/songwriter Parker Millsap is best known as an Americana musician; blending blues, roots rock, and country; for his latest effort, Other Arrangements, he made the decision to make a pop album. The album, his fourth (which, at the age of 24, seems quite the accomplishment… in addition...
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Irish folk singer/songwriter Ciaran Lavery is set to kick off his latest US tour this Wednesday, June 20th, at our very own Boot & Saddle, when he double-headlines our favorite former-honky-tonk with duo Cicada Rhythm. This April Ciaran released his third album, Sweet Decay, arguably his most accomplished yet. ...
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So, although most of the major problems with Ticketfly and the ability to actually use the tickets that you paid for have been resolved, I realize that most venue’s still have websites that are pretty fucked up and not particularly welcoming or likely-to-be-good-at convincing to get you out to...
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Last month Brooklyn-based blues punk singer/songwriter Shilpa Ray (also, notably former madame to the Happy Hookers, Bad Seed-backing-singer, and Drexel University student) released her Nihilism EP, the follow-up to 2017’s Door Girl LP, her sophomore full-length as a solo artist. Although Shilpa Ray has only officially been a solo...
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It hasn’t been long since The City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection has heard from This Is The Kit. Just last December the Paris-residing folk songstress (Kate Stables) opened the Kimmel Center for The National, as a quick follow-up to a headlining date at Johnny Brenda’s in late...
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Although Philthy was supposed to spend 4/20 with Scottish singer/songwriter Nina Nesbitt, when she opened for Clean Bandit at the Trocadero, when that tour was cancelled the dates that ensued allow us an even better opportunity to experience the self-described soul pop artist. Nina Nesbitt is wrapping up about...
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Former member of Joy Division and New Order Peter Hook and his band The Light return to Philadelphia to perform the legendary Joy Division and New Order compilation albums Substance live, sequentially and in their entireties, on April 26th at Union Transfer. Originally intended to be played in the...
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So, Kate Nash hasn’t exactly been missing, but it has been a while since we’ve heard from her… musically, at least. Last month the British singer/songwriter released Yesterday Was Forever, her first full-length since 2013’s Girl Talk, and earlier this month she kicked off her first US tour in...
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We’ve always been big fans (and we’d like to think “friends”) of Nashville singer/songwriter Tristen Gaspadarek (although usually known simply as “Tristen”). We fell in love with 2011’s Charlatans At The Garden Gate, one of the best Americana albums of the century, and we were equally as charmed with...
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Although XPN essentially panned As The Crow Flies’ Philadelphia debut last Wednesday at the Electric Factory as Chris Robinson’s Black Crowes cover band, lacking the chemistry and musicianship that he long had with brother Rich and drummer Steve Gorman, and having the audacity to play a set chock-full-o-hits (something...
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Although North Carolina Americana quartet Mipso have just been making music together for a little more than half a decade, April 6th saw the release of their fourth full-length studio album, quite a feat in the age of iTunes and digital-only EPs. The album is Edges Run, which would...
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Although I’m still adamantly opposed to telephones that get the internet… or any phone that costs more than $50 but, I must admit that, there was one good thing that came of last fall’s unveiling of the iPhone X… a mass introduction to electro duo Sofi Tukker (Their song...
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The last time we caught up with Halo Circus they were on a crowd-sourced tour, promoting their debut LP, Bunny, a hard rock record with an obvious nod to ‘90s alt rock. At the moment, they’re touring behind their recently released follow-up full-length, Robots And Wranglers, a fashionably abrasive...
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Despite having a relatively modest 6,500 “followers” on Twitter, Houston trio Khruangbin has already sold out three pretty massive Philadelphia shows in 2018. The band, who uniquely blend world music with soul, psych rock, and nearly countless other genres and scenes (Thai music of the ‘60s and ‘70s are...
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The last time we spoke with Toronto-based musician Tamara Lindeman, perhaps better known as The Weather Station, was just over two years ago. Lindeman was in the middle of extensively touring her third LP, Loyalty, and preparing to play her second show at Johnny Brenda’s in a sixth month...
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Last October electropop chanteuse Billie Eilish played an alarmingly packed show upstairs at World Café Live, selling out the 200-capacity months in advance. For the next leg of her Don’t Smile at Me Tour she was booked at the 600-capacity Coda… Well, her booking agent is obviously still a little...
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This Saturday, March 31st, The Pretenders will play their first area headlining show in a decade when they take the stage of the Tower Theater. And, if setlist.fm can be trusted, their set will contain a number of tracks from their latest record (2016’s Alone, produced by The Black...
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S. Carey is undoubtedly best known as the drummer for Bon Ivar, he should perhaps be equally acknowledged for having exceptionally excellent taste in support acts. The last time he was in town, April of 2014 at Boot & Saddle, he brought with him ineffably delectable art pop chanteuse...
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LA-based artist/producer Elohim is yet to release her first full-length, but her musical career has already had a plethora of big moments… including a few in our vicinity. Last year she played the Firefly Festival shortly before a spot supporting Alison Wonderland at the Factory. Elohim is currently preparing...
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For those looking to go out this Saturday, but refrain from indulging in green beer, green Mardi Gras beads, and miniature plastic top hats, also green (And I hope that’s all of my readers.), Boot & Saddle just might have a good reason for you to hit the town. ...
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Tonight the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection will welcome back Beth Ditto for her first area live appearance in nearly a decade, when she’ll be headlining Union Transfer. We best know Ms. Ditto as frontwoman for Arkansas-born, Olympia-bred pro-queer, post-riot-grrrl punks, The Gossip. I first met Beth...
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Last October we were all anxious to hear the local live premiere of Jessica Lea Mayfield’s latest work at Boot & Saddle… However, an unfortunate lingering injury from a car accident forced the singer/songwriter to cancel all of her October shows. However, she has rescheduled and will be headlining...
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Although dear friends of PHILTHY He’s My Brother She’s My Sister have parted ways (at least for the time being), vocalist/guitarist Rob Kolar and Lauren Brown, their world famous tap dancing drummer (a real-life married couple), have been writing, recording, and performing as KOLARS for two years now. Building...
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So Black Rebel Motorcycle Club put on one hell of a Rock’N’Roll spectacle last week at Union Transfer, the best the city has seen in quite some time… But there’s something about seeing a Rock’N’Roll show in a cramped and sweaty dive bar that is far more satisfying than...
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Although singer/songwriter Hannah Wicklund, frontperson for blues rockers Hannah Wicklund & The Steppin’ Stones, is just 20 years old, she’s already more than a decade into her career. Last week saw the release of the band’s self-titled LP, produced by Sadler Vaden of Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit....
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Arc Iris have certainly not been strangers to The City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection in recent years, and we’re quite thankful for that… In Fall of 2016 the Providence-based trio played Boot & Saddle, touring behind their sophomore LP, Moon Saloon, which I characterized as, “A quirkily...
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The turn of the century saw a pretty profound plethora of great neo-psychedelic shoegaze bands… However, none seemed quite so promising or managed to deliver to the same degree as San Francisco garage rockers Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, or B.R.M.C.. It’s now officially been 20 years since they began...
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It’s not exactly like LA-based singer/songwriter Inara George has been in hiding in recent years… Her folk group, The Living Sisters; comprised of herself, Becky Stark, Eleni Mandell, and Alex Lilly; have put out a number of records, and 2015 saw the release of Recreational Love, the fourth full-length...
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About a week and a half ago I got a chance to chat with Alaina Moore, one-half of indie-popping husband-wife duo Tennis (Patrick Riley plays the role of husband and musical other-half.) The pair had just kicked off their current tour, with a hometown show at the Ogden Theatre...
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“We always describe ourselves as, ‘danceable grunge,’” Claire Evans tells me, laughing, after I tell her that “Look Alive” reminds me of, “a synth pop appropriation of ‘90s alt rock balladry, like a synth pop take on a Luscious Jackson ballad.” “I can’t wait to tell Jona that, he...
When considering an entity such as Rock’N’Roll, based almost entirely on youthful passions and transgressions, it’s worth noting that those best fit for it are, themselves, youths. Last month Australian trio, The Goon Sax, who were (according to their latest press release) 19 at the time, released their second...
Last Friday it was announced that indie rock singer/songstress Mitski had officially, prematurely, sold out every single date of her US tour behind her fifth and latest LP, Be The Cowboy. That tour kicks off tonight at our very own Union Transfer, where she will return next month for...
