Ronnie Stone
Ronnie Stone:Ronnie Stone seems to have traveled from both the past and future simultaneously, bringingwith him a unique style of contemporary synth-pop that seamlessly blends nostalgia with thebleeding-edge of modern dance music. The NYC-based producer and multi-instrumentalistwrites and records all of his music, utilizing a massive arsenal of 80’s synthesizers to cook updance-pop gold for the freaks and the loners.His latest album, Ride Again (Feeltrip Records), is the culmination of a decade spent dwellingin the shadows at nightclubs and warehouse parties. Inspired by the solace and epiphanieshe found on the dance floor, he blends New Wave with the groovy and persistentinfectiousness of Techno and House.Ryder Houston:Ryder Houston is a Philadelphia-based filmmaker and musician born and bred just outside of Dallas, Texas. As much as his evocative sound dotes on alternative pop acts Depeche Mode, Garbage, and even Madonna at her most controversial, it also seems to suggest something greater operating on the periphery: a dark, omnipresent melodrama not unlike the crooning music of David Lynch composer Angelo Badalamenti or the baroque sensibilities of Lana Del Rey. Nevertheless, Houston’s spidery vocals continue to weave clichés of lust and rock ‘n’ roll menace anew, adhering himself to a certain groovy allusion to sleazy, opium-den electronica. Plainly stated, it is within this blasphemous little slipstream that Ryder Houston’s unique brand of sonic nostalgia exists.DJ Set by KorineAll events at Dolphin Tavern are 21+
Crossed Keys
CROSSED KEYS Full-length record BELIEVES IN YOU out now! Chances are, if you’ve been paying attention to the Philadelphia underground music scene in the past two decades, you’ve seen one or two members of Crossed Keys before, although it’s very likely that you’ve seen them all. The members of Crossed Keys have a long history of playing in hardcore and punk bands from the area including Kid Dynamite, Ink & Dagger, Step Ahead, Kill The Man Who Questions, Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer, Halo of Snakes, and The Curse. Crossed Keys draw from an eclectic palette of influences to create a unique twist on a sound that has been cultured in years of basement shows and record shops. Crossed Keys has gotten a lot older, a little wiser, and lost varying amounts of hair, but still makes music perfect for sweaty singalongs and all around good time. KATIE ARROSA Katie is a Philadelphia-based writer and comedian. You might have seen her last year at Fest 20 as one of the comedy hosts! REVELATOURS Revelatours are four friends from Philly playing fast songs! ERRTH Errth is a new band featuring current and former members of Aspiga, Public Serpents, Reunions, and Seeing Snakes.All shows at Dolphin Tavern are 21+
KulfiGirls
KulfiGirls – KulfiGirls are a Philadelphia-based rock band fronted by lead vocalist Abi Natesh who uses the South Indian Saraswati veena to present a novel “carnatic rock” sound, inspired by diverse genres of pop and rock. Their upcoming single “Field of Fireflies” combines classic psychedelic-rock elements with an experimental ensemble of instruments. Larlene – Philly BFF trio, Larlene, curates a dream pop stoner metal float tank for your heart. They hit with a post-punk, fuzz rock wall of sound with cutting harmonies and clearly hurt feelings. Larlene will take you from nasty garage jams to ethereal heartbreak. The Angies – The Angies are a four piece punk rock / noise band from Philadelphia who pair high-intensity performances with experimental sounds. Frontwoman Tara Gilligan combines the abrasive energy of Stooges-era Iggy Pop with the raw, introspective lyricism of Courtney Love and Hole to deliver a truly unforgettable and confrontational live experience. All events at Dolphin Tavern are 21+
Scan & Dan
Dan Finnemore, one of the two founding members and original songwriters for Low Cut Connie, is returning to the US after 7 years back home in Birmingham, England. Finnemore is joined by his two old tourmates James Everhart (Cosmic Guilt and Scantron) and Will Donnelly (Low Cut Connie, Scantron, Lady HD) and an all-star band composed of members of Philly buzz band, Cosmic Guilt. Expect a night of pure garage rock versions of Finnemore, Scantron, and Cosmic Guilt songs as well as a deep selection of covers. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. All shows at Dolphin Tavern are 21+
Moonshine
Depending on whom you ask, the esoteric effects of lunar cycles can be wide-ranging: good fortune, human fertility, ocean tides, werewolf prevalence and loss of sanity among them. For the like-minded musicians, DJs, dancers and visual artists who make up the Moonshine collective, the planetary satellite above all inspires their eponymous monthly event, driven by an inclusive ethos and a shared love for experimentations in dance culture.Since its founding in 2014, Moonshine has carved out an enviable niche in Montréal’s nightlife milieu by celebrating a wide range of fledgling local talents, championing Afro-futuristic, bass-heavy, electro-funk sounds, and bringing together communities that wouldn’t necessarily cross paths otherwise. As the name indicates, the lunar-based Moonshine recipe has the collective throw an all-night, sensory-soaked party on the Saturday after every full moon in ever-shifting, unpredictable locations across the city, always strictly disclosed via text messages. With fresh cuts supplied by resident DJs Pierre Kwenders, San Farafina, and AKantu, visual installations by Boycott, and a slew of live musicians and performers that have included Kaytranada, Dâm-Funk, Le1f, Venus X, Uproot Andy, Bambii and Branko, the parties have become a staple of the after-hours scene, in Canada and abroad, with appearances in NYC, LA, Paris, Brussels, Milan, Lisboa, London, Barcelona and Santiago just to name a few.“The essence of Moonshine came out of parties we used to throw in our kitchens,” recalls Kwenders. “We felt like we couldn’t go out and find what we had cooked up in that kitchen. It’s one of the reasons we started Moonshine: to share that with more people who felt just like us, and who didn’t have access to such sounds or vibes.” Still going strong four years on, Moonshine has also begun making use of the aesthetic, network and structure it established with the parties to promote affiliated artists, expanding its vision from ephemeral moonlit soirées to an expanding catalog of genre-busting music, art and apparel.Doors 9:30pmAll events at Dolphin Tavern are 21+
GIFT & Hooveriii
GIFT Surprise—psychedelic Brooklyn, NY quintet GIFT unwrap what Rolling Stone calls “a portal to another dimension” on their debut album, Momentary Presence, out October 14, 2022. On GIFT’S kaleidoscopic debut, bandleader TJ Freda & co. uncap the lens to project their vibrant spectrum of psych, krautrock, dream pop, post-punk, noise rock and electronica upon the vacant surfaces of the mind—inviting listeners to, in the words of countercultural guru Ram Dass, “be here now.” “[It’s about] being with yourself, not by yourself,” says Freda. “You are never alone. You are always with yourself.” Momentary Presence exists, and that’s enough. There is no beginning and no end. From the percolating, in medias res intro of album opener “When You Feel It Come Around” through the swirling, gliding and expansive conclusion of “Here And Now (Time Floats By),” GIFT retains the element of cosmic surprise. Treat yourself to Momentary Presence at finer record stores and streaming apps on October 14, 2022—only on Dedstrange.HooveriiiLos Angeles psych-rock Hooveriii (pronounced “Hoover Three”) shares first take of the album by way of A Round Of Applause’s opening track, “See.” The band’s Bert Hoover notes, ” “See’ is about trying not to take life for granted. Some things are easier said than done. It’s our first song to feature Anna Wallace singing along with us and it came together rather seamlessly. It was a pretty bare bones jangle jam until the band filled it with ear candy.”Though created in large part by founder Bert Hoover, Hooveriii has grown to include Gabe Flores (lead guitar and vocals), Kaz Mirblouk (bass and synths), James Novick (synths), and Owen Barrett (drums).Hooveriii derived the album title from the late-80’s Roky Erickson song “Click Your Finger Applauding the Play.” “That’s too much of a mouthful,” Hoover qualified. “My title, A Round of Applause, just came one day, and we were like, ‘Yo, that sound like a Gentle Giant record.’ “ALL SHOWS AT DOLPHIN TAVERN ARE 21+, NO EXCEPTIONS.
Bass Drum of Death
BASS DRUM OF DEATH The point of an odyssey is to return home changed—still the same person, but deepened somehow, wiser and better, wearing your traveling scars proudly. Bass Drum of Death’s new album Say I Won’t is the end result of a journey that took singer and bandleader John Barrett from a small town in Mississippi and sent him across the world and back home again. The music still rips, with blown-out guitars and drums that sound like bombs going off, and the melodies are catchier than ever, hollered in Barrett’s trademark yelp. But the music hits differently now, more at peace with itself, propelled by a new swagger. Say I Won’t is the record of a veteran band finding its stride and leaning into it, stripping back the excess and finding the raw core of their sound. Say I Won’t, the band’s fifth record, comes at a time of massive change for Barrett, having relocated from New York to his hometown of Oxford, Mississippi during the pandemic. The record is also a homecoming of a different sort, with the band rejoining the ranks of Fat Possum, also in Oxford, the label that released their first record GB City in 2011. “Moving back to Oxford was a much-needed reset,” says Barrett. “When I started, I just wanted to play in a punk band and drink beers and travel around. I didn’t really think much past that. And I got really burned out. When I moved back home, I started writing songs again, just for fun. I realized I wanted this record to have more of a hometown feel. The switch back to Fat Possum was easy. It’s much better working with people I know and love and love everything they do.”DEAD TOOTH After an early stint drumming and singing in Haybaby (Tiny Engines), Zach James began writing and self-producing folk records in his bedroom, donning the name The Silver Spaceman. The project evolved into a post-punk band featuring Andrew Bailey (DIIV) on lead guitar. It snarled and simmered around darker texåtures, miles away from its early folk routes. James looked to his darkened smile and rechristened the project Dead Tooth. They gained momentum opening for bands like Hand Habbits, The Space Lady and Current Joys. After recording their second EP entitled Pig Pile, the pandemic disembodied the band as it did so many others. Sad, yet ambitious to keep the momentum going and release the EP, James rebuilt the project from the ground up. He added an EWI/Sax player and relinquished his own live guitar duties for a frontman stage persona. The new crew was quickly picked up by Rough Trade Publishing and Trash Casual Records. Shortly after, they went on to win OWL Winter Madness (a 16 band, 5 week long “battle of the bands” at Brooklyn’s legendary rooftop venue Our Wicked Lady). They then found themselves playing SPIN Magazine’s SXSW showcase alongside The Lemonheads, Bass Drum of Death and Pom Pom Squad. SPIN wrote of SXSW, “If there was someone who really broke out…it was Brooklyn’s Dead Tooth.” The band also became a large point of focus at Savannah Stopover where the local paper printed 33 photos of the festival, 18 of which were Dead Tooth. ALL SHOWS AT CONCOURSE LIVE ARE 21+, NO EXCEPTIONS
King Pari
Spike Hellis
DJ BABY BERLIN & OVER POP PRESENTS: 21+ SPIKE HELLIS (LOS ANGELES) VOID VISION (PHILADELPHIA)THE IRE (PHILADELPHIA) DJ BABY BERLIN (PHILADELPHIA) SPIKE HELLIS: Los Angeles based electronic duo Spike Hellis comprises of Cortland Gibson and Lainey, who got their start on Halloween of 2019. They self-released their first full-length, self-titled album in April 2022, under their imprint Over-Pop. The album chaotically shifts pace back and forth; the songs running into one another with no time in-between. The record opens with “Control (Rage)”, a layered, firm-handshake body-music track designed to hijack the amygdala. The kick drum resembles the steady flash of a panic button. You press it, but nothing happens—no relief. The irregular placement of snare matches Chang’s cries of dysregulation, spiraling red-eyed after having lost command asking, “Will I regain control?” While presented as a song of despair, optimism and determination shine through in the final line as the question is taken back and turned into a statement, “Watch me regain control”. This is a theme that permeates throughout the album: Taking challenging times of despair and coming through the other end with hope and optimism. Spike Hellis (S/T) was made with the intention to feel jolting. Techno-tinged “Flight” is an SH-101 track wherein lyrical instructions for escaping a dream are chanted over the iconic rubber band sound, with the claps paying homage to Charlie’s “Spacer Woman”. “Slices” is the funky first single which leads into its supplementary counterpart, “Stitches”. Footsteps grow louder until it opens into a dark waltz. Samples of William S. Burroughs cackling ring out over Emulator arpeggios until we arrive at “Teardrops (Kisses)”. While it is perhaps the most light-hearted track on the album sonically, themes of social punishment and isolation push through the surface to reveal conflict at its core. Chang and Gibson trade off cries of shame and humiliation while distorted synths, swirling in polyrhythms, close out Side A.Since finishing the album, Spike Hellis has hit the road hard with zero hesitation—completing two full US tours and a handful of smaller runs within the span of one year. Blasting their bleak outlook and spreading their gospel of disenchantment and sarcasm, Spike Hellis announces their arrival. VOID VISION: Void Vision is the electronic solo project of Philadelphia-based musician, Shari Vari, formed around 2009 when the minimal synth and coldwave genres were undergoing a revival and rebirth thanks to labels such as Wierd Records (home to acts such as Xeno & Oaklander, Led Er Est, Martial Canterel, Automelodi, etc.) and Veronica Vasicka’s Minimal Wave, among others. Void Vision’s cold, analog tracks are dominated by Vari’s haunting, powerful voice. But unlike many others associated with the genre, the songs are quite dynamic in range and structure, referencing a cross-section of the last 30 years of electronic music, while retaining a strong sense of personality and soul that speaks for itself. DJ BABY BERLIN: Philly/NYC DJ/Booker/Streamer who is the purveyor of all things alternative and is known for her monthly dark 80s Dance Party A BLACK CELEBRATION. She will kick off the show with a set and is the host of this show.https://www.facebook.com/DjBabyBerlin
Maxwell Stern with Andrew Bryant (of Water Liars)
MAXWELL STERNHailing from the post-industrial shores of Cleveland, OH and now located in Philadelphia, PA, Maxwell Stern has been crafting his own version of reflective, punk-tinged pop-folk since the early 2000s. He has released a slew of LPs and 7″s with various bands (Signals Midwest, Meridian, Timeshares, Orbits), and has played shows pretty much everywhere including an abandoned restaurant in Wyoming, a mall in China, several squats in Germany and a pretty nice bookstore in Australia. He released his debut solo LP “Impossible Sum” in September 2020 on Los Angeles indie-punk stalwart label Lauren Records, featuring contributions from vocalist Laura Stevenson, steel guitarist Mike “Slo-Mo” Brenner (Wild Pink, Magnolia Electric Co.) and drummer Adam Beck (Sincere Engineer, Into It. Over It). He is definitely not the person writing this.ANDREW BRYANTAndrew Bryant is a singer-songwriter and producer from Oxford, Mississippi. He makes his own records and plays drums and other things in Water Liars. Andrew started playing music as a teenager in the early 90’s in an evangelical church in the rural south. After high school, he became involved in the Memphis DIY scene, relocating his music from the church to the small stages of art spaces and music venues. He began making his own albums in his home in the early 2000’s and toured constantly. In 2012 he teamed up with Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster to form the band Water Liars. They made 4 albums together and played thousands of shows before giving it up. Andrew now lives in Oxford, Mississippi with his wife Sarah-SoonLing and his three children, making as much music as he can in his home studio.RED BIRDShttps://redbirds.bandcamp.com/ Red Birds deliver an honest and heartfelt take on indie folk music. Through their songwriting they explore the balance of work, family, creativity, and mortality while trying to have fun and stay comfy. ALL SHOWS AT THE DOLPHIN ARE 21+, NO EXCEPTIONS