Local music festival, Viva Pomona highlights some of the biggest Southern California acts in it's second year this Saturday, July 27th. With headliners Allah-Lahs being backed by more than 20 other artists, the two-staged event will be one of Pomona's biggest music events of the year. With so much to choose from, here are some of the bands we are looking forward to seeing this year.
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You Me & Us
Finding the perfect balance of fuzzy, honest, and audible, You Me & Us have affectively made what a lot garage bands are doing a lot more listenable. Between referencing Arrested Development and formulating short pop songs that have a very relatable quality the band is doing something nobody else is doing in the Southern California DIY scene. The easiest comparison a listener can make is to another California based band Best Coast. Working with the Guitarists of Best Coast, Bobb Bruno to record their last release, an EP titled Stay Inside, You Me & Us set themselves apart with even more personal lyrics and currently reside within the means of the close-nit, Pomona-based DIY community. They are definitely the pop-iest band on the lineup, but they will definitely be one of the most fun to watch.
Ruptures
Definitely the heaviest band on the lineup, Ruptures brings a darker aspect to the show. With most of the bands being fun-summery garage rock groups, this Emo-Violence band will kick the asses of all beach-bums in the building. Blending screamo elements with hardcore and power-violence riffs, Ruptures plays some of the most heavy emotional music in Southern California.
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Tomorrow's Tulips
Product of professional surfer Alex Knost, Tomorrow's Tulips fits perfectly into Knost's vision of a 1970's pre-punk, drug addled, beach paradise. “Eternally Teenage” is one of the bands songs and also a pretty good description of what you will see. The music is extremely lo-fi–like something you would hear giving teenagers a few instruments and seeing what happens. Words like slow, simple, and noisy come to mind as they unpack their loose, reverb-laden set of jams. When it all comes together their sets are either very interesting or incredibly boring based on how the band feels that day but the former is so worth the anxiety over dealing with the latter.
Wild Pack of Canaries
One of the more progressive and psychedelic bands on the lineup, Long Beach's Wild Pack of Canaries is sure to surprise a lot of people. With a new album coming from Lollipop Records next month, the bands set will be full of newly recorded tunes. Although it's not always the most fun listening to sets of music you've never heard before, but Wild Pack of Canaries new songs are going to be extra-interesting. Mimicking some of what Burger Records is doing in Fullerton, Lollipop Records is making a name for itself in Los Angeles instead. Self-described as a “cross-cultural” band, Wild Pack of Canaries' new album In The Parian Flesh will hopefully be just as adventurous as they have been in the past.
The Lovely Bad Things
With their latest release being put out by Volcom Entertainment, Orange County's The Lovely Bad Things are blowing up fast. Starting out very DIY playing houses and backyard, then having Fullerton record store/ trend making label Burger Records put out their first cassette, the band has a lot of momentum pushing them forward. The band makes very catchy female-fronted punk music. Although they are not a headliner, by this time next year they will be bigger than any band playing this show.
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