Since founding members Ron Gallo and Mike Baurer began writing music for what would be Toy Soldiers, the group dynamic has blossomed from the grassroots duo into a seven-person collective. Geographically located throughout Philadelphia, Toy Soldiers sonically can be traced from the blues-rock bayous of Alabama to the honky-tonk bars of Nashville, Tennessee. Joined by Vinchelle Woods, Kate Foust, and like 37 other people, Gallo and Co. conjure up refreshing soulful blues/rock just in time for summer. Lately, Toy Soldiers have been coming up in conversation more and more. They've played at my friend’s wedding, sold...
Read More View CommentsDescribed as psychadeltronic, Gemini Wolf is the moniker of Philadelphia duo Michael McDermott and Megan Cauley, or Pandar and Mikronesia (if you’re nasty). The two have been working together for years but have hit their stride with their second album Synchronized Eyes. The 10 track effort refuses to sit still as it bounces from afro-pop horns, grooving bass lines, painfully catchy vocal hooks, and layers upon layers of electronic blips and blaps. The end result is one of the best albums of 2009. I’ve heard endless Animal Collective comparisons to these two and they are never truer than...
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