THE SHOWDOWN: Fuzz worth the buzz

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THE SHOWDOWN: Fuzz worth the buzz

POSTED: Monday, January 31, 2011, 6:00 PM

Filed Under: Music The Showdown

Monday: Friends For Now, the hesitantly titled new record from San Francisco's Young Prisms is getting quite a lot of praise heaped upon it, and it hasn't even been out for two weeks. Is all their fuzz worth the buzz? Most definitely. Combining the sunshiny pop of their Californian forefathers with the sonic fallout of the recent noise-pop boom, Young Prisms make some of the messiest pretty music you're likely to hear. Or is it the prettiest messy music? w/ Soars & Melted Toys, 8 p.m., $10, Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 215-291-4919. Tuesday: Did you know that the word 'crazy' rhymes with the word 'lazy?' Regardless, Best Coast is here to help chase away your wintertime blues. Bethany's bedroom project takes the form of a full band, complete with cooing backup singers. Along with their breezy summer jams, enjoy a set from surf punks Wavves, led by Bethany's mister, Nathan. The pair's music is rarely played at the same speed, but their penchant for giddy fun is shared no matter the tempo. w/ No Joy, 7:30 p.m., $15 - $17, Starlight Ballroom, 460 N 9th St., 267-765-5210. Wednesday: There's simply no stopping Ozomatli. For fifteen years, the ever-shifting (but always massive) group has embraced all sorts of genres, from salsa to reggae. Those global influences undoubtedly come from their members' diverse backgrounds, as well as their shared Los Angeles experiences. Of course, you don't need to be from LA to know which way the cultural winds blow. w/ Psychedelphia, 8 p.m., $28 - $40, World Cafe Live, 30th St. & Walnut St., 215-222-1400. Thursday: Hailing from some alternate version of today where it's still 1967, Violens' music can simply be described as modern Nuggets. Winsome harmonies are coupled with dark and twisting arrangements, all healthily informed by a generation's worth of psychedelic rock. Impeccable attention is paid to the band's production, making Violens' debut, Amoral, a treat of a trip. w/ Nothing & Arc In Round, 9 p.m., $10, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684. Friday: With some eerie, jazz- and world-influenced atmospheres, Philly's Strange Engineers set the scene for some seriously jagged songs. Luckily, the interplay between their singers and a few particularly friendly guitar lines anchor the experiments. Some of the grooves are indeed groovy, but there's an ethereal air about the band that keeps them just far enough outside the realm of normalcy. w/ The Yes Way, Orbit To Leslie & Heylady, 9 p.m., $10, North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St. 215-787-0488. Saturday: There's a really good chance that your favorite band has, at one point or another, ripped off Gang Of Four. That's perfectly okay (even guitarist Andy Gill has come to terms with this), but do your part and come pay homage to the OGs themselves. Well, two of them anyway. While Gill and singer Jon King are the only remaining original members, their new album, Content, is as Gang Of Four-y as they come. Funky and fiery songs mix with their trademark politics for an instant post-punk smash. w/ Hollerado, Moon Women & DJ Robert Drake, 8:30 p.m., $35.25, TLA, 334 South St., 215-922-1011. Sunday: Come get folked at the first installment of a new local-centric afternoon concert series. Along with performances from the community-uniting Spinning Leaves and the increasingly baroque Hezekiah Jones, guest speakers will discuss the functions and legacy of the Philadelphia Folksong Society. Though the shows (which will occur all throughout February) are not exclusive to PFS members, membership does entitle you to free admission. More importantly, though, you can learn about an integral part of our city's music scene from the people who create it. 1 p.m., $7 (free for Philadelphia Folksong Society members), Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684.

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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