New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Fresh from their live at The Hi Hat, The Unending Thread premieres their music video "Salvation Mountain" on The Deli LA. Home video aesthetic meets smooth jazz nods to the vape nation, VWs, and Nickelback. Julian Rogantini gets swept up chasing clouds and shirks on his pet responsibilities—meanwhile, Kim Reyes and Cesar Alas fight for the last Doritos. Credits to Daniel Gilbreath, Christina Hitchcock and Michael de Toffoli.
/ / y’all.
In July The Unending Thread brings Southland twinklecore up the coast during the summer tour circuit, and are slated to release a split with Berkeley Emo quartet Forget It. through Old Press Recordings. From July 7 to 18th, The Unending Thread will trek up the 5-Interstate to Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington before coming back down for two more shows in San Francisco. The US-based, self-proclaimed "mediocre [tape] label" (with amazing bands) made the announcement on June 27 following a relocation to Utah from Maryland.
The San Fernando trio perform next at The Hi Hat on July 2nd with Youtube controllerist R!OT to support nu-jazz duo KNOWER‘s homecoming. Post good boba tea houses to hit up in the comments. – illustration: Renzon Sanchez
Art gallery by day and music venue by night, Pehrspace was known in the southland as one of the better DIY spaces that exhibited local underground indie music. With the rare admission of all-ages for most shows and affordable admission fees, Pehrspace was regionally known as a small, accessible place to enjoy good music with good people. Notable acts include Vice Cooler, HEALTH, No Age, Dan Deacon and Moses Campbell, as well as the highly praised Sean Carnage who regularly DJ’d and hosted Monday nights. Unfortunately, after a 10-year lease in Westlake since their opening in 2006, Pehrspace was handed a 60-day notice to close by a new landlord.
Pehrspace is currently crowdfunding to find a new space with via GoFundMe. – Kaitlyn Tang
Digital punk/experimental pop artist Meishi Smile‘s recently released a music video for the title track to 2015’s pico-noise LP …Belong. Directed by Japanese animator Yuka Maeda, the video subverts the Music Anime Douga aesthetic with 3-D model manipulation and references to cult horror films, psychological drama narratives and video games.
If the feeling is still ripe, watch Meishi Smile play a DJ set with live visuals by DJ Saiato (Glitch City LA) at the 21+ Fakku Panel on July 3rd—Anime Expo pass holders get in free.
Meishi will also perform with Zoom Lens labelmate oh my muu, Kraftmatik & Olek Mular collab YEAR of the OX, and Project Blowed alumnus dumbfoundead at a free concert hosted by Japanese American National Museum on August 18th. You can also listen to May Yim’s newest album "(reclamation)" on the Zoom Lens Bandcamp. – photo by Brian Vu
From the sheer ferocity present on their latest single "Worse For Wear", one would be forgiven for believing that Lawndale band NOYES (pronounced "noise") was pulled straight out of a No Wave-era CBGB gig. From the vocalist’s Thurston Moore sneer to the thickly fuzz-ridden bass, everything about this group is pure hardcore. Each track on the single is a frantic beatdown serving to let out an unbridled rage that is rarely felt in modern punk. The wailing of "I don’t care!" in the title-track is wrought with more self-loathing and apathy than even the most biting Sebadoh piece. Lou Barlow would be proud.
"Worse For Wear" can be listened to on Bandcamp, along with the band’s latest album Relapse. NOYES will bring their scuzzy noise punk to The Smell on July 29th with some New York blood: Lazy Queen and Lady. – Justin Ashby
The Deli LA is proud to present the first of many collaborations with eminent underground synth venue OSCILLATOR: A Late Nite Synth Party!
These intimate, future-retro events will feature LIVE performances by ORIGINATORS of SYNTH as well as the best of the NEW SYNTH-SET. The early part of the evening will be a live-streamed set of performances, followed by a line-up of baddass DJs giving us classic synth-pop and new tracks from around the globe that will take us dancing into the night, house party style.
Los Angeles’ distinguished exoti-goth horrors Native Fauna rev up the night with a very special live set, and synthpop/Hi-NRG duo Trans-X will also make an appearance to perform "Living On Video". DJ sets after midnight include HUSH TONES, Adrian Dark, Abe Mora, Gabe Reanimator, and Wayne Lyons.
The live-streaming party will be held at a private location in Koreatown, with limited availability. RSVP is required to receive private location and password. Doors open at 9PM and show starts promptly at 10PM—tickets and more info here.
Disclaimer: the views expressed in this entry do not necessarily reflect those of the Site’s or any other contributor.
Venues in Riverside crowded with musicians and music lovers alike during the annual Saturation Fest, an event showcasing the rich diversity of talented artists living in Southern California, especially from the Inland Empire. A few days before the festival, LA Weekly published an article applauding the efforts of a few individuals involved with the festival. The author-outsider looked into the Riverside community as an idyllic refuge, away from the competition and high cost of living in Los Angeles. But having lived in Riverside since my tender alterna-tween years, I see things a little differently.
It’s important to note that the Inland Empire extends far beyond Riverside, where Saturation Fest is hosted. Many folks tend to gloss over the fact that it includes less whitebread areas like Fontana, Hemet, Murrieta, Temecula, or (God forbid!) Moreno Valley, all of which continue to witness a variety of DIY events more bizarre and outlandish than your average Weiner Records lover could fathom. A close examination of the festival’s lineup reveals just how many musical factions have populated the area over the last few years—there is no single genre uniting them, just a handful of familiar area codes.
And so, despite the article’s best efforts to convey a scene of diversity and exceptionalism, there was no mention of the labels that have been operating in the area for years on end, labels like Popgun, Family Time, Not Punk, Juniper Tree Songs, or Bridgetown. No mention of the all-ages DIY venues that have come and gone, and left their marks on us—The Dial in Temecula, Black Flame in San Bernardino, and the Blood Orange in Riverside all closed their doors within six months of one another. Of course, these were definitely too underground for an LA Weekly music journalist to sniff out.
Saturation Fest’s (lack of) coverage until now is just proof of how little the outside world (read: Los Angeles) knows or cares about what happens here, unless the outside world wants to relish a bit of self-hate for the clicks and comments. If you live here and you’re looking for the true freaks, the people that really don’t give a fuck about “making it” in the world of college rock journalists and out-of-touch music editors, you don’t need to look far at all. But they do. – Graeme Crane & Ryan Mo, photo by Goyo Paguaga
The low lights, the simultaneously nefarious but comforting red walls and the general atmospheric qualities that Alex’s Bar exude were appropriate for the mind-altering ambient session that took place on Thursday night. Breatherrr took the stage first, delivering a mesmerizing, spacey sequence of songs. The instrumentals tended to lull you into a state of transcendence before bringing you back to reality with the unexpected. I/O’s dreamy, darkly bohemian songs each built up with intriguing layers and their set was truly dynamic, incorporating upbeat, dark, dreamy and aggressive elements.
Litronix closed the show with their interesting blend of psychedelic electronica, which created an enigmatic, energetic atmosphere reminiscent of a cult meeting (in the best way possible). Absorbed, the audience danced along to the beat and enthusiastically participated when the singer came offstage to dance with some and stare penetratingly into the eyes of many in the crowd. When the bright lights came back on, it took some time to adjust to the absence of other-worldliness that ambient music provided, and for a few moments we stood blinking, as if woken from a trance. – Lauren Weiherer
Last Thursday night saw voodoo surf thrashers Sunshine Mind, the proggy serotonin fueled semi-locals Deep Fields, and an angsty Matryoshka doll of chaos and boozy guitars called Secret Garden bring their own very different sounds and concoctions of influences out to Harvard and Stone. From opener Sunshine Mind’s sprinkling of screamed vocals that irreverently tear apart any false assumptions of conventional SoCal surf band tropes to Secret Garden’s swampy, somber quietness giving way—rather violently—to nervous, sinewy guitar improvisations. And that’s to say nothing of Deep Field’s brilliant ‘70s inspired Rhodes piano odyssey that set the whole of Harvard and Stone on fire three-quarters into their set. Sunshine Mind ripped through groovy and pummeling (yet still very surfy) tunes with gusto. Think Misfits if they traded in corpse paint for plaid and California "good vibrations". Singer Henry Lopez peppered in energetic screaming vocals to break up melodic "ooh-ahh" lines that never let you get too comfortable in your expectations. A menacing undertone permeates their more-aggressive-than-your-average surf pop songs, torn apart and reassembled with ‘60s voodoo menace.
Next up were the brilliant Deep Fields hailing from Orange County. Their lush songwriting and layered piano accompaniments is a shot of serotonin to the proverbial arm of Harvard and Stone. Kaleidoscopic, Rush-reminiscent arrangements and a genuinely fun energy pulses alongside ‘70s Rhodes piano lines that are at once elegant and yet bursting like rays of light shining down on grooving flower beds of vocal and guitar melody. If 12-string electric guitar and Rhodes piano don’t make the most pleasant sounding musical combination, I don’t know what does. Secret Garden finished out the night with a set of swampy, troubled, mercurial jams laced with a "fuck-it-all" ethos. Singer Dani Evans was full to bursting with gravitas as she commanded a strong stage presence both fearless and fierce, going from skate punk ferocity to genuinely somber moments of singer-songwriter affectation. Ultimately, they got cut off early (and not entirely without reason) but this band—and Evans especially—has some serious heart. – Andrew Mendoza
In less than one hour, outsider experimental pop artist Meishi Smile will be premiering a free stream of his upcoming EP “(reclamation)”, an 18-minute voyage of ambience and noise that leads listeners from depersonalizing start to cathartic finish. Mixed and mastered by Warren Hildebrand (Foxes in Fiction, Orchid Tapes) “(reclamation)” explores tones opaque and harsh that were once prevalent in Meishi Smile’s former aliases nono. and Yuko Imada.
""(reclamation)” is to represent the affirmation of the capability I once had to find peace within what I loved. The acknowledgement of my own shortcomings and the pain I bestowed upon those I cared due to fear. This serves as both an apology to some and a bout of condemnation towards others. Ultimately, it is about peace of mind and a restored sense of clarity. A warm pillow of static with no further pretension. The musicality is what it is and indicates no specific direction of the project. It is simply an expression."
The EP will be officially released through Zoom Lens on May 27th, along with a free DL link to Meishi Smile’s full discography until the end of May. To find out more about how to stream "(reclamation)" visit the official website, Soundcloud or sign up for Meishi Smile’s mailing list. — Ryan Mo, photography: MAY
The Zoom Lens family descends on the inside stage of Cheer Up Charlies to mark the beginning of their weeklong stay at SXSW. The eight-artist showcase will include performances from Oh My Muu, Meishi Smile, a live debut of la pumpkin, (Savannah, GA) new songs from Plaster Cast‘s recently released EP "Permanence," and more. Find more info on the Facebook event page and the official SXSW page. Until then, stream the specially curated Zoom Lens mix to whet your appetite. – Ryan Mo
Lawndale scuzz trio NOYES have already begun their tour up the best coast, after a Friday performance at the UCLA Co-op that ended with a police shutdown. Don’t worry: Kermit, Daniel and Ian ripped through their set. The neighbors and one of the officers agreed, "NOYES is being too noisey." They even waited until We think that was a compliment. The band’s next stop is at the Greenhouse venue in Arcata, CA with Chachi Hands and Dosidicus on the fifth. "Relapse" is now available on iTunes, Spotify and Amazon Music streaming services. – Ryan Mo
3/11 Boise, ID – The Boise Hive
3/15 Albuquerque, NM – The Dog House
3/18 Austin, TX – Righteous Records Showcase @ TBA
3/24 Los Angeles, CA – The Smell
