Courtney Barnett is SWEET
Avant Gardener has really cool lyrics, her deadpan is fantastic
"The paramedic thinks I'm clever 'cos I play guitar
I think she's clever 'cos
She stops people dying
(...)
I take a hit from
An asthma puffer
I do it wrong, I was never good at smokin bongs
I'm not that good at breathin in
Not that good at breathin in"
Here are some bands that'll make you wish you were living in Philly (like Alex G above). Philadelphia's the only city that matters anymore.
Radiator Hospital! This is from their most recent release, Torch Song, which is probably my favorite album to come out this year (free on their bandcamp, listen to it). They are GOOD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trvRhDH4fMAHop Along is coming out with a new album soon which is insanely exciting. Frances Quinlan has one of the most emotive voices I've ever heard. When she yells it's ograsmic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yCySkwpXfwThe Hundred Acre Woods - Pennsylvania. Because Pennsylvania is the only state consistently making music that matters (okay that's not true there's also Maryland, New York and New Jersey)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0jWA3t4VkwWaxahatchee - Coast to Coast. Philadelphia by way of Alabama. Because if you're not from Pennsylvania and you want to make music you move to Pennsylvania. (Or Brooklyn like her also very talented twin sister in Swearin')
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlhFE8-KBDEPill Friends - Samael. Suburbia and drugs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfvCNm9PleMAnd for tolerable Pop Punk there's even Modern Baseball (house shows house shows house shows house shows also going back to your parents house in east PA suburbs over break this video speaks to me)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIy2wyEV0qcAnd there's sooooo much more agghhhh especially if you count recently defunct bands god why is philadelphia so good?
(here's something from my neck of the woods with University of Pittsburgh darlings Fun Home [good shots of {I think} the cemetery in Lawrenceville, a classroom and the library in Frick Fine Arts building, and the basement of 'the' Fun Home in South Oakland {RIP}{I think})
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWx88SDrRsE(The drummer also RIPS on guitar in a band called Yes Yes a Thousand Times Yes)
Was there... Altar bar.
http://youtu.be/iAPrUJg4fkE
Ahh man, the first show I ever went to was at Altar Bar (Harrisburg sucks really really bad for music). I was in the front row right next to the kid filming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyvsvrHuvJgGood place!