The TÜLIPS release party last Saturday night was DIY tight — a full Doom & Bloom experience from dizzying start to shoegazing finish. L.A. Girlfriend Sydney Banta DJ'd and slipped in some new tracks from her upcoming LP Neon Grey, while San Pedro girlfriends Bombón worked the house with some frothy surf rock jams. As Angie and Taleen took the stage, they gave shoutouts to their producer Greg Katz way back in the audience, and introduced Jen Spazmaster to dance as the crowd got up close and cozy. And then TÜLIPS roared, had everyone spinning from "Vertigo" to the oscillating dregs of "Hopefully Hopefully". 

Terminal A's heavy synthpunk noise closed Non Plus Ultra, and we walked home feeling pretty sweaty. TÜLIPS are currently on tour; stream and purchase their new album Doom & Bloom, cassettes available via Lolipop Records. - Ryan Mo

Some bands throw down their debut album a year into formation. Others go at it a little longer. For best friends Taleen Kali and Angie Bloom of TÜLIPS, it's been a four-year wait, but well worth it. 

The dual guitarists/vocalists come from completely different musical backgrounds: Taleen's the "Doom", all about dirtbox growl and migraine-inducing feedback, while Angie's the "Bloom", slick with 50's jangle and doo-wop spirit. They're an unlikely pair, but continual back-and-forths with mixtapes have drawn these polar opposites together. And when glued down with drummer Travis Moore and bassist Miles Faster, TÜLIPS keep it classy, leaving local crowds reeling from tinnitus in pools of sweat. Don't believe me? Just ask the bands that shared their bills, like LA FONT and Bür Gür.

Doom & Bloom releases Friday the 13th from Lollipop Records. TÜLIPS' album release party will also include sets from Terminal A and BomBón, with a DJ set from L.A. Girlfriend. Listen to "Hotspur" below. - Ryan Mo, flyer art: Maritza Torres, Typeset: AJ Horton

Sextile's eagerly awaited debut album A Thousand Hands releases tomorrow, but you can still stream it on Line of Best Fit if you can't wait. That said, it's an amazing set of songs that blends post-punk with jarring industrial and abrasive surf punk elements. We first caught a glimpse of these guys late-June with the premiere of "Can't Take It". Signed by local label felte Records, whose international roster also includes Flaamingos, The KVB, and Lushes, Sextile spent the earlier part of their summer supporting Australian dreamgaze Au.Ra for a West Coast tour, giving listeners an early taste of their sonic visions. 

The band will celebrate A Thousand Hands with a Part Time Punks album release party August 27th, supported by Terminal A and Big Debbie at the Non Plus Ultra. Listen to "Visions of You" from the album below. - Ryan Mo

From down the end of Los Angeles, the barebones gravepunk duo Band Aparte strips down and combines elements of gothic rock, synthpunk, and beachy lo-fi as macabré appreciation simmers in the gut of the city.

Vocalist Brian Mendoza effortlessly channels Joy Division and Nick Cave, crooning into a death bouquet with his shirt unbuttoned. But he's not doing it to imitate Morrissey's aesthetic — Band Aparte's shows are fast and fierce, and the crowd works up a sweat at every venue they play. Josh Hensley's psychotic textures gnaw and bite at the ears, from sharp velcro fuzz to buoyant modulations that pair with relentless drum machine beats like deliriants to narcotics. It's a dangerous mixture that has crushed nights alongside Cruelty Code, Roses, Ghost Noise, and Terminal A.

Find Band Aparte this Saturday at Echo Park Rising — playing 4:30pm at Lot 1 Café. Listen to their eponymous track from their EP "Enter" below. - Ryan Mo

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