Echo Park’s post-punk revivalists The Electric West have been waiting for the perfect storm. Since 2013, bassist/vocalist Lee Lewallen and drummer Byron Pagdilao have laid the foundations to their self-recorded Dusty Trails demo, with a style that culls from dance-punk acts like Gang of Four, Bloc Party, and The Dead Kennedys. The induction of guitarist Dee Fuzz has galvanized The Electric West, charging through the rolling thunder with magnetic riffs and a light drizzle of reverb. They’ve played with rising LA acts like the pop-punk WASI, new wavers PANTHAR, and surf punk vets Dustin and the Explosions.

Their debut EP “Verdugo,” released in March by Future Force Records, breaks away from politically charged lyricism of Dusty Trails with songs like “Disco Viking,” “Tesla’s Coyotes,” and a rework of 2014’s “Replicant.” See The Electric West perform during Ghost Noise’s first night of residency at Pehrspace, and listen to the opening track to their new EP, “Portland.” – Ryan Mo

The Portuguese have a word that translates to an emotional state of great nostalgia and melancholy: saudade. In Los Angeles, we have a band called Ghost Noise, and we think they work just as well.

The trio draws from wells of sorrowful sentiment to drive their sound, reminiscent of goth-rock, post-punk, and darkwave bands in the 80’s. But beneath the pastiche of lipstick pickups and Korg patches, there’s a greater force at work. The DIY ethic that propels the group has helped them to travel and thrive from Santa Monica to San Luis Obispo. The members are heavily involved in the local music scenes, managing the music/arts collective Mountair and contributing to other homespun organizations on their spare time.

Ghost Noise’s live sets are intimate and decorative: set designs incorporate flowers, lighting, and film backdrops to immerse the audience. They perform throughout California, venturing as far north as Fresno and as far south as Murrieta to house parties and burlesque shows alongside acts like Cruelty Code, Kirilov, and Post Life. Their debut album, THIS IS THE NEXT PART OF YOUR DREAM, was recorded and produced by Josh Solomon (Young Lovers/REVERB LITE) and released on Ritual Tapes in August 2013. Ghost Noise will take up residency at the DIY venue Pehrspace through May, and play across California regions in June. Their follow-up album will be produced by Jessica Nicole Collins (BERU). Listen to their debut single “Amethyst” below. – Ryan Mo

The jangly, 60’s psych magic of Orange County’s rising sextet Deep Fields has been churning around Southern California venues as of late, and yes: it is definitely possible to fit a Rhodes piano, Juno synth, a drum set, and six warm bodies on a stage. Christian Peters, who also plays with psych-pop singer/songwriter Cotillon, started Deep Fields as a bedroom project but eventually found a handful of talented people through mutual circles. Influenced by psychedelic acts like The Zombies and MGMT, Deep Fields’ music is a sonic fractal of catchy riffs and swirly textures. As of last year, the group has been hard at work writing new songs and lighting up clubs like Harvard and Stone, The Slidebar, Que Sera, and Los Globos. Check out the video for their first single "Salazar" below!

Deep Fields will be playing tomorrow at Fullerton’s Continental Room with L.A. Takedown and PART TIME. 21+ / Free Admission – Ryan Mo

Internet Radio show Culture Remixed and hairstyle team SUMO Hair are coming together this Saturday evening to present The Cutting Room, an intersection of avant garde music, real time visuals, and haircuts. Culture Remixed DJ/ Subsuelo VJ Julián Félix and seasoned hairstylist Nectali Duran provide an intimate setting for Angeleans to absorb new currents of sound in and around the Los Angeles area. For those feeling particularly adventurous or in need of a trim, Vidal Sassoon/Toni & Guy alumnus Nectali Duran can whip up a fresh look at the event.

Lounge around and take in the sounds of up-and-coming electronic acts. Lawrence Lindell and Gypsy Eyes of DIY art/music collective NoiseMetSound present their own interpretations of futurebeat along with IDM warrior Repeated Measures (New Los Angeles), ambient DJ/singer Lola la Showgirl (Space Circus), and abstract hip hop producer headband (Humble Weight). Experimental musicians/heavy scene contributors Kelly Coats and Kathleen Kim will also be performing a set as the eclectic SheKhan with a variety of instruments.

21+ / Free Admission

Check out footage from the first session below. – Ryan Mo

Crisis Arm is really loud. I saw them at a house show once. Everyone who didn’t wear earplugs seemed to be thrown into a stupor. The ones who did had trouble getting to the door. The sound guy broke down in tears. It was beautiful.

This homegrown fuzz outfit from Riverside County has been responsible for widening fault lines and caving in cochleas since 2009. Most of the members live and raise 10 cats together in Hemet, and share a strong love for anime and video games; RPG fans might trace their name to a weapon in the legendary Square title Chrono Trigger. The band’s humble beginnings eventually lead to underground acclaim with their 2014 LP Rend (via Mayfly Records): a collection of diffuse, lo-fi dreamscapes that merged sounds of My Bloody Valentine, loveliescrushing, and Spacemen 3. On stage, Crisis Arm roars with the strength of several fullstack amps, channeling their melancholic guitars through infinite muff and reverb pedals. In the past several years, Crisis Arm has played out DIY shows like the Blood Orange Infoshop (Riverside), dA Center For The Arts (Pomona), Dynamite Vinyl (Fresno), and White Oak Music and Arts (Van Nuys). 

Crisis Arm will be touring California for the next few weeks with their other half, San Francisco punk/gaze project Airs. This Sunday, they’re playing a Part Time Punks show at The Echo with Creepers, a psychgaze band cofounded by members of Deafheaven, and veteran LA psych/post-punkers Dirt Dress ($8a/$10d). Listen below to "resemblance," the first song off Rend. – Ryan Mo

Blood of underground hip hop and jazz courses through her veins as she tightens her traditional grip. Radiohead and Flying Lotus color her psychedelia-coated lips as she paints haunting, hypnotic images laced with electronic beats. She’s waded deep into LA’s DIY scene, playing with bands like Gothic Tropic and Tapioca & the Flea, even interning for LA’s underground hip hop label Stones Throw. Now, multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Liphemra steps out front and center to make her own way. Working with vintage drum pieces, pedals, loopers, and synths, the experimental siren has captivated onlookers with dissonant allure and breakbeat rhythms, opening for groundbreaking artists like Connan Mockasin, Blonde Redhead, and DIIV.

Liphemra will perform live at The Echo next Friday, April 24 with Young Fathers. Listen to her newest single "Magazines" below. – Ryan Mo, photo credit: Carl Pocket