This Sunday, DIY collective Mountair hosts a benefit festival for Pehrspace dubbed The Dark Frontier — an all-day event featuring chilling ’80s-inspired sounds. Performances will run the gamut of post-punk, synthpop, and electropunk with BCGs, Ghost Noise (who just released the single "Crucifix" for their upcoming double-album), Intimatchine, Terminal A, and more, with DJs Michael Fierstein (KXLU) and Carlos Rossi (Death Waltz Recording Company) playing between sets. 

The event is all ages and doors open at 3 PM. Proceeds will help maintain the art gallery/performance venue. – Ryan Mo

If you didn’t get to see Pretend‘s stellar performance during Young Lovers’ residency at Pehrspace, know this: Nick Reinhart was grooving pretty damn hard to their music, and Pehrspace hit capacity before the encore. 

Now that you know you missed out on something big, here’s a second shot to catch the enigmatic musicians: along with guitar-drum mathcore duo 100 Onces, Pretend will support touring New Jersey trio Vasudeva, whose last album Life in Cycles will definitely connect with fans of upbeat mathy post-rock like Enemies, The Bulletproof Tiger, Dios Trio. Then again, if you know of such bands, you’re probably very familiar with these three and are wondering how you didn’t find out about this earlier.

Presented by Sound of a Vacuum, the show is happening at North Hollywood’s Bonnerhaus, doors open at 8pm. Vasudeva are moving through California for the first time, and tonight they’re playing in Fresno at Frank’s Place/Star Palace with The Unending Thread. You can still catch them on Saturday in Anaheim’s The Eclectic Room with locals like Hollow Ran, Panoramic, and Twentytwofourteen. – Ryan Mo

San Fernando Valley has this band called Draag, and they don’t play by genre conventions. After splitting with his first band Tremellow, guitarist/vocalist Adrian Acosta started with an idea to get the finest musicians he knew in one room, playing whatever they wound up playing. He admits to SpeakIMG in an interview, "When I started the band, I really had no idea the kind of band I was putting together. I just knew who I wanted on my team." That statement might sound like heresy to a lot of musicians, but in this case it worked out perfectly for Draag, who recently played at the Make Music Pasadena Festival with The Electric West, Hobart W Fink, Tashaki Miyaki, and more.

Their influences go off several deep ends, from Talking Heads to The Pixies and Autechre, and you might hear bits of new wave, post-punk, krautrock, and surf punk. Hell, Traci Lordz‘s opening track "Milk Money" even gets into some a cappella goodness. But Draag aren’t just piecemealing these elements to show their skills (we acknowledge said skills, though) — they’re faithfully honing their own ideas with an arsenal of sounds: high-gain fuzz, ’80s synth presets, oscillating delay, and dance-y drum machines. So far, it’s working out really well for them.

Draag released their debut record Traci Lordz earlier in January, and are currently in the process of booking their fall shows and working on a new release. Listen to "Gown" from Traci Lordz below. – Ryan Mo

Liphemra is headed to perform this Wednesday at the Low End Theory with Brooklyn’s future soul savant Taylor McFerrin, experimental hip-hop from Monterey Ashtre Jinkins, and LA’s ill goddess LINAFORNIA. Expect top shelf performances by residents The Gaslamp Killer, Nobody, D-Styles, Low End Theory host Nocando, and independent label Alpha Pup co-founder Daddy Kev.

Due to unforseen circumstances, Liphemra was unable to perform at the Low End Theory in May. But that hasn’t slowed them down — Liphemra worked last-minute support for Algiers‘ West Coast tour, gave a stellar performance at the second Lolipalooza, and released their zine did u cry through Lollipop and Burger Records to fan acclaim. Now, the four-piece dubbed by IMPOSE as "one of LA’s most passionate and sonically progressive phenomenons" are in full gear, with a return to the annual Echo Park Rising festival and new material in the works.

Watch the premiere of the music video for Liphemra’s recent release "Magazines" directed by Liza Mandelup and witness the grandeur live Wednesday night at the Low End Theory. – Ryan Mo

Liphemra // Magazines from Liza Mandelup on Vimeo.

Based on the film by New Wave film maker Jean-Luc Godard, Tasia Trevino and Kenny Carranza’s newest single "Vivre Sa Vie" courses psych revivalist tones through lyrics that recount the life and spirit of Nana pushing against an unsympathetic world. This is the first release of new material Ghostporn have hinted on for their upcoming album, which will contain nods to Broadcast, Jeff Buckley, and Scott Walker (The Walker Brothers).

Ghostporn will open for post-punk trio Dirt Dress‘s last show along with Froth at tonight at the Non Plus Ultra. Listen to "Vivre Sa Vie" below, and find the lyrics to the song here. — Ryan Mo

If last night’s Steven Universe episode has reiterated anything that I already know, it’s that people can always appreciate heroes who struggle in the face of adversity. DIY kind of embodies that. We work our hardest to get to a point that could make or break our hobby.

Cesar Alas, Julian Tallman-Rogantini, and Kim Reyes have musicially worked together in different capacities: Rogantini and Alas meshed well in a previous band project, while Kim and Alas both sang in choir class. While Alas made the first move to induct Rogantini and Reyes to The Unending Thread, their present state was defined by the ambition and hard work of all three members. Hailing from the San Fernando Valley, the band’s history spans nearly five years, whittled down from an initial lineup of five. Warped Tours have come and gone, but their aim stays true. They still enjoy boba. I’m not sure if they popped their cosplay cherry yet. It could happen.

Big news though: after years of demos, singles, and acoustic covers (thumbs for Sinatra and Fitzgerald), The Unending Thread have finished their first album, <selftitled> the unending thread </selftitled>, out on July 25th via Little L Records digitally, and in cassette and CD format. Pre-orders are available now through Bandcamp. To celebrate the album’s release, we’re premiering the single "Effie", a fast-burner with swirling vocal melodies dripping ’90s emo, kaleidoscopic guitars featuring Jeremy Amato (Arid & Amethyst), and push-pull rhythms. Jazzy, poppy, and more than suggestively dance-y, "Effie" shines a light through eclectic influences like The Mars Volta, Haitus Kaiyote, and Chon. 

The Unending Thread will be doing a mid-summer tour through California with stops in Nevada and Arizona and ends with Silverlake’s DIY Fest. The tour kick-off starts next Monday at the White Oak Music Arts with Post Life, Celebrity Crush, and Coex. – Ryan Mo

The fifth annual Echo Park Rising has announced the 2015 lineup! The initial lineup includes heavy hitters like Blank Tapes, Dengue Fever, Roses, Fever The Ghost, Hanni El Khatib, and Kera and The Lesbians as well as Deli features Media Jeweler, Liphemra, Tennis System, Winter. More acts will be announced in the coming weeks.

Celebrating local music, arts, and small businesses, Echo Park Rising transforms several bustling routes into a summer weekend block party, with events happening through the afternoon and into the night. Yearly participants of Echo Park Rising include iam8bit Gallery, Stories Books and Café, Lot 1, The Echo/Echoplex, Bedrock LA studios, and the signature French restaurant Taix which sits at the crossing of Sunset Blvd and Park Ave. The event is free and all-ages (sans spaces that serve alcohol), but Echo Park Rising is currently offering VIP 3-day passes for exclusive viewing access, line-skip privileges, easy bar access, and limited-quantity souvenirs. VIP 1-day passes will be available when full lineup is announced.

Echo Park Rising was created in 2011 by several club and business owners to quickly replace the Sunset Junction festival, according to LA Times. Last year’s festival included performances by Cherry Glazerr, Allah-Las, Crisis Arm, Bur Gur, and Tapioca and the Flea. Sound advice: avoid parking near the lake on afternoons. – Ryan Mo

There’s something oddly romantic about Ryan Duncan’s musical history. The San Bernardino-raised man traversed an audio engineering background and befriended fellow noisemaker Lawrence Lindell: the latter’s DIY label Noise Met Sound released Gypsy Eyes‘ single "REM" and his debut full-length The Escapist in 2013.

These pieces were colorful and ludic, combining elements of jungle with Duncan’s fascination for idiophones, raising candles to the likes of B12 and Autechre. His time spent working with the autodidactic musician echoed sentiments of a creative marriage between seemingly polar opposites. Duncan’s past suggests that he is capable of manifesting pop in the avant garde, finding balance between cold sounds and hot beats. He takes a pass on this new EP.

"Whispers, Stitches, Catacombs, Fear" marks the first physical release and pronounced shift toward musique concréte, perhaps a return to his engineering roots: it’s a collection of six improvised vignettes that study textures abrasive and gentle. Ambient noise, wind chimes, and field recordings coalesce into a surreal atmosphere, bereft of rhythm. It’s a work that could stand among notables of the genre like Daniel Menche and David Lee Myers, obscure as they might be. But even for the unitiated, "Whispers, Stitches, Catacombs, Fear" is magnetic, challenging listeners to question the essence of song and communicating ideas conventionally left alone.

Stream Gypsy Eyes’ "Whispers, Stitches, Catacombs, Fear" on New Normal Label‘s bandcamp or buy the cassette for just $5. – Ryan Mo

San Francisco’s PLUSH and pardoner are making rounds on their first tour together through California, and tomorrow they’re hitting up Club Violaine’s M-Club in Boyle Heights tomorrow, July 14. Enjoy the comforts of Sonic Youth-inspired noise-punk (pardoner), a rarity in Los Angeles, and 50’s-reminisicent pop churned through fuzz and reverb aka sob rock (PLUSH).

The night will be supported by rising locals: post-rock group Young Lovers and doomgazers SHEER. If you’ve been to any of their recent shows you know how expansive these two can get. So you’ll probably want to bring earplugs.

First band is on at 9 PM, 21+ venue and five bucks a pop. Get a taste of PLUSH and pardoner below, and gaze responsibly. – Ryan Mo

The Dreamgaze Festival is back, and this time it’s happening at Los Globos.

Presented in tandem with DKFM, Dream Wave, Counter Culture, and KXLU, Dreamgaze Festival will feature bands of Los Angeles’ alternative youth scene, including the post-rock quartet Young Lovers, coldwave/post-industrial group Cruelty Code, bi-coastal duo Ablebody, and dreamgazing band Cre·scen·do. The festival will also be graced by Florida’s indie/electronic producer Millionyoung, Arizona’s lo-fi shoegazers Shallow, San Francisco’s dreamy power trio Balms, and more.

Presale tickets are available on the DreamGaze site, and a limited quantity will be sold at Origami Vinyl. More acts will be announced in the coming weeks, so this is looking to be a thoroughly packed show — don’t wait up. The DreamGaze Festival’s last iteration was held near Ontario and featured bands like Tennis System, SHEER, and the Italian dreampop Be Forest. Its organizer, Gregory Cole, is the guitarist/singer for Cre·scen·do and promoter of underground music events. – Ryan Mo

Burbank’s punk trio Dustin and the Explosions play whatever they feel like. Sometimes it’s abrasive, in-your-face hardcore punk, and other times it’s pacific and briney surf rock. Sometimes Mike Trejo and Cindy Sukrattanawong switch instruments between songs. We haven’t seen Evan Piehler step off the drums yet, but who knows? It could happen.

One thing is constant about Dustin and the Explosions: in their years of existence they’ve run non-stop DIY. The group has been actively setting up and playing shows with the locale, usually at The Smell: bands like Kid Cadaver, GRMLN, Post-Life, and WASI. It’s no question that the band exists for their love of music, even the production and label aspect — the trio even release friends’ records via their startup Bed Weather Records. And yeah, they tend to share a musical connection with Southern California’s hardcore punk bands, like The Dead Kennedys, only their lyrics aren’t sardonic and politically charged — they’re pretty introspective and hit really close to home.

Dustin and the Explosions’ newest 7" release Serpents was released last May, nearly two years since their debut album Off-White Noise, and they’ve just released a music video for their song "I Don’t Know Any Kakarot, That’s Not My Name" filmed by members of Ghost Noise. Catch them again next month for a live performance at (where else?) The Smell. Maybe you’ll see Evan on guitar for a song? – Ryan Mo

The multi-instrumentalist duo Gliss dropped their newest album Pale Reflections after a heady recording/mixing process in Berlin, and it’s been on perpetual repeat for me. 10 songs merge Kick in Your Heart’s ’60s garage rock revivalism with newer modes explored in Langsom Dans: gossamers of synth and boy/girl whispers drape over the slow-burn of distortion that’s simply to die for. It’s hypnotic, it’s carcinogenic — it’s a brilliant return for the Copenhagen/Los Angeles veterans of the art pop underground, bridging the lustrous textures of The Kills and Beach House. Fans of The Vandelles and The Raveonettes will feel right at home with Pale Reflections‘ tenebrous instrumentation full of feedback and toxifying hooks.

The entire album is available on Bandcamp, Amazon, iTunes, and the band’s personal label Kraftwööd Musik Fabrik; listen to the title track below. – Ryan Mo