Soundadvice
When Bucks County's art-rocking Ty Cobb had to change their name (to Mad Action) you wanted to take a bat to their namesake's grave. The switch knocked some of the wind out of Ryan Bernstein and friends. Now, back and more beautifully blissed-out than ever as The Cobbs, the quartet makes the sort of crazed trance-induced rock Spacemen 3 once did. But better, frizzier and bolder on their debut CD The Cobbs Sing the Death Capades. Batter up.
Wed., Nov. 22, 8 p.m., $8, with Illinois, Audible and Remote Islands, The Khyber, 56 S. Second St., 215-238-5888, www.thekhyber.com.
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Relationship limbo is almost unbearably manic, with awkward spells broken by brief outbursts of giddiness. Atlanta's The Close turn that tension into indie rock: Melodic bass plays off nerve-jangling guitars and moody keys. On their third album, Sun, Burn, singer-guitarist Brooks Meeks seethes about worn patience and "old new problems." You may have to stretch to find a hint of hope, but try "The John & Donna Thing." The ampersand gives it away.
Thu., Nov. 16, 9 p.m., $8, with The Novenas and El Dorado, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684, www.johnnybrendas.com.
November is Hip-Hop History Month, and the crew of Freshout Media comes through with an event that combines all four elements. Included in Square One is a tribute to graffiti icon Cornbread, a performance by Chosen Dance Company, a crate-digging section for the collectors and a freestyle exhibition that will breeze through the culture's timeline.
Fri., Nov. 17, 8 p.m., $6-$8, with Fel Sweetenberg, Poesh Wonder, Seus and DJ Nex Millen, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400.
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A few dozen instruments appear on Norfolk & Western's latest CD, The Unsung Colony — including all manner of strings and percussion — but the sound rarely rises much above a whisper. All the more reason to pay attention to Adam Seltzer's literate, despondent lyrics.
Sat., Nov. 18, 9 p.m., $8, with Blood Feathers, Corrina Repp and Short Stack, The North Star, 27th and Poplar sts., 215-787-0488, www.northstarbar.com.
The superb Mahler cycle by Christoph Eschenbach and the Philadelphia Orchestra continues with performances of the Symphony No. 4. This richly bucolic four-movement work, with a song at the end, finds our neurotic hero in a relatively sunny frame of mind. The great Berg Violin Concerto is also on the program.
Thu., Nov. 16, 8 p.m., Fri., Nov. 17, 2 p.m., Sat., Nov. 18, 8 p.m., $10-$113, Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St., 215-893-1999, www.kimmelcenter.org.
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Ever imagine a pairing between Deerhoof and Justin Timberlake? Or what Microphones'd sound like blasted with brass and strings? That'd be the intricately arranged mix of multitrack and lo-fi production values crooner/composer David Longstreth applies to his chamber-soul orchestra, the Dirty Projectors. With Longstreth's small, hurt voice, cryptic lyrics and old-world Southern charm to guide them, the Dirty Projectors have grown grander and weirder..
Wed., Nov. 22, 9 p.m., $8, with Make a Rising and Like Moving Insects, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684, www.johnnybrendas.com.
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