PUREHONEY 62

Jamie_Wdziekonski

From Japan, Kikagaku Moyo!

A resident of Tokyo who attended college in the United States, Go Kurosawa has lived in two of the world’s most developed societies.

But the high-tech, high-density, industrialized urban precincts that he has known as home can feel far away from the gardens of stereo tilled by his band, Kikagaku Moyo.

The Tokyo-based quintet, formed in 2012, is embarking on a second U.S. tour, with stops in late October at Moonfest in downtown West Palm Beach and Gramps in Miami, in support of a new LP, House in the Tall Grass. Even if the English-language album and song titles — Melted Crystal, Dune, Silver Owl — didn’t Kikagaku Moyo from Japan signal a fascination with nature, a listener would recognize it in the soft-hued psychedelic jams and lacy, folk-ish instrumentals.

But Kurosawa, who plays drums and provides vocals, tells PureHoney that Kikagaku Moyo (“geometric patterns”) are not rejecting civilization, just contemplating its limits. “For us, nature also means something mysterious, something massive which we cannot control, but something never betrayed as a place where we can get inspiration,” he says, texting in English (his second language) via Skype.

“Being in Japan,” he continues, “we always face… natural disaster, actually we just had typhoon last night. But we also know how the typhoon can clear air and when it passe[s], it makes us feel like they made a new air, and almost [a] new world. Nature having many faces makes us want to express [it] in different ways as well,” he says. “In musical ways.”

A multi-instrumentalist, Kurosawa on drums is an insistent but discreet presence in the band’s immersive mix, with rhythms more brush-stroked than struck. But he contests the idea that he is a “quiet” drummer. “I think that drumming is the most primitive instrument,” he says, “and when I play I feel like more of expressing or maybe acting rather than playing an instrument.”

Kikagaku Moyo play Moonfest 2016 in downtown West Palm Beach on Saturday, Oct. 29, on the Respectable Street stage, 518 Clematis Street, 561-832-9999.

Tickets for Moonfest are $10 and up. Visit moonfest.me. Kikagaku Moyo are in Miami on Friday, Oct. 28 at Gramps, 176 NW 24th St., 305-699-2669, gramps. com. ~ Sean Piccoli

Don Shearer, Box Gallery Don Shearer’s spectral, scrawly angels still haunt the tricounty 30 years after the painter and sculptor bounded onto the 1980s scene, the first in a wave of South Beach’s arty trendsetters. A vivid example can be found scorching the courtyard wall at Fort Lauderdale gallery-bar Jump the Shark: a collection of crucifixes and tangled, sinister forms frame a Leonard Cohen quote, written in jagged manuscript: “There’s a crack in everything.

That’s how the light gets in.”

On Oct. 14, Shearer’s paintings will likewise haunt the Box Gallery in West Palm Beach, which is hosting “The Work {of} Don Shearer, A Retrospective.” The show, curated

by Shearer fan and longtime arts writer Sandra Schulman, aims to inject Palm Beach with flavors of old South Beach, in Don Shearer the late 1980s a hurricane of creativity, stiff cosmopolitans and new beachfront high-rises. “It was a creative explosion.

South Beach had the biggest incubator of styles from South Florida and New York, all meshed together,” says Rolando Chang Barrero, whose 4,000-squarefoot space will feature 70 Shearer pieces. “Shearer’s style is fresh. It’s clean.

You recognize it immediately because of the angels, and in the simplicity in his lines.”

A friend of Shearer’s from his Miami Beach heyday, Barrero describes the gothic wonder as humble, unwilling to partake in the brash, cocaine-fueled “society scene trap” that preoccupied spotlight-hungry artists of the early ‘90s. Instead, the artist grew prolific in his Design District gallery, dubbed “Of,” painting on furniture he scavenged from the street in a way that echoed Purvis Young, the legendary Overtown outsider artist who painted angels dwelling in urban decay. His works have since collected a pair of Hortt awards and found their way into the collections of actors Willem Dafoe and the late Vincent Price.

The gallery will also feature Shearer’s paintings on patent-leather sofas, upholstered chairs and on window panes, also harvested from Miami’s alleyways. His works will be accompanied by music from Cecilia Cruz. From 6-8 pm on Oct. 15, Louis Canales, Schulman, Liz Balmaseda and Manny Hernandez will discuss “The Art and Culture of South Beach.”

“The Work {of} Don Shearer, A Retrospective” will open 7-11pm, Oct. 14 at the Box Gallery, 811 Belvedere Road, in West Palm Beach. The show will close Nov. 12. 786-521-1199 or TheBoxGallery.Info. ~ Phillip Valys

Prop’s Hardcore Halloween Ask a child their favorite holiday and you’ll undoubtedly get the Hanukkahs, Christmas’s and Kwanzaa’s; because kids are opportunists who like getting things. However, there is one-second answer, and for those lucky parents out there, first answer that comes to mind for many of the rest of us: Halloween.

The time of year when those of us who don’t need a reason to celebrate the macabre and morbid re-up The Zoo Peculiar on year long decorations for our abode. The Fall bring the mourning of Summer, and holy cow that’s a sweet sound to some of our sun baked ears. Unfortunately, it also brings Pumpkin flavored latte’s, but you have to take the good with the bad, right?

This year Propaganda is hosting an evening of Burlesque and Music to usher in all hallows eve. Hardcore Halloween is as much an ode to Dionysian life styles as it is a celebration of Samhain.

The Zoo Peculiar and Problem Child provide the soundtrack to an evening of rock and roll excess, spacey awesomeness and scantly clad bombshells.

Problem Child bring violence, mayhem and the devil may care attitude that made rock and roll dangerous in the first place. They snarl, sneer and will maybe get frothy suds all over your costume. No worries, they’re nice fellas when the moon isn’t full. The Zoo Peculiar, is an act that brings together the circus, power pop and folk tunes from outer space. They’re like Critters; like the movie Critters but nice folks who won’t eat your face.

The Burlesque dancers are a whose-who of scantly clad performers in the tricounty area. Candy Mundane, Spikey Van Dykey and Ruby Tesla will be in varies states of undress to perform their burlesque acts and sideshow performances that will surely be the sweet part of a mostly salty evening. When is there a better opportunity to dress up in your mom’s best work clothes, drink to excess, dance to great music and ogle the feminine wilds of women who would most likely eat you alive? The answer is there is no better time. Be at Propaganda or live a long life knowing you missed out on some hedonistic fun. Puritan.

Hardcore Halloween: A Night of Burlesque and Music, is Friday, October 28 at Propaganda in Lake Worth. Doors are at 8pm, $10, 18 and up. ~ Tim Moffatt

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1

LOST WEEKEND: 20 Year w. Otto Von Schirach, Spam Allstars, Afrobeta, INNASENSE, Patrick & the Swayzees, Music Is A Weapon, Grey 8s, analog, Bruno Esposito, Superfuzz, Johnny Mile & the Kilometers, The Hoy Polloy, Chris Critic, UNION, SANDRATZ, Nicole Chirino CULTURE ROOM: The Dandy Warhols, Savoy Motel OLD SCHOOL SQUARE: STITCH ROCK 10 BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Remerge DADA: Killmama, Anastasia Max

KELSEY THEATER: Simply Tina: Tina Turner Tribute Show SUBCULTURE DELRAY: Mia Rahm & Josh Hollin PROPAGANDA: Viva Le Vox, Zoo Peculiar, Muggles, Echo CHURCHILL’S: Modernage & DJ 16 BIT C.W.S.: Wilkes Oswald KREEPY TIKI: DJ Babyface Blitz & Mickey Fit FUNKY BUDDHA: The Short Straw Pickers

Amtrac, Poorgrrrl, Lazaro Casanova, Mr Brown, Steven A. Clark, Jesse Perez, Deaf Poets, Viniloversus, Durante, Virgo, Santiago Caballero, Le Spam, Grey 8S, Dude Skywalker, Laura Of Miami, Killmama, Twyn, Pirate Stereo, Senf & Madrigal, Beach Day, Sndngchllz, Ennio Skoto, Ascendants, Kumi, Nsr, Jbz, Baez SUBCULTURE DELRAY: Chris Horgan KYI: Breaks Yo!

RESPECTABLE STREET: BOMBtoberfest BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Duoplicity

KELSEY THEATER: A Fat Wreck: The Punk-umentary FUNKY BISCUIT: DeadPhish Orchestra DADA: Sofilla

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2

DADA: Brunch with Whiskey Wasps KREEPY TIKI: Hair Of The Dog- X-Wrays & more!

CHURCHILL’S: Cool Guys, Folktales, Mustard Service, Top Tier, Games We Play

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3

KREEPY TIKI: Vivian K, Zeta, Jigsaw Youth, Go! Racer CHURCHILL’S: Space Jesus, Miami Jazz Jam

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5

DADA: Whiskey Wasps KYI: Chilean Slang FUNKY BISCUIT: The Main Squeeze GUANABANAS: Lather Up! KREEPY TIKI: Zach Bartholomew Jazz Night & Open Jam

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6

OLD SCHOOL SQUARE FIELDHOUSE: Silent Disco

KREEPY TIKI: Broward Noise Ordnance- Killmama, Fat Lip, Puppets of the Painted Wreckage, Dronehex & more!

DADA: Future Prezidents PROPAGANDA: Reggae Night, Lftd Lvls, Space Coast Ghost

KREEPY TIKI: Ordinary Boys CHURCHILL’S The Vibrators, Riot Agents, Jacuzzi Fuzz, Dyslexic Postcards, & DJ Skidmark C.W.S.: KIDS w/ Alex Di Leo CULTURE ROOM: Dopapod, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9

MANA WYNWOOD: III Points DAY THREE: M83, Flying Lotus (Dj), Flight Facilities, Early Sweatshirt, Dj Koze, Andy Stott, Pantha Du Prince, Denzel Curry, Jacques Greene, Craze, Jessy Lanza, Esta, Fatima Yamaha (Live), Dawn Of RESPECTABLE STREET: Toridian, Montage O’MALLEYS: Ice Nine Kills, Secrets, Sylar & more!

Midi, Joe Kay, Helado Negro, The Whooligan, Brika, Uchi, Dza, C.W.S.: Soundproof Blkkmorris, Telescope Thieves, Plastic Pinks, Poshstronaut, FUNKY BUDDHA: Joe Marcinek Band ft. Steve Molitz & more!

Austin Paul, Holly Hunt, Nick Leon, Niko Javan, Nuri, Bedside, Terence Tabeau, Diego Andres, Sunghosts, Will FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7 Renuart, Sean Drake, Dsan, Dim Past, Problem MANA WYNWOOD: III Points DAY ONE: LCD Soundsystem, Kids, Byrdipop, Parrot Jungle 95, Wastelands, Lolo, Dixon, Oneohtrix Point Never, Danny Daze, Kink (Live), Machinedrum (Live), Sophie (Live), Chrome Sparks (Live), Satori Kazoots, True Vine, Oxnylia, Jun Ill, Ltenght, Cog Nomen, Similar Prisoners (Live), Behrouz, Arthur Baker, Museum Of Love, Viken Arman, DADA: Brunch with Whiskey Wasps Psychic Mirrors, Julio Victoria, Otto Von Schirach, Patrick M, KYI: Bassline Miami Will Buck, Rat Bastard, Jeremy Ismael, Millionyoung, Lemurian, BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Nate Ginnetty Indigochildrick, Atom Yard, Pazmal, Fndr, Phaxas, Aaron Lebos CHURCHILL’S: Crowbar, Shroud Eater, Ether, Trust Reality, Kodiak Fur, Twelve’len, Nii Tei, John Hancock Iii, Tony No One Disco, Jport, Fudakochi, Oly FUNKY BISCUIT: Edwin McCain KYI: Cassette Store Day: Human Fluid Rot, Miracle Swill, Ew, BBAD: Golden Fest 5 Year Celebration Problem Child, Period Bomb, The Water Colors, Honorable Demons DADA: Migrate PROPAGANDA: Peep Show Burlesque

KELSEY THEATER: Dream Steeple Film AMERICAN ROCK BAR: A New Way To Live Forever

BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Mainstreet Dreamers KREEPY TIKI: Social X! Grinder, DJ Lady Anime & DJ Spacs FUNKY BISCUIT: Marcia Ball C.W.S.: Victoria Cardona

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8

MANA WYNWOOD: III Points DAY TWO: Thievery Corporation, Method Man & Redman, Diiv, Black Coffee, TaKu (Live), Maya Jane Coles, Dusky, Dj Tennis, Thee Oh Sees, Ben Ufo, Junior Boys, Little Simz, Lapalux, Leon Vynehall,

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11

CHURCHILL’S: Astronautalis, Ceschi & Factor Chandelier, Transit, Jabrjaw

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12

DADA: Micah Scott KYI: Analog Wednesday KREEPY TIKI: Bad Apples Brass Band

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13

GRAMPS: B Boys, Soda, Other Body, Dracula, Dion Kerr DADA: Craft Bazaar

RESPECTABLE STREET: The Helmsmen

PROPAGANDA: Ladies Reggae Night, Lftd Lvls O’MALLEYS: The Last Ten Seconds of Life, Traitors, Spite

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14

THE BOX GALLERY: The work {of} Don Shearer Opening DADA: Ordinary Boys BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Subgroove

KYI: A New Way to Live Forever

PROPAGANDA: Skate Night, Beach Day, Octo Gato C.W.S.: JL Fulks Band FUNKY BUDDHA: Unlimited Devotion

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15

KISMET VINTAGE: Lindsey Mills Tape Release Party RESPECTABLE STREET: Corey Jones Benefit PROPAGANDA:The Drip Effect, A New Way To Live Forever KELSEY THEATER: Swede Fest Palm Beach KREEPY TIKI: The Coppertones & Friends BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Rogue Theory DADA: Eternal Boner SUBCULTURE DELRAY: Lavola KYI: Keep it Deep

THE BOX GALLERY: The Art and Culture of South Beach

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22

PROPAGANDA: Daikaiju, Holidazed, Making Faces, Fireside Prophets DADA: OLY SUBCULTURE DELRAY: Nyne 2 Five KYI: The Wire Hip-Hop Party CULTURE ROOM: Eden

KELSEY THEATER: Jason Cardinal

C.W.S.: Sun Hands BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Ella Herrera & Brett Staska FUNKY BUDDHA: Road to Hula ft. MZG, Bells and Robes CHURCHILL’S: MDC, Antifaces, Speculum, Nutcheck, Skidmark KREEPY TIKI: Spookfest VI- Loaded Guns & more!

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23

DADA: Brunch with Whiskey Wasps CULTURE ROOM: The Psychedelic Furs BREWHOUSE GALLERY: A Sunday Kind of Blues, Nip & Tuck KREEPY TIKI: Das 80’s

MONDAY, OCTOBER 24 KREEPY TIKI: DaiKaiju

O’MALLEYS: Hawthorne Heights C.W.S.: Crazyfingers, Bobby Lee Rodgers, Bluejay, Solemark, Chloe Dolandis, Mike Mineo, Victoria Cardona FUNKY BUDDHA: Public Sounds, Tchaa

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27

DADA: Brunch with Whiskey Wasps BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Boardgame Society, Zack Jones

RESPECTABLE STREET: Flower City Conspiracy

KELSEY THEATER: RX Bandits “And The Battle Begun”

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18

KELSEY THEATER: Balance & Composure, Foxing, Mercury Girls

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19

DADA: Jamie Craig and the Postcards KYI: Second Rewind KREEPY TIKI: Gringo Star GUANABANAS: MZG, Bells and Robes

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20

OLD SCHOOL SQUARE: Zombie Prom DADA: Closer to the Ocean

RESPECTABLE STREET: Hypoluxo

PROPAGANDA: Ladies Reggae Night, Lftd Lvls KREEPY TIKI: Johnny Two Chords, Modern Natives & Friends

DADA: Mainstreet Dreamers KYI: Exploding Clouds KREEPY TIKI: Darsombra, House of Lightning, Holly Hunt DADA: Fireside Prophets

PROPAGANDA: Ladies Night, Lftd Lvls CHURCHILL’S: Cryptic Wisdom & The Palmer Squares KREEPY TIKI: Stallone, Lemmywinks, Shark Valley Sisters

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28

PROPAGANDA: Hardcore Halloween ft. Zoo Peculiar, Problem Child, Candy Muldane, Burlesque DADA: The State Of

RESPECTABLE STREET: B Boys, Soda, Chaucer BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Chick & Danger KYI: Shameless Burlesque C.W.S.: Nyne2Five & Public Sounds Collective

GRAMPS: Kikagaku Moyo, Similar Prisoners, Timothy Eerie, Mo’Booty MIZNER PARK AMP: Lindsey Stirling Brave Enough Tour CHURCHILL’S: Askultura , The Zipheads (UK)

KELSEY THEATER: Kelsey Kollective

KREEPY TIKI: Big Eyes, Pool Party, Wastelands, Antifaces, Go! Racer

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29

CLEMATIS STREET: MOONFEST w. BEST COAST, KIKAGAKU MOYO from Japan, Whole Wheat Bread, Ben Prestage, Peyote Coyote, The State Of, The Resolvers, Deaf Poets, Bath Salt Zombies, Space Coast Ghosts, Beebs & Her Money Makers, The Drip Effect, Boxwood, SADA, DJ ICEY and Scratch D of Dynamix II, Val Verra, DJ XTA-C, Supernaut & more!

BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Josh Miles & the Sweet Somethings

DOWNTOWN LAKE WORTH: Cultural Plaza, HallowScream Bar Crawl, Spam Allstars

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21

GRAMPS: Hypoluxo, Heavy Drag, Chaucer, Lindsey Mills KYI: Bermuda Beach C.W.S.: Slow Coast FUNKY BUDDHA: Funkin’ Grateful BREWHOUSE GALLERY: Acoustic Soul

PROPAGANDA: Hell of a Party DADA: Octo Gato KYI: Keep it Deep C.W.S.: Juke CHURCHILL’S: The Kitchen Club Halloween with Armada!

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30

BREWHOUSE GALLERY: JL Fulks CHURCHILL’S: Rat’s Halloween Party ELECTRIC PICKLE: MASS Halloween Edition

MONDAY, OCTOBER 31

DADA: Zoo Peculiar Halloween Show

Janell Shirtcliff

Moonfest, Best Coast

Best Coast

Bethany Cosentino, singerguitarist behind indierock darlings Best Coast and brutal slayer of music industry sexism, can certainly handle the possessed souls and predatory demons of Moonfest 2016 on Oct. 29. The Los Angeles-spawned duo will headline the 500 Block Stage of the bloody bacchanal, once again clogging up five bustling blocks of Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach.

Cosentino and guitarist Bobb Bruno are touring behind “California Nights,” Best Coast’s 2015 album, and are ambassadors of a brand of confessional lo-fi rock about insomnia, endless boredom, fickle boyfriends and relating to cats over people. Her deep-voiced, doleful vocals, candid and complex, are accented by a healthy dose of jangly surf-pop no doubt inspired by the Beach Boys and a pastiche of ‘60s girl groups.

Best Coast is the bright, grungy exclamation point to the Halloween soundtrack that is Moonfest, where some 30,000-plus revelers will rave along in costumes, dancing amid lasers, Jason Voorhees and three stages of music parked in front of Respectables, O’Sheas and the usual Clematis suspects. But above all, the night of spooky debauchery is a showcase of hometown musical heroes, with Ben Prestage, Deaf Poets and The Resolvers holding court on the 500 Block Stage, while DJ Val Verra and Palm Beach’s own Scratch D crank out glitchy cool on the 100 Block electronica stage. The ominously dubbed Four Horsemen Courtyard Stage on the 300 Block, meanwhile, will trot out sounds from Space Coast Ghost and others.

We haven’t event mentioned Moonfest’s new addiction, a pair of haunted houses on the 500 block that include a nerve-wracking 10,000-square-foot maze and a “demented” alley next to Subculture Coffee. As always, Moonfest is gated, but if you splurge for the VIP cemetery, know that ticket-buyers will collect a free acre of moon land, and gain access to a private entrance and open bar. There’s also arts and crafts vendors, food trucks and a $1,000 costume contest, which goes down right before Best Coast.

Moonfest 2016 feat Best Coast, Kikagaku Moyo, Ben Prestage, Peyote Coyote, The State Of, Deaf Poets, The Resolvers, DJ ICEY, Space Coast Ghost, Bath Salt Zombies and more kicks off at 8pm Oct. 29 between the 100 & 500 blocks of Clematis Street in West Palm. Strictly 21+. $10-$20 general admission, $10 for haunted houses only, $80 for VIP. Moonfest.me. ~ Phillip Valys

Zombie Prom / Silent Disco For many of us, club nights can become a bit of a drag.

The problem is you can’t meet people if you don’t leave your house; unless you live in Melrose Place in which case beautiful strangers just show up to your doorstep, being all beautiful, and awesome and and what not. However, some clubs are over run with expensive drinks and super loud music which makes it nearly impossible to talk to an object of desire that may come your way. How can you be charming and screaming Old School Square presents at the same time? The two ideas are diametrically opposed to one another! What gives, night time gods?

A SUPER SOCIAL

BATTLE OF THE DJs!

Well, Old School Square in Delray Beach has adopted one of the newer formats for the nightlife enthusiast suffering from this dilemma: Silent Discos. A silent disco is a disco where people are assigned headphones at the door and patrons can tune in to battling DJ’s vying for their attention. Or, they can take off the head phones and mingle with the beautiful people bellying up to the bar. It’s kind of a win-win.

What’s the happiest time of year? Halloween? Prom season? Maybe both?

This year Old School Square is hosting a Zombie Prom. The theme goes one better by making it a prom from 1985; holy Hanna Barbera, so you need to get cracking on your costume! There will be a photographer at the door to be sure and get this moment down for posterity, as well as several rooms for people to mingle, dance or lumber around. (you know... Zombie stuff) This prom has DJ’s spinning all 80’s bangers to get the dead, teenage, valley kid in you moon walking across a blood stained dance floor.

Old School Square has plenty of events and workshops coming up if these two soirees failed to illicit squee’s! The Arts and Entertainment complex is just getting started dipping their toes in the water to bring a great time to Delray. A peek at their calendar of events seems to leave no group or activity wanting in the coming months. Leave your house, check out the real world; it’s where the people are!

Silent Disco is happening October 6 and every month from 9pm to Midnight.

Tickets are available at the Old School Square website. Zombie Prom takes place on October 20, tickets are available on the website and are $20 oer person. ~ Tim Moffatt

The First Thursday Each Month

9:00pm – 12:00am

Tickets: OldSchoolSquare.org 51 N Swinton Ave | Delray Beach, FL | 561 243 7922 | OldSchoolSquare.org

Hypoluxo Homecoming Brian Bo

“Sam Cogen and I met while we both lived on Hypoluxo Road,” says Marco Ocampo. “When we moved to New York we were going by a different moniker but there were like three other bands with the same name so we decided on Hypoluxo to always try and keep the Florida feels coming. John Archuleta lived in West Palm, but he was always around the area. Eric Jaso is from Los Angeles.” This Brooklyn-based quartet has entered the foray of serious indie rock with a fully realized LP, If Language that they’re supporting this fall. With a loHypoluxo fi, post-punk, shoegaze vibe that is firmly rooted in rock but open to pop experimentation, Hypoluxo is an improved standout in what has become a stagnant and homogenized New York scene.

That could be due to a mix of doom and cynicism existing in parallel to slightly more upbeat situations throughout their recorded canon. “I think the main thing we tried to do for this record is tell a story,” explains Cogen of the record. “It’s really just about being a kid. Growing up dealing with a ton of stuff that in the end really is not a big deal but at the time is everything. For most of our previous recordings we just wrote a song and it worked. It really ended up being a very cohesive album and a strong story of facing typical problems we all have growing up.” Cogen’s delivery, reserved with intent, gives the tracks an almost sprechgesang authority without becoming overblown.

Going on a little over three years as a band, Hypoluxo sounds mature beyond that. Cogen and Ocampo have been jamming together since their high school days and their creative process is incorporative of the whole, with loose ideas germinating over the good old-fashioned, barrier-free cocoon of the rehearsal space. That they take their time in crafting their product and tinkering enough to make it the best they possibly can is what has set them apart at home—and both the press and their growing fan base have taken note.

“We want to make songs that have an immediate reaction to people and not just ourselves,” says Cogen. “We want to make people want to have fun. We love the gloomy vibe we have been doing for a while which will never leave, but I want to experiment with different stuff. Especially in a live setting.” South Florida fans will have a chance to see Hypoluxo do it like that with a one-two punch of performances in West Palm at Respectable Street and Miami at Gramps. That’s a relatively short commute with a delicious sonic payoff if you think about it.

Hypoluxo 11pm on Thursday, October 20 at Respectable’s Flaunt party and with Heavy Drag, Chaucer, and Lindsey Mills at 8pm on Friday, October 21 at Gramps, hypoluxomusic.bandcamp.com. ~ Abel Folgar

B Boys, No Spiritual Surrender Just before Moonfest takes over Clematis Street, Respectable Street welcomes a trio of punk bands born in Florida: B Boys and Soda (who are now based in Brooklyn) as well as future local legend, Chaucer. We spoke with drummer Andrew Kerr (who has also been seen lately keeping live beats for Chaucer) about the upcoming show and all things B Boys.

PH: The three of you starting playing in 2014. How did you guys come together and what’s the story behind the name?

B Boys BB: Britton and Brendan met one another while going to college in Texas. I was introduced to them through some mutual friends from Denton that had played my house in Gainesville, FL on tour.

They had written some music together previously and invited me to come jam with them. We didn’t have a name at the time, so when it came time to reserve our slot on the practice space calendar, they wrote “B Boys” since their names start with that letter. It felt good, so we never bothered to change it.

PH: How do you describe your music?

BB: At its core, it’s really just pop music filtered through a variety of lenses. We all have pretty diverse musical tastes, a lot comes into play as far as influences. We’re often compared to bands like Wire, Devo, Talking Heads, The Clash— all of whom we love.

PH: You’re also described/self-described punks --- what makes one so?

BB: Just staying true to yourself. No spiritual surrender.

PH: What’s the end game? Is there one? .... or are you just along for the ride?

BB: For me, being able to see other countries as a result of being in this band would be great. Trying to make that come to fruition in 2017.

PH: How important do you think local music venues like Respectable Street to artists & the local community?

BB: I actually grew up in Delray, where we didn’t exactly have a nurturing musical community when I was younger. I’ve been going to places like Respectables and other now-closed spots on Clematis since high school. It’s always great to have a safe space to share your creative practice, whatever it may be.

PH: Who is currently on your playlist?

BB: Ronnie Dyson, CCTV, Cate Le Bon. PH: Do you wear chinos, and do you put them on one leg at a time?

BB: When the time calls.

B Boys, Soda, Chaucer take the RSC stage Oct28 and play Gramps Oct13 when Death to the Sun presents: B Boys, Soda, Other Body, Dracula, Dion Kerr ~ Jessica Chesler

Mercury Girls at Kelsey “We put out a tape of live songs first, to sell at shows,” says Mercury Girls’ singer Sarah Schimeneck of their ‘15 demo tape. “Using money from shows, we went into the studio and while recording, Mike from Slumberland contacted us and wound up pressing the 7”.” The record, “Ariana” b/side “All that Heaven Allows” was released this past May and it is a perfect platter of jangle-pop informed rock with enough external influences to make it a solid dance-inducer.

Schimeneck’s voice has the requisite levels of emotional detachment that guide the music through an ethereal landscape.

Mercury Girls

This Philly quintet is rounded out by Kevin Attics, Chris Schackerman, Kevin O’Halloran, and Andrew Hagiwara. Their past includes work with bands like Pet Milk and Little Big League and presently, members also stint in Literature and Horse Girls. Darlings of the City of Brotherly Love’s indie scene, they are ambassadors of their community. “Philly is really, really thriving right now,” explains Attics. “There’s an embarrassment of good bands, not to mention the proliferation of house shows and proper venues.”

On the road for two months supporting Balance and Composure and Foxing, Attics adds with a bit of cheeky disbelief, “when we were contacted, some of us were wondering if they had written the right people? We’ve been a band for about a year and a half and, while we’ve played consistently and toured, this was a different level. We’re really excited and everyone’s rushing to get their equipment repaired beforehand!” But it should come as no surprise that rewards come to bands who work hard. Often described as fitting perfectly into the New Music Express’ polarizing C86 compilation, Mercury Girls is a young band that is promising more dimensionalities than the comparison.

The best example of it is in the maturity the band exhibits on tape and live.

“In the studio, you can obviously do things that are impossible onstage but, for us, we try to get the essence of the live thing down before we begin experimenting,” says Attics of the process. “Before we begin manipulating anything we get the soul of the track on tape.” This tour will help wrangle in the soul of their latest work—music that will be captured for a debut LP on Slumberland that Schimeneck deadpans, “we have been working pretty hard on it.” And their hard work, as it has proven, pays off.

Mercury Girls with Balance and Composure and Foxing at 8pm on Tuesday, October 18 at the Kelsey Theater. Mercurygirls.net. ~ Abel Folgar