First Unitarian Church, Oct. 2 - King Tuff (Preview)

Jumping from freak-folk outfit Feathers, to J Mascis side-project Witch, Kyle Thomas has been at refining his methods for some time.

But even before Feathers, Thomas penned his very early career as King Tuff, releasing hardly known CD-R's in the mid-2000s. Those DIY efforts, along with a ton of luck, eventually became Thomas' debut LP Was Dead in 2008.

What came from it was a shining example of garage punk mixed with Thomas' propensity for T. Rex-era glam rock. Not a posthumous anecdote for the lack of glam appeal today, rather, Was Dead melded Thomas' bubbling folk inspirations into a sugary portrayal of garage glory. The method climbed to a bigger realm last year with Thomas' self-titled release, showing his ability for bigger and more grand efforts. In between the album's charming, subdued takes, Thomas exposed his frenetic side with the likes of "Anthem" and "Bad Thing," two undeniable joy-rides that split between '70s nirvana and modern punk thrill.

Thomas' style should fit dubiously well alongside Jacuzzi Boys and Wavves, which will be headlining tonight's show at Philadelphia's First Unitarian Church. Tickets are still available here, courtesy of R5, beginning at 8 p.m.

Watch Fred Armisen's well-deserved goodbye from Saturday Night Live

For those that may have missed the season finale of Saturday Night Live, the show was notable for several reasons. It was the fifth time Ben Affleck, now an Oscar-winning director, hosted, and Kanye West performed some insane new material from his upcoming Yeezus album. But, at least for myself, what ended up stealing the show was the delightful and heartfelt send-off the two of the show's biggest names - Bill Hader and Fred Armisen.

The former saw the epic finale of his beloved Stefon character during weekend update, but the final moment belonged to Armisen. Staying in his Ian Rubbish character, Armisen, with Hader on bass and Jason Sudeikis (also rumored to be leaving) on drums, was joined on stage by his Portlandia counterpart Carrie Brownstein, along with a litany of musicians who've appeared on the show, including; Steve Jones (Sex Pistols), Kim Gordon, J Mascis, Aimie Mann, and Michael Penn. Considering how much Armisen loved the initial Ian Rubbish skit and how his career started as a member of punk band Trenchmouth, this couldn't have been set up better.

Watch "Top Of The Pops" below. Cry if you must.

Monday Bears: New J Mascis - I've Been Thinking

"I've Been Thinking," originally included on J Mascis' Japanese version of Several Shades of Why, will also be featured on Sub Pop's B-Side of Mascis' upcoming single release "Circle." I'm still trying to figure out why the Japanese get more bonus tracks than others seem to.