The Local Week: Springtime A Little Early

Less than a week removed from some significant snow, the weather has turned spring-y. So no excuse about getting out to shows this week. Plus its a holiday weekend coming up, so start the party early.

Monday

Submarines (photo via bands Facebook)

Monday has two great shows, one in Philly and one in DC. Up at Johnny Brenda's, catch The Submarines. Oh, I know you know their music. Unless you live in a cave, you have seen an IPhone commercial. These are the guys behind that uber-poppy song playing in the background. Also on the bill are the Bay Area's The Morning Benders and New York pop-folk artist Dawn Landes.

mp3: The Submarines - Tour Single (zip file, via artists website)
mp3: The Morning Benders - 1940 (Submarines cover)(via RCRD.LBL)
mp3: Dawn Landes - Kids In A Play (via Daytrotter)

The Black Cat is hosting The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Their lastest EP contains less than fifteen minutes of music, but that is all the time you need to become a fan. Opening is The Depreciation Guild. Get there early for some shoe-gaze at its finest. Rounding out the bill are locals The Sugarplums.

mp3: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Everything With You (via Band's website)
mp3: The Depreciation Guild (Download zip of entire album or song by song)

Tuesday

The World Cafe in Philly has singer-songwriter Brett Dennen. You may have heard his music in shows like Scrubs and Grey's Anatomy. You can't help but notice the flaming red hair. And the slight rasp to his vocals belies his age, sounding more like an aging folkster from the 60s rather than the late 20s that he is.

mp3: Ain't No Reason (via RCRD.LBL)

The Black Cat is at it again, this time with a fine line-up of a couple a locals and a band from Brooklyn. Andy Zipf, Kaiser Cartel and Paul Michel are sure entertain.


Wednesday

Lot of action for the mid-week. The big show is Ben Folds at the McCarter Theater in Princeton. He is joined by Arizonans Miniature Tigers.

Lenka and The Spring Standards are showcased at DC9, while elsewhere in the District Rooftop Vigilantes, coming in from Kansas, perform at The Red & The Black.

Philly's Hoots & Hellmouth head south to the Rock & Roll Hotel to blow the roof off the joint with their revival-esque show. Along for the ride are The Jones and Petticoat Tea Room.

Up in Philly, The Khyber has Finding Fiction. Here's what Simon Beck has to say:

New York City’s Finding Fiction balances the ethereal with the melodic. The grit with the refined. It’s catchy, artistic, at times poppy, but always well crafted music. It’s contained chaos. Maniacally Poetic.

With them is the atmospheric sounds of Controlled Storms and the other worldly Lunch with Beardo.

For an all local line-up, get to the M Room for Filmstar, Adam Rose, Boy w/ Robot and The Green Trees Band.

mp3: Miniature Tigers - White Magic (via Modern Art Records)
mp3: The Spring Standards - Your Lie
mp3: Hoots & Hellmouth - You and All of Us (via Daytrotter)
mp3: Finding Fiction - Less Than Love (via Sonicbids)
mp3: Controlled Storms - Grace (via Sonicbids)
mp3: Lunch with Beardo - The Lunch Manifesto (via FDH Music)

Thursday

Missed the Ben Folds show in Philly? No problem. Ram's Head Live in Baltimore has the same line-up as the Philly show the night before.

Two college towns, two great shows. The Terrace F Club in Princeton is hosting the ethereal music of High Places and Soft Circle. The Olde Club at Swarthmore College has a stellar gig with Los Campesinos! and Titus Andronicus.

Up at Johnny Brendas, join in welcoming back French Kicks to Philly. Also on stage is Ferraby Lionheart and locals Gildon Works. Just a few blocks down at the M Room, catch an ecletic show featuring Airports, Snakes Say Hiss, Neighborhood Choir and Anamanahuchi.

mp3: Titus Andronicus - My Time Outside the Womb (via RCRD.LBL)
mp3: French Kicks - Love in the Ruins (via Daytrotter)
mp3: Gildon Works - Artful Rifle
mp3: High Places - From Stardust to Sentience (via email from label)
mp3: Neighborhood Choir - She's Got A Friend (via band's website)