We’re giving away a free pair of tickets to The Bamboozle Roadshow.

Date: Sun, June 20th
Venue: Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing
Lineup: All Time Low, Boys Like Girls, LMFAO, Third Eye Blind, Forever The Sickest Kids, Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, Cady Groves, Drive A, Great Big Planes, Mercy Mercedes, Stereo Skyline, The Ready Set, Vita Chambers

>> HOW TO WIN: Send us a photo of yourself (or someone you know) holding up a sign that says PHILLY ROCK BLOG. Simple.

Make it sexy, funny, whatever. Feel free to wear costumes, bikinis, birthday suit. Hell, you can even paint the words on yourself. For the guys, no birthday suits please.

Hit us up via twitter or email with your submissions. Just make sure we have a clear way to contact you if you are the winner. A winner will be selected sometime Thursday.

In addition, the Philly show is offering a promo for $10 tickets. To get them just go HERE and enter the password: cokesecret

Many of the factors that make a summer concert so awesome – the warm weather, bright sun and dancing – can take a lot out of someone. Enter “Swelter Stopper” – one of Coke’s secret ingredients that, when combined with the others, make Coke the uplifting refreshment that it is.

To help concert goers make it from the opening to closing acts, Coke will have the “Swelter Stopper” experience stocked with ice-cold Coca-Cola. Get refreshed with blasts of frosty air, snow falling, and a delicious Coke from the perfect serve sampling bar, along with uplifting interactive games, a DJ and a photo station. Once their “Swelter Stopper” experience ends, they’ll be ready for crowd surfing at the main stage.

For more details about Coca-Cola’s Secret Ingredient Formula, please go here.

This prize was provided by The Coca-Cola Company. The Coca-Cola Company is not a sponsor, administrator or connected in any other way with this giveaway.

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 out a record release show at the Fire, and are now debuting their first record on Drexel University’s MAD Dragon Label, with another release show scheduled in May. Ironically after listening to “Whisper Down the Lane” you’ll probably find it difficult keeping these hometown up and comers to yourself.

It’s true. Toy Soldiers sound like the Black Keys (“Throw Me Down”), CCR (“Hard Times”), and Dylan (“Love Ya Like I Love Ya”). But throw in some Ray Charles (“Loaded On Sunday”) and a little ALO (“Which Way Waltz”) and Toy Soldiers have created a monster…a monster sufficient on banjo, owns a raucous dive bar in Louisiana, and was raised on moonshine and B.B. King.

While Gallo receives the most face time (deservedly so, with writing credits, lead vocals and guitar) special accolades have to be reserved for Kate Foust’s vocals on “Be Right Here.” Her elegant wailing shimmers like the sunshine on a placid lake, leading the toe tapping track from start to finish. The same can be said for Daniel King’s soulful crooning on the remorseful blues number “Loaded On Sunday.”

“Whisper Down the Lane” is full of saloon sing-a-longs and boot stompin’ bluesy goodness. The lyrics could be less cliché at times, but the incredible level of energy felt from them is undeniable. And they probably put on one hell of a show too.

myspace.com/ohnotoysoldiers

M.C.W. Murphy may have crawled out of the belly of New Jersey and roamed the streets and pubs of England, but one can only hope that he will grace Philadelphia with his music for an extended period of time. His folk inspired “EP” only contains six tracks, that represent the skin and bones of good music; this EP is devoid of fluff and filler and leaves its listeners with more than most full length albums.

The album gets right to the point with the first track “BQE,” that has an unsoiled sound, magnified by Murphy’s clear vocals against the backdrop of his acoustic guitar. “EP” tells a story and the plot is propelled forward with “Montclair,” a piece he picks out on the guitar with a controlled vengeance. It would be hard to distinguish a favorite track, but “No Different” would most likely come out on top because it showcases Murphy’s wide vocal range and skill on the guitar. The two-part “WCM” ends the album perfectly, Campbell Davis accompanies Murphy on the second installment, which pairs their contrasting high and low pitches over the raw sounds of the guitar and provides for a profound conclusion to a moving EP.

M.C.W. Murphy’s sound is a mix of folk and indie. “EP” is basic, but has an unprocessed, nostalgic quality that packs such a punch. The man only needs a guitar to paint a picture; his voice to tell the stories of places he been. It’s not often we see singer/songwriters reminiscent of Phil Ochs or Paul Simon arrive on the Philadelphia music scene and I hope Murphy is here to stay.

myspace.com/mcwmurphymusic

Equal parts Tolkien and Zappa, Da Comrade! have an uncanny ability to be really interesting in addition to being really fucking weird. Their newest EP contains a barrage of unexpected sound. The music is well written, parts overlapping parts, without a strong presence of overdubbing. I walked away from the recording with the impression that these individuals know how to use their voices and have good instincts on how to arrange them. Sadly, the lyrics were difficult to decipher. Unless you make an effort to listen for the words you most likely will not pick up on what they are actually saying. With that in mind, the music and general tones of the songs give the listener a good idea of what is going on.

The songs themselves evoke a plethora of images in the listener’s imagination. If you’ve never had some bad acid, this record will give you a pretty good idea what a bad trip is like. It’s all quite theatrical. The vocalists emote an expressive singing style that might not seem out of place in a musical. A weird musical.

The lack of overbearing vocals lend to the creative element of the Da Comrade!. It is very apparent that the band has it’s priorities straight. They make it abundantly clear that they make music for music’s sake. You’re probably not going to be walking around singing along to the infectious melodies of Da Comrade!, but you will open yourself up to an experience modern music fans don’t get as often as they hear an infectious melody. Growing up, my father explained to me his disdain for music videos. He used to put on his records, put on his headphones, and drift away into his own visualization of what was going on in his music. In an era where all media, hell, everything, is mass produced, a think piece like “The War from your Living Room”, is aimed towards the individual.

facebook.com/dacomrade

Philly Rock Blog is giving away free passes to a screening of The Runaways. Every pass admits 2 people. If you’d like to attend, just post a comment about your favorite girl rocker of all time. We’ll pick a few winners to send to the screening. Be sure to use your real email address, so we can contact you.

Date: Thursday, March 18
Time: 7:30 PM
Place: RITZ FIVE (214 Walnut St. Philadelphia)

Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning star in this music-fueled story of the ground-breaking, all girl, teenage rock band of the 1970s. “The Runaways” follows two friends, Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) and Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning), as they rise from rebellious Southern California kids to rock stars of the now legendary group that paved the way for future generations of girl bands. They fall under the Svengali-like influence of rock impresario Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon), who turns the group into an outrageous success and a family of misfits. With its tough-chick image and raw talent, the band quickly earns a name for itself—and so do its two leads: Joan is the band’s pure rock n’ roll heart, while Cherie, with her Bowie-Bardot looks, is the sex kitten.

For more info, please visit – www.therunawaysmovie.com

Limit one entry per person. No cameras, camera phones, or other recording devices permitted in screening. Seating is on a first come, first serve basis. Theater capacity is limited and passes won do not guarantee seating, so show up early! Theater is not responsible for overbooking. Ticket holder and guest must enter theater together.

Filmstar’s official website misrepresents the contrived persona of the band as equivalent to that of their musical talent. On paper the band looks hip and charming, oozing charisma from their strategically posed photographs and slick self descriptions, boasting of their “cheerfully aggressive gang vocals.” The truth however is not as pretty or perfectly placed as their website would lead you to believe. The photographs prove that the lead female vocalist, Elise Wei, is a knockout and the band members come off as relatively hip; but bluntly put, Filmstar’s actual sound is more like the background music one hears when riding an elevator than a leading act.

I tried to give this band a chance, but their music is a montage of bland repetition. The first track starts of quirky and has a lot of promise, but Wei drops the ball with her lackluster energy, and the sound quality as a whole isn’t up to par. The music isn’t awful; it’s just bland. The musicians aren’t dreadful; they just don’t go the distance. The band touts their sound as “unforgettable,” but I had a hard time distinguishing any real differences in the tracks and I didn’t feel like the band really meant it. The band metaphorically compares themselves to a “love-child of Blondie and a B-17 Bomber;” their self reviews are so far off the mark, and as much as I desire a band like the one they describe to conquer the scene, Filmstar is not that band.

Honestly, this is not the worst band I have ever listened to; in fact they are not all bad. They look fabulous; advertise themselves well, but their music falls short. It is their lukewarm factor that makes it hard to listen to their music; which is disappointing because they seem like if they pushed themselves a little bit harder they could be really dynamic. I get that they are going for 80’s inspired indie rock, and I enjoy the concept, I just wish that they could pull it off. Their bio says that their “live performance is full of energy and not to be missed” and I hope that this is the case, because I listened to the album a good number of times trying to delve into the music and I couldn’t find this “energy.” Perhaps a live show will change my mind and prompt another review, but at this point I am not convinced. Filmstar might fare better if they tried their hand on the silver screen instead of on Philadelphia’s music scene.

filmstartheband.com

It is hard to pinpoint the exact inspiration behind Quintero’s dynamic sound on their album ‘Model C’ but whatever the technical label, this band has created a sound that is unique and out of the proverbial box; exactly what the doctor prescribed for Philadelphia’s often predictable music scene. The initial track “Walk In The Woods” showcases Quintero’s multifaceted sound with Bevin Caulfield’s elongated vocals that soar above the melody, and creative effects with a haunting quality you are not likely to forget. The band’s collaborators hail from backgrounds in the United States, England, Canada and Columbia and it is the variation of heritage that helps give this band’s sound a rich, culturally diverse feel.

Quintero describes themselves as a “trip-hop downtempo quartet” but it is not quite that simple to make a classification in this case. While they may have mastered the downtempo/electronic genre, I believe that there is much more to their music. In the track “Come Closer,” the band pairs their mellow vibe with a female rap solo, blending the yin and the yang, the delicate and strong. There is such a variety on this album it is not only difficult to classify this band in a specific genre, I am not sure that I even want to. After a thorough listen, one can find traces of dub, hip hop, folk and the track “20 Years” has definite roots in jazz, reminiscent of Etta James herself. I am not sure it is doing the band’s sound justice to try and stuff them in a genre, their music speaks for itself.

There is something refreshing about the freshness of the band; something so different it leaves you wanting more. I wasn’t expecting exactly what Quintero had to offer when I initially listened to the album, but the band packs a powerful punch of subtly in their underrated interpretation of music. I was pleasantly surprised with their fusion of sounds, innovation and juxtaposition of different genres, that makes me want to follow Quintero on their pioneering expedition into uncharted musical territories.

quinteromusic.com

Twenty 30 delivers with their Departure EP on the very first track “Pay No Attention”. It’s everything you expect from a rock band; booming vocals and a guitar driven instrumental solo which provides for a great intro. The band, comprised of five members, seems to have found a delicate balance in tempo and angry energy along with memorable songwriting, which sets them apart from other young rock bands on the scene. Their EP is a hit, especially the closing track “Departure” which is one their best. It is an honest display of DIY restless rock n roll alternating between even vocals to the scratchy screaming while the guitar propels the song.

The track “Given Everything” is an appropriate moniker for exactly what the band managed to do with the song, which has already been added to my favorite playlist on my iPod. This isn’t a band that simply serves as a space filler for a venue, managing to sound good after the audience has had a few drinks; this is a band that you go out specifically to hear perform songs like this.

Twenty 30’s sound has definite punk rock influences with the occasional touch of pop but the classic rock feel on this recording is hard to miss. As with any “up and coming” band there’s room to tighten up a few riffs here and there, but their rough feel and raw accessibility works for them. Twenty 30 has a range that gives them plenty of room to work with and they definitely hit their stride with Departure.

twentythirtyrock.com

Growing up, I was the biggest fan of 90’s alternative rock. Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, and The Pixies were some of my favorite bands. These three bands all have a common bond; recordings by Steve Albini. Steve Albini has a reputation of being a rogue in the dirty business of slinging sound. He records raw records, at reasonable rates, and takes little credit for what he does. Surgeon’s album “Angry Guest” was fortunate enough to be given the Albini treatment.

I was very excited to have the opportunity to review an album produced by Albini. Now I’m just excited to listen to Surgeon. Lets get it out of the way, the album sounds great. It is a bare bones recording that is supported by what the performers are doing, not by the guy who is moving the sliders. The vocals are strong, drums hold back, and the guitars push the song. The band sounds really tight, especially the relationship between the two guitars. They remind me of two snakes dancing to the tune of a charmer; their parts are tight as well as hypnotic. I’m very excited about how much these guys sound like they love doing this. The product screams blood, sweat, and tears.

Back in the day when I was still playing in a band, I played a show with Surgeon. They were really cool people, but I didn’t take notice of the dynamics of what they were doing. This band has soul; every song is rhythmically interesting and danceable. The bounce to the tracks is very unique, and they do a great job of blending genres to create a sound you’re familiar with but have never heard before. In my opinion, the band is searching territory that they themselves do not yet fully understand. I correlate “Angry Guest” to Tool’s first EP “Opiate”. I don’t mean to say the bands are trying to achieve a similar sound, I mean that surgeon has a lot of growing to do and that they seem to have a desire to create a grandiose recording of epic proportions. Hopefully they will continue down the path they are currently traveling.

I recommend “Pull”, “Papa Reigns”, and “Walking Fire”

myspace.com/surgeonband

I’ve heard endless Animal Collective comparisons to these two and they are never truer than on the opening track “Sudseyfuss.” Twinkling synthesizers and a steady thumping kick drum lead into the bizarrely fantastic chorus “All I know, you know, I know, you know.” The track’s individual components writhe and wiggle distinctively almost to the point that the listener forgets they are listening to only one song.

The electronic foundations are more evident on “Disappear” and “Vibe On.” An infectious Hot Chip like, buzzing, whirring, ticking, and clicking adds to Megan’s innocent vocals looping through.

Smack dab in the middle of the album sits “Sugar.” An old school 80’s funk vibe saunters along as tribal drums and horn arrangements pop in from time to time, if only just to say hello. This song is not only a perfect example of the varied styles and influences, but the wide range of their supporting cast. Members of SHOT x SHOT, Normal Love and the West Philadelphia Orchestra help decorate this already dynamic record.

There is a childlike playfulness to Gemini Wolf’s Synchronized Eyes and it embodies my hope for the future of the Philadelphia music scene.

myspace.com/geminiwolf