On Pirouette, the latest album from New York-based Model/Actriz, there’s a lineage that runs from the funkier, Gang of Four side of post-punk to the noisy, late 1990s aftermath of hardcore that led to indie dance bands like The Rapture, The Faint and !!! to the L.A. DIY scene of the ‘00s and early ‘10s that spawned bands like Health and clipping. It’s noisy, driven by an urgent energy and will probably scare off those who like nice pop songs. It’s music for people who like to keep things weird, but still need structured songs and a good dance beat.
View from the DJ booth in the New Wave vs. Darkwave room at Nocturno on May 9, 2025 (Pic: Liz O.)
There’s a lot of new music that came out in the past few weeks and a three of those songs made it into last night’s set in the new wave vs. darkwave room at Klub Nocturno. “Laugh Now Cry Later” from Mareux, which turned up really early in the set, is the lead single from his sophomore album, Nonstop Romance, which is out in late June. Pixel Grip also has a new album, Percepticide: The Death of Reality, out in June. “Reason to Stay” is the new single from that album and it popped up in the set somewhere in the 10 o’clock hour. I’m really into this song and the response was good, so you’ll probably be hearing it more often in my sets.
Last night’s big, new hit though was “Women Respond to Bass,” from Sextile, which came into the set shortly after midnight, mixed between Boy Harsher “Come Closer” and Vitalic’s electroclash-era jam “La Rock 01.” It did really well on the dance floor Friday night. Sextile’s latest album, Yes, Please, came out last week and it’s packed with bangers, so you’ll probably be hearing more from it in my sets this summer.
Set list is below. My next gig is The Smiths Nite at Club Underground on Friday, May 16, where I’ll be playing alongside Larry G. and Rose Knows.
Breton singer, musician and producer Quinquis just released her latest album, eor, on Mute Records and it’s exquisite. Inspired by mermaid lore and made with modular synthesizers, eor will have you imagining tales filled with fantastic beings, set against against gray skies and cold, tumultuous seas. This isn’t TikTok-friendly mermaidcore, this is something darker, richer and altogether more interesting.
Xmal Deutschland box set, Gift: The 4AD Years is out on May 9, 2025 (Photo: Kevin Cummins)
Last February, Anja Huwe took to the stage at the Grauzone Festival in The Hague for a set that included songs from Xmal Deutschland, the post-punk outfit she fronted throughout the 1980s. Huwe hadn’t performed these songs live since the band’s demise some 35 years earlier. In fact, after Xmal Deutschland, Huwe stepped away from the stage to focus on her career as a visual artist. Meanwhile, songs like “Mondlicht,”“Incubus Succubus” and “Qual” have become classics of the era. Out in the crowd were multiple generations of fans.
“I had to go out there and I saw these people, so many people, so I just tried to concentrate,” Huwe says, adding with a laugh, “I’ve got to get it right.”
This Friday, May 9, Klub Nocturno takes over Catch One for five parties in one. I’ll be back in the New Wave vs. Darkwave room playing a mix of flashbacks and new bangers all night. There’s also the rock en Español vs. cumbia room, System of a Down night, the old school vs. new school reggaeton room and a disco room. Tickets are available on Dice for this 18+ event. Click here to get yours asap because Klub Nocturno does sell out.
Jonathan Bates is Big Black Delta (credit: Josh Giroux)
“Honestly, nowadays, making an album is not a healthy thing,” says Jonathan Bates. “Spending a year and a half making a collection of music and then putting it out and people literally giving it 30 minutes is not good for the soul.”
Bates, though, released his fifth album as Big Black Delta, Adonai, last February. It’s a fantastic mix of synthpop and rock. Since the album landed in my inbox earlier this year, I’ve spent much more than a half-hour listening to it.
Sextile kicks off Yes, Please with one hell of an “Intro.” It’s all alarms, distorted vocals and squelching electronics that make you think the L.A.-based duo have plans to drop you back into a 1992 Prodigy jam. They don’t. Instead, Sextile diverts you to the sweat-drenched warehouse of right now with “Women Respond to Bass,” a banger for the afters where the subs send the low-end pulsing through the soles of your Docs, and the previously released single “Freak Eyes.”
Son of the White Mare (1981) screens at Philosophical Research Society on Sunday, May 4, 2025
Since my Premium magazine feature on L.A.-area repertory cinema is out now, I wanted to highlight a few movie theaters for this week’s recommendations. And since I love animation, that will be the focus of this week’s picks. All of the screenings are happening on Sunday and there is some geographic diversity, so hopefully, you can fit one of these into your schedule. They’re (nearly) all movies that I have seen previously and 10/10 recommend.
Just wanted to give you a quick update about some stories that I’ve recently written for other magazines and newspapers.
Now is a good time to watch a movie. At least it is if you’re in the greater Los Angeles area, where repertory and arthouse cinemas are experiencing a revival. I wrote about the resurgence of in-person movie screenings, focusing mainly on Philosophical Research Society in Los Feliz and The Frida Cinema in Santa Ana for Premium, which is the magazine Southern California News Group newspaper subscribers. Click here for a gift link to read the story.
