Orange County’s Panoramic embark on their first West Coast tour from January 7 to January 21, traveling up to the wintery forests of Washington and back following a successful trek through the Southwest last summer. The quartet kick off their tour at Orangy County’s Beatnik Bandito tomorrow at 7:30 PM, with support from dairy queen duo Talk, Tired Thanatoid, Leashes, Young Jesus, and the linguistic-noise trio Benno, VA. Download Panoramic’s debut album Not Exactly for free on Bandcamp. – Ryan Mo

"We are pissed and we came here to dance."

So reads the last line of the synopsis to Love Without Domination, the newest, largest, and arguably most political release by Los Angeles-based label Zoom Lens. With a title referencing Jenny Zhang’s essay "Against Extinction", Love Without Domination is a 22-track charity compilation from artists across diverse genres of local and international fame, galvanized by recent events and connected by an urgency to create sounds of protest. New songs featured include Meishi Smile‘s post-industrial catharsis "Hate Floods Slow", as well as contributions by Plaster Cast & The Sleep, Thought Tempo, and Magic is Real. New local artist debuts include the noise rock duo Comrade(s) and post-techno producer pleasure promenade.

The release of Love Without Domination comes at a precarious time for artist communities, only one week since the tragic fire in an Oakland DIY space and one month following results of the 2016 presidential election. But in spite of these troubling events, in spite of increased crackdowns on DIY spaces and rising hate crimes, Zoom Lens compels listeners to act against the oppression and injustice of marginalized communities through nuanced self-expression.

"Through art, make dialogue and break boundaries. When dealing with an oppressive force who is meant to pacify our feelings, self-expression is rebellion. Utilize your skills, your privileges, and your strengths in all forms. Militarize yourself with unforgiving self-love and radical passion. "

Love Without Domination is free to stream and available to purchase—listeners can name their price, and all proceeds will go to fund the non-profit organizations ACLU, Border Angels, and Planned Parenthood. – Ryan Mo, Album Art by Brian Vu

In Orange County, Trevor Magaña’s main squeeze has always been his mathrock affair Hollow Ran, but lately he’s been branching out, exploring directions from sensibile bedroom pop to jazzy slowcore through guitar and voice. If the name Puppy Soul doesn’t confer the spirit of Magaña’s project, then you probably haven’t browsed enough doge memes. With help from Jonathan Modell (The Human Machine, Panoramic, Tririla Recordings), Magaña was able to self-record the debut EP live with minimal overdubs (thank you smartphone Voice Memos) amidst a hazy ambiance of Maj9 chords and deliberately chilled rhythms.

Puppy Soul’s debut EP releases through Pacific Nature Records on November 16th, 2016, with an extremely limited run of 25 red foil cassettes in lavender-scented cases. You probably missed their supporting set for Avi Buffalo tonight, so watch Trevor and Jonathan throw their EP release party tomorrow at Beatnik Bandito along with Slice, love birds, and the equally prolific Arden Klawitter.

Sans the winding roads and $15 parking lots near Teragram Ballroom, Slow Hollows‘ album release party was a considerable success, drawing kids from as far out as Antelope Valley and Pomona to Los Angeles’ decadent sidestreets. A gaggle of selfies were taken while waiting around the Ballroom’s characteristic marquee, and at 9PM Danger Collective’s BOYO (fka Bobby T. and the Slackers) had Robert Tilden promptly lulling the crowd—the band released their EP "machines" on Halloween. High school sweethearts and rowdy teens were thrown together as The Buttertones ripped through their setlist, which included songs from 2015’s acclaimed western American Brunch. Someone lost their car keys, and someone else lost a shoe. At least four teens crowdsurfed, but everyone just stood and swayed and collectively sighed to the songs off Romantic, introduced by a very modest, somewhat blasé, endearingly ineffectual frontman and songwriter Austin Feinstein. The crowd just went like, yeah.

Slow Hollows supports Cherry Glazerr on their 2016/2017 Winter Tour, starting 12/27 in Fresno. – Ryan Mo

Tomorrow, Danger Collective veterans Slow Hollows release their third album Romantic, graduating from the manic inferiority complex of Atelophobia into a more assured compilation of youth retrospectives. The homespun procession of tape warp, appregios, and Austin Feinstein’s somber voice sketches the songwriter’s ennui and rose-tinted glasses. A release party is being held at the Teragram Ballroom for Slow Hollows’ new album, and in 2017, Slow Hollows will support a national tour with Cherry Glazerr, another Slimane select. Listen to the album in its entirety below. – photo by Joey Tobin

p h o e b e ‘ s g u i t a r are a shoegaze project based in Diamond Bar, with characteristic bedroom shimmer and Beat-era drones. The work of Amanda Vong and Jeffrey Fast Brian Eloriaga—which includes a now-lost cover of My Bloody Valentine’s "sometimes"—has quietly drawn attention from Internet afficionados and Pasadena locale with their most recent performance at the second curated Art & Music night by Bird Pick Tea & Herb.

Listen to their newest single "v e r o n i c a" below.

After three years, Christoph and Anton Hochheim’s passion project Ablebody celebrates individual exceptionalism in full with the release debut album Adult Contemporaries. The album—which includes the band’s first sleeper hits "Backseat Heart" and "After Hours"—shimmers with tones redolent of sophisti-pop while casting light shade with its tongue-in-cheek title. Adult Contemporaries releases October 14 on Lollipop Records.

Watch the absurdist music video for Ablebody’s "Gaucho", directed by Lily X. Wahrman (Dinner, Prince Rama) and see them on October 18 for a record release party with Winter at The Bootleg Theater.

“…Quiet songs with minimal arrangements.”

Jeremy Leasure describes the aim of his tandem debut with Brittany Beppu, Thoughts on Future Hindsight, concisely. As NewBalance, the duo draws something different from Leasure’s older project, Canyons, of which Beppu occasionally contributes to. They’re more influenced by songwriters like Scott Walker and Townes Van Zandt, Judy Garland and Audrey Hepburn. Poignant and noble.

Beppu’s voice stands out in the album’s tape scratch “Shirley Temple”. At first the lyrics are cryptic, but the songs emerge as individual character sketches, says Leasure—an attempt "…to understand how we cope when things don’t go the way we imagined they would." He hopes that the songs provide the same comfort to his audience as they did for him. NewBalance’s next performance on the 19th at The Smell with Tone in Georgia, Hannah and minimall. Listen to the opener "Cartoon Captions" off Thoughts on Future Hindsight, out now. – Kaitlyn Tang

We clapped for a man who had eaten four hamburgers, someone from deep in the crowd. Loko Ono’s drummer Jason Adam picked him out.

That was after vōx’s (pronounced “wokes”) opening set, which the audience gave a wide berth for. She ended on the floor after escaping from a sheer curtain, shadows of lancet arches blocking out flowers as she became a voice and nothing more.

And in the end, Jason and Kathleen Adams ended on the floor too, turned into some jumbling mess of limbs after recalling tales of a primitive world. A rhetorical question fell on self-conscious ears—most people were not willing to dance. But that didn’t undermine Loko Ono’s performance; it was quite clear they did not give a fuck either way.

By the time Miya Folick carved out her stage, fans were lining the ramparts of Non Plus Ultra. Formalities first: Folick revealed the music video for “Pet Body”, which also debuted at 2015’s CMJ Music Marathon. She watched on from the sidelines with her crew and Nick Ventura (Froth, HOTT MT), subbing in with his faded fiesta red Jaguar.

Minutes later, Folick was staring at the sea of strange darlings, head submerged in tessellations of light. We nearly suffocated on neighbors’ small talk until she cranked the fuzz way up and blew the room out. Made it sound large and vast like the ocean. She had no trouble adjusting; it was clear as the first time we saw her that the singer was in her element no matter the crowd. All she needed was a crowd.

You get a second chance next week at Girlschool Collective’s collab with San Pedro’s Third Thursdays Live, minus Loko Ono/plus Gavin Turek, Dot and DJ Suzie Strong. – Ryan Mo, photo by Rachel Collins

Following her appearance at Ontario’s WAYHOME festival, Bishop Briggs (fka BISHOP) releases her new single "Pray (Empty Gun)" to much blog fanfare. The net-banger pits In Return-era  Odeszian synths strained through recuperated trap beats, courtesy of producer duo MJ&iRoK, with the cosmopolitan voice of LA-transplant Briggs.

Bishop Briggs plays her next show with Coldplay at the Rose Bowl on 8/20. Listen to Pray (Empty Gun) below. – Photo by Chad Kamenshine

When The Smell was given notice to close for demolition, news spread like wildfire and galvanized Southland’s music comunity into action. Organizer/musician Gregory Cole (Crescendo) scrapped plans for his summer DreamGaze Festival and concentrated efforts to raise funds for the legendary venue. But he was not alone in that endeavor—Cole reached out to two active veterans for help: Top Acid‘s Chris Gonzalez and guitarist/singer Sophie Negrini (Janelane).

"Gregory messaged me out-of-the-blue because he had read a post of mine [where] I wrote about how much The Smell meant to myself and the rest of the community when the building first received its demolition notice," Negrini recalls. Even though the three ran in different scenes, the DIY venue’s monumental influence brought them together. 

With owner Jim Smith’s blessing and months of planning and outreach, over 30 bands joined with hundreds of fans on August 6th in a converted warehouse space near the San Antonio Winery. The three were rarely in sight—always running from stage to stage, prepping backlines, moving equipment, and keeping the cross streets free of pedestrian traffic and litter. Crowds moshed and nodded in solidarity. Despite minor issues with sound and schedule (it’s never picture-perfect when you’re DIY), the festival came up with over $15,000 raised.

"This is the teamwork & togetherness that saves The Smell. I have no doubt in our community’s ability to achieve [The Smell’s] permanence of address for generations of music lovers of all ages," says Cole in retrospect.

Gonzalez was even impressed by the results. "I think that’s just a huge indicator and a true testament to how much respect everyone has for Jim and the sober scene he’s created at The Smell."

Check out our photo recap of Save The Smell Fest on our Instagram @TheDeliLA. – photo by Rachel Collins

Where in 2011, DIY noise pop polymorphs Batwings Catwings debuted with the angularities of Peacock Collection, it’s now 2016 and My Chemical Romance is reuniting. Smashmouth is considered a radio classic hit. You can share a song by New Found Glory without getting shamed. As for BWCWs, they now channel the sincerity of skatepunk with a new bassist: Cindy Sukrattanawong (Littlest Sister, Dustin and the Explosions) replaces Joshua Crampton in the quintet led by Clay Johnson. Their new EP "Coast to Coast" shares five earnest remarks toned with emo pop’s histrionic melodicism and textured in gain—dissonance and feedback cameo in songs like "Totally Outrageous" and "1000 Volts". 

Batwings Catwings performs at [redacted]’s mixtape release show on the 12th with Justus Profitt, Love Nothing and Forget It.. Listen to the atavistic title track of their newest EP "Coast to Coast". – Ryan Mo