Homemade: Philadelphia
January 26, 2015
Courtesy of Baltimore Arts.
In a city that’s known for its distinctive, tough nature, it’s no wonder Philadelphia has such a rich history of punk music. It was in the late 1970s when punk and new wave music had begun to sweep through the city and take it by storm. When talking about the city’s punk roots, it’s almost impossible to talk about the punk scene without mentioning the Hot Club. Punk bands from both in and out of the city strove to play the Hot Club, a very popular punk club at the time. The Hot Club saw its fair share of popular acts from out of town, as bands like The Ramones and The B-52’s played there multiple times. Shows were violent and wild, but up until the club’s closure in the 1980s, it was universally loved by the punk community.
Unfortunately after the punk boom of the 70s, there was a lull in the city’s music scene. Apart from The Dead Milkmen becoming popular in the indie rock community in the late 80s and The Menzingers blowing up in the punk scene in 2006, it wasn’t until recently that Philly began to rebuild its music scene. While the bigger bands tend to go to The Electric Factory, which opened its doors in 1968, smaller bands tend to frequent places like Johnny Brenda’s, World Cafe Live and even The First Unitarian Church which started putting on late-night indie and punk shows in the 90s. Today, local bands like Modern Baseball and The War On Drugs have brought attention to Philly’s music scene, which is currently overflowing with talent in all genres.
Courtesy of Shore Fire Media.
The Districts
HOMEPAGE | FACEBOOK
Often times I am caught off guard (and semi-disappointed in myself) by what other people who are the same age as me do with their lives. Alternative-folk band The Districts have been making waves in the indie music world lately, despite barely being out of high school and having all their members under 21 years old. Their fusion of folk, punk, and alternative rock has made for some incredible live shows (they played Boston Calling in May and their energy and talent as musicians were just overwhelming) and they are currently on tour, stopping in DC at the Rock & Roll Hotel on March 27. The Districts also just released a killer new punk-tinged song “Peaches” one week ago. This band is on a roll and they clearly don’t intend to stop anytime soon.
Courtesy of Phawker.
Hop Along
HOMEPAGE | FACEBOOK
Recently signed to the legendary Saddle Creek Records, indie-folk trio Hop Along are gearing up for a much anticipated follow up to their first release Get Disowned, which made quite an impression on the indie rock community. Frances Quinlan’s voice is unlike anything I’ve heard from a female singer of an indie band and the way she sings and screams through the band’s first release really makes each song hugely dynamic, bringing the entire album to life. Hop Along has also been known to put on shows as energetic and loud as their album and are going on tour with The War On Drugs this Spring.
Courtesy of Fader.
Alex G
HOMEPAGE | FACEBOOK
Alex Giannascoli, also known as Alex G, is one of the DIY’s best kept secrets. An amazingly talented songwriter and lyricist, he has self-released hundreds of songs on Bandcamp with themes varying from mental illness to a young girl in which he gets his Bandcamp name from, Sandy. His guitar riffs tend to be melodic, bordering at times on psychedelic, but hearing him in concert, you could almost mistake him for a punk singer.
Courtesy of High Road Touring.
Cheers Elephants
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Despite their recent move to California, indie pop quartet Cheers Elephant has strong roots in Philadelphia. Their sound is clearly drawn from early pop-rock acts of the early 60s with toe tapping beats and warm guitars that could easily catch the ears of anyone listening.
Courtesy of Alternative Press.
Glocca Morra
HOMEPAGE | FACEBOOK
Philly punk in the best way. Glocca Morra recently called it quits this past November, but that shouldn’t stop you from adding them to your weekly playlist. They could easily be seen on any punk/indie/emo label, and their combination of melodic guitars and borderline shouting lyrics creates a power behind their music that will make you want to jump out of your seat and pretend to scream-sing alongside them.
Courtesy of Tiny Engines.
Cayetana
HOMEPAGE | FACEBOOK
Cayetana is many things. They are Philadelphians, they are loud, but mostly, they are, through and through, a punk band. It’s quick, raw, fast paced punk drawing influences from sub-genres like folk punk or indie to make a variety of punk you could still find underground, but melodic enough that anyone could appreciate it. The female-fronted trio tends to blast through their live sets with their high energy and thunderous sound, so be sure to catch them in February at Black Cat on U Street.
Courtesy of Tiny Engines.
Little Big League
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Formed in 2011 and signed to Run For Cover Records shortly after, Little Big League have clearly drawn inspiration from 90s emo to create their own unique take on emo and indie rock today. Fronted by Michelle Zauner, her vocals add an almost haunting layer to the band’s alternative and emo riffs. Their most recent release, “Tropical Jinx,” is available through their Bandcamp and really shows what Little Big League is capable of in the future, so watch out for them in 2015.
Courtesy of Philly.com.
Cheerleader
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Philly may have a very strong punk scene right now, but sometimes it’s refreshing to find a band who writes pop songs in the midst of it all. Indie pop outfit Cheerleader is still managing to make strong impressions using synthesizers and pop riffs not only on a local, but on a national, and even international level. Discovered virtually overnight after uploading some demos onto SoundCloud, they spent this past summer touring in the UK and were a hit at SXSW last year. Their most recent EP On Your Side is catchy as HELL and would fit in well alongside bands like The 1975. Mark my words, if they continue at the pace they’re at, Cheerleader is going to blow up and be selling out venues in less than a year.
Courtesy of The Deli.
The Bad Doctors
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Electro-pop goodness with the edginess and guitars of bands like The Smiths and The Cure. Their most recent release Burning City, which was released in June, featured layered synthesizers and indie rock riffs that could easily be compared to how new wave was paired with punk in the 70s. Catch them at your local house show if you can.
Honorable Mentions
Radiator Hospital // Queen Jesus // Strand of Oaks // CRUISR // Toy Soldiers // Bleeding Rainbows // Ex Friends // Mutual Benefit // DRGN KING // Restorations // KITE PARTY
