Philadelphia Phruitcore (frut kɔr), a term coined by Mega Mango and used by a few other acts from the city, forms a new genre and era in music. Similar to bedroom pop, this subsection of bedroom rock combines experimental soundscape ambiances, easy flow feels, and influential indie rock bands. Stemming deeper into the modern classifications of rock, this genre may only be at its infancy.

Before listing the acts of established artists in this field, some cultural norms have been established by the namer of the genre. Commonly, as seen on a few Philadelphia rock group social media accounts, many words that start with the letter “f” are replaced with a “ph”. For example, the word “fruit” would be written as “phruit”. Additionally, groups that hold a similar sound will fit the genre if the group name has a fruit in its title. 

To name some highlighted acts with these conditions, there is; Mega Mango (mm), a 4 piece rock band known for the song “You Spent All Your Love” and their latest release “Boggle” after a 2 year hiatus; Diet Lemon, a side project by Alexander Spagnolia (mm) that recently released two new wavy singles, “lime” and “melt”; Lil Guac, a solo-artist best described as having a relaxed hip-hop movement, clean vocals, and a raw emotional reflections; and Peach Pit, a 4-piece alternative/indie pop band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Expanding on the sound, some major influences to this genre include Stella Donnelley, tomtsu, Ritt Momney, Stella Bridie, The Greeting Committee, and Liv Davidson to name a few. While dominantly being cradled in rock, Phruitcore pays homage to certain elements found in songs by Modest Mouse, Arctic Monkeys, and other well known international rock bands.

If you want to learn more about this genre, the best way to do so is by diving into the community. We also think you would enjoy this playlist that will give you a taste of Philly Phruitcore. The bands listed above are included on this playlist, including Mega Mango’s latest release “Sorry!” that dropped this past Tuesday.