A secluded sanctuary is orchestrated in the reimagined, intimate sounds of Quiet Slang. United in those reeled-in, resonating, personal narratives that ache and erupt, the songs demonstrate perspectives that generate power in a collective voice. As the lights turn down, a candlelit catharsis comes into focus. The delicate elegance of strings and piano amplifies the dramatic component in sweeping cinematic shots, allowing the weight of the words to embed and anchor. There’s a sweet sensitivity in play - one which pulls you apart at the seams and refreshingly makes you realize that you’re not alone. This Saturday evening at Underground Arts, Quiet Slang will be joined by the clairvoyant serenity of Abi Reimold, whose poetic tangles and instrumental volatility will hold one in suspense as the night begins. – Michael Colavita

Other places to find sanctuary this weekend…

Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) FRI Rockers Galore, SAT Quiet Slang, Abi Reimold

Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N Frankford Ave.) SAT DJ Mike Nyce, Lil Dave: Philly Loves The Jacksons, SUN The 1910 Chainsaw Company, American Trappist

Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Square Peg Round Hole, Grimace Federation, SAT Night Sins, Jo Kusy

PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12^th St.) SUN Solarized

Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Sometimes Magazine (Issue 3 Release), Soft Crime, Grand Mantis/DJ Paul T, Sean Hearn, SAT Dreamswell, Supine/Fame Lust, SUN Tioga, Vanderlyle, Dominy

Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden St.) FRI Vacationer

The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) FRI Dweller, Palmlines, Nic Sanderson, SAT Mantis, The Defiance, Rat Rod, SUN The Naked Sun, Hoochi Coochi, Love? said the Commander 

TLA (334 South St.) FRI Bry Greatah

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

The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) SAT Marion Halliday, SUN Fixation/Blasphemous, Silvanthrone

MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) FRI Heaven Man, SAT Primatives, Andorra, Knightlife, SUN Electric Kif, Vertical Current

Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3^rd St.) FRI The Bad Larrys, Slomo Sapiens,Tulpa, SAT Bree and the Reeds, Trap Rabbit, SUN Mark Lanky

The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave.) FRI Last Full Measure, The Absolute Sky, The Stammer, SUN Freeze, Snake Charmer/Sweet Moves, Stoops

Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2^nd St.) FRI Vital Stats, SAT Northeast Corners, Pet Cheetah, SUN Familiar Things, Goalkeeper

World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI (Upstairs) Solgazer, Ntive Flora, Obscure Identity, Betterducks,Radish, SAT Girls Rock Philly: Summer Rock Camp Teen Showcase

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 Founders, Endless Taile, Whiskey Effect

Century (1350 S 29^th St.) FRI Moros, Drones For Queens, Night Raids, SAT A Virgin, The Taste of Vomit

The Tusk (430 South St.) FRI Cthulhu Martini, Outlaw Pandas, SAT Erin Fox (Release Show), Rasan In The Heyday, Emily Mineo, At Best

Morgan’s Pier (221 N. Columbus Blvd.) FRI DJ Beatstreet, SUN Ear Me Now

Franky Bradley’s (1320 Chancellor St.) FRI Royale, SAT Ian St. Laurent, SUN Philadelphia Burlesque Festival

Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) FRI Hambone Relay

The Pharmacy (1300 S. 18^th St.) FRI The Hook

Space 1026 (1026 Arch St.) FRI The Goodbye Party, Tact, Greg Electric

LAVA Space (4134 Lancaster Ave.) SUN Blowdryer, Unclaimed Diamonds

Tralfamadore (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Dani in Public, Rebecca Zimmerman

Planet Phitness (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Fred Beans, Rentboy, Gender Work

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

Tundra Dome (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SUN Rally, Countdown From Ten

Stripped-down strings and piano instrumentation cast cathedral-style closeness on the recently issued EP, We Were Babies & We Were Dirtbags (Polyvinyl Records), from Beach Slang's James Alex, under the moniker Quiet Slang. Coupling a pair of originals, "Future Mixtape For the Art Kids" and "Bad Art & Weirdo Ideas," with a tandem of covers in The Replacements' "Androgynous" and Big Star's “Thirteen,” Alex temporarily trades his unabashed fury for a more subdued, still-spirited sound. Shifting one’s perspective and expectations, this Quiet Slang scenario appears to be the start of something rather than merely a standalone. Currently on the road as part of an extensive touring schedule, Beach Slang will be back in town on Saturday, December 2 at the TLA, supported by Dave Hause & The Mermaid and The Homeless Gospel Choir.

September has arrived, and with it, comes the ceremonial conclusion of summer. However, before the sun-kissed season draws to a close, Ben Franklin Parkway plays host to a recently vested (6^th overall) tradition Made In America. While an assortment acts will grace the various stages over, the 2-day event, the local contingent continues to grow. This Saturday includes the silky, serenading electro-pop of Marian Hill, the retrofitted, harmony-harnessing Queen of Jeans, the devastatingly tenacious, melodic whirlwind of Mannequin Pussy, and experimental instrumental textures meets sincere Americana-folk songwriting of (Sandy) Alex G. And Sunday’s slate begins with PNB Rock, before a consecutive tandem that includes the heart-rendering, earnest elegance of Japanese Breakfast (whose Soft Sounds From Another Planet was our August Record of the Month) and the gritty, grab-the-wheel-and-drive indie rock of Beach Slang. Of course, the streets of Philadelphia will also be filled with bangers from Hova, Solange, Run the Jewels, Little Dragon, and many others. Hopefully the weather will hold out so that we can all enjoy a rad Labor Day Weekend in Philly! – Michael Colavita

More places where you can say goodbye to summer this weekend…

Made In America (Ben Franklin Pkwy) SAT Marian Hill, Queen of Jeans, Mt. Joy, Mannequin Pussy, (Sandy) Alex G, SUN PnB Rock, Japanese Breakfast, Beach Slang, Tigers Jaw

Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) SAT Night Raids, Barakka, SUN DJ Lil Dave

Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Hawk Tubley & The Ozymandians, Jason Ager (Trio), Rachel Eve, SAT Goodnight/Goodluck, Wax Wav, Cologne

Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Devil's Grippe, Truant Minds, Punkes/Gravers Lane ImHul/DJ Deejay, SAT Drones for Queens/Wolf Dem, KT Caustic, Teknacolor Ninja/Lunacy, SUN Sublaymen, Yeenar/Disinhume, Descendency, Depletion

PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12^th St.) FRI The Improbables, SAT A Virgin

World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI Conjunto/Massive, Denelle Anderson, K-Soul, Rico Anderson, SAT (Upstairs) Steve Cal Quartet, Mike Kennedy

The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) SAT Of the Archive (EP Release), Shy, Mage Hand, SUN Luxe

The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave.) FRI Maggie Mae, Sonni Shine, Miss Cantaloupe, Granz

MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) FRI dot.gov, Dave Bakey, SAT Nicky P & Friends, Doug Wartman, Jeremiah Tall

Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3^rd St.) FRI Shaky Deville, U.S. Lawns, SUN Langor, Circadian Rhythms

Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI DJ Dav, Reed Streets, SAT DJ Deejay, SUN Astro 8000

Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SAT Alec Stewart, Bryant Eugene Vazquez, I am not the Universe, SUN Rusty Cadillac

Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9^th St.) FRI Project 28

Voltage Lounge (421 N. 7^th St.) FRI Bad Luck 13 Riot Extravaganza

Morgan’s Pier (221 N. Columbus Boulevard) FRI DJ Beatstreet, SAT Menace Cartel

Frankie Bradley’s (1320 Chancellor St.) FRI DJ Chris Urban, SAT Ed Christof

The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI Christian O’Connor Band, Calla Bere & The Attitude, SAT Take Cover

Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) SAT Eat Your Beats

First Unitarian Church (2125 Chestnut St.) FRI S-21 (Last Show)

The Pharmacy (1300 S. 18^th St.) SUN My Name Is Tom, MON Matt Kelly, Old Scratch

Beautiful World Syndicate (1619 E. Passyunk Ave.)  SAT Dark Web

Beach Slang's James Alex began doing solo performances last year under the moniker Quiet Slang. Well, Alex just announced that he'll be releasing a 7" EP of rearranged Beach Slang songs, entitled We Were Babies & We Were Dirtbags, which is due out October 20 via Polyvinyl Records. Below is its first single, a beautiful, piano-cello-vocal rendition of "Bad Art & Weirdo Ideas," off 2015's The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us.

The Guild's Holiday Jawn has us feelin' some kind of way about covers today. Below is one from Beach Slang of Green Day's "2000 Light Years Away," off 1991's Kerplunk. It's part of Kerrang!'s Green Day tribute compilation that comes with their year-end issue. BTW: Beach Slang recently announced that there will be a new touring lineup backing James Alex that will consist of Cully Symington (Okkervil River, Afghan Whigs, Cursive) on drums and Aurore Ounjian (Mean Creek, Potty Mouth) on guitar. (Photo by Lauren Obadiah)