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

SFV's raw modal-soul polymaths The Unending Thread have released a video to "La Casa De Mi Padre", the second song to their split EP with Forget It — which is out and free to stream, by the way. Cooped up at the Henhouse Studio (confimed that Julian Tallman-Rogatini raises chickens), the trio delve into lyrical self-actualization and drool-worthy double-tapping that splashes near-obscene amounts of color over the grisaille landscape of the forseeable future.

"I know I don't know anything | And that's the best part of this journey that hasn't happened yet"

Like, if someone were to make a Youtube AMV for Over The Garden Wall, it would be criminal not to use this song.

On a more serious note, The Unending Thread faces off with Forget It at The Smell on February 4th's "AMP vs. AMP Deathmatch" where the two bands will celebrate the Los Angeles release of their split EP by performing songs and piledrivers on each other. The trash talk surrounding Dustin and the Explosions, Haricort Vertt (fka Josh Abrahms), Love Nothing and Ferbus also comes to a head — there will be blood, or at least some drawn-out carnage. Expect an obscene amount of chairs, tables, ladders, and maybe even a kendo stick to be pulled from under the stage. - Ryan Mo

Dreampop darlings Crescendo are set for release of the sophomore album Unless, with plans for a national tour and performances at this year's SXSW. Led by flagship single "Repulsor", trio Gregory Cole, Olive Kimoto, and Jess Krichelle explore hyperspace romanticism, diving in and out of star clusters with celestial melodies and post-punk rhythms. The band drives up their momentum following last year's performances with diverse acts like PART TIME, Glasz, The Unending Thread, and Cruelty Code. Unless will release through Italian label We Were Never Being Boring on February 19th. 

Crescendo plays a free show with Crown Plaza at Pomona’s Acerogami next Friday — Gabrielle Costa (DREAMWAVE) and Jim Smith (The Smell) switch up shoegaze, dreampop, and post-punk hits in-between sets. Listen to "Haunted", the second track off Crescendo's upcoming album Unless. - Ryan Mo

It's the day after Christmas, and Valley friends The Unending Thread are hitting us with another present — they've been collaborating with new Berkeley four-piece Forget It. on a split EP "TUT // FORGET IT", and today they dropped a new single! Forget It.'s "Not Everything Is About Me" follows last week's release "Dearest Anna" with showers of twinkle and the screams of hoarse men, plus an introspective adage courtesy of Bojack Horseman. The Unending Thread's "Dearest Anna", which premiered on MAT Magazine, marks the trio's stylistic shift to territories redolent of dance-rock. Don't fret though; them boy-girl vocals, double-tap riffs, and funk licks are still kicking.

"TUT // FORGET IT" comes out January 15th, 2016, with release shows happening in the Bay and LA. It's a sick line-up on both fronts, but that goes without saying. - Ryan Mo

Jan. 10 — Octopus Literary Saloon (Oakland) with Just Friends, Sarchasm, The Unending Thread, Lawn Chairs

Feb. 4 — The Smell (Los Angeles) with The Unending Thread, Love Nothing, Ferbus, Josh Abrams, and Dustin and the Explosions

I was listening to one of the staff members at White Oak Music & Arts as he told me about a ska show that broke capacity and a restroom sink.

That was mayhem compared to Wake Up, SFV, which floated upwards of 100 occupants shuffling between main stage and the lobby. On Sunday, the almost-nondescript music store, nestled with mechanic shops and powered by the will of 818, was host to a plethora of bands that not only called attention to the Valley's diversity, but more importantly its spirit. From 5 p.m. onwards, neighborhood youth shared cigarettes and sipped on tallboys as homespun vendors displayed their arts and crafts with decorum, beaming with a confidence and sincerity rarely felt in Los Angeles.

And I moved with the crowd through the different phases that claimed my musical adolescence — the genres that waxed and waned in popularity, but never lost their tenacity. From Tone in Georgia's well-groomed freakouts to The Aeons' feel-good maximalism, 100 Once's acapella cover of Evanescence and R!OT's dextrous remix of Shia LaBouef. The Unending Thread's toe-tapping emo-soul and those cathartic shivers of COEX, down to the fog-heavy end of the Fever The Ghost's glitched-out mecha fantasy. Every band brought their all, and the spirited youth gave back tenfold. 

Happy anniversary, White Oak Music & Arts. And thank you for wake-up call, Cesar Alas. - Ryan Mo