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Buddy is a guy who’s as likeable as his name would imply. Buddy is also not simply a guy, but a band… but also still a guy… Like nearly every outfit I’ve interviewed this summer (seriously, just look at the site), Buddy began as a singer/songwriter, but evolved into...
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Brooklyn’s Beverly are another one of those delightful indie pop outfits comprised of people who have already been in bands that we already like. At their core was songwriter Drew Citron of Avan Lava and Frankie Rose, formerly of Dum Dum Girls, Crystal Stilts, and Vivian Girls. However, Frankie...
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Strand of Oaks Photo by Joe Del Tufo 1. Strand of Oaks “Shut in” (Dead Oceans) – Philadelphia’s own Strand of Oaks makes the most infectious, retro, yet very current and updated, poignant progressive indie rock, a fuzzy glow which excites. Catch them at The Arden Gild Concert Hall in Arden, Delaware...
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Sunshine electro poppers Capital Cities already have a sizable resume of accolades under their belt (playing on nearly every major US festival, an MTV Video Music Award, a Grammy nomination), however they’re currently on their biggest outing yet. The LA-based duo, comprised of Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian, are...
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Duplekita are another of those musical happy accidents that seem to be popping up all too frequently these days… Duplekita are an Edmonton, Canada-based collective that can include up to nearly twenty contributors. At their core is Tim Batke, co-founder of electro rockers Faunts, who began the band in...
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As a “music critic” and someone who must regularly engage musicians, there’s almost nothing more comforting than a self-aware band… which is not necessarily easy to come by. However, Athens-based duo Cancers are just that kind of band… in addition to being just plain fucking awesome. Like a handful...
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As a radical leftist… it’s always nice to hear about a project that begins as a backing band for a solo musician, but quickly morphs into a collective “band” (which seems to be happening a lot lately…) Such an occurrence recently occurred in Austin, TX, when singer/songwriter Seth Sherman...
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In 2014 we seem to be amidst one of those beautiful and tragic periods of musical history when musicians can’t afford, artistically or practically, to simply be a part of one “band.” Such times have warranted many of the most clever musicians to willingly throw themselves into numerous projects...
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Orenda Fink has never been afraid of the darker things in life, whether during her time in Azure Ray or as a solo artist. She’s become known for composing songs that explore the most morbid sides of the human experience. However, her third solo LP, Blue Dream, due out...
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Youngblood Hawke are the most colourful band to make their way onto any of my playlists in 2014… both literally and figuratively… They are a group of longtime friends based out of LA who write spaced-out dance rock that would seem to land somewhere in-between revivalists of New Wave...
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Listening to TVMALSV, I’m wondering how the fuck the world has survived the past two decades without Revolting Cocks (Or, at least anything resembling an “essential” lineup.) Remember them… the Industrial music collective of the heaviest beaters of Wax Trax Records, such as Al Jourgensen, Chris Connelly, Luc Van...
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Not only have recent years seen a wealth of exceptional young artists exploring traditional folk and country, but also a handful of established musicians coming to indulge in the genres. Last week Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional brought his Americana outfit, Twin Forks, to the North Star for a...
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On the eve of the full super moon, a moment that brought out the animal in humans, the British quartet, Wild Beasts, swooped into the Union Transfer on Spring Garden St. in Philadelphia on Friday night, July 11 for a live concert. This band originally from Kendal, England released...
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Mission Zero are the kind of band that I would’ve fucking loved during my teen years but who, in my adult life, are still quite satisfying. They’re popularly angsty and danceably dreary. The New Haven duo are comprised of brother and sister David and Chenot. This April saw the...
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The past few years have not only seen an uncountable plethora of contemporary artists exploring the beauty of 90’s alt rock, but an equal plethora of 90’s alt rock’s best outfits reuniting for the first time in quite a few years. And these two worlds are currently on display...
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Wisconsin sextet PHOX are another one of those charmingly clever acts that are blending Americana with something quite a bit more soothing, soulful, and uplifting. While you might be initially inclined to characterize them as a folk band of some sort, they’re really more of a stripped brand of...
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Sometimes it seems as though the best debut albums are those that nearly never happened. Such is true of Anachronisms, the debut LP from Some Minor Noise, which dropped this Monday. The Toronto noise pop duo, comprised of Wayne Doe and Jane Void, went on hiatus last September, after...
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While so many of today’s most interesting artists are harkening back to the sound of the ‘90s in a big way, That Girl With Dark Eyes shows guts by exploring her love of synth-filled ‘80s dance pop. That Girl With Dark Eyes is the musical moniker of Tiffany Garrett...
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To anyone who regularly reads our little publication, it’s obvious that we’re quite sonically smitten with Tobacco, Ryan Graveface, Graveface Records, and pretty much the entire Black Moth Super Rainbow extended family (Haley Bonar, The Casket Girls, Dott, Whirr). However, perhaps none more than The Stargazer Lilies (Okay, I...
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I first met The Paper Kites last November, when they were wrapping up their first US tour. Well, just eight months on and they’re back on their second run of the states. The Melbourne-based indie folk outfit have a short string of dates that will have them playing upstairs at...
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I first discovered Danielle Oliver, a Montana-(of all places)- based singer/songwriter a few months ago, with the release of her first-ever music video. The video is for “Advice,” a track off of her Sun For Snow EP. The quirky clip, which is both literally and sentimentally sunny, depicts a...
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Chris Carrabba is a pretty exceptional guy, both exceptionally cool and exceptionally interesting. (And, to be honest, he’s not someone I ever thought I would be speaking to, as a fan of his music.) Carrabba’s been in a few of the bigger alt. rock (which I’ll just use as...
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Worriers are a Brooklyn band I came across somewhere (I don’t actually remember where.) They’ve been together since 2008 and they kick out fun punk rock jams inspired by pretty lofty queer theory. They’re very charming in the most intellectually cool way imaginable. They’re playing a show this Thursday,...
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Avers are a band I once described as sounding like, “if Dischord Records did psych rock.” The group is still very young and hailing from Richmond, VA, but they’ve already established a solid fanbase in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection. They’ve already played three shows here...
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For myself and all other nerdy cinephiles; obsessed with The New Wave, Art House cinema, Midnight Movies, and “The New Extremism”; the year’s biggest excitement in film… or just in general, has been generated by Lars von Trier’s Nymph()maniac. The two-volume, more-than-four-hour film, tells the life story of Joe,...
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My first thoughts upon getting off the phone with Katie Kate are, “Oh my god, I think I’m in love with a white rapper.” Seattle’s Katie Kate would seem to be the world’s most alluring amalgam of polarities. She has a degree in classical piano, yet is best known...
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Jon Crary’s Weekly Sound Off 7/1-7/7: 1. Sometime “I Will Run” – Synth-pop dreams are fulfilled with these pulsating electronic drum rhythms and ethereal female vocals so stark, hazy and dreamy. Great tune from this band from Iceland. It’s my pick of the week! [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/152743347″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″...
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If one word were to be used to sum up Alison May’s sophomore effort, it should be “unafraid.” The perfectly titled Loved/Dark has the Oakland-based, Texas-born songwriter exploring her vulnerabilities and passions in equal measures. The album’s aesthetic does reside in the darkness more often than not, but it...
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Swedish trio NONONO manage to pack more genres into three people than any other band currently in existence… rendering them essentially genre-less… which is what they’re going for. They’re both moody and danceable to hypnotic degrees, reflecting traditions of some of music history’s most uplifting and morose figures. Their...
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Like PHILTHY MAG friends and favorites Sweet Soubrette and Kotorino, LA’s Jail Weddings are quite a large outfit. They’re currently a nine-piece. However, unlike the aforementioned bands, who blend jazz and indie pop, the blend of Jail Weddings is more indebted to girl-groups, ‘60s psychedelics, and crooner-driven post-punk… which...
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The Burning of Rome are one of those bands… One of those bands that has been compared to Abba and the Misfits… and Oingo Boingo… and Mike Patton… but that’s not a bad thing… The So-Cal outfit’s sophomore effort, Year of the Ox, hit shelves this May. The album...
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Rodrigo Amarante, of Los Hermanos, Orquestra Imperial, and Little Joy is currently on a US tour and will be playing a very intimate gig this Tuesday, July 1st, upstairs at World Café Live. However, it’s opening act Jenny O., that I’m most excited about. The indie pop singer/songwriter churns...
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Jon Crary’s Weekly Sound Off 6/23-6/29: 1. Gold & Youth – “Time to Kill” (Arts & Crafts) – Vancouver, Canada indie electronic band turns up the dance able melancholy with an ode to New Order in this tune. Pick of the week! 2. The New Pornographers “Brill Bruisers”...
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Of all the summer’s tours, I suspect that which true music snobs have been most excited about are the two exceptionally short strings of dates at exceptionally intimate venues that will have Everything But The Girl’s Ben Watt accompanied by original Suede guitarist and producer extraordinaire Bernard Butler. After...
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Nikki Lane is yet another lovely installment in PHILTHY’s obsession with Nashville musicians… an obsession that has come at a time when the city seems to be more on the cultural map than ever, but which has little-to-nothing to do with said map of the masses. Nikki Lane, who...
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Off the top of my head, I can’t think of a cooler or more credible artist to gain the majority of their critical acclaim from cover tunes than Kawehi (She also pens her own songs, which are even better.) Kawehi hails from Honolulu, but is currently located in Lawrence,...
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Woodstock, NY-based indie folk duo Trummors have gone through some substantial changes recently, both in terms of their sounds, instrumentation, and even their interpersonal relationship (well, at least in a “technical” sense”). Trummors are Anne Cunningham and David Lerner, who are about to release their sophomore LP, Moorish Highway,...
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I have a bigger crush on Potty Mouth than any other band in 2014… by a lot. They are an amalgam of all of the catchiest trends of subversion to come out of ‘90s alt rock. They’re all about the fight to re-write the genders of our society. And...
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Jon Crary’s Weekly Sound Off 6/12-6/19: 1. Katie Frank and the Pheromones- “Tunnel Vision” (BITBY Music) – Katie Frank is from Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. With her band the Pheromones, they play the tastiest, dreamiest roots rock today. It rocks with huge hooks and melodies and excellent instrumentation. Their beautiful new album is out:...
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Jon Crary’s Weekly Sound Off 6/2-6/8: 1. Merchandise “Little Killer” (4AD) – Wow, this is such a great song by this Tampa, Florida based band. I’ve always been a fan. This one is hook filled, dreamy and ethereal yet has a bit of Bowie-glam to it and reminds me a...
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Streets of Laredo are an indie-folk outfit, yet they rock and rollick just enough to gain the attention of more indie pop audiences than those who reside in dinner theatre venues. They’ve released two EPs and are currently on tour, with an upcoming stop at Boot & Saddle on...
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Sydney’s The Jezabels are an incredibly hard band to put into words. Their tastes would seem to be an amalgam of the headiest pop, classical, Americana, and a bit of hardcore… However, they come out sounding like the glossiest kind of post-punk act… as they transition into new wave…...
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I first met Brooklyn trio Old Monk last year. They intrigued me because they have a very aggressive and slightly abrasive take on pop music… They’re not exactly a punk band… but they’re not exactly a pop band either… They’re like if a punk band decided to do a...
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I remember ten years ago going to The Black Cat in Washington DC to see the remaining members of Detroit proto-punks the MC5 reunited for their first tour in more than three decades. I was wearing a chopped-up-and-safety-pinned-together Alice Cooper T-shirt. The MC5’s tour manager told me that she...
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Last year, upon meeting Swedish avant-garde pop musician Anna von Hausswolff, I said of her second album, “It rings of the soundtrack to a text exploring the sacred and profane… to put it mildly.” Well, less than a year later and she seems to be continuing in that very...
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Jon Crary’s Weekly Sound Off 5/26-5/31: 1. Rush Midnight “Fix Me Up” (Last Gang Records)– This is one of the most exciting releases of the year so far for me. It’s Russ Manning, former bass player for Twin Shadow. His new LP release is Tuesday, May 27. This single “Fix Me...
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I first became smitten with Unicycle Loves You upon the release of their sophomore LP, 2010’s Mirror, Mirror, a fuzzy and glammy take on indie pop. However, I must admit that I became over the moon about the trio earlier this month, with the unveiling of their latest music...
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Emily Ritz and Kacey Johansing have recently returned to nature… Okay, that might be a little melodramatic, but the two Bay Area musicians and best friends have relocated from San Francisco and Oakland to beach towns north of the city, which is currently the home of their latest, shared,...
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The Lovely Eggs are an amalgam of all the best things I remember about being a youth in the 1990s. They have a knack for writing wonderfully sloppy and sunshiney power pop anthems, but they also appropriate the rambunctiousness of riot grrrl and the sugar-coated fuzz of lo-fi indie...
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Belgium’s Melanie De Biasio’s aesthetic is at a very bizarre intersection that has her drawing comparisons to jazz vocal legends, trip hop pioneers, and even the hyper-moody dream pop of This Mortal Coil. The singer/flautist’s sophomore effort, No Deal, has already gone gold in Belgium and silver in France,...
Buddy is a guy who’s as likeable as his name would imply. Buddy is also not simply a guy, but a band… but also still a guy… Like nearly every outfit I’ve interviewed this summer (seriously, just look at the site), Buddy began as a singer/songwriter, but evolved into...
Brooklyn’s Beverly are another one of those delightful indie pop outfits comprised of people who have already been in bands that we already like. At their core was songwriter Drew Citron of Avan Lava and Frankie Rose, formerly of Dum Dum Girls, Crystal Stilts, and Vivian Girls. However, Frankie...
