HESSIANS

Shawn Kilroy's Weird Hot and electro-experimental duo Gemini Wolf are combining forces tonight at Johnny Brenda's for a joint revealing of their latest musical undertakings. Lifelong Philadelphian Shawn Kilroy will debut both his new full seven-piece outfit, and shiny new full-length album Casimir. His first release since 2009's Hessian Love Songs, Casimir (released on Philly's new Ghost Imprint) is a schizophrenic melding of disco-funk, moody '90s alternative, and dark folk. Suited for a coffee black held by a flannelled arm, new track "Mimeograph" is a grungy and melancholic piece that explodes into an unexpected breakdown of shredding electric, while the macabre "Girls Like The Waitress" exudes the gloomy sensitivity of Elliot Smith with the spine-chilling darkness of Nick Cave and holds a certain epic subtlety not often braved by the everyday indie folkster. Kilroy takes another turn with the jazzy psychedelia of "Jealous," a multi-layered piece with the lightheartedness of the Shins and the transcendent oddness of Portishead. Weird Hot succeeds in taking a style being performed by the masses and adds unexpected elements that transform it into a style of its own.
-Jules Freidland