Thursday Shows

Yeasayer (photo from r5productions)

Following a great start to the week and month, Thursday has a bunch of shows to check out.

After a night in the District, Yeasayer is coming to the First Unitarian tonight for their first Philly show in almost a year. IPod commercial featured artist Chairlift joins them.

mp3: Yeasayer - Sunrise
mp3: Chairlift - Bruises

Bluegrass meets punk sprinkled with Celtic overtones is probably one of the best ways to describe O'Death. If you have not seen them live, it is well worth the show. The entire band is shirtless and sweaty by the end of the night. Head on over to the Black Cat tonight. Local indie faves Wye Oak (nee Monarch) are also on the bill.

mp3: O'Death - Lowtide
mp3: Wye Oak - Warning

The Troc hosts a stellar line-up with Nada Surf along with Delta Spirit and The Jealous Girlfriends.

mp3: Nada Surf - See These Bones
mp3: The Jealous Girlfriends - Roboxulla

Originally a side project, Darker My Love has turned into a full time gig for Andy and Tim of the Distillers and Nerve Agents. You can catch them at Johnny Brenda's in Fishtown with Austin's The Strange Boys and locals Asteroid No. 4.

mp3: Darker My Love (download entire self-titled debut)
mp3: Asteroid No. 4 - Honeyspot

The rest of the night looks like this:

Vienna Teng @ Ram's Head Tavern
Junius/Sometimes Junkyard @ The Red and The Black
David Byrne @ The Strand (York, PA)
Modern Skirts/The Old Ceremony @ The M Room

mp3: Junius - Hiding Knives
mp3: Sometimes Junkyard - Stack Steps on Bricks
mp3: Modern Skirts - My Bully
mp3: The Old Ceremony - Ole

Thursday In The Area

CMJ is going on strong, so that means plenty of shows heading towards NYC or on their way back. Either way, more for us in the IA region. Like always, Thursday has plenty to see.


Forget the British Invasion of the '60s. The 2000s are having a Swedish invasion. Tonight and tomorrow, you can catch three of the best singer-songwriters Sweden has to offer. Ane Brun and Tobias Froberg are joined by former native Theresa Andersson, now calling New Orleans home, at the Tin Angel in Philly Thursday. They then have a great small venue show at IOTA Friday.

New albums abound for Minus the Bear and Annuals. Taking their new material to a venue near you, they are with Sylvie at the TLA in Philly.

The Rosebuds just released a new album and The Oranges Band are gearing up for a release of their own. Catch them at the Black Cat.

Wilkes-Barre is not a hot bed for indie music, but An Albatross breaks out of the coal fields with a new release and a show with Yip Yip at Talking Head.

Delta Spirit is at Johnny Brenda's, while Michigan's The Hard Lessons go local with The City Veins at IOTA. Finally, at DC9 is New Englanders The Everyday Visuals, The Public Good and Gary B & The Notions.

mp3: Minus the Bear - Knights (Daytrotter)
mp3: Annuals - Sore
mp3: The Oranges Band - Sweater Weather
mp3: An Albatross - The Revolutionary Politics of Dance
mp3: Yip Yip - Candy Dinner
mp3: Delta Spirit - Bleeding Bells (Daytrotter)
mp3: The Hard Lessons - The Sound of Coming Down
mp3: The City Veins - Toe the Line
mp3: Gary B. & The Notions - Lori

The Mid-Week and Beyond

Since I am heading out of town for a long weekend, the usual weekend show preview is combined with the shows that will be coming through the area today and Thursday. Quite a few big names are playing as well as some hitting multi-city stops.

TV on the Radio just dropped their new disc Dear Science and are on tour with the Dirtbombs, playing at the Electric Factory in Philly Friday night.

After a long hiatus, Shudder to Think is back together and out on tour. This Friday catch them with Philly's Pattern Is Movement at the 9:30 Club in DC.

mp3: Pattern Is Movement - Bird

Speaking of long hiatus, Wire is out on tour as well, playing Johnny Brendas Friday and the 9:30 Club Saturday.

mp3: Wire - One of Us

Find out if sampled electro-pop and hip-hop mix when Girl Talk takes the stage with Grand Buffet and Hearts of Darknesses for a sold out show at the Starlight Ballroom Thursday night. If you can't get enough, this line-up hits the 9:30 Club Friday and Sonar Saturday.

mp3: Grand Buffet - Dark Autumn

One of the originals of the East Coast punk scene, Ted Leo + Pharmacists are mixing it up with Against Me! and Future of the Left for a show Wednesday at the Black Cat, then head up to Philly and the Electric Factory.

mp3: Future of the Left - Manchasm

Another band with a new album, Apollo Sunshine is out on tour, hitting Johnny Brenda's Wednesday, then are joined by Tulsa for a show at DC9 Thursday.

mp3: Tulsa - Whissper

With a forthcoming new release, Talkdemonic is taking the new material on the road with Bon Savants. Friday night, see them at the Khyber. Sunday, locals Albatross are added to the line-up at The Red & The Black.

mp3: Talkdemonic - Duality of Deathening
mp3: Bon Savants - Between the Moon and the Ocean

The Wedding Present and the Jealous Girlfriends are joined by Philly folk locals Brown Recluse Sings for a show at the North Star Friday. You can also catch the two headliners Saturday at the Black Cat in DC.

mp3: The Wedding Present - The Thing I Like Best
mp3: The Jealous Girlfriends - Roboxulla (Daytrotter)
mp3: Brown Recluse Sings - Western Meadowlark

Wednesday

One of the best line-ups I have seen for a small club show in awhile, Philly's The Swimmers share the stage with Catfish Haven (check out the new album) and Dead Confederate.

Hot Chip/Growing @ 9:30 Club

mp3: The Swimmers - St Cecilia
mp3: Catfish Haven - Devastator
mp3: Dead Confederate - The Rat

Thursday

Uniquely out-there Georgians Of Montreal grace the 9:30 Club with their presence with Love Is All.

York, PA is getting one hell of a show with Langhorne Slim and Heartless Bastards at the Capitol Theater. DC can catch them Monday at the Black Cat.

The New Year/Dirty On Purpose/Tre Orsi @ Johnny Brendas
Laura Burhenn/Olivia Mancini & The Housemates @ Rock & Roll Hotel

mp3: Of Montreal - ID Engager
mp3: Langhorne Slim - Restless
mp3: Heartless Bastards - All This Time
mp3: The New Year - The Company I Can Get
mp3: Olivia Mancini & The Housemates - I Wouldnt Worry

Friday

DC meets Philly in Arlington at IOTA when Middle Distance Runner and Drink Up Buttercup perform. Also on the bill is New Rock Church of Fire.

Title Tracks/The Carribean/Moscow Telephone/Nathan Bell @ Metro Gallery
US Royalty @ Jammin' Java

mp3: Middle Distance Runner - Man of the People
mp3: Drink Up Buttercup - Young Ladies

Saturday

Lach @ The Red & The Black

Sunday

Local troubador Peasant makes the end of the weekend a little bit better with a show at the Tin Angel in Philly

Ra Ra Riot/Walter Meego/The Morning Benders @ Black Cat
Delta Spirit/Andy Zipf/The Moderate @ Rock & Roll Hotel
MSTRKRFT @ TLA
Jonathan Richman (The Modern Lovers) @ First Unitarian Church
Paramount Styles @ Khyber

mp3: Peasant - Those Days
mp3: Ra Ra Riot - Dying is Fine
mp3: Delta Spirit - Bleeding Bells (Daytrotter)

Dr. Dog/Delta Spirit

Dr. Dog - credit
Philly's Dr. Dog is out on tour. They are joined by Delta Spirit and Emily Lacy. You can catch them this week as the tour winds down towards a homecoming show on Saturday.

11/06: Fletcher's, Baltimore
11/07: Rock & Roll Hotel, DC
11/10: TLA, Philly

Dr. Dog - Heart It Races (Architecture in Helsinki cover)
Delta Spirit - Gimme Some Motivation
Emily Lacy - Strong Like The Cactus