Swearin' + Empath

It's easy to describe the recently reunited Swearin’—"hooky garage-punk" ought to do it—but tough to convey exactly why the local quartet is so effective. Maybe it's the uncommon poise of covocalist Allison Crutchfield, whose delivery suggests a riot-grrrl take on the Guided by Voices oeuvre. Opening is Empath of queer Philly label Get Better Records, a noise-rock quartet that cobbles together bird chirps, kaleidoscopic synth noise and frenetic drumming into a glittering, dizzyingly manic sonic mélange.