Hit Bargain have coined the term queencore to describe themselves, an amalgam of queer, queening (a fetish involving sitting/standing on someone else’s body — see the artwork above, a shot from one of their live shows), and hardcore. The six tracks on the LA punks self-titled debut EP are raw, performative, and powerful. They operate in a genre of music that has, at times, serves as a source of liberation for the othered, but also has its roots in violent and systematic oppression. Hit Bargain build towards the kind of cathartic breakdowns that we tend to crave from hardcore music, but they avoid the feeling of macho aggression while doing so. Nora Singh’s portentous howl is a beacon, one that the band’s wiry hostility wraps around like a tightly coiled snake. These songs take on police violence and identity politics, they’re about the bitter scourge of capitalism and the restrictions that society places upon those that don’t fall into line. Hit Bargain are uncompromising and militant in their approach, and it makes for some great music. Listen below.

Tour Dates:
03/23 Portland, OR @ Anarres Infoshop And Community Space
03/24 Seattle, WA @ The Vera Project
03/25 Eugene, OR @ The Boreal
03/26 Oakland, CA @ The Purple House
03/27 Pomona, CA @ The dA Center For The Arts
03/28 Los Angeles, CA @ Cha Cha Lounge

Hit Bargain EP will be self-released on 3/25.