TEARIST; (noun). (1) Tearist are devout students of 1980s goth and industrial sounds, but they've taken that moody, studio-driven music and retrofit it for basement shows and DIY spaces. On songs like "Civilization" and "Closest", Strangeland-Menchaca pushes his electronic rhythms up to punk tempos, but keeps his basslines dry and squelchy. (2) Tearist don't really do hooks, though. [Will] plays Martin Rev to [Yasmine's] Alan Vega, blasting sparse and repetitive beats while the vocalist ants, writhes, and yowls animalistic grunts through a delay pedal. [Both definitions culled from Pitchfork, so adjust expectations accordingly.]

Listen to TEARIST:
http:// tearist.bandcamp.com/

Legendary LA post-punk outfit (and PTP fave) SAVAGE REPUBLIC make their long-overdue return to The Echo stage, celebrating their release of their new album on LTM. Fusing dub and tribal rhythms to sparse and chopping guitars, SR are Neubauten meets Godspeed. Beware.

Listen to SAVAGE REPUBLIC:
http://soundcloud.com/ tracks/ search?q%5Bfulltext%5D=sava ge+republic

Icy synth swaths over 808 drum machine chatter and dark ethereal girl vocals ala Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins (or maybe Faith/Seventeen Seconds-era Cure). Behold the wild rush to dreams. This is synthgaze.

Listen to TROLLER:
http:// troller.bandcamp.com/

And the nite starts off with a collection of dark cosmic synth soundscapes courtesy of THOUSAND FOOT WHALE CLAW. Dream baby dream. Forever.