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

Dreampop sophomores Crescendo dropped the first single to their upcoming album Unless, which Gregory Cole (guitar/vox) poetically described as "a lightspeed space journey through our world firing at everything in our path." Building from the vitalic rhythms of debut LP Lost Thoughts, "Repulsor" shimmers with new wave and synthpop stylings. The single's release also marks the official inauguration of guitarist Jess Krichelle, alongside Cole and Olive Kimoto (synth/vox). Unless is scheduled to release February 19th through Italian label We Were Never Being Boring.

Crescendo's due a couple of shows this month — they'll be playing with Florida homie Millionyoung and local heroes PART TIME. Check dates and venues below, and listen to the stream of "Repulsor". - Ryan Mo

11/24 The Hideout with Millionyoung (San Diego)

11/25 Harvard & Stone with PART TIME, Millionyoung, The New Division [DJ Set] (Los Angeles)

It’s Friday and you wanna turn up, but keep it kinda classy. Picnic in the evening before evenings start at 5. Try some new gourmet food trucks. Check out some art, DIY crafts, and fashion. Go out and people-watch. Anything but Netflix and chill. When was the last time you went to a museum and learned some cool stuff about US history and California Impressionism? Come to Odd Nights at the Autry tonight, right after work. Take a friend. Take a date. Take your parents. Maybe your children?

It’s an all-ages event right across from the LA Zoo. The Unending Thread, Crescendo, and The Fuzzy Crystals are performing there, too. It’s gonna be sweet, and he’ll be totally happy that you suggested the idea.

Odd Nights at the Autry is a recurring event at The Autry National Center, curated by Odd Market's Phillip Dane (Dodger Stadium Flea, Downtown Flea, Melrose Flea). Odd Market brings together artisans and cooks, artists and musicians for Los Angeles to experience every third Friday of the month. Parking and admission are free, and visitors are welcome to bring pets, even horses. Full bar/beergarden, specials for the museum, and — I think it bears repeating — the event is totally free. - Ryan Mo

Out in Riverside, Graeme Crane, the owner of the limited-run Salope Cassette label, has been busy for the past few years pushing out tapes of hard-to-find artists. It's good stuff; local acts that don't get nearly as much exposure as their PR-privileged peers, yet carry strong Internet cult followings.

Graeme's also programming/vocals in the coldwave group Cruelty Code, with keyboardist Kevin Martin (ex-Apathean, Eisenhower), bassist Derek Page (The Victoriana), and guitarist Jack Montgomery (ex-Contraciel). Their aloof and meme-friendly Facebook demeanor tends to precede their sound. Listener be warned: this is harsh, ominous, and emancipating — a stereoscopic experience of 80's dystopic overscoring and lo-fi recordings cut with adulterants. Mixed with acts like Ghost Noise, Band Aparte, Crisis Arm, and Michael Vidal, and you're pretty much guaranteed a dissociative evening via sensory overload.

Catch them at the next hidden warehouse show with Crescendo and Foliage this Halloween. - Ryan Mo

The beginning of October is sign for shorter days, chillier nights, and pumpkin spiced everythings, but down here it's still hot as hell. And tonight it's only gonna get hotter, louder, and chiller: turn up and get sweaty in the walls of vintage equipment store and supporting venue Timewarp Records as two recent Deli features, Hillary Chillton and Crescendo, welcome San Francisco's summer-eyed Hot Flash Heat Wave. The Bay Area baes wrap up their West Coast tour this weekend, celebrating the release of the sunbathing Neapolitan LP with two back-to-back shows in Santa Monica and Fullerton (@ The Continental Room with BURGER RECORDS' well-done lineup).

The event moved venues from The Heart of Art Gallery, after an incident of vandalism in late August prompted the space to shut down. SFV's trillest emo-soul trio The Unending Thread unfortunately had to pull out as well — big ups to their guitarist/vocalist Cesar Alas, who co-organized the event! Listen to "Malibu" straight off HFHW's Neapolitan below. Doors open 8:30 PM, $8 admission to help the music fam. - Ryan Mo