The Key Studio Sessions: Puppy Angst

Puppy Angst | photo by Paige Walter for WXPN

Watch an explosive performance from these rising stars of the Philly indie scene.

After becoming established as an integral player in Philly's indie rock scene through bands like Blushed and Kississippi, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Alyssa Milman focused on themself last year, returning to their own project Puppy Angst and releasing the cathartic ScorpioSeason LP. Evoking a spectrum of artists from My Bloody Valentine to Indigo De Souza, the record mixes punk, shoegaze, and introspective singer-songwriter rock, diving deeply into themes of trauma and healing.

This week, Puppy Angst releases the first single of their next chapter — a bright and explosive song called "TKO," with confident lyrics delivered in a commanding vocal: "I’m gonna stand up for myself / I’ll put myself first before anyone else." Milman is all in on Puppy Angst, and it shows, and their five bandmates joined them in WXPN Studios this week for a high-energy three-song set showcasing the new single (out Friday, pre-save it here) as well as two highlights from Scorpio Season. We hear the dissonant "Perpetual," a rager about disconnecting from a frustrating reality, and "Yellow Paint," a poetic song using a Van Gogh metaphor to depict the experience of recognizing and rejecting a toxic relationship.

Puppy Angst is a team of heavy hitters — John Heywood from Alex G's band on bass, Pauli Mia from Twin Princess on synth and vocals, Eric Naroden from In Lieu Of Roses on drums, and Dan Leinweber on guitar and vocals — and you can watch these rising stars perform in our studio in the video below. For more, make plans to catch them on Friday, June 2nd at Tin Can Bar, or Saturday July 1st at Johnny Brenda's; details on both shows can be found at WXPN's Concerts and Events page.

Setlist"Perpetual""TKO""Yellow Paint"