Toronto rockers, Metz, tour their for newly released fifth studio album, “Up on Gravity Hill,” bringing along Florida punk band, Gouge Away, to play songs from their newly released third studio album, “Deep Sage.” I’ve been a fan of both bands for a few years and I’ve seen them both play before, but I was ecstatic when I heard the announcement of them touring together. This was a special show for me to photograph.   Here are the shots I captured of Metz (Gouge Away posted down further):   Gouge Away:     ..read more

Hyper-melodic folk and shoegaze-inspired indie rock duo Babehoven, comprised of Maya Bon and Ryan Albert, found themselves in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection twice last year in very different settings…  In March they opened an exceptionally quiet show for Naima Bock at The Lounge at World Café Live, while Halloween saw them opening for indie pop sensations Slow Pulp at The Foundry… Well, next month Babehoven embark on their first-ever headlining tour, which kicks off May 6th in Washington DC and includes a stop at our very own Johnny Brenda’s on Saturday, May 18th.  ..read more

Today Vancouver-based queer pop phenom Xana released “Monster,” the third single from her forthcoming sophomore LP, The Sex Was Good Until It Wasn’t, which drops May 10th.  “I wrote this song at a time where I was forced to look my mistakes square in the eye and take accountability for the hurt caused by my actions,” she has said of the track.  Other tracks of TSWGUIW similarly explore intimate and hard-to-confront details of the artist’s personal experiences, but in a way that enabled Xana to help heal herself from her most significant traumas.  However, the album also includes ..read more

This past Saturday, legendary experimental rockers Swans returned to Union Transfer for the first time since 2016. They played one of their famously deafening two-and-a-half hour sets, opening with an hour-long rendition of ‘The Beggar,’ the title track of their 2023 LP. The extremely talented musicians put on an incredible show ..read more

“I always think of the intense smell of the alley behind The Trocadero.  I often think of that when I think of the worst smell I’ve ever smelled,” says Dustin Kensrue, laughing, discussing the many times he was at the legendary Chinatown venue fronting post-hardcore legends Thrice.  However, he admits the shows were always great, in addition to those at another legendary venue just a bit down the street: “We love playing the Electric Factory.  I know it’s called something else now, but it will always be that for us.” Dustin and I are chatting over the phone and discussing [for t ..read more

New York folk rock group Driftwood are currently touring behind their sixth full-length, December Last Call (which dropped last month), while also celebrating their 15-year anniversary as a band, and they’ll be headlining our very own MilkBoy on Friday, May 3rd.  “The rock club vibe, we did that for a long time, so there’s something really comfortable there.  Summer’s coming up, so we’ve got some festivals, but it’ll also be nice to be in a good old-fashioned rock room,” they tell me of the opportunity to headline Center City’s last legit rock barroom during a recent phone chat.  ..read more

“I made this record with the intent of sort of riling people up more.  In the past, whenever I would play my new music for friends, they’d be like, ‘Oh, that’s nice,” or something like that, and for this one I was like, ‘Fuck that!  I wanna incite something in people!’” says Eric Slick of his new album, New Age Rage, which drops this Friday, April 26th.  The album’s release date also marks the third day of his upcoming solo headlining tour, which kicks off tomorrow at The Middle East in Cambridge and will have Slick returning to his hometown this Saturday, April 27th, when he pl ..read more

Earlier this month, emo legends Dashboard Confessional announced a fall tour, which includes a September 15th stop at The Met.  However, the artist on the bill that we’re most excited about is Nashville-based (She’s originally from Wellsboro.) pop-punk powerhouse Taylor Acorn, who will be opening the entire tour.  We would highly recommend familiarizing yourself with her between now and then…  And there’s no better way to do that than coming to see her this Sunday, April 21st, at The Foundry…  Taylor Acorn is currently in the middle of her sold-out, headlining Good Enough T ..read more

This Friday, 4/19, South Street – Philadelphia’s historic hot spot for goths, punks, rockers, weirdos and alternative kids of every variety – will fittingly be hosting the Gothic Summer Tour at Theatre of Living Arts.  Headlining the evening is Australian progressive pop sister duo The Veronicas, whose [sixth full-length] Gothic Summer dropped last month.  But we’re equally excited for alt-rocker Jesse Jo Stark, who’s opening the tour.  Jesse Jo Stark – the daughter of the founders and owners of Chrome Hearts (She’s designed custom items for the brand for Post Malone, Orville Pe ..read more

This Thursday, April 18th, Vermont alt-rock group Sir Chloe will be headlining The Foundry at The Fillmore.  However, we’re just as excited to see Daffo, who is opening Sir Chloe’s current tour and for whom Thursday will be a homecoming show.  Daffo is the project of singer/songwriter Gabi Gamberg, who grew up outside of Philadelphia, before venturing out to Idyllwild Arts Academy in California to get a formal education in songwriting, and then relocating to New York City to attend the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music and establish themselves as a staple of NYC’s DIY scene. Al ..read more