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