Cheers Elephant, Live @ World Cafe Live

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bands to watch, Cheers Elephant, Cheers Elephant band, concert video, live music, live philly concerts, Local Philly Band, World Cafe Live, World Cafe Live Philly

Cheers Elephant is a band capable of fully developing tracks on multiple layers with stand-out vocals and great instrumental harmonies.  It is one thing to be capable but another to execute.  We posit they do just that, execute groovable/rockable/danceable music. Their sound is always engaging and their sets are always a good time.  Doin’ It Right off their 2012 release Like Wind Blows Fire is one of our favorite tracks of the year.  At last count, 93 plays. The obsession with this track started on record store day of this year when we bought one of their albums after their live performance on South Street outside Repo records.

So, this was the third time we have caught them and the first time indoors.  It was also the first time we took video.  Derek Krzywicki, Jordan del Rosario, Travelin’ Mat, and Robert Kingsly round out the talented four piece.  Penning incredibly catchy tracks and putting out music videos in 3D are just parts of Cheers Elephant’s portfolio.  With a new album out this year and many local performances for the hometown band, Cheers Elephant is poised to take larger and larger stages.  Check out some of their music via the player below and pick up their merch:

On this night Cheers Elephant played World Cafe Live Philly downstairs.  You know how good this venue sounds and it was a great place to hear them again.  We caught 6 of their tracks which are all on YouTube for your viewing pleasure:

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The Improbables, Live @ Johnny Brenda’s

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concert video, johnny brendas, live music, live philly concerts, Local Philly Band, R5 Productions, The Improbables, The Improbables band

This is going to be a short post and for no other reason than this band snuck up on us so fast that we stood trying to put together what we were witnessing.  The Improbables have been playing together for several years now from what we can gather.  They are an AC/Philly combo who’s sound is really good.  Maybe a surprise is misplaced – their Facebook about section simply says “We’re better than your band.”
The four piece consisting of Joe, Kevin, Dave, and Tom delivers a Garage Rock blend with all around talented musicians.  To be honest, the vocals are some of the strongest we’ve heard in awhile.  A huge regret here is only getting one video and not knowing more about them.

We really cannot wait to see them again.  Check out the loneliest one video below and prepare to have your mind blown:

 

Lantern, Live @ Kung Fu Necktie

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bands to watch, Bathetic Records, concert video, kung fu necktie, Lantern, Lantern band, live music, live philly concerts, Local Philly Band

A Lantern is a device used to illuminate an area desired by the wielder.  On July 11, 2012 the Philly-based rock heavyweights of the same name decided that they wanted to see Fishtown lit up with plain nasty guitar work by both Zach and Emily, bass line trade offs, booming saxophone, hints of harmonica, and steady percussion.  The performance was the first of their summer tour and had the crowd intrinsically hooked.

On the heels of yet another diverse and powerful tape now out of Bathetic Records, Lantern continues to put out fully developed albums in variously intertwined musical dialects. Drawing comparisons would potentially derail clearly seeing the minds that drive the direction of the band for what they are:  immensely talented and original.  This is not half-cocked derivative sound.  We love it and wish concerts were more frequent.  Music needs musicians and sound like this.

I rest my words now and direct you to our videos from the evening below:

Quilt, Live @ Johnny Brenda’s

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brooklyn, Burger Records, concert video, johnny brendas, live music, live philly concerts, mexican summer, Quilt, Quilt band, R5 Productions

Quilt weaves a refreshing psych-folk sound with both laid back and cut loose guitar and drums.  The Boston-based trio joins several projects producing quality throw-back stylings ripe with variation, texture and originality.  John Andrews, Anna Rochinski and Shane Butler have put music out on several of our favorite labels including Mexican Summer and Burger records and perhaps for this reason drew our intense interest initially. Only highly listenable tracks could sustain it.

Playing numerous songs off their late 2011 release, Quilt, as well as new tracks to be on a yet to be releases album, the band put forth a solid first Philly performance.  We wish the time honored tradition of no encores by an opener was ignored.  More tracks would have been welcomed and enjoyed.  As Anna switched back and forth between guitar and organ while providing vocals, John toiled away mesmerizing on the skins and John flowed between solo and beat chiming in on vocals as well, time stood still and we felt lucky to be there.

King Tuff, Live @ Johnny Brenda’s

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Burger Records, concert video, Detroit, johnny brendas, King Tuff, Kyle Thomas, live music, live philly concerts, R5 Productions, Spotify link, Sub-Pop

King Tuff is a mythical creature that escapes fair definition.  His garage sound is one that is capable of serving as the mind’s soundtrack – that is to say, it can get stuck in your head with relative ease.   Go watch a show and you tell us if you agree.  Highly energetic in his own muted idiom, King Tuff took the stage at Johnny Brenda’s in Philly with Sun Medallion in place (see here if you don’t know what this is).  The rest of the group rounded out the evening’s sound playing tracks from the Was Dead and new self-titled albums with the bulk coming from the latter.

++ King Tuff on Spotify ++

Hailing from the motor city, King Tuff’s former project was in the group Happy Birthday.  He was the lead vocalist there as well.  Kyle Thomas is a talent comparable to Ty Segall, John Dwyer or Jay Reatard.  His song writing and composing efforts are assisted by his distinctive vocal delivery.  Delivering the first recorded material in 2010, King Tuff is putting out through and through solid albums devoid of skippable tracks.  Now on Sub-Pop, formerly on Burger, the King Tuff project is hitting its’ stride.  Check them out and our videos below:

Bass Drum of Death, Live @ Johnny Brenda’s

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bands to watch, Bass Drum of Death, BDoD, indie music, johnny brendas, live music, live philly concerts, Mississippi, R5 Productions, Spotify link

Circling in a tight orbit of incendiary sound, Bass Drum of Death alters gravity in the most pleasing of ways for garage rock enthusiasts.  John and Colin create a music of great proportion and interest to those satiated by the genre.  The Mississippi-based BDoD has released their debut LP to positive reviews and we were excited to hear it performed live at JB’s in Philly June 10th, 2012.

++ Bass Drum of Death on Spotify ++

Most every track was covered on the new LP, GB City as was the song White Fright off their tour only DZDR split.  On this evening the band was three strong and the sound was more voluminous from it.  Haunting in their distortion, vocals pierced through the  sludgy electric guitar, bass and drum beat.  BDoD killed it and we are stoked to hear more output from these guys.

Five videos await your viewing pleasure:

DZ Deathrays, Live @ Johnny Brenda’s

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Australia, bands to watch, concert video, DZ Deathrays, DZDEATHRAYS, DZDR, indie music, johnny brendas, live music, live philly concerts, R5 Productions, Spotify link

Listening to the DZ Deathrays album as I peck out this review makes me press the keys with extra ferocity.  The whole delivery is a sonic boom at 1,000 feet and their live set exceeded this.  The Australian band took the stage at Johnny Brenda’s in Philadelphia dispatching a dense fog of drum beats, guitar chords, and effortless vocals.  A clear Death From Above 1979 influence permeate some tracks – the comparison is meant to commend the sound DZDR’s delivers as DFA1979 is one of our all time faves.  Their efforts are finally garnering Pitchfork attention at a time when the sirens have already lured in so many.

++ Spotify Link to DZ DEATHRAYS ++

Immaculate execution on numerous tracks off 2012’s Bloodstreams, DZDR’s left us wanting an encore.  Bones rendered in electric garage punk rock, Shane Parsons and Simon Ridley delivered a thrashed first performance in Philly and one that everyone in the room should remember for a time to come.  Dig some videos we took below:

White Fence, Live @ Johnny Brenda’s 0518

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bands to watch, Drag City Records, indie music, johnny brendas, live music, live philly concerts, Los Angeles, R5 Productions, Spotify link, white fence, white fence band, woodist records

White Fence is one of Tim Presley’s stunning projects hailing from the sunny left coast.  In addition to The Strange Boys, Hair,  and Darker My Love, Presley delivers a garage sound that culls upon tones from an era gone by, namely the late 60’s, while concurrently sounding grounded in 2010’s garage folk punk revival (now we are making genres up). This was the second time we have caught his act at Johnny Brenda’s and we dare say it was even better than the last.  His current effort Family Perfume volumes 1 & 2 is chocked full of sturdy tracks and is an amazing listen.  It would seem there is no stopping the waterfall of music being produced.

++ White Fence on Spotify ++

White Fence played a sick set of tracks that laid out the red carpet for two tracks he would play with Ty Segall in their Hair project.  Since it is impossible to really overshadow ones-self, we simply point out that which was better was irrelevant.  White Fence alone made the show worth every penny and more.  We had been following the project since its eponymously titled debut in 2010 and our liking has only grown with each release – now on number three.  As such, we are proud to present several videos from that May 18th performance performance at JB’s in Philly.  Do yourself a solid and go see him shred:

The Spinto Band, Live @ Kung Fu Necktie

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bands to watch, concert video, delaware, kung fu necktie, live music, live philly concerts, spinto band, Spotify link, the spinto band, the spinto band residency

The Spinto Band is one of those amazing local bands we have caught on numerous occasions but had never filmed.  We finally got our act together and did so the second night of their May 2012 Kung Fu Necktie residency.  What a show it was.  What a band they are.  A shining star rising from the first state, The Spinto Band are definitely one of our favorite bands to come out of Delaware in awhile – and they have been doing so for well over a decade.

++ The Spinto Band on Spotify ++

The six piece consisting of Jon Eaton on Guitar, Nick Krill on Vocals & Guitar, Thomas Hughes on Vocals & Bass, Jeff Hobson on Drums, Sam Hughes on Keyboards & Vocals, and Joe Hobson Guitar & Vocals is not new to laying down catchy tracks.  Now with 14 plus years behind them, The Spinto Band can look back upon a catalog of 10 LPs and multiple EP’s.  The band has hit an energetic stride over the last 6 years and picks up steam with age.  Their new album Shy Pursuit was just released this year.

This residency will see The Spinto Band playing 4 shows at KFN this may and the videos below are from the second.  You still have 2 Tuesdays left to check them out and we strong suggest you do.  Beat the crowd though, they pack the place and a few notes in it is clear why.  Check out some videos because these are worth more than a thousand pictures.

 

Dirty Beaches, Live @ FUC

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Alex Zhang Hungtai, Canadian Bands, concert video, Dirty Beaches, Dirty Beaches Band, first unitarian church, fuc, live music, live philly concerts, R5 Productions

Dirty Beaches is Alex Zhang Hungtai and Alex is Dirty Beaches.  The boutique label holy-grail maker engineers tracks of dirty croon-filled depths.  His stage presence has an amalgam of personifications peering through it; although, their intention is rightfully mysterious. We saw glimpses of Chuck Berry and Elvis through the dimly lit stage and sludgy tracks.  Based out of Canada, Dirty Beaches comes through Philadelphia several times a year and we are damn lucky for it.

A Dirty Beaches show touches on auditory sensibilities difficult to define but easy to appreciate.  Blazing new trails in sonic bliss, the band graced the FUC stage on May 3rd, 2012 and delivered a reverent performance  to his musical influences and the lucky crowd.  Grinding through numerous tracks and ferociously brandishing his guitar Alex, with his Dirty Beaches bandmate, provided us with yet another exhibit behind the crime of missing his live performance.  You can beat the case by catching his July 23rd performance at Johnny Brenda’s after his Spanish tour.  In the meantime, we have some dark and dirty videos: