There's a reason Rolling Stone magazine picked Philadelphia as it's Hot City recently. The city's music scene has more amazing quality bands playing around town on a regular basis than it has in at least 20 years. I mentioned The Swimmers earlier this week, they're playing a cd release party at Johnny Brenda's tonight. Grammar Debate and The Creeping Weeds are just a couple doors down at The M Room. Philadelphia's Fishtown section is going to have the roof blown off all around. Beretta 76 are taking their blistering rock show on the road to Trenton NJ and are playing the 449 Room tonight, and today's featured band Public Record brings it to The Khyber in Old City along with Brown Recluse Sings. That's just four of the many choices for tonight. All of them well worth seeing on any night.

Public Record lists their influences on their myspace page as Bohannon, Orange Juice, Al Green, Studio One, Caetano Veloso, Motown, Joe Gibbs, Stax, Josef K, Broadcast, Ethiopiques, Channel One, James Brown, Jackie Mitoo, Talking Heads, The Contortions, Jorge Ben, Sound Dimension, Big Flame, King Tubby, David Axlerod, Hard Bop, Impressions, Fela Kuti, Sonic Youth, Stereolab, Carlton & the Shoes. Now I'm sure as you read that list you're probably saying to yourself how can they possibly roll all that into one sound. As I sit here listening to a couple mixes of tracks from their upcoming release I'm trying to put into words for you how it all really does make sense. An all instrumental septet, they bake jazz,funk,indie rock,afro beat and more into one heavily danceble, highly textured rhythmic cake, all iced with Hilary Baker's slinky saxophone lines. Their new record on Philadelphia's own High Two label comes out early next year and it's one you don't want to miss. Many thanks to Gareth for sharing an early taste you can all hear below.

Public Record :
Hilary Baker - saxophone
Brent Bohan - bass
Gareth Duffield - guitar, keyboards, melodica
Charles Duquesne - percussion, drums
Ted Johnson - drums, percussion
Matt Lyons - drums, percussion
Greg Pavlovcak - guitar

MP3: Public Record - Comfortability
MP3: Public Record - French Suburb

Upcoming Shows:
10/27/2007 08:00 PM - The Khyber 56 S. 2nd St., Philadelphia, PA
Public Record w/ The Lodger, Small Sins, & Brown Recluse Sings.

10/28/2007 08:00 PM - The Velvet Lounge The Velvet Lounge 915 U Street, Washington, DC
Public Record w/ The Lodger, Lorelei, and Julie Ocean

[MYSPACE]