January 27th, 2009
Tonight In Shows
Au
Tues., Jan. 27, 9pm. With Circles + Oh! Pears. $10. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 Frankford Ave. 215.739.9684. www.johnnybrendas.com
Multi-instrumentalist Luke Wyland prepped his experimental pop collective for the current economic crisis the way anyone does—by diversifying. At times dreamy, others jubilant, Wyland and his rotating cast love a groove, but how it’s expressed varies widely. Minimalist chanted choir elegies, shimmering pop, shambling freak-folk and puffy-shirted baroque swells all coexist in the atmospheric environs like menu items united by Wyland’s supple melodic predilections. Restraint is his favored hue, as even the most soaring passages feel constrained, and reigned back into the wintery arrangements. (Chris Parker)
Also, the excellent Philly garage-rock/psych-rock combo Love City plays the Khyber. These guys sound straight from an unearthed mid-’60s time capsule or the best of the Nuggets compilation all smooshed together; lots of ? and the Mysterians-style organ and yowly vocals and grimy, sweat-soaked guitar riffs. Show’s at 8pm, and it’ll set you back $8. Meanwhile, over at World Cafe Live, a free show upstairs at 8pm: Dublin, Ireland’s the Guggenheim Grotto, who offer mannered and highly melodic folk-pop with Simon & Garfunkel vocal harmonies, emotionally chorded acoustic strums, and the occasional touch of viola and organ. And the North Star continues its New Music Series with four area bands, headed up by Dejesus (apparently not named for the former Phillies shortstop) who make cello-tinged indie-pop with vocals kinda reminiscent of that Third Eye Blind dude, but not quite as annoying. The fun begins at 8pm, and is a mere $5.
