From Shoegaze Swells to Midwest Emo Riffs: The Crucial L.A. Underground Shows to Catch This Week

Midweek in L.A. belongs to the sonic dreamers and retro-groove purists. On Wednesday, Permanent Records Roadhouse plays host to a stellar triple-threat of neo-psychedelia, experimental folk, and dream pop, headlined by The Stevenson Ranch Davidians and rounded out by the lush, shoegaze-infused textures of Nightjacket. If your tastes lean toward heavy rhythm and brass-backed exploration, Thursday at the Teragram Ballroom is non-negotiable. Funk heavyweights Orgone team up with the jazz fusion experiments of The Bombillas, promising a night of sweat-soaked, analog-driven retro soul that will rattle the floorboards.

Friday brings a masterclass in controlled chaos to The Echo. Noise rock titans Cloud Nothings, who have spent over a decade perfecting their brand of abrasive, hook-filled indie rock, share the stage with the raw, lo-fi emo poetry of Teen Suicide. Opening up the night is Pure Hex, whose blend of shoegaze and slowcore provides the perfect wall-of-sound preamble. It’s an essential billing for anyone who prefers their melodies coated in a thick layer of beautiful distortion and visceral, emotional delivery.

Close out the weekend at The Regent on Sunday for a massive celebration of intricate math rock, midwest emo, and slowcore. Headlined by genre staples Tigers Jaw, the night is arguably stolen by the technical brilliance of Pool Kids, whose mathy, highly-dynamic guitar interplay has revitalized the modern emo scene. Add Bleary Eyed’s hazy shoegaze into the equation, and you have a perfectly curated lineup that captures the exact intersection of nostalgic yearning and modern, complex songwriting.