Noise Pop 30 presents
NoSo / Squirrel Flower (co-headline)
Doors 7 pm
$18 advance / $20 doors
All ages
If you're a guitar enthusiast or familiar with the L.A. music scene, you may already know the name Baek Hwong. Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs before moving to California as a teenager, Hwong cut their teeth at the competitive Thornton School of Music at USC, where they studied guitar and songwriting and began to develop their own unique play style.
After originally pursuing the path of more instrumental players like Tommy Emmanuel, Hwong realized in college that their writing was quickly manifesting itself in new, more personal ways: in lyrics, arrangements, songs that begged to be sung and fully realized. They began to cultivate an ever-growing collection of demos, a small portion of which would make up Stay Proud of Me, their debut album under the name NoSo.
NoSo is shorthand for "North or South?" - a question Hwong often had to face growing up in a predominately white town whenever they mentioned they're Korean. Hwong's writing often indirectly grapples with the insecurities and frustrations that can arise from the Asian American experience. Their writing feels like a balm for the alienated, like this couplet from the song "I Feel You": "You feel my lies while my body moves without me/Laughing about it, laughing about it."
The yearning of NoSo's music is led by their wistful guitar playing, from the circular riffs on "I Feel You" to the glassy plucks scattered throughout "Feeling Like a Woman Lately." The palm-muted arpeggios that open "Man Who Loves You" give way to a jangly pop ballad, perfect for closing out a teen romance movie. The power of these songs stems from NoSo's universal tenderness; a singular perspective to affect and assuage the hearts of many.
Stay Proud of Me is a deeply earnest coming-of-age album, a nuanced introduction to NoSo's universe and Hwong's rapidly expanding musical abilities. The marriage of their lyrics and captivating guitar performance feels magical, as if Noso can open up portals to fantastic new realms, guided by an emotional honesty that breaks you down in one moment and fills you with joy in the next. https://nosomusic.com/
Squirrel Flower's heart-rending sophomore album Planet (i), following her 2020 debut I Was Born Swimming, is exactly that. A singular planet, a world entirely of artist Ella Williams' making. The title came first to her as a joke: it's her made-up name for the new planet people will inevitably settle and destroy after leaving Earth, as well as the universe imagined within her music. "Planet (i) is my body and mind," Williams says, "and it's the physical and emotional world of our planet. It's both." Buoyed by her steadfast vision and propelled by her burning comet of a voice, the record is a love letter to disaster in every form imaginable. Tornadoes, flooding, gaslighting assholes, cars on fire--these songs fully embrace a planet in ruin. As Williams rides from melancholy to jubilance to complete emotional devastation over the course of twelve songs, she carves out a future for herself and those she loves. Planet (i), out June 25, 2021 on Polyvinyl and Full Time Hobby, is at once a refuge, an act of self-healing, and a musical reflection of Squirrel Flower's inner and outer worlds.
On Planet (i), Squirrel Flower reveals a bright and uncompromising vision, confident in her powers of self-healing and growth. No matter what the disaster ahead of or within her looks like, and no matter how she shape-shifts to meet it, Squirrel Flower will always be a world of her own, a space-rock flying down the road in flames and flat tires. As Planet (i) wheels to a close from the cartop lovesickness of "Iowa 146," the floodwaters of "Deluge in the South," and the tornado fury of "Pass," to the hushed climax and acceptance of "Starshine," she leaves us to face down disaster with hope in hand. https://www.squirrelflower.net/
show less
NoSo / Squirrel Flower (co-headline)
Doors 7 pm
$18 advance / $20 doors
All ages
If you're a guitar enthusiast or familiar with the L.A. music scene, you may already know the name Baek Hwong. Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs before moving to California as a teenager, Hwong cut their teeth at the competitive Thornton School of Music at USC, where they studied guitar and songwriting and began to develop their own unique play style.
After originally pursuing the path of more instrumental players like Tommy Emmanuel, Hwong realized in college that their writing was quickly manifesting itself in new, more personal ways: in lyrics, arrangements, songs that begged to be sung and fully realized. They began to cultivate an ever-growing collection of demos, a small portion of which would make up Stay Proud of Me, their debut album under the name NoSo.
NoSo is shorthand for "North or South?" - a question Hwong often had to face growing up in a predominately white town whenever they mentioned they're Korean. Hwong's writing often indirectly grapples with the insecurities and frustrations that can arise from the Asian American experience. Their writing feels like a balm for the alienated, like this couplet from the song "I Feel You": "You feel my lies while my body moves without me/Laughing about it, laughing about it."
The yearning of NoSo's music is led by their wistful guitar playing, from the circular riffs on "I Feel You" to the glassy plucks scattered throughout "Feeling Like a Woman Lately." The palm-muted arpeggios that open "Man Who Loves You" give way to a jangly pop ballad, perfect for closing out a teen romance movie. The power of these songs stems from NoSo's universal tenderness; a singular perspective to affect and assuage the hearts of many.
Stay Proud of Me is a deeply earnest coming-of-age album, a nuanced introduction to NoSo's universe and Hwong's rapidly expanding musical abilities. The marriage of their lyrics and captivating guitar performance feels magical, as if Noso can open up portals to fantastic new realms, guided by an emotional honesty that breaks you down in one moment and fills you with joy in the next. https://nosomusic.com/
Squirrel Flower's heart-rending sophomore album Planet (i), following her 2020 debut I Was Born Swimming, is exactly that. A singular planet, a world entirely of artist Ella Williams' making. The title came first to her as a joke: it's her made-up name for the new planet people will inevitably settle and destroy after leaving Earth, as well as the universe imagined within her music. "Planet (i) is my body and mind," Williams says, "and it's the physical and emotional world of our planet. It's both." Buoyed by her steadfast vision and propelled by her burning comet of a voice, the record is a love letter to disaster in every form imaginable. Tornadoes, flooding, gaslighting assholes, cars on fire--these songs fully embrace a planet in ruin. As Williams rides from melancholy to jubilance to complete emotional devastation over the course of twelve songs, she carves out a future for herself and those she loves. Planet (i), out June 25, 2021 on Polyvinyl and Full Time Hobby, is at once a refuge, an act of self-healing, and a musical reflection of Squirrel Flower's inner and outer worlds.
On Planet (i), Squirrel Flower reveals a bright and uncompromising vision, confident in her powers of self-healing and growth. No matter what the disaster ahead of or within her looks like, and no matter how she shape-shifts to meet it, Squirrel Flower will always be a world of her own, a space-rock flying down the road in flames and flat tires. As Planet (i) wheels to a close from the cartop lovesickness of "Iowa 146," the floodwaters of "Deluge in the South," and the tornado fury of "Pass," to the hushed climax and acceptance of "Starshine," she leaves us to face down disaster with hope in hand. https://www.squirrelflower.net/
Noise Pop 30 presents
NoSo / Squirrel Flower (co-headline)
Doors 7 pm
$18 advance / $20 doors
All ages
If you're a guitar enthusiast or familiar with the L.A. music scene, you may already know the name Baek Hwong. Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs before moving to California as a teenager, Hwong cut their teeth at the competitive Thornton School of Music at USC, where they studied guitar and songwriting and began to develop their own unique play style.
After originally pursuing the path of more instrumental players like Tommy Emmanuel, Hwong realized in college that their writing was quickly manifesting itself in new, more personal ways: in lyrics, arrangements, songs that begged to be sung and fully realized. They began to cultivate an ever-growing collection of demos, a small portion of which would make up Stay Proud of Me, their debut album under the name NoSo.
NoSo is shorthand for "North or South?" - a question Hwong often had to face growing up in a predominately white town whenever they mentioned they're Korean. Hwong's writing often indirectly grapples with the insecurities and frustrations that can arise from the Asian American experience. Their writing feels like a balm for the alienated, like this couplet from the song "I Feel You": "You feel my lies while my body moves without me/Laughing about it, laughing about it."
The yearning of NoSo's music is led by their wistful guitar playing, from the circular riffs on "I Feel You" to the glassy plucks scattered throughout "Feeling Like a Woman Lately." The palm-muted arpeggios that open "Man Who Loves You" give way to a jangly pop ballad, perfect for closing out a teen romance movie. The power of these songs stems from NoSo's universal tenderness; a singular perspective to affect and assuage the hearts of many.
Stay Proud of Me is a deeply earnest coming-of-age album, a nuanced introduction to NoSo's universe and Hwong's rapidly expanding musical abilities. The marriage of their lyrics and captivating guitar performance feels magical, as if Noso can open up portals to fantastic new realms, guided by an emotional honesty that breaks you down in one moment and fills you with joy in the next. https://nosomusic.com/
Squirrel Flower's heart-rending sophomore album Planet (i), following her 2020 debut I Was Born Swimming, is exactly that. A singular planet, a world entirely of artist Ella Williams' making. The title came first to her as a joke: it's her made-up name for the new planet people will inevitably settle and destroy after leaving Earth, as well as the universe imagined within her music. "Planet (i) is my body and mind," Williams says, "and it's the physical and emotional world of our planet. It's both." Buoyed by her steadfast vision and propelled by her burning comet of a voice, the record is a love letter to disaster in every form imaginable. Tornadoes, flooding, gaslighting assholes, cars on fire--these songs fully embrace a planet in ruin. As Williams rides from melancholy to jubilance to complete emotional devastation over the course of twelve songs, she carves out a future for herself and those she loves. Planet (i), out June 25, 2021 on Polyvinyl and Full Time Hobby, is at once a refuge, an act of self-healing, and a musical reflection of Squirrel Flower's inner and outer worlds.
On Planet (i), Squirrel Flower reveals a bright and uncompromising vision, confident in her powers of self-healing and growth. No matter what the disaster ahead of or within her looks like, and no matter how she shape-shifts to meet it, Squirrel Flower will always be a world of her own, a space-rock flying down the road in flames and flat tires. As Planet (i) wheels to a close from the cartop lovesickness of "Iowa 146," the floodwaters of "Deluge in the South," and the tornado fury of "Pass," to the hushed climax and acceptance of "Starshine," she leaves us to face down disaster with hope in hand. https://www.squirrelflower.net/
read more
NoSo / Squirrel Flower (co-headline)
Doors 7 pm
$18 advance / $20 doors
All ages
If you're a guitar enthusiast or familiar with the L.A. music scene, you may already know the name Baek Hwong. Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs before moving to California as a teenager, Hwong cut their teeth at the competitive Thornton School of Music at USC, where they studied guitar and songwriting and began to develop their own unique play style.
After originally pursuing the path of more instrumental players like Tommy Emmanuel, Hwong realized in college that their writing was quickly manifesting itself in new, more personal ways: in lyrics, arrangements, songs that begged to be sung and fully realized. They began to cultivate an ever-growing collection of demos, a small portion of which would make up Stay Proud of Me, their debut album under the name NoSo.
NoSo is shorthand for "North or South?" - a question Hwong often had to face growing up in a predominately white town whenever they mentioned they're Korean. Hwong's writing often indirectly grapples with the insecurities and frustrations that can arise from the Asian American experience. Their writing feels like a balm for the alienated, like this couplet from the song "I Feel You": "You feel my lies while my body moves without me/Laughing about it, laughing about it."
The yearning of NoSo's music is led by their wistful guitar playing, from the circular riffs on "I Feel You" to the glassy plucks scattered throughout "Feeling Like a Woman Lately." The palm-muted arpeggios that open "Man Who Loves You" give way to a jangly pop ballad, perfect for closing out a teen romance movie. The power of these songs stems from NoSo's universal tenderness; a singular perspective to affect and assuage the hearts of many.
Stay Proud of Me is a deeply earnest coming-of-age album, a nuanced introduction to NoSo's universe and Hwong's rapidly expanding musical abilities. The marriage of their lyrics and captivating guitar performance feels magical, as if Noso can open up portals to fantastic new realms, guided by an emotional honesty that breaks you down in one moment and fills you with joy in the next. https://nosomusic.com/
Squirrel Flower's heart-rending sophomore album Planet (i), following her 2020 debut I Was Born Swimming, is exactly that. A singular planet, a world entirely of artist Ella Williams' making. The title came first to her as a joke: it's her made-up name for the new planet people will inevitably settle and destroy after leaving Earth, as well as the universe imagined within her music. "Planet (i) is my body and mind," Williams says, "and it's the physical and emotional world of our planet. It's both." Buoyed by her steadfast vision and propelled by her burning comet of a voice, the record is a love letter to disaster in every form imaginable. Tornadoes, flooding, gaslighting assholes, cars on fire--these songs fully embrace a planet in ruin. As Williams rides from melancholy to jubilance to complete emotional devastation over the course of twelve songs, she carves out a future for herself and those she loves. Planet (i), out June 25, 2021 on Polyvinyl and Full Time Hobby, is at once a refuge, an act of self-healing, and a musical reflection of Squirrel Flower's inner and outer worlds.
On Planet (i), Squirrel Flower reveals a bright and uncompromising vision, confident in her powers of self-healing and growth. No matter what the disaster ahead of or within her looks like, and no matter how she shape-shifts to meet it, Squirrel Flower will always be a world of her own, a space-rock flying down the road in flames and flat tires. As Planet (i) wheels to a close from the cartop lovesickness of "Iowa 146," the floodwaters of "Deluge in the South," and the tornado fury of "Pass," to the hushed climax and acceptance of "Starshine," she leaves us to face down disaster with hope in hand. https://www.squirrelflower.net/
show less
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