Photo: OVO Sound

My interest in Nav, the Toronto-based, OVO Sound-signed rapper, began in the summer of 2016 when my then 15-year-old cousin began playing music from his SoundCloud. Three short days later, we were in awe when we found out it was him featured on Travis Scott’s “Biebs in The Trap.”

Nav released his self-titled debut mixtape Feb. 24. At first listen, you will find yourself wanting to bob your head to nearly every track. Melodic yet washed out vocals blend nicely with 808s and bass drums making for a near perfect mix. This is typical of what you will hear throughout “Nav,” with the subject matter switching from a tale of the come-up, love, drug abuse and the feeling of being wanted by women due to your own celebrity.

The first track, “Myself,” offers a feeling of lighthearted rhythms, evidently perfect for getting dressed to (I found myself listening to this song while getting dressed the past three days). But for Nav, the purpose of this track is to let listeners and the industry know that he is not only used to being by his lonesome but he also made his lane on his own without help from others. He is ready to take over the game; the only thing that may hold him back being his drug abuse: “When I’m sober, I just don’t like who I am.”

However, the eponymous track, “Nav,” does not deliver the same feeling; it is much shorter but it still has importance as he details his come-up and how his life has changed due to his hard work. He raps about how all these new people around him can kick rocks and watch him flex: “Now I pay nothing for my sneakers ’cause I’m Nav.”

“My Mind” is the next track. You’ll find yourself dancing to this one, with its perfectly timed drums and Nav’s melodic voice floating over the track. He raps about drugs and his desire to only be intimate with women who are “dimes:” “I was looking for brain and she gave me a piece of her mind.”

“Good For It” is another track that will make you want to bob your head and get your legs moving as he speaks once more about what he has acquired and how all these women are only here temporarily. Within the chorus, he reminds that he is indeed Indian and he is getting a bag, or accumulating a good amount of riches. He dives into darker themes as he speaks about getting even through lighting people up and even engaging in intimate acts with their girlfriends if they push him too far.

“Lonely” is the standout track for me as he details his likeness of a specific female, and that he will always be there for her when she is lonely, but if she is going to be around, she must engage in drug use along with him.

The next track, “Up,” produced by Metro Boomin (unlike the other tracks, which were self-produced), details life with the bros, but also the realization that many of the people around him only want him for the fame and will be gone if it goes away, although he does not plan on his reign ending.

The interlude is up next, offering soft instrumentals as the tape then shifts to a softer feel. The only notable lyrics within this song detail a relationship with a woman where he is pretending to love her simply so he can have her whenever he pleases.

“Sleep” starts off nice and slow but quickly ramps up as he details how his haters are doubting his climb, although their girlfriends are very aware of NavV and have even taken to his “DMs” with their admiration of him. This alerts his haters that he is armed and ready.

The most emotional track, “Maria,” explores a relationship with a woman who is only out for Nav because of his fame. He speaks about her abandonment for the next rich man, as she lives at home but drives a Mercedes SLS and hustles rich men for her income.

“Some Way” is my least favorite track as it features a weak performance from The Weeknd who is still trying too hard to emulate Michael Jackson. This song details the fast life and living on the road, and downing pints of lean and bars of Xanax.

Lastly, “TTD” provides a strong conclusion, beginning with calypso drums and becoming more rap-like as the 808s and bass drums come in. He discusses his losses and how he is working to make it back, with a loyal woman on call who will do anything to make him satisfied (as he needs them to be “ten toes down”).

On his debut mixtape, Nav delivers a mix of dark rhythm and blues and trap lyrics to get his listeners grooving to his beats. I have listened to this countless times and after the first play-through, only a small amount of tracks stood out. By the third time around, I wanted to keep listening more and more as I have great like for nearly all the tracks (with the exception of “Some Way”). All in all, the mixtape proves to be a promising beginning for Nav. Despite somewhat forgettable tracks, the danceable songs and production hint that Nav has a bright future ahead.

Photo credit: ATO Records

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard released a new album. This hardly seems like news when the seven-piece, psychedelic rock band from Down Under puts out music more often than almost any other band in the scene. They’ve released nine studio albums within the past five years. They also have said that they plan on releasing a total of five studio albums in 2017 alone, those crazy rock ’n’ rollers!

King Gizzard’s most recent album, “Flying Microtonal Banana,” was released Feb. 24 via Flightless Records (ATO Records in the United States).

These guys are known for their experimentation and adoption of a theme for each release. For their delightful 2015 record, “Paper Mache Dream Balloon,” they used almost entirely acoustic instruments — including violin, congas, flute, clarinet, piano and a whole lot more. On their mediocre last album, “Nonagon Infinity,” they put on a gritty, heavy, lo-fi garage rock aesthetic and created a “never-ending loop” of an album where all the songs flow directly into one another.

King Gizzard took another bizarre turn for “Flying Microtonal Banana.” As the title suggests, the album experiments with microtonality. Without going too deeply into it, microtonality uses tones that exist between the notes of the 12-note, equal-temperament scale that is used in most Western music.

Their use of custom-built microtonal guitars give the music an exotic vibe. It sounds like it draws a lot of influence from Indian music. The sound is distinct, but not as bizarre as I feared.

I went into this album expecting it to sound awful. It doesn’t sound bad at all; in fact, I’d say that their experiment with microtonality was a success. The songs all sound very much like King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, even with the strong added flavors of microtonality. I was afraid that this record would be too much of a departure from their style akin to the George-Harrison-goes-to-India-and-gets-enlightened Beatles tracks that were released in the mid-sixties such as “Love You To” and “The Inner Light.”

No, “Flying Microtonal Banana” is plenty exotic-sounding but still manages to fall under the blanket of psychedelic rock. Production-wise, the album sounds very tight. It all sounds well mixed and I like the vocals on this one a lot more than I did the distorted, washed out vocals on “Nonagon Infinity.”

The album starts out with the nearly-eight-minute “Rattlesnake,” which I was absolutely sure I would dislike. The song is as groovy as it is repetitive — they literally use the word “rattle” in one form or another 100 times throughout the song. But I can’t get enough of that driving bass! It’s a long song, but it somehow never overstays its welcome.

“Melting,” the second track of the album, is a bit more subtle and brooding. It provides a nice break between “Rattlesnake” and the third track, “Open Water,” which is another repetitive, driving song. The rhythm guitar and bass play a repetitive pedal tone, allowing the lead to really color the track with those microtonal scales. It’s also got some real nice auxiliary percussion — are those congas I hear? I like it.

Each song on “Flying Microtonal Banana” flows nicely into the next, much like they did on “Nonagon Infinity,” although I appreciated it a lot more on this record. How many times can I bash “Nonagon Infinity” in one album review? Stay tuned.

“Nuclear Fusion” and “Sleep Drifter,” two of the album’s singles, are definitely strong tracks on the album, but I wouldn’t say they really stand out among the rest. Maybe it’s because I’ve only listened a few times so far, but a lot of these songs seem to blend together in my mind. However, if I had to choose, I’d probably name “Nuclear Fusion” as my favorite off the album because of how strangely funky it sounds.

“Flying Microtonal Banana” as a whole makes for an enjoyable listening experience, but I’m not sure how many times I would revisit any of the individual tracks. It’s hard to predict whether it’ll grow on me or fade over time. Nonetheless, even if the songs prove to be forgettable, I think this record as a whole is solid and it would make for great driving music.

It also shows that King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard are still capable of making quality albums, even with the large quantity of music that they release. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if they actually manage to achieve their goal and release four other albums within the year. If they do, I just hope they don’t rush the job and make another album as bad as “Nonagon Infinity.”

Photo: 550

I remember the day when “Whatever and Ever Amen” was released, 20 years ago this week, back in 1997. I was four months old, kicking and screaming for my mom to run out and buy me the new Ben Folds Five CD.

Okay, maybe I wasn’t exactly cognizant at the time of its release — nevertheless, “Whatever and Ever Amen” remains one of my all-time favorite albums. It’s flawless from front to back and it holds a very special place in my heart.

Ben Folds Five, as you may already know, does not have five members. Rather, they have always been a trio: Ben Folds himself on piano and vocals, Robert Sledge on the bass guitar and Darren Jessee on the drums. They went with “Five” in the name simply because they liked the way it sounded.

I think Ben Folds Five fans would unanimously agree that “Whatever and Ever Amen” is their magnum opus. Their 1995 self-titled debut was full of bright, energetic piano rock songs that Ben Folds himself referred to as “punk rock for sissies” (a reaction to all the angsty music during the ’90s), but they really came into their own with “Whatever.” The songwriting had matured, the arrangements were more textured and the overall production was much better.

They received a ton of airplay with one of the singles, “Brick,” a ballad reflecting upon Folds’ experience going with his high school girlfriend to get an abortion. I think that due to massive success of “Brick,” the rest of the album often gets overshadowed — I myself was a fan of “Brick” long before I knew who Ben Folds Five were. When I did finally listen to “Whatever,” it changed everything for me.

Now, 20 years since the album’s release, it still resonates. Ben Folds Five have such a unique sound and “Whatever and Ever Amen” is them at their best.

One of the best things about “Whatever” is its production. The album sounds intimate and personal; it harnesses a lot of raw energy, far from being overproduced. The peculiar nature in which the album was recorded is what gives it such a unique sonic character.

Folds rented out a small house in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (not far from where the three grew up) and set everything up in a bedroom. They played most tracks together live, with just a few microphones set up around the room. You wouldn’t expect recording in a house to have a huge impact but it completely shapes the sound of the record. People don’t realize that the space in which something is recorded is like an instrument in and of itself.

The album’s lo-fi tendencies don’t detract from the purity of the tracks but rather sprinkle them with character — the spoken interjections in between tracks, the false start on “Kate,” the telephone ringing in the middle of “Steven’s Last Night in Town” followed by Sledge’s laughing fit. It’s the little things on this record that evoke some of the strongest emotional responses; the crickets heard in the background of the somber and succinct ballad “Cigarette,” for example, make a perfect complement to the soft piano and Folds’ hushed vocals.

From the light and bouncy bangers such as “One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces,” “Song for the Dumped” and “Steven’s Last Night in Town” to the elegant, more reflective numbers such as “Selfless, Cold and Composed,” “Smoke” and “Missing the War,” Ben Folds Five create a highly personal yet universally relatable album. In terms of overall sound, lyrical references and attitude, the album is distinctly ’90s, but through the common themes and unique style, “Whatever and Ever Amen” will remain timeless.

The spectrum of lyrical content is wide. What Folds does best as a lyricist is that he uses his own specific life experiences to craft vivid and relatable stories. From songs about wide-eyed infatuation (“Kate”), to telling someone off (“One Angry Dwarf,” “Song for the Dumped,” “Steven’s Last Night in Town”), to reflecting personal plights (“Smoke,” “Evaporated,” “Brick”), the album isn’t so much a window into his life, as much as it is a doorway into the listener’s own past experiences.

“Whatever” came to me at a transitional period in my life — right at the end of junior year of high school. I was applying to colleges, my high school girlfriend and I had just broken up, I was listening to a lot of sad sack music (see: Radiohead).

My band instructor introduced me to Ben Folds Five and lent me “Whatever” on CD. I burned it into my computer and was immediately captivated. I spent the whole summer trying to figure out each song on piano by ear. Ben Folds afforded me a newfound love for the piano, an instrument I’d learned to play when I was six years old, but hadn’t been playing much anymore. His music became a huge inspiration for me as a musician as well as on a personal level.

I obviously can’t speak for the cultural impact of this album at the time, if there was any, but it’s clear even today that Ben Folds Five have a large and devoted cult following. I doubt they would have accumulated so many fans if it wasn’t for this masterpiece of a record.

Their 1999 follow-up “The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner” was an odd, perhaps overly-ambitious, jazz-influenced album that had some gems but overall fell flat. “Whatever and Ever Amen,” on the other hand, is timeless and will surely go down as one of the greatest alternative albums of the ’90s. It certainly ranks in my personal Top 5 of All Time.

When I think about albums that changed my life, “Whatever and Ever Amen” comes to mind, right after Green Day’s “American Idiot” and Radiohead’s “OK Computer.” I’m sure Ben Folds Five and “Whatever and Ever Amen” will continue to inspire new listeners as well as old fans for many more years to come.

Photo courtesy: Jagjaguwar, Shore Fire Media

Music critics everywhere are fawning over Bon Iver’s new album, “22, A Million,” and for good reason. By now, I’m sure you must’ve already heard about it — some are already calling it the best album of 2016. The album features a distinctly different style and overall sound from the band’s previous releases, and yet the progression feels natural at the same time.

Justin Vernon, the frontman and songwriter of Bon Iver, held a press conference in early September to announce and discuss the album — his reasoning was that he didn’t want to do interviews with dozens of different journalists just to say the same things over and over. It was an unusual start for the album’s promotion, and it only got weirder over time.

A couple days before the release of the album, several listening parties were held around the world. Hipsters gathered for what they thought would be an exclusive performance, and they were greeted with a small boombox and a cassette tape. It was a ridiculous scene, like something straight out of “Portlandia,” when fans crowded around to listen to “22, A Million” on cassette.

The album, classified by fans as “folktronica,” was released worldwide Sept. 30. “22, A Million” marked a return to the studio after five long years since their last studio album, “Bon Iver, Bon Iver.” The eccentric song titles (such as “____45_____” and “10 d E A T h b R E a s T”) seem to reflect the nature of the songs themselves. The production on the album features distorted, pitch-altered vocals and spliced up samples, arranged together like a large collage of sound. Many have compared the Vernon’s production to Kanye West’s 2013 album “Yeezus,” which makes a lot of sense since the two are known friends and collaborators.

Lyrically, “22, A Million” deals with Vernon’s self doubt and struggles coping with fame. Worry not, “For Emma” fans — despite the electronics-heavy production and robotic effects, the emotion in Vernon’s voice is as clear as ever. His vocals come through as surprisingly human even with all the bleeps and bloops.

On tracks like “22 (OVER S∞∞N)” and “715 – CR∑∑KS,” Vernon uses heavy production on his vocals, from pitch correction to splicing and dicing audio clips. Near the end of the album, however, his natural voice returns for tracks “____45_____” and “00000 Million.” It’s really a beautiful transition.

The only complaint I have about the album is that it isn’t longer. Clocking in at just over 34 minutes, it leaves me wanting so much more. It’s hard for me to pick out a standout track, because the whole album works so well as one cohesive work of art. Its cohesiveness, innovation, impressive production and drastic change in style remind me a lot of Radiohead’s groundbreaking landmark 2000 album “Kid A.”

Now, it may be a little early to be making sweeping statements such as “album of the year” or “‘Kid A’ of our generation,” but I do think the acclaim is well-deserved. We’ll just have to wait and see what people think after all the hype has died down. As for me, I can say with almost certainty that “22, A Million” will have a place on my “Top Five Albums of 2016” list, unless Radiohead decides to release four more albums in the next couple of months.

Photo courtesy: Cameron Wittig & Crystal Quinn, Shore Fire Media

Alex Cameron almost stole the show from Angel Olsen Sept. 14. (Photo: Matt Coakley, The Triangle)

It’d been a little while since I’d last been to Union Transfer (about 10 months!), which is a shame because I really like that venue. I’d even go far as to say it’s one of the best clubs in Philly. It was nice that I finally got to return the night of Sept. 14 to see none other than indie rock artists Alex Cameron and Angel Olsen.

Alex Cameron is a new act; he just released his debut album “Jumping the Shark” Aug. 19 through Secretly Canadian. The album, featuring bizarre synth beats and smooth baritone vocals has been received fairly well by critics.

Angel Olsen just released her new album “My Woman” Sept. 2. It’s a real good one; I wouldn’t be surprised to see it appear on several “Best of 2016” lists at the end of the year. Olsen’s subdued yet masterful guitar work and beautiful vocals have made her a beloved member of the indie folk community, as evidenced by the sheer number of young fans who were packed wall-to-wall in Union Transfer that night.

Alex Cameron was the first to play that evening, starting at 8:30 p.m. sharp. He and his “business partner” Roy Molloy (saxophone) were the only two onstage for the entirety of his set. Cameron let backing tracks take care of all the synthetic instrumentation so he could focus on singing and showing off his eccentric dance moves.

He opened with “Mongrel,” explaining to the audience afterwards the meaning of the song: he envisions a couple who moves to a rural compound with turrets to defend themselves and “spider pits,” which he describes as holes in the ground that you can lay in to hide yourself, and at the end of the song marauders come and kill the woman. The way he told the story was very long-winded and full of detail, catching the audience by surprise.

Cameron is a strange man but definitely entertaining. His long hair was slicked back and he wore a shiny, light blue, velvet suit jacket and pants, which were at least a couple sizes too small. Saxophone player Roy Molloy was donned in a normal black suit. Cameron’s deep voice, slightly reminiscent of Matt Berninger’s (of The National), contrasted nicely with the smooth alto sax riffs delivered by Molloy.

The two men reminded me a lot of Kevin Smith’s infamous stoner duo Jay and Silent Bob, due to their looks (Molloy looked like a cross between Smith and comedian David Brent) and the fact that Molloy sat on a stool and hardly spoke a word the whole time while Cameron engaged the crowd in between every song.

Cameron’s set was short but sweet, playing great numbers such as “The Comeback,” “Happy Ending” and my personal favorite, “Real Bad Looking.” I listened to the album a couple times through before the show, but it never really clicked with me until I heard them live. His songs become more fully realized in a live setting, because the deep, booming synths can be heard more prominently. Also, the addition of a sax solo in the middle of each song made them more enjoyable than the album versions, in my opinion.

Angel Olsen’s set couldn’t be more different than Cameron’s. She had a full band of five backing musicians supporting her, making her folk sound more rich. I didn’t know a lot of her songs going into the show, but I was impressed listening to how beautiful they all were. Olsen’s voice reminds me at times of Stevie Nicks, and also of indie pop star Mitski.

She played through most of the songs off “My Woman,” as well as plenty of songs from her previous albums. She rolled through song after song, stopping only briefly to address the audience every once in awhile. Some of the best songs live were “Not Gonna Kill You,” “Intern,” “Heart Shaped Face” and “Give It Up.”

“Sister,” my favorite song on the record by far, ended up falling a bit short live. The song, over seven minutes in length, builds up to an epic climax with guitar solos and crashing cymbals, but the energy just wasn’t there for this particular performance. The build-up was pretty weak and the guitar solos were barely audible.

My only other gripe with Olsen’s set was that it ran a little long, with not much diversity in sound. Most of her songs sound pretty similar, being soft and reflective, sometimes building to a more energetic climax and other times not. That being said, the songs were all enjoyable to listen to, and the performance from the band was impressively tight.

Photo: Matt Coakley, The Triangle

Photo: Shane O’Connor, The Triangle

I got a chance to see one of my favorite new artists, Julien Baker, at Underground Arts Sept. 13. She emerged in 2015 with her debut solo album, “Sprained Ankle,” and I had been waiting to get a chance to see her live ever since. She writes minimalistic songs that feature only reverb-filled electric guitar loops and her incredible vocals.

Local punk band Grayling kicked off the night with a solid set of original music. After getting the audience adequately warmed up, Julien Baker took the stage. Baker is quite small in stature, so it was pretty staggering to see a packed room of people all crowded around a large stage, occupied only by one girl and her Telecaster guitar.

After the applause died down, she started to play her opening number, the eponymous song from her album, “Sprained Ankle.” Everyone in the audience was dead silent, listening intently to her hauntingly beautiful vocals. She played through all the songs off her album, as well as two unreleased tracks.

She kept the whole audience captivated throughout the entire performance, telling us the heartbreaking stories of her young life through her music. Baker is only 19 years old, and has already garnered the attention of music critics everywhere. “Sprained Ankle” even made some “Best of 2015” lists.

I got goosebumps several times during my favorite songs, “Everybody Does,” “Something,” “Good News” and “Rejoice.” “Rejoice” was my introduction to Baker’s music last year, and it’s been my favorite song since. I urge you to give it a listen if you want to be sad, but in a good way.

I loved seeing Julien Baker live. Seeing her in person, creating wonderful music with nothing but her beautiful voice, a Fender guitar and a handful of effects pedals really blew my brains all over the wall. You think you really enjoy an artist’s music and then seeing them live really pushes you over the edge, into a place where you’re nearly overdosing on listening to their music afterwards. Cutting to the chase, Julien Baker is one of the best singer-songwriters in the business today. I’m dead serious.

A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of conducting a phone interview with Virginian indie singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata. Yamagata is embarking on a world tour in support of her fourth major album “Tightrope Walker,” which will be released Sept. 23. Her debut album “Happenstance” in 2004 was a huge success, landing her songs several spots in TV shows and movies, and even establishing a cult following.

When I asked about “Tightrope Walker” coming out in just a couple weeks, Yamagata expressed excitement, saying that the release process was “like a huge birthing.” The singles “Nobody” and “Over” were released earlier this summer. They feature a “wide spectrum of sounds” and instrumentation new to her style. She is primarily a singer and pianist, so those have naturally been the most prominent instruments on her past albums. The slow, piano-driven songs contrast greatly to the new singles, which are a bit more upbeat and feature many new instruments that are seldom heard throughout the rest of her discography.

“We had the luxury of really experimenting,” she went on to say. “We added a lot of new sounds like banjo and saxophone, we recorded things in the woods and we had our drummer, Ben Perowsky, hitting metal ladders and chairs and ironing boards. We got a lot of interesting textures.”

While Yamagata is currently known for her smooth, emotional piano-ballad style of music, she describes the new album as “more positive and anthemic.”

“Typically, I’m the ‘delve into the heartbreak’ songwriter, and that’s been my calling card for a long time,” she further explained. “This one has a much different approach.” If the rest of the album is anything like the catchy singles “Nobody” and “Over,” “Tightrope Walker” should be a really fun album. “It’s a very encouraging record, and that mixed with this new tone of production has been a really interesting thing,” she asserted.

I made a remark about how charismatic her stage presence is, to which she immediately replied, “Oh, that’s just tequila.” She even went as far as to say that she actually has stage fright, which people are often surprised to hear. “I am the most uncomfortable human being, even in public,” she admitted. Clearly, she has figured out a way to make it work because she truly does seem totally in her element when she’s performing onstage.

Rachael Yamagata will be playing a show at Union Transfer Sept. 23, the day of the release of “Tightrope Walker.” I asked if there was a reason she chose to play Philadelphia on the same day as her album release, and she said it was in fact intentional because she lived in Philly for a little while so it “feels like a home base” to her. “And it’s also my birthday,” she revealed emphatically, “so it’s like this big perfect storm of dates.”

Yamagata performs at Union Transfer, Nov. 13, 2015. (Photo: Matt Coakley, The Triangle)

This Wednesday, Sept. 14, Philly’s Union Transfer will be welcoming two big names in the indie rock community: Angel Olsen and Alex Cameron.

Angel Olsen has embarked on a world tour in support of her new album, “My Woman,” released Sept. 2. Olsen, a Missouri-born indie folk-rock singer and guitarist, has no shortage of experience when it comes to playing shows. She has several studio albums under her belt and plenty of time touring to go along with them.

Her style features indie folk with a hint of lo-fi aesthetic. Some of her songs build up to loud climaxes, while others keep subdued in nature, but there’s no denying the energy in her voice. Her singing abilities fit her style of music perfectly, and it should be a real treat to see live. Her music reminds me a bit of Philly’s own folk rock legends The Districts, so if you like them come on out and check out Angel Olsen.

On this particular bill, Alex Cameron could be considered the Yin to Olsen’s Yang. In other words, their styles of music are pretty much dissimilar in every way except for the fact that they both fall under the broad umbrella of “indie rock.” Cameron is a new name in the indie scene, but he has already made quite the name for himself. Having just released his debut album “Jumping the Shark” Aug. 19, he has already established a cult following for his music.

Cameron embellishes his eccentric indie pop music with a myriad of synth sounds and an overarching wild-west theme. You can tell he’s a bizarre and interesting guy from his website’s bio alone: “When you’re talking about me and my business partner, Roy Molloy, you’re talking about the online cowboys in the wild-west days of the World Wide Web.”

Songs such as “She’s Mine,” “The Comeback” and “Happy Ending” have already found their way onto playlists of many indie music fans. It should be very interesting and fun to see him open for the wonderful and talented Angel Olsen at one of Philly’s greatest venues, Union Transfer, located on Spring Garden Street.

Philadelphia is a great city to live in if you’re a music fan. The Philly music scene is home to many great bands and plenty of music venues. From small, intimate clubs and bars to large-scale arenas and amphitheaters, Philly is a perfect fit for any musical act that comes through. It’s hard for me to narrow down a definitive list of the “best” concert venues since they vary so greatly that some are hardly comparable, but these are my personal favorites.

10. First Unitarian Church — The First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia, or “The Church,” is definitely one of Philly’s more interesting concert venues. Located in the basement of an actual functioning church on Chestnut Street, The Church is home to a lot of punk and indie bands that come through. The venue is run by R5 Productions, who also coordinates events at PhilaMOCA and the larger Union Transfer. The Church may not fit tons of people, but it has character and the sound there is always fantastic.

9. Trocadero Theatre — Located right around Chinatown in Center City, Philadelphia, the historic Trocadero Theatre is a great venue to see any kind of show. They host concerts, comedy shows, vaudeville, opera, burlesque shows and more. The sound quality is great and the building itself is large enough to accommodate many fans with its seated area, standing room and balcony.

8. PhilaMOCA — The Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art, or PhilaMOCA for short, is a neat little showroom in Center City, on 12th and Spring Garden streets. Many indie singers make their way through the small venue, as the intimate nature of the room provides the perfect setting for solo acts or small bands.

7. Electric Factory — The Electric Factory is a staple of Philly music culture; if you’re a big music fan, I’m sure you’ll make your way there sooner or later. The building is quite literally a converted electric factory opened for a hot second from 1968 to 1973 and then reincarnated in 1994. It’s a large warehouse with a balcony that fits around 2,500-3,000 people. I’ve seen some of my favorite concerts there but I’ve also seen some of the most disappointing; I think the venue lends itself well to bands who can pack the room with energetic fans. Some bands, however, should consider playing at a more intimate venue.

6. Johnny Brenda’s — Johnny Brenda’s is a nice little, hipster bar located in the hugely gentrified Fishtown. They have craft beers, good food and of course, live music. Many indie rock groups make stops at this venue because of its great sound, food and atmosphere.

5. World Cafe Live — Being a Drexel student, it’s hard not to love World Cafe Live for geographical reasons alone. It’s located on the University of Pennsylvania’s campus, just a short walk from our own. They have two stages, one upstairs and a larger one downstairs. They also have the unbeatable Free At Noon concert series, where they host a band every Friday at noon — and admission is free! I managed to catch a few awesome free shows last year, including Django Django and Ra Ra Riot. They also have free open mic nights at 7 p.m. on the first Monday of each month. Many cool bands make stops there; it’s definitely worth your time to check it out.

4. Mann Center for the Performing Arts — The Mann is a lovely outdoor amphitheater located in Fairmount Park. Along with serving as the summer home for the Philadelphia Orchestra, they also host large-scale concerts all summer long, featuring some of the bigger names in music. It’s similar in structure to Camden’s BB&T Pavilion (formerly the Susquehanna Bank Center), so if you like those outdoorsy vibes, you’ll definitely like the Mann.

3. The Fillmore Philadelphia — Philly’s newest large-scale concert venue, the Fillmore Philadelphia — modeled after the original Fillmore Auditorium — is a true delight for any type of concert. Since it opened, I have already managed to see many different shows there, and I loved each one. Security there is tight, so if you’re looking for a rowdy crowd full of crowd-surfing and other debauchery, you may want to look elsewhere. What the Fillmore does have is class. From the big, red curtains to the grand chandeliers, there’s no question that lots of money went into making this venue look as regal as the original Fillmore. The sound there is surprisingly amazing (I say “surprisingly” because it’s hard to make a room as large as the Fillmore sound great without also being very loud).

2. Union Transfer — Formerly known as the Spaghetti Factory, Union Transfer is one of Philly’s most popular clubs. It’s located on Spring Garden Street in Center City, and its concert calendar is always full of big names in the alternative and indie rock scenes. There are also a lot of more hardcore and punk bands that come through, as well as more stripped down singer-songwriters. The room has a movable stage to accommodate different sized crowds, which is nice because no matter the show, the room always looks full. It’s probably my most frequently attended venue, and I don’t think I’ll be getting sick of it anytime soon.

1. Tower Theater — Every time I see a concert at the Tower, I have to stop and admire how great of a venue it is. The theater is aesthetically beautiful, both inside and out, and the sound quality is perfection. It’s got a wonderful balcony, seating and standing room. It’s located in Upper Darby, right near the 69th Street Transportation Center. It’s definitely worth the subway ride if you are ever considering making your way out there.

Photo: Matt Coakley, The Triangle

Kurt Vile has been on my shortlist of artists I need to see for quite some time. Vile is one of the biggest names in the Philly indie rock scene, and all the attention he has received is not at all unwarranted. A resident of Philadelphia myself, I never would’ve guessed that I would be seeing him for the first time at NorVa, a venue in Norfolk, Virginia.

Kurt Vile & the Violators played with support from local Norfolk band You’re Jovian on the beautiful summer evening of June 25. I was down at Virginia Beach with my family for vacation and when I heard Vile would be playing. I jumped at the opportunity.

Vile has picked up a lot of steam in the past year since the release of his most recent album, “B’lieve I’m Goin’ Down.” The lead single “Pretty Pimpin” was particularly successful, receiving more radio play worldwide than any of his previous songs; it even has more than 17 million streams on Spotify, more than twice as many as his second most popular song. Don’t let yourself be fooled by the numbers, though, because Vile is no one hit wonder — his discography is chock-full of bangers.

You’re Jovian went on sometime around 8 p.m. Their set was a little strange; they used mangled, chopped up clips of audio between songs instead of actually addressing the crowd. It was a pretty neat gimmick, but I wasn’t totally sold at first. Their guitarist picked up some kind of flute or recorder and started off the song, and then once the rest of the band kicked in he used it as a slide for his guitar. It was a bizarre way to start off the show and I was pretty skeptical, but my mind was changed when they got into the song.

You’re Jovian played some of the most impressive shoegaze music I’ve ever heard live, and it was a real treat that I was not expecting. Their sound reminded me a lot of classic 1990s shoegaze bands, especially My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive. I don’t listen to shoegaze that often, but I must say it is so much more enjoyable live than on a recording. Something about the texture of their layered instruments and vocals is absolutely captivating to hear live. I was impressed and thoroughly satisfied by their set.

Kurt Vile & the Violators took the stage not too long after, and launched right into “Dust Bunnies,” off “B’lieve.” I was impressed by how tight the band sounded. Listening to Kurt Vile’s albums, I never really noticed how talented he is at the guitar, because he makes it sound so easy. But seeing him live, I was amazed to see his hands move around the neck with expert agility. Of course, he played many cuts off “B’lieve,” but he also delved deeper into his discography and played some tracks I wouldn’t have expected.

One of my favorite songs of the night was “Jesus Fever,” off his 2011 album “Smoke Ring for My Halo.” I had never heard the song before that evening, and it was stuck in my head for days afterwards. He also played “He’s Alright,” which I never would’ve expected to hear as it was a bonus track tacked on at the end of his 2009 album “Childish Prodigy.” I felt like such a diehard fan when I recognized the song (“Childish Prodigy” is one of the few Kurt Vile albums that I own.)

“Wakin on a Pretty Day,” “Pretty Pimpin,” “KV Crimes” and “Freak Train” all shone like diamonds live and I was beside myself; however, I’m sure no Kurt Vile fan in their right mind would disagree that “Goldtone” is the absolute best live.

The whole show was pretty mesmerizing, with the shimmering guitars and chill vibes. Kurt Vile is a great talent, and if you like indie rock you should really check him out. He will be playing Aug. 27 at Chameleon Club in Bethlehem, PA so go buy tickets right now if you know what’s good for you.