THE SHOWDOWN: The line between manic fun and straight up Helter Skelter

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THE SHOWDOWN: The line between manic fun and straight up Helter Skelter

POSTED: Monday, April 19, 2010, 8:25 PM

Filed Under: Music The Showdown

A concert a day keeps the doctor away.

Monday: Unfortunately, The Mary Onettes are not an underground doo-wop girl band. Fortunately, though, they are Swedish indie poppers who make sweet, drifting music. The lyrics are whatevs, but they're easy to tune out and listen to the sounds of the light and airy strings and chimes. At 9 p.m., $12, Mar Bar (above Marathon Grill), 40th & Walnut sts., 215-222-0100. Tuesday: Timid Roosevelts showcase female vocals with a soft quirkiness. It's not just about cuteness, there's a no-nonsense edge to the guitars and the vocals. They're all over the place with touches of kookiness and lyrics of serious proportions. The most impressive thing is the super solid female presence. With S.T.O.P. and Vitamin Cheese, $8, The Manhattan Room, 15 W. Girard Ave., 215-739-5577. Wednesday: Locals Arc in Round will be churning out ambience-sans-pretension. Their music is considered experimental, though it's a safe try this one — goggles and all. They don't try anything much crazier than indie pop sounds mixed with '90s alt rock. With True Womanhood and Oh! Pears, 8 p.m., $5 - $10, Danger Danger Gallery, 5013 Baltimore Ave. Thursday: The New Pornographers won't actually be at Kung Fu Necktie tonight, but you can still hear their new music. The new album, Together, is the Canadian indie darlings' fifth, and is due out May 4. But why wait? You can get yourself fancy and go to tonight's listening party. At 7:30, free, Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 215-291-4919. Friday: Quasi are immediately reminiscent of Ben Folds with the nasally whine and lovesick songs driven by ivory keys. But Quasi are less inhibited than Benny Boy. They walk the dangerous line between manic fun and straight up Helter Skelter. With Let's Wrestle, 9 p.m., $12, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684. Saturday: One of the Illadelph's favorite local hip hoppers — aside from some Roots band, whoever they are - is Black Landlord. Sexy, soulful and, based on their song "Gimme," they're greedy, too. They're sure to please with a show full of high energy, kinky lyrics and brotherly love. Go congratulate MC Maxx Stoyanoff-Williams on his Dancing with the Philadelphia Stars win! With Kilroy and The Bronze, 9:30, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684. Sunday: London's Hot Chip provides the soundtrack for the dance party of the century. Or at least the dance party of 2010. The loop-filledelectro beats and lovey-dovey lyrics are enough to make any set of feet uncontrollably happy. Plus they're playing with Philly/Jersey flip-floppers and dance demons, Memory Tapes. With The Memory Tapes, 8 p.m., $30, TLA, 334 South St., 215-922-1011.

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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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