Our Weekly Concert Picks: February 5–February 12

Don't miss out on some fantastic shows coming up this week including Cheers Elephant, Laser Background and more!

Wednesday, February 6: Cheers Elephant at Johnny Brenda's

Philly's Cheers Elephant craft big, friendly rockers that draw from all your fave 60's bands: The Beatles, The Kinks, The Byrds, and more. The band's 2012 LP, Like Wind Blows Fire, found them at the fore of the local  pop scene, with an "Album of the Week" nod from XPN, a featured track on Hype Machine, and opening spots for Mayer Hawthorne and Rubblebucket. Live, the band explodes with energy and passion, from front man Derek Krzywicki's smooth vocals and excellent falsetto, to drummer Robert Kingsly's Animal-esque drumming (yes, we just compared him to a Muppet.) Did we mention the record is available as a free DL via Bandcamp? This is one you'll wanna hit repeat on.

9:00 at Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., $10. Tickets available here.

Thursday, February 7: Laser Background at Kung Fu Necktie

Laser Background is the stage name of Andy Molholt, formerly of The Armchairs (RIP) and booker/music enthusiast about town. As Laser Background, he crafts space-y psych-pop that runs the gamut from jaunty, circus numbers to lackadaisical dreamers—exploring the effects of childhood on perception. His debut, self-titled EP dropped last summer, and immediately impressed us with its ease and scope (stream it for free via Bandcamp) ; shortly after its release, Molholt and pal Brenda Mulvihill (of Norwegian Arms) holed up in 4 different DIY houses, 4 weeks in a row, to indulge childhood further (the "rules" included a mandatory couch-fort clause) and inspire new material. His show at KFN marks the kick-off of a mini East Coast tour, so expect high spirits and lots of wackiness.

8:00 at Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., $8. Tickets available here. 

Saturday, February 9: Mice Parade at the North Star Bar

Constantly evolving, NYC's Mice Parade first crept onto the radar in the late '90s, when percussionist Adam Pierce recorded and released The True Meaning of Boodleybaye, an instrumental record filled with heavy drumming and melodic overdubs. Since then, the band has reinvented itself countless times, flirting with African and world music influences, Eastern rhythms, and rock and shoegaze guitars, and featuring vocals from múm's Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir and Stereolab's Laetitia Sadier. Their most recent, Candela (named for a flamenco bar in Madrid) is perhaps their most accessible yet, juxtaposing Pierce's knotted drumming with singer Caroline Lufkin's sweet crooning.

9:00 at The North Star Bar, 2638 Poplar St., $10. Tickets available here. 

Monday, February 11: Toro Y Moi at Union Transfer

Toro Y Moi's Chaz Bundick is practically royalty among the chillwave scene, his 2011 record Underneath the Pine providing the soundtrack to many a late-night hang that summer. On new release Anything in Return, Bundick expands his range, incorporating more angular beats and elements of funk, hip-hip, R&B and more (see: killer first single "Say That";  the so-seductive "So Many Details.")  Live, the too-cool front man has also proven master mood-setter, so gear up for endless grooving and make-out vibes.  Arrive early for opener Wild Belle, whose debut single "Keep You" is sexy and catchy enough to launch the band to fame.

8:30 at Union Transfer, 1024 Spring Garden St., $15. Tickets available here.