Adult Books at El Club

California's Adult Books emerged in the front half of the 2010s with a spiky collision of post-punk and tuneful indie rock with occasional detours into British new wave. They made their album debut with 2016's Running from the Blows, followed five years later by the more stylistically varied Grecian Urn. Taking their name from a song by L.A. punk legends X, singer/guitarist Nick Winfrey, bassist Daniel Quintanilla, and drummer M.M. Sina formed Adult Books in Orange County in 2011. Their self-titled debut EP was issued in 2012 by Burger and Lolipop Records with a U.K. release via Manchester's Box Bedroom label. After relocation to Los Angeles and several years of touring and writing, the band issued their full-length debut with 2016's Running from the Blows. By the decade's end, the group had more or less become Winfrey's personal project, and he signed with Swiss label Taxi Gauche to release Adult Books' follow-up. Arriving in 2021, Grecian Urn represented an increased shift toward Winfrey's new wave influences and even included electronic elements. Biography by Timothy Monger

A Place to Bury Strangers is a power trio comprised of Oliver Ackermann (guitar / vocals), John Fedowitz (bass) and Sandra Fedowitz (drums). The band play a heavy, atmospheric wall of sound-influenced blend of psychedelic, shoegaze and noise rock. A Place to Bury Strangers was formed in 2002 by David Goffan and Tim Gregorio. Current frontman and guitarist Oliver Ackermann had moved to Brooklyn, New York, United States, following the disbanding of his previous group, Skywave to join the group and become the primary songwriter after the departure of Goffan. They played their first show at Luxx in Brooklyn in 2003. Jay Space and Jono Mofo, both from the New York City-based band MOFO, joined the band when Tim Gregorio left. In 2006, APTBS handmade three different untitled EPs with different color schemes; these later become known as the Red, Blue and Green EPs. In 2006, the band gained some acclaim following its Webster Hall performance with The Brian Jonestown Massacre. The band returned to Webster Hall in 2007 to play with one of their major influences, The Jesus and Mary Chain. Throughout these formative years, the band's live shows became increasingly chaotic which earned them the title of New York City's "loudest band" from various indie reviewers and bloggers, as well as "the most ear-shatteringly loud garage/shoegaze band you'll ever hear" by The Washington Post. The New York Times applauded their revival of "the ominous, feedback-drenched drones of the 1980s". In early 2009, APTBS signed to Mute Records. The band also announced another European tour and appearances at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Seaport Music Festival, Rock al Parque and Siren Music Festival. Their second album, Exploding Head, was released in October 2009. In early spring 2010, it was discovered that Jono MOFO had decided to leave the band for personal reasons (after recently getting married) rather than tour with the band during their US tour supporting The Big Pink. He was replaced for that spring tour by Dion Lunadon, formerly of the bands The D4 and The True Lovers. On February 14, 2011, Ackermann stated that the band had begun working on their third full-length album. On January 10, 2012 A Place to Bury Strangers release the iPhone shot all Hipstamatic video for the first single So Far Away of the forthcoming Onwards to the Wall EP. On February 12, 2012, the band announced that Robi Gonzalez was taking over drumming duties for A Place to Bury Strangers. They also thanked former drummer, Jay Space, for his contribution to the band. On May 2, 2012, it was confirmed that the third album of the band, , was scheduled to be released on June 11 in the UK and Europe, and on June 26, 2012 in the US via Dead Oceans label. The band announced plans to support the release with a full North American tour in October 2012. It was announced in early March 2013, that the band had recorded covers of songs from the Portland band, Dead Moon. They plan to release these covers on Record Store Day 2013 as an EP titled Strange Moon. In March 2013, the band began recording their 4th studio album. They recorded for several days at ABC Studios in Etne, Norway with Emil Nikolaisen of Serena Maneesh. Then, in May, APTBS released a 7" via Sweet Mistakes Productions, free with the Fractal Press Magazine, issue #135. The band also sold them without the magazine during their live shows. In late November, Ackermann and Lunadon had an interview with Drowned in Sound and said that there will likely be a tour following the 4th LP's release. The band's fifth album, "Pinned", was released in 2018. The band also replaced Robi Gonzalez with drummer and singer Lia Simone Braswell. In 2021, John Fedowitz (also a former member of Skywave)& his wife Sandra Fedowitz, both from Ceremony East Coast, replaced the rhythm section once again. Hologram EP was released July 16, 2021. http://www.aplacetoburystrangers.com/