Soundadvice

Get Out!

Can you find pop perfection at the bottom of a swooning synthesizer or the top of a sugar mountain chorus? In the '90s there were bands trying to do just that in every basement and house show across the land. Maybe that's not the way to heaven but some came close, and it's nice to see a new breed taking up the quest. Get to it, Kung Fu Girls. Let's see if you can figure out the correct cuteness-to-snark ratio.

—Patrick Rapa

Sat., June 21, 9 p.m., $10, with Boy Girl Sleepover, Plan the Escape and Sincerely Monroe, The Fire, 412 W. Girard Ave., 267-671-9298, iourecords.com/thefire.

Washington, D.C.'s loss is Philly's gain. That's classical pianist turned jazzbo Alexandra Day — the sultry Anita O' Day-meets-Fiona Apple singer/songwriter whose No Castles No Moats is the dreamiest. There's some folk and country stuck amongst the torch song thorns, like the cello-filled "Under the Bridge." But mostly her debut CD's an oozing, nervy, jazzy affair with strikingly sensitive vocals and admirable poetic lyrics. Cellist Monica McIntyre is on the bill as is Ben Carroll — a model whose parents were in Starland Vocal Band. Don't you hurt him.

—A.D. Amorosi

Wed., June 25, 8:30 p.m., $10, with Monica McIntyre, Ben Carroll and Anj, Tin Angel, 20 S. Second St., 215-928-0770, tinangel.com.

Few Americans knew his name when he was with U.K.-based indie rock band Easyworld, but David Ford's certainly getting our attention now. His jaw-dropping performance of "Go to Hell" — a one-take video of Ford playing every part from the single off his current Songs for the Road CD — quickly became a YouTube hit and built buzz for his dynamic, loop-enhanced solo performances. Ford's late-night gig at the smaller upstairs World Café Live stage should provide the just the right vibe for his intimate-yet-cinematic songs.

—Nicole Pensiero

Thu., June 26, 10:30 p.m., $15, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400, worldcafelive.com.

It's amazing what a melody can overcome. Philly's Spark Is a Diamond is all about constructing a rasping, heaving, ugly pile of punk brutality, and yet, your ears, resilient and clever as ever, can still pick up on something catchy, maybe even dancey.

—Patrick Rapa

Thu., June 19, 9 p.m., $8, with Hey Hey and Ganto Barn, Khyber, 56 S. Second St., 215-238-5888, thekhyber.com.

Brook Fraser became a superstar at age 19 in her native New Zealand with a pensive, spiritually tinged debut album that yielded four chart-topping singles and went seven times platinum. Five years and another CD later, and ethereal-voiced Fraser seems poised for her U.S. breakthrough, or at least a solid attempt. Touring in support of her sophomore effort, the understated yet catchy Albertine, Fraser — who plays both guitar and piano — will be backed by two supporting musicians.

—Nicole Pensiero

Tue., June 24, with guest William Fitzsimmons, 8:30 p.m., $15, Tin Angel, 20 S. Second St., 215-928-0770, tinangel.com.