When you think of the desert pit stop known as Reno, Nevada, the first thing that comes to mind probably isn’t surf music. Yet the duo known as Surf Curse has taken up and run with their own lo-fi garage variation on beach blanket pop, honing their chops over the course of two albums and one EP, the newest being last year’s Nothing Yet full-length. Since forming in 2013, guitarist Jacob Rubeck (who previously self-released music as Casino Hearts) has evolved a timeless tone to his playing that has only become sharper and more focused since the pair relocated to L.A., where they were the surprise hit of the 2016 Beach Goth festival. Singer/drummer Nick Rattigan has been behind multiple solo projects under monikers like Tele/Visions (the name inspired by the 1983 horror stinker Videodrome), which was later renamed Current Joys, and then the Nicholas Project, starting out as somewhat of an introspective troubadour and gradually becoming more electrified and eccentric.

The duo briefly debuted as Buffalo 66, though they had already dived into the surf by the time L.A. label Big Joy Records signed them up for their first EP and album as Surf Curse. Their July 21 gig at the Irenic will be opened by L.A.-based LunchLady, who played their first show last September and is touring in support of a five-song demo EP released in October.