Thursday, Oct 15 abracadabra (ep release party) Galore Rhymies 8 pm doors $18 tix all ages If ‘shapes & colors’ invited listeners into abracadabra’s vibrant neighborhood of hope and resistance, ‘peel away’ opens the front door and welcomes them directly into the conversation. The Oakland duo’s new EP (out on Manchester, UK label Melodic) is their most intimate collection yet: six songs that sift through luck, privilege, repair, abundance, anger, and self-reflection, wrapped in the project’s signature blend of psych-pop, leftfield electronics, dubby grooves, and playful sonic experimentation. ‘peel away’ continues abracadabra's fascination with texture, movement, and groove. Angular synth lines, dub-inflected rhythms, playful percussion, and layered vocal arrangements create a world that feels simultaneously homemade and expansive. There are echoes of Talking Heads, ESG, Tom Tom Club, Stereolab, and Arthur Russell in the mix, but abracadabra's greatest strength remains their ability to turn complex ideas into joyful communal experiences. The EP has received critical praise since its release and has been featured on Bandcamp, KEXP and The Needle Drop. abracadabra recently returned from playing dates in Europe promoting ‘peel away’ with their live-band, filled out by Maria Donjacour on guitar, Asha Wells on percussion, and Sammie Wallinga on drums. With multiple songwriters and vocalists, sinuous intersecting harmonies and an intensely communal creative process, Galore — bassist Ava Rosen, guitarist Griffin Jones, guitarist Ainsley Wagoner, and drummer Hannah Smith — embodies the spirit of a true musical collective. Seablite shoegaze maven Lauren Matsui has traded her two suitcases of guitar pedals for an assortment of Korgs, Rolands and Yamahas on “I Dream Watching”, the debut EP from her solo project, rhymies. The songs are built on arpeggiated melodies and sequences rooted in the nostalgia of an 80s dance party. The gauzy textures serve as a perfect base for Matsui’s breathy, wistful vocals. Often glimpsed through the mire of swirling guitars on Seablite records, here they take center stage, to great effect.