Sheer Mag’s new full-length album, A Distant Call, the follow-up to 2017’s Need to Feel Your Love, is out now via Wilsuns RC. Welding a raw, emotive-fueled fire with effortless melodies, the recordings mesh finesse and strength, with the band demonstrating a widening range of songwriting prowess. Just press play, and let it rip. You can catch Sheer Mag performing live on Thursday, October 10 at Union Transfer, with Tweens.

With tenaciously powerful vocals compounded and accentuated by riff-rampant grooves, Sheer Mag creates a sweaty, smoky, uncompromising brand of rock ‘n’ roll. Fueled by an earnest dynamic that exudes a savvy grit, their songs rally the listeners, building momentum in a fun, uproarious manner. The band will be starting its summer tour this Saturday evening at World Cafe Live, supported by Thin Lips, whose melodic powerpop opens a window into intimate, cathartic narratives. Also along for the ride is slick Louisville rock outfit White Reaper. – Michael Colavita 

Other places where you can enjoy this Summer Solstice weekend…

Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) SAT Midnight Singers, Travel Lanes, Joey Sweeney & The Neon Grease

Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Ramona/DJ Deejay, SAT Narcos Family Band, The Magnificent Shithawks Of The Greater Northern Americas/Fame Lust, SUN Behind Deadlines, Fuzzy Slippers/Curanderos, Moral Crayfish

Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) FRI Boysetsfire, Restorations, SAT Boysetsfire, Restorations

The Foundry (29 E. Allen St.) SAT Tommy Conwell And The Young Rumblers, Creem Circus, SUN Catie Turner

World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) SAT (Upstairs)  DJ Oluwafemi/(Downstairs) Sheer Mag, Thin Lips

The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI  Stripped Down & Unplugged Fest: Laura Purfield, Sh’Bang/Voodoo Death Cult, The Heels, Banged Up, SUN Gas Money, House Plant, Thrillchaser/Behind The Horror, The Lima Division, Big Handsome

MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) FRI Camp Candle, SAT Tuck Ryan Band

Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3^rd St.) SAT GROSS, World Below

The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave.) SUN Rover Rover, Rachel Andie and the Fifth Element, Sleepmonster

Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI Bo Bliz, SAT DJ Deejay

Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) FRI Live Band Karaoke, SAT Paul Green Adult Program, SUN Rusty Cadillac

Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2^nd St.) FRI Adventure Lost, Andorra, At Best, SAT Dirty Soap, River Bones Band, SUN Kicking Down Doors, John Galla

Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9^th St.) SAT Knightlife

Morgan’s Pier (221 N. Columbus Blvd.) SAT Menace Cartel, SUN New Pony Band

Frankie Bradley’s (1320 Chancellor St.) FRI DJ AZN JAKE, SAT DJ Drootrax, SUN A Midsummer Nightmare: A Drag Tribute to Tim Burton

Century (1350 S. 29^th St.) FRI Voltheque, Worst Ones, Pataphor, SAT Pushin' it 2 the Limit (Tape Release), Code of the Jaguar, Los Gueys

The Tusk (430 South St.) FRI Live Not On Evil, Street Vengeance, The Noid, SAT Shark Bullet, Misfit Holiday

The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI The Funky T, Rachel Andre & the Fifth Element, SAT Mesmeria, Dr. Beardface, Jay Skull In Spades, The Cluster Flies

Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) FRI Electron, Catullus, SUN Ben Arnold, Matt Santry

Molestice (100 Block of N. Mole St.) SAT &More, Ali Awan, Great Time, Camp Candle

The Pharmacy (1300 S. 18^th St.) FRI Yeenar (EP Release), Honeytiger, Droopies

Creep Records (1050 N. Hancock St.) FRI Afloat, Science Club

Warehouse on Watts (923 N. Watts St.) FRI Rob Paine & Francisco Collazo

Haus Of Yarga (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Booklegger, Hyve, Ty Miller & the Miller Lites

A Distant Call, the forthcoming album from Sheer Mag, is scheduled to arrive on August 23 via Wilsuns RC. Its lead single, “Blood From a Stone,” just hit the blogosphere, accompanied by a lyric video (which was created by Joslyn Crocco). Frontwoman Christina Halladay maintains composure while expressing frustration over the issues, which seemingly never end. That storyline is delivered with a melodic grit and guitar riffs aplenty that we've come to know and love from the Philly garage rockers. Sheer Mag will be kicking off the first leg of their summer tour this Saturday, June 22 at World Cafe Live, with local pals Thin Lips and Louisville's White Reaper.

We are here once again at The Deli Philly’s final post of the year. It’s been an honor getting a chance to share new music with all of you this past year (and nearly a decade), and I look forward to continuing to discover the best of Philly’s underground music community with you. And without any further ado, here is my “Best of” year-end list for my favorite Philly albums of 2017. I look forward to seeing you on the other side.

Much love – cheers!

Q.D. Tran

1. Raw Rock Fury (Relapse) – Ecstatic Vision

Ecstatic Vision weren’t joking when they decided to name their latest album, Raw Rock Fury. There are few, if not any Philly releases that can match the pure intensity and glorious shredding found on my favorite local release of 2017. And it also provides you a glimpse into the awesomeness of their live performances.

2. Rocket (Domino) – (Sandy) Alex G

With Rocket, Alex Giannascoli proves that all the adoration from the media for the young songwriter is certainly not unfounded. Using the guise of an Americana framework, he is able to craft wonderfully intimate campfire songs that make left turns at all the right places.

3. Veblen Death Mask (Kill Rock Stars) – Taiwan Housing Project

Veblen Death Mask is music without boundaries – so chaotically beautiful!

4. Need to Feel Your Love (Wilsuns RC) – Sheer Mag

All riffs and vocals – garage-punks Sheer Mag make their retro-fit sound oh so good. Rock ‘n’ roll is not dead.

5. Out in the Storm (Merge) – Waxahatchee

Waxahatchee’s earnest songwriting speaks right to the heart, and it’s hard to ignore.

6. My Idols Are Dead + My Enemies Are In Power (Self-released) – Lushlife

7. Messy (Self-released) – Curtis Cooper

8. Play “The Songs You Like” (Salinas) – Radiator Hospital

9. Oh, My Heart (Lame-O) – Shannen Moser

10. Soft Sound From Another Planet (Dead Oceans) – Japanese Breakfast

11. Movie Was Bad (Self-released) – Sixteen Jackies

12. Spirits (Creep) – Julia Rainer

13. Slacker Paint (Self-released) – The Mary Veils

14. Everything Is Always in the Past (@Self-released) – Blood Sound

15. A Deeper Understanding (Atlantic) – The War on Drugs

16. We Were Babies & We Were Dirtbags (Polyvinyl) – Quiet Slang

17. Tourist in This Town (Merge) – Allison Crutchfield

18. Why Love Now (Sub Pop) – Pissed Jeans

19. Shadow Expert (Carpark) – Palm

20. Let’s Be Nice – b-sides, covers & demos (Self-released) – Pill Friends

21. Birdie (Lame-O) – Slaughter Beach, Dog

22. Wilt (Self-released) – Line Leader

23. You’re So Smart (Self-released) – Joy Riding

24. Pleasure Suck (Tiny Engines) – The Spirit and The Beehive

25. Nothing Special (Honest Face) – Harmony Woods

26. Amuse-oreille, Vol. 1 (Self-released) – American Trappist

27. Grow (Self-released) – Them Jones

28. The Vernes (Self-released) – The Vernes

29. Cool and Fun – Madalean Gauze

30. White Reindeer – Lithuania

31. Tunnels (Self-released) – Vita and the Woolf

32. S/T (Self-released) – Teen Spaceship

33. Good Wind Pt. 1 (Human Kindness Overflowing) – Power Animal

34. Popular Manipulations (Fat Possum) – The Districts

35. Crime Waves – Moor Mother x Mental Jewelry

36. Jumpship (Lame-O) – No Thank You

37. Palisades (Egghunt) – Eric Slick

38. Dark Web (Suicide Bong Tapes) – Dark Web

39. Sadness is a Gesture (Inherent Sounds) – Aphra

40. Motel City Honey (Self-released) – Levee Drivers

Get ready to swoon for Sheer Mag's Christina Halladay and Dirty Fences new collaboration! "One More Step" brings on the old-timey feels, transporting us to the days when people excitedly sat by their radios or diner jukeboxes to hear the latest and greatest tunes. You can find the heartfelt rock ballad on Dirty Fences forthcoming album, Goodbye Love, due out this Friday via Greenway Records. Enjoy!