Philadelphia Weekly

Share this Story:

Decemberists
Sun., July 15, 8pm. $34-$69. With Mann Festival Orchestra. Mann Center for the Performing Arts, 52nd St. and Parkside Ave. 215.893.1999. www.manncenter.org

Without a doubt, the most entertaining nonmusical thing about any Decemberists show is the way it incites music writers to work themselves into a lather trying to be more quirkily clever in their write-ups than frontman Colin Meloy. The adjective "hyperliterate" is always required. Layer that with the erudition required by this show's Mann Festival Orchestra, which will accompany the band on songs from their excellent The Crane Wife, and you can bet a few local scribes will pull a muscle. Also, there'll be an accordion. (Jeffrey Barg)

Job for a Cowboy
Sun., July 15, 2pm. $29.50-$34. With Gwar, Shadows Fall + Chimaira. Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St. 215.627.1332. www.livenation.com

"Herding livestock ... fixing a barbed-wire fence ... making chili ... " "Um, things you do on a ranch?" "Branding horses ... cleaning the varmint gun ... growling like a demonic Cookie Monster ... playing blast beats like you're a speed freak hammering six bass drums at once ... " "Um ... " "Practicing complex death metal riffs 17 hours a day ... designing hellish cover art that's a cross between Lord of the Rings and a goat-slaughtering ceremony gone horribly wrong ... making teenagers forget about their math homework and pimples for an hour or two ... frightening the bejesus out of parents ... " "Uh ... a Job for a Cowboy?" "Yes! You win the $100,000 Pyramid!" (Michael Alan Goldberg)

Boy Bathing
Fri., July 13, 9:30pm. Free. Millcreek Tavern, 4200 Chester Ave. 215.222.1255. www.millcreektavernphilly.com

Hey look! It's a boy bathing! You might've thought sensitive singer/songwriters have bared it all before, but wait till you hear David Hurwitz spin his emotive brand of pop. The band name comes from one of Aesop's Fables, and instead of soapy backs and rubber floaties, you can count on literate, baroque ditties orchestrated with horns, strings, drums and keyboards. Critics have likened Hurwitz's songs to Bright Eyes backed by Arcade Fire, but don't let that spoil your appetite. It's really more like the sweeping, large ensemble exuberance of Sweden's Loney, Dear, and highly recommended. (Jennifer Kelly)

Okay Paddy
Fri., July 13, 9pm. $8. With Creeping Weeds + Buried Beds. Khyber, 56 S. Second St. 215.238.5888. www.thekhyber.com

Okay Paddy have been busy crafting the new Philly sound for the past few years. Mixing a Wilcoesque sound with Elephant 6 sensibilities, the Scranton-bred quartet have quietly snagged the ears of the local music intelligentsia with sweet melodies and tastefully placed jangly guitars. This latest gig teams them with fellow local up-and-comers Creeping Weeds and Buried Beds, thus demarcating the unofficial starting line for the sprint to be the next Dr. Dog. It's still anybody's guess which band will grasp the elusive brass ring, but rest assured, one will prevail. (Joshua Valocchi)

Besnard Lakes
Mon., July 16, 9pm. $8. With Dirty on Purpose + War on Drugs. Johnny Brenda's, 1201 Frankford Ave. 215.739.9684. www.johnnybrendas.com

When not mixing, engineering or producing albums for Young Galaxy, Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown, Jace Lasek--how's that for a name?--cultivates some of his own Canuck music with seven-piece psych-pop band the Besnard Lakes. Much like the Clientele's God Save the Clientele, The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse is throwback in all the right ways: atmospheric walls of sounds tripped around perfectly netted falsetto harmonies, and spaced-out orchestral dissonance gleaned from the dregs of whatever the Mamas & the Papas left behind. (Caralyn Green)

Femi Kuti
Thurs., July 12, 8pm. $25-$35. World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St. 215.222.1400. www.worldcafelive.com

A Femi Kuti performance is something you have to see for yourself. First, there's a palpable volatility that most rock musicians would kill for. Then an airtight band that forges the perfect blend of jazz, funk and soul with an energy and passion that's practically bursting at the seams, fronted by a man with equal parts improvisational chops, songwriting skill, stage presence and bold political expression. Femi Kuti is virtually guaranteed to bring his best to every performance, every night. (John Cramer)

Rick Parker Collective
Thurs., July 12, 9pm. $5-$8. Chris' Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom St. 215.568.3131. www.chrisjazzcafe.com