Work Drugs Album Release Party @ Spice House Sound with New Myths.
Text and images by Darragh Dandurand.
If you happen to walk down the quaint and sleepy Fishtown alley that Spice House Sound is nestled into, you might, once in and while, hear faint bass lines rattling the windows and muted drum beats trying to break through the walls.
Last Friday night, the little street seemed peaceful and cold, that is unless you knew which doorway to walk through to attend the secret show Work Drugs and New Myths was playing in the wood paneled studio for a few dozen hipsters. The intimate concert was a release party for Work Drugs’ Runaways album.
By around 9 pm, the sound booth started filling up with friends, fellow musicians and some usual suspects from Philadelphia’s local art scene.
New Myths, a trio from New York City, opened up the show with a few appreciate remarks before diving into a heavy-hitting and stripped live sound. They played several selections from recent album, Give Me Noise, including “Howl.” Brit Boras crooned lyrics behind her guitar while Marina Ross, on bass, and Rosie Slater, on drums, backed her with vocals and undeniably catchy rhythms.
Right before Work Drugs was about to start their set, each member slid on a pair of Wayfarers as a nod to their smooth and silly vibe. Outside of live shows, the band consists of guitarist Tom Crystal and pianist Ben Louisiana, but on Friday they had Jonas O on drums and Mr. Kansas City backing on bass. Jennifer Pague of the Philadelphia duo, Vita and the Woolf, also stepped in for a song or two.
Crystal and Louisiana shared turns on the mic, but more often than not, complemented each other’s vocals with paired melodies. In between songs, Louisiana made a few jokes and talked about their excitement for Runaways release. Sipping on Beck’s, the audience would began to sway after only a few bars of each song.
As Spice House Sound filled with music and studio owner, Alex Santilli, recorded every moment of the night, the party lasted well into the early hours of Saturday morning.
JUMP: The Philly Music Project 
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