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Erika M. Anderson, better known as EMA, has a somewhat schizophrenic sonic bibliography. She first came into the indie music spotlight as a guitarist for experimental rockers Amps for Christ. She later went on as a member of Bay Area avant-garde folk group Gowns. However, for about half a...
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In a time when I find myself tripping and face-planting over the sheer number of bands evoking the sounds of the ‘90s on a daily basis, it’s nice to hear an artist yearning for an aesthetic of a different era. Portland, Oregon duo Pure Bathing Culture, comprised of Dan...
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Black Rebel Motorcycle Club will always hold a very special place in my heart. I first saw them in 2001, two weeks before their debut album was out (I have a T from that gig that I still wear to this day.) To see them since earn their title...
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Despite a radical socio-political resentment toward the husband/wife dynamic, you’ve likely noticed that we at PHILTHY MAG are actually quite the fan of a number of husband/wife musical duos (Maybe I should re-think my cultural politics.)… And for the past half-decade or so, few have been more both prevalent...
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Coves are the kind of classical rock band (not a “classic rock band,” which are all lame as shit) that you can’t not love. Clad in tight black leather and Victorian pea coats as they churn out fuzzy, intellectual psychedelic sounds that could be equally at home at Andy...
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Coming from an art school background (literally), I’ve always been taught to pay special attention to art that responds to (or compliments) another work of art (especially of a different medium)… i.e. Black Francis’ odes to cinema, Godard’s critique of popular music, etc., so I find AroarA to be...
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Boundless indie rock excitement is coming to Arden, Delaware. Philadelphia’s own, Strand of Oaks, a special welcoming by WXPN will take over The Arden Gild Hall in Arden, Delaware this Thursday evening, September 18 at 8:30 pm with opener Christopher Denny. The indie folk rock local mastermind,Timothy Showalter (a.k.a. Strand...
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St. Louis-residing, Chicago-born Sleepy Kitty are yet another delightful band of recent history that has repositioned a hero of ‘90s alt rock as a contemporary and fresh musical force to be reckoned with… at least for those with taste. Sleepy Kitty is comprised of former Harvey Danger drummer Evan...
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Teach Me Equals are one of PHILTHY’s rarely explored acts that’s actually from Philadelphia… sort of. Teach Me Equals are comprised of New Jersey native Greg Bortnichak and Florida native Erin Murphy, who currently claim Sarasota, FL and Philly to have joint custody of their talents. Teach Me Equals...
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Late last year I caught up with Maya Miller, drummer and one-half of hyper-gritty Canadian garage outfit, The Pack A.D. Miller and musical partner Becky Black were preparing to release their fifth full-length, Do Not Engage, which hit US shelves courtesy of Nettwerk on January 28th. The album, which Maya...
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There are two things I absolutely love: sick house parties and (two) drops of X. Better known as Jamie XX, Jamie Smith gave plenty of both at his September 4th show at Union Transfer. With an engulfing bass line and dreamlike layers of steel drums and echoing vocals, Jamie’s...
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Orlando’s Flashlights are yet another band rampantly gaining comparisons to ‘90s alt rockers. Built to Spill, Neutral Milk Hotel, Sebadoh all seem to be in the mix of critical characterizations. However, with so many bands actively admitting that the ‘90s are, indeed, their one true love, in a recent...
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PHILTHY (in addition, to Philly) is a well-documented friend of Nashville. Some of our favorite people come from “Music City”: Nikki Lane, Those Darlins, Tristen, Lindi Ortega, Heavy Cream, The Ettes… And we’ve recently befriended yet another Nashville act, yet they’re pretty much miles away from anything garage or...
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I first met Sandra Vu a little more than a year ago. She was currently learning how to transition from drummer to frontwoman in SISU and she admits it was a bit scary. SISU’s debut LP, Blood Tears, has been out for almost a year now and has garnered comparisons...
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London trio Flowers first came together when Rachel Kenedy responded to an ad that stated, “In search of a singer to make music like Madonna through a broken tape machine.” The ad was placed by Sam Ayres, a guitarist with equal affection for pure pop of the 1980s and...
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HT Heartache’s latest record, Sundowner, apparently isn’t a sad album… but that sure is hard to tell while listening to it. HT Heartache is the project of Los Angeles-based musician Mary Roth, whose genre she describes as “Down Tempo, Gothic, Country”… which is about right. The album embraces, a...
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While PHILTHY loves Beach Day, Philly has failed to show the Hollywood, Florida band too much brotherly love or sisterly affection… Sadly, none of the girl-group-inspired garage surf rock outfit’s three Philadelphia appearances last year were welcomed with especially inspiring attendances. In fact, in my most recent chat with...
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LA babes are cool. LA’s Babes are also a cool group of musicians. Their rallying cry is, “We’re horny. And we’re sad,” the two emotional states that they find to produce the most profound works of art. They are comprised of siblings Zack Leigh, Aaron Leigh, and Sarah Rayne...
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I’ve been musing on it for the past hour and I’m delighted and frustrated to say that I can’t think of a single musical collaboration since Lou Reed and John Cale rekindled their relationship to record 1990’s Songs For Drella to strike me as being as profound as Jenny...
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Apparently when The Rosebuds rolled into town last week for their August 7th show at Boot & Saddle they were expecting a hater or two… According to vocalist/guitarist/programmer Ivan Howard the last time the band was in town, which had them performing Sade’s Love Deluxe in its entirety at...
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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...
Erika M. Anderson, better known as EMA, has a somewhat schizophrenic sonic bibliography. She first came into the indie music spotlight as a guitarist for experimental rockers Amps for Christ. She later went on as a member of Bay Area avant-garde folk group Gowns. However, for about half a...
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club will always hold a very special place in my heart. I first saw them in 2001, two weeks before their debut album was out (I have a T from that gig that I still wear to this day.) To see them since earn their title...
