After a pressure cooker of a week, this weekend offers the opportunity to let out some steam, ease the tension, and let loose. This evening, Cheerleader heads the billing at Johnny Brenda’s. The quintet’s misty, refreshing melodies wash over you in a pleasantly cruising daydream. An inherent, rolling, rhythmic optimism sticks into the grooves, escaping the day-to-day grind. Tonight, they’ll be supported by Buffalo garage-rock trio Made Violent and the Brooks Brothers-led musical ensemble of Louds, whose bright, bubbling pop-rock naturally spills over on to the dance floor.

On Saturday at Johnny Brenda's, the quirky sing-along, carnival, musical troupe of OhBree brings out all the bells and whistles, celebrating their new record Burn Bridges, Burn Pies. Orchestrating their precision-oriented, multi-faceted soundscapes, Grandchildren helps in setting the musical scene, along with the engaging, energy-rich ebb & flow of Mumblr and the subdued pop of Glenn Matthews.

And whether you simply aren’t ready for the party to end or are an early riser ready for some Sunday day-drinking, get on over to The Barbary for the first annual Psychedelic Breakfast with psych-garage trio Residuels, local grindcore three-piece Die Choking, An Albatross, and much more. - Michael Colavita

Other places to escape the chill this weekend…

Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) FRI Cheerleader, Louds, SAT OhBree  (Record Release), Grandchildren, Mumblr, Glenn Matthews, SUN Scantron, Matt Kelly

Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Milton, SAT Oh, Are They?, Starterjacket

Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Rosali, Valley Exit/Sky Valley, SAT Chvnce, Matt Arthur, Ellen Siberian Tiger/X-Hunters/Fame Lust, SUN Decap Attak, Buzzherd, Blasphemous, My Son Bison

PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12^th St.) SAT Palm, Palberta

Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) FRI Splintered Sunlight, SAT Elvin T, Siyoung, Alex Burkat, Chris B, Shawn Ryan, Fosho & Tell

Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden St.) FRI Tigers Jaw, SUN Hemming

Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2^nd St.) FRI 56 Men, Teen Dads, I Think Like Midnight, SAT On The Cooling Board, North Lawrence Midnight Singers, TC Cole Riot, SUN Tapes & Tubes, Jesse Gimbel

The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) FRI Blac Papi, Kyte Wilson , Blum Bros., Born Cold, SUN Lee Mazin, Kur, DJ Diamond Kuts, Bri Steves, Phat Geez

World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) SAT (Upstairs) Chris Paterno Band / Joe Trainor Trio (Evening of Billy Joel)

The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave.) FRI Geisha Façade, So Totally, SUN Die Choking, Residuels

The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.)  SUN Marielle Kraft

MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) SAT Cold Roses, Chalk & the Beige Americans, Christine Irizarry

Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3^rd St.) FRI Broad St. Burlesque, SAT Family Volleyball, Salfi

Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) SAT Drama, Spazz Ripley, Xilomen/DJ Deejay

Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SAT The Ellipses, Wack Cheddar, The Phonies, SUN Rusty Cadillac

Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9^th St.) FRI Riverside Odds, 66 Stitches, Seeing Snakes, Beer Me, SAT Thunder & Glory, The Charley Few

Voltage Lounge (421 N. 7^th St.) FRI J.O. The Last Man, SUN Heavensake

Morgan’s Pier (221 N. Columbus Boulevard) FRI DJ Beatstreet, SAT DJ Kevin Kong, SUN Slainte

The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI The Sly Foxes, Bazmati Vice, The Cultour, Jam Traffic, SAT Spicy Meatball, Adam Travis & The Soul, Brodi Valos

Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) FRI The Sermon. SAT Jah People

The Pharmacy (1300 S. 18^th St.) FRI Eagle Daddy, Black Dirty, Mage Hand/Disappearances, Sunstroke, Kochiyama, SAT The Stone Eye, Highburnator/Birthday Boy, SUN Clique, The Point Breeze Country Club/Truant Minds, Rentboys, Pretty Words

Tralfamadore (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Elaine Rasnake, Gravers Lane 

Glitter Galaxy (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Thin Lips

The Sound Hole (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Carroll, Cerulean Blue

Grubby Little Hands will be headlining the bill tonight at Johnny Brenda’s. The former duo’s upcoming album, Garden Party, which will be released on April 29 via Lefse Records, boasts a newly fortified lineup of instrumentalists, including members of Brown Recluse and Young Grandpa, equipping them with a wider, richer sonic spectrum for their languorous, whimsical psychedelia to survey. Thankfully, the addition of these members has not disturbed the feng shui of the band, as established by their first couple releases; the music continues its starry-eyed stroll down the path of experimental/experiential psych-pop that bands like Animal Collective and Atlas Sound paved with the same glassy, listless enlightenment. Supporting Grubby Little Hands is Grandchildren, the eclectic baroque pop band that draws inspiration as much from modern indie as Afropop, classical, and orchestral music. Also scheduled to perform is The Orange Drop, who model their sound more directly in the style of classic 60's psychedelic rock, while also inescapably passing and refracting through the lens of 90's neo-psychedelia on the way. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9pm, $10, 21+ - Bryce Woodcock

Grandchildren take intricate orchestration, giving it an omnipresent percussive backdrop. The resulting sound is synchronized. Layered to establish complex grooves, rejecting gravitational force and instilling a floating ethereal quality. Providing a natural lift, this well-oiled machine offers palatable precision that can be broken down by the connections of its parts but succeeds in unification. Tonight at Bourbon & Branch, the casual folk/surf melodic warmth of Outside Eyes and Canadian indie-rock vets The Stills complete a lineup that will help you escape the weight of the week ahead. Bourbon & Branch, 705 N. 2nd St., 8pm $10, 21+ - Michael Colavita

Electro-acoustic orchestral pop quintet Grandchildren just released their new full-length album Zuni over the weekend. According to frontman Aleks Martray, "Creating this record was about embracing the nightmarish feelings and surreal twilight zone moments that occur in real life. Not trying to wake up from them, but actually walking further into their landscape and exploring their narratives for deeper truths, no matter how inconvenient they may be. That's where we find strength to take control of something that seemingly controlled us." You can now stream and the download the LP in its entirety below, and purchase it on vinyl via Ernest Jenning. 

Energy seems ready to burst at the seams when electro-acoustic orchestral pop ensemble Grandchildren get to work on stage. Tonight, the group celebrates the release of its third LP Zuni (Ernest Jenning) with a performance at Johnny Brenda’s. Grandchildren maintain a keen ear with an attention to detail and a catalyst of movement. Overall, the compositions pull from a large spectrum of musical influences. The results are thoughtfully layered, while capturing an organic vibrancy. It’s a loose-feeling, tightly-threaded sound that’s both calm and the storm. With a new release, Tropical Information Systems, due this fall via Data Garden, Christopher Sean Powell, a.k.a. Spaceship Aloha, transports you to a futuristic island with his escapist, radiating, electronic percussive grooves. Captained by Daniel Schlett, the interstellar journey of Brooklyn’s White Bike sets the table for an intricate and refreshing evening. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9pm, $12, 21+ - Michael Colavita