Hillary Chillton, or "Hill Chill" as it's affectionately inked, is a band that resides just east of Pomona in the quiet suburbs of Claremont. The five-piece rep the VLHS Warehouse in Pomona that, like DIY venues Bridgetown and The Smell, have never wavered to bring great local talent and ennervate youths to support the music community. As such, there's an opulence of hi-gain twinkle and garage dirt in Hillary Chillton's indie rock sound that balances pop sensibility without sacrificing that DIY aesthetic (their outputs are personally recorded and engineered). They're also really into Weezer and Modest Mouse — just don't harp them to cover "Float On" or "Pork and Beans".

Find them Friday at the stage of San Diego's AwesomeFest 9, or hang back and watch them at The Smell this Saturday with some local cats: the previously featured post-rock angels Young Lovers and garage punk Saiyans Dustin and The Explosions. Listen to "Devil in Tights" from their recent split with Void Boys pop punk from the Bay. - Ryan Mo

If you didn't get to see Pretend's stellar performance during Young Lovers' residency at Pehrspace, know this: Nick Reinhart was grooving pretty damn hard to their music, and Pehrspace hit capacity before the encore. 

Now that you know you missed out on something big, here's a second shot to catch the enigmatic musicians: along with guitar-drum mathcore duo 100 Onces, Pretend will support touring New Jersey trio Vasudeva, whose last album Life in Cycles will definitely connect with fans of upbeat mathy post-rock like Enemies, The Bulletproof Tiger, Dios Trio. Then again, if you know of such bands, you're probably very familiar with these three and are wondering how you didn't find out about this earlier.

Presented by Sound of a Vacuum, the show is happening at North Hollywood's Bonnerhaus, doors open at 8pm. Vasudeva are moving through California for the first time, and tonight they're playing in Fresno at Frank's Place/Star Palace with The Unending Thread. You can still catch them on Saturday in Anaheim's The Eclectic Room with locals like Hollow Ran, Panoramic, and Twentytwofourteen. - Ryan Mo

San Francisco's PLUSH and pardoner are making rounds on their first tour together through California, and tomorrow they're hitting up Club Violaine's M-Club in Boyle Heights tomorrow, July 14. Enjoy the comforts of Sonic Youth-inspired noise-punk (pardoner), a rarity in Los Angeles, and 50's-reminisicent pop churned through fuzz and reverb aka sob rock (PLUSH).

The night will be supported by rising locals: post-rock group Young Lovers and doomgazers SHEER. If you've been to any of their recent shows you know how expansive these two can get. So you'll probably want to bring earplugs.

First band is on at 9 PM, 21+ venue and five bucks a pop. Get a taste of PLUSH and pardoner below, and gaze responsibly. - Ryan Mo

The Dreamgaze Festival is back, and this time it's happening at Los Globos.

Presented in tandem with DKFM, Dream Wave, Counter Culture, and KXLU, Dreamgaze Festival will feature bands of Los Angeles' alternative youth scene, including the post-rock quartet Young Lovers, coldwave/post-industrial group Cruelty Code, bi-coastal duo Ablebody, and dreamgazing band Cre·scen·do. The festival will also be graced by Florida's indie/electronic producer Millionyoung, Arizona's lo-fi shoegazers Shallow, San Francisco's dreamy power trio Balms, and more.

Presale tickets are available on the DreamGaze site, and a limited quantity will be sold at Origami Vinyl. More acts will be announced in the coming weeks, so this is looking to be a thoroughly packed show — don't wait up. The DreamGaze Festival's last iteration was held near Ontario and featured bands like Tennis System, SHEER, and the Italian dreampop Be Forest. Its organizer, Gregory Cole, is the guitarist/singer for Cre·scen·do and promoter of underground music events. - Ryan Mo

Pretend are as haunting and majestic as the verdant monoliths of their home in Thousand Oaks. Members Luke Palascak, Timothy Ramirez, Michael Russell, and Joel Morgan have played together since 2005, and in winter of 2007/2008 they spread laid their roots and branched out in every direction, with shades of Slowdive, American Football, Sonic Youth, and Prefab Sprout influencing, but never overtaking their creations.

Melodic counterpoint, cymbal swells, and calculated dynamicism will bring listeners to their knees with reverence, hands outstretched and grasping. Songs are atmospheric and epic, so masterfully produced that fans of Owen, Caspian, and This Town Needs Guns will think it a travesty that Pretend are not more well known. They released the debut LP Bones In The Soil, Rust In The Oil late 2010, and have been quite secretive, but despite their lack of social media presence the group's emotive shows in Westlake, Sherman Oaks, and Ventura have gained a cult following throughout Los Angeles and around the world.

Pretend will be performing the final night of Young Lovers' residency presented with DKFM Radio at Pehrspace with SHEER and Nick Reinhart (Tera Melos) & Eric Gardner (Dot Hacker) — definitely a night you don't want to miss. Their newest album Tapestry'd Life will release October this year. Listen to "Patternless Tide", part of a 2014 compilation from San Diego's Topshelf Records. - Ryan Mo