Taiwan Housing Project have released another lethal LP Sub-Language Trustees, which is now available via ever/never records. The band generates a jarring intensity, shaking up the status quo. Kilynn Lunsford’s vocals demand one’s attention, in a mesmerizing fashion as the experimental instrumentation swirls in a chaotic, post-apocalyptic fashion. Unlikely combinations create unsettling sonic surroundings in the aftermath. Thrown into a cacophony of chaos that rumbles and roars, the band leads you through the fiery force of the unknown. This Saturday night, Cousin Danny’s will be hosting the Taiwan Housing Project’s record release celebration, with support from The Doilies and Eat (who were just added to the bill due to Chronic Anxiety’s Mitch Esparza being injured during a strong-arm robbery – we are certainly wishing him well and hoping for a speedy recovery). Stay cool & hydrated out there! (Photo by Rich Wexler) – Michael Colavita

Other places where you can hit this weekend before global warming really ends it all…

Cousin Danny’s (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Taiwan Housing Project (Record Release), Eat

Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) FRI Call To ACCTion (Dance Party to Benefit ACCT Philly): John D, Elijvh Vrms, Baby Berlin, SAT Goodnight Lights, Spelling Reform, La Palma, SUN I Think Like Midnight

Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) SAT Cheerleader

Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Botis/DJ Deejay, SAT DJSC, SUN Seismic

PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12^th St.) SAT Blushed, Trash Boy, Dear Forbidden, SUN Curtis Cooper

Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) SAT Moros

TLA (334 South St.) SAT  Tailgunner, Looks That Kill

World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI (Upstairs) Beta Hi-Fi Emerging Artist Festival/(Downstairs) C.R.E.W Love Showcase, SAT (Upstairs) Dukes of Destiny, Deb Callahan, SUN Brewhouse Rock

The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Irv The Villain (EP Release), Spazz Black, The Hailstones, SAT The Fall of Chernobyl, Duress, Infinity/The Philly DJ: A Tribute to Scratching & the Art of Turntablism

MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) FRI American Trappist, SAT The Good Mess (Album Release), Peace and the City Grease

Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3rd St) FRI Legion 76, Duffy’s Cut, SAT Yikes the Zero, Grand Mantis, Zilla Rocca, Teef, Flote, ialive, Grand Mantis

The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave.) Bad Habits Fest FRI  Alright Junior, Cassettes, American Dinosaur, Jesse Gimbel/Naps Past Noon, Summer Scouts, Kennel Club, Sitting in Cars, SAT Jamie and the Guarded Heart, Local Smokes, The Tisburys/Andorra, Knightlife

Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI Bo Bliz, SAT DJ Deejay

Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) FRI Live Band Karaoke, SUN Rusty Cadillac 

Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2^nd St.) SAT Doug Wartman (Record Release), Starterjacket, CaveWomen, SUN Don Casilono

Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9^th St.) FRI Gibby Haynes with Paul Green Rock Academy, Gibbous Moon, Los Bambinos, SAT Gibby Haynes with Paul Green Rock Academy, YDI, 7th Victim

Voltage Lounge (421 N. 7th St.) FRI Korine

Morgan’s Pier (221 N. Columbus Blvd.) SAT DJ Pfeffer, SUN Frank Daly

Frankie Bradley’s (1320 Chancellor St.) FRI DJ Ben Aire, SAT Crabaret: an All-Cancer Sign Show/DJ Ed Cristof

Century (1350 S. 29^th St.) FRI Atomic Cretins, Josh Alvarez, SAT Destroying Angel (Release Show), Kiss of the Whip

The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI Civil Holdup, Nyla Fairway, Synergetix, SAT EDO

Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) FRI Steal Your Peach, SAT Marah, Pawnshop Roses

The Pharmacy (1300 S. 18^th St.) FRI Primitive Heart, Panophonic, Under The Wire, SAT Countdown from Ten, Black Dirty, Palmlines, SUN Suburban Living, So Totally, Blood Sound

Creep Records (1050 N. Hancock St.) FRI  Endless Taile, Line Leader

Warehouse on Watts (923 N. Watts St.) FRI Pink Party: Astro 8000/Elvin T, Shang, DJ Matpat

Planet Phitness (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Dignity Act Benefit: Pinkwash, Greg Electric, Big Heet

Anthorna Gallery (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Lenny Ranallo, Noera, Scyphozoan

The Tide Pool (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI goodnight/goodluck, Chill Dad

Sub - Language Trustees, the new full-length Taiwan Housing Project album, recently arrived via NYC's ever/never records. The band stirs one’s expectations, commanding as fierce vocals spotlight the distorted, jarring, sonic debris. Explosive, experimental instrumentation rips through the terrain as a perpetual buzz lingers in the atmosphere. Scattered noise remains within earshot, yet an intense rhythmic focus pushes the soundscapes forward with a distinct purpose. (Photo by Rich Wexler)

A grimy, alluring swirl of punk-jazz-noise thrown into a musical cauldron, Taiwan Housing Project melds a diverse range of sounds into a most excellent sonic stew, which will be served up at the batting cages of Everybody Hits this evening. It’s hard to pin down or compartmentalize the band’s collective sound, and in part, that’s what makes things so intriguing. At first, there’s a sweaty, primal force; the assemblage of instrumentation and ideas don’t automatically align. However, as it saturates into one’s system, an alternative circuitry develops. Once those newfound connections are made, torrential affect takes hold. As we await the release of their forthcoming debut LP Covert Contracts, post-punk trio Control Top delivers a calculated fury that’ll actually make you dance. The exuberant, eclectic, experimentation of Oakland-based trio Preening ties this lineup, presented by WKDU, together. – Michael Colavita

Other places to venture to as spring takes hold this weekend…

Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) SAT Soft Crime, SUN Three Man Cannon (Record Release), Yowler, Bobby Barnett

Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) SUN The Up Up Ups

Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Space Caravan, The Stone Eye/DJ Deejay, SAT Cemetery Flowers/Canyon Ride/Fame Lust, SUN Clamfight, Human Shield

Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) SUN The Dull Blue Lights, Mad Conductor

Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden St.) FRI Lotus, Square Peg Round Hole, SAT Lotus, Minka

The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) FRI L7 Aftershow: Anthrophobia, SUN Long Hots

Electric Factory (421 N. 7^th St.) FRI Bok Nero

World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI Osler Circle Presents: Getting Better All The Time, a Benefit for The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Misfit Holiday, Sharkbullet, Andhera, SAT The Evergreen Drive, Palatine, The Plibmen, Jac with No K

MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnust St.) SUN iNFiNiEN, Edenspore, NaeemBOT

Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3^rd St.) FRI Sparrow Steeple, SAT Riot Nerd Presents: My So-Called Night, SUN Levee Drivers, Jo Kusy

The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave.) FRI No Remorse For The Fallen, She Pulled The Trigger/Molly Rhythm, Behind Deadlines, Familiar Things

Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI DJ Sylo, Astro 8000, SAT DJ Deejay

Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SUN Rusty Cadillac

Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9^th St.) SAT The Side Chicks

Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2^ndSt.) FRI 10th Annual Johnny Cash Night, SAT Voss Birthday Roast: Reef The Lost Cauze, Blackwolf, Mason, SUN Twin Beds, Full Bush, Trash Boy

Voltage Lounge (421 N. 7^th St.) FRI Badland Breez, Kir

Frankie Bradley’s (1320 Chancellor St.) FRI Royale, SAT Ian St. Laurent

The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI E. Joseph and the Sparrows, The Fearless Fly, SAT Nakama, Call Me Clever, New Alone, Plastic Shrines

Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) SUN Nik Greeley, Swwik, Heaven Man

Everybody Hits (529 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Taiwan Housing Project, Control Top, SAT Brother JT, Evil Sword, SUN Data, Ada Babar

The Pharmacy (1300 S. 18^th St.) FRI Hoochi Coochi, Vital Stats, Chvnce, Tetra, SAT Atomic Cretins, L.M.I., Pithair/Ice Cold Collective, Kenny Commodified, Charlie Sierra  

Tralfamadore (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Port Arthur, Georgey V, Lia Menaker

The Sound Hole (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT The Vernes

JJ’s Diner (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Cherry, Big Big Bug, SAT Hannah Frances, Pastel Williams, Beach Bod, SUN Nowadays, Sleepy Freak

The Mothership (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Great Weights (EP Release), Tact Ronnie Vega, Cage Flight

The Music Ward (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Kate Dressed Up, Secret Nudist Friends

Nacho House (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI The Afterglows, Corey Flood

Lacquer (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Void Vision, Stroker

This Sunday, The Sound Hole stretches the standard sonic boundaries. Taiwan Housing Project tears into noise-laced, sorcery-stemming punk angst, peppered in free-jazz notes. That chaotic hybrid churns along the rails, casting a post-apocalyptic storm, while teetering on the edge of destruction that naturally rights itself. Jason Killinger (Spacin’, Birds of Maya) locks into down and dirty riff-tastic rock, turning down strange alleys of ambiance that orchestrate an odd, endless, space boogie. Kevin Nickles (Taiwan Housing Project, Ecstatic Vision) and Daniel Provenzano (Spacin', Purling Hiss), a.k.a. The Writhing Squares, tie together this lineup. There’s a heavy, burrowing, instrumental drive that moves with an insatiable exploratory appetite into deep space, incorporating an array of instrumentation that’s progressive with a primal core. Louisville, Kentucky’s Tropical Trash fits nicely into this assembly of eclectic, experimenting music makers. – Michael Colavita 

Other places to freak out this weekend…

The Sound Hole (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SUN Taiwan Housing Project, Writhing Squares, Jason Killinger

Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) SAT The Philadelphia Tom Petty Appreciation Band, SAT Rich Medina presents: JUMP N FUNK: America’s Original Fela Kuti Tribute Party

Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Midnight Flyer, SAT The York Street Hustle, SUN Greg Mendez (Record Release), Shannen Moser, Queen Jesus

Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Say Gwen/DJ Deejay/Sideswipe, Malevil

PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12^th St.) FRI Grandchildren (Music Video Release Show), Grubby Little Hands, The Retinas, SAT Haunted Homes

Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) FRI LTC, SAT Love Killed Kurt, Flannel, White Limo, Purple to the Core, Manhole

Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden St,) FRI Inlets

The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) FRI Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention After Party: Outer Heaven, Coffin Dust, Crowhurst, SAT Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention After Party: Basilysk, SUN (5pm) Mattress Food, The Cozy, Movies Like Juno, Secret Base Life, The Death of Saul, Inner Urge, New Alone

The Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal St.) SAT So Far Gone: Dirty South Joe Magglezzz

The Foundry (1000 Frankford Ave.) FRI Max Swan, STS x Khari Mateen

World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) SAT (Upstairs) Matt Roach (CD Release), Emily Loscalzo/(Downstairs) PhillyBloco, SUN Peek-A-Boo Revue presents Sweet Dreams

The Fire (412 W. Grirard Ave.) Fri Tortuga. Cthulhu Martini, SAT The Sixth Year, Saint Wilde, Jac with No K, SUN Xilomen

MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) SAT Muscle Tough, Tucker Hill Band

Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3^rd St.) FRI Drew Sestito, SAT The 1910 Chainsaw Company, Trash Beach / Rob Grote (DJ Set)

Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2^nd St.) FRI Tiny Hueman, SAT Elison Jackson, SUN Drew Nugent & the Midnight Society, Envoûté: Magic Burlesque

The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave.) FRI Trash Boy, Kelsey Cork & the Swigs, Bern and the Bastards/Fantasy Panther, UltraMantis Black, In The Presence Of Wolves, Yuckmouf

Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI DJ Sylo, Astro 8000, SAT DJ Deejay, SUN Francisco Collazo

Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SUN Rusty Cadillac

Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9^th St.) FRI Sublaymen, Alex Stanilla, FLNG, SAT Moonwalker, Pat Finnerty

Voltage Lounge (421 N. 7^th St.) FRI The Guests (Record Release), DJ Nightwitch, Shari Vari (DJ Set), SAT DJ Baby Berlin, DJ Jem

Frankie Bradley’s (1320 Chancellor St.) FRI DJ Chris Urban, SAT Ian St. Laurent, SUN Murder's a Drag! A True Crime Drag Show

The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI Chestnut Grove, Local Smokes, SAT Nothing Vital, Plastic Shrines, Chad Jenkins Band, Jackson Craig

Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) SAT Killiam Shakespeare, DJ Aktive, SUN Winter Doldrums (Concert for Suicide Prevention: Mason Porter, Kuf Knotz, Matt Duke, Andrea Nardello Band, Christine Havrilla, John Faye, Black Horse Motel, Black Horse Motel, Lovers League, Michele Lynn's Vilomahed Project, Vilebred, Hannah Taylor and the Rekardo Lee Trio, Brian Flanagan, Sonja Sofya, Sweetbriar Rose

Everybody Hits (529 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Orion Sun, Precolumbian, SAT Planned Parenthood Benefit: Whine Moms, Lazy Eye, Hoffman & The Sickos

The Pharmacy (1300 S. 18^th St.) FRI The Ok-Ok's, Stoops, Soft Idiot / Ellen Siberian Tiger, Kenny 3, SAT Shawn Kilroy & The Pretty Horses, Gringo Motel, Judex

Planet Phitness (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Anti Valentine’s Day Cover Show

Darren (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Supine, Binary, Unn

JJ’s Diner  (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SUN Grayling, Overwinter

We are here once again at The Deli Philly’s final post of the year. It’s been an honor getting a chance to share new music with all of you this past year (and nearly a decade), and I look forward to continuing to discover the best of Philly’s underground music community with you. And without any further ado, here is my “Best of” year-end list for my favorite Philly albums of 2017. I look forward to seeing you on the other side.

Much love – cheers!

Q.D. Tran

1. Raw Rock Fury (Relapse) – Ecstatic Vision

Ecstatic Vision weren’t joking when they decided to name their latest album, Raw Rock Fury. There are few, if not any Philly releases that can match the pure intensity and glorious shredding found on my favorite local release of 2017. And it also provides you a glimpse into the awesomeness of their live performances.

2. Rocket (Domino) – (Sandy) Alex G

With Rocket, Alex Giannascoli proves that all the adoration from the media for the young songwriter is certainly not unfounded. Using the guise of an Americana framework, he is able to craft wonderfully intimate campfire songs that make left turns at all the right places.

3. Veblen Death Mask (Kill Rock Stars) – Taiwan Housing Project

Veblen Death Mask is music without boundaries – so chaotically beautiful!

4. Need to Feel Your Love (Wilsuns RC) – Sheer Mag

All riffs and vocals – garage-punks Sheer Mag make their retro-fit sound oh so good. Rock ‘n’ roll is not dead.

5. Out in the Storm (Merge) – Waxahatchee

Waxahatchee’s earnest songwriting speaks right to the heart, and it’s hard to ignore.

6. My Idols Are Dead + My Enemies Are In Power (Self-released) – Lushlife

7. Messy (Self-released) – Curtis Cooper

8. Play “The Songs You Like” (Salinas) – Radiator Hospital

9. Oh, My Heart (Lame-O) – Shannen Moser

10. Soft Sound From Another Planet (Dead Oceans) – Japanese Breakfast

11. Movie Was Bad (Self-released) – Sixteen Jackies

12. Spirits (Creep) – Julia Rainer

13. Slacker Paint (Self-released) – The Mary Veils

14. Everything Is Always in the Past (@Self-released) – Blood Sound

15. A Deeper Understanding (Atlantic) – The War on Drugs

16. We Were Babies & We Were Dirtbags (Polyvinyl) – Quiet Slang

17. Tourist in This Town (Merge) – Allison Crutchfield

18. Why Love Now (Sub Pop) – Pissed Jeans

19. Shadow Expert (Carpark) – Palm

20. Let’s Be Nice – b-sides, covers & demos (Self-released) – Pill Friends

21. Birdie (Lame-O) – Slaughter Beach, Dog

22. Wilt (Self-released) – Line Leader

23. You’re So Smart (Self-released) – Joy Riding

24. Pleasure Suck (Tiny Engines) – The Spirit and The Beehive

25. Nothing Special (Honest Face) – Harmony Woods

26. Amuse-oreille, Vol. 1 (Self-released) – American Trappist

27. Grow (Self-released) – Them Jones

28. The Vernes (Self-released) – The Vernes

29. Cool and Fun – Madalean Gauze

30. White Reindeer – Lithuania

31. Tunnels (Self-released) – Vita and the Woolf

32. S/T (Self-released) – Teen Spaceship

33. Good Wind Pt. 1 (Human Kindness Overflowing) – Power Animal

34. Popular Manipulations (Fat Possum) – The Districts

35. Crime Waves – Moor Mother x Mental Jewelry

36. Jumpship (Lame-O) – No Thank You

37. Palisades (Egghunt) – Eric Slick

38. Dark Web (Suicide Bong Tapes) – Dark Web

39. Sadness is a Gesture (Inherent Sounds) – Aphra

40. Motel City Honey (Self-released) – Levee Drivers