Blood have called Philadelphia — an epiceter for underground and DIY music — home for the past few years. The queer post-punk outfit, once longtime residents of Austin, decided to pack up and make a fresh start in late 2021, moving into a house together in the city to both change their POV and spend more time writing music collectively. Although the band encompass a different lineup these days, their latest album, Loving You Backwards, released last week, captures the immersion of a tight-knit sextet who lost hours in pursuit of crafting great songs. Fittingly, Loving You Backwards is filled with them, stretching from hard-hitting ballads to weirdo pop flourishes and post-rock riffs as the band reckon with the past while trying to stay entrenched in the present. “As an individual, I felt liberated to let the femme shades of my voice show on record for the first time and allowed my first true love for pop melodies to come to the surface,” chief lyricist Tim O’Brien says. Following the completion of Loving You Backwards, half of their members left to pursue other projects, but the band are still kicking, playing shows sporadically in support of their shapeshifting new record.
Read more: 24 of the most exciting rising artists to watch in 2024
To ring in its release, we asked Blood to name their favorite Philly bands. Dive into their picks below.
Florry
Gotta give it up to the first band we fell in love with in Philly. Saw them play in a backyard at the end of summer when we first moved here. They covered “Harvest Moon,” and I was immediately transported home. Francie has a lot of magic to her and extends it to the rest of her band. It’s funny that it took moving from Texas to Philadelphia to find great new country music that isn’t wearing the costume or caring about anything beyond the song.
@
This is the most exciting thing to come out of Philly for me. Our bassist Nino now play cello, their primary instrument, in the group. Stone and Victoria write instant classics. Listen to Mind Palace Music right now. The songs are misleadingly simple sounding and hit with a gut punch of sorrow in a way that is matter of fact and very refreshing.
Fernette
Our friend Danyelle fronts this trio, who are making some of the dreamiest industrial jazz with the heaviest bonehead beats produced by Rashid. The performance feels like watching a movie in that Danyelle’s performance is dynamic, haunting, and never falters for a moment. There isn’t anyone out there pulling these types of influences together as beautifully. Get to the goddamn gig.
Victory Land
Album was written by our friend Julian and the rhythm section of Blood last year. Their debut record, Sprain, just dropped everywhere, and it has stunned all of our friends with how good it is. Julian has been woodshedding since I met him six years ago and cannot stop writing intense, innovative, and break your neck, banging your head on the steering wheel hits. His next batch of songs sounds totally different and abandons the guitar. He moved to New York and is going to drop a ton of heat on those bozos up there.
Birth
New band made up our friends in West Philly, who are an experimental electronic four-piece that paint a beautiful atmosphere that is wildly unique in every song. Despite the left-of-center take, they write very catchy songs that you’ll be humming when you leave the show.
Ratsmagick
Our very own Dennis Martinelli’s band. They’ve got influences everywhere from eastern european folk traditions, religious hymns, and death metal. Dude has a nasty pig squelch that is used too conservatively if you ask me.
Primal Rat Screw
They put on one hell of a show. Last time I saw them, they had a giant paper mache head with a spotlight in the center of it moshing around like a giant KISS bobblehead. Don’t miss out on seeing them.
Cry 9 C
It is hard to find industrial music that maintains a sort of constant onslaught of noise, but also has such gushing emotion and a feeling of embrace that rings clear in the wave. Again, a one-of-a-kind band in the scene that surprises me every time.
Fib
Moved here and overnight were one of the most annoyingly tight punk bands around.
Giant
Incredible band including our very own Fred, who is a total prodigy. Fred is the best dressed in the band and city.
