Kevin Bronson on November 3rd, 2008

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Welcome to the Buzz Bands’ first podcast. I’m calling it The Buzzsicle, and it’s an hourlong taste of tunes cool, sweet and sticky. Vol. 1 is a compilation of 16 songs culled from recent EP, single and sampler releases by L.A. bands. My intent here is not necessarily to assemble only music I’m head-over-heels for, but to give you a sampling of the new stuff that’s reaching my ears, whether I’m feverish, hot or lukewarm about it. Since this is my first attempt at something like this, please let me know what I can do better. The tracklist, with my commentary, follows after the jump, and thanks for listening.

||| Download: The Buzzsicle, Vol. 1

00:00 Intro: Kevin tests his new USB mic.

00:19 Thailand, “Control, Control” — I never feel as if this trio’s songs are recorded well enough to do them justice, but this one, from the EP “The Remote Controller Absorbs the Place,” showcases their spare-but-cinematic electro well.

03:18 AdeLine & the Philistines, “Bad Mood Bad Me” — Part Mazzy Star, part synthesis of eight 1990s female-fronted bands I loved (including a couple from Boston), Addy Park’s self-titled mini-album (made with a cast of Silver Lake all-stars) has a lot going for it.

06:14 The Happy Hollows, “Lieutenant” — This trio’s “Imaginary” EP stoked the fires of anticipation for its full-length album, coming early next year.

11:14 The Flying Tourbillion Orchestra, “In a Dream” — The class of several orchestral pop bands playing around town, the Tourbillons’ “Escapements” EP [names explained here] bodes well for the full-length they are working on. Belle & Sebastian and Camera Obscura come to mind, but this gem of a song, perfectly arranged, reminds me that often twee is just danger in disguise.

15:10 Afternoons, “Say Yes” — This is the song with a Shepard Fairey poster. Not that it wouldn’t have been artful anyway, with the ex-Irving fellows forming a virtual boys choir and operatic Claire McKeown backgrounding with a Theremin-like wail. Good stuff.

19:30 Love Grenades, “Young Lovers” — As unfailingly catchy as this track is, I’m not sure chanteuse Liz Wight is doing much more than dressing up well-worn dance music in nice evening wear.

22:55 Aushua, “No Harm Done” — This O.C. quartet is trying to get back on track after singer Nathan Gammill sustained serious injuries in a beating this summer. Plenty of bands have done this kind of soulful rock; not many have written lines like “You know / pride only speaks / not thinks / nor feels.”

26:46 War Tapes, “Dreaming of You” — L.A. is rife with artists trying to squeeze every commercial drop out of post-punk dance rock. This band, sonic kin to another L.A. quartet with a little more edge, Gran Ronde, is one of them.

31:15 Rademacher, “If U Know” — I’ve made this Fresno outfit an honorary L.A. band, as has most of the Eastside scene that has embraced them.

34:38 Golden Ratio, “The Surge” — Good stuff from this L.A./Long Beach trio. Garbage, meet prog rock.

37:37 Automatic Drawing, “If You Leave” — There’s not enough on the band’s “The Captain and the Sea” EP for me to embrace (or dismiss) this new quintet. Straight-ahead indie pop: It’s a crowded field right now.

42:04 The Western States Motel, “Oh World” — Carl Jordan writes beautiful and beautifully forlorn pop songs, even if you get the feeling sometimes that he’s not the right person to sing them. On Western States’ new “Painted Birds Flying in the Orange Mirror Sun” EP, he has doubled his vocals and added nice electro flourishes. Imagine a desert vista at sunset.

45:10 Princeton, “The Waves” — This trio’s very collegiate take on twee-pop comes off as a bit contrived on its “Bloomsbury” EP, though this sweater-vested bit of islandia has its charms.

48:20 Marvelous Toy, “Waiting for the Fire” — Throughout its “All Is Quiet” EP, this quartet walks the tightrope between epic and indulgent. This nifty novella of a tune kinda reminds me of Cash, Springsteen, Arcade Fire and 467 people who induce euphoria with a tinkling piano.

53:10 Castledoor, “Dumpster Diving” — Nate Cole has one of the best voices in town, and it’s put to good use on this bouncy pop song that reaches for some pretty hefty themes.

57:07 The Sweet Hurt, “In the Shade of Dreams” — The title track from Wendy Wang’s second EP showcases her effortless vocals and preternatural feel for melody. Can’t wait for the next batch of music from this ascendant singer-songwriter.