Good Talk’s eponymous debut album at first comes across as straightforward, likable, and above all “summery," but a few more listens reveals unordinary layers. Indie-rock business-as-usual soon takes a turn into a languid cover of “Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music. That’s right. The musical. Julie Andrews would be turning over in her grave if she weren’t still alive.

Easily drawing comparisons to the Front Bottoms and Modern Baseball, with a splash of Pinegrove, Good Talk never gets too jittery on this record, staying solidly upbeat without sacrificing the summery vibes promised in album opener “Heart Attack.” The sunniest track out of the bunch is (unsurprisingly) “Sunny Ray,” which features a noodly guitar lick that combines with vocals for a Sesame-Street style nonsense syllable sing-along.

Pretty much everyone has a favorite Summer playlist lurking in the depths of their Spotify (possibly called something like “Summer Jams ’16,” or "Summer!!!!” or “Margaritas!" if you're really cool) but believe us when we say Good Talk’s album is one that (really, honestly, truly) belongs on yours.

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Katy Kirby
(Katy Kirby's own excellent music can be found here)

Warik (aka Malik Lemon) has released a new collection of song with the impending summer months at heart.

Warik will be performing at Bern Fest: Round Two in June 10th with The Curls, Electric Sheep, Daymaker, and Sex No Babies.

Valaska is preparing to release their third LP, Inchoate. Below is the first single from the album, "Vessel".

You can help Valaska celebrate the release of the new album on July 8th at Wire in Berwyn with Elk Walking, Bad Bad Meow, and The Erratics.

NYC transplants, Palm’s Audiotree Live session, from May 6, 2016, is now available for streaming and/or purchase HERE. The quartet's soothing vocal/instrumental integrations are meshed with unexpected twists and turns. The band’s performance is polished; however, those shifts reveal an array of intriguing possibilities.

Sticky guitar licks that ramp up crisscrossing into long distance jams. With spider-like dexterity, sonic limbs extend outward, reaching for a higher level. Spacin' exhibits a simplistic knack to sit back and deliver the goods in a pure raw state. The group spins out in multiple directions - whether the destination is within eyes view, requiring a direct route, or one whose path will be determined by the musical monuments along the way. Either way, those in need of a psych-rock adventure should head to Kung Fu Necktie this evening. Tonight's lineup is reinforced by State Champion, whose accessible yet precise lyrical narratives plug you into the middle of the action - a granular, country-injected, rockin' sound that sticks. The multifaceted psych-shoegazing textures of Elliott Malvas-led, Virginia Beach-based, You’re Jovian, complete this billing. Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 8pm, $7, 21+ - Michael Colavita