After multiple sneak peaks into their forthcoming LP, Philly indie rockers The Districts just premiered Popular Manipulations over at NPR's First Listen. The group worked with producer John Congleton, once again, on their third full-length album, but they also guided the project themselves with help from audio engineer Keith Abrams (of Pine Barons), creating a beautifully robust sounding record. Popular Manipulations officially comes out next Friday, August 11 via Fat Possum Records, and you can help the quartet welcome its arrival at Union Transfer that same evening on a stacked bill, which also includes talented local pals The Spirit of the Beehive and Abi Reimold.

Protesters have been gathering for months near Standing Rock Sioux reservation to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline, which poses a threat to water resources and sacred Native American sites. With state officials ordering activists to vacate the area and an incoming President financially invested in the 3.8 billion dollar project, the thousands camped in the snow and freezing temperatures certainly could use any help possible battling the odds and greed of Corporate America. The Districts recently posted a couple of demos ("One to Another" & "Alice"), which you can stream and purchase below, with all proceeds going to the Standing Rock Medic & Healer Council. Please donate.

Before leaving for tour, The District's Rob Grote was asked to record a tune for Amazon's Songs of Summer playlist. He chose to cover "Nightswimming" by R.E.M., off their 1992 LP Automatic for the People. There is certainly a nocturnal feel to this lo-fi version, transporting you into simply a music lover's bedroom in the middle of the night, where he is alone with his toys and one of his favorite songs. You can stream the new track HERE.

World Cafe Live is hosting a fundraiser for Beyond The Bars, featuring rising local artists such as The Districts and Hop Along’s Frances Quinlan. All ticket sales will benefit the Beyond The Bars program, which provides musical education and instruments for incarcerated youth in Greater Philadelphia. The program seeks to empower these disadvantaged young men and women by equipping them with an outlet for creative expression and a sense of agency while they grapple with the frequently disorienting and dissociative bureaucracy of the criminal justice system. In support of this righteous cause, The Districts will take to the stage on Sunday evening with their universally adored, weary-plodding folk-pop/rock. Frances Quinlan will jolt you awake with her electric and hugely dynamic voice. Also pitching in for the cause will be Lushlife (DJ Set), Queen of Jeans, Ben Arnold, Milton, and The Bul Bey. World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St, 4pm, $20, All Ages. - Bryce Woodcock