Sicayda is a fresh 4 piece shoegaze band here in Toronto. Building their sound with layered melodies along with “melancholic yet uplifting tones”. Their lead single “Go On” opens up their debut EP “Sown”. This track has many sonic layers heavily drenched in shoegaze tone but also bringing influences such as 90’s alternative and perhaps some old Coldplay styles. Sicayda brings their sound to The Festival Lingua Franca in Toronto on August 29^th. – Kris Gies

This Friday August 2, the Milk Bar is the lucky host of another Throwin’ Bo’s night. Those boys sure know how to put a bill together. The night will feature a couple of Bay Area favorites and some sweet LA gems. From the Area we have Half Stack, those fun and funny folk music folks that know how to tickle a guitar. There’s Max Gardener, whose gentle dreamy bedroom folk will make you bat your lashes and tap your fingers. Tied for best former Summer Twin we have Chelsea Rose with a true and lovely voice and delightful presence--see video demonstration below--and Easy Love, that 60's inspired indie pop that hits just the right spot. Me oh man, what a night! – Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

Dreamswell will be celebrating its debut full-length LP SPOILED with a performance this evening at Boot & Saddle. Haunting, weighted ambiance quakes and shudders throughout the album. The songs sonically realize ominous, brutal, bombarding tones that melodically shred within treacherous terrains. Somehow during those nightmarish, ominous sequences, as the percussion pulverizes, one finds a peaceful, placid, shoegazing perspective. Dreamswell will be supported by the raw, raucous, mesmerizing metal of Witching and the rhythmically rolling, synth-fueled darkwave of SOLD, as well as NYC’s Stay at Home Dads. – Michael Colavita 

More places to be at this weekend…

Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Dreamswell (Record Release), Witching, Sold, SAT Palmas

Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Hurry, SAT The Classic Hunt, Hand Me Downs, Afloat / Fame Lust, SUN Low Dose, Yarrow, Mute Host

PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12^th St.) FRI Fabergégé, SUN Thin Lips

Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) FRI Emo-Palooza: Revolutions Radio, SAT Stranger Things Dance Party: Wassup Gina, DJ Shearn

TLA (334 South St.) FRI High Noon

The Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal St.) FRI So Far Gone: Dirty South Joe, Magglezzz, SUN Simply Christopher

World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) SUN Nuevo Fest: Lady HD

The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI The Wordsmith Experience: Eli Capella, MC Knowledge, Seraiah Nicole, Jazz Fresh, Blessa, A.T. Eaze, Kae Hock, SAT Chalk & The Beige Americans, SUN October Black, Dawns Divide, The Climaxers

MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) SAT Hayduke, Wexler & the Better Humans, SUN Kenty Love

Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3^rd St.) FRI Soul Glo, Drowse, Penetrode, Bandit, SAT TIOGA, Tiny Hueman

The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave.) FRI No Gods, Hyve, SAT The Shakedown/Pat Keo, Josh Holiday, SUN Imprint: Very J, Lucas Lee, Keen

Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) FRI DJ Sylo, Astro 8000, SAT DJ Deejay

Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) FRI Live Band Karaoke, SUN Rusty Cadillac 

Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9^th St.) FRI Earth7, Rally Point, Kinda Alright

Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2^nd St.) FRI Tate (Record Release), Fast Car Slow Car, Babe Grenade, SAT Love Fest: Breakfast for Turtles, The Smoking Lightbulb, The Missing Frets, Sonny Knockout, Ntive Flora, SUN Seraiah Nicole, Séana The Solstice

Morgan’s Pier (221 N. Columbus Blvd.) FRI DJ Beatstreet, SAT Menace Cartel, SUN Michael Thompson

Frankie Bradley’s (1320 Chancellor St.) FRI DJ Royale, SAT DJ Ian St Laurent

Voltage Lounge (421 N. 7^th St.) FRI DJ Stampone, SAT HPUSA Killadelphia Slasherfest: Wolves Attack, Voodoo Death Cult, The Mad Splatter 

The Tusk (430 South St.) FRI Frost Giant

Century (1350 S. 29^th St.) FRI Dustin Awesomes, LunaVex, 3xiLe, SAT Gross, Toxic Malt

The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI Perlin Noise, Moonroof, Chiseled Lilies, SAT The Barker Brothers, Jac with No K, Hootsie, Creem Circus

Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) FRI Vertical Current, SAT Nik Greeley & The Operators, SUN Fundraiser for Children’s Hospital: Osler Circle 

Everybody Hits (529 W. Girard Ave.) SUN Big Nothing

Warehouse on Watts (923 N. Watts St.) FRI Rob Paine & Francisco Collazo, SAT DJ Cousin Mike

Lizard Lounge (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Beach Fuzz (Album Release), Daydrunks, Earthboy, Family Volleyball

Haus of Yarga (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Under 95

Anthorna Gallery (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SUN Love Fest: Alex Deems, Rabbit Heart, Lost Thirds, Emmanuel Ohemeng III and Perpetual Motion, Sunchoke, Midfield, Vague Advice

The Waiting Room (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SUN Nic Sanderson, FLNG, Little Stray

Free Candy (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Sam Jackson

This May San Francisco’s Talkie released their latest, Everything Matters and it’s a refreshing and impressive album of good ol’ rock and roll. They’ve got a Strokes thing going on with some softer surf rock, dream pop moments (check track “Proper Way”). The album sounds great, too. Mixed, produced at Headfone Audio; mastered by Jerry Ososkie, the drums had the right amount of punch, vocals are invitingly warm and harmonies are touched in just right. Speaking of which, unless their Bandcamp is lying, one of the musician’s parents may or may not include their vocal harmonies on some tracks. Must be a musical family because mom n pop sound great. I’m an extra big fan of track “Summer Bummer.” What’s not a bummer is that Talkie will be playing at Bottom of the Hill on July 27. Now go listen to “Eraser” and feel impressed with those vocals.  - Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

Little Arcs’ latest release, First One, is a trio of songs with beautiful harmonies and surprising key shifts that work bright and true, every moment of it. It’s clear these folks have an understanding of creative composition and some jazz backgrounds. Little Arcs is for diggers of Whitney, appreciators of Radiohead and lovers of juxtopositions. It’s like if Grizzly Bear was even more chill and included a female vocalist in the mix to lighten the harmonic balance. The band just put out their first cassette, which you can snag at their last show before summer break--July 13th and 14th at their own abode. You can find out the location of these semi-secret shows on their Facebook. It's all high praise, we know. But these folks are a gem and we recommend catching them while they're around. - Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor