Soft Dystopia, the freshly hatched label from producer/ musician Jeff Zeigler (check out our recent interview with him HERE), celebrates its inaugural albums with a dual record release show at Johnny Brenda’s. With their eponymous LP officially being released this Friday, the expanded lineup of Valley Exit creates soundscapes that crisply layers instrumentation, activating a murky atmosphere that captivates in complexity, while maintaining the circulating warmth of vapor. Meanwhile, Myrrias' sophomore album, Spectra, shifts one’s headspace, washing waves of inviting vocal harmony with drifting desolate psych/dream-pop that cerebrally tunnels. The relaxed interlocking rhythms of quartet Long Spells exhibit a casual, jangly air with a raw ripping drive. Suburban Living is set to DJ on this richly interwoven/overlapping evening. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9pm, $10, 21+ - Michael Colavita

Uniform Recording’s Jeff Zeigler has built an impressive reputation as one of the premier, go-to producers in Philly. His talents have assisted in sculpting critically acclaimed albums for lauded local artists such as The War on Drugs, Kurt Vile, and Nothing just to name a few. Zeigler has also earned praise for his musicianship and collaborative work with indie harpist Mary Lattimore, and this Friday, he plans to release the self-titled debut LP for his latest project, Valley Exit, a solo effort that has expanded to a full band with the additions of Josh Meakim (A Sunny Day in Glasgow, The Fantastic Imagination) on guitar, April Harkanson (Myrrias, Downtown Club), and Steven Urgo (The War on Drugs, Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band). And what has been about a decade-long idea, knocking around in his head, has recently come to fruition. Jeff has started his very own independent record label Soft Dystopia, a name inspired by the works of writer/designer Richard Littler. The label released its first album, Spectra, from dream-pop outfit Myrrias last week, and Zeigler and his band will be holding a joint record release celebration with them tomorrow night at Johnny Brenda’s so you definitely want to hit that. We also have new single from Valley Exit to share with you, called “What Pulls Us Through,” off their forthcoming album, and check out our interview with the man himself, Jeff Zeigler, HERE! 

Catch the first free show ever at Johnny Brenda’s! Here’s a rundown of what you can expect to see upstairs. Producer extraordinaire Jeff Zeigler slips further into the space-age experimental pool of Valley Exit. With a somewhat fluid cast of characters that includes April Harkanson (Downtown Club, Myrrias), Steve Urgo (Myrrias), Josh Meakim (A Sunny Day In Glasgow, The Fantastic Imagination), the band swiftly shifts among a wide expanse of electronic exploration in an accessible yet discovery-oriented mode. This evening’s show will feature the dynamic pairing of Attia Taylor & Corey Duncan (Oh! Pears), who has recently returned after a stint as a resident on the West Coast), a.k.a. Strange Parts. Their fresh single,  “Asleep in the Flowers,” effortlessly combines Taylor’s enchanting vocals with a heavy dose of percussion and synth, developing a deep hypnotic groove that you’ll be in no rush to pull yourself out of, offering a glimpse into their multi- dimensional tones. Emily Robb (Lantern, Louie Louie, Myrrias) rounds out this free night of music with her collection of vinyl for your listening pleasure. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9:15pm, Free, 21+ (Strange Parts Photo by Adam Haney) - Michael Colavita

Jeff Zeigler has been successfully sculpting sound for years now - both as a musician (Arc in Round, Mary Lattimore & Jeff Zeigler) and producer (The War on Drugs, Kurt Vile, Nothing, etc.). Over the years, you may have caught him tinkering on his Korg solo as well; however, this past Saturday at Spacin's record release celebration at Everybody Hits, Zeigler performed as Valley Exit for the first time. Below is also his ominous, futuristic, alien invasion-sounding, debut track released under the moniker, entitled "No Dana, Only Zuul," which you can stream and download for free.