Thursday, August 18
LOUDS @ Ortlieb’s
It’s been just over a year since mysterious Philly band LOUDS released their debut EP “If More People Bought Art More People Would Buy Art.” The songs on that tautological mouthful were racy and energetic bits of synth pop, as dreamy as they were danceable. Now, LOUDS — which began as a trio of siblings and has morphed into a larger lineup of friends — is switching gears with “Speak,” the first single from the upcoming debut full-length. Instead of the groove-forward energy of their initial songs, this new one offers thumping, rollicking, rock.
Show 8 p.m. | With Longspells and False Tracks | $10 | 21+
Friday, August 19
Hoops @ Johnny Brenda’s
Bloomington, Indiana quartet Hoops have a knack for floating dream-pop. Their music is light and airy and built out of a thorough lo-fi blend of fuzz and atmospheric sheen. Many of Hoops’ songs are also undeniably summery, a feeling they accomplish with an understated approach to production: The guitar sounds float into and out space, the drums are snappy but tucked away, the vocals are often situated somewhere in the background. The result is music that’s hard to pin down but delightfully easy to listen to.
Doors 8 p.m. / Show 9:15 p.m. | With Shelf Life | $10 | 21+
Broken Beak @ PhilaMOCA
Almost two months after the album’s release, Broken Beak’s debut “Some Nerve” finally gets a proper hometown record release show at PhilaMOCA this weekend. The Philly band, which is far from a Modern Baseball side-project despite the central role played by guitarist Brendan Lukens and production by Jake Ewald, trades in raw angst. “Some Nerve” confronts pain head-on, spearheaded by affecting guitar riffs and drama-laden songwriting.
Doors 6:30 p.m. / Show 7 p.m. | With Walter Etc., Trace Mountains, Liam Betson, Blowout & Harmony Woods | $8-$10 | All ages
Saturday, August 20
The Julie Ruin @ Union Transfer
Kathleen Hanna is a feminist punk hero and riot grrrl frontierwoman. The lead singer of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre has spent much of the last decade reeling from Lyme disease, a struggle that sidelined her outspoken songwriting and performances until recently and was documented in the 2013 film “The Punk Singer.” A few years back Hanna breathed new life into her once-solo project The Julie Ruin and turned it into a full-fledged band. And then she got sick again. A little under three years later, The Julie Ruin is back with an even better and more biting sophomore record called “Hit Reset,” an apt title for an icon enjoying her second wind.
Doors 7:30 p.m. / Show 8:30 p.m. | With Puff Pieces | $15-$17 | All ages
Prophets of Rage @ BB&T Pavilion
Prophets of Rage are a politically timely — even opportunistic — supergroup made up of members from Rage Against the Machine, Public Enemy and Cypress Hill. Just in case the band name alone didn’t make it obvious, this nostalgic six-piece is a rebuke to 2016’s worryingly reactionary election cycle. Their tour is called “Make America Rage Again,” an obvious anti-Trump scold, and their about-to-release “The Party’s Over” EP is a doomsday provocation. “We’ve come back to remind everyone what raging against the machine really means,” Tom Morello, the dissident Rage Against the Machine guitarist, told Rolling Stone recently. It remains to be seen if the group is actually channeling political urgency or latching onto convenient turns of phrases.
Show 7 p.m. | With AWOLNATION | $22+ | All ages
Sunday, August 21
Drake / Future @ Wells Fargo Center
In many ways Drake’s last album was a dud. “Views” took too long to accomplish so little and it retreated further into an aesthetic the Canadian pop/hip-hop star had already mined perilously. Even as an album dedicated largely to his hometown of Toronto, it felt cold in a decidedly boring and detached way. And yet, Drake is still on top as “Views” continues to break streaming records, his song on DJ Khaled’s album is now a #1 hit (and better than almost anything on his own record), and his rumored beef with Eminem turned into positive buzz when Slim Shady showed up at a tour-stop in Detroit recently. At the heart of Drake’s entire career narrative is an approach that has allowed him to continue climbing: He knows how to play off and leech from others. That sometimes symbiotic relationship with his fellow artists is the fuel for Drake’s current co-headlining tour with Future, an organic Atlanta star who continues lending Drake some of his own juice following their 2015 collaborative mixtape “What A Time To Be Alive.”
Show 6:30 p.m. | With Roy Woods & DVSN | $49.50+ | All ages
Eric Roberson & Phonte @ World Cafe Live
Eric Roberson and Phonte are a logical but still unexpected duo. Roberson has long occupied the mature R&B space spearheaded by the likes of his collaborators and fellow Philly locals Musiq Soulchild and Jill Scott. Phonte, meanwhile, has sidled into this area in his second act. Both artists have silky smooth singing voices and a cynical, matter-of-fact approach to romance. Last month they released the slow-burn full-length “Tigallerro,” an amalgam of their respective aliases and a thorough blend of their shared and soulful talents.
Doors 7 p.m. / Show 8 p.m. | With D Maurice Macklin | $25+ | All ages
Cormega @ Silk City Diner
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more passionate hip-hop fan than Cormega, the Brooklyn emcee who came up in the 1990s alongside Capone-N-Noreaga, Nas, AZ and more. Mega has long been a quiet genius, soft-spoken and reticent off record and densely-verbose in the booth. He’s a wildly observant emcee whose delayed career start has left his classic-status debut album largely overlooked in the sea of New York City street rap. In 2014 he returned with a bona fide bit of grown-up rap on an album called “Mega Philosophy,” which was produced entirely by the legendary Large Professor. Around the time that album was released Mega talked to me about solidifying his legacy, “I’m trying to prove to myself that I belong amongst the greats. That’s very important to me.” He might be too humble to admit it, but Mega has long been in their company.
Show 8:30 p.m. | With Reef The Lost Cauze, Blok Boyz & DJ Caliph-Now | $18 | 21+