Excursions into strange lands often prove for the most romantic inspirations for musicians… and Berlin would seem to have a subcategory of its own, as far as that sentiment goes.  Brooklyn’s organically eccentric indie poppers, Clare and the Reasons – known for their cleverly quirky use of things such...

I sort of wish that every band were TOY.  They listen to all the right tunes, wear all the right duds, and hang out in all the coolest circles of the English rock scene.  They’re ripe for a 2042 biopic about the hipness of their early days. TOY are a...

Karlie Bruce’s debut album, Paperback Lover, dropped today, however, the Australian singer/songwriter is far from new to the scene.  Karlie moved to NYC in 2005 and has made a name for herself doing things as diverse as taking on the role of a back-up singer in the 17-piece disco...

Not a lot of bands are offering their fans singing telegrams these days… But, then again, not a lot of bands are as quirkily interesting as Toronto’s Snowblink.  The duo, comprised of Daniela Gesundheit and Dan Goldman, compose haunting and sugary postmodern folk music that has gotten the attention...

“It’s pop, but it’s also noise.  People who are into noise are into the noise aspect and people who are into electronic pop are into that aspect.  I like that about it.”  Brooklyn artist Eleanor Logan is explaining to me her latest project, Happy New Year, and just what...

Philthy has caught up with a bevy of San Francisco artists recently, from Dirty Ghosts to Emily Jane White and Permanent Vacation.  However, Future Twin have the most interesting story of any of them.  Future Twin was spawned from SF’s first ever all-girl moped gang, The Lockits. The four-piece...

Barrie Cadogan may not be a household name, but there’s a good chance you’re familiar with some of his work.  The UK-based musician is currently a member of Primal Scream and has toured as a guitarist for Morrissey, Paul Weller, and Saint Etienne, in addition to studio work with...

In a recent chat with Lauren LoPrete, founder of Loglady Records, she confesses to me that the biggest motivating force behind the artists she signs is being, “Basically, people we’re interested in being friends with.”  The San-Francisco-based independent label houses Dead Angle, Grandma’s Boyfriend, Moonbell, Part Time, Terry Malts,...

The Lumineers seem to be the most chart-friendly band I’ve chatted with all year.  The band’s self-titled debut LP recently reached #17 on the album charts.  The album has sold 130,000 copies to date and has reached #1 on the “Independents” chart.”  In addition, the album’s first single has...

I think it’s clear that PHILTHY has a thing for postmodern electropop princesses, so it should be no surprise that we’re all about Charli XCX, the 19-year-old UK sensation that Pitchfork’s in love with and who’s spent the better part of this summer touring as support for Santigold and...

Like the recently Philthy-profiled Kristin Hersh, Charlotte Hatherley is another heroine of my teenage years that I have been out of touch with for quite some time.  Since her departure from Northern Ireland power poppers Ash in 2006, her solo output has remained largely alien stateside (i.e. unavailable aside from...

Kristin Hersh has the unique distinction of being the last person I ever (and will ever) asked for an autograph… hopefully she finds that something of a small honor.  Along with that, she has the honor of being my most-honored-to-interview individual for Philthy Blog all year.  I grew up...

This past Saturday I found myself in Eraserhood’s latest hotspot for the first time… Underground Arts.  The venue does, indeed, promise what it delivers.  It is an underground performance art space.  It also fits quite nicely into the hood of Eraserhead.  The room resembles a cross between a school...

A few years back I fell hard for Kate Miller-Heidke’s Curiouser.  The album, the second from the Australian songstress and first released in the US, boasts a dozen postmodern piano pop anthems… like a matured and coolly restrained Kate Nash, sprinkled with playfully sassy synths.  Some of the songs...

Like Philthy’s recently-featured husband/wife duo, Hank & Cupcakes, Oakland’s (by-way-of Massachusetts) Mornin’ Old Sport’s biggest influence would seem to be literary and not musical.  However, band member Scott Nanos (guitar, bass, keys, strings) tells me that since deciding on the band’s moniker, he has been reading less fiction and,...

“We’ve been lucky to play very cool events in Philly and we always like to rub a little Philly on us before returning to Brooklyn,” says husband/wife dance rock duo Hank & Cupcakes, who are no strangers to Philly, or Philthy, for that matter.  I first befriended them at...

The Motor City’s music scene is most regularly associated with 1960s Motown and Proto-Punk, the garage rock revival of the past two decades, and… Kiss… despite the fact that they’re not actually from Detroit.  However, the city’s also produced some of the best sounds of 2012, including the recently...

The Marble Vanity are a supergroup of sorts.  They are comprised of members of CoCoComa, the Hipshakes, and Hollows, including Lisa and Bill Roe, proprietors of Trouble in Mind Records.  They released their self-titled debut 12” June 19th on Chicago’s Slow Fizz Records.  I had a chance to chat...

“There’s more of an edge to it.  The sounds are edgy and raw,” Jesca Hoop tells me of her latest album, The House That Jack Built, out this Tuesday on her very own Bella Union.  The album, the Manchester-based/California-born singer/songwriter’s third, doesn’t stray too much from her previous releases. ...

Liz Enthusiasm, lead singer for Boston synthpoppers Freezepop, certainly lives up to her moniker… even when she’s talking about a lack of excitement.  “Musically, it’s actually been a pretty quiet year for us.  We were taking a little well-deserved break.  It’s been kind of nice to take a little...

When Now, Now’s debut album dropped the Minnesota then-duo, were barely old enough to buy cigarettes.  However, after transforming into a trio, changing their name (formerly Now, Now Every Children), and spending nearly half a decade developing the sounds that would manifest themselves onto their follow-up LP, the band...

“I’m interested in where rock music intersects with other forms of music,” says Russ Waterhouse, one-half of Blues Control.  I’m surprised to hear that German rock bands of the 70s are a big inspiration.  While the band’s latest release, Valley Tangents (which drops Tuesday), does blend at least a...

So I’m sure you’ve realized that it’s relatively rare that a male subject finds themselves covered in Philthy Blog’s music department… and that’s not a coincidence.  However, Greg Laswell has proven to be an exception (And for somewhat ironic reasons.)  I’ve come across Greg and his popular indie folk (You...

Although technically a Boston resident, I like to consider Marissa Nadler an honorary Philthadelphian.   The hyper-lo-fi singer/songstress produced her last two releases in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, she’s worked with a number of Philadelphia musicians, and her local appearances are always more than noteworthy.  This...

If you’ve been keeping up with Philthy, you know that this week is a particularly busy week for good music… especially in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection.  Brilliant new album’s drop today from semiotically-inspired songstress Emily Jane White and Detroit supergroup FAWN, both of whom I’ve...

After a few bouts of phone tag, I recently got a chance to chat with Theresa Andersson. Andersson, a multi-instrumentalist, released her eighth solo recording, Street Parade, this past April and next Friday, June 15th, her current tour will find itself at Olde City’s Tin Angel, alongside Lucius, some...

I would like to sincerely thank Ms. Emily Jane White for the best interview I’ve conducted all year… not that I should be surprised (based on the title of her latest).  The Oakland-based “Gothic-Folk” singer/songstress’ third fell-length, Ode to Sentience, is about to drop stateside June 12th on Antenna...

YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN have been described as “A psychedelic noh-wave opera group fusing noise, metal, pop and folk music into a multidisciplinary hyper-orientalist cesspool of ‘eastern’ culture in giant monochrome paper sets.” The Canadian group, which maintains an ever-changing cast (with backgrounds such as painting, philosophy, theatre, social sciences,...

FAWN are a Motor City supergroup of sorts, comprised of previous members of the likes of Thunderbirds are Now!, the Von Bondies, Javelins, Child Bite, and Those Transatlantic, among others.  Their debut album, Coastlines, drops next week on Quite Scientific Records.  The band spawned from the simultaneous heartbreaks of...

Last Wednesday the Dandy Warhols played one of the best shows Philadelphia’s seen all year at the Trocadero.  The show also holds quite a bit of sentimental significance for me.  The last time the band played that particular venue was nearly nine years ago.  It was the first concert...

Next week The Spring Standards kick off a US tour supporting Rhett Miller & the Serial Lady Killers, including a June 5th stop in Philadelphia at World Café Live.  Earlier this month the Brooklyn-based (Delaware/PA-bred) three-piece put out their third release, yellow//gold.  I recently got a chance to chat...

“Some of the words we were throwing around were ‘warm’ and ‘dirty’… not in a pornish way,” says Lucy Michelle of Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles, when describing the concept behind the band’s upcoming album, which they finally decided to call “Heat.”  As someone who is yet to...

Simone Felice (of The Felice Brothers and The Duke & the King) recently released a solo record, which has been festering inside him for the better part of his life.  And next Friday, June 1st, he will be performing this life’s work (likely among others) at the hyper-cozy chapel...

Something tells me that, by the end of the year, Gemma Ray will be the Western hemisphere’s most popular indie-electro chanteuse.  Flavorwire is comparing her to Phil Spector and David Lynch, while Village Voice is likening her to Amy Winehouse and Norah Jones.  The UK singer/songwriter is the perfect...

So the word is that Rocky Votolato’s show next Thursday, May 24th, at Milkboy Philly is almost sold out.  This is great news for the Seattle-based singer/songwriter; my dear friend, Bill Hanson, who owns and operates my new favorite Philthy venue; and, also, one of my new favorite people...

In 2012 it’s hard to characterize someone as being “conceptual” without them assuming you’re mocking them… as if “thinking” is simply a pretentious hipster fad.  RACES, however, do not fall into that category.  I recently got a chance to chat with two of the band’s six members and, I...

(Unfortunately, as of May 1st, Ane has had to cancel the first two dates of her tour, including the intended opening night in Philadelphia, so she will not be appearing at Union Transfer this Wednesday.  But I would still highly recommend picking up her latest, It All Starts With...